Monday, August 31, 2026. Chump's war with Iran continues, Pete Hegseth argues with generals and brings in social media types to work undercover for the government, Hegsteh also appears to be getting on Chump's nerves, and much more.
Iran retaliated against US forces on Sunday after the US
military struck Iranian rocket launchers, a US official said, marking
the first escalation between the sides in over a month.
Iranian missiles fired into Jordan have been intercepted,
the official said, and no impacts have been reported so far.
The attacks came after the US military struck Iran’s Larak
Island, where it observed Iranian forces preparing to launch rockets
with mines into the Strait of Hormuz.
The United States and Iran exchanged
attacks for the first time in a month overnight on Monday, underscoring
how a war that President Trump had promised would be over quickly has
repeatedly frustrated his attempts to end it.
The U.S. military said on Sunday
that its forces had bombarded Iranian troops on Larak Island that were
preparing to launch rockets armed with mines into the Strait of Hormuz,
the vital shipping corridor for oil and gas that Iran has blockaded. The
Iranian foreign ministry said several people were killed and wounded,
without providing specifics.
Iran’s
Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps said it retaliated by firing at bases
in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates that host U.S. military
personnel. The Jordanian authorities said that they had intercepted
eight missiles that entered their airspace, while the Emirati military
said it had “responded to” a drone coming from Iran. There were no
reports of any damage or casualties.
There are numerous waves of Operation Happy Talk being put out by Chump supporters. Yesterday morning on NBC's MEET THE PRESS, Senator Ted Cruz relied
on one wave of Operation Hapy Talk only to face the obvious response from moderator Kirsten Welker,
"Senator,
I hear you arguing that military objectives have been achieved. If
that’s the case, why can’t the troops come home? There are still some
50,000 troops there." He did not attempt an honest answer to that
question (instead he tried to spin it). Why? There is no honest answer
to that question the administration can afford to make.
Joe DePaolo (MEDIAITE) notes
Chump attacked Kristen Welker for something she said on NBC's MEET THE
PRESS when, in fact, she made the comment on another program:
Welker was appearing on NBC 4 Washington during the 6 a.m. ET hour to promote Sunday morning’s Meet the Press. In her brief comments, Welker — citing NBC News reporting — noted that Trump has taken a few losses in recent GOP primaries.
“He’s going to loom large over these
midterms,” Welker said on NBC 4 Washington. “There’s no doubt about
that. He, of course, has endorsed a slate of candidates in the
primaries. He’s had some mixed results, but most recently, his pick of
Senator Darline Graham, of course, the sister of the late Senator
Lindsey Graham, was successful in her primary battle, so now she takes
on Dr. Annie Andrews in South Carolina.”
Democratic
FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez called President Donald Trump’s Truth
Social demand to punish NBC News’s Kristen Welker for saying something
he didn’t like, “dangerous” for democracy.
Trump became enraged with Welker after a promo clip of her aired on
Washington, D.C.’s, local NBC affiliate, where she noted Trump’s recent
endorsement losses — and wins.
[. . .]
In response to the president’s tantrum, Gomez wrote on X, “As I’ve said many times, the FCC has no authority
to punish journalists this administration doesn’t like. These threats
to press freedom are dangerous. They undermine the foundation of our
democracy, and they have no place in it.”
The president’s attack on Welker comes after the Treasury Department
barred economics journalists from The New York Times, The Wall Street
Journal and Bloomberg from attending this week’s G20 meetings in North
Carolina, according to the Times.
The reporters were not granted credentials by the Treasury Department.
Nearly
300 members of the media, including one Times reporter, will have
high-level access to policymakers throughout the event, a Treasury
spokesperson said in a statement.
Pete Hegseth’s top spin doctor lashed out at a
report that top military brass are pushing back against Hegseth’s
orders, only for his meltdown to blow up in his face.
The Washington Post
revealed Sunday that commanders are warning Hegseth, the Fox News
host-turned-defense secretary, against extending the deployment of more
than 50,000 troops in the Middle East for President Donald Trump’s war
with Iran.
Sources told the Post that four-star
commanders overseeing operations in Europe, Asia, and Latin America,
along with the Navy’s top admiral, each registered a formal ‘non-concur’
with proposals contained in the latest Secretary of Defense Orders
Book, a classified Pentagon document produced twice a month to outline
the worldwide availability, readiness, and movement of U.S. forces.
A
‘non-concur’ formally records a commander’s disagreement with a
proposed course of action, even though the commander may ultimately be
required to carry out the final order.
