C-SPAN’s Washington Journal Open Forum pits callers over ICE training cuts (six months to eight weeks), the Minnesota shooting of Alex Predi (federal agents’ conflicting claims on weapon use), and $20B welfare fraud allegations targeting Ilhan Omar. Democrats counter Trump-era deportation orders with concerns about ICE’s tactics, while Republicans blame Democratic policies for rising prices and law enforcement tensions. Bipartisan backlash delays DHS funding, and Trump’s travel to Iowa hints at a Federal Reserve chair announcement—all amid heated debates on immigration, authority, and political motives. [Automatically generated summary]
That was the response from the Department of Homeland Security.
Yes, go ahead.
unidentified
Okay, all right.
They're responding saying it's not been cut from six months to 47 days.
But if you multiply seven times eight weeks, that's 56 and you subtract Saturday and Sunday.
That's 47 days of training, unless they're training for the whole 56 days, including Saturday and Sunday.
But the one question I wanted to ask, everyone always talked about the popularity of the Democrats and how it's going to affect the election.
But I just wanted to ask your last guest, what is the popularity of the Republicans?
Because I really never hear that mention as much.
And how will it affect Democrats in red states for opportunity to win some of those seats?
Because we know on these off-elections that's been going on in the last two or three months, Democrats have been taking up house seats in red, well, state seats in red districts and flipping them.
So houses are going up.
Of course, whenever you get another guest, the popularity of the Republicans and the popularity of the Democrats.
And will the Democrats continue to flip seats, not only in state houses, but also Congress, in red states specifically?
I'm calling about, I was an Air Force Security Police Canine Handler from 68 to 74.
And I went through eight weeks of basic training, and then I went through 10 weeks of security police school before I was even able to carry a gun or have a shield.
And even then, I had to wait for my security clearances.
And then I went through 10 more weeks of canine school.
For these guys to go out there with eight weeks of training and get the right to actually not just apprehend but arrest civilians and get a police, a federal police shield and a gun, and then be totally protected with immunity is just bizarre.
It's out of this world.
I don't know how they get away with it, and they're certainly undertrained.
I actually want to read a recent post from this morning.
President Donald Trump posted on his social media website, Truth Social, about the ongoing activities in Minnesota.
The president posted, I am sending Tom Holman to Minnesota tonight.
He has not been involved in that area, but knows and likes many of the people there.
Tom is tough but fair and will report directly to me.
Separately, a major investigation is going on with respect to the massive $20 billion plus welfare fraud that has taken place in Minnesota and is at least partially responsible for the violent organized protests going on in the streets.
Additionally, the DOJ and Congress are looking at Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, who left Somalia with nothing and is now reportedly worth more than $44 million.
Time will tell all.
Thank you for your attention to this matter, President DJT.
Let's hear now from Ron in Johnston, Pennsylvania, and our line for Democrats.
Good morning, John.
Ron.
unidentified
Yeah, good morning.
This is amazing.
The fella called before and says that Biden ran the country down the ground.
According to the Moody's Analytics and Mark Zandy, the Biden administration had the best economy in 35 years.
And talking about the criminal in the White House and fraud, this guy made over $1,400 million, and no one seems to be worried about that.
I mean, Swad goes, can you imagine if Biden would have said he's going to buy Greenland, get back the Panama Canal, go into Venezuela?
Everyone would call him dementia.
He has dementia.
But yet, when Trump does it, you know, there's no, I don't hear anyone saying about dementia.
This guy is a crook.
He's a definite, it's hard to believe that anyone could stick by this guy.
Thank you so much for hopping on on this still snowy day.
But of course, the topic of attention is still focused on Minnesota and the fatal shooting this weekend, this past weekend at the hands of federal agents.
The administration's defending that immigration crackdown.
I was just reading the President's Truth Social post about sending Tom Homan to Minnesota.
What else are you hearing from White House officials as these protests continue and the fallout continues?
Well, I thought it was notable in an interview with the Wall Street Journal last night that President Trump did not immediately come to the defense of the federal agent who shot Alex Predty on Saturday.
Instead, he said, we are looking at everything.
Now, this all comes as Christy Noam, the head of the Department of Homeland Security, said that Predty was brandishing a weapon.
