Latest news with #TheWeeknight
New York Post
15-07-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Jasmine Crockett claims GOP would rather ‘bury their constituents' than fight climate change
Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, accused Republicans on Friday of wanting to 'bury their constituents' after the deadly Texas floods by rolling back ways to combat climate change. She specifically called out the Trump administration and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem for what she claimed was a delayed response to the flash flooding that devastated parts of central Texas over the Fourth of July weekend. She went on to blame the Republican Party for voting on the 'big, ugly bill' to effectively begin 'clawing back' on ways to help combat climate change and prevent similar disasters. 'The reality is that we are going to continue to face emergencies, especially since as we just got done with the big, ugly bill, they are clawing back those things that would have hopefully started to cool this planet down, because they don't believe in science,' Crockett said on MSNBC's 'The Weeknight.' 'The least that they could do is believe in helping American people. Unfortunately, we continue to see Republicans decide that they want to bury their constituents instead of actually doing everything that they can to make sure that they live amazing and full lives.' More than 120 people were killed in the flash flooding with dozens reported missing. Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett accused Republicans of wanting to 'bury their constituents' by failing to fight climate change. Photo byfor ESSENCE Since last week, several Democratic figures have been quick to politicize the floods by blaming climate change and President Donald Trump's government cuts to the National Weather Service (NWS) for exacerbating the damage. Follow The Post's coverage on the deadly Texas flooding In a statement to Fox News Digital last week, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson called it 'shameful and disgusting' to see Democrats politicizing the tragedy and insisted accusations that the NWS was understaffed had been 'debunked by meteorologists, experts, and other public reporting.' A makeshift memorial near the Guadalupe River for victims of flooding in Kerrville, Texas. AP Photo/Eric Gay Last month, Crockett also agreed with a statement from CNN analyst Michael Fanone that 'Republicans want poor people to die as quickly as humanly possible.' 'I agree,' Crockett responded. 'I don't think that is a glitch, but that's actually part of the design.'
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hosts of ‘The Weeknight' slam Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins' ‘despicable' labor plan
The hosts of 'The Weeknight' called out Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins after she suggested Medicaid recipients could replace the millions of migrant farm workers at risk under President Donald Trump's mass deportation plan. 'There's been a lot of noise in the last few days and a lot of questions about where the president stands and his vision for farm labor,' Rollins said at a news conference Tuesday, adding: 'When you think about [it], there are 34 million able-bodied adults in our Medicaid program. There are plenty of workers in America.' 'The Weeknight' co-host Alicia Menendez was stunned by Rollins' remarks and the suggestion that farm workers could be so easily replaced, noting what these migrants do is 'highly skilled labor' and 'not easy.' Menendez also acknowledged that Rollins is working against the competing interests of the agriculture industry and Trump's indiscriminate deportation policy. In Menendez's view, on one hand, Rollins 'has the agriculture industry — who she represents in the United States government — saying, 'Ma'am, please understand we are not going to be able to get people their fruits and their vegetables at the prices they are accustomed to if you deport 3 million people, half of our workforce.'' On the other hand, Menendez said, the agriculture secretary has to appease her boss, who 'has made a promise to deport all these folks.' 'The needs of her base constituency and the needs of the president, who demands absolute fealty, are in direct competition,' Menendez observed. Menendez said that in the process of pleasing the president, Rollins is hurting some of the most vulnerable, undocumented migrants and Medicaid recipients: 'It is really something to take out two disenfranchised groups with one stone, but she has done it now.' Co-host Symone Sanders-Townsend called Rollins' remarks 'despicable' and said she had never 'seen so much disdain for poor and working people from the government.' Sanders-Townsend also took aim at another Trump administration official: Vice President JD Vance. 'If anybody in the room around that table should know better, it should be Vice President JD Vance,' Sanders-Townsend said, noting Vance's Appalachian experiences growing up. 'Where I come from, we used to say, never forget the community that raised you. It looks to me that JD Vance did,' Sanders-Townsend added. You can watch 'The Weeknight' co-hosts' reactions to Rollins' comments in the clip at the top. This article was originally published on
