Latest news with #CoryBooker
The Independent
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Trump's top DOJ enforcer Emil Bove says he's not a ‘henchman' as he denies bombshell whistleblower claims
Emil Bove, Donald Trump's former criminal defense attorney who is now a top Department of Justice official, faced skeptical Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday during his confirmation hearing to serve on a federal appeals court in New Jersey. Bove has been at the center of several major Justice Department controversies, from decisions to drop corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams to the president's sweeping anti-immigration agenda. 'I've disagreed with many nominees who appeared before this committee on matters of constitutional interpretation,' said the committee's top Democrat Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois. 'This nominee is in a category all of his own.' Bove 'has led the effort to weaponize the Department of Justice against the president's enemies,' according to Durbin. Trump's nominee appeared on the committee one day after a bombshell whistleblower report accused Bove of instructing Justice Department staff to tell judges 'f*** you' and ignore court orders against the president's deportation agenda. 'There is a wildly inaccurate caricature of me in the mainstream media,' Bove said in his opening statement. 'I am not anybody's henchman. I'm not an enforcer.' Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey slammed Bove for allegedly pushing Justice Department attorneys to ignore court orders, calling the allegations 'a complete disregard for the rule of law.' 'I did not advise any Justice Department attorney to violate court orders,' Bove said in response. California Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff asked Bove directly whether he suggested telling the courts 'f*** you,' as the whistleblower complaint alleges. Bove said he didn't 'recall' the exact words he used. Booker later outlined complaints made against Bove in 2018, describing him as 'vindictive, always looking for leverage and power, a prosecutorial version of a drunk driver, completely reckless and out of control.' 'I categorically reject any claim of unethical or improper behavior by me,' said Bove. Senators also grilled Bove over his involvement in the Justice Department's decision to drop corruption charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams, which Durbin called a 'quid pro quo' to secure Adams' cooperation with Trump's immigration policies. Bove called the allegation 'completely false.' Durbin also noted that Bove fired dozens of federal prosecutors who worked on cases connected to the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol, pointing to Trump's 'false and outrageous claim' that the prosecution of January 6 rioters was a 'grave national injustice.' The senator asked Bove if he had directed the removal of anyone who investigated or prosecuted rioters who assaulted officers on January 6. 'I did and continue to condemn unlawful behavior, particularly violence against law enforcement,' Bove replied. 'At the same time, I condemn heavy-handed and unnecessary tactics by prosecutors and agents,' he said. 'Both of those things, I submit, are characteristic of these events.' Bove said that the charges against Adams were dismissed because of 'the weaponization of the criminal justice system' and 'concerns about the effect of the ongoing prosecution on Mayor Adams' ability to govern and protect the public in New York City and also to campaign in the ongoing mayoral election.' He rejected allegations that he made a political deal to drop the charges against Adams. Democrats repeatedly expressed frustrations with Bove's refusal to answer questions regarding the Adams case. 'I am absolutely flabbergasted that you would come before this committee and refuse to tell us basic facts about a case that is at the core of the challenges to the appearance of impropriety that should disqualify you,' said Connecticut Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal. 'Senator, if you have a question about the position that I took in public with respect to the Mayor Adams case, I'm happy to address it, and I've addressed several today,' said Bove. Blumenthal also blasted Bove for having fired prosecutors who worked on January 6 cases. Bove responded that the allegation was inaccurate. 'I was concerned about efforts in the prior administration to embed those prosecutors as permanent employees at the U.S. Attorney's Office,' he said. Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii also questioned Bove about investigations into his bellicose and aggressive management style. 'When I get constructive criticism, I absolutely take account of that and try and be better at my job and I did that,' Bove said. Those allegations, however, are part of a 'whisper campaign' from prosecutors against him, according to Bove.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
One Of Kim Jong-Un's Favorite Dishes Is Illegal In The US
