Earlier this week, far-Left Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) threatened Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem and border czar Tom Homan over their commitment to enforce laws related to illegal immigration, specifically a recent incident concerning New Jersey Democrats at an ICE detention center.
As reported by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hes-not-very-smart-homan-responds-to-newark-mayor-arrested-for-storming-ice-facility?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=5&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=‘He’s+Not+Very+Smart’%3A+Homan+Responds+To+Newark+Mayor+Arrested+For+‘Storming’+ICE+Facility" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Wire</a>, a number of Democrats rushed the Delaney Hall ICE detention facility after gates were opened to allow a bus of apparent illegal immigrants into the facility. <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/05/12/us-news/feds-weigh-assault-charges-for-pols-who-protested-nj-ice-center/?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According</a> to DHS, the feds are considering charges against the Democrats involved.
“If anyone’s breaking the law in this situation, it’s not members of Congress, it’s the Department of Homeland Security,” AOC claimed in a <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DJfpuCXsK6p/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video</a> posted to Instagram on Sunday. “It’s people like Tom Homan and Secretary Kristi Noem.”
“You lay a finger on someone, on Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman &#8230; or any of the representatives that were there &#8212; you lay a finger on them, we are going to have a problem,” AOC threatened. “Because the people who are breaking the law are the people not abiding by it.”
Responding to AOC&#8217;s remarks, Homan told the congresswoman that she should do her job.
&#8220;I wish she&#8217;d do her job,&#8221; he <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-border-czar-fires-back-aoc-over-doj-probe-remarks-why-doesnt-she-pass-some-legislation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Fox News earlier this week. &#8220;She&#8217;s a legislator, right? Why doesn’t she pass some legislation … and actually improve this country like President Donald Trump is already doing?&#8221;
&#8220;She should try doing her job,&#8221; Homan added.
On CNN airwaves, the border czar had another message for the Democrat: she should be thanking DHS for keeping her constituents safe.
“First of all, you can‘t intimidate me. Come on, give me a break,&#8221; he said. &#8220;You know, and as far as New York, her district, this administration has done more to protect her district than she has. The number of criminal aliens we took off the streets of New York made her community much safer.”
“She ought to be thanking the members of this administration, the men and women of ICE, who protect this country and make her community safer,” Homan added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Tom Homan just obliterated AOC 🔥🔥
“This admin has done more to protect her district than she has. The number of criminal aliens we took off the streets in NYC made her community safer… She ought to love her community more than she hates Trump.” <a href="https://t.co/y8blAnlgqM">pic.twitter.com/y8blAnlgqM</a>
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) <a href="https://twitter.com/charliekirk11/status/1922803538125594969?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hes-not-very-smart-homan-responds-to-newark-mayor-arrested-for-storming-ice-facility?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=5&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=‘He’s+Not+Very+Smart’%3A+Homan+Responds+To+Newark+Mayor+Arrested+For+‘Storming’+ICE+Facility" target="_blank" rel="noopener">‘He’s Not Very Smart’: Homan Responds To Newark Mayor Arrested For ‘Storming’ ICE Facility</a>

2024 Democratic National Convention

Border Czar Tom Homan Has Had Enough Of AOC After She Threatens Trump Admin Officials

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Congress

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Kristi Noem

New Jersey

Politics

Tom Homan

On Wednesday, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) defended the exorbitant use of private jets to fly around the country during his “Fighting Oligarchy&#8221; tour with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).
Fox News host Bret Baier broached the topic during an interview with Sanders on &#8220;Special Report.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
WATCH: <a href="https://twitter.com/BretBaier?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BretBaier</a> challenges Bernie Sanders on why he spent $221k using private jets during his ‘fighting oligarchy’ tour <a href="https://t.co/lMii8D4HC1">pic.twitter.com/lMii8D4HC1</a>
— TV News Now (@TVNewsNow) <a href="https://twitter.com/TVNewsNow/status/1920246236898070980?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
He first alluded to a POLITICO <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/24/slotkin-has-a-war-plan-to-beat-trump-dont-be-weak-and-woke-00308176" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> on how Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) urged Democrats to stop harping on the “oligarchy” because the term does not resonate beyond coastal institutions.
Then Baier referred to a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/friends-of-bernie-sanders-spent-200k-on-jets-for-his-fighting-oligarchy-tour" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recent</a> Washington Free Beacon <a href="https://freebeacon.com/politics/bernie-spent-221k-on-private-jets-while-railing-against-trump-during-fighting-oligarchy-tour/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">story</a> on Sanders&#8217; main campaign committee, Friends of Bernie Sanders, spending $221,723 chartering private jets during the first quarter of 2025 after and the senator spending millions of dollars on such flights over the years.
&#8220;You know, Elissa Slotkin, senator from Michigan, she said you shouldn&#8217;t be using &#8216;oligarch,&#8217; it&#8217;s over people&#8217;s head. You&#8217;ve gotten criticized from other people,&#8221; Baier said. &#8220;Free Beacon says Bernie Sanders spent $221,000 on private jets [amid the] &#8216;Fighting Oligarchy&#8221; Tour, paid for by Friends of Bernie Sanders. That you&#8217;ve spent millions of dollars in campaign funds on private jet travel over the years. How do you push back on both of those things?&#8221;
Sanders&#8217; initial inclination was to take a swipe at President Donald Trump.
&#8220;When&#8217;s the last time you saw Donald Trump during a campaign mode at National Airport?&#8221; Sanders asked.
&#8220;No, no, no. It doesn&#8217;t. But he&#8217;s also not fighting the oligarchy,&#8221; Baier replied.
&#8220;No. You run a campaign and you do three or four or five rallies in a week. The only way you can get around to talk to 30,000 people,&#8221; Sanders said. &#8220;Think I&#8217;m going to be sitting on a waiting line at United, waiting, you know, while 30,000 people are waiting? That&#8217;s the only way you can get around. No apologies for that.&#8221;
He added: &#8220;That&#8217;s what campaign travel is about. We&#8217;ve done it in the past, we&#8217;re going to do it in the future.&#8221;
With the reporting on the price tag for the “Fighting Oligarchy&#8221; tour flights, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) criticized Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez for their jet-setting ways with a not-so-subtle nod to their climate activism.
&#8220;Champagne socialists Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez demand Americans surrender their pick-up trucks, air conditioning and meat from the luxe leather seats of their private jets that cost more per hour than most Americans earn in months. Their hypocrisy is staggering,&#8221; NRCC spokesperson Ben Petersen <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/champagne-socialists-sanders-aoc-spotted-exiting-private-jet-fighting-oligarchy-tour" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Fox News Digital.

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT)

‘No Apologies’ From Bernie Sanders For $221K Spent On Private Jets During ‘Fighting Oligarchy’ Tour

Bernie Sanders

Bret Baier

Private jets

U.S.

