Democratic congressman: Trump ‘pathologically obsessed' with weaponizing government
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USA Today
14 minutes ago
- USA Today
Republicans in Congress head home to angry voters. So much for summer break.
The Jeffrey Epstein case has grown into a full-blown problem for Republicans who were already failing Americans. And that feels like a lose-lose scenario as 2026 midterm elections loom. What are you doing during your summer vacation? U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson apparently plans to spend his six-week break trying to get his story straight about the Epstein files fiasco. That's a daunting challenge for the Republican from Louisiana, who has flip-flopped from calling for "transparency" on the issue to sending the House home early on July 22 to shut down Republican attempts to release those files. But that's life when you unconditionally surrender the Article I powers that the U.S. Constitution grants Congress as a coequal branch of government to a scandal-prone presidency held by Donald Trump. If Johnson's vacation were a scary summer movie, we'd have to call it 'I Know What You Did With the Epstein Files.' Things don't look much better for the Republicans who are in control of the U.S. Senate. Trump wants that chamber to work through the summer break so it can rubber-stamp his nominees for various positions. If this also were a horror film, it would be a sequel – "No Way Out, Again" – because Trump did the same thing with a compliant Senate during his first term in 2018. So here are the options for congressional Republicans from now until early September: Go home and endure town halls with constituents angry about Trump's broken promise to release the Epstein files and the looming negative impacts of his signature budget bill. Or stay in Washington and answer a growing rush of questions as the Epstein news keeps beating like a "Tell-Tale Heart." Scary stuff, indeed. Epstein files put a stop to Republicans' victory lap Johnson has served less as a speaker of the House and more like a servant to Trump's expectations. And that was working for him. He helped pass Trump's budget bill, which slashes health care for the working poor while offering short-term tax relief for some in return for permanent tax cuts for America's wealthiest people. He did that as well with Trump's "rescission" package, which canceled federal funding that Johnson's own House had previously approved. He and Trump were looking forward to a victory lap on all that, despite consistent polling that shows a majority of American voters don't care for it at all. But the scandal surrounding Jeffrey Epstein, who has been dead for six years, will not pass away. Trump exploited conspiracy theories on the reelection campaign trail about his old cruising buddy, a convicted pedophile who died in prison in 2019 during Trump's first term while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. But then Trump, who promised while campaigning in 2024 to release the Department of Justice's files on Epstein, decided recently to keep them secret, enraging his own supporters and putting his Republican allies in Congress in a tight spot. Maybe it's just a coincidence that Attorney General Pam Bondi is reported to have briefed Trump in May that he is mentioned in those very files that his supporters want to see released. So Trump's in a tight spot, too. Johnson's slipshod response to the Epstein secrecy has been to advocate for transparency, which Trump doesn't want, and then revert to presidential servitude by trying to stamp out any attempts at transparency. This has provoked something we rarely see anymore – bipartisanship – as Republican and Democratic members of the House voted together to subpoena the Epstein files. This doesn't look like it will simmer down in six weeks. Americans are clearly unhappy with Trump's Republican regime Republicans are hitting the road with a story that isn't selling well. A July 23 Fox News poll found that 67% of American voters think Trump's administration has not been transparent about Epstein, including 60% of the Republicans surveyed and 56% of Trump's so-called MAGA supporters. And then there's this: Fox News found that 4 out of 5 people in the survey said they were following the Epstein case. We're closing in on the end of July – vacation season – and these people are tuned all the way in on this. Trump's budget bill was also underwater in the poll, with 58% disapproving and 39% in support. That makes for testy town halls, if the Republicans dare to hold them in the next six weeks. And that feels like a lose-lose scenario with the 2026 midterm elections looming ever larger. Face your angry constituents and be ready to go viral on social media, exactly the kind of things that would-be opponents mine for campaign commercials. Or duck and cover and get branded a coward, exactly the kind of thing that would-be opponents exploit for campaign commercials. No matter which way Republicans go, at home or in Washington, they should first ask themselves: Does Trump care about how any of this impacts me and my future in politics, or is he only interested in protecting himself? I think they already know the answer. Trump is – now, in the past, in the future, always – looking out only for himself. That prompts two more questions. Why is he working so hard to keep the Epstein files secret? And do you really want to be on the record helping him with that secrecy if the files are finally released? Follow USA TODAY columnist Chris Brennan on X, formerly known as Twitter: @ByChrisBrennan. Sign up for his weekly newsletter, Translating Politics, here.
