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Democrats forge strange bedfellows as party flounders in Trump’s 2nd term
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The Democratic Party has been without a leader since losing the White House in November, and as Democrats navigate President Donald Trump’s second administration, they’ve developed some unlikely alliances.
From violent protests erupting in Los Angeles to the defense of controversial deportees and accused extremists, the party’s fractured response to Trump’s agenda has drawn scrutiny not just from the right, but from within its own ranks.
1. Anti-ICE Protests
Amid the chaos unfolding in Los Angeles, Trump said those protesting and rioting against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are «not protesters, they are troublemakers and insurrectionists.»
Images emerged this weekend of rioters setting cars on fire and large swaths of protesters shutting down highways as Trump federalized the National Guard for the first time since 1965. He ordered National Guardsmen and Marines to Los Angeles to protect federal immigration agents during the ongoing arrests.
Led by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, long considered a potential 2028 presidential candidate, Democrats have railed against Trump and rallied behind the anti-ICE protesters.
DEMOCRAT ACCUSES TRUMP OF UNLEASHING ‘CAMPAIGN OF TERROR’ ON ILLEGALS AS LA RIOTS RAGE
Democrats, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Sen. Chuck Schumer and Gov. Gavin Newsom, have made some unexpected alliances during President Trump’s second term. (Shutterstock/AP)
«This brazen abuse of power by a sitting president inflamed a combustible situation, putting our people, our officers, and the National Guard at risk,» Newsom said.
ICE RAMPS UP ARRESTS OF CONVICTED CRIMINALS AS RIOTS RAGE IN BLUE CITY: ‘YOU WILL NOT STOP US’
And Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., said on NBC, «A lot of these peaceful protests are being generated because the president of the United States is sowing chaos.»
«The vast majority of protesters and demonstrators are peaceful,» Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., said on MSNBC. «They’re passionate.»
2. Kilmar Abrego Garcia
Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national deported from Maryland earlier this year, is set to face federal charges for human smuggling and conspiracy, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Friday.
For months, Democrats have ridiculed the Trump administration for deporting Abrego Garcia to a high-security prison in his home country, El Salvador. Returning Abrego Garcia to the U.S. became a major cause for the Democratic Party.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., was the first of several lawmakers to travel to El Salvador to visit Abrego Garcia this year, sparking social media backlash after being photographed with purported margaritas at a restaurant.
Kilmar Abrego Garcia (Abrego Garcia Family/Handout via REUTERS)
«As I have repeatedly said, this is not about the man, it’s about his constitutional rights and the rights of all. The administration will now have to make its case in the court of law, as it should have all along,» Van Hollen said Friday.
Abrego Garcia is accused of being a member of the violent Salvadoran gang MS-13. According to court records filed by his wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, he also allegedly physically abused her on multiple occasions.
KILMAR ABREGO GARCIA INDICTED ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING CHARGES, ORDERED TO APPEAR BEFORE JUDGE IN NASHVILLE
Earlier Friday, another Maryland Democrat, Rep. Glenn Ivey, who also made a trip to El Salvador to advocate for Abrego Garcia, used his X account to promote an event to continue the «critical conversation on the fight to return those who are wrongfully imprisoned in El Salvador.»
And Maryland Gov. Wes Moore celebrated the news of Abrego Garcia’s return, telling Fox News Digital, «I want to thank our federal delegation for their efforts to ensure our government adheres to the rule of law.»
Moore said it was «never about one person, but about the due process that governs all people in our country.»
3. Tesla vandalism
Earlier this year, few Democrats were willing to denounce vandalism on Tesla showrooms, charging stations and vehicles, even as Attorney General Pam Bondi labeled the attacks «domestic terrorism,» an issue Democrats have railed against for years.
What began as protests against Elon Musk and his leadership at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) escalated into violent incidents, including shots fired at a building, destroyed dealership windows and charging stations set on fire.
In an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier on «Special Report» in March, Musk blamed Democrat leaders’ anti-DOGE rhetoric for the surge in violence against his company.
Five Tesla vehicles were set on fire and shot at in what police said was a «targeted attack» at a repair center in Las Vegas on March 18. (Hal Sparks via Storyful)
Sen. John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat who has earned a reputation for bucking his party on key issues like immigration and supporting Israel, dissed Democrats for suddenly backing Musk amid the billionaire’s social media spat with Trump.
DEMS WHO HAVE SPOKEN PASSIONATELY AGAINST DOMESTIC TERRORISM GO SILENT AS TESLA TORCHERS ARE CHARGED
«The Dems, we’ve been dumping all over Musk and vandalizing Teslas or whatever, and now, suddenly, we might be more back into him,» Fetterman said, calling out Democrats’ inconsistency.
4. Mahmoud Khalil
Trump told Fox News’ Laura Ingraham that Democrats lost big in November because they’re backing «90% negative issues,» including support for Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia University activist who was arrested and faced deportation for his alleged support of the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.
