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Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Rachel Maddow: 'Sad' and 'small' Trump is now a 'laughingstock on the world stage'
After millions took to the streets this past weekend to protest against President Donald Trump's administration, Rachel Maddow said Trump has become a 'sad' and 'small' political figure. On Monday night's show, Maddow referenced the thousands of 'No Kings' protests that took place across the country Saturday and compared them with the apparently sparse showing at Trump's military parade, which occurred in Washington, D.C., on the same day. Maddow said the lack of attendance likely irked crowd-obsessed Trump, who she said was upset that 'nobody came to his $45 million military birthday party.' But, according to Maddow, Trump's diminishing profile isn't just a domestic issue. She said the president's early exit from the G7 summit on Monday made him a 'laughingstock on the world stage.' Maddow said the president was 'so embarrassing himself' at the summit, where, she claimed, he was being treated like 'Putin's intern.' Maddow then ticked through other areas where she argued the president had embarrassed himself in recent weeks, including his back-and-forth on tariffs, which she said has become a 'punchline.' Americans are watching Trump 'fail and flail over and over again,' Maddow said. 'So for a would-be strongman, he's not strong,' Maddow concluded. 'He's a remarkably weak and feckless political figure who is nevertheless trying to overthrow the American form of government while pushing incredibly unpopular policies and executing everything incredibly poorly with a laughingstock full of a terribly, terribly staffed administration and Cabinet.' According to Maddow, that's good news for Trump's opposition: 'Everybody against him is getting stronger and more confident; everybody with him is starting to get a little worried about how long they can stay with him.' 'The opposition against him is big, deep, growing and increasingly unstoppable,' Maddow said. Watch Maddow's full takedown of Trump in the clip above. This article was originally published on
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
MAGA lawmaker expresses concern over Trump admin's mass deportation agenda
Donald Trump's administration has sought to portray its immigration crackdown as immensely popular and opposed only by liberal extremists. But as it turns out, the disturbing scenes and stories of agents doggedly pursuing immigrants and deporting them with abandon is making even some of the president's staunch supporters queasy. In a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., expressed horror over the detention and potential deportation of a Venezuelan man named Gregory Sanabria, who human rights organizations say was tortured under Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro's regime. The Trump administration recently rescinded temporary protection for hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Cubans who came to the U.S. under a Biden-era program. And fears about what this could mean for communities where large numbers of these immigrants reside have caused some GOP lawmakers in these districts — such as Diaz-Balart — to essentially plead with the administration for mercy. 'I'm increasingly concerned with the growing cases of people in the United States who have fled oppressive regimes and are being detained and held for possible deportation. Cases like Sanabria's, and so many others with legitimate claims of persecution, require a thorough review,' Diaz-Balart wrote on X on Sunday while sharing his letter, which specifically asks Noem to 'judiciously review' Sanabria's case and expresses concern that he might be forced to live under the Maduro regime again. There's a growing trend of Trump supporters reckoning with the reality of his immigration agenda and being taken aback by its apparent disregard for immigrants' humanity. Podcaster Joe Rogan and boxer Ryan Garcia are two of the most prominent Trump-friendly voices who have denounced the president's mass deportation agenda. And other examples abound. Florida businessman Vincent Scardina, who said he voted for Trump last year, gained attention after he got choked up during an NBC News interview in which he explained the emotional toll inflicted by the detention of one-third of his workers. And last month, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution published a story about a couple who say they voted for Trump but are now outraged after their green card-holding son was placed in detention. Indeed, many of the president's critics predicted that his anti-immigrant agenda would have far-reaching impacts that stood a high chance of devastating many of his own supporters. Belatedly as it seems, some people are beginning to realize just how prescient those predictions were. This article was originally published on
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Joe Scarborough baffled by Pete Hegseth's ‘bumper sticker' answers on Israel-Iran conflict
