By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">Jennifer Shutt</a>

WASHINGTON — Democratic members of Congress who released a video in mid-November telling members of the military that they are not required to follow illegal orders announced Tuesday the Federal Bureau of Investigation has asked to speak with them about the matter.&nbsp;

Four House members, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly and Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin wrote the inquiry will not deter them from publicly stating their concerns about the Trump administration.&nbsp;

“Last night, the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division appeared to open an inquiry into me in response to a video President Trump did not like,” Slotkin wrote in a statement published on social media.&nbsp;

“The President directing the FBI to target us is exactly why we made this video in the first place,” Slotkin added. “He believes in weaponizing the federal government against his perceived enemies and does not believe laws apply to him or his Cabinet. He uses legal harassment as an intimidation tactic to scare people out of speaking up.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

Kelly’s office said it had “received this inquiry via the Sergeant at Arms.”&nbsp; The House members said the FBI has contacted the House Sergeant at Arms office requesting interviews.

“Senator Kelly won’t be silenced by President Trump and Secretary Hegseth’s attempt to intimidate him and keep him from doing his job as a U.S. Senator,” the spokesperson said.&nbsp;

Reps. Jason Crow of Colorado, Chris Deluzio and Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania and Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire separately issued a joint statement alleging that “Trump is using the FBI as a tool to intimidate and harass Members of Congress.”

“No amount of intimidation or harassment will ever stop us from doing our jobs and honoring our Constitution,” they wrote. “We swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. That oath lasts a lifetime, and we intend to keep it. We will not be bullied. We will never give up the ship.”

President Donald Trump after learning of the video&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-accuses-6-democratic-lawmakers-seditious-behavior-punishable-death" target="_blank">posted on social media</a>&nbsp;that he believed the statement from six Democratic lawmakers represented “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH.”

Those six lawmakers&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/SenatorSlotkin/status/1990774492356902948" target="_blank">posted a video</a>&nbsp;on social media on Nov. 18 telling members of the military and intelligence community that they “can” and “must refuse illegal orders.”

“No one has to carry out orders that violate the law or our Constitution. We know this is hard and that it’s a difficult time to be a public servant,” they said. “But whether you’re serving in the CIA, in the Army, or Navy, or the Air Force, your vigilance is critical.”

The Defense Department&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/pentagon-investigates-arizona-sen-mark-kelly-after-he-appears-video-blasted-trump" target="_blank">announced</a>&nbsp;Monday that it was looking into “serious allegations of misconduct” against Kelly, a former Navy captain and NASA astronaut, for his participation in the video.&nbsp;

The statement said defense officials may recall Kelly “to active duty for court-martial proceedings or administrative measures.”&nbsp;

Kelly wrote in a statement responding to the investigation that he had “given too much to this country to be silenced by bullies who care more about their own power than protecting the Constitution.”

“If this is meant to intimidate me and other members of Congress from doing our jobs and holding this administration accountable, it won’t work,” Kelly wrote.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/DeptofWar/status/1993436056008507865/photo/1" target="_blank">posted on social media</a>&nbsp;Tuesday that he wants the Secretary of the Navy to brief him “on the outcome of your review by no later than December 10, 2025.”

Members of Congress’ official actions are generally protected under&nbsp;<a href="https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artI-S6-C1-3-1/ALDE_00013300/" target="_blank">the speech and debate clause</a>&nbsp;of the Constitution.&nbsp;

A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R45043?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%22speech+and+debate+clause%22%7D&amp;s=4&amp;r=4" target="_blank">report</a>&nbsp;from the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service states the judiciary’s “immunity principle protects Members from ‘intimidation by the executive’ or a ‘hostile judiciary’ by prohibiting both the executive and judicial powers from being used to improperly influence or harass legislators.”

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1764102122289.png" alt=" Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin -image from the controversial video" />
                        <figcaption> Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin -image from the controversial video</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">Jennifer Shutt</a></p><p>WASHINGTON — Democratic members of Congress who released a video in mid-November telling members of the military that they are not required to follow illegal orders announced Tuesday the Federal Bureau of Investigation has asked to speak with them about the matter.&nbsp;</p><p>Four House members, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly and Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin wrote the inquiry will not deter them from publicly stating their concerns about the Trump administration.&nbsp;</p><p>“Last night, the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division appeared to open an inquiry into me in response to a video President Trump did not like,” Slotkin wrote in a statement published on social media.&nbsp;</p><p>“The President directing the FBI to target us is exactly why we made this video in the first place,” Slotkin added. “He believes in weaponizing the federal government against his perceived enemies and does not believe laws apply to him or his Cabinet. He uses legal harassment as an intimidation tactic to scare people out of speaking up.”&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Kelly’s office said it had “received this inquiry via the Sergeant at Arms.”&nbsp; The House members said the FBI has contacted the House Sergeant at Arms office requesting interviews.</p><p>“Senator Kelly won’t be silenced by President Trump and Secretary Hegseth’s attempt to intimidate him and keep him from doing his job as a U.S. Senator,” the spokesperson said.&nbsp;</p><p>Reps. Jason Crow of Colorado, Chris Deluzio and Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania and Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire separately issued a joint statement alleging that “Trump is using the FBI as a tool to intimidate and harass Members of Congress.”</p><p>“No amount of intimidation or harassment will ever stop us from doing our jobs and honoring our Constitution,” they wrote. “We swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. That oath lasts a lifetime, and we intend to keep it. We will not be bullied. We will never give up the ship.”</p><p>President Donald Trump after learning of the video&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-accuses-6-democratic-lawmakers-seditious-behavior-punishable-death" target="_blank">posted on social media</a>&nbsp;that he believed the statement from six Democratic lawmakers represented “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH.”</p><p>The FBI declined to comment.&nbsp;</p><h2>Illegal orders</h2><p>Those six lawmakers&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/SenatorSlotkin/status/1990774492356902948" target="_blank">posted a video</a>&nbsp;on social media on Nov. 18 telling members of the military and intelligence community that they “can” and “must refuse illegal orders.”</p><p>“No one has to carry out orders that violate the law or our Constitution. We know this is hard and that it’s a difficult time to be a public servant,” they said. “But whether you’re serving in the CIA, in the Army, or Navy, or the Air Force, your vigilance is critical.”</p><p>The Defense Department&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/pentagon-investigates-arizona-sen-mark-kelly-after-he-appears-video-blasted-trump" target="_blank">announced</a>&nbsp;Monday that it was looking into “serious allegations of misconduct” against Kelly, a former Navy captain and NASA astronaut, for his participation in the video.&nbsp;</p><p>The statement said defense officials may recall Kelly “to active duty for court-martial proceedings or administrative measures.”&nbsp;</p><p>Kelly wrote in a statement responding to the investigation that he had “given too much to this country to be silenced by bullies who care more about their own power than protecting the Constitution.”</p><p>“If this is meant to intimidate me and other members of Congress from doing our jobs and holding this administration accountable, it won’t work,” Kelly wrote.</p><h2>Hegseth asks for briefing</h2><p>Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/DeptofWar/status/1993436056008507865/photo/1" target="_blank">posted on social media</a>&nbsp;Tuesday that he wants the Secretary of the Navy to brief him “on the outcome of your review by no later than December 10, 2025.”</p><p>Members of Congress’ official actions are generally protected under&nbsp;<a href="https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artI-S6-C1-3-1/ALDE_00013300/" target="_blank">the speech and debate clause</a>&nbsp;of the Constitution.&nbsp;</p><p>A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R45043?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%22speech+and+debate+clause%22%7D&amp;s=4&amp;r=4" target="_blank">report</a>&nbsp;from the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service states the judiciary’s “immunity principle protects Members from ‘intimidation by the executive’ or a ‘hostile judiciary’ by prohibiting both the executive and judicial powers from being used to improperly influence or harass legislators.”</p>

Dems threatened by Trump over video say they’re now being probed by the FBI

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Gobble &amp; Waddle living their best life. <br><br>🇺🇸 Don’t miss the Presidential Turkey Pardon — 12 PM EST! <a href="https://t.co/YwCtCdn3Mz">pic.twitter.com/YwCtCdn3Mz</a></p>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1993353700434199001?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 25, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;The turkeys being pardoned today go by the names Gobble and Waddle. When I first saw their pictures... I was going to call them Chuck and Nancy — but then I realized I wouldn&#39;t be pardoning them. I would never pardon those two people.&quot; 🤣 <a href="https://t.co/XuhIbTGUbI">pic.twitter.com/XuhIbTGUbI</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1993368386395685351?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 25, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;We thank God for his many blessings and the great success that this country has seen in a short period of time. We draw strength from the love of family and friends, and we express our undying gratitude for the men in the women of the United States armed forces.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/uULjzeAqER">pic.twitter.com/uULjzeAqER</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1993371788097593447?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 25, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;Gobble, I just want to tell you this — very important — you are hereby unconditionally pardoned!&quot;<br><br>🤣🦃 <a href="https://t.co/WmjvScCf6K">pic.twitter.com/WmjvScCf6K</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1993371733865160937?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 25, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;These are two of the largest Turkey’s ever presented to an American president—over 50 pounds each... despite their size, <a href="https://twitter.com/SecKennedy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecKennedy</a> has formally certified that these are the first ever MAHA turkeys.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/H5kW4yM1Rn">pic.twitter.com/H5kW4yM1Rn</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1993368718655570036?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 25, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">BREAKING: President Trump says an investigation has shown Biden used an autopen for last year&#39;s turkey pardon.<br><br>&quot;I determined that last year&#39;s turkey pardons are totally invalid, as are the pardons of about every other person that was pardoned other than Where&#39;s Hunter.&quot; 🤣🤣 <a href="https://t.co/tZBfHwJKq6">pic.twitter.com/tZBfHwJKq6</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1993368344100323390?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 25, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥Not much holiday cheer as President pardons Thanksgiving Turkeys

WASHINGTON, D.C.&nbsp;– U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy&nbsp; launched a new civility campaign titled&nbsp;“The Golden Age of Travel Starts with You.”