But from all angles of the footage, and there are multiple clips out there that we've seen, we do not see Predi at any point brandishing the weapon.
Instead, he seems to be filming or appears to be filming the situation that was unfolding between ICE office or federal agents and a protester or protesters in the area.
There are some reports of tension within the administration because of the optics of all of this.
We know that there are obviously growing concerns that now a second American citizen has died at the hands of the federal government in Minnesota.
So I think there's a lot of questions going forward, and the administration is treading carefully now that they're seeing really the backlash to all of this.
Now, at the end of last week, we thought we were on a pretty steady glide path to passing funding for the federal government to avoid a partial government shutdown at the end of this month.
But now there are several Democrats who are threatening to hold up in the Senate the spending package over DHS funding as it pertains to ICE.
Can you talk a little bit about where that stands?
You know, we know that there are no votes scheduled in the Senate today, but the Senate is in session.
But there's a big question as to whether this will be held up and we could see another government shutdown due to the optics and what's happening in Minnesota, in Minneapolis regarding these federal agents and ICE.
And it's notable because you're not only seeing Democrats voice opposition, but you're also seeing Republicans increasingly starting to voice concerns and maybe even some backlash to what's happening in Minneapolis.
Senator Bill Cassidy, for example, someone who hasn't necessarily been shy to speak out against the administration, a Republican from Louisiana, he condemned the actions of the federal agents after that video surfaced on Saturday morning.
You also have House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer saying on Fox News or Fox Business yesterday that ICE should leave Minneapolis in an effort to de-escalate the situation following the death of a second American citizen.
So we're seeing more cracks, it seems, in the Republican coalition forming.
Well, the President did not hold any public events yesterday.
I think it's been relatively quiet at the White House.
However, we understand that the President has declared a number of or approved a number of emergency declarations or state of emergency declarations in various states that have been impacted by this storm.
We're seeing White House officials direct people to pay attention to the National Weather Service.
And we'll probably get an update today at 1 p.m. when White House Press Secretary Caroline Lovitt is expected to hold a press briefing at the White House.
Well, he's going to Iowa because this is a part of his upcoming weekly midterm travels ahead of the midterms in November.
We've heard Chief of Staff Susie Wiles say that President Trump will be hitting the road more.
And we understand that, you know, obviously Iowa is not necessarily a swing state.
It is home to a number of competitive races this November.
You have the Iowa gubernatorial election, the open Senate seat that's taking place, a number of competitive House seats in Iowa that could help determine the House majority.
So this is President Trump very much, I think, warming up for what is expected to be a very busy year of campaign travel.
I mean, we don't know exactly when the president will announce it, but he seems to have been inching closer and closer towards a decision on the Federal Reserve chair.
It seems like he has it very narrowed down.
A couple of weeks ago at Mar-a-Lago, he said that he has the decision in his mind.
So it seems like we're inching closer and closer.
Obviously, we're watching that very, very closely.
You know, because I'm from Washington, D.C., even though I live out here in Edgewater, I am from Washington, and I understand when it snows in Washington, D.C., you get out of town because you're not going anywhere if you think you have a car.
And that comes to the point: that power still can come out.
If you had not lost power, don't count that out.
You can still lose power.
And it's something that I had prepared for back in October with getting my foods together.
I had also plasticked up a picture window, which is, you know, we all love our picture windows, but to have to plastic up the picture window really made a big difference and keeping warm.
So I just hope that everybody's going to keep in good spirits.
And this is my well wishes, good spirits, and be happy and be very cautious in the house because you don't want to get hurt during this time because 911 won't be able to get to you that fast.
Next up is Sandra in Hernando, Florida, on our line for Democrats.
Good morning, Sandra.
unidentified
Good morning.
There's two things I would like to say.
One, I feel very badly for the two families who lost their loved ones in Minnesota.
That's very sad.
And also, I would like to ask any Republican how they would feel if ICE came to their neighborhoods and did things that they are doing to the American people.
Thank you for being here.
This is great that we're able to express our feelings.
Mark is in Cloverdale, Indiana, on our line for independence.
Good morning, Mark.
unidentified
Good morning.
I'm calling up just to thank our president for taking such a strong stand for America, making Greenland now more safer.