CNN
15 minutes ago
- CNN
Trump administration sues New York City over its ‘sanctuary city' policies
The Justice Department on Thursday announced a lawsuit against New York City's so-called sanctuary city policies, days after the Trump administration blamed those policies for the shooting of an off-duty US Customs and Border Protection officer in Manhattan. The lawsuit mirrors one filed against Los Angeles last month and is part of the administration's widespread crackdown on undocumented immigrants in the US. Similar lawsuits have also been filed against New York state, Colorado, Illinois, the city of Rochester, New York, and several New Jersey cities, the Justice Department said in a statement. The department argues New York City's policies 'are designed to impede the Federal Government's ability to enforce the federal immigration laws' and have allowed criminals in the country illegally to evade detainment and deportation. 'New York City has released thousands of criminals on the streets to commit violent crimes against law-abiding citizens due to sanctuary city policies,' Attorney General Pam Bondi said in the Justice Department statement. 'If New York City won't stand up for the safety of its citizens, we will.' New York City Mayor Eric Adams said the city will review the lawsuit. 'Keeping New Yorkers safe also means making sure they feel safe, and we have been clear: no one should be afraid to dial 911, send their kids to school, or go to the hospital, and no New Yorker should feel forced to hide in the shadows,' Adams said in a statement. He added that while he supports 'the essence of the local laws,' he believes 'they go too far when it comes to dealing with those violent criminals on our streets,' and urged the city council to reexamine the policies 'to ensure we can effectively work with the federal government to make our city safer.' 'Sanctuary city' is a broad term used to describe jurisdictions that have policies designed to limit cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration officials. The general goal is to protect undocumented immigrants who are not involved in criminal activity from deportation. 'Just this week, New York City's sanctuary policies have reaped tragic consequences,' the Justice Department's lawsuit said, pointing to the shooting of the off-duty CBP agent over the weekend in an apparent robbery gone wrong. The agent, who was not in uniform at the time, was expected to survive and there is no indication he was targeted because of his employment, New York police said. The two suspects in the incident – Miguel Mora and Cristian Aybar Berroa – are undocumented immigrants and had criminal histories, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said. 'Both aliens entered the United States illegally and were repeatedly arrested for criminal behavior since,' the lawsuit said. '(Mora) was arrested four different times in New York City, and because of the mayor's policies and sanctuary city policies, was released back to do harm to people and to individuals living in this city,' Noem said Monday. Noem called on leaders of sanctuary cities nationwide to change their policies. When asked what policies would have prevented the shooting, Noem did not provide specifics. In its lawsuit against Los Angeles, the Justice Department claimed the city's sanctuary policies led to the protests against deportation actions that prompted President Donald Trump to federalize the National Guard and send Marine's to patrol the city. CNN's Lauren Mascarenhas, Jeff Winter, Gloria Pazmino and John Miller contributed to this report.
