Trump admin officials blast LA Mayor Karen Bass' response to ICE raids — as cops clash with violent protesters
'We will not stand for this,' Bass said in a statement released after federal immigration authorities arrested 44 people in raids across Los Angeles.
'I am deeply angered by what has taken place,' the Democrat mayor fumed, noting that her office 'is in close coordination with immigrant rights community organizations.'
Advertisement
4 Bass slammed the Los Angeles immigration enforcement raids in a social media post.
AFP via Getty Images
White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller quickly dismissed Bass' declaration.
'You have no say in this at all,' Miller shot back on social media.
Advertisement
'Federal law is supreme and federal law will be enforced,' he noted on X.
Miller was one of several Trump administration officials that took issue with Bass' statements.
'They're Illegals. Not 'immigrants.' One just tried to burn Americans alive in Boulder,' White House adviser Sebastian Gorka wrote on X, referring to Colorado terror suspect Mohamed Soliman.
The Egyptian national overstayed his tourist visa before allegedly firebombing a peaceful march for Israeli hostages still held by Hamas on Sunday in a heinous antisemitic attack.
Advertisement
'If you're aiding and abetting them you're a criminal too,' Gorka said in response to the LA mayor's comments. 'Are you ready to be treated as a criminal?
'Because we are ready to treat you as one if you commit a crime,' he warned.
4 Miller noted that Bass has 'no say' in federal immigration enforcement.
Chris Kleponis – CNP / MEGA
4 Miller was one of several Trump administration officials who reacted strongly to Bass' statement on the ICE raids.
Stephen Miller, /X
Advertisement
Justice Department official Harmeet K. Dhillon was stunned by Bass' understanding of the law.
'It's amazing the number of elected officials who don't grasp the basics of federalism, or federal sovereignty over immigration issues, or the First Amendment,' Dhillon tweeted.
The Los Angeles immigration raids sparked protests at the arrest sites, and at least one person was taken into custody for allegedly obstructing federal law enforcement.
'Federal agents were executing a lawful judicial warrant at a LA worksite this morning when David Huerta deliberately obstructed their access by blocking their vehicle,' US Attorney Bill Essayli said in a statement. 'He was arrested for interfering with federal officers and will face arraignment in federal court on Monday.'
'Let me be clear: I don't care who you are — if you impede federal agents, you will be arrested and prosecuted.'
Huerta is president of the California branch of the influential Service Employees International Union.
4 The raids sparked protests in Los Angeles.
AP
Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin decried the city's response to protesters' clashes with federal agents – which escalated hours after the raids.
Advertisement
'Assaulting ICE enforcement officers, slashing tires, defacing buildings. 800 protestors have surrounded and breached the first layer of a federal law enforcement building in LA,' McLaughlin wrote on X. '@LAPD has not responded.'
'This violence against @ICEgov must stop.'
Richard Grenell, President Trump's envoy for special missions, blamed Bass for the unrest.
'Karen Bass whipped all of this up. She attacked the rule of law. She undermined democracy,' Grenell wrote on X, sharing images of protesters attempting to block federal law enforcement vehicles.
Advertisement
'The @MayorOfLA is creating chaos in LA,' he fumed.
With Post wires
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hill
21 minutes ago
- The Hill
Lebanon takes a first step toward reclaiming its sovereignty
Last week, the Lebanese government made a historic move toward restoring full authority over its territory by committing to disarm all groups possessing heavy weapons — most notably Hezbollah. For more than four decades, Hezbollah has wielded both military and political power in Lebanon, undermining the country's independence and destabilizing the region. Now, for the first time in years, the Lebanese state is acting to assert its sovereignty and assert control nationwide — a move unimaginable just a year ago, when the militia's grip on the country seemed unshakable. A devastating Israeli bombing campaign in Lebanon and Iran during the past year, followed by the loss of its most important ally with the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, dealt a devastating blow to Hezbollah's infrastructure and military arsenal. However, the group, which continues to benefit from Iran's support, retains some influence domestically, despite its isolation. Until it lays down its weapons, it remains a threat to the country and, indeed, to the region's stability. The U.S. envoy to Syria and current U.S. ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, recently put forth, after several rounds of talks in Beirut, a multi-phase plan to end the military escalation that has persisted between Hezbollah and Israel since the November 2024 ceasefire was signed by Israel and Lebanon. Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and President Joseph Aoun recognized that without decisive action to support the U.S. proposal to dismantle Hezbollah's arsenal once and for all, the Trump administration and its allies would reconsider future diplomatic and financial support to their war-torn, bankrupt nation. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who represents a large Shiite population in Lebanon, also acknowledged the importance of this pivotal moment when the government took its bold decision on Aug. 7 to fully disarm Hezbollah by the end of 2025. The decree is a first step — and the most difficult work lies ahead. Following its passage, Hezbollah's leadership vowed never to give up their arms and threatened a return to military action. All that to say, that the dangers are real, not just in the abstract but in immediate, practical terms. Just days after the announcement, six Lebanese Army soldiers were killed while dismantling a Hezbollah bomb factory. Lebanon must now appreciate that it has the most to lose if implementation falters, and it cannot afford to fall short of its obligations under this agreement. Following through on its commitments will ensure the obligations of other countries involved — including Israel, the United States, France, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. This is a historic opportunity for Lebanon to break free from the grip of non-state militias and restore the state's monopoly over arms. But success will depend on all parties honoring their commitments. Under the U.S. plan, Israel is to cease all ground, air and maritime military operations following the Lebanon government's decree, ensuring that the government can begin implementing a disarmament plan. It is expected that within 120 days, all militias will be neutralized and Israeli forces withdrawn from Lebanese territory. The U.S., France, Qatar and Saudi Arabia have, in turn, pledged to strengthen the Lebanese Armed Forces' ability to enforce the agreement and protect the country's sovereignty, as well as to organize an international economic conference to spur Lebanon's recovery and reconstruction. The U.S. and its allies should establish mechanisms to enforce the agreement's implementation. Such oversight would be welcomed by the Lebanese people, who are eager to see an end to the cycle of violence and corruption. Washington can also send a strong signal of confidence by prioritizing funding for the Lebanese Armed Forces to carry out its mission — assistance already endorsed by both the Trump and Biden administrations, as well as Congress — if Lebanon were to take decisive action as it did last week. France, Qatar and Saudi Arabia are likewise encouraged to work alongside others in strengthening the Lebanese Armed Forces and consider advancing the timeline of their proposed donor economic conference, if the parties are fulfilling terms of the agreement on time. By launching this process, Lebanon's leaders have sent a clear message to their citizens and to the world: They are committed to national unity, the rule of law and regional stability. The international community should stand with Lebanon at this turning point — offering sustained diplomatic engagement, enforcement, financial assistance and security backing — to ensure follow-through on both security commitments and advancing reforms that strengthen institutions and accelerate reconstruction efforts. Peace between Lebanon and Israel is within reach, but only if all parties do their part.
Axios
21 minutes ago
- Axios
Trump's GOP backing declines amid inflation and redistricting push
President Trump's approval rating among Republicans has slipped steadily since the start of his second term, dropping 9 points this week, according to a new poll by The Economist and YouGov. Why it matters: The poll, conducted August 9-11, found that some of Trump's most high-profile current priorities, such as pushing for Republicans to draw more favorable congressional maps and his plans to calm inflation, aren't sitting well with Americans by and large. By the numbers: Trump's support among Republicans and Republican-leaning Americans fell from 92% in January, to 83% this week. Trump's overall net approval rating, or "the percent who approve minus the percent who disapprove", is -12, per the poll. A -12 approval rating, while negative, is higher than the -15 rating he received at this point in his first term. Zoom in: The poll comes as Trump has pushed Texas Republicans to take the unusual move of trying to redraw congressional maps to craft five more GOP seats. Texas Democrats are avoiding their state in an attempt to deny Republicans a quorum, and several blue states are getting behind the idea of starting redistricting battles at home to fight back. Only 16% of Republicans think states should be allowed to redraw more favorable congressional districts, while 57% say they should not. Comparatively, 6% of Democrats think states should be able to redraw districts, 80% say they should not. Zoom out: Americans have been particularly stubborn about one issue: 48% expect inflation to increase in the next six months. The fine print: The opt-in poll surveyed 1,635 U.S. adult citizens, and utilized their party identification as of November 8, 2024. The margin of error for the overall sample is approximately 3.5%.