And I guess we're going to put in areas that will be long-term controlled by our air forces to prevent missiles from coming into our country.
And I also want to thank him for standing up and forcing the NATO members for making them to pay their fair share.
We've carried them for so many years.
I also want to thank the president for addressing the right to life.
He's a wonderful president.
He loves children and he has many children of his own and grandchildren.
And I just think the demarcation, largest demarcation between the Democrats and the Republicans is on this right to life.
When they had the vote, and you can look it up on your thing there, when they had the vote about a couple years ago on first, second, third, and abortion after, almost every Democrat voted for abortion.
And all the Republicans voted for life.
And I love life.
And Jesus said he gave us life and life more abundantly because he came to save us from our sins.
So when you end the life of a little baby in the womb, you're going against what God has created because he said that he created many of the particular ones in the Bible from the moment of conception.
And I just want to thank our president for making sure that the poor ladies that were in the hallways singing in abortion clinics and are going to get sent 10 years to prison aren't going to get sent to prison.
He's standing for people who love the Lord and who love life.
Ed is in Hendersonville, North Carolina, on our line for Republicans.
Good morning, Ed.
unidentified
Good morning.
A couple points.
I wish every time the media mentions the shooting, which should be investigated neutrally, but I wish they would provide the facts that, number one, the guy was there with a gun.
You never hear about that, Harley.
Number two, he had a gun with magazines and no ID.
And number three, he's filming the events just like he was instructed to do by the governor.
These are issues that I wish the media would add when they add the full context of why he was there.
No ID with the gun and doing what he was instructed to do by the governor.
So basically, just complete the full.
By the way, the other issue is ICE.
ICE is funded with the big bill through 2019.
Okay, so let's add that in there also.
Just all of the information would be fine if we could get it.
Lauren is in Norfolk, Virginia, on our line for Democrats.
Good morning, Lauren.
unidentified
Hey, good morning.
I am a registered nurse, and I have been so for the past almost 20 years of my life.
And I think one thing in this conversation that people seem to be forgetting is that this entire altercation occurred in front of a donut shop.
And my understanding is this is a vibrant street where the locals go in that community to participate in just regular daily American activities, like going to get donuts and coffee.
I think that when we talk about looking at this in the context of what was happening, this is an American street in America.
I'm also a registered nurse that has worked in level three trauma centers where, you know, people would refer to that as an inner city.
And nurses deal with violence all the time in our field.
And we never have to use guns or intimidation to de-escalate.
And I just want to point out that people just keep not mentioning is that he was backing up.
He was backing up.
And I think that that for me is just whatever side you're on, it's just ludicrous in my mind to look at the violence in that video.
Would you take the oath to provide any kind of public service, whether it's ICE, police work, or being a fireman or a nurse?
The number one code of ethic is to treat everybody with bigoty and respect.
Also, for law enforcement, when they do have to use lethal force, they are responsible for every shot that is made, correct?
So my question is, in many of these videos, after he is on the ground, one of these officers proceeds to shoot him four or five times, which looks like in the head.
And for me, I'm also somebody that's grown up in a very pro-gun family.
You know, Democrats, they appreciate their Second Amendment rights.
And I just think about my grandfather and my dad.
When you hold a gun in your hand, you are supposed to use every bit of you to be paying attention.
The idea that somebody would grab a gun when they don't have proper footing on ice, I don't care who you are.
That is ridiculous.
So I'm just saying from a nursing perspective, Alex gave every sign of being proper and backing up from these fools.
I also want to know from a medical perspective, when you spray somebody in the eye, which he was, a pepper spray, they're so disoriented.
So yes, the trading is bad, but these people are bad.
I also think that it's just really important for people to, again, look at this.
The people in this community are continuing to go to a donut shop where there is now a makeshift tombstone for an American citizen that served our veterans as a nurse, who by all accounts was just a decent human being.
And again, I would just ask anybody that's calling in that is saying that these people menace.
We are about out of time for this segment, but thank you to everybody who called in for Open Forum.
Up next, we're going to be joined by Andrew Roth of the British newspaper The Guardian and Stephanie Bolzin of the German newspaper Veld.
We're going to talk about the uneasy relationship between the U.S. and Europe right now.
We'll be right back.
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