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‘It’s scary’: Dem candidate speaks out after Trump admin’s ‘surreal’ prosecution of her
Progressive Democratic congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh spoke out against President Donald Trump's administration for prosecuting her after she participated in a protest against an immigration raid in her home state of Illinois.
The indictment, which was filed on Oct. 23, accuses Abughazaleh of one count of conspiracy and one count of forcibly impeding an officer. Abughazaleh told NBC News that she plans to self-surrender to authorities next Wednesday and described the incident as "political prosecution."
Abughazaleh joined Jon Lovett, a former Obama administration staffer, on a new episode of the "Pod Save America" podcast on Thursday, and further discussed the prosecution.
"It's scary. It's surreal, and it's also totally expected," she said. "This is what this administration does. They go after people who disagree with them, and this case is an attempt to criminalize protest, to criminalize freedom of speech, and to criminalize freedom of association."
"This is what authoritarians do," she added. "They try to find any excuse to punish their political enemies, to punish populations they deem as enemies. We've seen that a lot in how ICE is functioning."
Abughazaleh noted that the Trump administration has admitted to catching very few criminals during its immigration raids. She suggested that reveals something more sinister about the raids.
"That is one of the best examples to show that this has never been about crime," she said. "This has never even been about immigration. This is about securing and cementing power for the Trump administration."
Ex-GOP spokesperson rails that red states are suffering due to Trump’s cuts
Former Republican Tim Miller, who hosts a podcast for the conservative anti-Trump news outlet The Bulwark, discussed with MSNBC host and former Republican Nicolle Wallace that the GOP is stiffing its own voters with slashes to food stamp benefits.
"I know food stamps is like a 90s era right-wing racist smear, but SNAP, which is sort of the new EBT — this is food assistance. [It] knows no partisan affiliation. If anything, it disproportionately benefits households in Trump voting counties and districts," said Wallace. "And it feeds a whole lot of kids who don't have any responsibility for any of the political decisions that adults make."
Miller noted that the GOP's rhetoric has clearly shifted from the days of Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and Mitt Romney (R-UT).
"But the policies are harmful to them. And this ... the expiration of SNAP — or the fact that they're not going to continue funding SNAP during this shutdown, beginning this weekend, I think is the most acute example of this, where, you know, if the party had fully switched to being a multiracial, multiethnic, working class party like they pay lip service to, this would be an emergency right now," said Miller.
The situation would involve Republican lawmakers fearful "our own voters are literally going to go hungry beginning this weekend. You know, we need to serve to service them. And meanwhile, Donald Trump's in China or in Korea getting a, you know, Burger King happy meal crown from the head of South Korea. And Congress isn't even in session, right? Like they're not doing anything."
He called it a catastrophe and a tragedy if the problem isn't fixed in the coming days.
"But it's also a very stark demonstration of just how this kind of MAGA populism is a lot of lip service and not a lot of action," Miller continued. "And you're seeing it in real time also in the states where, you know, in Colorado, Jared Polis and some other states, governors, mostly Democratic governors, are working to try to patch this right now. And in some of the red states, it's not going to get patched."
ICE sent into frenzy to return longtime Trump golf employee mistakenly deported to Mexico
A longtime former employee at one of President Donald Trump's golf clubs was mistakenly deported to Mexico, The New York Times reported — sending U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement into a mad scramble to correct the error and bring him home.
"Alejandro Juarez stepped off a plane in Texas and stood on a bridge over the Rio Grande, staring at the same border that he had crossed illegally from Mexico 22 years earlier," reported Luis Ferré-Sadurní and Hamed Aleaziz. "As U.S. immigration officials unshackled restraints bound to his arms and legs, Mr. Juarez, 39, pleaded with them. He told them he was never given a chance to contest his deportation in front of an immigration judge after being detained in New York City five days before."
As it turned out, the Department of Homeland Security had mistakenly put him on a deportation flight instead of sending him to a detention facility in Arizona ahead of his immigration hearing, to which he was entitled.
