Latest news with #CoryBooker
Fox News
4 days ago
- 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
4 days ago
- 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
5 days ago
- 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.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Cory Booker Reveals Blind Date He Had With A Pop Diva Was ‘Clearly Not A Love Match'
Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) is opening up about his romantic run-in with Mariah Carey for the first time. Appearing on 'Stepping Into the Shade Room' this week, Booker revealed that he and the pop diva were 'set up on sort of a blind date.' Though he didn't specify the timing of the date, he did note that it took place 'years ago.' 'It was one of those times where you just know you're in the presence of somebody that has a grandeur about them,' he explained. 'And I'm not talking about her talent. But she just has this light. We laughed and had a good time. It was clearly not a love match.' Cory Booker says he once went on a blind date with #MariahCarey… and she better not deny it! 🤣 Y'all believe him or nah??Tune in to a brand new #SteppingIntoTheShadeRoom now on TSR's YouTube! 🎥 // WATCH: — TheShadeRoom (@TheShadeRoom) June 11, 2025 Though Carey is not believed to have commented on her encounter with Booker, the senator said the five-time Grammy winner's brother and cousin were both present. 'There were witnesses,' he quipped. 'Don't deny me, Mariah!' Booker, who has never been married, was in a relationship with 'Sin City' actor Rosario Dawson from 2020 to 2022. Carey, meanwhile, most recently dated dancer and choreographer Bryan Tanaka from 2016 to 2023. She shares son Moroccan and daughter Monroe, both 14, with ex-husband Nick Cannon. In recent months, Carey has been romantically linked in the media with fellow musician Anderson .Paak, who is a co-producer of her new single, 'Type Dangerous.' The two have not publicly confirmed a relationship. Mariah Carey Marks 30 Years Of Her Classic Christmas Tune With A Festive New Venture Cory Booker's Secret Weapon For Senate Stunt? An Empty Stomach Mariah Carey Reveals 1 Time She Was 'Annoyed' With Her Fans — But Admits They Were Right
Fox News
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Democrats forge strange bedfellows as party flounders in Trump's 2nd term
The Democratic Party has been without a leader since losing the White House in November, and as Democrats navigate President Donald Trump's second administration, they've developed some unlikely alliances. From violent protests erupting in Los Angeles to the defense of controversial deportees and accused extremists, the party's fractured response to Trump's agenda has drawn scrutiny not just from the right, but from within its own ranks. Amid the chaos unfolding in Los Angeles, Trump said those protesting and rioting against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are "not protesters, they are troublemakers and insurrectionists." Images emerged this weekend of rioters setting cars on fire and large swaths of protesters shutting down highways as Trump federalized the National Guard for the first time since 1965. He ordered National Guardsmen and Marines to Los Angeles to protect federal immigration agents during the ongoing arrests. Led by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, long considered a potential 2028 presidential candidate, Democrats have railed against Trump and rallied behind the anti-ICE protesters. "This brazen abuse of power by a sitting president inflamed a combustible situation, putting our people, our officers, and the National Guard at risk," Newsom said. And Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., said on NBC, "A lot of these peaceful protests are being generated because the president of the United States is sowing chaos." "The vast majority of protesters and demonstrators are peaceful," Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., said on MSNBC. "They're passionate." Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national deported from Maryland earlier this year, is set to face federal charges for human smuggling and conspiracy, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Friday. For months, Democrats have ridiculed the Trump administration for deporting Abrego Garcia to a high-security prison in his home country, El Salvador. Returning Abrego Garcia to the U.S. became a major cause for the Democratic Party. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., was the first of several lawmakers to travel to El Salvador to visit Abrego Garcia this year, sparking social media backlash after being photographed with purported margaritas at a restaurant. "As I have repeatedly said, this is not about the man, it's about his constitutional rights and the rights of all. The administration will now have to make its case in the court of law, as it should have all along," Van Hollen said Friday. Abrego Garcia is accused of being a member of the violent Salvadoran gang MS-13. According to court records filed by his wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, he also allegedly physically abused her on multiple occasions. Earlier Friday, another Maryland Democrat, Rep. Glenn Ivey, who also made a trip to El Salvador to advocate for Abrego Garcia, used his X account to promote an event