On Day 10 of the Iran conflict, Trump declared the war “very complete, pretty much.”
It’s now many months later, with no deal, no end date, and a $37.5
billion price tag, according to Hegseth’s July testimony to Congress.
Last week we documented the ongoing whiplash in our video below—from
demands for unconditional surrender, to negotiations, to this week’s
“Operation Economic Outcast,” a sanctions campaign that amounts to a
tacit admission that six months of bombing didn’t get the job done.
Watch:
Six months of “very complete, pretty much.”David Ritsher
And today on MS NOW's MORNING JOE, they address the issue.
President
Donald Trump has quietly begun to pin his hopes for resolving the Iran
conflict on his treasury secretary rather than Pete Hegseth as the
defense secretary is increasingly sidelined.
That’s according to inside sources quoted Saturday by the Daily Mail,
which described a subtle shift within the 80-year-old president’s inner
circle when it comes to Situation Room briefings on the war, now in its
seventh month.
While Hegseth is still routinely asked for updates on the war, along
with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Dan Caine, Vice President JD
Vance, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, an unnamed insider claimed
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s take is now given more attention by
Trump in the meetings.
[. . .]
While Hegseth is still routinely asked for updates on the war, along
with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Dan Caine, Vice President JD
Vance, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, an unnamed insider claimed
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s take is now given more attention by
Trump in the meetings.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has become afraid of President Donald Trump over mounting frustrations with the Iran war, The Daily Mail reported Saturday.
Anonymous insiders say that Trump is increasingly turning away from Hegseth after the two got into an argument at Camp David earlier this month, according to the report. Instead, Trump is turning more to another one of his favored "yes-men," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
Three senior Stars and Stripes employees have taken their dispute with
Pentagon leadership to federal court, turning a months long fight over
the military newspaper’s independence into an urgent First Amendment
case. Editor in chief Erik Slavin, Middle East reporter Lara Korte and
publisher Max D. Lederer Jr. filed suit Aug. 27 in U.S. District Court
for the District of Columbia.
Their 45 page complaint names Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, chief
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell, senior public affairs official Andrew
Brey and the Defense Department. It seeks a temporary restraining order
and preliminary and permanent injunctions aimed at stopping proposed
terminations that the plaintiffs said could take effect as early as Aug.
28.
The core allegation is retaliation. Slavin and Korte say the Pentagon
targeted them after they publicly defended Stars and Stripes’ editorial
independence in a July 5 CBS Sunday Morning segment. Lederer
says he was later targeted after refusing an instruction to deliver
separation notices to the pair and after publicly explaining why he
planned to retire.
The complaint also ties the timing of the disciplinary action to an Aug.
11 Stars and Stripes report by Alison Bath about conditions aboard the
USS Abraham Lincoln. The article described an unusually long deployment,
strained morale, reported food and water shortages, disrupted mail,
long workdays and concerns among sailors and families about mental
health and self harm.
This is a First Amendment
case. Hegseth has stuck his nose into something it doesn't belong in --
again. What STARS AND STRIPES decides to print or not print has
nothing to do with him or his duties. Being Secretary of Defense comes
with enough tasks, supervising STARS AND STRIPES is not one of them.
But this is part of Hegseth's continued assault on the First Amendment.
Kathleen Culliton (RAW STORY) notes:
Defense
Secretary Pete Hegseth's desperate efforts to control the narrative on
the Iran war have succeeded only in revealing how little control over
the situation he has, a columnist argued Saturday.
This
withering rebuke of Hegseth's actions against military journalists and
service members who have reported untenable conditions, as the war drags
into its seventh month, came courtesy of Salon analyst Sophia Tesfaye.
"Rather
than addressing any systemic failures on the part of the department,
Hegseth’s command structure has resorted to authoritarian retaliation,"
wrote Tesfaye.
"The silencing of the press and scapegoating of desperate sailors does not hide Hegseth’s mess."
Hegseth's
moves do nothing to improve morale or to address his obligations as
Secretary of Defense. In that regard, he's very much like Chump who
does nothing to address the needs of the American people. Tony Romm (NEW YORK TIMES) notes:
In the nearly two years since President
Trump clinched his return to office, the U.S. economy has come under
great duress, leaving families and businesses to suffer through the
expensive consequences of constant global conflict and soaring
government debt.
It was the financial
frustration of a pandemic-weary electorate that helped Mr. Trump and
his fellow Republicans take charge in Washington in 2024, which they
promised to use to defeat the scourge of inflation and slash the
profligate government spending they saw as the root of the problem.