The campaign, according to a statement from the agency, is intended to jumpstart a nationwide conversation around how we can all restore courtesy and class to air travel. This won’t just make the travel experience better for the flying public – it will ensure the safety of passengers, gate workers, flight attendants, and pilots.&nbsp;

It’s not just your imagination – the data backs up the feeling that travel has become more unruly.&nbsp;

Secretary Duffy posed a few key questions every flyer should ask themselves this holiday season to help Americans reach their destinations as quickly, efficiently and comfortably as possible: &nbsp;

There’s no question we’ve lost sight of what makes travel fun – the excitement, the relaxation, the cordial conversations. Americans already feel divided and stressed. We can all do our part to bring back civility, manners, and common sense. When we can unite around shared values, we can feel more connected as a country.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<p>WASHINGTON, D.C.&nbsp;– U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy&nbsp; launched a new civility campaign titled&nbsp;“The Golden Age of Travel Starts with You.”</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Our civility campaign is all about asking ourselves — how can we all inject a little more kindness into travel this holiday season?<br><br>Ushering in the return to the Golden Age of travel… and it starts with all of us🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/a8IpGBgIC4">pic.twitter.com/a8IpGBgIC4</a></p>&mdash; Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecDuffy/status/1993082015562772963?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>The campaign, according to a statement from the agency, is intended to jumpstart a nationwide conversation around how we can all restore courtesy and class to air travel. This won’t just make the travel experience better for the flying public – it will ensure the safety of passengers, gate workers, flight attendants, and pilots.&nbsp;</p><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5UUOD-sa5As?si=Fe3kUnj9BYXF97Q0&amp;start=6" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div><p>It’s not just your imagination – the data backs up the feeling that travel has become more unruly.&nbsp;</p><ul>
                        <li>Since 2019, the FAA has seen a&nbsp;400% increase of in-flight outbursts—ranging from disruptive behavior to outright violence  &nbsp;</li><li>13,800 unruly passenger incidents since 2021&nbsp;</li><li>Unruly passenger reports rose 6x between 2020 and 2021&nbsp;</li><li>1 in 5 flight attendants experienced physical incidents in 2021&nbsp;</li><li>2024 saw&nbsp;double the number of unruly passenger events compared with 2019&nbsp;</li>
                    </ul><p>Secretary Duffy posed a few key questions every flyer should ask themselves this holiday season to help Americans reach their destinations as quickly, efficiently and comfortably as possible: &nbsp;</p><ol>
                        <li>Are you helping a pregnant woman or the elderly with placing their bags in the overhead bin?</li><li>Are you dressing with respect?</li><li>Are you keeping control of your children and helping them through the airport?</li><li>Are you saying thank you to your flight attendants?</li><li>Are you saying please and thank you in general?</li>
                    </ol><p>There’s no question we’ve lost sight of what makes travel fun – the excitement, the relaxation, the cordial conversations. Americans already feel divided and stressed. We can all do our part to bring back civility, manners, and common sense. When we can unite around shared values, we can feel more connected as a country.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

🎥DOT Secretary: Stop wearing pajamas on airplanes

WASHINGTON&nbsp; — First lady&nbsp;Melania Trump&nbsp;on Monday welcomed this year’s official White House Christmas tree to the White House.

<p>WASHINGTON&nbsp; — First lady&nbsp;Melania Trump&nbsp;on Monday welcomed this year’s official White House Christmas tree to the White House.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">First Lady Melania Trump receives the 2025 White House Christmas Tree 🌲 <a href="https://t.co/exxZAN5Qf6">pic.twitter.com/exxZAN5Qf6</a></p>&mdash; Office of the First Lady (@FirstLadyOffice) <a href="https://twitter.com/FirstLadyOffice/status/1993045306116866403?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">“It will be beautiful! We are going to plan, and it’s starting today” <a href="https://twitter.com/FLOTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FLOTUS</a> ❤️🎄 <a href="https://t.co/bfAMYzQjSQ">pic.twitter.com/bfAMYzQjSQ</a></p>&mdash; Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) <a href="https://twitter.com/MargoMartin47/status/1993006026782826922?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">First Lady Melania Trump (<a href="https://twitter.com/FLOTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FLOTUS</a>) receives White House Christmas Tree. <a href="https://t.co/jGFkc8IJH8">pic.twitter.com/jGFkc8IJH8</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1993005187934347329?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">“It will be beautiful! We are going to plan, and it’s starting today” <a href="https://twitter.com/FLOTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FLOTUS</a> ❤️🎄 <a href="https://t.co/bfAMYzQjSQ">pic.twitter.com/bfAMYzQjSQ</a></p>&mdash; Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) <a href="https://twitter.com/MargoMartin47/status/1993006026782826922?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥First lady welcomes Christmas tree to the White House

By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jacob-fischler/">Jacob Fischler</a>-

A senior federal judge dismissed charges Monday against two public officials with long-running public disputes with President Donald Trump, saying the controversial appointment of the president’s former personal attorney as a prosecutor doomed the cases.

Senior U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie, whom former President Bill Clinton appointed to the bench in South Carolina, wrote in a Monday order that Attorney General Pam Bondi did not have the authority to make Lindsey Halligan the interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.&nbsp;

The judge said the deadline for an interim appointee to that position had lapsed.

Because that process was invalid, the prosecutions against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, both of whom had investigated or prosecuted Trump, must be dropped, Currie&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.vaed.582136/gov.uscourts.vaed.582136.213.0_1.pdf" target="_blank">wrote</a>.

Currie dismissed the indictments without prejudice, meaning they could be revived. But at least in Comey’s case, in which charges were brought on the eve of the statute of limitations expiring, that appeared unlikely.

U.S. attorneys are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate, but the attorney general can appoint someone on an interim basis for 120 days. After that, the judges in the district are responsible for appointing an interim prosecutor.

“Ms. Halligan was not appointed in a manner consistent with this framework,” Currie wrote.

Bondi appointed Erik Siebert as the interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia in January, while his confirmation was pending in the Senate. After 120 days, the judges in the district allowed him to continue.

Siebert resigned in September, reportedly under pressure from Trump and Bondi to bring charges against Comey. Bondi then named Halligan, at the time a White House aide who had also worked for Trump in a private capacity, as the interim U.S. attorney.&nbsp;

But Bondi could not do that because, after 120 days, the responsibility for naming an interim U.S. attorney fell to the district court judges, Currie wrote.

“The 120-day clock began running with Mr. Siebert’s appointment on Jan. 21, 2025,” she wrote. “When that clock expired on May 21, 2025, so too did the Attorney General’s appointment authority. Consequently, I conclude that the Attorney General’s attempt to install Ms. Halligan as Interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia was invalid and that Ms. Halligan has been unlawfully serving in that role.”

Halligan, after gaining office in September, quickly secured a two-count indictment against the former FBI chief from a grand jury in Alexandria. Comey was accused of lying to Congress about whether he had authorized a press leak of information related to an FBI investigation of Russian actors’ involvement in Trump’s first presidential campaign.&nbsp;

However, U.S. District Magistrate Judge William Fitzpatrick&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/judge-cites-profound-investigative-missteps-court-case-against-james-comey" target="_blank">wrote</a>&nbsp;last week that issues with evidence, testimony and statements to the grand jury in the case outweighed the usual heavily guarded secrecy of proceedings. He said “profound investigative missteps” could result in the dismissal of Comey’s indictment.

Comey has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/former-fbi-director-comey-pleads-not-guilty-criminal-charges-demanded-trump" target="_blank">pleaded</a>&nbsp;not guilty.

James won a civil case against Trump related to business fraud, though a state appeals court later overturned the sentence as overly punitive.

Trump has publicly blasted James and Comey as using the mechanisms of legal proceedings to persecute him.&nbsp;

In an extraordinary public message to Bondi just before Halligan replaced Siebert, Trump complained that the prosecutions against both were not developing faster.

The Justice Department did not respond to a message seeking comment Monday.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758848907803.png" alt="Image from former FBI Director James Comey's  Instagram" />
                        <figcaption>Image from former FBI Director James Comey's  Instagram</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jacob-fischler/">Jacob Fischler</a>-</p><p>A senior federal judge dismissed charges Monday against two public officials with long-running public disputes with President Donald Trump, saying the controversial appointment of the president’s former personal attorney as a prosecutor doomed the cases.</p><p>Senior U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie, whom former President Bill Clinton appointed to the bench in South Carolina, wrote in a Monday order that Attorney General Pam Bondi did not have the authority to make Lindsey Halligan the interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.&nbsp;</p><p>The judge said the deadline for an interim appointee to that position had lapsed.</p><p>Because that process was invalid, the prosecutions against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, both of whom had investigated or prosecuted Trump, must be dropped, Currie&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.vaed.582136/gov.uscourts.vaed.582136.213.0_1.pdf" target="_blank">wrote</a>.</p><p>Currie dismissed the indictments without prejudice, meaning they could be revived. But at least in Comey’s case, in which charges were brought on the eve of the statute of limitations expiring, that appeared unlikely.</p><h2>120-day clock</h2><p>U.S. attorneys are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate, but the attorney general can appoint someone on an interim basis for 120 days. After that, the judges in the district are responsible for appointing an interim prosecutor.</p><p>“Ms. Halligan was not appointed in a manner consistent with this framework,” Currie wrote.</p><p>Bondi appointed Erik Siebert as the interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia in January, while his confirmation was pending in the Senate. After 120 days, the judges in the district allowed him to continue.</p><p>Siebert resigned in September, reportedly under pressure from Trump and Bondi to bring charges against Comey. Bondi then named Halligan, at the time a White House aide who had also worked for Trump in a private capacity, as the interim U.S. attorney.&nbsp;</p><p>But Bondi could not do that because, after 120 days, the responsibility for naming an interim U.S. attorney fell to the district court judges, Currie wrote.</p><p>“The 120-day clock began running with Mr. Siebert’s appointment on Jan. 21, 2025,” she wrote. “When that clock expired on May 21, 2025, so too did the Attorney General’s appointment authority. Consequently, I conclude that the Attorney General’s attempt to install Ms. Halligan as Interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia was invalid and that Ms. Halligan has been unlawfully serving in that role.”</p><h2>Quick indictment</h2><p>Halligan, after gaining office in September, quickly secured a two-count indictment against the former FBI chief from a grand jury in Alexandria. Comey was accused of lying to Congress about whether he had authorized a press leak of information related to an FBI investigation of Russian actors’ involvement in Trump’s first presidential campaign.&nbsp;</p><p>However, U.S. District Magistrate Judge William Fitzpatrick&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/judge-cites-profound-investigative-missteps-court-case-against-james-comey" target="_blank">wrote</a>&nbsp;last week that issues with evidence, testimony and statements to the grand jury in the case outweighed the usual heavily guarded secrecy of proceedings. He said “profound investigative missteps” could result in the dismissal of Comey’s indictment.</p><p>Comey has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/former-fbi-director-comey-pleads-not-guilty-criminal-charges-demanded-trump" target="_blank">pleaded</a>&nbsp;not guilty.</p><p>James won a civil case against Trump related to business fraud, though a state appeals court later overturned the sentence as overly punitive.</p><p>Trump has publicly blasted James and Comey as using the mechanisms of legal proceedings to persecute him.&nbsp;</p><p>In an extraordinary public message to Bondi just before Halligan replaced Siebert, Trump complained that the prosecutions against both were not developing faster.</p><p>The Justice Department did not respond to a message seeking comment Monday.</p>

Judge drops James Comey and Letitia James charges, saying prosecutor served ‘unlawfully’

Charles Herbster, who lost to Gov. Jim Pillen in 2022, says Pillen’s ‘shortcomings make it hard to say no,’ will decide closer to new year

<i>By Juan Salinas II | Nebraska Examiner</i><br>

LINCOLN — The Republican primary race for Nebraska governor is already heating up, and it might soon get serious.&nbsp;

Trump donor and multi-state agribusinessman Charles Herbster has made more pointed statements about Gov. Jim Pillen in recent weeks on social media.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Herbster’s posts have shifted in tone from talking about national politics and President Donald Trump, with some references to state politics, to more direct criticism of Pillen as he continues mulling a 2026 rematch bid for governor.

