Tag Archives: Republican National Convention

Miami Herald: FEMA’s $64 Million Cut to NYC Sparks Fury

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Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has condemned the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)’s $64 million cut to New York City’s security funding following a Manhattan shooting. Washington, D.C. has experienced a 44% reduction in funding, as cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles are also facing funding cuts. NYC Mayor Eric Adams is reportedly working to maximize federal resources amid the Trump administration’s widespread cuts to federal agency budgets.

Schumer stated that President Donald Trump “treats NY like his personal punching bag in an attempt to settle political scores — and failing to release NY’s critical anti-terrorism funds is stooping to a new low.”

New York Mayor Eric Adams’ spokesperson Liz Garcia said, “We are committed to securing every federal dollar that New Yorkers deserve.”

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) plans to question Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem, warning that political motives may risk public safety. She stated, “I would ask Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem about the funding cuts, adding that it is possible the agency is risking New Yorkers’ safety as a political power move.”

Amid the fight for security funding, NYC Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has come under fire for reportedly spending over $33,000 on private security throughout his campaign. Critics condemned the spending, citing his 2020 calls to defund the police.

In 2020, Mamdani wrote, “We don’t need an investigation to know that the NYPD is racist, anti‑queer & a major threat to public safety. What we need is to #DefundTheNYPD. But your compromise uses budget tricks to keep as many cops as possible on the beat. NO to fake cuts – defund the police.” He added, “We need a socialist city council to defund the police.”

Mamdani added, “The New York City Council tried to make the NYPD reduce its overtime budget by half. They simply refused. There is no negotiating with an institution this wicked & corrupt. Defund it. Dismantle it. End the cycle of violence.”

FEMA’s $64 Million Cut to NYC Sparks Fury

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/fema-s-64-million-cut-to-nyc-sparks-fury/ss-AA1KyL6W

Columbus Ledger-Enquirer: Six States Propose Ban on ICE Agents Wearing Masks

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Democratic lawmakers in six states have proposed legislation pushing for the ban of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents’ ability to wear masks, aiming to increase transparency. Critics have argued the move compromises agent safety by making them more easily identifiable. President Donald Trump emphasized the importance of protecting law enforcement amid ongoing immigration-related tensions.

Border Czar Thomas Homan noted the personal threats he has faced in his role. Sens. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Alex Padilla (D-CA) have defended mask bans as a means to keep ICE transparent.

Booker said, “We must act to maintain trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve, and this legislation is a necessary step toward a more transparent, accountable, and safe immigration enforcement system.”

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Democratic lawmakers have argued that aggressive ICE tactics have fueled fears among vulnerable communities. “For weeks, Americans have watched federal agents with no visible identification detain people off the streets and instill fear in communities across the country,” Booker said.

Booker added, “Reports of individuals impersonating ICE officers have only increased the risk to public and officer safety. The lack of visible identification and uniform standards for immigration enforcement officers has created confusion, stoked fear, and undermined public trust in law enforcement.”

I’m all for it, but I’m hard-pressed to understand how states can control what federal law-enforcement officers wear or don’t wear.

Six States Propose Ban on ICE Agents Wearing Masks

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/six-states-propose-ban-on-ice-agents-wearing-masks/ss-AA1K33bz

Bradenton Herald: Trump’s Plan for Undocumented Farm Workers Sparks Fury

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President Donald Trump’s proposal to allow agricultural and hospitality workers to remain in the U.S. through employer sponsorship has sparked backlash among MAGA supporters. Many within the movement, who have supported mass deportation as a cornerstone of Trump’s immigration policy, view the move as a betrayal of their hardline stance. The division has come amid ongoing tensions within the base over Trump’s leadership, including controversy surrounding the Jeffrey Epstein case.

White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said, “President Trump is fulfilling his promise to the American people to carry out the largest mass deportation operation in history. There will be no amnesty. Only deportations of the violent, criminal illegal aliens that Joe Biden welcomed into the country.”

