Leftist outlet Media Matters is facing financial struggles over lawsuits from X owner Elon Musk and legal fees related to investigations by the Trump administration.
The nonprofit &#8220;watchdog&#8221; group owes approximately $15 million, largely due to legal action by Musk and probes from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), as well as Republican state attorneys general, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/25/us/politics/media-matters-musk-crisis.html?unlocked_article_code=1.ZE8.uS77.aCoRbTwphEFY&amp;smid=url-share" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> on Friday.
Musk&#8217;s lawsuit came after a Media Matters story in 2023 <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/twitter/musk-endorses-antisemitic-conspiracy-theory-x-has-been-placing-ads-apple-bravo-ibm-oracle">claimed</a> that his X social media platform was placing ads for major corporations alongside Nazi-related content, The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/elon-musk-to-file-thermonuclear-suit-against-media-matters-over-contrived-story-on-x">reported</a>. Companies such as Apple and IBM pulled advertisements from X because of the story.
A Musk press release said the outlet &#8220;completely misrepresented the real user experience on X, in another attempt to undermine freedom of speech and mislead advertisers.&#8221;
The Times reported that Musk has continued pursuing the lawsuit, refusing settlements and appealing or filing elsewhere if Media Matters were to win in court. Musk even filed lawsuits in Ireland and Singapore.
The outlet is reducing its staff and trying to raise money from donors, the Times reported. Although publicly, Media Matters says &#8220;it has no plans to close,&#8221; sources told the Times it is considering shutting down as a last resort.
In May of this year, the FTC launched an investigation into the outlet over reports that it illegally coordinated advertiser boycotts against X, The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/feds-probe-media-matters-over-plot-to-defund-musks-x-silence-dissenting-voices">reported</a>.
FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson, appointed by President Donald Trump, had signaled potential action in December, saying the agency “must prosecute any unlawful collusion between online platforms, and confront advertiser boycotts which threaten competition,” <a href="https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/ftc-probes-media-matters-over-musks-x-boycott-claims-document-shows-2025-05-22/">according</a> to Reuters.
Media Matters also faced investigations from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey. A federal court blocked the Texas probe, and Missouri agreed to drop its inquiry; however, the outlet still incurred almost $2 million in legal fees, the Times reported.
Angelo Carusone, president of Media Matters, said the legal problems were &#8220;a revenge campaign against Media Matters intended to stymie or stop us entirely from exercising our constitutional rights,&#8221; the Times reported.
The financial struggles come as multiple organizations have settled with the Trump administration. CBS News <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/big-and-important-win-trump-crows-over-settlement-in-cbs-paramount-lawsuit">paid</a> $16 million to settle a lawsuit with President Donald Trump, who alleged that the outlet deceptively edited a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris. Columbia University <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/columbia-university-retreats-as-trump-scores-historic-220m-settlement">agreed</a> to pay a $200 million settlement over its handling of anti-Israel protests.
“Unlike some major media entities that have recently caved to pressure, we understand that this battle is larger than us,” Carusone told the Times in a statement. “That’s why we continue to carry out our mission and fight in court.”
However, the outlet is facing financial difficulties despite its extensive list of top Democratic donors, which includes billionaire George Soros.
A leaked list of donors revealed that the outlet has received millions in donations from Deborah Simon, the daughter of billionaire shopping mall developer Melvin Simon, and Bain Capital co-chairman Joshua Bekenstein and his wife, Anita. The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/leaked-media-matters-donor-list-reveal-it-is-funded-by-democrat-mega-donors">reported</a> on this. Both Simon and Bekenstein were among <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interactive/2022/top-election-donors-2022/">the top 50 political donors</a> in the 2022 midterms.
Media Matters had raised $16.5 million in 2022, with Carusone collecting a salary of $406,000.
The outlet <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/about-us">describes</a> itself as combating misinformation and providing &#8220;resources to rebut false claims and to take direct action against offending media institutions.&#8221; However, the left-leaning N.Y. Times said its mission is &#8220;to help Democrats and undermine Republicans.&#8221;
Media Matters has repeatedly attacked Republicans and conservative groups, including The Daily Wire. In 2022, it attempted to cancel Daily Wire host Matt Walsh.
&#8220;I will never surrender even a single inch of ground to a pitchfork mob full of degenerate idiots,&#8221; Walsh <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/to-the-leftist-vultures-at-media-matters-kiss-my-ass">responded</a> at the time.
&nbsp;