to continue the "critical conversation on the fight to return those who are wrongfully imprisoned in El Salvador." And Maryland Gov. Wes Moore celebrated the news of Abrego Garcia's return, telling Fox News Digital, "I want to thank our federal delegation for their efforts to ensure our government adheres to the rule of law." Moore said it was "never about one person, but about the due process that governs all people in our country." Earlier this year, few Democrats were willing to denounce vandalism on Tesla showrooms, charging stations and vehicles, even as Attorney General Pam Bondi labeled the attacks "domestic terrorism," an issue Democrats have railed against for years. What began as protests against Elon Musk and his leadership at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) escalated into violent incidents, including shots fired at a building, destroyed dealership windows and charging stations set on fire. In an interview with Fox News' Bret Baier on "Special Report" in March, Musk blamed Democrat leaders' anti-DOGE rhetoric for the surge in violence against his company. Sen. John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat who has earned a reputation for bucking his party on key issues like immigration and supporting Israel, dissed Democrats for suddenly backing Musk amid the billionaire's social media spat with Trump. "The Dems, we've been dumping all over Musk and vandalizing Teslas or whatever, and now, suddenly, we might be more back into him," Fetterman said, calling out Democrats' inconsistency. Trump told Fox News' Laura Ingraham that Democrats lost big in November because they're backing "90% negative issues," including support for Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia University activist who was arrested and faced deportation for his alleged support of the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas. "Backing Khalil is not a great issue, but backing Khalil is better than backing these other hundreds of people that are really serious criminals. It's probably a step better than that," Trump told Ingraham. Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Khalil of participating in "antisemitic protests and disruptive activities, which foster a hostile environment for Jewish students in the United States." "Condoning antisemitic conduct and disruptive protests in the United States would severely undermine that significant foreign policy objective," Rubio said, defending his move to revoke Khalil's green card over his alleged affiliation with the terrorist group, Hamas. But more than 100 Democrats sent a letter accusing the Trump administration of a "brazen attempt to use the power of the United States government to silence and punish people who do not agree with the sitting President" by arresting Khalil. The Democrats requested documentation of the "reasonable grounds" for his arrest and affirmed his "constitutional right in our democracy to express his political views." The procedural request followed a fiery letter sent by 14 House Democrats, including "Squad" members Reps. Rashida Tlaib, Illhan Omar and Ayanna Pressley, demanding Khalil's release and labeling his detention an "illegal abduction" and violation of the First Amendment. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called the arrest "inhumane" and "unconstitutional." Tlaib, who is the only Palestinian American in Congress and was censured last year for her criticism of U.S. policy on the war in Gaza, said the Trump administration's "illegal actions set a dangerous precedent" and called to "free Mahmoud Khalil." Earlier this year, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer faced backlash from his own party after voting for the Republican-proposed continuing resolution to avert a government shutdown. Soon after, a Siena College poll found Schumer's favorability was down at 39% among New York state voters questioned in the poll, which was conducted April 14-16. Meanwhile, Ocasio-Cortez's favorability soared to 47% as rumors swirled about her ambitions for higher office. Texas Democrat Rep. Jasmine Crockett said the Schumer criticism among donors was "reminiscent" of when former President Joe Biden was "taken down" before the 2024 presidential election. And former DNC Vice Chair David Hogg sparked intraparty conflict this year when he vowed $20 million through his outside political action group, Leaders We Deserve, to primary challenge older House Democrats in safe blue districts he said are "asleep at the wheel." After months of growing tension between DNC officials, Hogg announced he would not compete in the new vice chair election after a majority of members voted for a new contest in the wake of a procedural error in the Feb. 1 elections. But the DNC has a different take on their response to Trump's second term. "The American people think Donald Trump is off the rails — they oppose his deployment of troops to LA, they don't support his budget bill to give handouts to the rich, and they don't trust him to run the economy," DNC spokesperson Aida Ross told Fox News Digital. "That's why Trump has the lowest approval ratings of any modern president at this point in his term. Democrats on the other hand are on a record-breaking streak, winning and overperforming in elections across the map this year, including in red states."