Ruling over North Korea since 2011, dictator Kim Jong-Un is frequently accused of despotism for the cruel treatment of his citizens, along with numerous other crimes against humanity. Third in a line of Supreme Leaders that included his father and grandfather before him, Kim Jong-Un has experienced a life of privilege and endless opportunities that starkly contrast the brutal existence of North Korean citizens. This privilege is even evident in the politician's food preferences, as reports indicate that North Korea's leader loves dining on expensive Kobe steaks. Equally problematic is Kim Jong-Un's taste for shark fin soup, though the controversy surrounding this culinary curiosity has more to do with its impact on wildlife and the environment than its high price tag. While it's considered a delicacy in China and many other parts of Asia, shark fin soup is a rightfully derided dish due to its harmful impact on sharks and the ocean ecosystem. The process of catching and "finning" sharks is incredibly cruel, and this cruelty is why diners are encouraged to avoid ordering shark at restaurants. It's also why the U.S. instituted a law in 2021 that prohibits the sale, distribution, possession, purchase, and transportation of shark fins or any items that contain them in America. A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced the bill in 2016, among them New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, whose platform website quotes him as stating at the time: "Shark finning is pushing some species of sharks to the brink of extinction ... Sharks play a pivotal role in marine ecosystems, and we must do more to protect them." Read more: 12 Cheap Fish You Should Absolutely Never Eat Kim Jong-Un deservedly receives plenty of criticism, but the dictator is hardly alone in his love of shark fin soup. The consumption of shark fins has been part of China's culinary history for many years and has strong associations with wealth and luxury. As for the dish's taste, shark fins are said to contribute more mouthfeel than flavor to the soup thanks to their toothsome yet brittle texture. Based on these factors, it's possible that most people who eat the dish do so out of tradition rather than genuine enjoyment. In fact, shark is one of many seafood dishes chefs say they will never order (along with sea urchin and octopus). The cruelty of fishing practices used to catch and process sharks is unconscionable, but the decrease in shark populations is equally disturbing when you consider the vital roles these creatures play in the ocean ecosystem. As apex predators, sharks help maintain the balance of ocean life as they feed, which benefits other species of fish as well as coral reefs and underwater plants. And because an estimated 73 million sharks die annually as a result of the shark fin industry (via Oceana), urgent action is required to preserve shark populations, for their benefit and ours. It's unlikely that Kim Jong-Un will ever see the error of his ways where this delicacy is concerned, but the rest of the world can still do their part. Read the original article on Mashed.
Fox News
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Booker, Cruz spar over threats to US judges in fiery Senate exchange
Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Ted Cruz, R-Texas., sparred Tuesday over the uptick in threats made to federal court judges during President Donald Trump's second term. Their heated standoff comes as federal judges have issued a record number of injunctions against the flurry of executive actions by the president. The testy exchange took place during a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee hearing titled "The Supposedly Least Dangerous Branch: District Judges v. Trump." Cruz, the subcommittee chair, used his remarks at the outset of the hearing to take aim at Democrats on the subcommittee, who he said were "utterly silent" about judicial threats under the Biden administration, including after threats were made against conservative Supreme Court justices. Cruz took aim at Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., for "unleashing" protesters who gathered outside the homes of Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh prior to their decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization – the landmark ruling that overturned a 50-year-old abortion rights precedent – which he later said was ironic given the current "pearl-clutching" stance of Democrats on the panel. His remarks sparked a quick rebuke from Booker, who said, "Something you said is actually dangerous, and it needs to be addressed." "This implication that there was silence [from Democrats on the panel] at a time there were threats on people's houses is absolutely absurd," he continued. "I remember the rhetoric and the comments, the concern from [Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del.]," Booker said. "I actually distinctly remember you, chairman, on more than one occasion, condemning those attacks on Republican-appointed jurists." "To say things like that just feeds the partisanship in this institution, and it feeds the fiery rhetoric. And it's just plain not true," Booker added. In response, Cruz argued the "angry mobs" that appeared outside the homes of