Wednesday, December 17, 2025. Crazy Eyes Susie Wiles is all over
the media as Chump continues to destroy the economy and continues his
war on immigrants.
We noted the Susie Wiles VANITY FAIR interview in yesterday's snapshot -- we also posted multiple videos on the topic throughout the day and this morning.
There
are a lot of e-mails about that and I'm going to make a few points and
that may be it for that interview. This is nothing new for me and when I
make these comments people often get mad. You have been warned.
Wiles remarks are news.
They deserve to be covered.
The White House response is also news and deserves to be covered.
There are no 'good guys' versus 'bad guys' here.
Chump is not a bad person!!!! Of course he is, but that's all we've got here: Bad guys.
The writer's not a good guy.
He did his job and it was news that he provided. But he wasn't a good guy.
ALL
THE PRESIDENT'S MEN and the more recent follow up with Meryl Streep
(remember when she was telling us today's WASHINGTON POST was so
wonderful?) are not films on journalism. Their glorification myths.
The most honest film or TV movie on journalism starred Valerie
Bertinelli, 1986's ROCKABYE. Valerie's child goes missing. A
journalist makes a thousand promises. In the end, the journalist is
just focused on the job.
Susie Wiles is an idiot and that's what's revealed by this matter.
I
do not get 'seduced' in interviews. I know the profession and I know
that they will suck up to you and lie. That's fine. I know that their
story is the most important to them and that it's why they get paid. I
know that entertainment coverage has impacted non-entertainment coverage
in a very bad manner but that even without its influence, journalism
would still be what it is today.
There
are reporters who do outstanding work. They are few and far between.
There are journalist who don't do outstanding work but do needed work.
They will leave out things intentionally because they know what the
heads of their outlet want and don't want. Then their are the bad
reports who just don't know what to do and will never know. Then you've
got the reporter who is going to flash it up and get attention --
whether the produced work is worthy or not -- because it's al about the
reporter's vanity.
Wiles
is an idiot. She got seduced -- kind words and sucking up convinced
her this was like a conversation with a friend. It's not. She let her
guard down and talked and talked. 11 interviews. And she said what was
reported. She's whining context. 11 interviews? Did you think this
was going to be a transcript piece? Everything you said was never going
to be printed. The most attention getting remarks would make it into
the article. You provided good copy. That's all you did and you're an
idiot for not realizing that before you agreed to it.
Yeah, the reporter tricked her!!!
I can applaud that because she's a bad person working for a bad person.
I'm not going to turn that into, "He's not an asshole."
Because he is. Chris Whipple is an asshole Here is on THE DAILY BEAST podcast.
Approximately 11 minutes in, this exchange takes place.
Joanna Coles : And yet she found the time to sit with you or talk to you for 11 interviews. What's that about?
Chris Whipple: I don't know. I-I can't read her mind. I cannot [. . .]
About 23 minutes and fifty seconds in, this exchange took place.
Joanna Coles: But I didn't really understand what she meant by that. What do you think she meant by that?
Chris Whipple: Well, listen, I can't read her mind, but look --
Joanna Coles: You keep saying that but you interviewed her 11 times. You must have an idea.
Chris Whipple: Uhm, no, I said I couldn't read Trump's mind. I don't think I said that [about Wiles] before that.
Um, yes. You did say it.
And that was so stupid.
First
off, the piece is under attack and you give an interview where you say
something on camera and then about ten minutes later you say you didn't
say that.
Do you have dementia?
Can we trust anything you say or that you've written?
His
ego betrayed him. And the arrogance with which he tells Joanna that
she's wrong. And she wasn't wrong. He looks like an idiot.
And
note what I did above. I quoted what I wanted, what I thought was
pertinent. That's what Chris did. Wiles said what she said. Context?
There's no missing context. This is what she said in the interviews to
a professional journalist and the journalist determined what to quote
by what was newsworthy.
We'll
note the VF interview from time to time (in fact, later in the snapshot
today) but we're not obsessing over it. Next topic.
Sam Sutton and Victoria Guida (POLITICO) add, "For
now, Trump administration officials say they’re optimistic that the
labor market will turn around next year once the effects of the
president’s business-friendly tax and regulatory policies kick in. The
capital investments that have helped push the U.S.’s gross domestic
product above 3 percent — a level that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent
previously identified as vital to the country’s fiscal outlook — are
also expected to push up payroll growth over the next year."
Combined
with other factors, President Donald Trump’s big tariffs on Chinese
goods are costing Ohio farmers and their counterparts in other states
heavily, according to a new report.
The report shows Ohio farmers lost nearly $76 million of their exports to China this year compared to one year earlier.
Tariffs
are taxes on imports, and since the start of his second term, Trump has
imposed a shifting array of them on every country in the world — except
Russia for some reason, according to the Atlantic Council’s Tariff
Tracker.
Economists have said the
unpredictability of the measures has slowed some business investment
because decision-makers can’t plan. And surveys conducted by the Federal
Bank of Cleveland show that regional businesses are seeing higher input
costs from them and many are raising prices for their customers.
That’s not helpful as Republicans struggle to deal with a national affordability crisis.
Farmers have faced a double whammy. They’ve seen many of their costs go up because of the import taxes.