US-POLITICS-MUSK-TRUMP

Elon Musk’s Lawsuits And A Federal Probe Threaten To Bring Down Media Matters

Elon Musk

Federal Trade Commission

Lawsuit

Media

Media Matters For America

Politics

President Donald Trump crowed over the settlement in his lawsuit against &#8220;60 Minutes,&#8221; CBS, and Paramount on Tuesday — which stemmed from a selectively edited interview of former Vice President Kamala Harris — calling it a &#8220;BIG AND IMPORTANT WIN!&#8221;
Trump first shared the news in a post on his Truth Social platform, where he also took aim at ABC News and anchor George Stephanopoulos over their recent payout in a similar lawsuit.
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— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1947721324815909287?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;BREAKING NEWS! We have just achieved a BIG AND IMPORTANT WIN in our Historic Lawsuit against 60 Minutes, CBS, and Paramount,&#8221; Trump posted. &#8220;Just like ABC and George Slopadopoulos, CBS and its Corporate Owners knew that they defrauded the American People, and were desperate to settle.&#8221;
&#8220;Paramount/CBS/60 Minutes have today paid $16 Million Dollars in settlement, and we also anticipate receiving $20 Million Dollars more from the new Owners, in Advertising, PSAs, or similar Programming, for a total of over $36 Million Dollars,&#8221; he added. &#8220;This is another in a long line of VICTORIES over the Fake News Media, who we are holding to account for their widespread fraud and deceit.&#8221;
Trump went on to list a number of other media outlets that were on his radar — against some of whom he has already threatened to take action. &#8220;The Wall Street Journal, The Failing New York Times, The Washington Post, MSDNC, CNN, and all other Mainstream Media Liars, are ON NOTICE that the days of them being allowed to deceive the American People are OVER. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!&#8221;
Just one day earlier, over a story linking Trump to a birthday letter he allegedly wrote to the late convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein — which he&#8217;s repeatedly said is &#8220;fake&#8221; — the White House <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/white-house-boots-wsj-from-press-pool-over-report-on-fake-epstein-letter">barred</a> The Wall Street Journal from the press pool during Trump&#8217;s trip to Scotland.
&#8220;As the appeals court confirmed, the Wall Street Journal or any other news outlet are not guaranteed special access to cover President Trump in the Oval Office, aboard Air Force One, and in his private workspaces,&#8221; Leavitt told <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/21/journal-removed-white-house-pool-epstein-00465548" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Politico</a> at the time. &#8220;Due to the Wall Street Journal’s fake and defamatory conduct, they will not be one of the thirteen outlets on board. Every news organization in the entire world wishes to cover President Trump, and the White House has taken significant steps to include as many voices as possible.&#8221;

President Donald Trump

‘BIG AND IMPORTANT WIN!’: Trump Crows Over Settlement In CBS, Paramount Lawsuit

'BIG AND IMPORTANT WIN!': Trump Crows Over Settlement In CBS, Paramount Lawsuit

60 Minutes

Donald Trump

Kamala Harris

Paramount

A Manhattan jury on Wednesday delivered a mixed verdict in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ federal trial, acquitting him of the most serious charges of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking.
Jurors found Combs, 55, guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. He faces up to 10 years in prison.
Ultimately, Combs was found guilty on count three, the Mann Act Transportation of his ex-girlfriend, Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, and on count five, the Mann Act Transportation of his former girlfriend, Jane. 
During the weeks-long trial, prosecutors accused Combs of using his wealth and fame to coerce ex-girlfriends into drug‑fueled marathons of sexual exploitation known as “freak‑offs.” 
In November 2023, Ventura filed a civil lawsuit accusing Combs of rape, repeated physical abuse, and years of abuse. The lawsuit was settled within 24 hours, but it was followed by a series of additional civil complaints from other alleged victims with similar complaints.
Next, federal authorities launched a criminal investigation into the rap mogul. In March 2024, federal agents raided Combs’ homes in Los Angeles and Miami as part of a federal sex trafficking probe.
The raids resulted in Diddy being charged with sex trafficking, transportation for prostitution, and racketeering. 
The trial began in June in Manhattan federal court. The rapper pleaded not guilty to all charges.
While the rapper’s legal team painted him as a “complicated” man with an unorthodox but fully consensual sex life, prosecutors wasted no time sharing some sordid details from sexual encounters they say were coerced, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/diddy-trial-defense-admits-hes-complicated-but-domestic-violence-is-not-sex-trafficking?author=Amanda+Harding&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Diddy+Trial%3A+Defense+Admits+He%E2%80%99s+%E2%80%98Complicated%2C%E2%80%99+But+%E2%80%98Domestic+Violence+Is+Not+Sex+Trafficking%E2%80%99">reported</a>.
“He called himself the king, and he expected to be treated like one,” she said as a reference to the viral hotel surveillance footage showing him physically assaulting his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura and “flinging her around like a rag doll.”
The prosecutor also went into detail about one specific incident which allegedly occurred at the rapper’s notorious “freak-off” parties. Johnson alleged that a male prostitute was instructed to urinate in Ventura’s mouth, which led to her saying she “felt like she was choking.”
<div class="ad-wrapper" data-testid="ad-wrapper">A security card testified that Combs paid him a bribe to destroy the security footage of him assaulting Ventura.</div>
Johnson said Combs was able to get away with it for so long thanks to his “inner circle and vast resources of his business empire.”
Additional civil litigation remains active, and sentencing on the federal convictions is expected later this year. Combs has not commented publicly since the verdict was released this morning.

Diddy

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Found Guilty On 2 Counts, Acquitted Of Most Serious Charges