Starting this month, Herbster has criticized Pillen for not listening to the business community, for not selling the state aggressively enough to business leaders elsewhere and for resisting voter-approved medical cannabis, the legalization of which Herbster now&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wowt.com/video/2025/11/12/herbster-reverses-position-medical-cannabis/" target="_blank">says should be respected</a>.&nbsp;

“Our governor should be the state’s leading salesman,” Herbster wrote&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/cwherbster/status/1985424695341301966?s=46&amp;t=B4v5xSml401BbJ1-tGAokQ" target="_blank">one post</a>. “To say we should not focus on attracting new businesses is beyond reckless — it is not leadership.”

In another&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/cwherbster/status/1988321270757241199?s=46&amp;t=B4v5xSml401BbJ1-tGAokQ" target="_blank">social media post</a>, Herbster said, “Governor Jim Pillen has done everything he can to delay and dismantle the voter-enacted medical cannabis statutes.”

Herbster also has started reviving his 2022 campaign staple of saying he wants to “Make Nebraska Great Again” and sounds more and more like someone running for governor.&nbsp;

Asked this week whether his statements should be read as telegraphing a 2026 bid, he told the Examiner, “Governor Pillen’s shortcomings make it hard to say no.” Herbster said his decision on whether to run would come closer to the new year.&nbsp;

“We are not on a path to success,” Herbster said. “Our governor seems stubbornly convinced he alone has all the answers and continues to double down on failure. He can tout some social-issue wins — which I wholeheartedly support — but Nebraskans are worried about the economy.”

If Herbster gets in, 2026 would be a rematch between the two candidates who received the most votes in the 2022 GOP gubernatorial primary. That race included former State Sen. Brett Lindstrom of Omaha, who is now running for the open seat in Nebraska’s Omaha-based 2nd Congressional District. Lindstrom finished third in that 2022 GOP primary.&nbsp;

Pillen cruised to general election victory against then-Democratic State Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue.&nbsp;

That 2022 contest was one of the most expensive gubernatorial races in Nebraska history,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/02/06/nebraskas-costliest-governors-race-left-wild-numbers-in-its-wake/">with&nbsp;$29 million flowing into it</a>. Herbster largely self-funded his campaign, while Pillen raised large sums and also benefitted from outside help by then-Gov. Pete Ricketts.

Herbster during that 2022 primary earned the endorsement of President Donald Trump, while Pillen was backed by Ricketts. Pillen appointed Ricketts to the U.S. Senate shortly after becoming governor. Ricketts, R-Neb., won a special election in November to serve out the final two years of former GOP U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse’s term. Ricketts is currently in a heated race against former Omaha labor leader Dan Osborn, a registered nonpartisan.&nbsp;

Herbster spent weeks of that campaign denying the&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/04/14/gop-state-senator-seven-other-women-say-charles-herbster-groped-them-he-denies-allegations/">allegations of eight women</a>&nbsp;who alleged in a 2022 Nebraska Examiner article that Herbster had groped them. All eight accounts were&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/04/19/three-people-speak-on-the-record-to-confirm-allegations-of-groping-by-charles-herbster/">corroborated either by witnesses</a>&nbsp;or people the women told what happened immediately afterward. But the reasons for his loss were&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/05/13/where-herbster-stumbled-and-how-pillen-won-nebraskas-gop-gubernatorial-primary/">more complex than the national political narrative</a>.

Several GOP operatives have expected Pillen to draw at least one primary challenger, partly because of national and local polling numbers that indicate he could be vulnerable. Among the criticisms they and others have said he is likely to face are about increased state spending, the effectiveness of state investments in property tax relief and his tax and budget proposals.

But Pillen is an incumbent, and Nebraska rarely changes horses midstream. The last incumbent Republican to lose the Governor’s Mansion was Gov. Kay Orr, who lost to Democrat Ben Nelson in 1990. Pillen had more than $3 million in cash on hand last year, state campaign finance reports show. Many expect him to raise more than $10 million.&nbsp;

The governor&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/05/29/nebraska-gov-jim-pillen-announces-reelection-bid-amid-herbster-speculation/">announced his reelection bid in May</a>. His campaign video focused on controversies familiar to those who followed his 2022 campaign, including support for tougher immigration enforcement and other culture-war issues. Pillen, in&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/06/02/nebraska-governor-brags-about-historically-conservative-budget-wins/">his end of session speech to state lawmakers</a>, touted the passage of bills that limit high school and college sports participation to students’ sex at birth, banning lab-grown meat and lowering income tax rates.

Herbster said Nebraskans are with Pillen on some of those issues, but he said more needs to be done about core issues that have long been central for statewide campaigns — particularly job creation and reducing property taxes.&nbsp;

People, Herbster said, are “worried about property taxes.” He said “they’re worried about making ends meet.”

Pillen’s campaign declined to comment Friday on Herbster’s potential bid.

Pillen, whose family owns a major hog operation based in Columbus, has prioritized property tax relief, including investing $1 billion into a state effort to fund more of special education costs and a baseline amount of state aid to K-12 schools.

The governor said last week that he wants to address property taxes again soon. But state lawmakers&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/11/19/nebraskas-projected-budget-deficit-grows-to-471-million-ahead-of-2026-legislative-session/">face a larger projected deficit</a>&nbsp;this upcoming session than the one senators just filled this spring.

Nebraska Democrats have hinted at an announcement of a gubernatorial candidate as early as this week.&nbsp;Some Democratic political observers have speculated that a state senator might run.&nbsp;Others have made noise about a possible third-party or nonpartisan candidate.

Republicans outnumber Democrats in Nebraska by roughly 2-to-1, with about 22% registered either nonpartisan or with a third party. The GOP primary for governor is May 12. The general election is&nbsp;Nov. 3.

<h2>Charles Herbster, who lost to Gov. Jim Pillen in 2022, says Pillen’s ‘shortcomings make it hard to say no,’ will decide closer to new year</h2><p><i>By Juan Salinas II | Nebraska Examiner</i><br></p><figure>
                        <img src="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_4142-1536x1024.jpg" alt="&nbsp;Nebraska reporters cover Gov. Jim Pillen’s press conference at the Governor’s Mansion on April 28, 2025. Pillen is running for reelection. (Juan Salinas II/Nebraska Examiner)" />
                        <figcaption>&nbsp;Nebraska reporters cover Gov. Jim Pillen’s press conference at the Governor’s Mansion on April 28, 2025. Pillen is running for reelection. (Juan Salinas II/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>LINCOLN — The Republican primary race for Nebraska governor is already heating up, and it might soon get serious.&nbsp;</p><p>Trump donor and multi-state agribusinessman Charles Herbster has made more pointed statements about Gov. Jim Pillen in recent weeks on social media.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Herbster’s posts have shifted in tone from talking about national politics and President Donald Trump, with some references to state politics, to more direct criticism of Pillen as he continues mulling a 2026 rematch bid for governor.</p><p>Starting this month, Herbster has criticized Pillen for not listening to the business community, for not selling the state aggressively enough to business leaders elsewhere and for resisting voter-approved medical cannabis, the legalization of which Herbster now&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wowt.com/video/2025/11/12/herbster-reverses-position-medical-cannabis/" target="_blank">says should be respected</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>“Our governor should be the state’s leading salesman,” Herbster wrote&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/cwherbster/status/1985424695341301966?s=46&amp;t=B4v5xSml401BbJ1-tGAokQ" target="_blank">one post</a>. “To say we should not focus on attracting new businesses is beyond reckless — it is not leadership.”</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/IMG_2249-300x225.jpg" alt="Nebraska gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster greets people who were leaving after his weather-cancelled rally with former President Donald Trump in Greenwood, Nebraska. It was delayed until Sunday. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)" />
                        <figcaption>Nebraska gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster greets people who were leaving after his weather-cancelled rally with former President Donald Trump in Greenwood, Nebraska. It was delayed until Sunday. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>In another&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/cwherbster/status/1988321270757241199?s=46&amp;t=B4v5xSml401BbJ1-tGAokQ" target="_blank">social media post</a>, Herbster said, “Governor Jim Pillen has done everything he can to delay and dismantle the voter-enacted medical cannabis statutes.”</p><p>Herbster also has started reviving his 2022 campaign staple of saying he wants to “Make Nebraska Great Again” and sounds more and more like someone running for governor.&nbsp;</p><p>Asked this week whether his statements should be read as telegraphing a 2026 bid, he told the Examiner, “Governor Pillen’s shortcomings make it hard to say no.” Herbster said his decision on whether to run would come closer to the new year.&nbsp;</p><p>“We are not on a path to success,” Herbster said. “Our governor seems stubbornly convinced he alone has all the answers and continues to double down on failure. He can tout some social-issue wins — which I wholeheartedly support — but Nebraskans are worried about the economy.”</p><p>If Herbster gets in, 2026 would be a rematch between the two candidates who received the most votes in the 2022 GOP gubernatorial primary. That race included former State Sen. Brett Lindstrom of Omaha, who is now running for the open seat in Nebraska’s Omaha-based 2nd Congressional District. Lindstrom finished third in that 2022 GOP primary.&nbsp;</p><p>Pillen cruised to general election victory against then-Democratic State Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue.&nbsp;</p><p>That 2022 contest was one of the most expensive gubernatorial races in Nebraska history,&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/02/06/nebraskas-costliest-governors-race-left-wild-numbers-in-its-wake/">with&nbsp;$29 million flowing into it</a>. Herbster largely self-funded his campaign, while Pillen raised large sums and also benefitted from outside help by then-Gov. Pete Ricketts.</p><p>Herbster during that 2022 primary earned the endorsement of President Donald Trump, while Pillen was backed by Ricketts. Pillen appointed Ricketts to the U.S. Senate shortly after becoming governor. Ricketts, R-Neb., won a special election in November to serve out the final two years of former GOP U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse’s term. Ricketts is currently in a heated race against former Omaha labor leader Dan Osborn, a registered nonpartisan.&nbsp;</p><p>Herbster spent weeks of that campaign denying the&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/04/14/gop-state-senator-seven-other-women-say-charles-herbster-groped-them-he-denies-allegations/">allegations of eight women</a>&nbsp;who alleged in a 2022 Nebraska Examiner article that Herbster had groped them. All eight accounts were&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/04/19/three-people-speak-on-the-record-to-confirm-allegations-of-groping-by-charles-herbster/">corroborated either by witnesses</a>&nbsp;or people the women told what happened immediately afterward. But the reasons for his loss were&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/05/13/where-herbster-stumbled-and-how-pillen-won-nebraskas-gop-gubernatorial-primary/">more complex than the national political narrative</a>.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_1430-300x200.jpg" alt="Nebraska Gov Jim Pillen at a Nebraska football game at Memorial Stadium on Oct. 4, 2025. (Juan Salinas II/Nebraska Examiner)" />
                        <figcaption>Nebraska Gov Jim Pillen at a Nebraska football game at Memorial Stadium on Oct. 4, 2025. (Juan Salinas II/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>Several GOP operatives have expected Pillen to draw at least one primary challenger, partly because of national and local polling numbers that indicate he could be vulnerable. Among the criticisms they and others have said he is likely to face are about increased state spending, the effectiveness of state investments in property tax relief and his tax and budget proposals.</p><p>But Pillen is an incumbent, and Nebraska rarely changes horses midstream. The last incumbent Republican to lose the Governor’s Mansion was Gov. Kay Orr, who lost to Democrat Ben Nelson in 1990. Pillen had more than $3 million in cash on hand last year, state campaign finance reports show. Many expect him to raise more than $10 million.&nbsp;</p><p>The governor&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/05/29/nebraska-gov-jim-pillen-announces-reelection-bid-amid-herbster-speculation/">announced his reelection bid in May</a>. His campaign video focused on controversies familiar to those who followed his 2022 campaign, including support for tougher immigration enforcement and other culture-war issues. Pillen, in&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/06/02/nebraska-governor-brags-about-historically-conservative-budget-wins/">his end of session speech to state lawmakers</a>, touted the passage of bills that limit high school and college sports participation to students’ sex at birth, banning lab-grown meat and lowering income tax rates.</p><p>Herbster said Nebraskans are with Pillen on some of those issues, but he said more needs to be done about core issues that have long been central for statewide campaigns — particularly job creation and reducing property taxes.&nbsp;</p><p>People, Herbster said, are “worried about property taxes.” He said “they’re worried about making ends meet.”</p><p>Pillen’s campaign declined to comment Friday on Herbster’s potential bid.</p><p>Pillen, whose family owns a major hog operation based in Columbus, has prioritized property tax relief, including investing $1 billion into a state effort to fund more of special education costs and a baseline amount of state aid to K-12 schools.</p><p>The governor said last week that he wants to address property taxes again soon. But state lawmakers&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/11/19/nebraskas-projected-budget-deficit-grows-to-471-million-ahead-of-2026-legislative-session/">face a larger projected deficit</a>&nbsp;this upcoming session than the one senators just filled this spring.</p><p>Nebraska Democrats have hinted at an announcement of a gubernatorial candidate as early as this week.&nbsp;Some Democratic political observers have speculated that a state senator might run.&nbsp;Others have made noise about a possible third-party or nonpartisan candidate.</p><p>Republicans outnumber Democrats in Nebraska by roughly 2-to-1, with about 22% registered either nonpartisan or with a third party. The GOP primary for governor is May 12. The general election is&nbsp;Nov. 3.</p>

