A Wisconsin state trooper says President Donald Trump’s immigration agents put him in handcuffs and shackles as he waited to board a domestic flight Thursday, even after he told them he had a work permit and a pending asylum application, ABC News reported.
On Friday, Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI) said Van Der Merwe would be released “immediately” after the congressman called Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, WKBT reported.
“According to Van Der Merwe, the officers said they did not care, placed him in handcuffs and shackles, and transported him to immigration detention in Dodge County,” the law firm Christopher & De León said.
Carel Aaron Van Der Merwe, 21, had faced deportation to South Africa, according to his attorney, Marc Christopher. His lawyers say he came to the U.S. legally as a child, has waited seven years for an asylum interview and has a work permit valid through 2030.
“This is inhumane and despicable,” Christopher said. “Putting a Wisconsin State Trooper behind bars while his asylum case sits unresolved does not make our communities safer. Wisconsin’s congressional delegation should demand his release and demand answers.”
So they round up the wrong people but at least they do a good job of caring for people they detain, right? They do that, right? Wrong. Edith Olmsted (THE NEW REPUBLIC) notes:
Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigators determined that failing medical care preceded the deaths of 23 immigrants in detention.
The San Francisco Chronicle obtained internal reports on the deaths of 29 immigrant detainees who died between January 2025 and January 2026. In the 29 cases the Chronicle reviewed, 23 immigrants died after receiving medical care the agency itself found was deficient.
ICE investigators determined that detention staff “deviated from safe limits of practice,” or “did not provide medical care within safe limits of practice” for the 23 detainees.
In at least eight of the cases, medical staff failed to perform CPR correctly, or at all. In only three of the cases, investigators determined that the deficient medical care did not directly contribute to the person’s death.
The agency continues to insist that there has been no spike in detainee deaths, though 2025 saw the most immigrant detainee deaths since 2003. So far in 2026, 31 immigrants have died in ICE detention.
“As the Democratic majority embraces its obligation to hold the architects of the MAGA Agenda responsible for harms they have wrought upon our nation, including the affordability crisis that continues to devastate ordinary Americans while the wealth of their billionaire benefactors has only grown, rest assured that Brendan Carr’s name and actions will not escape our close review,” Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.), a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, told POLITICO on Thursday. “Rest assured, Brendan Carr’s time as an overt partisan sycophant without oversight is thankfully coming to an end.”
New Mexico Sen. Ben Ray Luján, who stands to chair the Senate Commerce Telecommunications and Media Subcommittee, also pledged to use every available tool to press Carr.
“Chairman Carr failed the American people and Congress has a responsibility to demand transparency, investigate abuses of power, and ensure the FCC is putting Americans first, not serving the political interests of the President,” Luján said.
The midterms delivered reality to Chump. All year long has he dropped in the polls, he claimed the polls were wrong. He insisted they were wrong when it came to the midterms as well. But then came Tuesday and the verdict on Chump was made clear: Loser. The American people were tired of him. They had grown to loathe him.
But it could get worse for Chump. Joe Walsh (CBS NEWS) reports the results aren't in yet on all the races:
The makeup of Congress shifted dramatically in the 2026 midterm elections, as Democrats decisively won control of the Senate and picked up dozens of House seats — in what's on track to be one of the largest midterm routs in recent decades.
The exact margins of Congress are not yet clear, as winners have not yet been projected in two Senate races and more than two dozen House races. They include GOP-held districts with razor-thin margins, a few Democratic seats that could flip to Republicans and several races in California and other Western states that still need to count ballots.
One of those races? It involves a reactionary, elderly bigot who may finally be turned out of Congress after 11 elections. Nolan Wilkinson (RALEIGH NEWS & OBSERVER) reports:
Republican Rep. Virginia Foxx said Friday she’s requested “nonpartisan election observers” to be present for vote counting across North Carolina’s 5th District as she trails in the election.
Foxx, 83, has served 11 terms representing the district, which today encompasses rural parts the northwestern section of the state as well as most of Greensboro.
