6 men charged in woman's removal from Idaho town hall
Teresa Borrenpohl, a former Democratic nominee for state office, was hauled out of the meeting by individuals in plain clothes who refused to identify themselves at her request. Five of them were hired by the private security firm Lear Asset Management, which had its license revoked by the city after the town hall, according to The Associated Press.
Paul Trouette, Russell Dunne, Christofer Berg and Jesse Jones were charged with misdemeanor battery, false imprisonment, and violations of security agent duties and uniform requirements, while Alex Trouette IV is charged with security agent duties and uniform violations, the Coeur d'Alene City Prosecutor's told The Hill.
Michael Keller, who was not hired by the security firm, is being charged with misdemeanor battery, the prosecutor's office said.
'Town halls are intended to foster conversation and discourse across the aisle, which is why I am deeply alarmed that private security dragged me out of the public meeting for simply exercising my fundamental right of free speech,' Borrenpohl told AP.
The incident comes as GOP leadership in Washington has largely encouraged members of Congress to shy away from town halls amid vocal backlash from constituents, whom many Republicans insist are Democratic activists.
Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) was the latest leader to face shouting and pointed questions surrounding the Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE) efforts to slash spending and overhaul the federal workforce under President Trump.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
3 minutes ago
- New York Post
James Carville doubles down for predicting Trump admin collapse — says it's happening ‘now'
Democratic strategist James Carville insisted Thursday that he was right when he predicted the Trump administration would collapse 30 days into President Donald Trump's second term. During an appearance on journalist Dan Abrams' podcast, Carville doubled down on his prediction when Abrams suggested that he got it wrong. Advertisement 'I think it's collapsing now,' Carville told Abrams, who found it amusing. '30 days – 180 days, okay. It is collapsing right in front of you.' Abrams brought up the subject by playing a clip of Carville on his show in February, where he declared that the Trump administration was 'collapsing' and would be falling apart within 30 days. Abrams asked the strategist Thursday if he still stood by the prediction. Carville replied, saying he was 'a pretty smart guy in February.' Advertisement He defended the months-old prediction, stating, 'You look at what's happening, and you look at the current stuff that's coming in – the public has revulsions against this.' Democratic strategist James Carville claims he was right in predicting that the Trump administration would collapse within 30 days of President Donald Trump's second term. Getty Images He pointed to Democratic candidates leading in upcoming elections, like the governor's race in Virginia, saying that proves Trump's demise is underway. 'Do you know how much we're going to win by in Virginia?' he asked. Advertisement 'Do you have any idea?' 'No, I don't,' Abrams responded. 'It's gonna be a lot,' Carville declared. 'It's not going to be close.' Advertisement A recent Virginia Commonwealth Poll from July has Virginia Republican gubernatorial candidate Winsome Earle-Sears at 37% and Democratic candidate Abigail Spanberger at 49%. Still, Abrams wasn't convinced. 'But you said that you thought that this administration was in the midst of a collapse.' 'I think it is. Yes, I do,' Carville shot back. Carville appeared on The Dan Abrams Podcast, as he acknowledged that the Trump administration 'is collapsing right in front of you.' The Dan Abrams Podcast 'And you think you were right?' Abrams asked. Carville didn't back down, stating, 'Yes. I think there are — they're somewhere about 37% or 40% approval. Their economic numbers are terrible, are just terrible. And I think we're running away with every election we've had. We're going to run away with Virginia. We're going to win New Jersey. We're starting to recruit every candidate that we want.' Abrams continued pushing, mentioning polling showing that Trump isn't exactly in the midst of collapsing. Advertisement 'I pulled up the recent approval polling from The New York Times and Real Clear Politics, and the aggregation puts Trump's approval between 44 and 45.8, with 53 and 51.4 disapproval, as of August the 6th. That's not a collapse. That's basically a little bit above where he was.' Carville dismissed the numbers, saying the polling for upcoming elections 'in no way reflect that.' 'I don't want to get into saying this poll, that poll, this aggregate poll; but I look at like the UMass Amherst poll, I look at Gallup, I look at people like that. I see something completely different. I'm very, very, very confident that this administration is going to be widely rejected in the elections coming up; and they're gonna be particularly widely rejected in the elections in 2026,' he said. Advertisement One of Carville's more recent predictions didn't go so well. In the weeks leading up to the 2024 presidential election, the political veteran was so convinced that Kamala Harris would win, he wrote a column for the New York Times titled, 'Three Reasons I'm Certain Kamala Harris Will Win.' Carville's column slammed Trump as a 'repeat electoral loser' and claimed 'This time will be no different,' while heaping praise on the Democratic nominee.