Has 2026 GOP primary for Nebraska governor already started?

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://georgiarecorder.com/author/jacob-fischler/">Jacob Fischler</a><br><a href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a>

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins’ call for a close reexamination of the 42 million people who receive federal food aid has befuddled advocates and lawmakers, coming mere days after recipients began to see benefits that had been stalled during the government shutdown.

Details remain scant a week after Rollins during an interview on the right-wing Newsmax network first publicly broached the startling idea that every beneficiary would have to reapply for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, often called food stamps.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, asked for an explanation, referenced existing requirements and suggested more changes in SNAP rules could be in store.

“Secretary Rollins wants to ensure the fraud, waste, and incessant abuse of SNAP ends,” a USDA spokesperson wrote Wednesday. “Rates of fraud were only previously assumed, and President Trump is doing something about it. Using standard recertification processes for households is a part of that work. As well as ongoing analysis of state data, further regulatory work, and improved collaboration with states.”

The 2008 law governing SNAP leaves states responsible for administration. Part of that role includes periodically making sure that the low-income people in the program meet the qualifications for inclusion, but the law allows states to determine how often that occurs.

“It’s not clear what she would be proposing that is different from what is already happening,” said Katie Bergh, a senior policy analyst for food assistance at the left-leaning think tank Center for Budget and Policy Priorities.

One interpretation of Rollins’ comments is that she would remove all 42 million individuals from SNAP’s rolls and ask them to resubmit applications. Bergh said that would lead to people losing money they need for groceries. About 40% of those enrolled in SNAP are children.

“If she’s suggesting that they’re going to somehow redo that process for more than 40 million people who already demonstrated their eligibility and who already have to periodically recertify their eligibility, that would be pretty duplicative and would likely create pretty significant paperwork backlogs that would cause people who are eligible to lose the food assistance that they need,” Bergh said.

Administration critics have suggested that, while the comments are unlikely to lead to policy changes, they introduce even more confusion for a program that was used as a political token during the record government shutdown that ended this month.&nbsp;

Making people reapply would underscore the Trump administration’s opposition to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-snap/key-statistics-and-research" target="_blank">nearly $100 billion program</a>, which accounts for 70% of federal nutrition assistance.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/research/snap/characteristics-fy23" target="_blank">USDA says</a>&nbsp;the average SNAP household in fiscal 2023 received a monthly benefit of $332, or $177 a person based on the average SNAP household size of 1.9 people.

“Secretary Rollins and the Trump administration have cut food assistance for 42 million Americans multiple times this year,” U.S. House Agriculture ranking member Angie Craig said in a Wednesday statement to States Newsroom. “Now, they’ve once again shown that they do not understand the program.”

In the Nov. 13 interview on Newsmax, Rollins said SNAP was beset by widespread fraud, citing data that 29 mostly Republican-run states submitted to the department. Acquiring data from the 21 other states would give the department a way to wholly remake the program, she said.

“Can you imagine when we get our hands on the blue state data, what we’re going to find?” she said. “It’s going to give us a platform and a trajectory to fundamentally rebuild this program, have everyone reapply for their benefit, make sure that everyone that’s taking a taxpayer-funded benefit through SNAP or food stamps that they literally are vulnerable, and they can’t survive without it. And that’s the next step here.”

In an interview Monday on Fox News, host Maria Bartiromo asked Rollins about the move to have recipients “reapply.”

“Business as usual is over,” Rollins answered in part. “The status quo is no more. We know that the SNAP program is rife with fraud.”

She added that guarding against fraud would help those the program is meant to serve.

The comments touched off widespread confusion about what specifically Rollins meant.&nbsp;

Asked about the initiative during a Thursday press conference, Craig, a Minnesota Democrat, said she was unclear about how it would work and predicted that Rollins would take credit in the future for the existing low rate of fraud.

“We’re hearing off the record that, you know, maybe people don’t know what the hell they’re talking about,” she said. “In fact, I think they’re trying to take credit for the already very strict standards and the actual low fraud rate in the SNAP program … So we can find no real plan there. Not even sure there’s concepts of a plan there.”

In response to a States Newsroom request this week for details about the initiative, USDA provided the statement that did not answer how the department would proceed or under what authority, but said Rollins was seeking to reduce fraud in the program.

Spokespeople did not respond to follow-up questions, or a request to respond to Craig’s remarks Thursday.

Program experts say fraud is not a widespread problem for SNAP.

An April&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF10860#_Ref509241731" target="_blank">report</a>&nbsp;from the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service found that retailers illegally trafficked about 1.6% of SNAP benefits from fiscal 2015 to 2017.

Fraud by households applying for SNAP, which appear to be the main target of Rollins’ proposal, is even lower.&nbsp;

According to a USDA&nbsp;<a href="https://fns-prod.azureedge.us/sites/default/files/resource-files/snap-sar-fy23.pdf" target="_blank">report</a>, about 26,000 applications were referred for an administrative review or prosecution on suspicion of fraud. That number accounts for about 0.1% of the 22.7 million households enrolled in the program, according to the Pew Research Center.

“Long-standing data sources indicate that intentional fraud by participants is rare,” Bergh said.

At Thursday’s press conference, Craig called Rollins’ comments “bullsh*t” and “propaganda.”

“Secretary Rollins goes on TV and talks about all the fraud,” she said. “This most effective anti-hunger program in our history has a fraud rate of 1.6%. It’s actually one of the most effective, well-run programs in the country … The bullsh*t this administration is peddling is egregious.”

Even experts who advocate for reforms to SNAP say eligibility fraud is not a major issue.

Romina Boccia, director of budget and entitlement policy at the libertarian Cato Institute, said high-net-worth individuals can receive SNAP benefits, but aren’t committing fraud by doing so.

“Some of the issues with SNAP … aren’t because of fraud or abuse, but they are because of bad program rules,” said Boccia.

Boccia also cited an “incentive misalignment” inherent in the state-federal program. States have little incentive to control payments because the federal government funds the program, she said.

Forcing all beneficiaries to reapply would likely reduce the cost of the program by reducing the number of its beneficiaries, including by forcing out higher earners who may not consider the benefits they don’t actually need to be worth the onerous reapplication process, Boccia said.&nbsp;

But it would also result in a percentage of low earners dropping off the program, as well as many who would be affected by the administrative backlog that would come with processing tens of millions of new applications, she said.&nbsp;

Shutdown, the big beautiful bill, and confusion

Bergh said Rollins’ comments “add insult to injury” because they come after congressional Republicans and President Donald Trump signed a major tax cuts and spending law that is expected to shrink federal SNAP spending by $187 billion over 10 years. The law added work requirements for many SNAP recipients and shifted some costs to states.

That was followed by the six-week shutdown that saw&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/shutdown-tug-war-over-snap-benefits-timeline" target="_blank">a dizzying back-and-forth</a>&nbsp;over whether November SNAP benefits would be paid.

“There has been huge amounts of chaos and confusion and disruption for both states and participants in recent weeks, largely due to the shutdown, but also because simultaneously, the administration has required states to implement many of the reconciliation bill’s SNAP cuts,” Bergh said.

Craig, in her statement, also said Rollins’ comments would hurt the people who need the program.

“I am astounded by the secretary’s careless disregard for the hungry seniors and children who can afford to eat because of this program,” she said.