Donald Trump abruptly left Canada and cut his trip to the G7 summit short on Monday, as the conflict between Israel and Iran continues to escalate. Following Trump's early departure, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth did little to calm the nerves of Americans who may be concerned about the possibility of the United States military getting drawn in. During an appearance on Fox News on Monday night, Hegseth was asked about the president's position on the hostilities, which Hegseth said had 'not changed.' He added, 'What you're watching in real time is peace through strength and 'America First.'' He also said that America's job is 'to be strong.' 'We are postured defensively in the region, to be strong in pursuit of a peace deal,' Hegseth said. 'And we certainly hope that's what happens here. And 'America first' means we're going to defend American personnel and American interests.' The defense secretary's answer — or lack thereof — didn't impress Joe Scarborough, who called out Hegseth on Tuesday's 'Morning Joe' for offering the public slogans instead of substance. 'What did that mean?' Scarborough asked after playing a clip of Hegseth's remarks. 'It's like a couple bumper stickers. He could have just held up bumper stickers. I don't understand what that means.' Scarborough questioned how U.S. involvement in the conflict between Israel and Iran could fit in with Trump's 'America First' agenda. After he told co-host Jonathan Lemire he was 'deeply confused' by Hegseth's remarks, Scarborough asked him for his interpretation. 'That was the secretary of defense speaking a lot of platitudes without a lot of meaning behind it,' Lemire answered. Watch Scarborough and Lemire's full exchange in the clip above. This article was originally published on
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil denied release by judge
Mahmoud Khalil was denied release on Friday by a judge who, earlier in the week, had rejected the Trump administration's main legal basis for seeking to deport and detain the pro-Palestinian activist. When he issued a preliminary injunction in Khalil's favor Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz said the government can't deport him under Secretary of State Marco Rubio's claim that the former Columbia University student's presence and activities put U.S. interests at risk. The New Jersey judge added that, since Khalil can't be deported on that basis, he can't be detained on that basis, either. But the Biden appointee said in a new order against Khalil on Friday that the Trump administration now says it's holding him on a separate basis, not the one Farbiarz preliminarily enjoined earlier in the week. The judge noted that he had previously said Khalil failed to successfully challenge that secondary basis and had never appealed that ruling. The judge noted in his order that Khalil still has 'a number of avenues' available to him, such as asking an immigration judge for bail. Khalil's case gained national attention in the administration's immigration and deportation crackdown, which has featured arrests followed by court-ordered releases upholding free speech rights. The lawful U.S. resident has argued that his March arrest at student housing in New York City was 'retaliation against his protected speech.' He said he's not a flight risk or danger to the community, and he cited family hardship during his detention in Louisiana; his wife gave birth in April. He was born in Syria and is a citizen of Algeria. Subscribe to the Deadline: Legal Newsletter for expert analysis on the top legal stories of the week, including updates from the Supreme Court and developments in the Trump administration's legal cases. This article was originally published on
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lawrence O'Donnell says Trump 'completely surrendered' on this key campaign promise
Lawrence O'Donnell blasted Donald Trump on Thursday, declaring that the president had 'completely surrendered' on his campaign promise to deport at least 15 million people from the United States. 'Donald Trump put his surrender in writing,' O'Donnell said, referring to a post the president made on Truth Social that morning, in which he admitted that his immigration crackdown is hurting American farmers and the hospitality industry. 'Our great Farmers and people in the Hotel and Leisure business have been stating that our very aggressive policy on immigration is taking very good, long time workers away from them, with those jobs being almost impossible to replace,' Trump wrote. 'We must protect our Farmers, but get the CRIMINALS OUT OF THE USA. Changes are coming!' With that post, O'Donnell said, 'The central lie of Donald Trump's deportation campaign promise came apart.' According to O'Donnell, the president had finally realized that the 'Democrats are completely right about this and always have been.' 'Donald Trump promised to deport 15 million people,' O'Donnell continued. 'That would include everyone who is working in those fields, harvesting our food, making beds in hotels, everyone. And now that Donald Trump has finally decided to listen to the owners of those industries, he's not going to deport 15 million people ... It's over.' 'The mass deportation lie — that he never could have done anyway — is over,' O'Donnell said. 'And Donald Trump formally, publicly gave up today.' This article was originally published on
