Raw Story

Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) faced backlash after suggesting Muslims should be banned from the United States.

"Muslims don't belong in American society," the GOP lawmaker stated in an X post on Monday.

"Pluralism is a lie," he added.

Commenters immediately scorned Ogles for the remarks.

"Andy Ogles, your statement is hateful, disgraceful, and flatly un-American," Seth Taylor wrote. "I'm telling you plainly: you do not get to decide which faiths belong in this country. That is not your job, and it is not your right."

"People like you love to wrap yourselves in the Constitution while trampling its most basic promises. Your rhetoric is bigotry, not leadership. It is division, not patriotism. And it should be condemned without hesitation," he added.

"How does this align with the principle of religious freedom?" Eleanor Hayes asked.

"This is hate speech," Andy Traenkner replied.

"Why would you write something so hateful?" Justin Dangel wondered. "I'm Jew and a supporter of Israel and my friends include many wonderful Muslim Americans. This is not the way. Muslim's belong in America."

U.S. missiles and bombs have so far caused at least 1,168 civilian deaths in Iran, including 188 schoolchildren. Seven American service members have perished.

A direct line connects this violence with the U.S. government’s violence over the past year against people in Minneapolis, Chicago, and other American cities. And with the violence at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Behind it all is the vicious bully now occupying the Oval Office.

If you’re feeling angry, you’re not alone. I see it in your comments. I’m struck by how you are fighting back against this tyranny, nonetheless.

Sue Fraser Frankewicz, age 80, suggests we connect with the nearest Indivisible group “and get outside — march or witness or go to meetings with similarly disgusted smart people like yourself. Get yourself a button-maker and then find some great sentiments and make them into buttons and give them away.” She says such activities give her energy and hope and she’s “not giving up the fight!”

Martin asks us to “help vulnerable and needy people in our communities, who are now more vulnerable than ever.”

Jonni says she finds it useful to “focus on the consequences for the midterms” and know that “every evil thing this administration does has the silver lining of creating a blue wave. Each of us can make a contribution to end this regime.”

Klare K wants so many of us to march and protest on March 28 — the next No Kings Day — that “Trump’s head will explode.”

Jane, who describes herself as disabled and practically housebound, says she “keeps calling, texting, and emailing” her congressional representatives. And although they don’t respond, she “won’t give up on this battle to save our country.”

Others of you are protecting immigrants in your community from ICE.

You’re helping people get to polling places in special elections.

You’re organizing and mobilizing the grassroots of America.

I take great comfort from your courage and tenacity — turning your anger into positive action, fighting against the loathsome sociopath and his dreadful regime.

I’ll continue to support you in every way I can.

We will get through these dark days. In fact, I believe we’ll be stronger for having gone through them. We’ll have a sharper sense of what we value, and why.

Hopefully, we’ll also understand how we arrived at this cataclysm, how America got so badly off track that we allowed a dictator to take over this nation. And we’ll make necessary changes so it never happens again.

Polls show most Americans are now firmly against Trump. Most of us don’t want this war. Most of us reject his brutal immigration dragnet. Most of us are against his usurping powers that belong to Congress and the people. Most of us are appalled by his corruption, self-dealing, and brazen ignorance.

We will continue to resist, with ever more resolve. We will continue to protest and march, in even greater numbers. Our voices will grow even louder.

And when the darkness lifts, we will rebuild.

We’ll get big money out of our politics. We’ll tax concentrated wealth and use the proceeds for affordable child care, elder care, and universal health care. We’ll have a living wage. We’ll bust up monopolies and strengthen unions. We’ll seek to restore America’s moral authority in the world.

We will honor those who stood up to this tyranny. And we will hold accountable those who have enabled it, who have broken the law, trod on our Constitution, and made themselves rich while causing needless suffering.

In all these ways, my friends, we will prevail.

• Robert Reich is an emeritus professor of public policy at Berkeley and former secretary of labor. His writings can be found at https://robertreich.substack.com/. His new memoir, Coming Up Short, can be found wherever you buy books. You can also support local bookstores nationally by ordering the book at bookshop.org

President Donald Trump's justification for the Iran war, that Iranian missiles posed an imminent threat to America, was contradicted by MS NOW's Jackie Alemany on Thursday morning. During a White House medal ceremony on Monday, Trump claimed Iran "would soon have had missiles capable of reaching our beautiful America." However, Alemany reported that a White House source revealed Trump had been eager to strike Iran for at least a month and a half, dating back to conversations at Mar-a-Lago. Alemany characterized the war as driven by personal motivation rather than substantive national security concerns, describing it as Trump wanting to settle a score and build his legacy. She noted bipartisan congressional opposition exists but falls short of Senate passage or likely House support. The reporting suggests Trump's missile threat narrative masks a pre-existing desire for military conflict.