The Hill
11-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Grief and politics in Texas
Thank you for signing up! Subscribe to more newsletters here PRESIDENT TRUMP and first lady Melania Trump touched down in Kerrville, Texas, on Friday to view the aftermath of the deadly floods amid ongoing scrutiny of the emergency response and sorrow over the tragedy. 'Well, this is a tough one,' Trump said at roundtable event with first responders in front of the presidential seal and matting emblazoned with 'Texas Strong.' 'It's hard to believe the devastation…I've never seen anything like this,' he added. 'This is a bad one.' At least 170 people died in the flash flood that struck the Texas Hill Country in the middle of the night over the Fourth of July weekend. More than 120 people are still missing, some of them children. 'They've been devastated, they lost their child or two children, it's just hard to believe,' Trump said. 'A little narrow river that becomes a monster, and that's what happened,' he continued. 'The First Lady and I are here in Texas to express the love and support and the anguish of our entire nation.' Trump arrived at the roundtable event somber after having met with families of the victims. 'It's a horrible thing,' Trump told reporters before leaving the White House. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) greeted the Trumps upon landing. The president will also meet with state and local officials and families of the victims. Shortly before Trump arrived, he updated a disaster declaration to make additional counties eligible for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assistance programs. 'There has been extraordinary collaboration with the state and the federal government to make sure that we address Texans' needs as quickly as possible through disaster assistance programs,' Abbott said. SPOTLIGHT ON FEMA Trump and Abbott toured the affected region with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, whose pledge to eliminate FEMA has been in the spotlight since the disaster. CNN and others reported that FEMA's response to the floods was slowed because Noem enacted a new rule requiring that she personally sign off on any expense greater than $100,000. 'She has no idea what she's doing,' Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), who served as director of Florida's Division of Emergency Management under Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), said on MSNBC's 'The Weeknight.' 'The best thing that she can do now is … sponsor my bill, get FEMA out of Homeland. Get it away from her, OK, so that we can start reforming and rebuilding the agency,' he continued. Noem denied the report in an interview with Fox News. 'Our Coast Guard, our Border Patrol BORTAC [Border Patrol Tactical Unit] teams were there immediately,' she said on 'Fox & Friends.' 'Every single thing they asked for, we were there,' she added. The president defended Noem and the federal response while speaking to NBC News on Thursday. 'She was literally the first person I saw on television,' he said. Trump's budget adviser Russell Vought said Friday that FEMA has $13 billion in reserves to 'pay for the necessary expenses.' However, Vought said the administration continues to 'want FEMA to be reformed.' 'We want FEMA to work well…the president is going to continue to be asking tough questions of all of his agencies,' Vought said. Democrats are also questioning why the flood alert system did not lead to swift evacuations, with some saying sweeping government cutbacks are to blame. 'We need a full account of the ways in which the Trump administration's recent actions have undermined the federal response, both before and after this catastrophe,' Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) said in a statement. 