U.S. Senate

Trump administration border czar Tom Homan responded to far-Left Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), after she dared Homan to come after her for helping illegal immigrants evade law enforcement.
AOC, during a town hall on Friday, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/shame-shame-shame-all-hell-breaks-loose-at-aoc-town-hall?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=‘Shame%21+Shame%21+Shame%21’%3A+All+Hell+Breaks+Loose+At+AOC+Town+Hall" target="_blank" rel="noopener">challenged</a> Homan to refer her to the Department of Justice for “using her free speech rights” to advise illegal immigrants on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/aoc-admits-she-was-openly-advising-illegals-on-how-to-avoid-law-enforcement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">how to avoid law enforcement</a>, saying, &#8220;Come for me.&#8221;
&#8220;I take pleasure I can live in her mind rent-free every day,&#8221; Homan said on Fox News on Tuesday night, responding to the lawmaker.
&#8220;We all know exactly what she&#8217;s doing,&#8221; the border czar continued. &#8220;She&#8217;s educating the worst of the worst on how to evade law enforcement, but the tables have now turned: she&#8217;s educating people how to get prosecuted.&#8221;
&#8220;It&#8217;s a crime to take steps to not comply with ICE (Department of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) removal orders, or not comply with ICE actions to take you into custody,&#8221; Homan said. &#8220;You can&#8217;t hinder your own removal that was ordered by the federal judge.&#8221;
&#8220;I would like AOC to read Title 8, USC 1253, because it&#8217;s starting tomorrow,&#8221; he added.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Tom Homan reacts LIVE to AOC challenging him to come after her for educating illegals on how to evade ICE 🔥
&#8220;I take pleasure I can live in her mind rent free everyday. We all know exactly what she&#8217;s doing. She&#8217;s educating the worst of the worst on how to evade law enforcement.… <a href="https://t.co/euO8wWAEJ4">pic.twitter.com/euO8wWAEJ4</a>
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) <a href="https://twitter.com/charliekirk11/status/1919908234103861617?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
During an interview with NPR in March, AOC said, “I was informing all of my constituents of their constitutional protections and, in particular, their constitutional protections against illegal search and seizure in the United States.&#8221;
Ocasio-Cortez then seemed to concede that she was advising illegals on how to continue violating America’s laws when asked by NPR. “I was giving advice to all of my constituents, yeah,” AOC responded.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/AOC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AOC</a> is challenging <a href="https://twitter.com/RealTomHoman?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RealTomHoman</a> to “come get her” for helping illegals avoid deportations.
Be careful what you wish for, sweetie. <a href="https://t.co/3dtH730lRK">pic.twitter.com/3dtH730lRK</a>
— Spitfire (@DogRightGirl) <a href="https://twitter.com/DogRightGirl/status/1918470924262592808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 3, 2025</a></blockquote>
AOC and Homan sparred last year, when Ocasio-Cortez suggested that illegally entering the United States was not a law violation.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
America,
Watch your new Border Czar, Tom Homan, absolutely destroy AOC with nothing but facts 🔥🔥🔥
We are in good hands. <a href="https://t.co/2t7qggNCfq">pic.twitter.com/2t7qggNCfq</a>
— TONY™ (@TONYxTWO) <a href="https://twitter.com/TONYxTWO/status/1855834723651928335?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 11, 2024</a></blockquote>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/shame-shame-shame-all-hell-breaks-loose-at-aoc-town-hall?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=‘Shame%21+Shame%21+Shame%21’%3A+All+Hell+Breaks+Loose+At+AOC+Town+Hall" target="_blank" rel="noopener">‘Shame! Shame! Shame!’: All Hell Breaks Loose At AOC Town Hall</a>

AOC, Tom Homan

AOC Dared Tom Homan To Come After Her For Helping Illegals. Here’s His Response.

AOC Challenged Tom Homan To ‘Come Get Me' For Helping Illegals. Here’s His Response.

Crime

A far-Left protester scolded New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D) during a town hall event held Friday, accusing AOC of being a &#8220;liar&#8221; and a &#8220;war criminal.&#8221;
“I am a health care worker and I want to know what you’re doing about the genocide in Gaza!” the female protester yelled at Ocasio-Cortez. &#8220;I&#8217;m a nurse, shame on you!&#8221;
&#8220;Shame on you, you&#8217;re a liar. You&#8217;re a liar!&#8221; the protester continued to yell. &#8220;You&#8217;re a war criminal! War criminal!&#8221;
AOC has notably <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/24/politics/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-aoc-israel-gaza-genocide-cnntv" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accused</a> Israel of &#8220;genocide&#8221; following <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/one-year-later-the-7-lessons-of-october-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hamas&#8217; terror attacks</a> on Israeli civilians, and Israel&#8217;s subsequent actions against the terrorist group.
Some of AOC&#8217;s supporters loudly booed the protester or yelled, &#8220;Shame! Shame! Shame!&#8221; A few others, though, yelled that the protester should be able to speak.
For AOC&#8217;s part, the congresswoman said that she would be &#8220;happy&#8221; to respond to a question from the protester, and largely stayed quiet as numerous males escorted the far-Left woman out of the event.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
HAPPENING NOW: All hell breaks loose at AOC’s townhall. <a href="https://t.co/09g6yieTb0">pic.twitter.com/09g6yieTb0</a>
— Bad Hombre (@joma_gc) <a href="https://twitter.com/joma_gc/status/1918471987074048168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 3, 2025</a></blockquote>
During the same town hall event, Ocasio-Cortez challenged Trump administration Border Czar Tom Homan to refer her to the Department of Justice for &#8220;using her free speech rights&#8221; to advise illegal immigrants on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/aoc-admits-she-was-openly-advising-illegals-on-how-to-avoid-law-enforcement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">how to avoid law enforcement</a>.
&#8220;Come get me,&#8221; AOC taunted Homan.
“I was informing all of my constituents of their constitutional protections and, in particular, their constitutional protections against illegal search and seizure in the United States,” the lawmaker <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/aoc-admits-she-was-openly-advising-illegals-on-how-to-avoid-law-enforcement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> back in March during an interview with NPR.
Notably, AOC seemed to concede that she was giving advice to illegal aliens on how to continue violating America’s laws, when asked by NPR. “I was giving advice to all of my constituents, yeah,&#8221; Ocasio-Cortez responded.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/AOC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AOC</a> is challenging <a href="https://twitter.com/RealTomHoman?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RealTomHoman</a> to “come get her” for helping illegals avoid deportations.
Be careful what you wish for, sweetie. <a href="https://t.co/3dtH730lRK">pic.twitter.com/3dtH730lRK</a>
— Spitfire (@DogRightGirl) <a href="https://twitter.com/DogRightGirl/status/1918470924262592808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 3, 2025</a></blockquote>
AOC has been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/you-are-being-rude-aoc-struggles-when-confronted-at-town-hall-about-war">confronted</a> by protesters numerous times while holding town hall events.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/you-are-being-rude-aoc-struggles-when-confronted-at-town-hall-about-war" target="_blank" rel="noopener">‘You Are Being Rude!’: AOC Struggles When Confronted At Town Hall About War</a>