Her Democratic opponent, Chuck Hubbard, is currently winning by just 99 votes, according to preliminary results.
Virginia Foxx could be sent home. And maybe then sent to an old folks home because there are rumors her family isn't that crazy about her.
Chump's having to face that America's not that crazy about him. Edith Olmsted (THE NEW REPUBLIC) notes:
President Donald Trump scurried away from reporters Friday who asked about his new loser status.
[. . .]
Trump quickly departed from the press gaggle, as one reporter shouted after him, “How does it feel to lose?” The president continued to flee and did not respond.
“Congress has been given a mandate by the American people. When we return to Washington, we’ll be ready to answer the call. We’re going to work together to bring down the cost of gas and groceries, ensure everyone has access to quality, affordable health care, reverse Trump’s harmful tariffs, rein in the unauthorized war in Iran, and advance legislation that delivers tangible results for every American, regardless of how they voted. It’s time to build a brighter future for our country, and we’re ready to get to work.”
Last night, Americans sent a clear message:
They are sick of Donald Trump’s bulls**t.
They are tired of him promising one thing in the morning then going back on his word by the afternoon.
They’re done with him putting his self-interest over our national interest.
So we’re here today to let those folks know that we hear them.
That we’re with them.
That we’re just as pissed off as they are.
And that… with Juliana joining our ranks in DC… we’re going to use every seat we gained to fight back against Trump and fight for what American families really need.
The reality is, from utility bills to grocery bills, health care to child care, far too many Americans feel like they’re one bad day… one doctor’s appointment… one stop at the gas pump away from disaster.
Far too many fifth-generation farmers have told me that they can’t sleep at night, because they don’t know if they can hold on long enough to hand the farm to a sixth generation.
Meanwhile, Trump has quite literally said that he doesn’t “give a damn” about inflation so long as he makes a fortune. And every day, his actions show that he means it.
Well, I give a damn. We give a damn.
That’s why you better believe that in this next Congress, we’re going to fight to hold Donald Trump accountable and deliver real results for families.
President Donald Trump wants Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White to be the White House press secretary, he announced Saturday.
“The Great Dana White, a violent Fighter and Warrior, has been offered the job of Press Secretary of the United States,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. He also asked White to bring various muscle-bound prizefighters to the White House as assistants, presumably so that if a journalist asks a tough question, those prizefighters could then put them in a headlock.
“I have requested that he bring with him assistants, even though some are not from our Country, of Islam Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Justin Gaethje, Daniel Cormier, Amanda Nunes, and Kayla Harris,” Trump wrote, misspelling the name of UFC fighter Kayla Harrison. “We need these people to defend us against the Lunatic Left.”
With a vote on his impeachment looming next week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is digging in his heels and vowing to stay at his Pentagon post for the rest of the Trump administration.
Hegseth has reassured his allies that he is not angling for Marsha Blackburn’s Tennessee seat in a Senate that will now be controlled by Democrats, Pentagon officials said.
If his congressional opponents vote to impeach him, Hegseth will seek to use the confrontation as a platform to aggressively defend his agenda, which includes the war with Iran, the ouster of senior military officers and rolling back past diversity policies.
Until Friday, there had been talk that a save face measure might be available. Senator Marsha Blackburn, a Republican, had run for governor of Tennessee and was elected last Tuesday. It was floated that Hegseth wanted to be appointed by her to her spot. The move from Secretary of Defense to US senator was thought to be a face saver for Priss Pot. But on Friday, that opportunity appeared to vanish. Bennito L. Kelty (RAW STORY) adds:
Speculation about Hegseth picked up at the end of September, when he attended a University of Tennessee football game that Trump and Blackburn also went to, the Banner reported. Hegseth also owns a home in Sumner County, Tennessee.
But a source close to Blackburn repeatedly denied that any meeting or conversation about the appointment took place, the outlet reported. The same source told the Banner and other reporters this week that "D.C. won't pick the next senator."