"Their actions probably violated federal immigration laws, which entitle most immigrants facing deportation to a hearing before a judge — a hearing Mr. Juarez never had," said the report. "ICE officials raced to decipher his whereabouts, exchanging bewildered emails and contacting detention facilities to pinpoint his location, according to internal ICE documents obtained by The New York Times. It is unclear how many other immigrants like Mr. Juarez have been erroneously removed, in part because ICE has not in the past tracked such cases."
Juarez "had worked for more than a decade at a Trump Organization golf club in New York," noted the report, and suddenly found himself expelled from the United States.
Similar administrative mistakes have happened on other occasions, most notably with Salvadoran migrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was deported from his family in Maryland to the infamous CECOT megaprison in his home country, despite a court order prohibiting his removal there. After months of denying they had jurisdiction to repatriate him, the Trump administration finally did so, but then immediately hit him with flimsy gang charges, and started shopping around for any other country that would accept him, including several in Africa.
Internet loses it over Trump’s $199 fragrance line: ‘New frontiers of grifting’
President Donald Trump took the opportunity Monday evening to hawk his line of fragrances — and earned swift reaction from critics Monday evening, many of whom were astounded by the eye-popping price.
Trump has a long history of pushing fragrances, dating back to at least 2004, when he launched "Donald Trump, The Fragrance" in partnership with Estée Lauder.
In 2015, Trump released the fragrance, "Empire by Trump." And last year, Trump introduced the "Victory 47" cologne and perfume as part of his merchandise line, available for pre-order beginning in June, as well as a new fragrance line called "Fight, Fight, Fight," which included both men's and women's scents.
On Monday, the president took to his Truth Social platform to push his new fragrances.
"Trump Fragrances are here. They’re called 'Victory 45-47' because they’re all about Winning, Strength, and Success — For men and women. Get yourself a bottle, and don’t forget to get one for your loved ones too. Enjoy, have fun, and keep winning!"
The internet immediately weighed in on the announcement.
X user Burt Macklin joked on X, "Just spent my entire life saving on his new phone service. Going to take out a few payday loans to get this new fragrance."
Fellow X commenter Drew Logan jabbed potential buyers, writing: "You are a complete f---ing loser if you buy this."
Fred Wellman, host of the On Democracy podcast, repeated a familiar Trump refrain in resharing the president's post: "Thank you for your attention."
Journalist Aaron Rupar wrote on X, "new frontiers of grifting."
Former MSNBC host and Zeteo founder Mehdi Hasan questioned on X, "How is this legal?"
X user Kate from Kharkiv simply reacted, "Wtf? Lol"
CNN's Kristen Holmes homed in on the eyebrow-raising price.
"President Trump is launching his own fragrance line called 'Victory 45-47'. $199 a bottle," she noted.
And fellow X user Jeff Fleischmann remarked, "Trump launching fragrance line called 'Victory 45-47'. $199 a bottle. => Rumored to be made from 'essence' of his 'precious bodily fluids.' Appropriate warnings may or may not be listed on label. Use with extreme caution and ideally in the presence of a medical professional."
Political reporter caught off guard by Trump’s latest ‘odd move’ in court
In perhaps one of the most bizarre legal whiplashes since the start of Donald Trump's second presidency, he dropped his lawsuit against polling expert Ann Selzer and the Des Moines Register on Monday — but then filed it again, in a different court.
Politico's Kyle Cheney, reporting on the development, expressed puzzlement by the move.
"UPDATE: Trump has refiled his suit against Selzer and DMR in Iowa state court, an odd move since the federal judge in the original case denied his effort to transfer back to state court," Cheney posted on X. "Appeal was pending when Trump dismissed earlier suit."
The suit stems from a poll released by Selzer and the newspaper days before the 2024 election. The poll, widely regarded as the gold standard for forecasting Iowa voters, had then-Vice President Kamala Harris carrying the state, which would have been a massive upset as Iowa has not been regarded as competitive in presidential contests since the Obama administration.
