Tag Archives: Democrats

The Hill: Democrats hammer Hegseth over restoring Confederate names of military bases

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Democratic senators on Wednesday repeatedly slammed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over his decision to restore the names of nine military bases originally named after Confederate leaders, with Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) criticizing the Pentagon chief for not calling the families whose relatives’ names will now be stripped from the installations. 

The former titles, which the Pentagon earlier this month said would be restored albeit with new namesakes, means seven bases named for notable individuals will soon revert back roughly two years after conversion. Hegseth earlier this year ordered the names of two other bases, Fort Liberty and Fort Moore, changed back to Fort Bragg and Fort Benning, respectively. 

Kaine, whose state holds three of the nine military bases that were originally named for Confederate generals, said Hegseth’s decision strips away “the names of four amazing people that the Pentagon and local communities had chosen to honor.”

The Virginia bases are currently known as Fort Barfoot, named after Col. Van Barfoot who earned a Medal of Honor for his actions during World War II; Fort Walker, honoring American abolitionist and Civil War surgeon Mary Edwards Walker, the only woman to ever receive a Medal of Honor; and Fort Gregg-Adams, named after Lt. Gen. Arthur Gregg, the first Black man in the Army to reach the rank of lieutenant general, and Lt. Col. Charity Adams Earley, the first Black woman to become an officer in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps in WWII.

Democrats hammer Hegseth over restoring Confederate names of military bases
Democratic senators on Wednesday repeatedly slammed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over his decision to restore the names of nine military bases originally named after Confederate leaders, with Sen…

https://thehill.com/policy/defense/5357795-democrats-hammer-hegseth-over-restoring-confederate-names-of-military-bases

Raleigh News & Observer: Trump’s Approval Rating Plummets in New Poll

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President Donald Trump’s approval rating has dropped to 38%, according to Quinnipiac, amid a public clash with Elon Musk over the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” A CBS/YouGov poll earlier this month showed 45% approval and 55% disapproval, underscoring the growing public scrutiny he faces.

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Republican lawmakers … are viewed unfavorably by 61% of the general public. This disparity comes amid ongoing challenges Republicans have faced in appealing to a wider audience beyond their base.

Trump’s Approval Rating Plummets in New Poll
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https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-s-approval-rating-plummets-in-new-poll/ss-AA1GVnKX

NBC News: FBI Director Kash Patel feeds 2020 election conspiracy theories with documents about unverified tip

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FBI Director Kash Patel said this week the bureau had shared “alarming” — but unsubstantiated — allegations about manipulation of the 2020 election with a Republican member of Congress.

“The FBI has located documents which detail alarming allegations related to the 2020 U.S. election, including allegations of interference by the CCP,” Patel wrote, referring to the Chinese Communist Party. “I have immediately declassified the material and turned the documents over to the Chairman Grassley for further review.”

The unsubstantiated claim promoted by Patel, which an unidentified confidential human source gave to the FBI in 2020, during President Donald Trump’s first term, asserts that the Chinese mass-produced driver’s licenses to be used in a mail-in ballot scheme.

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No evidence of widespread or systemic voter fraud affecting the 2020 election has been found, despite allegations promoted by Trump and his allies since he lost that year’s presidential race.

Five years later these fools are still dredging up false claims about the 2020 election.

And this bozo is the director of what was once America’s premier law enforcement agency?

FBI Director Kash Patel feeds 2020 election conspiracy theories with documents about unverified tip
Patel has faced increased pressure from the online right to bring more drastic change to the bureau.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/fbi-director-kash-patel-feeds-2020-election-conspiracy-theories-docume-rcna213521

Mediaite: Whopping Majority of Americans Oppose US Military Involvement in Conflict Between Israel and Iran

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A whopping majority of Americans do not support the United States getting involved in the fighting between Israel and Iran, according to a new poll.

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According to the results, just 16% back US involvement while 60% say the US should not be involved. Another 24% said they were unsure.

Whopping Majority of Americans Oppose US Military Involvement in Conflict Between Israel and Iran
A whopping majority of Americans do not support the United States getting involved in the fighting between Israel and Iran, according to a new poll.
Whopping Majority of Americans Oppose US Military Involvement in Conflict Between Israel and Iran

Atlantic: In Minnesota, America’s Luck Ran Out

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Early this morning, a gunman apparently impersonating a police officer targeted two Democratic Minnesota state lawmakers in their homes. First, he shot State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, who were seriously wounded. Law-enforcement officials believe the same gunman then shot Melissa Hortman, who served as Minnesota’s speaker of the house from 2019 to 2024. She was killed, along with her husband, Mark.