Watch the video below.

Fox News host John Roberts described Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem as "rattled" moments after President Donald Trump fired her.

Roberts' network broadcast remarks by Noem as news broke that she would be replaced by Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK).

"That was weird with Kristi Noem, or what?" Roberts observed. "I mean, I assume that she knew. And if she did, that was really demonstrating the art of compartmentalization because she was there before the Sergeants Benevolent Association of New York in Nashville at a conference, giving a speech at the major city's conference."

"And to me, she seemed a little rattled," he continued, "because she usually doesn't make any mistakes when she delivers a speech. And she was making a few there."

As Noem was speaking, Fox News cut to live video of Mullin on the phone as he entered an elevator at the U.S. Capitol.

"I'll be back," Mullin insisted.

"So here's what I'm wondering," Roberts remarked. "Was he really on the phone, or was he pretending to be on the phone? Because, I mean, I've done that a couple of times that there's somebody that I don't want to talk to who sort of comes up to you on the street. You grab your phone, and you pretend you're on a call."

Mullin never returned to the cameras.

News that President Donald Trump had fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem from her job and demoted her to "Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas" caused a wave of reactions online Thursday.

Following two tough days of grilling by congressional leaders who pressed Noem about her leadership and spending, including multiple luxury planes, a blanket incident, and a $220 million ad campaign that Trump confirmed with GOP lawmakers he did not authorize — the president announced Thursday that he was replacing her with former MMA fighter and MAGA Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK).

Noem has also faced increased questions over her long-rumored romantic relationship with Corey Lewandowski and his role at the agency. She was confronted directly about it Wednesday under oath, with her husband sitting behind her during the hearing.

The internet had strong responses to the updates.

"Kristi Noem is gone. Pam Bondi is next. Keep the pressure on these extremists," House minority leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) wrote on X.

"Kristi Noem has been fired and replaced by the dumbest US Senator," Ron Filipkowski, MeidasTouch editor in chief, wrote on X.

"Don’t let the door hit you on the way out, Kristi Noem," Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker wrote on X.

"Breaking: Kristi Noem is out. Minnesotans stood up for Alex and Renee and so many others. And if anyone ever asked why we have committee hearings and demand answers…" Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) wrote on X.

"Kristi Noem will go down as one of the most disgraceful cabinet members of all time," environmental attorney Mike Levin wrote on X.

"Kristi Noem has Sad Mar-A-Lago Face," author Tom Bradley Jr. wrote on Bluesky.

"Kristi Noem isn't being fired because she was a danger to US citizens and disruptive to communities. She's getting fired because Trump thought she made him look bad. And then he's going to put someone even stupider and worse in. Hence the rumors about Markwayne Mullin taking her place," TJ Denzer, Shacknews senior news editor, wrote on Bluesky.

Attorney General Pam Bondi has been subpoenaed by the House Oversight Committee.

The vote, cast on Thursday, was introduced by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), who wants answers on why the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking case files have not been released in compliance with federal law.

Per PBS NewsHour's Lisa Desjardins, all Democrats on the committee backed her resolution, as well as four other Republicans: Reps. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), Scott Perry (R-PA), Tim Burchett (R-TN), and Michael Cloud (R-TX).

In a statement posted to X before the vote, Mace — a sexual assault survivor herself — vowed to get answers for the public from President Donald Trump's top law enforcement official.

"AG Bondi claims the DOJ has released all of the Epstein files. The record is clear: they have not," she wrote. "The Epstein case is one of the greatest cover-ups in American history. His global sex trafficking network is larger than what is being revealed. Three million documents have been released, and we still don't have the full truth. Videos are missing. Audio is missing. Logs are missing. There are millions more documents out there."

"We want to know why the DOJ is more focused on shielding the powerful than delivering justice," added Mace. "The American people deserve answers, victims deserve justice. HOLD. THE. LINE."