Sara Naomi Bleich, a public health policy professor at Harvard University, said in a phone interview the confusion from Rollins’ comments compounded hardships produced by the Republican reconciliation law, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

“Big picture with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act is that there’s basically this tidal wave coming to families that have low income,” Bleich, who worked at USDA during the Obama and Biden administrations, said. “They’re going to lose Medicaid. They’re going to lose SNAP. There could be collateral impacts on the school meals. This is going to be a really hard time for families to navigate.”

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761944916334.png" alt="Post photo" />
                        <figcaption>Post photo</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://georgiarecorder.com/author/jacob-fischler/">Jacob Fischler</a><br><a href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a></p><p>U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins’ call for a close reexamination of the 42 million people who receive federal food aid has befuddled advocates and lawmakers, coming mere days after recipients began to see benefits that had been stalled during the government shutdown.</p><p>Details remain scant a week after Rollins during an interview on the right-wing Newsmax network first publicly broached the startling idea that every beneficiary would have to reapply for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, often called food stamps.</p><p>The U.S. Department of Agriculture, asked for an explanation, referenced existing requirements and suggested more changes in SNAP rules could be in store.</p><p>“Secretary Rollins wants to ensure the fraud, waste, and incessant abuse of SNAP ends,” a USDA spokesperson wrote Wednesday. “Rates of fraud were only previously assumed, and President Trump is doing something about it. Using standard recertification processes for households is a part of that work. As well as ongoing analysis of state data, further regulatory work, and improved collaboration with states.”</p><p>The 2008 law governing SNAP leaves states responsible for administration. Part of that role includes periodically making sure that the low-income people in the program meet the qualifications for inclusion, but the law allows states to determine how often that occurs.</p><p>“It’s not clear what she would be proposing that is different from what is already happening,” said Katie Bergh, a senior policy analyst for food assistance at the left-leaning think tank Center for Budget and Policy Priorities.</p><p>One interpretation of Rollins’ comments is that she would remove all 42 million individuals from SNAP’s rolls and ask them to resubmit applications. Bergh said that would lead to people losing money they need for groceries. About 40% of those enrolled in SNAP are children.</p><p>“If she’s suggesting that they’re going to somehow redo that process for more than 40 million people who already demonstrated their eligibility and who already have to periodically recertify their eligibility, that would be pretty duplicative and would likely create pretty significant paperwork backlogs that would cause people who are eligible to lose the food assistance that they need,” Bergh said.</p><p>Administration critics have suggested that, while the comments are unlikely to lead to policy changes, they introduce even more confusion for a program that was used as a political token during the record government shutdown that ended this month.&nbsp;</p><p>Making people reapply would underscore the Trump administration’s opposition to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-snap/key-statistics-and-research" target="_blank">nearly $100 billion program</a>, which accounts for 70% of federal nutrition assistance.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/research/snap/characteristics-fy23" target="_blank">USDA says</a>&nbsp;the average SNAP household in fiscal 2023 received a monthly benefit of $332, or $177 a person based on the average SNAP household size of 1.9 people.</p><p>“Secretary Rollins and the Trump administration have cut food assistance for 42 million Americans multiple times this year,” U.S. House Agriculture ranking member Angie Craig said in a Wednesday statement to States Newsroom. “Now, they’ve once again shown that they do not understand the program.”</p><h2>What did Rollins say?</h2><p>In the Nov. 13 interview on Newsmax, Rollins said SNAP was beset by widespread fraud, citing data that 29 mostly Republican-run states submitted to the department. Acquiring data from the 21 other states would give the department a way to wholly remake the program, she said.</p><p>“Can you imagine when we get our hands on the blue state data, what we’re going to find?” she said. “It’s going to give us a platform and a trajectory to fundamentally rebuild this program, have everyone reapply for their benefit, make sure that everyone that’s taking a taxpayer-funded benefit through SNAP or food stamps that they literally are vulnerable, and they can’t survive without it. And that’s the next step here.”</p><p>In an interview Monday on Fox News, host Maria Bartiromo asked Rollins about the move to have recipients “reapply.”</p><p>“Business as usual is over,” Rollins answered in part. “The status quo is no more. We know that the SNAP program is rife with fraud.”</p><p>She added that guarding against fraud would help those the program is meant to serve.</p><p>The comments touched off widespread confusion about what specifically Rollins meant.&nbsp;</p><p>Asked about the initiative during a Thursday press conference, Craig, a Minnesota Democrat, said she was unclear about how it would work and predicted that Rollins would take credit in the future for the existing low rate of fraud.</p><p>“We’re hearing off the record that, you know, maybe people don’t know what the hell they’re talking about,” she said. “In fact, I think they’re trying to take credit for the already very strict standards and the actual low fraud rate in the SNAP program … So we can find no real plan there. Not even sure there’s concepts of a plan there.”</p><p>In response to a States Newsroom request this week for details about the initiative, USDA provided the statement that did not answer how the department would proceed or under what authority, but said Rollins was seeking to reduce fraud in the program.</p><p>Spokespeople did not respond to follow-up questions, or a request to respond to Craig’s remarks Thursday.</p><h2>Low fraud rate</h2><p>Program experts say fraud is not a widespread problem for SNAP.</p><p>An April&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF10860#_Ref509241731" target="_blank">report</a>&nbsp;from the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service found that retailers illegally trafficked about 1.6% of SNAP benefits from fiscal 2015 to 2017.</p><p>Fraud by households applying for SNAP, which appear to be the main target of Rollins’ proposal, is even lower.&nbsp;</p><p>According to a USDA&nbsp;<a href="https://fns-prod.azureedge.us/sites/default/files/resource-files/snap-sar-fy23.pdf" target="_blank">report</a>, about 26,000 applications were referred for an administrative review or prosecution on suspicion of fraud. That number accounts for about 0.1% of the 22.7 million households enrolled in the program, according to the Pew Research Center.</p><p>“Long-standing data sources indicate that intentional fraud by participants is rare,” Bergh said.</p><p>At Thursday’s press conference, Craig called Rollins’ comments “bullsh*t” and “propaganda.”</p><p>“Secretary Rollins goes on TV and talks about all the fraud,” she said. “This most effective anti-hunger program in our history has a fraud rate of 1.6%. It’s actually one of the most effective, well-run programs in the country … The bullsh*t this administration is peddling is egregious.”</p><h2>More targeted reforms</h2><p>Even experts who advocate for reforms to SNAP say eligibility fraud is not a major issue.</p><p>Romina Boccia, director of budget and entitlement policy at the libertarian Cato Institute, said high-net-worth individuals can receive SNAP benefits, but aren’t committing fraud by doing so.</p><p>“Some of the issues with SNAP … aren’t because of fraud or abuse, but they are because of bad program rules,” said Boccia.</p><p>Boccia also cited an “incentive misalignment” inherent in the state-federal program. States have little incentive to control payments because the federal government funds the program, she said.</p><p>Forcing all beneficiaries to reapply would likely reduce the cost of the program by reducing the number of its beneficiaries, including by forcing out higher earners who may not consider the benefits they don’t actually need to be worth the onerous reapplication process, Boccia said.&nbsp;</p><p>But it would also result in a percentage of low earners dropping off the program, as well as many who would be affected by the administrative backlog that would come with processing tens of millions of new applications, she said.&nbsp;</p><h2>Shutdown, the big beautiful bill, and confusion</h2><p>Bergh said Rollins’ comments “add insult to injury” because they come after congressional Republicans and President Donald Trump signed a major tax cuts and spending law that is expected to shrink federal SNAP spending by $187 billion over 10 years. The law added work requirements for many SNAP recipients and shifted some costs to states.</p><p>That was followed by the six-week shutdown that saw&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/shutdown-tug-war-over-snap-benefits-timeline" target="_blank">a dizzying back-and-forth</a>&nbsp;over whether November SNAP benefits would be paid.</p><p>“There has been huge amounts of chaos and confusion and disruption for both states and participants in recent weeks, largely due to the shutdown, but also because simultaneously, the administration has required states to implement many of the reconciliation bill’s SNAP cuts,” Bergh said.</p><p>Craig, in her statement, also said Rollins’ comments would hurt the people who need the program.</p><p>“I am astounded by the secretary’s careless disregard for the hungry seniors and children who can afford to eat because of this program,” she said.</p><p>Sara Naomi Bleich, a public health policy professor at Harvard University, said in a phone interview the confusion from Rollins’ comments compounded hardships produced by the Republican reconciliation law, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.</p><p>“Big picture with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act is that there’s basically this tidal wave coming to families that have low income,” Bleich, who worked at USDA during the Obama and Biden administrations, said. “They’re going to lose Medicaid. They’re going to lose SNAP. There could be collateral impacts on the school meals. This is going to be a really hard time for families to navigate.”</p>

USDA wants everyone to reapply for food stamps. What does that mean?

WASHINGTON—&nbsp; President Donald Trump met with New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani on Friday.&nbsp; The Oval Office meeting&nbsp; went well despite what many thought would happen.

<p>WASHINGTON—&nbsp; President Donald Trump met with New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani on Friday.&nbsp; The Oval Office meeting&nbsp; went well despite what many thought would happen.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> on Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani: &quot;He&#39;s got views that are a little out there, but who knows. We&#39;re going to see what works.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/5qBVFKDLxm">pic.twitter.com/5qBVFKDLxm</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1991971007012499913?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">&quot;We had a meeting today that actually surprised me... We may disagree how we get there [on policy],&quot; says <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> on his meeting with Mayor-elect Mamdani.<br><br>&quot;I expect to be helping him, not hurting him... because I want NYC to be great. Look, I love NYC. That&#39;s where I come from.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/lHlT4jRP0q">pic.twitter.com/lHlT4jRP0q</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1991975583707025732?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">&quot;That&#39;s okay. You can just say yes. It&#39;s easier than explaining it. I don&#39;t mind.&quot; 🤣🤣🤣 <a href="https://t.co/5NpLP6v3gZ">pic.twitter.com/5NpLP6v3gZ</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1991973604305916370?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> says he and Mayor-elect Mamdani discussed illegal immigration &quot;at great length&quot;: &quot;He wants to have a safe New York. Ultimately, a safe New York is going to be a great New York... if you don&#39;t have safe streets, it&#39;s not going to be a success.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/yjd1KhLOUA">pic.twitter.com/yjd1KhLOUA</a></p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1991972232373936541?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥 Trump and NY Mayor-elect Mamdani's friendly Oval Office meeting

By:<a href="https://georgiarecorder.com/author/alander-rocha/">Alander Rocha</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://georgiarecorder.com/author/ross-williams/">Ross Williams</a><br><a href="https://georgiarecorder.com/">Georgia Recorder</a>

U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene from Georgia, a Rome Republican, announced her plans to resign from Congress Friday evening in an unexpected video message.

