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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Conservative Torches ICE Chief's ‘Pathetic' Excuse for Agents Wearing Masks
Conservative commentator and longtime political strategist Bill Kristol blasted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents for wearing masks during recent operations, calling the practice a tool of fear—not protection. Appearing on CNN's NewsNight on Monday, Kristol—who has often decried the values of the Republican Party since its MAGA makeover—dismissed ICE's justification for the face coverings, slamming the practice as 'ridiculous' and 'pathetic.' 'I mean, it's pathetic to pretend that, 'Oh, we're so concerned about their safety, they have to wear masks,'' Kristol, editor at large at The Bulwark and co-founder of the anti-Trump nonprofit Defending Democracy Together, said. Kristol, who also served as former chief of staff to Vice President Dan Quayle under President George H.W. Bush, added: 'I grew up in New York City—40,000 cops, extremely dangerous circumstances. None of them were masked except in extremely rare occasions when they were going after some gang leader who might have relatives who go after them. ICE agents have functioned in this country. They didn't wear masks. They shouldn't wear masks. 'It's total nonsense, and it's for intimidation. It's not really for their protection. It's ridiculous.' Kristol's comments come amid growing scrutiny of ICE's enforcement tactics, particularly the use of face coverings that obscure agents' identities during arrests. Critics argue that such anonymity undermines accountability and fosters fear within immigrant communities. Tim Walz, governor of Minnesota and Kamala Harris' running mate in the 2024 presidential election, even likened the agency's officers to Gestapo agents. Dan Goldman, a Democrat who represents New York's 10th Congressional District, also called the masked raids 'Gestapo-like behavior.' The Gestapo, short for Geheime Staatspolizei or 'Secret State Police,' served as Nazi Germany's notorious internal security force and routinely detained individuals without charge. ICE Director Todd Lyons defended the policy, citing officer safety in the wake of public anger over a May 30 raid at Buona Forchetta, a family-owned Italian restaurant in San Diego's South Park neighborhood. 'I'm not going to let my officers and agents go out there and put their lives on the line, their family on the line because people don't like what immigration enforcement is,' he said. Witnesses said about 30 masked agents stormed the restaurant, cuffing workers indiscriminately. 'They took people,' one tearful employee told local news. 'They took some of our employees. There was no stopping them.' The raid sparked instant community outrage. Neighbors flooded the scene chanting, 'Shame! Shame! ICE out!' One bystander told NBC7: 'The entire community was disgusted, infuriated and enraged. They don't want people in military tactical gear playing soldier, playing like they are in Afghanistan, coming in here and just screwing with people on a nice Friday afternoon.'
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
"It's Been Abysmal": Republican Voters Are Fed Up With Donald Trump's Handling Of This One Very Concerning Issue
President Donald Trump vowed to end the war in Ukraine on his first day in office ― but Republican voters featured in a new ad campaign say he's turned his back on the nation. 'It's been abysmal,' a GOP voter from New Jersey named Howard said in the new compilation video from Republicans for Ukraine. Related: Donald Trump Supporters Are Waking Up To The Reality Of Their Ballot Choices, And The Stories Are A Loooooot A Pennsylvania Republican named Ruth referenced the White House meeting where Trump and Vice President JD Vance publicly berated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. 'They bullied him so badly,' she said. Related: Donald Trump Supporters Are Losing Their Minds Over The New Trump Tariffs, And It's Exactly The Meltdown We All Saw Coming The campaign includes voters who've supported Trump in the past, even some who have voted for him three times, the organization said. With their voices, the organization is hoping to build public pressure on U.S. leaders to support Ukraine. The voters warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin won't stop with Ukraine if he has his way ― and that allowing him to take the nation could embolden China to invade Taiwan. Republicans for Ukraine is part of Defending Democracy Together, a conservative advocacy organization that has frequently campaigned against Trump and his MAGA backers in Congress. Sarah Longwell, executive director of Republicans for Ukraine, said in a news release that Republican leaders used to have no problem recognizing Putin as a 'murderous dictator.' 'Now, Donald Trump is making up the fiction that Ukraine started the war, it's Zelensky who is the dictator, and America should wash its hands of its global leadership role,' she said. 'But there are still Republicans and conservatives out there who understand that standing with our international allies is the right thing to do, and according to recent polling by NYT/Siena, a majority of Americans agree.' The organization released a YouTube playlist featuring 60 GOP voters urging Trump to back Ukraine, some of the 180 testimonials they've collected over the past two years. The group has also released a scorecard grading each Republican in Congress based on how they've voted on issues related to the war in article originally appeared on HuffPost. Also in In the News: "Honestly Speechless At How Evil This Is": 26 Brutal, Brutal, Brutal Political Tweets Of The Week Also in In the News: Everyone Is Absolutely Losing It Over This Canadian Newspaper Mocking Donald Trump Also in In the News: People Are Obsessed With Pope Francis's Final, Resounding Message To JD Vance After His Visit To The Vatican
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
"It's Been Abysmal": Republican Voters Are Fed Up With Donald Trump's Handling Of This One Very Concerning Issue