Sean 'Diddy' Combs Found Not Guilty Of Racketeering And Sex Trafficking

Crime

Entertainment

Sean 'Diddy' Combs

Sex Crimes

President Donald Trump scored another victory on Tuesday as Paramount Global, the parent company of CBS News, agreed to a $16 million settlement in a lawsuit Trump had brought accusing the media outlet of election interference.
The lawsuit stemmed from an interview CBS News&#8217;s “60 Minutes” conducted with Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris one month before the 2024 election. CBS News released a promotional clip of the interview showing Harris giving a convoluted answer to a question from host Bill Whitaker, but when the show was aired, a different, more coherent answer was shown.
Whitaker was discussing the United States&#8217; financial support for Israel in its war against genocidal Islamic terrorists in the region. “But it seems that Prime Minister Netanyahu is not listening,” Whitaker suggested.
In the promotional clip, Harris responded with this word salad: “The work that we have done has resulted in a number of movements in that region by Israel that were very much prompted by or a result of many things, including our advocacy for what needs to happen in the region.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Monday, on a 60 Minutes election special, Bill Whitaker asks Vice President Kamala Harris if the U.S. lacks influence over American ally Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. <a href="https://t.co/TG3WOCA23A">https://t.co/TG3WOCA23A</a> <a href="https://t.co/IH6MXMjuCP">pic.twitter.com/IH6MXMjuCP</a>
&mdash; 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) <a href="https://twitter.com/60Minutes/status/1842935494398591073?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 6, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
However, those words were not included in the television broadcast, the interview when it was posted on YouTube, the interview&#8217;s transcript, or the show&#8217;s “Overtime” segment.
Instead, Whitaker&#8217;s identical statement, “it seems that Prime Minister Netanyahu is not listening,” was followed by Harris saying: “We are not gonna stop pursuing what is necessary for the United States to be clear about where we stand on the need for this war to end.”
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“Why did 60 Minutes choose not to air Kamala&#8217;s full word salad, and what else did they choose not to air?” Karoline Leavitt, Trump’s national campaign press secretary, asked at the time. “The American people deserve the full, unedited transcript from Kamala&#8217;s sit-down interview. We call upon 60 Minutes and CBS to release it. What do they, and Kamala, have to hide?”
“I’ve never seen this before, but the producers of 60 Minutes sliced and diced (‘cut and pasted’) Lyin’ Kamala’s answers to questions, which were virtually incoherent, over and over again,” Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/113277179676731743">posted</a> on Truth Social. &#8220;This is a stain on the reputation of 60 Minutes that is not recoverable &#8211; It will always remain with this once storied brand,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I have never heard of such a thing being done in &#8216;News.&#8217; It is the very definition of FAKE NEWS! The public is owed a MAJOR AND IMMEDIATE APOLOGY! This is an open and shut case, and must be investigated, starting today!&#8221;
Former CBS News reporter Catherine Herridge <a href="https://x.com/C__Herridge/status/1844076585567027280">posted</a> on X, “As Trump campaign calls on @60Minutes to release &#8216;full, unedited transcript&#8217; of Kamala Harris interview &#8230; There is precedent. When I interviewed then President Trump in July 2020 @CBSNews we posted the interview transcript.” Herridge noted that the left-wing network did the same thing for its 2019 interview with then-U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr. &#8220;Full transcript = journalistic transparency,&#8221; she <a href="https://x.com/C__Herridge/status/1844203179287904262">added</a>.
Sen. John Thune (R-SD) told The Daily Wire: “If the Harris campaign stands by all of the vice president’s comments, then I’m not sure why they wouldn’t support releasing the full interview. In fact, their refusal to join these calls only raises more questions.”
Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Barrasso (R-WY) also called on “60 Minutes” to release the full interview. “CBS has proven its bias,” Barrasso told The Daily Wire.  &#8220;A news organization should never selectively edit a candidate’s words. The American people deserve full transparency and the full transcript.”
“Trump will receive $16 million upfront,” <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/paramount-global-settles-trumps-lawsuit-against-cbs-news-over-60-minutes-interview">Fox News</a> reported. “This will cover legal fees, costs of the case, and contributions to his future presidential library or charitable causes, to be determined at Trump’s discretion. There is an anticipation that there will be another allocation in the mid-eight figures set aside for advertisements, public service announcements, or other similar transmissions, in support of conservative causes by the network in the future. &#8230; Going forward, the network will promptly release full, unedited transcripts of future presidential candidates’ interviews.”
“With this record settlement, President Donald J. Trump delivers another win for the American people as he, once again, holds the Fake News media accountable for their wrongdoing and deceit,&#8221; a spokesperson for Trump&#8217;s legal team told Fox News. &#8220;CBS and Paramount Global realized the strength of this historic case and had no choice but to settle. President Trump will always ensure that no one gets away with lying to the American People as he continues on his singular mission to Make America Great Again.&#8221;
CBS did not acknowledge any journalistic malpractice. “The settlement will include a release of all claims regarding any CBS reporting through the date of the settlement, including the Texas action and the threatened defamation action,” Paramount stated.

Vice President and assumptive presidential candidate Kamala Harris in North Karolina

Trump Scores $16M Payout From Paramount After Exposing Deceptively Edited Kamala Interview