Greene, who was first elected in Georgia’s 14th congressional district in 2020, said in a lengthy and pointed video statement posted on social media that her last day in Congress will be Jan. 5, 2026.

Once a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump, Trump publicly&nbsp;<a href="https://georgiarecorder.com/2025/11/17/congresswoman-marjorie-taylor-greene-is-charting-a-path-for-a-post-trump-era-gop-observers-say/">broke ties</a>&nbsp;with Greene after she expressed disagreement with him on a number of issues, the biggest of which was the release of the Epstein files.

Greene expressed disillusionment with the political system and Trump, predicting that if she were to stay in office, she would face and defeat a Trump-funded opponent while Republicans lose the midterms nationwide.

“It’s all so absurd and completely unserious,” she said in the video. “I refuse to be a battered wife hoping it all goes away and gets better. If I’m cast aside by the president and the MAGA political machine and replaced by neocons, big pharma, big tech, military industrial war complex, foreign leaders and the elite donor class that can never, ever relate to real Americans then many common Americans have been cast aside and replaced as well.”

“There is no plan to save the world or a 4-D chess game being played,” she added. “When common American people realize and understand that the political industrial complex of both parties is ripping this country apart, that not one elected leader like me is able to stop Washington’s machine from gradually destroying our country and instead the reality is that they, common Americans, the people, possess the real power over Washington, then I’ll be here by their side to rebuild it.”

Trump taunted Greene in a social media post early Saturday morning, rolling out nicknames he developed for her after the start of their feud.

“Marjorie ‘Traitor’ Brown, because of PLUMMETING Poll Numbers, and not wanting to face a Primary Challenger with a strong Trump Endorsement (where she would have no chance of winning!), has decided to call it ‘quits,’” he wrote.

Greene has said she found Trump’s “traitor” moniker for her especially galling because she has worked hard to support him for years. Trump says he now calls Greene Brown because green grass turns brown when it begins to rot.

“For some reason, primarily that I refused to return her never ending barrage of phone calls, Marjorie went BAD. Nevertheless, I will always appreciate Marjorie, and thank her for her service to our Country!” Trump added.

Greene has said she has received a spike in death threats that she attributes to the president’s rhetoric.

The Constitution calls on a state’s governor to declare a special election when a vacancy happens in the House of Representatives.&nbsp;

Greene was reportedly considering a run for higher office, including as Georgia governor or for Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff’s seat, both of which are up next year, but&nbsp;<a href="https://georgiarecorder.com/briefs/u-s-rep-marjorie-taylor-greene-says-shell-skip-georgias-2026-race-for-governor/">bowed out</a>&nbsp;of consideration after being discouraged by Trump.&nbsp;

Republican strategist Brian Robinson said that it’s unclear what Greene will do next, but that “she has the profile and the talent to make a splash whatever she does.”

“Her video message laid out a clear and detailed vision that could serve as a roadmap to a political future,” he said in a statement.

Greene said in her speech that her goal was to hold the Republican party accountable and put “America first.”

“I look forward to seeing many of you again sometime in the future,” she said and signed off with a smile.&nbsp;

Josh McKoon, chair of the Georgia Republican Party, called the announcement a “surprise.” He thanked Greene for her “fierce and unwavering service” and said in a statement that the congresswoman “has been a tireless fighter” for conservatives.

“She entered Congress as a political outsider and never backed down from defending the forgotten men and women of our state,” McKoon said.

McKoon said the party will work to elect another conservative to the district. The 14th congressional district is deeply red, and Greene was reelected to her third term in 2024 with 64.4% of the vote.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1714577209426.png" alt="File image courtesy CSPAN" />
                        <figcaption>File image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>By:<a href="https://georgiarecorder.com/author/alander-rocha/">Alander Rocha</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://georgiarecorder.com/author/ross-williams/">Ross Williams</a><br><a href="https://georgiarecorder.com/">Georgia Recorder</a></p><p>U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene from Georgia, a Rome Republican, announced her plans to resign from Congress Friday evening in an unexpected video message.</p><p>Greene, who was first elected in Georgia’s 14th congressional district in 2020, said in a lengthy and pointed video statement posted on social media that her last day in Congress will be Jan. 5, 2026.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">My official statement. <a href="https://t.co/x48zEugmPV">pic.twitter.com/x48zEugmPV</a></p>&mdash; Marjorie Taylor Greene 🇺🇸 (@mtgreenee) <a href="https://twitter.com/mtgreenee/status/1992037226415554642?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>Once a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump, Trump publicly&nbsp;<a href="https://georgiarecorder.com/2025/11/17/congresswoman-marjorie-taylor-greene-is-charting-a-path-for-a-post-trump-era-gop-observers-say/">broke ties</a>&nbsp;with Greene after she expressed disagreement with him on a number of issues, the biggest of which was the release of the Epstein files.</p><p>Greene expressed disillusionment with the political system and Trump, predicting that if she were to stay in office, she would face and defeat a Trump-funded opponent while Republicans lose the midterms nationwide.</p><p>“It’s all so absurd and completely unserious,” she said in the video. “I refuse to be a battered wife hoping it all goes away and gets better. If I’m cast aside by the president and the MAGA political machine and replaced by neocons, big pharma, big tech, military industrial war complex, foreign leaders and the elite donor class that can never, ever relate to real Americans then many common Americans have been cast aside and replaced as well.”</p><p>“There is no plan to save the world or a 4-D chess game being played,” she added. “When common American people realize and understand that the political industrial complex of both parties is ripping this country apart, that not one elected leader like me is able to stop Washington’s machine from gradually destroying our country and instead the reality is that they, common Americans, the people, possess the real power over Washington, then I’ll be here by their side to rebuild it.”</p><p>Trump taunted Greene in a social media post early Saturday morning, rolling out nicknames he developed for her after the start of their feud.</p><p>“Marjorie ‘Traitor’ Brown, because of PLUMMETING Poll Numbers, and not wanting to face a Primary Challenger with a strong Trump Endorsement (where she would have no chance of winning!), has decided to call it ‘quits,’” he wrote.</p><p>Greene has said she found Trump’s “traitor” moniker for her especially galling because she has worked hard to support him for years. Trump says he now calls Greene Brown because green grass turns brown when it begins to rot.</p><p>“For some reason, primarily that I refused to return her never ending barrage of phone calls, Marjorie went BAD. Nevertheless, I will always appreciate Marjorie, and thank her for her service to our Country!” Trump added.</p><p>Greene has said she has received a spike in death threats that she attributes to the president’s rhetoric.</p><p>The Constitution calls on a state’s governor to declare a special election when a vacancy happens in the House of Representatives.&nbsp;</p><p>Greene was reportedly considering a run for higher office, including as Georgia governor or for Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff’s seat, both of which are up next year, but&nbsp;<a href="https://georgiarecorder.com/briefs/u-s-rep-marjorie-taylor-greene-says-shell-skip-georgias-2026-race-for-governor/">bowed out</a>&nbsp;of consideration after being discouraged by Trump.&nbsp;</p><p>Republican strategist Brian Robinson said that it’s unclear what Greene will do next, but that “she has the profile and the talent to make a splash whatever she does.”</p><p>“Her video message laid out a clear and detailed vision that could serve as a roadmap to a political future,” he said in a statement.</p><p>Greene said in her speech that her goal was to hold the Republican party accountable and put “America first.”</p><p>“I look forward to seeing many of you again sometime in the future,” she said and signed off with a smile.&nbsp;</p><p>Josh McKoon, chair of the Georgia Republican Party, called the announcement a “surprise.” He thanked Greene for her “fierce and unwavering service” and said in a statement that the congresswoman “has been a tireless fighter” for conservatives.</p><p>“She entered Congress as a political outsider and never backed down from defending the forgotten men and women of our state,” McKoon said.</p><p>McKoon said the party will work to elect another conservative to the district. The 14th congressional district is deeply red, and Greene was reelected to her third term in 2024 with 64.4% of the vote.</p>

Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene says she will resign in January

Springdale, Ark. — Tyson Foods announced today that it will end operations at its Lexington, Nebraska beef facility as part of network changes designed to “right size” its beef business and position it for long-term success.

The company also plans to convert its Amarillo, Texas beef facility to a single, full-capacity shift while increasing production at other Tyson beef facilities to meet customer demand.

In its statement, Tyson Foods acknowledged the impact these decisions will have on team members and local communities. The company said it is committed to supporting affected employees through the transition, including helping them apply for positions at other facilities and providing relocation benefits.

Tyson Foods emphasized that these changes are intended to ensure the company continues delivering “high-quality, affordable, and nutritious protein for generations to come.”

Tyson Foods, founded in 1935 and headquartered in Springdale, Arkansas, employs approximately 133,000 team members worldwide and owns a portfolio of well-known brands including Tyson®, Jimmy Dean®, Hillshire Farm®, and Ball Park®.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763763763794.png" alt="<br>" />
                        <figcaption><br></figcaption>
                    </figure><p>Springdale, Ark. — Tyson Foods announced today that it will end operations at its Lexington, Nebraska beef facility as part of network changes designed to “right size” its beef business and position it for long-term success.</p><p>The company also plans to convert its Amarillo, Texas beef facility to a single, full-capacity shift while increasing production at other Tyson beef facilities to meet customer demand.</p><p>In its statement, Tyson Foods acknowledged the impact these decisions will have on team members and local communities. The company said it is committed to supporting affected employees through the transition, including helping them apply for positions at other facilities and providing relocation benefits.</p><p>Tyson Foods emphasized that these changes are intended to ensure the company continues delivering “high-quality, affordable, and nutritious protein for generations to come.”</p><p>Tyson Foods, founded in 1935 and headquartered in Springdale, Arkansas, employs approximately 133,000 team members worldwide and owns a portfolio of well-known brands including Tyson®, Jimmy Dean®, Hillshire Farm®, and Ball Park®.</p>

Tyson Foods to Close Lexington, Nebraska Beef Plant

WASHINGTON–<b>&nbsp;</b>On Thursday,&nbsp; Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall released the following statement after the Senate passed his legislation to restore whole milk in schools.&nbsp;The&nbsp;<i>Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act</i>&nbsp;expands healthy milk options in schools by reversing the Obama-era law that took whole milk out of school cafeterias.