Which is bullshit — most of the people they are deporting have no criminal records.

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Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins confirmed the Administration will continue mass deportations with a more strategic approach. Officials have denied plans for amnesty thus far.

Whatever the hell that’s supposed to mean, when King Donald has promised some kind of magical “employer sponsorship” program.

Trump’s Plan for Undocumented Farm Workers Sparks Fury

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-s-plan-for-undocumented-farm-workers-sparks-fury/ss-AA1IVnrF

Daily Mail: ‘ICE Barbie’ Kristi [Bimbo #2] Noem and her ‘lover’ Corey Lewandowski are cozier than ever despite White House concerns

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Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi [Bimbo #2] Noem and former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski are cozier than ever, despite White House concerns about their relationship.

The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday night that Lewandowski is now working as a ‘special government employee’ under [Bimbo #2] Noem at the Department of Homeland Security. 

Lewandowski had initially wanted to serve as [Bimbo #2] Noem’s chief of staff, but President Donald Trump and his top advisers reportedly felt ‘uncomfortable’ with the optics of such a placement. 

The president and Lewandowski settled on him becoming a special government employee to DHS so the pair would be more removed – at least on paper – the Journal wrote.

DailyMail.com exclusively reported in 2023 that [Bimbo #2] Noem and Lewandowski were engaged in a years-long clandestine romantic relationship that began in 2019. 

Both [Bimbo #2] Noem and Lewandowski have denied the relationship to DailyMail.com and remain married to their respective partners. 

At the same time, they were inseparable during Trump’s 2024 campaign, with Axios’ Alex Isenstadt writing in his book,  Revenge: The Inside Story of Trump’s Return to Power, that [Bimbo #2] Noem’s relationship with Lewandowski was sullying her chances of becoming Trump’s VP. 

‘Trump’s aides knew if [Bimbo #2] Noem was picked, her relationship with Lewandowski would become one hell of a distraction,’ Isenstadt wrote.

That ended up being a non-issue, after [Bimbo #2] Noem revealed in her memoir that she had shot her young dog Cricket. 

That controversy was enough to keep [Bimbo #2] Noem off the presidential ticket.

After [Bimbo #2] Noem lost the veepstakes, The Journal revealed that Lewandowski played a role in helping [Bimbo #2] Noem get picked to run DHS.

It was a role viewed as central to the president’s agenda, helping [Bimbo #2] Noem shore up her immigration bonafides – which could help the former South Dakota governor if she were to launch a White House bid in 2028. 

Since [Bimbo #2] Noem took over DHS, Lewandowski continued to be at her side – often the only person to accompany Noem to meetings, The Journal report said. 

He’s traveled with [Bimbo #2] Noem to El Salvador, Mexico and Colombia, with some employees now referring to him as the de facto chief of staff or even the ‘shadow secretary,’ the report said. 

The actual position of chief of staff remains empty.  

During a tour of the tech company Palantir last month, Lewandowski pushed to fire the immigration official leading the tour because he turned his back on Noem briefly while answering a question from another member of the group, The Journal said. 

Lewandowski argued it was grounds for dismissal. 

Days later, that official was demoted, the newspaper’s sources said. 

A spokesperson for DHS denied that the incident ever happened. 

‘This is a silly claim and simply not true,’ a spokesperson told DailyMail.com. 

The spokesperson also labeled it ‘made-up gossip by low-level leakers who aren’t in the room’ that Lewandowski and [Bimbo #2] Noem’s relationship has rankled White House officials.  

The spokesperson also denied that Lewandowski played a role in the selection of [Bimbo #2] Noem for the DHS role.  

‘President Trump deserves full credit for the selection of Secretary [Bimbo #2] Noem to carry out this essential mandate of securing the homeland and protecting the American people,’ the spokesperson said. 