‘Shame! Shame! Shame!’: All Hell Breaks Loose At AOC Town Hall

‘Shame! Shame Shame!’: All Hell Breaks Loose At AOC Town Hall

Gaza

Hamas

Israel

New York

New York City

NewsNation host Chris Cuomo blasted Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) during a Thursday broadcast, warning Democrats not to get behind her as she tours the country with Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) — and appears ready to potentially mount a presidential campaign in 2028.
Cuomo, in addition to criticizing Ocasio-Cortez&#8217; thin Congressional resume, referred to the Bronx native as an &#8220;80/20 loser&#8221; whose only real accomplishments can be measured in social media &#8220;likes.&#8221;
WATCH:
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🚨NEW: <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisCuomo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChrisCuomo</a> WARNS Dems it&#39;s foolish to elevate &quot;socialist&quot; AOC as top presidential contender🚨
&quot;AOC has done nothing meaningful in Congress. She&#39;s done it all on social media. And she&#39;s one of your leading names and who&#39;s going to be president? &#8230; She&#39;s an 80/20 loser… <a href="https://t.co/nwO2K3ghcn">pic.twitter.com/nwO2K3ghcn</a>
&mdash; Jason Cohen 🇺🇸 (@JasonJournoDC) <a href="https://twitter.com/JasonJournoDC/status/1915419115788829030?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;AOC has done nothing meaningful in Congress. She&#8217;s done it all on social media,&#8221; Cuomo began. &#8220;And she&#8217;s one of your leading names and who&#8217;s going to be president?&#8221;
&#8220;Do you not get this concept of 80/20? She&#8217;s an 80/20 loser all day long,&#8221; Cuomo continued, suggesting that on most major issues that Americans cared about, Ocasio-Cortez would side with 20% while 80% sided against her. &#8220;Why? She is clearly catering to a minority. She&#8217;s her own version of MAGA. She&#8217;s looking for an outraged enclave.&#8221;
&#8220;She&#8217;s not about the majority, she&#8217;s not about consensus. She&#8217;s not about solutions,&#8221; he concluded. &#8220;She wants government to give you everything. She&#8217;s a socialist in a capitalist society. What are you thinking!?&#8221;
A number of people have suggested that Ocasio-Cortez is likely to mount a primary challenge against Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) — and Schumer&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cnn-data-guru-its-time-for-chuck-schumer-to-panic-sirens-should-be-going-off" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recent poll numbers</a>, according to CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten, have many wondering whether he could withstand such a battle.
&#8220;They simply don’t like the job he’s doing as Senate leader. I mean, look at this — should Schumer stay as Senate leader? Again, according to New York Democrats, just 50% say yes. Look at this number — 48% say no,” Enten said. “This screams — sirens should be going off. Primary challenge. Primary challenge. Primary challenge. When you’re a Democrat in New York and these are your ratings — this is a big wake-up call if you’re Chuck Schumer.&#8221;
But others have suggested that the New York Congresswoman might be plotting a much bigger move:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
She&#39;s running for president.<a href="https://t.co/nWbnbnn0Ar">pic.twitter.com/nWbnbnn0Ar</a>
&mdash; Michael Knowles (@michaeljknowles) <a href="https://twitter.com/michaeljknowles/status/1915529189488263488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
She’s going to run and her message of economic populism is more powerful than people are giving her credit for. <a href="https://t.co/izAoGvR70y">https://t.co/izAoGvR70y</a>
&mdash; Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) <a href="https://twitter.com/MeghanMcCain/status/1915453416731459991?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Since we all seem to agree that AOC is running in 2028, I want to start the clock on the inevitable &quot;she&#39;s always been a moderate&quot; reform tour that she&#39;s already laying the groundwork for by being absent from a lot of the squad&#39;s bullshit these days. <a href="https://t.co/1O2nLFfHZi">https://t.co/1O2nLFfHZi</a>
&mdash; Noam Blum (@neontaster) <a href="https://twitter.com/neontaster/status/1915771670817628437?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I am telling you…she is running and she is going to be more formidable than some Democrats seem to think <a href="https://t.co/rifJTFv2Ns">https://t.co/rifJTFv2Ns</a>
&mdash; Chris Cillizza (@ChrisCillizza) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisCillizza/status/1915236450511081938?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Also, she&#39;s running. Notice how she&#39;s shifting from intersectional divisiveness to progressive economics. And if Republicans underestimate her they&#39;re making a crucial mistake. If the economy craters, she&#39;s the likely frontrunner to be president in 2028.
&mdash; Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) <a href="https://twitter.com/benshapiro/status/1915662794629775742?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Chris Cuomo Blasts ’80-20 Loser’ Ocasio-Cortez, Warns Dems Not To Pick Her In 2028

Chris Cuomo Blasts '80-20 Loser' AOC, Warns Dems Not To Pick Her In 2028

Chris Cuomo

Elections

Media

CNN&#8217;s resident pollster Harry Enten raised the big red flags as he broke down the latest numbers for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) — who has held one of New York&#8217;s two Senate seats since 1999 — noting that the Democratic leader&#8217;s future looks far from secure.
Enten, whose official job title is chief data analyst, joined anchor John Berman on Thursday&#8217;s broadcast of CNN News Central — and he laid out the details of a Siena College poll, explaining why those numbers should be setting off alarm bells for Schumer and his team.
WATCH:
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🚨NEW: CNN&#39;s Harry Enten warns Chuck Schumer it&#39;s officially time to PANIC about his political future🚨
&quot;Should Schumer stay as Senate leader? According to New York Democrats, just 50% say yes &#8230; 48% say no. This screams — sirens should be going off. Primary challenge. Primary… <a href="https://t.co/q1synv0V6y">pic.twitter.com/q1synv0V6y</a>
&mdash; Jason Cohen 🇺🇸 (@JasonJournoDC) <a href="https://twitter.com/JasonJournoDC/status/1915445411956801841?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;New York Democrats on Chuck Schumer — view him favorably in December of 2024. That was just a few months ago — it was 73%. Look at where that number has fallen to in just a few months. It is now down to just 52%,&#8221; Enten explained, adding, &#8220;That is the lowest I could ever find in Siena College on how Democrats in Chuck Schumer’s home state view him.&#8221;
&#8220;And keep in mind, if you’re thinking about a primary challenge, it would be a few years away — but Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s favorable rating among Democrats is considerably higher, in the 60s. So he is doing quite poorly in his own home state of New York,&#8221; Enten continued. &#8220;I never thought I’d see the day in which just 52% of New York Democrats view Chuck Schumer favorably. It’s almost unfathomable.&#8221;
Enten went on to note that other poll questions had given equally bad news for the New York Democrat — who has led the Senate Democratic Caucus since 2017 and was the Senate Majority Leader for the last four years.
&#8220;They simply don’t like the job he’s doing as Senate leader. I mean, look at this — should Schumer stay as Senate leader? Again, according to New York Democrats, just 50% say yes. Look at this number — 48% say no,&#8221; he added. &#8220;This screams — sirens should be going off. Primary challenge. Primary challenge. Primary challenge. When you’re a Democrat in New York and these are your ratings — this is a big wake-up call if you’re Chuck Schumer.&#8221;