The perp was a die-hard MAGA maniac Trump supporter with hit list of 70 Democrats and abortion providers to be snuffed out.

In Minnesota, America’s Luck Ran Out
The United States is a fraying society, torn apart by polarization, intense disagreement, and ratcheting extremism.

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2025/06/in-minnesota-americas-luck-ran-out/683194

MSNBC: Elon Musk’s bad-faith response to the Minnesota shootings risks encouraging political violence

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In the wake of the attacks, prominent right-wing social media commentators and conspiracy theorists were quick to falsely lay blame at the feet of Democrats.

The shootings of two Minnesota state legislators and their spouses this weekend — resulting in the assassination of Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband and grievous injury to Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, who were shot multiple times — is the latest horrific episode of political violence across the country.

It won’t be the last.

In the wake of the attacks, prominent right-wing social media commentators and conspiracy theorists were quick to falsely lay blame at the feet of victims and Democrats. After reports surfaced that Gov. Tim Walz had appointed the Minnesota shooting suspect, who was taken into custody Sunday, to a state workforce development board, right-wing social media personality Mike Cernovich asked on X whether Walz had unleashed an “assassin” and “ordered the political hit against a rival who voted against Walz’s plan to give free healthcare to illegals.” Elon Musk was swiftly mocked online after he blamed the “far left” for the killings in a post on X.Expand article logo  Continue reading  Back to Home

These conspiracy theories are patently wrong. The suspect in custody for Saturday’s killings has reportedly voted for Trump and is a supporter of the president, according to a close friend of his who spoke with NBC affiliate KARE of Minneapolis, and he appears to have deliberately targeted progressive and liberal candidates and causes. Police discovered a list of other targets, including Democrats who support abortion rights and Planned Parenthood clinics. He was an ordained Christian minister who had taken several trips to proselytize overseas.

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When political leaders use rhetoric that demonizes their opponents, declaring them enemies who are worthy of revenge or pledging retribution, their supporters may feel emboldened or empowered to take violent action.

Opinion | What happens when pundits politicize responses to political violence?
In the wake of the attacks, prominent right-wing social media commentators and conspiracy theorists were quick to falsely lay blame at the feet of Democrats.

https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/minnesota-shootings-suspect-elon-musk-response-conspiracies-rcna213152

Deadline: John Oliver Says “Slippery Slope To Authoritarianism Under Trump” Is Here With POTUS Response To L.A. Anti-ICE Protests

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John Oliver, like his fellow late-night hosts before him, is ringing the alarm on president Donald Trump’s authoritarianism.

The Last Week Tonight host wasted no time getting down to brass tacks, addressing the Los Angeles protests that were spurred by the White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller-led escalation of ICE raids, with agents targeting a Home Depot parking lot occupied by day laborers to meet increased deportation quotas last week.

Referring to a clip of Trump’s Fort Bragg speech, where POTUS claimed the City of Angels would be “on fire” akin to the devastating Palisades and Eaton blazes earlier this year if he hadn’t mobilized thousands of National Guard troops and hundreds of Marines, Oliver remarked: “I know I’m not saying anything new right now, but he is such a dick. There is just no reason to bring up the traumatic fires that are still very much on people’s minds in L.A., for the same reason you shouldn’t open a toast at a retirement party with, ‘Wow, only milestone left after this is death.’ Yeah, everyone knows that, and we’re all trying not to think about it.”

John Oliver Says “Slippery Slope To Authoritarianism Under Trump” Is Here With POTUS Response To L.A. Anti-ICE Protests
John Oliver rang the alarm on Donald Trump’s authoritarianism over his response to the largely peaceful L.A. protests against escalating ICE raids

https://deadline.com/2025/06/john-oliver-trump-los-angeles-protests-ice-authoritarian-1236434562

New York Times: Trump Declares Dubious Emergencies to Amass Power, Scholars Say

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In disputes over protests, deportations and tariffs, the president has invoked statutes that may not provide him with the authority he claims.

To hear President Trump tell it, the nation is facing a rebellion in Los Angeles, an invasion by a Venezuelan gang and extraordinary foreign threats to its economy.