'Learning from these failures and recognizing that weather intensification driven by climate change increasingly endangers lives will help prevent more tragedies.' The Trump administration has accused Democrats of politicizing the tragedy, with DHS saying the alert system worked as intended and that all National Weather Service outposts were fully staffed at the time. In the NBC interview, Trump called for an alarm system to be installed to warn against future floods. TEXAS POLITICS The Lone Star State is also at the center of some brutal political battles. Polls have shown state Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) with a wide lead over Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) in the Senate GOP primary. Some Texas Republicans fear Paxton will be a disastrous general election candidate, potentially putting the state in play for Democrats. On Thursday, news broke that Paxton's wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton (R), had filed for divorce. The filing accuses her husband of adultery and says they have been living separately for more than a year. The GOP's Senate campaign arm, which defends incumbents, released a blistering statement on the matter: 'What Ken Paxton has put his family through is truly repulsive and disgusting,' National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesperson Joanna Rodriguez said. 'No one should have to endure what Angela Paxton has, and we pray for her as she chooses to stand up for herself and her family during this difficult time.' Paxton had previously been impeached and accused of corruption. Trump has not endorsed in the primary race, although Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said he discussed it with Trump at a meeting this week. Texas could also be major battleground in the fight over the House majority. Abbott announced that redistricting will be included in a legislative special session slated to take place later this month, even though Texas is not due to draw new House lines until after the 2030 census. New maps could boost some GOP candidates as the party seeks to defend its narrow majority in the midterm elections, which are historically difficult for the party in power. 💡Perspectives: • Washington Monthly: Dems should prepare for the return of debt politics. • Compact: The idiocy of the Epstein mythology. • The Hill: Trump is hoist by his own Epstein conspiracy-theory petard. • MSNBC: Good riddance to TSA's 'no shoes' security policy. • Washington Examiner: ICE, Antifa and the Democratic Party. Read more: • Trump's challenges to MAGA base expose divisions. • Sheriff hints at 'after action' review, as records reveal warning of 'worst-case flood event'. The State Department is carrying out plans to lay off 1,300 employees as part of a major overhaul. The Justice Department is pushing back on reports of a gap between Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI leadership over the handling of files pertaining to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. © Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Associated Press file Former President Obama will host a fundraiser with Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin in New Jersey this evening, Axios reports. The event marks Obama's first public fundraising appearance since Democrats suffered sweeping losses in the 2024 election. The Hill's Amie Parnes obtained a new poll conducted by the Democratic super PAC 'Unite the Country,' which found most voters view the Democratic Party as 'out of touch,' 'woke' and 'weak.' The party's approval ratings sit below 35 percent with white men, Hispanic men and working class voters. 'This is the reality of the perception of us as a party, and until we accept that, it's going to be hard to move forward,' said Democratic strategist Rodell Mollineau, who serves as senior adviser to the super PAC. 'There's a perception out there, outside of Democratic elites, and it's taken hold in not just the MAGA crowd but people that should be with us.' Some Democrats have criticized their party's sharp leftward turn, underscored by the nomination of self-described democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani to be mayor of New York City. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) told Fox News he doesn't 'agree with virtually any' of Mamdani's political positions. 'I mean, so he's not even a Democrat, honestly,' Fetterman said. Fetterman, who was embraced by the party's progressive wing before becoming an outspoken critic of the left, also bashed liberal activists that have raged against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. 'ICE performs an important job for our country,' he wrote on X. 