But
Mr. Trump’s actions in office have complicated — if not undermined —
those pledges. With two months until the midterms, some of his policies
have prolonged or worsened the economic fortunes of those he promised to
help.
It began with a punishing
global trade war, which exacerbated the nation’s long quest to bring
down the cost of living in the years following the pandemic. This week,
the president escalated that offensive and took renewed aim at Canada,
setting off a costly tariff tit-for-tat that could drive up prices for Americans.
His
tariffs, his war on Iran, his war on immigrants? They've all helped
destroy the American economy. People are struggling to buy groceries or
to fill their car tanks. And Chump doesn't care. He can't relate to
the average American and he doesn't even pretend to try to relate to
them.
Let's wind down with this from Senator Patty Murray's office:
In New Letter, Murray, Colleagues Demand NIH Director Restore Lifesaving Pediatric Research
ICYMI: Senator Murray Presses NIH Director on Trump’s Proposal to Cut Medical Research Funding to Pay for $1.5 Trillion War Budget
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA),
a senior member and former chair of the Senate Committee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) and Vice Chair of the Senate
Appropriations Committee, led her colleagues in sending a letter
to National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya
demanding restoration of a promising clinical trial to help children
that is ending because of the Trump administration’s budget cuts for
contracts and extreme delays in Notices of Funding Opportunities
impacting pediatric research, specifically the NIH’s Pediatric Trials
Network (PTN). As a direct result of this administration’s actions the
PTN is ending the Pediatric Opportunistic Pharmacokinetic Study (POPS),
which focuses on determining the right dose of dozens of medicines
commonly used in children. The abrupt end to this trial means that
children and their families who have already enrolled and donated blood
samples for this scientific effort will not see the trial’s goal
achieved.
“We write with great concern regarding the National Institute
of Health’s (NIH) budget cuts for contracts and extreme delays in
Notices of Funding Opportunities and their impact on pediatric research,
specifically the NIH’s Pediatric Trials Network (PTN). We recently
learned that, as part of these actions, the PTN is ending its promising
clinical trial, the Pediatric Opportunistic Pharmacokinetic Study
(POPS), which focuses on determining the right dose of dozens of
medicines commonly used in children,” write the senators. “Ending
the POPS study will stop enrollment in 25 states and the testing of
several dozen drugs in children: including premature infants, critically
ill children, and obese children. Ending this study will also mean that
children and their families who have already enrolled and donated blood
samples for this important scientific effort will not see the trial’s
goal achieved.”
“You cannot claim to be making American children healthier
while shutting down the research that would do exactly that. We demand
that you reverse this reckless decision immediately and explain your
decision making to Congress and the families of the children who rely on
this research,”
In the letter, the senators slam the Trump administration for this wasteful and unnecessary move. “Cancelling
this research doesn’t save a dime, in fact it wastes millions of
dollars of taxpayer money. Congress established the BPCA and
appropriated the funding for this research. Now the Trump administration
is forcing it to shut down, and throwing years of data and children’s
blood down the drain. Clinical trials aren’t light switches – you can’t
turn this research on and off, and now lifesaving research for our kids
is gone.”
The lawmakers also call out Director Bhattacharya for his
hypocrisy—because in May, during the FY 2027 NIH Budget Hearing before
the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
Appropriations Subcommittee, he vowed to protect these sorts of trials.
They note: “When asked if you were aware that last year NIH’s
PTN received only part of its funding, you replied that you ‘were
absolutely committed to making sure that we do have opportunities for
children across the country to participate in clinical trials.’ But your
actions are ripping away opportunities for children to participate in
clinical trials and scientists’ ability to learn from trials that could
benefit all children. Your actions are squandering the investments
previously made by NIH to secure data and specimens in a highly
productive trial; and wasting the contributions of children and families
participating in the POPS study.”
In addition to Senator Murray, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators
Jack Reed (D-RI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Adam
B. Schiff (D-CA).
We write with great concern regarding the National Institute
of Health’s (NIH) budget cuts for contracts and extreme delays in
Notices of Funding Opportunities and their impact on pediatric research,
specifically the NIH’s Pediatric Trials Network (PTN). We
recently learned that, as part of these actions, the PTN is ending its
promising clinical trial, the Pediatric Opportunistic Pharmacokinetic
Study (POPS), which focuses on determining the right dose of dozens of
medicines commonly used in children. Ending the POPS study will
stop enrollment in 25 states and the testing of several dozen drugs in
children: including premature infants, critically ill children, and
obese children. Ending this study will also mean that children and their
families who have already enrolled and donated blood samples for this
important scientific effort will not see the trial’s goal achieved. We
urge NIH to reinstate the POPS study to prevent the irreplaceable loss
of benefit of these precious blood samples from our most vulnerable
populations.