The spokesperson also pushed back on concerns about Lewandowski constantly being at [Bimbo #2] Noem’s side. 

‘Again, Mr. Lewandowski is a Special Government Employee who patriotically serves the Trump Administration as a volunteer. His duties naturally include going to meetings,’ the spokesperson said. ‘As the husband of a 9/11 widow, the mission of DHS and securing the homeland is of utmost importance to Mr. Lewandowski.’ 

As for the rumored affair? 

‘This Department doesn’t waste time with salacious, baseless gossip,’ the spokesperson said. 

Kristi Noem and her ‘lover’ Corey Lewandowski are cozier than ever
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski are cozier than ever, despite White House concerns about their relationship.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14625547/kristi-noem-cozy-corey-lewandowski-department-homeland-security.html

Wall Street Journal: Trump Is Losing Political Ground on Immigration

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The Trump administration’s aggressive deportation program is testing the political bounds of what Americans will tolerate, spurring a backlash from voters and some Republicans and testing the administration’s resolve.

Federal officials in recent weeks have stepped up raids on worksites and farms, seeking to fulfill President Trump’s pledge of mass deportations. The move has sparked alarm in immigrant communities and street protests in Los Angeles and other cities. Last weekend, Trump directed that arrests be paused at farms and hotels, only to reverse the directive days later.

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Republican members of Congress from California, Texas and Florida have publicly urged the White House to give priority to deportations of criminals rather than migrants who have resided in the U.S. for long periods and have otherwise obeyed the law. The chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson (R., Pa.), called the farm raids “just wrong.” The co-founder of Latinas for Trump, Florida state Sen. Ileana Garcia, wrote on X that the administration’s actions were “unacceptable and inhumane” and “not what we voted for.”

“I may have voted for Trump, but I can’t stay silent about what’s happening with ICE in LA,” Ryan Garcia, a former interim lightweight boxing champion who endorsed Trump last year, wrote on X. “We can have borders without losing our humanity.”

Presidents of both parties have historically hesitated to pursue large-scale immigration enforcement in the country’s interior precisely because it tends to be politically unpopular. Trump’s push for deportations far from the border has begun to trigger a backlash in public opinion, with polls showing his approval rating on immigration and deportations—formerly one of his strongest issues—has now turned negative.

A Quinnipiac poll earlier this month found that just 43% approved of Trump’s performance on immigration while 54% disapproved. On deportations, 40% approved while 56% disapproved. In the polling average maintained by the analyst Nate Silver, Trump’s immigration policies were popular on a net basis until earlier this month—but are now more unpopular than popular by a 3-point margin. 

Trump Is Losing Political Ground on Immigration

https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/trump-is-losing-political-ground-on-immigration-20de43bc

Also here:

Trump Is Losing Political Ground on Immigration
The administration’s aggressive deportation push has alarmed voters, including some of the president’s supporters.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-is-losing-political-ground-on-immigration/ar-AA1H5df5

White House for Rent!

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The White House, through an outside event production company called Harbinger, is soliciting corporate sponsors for this year’s annual Easter Egg Roll, which is prompting major concerns from ethics experts and shock from former White House officials from both parties.

The sponsorship offers range from $75,000 to $200,000, with the promise of logo and branding opportunities, according to a nine-page document sent to potential sponsors and obtained by CNN.

The Egg Roll, which began during the Rutherford B. Hayes administration in 1878, has long been privately funded without taxpayer dollars, largely through the American Egg Board, which also provides tens of thousands of eggs for the occasion. 

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‘This is not your grandmother’s Easter Egg Roll’: White House seeks corporate sponsorships for Easter event
The White House, through an outside event production company called Harbinger, is soliciting corporate sponsors for this year’s annual Easter Egg Roll, which is prompting major concerns from ethics experts and shock from former White House officials from both parties.

‘This is not your grandmother’s Easter Egg Roll’: White House seeks corporate sponsorships for Easter event