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer

CNN Data Guru: It’s Time For Chuck Schumer To Panic, ‘Sirens Should Be Going Off’

CNN Data Guru: It's Time For Chuck Schumer To Panic, 'Sirens Should Be Going Off'

Chuck Schumer

Polls

Pope Francis passes away just one day after delivering an Easter message to millions of Christian faithful. It will be days before the church picks a new pontiff, but some favorites have already emerged. And, with Republicans in control of D.C., Democrats are searching for a strategy and a leader to pull them out of the political abyss.
It’s Tuesday, April 22, and this is the news you need to know to start your day. If you’d rather listen to your news, today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
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<h2>Pope Francis’ Legacy</h2>
<div id="attachment_910567" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-910567" class="size-large wp-image-910567" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Pope-Francis-1-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Pope-Francis-1-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Pope-Francis-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Pope-Francis-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Pope-Francis-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Pope-Francis-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Pope-Francis-1-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Pope-Francis-1-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />(Photo by Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images)</div>
Topline: Pope Francis, the 266th head of the Catholic Church, died Monday at the age of 88. His death marks the end of a transformative and, at times, polarizing papacy.
Pope Francis will likely be remembered as a progressive reformer. In 2013, shortly after he was elected, he made his famously controversial statement about gay priests, “Who am I to judge?” His 2015 encyclical called for environmental action, and he continually urged world leaders to address climate change. During his last Easter address on Sunday, after meeting with Vice President JD Vance, he warned against politicians stirring up “anti-migrant” sentiments.
But his papacy wasn’t as transformative as many theological progressives would have liked. Francis did endorse civil unions for same-sex couples, which was a historic move for a pope, and approved a document saying priests could “bless” gay couples. But he also upheld the Church’s stance that marriage is between a man and a woman. He also refused to approve the use of contraception and ordaining women, and was staunchly pro-life.
Francis took steps to curb the influence of conservative prelates who viewed his reforms as a threat to Church tradition. In 2014, he removed conservative cardinals like Raymond Burke, a vocal critic, from a key Vatican post. He also appointed more moderate or progressive bishops to various roles of authority and elevated like-minded clerics to the College of Cardinals. Because of this, critics accused him of stacking the deck and stifling dissent.
“He was really progressive,” Robert Sirico, former president of the conservative Acton Institute, told Morning Wire. “People call him a Marxist. They don&#8217;t think he was a Marxist. He certainly wasn&#8217;t a free market kind of guy, the way John Paul was. But on the other hand, I think he profoundly misunderstood the United States on a very visceral level, and I think that is owing to his Argentinian background.”
Despite possibly being the most progressive pope in history, Francis’ tenure saw a resurgence of conservative Catholicism, especially among young believers. Last year, we reported on the surge in Catholic conversions among young people in New York City. However, there is also evidence that this trend is happening in Europe. According to the Bishops’ Conference of France, more than 10,000 adults were baptized into the Roman Catholic Church on Easter Sunday – mostly young adults between the ages of 18 and 25. Something similar is happening in England, where surveys now show that Catholics outnumber Anglicans by more than two to one among Gen Z and younger millennials. These younger people, particularly young men, are <a href="https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/best-of-the-week/honorable-mention/2024/americas-catholic-church-seeing-shift-toward-more-conservative-ways/">being especially drawn</a> to more conservative expressions of faith.
<h2>The Next Pope</h2>
<div id="attachment_910565" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-910565" class="size-large wp-image-910565" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Conclave-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Conclave-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Conclave-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Conclave-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Conclave-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Conclave-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Conclave-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Conclave-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />(Photo by GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP via Getty Images)</div>
Topline: Speculation is already swirling about who will become the next head of the Catholic Church.
When a pope dies, eligible cardinals convene a papal conclave, where they cast ballots for the next pope. Famously, white smoke appears from the Sistine Chapel’s chimney when a new pope is elected, and a cardinal comes out to announce the new pope to cheering crowds in St. Peter’s Square. Usually, one of the cardinals is elected the next pope, and the big question on many Catholics’ minds is whether the new pope will lean conservative or progressive on controversial issues.
One of the more conservative candidates being discussed as a possible successor is Cardinal Robert Sarah, 79, an African cardinal from Guinea who has been an outspoken critic of Francis.
“The Church is not a social organization to meet [the] problem of migration or poverty,” Sarah <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nG0YSN7LeAM">said</a>, in response to Pope Francis’s stance on immigration policy. “The Church is a divine purpose to save the world.”
Sarah was critical of Francis’ restrictions on the traditional Latin Mass and his statement on blessings for same-sex couples.
Cardinal Wim Eijk, 71, is also considered a conservative potential successor. Eijk is a former medical doctor from the Netherlands – and he’s been a sharp critic of Francis. He is one of the authors of a 2015 document opposing the pope’s approval of civil remarriages among people who have not received an annulment, <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/02/18/world-news/who-are-the-frontrunners-to-be-elected-next-pontiff-after-pope-francis/">calling</a> them “a form of structured and institutionalized adultery.” Eijk also <a href="https://www.ncregister.com/blog/cardinal-eijk-pope-francis-needed-to-give-clarity-on-intercommunion">criticized</a> Francis for giving what he called a “completely incomprehensible” response to a German Bishops’ Conference proposal on allowing Protestants to receive the Eucharist.
Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, 77, is another conservative from Sri Lanka. He criticized bishops who did not obey Pope Benedict on allowing the Latin Mass.
Cardinal Raymond Burke, 76, is one of the few potential successors from the United States. Burke has criticized the Church’s more liberal language under Francis, and he said that Catholic politicians who support legal abortion, like former President Joe Biden, should not receive the Eucharist.
A number of more progressive and politically moderate candidates are also likely to take the reins of the Church.
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, 67, who’s been <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20151124125431/http://www.cruxnow.com/church/2015/01/15/manila-cardinal-luis-tagle-the-asian-pope-francis/">called</a> the “Asian Pope Francis” and would likely continue Francis’ more left-leaning stances. Tagle has defended the Church’s teachings on abortion and contraception, but he has also criticized the Church for using “harsh words” for LGBT people and divorced and remarried Catholics.
Another more progressive cardinal in the running is the French Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline, 66, who was reportedly Francis’ “favorite” to succeed him and is well-liked in left-wing circles.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, 70, is an Italian cardinal who has been in the Holy See’s diplomatic service since the 1980s, is considered a political moderate and has played a role in many political issues, including moderating 2014 talks between Cuban and American officials, asking the United States to find an “adequate humanitarian solution” for Guantanamo Bay prisoners, and urging countries to implement the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.
<h2>Democrats Tilt Left As They Search For A Standard Bearer</h2>
<div id="attachment_910569" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-910569" class="size-large wp-image-910569" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Liberal-Tilt-Graphic-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Liberal-Tilt-Graphic-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Liberal-Tilt-Graphic-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Liberal-Tilt-Graphic-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Liberal-Tilt-Graphic-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Liberal-Tilt-Graphic-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Liberal-Tilt-Graphic-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Liberal-Tilt-Graphic-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />(Photo by Gajus via Getty Images)</div>
Topline: As President Donald Trump approaches his 100th day in office, Democrats are still searching for a message — and messenger — to lead their party.
Since their defeat in November, there’s been little cause for confidence within the Democratic Party. For the optimists on the Left, Democrats did see strong turnout in special elections in a dozen or so states, where their candidates outperformed Kamala Harris by an average of <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/democratic-performance-improving-slew-special-elections-weary-party-lo-rcna198984">more than 10 percentage points</a>. Most notably, Democrats won a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dangerously-liberal-judge-projected-to-win-wisconsin-supreme-court-race">resounding victory</a> for a Supreme Court seat in Wisconsin — a state Trump won by a point.
But: The bad news outweighs the good. First, <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nn1HT9AZ2OPFuB1z2jKHM6OMrh-NONO0NIzOoHqjxk8/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.35xntky3bxsv">Gallup</a> just found that the approval rating for Democrat leaders in Congress has fallen to just 25%. Not only is that the lowest mark in the poll&#8217;s history, it’s a full nine points lower than the previous record. That disapproval is crossing party lines – according to the latest numbers from CNN, only 63% of Democrats even view their own party favorably.
Polling shows that folks on the Left feel their leaders don’t have a clear strategy for standing up to Trump. A recent survey from Data for Progress asked Democrat voters how they would grade their party leaders’ response to Donald Trump &#8212; 7 in 10 gave a C, D, or F. If they had a singular leader to rally around, there might be more optimism, but there isn’t a clear standard bearer waiting in the wings for them to rally around. President Barack Obama can’t run again and is seemingly content to work primarily behind the scenes. Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is 85 years old and could retire at any moment. President Joe Biden is 82 and still unpopular with the general public. Vice President Kamala Harris could come back into the fray, but she’s essentially been in hiding since November.
That void has left an opportunity for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) — two of the Left’s most popular, and controversial lawmakers — to take center stage. A poll last week from Survey USA found that 50% of Democrats want the party to “become more progressive,” while just 18% said “more moderate.” AOC and Sanders&#8217; &#8220;Fighting Oligarchy&#8221; speaking tour has drawn massive crowds all across the country, including in deep-red states like Idaho and Utah. Instead of embracing a more moderate approach, they’ve gone all-in on calling for Democrats to embrace their far-Left base and oppose Trump at all costs.
“Donald Trump is a criminal who was found guilty of 34 counts of fraud,” AOC <a href="https://x.com/Bubblebathgirl/status/1911951880395055606">told</a> a cheering crowd in Idaho. “Of course he’s lying and abusing and manipulating the stock market, too. When he talks about rapists and criminals he should look in the mirror.”
Ocasio-Cortez raised nearly $10 million last quarter — by far her largest haul since taking office, and according to a recent YouGov poll, she’s got a +61 approval rating among Democrat voters. Polls now show that Ocasio-Cortez is a frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028. Plenty of Republicans are salivating at the idea of AOC becoming the party’s leader or nominee, given her endorsements of measures that are unpopular with the general public, including the Green New Deal, defunding the police, and abolishing ICE.
To that point, California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom appears to be pushing his party to make a beeline for the middle, urging it to retreat from political correctness, oppose boys in girls&#8217; sports, and refrain from apocalyptic language about Donald Trump and his supporters. But right now, that message doesn’t seem to be gaining much traction with Democratic voters.

