ICE protests heat up in LA
It’s Monday. Have you heard some people are trying to use their Costco card in place of a Real ID? This has apparently happened so much that TSA warned travelers it does not count. *nervously laughs for society*
In today's issue:
- Trump deploys National Guard in LA
- 12-country travel ban takes effect
- New plan to pass 'big, beautiful bill'
- Original “Hamilton” cast performs at Tonys
? IN LOS ANGELES
What’s happening in California?:
Los Angeles is preparing for more protests after days of demonstrations over the Trump administration’s immigration raids and deportation efforts.
President Trump made the extraordinary decision Sunday to deploy roughly 2,000 National Guard troops to the city, describing the demonstrations as “violent, insurrectionist mobs.” This move by Trump caused tensions to escalate. (The last time a president sent National Guard troops against the state’s governor’s wishes was in 1965.)
At one point Sunday, protesters blocked the 101 freeway in Los Angeles and set self-driving cars on fire. Police clashed with demonstrators, and dozens of protesters have been arrested. Law enforcement used tear gas, rubber bullets and flash-bangs, The Associated Press reported.
? An Australian journalist was hit by a rubber bullet
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) bashed Trump’s National Guard deployment as a “chaotic escalation.”
From Bass: “When [Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)] raid Home Depots and workplaces, when you tear parents and children apart, and when you run armored caravans through our streets, you cause fear and panic,” she added. “And deployment of federalized troops on the heels of raids is a chaotic escalation.”
California plans to legally fight back: California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) told MSNBC that his state will sue the Trump administration over its National Guard deployment.
Trump’s team is fully on board with a military response: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said over the weekend that he would send active-duty Marines to respond to the protests if the situation escalates.
Trump seems to agree. He posted shortly after midnight on his Truth Social account, “Looking really bad in L.A. BRING IN THE TROOPS!!!”
? For context: It would be a big deal for the White House to deploy active-duty military to control U.S. protests. The Wall Street Journal notes that “when unrest erupted around the country in 2020, President Trump’s then-Defense Secretary Mark Esper drew a line in the sand: active-duty military troops should rarely be deployed on American streets to quell protests.”
? Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) was denied entry to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles Watch here
➤ RELATED READ — THIS IS PERFECT FODDER FOR TRUMP:
The New York Times’s Tyler Pager argues that “Trump Jumps at the Chance for a Confrontation in California Over Immigration.”
Pager’s reasoning: “The situation has all the elements that the president seeks: a showdown with a top political rival in a deep blue state over an issue core to his agenda.”
?️ IN THE WHITE HOUSE
Also on the immigration front:
President Trump’s 12-country travel ban went into effect at midnight.
Travelers from 12 countries are now fully banned from entering the United States, and partial restrictions are in place for seven other countries. ? List of affected countries
How does this travel ban differ from Trump’s first term?: Syria and North Korea are notably missing from this list. Trump’s first travel ban faced a litany of legal challenges. This time, however, his administration laid the legal groundwork with an earlier executive order. Read more on this ban differs
➤ TIDBIT — SOME HIRING TROUBLES AT DOD:
The White House is having a difficult time finding qualified people who are willing to work for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, reports NBC News’s Gordon Lubold, Courtney Kube and Katherine Doyle.
“Top Defense Department jobs, including the defense secretary’s chief of staff, are normally considered prestigious and typically attract multiple qualified candidates. But at least three people have already turned down potential roles under Hegseth, according to a former U.S. official, the defense official and a person familiar with the matter.”
NBC reports that Vice President Vance and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles are now helping to fill the positions. Read the full report
⏱️ ON CAPITOL HILL
Let’s reset, but with some ~new vibes~:
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) is hoping to inject fresh momentum on President Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” as Republicans’ self-imposed July 4 deadline nears.
What is Thune’s plan? Delegate.: Thune is convening small working groups to find solutions to Republicans’ objections within the bill, reports The Hill’s Alexander Bolton.
No Democrat is expected to vote “yes” on the bill, so Republicans can only afford three defections for it to still pass. Senate Finance Committee Chair Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) told colleagues last week that there are already two likely GOP “no” votes.
Thune told The Hill he’s still eyeing Trump’s July 4 deadline, even though he privately told his colleagues earlier this year that August recess feels more realistic deadline.
Read Bolton’s reporting: ‘Republicans look for reset on Trump’s "big, beautiful bill"’
➤ WHAT’S HAPPENING ON CAPITOL HILL THIS WEEK?:
The House will attempt to codify Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cuts, which would rescind $9.4 billion in federal funding. What interesting timing after Trump and Musk’s messy breakup last week …
The House will also vote on a bill to categorize fentanyl as Schedule I in the Controlled Substances Act.
?Read The Hill’s Mychael Schnell’s primer of what’s happening in Congress this week, including a list of key hearings.
? IN OTHER NEWS
A Gaza aid ship was seized by Israel:
“Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, 22, and several allies were taken into Israeli custody in international waters early Monday while attempting to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza, which faces a food crisis amid Hamas’s ongoing war with Israel,” reports The Hill’s Elizabeth Crisp.
COMING UP
The House and Senate are in. President Trump is in Washington. (All times EST)
2 p.m.: Trump participates in an Invest America Roundtable. ? Livestream
2 p.m.: The Secret Service gives a briefing on the logistics for this weekend’s military parade. ?Livestream
5:30 p.m.: Two Senate votes are expected. ?Today’s agenda
6:30 p.m.: First and last House votes. ?Today’s agenda
Saturday: The military parade in Washington.
? INTERNET BUZZ
? Celebrate: Today is National Strawberry Rhubarb Day.
? *Cue “Defying Gravity”: A runaway zebra was rescued after a week on the run. It was dramatically airlifted dangling from a helicopter. The video is all over the internet for obvious reasons. ? Watch
? The original “Hamilton” cast performed!: The original cast of the smash Broadway hit “Hamilton” ?performed at the Tony Awards. THEY’RE SO GOOD. Oh, and Cynthia Erivo gave Oprah Winfrey a gift. ? Watch the clip
? AND FINALLY…
And to hopefully leave you in a good mood, watch this solution to a turtle getting lost.