'Any calls to abolish ICE are [100 percent] inappropriate and outrageous.' MEANWHILE… The Trump administration is leaning full tilt into the culture wars. • The Department of Justice (DOJ) opened an investigation into Minnesota to determine if the state has engaged in race and sex-based discrimination in its hiring practices. • The DOJ subpoenaed patient details from hospitals and doctors that have provided gender-related treatment to minors. • The Trump administration is ramping up its war with Harvard University after previously hinting that a deal was imminent. • President Trump is warning GOP lawmakers they'll face consequences if they vote against a rescissions package clawing back more than $9 billion in funding for public media and foreign aid, including money for PBS and NPR. 'Any Republican that votes to allow this monstrosity to continue broadcasting will not have my support or Endorsement,' Trump posted on Truth Social. Senate Republicans face a July 18 deadline to pass the rescissions package or it will lapse. 💡Perspectives: • The New Republic: What if the political pendulum doesn't swing back. • Whole Hog Politics: Democrats diving headfirst into 2028 race. • The Liberal Patriot: Why the working class preferred Obama. • AMAC: Memes are legal again. Read more: • Senate GOP blocks push to restore gambling losses deduction. • Senators hit funding snag over Trump FBI headquarters move. • RFK Jr. bans Head Start, health clinic access for people in US illegally. Here's who's talking this weekend… NewsNation's 'The Hill Sunday': Reps. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) and Suhas Subramanyam (D-Va.). Fox's 'Fox News Sunday': Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem; Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.); Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas). NBC 'Meet the Press': Noem; Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.); Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D). CNN's 'State of the Union': Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.); Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas). CBS's 'Face the Nation': Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.); Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.); Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.); Rep. French Hill (R-Ark.). — Elizabeth Crisp contributed. © Mark Schiefelbein, Associated Press President Trump said Friday he won't fire Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, even as he blasted the central bank chief for refusing to lower interest rates. Ahead of his visit to Texas, Trump was asked by a reporter if he'd fire Powell, whose term is up in a year. 'No,' Trump responded. 'I think he's doing a terrible job,' he continued. 'I think we should be 3 points lower, interest rates. He's costing our country a lot of money. We should be number one, and we're not and that's because of Jerome Powell.' Powell has refused to lower interest rates, saying Trump's tariffs will lead to a spike in inflation, although so far consumer prices have remained steady. Trump on Friday hit Canada with new 35 percent tariffs. He said in an interview with NBC that he's preparing blanket tariffs of 15 to 20 percent for most U.S. trade partners. 'If you look at the numbers, inflation's gone down,' Trump told the network. The Trump administration has been crusading against Powell, most recently seizing on a $2.5 billion renovation to the Fed's Washington headquarters. Trump's budget adviser Russell Vought on Friday likened the renovation to the 'Palace of Versailles.' 'This is approaching that level,' he said. 'It probably would qualify as one of the eighth wonders of the ancient world if you were able to go back that far,' he added. ELSEWHERE… Trump said the U.S. struck a deal with NATO to buy weapons to send to Ukraine, the latest sign of the president's frustration with Moscow. 'We send weapons to NATO, and NATO is going to reimburse the full cost of those weapons,' Trump told NBC. Russia has continued to bombard Ukraine, escalating its drone and missile strikes after Trump lashed out at Russian President Vladimir Putin this week for continuing the onslaught. Trump was asked by reporters about Russian drone strikes that damaged a maternity hospital. 'I know,' Trump responded. 'You'll be seeing things happen.' Senate Republicans are preparing to move on a bipartisan bill to slap economic sanctions on Russia and its trade partners. The bill would give Trump broad authority to implement the sanctions. 'They're going to pass a very major and very biting sanctions bill, but it's up to the president as to whether or not he wants to exercise it,' Trump told NBC. Read more: • Rubio meets China's foreign minister as US-Chinese tensions mount. • GOP senators question Hegseth leadership after weapons 'goof-up'. • Senate panel approves $500M of Ukraine aid. • Mahmoud Khalil files $20 million claim against Trump administration. • ICE official says no plan yet on Abrego Garcia deportation. Someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up to get your own copy: See you next time!