Pope Francis Leads Way Of The Cross On Rio’s Copacabana Beach

Morning Brief: The Pope’s Legacy, Potential Successors & The Future Of The Democratic Party

Catholic Church

Democratic Party

General

Pope Francis

World

While Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has traveled around the country since late February on his “Fighting Oligarchy Tour,” his principal campaign committee has reportedly spent more than $200,000 chartering private jets in the last few months.
“Friends of Bernie Sanders, which manages the Fighting Oligarchy Tour, contracted three firms that charter jets: Cirrus Aviation Services, N-Jet, and Ventura Jets, according to the filings,” The Washington Free Beacon, which examined the campaign’s expenditures, <a href="https://freebeacon.com/politics/bernie-spent-221k-on-private-jets-while-railing-against-trump-during-fighting-oligarchy-tour/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported.</a> “Payments to those three firms accounted for nearly 75 percent of the campaign&#8217;s total transportation costs during that period. The campaign spent another $63,830 on commercial airline tickets. It also spent nearly $41,000 on lodging and $248,245 on event production.”
Sanders and his chosen favorite Rep. Alexandria  Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) “chartered a private jet worth up to a staggering $15,000 an hour for several West Coast stops on their ‘Fighting Oligarchy’ tour,” Fox News<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/champagne-socialists-sanders-aoc-spotted-boarding-private-jet-fighting-oligarchy-tour" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> reported</a> Thursday.
“Champagne socialists Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez demand Americans surrender their pick-up trucks, air conditioning and meat from the luxe leather seats of their private jets that cost more per hour than most Americans earn in months. Their hypocrisy is staggering,” National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) spokesperson Ben Petersen <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/champagne-socialists-sanders-aoc-spotted-154847767.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stated</a>.
In the third quarter of 2017, Sanders’ campaign spent more than $37,000 on private jet travel, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/bernie-sanders-senate-campaign-spent-nearly-40g-on-private-jets-last-quarter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to Federal Election Commission records. In 2014, Sanders railed against carbon emissions, <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/why-we-need-a-carbon-tax_b_5571408" target="_blank" rel="noopener">writing</a>, “The fossil fuel industry is destroying the planet with impunity and getting rich while doing it. That must end.”
“We will not accept a rigged economy where working people struggle while billionaires become richer,&#8221; Sanders said on Tuesday. “We have got to create an economy that works for working people, not just Mr. [Elon] Musk and the billionaire class.”
In the February 2020 Democratic presidential primary debate in Nevada, Sanders <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/full-transcript-ninth-democratic-debate-las-vegas-n1139546" target="_blank" rel="noopener">declared</a>, “We are living in many ways in a socialist society right now.” He continued by attacking former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, saying, “I believe in democratic socialism for working people, not billionaires, health care for all, educational opportunities for all. Creating a government that works for all, not just for Mr. Bloomberg.”
Bloomberg fired back, “What a wonderful country we have. The best-known socialist in the country happens to be a millionaire with three houses. What did I miss here?”
Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus once <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/business-leaders/home-depot-cofounder-bernie-sanders-is-the-enemy-of-every-entrepreneur" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> of Sanders, “Don’t bring up Bernie Sanders, because that&#8217;s a red flag in front of me. He is the enemy of every entrepreneur that&#8217;s ever going to be born in this country and has been born in the past.&#8221;

Bernie Sanders And Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Hold “Fighting Oligarchy” Rally In L.A.