Newsweek
3 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Greg Abbott Blasted by Major Texas Newspaper—'Corruption'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Dallas Morning News editorial board called out Texas Governor Greg Abbott for what it defined as a "power grab" and "corruption of the political process" over his support for the state legislature's push for GOP-backed redistricting maps and his actions against Democrats who fled the state to prevent quorum in the House. Newsweek has reached out to Abbott's press team for comment via email on Friday. Why It Matters Texas Democrats have raised serious concerns over plans for redistricting in the Lone Star State that would create five new Republican-leaning seats in time for the 2026 midterms. Under Texas' Constitution, the 150-member House cannot conduct business or pass legislation without a quorum of at least two-thirds of its members present. Democrats hold 62 seats in the Republican‑controlled chamber, and at least 51 left the state, Josh Rush Nisenson, spokesperson for the House Democratic Caucus, previously said. What To Know Abbott has called out the dozens of Democratic state lawmakers who fled the state earlier this week to prevent the House from reaching quorum and voting on the redistricting map. In an August 3 statement, Abbott referred to the members as "derelict" and threatened to remove them from the Legislature altogether if they didn't return by 3 p.m. the following day. Enough Democrats have not yet returned, with seats in the state's House of Representative empty again on Friday, the third time this week that legislators have not reached quorum. There were 95 members present on Friday, five shy of quorum, according to the Associated Press. Days after Abbott's statement, The Dallas Morning News editorial board, which represents a district that would see changes in the proposed map, wrote: "The governor's power grab is a corruption of the political process." The GOP-led redistricting is expected to add at least five Republican seats in the 2026 midterms. The Republican Party holds a slim majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, making every seat vital for President Donald Trump to maintain control of the chamber. The editorial board continued, writing, "Abbott has threatened to remove lawmakers from their seats, based on a single opinion from a Texas attorney generally with the credibility of a $3 bill," adding that "such a move would disenfranchise millions of Texas voters and directly assault democracy." The opinion article went on to note the changes the proposal would make: "Fort Worth, which has a majority nonwhite population, would lose its only nonwhite representative in Congress. One diverse Dallas County district, now represented by Democrat Julie Johnson, would be redrawn to favor Republicans." The Houston Chronicle, Texas' largest newspaper also called out the governor in an opinion piece earlier this week, writing: "The governor has followed his orders from Washington and put a Republican power grab before communities devastated by Central Texas floods." It continued: "With a stroke of his pen, Abbott could have moved hundreds of millions of dollars by executive fiat. He could have called a session with the sole objective of addressing the still-unfolding crisis in the Hill Country. But the lives of Texans come second to the desires of President Trump and his loyalists." Texas Governor Greg Abbott speaks during a roundtable discussion in Kerrville, Texas, during a tour to observe flood damage on July 11. Texas Governor Greg Abbott speaks during a roundtable discussion in Kerrville, Texas, during a tour to observe flood damage on July 11. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin What People Are Saying Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a Friday press release: "The rogue Democrat legislators who fled the state have abandoned their duties, leaving their seats vacant. These cowards deliberately sabotaged the constitutional process and violated the oath they swore to uphold. Their out-of-state rebellion cannot go unchecked, and the business of Texas must go on. I have asked the Texas Supreme Court to declare what has been clear from the beginning: that the runaway members have officially vacated their offices in the Texas House." Senator John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, said in Thursday statement: "I am proud to announce that Director Kash Patel has approved my request for the FBI to assist state and local law enforcement in locating runaway Texas House Democrats. I thank President Trump and Director Patel for supporting and swiftly acting on my call for the federal government to hold these supposed lawmakers accountable for fleeing Texas. We cannot allow these rogue legislators to avoid their constitutional responsibilities." Democratic state Representative Claudia Ordaz said in an X post Friday: "It is with a troubled heart that I write this, literally