2 hours ago
The White House wants more states to redraw House maps to help GOP. Democrats are readying a fight
WASHINGTON -- The White House is eyeing redistricting efforts beyond Texas to help Republicans hold the U.S. House in 2026 — and Democrats are preparing to escalate in response, with one senator vowing to go 'nuclear' if needed. What's shaping up to be a multistate redistricting battle could mark the opening round for House control ahead of next year's midterms, when Democrats see retaking the House as the party's best chance to break Republicans' hold on Congress and President Donald Trump is determined to keep the GOP's majority. Democrats, under pressure from their base to match GOP tactics, have grown more forceful in their messaging and are taking concrete steps to push back, even as the party enters at a disadvantage. 'If they're going to go nuclear, then so am I,' said Sen. Elissa Slotkin. 'They're forcing us into this position because they're trying to pick their voters.' At Trump's urging, Texas Republicans are looking to redraw congressional maps to favor GOP candidates during a 30-day special legislative session that started this week. Trump has said he wants to carve out five new winnable GOP seats. But Trump officials are now going beyond just Texas, looking to redraw lines in other states such as Missouri, according to a person familiar with conversations but unauthorized to speak publicly about them. Democrats have fewer options. More of the states the party controls do not allow elected partisans to draw maps, instead entrusting groups such as independent commissions to draw fair lines. Still, party leaders are exploring their legal options and shifting their posture. A party long known for believing it's on the moral high ground is signaling it's ready to fight dirty. 'We can't fight with one hand behind our backs,' Rep. Pete Aguilar, chair of the House Democratic Caucus, told reporters Tuesday. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries may have fewer options to match Republicans, but it hasn't stopped him from exploring them. Earlier this month, Jeffries' team spoke with New York Gov. Kathy Hochul's office about redistricting after the news in Texas, according to a person familiar with the conversations. Drawing new congressional lines now could run afoul of the state constitution and undoubtedly draw legal challenges — but it doesn't appear to be off the table. 'What I'm going to say is, all is fair in love and war,' Hochul said Thursday, adding that she's 'going to see what our options are.' 'If there's other states that are violating the rules that are going to try and give themselves an advantage, all I'll say is I'm going to look at it closely with Hakeem Jeffries.' Jeffries and his advisers have also examined legal strategies in other states with Democratic trifectas, including California, where he recently met with the state's congressional delegation. On Wednesday, the California delegation's Democrats discussed the redistricting issue during a private meeting on Capitol Hill. And on Thursday, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi joined an emergency call with others in the state about the effort. In an interview with The Associated Press, Pelosi said that she is not a fan of using redistricting outside of the 10-year window, but if that's what the party needs 'to win, we will do that.' 'Everything is on the table,' Pelosi told AP. California's governor, Gavin Newsom, a potential Democratic contender for president in 2028, has taken a similar approach. He said on social media in response to Trump's redistricting push that 'two can play this game.' An independent commission handles redistricting in his state. Newsom has floated the notion of California's Democratic-controlled legislature doing a mid-decade redistricting, arguing it wouldn't be expressly forbidden by the 2008 ballot initiative that created the commission. He's also mentioned the possibility of squeezing in a special election to repeal the popular commission system before the 2026 elections get underway, either of which would be a long shot. Beyond the behind-the-scenes maneuvering, Democrats see the redistricting fight as an opportunity to meet the moment politically — delivering the kind of aggressive pushback their voters have demanded. Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego, in a series of social media posts, pushed Democrats to fight back, saying the party should 'gerrymander to help Democrats' and arguing they should dilute heavily Democratic districts to secure more seats 'everywhere.' 'It's time for Democrats to understand the existential threat. Republicans aren't playing around and they will do this as long as it takes to keep power,' he warned. Gallego later told The Associated Press it's simply about ensuring 'that we're also fighting back.' That sentiment has gained traction beyond Congress. Former Texas congressman Beto O'Rourke said Sunday on CNN that Democrats need to be 'to be absolutely ruthless about getting back in power.' Next month, former President Barack Obama is heading to Martha's Vineyard for a fundraiser benefiting the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, a group whose nonprofit affiliate has filed and supported litigation in several states over GOP-drawn districts. Eric Holder, Obama's former attorney general who chairs the outfit, is expected to attend, along with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, according to a copy of the invitation first reported by Politico. In a statement to AP, Marina Jenkins, executive director of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, called Republicans' moves 'cheating,' adding that the group would be 'using every single tool at our disposal to fight back and stop Donald Trump's scheme to steal the 2026 midterm elections from voters.' In addition to fundraisers like the one featuring Obama next month, that tool kit includes the group and its affiliates focusing on organizing volunteers and donors around the special Texas session. They also make media appearances and craft digital campaigns to highlight their arguments. Redrawing of congressional maps holds risks. During the 2010s, Texas' GOP-controlled Legislature redrew the congressional map to bolster the party's majority. But the advantage proved short-lived: in 2018, a backlash to Trump's presidency helped Democrats flip two seats that Republicans had assumed were safely red. 'There had to be folks that drew these lines and everything that had a very strong opinion of exactly where they ought to be,' said West Virginia Sen. Jim Justice, a Republican. 'Now just to say, 'OK, we're going to redraw this, we're going to redraw that. And by god, if you're going to redraw, we're going to redraw.' I don't like that.' Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley said Thursday that he has not yet spoken to any Republicans in his state about redistricting but that it's up to the Missouri legislature and governor to make the call. 'I'd love to have more Republicans,' Hawley said.