Chump should fire Priss Pot Pete but he's too scared. He apparently only fires women these days. Add Susie Wiles to the long list which already included Kristi Noem and Pam Bondi. He's got a ton of crooks of both genders to pick from for firing but he can only handle firing women. The now former White House chief of staff was let go on Friday. Erkki Forster (THE DAILY BEAST) reports:
Newly ousted White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles is facing accusations that she ran a corrupt operation inside the White House, bowing to industry lobbyists and putting political fundraising ahead of Americans’ health.
Calley Means, a close ally of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. who resigned from the Trump administration last month, accused Wiles of putting industry interests ahead of public health. He alleged that she blocked a range of Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) initiatives and even opposed efforts to improve children’s diets in favor of sugar-industry money.
[. . .]
Calling Wiles, a former lobbyist and political consultant, “the most powerful chief of staff in modern American history,” Means claimed she had a “stranglehold on any policy decision.”
One of Means’ most serious accusations involved Wiles’ 42-year-old daughter, Katie. He alleged that companies that hired her as a lobbyist subsequently received “high priority” treatment from the administration.
Ogre Stephen Miller has been named by Chump to replace Wiles. Among his first moves? Attacking journalists and The First Amendment. Zachary Leeman (MEDIAITE) reports:
The White House and Department of Justice have reportedly been discussing potentially throwing journalists in jail to reveal the identities of leakers and fresh White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller is behind the plan.
In an Atlantic report about the exit of Susie Wiles from her chief of staff role at the White House, it was revealed that a plan to jail journalists is in consideration in the administration. Wiles reportedly pushed back on such a plan while Miller gave it his endorsement.
According to the report, which cites multiple people familiar with the situation, President Donald Trump has been pressing the DOJ to pursue criminal cases against people who leak information to the media on “national security grounds.” Various “tactics” have been discussed, including arresting journalists to push them into revealing their sources.
Two of the sources cited in the report said that Wiles “pushed back” on this tactic while Miller “was in favor and insisted that it wouldn’t take long for journalists to give up their sources.”
Where there is corruption, there is Toad Blanche. Pocharapon Neammanee (HUFFINGTON POST) notes:
U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche drew online criticism after jumping in to represent incoming White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, with people reminding him he’s not supposed to be the administration’s personal lawyer.
“I’ll tell you what, Stephen Miller has a lawyer. It’s me. It’s me and the entire Department of Justice,” Blanche told Fox News’ Laura Ingraham Friday night.
[. . .]
[US House Rep Robert] Garcia took another jab at Blanche during an appearance on MS NOW on Saturday, telling the panel, “He’s not the lawyer of the president, even though in his head that’s what he wants to be”
Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) told Blanche on X “You did not swear an oath to trump, or to trump’s chief of staff. You swore an oath to the United States Constitution.”
Stephen Miller's promotiong has caught the attention of Congress. Senator Alex Padilla's office issued the following on Stephen Miller:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) released the following statement after President Trump announced Stephen Miller will be the next White House Chief of Staff:
“Five days ago, Americans across the country loudly and clearly rejected Donald Trump’s agenda. Voters demand lower costs, an end to the chaos, and a government that works for them. I know Trump heard them, but sadly and predictably, he’s choosing to double down, handing the keys of the West Wing to the man most responsible for this Administration’s failures and most harmful policies.
“Stephen Miller is the architect of the cruelest immigration policies this country has seen in modern times: family separations, detainment of babies and children, militarized raids, arbitrary arrest quotas, and the horror unleashed in communities across the country. Californians have watched federal agents target their neighborhoods, terrorize families outside our schools and workplaces, and sow fear in communities across the state.
“Trump is doubling down – so will we. We will use every tool at our disposal – oversight, investigations, subpoenas, and our leverage over federal funding – to expose this Administration’s abuse of power and hold those responsible accountable.”
###
Washington, D.C. — Today, Rep. Robert Garcia, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, released the following statement after Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller had been promoted to serve as Trump’s Chief of Staff.