Meanwhile,
China — the country’s third-largest trading partner — stopped purchases
of American soybeans in May before resuming them last month. The
stoppage was in retaliation for the tariffs Trump imposed that now are
at 20%, according to the tariff tracker.
Higher prices are forcing Americans to cut back on holiday presents this year, a new poll has found.
A total of 41 percent of Americans plan to spend less on presents this year, CNBC reported.
That’s
a six-point jump compared to 2024 and the most significant increase
since the 2022 inflation surge, according to the new CNBC All-America
Economic Survey,
Of those who reported they would
be spending less, 46 percent said the reason was the “high cost of
goods,” a 10-percent increase from last year’s survey.
The
survey results come as almost half of Americans say the cost-of-living
crisis is the worst they’ve ever seen, with voters increasingly blaming
President Donald Trump’s policies.
Manufacturers may also have to cut production if sales don’t pick up soon, S&P said.
Tariffs
were blamed once again. S&P said businesses raised prices at one of
the fastest rates in the past three years to cover their own higher
costs. And no part of the economy was spared.
“Higher
prices are again being widely blamed on tariffs, with an initial impact
on manufacturing now increasingly spilling over to services to broaden
the affordability problem,” Williamson said.
Big
picture: It doesn’t seem like the economy will enter 2026 with a strong
dose of momentum. Companies hope the trade disputes will settle down,
but tariffs hang over the economy like the Sword of Damocles.
This
morning on MEIDASTOUCH NEWS, Ben notes the awful economy and he also
notes 'peace' poser Chump is at war right now. Illegal war. War
Crimes And that it's about oil (whcih
Sara
had been preparing for a radio interview earlier this month to promote
her plans to open an at-home child care center in Central Texas when she
learned that a new federal immigration order rendered her ineligible
for legal status.
Sara, an undocumented
Venezuelan who applied for asylum earlier this year, canceled the
interview and indefinitely put her plans on hold.
Now,
Sara, her husband and two sons follow strict rules: curtains must stay
shut and doors locked at all times. If someone knocks on the door, they
won’t answer. They don’t get together with friends unless it’s an
emergency. For trips to the grocery store, they go individually, in
shifts.
In an instant, the work — and hope —
that the family had invested toward economic stability and living
lawfully in the U.S. for nearly a decade disappeared.
“We
don’t understand this administration’s reasons for leaving us in limbo
like this,” said Sara, who asked to be identified by her first name
because she fears being targeted by immigration authorities. “I came to
contribute to this country. Why take those possibilities away and force
us to leave and put us through this trauma? It deprives you of sleep,
takes away your peace, it takes away everything, your dignity as a
person.”
Tension and energy fill the squad car as OFFICER NOLAN looks at DETECTIVE LOPEZ.
NOLAN: Ready?
Lopez nods. The two pull dark masks over their faces and throw open the doors of their squad car
EXT. TREE LINED STREET -- DAY
Nolan and Lopez run towards a 2024 blue Ford Crown Victoria.
INT. CROWN VICTORIA - DAY
MASON, 25, sits in parked car listening to music and finishing some french fries when a big thud is hear.
EXT. TREE LINED STREET - DAY
NOLAN: Roll down the window!!!
Nolan and Lopez stand beside the parked car yelling.
NOLAN: Roll down the window!
Lopez
looks at Nolan. He nods. He breaks the window with his gun, reaches
inside and grabs Mason by the t-shirt collar. Lopez reaches in and
grabs Mason by the neck, joining Nolan in pulling a scared Mason out of
the car.
MASON: What's going on! What did I do?
DETECTIVE HARPER runs over towards them as Nolan and Lopez hurl Mason to the ground.
LOPEZ: Down! Stay down!
MASON: Who are you?
NOLAN: Shut up!
Lopez begins tazing Mason while Nolan and Harper kick him.
Would you accept that scene on THE ROOKIE?
[. . .]
THE ROOKIE scenario above?
George
Retes. That's the name of the man this actually happened to. In
California. And he's not an immigrant. He's a US citizen and, in fact,
an Iraq War veteran. And when ICE began attacking him, they didn't
listen and they didn't care. Olga R. Rodriguez (AP) notes
"It
took two officers to nail my back and then one on my neck to arrest me
even though my hands were already behind my back," Retes said.
[. . .]
Retes
was taken to the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles,
where he said he was put in a special cell on suicide watch and checked
on each day after he became emotionally distraught over his ordeal and
missing his 3-year-old daughter's birthday party Saturday.
He
said federal agents never told him why he was arrested or allowed him
to contact a lawyer or his family during his three-day detention.
Authorities never let him shower or change clothes despite being covered
in tear gas and pepper spray, Retes said, adding that his hands burned
throughout the first night he spent in custody.
On Sunday, an officer had him sign a paper and walked him out of the detention center. He said he was told he faced no charges.
"They
gave me nothing I could wrap my head around," Retes said, explaining
that he was met with silence on his way out when he asked about being
"locked up for three days with no reason and no charges."
George was on CBS EVENING NEWS yesterday talking about what he endured.
Again,
this was done to an American citizen. No one should have that done to
them. This is not what we expect in the United States when it comes to
someone being taken into custody.