2024 Election

CBS News

deceptive editing

word salad

The DOJ cracks down on “sanctuary city” Los Angeles, Trump continues his feud with Jerome Powell, and Harvard and Democrats try to slow Trump’s budget bill as the clock ticks down on the president&#8217;s self-imposed July 4 deadline.
It’s Tuesday, July 1, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here: 
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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>L.A. On ICE</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-941599" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/MRN-7.1.25-Tue-Seg-Head-1-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/MRN-7.1.25-Tue-Seg-Head-1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/MRN-7.1.25-Tue-Seg-Head-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/MRN-7.1.25-Tue-Seg-Head-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/MRN-7.1.25-Tue-Seg-Head-1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/MRN-7.1.25-Tue-Seg-Head-1.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
Topline: The Trump administration has sued the city of Los Angeles over its &#8220;sanctuary&#8221; status.
The Justice Department <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-files-lawsuit-against-sanctuary-city-policies-los-angeles-california">filed a lawsuit</a> on Monday against L.A., arguing that its “sanctuary city” policies violate the U.S. Constitution. Local law enforcement in L.A. is prohibited from directly enforcing federal immigration law or collaborating with ICE on immigration enforcement actions. The DOJ argues that L.A. is discriminating against the federal government, specifically treating immigration officers differently than other law enforcement officials. The suit says L.A.’s sanctuary policies are &#8220;invalid&#8221; and should be blocked.
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In a statement, Attorney General Pam Bondi blamed these sanctuary policies for the recent anti-ICE riots, which she said were the “driving cause of the violence, chaos, and attacks on law enforcement that Americans recently witnessed in Los Angeles.” She added that jurisdictions like L.A. “that flout federal law by prioritizing illegal aliens over American citizens are undermining law enforcement at every level.” The DOJ has also <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-files-lawsuit-against-sanctuary-city-policies-los-angeles-california">targeted</a> other sanctuary city policies, including in New York.
The Trump administration has consistently made detaining and deporting illegal aliens one of its main policy priorities. Recently, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/2025/06/30/ice-raids-arrests-workers-companies/">dozens</a> of workplace raids have been carried out across the nation, in states like California, Florida, Texas, Pennsylvania, and many others. It appears that illegals with and without criminal backgrounds – aside from illegally entering the U.S. – have been picked up. Daily immigration arrests have also skyrocketed. In June, ICE has averaged around 1,200 daily arrests, with some days surpassing 2,000 – nearly double the daily average during Trump’s first 100 days, though still short of the administration’s target of 3,000 per day.
There are currently 59,000 immigrant detainees in federal custody – officials say that number is the highest in U.S. history, and these facilities are reportedly well over capacity. Additional funds for immigration enforcement and facilities are included in the Big, Beautiful Bill, currently making its way through Congress.
Meanwhile, as reported by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/feds-raid-california-home-harboring-iranian-nationals-with-terrorism-ties">The Daily Wire</a>, Customs and Border Protection raided a Los Angeles residence that it says was being used to harbor Iranian illegal aliens with ties to terrorists. On Friday, two unidentified individuals were arrested, and that followed a previous raid at the same home that resulted in the arrest of seven Iranian nationals, some of whom are on the FBI terror watch list and associated with an Iranian human smuggling network.
And DHS Secretary Kristi Noem will end Temporary Protected Status, known as <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/news-releases/dhs-terminates-haiti-tps-encourages-haitians-to-obtain-lawful-status">TPS</a>, for up to 500,000 Haitians on September 2. DHS said in a press release that this decision “restores integrity in our immigration system and ensures that Temporary Protective Status is actually temporary.” A spokesperson added that the “environmental situation in Haiti has improved enough that it is safe for Haitian citizens to return home.”
<h2>Trump Hammers Harvard, Pummels Powell</h2>
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Topline: Trump continues his assault on Jerome Powell and Harvard, targeting both the Fed chairman and the Ivy League institution.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt opened Monday’s White House press briefing by showing the White House Press Corps a scathing letter that President Trump sent to Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, which included a handwritten note from the president in which Trump urges Powell to lower interest rates by “a lot.”
<blockquote>“Jerome. you are as usual TOO LATE! You have cost the USA a fortune and continue to do so. You should lower the rate by a lot. Hundreds of billions of dollars are being lost, and there is low inflation.&#8221;</blockquote>
Meanwhile, the Trump administration informed Harvard that it found the university in “violent violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act,” which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin, through its treatment of Jewish and Israeli students. If Harvard fails to take action immediately to “institute adequate changes,” the university could lose all federal funding.
“[A] majority of jewish students experienced negative bias, felt physically unsafe, assaulted and spit on, concealed kippahs for fear of being harassed, and concealed identities from classmates for fear of ostracization,” Leavitt told reporters. “These are all facts that Harvard cannot dispute and that’s why the admin has found them in violation of Title VI and threatened to withhold their funding, because if you break federal law, you are not entitled to federal tax dollars.”
<h2>Dems Drag Big, Beautiful Bill</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-941597" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/MRN-7.1.25-Tue-Seg-Head-3-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/MRN-7.1.25-Tue-Seg-Head-3-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/MRN-7.1.25-Tue-Seg-Head-3-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/MRN-7.1.25-Tue-Seg-Head-3-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/MRN-7.1.25-Tue-Seg-Head-3-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/MRN-7.1.25-Tue-Seg-Head-3.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
Topline: Democrats are pulling out all the stops to thwart President Trump’s sweeping legislative agenda, which is slowly pushing its way through the two chambers despite some Republicans joining the opposition.
The Senate held a so-called vote-a-rama stretching past 21 hours as of early Tuesday morning, with Democrats forcing votes on amendments to the bill as a way of stalling – but also forcing Republicans to go on the record regarding topics like Medicaid funding and tax cuts for the wealthy, two issues on which Democrats believe Republicans are out of touch.
A few months ago, the idea of passing such a contentious piece of legislation through Congress seemed unlikely, given Republicans’ slim majority in both chambers and the competing interests within the party. Typically, in these situations, the president would push for their agenda to be broken up into smaller pieces and voted on piecemeal, but Trump has been adamant from the start that everything be included in one bill. 
Polling shows that the Big, Beautiful Bill is not all that popular with Americans — Pew has it with a net favorable rating of minus 20, Fox has it at minus 21, and Quinnipiac has it at minus 26. The White House says it is confident that once it passes and folks see the extra money in their paychecks, they’ll quickly change their tune.

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Morning Brief: Trump Sues Los Angeles, Battles Harvard, And Pushes Big Beautiful Bill