Ultimately, the poll was off, with Trump carrying the state decisively, and Selzer later announced her retirement from the polling industry. However, Trump sued Selzer and the Register under a novel legal theory that the poll was a deliberate act of fraud designed to mislead the voting public and depress turnout for his voters.
Legal experts widely view the lawsuit as meritless and an attempt to intimidate journalists who might report negative things about the president into silence.
“This frivolous effort is motivated solely by a president’s desire to punish perceived political opponents and to intimidate would-be critics into silence — a breathtaking assault on the First Amendment and the underpinnings of a free society," stated Robert Corn-Revere chief legal counsel for the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, in a press release about their legal brief in defense of Selzer and DMR. "Once you get past the groundless assertions, campaign-style hyperbole, and overheated conspiracy theories, there is nothing left.”
Internet loses it over Trump’s $199 fragrance line: ‘New frontiers of grifting’
President Donald Trump took the opportunity Monday evening to hawk his line of fragrances — and earned swift reaction from critics Monday evening, many of whom were astounded by the eye-popping price.
Trump has a long history of pushing fragrances, dating back to at least 2004, when he launched "Donald Trump, The Fragrance" in partnership with Estée Lauder.
In 2015, Trump released the fragrance, "Empire by Trump." And last year, Trump introduced the "Victory 47" cologne and perfume as part of his merchandise line, available for pre-order beginning in June, as well as a new fragrance line called "Fight, Fight, Fight," which included both men's and women's scents.
On Monday, the president took to his Truth Social platform to push his new fragrances.
"Trump Fragrances are here. They’re called 'Victory 45-47' because they’re all about Winning, Strength, and Success — For men and women. Get yourself a bottle, and don’t forget to get one for your loved ones too. Enjoy, have fun, and keep winning!"
The internet immediately weighed in on the announcement.
X user Burt Macklin joked on X, "Just spent my entire life saving on his new phone service. Going to take out a few payday loans to get this new fragrance."
Fellow X commenter Drew Logan jabbed potential buyers, writing: "You are a complete f---ing loser if you buy this."
Fred Wellman, host of the On Democracy podcast, repeated a familiar Trump refrain in resharing the president's post: "Thank you for your attention."
Journalist Aaron Rupar wrote on X, "new frontiers of grifting."
Former MSNBC host and Zeteo founder Mehdi Hasan questioned on X, "How is this legal?"
X user Kate from Kharkiv simply reacted, "Wtf? Lol"
CNN's Kristen Holmes homed in on the eyebrow-raising price.
"President Trump is launching his own fragrance line called 'Victory 45-47'. $199 a bottle," she noted.
And fellow X user Jeff Fleischmann remarked, "Trump launching fragrance line called 'Victory 45-47'. $199 a bottle. => Rumored to be made from 'essence' of his 'precious bodily fluids.' Appropriate warnings may or may not be listed on label. Use with extreme caution and ideally in the presence of a medical professional."
‘Total trash’: Rudy Giuliani slammed after ‘deeply bigoted’ remark about Mamdani
A panel discussion about Zohran Mamdani's shocking victory in New York City's Democratic primary turned heated after a liberal host slammed claims that Mamdani will "destroy New York."
During Monday's episode of "Piers Morgan Uncensored," former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani said he thinks Mamdani is an "enemy of America" and espouses a philosophy that "wants to destroy America."
"I think he's gonna destroy New York City. I think this is a disaster time for New York City. This guy becomes mayor, the city is gone," Giuliani said.
Those claims didn't sit well with Cenk Uygur, host of The Young Turks. Uygur described Giulian's comments as "deeply bigoted" and "total trash."
'Ignore every lie he just said," Uygur said.
Mamdani's victory in the New York Democratic mayoral primary has spurred a lot of criticism of his character and political beliefs. Some have described Mamdani as a supporter of Hamas despite offering no evidence. Others have criticized his affiliation with the Democratic Socialists of America.