The Hill
11-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
House Democrat: Noem ‘has no idea what she's doing'
Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) hammered Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem over the federal response to deadly Texas flooding that has killed at least 120 people, claiming Noem has 'no idea what she's doing.' 'If you look at what happened in Texas, evacuations are done at the local level in coordination with the state. And so, she has no idea what she's doing,' he said in a Thursday evening appearance on MSNBC's 'The Weeknight.' 'The best thing that she can do now is … sponsor my bill, get FEMA out of homeland, get it away from her, okay, so that we can start reforming and rebuilding the agency,' Moskowitz, who previously served as director of Florida's emergency management division under Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), added. Moskowitz introduced a bill in late March that would remove the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) from DHS and elevate it to a Cabinet-level agency reporting directly to the president. 'I mean, this is an agency that's literally responsible, right, for the contingency plans for a government, God forbid, we had a major disaster, a war, some, some sort of, you know, you know, unbelievable event. Okay?' the Florida Democrat continued. 'And she's breaking it to the point where it can't function.' President Trump praised Noem over the federal response to the devastating Texas floods, where over 160 people are still unaccounted for, amid some backlash over the speed of FEMA's actions in the Lone Star State. 'We were there — in fact, she was the first one I saw on television. She was there right from the beginning, and she would not have needed anything,' Trump told NBC's Kristen Welker in a phone interview Thursday. 'She had the right to do it, but she was literally the first person I saw on television.' The president said Noem was 'right on the ball' and has 'done a great job.' He also acknowledged that he did not know anything about recent reports of a FEMA rule requiring the DHS secretary's approval of any grant or contract totaling over $100,000. The officials within the agency created a task force to accelerate the approval process, NBC reported. Noem and department officials have criticized CNN over its reporting, calling it 'fake news.' 'It's absolutely trash what they are doing by saying that,' Noem said in an interview with Fox News. 'Because our Coast Guard, our Border Patrol, BORTAC teams were there immediately. Every single thing they asked for, we were there.' Moskowitz on Thursday said the former South Dakota governor's handling of federal emergency efforts has made him 'animated.' 'We're supposed to take the politics out of all of this, and that's why I'm so alarmed based on the decisions that she has made, that I really think a lot of people don't know,' he said. The criticism comes as the Trump administration has floated plans to dismantle FEMA, while also saying that they want to remake the agency. Trump and officials have said they want states to be a bigger factor when responding to natural disasters. 'If you talk to members of Congress, you talk to Republicans from Louisiana and Mississippi or in Georgia, okay, they want FEMA reformed, but they don't want FEMA removal,' Moskowitz said, likely referring to areas where hurricane relief is common. 'They're well aware that FEMA is necessary.'
The Hill
10-07-2025
- Business
- The Hill
Senate Democrat: Trump economy full of ‘uncertainty,' ‘chaos'
Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis) said Wednesday that President Trump firmly placed his stamp on the U.S. economy with his tariff policies, and is to blame for the 'uncertainty' and 'chaos' that has followed. Joining MSNBC's Alicia Menendez, Michael Steele, and Symone Sanders Townsend on 'The Weeknight,' Baldwin agreed that 'this is Trump's economy now.' 'And he ran on lowering costs for people. That was the issue last year. And now every action he's taking appears to be raising costs for families, whether that's food at the grocery store,' the senator said. 'I talk to my farmers and my manufacturers and my small businesses every day, and they talk about the cost of the uncertainty and the chaos because of Trump's tariffs,' she added. President Trump this week started sending letters to world leaders informing them of incoming tariff rates for their imports, targeting some key trading partners and poorer nations with steep duties on U.S. imports. The moves have made financial markets wobble. In early April, Trump unveiled 'reciprocal' tariffs on numerous countries, using a calculation based on trade deficits. After stocks plummeted on the move, Trump dropped those rates to 10 percent for 90 days to give time to negotiate trade deals. The stock market has bounced back despite Trump maintaining steep tariff threats, setting a new deadline of Aug. 1. 'Tech Stocks, Industrial Stocks, & NASDAQ, HIT ALL-TIME, RECORD HIGHS! CRYPTO, 'Through the Roof.' NVIDIA IS UP 47% SINCE TRUMP TARIFFS. USA is taking in Hundreds of Billions of Dollars in Tariffs,' Trump said in a Truth Social post Thursday. Trump has urged Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to lower interest rates, given easing inflation. However, Powell has pointed to economic uncertainty around Trump's tariffs and the Fed has kept interest rates stable since Trump's return to office. When asked last week if Trump's tariffs held up the Fed's plan to cut interest rates, Powell affirmed. 'I think that's right,' he said at a central banking conference in Portugal. 'We went on hold when we saw the size of the tariffs. … All inflation forecasts for the United States went up materially as a consequence of the tariffs.' As Trump publicly ponders firing Powell, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has suggested he'd be open to leading the Federal Reserve as well. The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment.