Department of Justice

Economy

Harvard University

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Jerome Powell

Los Angeles

Morning Wire

California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom filed a $787 million defamation lawsuit against Fox News on Friday, alleging the news network deliberately misrepresented the timeline of a phone call between him and President Donald Trump to make it appear the governor lied about their communication.
The lawsuit, first <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/06/27/newsom-sues-fox-news-defamation-case-00429168">reported</a> by POLITICO, centers on Fox News&#8217; coverage of a June 7 phone call between Trump and Newsom during anti-ICE riots in Los Angeles County. President Trump said he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-vows-to-liberate-los-angeles-shut-down-migrant-riots-and-insurrectionist-mobs">deployed</a> thousands of National Guard troops and hundreds of Marines to the area to quell the violence despite the governor&#8217;s objections, but local officials say they are there to protect federal buildings and federal workers.
The dispute arose when Trump claimed on June 10 that he had called Newsom &#8220;a day ago.&#8221; Newsom subsequently denied any recent contact, stating: &#8220;There was no call. Not even a voicemail. Americans should be alarmed that a President deploying Marines onto our streets doesn&#8217;t even know who he&#8217;s talking to.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
No more lies.
I’m suing Fox News for $787 million.<a href="https://t.co/L73VUsPsuB">https://t.co/L73VUsPsuB</a> <a href="https://t.co/qKoRaxHRDW">pic.twitter.com/qKoRaxHRDW</a>
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) <a href="https://twitter.com/GavinNewsom/status/1938587950704677237?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Fox News then ran a segment on Jesse Watters&#8217; program that Newsom&#8217;s claims &#8220;willfully distorted&#8221; the timeline to the network&#8217;s viewers. According to the lawsuit, Watters aired a deceptively edited video that juxtaposed Trump&#8217;s &#8220;day ago&#8221; claim with call logs obtained by Fox host John Roberts showing the call occurred on June 7 — three days earlier, not one day as Trump had claimed. Newsom accuses the network of falsely claiming he lied about the phone call and violated California’s Unfair Competition Law, which outlaws “deceptive and unfair business practices.”
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&#8220;If Fox News wants to lie to the American people on Donald Trump&#8217;s behalf, it should face consequences — just like it did in the Dominion case,&#8221; Newsom said in a statement to POLITICO, referencing Fox&#8217;s $787.5 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems in 2023.
&#8220;I believe the American people should be able to trust the information they receive from a major news outlet. Until Fox is willing to be truthful, I will keep fighting against their propaganda machine,&#8221; the governor added.
Fox News dismissed the lawsuit in a statement to The Daily Wire, writing, &#8220;Gov. Newsom’s transparent publicity stunt is frivolous and designed to chill free speech critical of him. We will defend this case vigorously and look forward to it being dismissed.&#8221;
In Fox News&#8217;s initial reporting on the disputed call, headlined &#8220;Trump brings receipts he called Newsom amid LA riots as California gov claims there wasn&#8217;t &#8216;even a voicemail,'&#8221; the network did <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-brings-receipts-he-called-newsom-amid-la-riots-california-gov-claims-wasnt-even-voicemail">include</a> Newsom&#8217;s clarification that the call was from &#8220;3 days ago&#8221; rather than the &#8220;day ago&#8221; Trump had claimed.
POLITICO notes that defamation cases brought by public officials face a much higher legal standard than those filed by private citizens. Newsom has indicated he would retract the lawsuit if Fox News issues a formal retraction and Jesse Watters delivers an on-air apology.

California Governor Newsom Announces Lawsuit Challenging Trump Tariff Authority

Newsom Targets Fox News With Dominion-Sized Lawsuit Over Trump Phone Call Dispute

California

Defamation

Fox News

Gavin Newsom

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News

Riots

U.S.

The rapper known as Fat Joe, whose real name is Joseph Antonio Cartagena, has been accused of multiple crimes, including the sexual assault of minors by his former hype man, Terrance “T.A.” Dixon.
Dixon filed a $20 million lawsuit in federal court on Thursday. Cartagena’s former employee made allegations of “coercive labor exploitation, financial fraud, sexual manipulation, violent intimidation, and psychological coercion,” per <a href="https://variety.com/2025/music/news/fat-joe-sued-former-hypeman-t-a-dixon-1236436310/">Variety</a>. The lawsuit comes after Cartagena sued Dixon for slander in April after he claimed his former employee posted on social media about the rapper transporting a minor across state lines for sex.
The outlet noted that the claims made in the 157-page document were so extensive that the filing included a trigger warning.
Dixon worked for Cartagena for 16 years as a hype man, commonly used by rap and hip hop artists to get the crowd revved up and help set the tone for performances. Dixon also reportedly contributed to some of Cartagena’s songs by assisting with lyrics and backing vocals.
The lawsuit asserts that Dixon was forced “into humiliating situations, including sex acts performed under duress and surveillance, accompanied by threats of abandonment in foreign countries if [he] refused compliance.” The plaintiff added that he was “coerced into more than 4,000 sexual acts to maintain his standing within the Enterprise.”
Dixon also accused his former employee of engaging in sexual acts with minors on multiple occasions.
Per the lawsuit, Dixon said he “personally witnessed [Fat Joe] engage in sexual relations with children who were fifteen and sixteen years old.” The lawsuit listed three specific minors identified as Jane Does.
He said Jane Doe 1 was a 16-year-old New York resident who interacted with the rapper “in exchange for cash, clothing, and payment of her cell phone bill.&#8221; The lawsuit said she &#8220;would [perform] oral sex and other sexual acts” on Cartagena. 
“[Fat Joe] began having sexual relations with Minor Doe 2 when she was 15 years old after a concert overseas. Defendant flew Minor Doe 2 to New York City and Miami, Florida, on multiple occasions. Due to Minor Doe 2’s body being adolescent and not fully formed, Defendant paid for her to get a Brazilian Butt Lift. Minor Doe 2 eventually left Defendant and is now married to a professional athlete,” the complaint says. 
Minor Doe 3 is described as having met Cartagena when “she was 15 years old, turning 16.”
Per the complaint, “Defendant was in love with Minor Doe 3. He even contemplated leaving his wife. The Defendant paid all Minor Doe 3’s bills and even took her overseas to his tour stops. He brought her to Florida and would put her up in a condo he rented a few blocks from his house with his wife.” 
“In a recorded conversation, Minor Doe 3 and her 15-year-old cousin describe in detail to Plaintiff how ‘inappropriate’ it was for Defendant, who was in his late 30s at the time, to be fawning over children,” the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit describes, “a wide spectrum of sexual coercion, psychological control, forced exhibitionism, and surveillance-based humiliation, including being compelled to perform sex acts under observation, being filmed, or directed by [Fat Joe] in the presence of others — tactics designed to control Plaintiff’s body, erode his autonomy, and ensure silence.” 
Dixon claims the recording artist “orchestrated repeated orgies involving Plaintiff, female dancers and minors. Defendant used.” 
“These incidents occurred under conditions that included the presence of corporate security staff, surveillance cameras, and Defendant’s management entourage, yet no intervention occurred, supporting the inference that these acts were facilitated by — and covered up by — the broader enterprise and its affiliates,” the lawsuit says. 
“[Dixon] did not willingly consent to participate in these acts; instead, Plaintiff submitted solely out of fear of immediate retaliation, which Defendant repeatedly demonstrated would include financial punishment, professional sabotage, abandonment in foreign countries, or physical harm.”
Cartagena has hired celebrity criminal attorney Joe Tacopina, who once served on Donald Trump&#8217;s legal team, to defend him in this case. The attorney released a statement denying any wrongdoing by his client. 
“The lawsuit filed by Tyrone Blackburn and Terrance Dixon is a blatant act of retaliation — a desperate attempt to deflect attention from the civil suit we filed first, which exposed their coordinated scheme to extort Mr. Cartagena through lies, threats, and manufactured allegations.”
The statement continues, “Law enforcement is aware of the extortionate demand at the heart of this scheme. The allegations against Mr. Cartagena are complete fabrications — lies intended to damage his reputation and force a settlement through public pressure. Mr. Cartagena will not be intimidated. We have taken legal action to expose this fraudulent campaign and hold everyone involved accountable.”
Fat Joe is a Bronx-born rapper and music executive who rose to fame in the 1990s with hits like “Lean Back” and “What&#8217;s Luv?” He has been married to his wife, Lorena, since 1995. They have one daughter together, and Cartagena has two children from previous relationships.