Citing this series of crises, he has sought to draw on emergency powers that Congress has scattered throughout the United States Code over the centuries, summoning the National Guard to Los Angeles over the objections of California’s governor, sending scores of migrants to El Salvador without the barest hint of due process and upending the global economy with steep tariffs.

Legal scholars say the president’s actions are not authorized by the statutes he has cited and are, instead, animated by a different goal.

“He is declaring utterly bogus emergencies for the sake of trying to expand his power, undermine the Constitution and destroy civil liberties,” said Ilya Somin, a libertarian professor at Antonin Scalia Law School who represents a wine importer and other businesses challenging some of Mr. Trump’s tariffs.

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Trump Declares Dubious Emergencies to Amass Power, Scholars Say
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/10/us/politics/trump-emergency-powers-invasion.html?unlocked_article_code=1.N08.tEO-.S_2DmAE6Yws9&smid=url-share

New York Times: Trump Declares Dubious Emergencies to Amass Power, Scholars Say

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In disputes over protests, deportations and tariffs, the president has invoked statutes that may not provide him with the authority he claims.

To hear President Trump tell it, the nation is facing a rebellion in Los Angeles, an invasion by a Venezuelan gang and extraordinary foreign threats to its economy.

Citing this series of crises, he has sought to draw on emergency powers that Congress has scattered throughout the United States Code over the centuries, summoning the National Guard to Los Angeles over the objections of California’s governor, sending scores of migrants to El Salvador without the barest hint of due process and upending the global economy with steep tariffs.

Legal scholars say the president’s actions are not authorized by the statutes he has cited and are, instead, animated by a different goal.

“He is declaring utterly bogus emergencies for the sake of trying to expand his power, undermine the Constitution and destroy civil liberties,” said Ilya Somin, a libertarian professor at Antonin Scalia Law School who represents a wine importer and other businesses challenging some of Mr. Trump’s tariffs.

Trump Declares Dubious Emergencies to Amass Power, Scholars Say
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/10/us/politics/trump-emergency-powers-invasion.html?unlocked_article_code=1.N08.tEO-.S_2DmAE6Yws9&smid=url-share

NBC News: Gavin Newsom locks horns with Trump in a politically defining moment

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Newsom’s 2028 presidential aspirations hang in the balance as the eyes of the nation are on California’s clash with immigration authorities.

The battle between the president and the governor of the country’s largest state instantly turned Newsom into the face of resistance to President Donald Trump’s expansive interpretation of the authorities of his office and mass-deportation campaign. Newsom, who is a potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidate, has been taking heavy criticism from within his own party over his efforts — in part through his new podcast — to cast himself in the role of conciliator.

Newsom delivered an address Tuesday night that aimed squarely at Trump and was clearly intended for a national audience.

“This isn’t just about protests here in Los Angeles,” he said. “When Donald Trump sought blanket authority to commander the National Guard, he made that order apply to every state in this nation. This is about all of us. This is about you. California may be first, but it clearly will not end here. Other states are next. Democracy is next. Democracy is under assault before our eyes. This moment we have feared has arrived.”

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Newsom has also been mounting his own messaging offensive, including on X, where he posted what appeared to be photos of troops crowded on a floor, apparently attempting to rest.

“You sent your troops here without fuel, food, water or a place to sleep. Here they are — being forced to sleep on the floor, piled on top of one another. If anyone is treating our troops disrespectfully, it is you @realDonaldTrump,” Newsom said on X.

On Sunday, Newsom chided Trump “border czar” Tom Homan, saying in an MSNBC interview: “Tom, arrest me. Let’s go.”

Late Monday, Newsom sat for a “Pod Save America” podcast recording in which he cast Trump’s actions as unconstitutional and said some of those assigned to Los Angeles — in his view, unnecessarily — were pried away from fentanyl investigations, and potentially from border operations, for “this theatrical display of toughness by a president of the United States who is unhinged.”

By Tuesday morning, Newsom accused Trump and his top White House deportation architect Stephen Miller of sheltering insurrectionists.

“The only people defending insurrectionists are you and @realDonaldTrump. Or, are we pretending like you didn’t pardon 1500 of them?”

Gavin Newsom locks horns with Trump in a politically defining moment
Newsom’s 2028 presidential aspirations hang in the balance as the eyes of the nation are on California’s clash with immigration authorities.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/rcna211813