Uygur added that there appear to be two kinds of people who criticize Mamdani: those who disagree with his economic vision for the country and those who want him to bend his head to Israel. Uygur said Giuliani appears to fall into the latter camp.
"If he's New York First, unacceptable!" Uygur said sarcastically. "He has to be Israel First. That's absurd. And they're deeply racist, and they're bigots, and I can't stand it."
‘Not good ganja!’ Ex-RNC chair warns against Eric Trump presidency
Michael Steele, the former chair of the Republican National Committee and current MSNBC host, referenced marijuana when asked about Eric Trump's political ambitions.
Chris Jansing began Monday, "So, Michael, there is so much confidence in the power of Trump and the Trump name, his son Eric's interview with the Financial Times ignited talk of a potential Trump dynasty."
Jansing read a portion of the report where Eric Trump claimed that "the political path" for a family dynasty "would be an easy one," opening the door for another Trump to seek office after his father leaves the White House.
"'I think I could do it," Jansing read Eric's words. "And by the way, I think other members of our family could do it, too."
Eric Trump's wife, Lara, who hosts a show on Fox News after a brief stint as head of the RNC, could make that dynasty a reality. Rumors have swirled that she'll run for Sen. (R-NC) Tom Tillis's seat in next year's midterm elections, since he announced he won't run again.
Eric Trump "also said he's wholly unimpressed by half the politicians I see," Jansing read, with Eric adding, "I could do it very effectively."
"You know, if Americans are drunk on stupid, yeah, Eric Trump is your next president," Steele said. "Put that one in your pipe and smoke it. That's not some good ganja, let me tell you!"
Steele continued, sarcastically, "Sure, why not? You know, let's expand the grift. Let's widen the opportunity!"
He then got serious.
"Look, this is all unserious stuff," Steele remarked before talking about the impact a Trump dynasty would have on "real people."
"It's on the members of my party, the Republican Party, that have agreed to cut programs that they told the American people they would not cut, to expand the reach and the depth and breadth of dollars for to the benefit of those who are much, far wealthier than those red districts that they that they represent. And they will have to now look those voters in the eye, and they'll either continue to lie to them, and the voters will buy it, or they won't, and they'll unelect them. That's the politics of this."
Peter Doocy floats deporting NYC mayoral candidate ‘based on rap lyrics’
Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy asked White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt if New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani should be deported "based on rap lyrics" — even though he is a naturalized U.S. citizen.
"Does President Trump want Zohran Mamdani deported?" Doocy wondered during Monday's White House briefing.
"I haven't heard him say that," Leavitt replied. "I haven't heard him call for that. But certainly he does not want this individual to be elected."
"There's this Congressman Andy Ogles," Doocy noted. "He wants the Attorney General [Pam] Bondi to explore denaturalization proceedings because he thinks Mamdani could have misrepresented or concealed material support for terrorism based on rap lyrics he wrote in 2017."
"Does President Trump think this is a worthwhile use of the Attorney General's time?" the Fox News correspondent pressed.
"Well, I'll let the President speak to that," Leavitt deflected. "I have not seen those claims, but surely if they are true, it's something that should be investigated."
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‘It’s scary’: Dem candidate speaks out after Trump admin’s ‘surreal’ prosecution of her
Progressive Democratic congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh spoke out against President Donald Trump's administration for prosecuting her after she participated in a protest against an immigration raid in her home state of Illinois.
The indictment, which was filed on Oct. 23, accuses Abughazaleh of one count of conspiracy and one count of forcibly impeding an officer. Abughazaleh told NBC News that she plans to self-surrender to authorities next Wednesday and described the incident as "political prosecution."
Abughazaleh joined Jon Lovett, a former Obama administration staffer, on a new episode of the "Pod Save America" podcast on Thursday, and further discussed the prosecution.
"It's scary. It's surreal, and it's also totally expected," she said. "This is what this administration does. They go after people who disagree with them, and this case is an attempt to criminalize protest, to criminalize freedom of speech, and to criminalize freedom of association."