Fat Joe

Fat Joe’s Ex-Hype Man Accuses Rapper Of Having Sex With Minors In $20M Lawsuit

Fat Joe's Ex-Hype Man Accuses Rapper Of Having Sex With Minors In $20M Lawsuit

Celebrities

Child Sex Abuse

Rap Music

Rapper

Sexual Assault

Filmmaker Tyler Perry has been accused of sexual assault and is being sued for $260 million.
Actor Derek Dixon, who is best known for his work in “The Oval” and “Ruthless,” filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles accusing Perry of creating a “coercive, sexually exploitative dynamic” while he was working on those projects. 
Dixon claims to have turned down Perry’s “unwanted advances,” which he claims resulted in “escalating sexual harassment, assault and battery, and professional retaliation,” per <a href="https://apnews.com/article/tyler-perry-lawsuit-derek-dixon-oval-45c6b19ed17e728e67aceb0ab130aa0d">The Associated Press</a>. 
The actor said he met Perry while working at an event for Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta in 2019. Dixon alleges that the media mogul made sexually explicit comments and advances at that time, which he rebuffed. 
The lawsuit lists several specific instances of alleged abuse, including what Dixon concluded to be threats over the future of his career.
“Mr. Perry made it clear to Dixon that if Dixon ignored Perry or failed to engage with the sexual innuendos, Dixon’s character would ‘die’ in the next season [of ‘The Oval],” the document states, adding that it was “always held this over Mr Dixon’s head, implying that [his character] ‘Dale’ would survive if Dixon kept Perry ‘happy.’”
“Dixon did his best to tiptoe around Mr. Perry’s sexual aggression while keeping on Mr. Perry’s good side,” the document says.
During another alleged incident described in the lawsuit, the plaintiff claims Perry “forcibly pulled off Mr. Dixon’s clothing, groped his buttocks, and attempted to force himself on Dixon.”
Perry’s attorney denied the allegations on behalf of his client, saying they were nothing more than a shakedown.
“This is an individual who got close to Tyler Perry for what now appears to be nothing more than setting up a scam,” Boyd said in a statement to AP. “But Tyler will not be shaken down, and we are confident these fabricated claims of harassment will fail.”
Perry is a filmmaker, playwright, and actor who gained national recognition with his stage plays in the early 2000s, particularly those featuring the character Madea. He has written, produced, acted in, and directed numerous films and television shows.
In 2019, he opened Tyler Perry Studios, a 330-acre production facility in Atlanta. Forbes listed him as the highest-paid man in entertainment in 2011, and in 2020, he became a billionaire, the outlet <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/maddieberg/2020/09/01/from-poor-as-hell-to-billionaire-how-tyler-perry-changed-show-business-forever/">reported</a>.