‘Friends Of Bernie Sanders’ Spent 200K On Jets For His ‘Fighting Oligarchy’ Tour

Democrats have a serious problem. President Trump&#8217;s approval ratings maintain their status, hovering somewhere close to 50%, which is higher than they have been in nearly his entire political career.
His main policies are quite popular, ranging from crackdowns on illegal immigration — which is a very popular position — to his positions with regard to DOGE. Most Americans favor cutting waste, fraud, and abuse, and Democrats really don&#8217;t know how to deal with it.
The Democrats have missed governance at nearly every level of government. Meanwhile, President Trump is moving incredibly fast, making it very difficult for the Democrats to figure out what the point of differentiation is. Where do they want to put their chips? Where is the line of attack they can use against President Trump going to be?
Political commentator Matthew Continetti has put forward a rule, which I think is exactly right: If you are trying to scope out the future candidates of any party, the going rule for the last several decades has been that the successful presidential candidate first runs against his or her own party, and then runs for the presidency.
President Trump is an excellent example of this. He came in 2016. He ran against every aspect of the Republican Party. He broke the Republican Party, and then he took the presidency. Barack Obama did this in 2008. He overcame Hillary Clinton (who was considered the establishment pick), took over the party, and then won.
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/bss-ep-2164-member-exclusive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: The Ben Shapiro Show</a></h3>
There are a few angles that could be used to take over the Democratic Party. The first (and better) administrative angle would suggest that the federal government is actually good at certain things and then should get a lot of regulations out of the way so the government can build things again, like a Hoover Dam, affordable housing, or a bullet train.
One problem for Democrats is that they have a very bad record of administration, as demonstrated by places like New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Detroit. That&#8217;s problem number one.
Problem number two is that most of the Democratic hard-core does not care about any of that. They care more deeply about the “moral issues” in the country, rather than caring deeply about being good at administration. They don&#8217;t understand that being a good administrator on the local or state level actually does have a moral component, because if you wish to alleviate poverty, for example, one of the best ways is to provide a stable and useful local government.
But Democrats have stopped believing that to be true, so they are left with a couple of other angles.
One is the DEI angle: that the Democratic Party stands for recentering the marginalized. This is the attempt to elevate candidates of color (see: Kamala Harris) or elevating people on the basis of sexual orientation (see: Pete Buttigieg, who is gay) to a presidential candidacy at the expense of other candidates who might be better qualified.
There&#8217;s a lot of support for that inside the Democratic Party. That is the angle they&#8217;ve been taking, and it has been failing. Democrats may double down on stupid. If they do, they&#8217;re unlikely to win back the presidency.
The Democratic establishment has failed the Democratic Party and they know it, which is why Chuck Schumer is under serious fire right now.
So, what are Democrats left with?
The Bernie-Sanders’ wing.
He’s too old. He&#8217;s not going to be the guy. Nevertheless, the Bernie-Sanders’ energy is the insurgent energy inside the Democratic Party — energy that is full-scale class warfare. DEI has been played out. So, they are reverting to the original Marxism from race or sex Marxism.
This is the direction of the Democratic Party. This is where the energy is.
And this is exactly what the Trump administration should be concerned about. The Trump administration has to be exceptionally good at what it does. If they fail, the next thing up on the Democratic side of the aisle is Sanders and whomever he (an 83-year-old lifelong, useless leech on the rear of society) taps on the shoulder.
It is not a coincidence that Sanders is tapping Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — who is appearing with him at rallies — on the shoulder. Sanders is abandoning certain issues that are tent-pole Democrat issues right now and focusing on pure class warfare.
Sanders is running around because he knows that he&#8217;s being asked to create a war inside the party. What he actually wants is for AOC to run for president.
 Meanwhile, she is positioning herself against an establishment Democratic Party that is unwilling to face up to the challenges of President Trump, which is smart.
The goal right now for Democrats is very simple: to steer into full-scale class warfare.
There&#8217;s a reason they keep using the word “oligarchy.” What they&#8217;re attempting to do is craft a narrative about a group of people at the top of government, in private industry and the public sector, working together to corrupt the system.
The typical comeback to that from the conservative side of the aisle is, “If the economy is booming, what are you complaining about?”
But the reason the class warfare argument is clever is because of the way that people tend to filter politics. We talk about politics every day on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/the-ben-shapiro-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">my show</a>, and if you listen to the show, you&#8217;re a member of a tiny group in the American public who watch politics at a fairly granular level. You know the players and the general arguments.
But the vast majority of  people in the United States have a picture of politics that is significantly less granular.
Georges Seurat was a famous Impressionist painter. He created paintings by using thousands of dots. People who watch politics closely are like people who view a Seurat painting up close and see every single dot, every pixel.
But if you draw back from a Seurat painting, you see the painting is a picture of something. Most people wander into a room with a Seurat painting, observe the painting as people who are walking by a river, and then walk out of the room. They do not analyze a granular view.
So Democrats are counting on people seeing a picture of President Trump at the inauguration, flanked by Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Tim Cook, Sundar Pichai, Neal Mohan, and all the other tech CEOs in a room together, with a bird’s-eye view — not a granular view.
What the Democrats are banking on is a close coordination between private industry and the president — and then for the economy to fail.
And if there&#8217;s an economic fall, AOC is right there, and so is Bernie.
Let&#8217;s be clear about what the threat level is: It is serious. This is why the economy must succeed.
The greatest danger to the Trump administration is an economic downturn. Anything else can be overcome. An economic downturn gets attributed to the president who is the president when it happens, whether or not he deserves it. That&#8217;s just the way it works.
Therefore, that is the great danger.
This White House being very friendly toward business is great. That is wonderful. But every image showing how friendly this White House is toward business becomes a weapon in the arsenal of people like AOC, who doesn&#8217;t understand business, doesn&#8217;t understand economics, truly hates the rich, and thinks there&#8217;s an immoral quality that adheres to you as you gain wealth and makes you immoral and bad.
That’s a Marxist sentiment that makes no sense on a moral level. Pretty much everyone I know who was at one point not rich and then became rich is the same person they always were.
I know many people who are wonderful and are not rich. I know many people who are wonderful and are rich. I know many people who are awful and are rich. I know many people who are awful and are not rich.
Wealth does not define character.
But for people like Sanders and AOC, there&#8217;s a flattering view they can present to the vast majority of Americans, which is that if you are rich, it&#8217;s because you suckered someone and did something wrong or corrupt; further, they contend that participating in the capitalist system makes you morally inferior in some way.
That’s why Sanders will say billionaires should not exist. He doesn&#8217;t just mean we should redistribute wealth. He means there is something immoral in being a billionaire.
But people tend to judge politics that way: walking through the room, looking once at the painting, and walking out.
If they observe the White House as being close to various industrial capitalists and tech bros who are and have been successful, and then the economy sinks, all will be tied to the sinking ship.
Which is why it is imperative that the Trump administration not let the economic ship sink.