You
do not have the right to beat someone whose hands are behind their
back. You do not not need to be breaking windows. You do not need to
be terrorizing and you do not need to be hidden behind masks.
It is a very slippery slope. You accept it from ICE, you better believe it's going to transfer over to the police.
One
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent’s knee was on his neck,
another’s was grinding his back. Drenched with tear gas and pepper
spray, George Retes might have wished that his 137 pounds were back in
Kirkuk, Iraq, one of his Army deployments. Herewith a glimpse of your
tax dollars at work.
Born 26 years ago in Ventura, California,
where his mother was born, he enlisted after high school and calls the
Army “the best job ever,” adding, “I love the infantry.” He married a
woman he deployed with, thereby acquiring a stepson, soon a daughter,
and a reason to leave the Army: to avoid long absences from his
children.
[. . .]
The ICE men were presumably
looking for undocumented immigrants. Retes’s driver’s license, which he
says the ICE men never asked to see, identifies him as “Veteran Army.”
His license plate includes “DV”: disabled veteran. While ICE’s warriors
were trying and ultimately succeeding in smashing his driver’s-side
window (the better to pepper spray him), they apparently did not notice
his rear window’s “Iraq Combat Veteran” sticker.
Amid
a torrent of shouted and contradictory ICE men commands, and after he
asked for an agent’s badge number, he says, Retes was dragged from his
car, his wrists were zip-tied behind his back, and he was seated on the
roadside ground for four hours.
My
name is George Retes. I'm 26 years old, born and raised in Ventura,
California. I'm a U.S. citizen and an Iraq combat veteran. As of writing
this, it has been a little over 5 months since I was wrongfully
detained, stripped of my rights, and held down by officers kneeling on
my neck and back. I was thrown in jail for three days and three nights
and placed on suicide watch - without any explanation, charges, or
apology.
pick up below
Nearly two months later, I wrote an op-ed for the San Francisco Chronicle
detailing my ordeal and what had happened to me. My message was simple:
if this can happen to me - a U.S. citizen and Iraq combat veteran - it
can happen to anyone. I urged people to take responsibility, to stand
together, and to make sure our rights aren't stripped away right in
front of us.
In response to my op-ed, the Department of Homeland Security posted the following statement on X (formerly Twitter):
"As
CBP and ICE agents were executing criminal search warrants on July 10
at the marijuana sites in Camarillo, CA, George Retes - a U.S. citizen -
became violent and refused to comply with law enforcement. He
challenged agents and blocked their route by refusing to move his
vehicle out of the road. CBP arrested Retes for assault.
U.S.
citizens are NOT ‘wrongfully' being arrested by ICE. DHS enforcement
operations are highly targeted and are not resulting in the arrest of
U.S. citizens. We do our due diligence.
We know who we are targeting ahead of time.
These
types of smears are designed to demonize and villainize our brave ICE
law enforcement. This kind of garbage has led to a more than 1,000%
increase in assaults on enforcement officers."
It's
statements like this - painting everyday people as if they're the
problem - that truly demonize and villainize ICE. When agents mask up
and run through towns violating people's rights, they create this image
themselves.
On Dec. 9th, 2025, I had the honor
of testifying at a shadow hearing led by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a
Connecticut Democrat. I spoke not just for myself, but for every person
who believes that our constitutional rights should never be optional.
What happened to me should never happen to anyone, and the fact that it
did shows that our system is failing the very people it's meant to
protect.
We're back to Susie Wiles. Idiots
fall for flatter. We see that every day with Chump. But it's equally
true of Susie Wiles. Every word VANITY FAIR published as a quote came
out of her mouth yet she wants to pretend otherwise or insist that she
was taken out of context. She said what she said about Musk (drug
addict), Donald Chump, etc. Greta Bjornson (PEOPLE) notes:
Susie
Wiles spoke to Vanity Fair for a two-part series about Trump's first
year back in the White House, during which she addressed the
long-awaited Epstein files, which have plagued Trump, 79, during his
second term.
The Trump administration resisted
releasing all files related to the investigation of disgraced financier
Jeffrey Epstein for months before Congress passed an act in November
demanding that they publicly share as many files as possible.
Wiles, 68, reportedly said to Vanity Fair that Trump is in "the Epstein file."
"We
know he’s in the file. And he’s not in the file doing anything awful,”
she said, noting that the president “was on [Epstein’s] plane ... he’s
on the manifest."
Two
more members of The Heritage Foundation’s Board of Trustees, Shane
McCullar and Abby Spencer Moffat, resigned on Tuesday, citing concerns
over Heritage’s direction and approach to combating anti-Semitism.
A statement from McCullar obtained by Mediaite reads:
When
Ed Feulner encouraged me to join the Board of The Heritage Foundation, I
did so to help advance the ideals of America’s Founding. My intention
was to work from within to further the conservative principles in
alignment with our great nation.
Today, I have resigned from the Board of Trustees of the Heritage Foundation in furtherance of those same values.