The PTN was authorized by Congress in the Best Pharmaceuticals for
Children Act (BPCA) (P.L. 107-109), bipartisan legislation that
authorized $25 million per year for trials of off-patent medicines and
devices used in children. Since then, the PTN has developed into an
NIH-funded consortium of over 100 clinical research sites across the
United States dedicated to conducting studies on the safety, efficacy,
and dosing of drugs and medical devices for children. It aims to improve
pediatric medication labeling and reduce off-label prescribing in
children and provides critical data on how medications act across
developmental stages of childhood and adolescence. Currently, the
infrastructure for the BPCA trials is supported by contracts. Thus,
reductions in contract funding pose barriers to the BPCA implementation.
Due to an arbitrary new rule concocted by the Trump administration, the
“Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Cost Efficiency
Initiative,” created in response to Executive Order 14222, that
institutes an agency-wide maximum contract spending cap for fiscal years
(FY) 2025 and 2026, the BPCA trial funding was cut to substantially
less than what has been authorized by Congress.
POPS provides infrastructure to support pediatric research at 33
sites in 25 states including Washington, New Jersey, and California.
Until its recent cancellation, the study was investigating 60 medicines
and had enrolled over 2,000 children. Due to its abrupt, unplanned
termination, there are drugs for which the PTN will not be able to
provide appropriate dosing information for one or more subgroups of
children. Stopping this trial will diminish the value of irreplaceable
blood samples donated by children and will prevent our ability to learn
the safe dose of medicines routinely used to treat American children.
Cancelling this research doesn’t save a dime, in fact it
wastes millions of dollars of taxpayer money. Congress established the
BPCA and appropriated the funding for this research. Now the Trump
administration is forcing it to shut down, and throwing years of data
and children’s blood down the drain. Clinical trials aren’t light
switches – you can’t turn this research on and off, and now lifesaving
research for our kids is gone.
The National Institute on Child Health and Human Development
(NICHD) previously announced it was planning to support a unified
pediatric research consortium. However, that potential effort was
discussed nearly a year ago at the NICHD’s Advisory Council. To date,
NIH has not released a Notice of Funding Opportunity, meaning that it
will likely be years before awards are made and children are enrolled in
approved trials.On top of the years it will take to get a unified
pediatric research consortium up and running, the PTN was informed that
there will be further cuts to the network in FY 2026 because NICHD was
directed to reduce the amount of money they spend via contracts in
compliance with the administration’s Cost Efficiency Initiative rule.
This is not the first time cuts to the PTN has been brought to your
attention. In May, during the FY 2027 Budget Hearing before the Labor,
Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
Appropriations Subcommittee, Senator Murray asked you about this very
issue. When asked if you were aware that last year NIH’s PTN received
only part of its funding, you replied that you “were absolutely
committed to making sure that we do have opportunities for children
across the country to participate in clinical trials.” But your actions
are ripping away opportunities for children to participate in clinical
trials and scientists’ ability to learn from trials that could benefit
all children. Your actions are squandering the investments previously
made by NIH to secure data and specimens in a highly productive trial;
and wasting the contributions of children and families participating in
the POPS study.
This pediatric trial didn’t have to end prematurely. It is
just one example of a direct impact of the arbitrary decisions the Trump
administration has made that are hurting our most vulnerable population
– children. The contracts that support BPCA infrastructure
received 40% less last year (FY 2025) than was received in 2024, and
researchers were told by NIH that this year’s funding (FY 2026) will be
even less. Senator Murray warned you in May that “researchers at Seattle
Children’s were going to have stop their work investigating how pain
medications could be safely used to help some of our sickest children as
they face surgeries and hospitalization.” Yet, here we are, in the
exact place we feared we would be just a few months ago.
We urge you to do whatever is necessary to ensure full
funding for the NIH’s BPCA infrastructure for the PTN so the important
work of the POPS trial and other vital research can move forward. This
is not about a budget line—this is about keeping our kids safe and
healthy. You cannot claim to be making American children healthier while
shutting down the research that would do exactly that. We demand that
you reverse this reckless decision immediately and explain your decision
making to Congress and the families of the children who rely on this
research.