from a hospital waiting room. From the very beginning, I have made it clear: I will not be in the chamber due to a personal health matter. Yet today, DPS officers showed up to a member of my family's house looking for me. On top of that, I am now being falsely accused of being in the chamber to make quorum." Texas Governor Greg Abbott said in an X post on Friday: "We have an agenda to pass priorities critical to Texans, and we will get it done. I'll call special session after special session—no matter how long it takes—until the job is finished." Democratic state Representative Ramon Romero Jr. said in a CNN interview Friday: "We're going to continue to fight. And as Congressman Al Green said, we will continue to march on, just as those in the past have done, we will as well." What Happens Next? The Texas House is scheduled to meet again on Monday, with the hopes that enough Democrats will return. The redistricted map at the center of the dispute is for next year's midterm elections, which will serve as a bellwether for the Trump administration and the Republican Party.
USA Today
3 minutes ago
- USA Today
Why Trump's firing of labor data chief won't threaten integrity of jobs figures. Probably
President Donald Trump's abrupt dismissal of the U.S. Commissioner of Labor Statistics after a disappointing employment report has raised concerns about the future accuracy and integrity of the nation's vital jobs numbers. Some economists and former government officials are responding to the mounting worries with a simple message: Chill out. These experts cite three reasons Trump administration officials are not likely to manipulate the statistics for political reasons: There's too much data underlying the most publicized jobs figures; broadly comparable numbers are published in other reports; and there are disincentives for chicanery. 'I think it would be pretty hard to revise any statistics' based on politics 'or try to fudge the numbers somehow,' said Sara Estep, an economist at the left-leaning Center for American progress. Still, Estep and other experts say the trustworthiness of the data is being called into question – a development that itself could have a negative impact on the economy and markets – and outright attempts to massage the numbers aren't out of the realm of possibility. 'The concern is that this could mark the start of a slippery slope toward greater White House influence over economic statistics, which in a worst-case scenario might involve censoring, reengineering, or suspending official releases like payrolls or CPI (inflation) to serve the Trump administration's agenda,' Capital Economics wrote in a note to clients. A White House spokesperson didn't immediately return an email message seeking comment. But on "Meet the Press" on Aug. 3, Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, told moderator Kristin Welker that Trump simply wants to make the jobs report more transparent. "If there are big changes and big revisions – we expect more big revisions for the jobs data in September, for example – then we want to know why. We want people to explain it to us," Hassett said. What was the jobs report for July? On Aug. 1, Trump fired Erika McEntarfer, the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, after the agency reported a disappointing 73,000 job gains in July and, more significantly, revised down payroll additions for May and June by a historically massive 258,000 positions. Economists said the large revisions can be explained by small business' unusually low response rates to BLS' initial surveys as they grapple with cost increases from Trump's double-digit tariffs on imports and the effects of the duties on business confidence and hiring. But on Truth Social, Trump said without providing evidence that 'today's Jobs Numbers were RIGGED in order to make the Republicans, and ME, look bad,' noting McEntarfer was appointed by former Democratic President Joe Biden. After firing McEntarfer, he appointed William Wiatrowskias interim BLS head and said he would name a permanent replacement within days. William Beach, McEntarfer's predecessor as BLS chief and a Trump appointee, said it's 'impossible' for a BLS commissioner to manipulate the jobs data. He added that person doesn't see the report until the numbers are loaded and readied for distribution the Wednesday before its release the first Friday of the month. Keith Hall, who was appointed BLS commissioner by former President George W. Bush and served from 2008 to 2011, told USA TODAY that too many career, nonpartisan civil servants have a hand in drafting the report for the data to be distorted. About 40 people, both Republicans and Democrats, see the final jobs number shortly before publication, Beach previously said. Is Trump trying to control independent federal agencies? Yet, economists worry Trump could test that presumption. His removal of McEntarfer marks his latest challenge to federal agencies whose independence is critical for a