No
institution that hesitates to condemn antisemitism and hatred—or that
gives a platform to those who spread them—can credibly claim to uphold
the vision that once made the Heritage Foundation the world’s most
respected conservative think tank. And, I cannot, in good conscience,
remain on a board that is unwilling to confront the lapses in judgment
that have harmed its credibility, its culture, and the conservative
movement it once helped shape.
I leave with
respect for the Heritage Foundation’s past, but I cannot support the
course it has chosen for its future. My commitment to the principles
that brought me here remains unchanged, which is why I must now step
away.
Moffat’s statement reads:
After
careful reflection, I have resigned from the Board of Trustees of The
Heritage Foundation. This was not an easy decision, given my family’s
long and meaningful relationship with the institution, but it was a
necessary one.
Heritage’s handling of recent
challenges reveals a drift from the principles that once defined its
leadership. When an institution hesitates to confront harmful ideas and
allows lapses in judgment to stand, it forfeits the moral authority on
which its influence depends.
I remain committed
to the ideals of the American Founding and to institutions that
champion human dignity and responsible governance. But I cannot remain
on a board unwilling or unable to meet this moment with the clarity and
courage it requires.
I step away in the hope
that Heritage will regain the steadiness, discernment, and sense of
purpose that once anchored its essential role in American civic life.
After
Tucker Carlson conducted a friendly interview with white nationalist
leader Nick Fuentes earlier this fall, the think tank’s president, Kevin
Roberts, released a fiery video defending Carlson and excoriating what
he described as the “venomous coalition” criticizing him. Roberts’s
handling of the situation was the subject of much scorn, including on
the right, and he eventually recanted.
they're running off people like the 2 above. and why? to stand with tucker carlson and nick fuentes. to hate jewish people. tucker wants to paint a target on the backs of jewish people and the heritage foundation is going along with him. they were never my think tanks (i'm not a right winger) but i never realized that they hated jewish people.
i'm still getting over the loss of anthony geary. it's so weird. who ever thought luke would die. i think he's been off 'general hospital' since 2017 but he never really seemed gone. i was wondering if he'd show up this year. leslie charleson (monica), denise alexander (leslie) and tristan rogers (scorpio) have all died in the last 12 months and i thought they might bring him back for leslie or scorpio's memorial. lesley being his ex-mother-in-law and also because laura would be mourning her mother and scorpio because he really was luke's best friend.
Dozens
of current and former soap opera luminaries took to social media to pay
tribute to General Hospital legend Anthony Geary, who died Sunday at
the age of 78.
Geary played Luke Spencer on the ABC daytime drama from 1979 until 2015. He earned eight Emmy Awards for his performance.
[...]
Genie Francis, who played Luke's wife Laura, wrote on X: "He spoiled me for leading men for the rest of my life.
"I
am crushed, I will miss him terribly, but I was so lucky to be his
partner. Somehow, somewhere, we are connected to each other because I
felt him leave last night. Good night sweet prince, good night," she
added.
[...]
Morgan Fairchild, who
played Sydney Chase and Haven de Havilland on the series, addressed
Francis on X: "Oh, Genie! I was thinking of you and how hard this would
hit you! Such a lovely guy and actor! Sending you love and condolences.
Much Love!!"
No one better understands what it was like to be the heartthrob star of General Hospital back in its heyday than Rick Springfield.
The “Jessie’s Girl” singer was a fresh-faced 31-year-old when he joined
the cast in 1981 as hunky Dr. Noah Drake. He became an instant viewer
favorite. His co-star, Anthony Geary, had already played Luke Spencer
for three years on the ABC daytime drama and had developed a rabid fan
following of his own. When Luke finally tied the knot with Genie
Francis’ Laura (whom Luke had once raped), 30 million viewers tuned in
to catch the nuptials.
that's the opening to an interview with rick springfield who remembers working with tony.
Tuesday, December 16, 2025. Who's running Homeland Security, while
Chump files one frivilous lawsuit after another, Americans attempting to
sue ICE for assault have to struggle, Chump's first year ends in 35
days and he's accomplished nothing, was Susie Wiles drunk when she spoke
to VANITY FAIR, and much more.
There are so many
things that Kristi Noem does wrong, so many laws she breaks. So the
notion that she needs to be the subject of a Congressional investigation
is not shocking. But the reason may be surprising.
The issue is Kristi and Corey Lewandowski.
Over
the weekend, the rumor became that Corey is running Homeland Security.
That Kristi's just a false façade. That would explain her obsession
with photo ops and social media.
The American people
have a right to know who is running the department. The US Congress
has the duty to know whether the person they voted to be Secretary of
Homeland Security is the person carrying out the tasks of the office.
If it's not, then someone is acting as Secretary of Homeland Security
and doing so without Congressional approval.
Kristi
needs to stand before the American people and clarify this issue
immediately. For her to do that would probably require Congressional
'encouragement.' Congressional encouragement should be strongly
applied.
Before she brought Corey into Homeland
Security, years before, the press had already published items about
their 'supposed' affair. For years. And yet, she's been allowed to
bring him on board. One of them is supervising the other and I don't
see how that meets basic HR standards
The
Department of Homeland Security has quietly moved to tone down its
immigration enforcement tactics after polling revealed their
heavy-handed raids failed to impress the public.