US-POLITICS-DEMOCRACY

The Democrats’ 2028 Frontrunner Is … AOC?!

The Democrats' 2028 Frontrunner Is … AOC?!

Ben Shapiro

Democrats

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

Opinion

President Trump

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) faces growing scrutiny as Democrats and their allies debate whether he should step down. The controversy stems from his decision earlier this month not to obstruct the Republicans&#8217; stopgap bill, which aimed to prevent a partial government shutdown — a move that has unsettled the Democratic Party&#8217;s base.
On ABC&#8217;s &#8220;This Week,&#8221; Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) nearly walked out of an interview when asked by co-anchor Jonathan Karl whether he would like to see Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) join him in the Senate. This followed CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/13/politics/ocasio-cortez-schumer-democratic-shutdown-plan/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reporting</a> that Ocasio-Cortez was being urged to consider a primary against Schumer. Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez just appeared together for a rally in Denver.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🚨Angry Bernie gets up and threatens to walk out of interview after ABC’s Karl asks him about AOC joining him in the Senate:
“You wanna do nonsense, do nonsense!” <a href="https://t.co/lfTjgXMyAX">pic.twitter.com/lfTjgXMyAX</a>
&mdash; Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) <a href="https://twitter.com/WesternLensman/status/1903832489040171464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;No, you want to do nonsense. Do nonsense,&#8221; hissed Sanders, who had gotten up out of his chair and out of the camera&#8217;s view. After Karl responded in the negative, the senator added, &#8220;I don&#8217;t want to talk about inside-the-Beltway stuff.&#8221; Karl eventually got Sanders to return when he promised his next question would not be about Ocasio-Cortez.
Schumer <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/schumer-fires-back-at-democrats-pushing-his-ouster-im-not-stepping-down" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defended</a> himself during an appearance on NBC&#8217;s &#8220;Meet The Press.&#8221; Host Kristen Welker noted that &#8220;outside groups&#8221; and even some members of his own party have called on Schumer to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dem-lawmakers-begin-calling-schumer-step-aside" target="_blank" rel="noopener">step aside</a>. She then asked Schumer if he is &#8220;feeling pressure&#8221; to leave the role.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Schumer says ‘there was no leverage’ Democrats could have used in funding fight: Full interview" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vW1davqMsb4?start=180&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
&#8220;Look, I’m not stepping down,” Schumer declared. He said the GOP-backed continuing resolution was &#8220;certainly bad,&#8221; but argued that allowing a shutdown would be &#8220;15 to 20 times worse&#8221; because it would give the Trump administration&#8217;s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by Elon Musk more room to cut programs.
When pressed over whether he was &#8220;making the same mistake that President Biden did,&#8221; a reference to the intra-party fight during the 2024 election season, Schumer insisted: “No, absolutely not. I did this out of conviction. And, look, in my caucus, we have a disagreement as to some people voted one way, some people voted the other. But we’ve all agreed to respect each other because each side saw why the other side felt so strongly about it. And our caucus is united in fighting Donald Trump every step of the way.&#8221;
Ocasio-Cortez, who has <a href="https://x.com/WesternLensman/status/1900344680878887394" target="_blank" rel="noopener">avoided</a> saying whether she would challenge Schumer, first became a national figure in 2018 when she <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/26/nyregion/joseph-crowley-ocasio-cortez-democratic-primary.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defeated</a> the No. 4 House Democrat, Joseph Crowley, in a primary upset. That kind of record could be attractive to those looking for a major shakeup, particularly as the Democratic Party faces <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/yuge-poll-numbers-for-trump-president-cracks-right-direction-threshold-not-seen-since-2004" target="_blank" rel="noopener">low approval</a> ratings.
Silicon Valley Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) was asked during an <a href="https://x.com/CNNSOTU/status/1903824605170778416" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> on CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union,&#8221; was asked whether Ocasio-Cortez should challenge Schumer for his seat. Though Khanna did not bite, he did say &#8220;there would be a lot of support&#8221; for her. He also said: &#8220;The American people are fed up with the old guard. There needs to be a renewal.&#8221;
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/RoKhanna?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RoKhanna</a> tells <a href="https://twitter.com/DanaBashCNN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DanaBashCNN</a> that &quot;there would be a lot of support&quot; for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez if she decides to mount a primary challenge against Sen. Chuck Schumer. <a href="https://t.co/7Ykm2yROhX">pic.twitter.com/7Ykm2yROhX</a>
&mdash; State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1903824605170778416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Joining &#8220;Face the Nation&#8221; on CBS, Rep. Jim Hines (D-CT) addressed how House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) broke with Schumer.
&#8220;It was not a good look for the two congressional Democratic leaders to be on opposite sides of the continuing resolution,&#8221; Himes said. &#8220;That created a great deal of agita out there, and legitimately so. So I am quite certain that Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer have learned from this experience and are going to, at a minimum, be unified going forward here.&#8221;
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&quot;It was not a good look for the two congressional Democratic leaders to be on opposite sides of the continuing resolution,&quot; says Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT), telling <a href="https://twitter.com/margbrennan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@margbrennan</a> it has fueled &quot;an immense amount of anger&quot; from constituents across the country.
&quot;I am quite certain that… <a href="https://t.co/AypBviDjrl">pic.twitter.com/AypBviDjrl</a>
&mdash; Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1903843037551132783?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Also on &#8220;Meet The Press,&#8221; Sen. John Curtis (R-UT) delivered a retort to Schumer saying that he believes there is a constitutional crisis in response to how President Donald Trump is grappling with judges who are issuing injunctions that block aspects of his second-term agenda while legal challenges play out in the courts.
&#8220;Well, listen, it&#8217;s easy to throw out,&#8221; Curtis <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBmB7I6eN8A" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;And by the way, when everything is a crisis, nothing is a crisis. President Trump has been very clear multiple times he will obey court orders. So I don&#8217;t see the crisis. And like I said, I see the civics lesson. Like, people need to be watching this and say, this is — this is actually what our founders intended. This tension, right? — between the three different branches. And Congress has our role in this, and you could fairly say we need to do more, and I&#8217;m with you, right? I think a lot of this opens up for the president when we don&#8217;t do our job.&#8221;
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Schumer sign seen amid protest