Tyler Perry

Tyler Perry Sued For $260M By Actor Claiming Sexual Harassment, Assault

Tyler Perry Sued $260M By Actor Claiming Sexual Harassment, Assault

Courts

Sexual Harassment

Disney and Universal are teaming up to sue the AI image generation firm Midjourney for what they’re describing as copyright infringement.
Midjourney is a popular AI platform which utilizes user prompts to create original images in seconds. But the entertainment companies claim the model uses their copyrighted content to spit out images that are incredibly similar to the originals, representing a violation of copyright in their estimation.
The lawsuit filed Wednesday in California described Midjourney as a “quintessential copyright free-rider and a bottomless pit of plagiarism” that’s responsible for “endless unauthorized copies of Disney’s and Universal’s copyrighted works,” per <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/11/business/media/disney-universal-midjourney-ai.html">The New York Times</a>.
While this is not the first AI-based lawsuit, this represents the first time any major entertainment company has filed this type of complaint. In the case of other lawsuits, AI companies <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/06/11/disney-universal-sue-midjourney-ai-copyright/">claimed</a> that their tools are generating new creations and that the resulting output counts as “fair use” per copyright law.
The entertainment companies disagree.
“We are bullish on the promise of A.I. technology and optimistic about how it can be used responsibly as a tool to further human creativity,” Disney’s general counsel Horacio Gutierrez told NYT in an email. “But piracy is piracy, and the fact that it’s done by an A.I. company does not make it any less infringing.”
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Kim Harris, general counsel at Universal, expanded on this in a separate email statement, saying, “We are bringing this action today to protect the hard work of all the artists whose work entertains and inspires us and the significant investment we make in our content.”
Motion Picture Association Chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin voiced support for the lawsuit, calling copyright protection “the backbone of [the entertainment] industry,” per <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/11/tech/disney-universal-midjourney-ai-copyright-lawsuit">CNN</a>.
“A balanced approach to AI that both protects intellectual property and embraces responsible, human-centered innovation is critical for maintaining America’s global leadership in creative industries,” he added.
The lawsuit is demanding $150,000 per infringed work in addition to Midjourney ceasing copyright infringement in the future. If Disney and Universal win the case, the payout could total up to $20 million for 150 protected images they claim have been infringed upon.

Disney

‘Bottomless Pit Of Plagiarism’: Disney And Universal Sue AI Image Generator

'Bottomless Pit Of Plagiarism': Disney And Universal Sue AI Image Generator

Artificial Intelligence

copyright

We have all seen the images this past week. They have become a far too common sight in America’s largest cities: cars ablaze, small businesses looted and vandalized, city centers held hostage by violent mobs, all while local law enforcement stands idly by.
President Trump took decisive action to protect the public from lawless rioters by activating the National Guard, but many of the rioters continue to engage in blatant criminality, correctly guessing they face only a remote risk of prosecution. Congress and state legislatures, however, can step in by making it ruinously expensive to riot.
For decades, the federal government has used private litigation as a tool to further public policy objectives. Disabled Americans can sue businesses for violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Consumers who suffer even the most trivial losses from deceptive advertising can bring class actions against manufacturers. Litigation is expensive, often ruinously so, and the government therefore outsources much of its law enforcement to private citizens, armed with statutes that award attorneys’ fees and civil penalties.
Rioting is first and foremost a criminal matter, and local police departments and district attorneys should quell riots through vigorous, evenhanded enforcement of criminal law. But they do not. Congress should thus fill this void by creating a private right of action, that is, the ability to bring a lawsuit against individuals who create disruptions in the form of riots.
The first step would be to define a riot, taking care to draw a clear line between criminality and First Amendment activity. Fortunately, the law already makes this distinction: expressing one’s thoughts using signs or chants is legal, but trespassing, assault, and vandalism are not. A riot should therefore be defined as a gathering of two or more people who are present in a location where they lack legal permission to be (whether private property or public property without a required permit) who engage in or aid and abet trespass, assault, and vandalism that results in property damage and obstructed rights of way. If Congress is the body passing the law, it can add a requirement that the riot affects interstate commerce (a very broad and easily satisfied requirement) to ensure the law is upheld.
The second step would be to identify the parties who can bring suit under this law. Riots result in many kinds of harm. Workers are unable to make it to work on time. Business owners contend with shattered windows, stolen inventory, and lost revenue when law-abiding residents stay home. Parents are unable to take their children to school. Police officers are assaulted. The law must recognize each of these harms by allowing anyone who suffers a harm to their person or property to bring suit.
The third step would be to craft a remedy that gives the law teeth. A challenge with enforcing criminal rioting laws is the difficulty of determining precisely which member of a riot committed which act of criminality. Civil law need not be so exacting. A participant in a riot — or those who provided material support to rioters (the deep-pocketed unions and nonprofits who help organize the protests that quickly become riots) — should face civil liability for harm that occurred during the riot. While some victims face tremendous financial harm, like a small business owner whose shop or restaurant is looted, others face smaller, harder-to-quantify harms. Plaintiffs should therefore be able to recover not only their actual damages, but a civil penalty in the tens of thousands of dollars, sufficient to deter rioters. Like almost all civil enforcement statutes, there should be a mandatory award of attorney’s fees to prevailing plaintiffs to ensure that anti-rioting cases are financially viable for attorneys.
The coddling of rioters by state and local authorities has caused tremendous destruction in American cities. In the past five years, we have seen riots ostensibly related to policing, race relations, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and, now, the enforcement of immigration laws. As long as rioters know they can act with impunity, the riots will continue. A law that makes funding or participating in riots financially devastating will make many rioters—and those who fund them—think twice before blocking a bridge or smashing a storefront window.
* * *
Jesse Franklin-Murdock is counsel at Dhillon Law Group Inc. and he is also a resident of San Francisco, where violent riots have taken place over the course of the last week.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
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Protests Erupt In L.A. County, Sparked By Federal Immigration Raids