Sweeping
immigration raids carried out under Homeland Security Secretary Kristi
Noem’s “commander-at-large” Gregory Bovino will now be more focused,
according to a new report citing unnamed DHS officials. The shift comes
after months of large-scale raids that were billed as targeting the
“worst of the worst,” a claim that has unraveled as more and more
reports have surfaced of ordinary U.S. citizens being scooped up by
federal agents.
DHS sources
said the changes mean agents will now have specific targets rather than
simply joining sweeping raids in a given area, NewsNation reported.
The
reported changes come a few days after Homeland Security Secretary
Kristi Noem, 54—nicknamed “ICE Barbie” for her camera-ready immigration
crackdowns— endured a rough ride at a hearing before the House Homeland
Security Committee.
Axios has reported
on a growing rift inside the Trump administration between Homeland
Security Secretary Kristi Noem and border czar Tom Homan, who insiders
say barely speak to each other. According to Axios, Noem's supporters
are also criticizing Homan's frequent Fox appearances, which sometimes
feature off-the-cuff policy declarations “that catch officials off
guard.”
Media Matters found that Homan has made more appearances
on Fox than any other administration official this year, far outpacing
his counterpart. And those hits, which Axios says “have led Noem's
supporters to cast him as a self-promoter without portfolio,” have
reportedly become a flashpoint in their rivalry.
Since Trump's inauguration, Homan has made nearly three times as many Fox appearances as Noem. Throughout the year, he has consistently
topped the list as the most Fox-friendly administration official,
appearing at least 140 times, with 115 hits on Fox News and an
additional 25 on Fox Business. Meanwhile, Noem has appeared only 48
times on Fox News, with no appearances on Fox Business.
We're not done with Homeland Security yet, they're now attackin Native Americans. From Senator Patty Murray's office:
SEATTLE TIMES: Indigenous actor Elaine Miles says ICE called her tribal ID ‘fake’
Senators: “The disrespect and harassment of
U.S.-born Tribal citizens by ICE is outrageous and inexcusable, and we
request that you take immediate steps to put an end to it.”
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray
(D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, led 11 of her
Senate colleagues in a new letter to
U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi
Noemdemanding answers regarding the outrageous mistreatment of Tribal
citizens by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in a number of
recent incidents, including in Washington state. In their letter, the
lawmakers called out reports of ICE improperly stopping or detaining
Tribal citizens for no apparent reason aside from their physical
appearance, and urged Secretary Noem to develop policy and trainings to
ensure that all ICE agents are trained to recognize Tribal IDs,
regardless of whether they are working on Tribal lands.
Joining Senator Murray in sending the letter were U.S. Senators
Michael Bennet (D-CO), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Catherine Cortez Masto
(D-NV), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM),
Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Tina
Smith (D-MN), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).
“We write to share our alarm over the completely unacceptable
treatment of U.S.-born citizens of federally recognized Tribes, who
have been stopped and questioned by Immigration and Customs Enforcement
(ICE) agents on suspicion of being undocumented,” the senators wrote. “In
February, several Senators wrote to you following reports of ICE agents
improperly stopping or detaining Tribal citizens. In June, you replied
with a letter in which you failed to respond to the majority of the
questions raised in the letter. Over the past month, we have heard
additional alarming reports of ICE improperly stopping or detaining
Tribal citizens for no apparent reason aside from their physical
appearance. The disrespect and harassment of U.S.-born Tribal citizens
by ICE is outrageous and inexcusable, and we request that you take
immediate steps to put an end to it.”
In November, Elaine Miles, an Indigenous actor, was approached
by four men who identified themselves as ICE agents while waiting for a
bus in Redmond, Washington. When she handed them her Tribal ID issued
by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Oregon,
the immigration agents reportedly claimed
that her ID was “fake” and that “anyone can make that.” When she
attempted to call the Umatilla Tribal enrollment office phone number to
verify her ID to the officers, an officer tried unsuccessfully to pry
her phone out of her hands, then departed with his counterparts in
unmarked vehicles. Miles alleges that her son and uncle
were also both detained by ICE agents who initially did not accept
their Tribal IDs before eventually releasing them. In response, DHS
Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin—a frequent liar—said in an emailed statement that allegations that DHS law enforcement officers engage in racial profiling “categorically FALSE.”
The senators referenced this incident in their letter, noting that
ICE had previously told Members of Congress that “The ICE Enforcement
and Removal Operations (ERO) Academy does not train ERO officers to
require any specific document to prove U.S. citizenship.” “The
experience of these Tribal citizens in Washington suggests that this is
false: ICE agents are demanding certain documents to prove citizenship
and are unaware of different forms of Tribal ID,” the Members wrote.
In another recent incident, a member of Arizona’s Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, Leticia Jacobo, was nearly deported
after an Iowa jail mistakenly issued an ICE detainer for another
inmate. Despite the fact that Jacobo was in possession of her Tribal ID
and had her Social Security number on file with the jail, her family had
to scramble to prove her identity and Tribal citizenship to the jail
staff, who released her just hours before she would have been
transferred into federal custody. At least 15 Indigenous people in
Arizona and New Mexico reported being questioned or detained by ICE agents in January of 2025. Harassment of Navajo Nation citizens by ICE has been so widespread that Navajo President Buu Nygren took to the airwaves
to advise his members to carry identification, driver’s licenses and
their Certificate of Indian Blood on their person at all times.