Politico
22 minutes ago
- Politico
NIAID acting director's view of ‘risky research'
THE LAB Dr. Jeffery Taubenberger, acting director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, says conducting so-called gain-of-function research shouldn't be dismissed. He discussed the controversial topic with his boss, NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, on the latter's 'Director's Desk' podcast this week. What is it? Gain-of-function involves genetically altering pathogens to make them deadlier or more transmissible to better study them. But the research is a lightning rod issue for President Donald Trump and many Republicans in Congress who believe the Covid-19 pandemic was caused by a lab leak stemming from gain-of-function research in Wuhan, China, where the virus first emerged. That thinking puts them at odds with most of the scientific community who believe the virus most likely spilled over from animals into humans. In May, Trump signed an executive order banning all 'present and all future' federal funding for gain-of-function research in countries like China,which Trump said has insufficient research oversight. He also ordered the National Institutes of Health to review and possibly halt experiments the administration believes could endanger Americans' lives. In Congress, Sen. Rand Paul's (R-Ky.) Risky Research Review Act, which hasn't yet been taken up by the full Senate, would create a panel to review funding for gain-of-function research. Not black and white: During the podcast, Bhattacharya asked Taubenberger how the institute should approach gain-of-function research. 'It's not a simple black-and-white issue,' replied Taubenberger, a senior investigator in virology who's a leading expert on the 1918 flu pandemic and sequenced the virus that caused it. He's also co-leading the effort to develop a universal flu vaccine, backed with $500 million from the Trump administration. 'Very reasonable, very well-informed people could fall on opposite sides of the line, wherever you draw the line,' he said. 'Having a wide variety of people with different levels of expertise — not just logic expertise, but safety, national security, all sorts of other questions — having them weigh in on this is really important.' Regardless of where people fall, gain-of-function work shouldn't be shut down, he said. 'Work on nasty bugs that have the potential to kill people, for which we want to develop better therapeutics, diagnostics, prognostics, treatments and preventatives, needs to happen. That's important for global health. It's important for U.S. health,' Taubenberger said. But that research has to be done very carefully, with oversight and should be evaluated on a risk-benefit basis, he warned. While the pandemic turbocharged the issue, the controversy over gain-of-function predates Covid-19. The government paused funding for the research roughly a decade ago, Taubenberger pointed out, while they put stronger oversight mechanisms in place. 'I favor this kind of work being done, where possible, in U.S. government labs, by U.S. government scientists, monitored by U.S. government safety officials and regulators — with openness and transparency.' What didn't come up in conversation: The implementation of Trump's executive order hasn't gone as smoothly as the podcast discussion might have suggested. A July post on the NIH's X account implied that staff at the NIAID had acted inappropriately by omitting certain grants while compiling a list of potentially dangerous gain-of-function research experiments in compliance with the order. Contacted by POLITICO at the time, an official at HHS described the behavior as 'malicious compliance' and said the administration wouldn't tolerate it. NIH Principal Deputy Director Matt Memoli, according to The Washington Post, overrode staff by classifying tuberculosis studies NIH reviewers deemed safe as potentially dangerous gain-of-function research. WELCOME TO FUTURE PULSE Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) described undergoing mental health treatment with the psychedelic drug ibogaine to the New York Times. Share any thoughts, news, tips and feedback with Ruth Reader at rreader@ or Erin Schumaker at eschumaker@ Want to share a tip securely? Message us on Signal: RuthReader.02 or ErinSchumaker.01. TECH MAZE Under Gov. Gavin Newsom, California has moved faster than other states to regulate artificial intelligence, including signing a bill last year barring health insurers in the state from using AI to deny claims. Now, a prominent AI company is urging the Democratic governor to consider a less rigid regulatory approach. In a letter to Newsom, obtained by our POLITICO colleagues at California Decoded, OpenAI suggests that California should consider AI companies that sign onto national and international AI agreements as compliant with state AI rules. The letter, dated Monday, from OpenAI's Chief Global Affairs Officer Chris Lehane, comes as Sacramento continues to debate key AI legislation, including Democratic state Sen. Scott Wiener's bill SB 53, which would require large AI developers to publish safety and security protocols on their websites. Lehane recommended that 'California take the lead in harmonizing state-based AI regulation with emerging global standards' when it comes to the technology, dubbing it the California Approach. World view: OpenAI and other developers have already signed, or plan to sign, onto the EU's AI code of practice and have committed to conducting national security-related assessments of their programs. Lehane said that 'we encourage the state to consider frontier model developers compliant with its state requirements when they sign onto a parallel regulatory framework like the [European Union's] CoP or enter into a safety-oriented agreement with a relevant US federal government agency.' Newsom spokesperson Tara Gallegos said, 'We have received the letter. We don't typically comment on pending legislation.' Worth noting: The EU code is a voluntary way for companies to comply with the bloc's AI Act and is nonbinding in the U.S., which has no equivalent. Commitments to work with federal regulators don't necessarily cover all the areas, like deepfakes or chatbots, where Sacramento wants to regulate AI. But the letter offers Newsom something of an off-ramp, after he vetoed Wiener's broader AI safety bill last year that would have required programs to complete prerelease safety testing. Last week, Newsom spoke with cautious positivity about Wiener's effort this year, saying it was in the spirit of an expert report on AI regulation he commissioned. But SB 53 — which would establish whistleblower protections for AI workers and require companies to publish their own internal safety testing — still faces opposition from the tech industry. Lehane's letter puts an industry-sponsored solution on the governor's desk. He framed the simplified California Approach as a way to give 'democratic AI' an edge in the race with Chinese-built programs by removing unnecessary regulation, a key priority for the Trump administration. 'Imagine how hard it would have been during the Space Race had California's aerospace and technology industries been encumbered by regulations that impeded rapid innovation,' Lehane wrote.