Want To End The Riots? Hit The Mob Where It Hurts

Illegal Immigation

Looting

Opinion

San Francisco

Both Justin Baldoni’s attorney and Blake Lively have reacted publicly to the court’s decision to dismiss Baldoni’s $400 million countersuit against his former “It Ends With Us” co-star. The director’s $250 million libel lawsuit against The New York Times was also dismissed.
&#8220;While the Court dismissed the defamation related claims, the Court has invited us to amend four out of the seven claims against Ms. Lively, which will showcase additional evidence and refined allegations,&#8221; Baldoni’s attorney Bryan Freedman said in his <a href="https://people.com/blake-lively-lawyers-victory-judge-tossing-justin-baldoni-lawsuit-11750734">statement</a> shared with People on Monday.
&#8220;This case is about false accusations of sexual harassment and retaliation and a nonexistent smear campaign, which Ms. Lively’s own team conveniently describes as &#8216;untraceable&#8217; because they cannot prove what never happened,&#8221; he continued.
&#8220;Most importantly, Ms. Lively’s own claims are no truer today than they were yesterday, and with the facts on our side, we march forward with the same confidence that we had when Ms. Lively and her cohorts initiated this battle and look forward to her forthcoming deposition, which I will be taking,&#8221; Freedman went on. &#8220;We are grateful for the organic show of support from the public and for the dedication of the internet sleuth community who continue to cover the case with discernment and integrity.&#8221;
Judge Lewis J. Liman granted motions to dismiss both lawsuits, but noted that Baldoni’s legal team would still be able to amend the claims before June 23.
While Baldoni’s statement did not imply defeat, Lively&#8217;s legal team called the judge’s decision “a total victory and a complete vindication.”
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&#8220;As we have said from day one, this &#8216;$400 million&#8217; lawsuit was a sham, and the Court saw right through it,” her attorneys’ <a href="https://people.com/blake-lively-lawyers-victory-judge-tossing-justin-baldoni-lawsuit-11750734">statement</a> said.
The actress also addressed the dismissal on Monday, sharing about “the pain of a retaliatory lawsuit” on her Instagram Stories.
“While the suit against me was defeated, so many don&#8217;t have the resources to fight back. I&#8217;m more resolved than ever to continue to stand for every woman&#8217;s right to have a voice in protecting themselves,” she shared with followers.
&#8220;With love and gratitude for the many who stood by me, many of you I know. Many of you I don&#8217;t. But I will never stop appreciating or advocating for you,” Lively wrote.
The drama started in December when Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni accusing him of sexual harassment, retaliation, and attempting to “destroy” her reputation. This came after she starred opposite Baldoni in “It Ends With Us,” a film he was also directing.
Baldoni fervently denied the claims, responding with a countersuit against his co-star and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds. He also sued The New York Times for $250 million in a defamation claim for an article about the situation, which he says is “rife with inaccuracies, misrepresentations, and omissions.”
A trial is set to begin March 9, 2026.

Justin Baldoni Blake Lively

Justin Baldoni’s Lawyer, Blake Lively React To Judge Dismissing Defamation Lawsuit

Blake Lively

Hollywood

California filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Monday, alleging the president &#8220;is trying to manufacture chaos and crisis&#8221; after he deployed 2,000 National Guard troops to quell anti-ICE riots in Los Angeles over the weekend.
The lawsuit argues that President Donald Trump unconstitutionally called in the National Guard and infringed on Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom&#8217;s role without there being a clear threat of &#8220;invasion&#8221; or &#8220;rebellion,&#8221; The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/06/09/california-newsom-trump-lawsuit-national-guard/">reported</a>. Trump deployed the National Guard, a power typically exercised by governors, on Saturday as anti-ICE protests turned into riots and agitators attacked federal, state, and local law enforcement and set fire to cars in the street.
“Let me be clear: There is no invasion. There is no rebellion,” California Democratic Attorney General Rob Bonta said. “The President is trying to manufacture chaos and crisis on the ground for his own political ends.”
Newsom <a href="https://x.com/GavinNewsom/status/1932147258033934643">added</a>, &#8220;This is a manufactured crisis. He is creating fear and terror to take over a state militia and violate the U.S. constitution. The illegal order he signed could allow him to send the military into ANY STATE HE WISHES. Every governor &#8212; red or blue &#8212; should reject this outrageous overreach. There’s a lot of hyperbole out there. This isn’t that. This is an unmistakable step toward authoritarianism that threatens the foundation of our republic. We cannot let it stand.&#8221;
On Monday, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-newsom-bass-should-thank-him-for-deploying-national-guard-to-keep-our-citizens-safe?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Says+Newsom%2C+Bass+Should+Thank+Him+For+Deploying+National+Guard+%E2%80%98To+Keep+Our+Citizens+SAFE%E2%80%99">defended</a> his decision to send National Guard troops to Los Angeles, saying that the city “would have been completely obliterated” without his action.
“The very incompetent ‘Governor,’ Gavin Newscum, and ‘Mayor,’ Karen Bass, should be saying, ‘THANK YOU, PRESIDENT TRUMP, YOU ARE SO WONDERFUL. WE WOULD BE NOTHING WITHOUT YOU, SIR,&#8217;” Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114654277401980803">wrote</a> on Truth Social. “Instead, they choose to lie to the People of California and America by saying that we weren’t needed, and that these are ‘peaceful protests.&#8217;”
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In his order to deploy the National Guard, Trump <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/10/12406">cited</a> U.S. Code Title 10, Section 12406, which allows the president to call in the National Guard under invasion from a foreign nation, a rebellion &#8220;or danger of rebellion&#8221; against the U.S. government, or if &#8220;the President is unable with the regular forces to execute the laws of the United States.&#8221; The statute has not faced much judicial scrutiny, according to Bonta, but he said he feels confident that the courts will side with California.
Trump could also point to the Insurrection Act of 1807, which allows the president to federalize the National Guard and deploy the U.S. military to quell domestic disorder or violence. Asked about invoking the Insurrection Act on Sunday, Trump <a href="https://www.c-span.org/program/white-house-event/president-trump-speaks-to-reporters-in-morristown-new-jersey/660975">replied</a>, &#8220;It depends on whether or not there&#8217;s an insurrection.&#8221; At the time, he said that the current situation didn&#8217;t amount to an insurrection, adding, &#8220;But you have violent people and we&#8217;re not going to let them get away with it.&#8221;

Donald Trump/Gavin Newsom

California Sues Trump Over National Guard Deployment, Says President ‘Manufactured Crisis’

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