Iran retaliated against US forces on Sunday after the US
military struck Iranian rocket launchers, a US official said, marking
the first escalation between the sides in over a month.
Iranian missiles fired into Jordan have been intercepted,
the official said, and no impacts have been reported so far.
The attacks came after the US military struck Iran’s Larak
Island, where it observed Iranian forces preparing to launch rockets
with mines into the Strait of Hormuz.
There are numerous waves of Operation Happy Talk being put out by Chump supporters. This morning on NBC's MEET THE PRESS, Senator Ted Cruz relied on one only to face the obvious response from moderator Kirsten Welker, "Senator,
I hear you arguing that military objectives have been achieved. If
that’s the case, why can’t the troops come home? There are still some
50,000 troops there." He did not attempt an honest answer to that question (instead he tried to spin it). Why? There is no honest answer to that question the administration can afford to make.
Pete Hegseth’s top spin doctor lashed out at a
report that top military brass are pushing back against Hegseth’s
orders, only for his meltdown to blow up in his face.
The Washington Post
revealed Sunday that commanders are warning Hegseth, the Fox News
host-turned-defense secretary, against extending the deployment of more
than 50,000 troops in the Middle East for President Donald Trump’s war
with Iran.
Sources told the Post that four-star
commanders overseeing operations in Europe, Asia, and Latin America,
along with the Navy’s top admiral, each registered a formal ‘non-concur’
with proposals contained in the latest Secretary of Defense Orders
Book, a classified Pentagon document produced twice a month to outline
the worldwide availability, readiness, and movement of U.S. forces.
A
‘non-concur’ formally records a commander’s disagreement with a
proposed course of action, even though the commander may ultimately be
required to carry out the final order.
On Day 10 of the Iran conflict, Trump declared the war “very complete, pretty much.”
It’s now many months later, with no deal, no end date, and a $37.5
billion price tag, according to Hegseth’s July testimony to Congress.
Last week we documented the ongoing whiplash in our video below—from
demands for unconditional surrender, to negotiations, to this week’s
“Operation Economic Outcast,” a sanctions campaign that amounts to a
tacit admission that six months of bombing didn’t get the job done.
Watch:
Six months of “very complete, pretty much.”David Ritsher
The Trump administration's crackdown
on illegal immigration is yielding big results. Newly released data show
the number of arrests by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
climbed to nearly 50,000 in July. It's part of a broader crackdown on
illegal and legal immigration during Trump's second term. Here to talk
about what's going on is NPR immigration correspondent Vanessa Romo.
Hey, Vanessa.
VANESSA ROMO, BYLINE: Hi, Joel.
ROSE:
Let's start with new data showing that ICE has made more arrests in
July than any other month during the current administration. How has the
agency been able to do that?
ROMO: Well, it's sort of a
combination of factors. One, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne
Mullin has shifted ICE's strategy, and he's really broadened when and
where people are being arrested. So yes, it's still raids, but it's also
happening a lot more quietly. It's happening at airports and ICE
check-ins and immigration court.
And then second, ICE has a
lot more manpower now. This year, they've added more than 12,000 new
hires, doubling the size of the force. And many states and local law
enforcement are actually now participating in the effort to arrest
people through a program that's called 287(g). And these are agreements
where ICE works with local law enforcement to make those arrests.
ROSE:
Who are the people who are being arrested? I mean, I know a lot of
Haitians lost protections from deportation recently. Is that showing up
in these numbers?
ROMO: Yes, definitely. The Supreme Court
ruled back in June that the Trump administration can strip 300,000
Haitians of what's called temporary protected status. And so that has
shown up in the July figures. But the experts I spoke to say we're
actually likely to see a lot more of those in the August data.
ROSE:
With all of these arrests, there are also a lot of people being held in
detention, right? Exactly, you know, where are all of these people
being held?
ROMO: So you're right. As of July 11, there
were nearly 66,000 immigrants being held in detention across the
country, and that's according to the TRAC Project at Syracuse
University. And that's really, really concerning for immigrant rights
activists who say that detention center facilities are already
overcrowded.
I've spoken with a lot of people in detention
and their lawyers, and I've heard about how overcrowding exacerbates so
many of the problems that already exist. You know, overcrowding can lead
to unsanitary conditions and inconsistent medical care. Now, both the
government and the private companies running these facilities have
repeatedly defended their level of care that they provide. But with the
massive infusion of cash from Congress to DHS and ICE specifically, the
government is also planning on acquiring new detention centers to
address that.