<i>“Whole milk is the most nutritious drink known to mankind, and for whatever reason, the federal government took it out of our schools over a decade ago – robbing an entire generation of essential dairy intake. As an obstetrician, I cannot stress the extensive list of benefits that comes from drinking whole – and most of all, it just tastes better,”&nbsp;</i><b>said Senator Marshall.&nbsp;</b><i>“I’m proud to see another win on the MAHA agenda cross the finish line in the Senate and am looking forward to seeing it signed into law.”</i>

The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/sites/default/files/2020-12/Dietary_Guidelines_for_Americans_2020-2025.pdf">Dietary Guidelines for Americans</a>&nbsp;(DGA) reports that nearly 90% of Americans do not meet their daily dairy intake recommendations. Specifically, Americans are lacking enough Calcium and Vitamin D, and whole milk is an excellent source of both vitamins. Leading nutritionists&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002916522012898?via%3Dihub">have found</a>&nbsp;that whole dairy fats have no negative effect on a diet, and may even reduce the risk of heart disease.

The legislation was first&nbsp;introduced&nbsp;by Senator Marshall in June of 2023. It was reintroduced in April of 2025 with numerous bipartisan sponsors and co-sponsors and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.marshall.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senator-marshalls-legislation-to-restore-whole-milk-in-schools-passes-senate-agriculture-committee/">passed</a>&nbsp;the Senate Agriculture Committee in June of 2025.

<p>WASHINGTON–<b>&nbsp;</b>On Thursday,&nbsp; Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall released the following statement after the Senate passed his legislation to restore whole milk in schools.&nbsp;The&nbsp;<i>Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act</i>&nbsp;expands healthy milk options in schools by reversing the Obama-era law that took whole milk out of school cafeterias.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/UTi7tRhtMD">https://t.co/UTi7tRhtMD</a> <a href="https://t.co/W7QVf5dxvQ">pic.twitter.com/W7QVf5dxvQ</a></p>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1991605244988461489?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p><i>“Whole milk is the most nutritious drink known to mankind, and for whatever reason, the federal government took it out of our schools over a decade ago – robbing an entire generation of essential dairy intake. As an obstetrician, I cannot stress the extensive list of benefits that comes from drinking whole – and most of all, it just tastes better,”&nbsp;</i><b>said Senator Marshall.&nbsp;</b><i>“I’m proud to see another win on the MAHA agenda cross the finish line in the Senate and am looking forward to seeing it signed into law.”</i></p><p>The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/sites/default/files/2020-12/Dietary_Guidelines_for_Americans_2020-2025.pdf">Dietary Guidelines for Americans</a>&nbsp;(DGA) reports that nearly 90% of Americans do not meet their daily dairy intake recommendations. Specifically, Americans are lacking enough Calcium and Vitamin D, and whole milk is an excellent source of both vitamins. Leading nutritionists&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002916522012898?via%3Dihub">have found</a>&nbsp;that whole dairy fats have no negative effect on a diet, and may even reduce the risk of heart disease.</p><p>The legislation was first&nbsp;introduced&nbsp;by Senator Marshall in June of 2023. It was reintroduced in April of 2025 with numerous bipartisan sponsors and co-sponsors and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.marshall.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senator-marshalls-legislation-to-restore-whole-milk-in-schools-passes-senate-agriculture-committee/">passed</a>&nbsp;the Senate Agriculture Committee in June of 2025.</p>

Kan. U.S. Senator's bill to restore whole milk in schools passes the Senate

President Trump is accusing six Democratic lawmakers of sedition “punishable by DEATH” after the lawmakers, all veterans, called on U.S. military members to uphold the Constitution and defy “illegal orders” in a video posted to X.

This is the original video that prompted President Trump to respond.

<p>President Trump is accusing six Democratic lawmakers of sedition “punishable by DEATH” after the lawmakers, all veterans, called on U.S. military members to uphold the Constitution and defy “illegal orders” in a video posted to X.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763674382514.png" alt="<br>" />
                        <figcaption><br></figcaption>
                    </figure><p>This is the original video that prompted President Trump to respond.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">We want to speak directly to members of the Military and the Intelligence Community.<br><br>The American people need you to stand up for our laws and our Constitution.<br><br>Don’t give up the ship. <a href="https://t.co/N8lW0EpQ7r">pic.twitter.com/N8lW0EpQ7r</a></p>&mdash; Sen. Elissa Slotkin (@SenatorSlotkin) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenatorSlotkin/status/1990774492356902948?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763731398462.png" alt="<br>" />
                        <figcaption><br></figcaption>
                    </figure><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Rep. Maggie Goodlander (D-NH) goes on a ridiculous rant where she doubles down on her treason where she told US Military to disobey orders.<br><br>She’s telling servicemembers to commit sedition.<br><br>Her doing that is clear treason. Try her. Sentence her to life.<a href="https://t.co/YyXpGhfgdf">pic.twitter.com/YyXpGhfgdf</a></p>&mdash; Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) <a href="https://twitter.com/Bubblebathgirl/status/1991643812389638283?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Earlier this morning, President Trump threatened me and a group of service and veteran Members of Congress with arrest, trial, and death by hanging.<br><br>Here’s my response: <a href="https://t.co/jIZYrQTlP7">pic.twitter.com/jIZYrQTlP7</a></p>&mdash; Sen. Elissa Slotkin (@SenatorSlotkin) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenatorSlotkin/status/1991571957494448420?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/rGyeeyOEXf">pic.twitter.com/rGyeeyOEXf</a></p>&mdash; Chrissy Houlahan (@RepHoulahan) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepHoulahan/status/1991636065774628945?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The President of the United States just called for my arrest and execution.<br><br>In these moments, fear is contagious, but so is courage: <a href="https://t.co/QMkRRoUxEn">pic.twitter.com/QMkRRoUxEn</a></p>&mdash; Rep. Jason Crow (@RepJasonCrow) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepJasonCrow/status/1991584226907681097?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Don&#39;t give up the ship. <a href="https://t.co/T4EiN521iY">pic.twitter.com/T4EiN521iY</a></p>&mdash; Chrissy Houlahan (@RepHoulahan) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepHoulahan/status/1991572053825093961?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The <a href="https://twitter.com/SecWar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecWar</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/Sec_Noem?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Sec_Noem</a> should agree to testify on domestic deployments. It is a fundamental issue to who we are as Americans. No matter where you land on the issue, transparency shouldn’t be seen as a threat. <a href="https://t.co/H3SrQ31RlX">pic.twitter.com/H3SrQ31RlX</a></p>&mdash; Sen. Elissa Slotkin (@SenatorSlotkin) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenatorSlotkin/status/1991325305101832674?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Donald Trump is calling for my death and others, and every political leader should condemn the President&#39;s violent threats. <a href="https://t.co/Cgtmoujsba">pic.twitter.com/Cgtmoujsba</a></p>&mdash; Congressman Chris Deluzio (@RepDeluzio) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepDeluzio/status/1991611011942724004?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Q: &quot;Just to be clear, does the president want to execute members of Congress?&quot;<a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PressSec</a> Karoline Leavitt: &quot;No. Let&#39;s be clear about what the president is responding to...you have sitting members of the United States Congress who conspired together to orchestrate a video message… <a href="https://t.co/pPCLJ4LqCD">pic.twitter.com/pPCLJ4LqCD</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1991596354767057136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥Dem lawmakers respond to President Trump's accusation of sedition

Measure comes after legislative session in which lawmakers prodded for changes to weaken or reverse ballot-passed laws

&nbsp; By:&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/jsalinas/">Juan Salinas II</a><br><a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/10/30/nebraska-dhhs-website-blames-dems-for-federal-government-shutdown-as-snap-shutoff-looms/">Nebraska Examiner&nbsp;</a>

LINCOLN — A group of voting advocates filed a ballot measure to make it harder for Nebraska lawmakers to override or alter voter-passed laws.&nbsp;

The group, Respect Nebraska Voters, announced its push to gather signatures on Thursday. The initiative is a state constitutional amendment that would require bigger majorities to repeal or change any law passed by voters.

The measure also would require larger majorities to make changes to the requirements or processes for a citizen-led initiative to reach the ballot.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Currently the Legislature needs two-thirds of lawmakers, or 33 senators, to vote to make those kinds of changes. The ballot measure would increase the required vote to four-fifths, or 40 senators.

Dawn Essink, a sponsor of the&nbsp;new ballot measure, said what prompted the proposed constitutional amendment is seeing the “anger from a lot of Nebraskans who had worked very hard on that paid sick leave initiative, among other initiatives.”

The new push comes after this year’s legislative session, in which the officially nonpartisan but Republican-led Nebraska Legislature, often with gubernatorial support and the support of at least one Democrat, prodded for changes that would have weakened or reversed some ballot measures.&nbsp;

Essink said the ballot initiative process was designed so that the voice of Nebraska voters is heard, but lawmakers are disrespecting voters.&nbsp;

“The Legislature is taking that vote and watering it down … diluting it … call it whatever you want, but they’re changing it to their will, not the will of the people,”&nbsp;Essink said.

For example, advocates said, the&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/11/06/pillen-hilgers-address-omaha-tribe-of-nebraska-marijuana-law-and-tobacco-tax-compact/">state is currently slowrolling</a>&nbsp;two voter-approved laws legalizing and regulating medical cannabis. Nebraska’s GOP lawmakers and Democratic State Sen. Jane Raybold of Lincoln successfully pushed to weaken the voter-approved law’s blanket requirements for paid sick leave by adding new restrictions and exceptions. Legislative majorities tried — and failed for now — to slow down voter-approved minimum wage increases. That proposal is already scheduled to be reconsidered in the upcoming session.

