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

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.”

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

MSNBC: Maddow Blog | ‘No Kings’ protests, special election results leave no doubt about the backlash to Trump

In elections and special elections throughout the country, results like these have become rather common lately. After last week’s special elections in multiple states, The Downballot reported, “Overall, in 29 special elections this year, Democratic candidates have run 16.4 points ahead of the 2024 presidential results on average.” G. Elliott Morris, the former director of data analytics at FiveThirtyEight, published a related analysis that pointed in the same direction.

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/no-kings-protests-special-election-results-leave-no-doubt-backlash-tru-rcna213209

News Nation: US Border Patrol to lead DHS operations in Los Angeles

President Donald Trump’s mission of achieving the largest mass deportation in history has been snagged by disappointing migrant apprehension numbers, leading to not only a shift in where the operation will focus, but also, in one case, which federal immigration agency is running point, NewsNation has learned.

Multiple sources within Customs and Border Protection tell NewsNation that the U.S. Border Patrol has been designated as the lead agency for the Department of Homeland Security’s operations in Los Angeles. Sources said that Border Patrol El Centro Sector Chief Gregory Bovino is now running point on the ground amid migrant arrest numbers that have proven disappointing to the Trump administration.

Bovino will report to the Department of Homeland Security, the federal agency that both the Border Patrol and ICE fall under. However, the shift in Los Angeles is significant as Border Patrol has never had removal authority as ICE has.

It’s a long article — click on the links below to read the rest:

https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/immigration/border-patrol-dhs-ops-los-angeles

Knewz: Kristi Noem’s Pentagon Request Sparks Firestorm

Knewz.com is reporting that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem reportedly urged Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to authorize U.S. military personnel in Los Angeles to detain civilians amid ongoing immigration-related protests. This request came shortly before President Trump ordered the deployment of U.S. Marines to support operations in the area. The move has sparked legal debate, as it potentially challenges long-standing restrictions on the military’s role in domestic law enforcement.

Noem urged Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to direct Department of Defense forces to either “detain, just as they would at any federal facility guarded by military, lawbreakers under Title 18 until they can be arrested and processed by federal law enforcement, or arrest them.”

Experts warn Noem’s request could escalate tensions and erode civil liberties by blurring military and civilian law enforcement roles.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/kristi-noem-s-pentagon-request-sparks-firestorm/ss-AA1GLJiF

Latin Times: Florida Sheriff Who Threatened to Kill Protesters Has History of Corruption, Racial Profiling and Bribery Accusations

Since his election in 2012, Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey has been named in multiple lawsuits.

Florida Sheriff Wayne Ivey, who threatened to kill anti-ICE protesters “graveyard dead,” has a history of corruption, racial profiling and bribery in local campaigns, despite calling himself a “constitutional sheriff.”

Ivey issued the threat during a press conference on Thursday. His warning drew cheers from MAGA supporters and widespread condemnation from others. The viral moment also resurfaced his history of corruption, dating back to 2018.

This bozo sounds like Trump material! Given the quality (lacking!) of Trump’s recent hires, this guy should be qualified for anything from armed thug/goon up to and including cabinet posts.

https://www.latintimes.com/florida-sheriff-who-threatened-kill-protesters-has-history-corruption-racial-profiling-bribery-584978

Daily Beast: Trump Voter Gets Choked Up After ICE Detains a Third of His Staff

Vincent Scardina supported Donald Trump’s tough stance on immigration at the ballot box. But that decision came back to bite the roofing boss when ICE detained a third of his workforce.

The six men, all from Nicaragua, were pulled over in a work truck on May 27 while heading to a job—and carted off to jail.

According to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, deputies helped transport the men to a local detention facility “for deportation.”

Scardina, who runs a small roofing business in Florida’s Lower Keys, cannot believe it. “It’s quite a shock. You get to know these guys, you become their friends—not just an employer but a friend,” he told NBC6, visibly emotional.

Adding to Scardina’s annoyance, the men had valid work permits and pending asylum applications, according to their attorney Regilucia Smith. “They are legally here,” she said. “Valid work permit, not even close to expired… again, no criminal records—not here, not in Nicaragua.”

The detained men represented a third of his total staff—devastating in a small labor pool like Key West. “We’re not able…to just replace people as easily as, say, a big city, [with] very limited people to pull from, and then you would have to train them, and that takes sometimes years,” he said.

Scardina isn’t alone. He says other contractors in the area are being hit hard too. “I know of one landscaper that lost nine or 10 of his whole crew he had and he’s just totally out of business all of a sudden, just like that.”

You voted for him! Suck it up, buddy!

https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-voter-gets-choked-up-after-ice-detains-a-third-of-his-staff

NY Post: ‘Worrying’ footage shows anti-ICE protester doling out tactical gear in Los Angeles as violence escalates

Unsettling footage has emerged of an anti-ICE protester brazenly doling out tactical gear to masked agitators in Los Angeles as the violence continues to escalate – despite California Gov. Gavin Newsom and other Democrats repeatedly claiming the demonstrations have been largely peaceful.

The unidentified person was caught on camera dispersing what appeared to be riot shields and gas masks to the crowd from the back of a pickup truck Monday afternoon — just steps from downtown federal buildings.

Scores of rioters could be seen running toward the truck to grab the masks, which had the brand “Bionic Shield” emblazoned across them, the footage shot by Fox11 showed.

To whomever was distributing the gas masks and vests, thank you for help to keep the demonstrators safe.

https://nypost.com/2025/06/10/us-news/footage-shows-anti-ice-protestor-doling-out-tactical-gear-in-los-angeles