conservative Supreme Court justices prior to their decision in Dobbs were in violation of U.S.C. Section 1507. That law prohibits picketing outside the homes of judges or justices' homes in a way that could influence their decision or otherwise obstruct justice. Despite the protests, Cruz said, the Biden-led Justice Department "prosecuted nobody." "I really appreciate that you have now shifted the accusation you made earlier," Booker shot back. "Your accusation was that we were silent in the face of protests at Supreme Court justices' homes. Again, we joined together in a bipartisan way, not only to condemn that but to pass legislation to extend round-the-clock security protection. So if you're saying we didn't criticize –" he started before Cruz interjected. "Did the Biden DOJ go out and arrest a single person under this law?" the Texas lawmaker asked. Booker attempted to respond before Cruz interrupted again, "Did the Biden DOJ arrest even one [person]? Again, the answer is no." Booker attempted once more to respond before Cruz interrupted again, prompting Booker to raise his voice. "I did not interrupt you, sir, I would appreciate it if you would let me finish," he told Cruz. "I am sick and tired of hearing the kind of heated partisan rhetoric, which is one of the reasons why we have such divisions in this country," Booker continued, prompting Cruz to laugh openly in response. "The attacks we see from the president of the United States of America, trolling and dragging judges through is what we should be talking about," Booker said. "I'm simply taking issue with the claim that you made at the top, that people on the Democratic side of the aisle do not care about the safety and the security of judges and said nothing," he continued, adding that the notion that his Democrat colleagues said nothing in the face of Supreme Court justice threats "is a patent lie." The two continued arguing before Cruz said, "Let the record reflect that Spartacus did not answer the question and did not tell us whether the criminal law" under U.S.C. Section 1507 should be enforced, "because he knows the answer is yes." The hearing comes as the number of threats against federal judges has spiked during Trump's second term, which has seen hundreds of federal lawsuits filed in courts across the country seeking to either pause or halt the flurry of sweeping executive orders and actions taken by the president. Trump has repeatedly criticized what he called "activist judges," prompting Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts to issue a rare public warning. The U.S. Marshals Service said last week that it has investigated more than 370 threats against federal judges since Trump's inauguration in January, which is a sharp rise from 2024, when 509 people were investigated during the entire year. Democrats on the panel used Tuesday's hearing to renew requests for the Justice Department and FBI to investigate an uptick in anonymous "pizza deliveries" sent to federal judges, which can be used as a threat or warning to let judges know their home address is known.
Daily Mail
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
NBA coach and fierce Donald Trump critic Doc Rivers tears into Democrats
Milwaukee Bucks head coach and Donald Trump critic Doc Rivers has urged the Democrats to take a page out of the Republicans' book after their bruising election defeat last year. Rivers, who has staunchly opposed Trump throughout both of his terms in office, has taken aim at the party and claimed it needs to be fully united on major issues in order to take back the White House in 2028. And despite his well-publicized disdain for the president, the NBA figure admits Republicans are showing them how it's done by singing from the same hymn sheet. 'Well, the first thing we have to point towards is getting out of our comfort zone and thinking if we keep doing the same thing we are going to get different results,' Rivers told MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace on her podcast, via Fox News. 'That doesn't happen, there needs to be change from the Democratic side. 'I don't know what that change is, but I know the norm has not worked. The norm worked on the popular vote, but there are states that haven't voted on the Democratic side in 50 years. 'We are a party of being [inclusive], everybody is included, right? But I remember Cory Booker, we are at a function, and I ask him why can't the Democrats all agree on something, because the Republicans do that well. You have to look at some of the things they do well. One of the things they do is they fall in line. They don't care. 'If you listen to some of the things these guys said about Trump and then when you hear them speak now, all they do is praise, they are falling in line. 'But he said something interesting. He said we have so many groups on our side, we don't just have the White male. We have everybody, and to get everybody to agree on one thing is very difficult, but we're going to have to start doing that if we want change.' After becoming the first Republican candidate to win the popular vote for 20 years, Trump also swept up all seven key battleground states and won the Electoral College on his way to a resounding election victory over Kamala Harris back in November. Rivers added that the Democrats need to move away from the 'Trump won because' debate, saying: 'I think we need to take the 'because' out, and I am serious. Trump won and start there, not 'because.' Trump won and what do we have to do differently? 