Some conservative lawmakers have considered making the petition process harder because of the recent passage of more progressive measures have been passed in recent years.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Jo Giles, executive director of the Women’s Fund of Omaha and a ballot measure sponsor, said the group wants to add “protections for the ballot initiative” and hopes Gov. Jim Pillen and conservative lawmakers support it.&nbsp;

The ballot initiative process “is direct democracy,” she said. “It is letting Nebraskans vote for issues that come up, and we want them to respect the will of the people,” Giles said.&nbsp;

The group organizing the new petition drive would need to gather the signatures of 10 percent of the state’s registered voters since the initiative seeks to change the state constitution.&nbsp;

Respect Nebraska Voters has until July to get on the November 2026 ballot.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763734074431.png" alt="Volunteer Chelle Jones, right, collects signatures from Jeff and Marge Everman of La Vista, left, for a ballot initiative in support of medical cannabis during the Omaha Farmers Market at the Old Market on Saturday, May 14, 2022, in Omaha, Neb. (Rebecca S. Gratz for the Nebraska Examiner)" />
                        <figcaption>Volunteer Chelle Jones, right, collects signatures from Jeff and Marge Everman of La Vista, left, for a ballot initiative in support of medical cannabis during the Omaha Farmers Market at the Old Market on Saturday, May 14, 2022, in Omaha, Neb. (Rebecca S. Gratz for the Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
                    </figure><h2>Measure comes after legislative session in which lawmakers prodded for changes to weaken or reverse ballot-passed laws</h2><p>&nbsp; By:&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/jsalinas/">Juan Salinas II</a><br><a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/10/30/nebraska-dhhs-website-blames-dems-for-federal-government-shutdown-as-snap-shutoff-looms/">Nebraska Examiner&nbsp;</a></p><p>LINCOLN — A group of voting advocates filed a ballot measure to make it harder for Nebraska lawmakers to override or alter voter-passed laws.&nbsp;</p><p>The group, Respect Nebraska Voters, announced its push to gather signatures on Thursday. The initiative is a state constitutional amendment that would require bigger majorities to repeal or change any law passed by voters.</p><p>The measure also would require larger majorities to make changes to the requirements or processes for a citizen-led initiative to reach the ballot.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Currently the Legislature needs two-thirds of lawmakers, or 33 senators, to vote to make those kinds of changes. The ballot measure would increase the required vote to four-fifths, or 40 senators.</p><p>Dawn Essink, a sponsor of the&nbsp;new ballot measure, said what prompted the proposed constitutional amendment is seeing the “anger from a lot of Nebraskans who had worked very hard on that paid sick leave initiative, among other initiatives.”</p><p>The new push comes after this year’s legislative session, in which the officially nonpartisan but Republican-led Nebraska Legislature, often with gubernatorial support and the support of at least one Democrat, prodded for changes that would have weakened or reversed some ballot measures.&nbsp;</p><p>Essink said the ballot initiative process was designed so that the voice of Nebraska voters is heard, but lawmakers are disrespecting voters.&nbsp;</p><p>“The Legislature is taking that vote and watering it down … diluting it … call it whatever you want, but they’re changing it to their will, not the will of the people,”&nbsp;Essink said.</p><p>For example, advocates said, the&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/11/06/pillen-hilgers-address-omaha-tribe-of-nebraska-marijuana-law-and-tobacco-tax-compact/">state is currently slowrolling</a>&nbsp;two voter-approved laws legalizing and regulating medical cannabis. Nebraska’s GOP lawmakers and Democratic State Sen. Jane Raybold of Lincoln successfully pushed to weaken the voter-approved law’s blanket requirements for paid sick leave by adding new restrictions and exceptions. Legislative majorities tried — and failed for now — to slow down voter-approved minimum wage increases. That proposal is already scheduled to be reconsidered in the upcoming session.</p><p>Some conservative lawmakers have considered making the petition process harder because of the recent passage of more progressive measures have been passed in recent years.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Jo Giles, executive director of the Women’s Fund of Omaha and a ballot measure sponsor, said the group wants to add “protections for the ballot initiative” and hopes Gov. Jim Pillen and conservative lawmakers support it.&nbsp;</p><p>The ballot initiative process “is direct democracy,” she said. “It is letting Nebraskans vote for issues that come up, and we want them to respect the will of the people,” Giles said.&nbsp;</p><p>The group organizing the new petition drive would need to gather the signatures of 10 percent of the state’s registered voters since the initiative seeks to change the state constitution.&nbsp;</p><p>Respect Nebraska Voters has until July to get on the November 2026 ballot.</p>

Nebraska group pushes to ‘protect’ voter-passed laws via ballot initiative

By:<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ashley-murray/">Ashley Murray</a>

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump accused six Democratic lawmakers of sedition on social media Thursday and threatened them with punishment as severe as death, after they appeared in a video message encouraging U.S. armed forces to refuse “illegal orders.”

Trump also shared another social media post that said the Democrats should be hanged.

The video’s distribution online by Democrats comes as the Trump administration is mired in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/11/19/nx-s1-5612793/national-guard-tennessee-trump-court-lawsuit" target="_blank">multiple legal cases</a>&nbsp;objecting to the president’s deployment of National Guard troops to cities across the country, including a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.scotusblog.com/cases/case-files/trump-v-illinois/" target="_blank">challenge</a>&nbsp;to Guard troops in Chicago which is now before the U.S. Supreme Court.

In several morning posts on his own social media platform Truth Social, Trump wrote, “This is really bad, and Dangerous to our Country. Their words cannot be allowed to stand. SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR FROM TRAITORS!!! LOCK THEM UP??? President DJT”&nbsp;

“SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!,” he added a couple of hours later.

Prior to writing and publishing his own, the president reposted several messages from users on Truth Social, including one by a user with the handle @P78 who wrote, “HANG THEM GEORGE WASHINGTON WOULD !!”&nbsp;

Trump and his social media supporters were referring to&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/SenatorSlotkin/status/1990774492356902948" target="_blank">the video</a>, which featured Democratic U.S. lawmakers who served in the military telling current members of the military and the intelligence community to “refuse illegal orders.”

Each line in the video is alternately delivered by Sens. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and Mark Kelly of Arizona, and Reps. Chris Deluzio and Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania, Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire and Jason Crow of Colorado.

“We know you are under enormous stress and pressure right now. Americans trust their military, but that trust is at risk. This administration is pitting our uniformed military and intelligence community professionals against American citizens. Like us, you all swore an oath to protect and defend this Constitution. Right now, the threats to our Constitution aren’t just coming from abroad but from right here at home. Our laws are clear: You can refuse illegal orders,” the lawmakers said.

The video was titled “Don’t give up the ship.”

Does Trump want to ‘execute’ Democrats?

When asked by a CBS News reporter during the daily press briefing Thursday whether the president wants to “execute” members of Congress, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt answered, “No.”

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763664714769.png" alt="Senator Elissa Slotkin of Michigan image from the controversial video" />
                        <figcaption>Senator Elissa Slotkin of Michigan image from the controversial video</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>By:<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ashley-murray/">Ashley Murray</a></p><p>WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump accused six Democratic lawmakers of sedition on social media Thursday and threatened them with punishment as severe as death, after they appeared in a video message encouraging U.S. armed forces to refuse “illegal orders.”</p><p>Trump also shared another social media post that said the Democrats should be hanged.</p><p>The video’s distribution online by Democrats comes as the Trump administration is mired in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/11/19/nx-s1-5612793/national-guard-tennessee-trump-court-lawsuit" target="_blank">multiple legal cases</a>&nbsp;objecting to the president’s deployment of National Guard troops to cities across the country, including a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.scotusblog.com/cases/case-files/trump-v-illinois/" target="_blank">challenge</a>&nbsp;to Guard troops in Chicago which is now before the U.S. Supreme Court.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763674382514.png" alt="<br>" />
                        <figcaption><br></figcaption>
                    </figure><p>In several morning posts on his own social media platform Truth Social, Trump wrote, “This is really bad, and Dangerous to our Country. Their words cannot be allowed to stand. SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR FROM TRAITORS!!! LOCK THEM UP??? President DJT”&nbsp;</p><p>“SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!,” he added a couple of hours later.</p><p>Prior to writing and publishing his own, the president reposted several messages from users on Truth Social, including one by a user with the handle @P78 who wrote, “HANG THEM GEORGE WASHINGTON WOULD !!”&nbsp;</p><p>Trump and his social media supporters were referring to&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/SenatorSlotkin/status/1990774492356902948" target="_blank">the video</a>, which featured Democratic U.S. lawmakers who served in the military telling current members of the military and the intelligence community to “refuse illegal orders.”</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">We want to speak directly to members of the Military and the Intelligence Community.<br><br>The American people need you to stand up for our laws and our Constitution.<br><br>Don’t give up the ship. <a href="https://t.co/N8lW0EpQ7r">pic.twitter.com/N8lW0EpQ7r</a></p>&mdash; Sen. Elissa Slotkin (@SenatorSlotkin) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenatorSlotkin/status/1990774492356902948?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>Each line in the video is alternately delivered by Sens. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and Mark Kelly of Arizona, and Reps. Chris Deluzio and Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania, Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire and Jason Crow of Colorado.</p><p>“We know you are under enormous stress and pressure right now. Americans trust their military, but that trust is at risk. This administration is pitting our uniformed military and intelligence community professionals against American citizens. Like us, you all swore an oath to protect and defend this Constitution. Right now, the threats to our Constitution aren’t just coming from abroad but from right here at home. Our laws are clear: You can refuse illegal orders,” the lawmakers said.</p><p>The video was titled “Don’t give up the ship.”</p><h2>Does Trump want to ‘execute’ Democrats?</h2><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Q: &quot;Just to be clear, does the president want to execute members of Congress?&quot;<a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PressSec</a> Karoline Leavitt: &quot;No. Let&#39;s be clear about what the president is responding to...you have sitting members of the United States Congress who conspired together to orchestrate a video message… <a href="https://t.co/pPCLJ4LqCD">pic.twitter.com/pPCLJ4LqCD</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1991596354767057136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>When asked by a CBS News reporter during the daily press briefing Thursday whether the president wants to “execute” members of Congress, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt answered, “No.”</p><p>Leavitt said Trump was reacting to sitting members of Congress who “conspired” on the video message to encourage active duty service members and national security officials to “defy the president’s lawful orders.”</p><p>Leavitt singled out the participation of Slotkin and Kelly, who respectively served as a CIA intelligence officer and a Navy captain. Leavitt also highlighted&nbsp; Goodlander’s marriage to former National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, who served under President Joe Biden.</p><p>“They were leaning into their credentials as former members of our military, as veterans, as former members of the national security apparatus, to signal to people serving under this commander-in-chief, Donald Trump, that you can defy him, and you can betray your oath of office. That is a very, very dangerous message, and it perhaps is punishable by law,” Leavitt said.</p><p>During the ongoing exchange, CBS’s Nancy Cordes pressed back, saying the lawmakers specifically say “illegal order” in the video.</p><p>“They’re suggesting, Nancy, that the president has given illegal orders, which he has not. Every single order that is given to this United States military by this commander in chief and through this chain of command, through the secretary of War, is lawful,” Leavitt responded.</p><h2>Democrats decry political violence&nbsp;</h2><p>Democratic lawmakers sounded the alarm Thursday over Trump’s social media posts, accusing him of encouraging political violence.</p><p>“Let’s be crystal clear: the president of the United States is calling for the execution of elected officials. This is an outright threat, and it’s deadly serious. We have already seen what happens when Donald Trump tells his followers that his political opponents are enemies of the state,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said on the Senate floor Thursday.</p><p>“Every time Donald Trump posts things like this, he makes political violence more likely. None of us should tolerate this kind of behavior,” Schumer said, highlighting political violence in recent years, including the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, and political assassinations just this past year.</p><p>House Committee on the Judiciary Chair Jamie Raskin, D-Md., called on Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to “immediately denounce these reckless statements.”</p><p>The six Democratic lawmakers featured in the video issued a joint statement, saying they “love this country and swore an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”</p><p>“That oath lasts a lifetime, and we intend to keep it. No threat, intimidation, or call for violence will deter us from that sacred obligation. What’s most telling is that the President considers it punishable by death for us to restate the law,” the lawmakers said.</p>