“You have an obligation to uphold the federal government’s
trust and treaty obligations to Tribes and to treat Tribal citizens with
respect—this is not optional. In light of recent incidents, we urge you
to develop policy and trainings to ensure that all ICE agents are
trained to recognize Tribal IDs, regardless of whether they are working
on Tribal lands,” the senators concluded. The Members also demanded answers by January 11th
to a number of questions about DHS policies regarding interactions with
Tribal citizens and Tribal ID, and how the Department is working with
its Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties to review and
investigate allegations of civil rights violations.
Senator Murray has spoken out forcefully and constantly throughout
this year against the Trump administration’s cruel and counterproductive
mass deportation campaign and the egregious treatment by ICE and DHS of
American citizens, legal immigrants, and undocumented immigrants.
Recently, Murray called attention to the violent assault
of Wilmer Toledo-Martinez in Vancouver, Washington and she has called
for his immediate release from the Northwest ICE Processing Center
(NWIPC). Wilmer was lured out of his home under false pretenses,
violently detained by federal agents, and mauled by an attack dog
despite not resisting arrest or attempting to flee. Murray also recently
called attention to the case of Jose Paniagua Calderón, whose foot was run over by agents in Vancouver.
Last month, Senator Murray joined 48 of her colleagues in the Senate and House of Representatives in introducing the Restoring Access to Detainees Act,
which would mandate that DHS allow people who have been detained to
contact their legal counsel and families. In February, Senator Murray
signed onto a letter
led by Senators Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Brian Schatz (D-HI)
demanding that DHS end wrongful searches and interrogations of Tribal
members. She and Senator Richard Blumenthal led 27 of their Senate
colleagues earlier this year in a letter
expressing concern with the prevalence and treatment of pregnant,
postpartum, and nursing women in ICE detention, and she also joined a
recent letter led by Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) calling for ICE to end the misuse of solitary confinement in immigration detention.
The full text of the letter is available HERE and below.
Dear Secretary Noem:
We write to share our alarm over the completely unacceptable
treatment of U.S.-born citizens of federally recognized Tribes, who have
been stopped and questioned by Immigration and Customs Enforcement
(ICE) agents on suspicion of being undocumented. In February, several
Senators wrote to you following reports of ICE agents improperly
stopping or detaining Tribal citizens. In June, you replied with a
letter in which you failed to respond to the majority of the questions
raised in the letter. Over the past month, we have heard additional
alarming reports of ICE improperly stopping or detaining Tribal citizens
for no apparent reason aside from their physical appearance. The
disrespect and harassment of U.S.-born Tribal citizens by ICE is
outrageous and inexcusable, and we request that you take immediate steps
to put an end to it.
In one recent incident, several Tribal citizens were stopped by ICE
agents at a bus stop in Redmond, Washington. These agents reportedly
questioned the validity of their Tribal ID, with agents allegedly
telling one Tribal citizen that her Tribal ID was “fake” and that
“anyone can make that.” ICE agents also reportedly refused an offer to
contact her Tribal government to verify these individuals’ enrollment
and identification documents.
In our February letter, you were asked to supply information about
the training offered to ICE agents about different forms of valid
identification and documentation of United States citizenship for
enrolled members of federally recognized Tribes. In response, you wrote,
“The ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Academy does not
train ERO officers to require any specific document to prove U.S.
citizenship.” The experience of these Tribal citizens in Washington
suggests that this is false: ICE agents are demanding certain documents
to prove citizenship and are unaware of different forms of Tribal ID.
You have an obligation to uphold the federal government’s trust and
treaty obligations to Tribes and to treat Tribal citizens with
respect—this is not optional. In light of recent incidents, we urge you
to develop policy and trainings to ensure that all ICE agents are
trained to recognize Tribal IDs, regardless of whether they are working
on Tribal lands. Additionally, we request that you answer the following
questions:
What steps, if any, has your Department taken to develop new or
change existing policies regarding its interactions with Tribal citizens
and governments this year?
Please provide a detailed description of how agents are trained to
respond when presented with a Tribally-issued identification card or
document.
Does the Department require additional resources to develop training
and policies for ICE agents to recognize identification documents
issued by Tribal governments?
Please provide a detailed description of how the Department is
working with its Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties to review
and investigate any allegations of civil rights and civil liberties
violations as it pertains to ICE’s treatment of United States-born
citizens of federally recognized Tribes.
In both your June letter and in the Department’s public response to
the Redmond incident, your Department has denied that it racially
profiles Tribal members. How do explain the pattern of ICE agents
stopping and detaining Tribal citizens under the current
Administration?
We appreciate your attention to this request and ask that you respond to these questions no later than January 11, 2026.
President Trump’s
chief of staff said she tried to get him to end his “score settling”
against political enemies after 90 days in office, but acknowledged that
the administration’s still ongoing push for prosecutions has been
fueled in part by the president’s desire for retribution.