MARGARET BRENNAN: I want to ask you about what's happening in the state of Connecticut.
Nationwide, ICE arrests have increased significantly in June and in July. This past week, the governor of Connecticut said, despite President Trump saying to governors he would not send in ICE to cities that did not ask for help, they detained dozens of people in Danbury, Connecticut, in Bridgeport, and Stamford. ICE did not inform those cities in advance.
You're seeing footage of some of those arrests. What have you learned? Has this operation concluded? How many people were arrested? And was it timed to back to school, as your colleague Senator Chris Murphy alleges?
SENATOR RICHARD BLUMENTHAL: We've learned nothing from ICE. But we know that probably about 100 were detained and arrested. Very
few of them, only a fraction, maybe six or seven, have any kind of
criminal history. So, the administration saying that it's detaining the
worst of the worst or deporting people with serious criminal history is
absolutely belied by the facts. That's not what's happening.
In fact, they are seizing people. Many of them have legal status…
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
SENATOR
RICHARD BLUMENTHAL: … in this country. They may have come here seeking
asylum. And they are doing it in a way that is repugnant and inhumane.
The point is cruelty. They are trying to spread terror and sow fear in a way that is destructive of those communities.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
SENATOR
RICHARD BLUMENTHAL: I'm going to be walking through Danbury tomorrow
with the mayor. And I hope to have a forum. The Permanent Subcommittee
on Investigations has been doing spotlight forums on these abuses by
ICE. I hope to have one in Danbury or in Connecticut later in the week.
BASH: I want to
turn to what's being reported in Connecticut. Senator Chris Murphy said
ICE officers targeted parents at school bus stops this week. He said --
quote -- "In Danbury, they are just targeting parents sitting at school
bus stops just to terrorize little kids."
Are ICE officers detaining parents at school bus stops?
HOMAN: ICE isn't in the business of terrorizing children. That's -- that's just -- that's just political fire.
ICE
is out there enforcing law that was enacted by Congress. Then we arrest
illegal aliens? Are some parents? I'm sure many are. But we're not out
there to terrorize children. We're out there to look for illegal aliens
with final orders of removal, those who overstayed, those that are
criminals, and we're out there looking for them and arresting them.
ICE
has no intention of terrorizing children. That is just a political
statement made to enrage the American people. In the last two years, I
constantly hear the attacks on ICE and what ICE is doing. They think
it's a winning message to know to vilify ICE.
And I have said
for a long time all these hateful words against ICE and what ICE does,
that's a reason assaults against ICE officers are up over 9000 percent,
the threats. It -- and no other law enforcement agency in the world has
that percentage of increase in threats.
And I say most of it is
based on hateful writer and mischaracterization what ICE does, just
like the Delaney Hall, right? Delaney Hall was a big story. Everybody's
protesting up in Newark on Delaney Hall, said there was a hunger strike.
I went there. There was never a hunger strike. People weren't
eating at the cafeteria, but they're eating in the commissary. And there
-- no one was missing medication. They said one person, one father was
arrested while buying diapers. No, he was arrested at a jail, and he was
there for domestic violence charges.
But all these false stories come out, and people buy off on them.
BASH: Well...
HOMAN:
But you notice, when we prove those stories are fake, no one ever
covers that. No one ever says, OK, we were wrong. There actually wasn't a
hunger strike. There wasn't actually mistreatment at that facility.
BASH:
Yes, well, that's literally why we have you on, and we appreciate you
coming on. Three detainees did die at that facility.
But I want
to stick to bus stops, because I -- my question is, even more broadly
beyond Connecticut, are bus school stops fair game for a place where
parents can be arrested?
HOMAN: Look, we -- the ICE policy is
-- it used to be what we call a sensitive location policy. We don't have
that policy anymore.
But I have pointed out, for the last two
years, you -- no one can point to one single incidence we arrested
anybody in an elementary school. We haven't arrested anybody in a
hospital. We haven't arrested anybody in the church. ICE is real good at
their job.
Now, did they -- somebody arrest somebody at a bus
stop? I'm not aware of that. But ICE is out there to enforce law those
that have been ordered removed by a federal judge. And if the --
especially if they're a criminal or if they're a national security
threat, there's no safe harbor for them in this country. We will go
where we need to go.
But to this day, ICE has not made arrests
in one of those three sensitive locations I'm aware of. But you read a
lot of stories they have, but no one's giving me one instance...
BASH: Yes.