President Donald Trump vowed to end the war in Ukraine on his first day in office ― but Republican voters featured in a new ad campaign say he's turned his back on the nation. 'It's been abysmal,' a GOP voter from New Jersey named Howard said in the new compilation video from Republicans for Ukraine. Related: Donald Trump Supporters Are Waking Up To The Reality Of Their Ballot Choices, And The Stories Are A Loooooot A Pennsylvania Republican named Ruth referenced the White House meeting where Trump and Vice President JD Vance publicly berated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. 'They bullied him so badly,' she said. Related: Donald Trump Supporters Are Losing Their Minds Over The New Trump Tariffs, And It's Exactly The Meltdown We All Saw Coming The campaign includes voters who've supported Trump in the past, even some who have voted for him three times, the organization said. With their voices, the organization is hoping to build public pressure on U.S. leaders to support Ukraine. The voters warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin won't stop with Ukraine if he has his way ― and that allowing him to take the nation could embolden China to invade Taiwan. Republicans for Ukraine is part of Defending Democracy Together, a conservative advocacy organization that has frequently campaigned against Trump and his MAGA backers in Congress. Sarah Longwell, executive director of Republicans for Ukraine, said in a news release that Republican leaders used to have no problem recognizing Putin as a 'murderous dictator.' 'Now, Donald Trump is making up the fiction that Ukraine started the war, it's Zelensky who is the dictator, and America should wash its hands of its global leadership role,' she said. 'But there are still Republicans and conservatives out there who understand that standing with our international allies is the right thing to do, and according to recent polling by NYT/Siena, a majority of Americans agree.' The organization released a YouTube playlist featuring 60 GOP voters urging Trump to back Ukraine, some of the 180 testimonials they've collected over the past two years. The group has also released a scorecard grading each Republican in Congress based on how they've voted on issues related to the war in article originally appeared on HuffPost. Also in In the News: "Honestly Speechless At How Evil This Is": 26 Brutal, Brutal, Brutal Political Tweets Of The Week Also in In the News: Everyone Is Absolutely Losing It Over This Canadian Newspaper Mocking Donald Trump Also in In the News: People Are Obsessed With Pope Francis's Final, Resounding Message To JD Vance After His Visit To The Vatican
Buzz Feed
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Buzz Feed
"It's Been Abysmal": Republican Voters Are Fed Up With Donald Trump's Handling Of This One Very Concerning Issue
Hot Topic 🔥 Full coverage and conversation on Politics President Donald Trump vowed to end the war in Ukraine on his first day in office ― but Republican voters featured in a new ad campaign say he's turned his back on the nation. 'It's been abysmal,' a GOP voter from New Jersey named Howard said in the new compilation video from Republicans for Ukraine. A Pennsylvania Republican named Ruth referenced the White House meeting where Trump and Vice President JD Vance publicly berated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. 'They bullied him so badly,' she said. The campaign includes voters who've supported Trump in the past, even some who have voted for him three times, the organization said. With their voices, the organization is hoping to build public pressure on U.S. leaders to support Ukraine. The voters warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin won't stop with Ukraine if he has his way ― and that allowing him to take the nation could embolden China to invade Taiwan. Republicans for Ukraine is part of Defending Democracy Together, a conservative advocacy organization that has frequently campaigned against Trump and his MAGA backers in Congress. Sarah Longwell, executive director of Republicans for Ukraine, said in a news release that Republican leaders used to have no problem recognizing Putin as a 'murderous dictator.' 'Now, Donald Trump is making up the fiction that Ukraine started the war, it's Zelensky who is the dictator, and America should wash its hands of its global leadership role,' she said. 'But there are still Republicans and conservatives out there who understand that standing with our international allies is the right thing to do, and according to recent polling by NYT/Siena, a majority of Americans agree.' The organization released a YouTube playlist featuring 60 GOP voters urging Trump to back Ukraine, some of the 180 testimonials they've collected over the past two years.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Republican Voters Tear Into Trump's 'Abysmal' Failure On 1 Key Issue
President Donald Trump vowed to end the war in Ukraine on his first day in office ― but Republican voters featured in a new ad campaign say he's turned his back on the nation. 'It's been abysmal,' a GOP voter from New Jersey named Howard said in the new compilation video from Republicans for Ukraine. A Pennsylvania Republican named Ruth referenced the White House meeting where Trump and Vice President JD Vance publicly berated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. 'They bullied him so badly,' she said. The campaign includes voters who've supported Trump in the past, even some who have voted for him three times, the organization said. With their voices, the organization is hoping to build public pressure on U.S. leaders to support Ukraine. The voters warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin won't stop with Ukraine if he has his way ― and that allowing him to take the nation could embolden China to invade Taiwan: Republicans for Ukraine is part of Defending Democracy Together, a conservative advocacy organization that has frequently campaigned against Trump and his MAGA backers in Congress. Sarah Longwell, executive director of Republicans for Ukraine, said in a news release that Republican leaders used to have no problem recognizing Putin as a 'murderous dictator.' 'Now, Donald Trump is making up the fiction that Ukraine started the war, it's Zelensky who is the dictator, and America should wash its hands of its global leadership role,' she said. 'But there are still Republicans and conservatives out there who understand that standing with our international allies is the right thing to do, and according to recent polling by NYT/Siena, a majority of Americans agree.' The organization released a YouTube playlist featuring 60 GOP voters urging Trump to back Ukraine, some of the 180 testimonials they've collected over the past two years. The group has also released a scorecard grading each Republican in Congress based on how they've voted on issues related to the war in Ukraine.