Susie
Wiles, the White House chief of staff, told an interviewer that she
forged a “loose agreement” with Mr. Trump to stop focusing after three
months on punishing antagonists, an effort that evidently did not
succeed. While she insisted that Mr. Trump is not constantly thinking
about retribution, she said that “when there’s an opportunity, he will
go for it.”
Ms. Wiles made the
comments in a series of extraordinarily unguarded interviews over the
first year of Mr. Trump’s second term with the author Chris Whipple that
are being published Tuesday and Wednesday by Vanity Fair.
Not only did she confirm that Mr. Trump is using criminal prosecution
to retaliate against adversaries, she also acknowledged that he was not
telling the truth when he accused former President Bill Clinton of visiting the private island of the sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein.
Over
the course of 11 interviews, Ms. Wiles offered pungent assessments of
the president and his team: Mr. Trump “has an alcoholic’s personality.”
Vice President JD Vance
has “been a conspiracy theorist for a decade” and his conversion from
Trump critic to ally was based not on principle but was “sort of
political” because he was running for Senate. Elon Musk is “an avowed ketamine” user and “an odd, odd duck,” whose actions were not always “rational” and left her “aghast.” Russell T. Vought, the budget director, is “a right-wing absolute zealot.” And Attorney General Pam Bondi “completely whiffed” in handling the Epstein files.
Translation, the administration looks as screwed up from the inside as it does from the outside.
And
then there's Chump. Like some parody of nineties Courtney Love,
staying up all night getting drunk and posting on the internet, Chump's
early morning rages make about as much sense as Love's did. It's part
of the reason Courtney went from respected rocker and Golden Globe
nominated actress to . . . who? It's the trajectory Chump has decided
to follow and he's passe as well now.
The
BBC has said it will defend a $5bn (£3.7bn) lawsuit filed by US
President Donald Trump against the BBC over an edit of his 6 January
2021 speech in a Panorama documentary.
Trump
accused the broadcaster of defamation and of violating a trade
practices law, according to court documents filed in Florida.
The
BBC apologised to Trump last month, but rejected his demands for
compensation and disagreed there was a "basis for a defamation claim".
Trump's legal team accused the BBC of defaming him by "intentionally, maliciously, and deceptively doctoring his speech".
A BBC spokesperson said: "As we have made clear previously, we will be defending this case."
Someone
needs to tell Chump to Shut His Damn Mouth and Sit The F**k Down
already. He is becoming an embarrassment and let's all hope the UK
courts put him in his place.
Chump is a fat head. All that fat in his head may even be advancing his dementia. Matt Naham (LAW & CRIME) noted Chump's stepped in it again:
Pulitzer
Prize Board members filed court documents in Okeechobee County,
Florida, on Thursday, containing a litany of broad discovery demands in
an attempt to beat back President Donald Trump's defamation lawsuit over
Russia probe reporting awards.
The 12-page
document was submitted by the law firms of Ballard Spahr and Atherton
Galardi Mullen & Reeder on behalf of 20 defendants.
The
defendants include: Andrew W. Mellon Foundation president Elizabeth
Alexander, The Atlantic's Anne Applebaum, longtime Boston Globe editor
Nancy Barnes, former Columbia University president Lee C. Bollinger,
author and journalist Katherine Boo, Poynter Institute president Neil
Brown, former USA Today Editor-in-Chief Nicole Carroll, former Columbia
Journalism School dean Steve Coll, New York Times opinion columnist Gail
Collins, Vice President and Editor at Large for Standards at the
Associated Press John Daniszewski, Editor and Vice President at the
Philadelphia Inquirer Gabriel Escobar, UCLA historian and professor
Kelly Lytle Hernandez, longtime Pulitzer Prize Deputy Administrator
Edward Kliment, New York Times columnist Carlos Lozada, former Los
Angeles Times Executive Editor Kevin Merida, Pulitzer Prize
Administrator Marjorie Miller, USC professor Viet Thahn Nguyen, CEO and
co-founder of The 19th Emily Ramshaw, New Yorker editor David Remnick,
and Harvard University philosophy professor Tommie Shelby.
Donald
Chump, you are a little bitch who should have had your ass kicked every
day in jr. high and high school. I don't say that to argue for
bullying. I say that to stop bullying. Bullies like Chump beat up on
kids who were weaker than them because they could. But bitches like
Chump are the ones who should have been ass kicked so they'd stop acting
like bitches.
Step back for just one moment.
He
is suing over? Awards. Cry baby bitch Donnie is suing over people
winning awards. Just sit your ass down already, grandpa. If he'd had
gotten the ass kickings he needed, he might have learned to treat women
with respect and he might have learned that he doesn't always get his
way and that just because he doesn't like that someone won an award
doesn't mean he has a legal case. What a little bitch.
And
while Chump sues anyone and everyone he wants, if you're assaulted by
ICE, you're going to struggle in the current system to hold them legally
accountable. Some members of Congress are attempting to address that.
From Senator Alex Padilla's office:
Amid troubling pattern of violence
by ICE and CBP officers, federal law provides no statutory right to sue
federal law enforcement for violating constitutional rights
WASHINGTON, D.C. — As the Trump Administration
conducts widespread and indiscriminate immigration enforcement
operations in cities across the country, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla
(D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration
Subcommittee, and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) introduced the Accountability for Federal Law Enforcement Act
to allow individuals — regardless of citizenship — the right to sue
federal law enforcement officers and agencies in civil court for
violations of their civil and constitutional rights.