Democrat Disarray: Schumer Gets Squeezed While AOC Leads

Meet the Press

This Week

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) almost walked out of an interview when pressed about Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) joining him in the Senate.
On ABC&#8217;s <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/americans-trump-establish-oligarchic-form-government-bernie-sanders/story?id=120058332" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;This Week,&#8221;</a> co-anchor Jonathan Karl was in the middle of asking Sanders about Ocasio-Cortez when he popped the question.
&#8220;Would you like to see her join you in the Senate?&#8221; Karl asked.
&#8220;I — right now we have, as I said, just a whole lot of people in the Congress. OK, Jonathan, thanks,&#8221; Sanders replied.
As the senator got out of his chair, Karl exclaimed, &#8220;Wait! I got one more — I got one more. This is an important one.&#8221;
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🚨Angry Bernie gets up and threatens to walk out of interview after ABC’s Karl asks him about AOC joining him in the Senate:
“You wanna do nonsense, do nonsense!” <a href="https://t.co/lfTjgXMyAX">pic.twitter.com/lfTjgXMyAX</a>
&mdash; Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) <a href="https://twitter.com/WesternLensman/status/1903832489040171464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Sanders, who had moved off-camera, indicated that he did not like the question about Ocasio-Cortez potentially becoming a member of the upper chamber.
&#8220;No, you want to do nonsense? Do nonsense,&#8221; Sanders said.
After Karl responded in the negative, the senator added, &#8220;I don&#8217;t want to talk about inside-the-Beltway stuff. I got 32,000 people —&#8221;
Karl cut in to assert that he was asking Sanders about Ocasio-Cortez because the pair had just appeared together for a rally in Denver.
Sanders, who emphasized that he did not &#8220;want to talk about this,&#8221; returned to his seat when Karl assured him that the next question would be about his future.
The tense exchange comes as the Democratic Party grapples with <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/yuge-poll-numbers-for-trump-president-cracks-right-direction-threshold-not-seen-since-2004" target="_blank" rel="noopener">low approval</a> ratings and a crisis of confidence in Senate Minority Leader <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/chuck-schumer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chuck Schumer</a> (D-NY).
CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/13/politics/ocasio-cortez-schumer-democratic-shutdown-plan/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> Ocasio-Cortez was being urged to consider a primary against Schumer after he refused to mount a blockade against a GOP-backed stopgap bill.
However, Ocasio-Cortez has <a href="https://x.com/WesternLensman/status/1900344680878887394" target="_blank" rel="noopener">avoided</a> saying whether she would challenge Schumer.
Moments before the blow-up with Karl, Sanders had called Ocasio-Cortez &#8220;extraordinary.&#8221;
He added, &#8220;I am so impressed by her work in Congress and her — just, she inspires young people all over the country.&#8221;
Sanders also <a href="https://x.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1903822540176322573" target="_blank" rel="noopener">chastised</a> Senate Democrats, saying they &#8220;did virtually nothing for working people&#8221; when in control of the upper chamber.
&#8220;I have to say that. I&#8217;m a member of the Democratic caucus as an independent, so I&#8217;m not going to lie to you and tell you otherwise,&#8221; he added.
There was criticism for President Donald Trump, too, but Sanders had some positive things to say when asked if the commander in chief has done anything right.
&#8220;Yeah. I mean, I think cracking down on fentanyl, making sure our borders are stronger,&#8221; he <a href="https://x.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1903823998699323430" target="_blank" rel="noopener">replied</a>.
Sanders went on to insist that &#8220;nobody thinks illegal immigration is appropriate&#8221; and said he wants &#8220;comprehensive immigration reform.&#8221;

Sen. Bernie Sanders

Bernie Sanders Nearly Bolts On Interviewer When Asked If AOC Should Join Senate

Former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) mocked members of her former political party this week for reversing course on supporting the filibuster after calling for its elimination during the Biden era.
Sinema went as far as to create a spreadsheet so she could call out those who were being hypocrites on the issue, many of whom attacked her for protecting the filibuster while she served in the Senate.
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Who has made the sprdsht showing: &#8211; senators/candidates on record to eliminate the filibuster &#8211; same senators who voted to filibuster today &#8211; bonus points for add’l column listing April 7, 2017 signers of letter to <a href="https://twitter.com/SenMcConnell?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenMcConnell</a> saying preserve the filibuster 🍿🍿🍿
&mdash; Kyrsten Sinema (@kyrstensinema) <a href="https://twitter.com/kyrstensinema/status/1900715227240641014?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Turns out, someone HAS made the spreadsheet. Bless this platform. <a href="https://t.co/hfIMJDIubs">https://t.co/hfIMJDIubs</a> <a href="https://t.co/VI2mEN2mU1">pic.twitter.com/VI2mEN2mU1</a>
&mdash; Kyrsten Sinema (@kyrstensinema) <a href="https://twitter.com/kyrstensinema/status/1900916909195096146?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Sinema mocked far-Left Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) after Jayapal wrote on X: &#8220;Senate Democrats: Don’t betray working families. Don’t give Trump and Elon Musk a blank check. Don’t be complicit in the slashing of government programs. Vote NO on cloture and NO on final passage of Republicans’ bad bill.&#8221;
Sinema responded with a screenshot of a post from Jayapal where she wrote in September: &#8220;It&#8217;s the filibuster OR an assault weapons ban. It&#8217;s the filibuster OR codified abortion access. It&#8217;s the filibuster OR raising the minimum wage It&#8217;s the filibuster OR protecting voting rights. The choice is clear. Abolish the Jim Crow filibuster.&#8221;
Sinema wrote: &#8220;Just surprised to see support for the &#8216;Jim Crow filibuster&#8217; here.&#8221;
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Just surprised to see support for the “Jim Crow filibuster” here <a href="https://t.co/zohOh0E5st">https://t.co/zohOh0E5st</a> <a href="https://t.co/AWQKGHN9CG">pic.twitter.com/AWQKGHN9CG</a>
&mdash; Kyrsten Sinema (@kyrstensinema) <a href="https://twitter.com/kyrstensinema/status/1900851608394887477?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Sinema also called out far-Left Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) for attacking Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) for voting to keep the government open.
AOC said that there was a &#8220;deep sense of outrage and betrayal&#8221; because of Schumer&#8217;s vote.
Sinema responded with a screenshot of AOC posting previously on X: &#8220;We could protect Roe tomorrow, but Sinema refuses to act on the filibuster. Until that changes she can take a seat talking about 
&#8216;women&#8217;s access to health care.&#8217; Hold everyone contributing to this disaster accountable, GOP &amp; Dem obstructionists included. She should be primaried.&#8221;
AOC responded to Sinema&#8217;s post: &#8220;Still no. In fact, the same Dems who argue to keep the filibuster &#8216;for when we need it&#8217; do not, in fact, use it when we need it. It’s only used to block Dem policies. Never to block harmful GOP ones. Could have proved us wrong. Instead they proved the point.&#8221;
Sinema fired back: &#8220;Literally zero Senate Democrats support the filibuster. 38 voted to filibuster the continuing resolution yesterday. 8 who previously voted to eliminate the filibuster (1/19/22) did not filibuster. 1 who previously campaigned against the filibuster did not filibuster.&#8221;
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Literally zero Senate Democrats support the filibuster.
38 voted to filibuster the continuing resolution yesterday. 
8 who previously voted to eliminate the filibuster (1/19/22) did not filibuster.
1 who previously campaigned against the filibuster did not filibuster. <a href="https://t.co/BujERDunOR">https://t.co/BujERDunOR</a>
&mdash; Kyrsten Sinema (@kyrstensinema) <a href="https://twitter.com/kyrstensinema/status/1900952771458928846?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
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