HOMAN:
... one name, one date where somebody's arrested at one of those three
instances. As far as the school bus, I'm not aware of that incident at
all.
An Ecuadorian mother and daughter were arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents at a hospital after a car crash in central Florida.
On
20 August, Grace Stephanie Calero Cabanilla, 39, and her daughter,
Giulianna Mía Carriel Calero, 19, were involved in a car crash in
Poinciana, Florida, according to arrest reports reviewed by multiple news outlets.
According to Jonathan Bravo, Calero Cabanilla’s cousin, who spoke to Newsweek,
she was driving to work with her daughter when another vehicle struck
the passenger side of their car, in which the pair “almost died” after
the car flipped over four times.
That was just last week. It's happened before as well but this was just last week. As border czar, Homan should be aware of what happened last week.
Joe DePaolo (MEDIAITE) notes Chump attacked Kristen Welker for something she said on NBC's MEET THE PRESS when, in fact, she made the comment on another program:
Welker was appearing on NBC 4 Washington during the 6 a.m. ET hour to promote Sunday morning’s Meet the Press. In her brief comments, Welker — citing NBC News reporting — noted that Trump has taken a few losses in recent GOP primaries.
“He’s going to loom large over these
midterms,” Welker said on NBC 4 Washington. “There’s no doubt about
that. He, of course, has endorsed a slate of candidates in the
primaries. He’s had some mixed results, but most recently, his pick of
Senator Darline Graham, of course, the sister of the late Senator
Lindsey Graham, was successful in her primary battle, so now she takes
on Dr. Annie Andrews in South Carolina.”
Democratic FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez called President Donald Trump’s Truth Social demand to punish NBC News’s Kristen Welker for saying something he didn’t like, “dangerous” for democracy.
Trump became enraged with Welker after a promo clip of her aired on
Washington, D.C.’s, local NBC affiliate, where she noted Trump’s recent
endorsement losses — and wins.
[. . .]
In response to the president’s tantrum, Gomez wrote on X, “As I’ve said many times, the FCC has no authority
to punish journalists this administration doesn’t like. These threats
to press freedom are dangerous. They undermine the foundation of our
democracy, and they have no place in it.”
Let's wind down with this from Senator Adam Schiff's office:
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla (both D-Calif.), members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, formally demanded an investigation into Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) recent attempt to enter an immigration law firm in Sacramento, California.
“The reporting of this operation is alarming. ICE
officers attempted to enter private property unlawfully, with one
officer allegedly threatening to return in the early morning hours of
the following day and break windows to enter the law firm’s premises. We
request a thorough investigation into this operation, including a
review of the officer’s conduct, threats made by the Department of
Homeland Security and ICE personnel, and timely and comprehensive
responses to our questions about ICE’s perceived authorities to conduct
such actions,” the Senators wrote.
In an inquiry directed to Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
Secretary Markwayne Mullin and ICE Senior Official Performing the Duties
of the Director David J. Ventulla, the lawmakers are pressing for
answers on the purpose of ICE’s attempted entry onto Morris Law Group’s
premises, on ICE failing to secure a judicial warrant prior to arriving
at the firm, information about ICE’s policies to enter private property
without warrants and on alleged threats of violence
made by an ICE officer during their attempt to gain entry. The lawmakers
also pushed back against DHS’s statement that ICE officers were not
aware that this address was a law firm prior to their arrival, though
the firm’s name was clearly legible on its premises.
The Senators continued, “after months of significant
community indignation, unanswered congressional oversight, and
commitments from DHS Secretary Mullin at his nomination hearing that DHS
“will not enter a home or a place of business without a judicial
warrant, unless we’re pursuing the individual that runs into a place of
business or a house,” DHS is again failing to comply with the law, its
commitment to Congress, and its promise to the American people.”
The full text of the letter can be found hereand below.
Dear Secretary Mullin and Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Director Venturella:
It has come to our attention that Immigration and Customs
Enforcement (ICE) officers conducted an operation in Sacramento,
California on Friday, August 14 at an immigration law firm named Morris
Law Group. The reporting of this operation is alarming. ICE
officers attempted to enter private property unlawfully, with one
officer allegedly threatening to return in the early morning hours of
the following day and break windows to enter the law firm’s premises. We
request a thorough investigation into this operation, including a
review of the officer’s conduct, threats made by the Department of
Homeland Security (DHS) and ICE personnel, and timely and comprehensive
responses to our questions about ICE’s perceived authorities to conduct
such actions.