Under current law, individuals can sue state and local officers for
constitutional violations, but there is no comparable statutory right to
sue federal officers for doing the same. While the Supreme Court’s
landmark decision in Bivens v. Six Unknown Named Agents allowed
some lawsuits against federal officers, courts have repeatedly narrowed
that ruling, leaving many victims of federal misconduct without
meaningful recourse.
Federal agencies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have recently expanded their
sweeping enforcement raids into cities like Charlotte, North Carolina and New Orleans, Louisiana,
continuing a troubling pattern of violence and excessive force seen in
Los Angeles, Chicago, Portland, and other American cities. These abuses
show how easily federal officers can act with impunity when there are no
effective avenues to hold them accountable, eroding public trust and
weakening the basic principles of constitutional accountability.
“For months, ICE and CBP officers have terrorized communities across
the country, deploying violent and excessive tactics against immigrants,
U.S. citizens, journalists, and bystanders alike with no
accountability. These abuses of individuals’ constitutional rights
without consequence shatter public trust and stoke fear among
hardworking members of our communities,” said Senator Padilla.
“By ensuring every individual, regardless of citizenship, can sue
federal law enforcement when their constitutional rights are violated,
this bill reaffirms that the rule of law applies equally to all —
including those who enforce it.”
“In a democracy, the government is accountable to the people. Last
week, we heard directly from five American citizens whose constitutional
rights were flagrantly violated when they were illegally detained for
hours – sometimes days – and some of whom were violently assaulted by
federal agents. The brave witnesses at our forum represent hundreds,
even thousands, more who have been abused and mistreated by federal
immigration agents and who deserve their day in court. This legislation
is immediately necessary – to hold officers and agencies accountable for
violations of civil rights, and to prevent these kinds of violent
abuses in the future,” said Senator Blumenthal.
The Accountability for Federal Law Enforcement Act is
cosponsored by Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Edward J. Markey
(D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Sheldon
Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore).
“Federal officials should not be allowed to violate someone’s
constitutional rights with impunity, and one of the best ways to prevent
that is to hold accountable the agencies responsible for those
officials’ conduct,” said Senator Whitehouse, a senior member of the Judiciary Committee. “Our
legislation ensures that individuals targeted by this or any other
Administration have access to justice in an honest courtroom.”
“Donald Trump is throwing due process and constitutional rights out
the window in his rush to dehumanize and deport immigrants who are
living peacefully in the United States. As ICE and CBP follow Trump’s
marching orders, people must have the tools needed to stop this
administration from carrying out its cruel and inhumane mass deportation
agenda. I support restoring due process rights by giving people the
right to sue law enforcement agencies for carrying out Trump’s
authoritarian fever dream,” said Senator Wyden.
“Federal law enforcement officers, like their state and local
counterparts, take an oath to uphold the Constitution and the rights of
the people they serve. When they violate that oath, those who have been
harmed must be able to seek accountability. Yet decades of judicial
precedent have narrowed individuals’ ability to recover monetary damages
when federal law enforcement violates their constitutional rights,” said Senator Booker.
“This bill ensures Americans hold federal law enforcement accountable
just as they can state and local officers. At a time when federal forces
have expanded by the tens of thousands, and incidents of excessive
force by federal officers are occurring daily in streets across the
country, Americans cannot be barred from seeking justice in the courts.
Congress must pass this bill to correct this court-created flaw in the
law.”
The Accountability for Federal Law Enforcement Act would close the loophole in accountability for federal officers by:
Creating a statutory right of action allowing individuals,
regardless of citizenship, to seek damages for civil rights violations
committed by federal law enforcement officers;
Amending 42 U.S.C. § 1983 to include federal law enforcement agencies (“public employers”) alongside state and local actors;
Allowing suits against federal agencies when their employees violate
constitutional rights, regardless of whether an agency policy caused
the harm, and waiving sovereign immunity for these claims to ensure
victims have access to redress in federal court;
Preserving existing defenses for individual officers, leaving the qualified immunity doctrine unchanged.
The bill is endorsed by the American Civil Liberties Union and Brennan Center.
Senator Padilla has been a leading voice in opposition to President
Trump’s cruel and indiscriminate mass deportation agenda, including against his unprecedented, illegal militarization of Los Angeles and other American cities. In October, Padilla walked out
of Senate Republicans’ unserious subcommittee hearing entitled “ICE
Under Fire: The Radical Left’s Crusade Against Immigration Enforcement,”
as the Trump Administration conducts violent immigration enforcement
actions across the country. Last week, Padilla denounced
the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) unlawful arrests of U.S.
citizens during Senator Blumenthal’s bicameral spotlight forum, which
included three U.S. citizens from California whom DHS arrested or
detained. Additionally, Padilla and Senator Booker recently demanded
answers from DHS leadership on the hiring standards and training
protocols for newly hired ICE agents. In July, Padilla and Senator
Booker introduced the VISIBLE Act to
require immigration enforcement officers to display clearly visible
identification during public-facing enforcement actions.