"Just days after the American people rejected his corrupt and lawless presidency, Donald Trump is doubling down. Stephen Miller is the architect of the unconstitutional ICE raids that have terrorized our communities and kidnapped and killed American citizens and immigrant families.
"Oversight Democrats will continue to investigate Miller for his misconduct, and we will fight against his hateful policies in Congress and the courts.
"Stephen Miller should lawyer up," said Ranking Member Robert Garcia.
###
NEW: Video that Baldwin helped make public shows Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena threatening to raise rates for customers who oppose megamerger; Baldwin continues to call for rejection of Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger that will lead to higher costs, worse service for Wisconsinites
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) released a statement calling out Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena for threatening to raise rates on customers – including Wisconsin farmers, manufacturers, and businesses – who oppose the Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern megamerger. In a newly released video, Vena told a room of rail shippers, “I’ll probably increase everybody’s rates that said they didn’t want a seamless railroad by three or four extra percent to teach you a lesson.”
Baldwin has warned for months that this merger will raise costs and worsen already poor rail service for American businesses and consumers. Senator Baldwin’s work to scrutinize this merger – in Senate testimony and public letters – led to federal regulators heeding her calls and ordering the video of Union Pacific’s threats of retaliation be made public. She has called on the Surface Transportation Board to reject the merger.
“For years, I’ve heard from Wisconsin businesses, farmers, and manufacturers about how consolidation in Class I rail has led to unreliable service and high costs that are passed onto Wisconsin families. That’s why I’ve called on the Trump Administration to reject this megamerger and protect American consumers, not the billionaire class and corporations who are just looking to stamp out competition and pad their profits,” said Senator Baldwin. “Today, we can see for ourselves that Union Pacific’s CEO is openly talking about retaliating against shippers who are rightfully concerned that more consolidation in Class I rail will lead to worse service and higher costs for businesses, farmers, and families. That’s no laughing matter to my constituents. I’m calling on the Surface Transportation Board to reject a megamerger that will hurt our Made in Wisconsin economy.”
In March 2026, reports emerged that Union Pacific (UP) CEO Jim Vena threatened retaliation at the Southwestern Association of Rail Shippers annual meeting with rate increases against shippers who oppose the merger. Following these reports, Senator Baldwin questioned Surface Transportation Board (STB) nominee Karen Hedlund about whether federal regulators would take these threats seriously. Hedlund stated that any kind of retaliation against shippers would be “utterly unacceptable.” Senator Baldwin followed up her questioning by calling on the STB to take Union Pacific’s threats seriously. Yesterday, the STB forced Union Pacific to make those remarks public.
Since the 1950s, the rail industry has consolidated from over 100 Class I freight railroads to only six today, leaving U.S. manufacturers, utility companies, agricultural producers, and small businesses paying excessive rates despite poor service and reliability. For months, Senator Baldwin has been urging federal regulators to thoroughly scrutinize this merger’s impact on competition, shipping costs, and service reliability for Made in Wisconsin businesses who rely on freight rail:
- July 2025: Baldwin and Republican Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas urged the Surface Transportation Board (STB) to closely examine the proposed merger's impact on competition, costs, and reliability.
- November 2025: During a Senate Commerce Committee nomination hearing, Baldwin pressed Surface Transportation Board member nominees Richard Kloster and Michelle Schultz on whether they would act independently of President Trump when making regulatory decisions.
- December 2025: Senator Baldwin called on the STB to reject the merger application filed by Union Pacific to acquire Norfolk Southern.
- June 2026: During a Senate Commerce Committee nomination hearing, Baldwin questioned STB nominee Karen Hedlund on CEO Jim Vena’s past comments. She also asked for clarification if Union Pacific could disregard its burden to prove the merger satisfies the public interest statute.
- July 2026: Baldwin urged the Surface Transportation Board to take Union Pacific’s threat of retaliation against shippers who do not support its merger with Norfolk Southern seriously. Her letter came as Union Pacific’s CEO previously visited President Trump in the Oval Office and committed to helping fund the President’s $400 million White House ballroom.
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