smoothly functioning economy. For months, Trump has tried to badger Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell into lowering interest rates and has threatened to fire him, though experts say Powell can't be removed without cause. Economists say the jobs report is considered the global gold standard for accurate and unbiased economic data, providing the best broad snapshot of the U.S. economy in close-to-real time and helping guide the actions of investors, corporations, governments and consumers. Trump's removal of McEntarfer 'presents risks to the conduct of monetary policy, to financial stability, and to the economic outlook,' JPMorgan Chase economist Michael Feroli wrote in a note to clients. He added 'the risk of politicizing the data collection process should not be overlooked.' Here's why some experts say they're not worried about the reliability of the jobs numbers: Other federal jobs measures If a BLS commissioner or other key employees finagled the jobs numbers, 'discrepancies would quickly emerge in other metrics like jobless claims, which are reported at the state level and [are] less prone to federal influence,' Capital Economics said in its research note. Initial unemployment insurance applications provide a reliable gauge of layoffs. And the jobs report represents the net total of all layoffs, hiring, quits, retirements and job switches across the economy. Private jobs reports Even if the administration 'brought all major statistical agencies under tight control, economists and investors could still infer the true state of the economy from private sources,' Capital Economics said. Those include the ADP employment report and job postings from Indeed, the leading job search site. 'Any tampering with official data would likely be exposed sooner or later and would be politically damaging once uncovered,' Capital Economics said. Markets are watching – and reacting If evidence emerged that the administration was fiddling with the jobs data, investors likely would demand a higher return for holding assets as such as U.S. Treasuries, pushing up interest rates, Capital Economics said. Trump has fervently advocated for lower rates. The research firm added that 'the administration has some inclination to avoid upsetting markets – especially when it leads to higher bond yields and increased debt-servicing costs.' Trump tends to push the envelope but not rip it up Trump has shown a propensity to push the boundaries in his efforts to achieve his goals 'without clearly crossing' the line, Capital Economics said. For example, he has stopped short of firing the Fed's Powell. 'This fits a broader pattern of the administration applying maximum pressure to get its way on issues from deportations to federal layoffs, without openly defying the courts,' Capital Economics wrote. Lots of people compile the jobs report The jobs report is like a massive puzzle put together by hundreds of employees and the pieces need to fit. If the final numbers were fudged, employees who worked on inputs to those numbers would realize that and speak up, Hall said. 'All of the data, detail and all of the industry statistics need to add up,' he said. The underlying jobs data BLS is famously transparent and provides the underlying data behind all its jobs numbers, Estep said. For example, the unemployment rate is based on a survey of 60,000 households, and the agency has their individual responses, she said. At the same time, here's why some experts are still worried: Private jobs data relies on federal numbers Although ADP and other private firms provide jobs data, they're typically 'benchmarked to the federal data, as private sector data are very rarely nationally representative,' Feroli said. ADP, for instance, relies on the federal jobs report from two months earlier to estimate last month's numbers. The risk of political meddling In the Meet the Press interview, Hassett told Welker, "The president wants his own people there [at BLS] so that when we see the numbers, they're more transparent and more reliable.' Said Estep: 'I would keep an eye out' for the potential replacement of some longterm public servants with political appointees at BLS and other agencies. 'Are they somehow installing more plans for the politicization of these statistical agencies?' Estep asked. The data may be accurate, but is it trustworthy? Even if it's unlikely the data will be manipulated, 'it may be less trusted,' Estep said, noting that could affect markets and the behavior of companies and consumers. "The trust component, that's really scary." In an opinion piece posted on David Madland, senior fellow at the Center for American progress, wrote: 'Government data analysts will do their best to produce credible reports, and much of what they publish will be accurate, but these workers will be increasingly subject to political pressures, or outright meddling. 'Reputational damage has already been done - and the decline in trust carries real consequences.'