"This is what authoritarians do," she added. "They try to find any excuse to punish their political enemies, to punish populations they deem as enemies. We've seen that a lot in how ICE is functioning."
Abughazaleh noted that the Trump administration has admitted to catching very few criminals during its immigration raids. She suggested that reveals something more sinister about the raids.
"That is one of the best examples to show that this has never been about crime," she said. "This has never even been about immigration. This is about securing and cementing power for the Trump administration."
Ex-GOP spokesperson rails that red states are suffering due to Trump’s cuts
Former Republican Tim Miller, who hosts a podcast for the conservative anti-Trump news outlet The Bulwark, discussed with MSNBC host and former Republican Nicolle Wallace that the GOP is stiffing its own voters with slashes to food stamp benefits.
"I know food stamps is like a 90s era right-wing racist smear, but SNAP, which is sort of the new EBT — this is food assistance. [It] knows no partisan affiliation. If anything, it disproportionately benefits households in Trump voting counties and districts," said Wallace. "And it feeds a whole lot of kids who don't have any responsibility for any of the political decisions that adults make."
Miller noted that the GOP's rhetoric has clearly shifted from the days of Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and Mitt Romney (R-UT).
"But the policies are harmful to them. And this ... the expiration of SNAP — or the fact that they're not going to continue funding SNAP during this shutdown, beginning this weekend, I think is the most acute example of this, where, you know, if the party had fully switched to being a multiracial, multiethnic, working class party like they pay lip service to, this would be an emergency right now," said Miller.
The situation would involve Republican lawmakers fearful "our own voters are literally going to go hungry beginning this weekend. You know, we need to serve to service them. And meanwhile, Donald Trump's in China or in Korea getting a, you know, Burger King happy meal crown from the head of South Korea. And Congress isn't even in session, right? Like they're not doing anything."
He called it a catastrophe and a tragedy if the problem isn't fixed in the coming days.
"But it's also a very stark demonstration of just how this kind of MAGA populism is a lot of lip service and not a lot of action," Miller continued. "And you're seeing it in real time also in the states where, you know, in Colorado, Jared Polis and some other states, governors, mostly Democratic governors, are working to try to patch this right now. And in some of the red states, it's not going to get patched."
ICE sent into frenzy to return longtime Trump golf employee mistakenly deported to Mexico
A longtime former employee at one of President Donald Trump's golf clubs was mistakenly deported to Mexico, The New York Times reported — sending U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement into a mad scramble to correct the error and bring him home.
"Alejandro Juarez stepped off a plane in Texas and stood on a bridge over the Rio Grande, staring at the same border that he had crossed illegally from Mexico 22 years earlier," reported Luis Ferré-Sadurní and Hamed Aleaziz. "As U.S. immigration officials unshackled restraints bound to his arms and legs, Mr. Juarez, 39, pleaded with them. He told them he was never given a chance to contest his deportation in front of an immigration judge after being detained in New York City five days before."
As it turned out, the Department of Homeland Security had mistakenly put him on a deportation flight instead of sending him to a detention facility in Arizona ahead of his immigration hearing, to which he was entitled.
"Their actions probably violated federal immigration laws, which entitle most immigrants facing deportation to a hearing before a judge — a hearing Mr. Juarez never had," said the report. "ICE officials raced to decipher his whereabouts, exchanging bewildered emails and contacting detention facilities to pinpoint his location, according to internal ICE documents obtained by The New York Times. It is unclear how many other immigrants like Mr. Juarez have been erroneously removed, in part because ICE has not in the past tracked such cases."
Juarez "had worked for more than a decade at a Trump Organization golf club in New York," noted the report, and suddenly found himself expelled from the United States.
Similar administrative mistakes have happened on other occasions, most notably with Salvadoran migrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was deported from his family in Maryland to the infamous CECOT megaprison in his home country, despite a court order prohibiting his removal there. After months of denying they had jurisdiction to repatriate him, the Trump administration finally did so, but then immediately hit him with flimsy gang charges, and started shopping around for any other country that would accept him, including several in Africa.