The behavior carried out by DHS enforcement officers and agents
throughout this last year in Los Angeles, California; Chicago, Illinois;
Portland, Oregon; and Minneapolis, Minnesota, make clear that
immigration enforcement officers and agents are capable of and have
acted without regard for the safety and civil liberties of
individuals. It is clear that some DHS enforcement personnel wrongly
believe they can enter individuals’ private properties, including places
of business, without valid, judicial warrants required by the Fourth
Amendment (notwithstanding exigent circumstances that could be
sufficiently established in a court of law). After months of significant
community indignation, unanswered congressional oversight, and
commitments from DHS Secretary Mullin at his nomination hearing that DHS
“will not enter a home or a place of business without a judicial
warrant, unless we’re pursuing the individual that runs into a place of
business or a house,” DHS is again failing to comply with the law, its
commitment to Congress, and its promise to the American people.
Reporting also states that this same ICE officer claimed to have a
“list” from “Washington, D.C.” which listed the building’s address for
inspection and that the officers wanted to “tour the office for beds.”
Furthermore, in DHS’s statement to KCRA 3 following the reporting of
this incident, DHS stated that ICE officers approached “an unmarked
door” and believed it to be an address with beds, but that after
learning it was a law firm, left. We are baffled by this statement.
First, a Google search of this address shows that it is a law
firm. Second, a Google street view image of the address shows
clearly that “Morris Law Group” is written on the front of the entire
building, right next to the building number. We find DHS’s statement
troubling and unsatisfactory.
ICE’s conduct here is another example of a broader, systemic
effort by this administration to intimidate immigrant communities and
the attorneys and legal representatives who represent them. We refuse to
tolerate these efforts to target law firms and organizations based
solely on who their clients may be or their practice areas. Federal
immigration officers and agents must comply with the law as all other
federal law enforcement agents are required.
We are troubled by the serious allegations that ICE
officers attempted to enter private property without a judicial warrant
and further threatened to return to the law firm at 3 a.m. to “break
windows” to enter private property. We request that DHS and ICE promptly
investigate the nature of these threats by its officers, and request
responses to the following questions:
What was the purpose of the ICE operation on August 14 at Morris Law Group?
Why did the ICE officers fail to secure a judicial warrant prior to their arrival at Morris Law Group’s premises?
What is ICE’s protocol or policy regarding requiring judicial
warrants to enter private property since Markwayne Mullin was sworn in
as the DHS Secretary? Where and when was that policy made public?
Will DHS and ICE commit to investigating this incident,
including the allegation that an ICE officer claimed they could return
at “3 a.m.” to “break windows” to enter private property, and share the
outcome of that investigation with our offices?
What is ICE’s policy regarding investigating officers who threaten violence during enforcement actions?
Are ICE officers required to be trained in deescalation in the
context enforcement actions? If so, is that training required prior to
beginning employment? Are there additional and continuous deescalation
trainings throughout their term of employment? Please provide all
documentation regarding ICE’s policy and training
protocol regarding deescalation.
Why did ICE officers request to tour the law firm offices for beds?
Reporting indicates that ICE officers received a “list” from “Washington, D.C.” for this enforcement action.
From whom did they receive this list?
What is the process for creating lists of targets for ICE
enforcement actions? Please provide a list of the offices and officials
involved in the process, both at DHS and ICE, as well as any engagement
by the White House and other federal agencies.
What is the process for creating targeting lists of law firms or
legal service providers and what factors are considered for such
lists? Please provide a list of the offices and officials involved in
the process, both at DHS and ICE, as well as any engagement by the White
House and other federal agencies.
Who are the officials responsible for creating and approving such lists and distributing them to ICE officers?
What were the specific factors that established Morris Law Group as a target for this enforcement action?
Was this enforcement action anchored in seeking a particular
individual? Or does DHS believe it can target locations without a
particular human target?
Was the ICE San Francisco Field Office leading this enforcement operation?
If yes, what is the protocol for coordinating with the ICE San
Francisco Field Office to prepare lists of individuals or law firms
subject to enforcement actions?
If not, which ICE Field Office was tasked with carrying out this enforcement action?
How many officers were involved and were they wearing body cameras? If not, why not?
Does ICE have a protocol for verifying addresses before arriving at them?
If yes, why was this protocol not followed in this instance?
Will ICE investigate possible lack of compliance with protocol here?
If not, why not?
Given the serious allegations of this incident, we request
responses by Friday, September 11. We appreciate your attention to this
matter.