'You have to take ownership of things. We do it in sports all the time. Yeah, I come in after a game we lost 'because.' But then I say we lost, but we have to do these things differently if we want to win. We can't just say we lost because 'they just made a lot of shots.' Then we have to force them to miss more shots, we have to do something different. 'It is so strange we are blaming the people who voted for Trump for why he won. It makes no sense to me. It's backwards.' Rivers has tirelessly spoken out against Trump over the years, calling one of his rallies at Madison Square Garden before last year's election 'atrocious' and previously accusing him of offering 'empty promises'. Yet following his win over Harris in November, the NBA Championship-winning coach urged Democrats to accept the result of the election. 'Donald Trump is our president, and we're going to have to support him. We want him to do the best job for the country at the end of the day,' Rivers told reporters after a practice with the Bucks. 'Do I like some of the things that he does? No. But now he's getting a second chance to be a better president than he was the first time, and I hope he is. I'm cheering for him. I really am.'
Fox News
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Bucks' Doc Rivers on what Democrats need to change moving forward
Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers spoke up about what Democrats need to do in order to take back the White House after President Donald Trump defeated Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. Rivers, who is a staunch opponent of Trump going back to the president's first term in office, said Democrats need to make a change and try to get everyone on the same side of issues. "Well, the first thing we have to point towards is getting out of our comfort zone and thinking if we keep doing the same thing we are going to get different results," Rivers told MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace on her podcast. "That doesn't happen, there needs to be change from the Democratic side. I don't know what that change is, but I know the norm has not worked. The norm worked on the popular vote, but there are states that haven't voted on the Democratic side in 50 years. "We are a party of being [inclusive], everybody is included, right? But I remember Cory Booker, we are at a function, and I ask him why can't the Democrats all agree on something, because the Republicans do that well. You have to look at some of the things they do well. One of the things they do is they fall in line. They don't care. If you listen to some of the things these guys said about Trump and then when you hear them speak now, all they do is praise, they are falling in line. But he said something interesting. He said we have so many groups on our side, we don't just have the White male. We have everybody, and to get everybody to agree on one thing is very difficult, but we're going to have to start doing that if we want change." Rivers said one of the things Democrats need to get away from is the "Trump won because" debate. He made an analogy to how he would go about coaching a game if the team was coming off a loss. "I think we need to take the 'because' out, and I am serious, Trump won and start there, not 'because.' Trump won and what do we have to do differently? You have to take ownership of things. We do it in sports all the time," he told Wallace. "Yeah, I come in after a game we lost 'because.' But then I say we lost, but we have to do these things differently if we want to win. We can't just say we lost because 'they just made a lot of shots.' Then we have to force them to miss more shots, we have to do something different. It is so strange we are blaming the people who voted for Trump for why he won. It makes no sense to me. It'd backwards." Rivers said the bottom line was the Democrats didn't get enough people to actually go out and vote. "We didn't get enough people out to vote," he said. "That is one thing. We have to figure out, first start with ourselves, how can we ignite ourselves, our side to vote more, because we have more people to vote. We have to make them excited, we have to connect to them. We're not connecting. "We complain about Black men. You know, the majority of Black men did vote for Kamala, as it turns out. It is just that it wasn't a big majority. It wasn't enough people. Why is that? There is a feel of hopelessness in our community. I think a lot of Black men are saying now it does not matter, either side, we are not being helped, we are still being incarcerated. We still are struggling. So there has got to be an answer. And we have to figure out how we can answer that question if we are looking at that part of it for sure." Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