«Backing Khalil is not a great issue, but backing Khalil is better than backing these other hundreds of people that are really serious criminals. It’s probably a step better than that,» Trump told Ingraham.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Khalil of participating in «antisemitic protests and disruptive activities, which foster a hostile environment for Jewish students in the United States.»
Mahmoud Khalil (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)
«Condoning antisemitic conduct and disruptive protests in the United States would severely undermine that significant foreign policy objective,» Rubio said, defending his move to revoke Khalil’s green card over his alleged affiliation with the terrorist group, Hamas.
But more than 100 Democrats sent a letter accusing the Trump administration of a «brazen attempt to use the power of the United States government to silence and punish people who do not agree with the sitting President» by arresting Khalil. The Democrats requested documentation of the «reasonable grounds» for his arrest and affirmed his «constitutional right in our democracy to express his political views.»
IVY LEAGUE ANTI-ISRAEL RINGLEADER MAHMOUD KHALIL WITHHELD DETAILS OF FOREIGN TIES FROM VISA APPLICATION: FEDS
The procedural request followed a fiery letter sent by 14 House Democrats, including «Squad» members Reps. Rashida Tlaib, Illhan Omar and Ayanna Pressley, demanding Khalil’s release and labeling his detention an «illegal abduction» and violation of the First Amendment.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called the arrest «inhumane» and «unconstitutional.» Tlaib, who is the only Palestinian American in Congress and was censured last year for her criticism of U.S. policy on the war in Gaza, said the Trump administration’s «illegal actions set a dangerous precedent» and called to «free Mahmoud Khalil.»
5. The seniority question
Earlier this year, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer faced backlash from his own party after voting for the Republican-proposed continuing resolution to avert a government shutdown.
Soon after, a Siena College poll found Schumer’s favorability was down at 39% among New York state voters questioned in the poll, which was conducted April 14-16. Meanwhile, Ocasio-Cortez’s favorability soared to 47% as rumors swirled about her ambitions for higher office.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)
Texas Democrat Rep. Jasmine Crockett said the Schumer criticism among donors was «reminiscent» of when former President Joe Biden was «taken down» before the 2024 presidential election.
EMBATTLED DNC VICE CHAIR DECIDES NOT TO RUN AFTER DIVERSITY RE-VOTE CALLED
And former DNC Vice Chair David Hogg sparked intraparty conflict this year when he vowed $20 million through his outside political action group, Leaders We Deserve, to primary challenge older House Democrats in safe blue districts he said are «asleep at the wheel.»
After months of growing tension between DNC officials, Hogg announced he would not compete in the new vice chair election after a majority of members voted for a new contest in the wake of a procedural error in the Feb. 1 elections.
But the DNC has a different take on their response to Trump’s second term.
«The American people think Donald Trump is off the rails — they oppose his deployment of troops to LA, they don’t support his budget bill to give handouts to the rich, and they don’t trust him to run the economy,» DNC spokesperson Aida Ross told Fox News Digital.
«That’s why Trump has the lowest approval ratings of any modern president at this point in his term. Democrats on the other hand are on a record-breaking streak, winning and overperforming in elections across the map this year, including in red states.»
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Fox News Digital’s Andrew Mark Miller, Peter Pinedo and Jasmine Baehr contributed to this report.
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«I know that I know nothing» – Socrates
«You don’t know nothing» – Baseball Legend Yogi Berra
Socrates may have been claiming ignorance, Berra was talking about baseball, but both may as well have been talking about the government shutdown.
So when will it end?
«You shouldn’t ask me because I’m the guy who said it’ll only last five days,» Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., said on Fox. «But I will tell you, a couple of Democrat senators recently indicated that they think this is going to go ‘til at least the first of November.»
However, Biggs added that he doesn’t «see an end in sight.»
GOVERNMENT ENTERS LONGEST FULL SHUTDOWN IN US HISTORY WITH NO END IN SIGHT
The government shutdown is now entering its fourth week. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
Whether you are Socrates or Yogi Berra, we don’t know «nothing.» Which technically means that we do know something.
However, I do know proper grammar.
The one thing that I do know in this case is that I don’t know anything about ending the government shutdown.
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN STALLS AS DEMOCRATS DEMAND OBAMACARE SUBSIDY EXTENSION
Regardless… Is it even possible to game out when the government shutdown may end?
Congressional Republicans believed that Democrats would fold after a matter of days once funding lapsed in the wee hours of Oct. 1. Then Republicans argued that Democrats would cry «uncle» once federal workers missed their first paycheck last week. Later, the GOP suggested Democrats would keep the government shuttered through the «No Kings» rallies around the country last weekend.
The GOP argued that Democrats needed to show their base that they were «fighting» against President Donald Trump.
«Now that they had their protests, I just pray that they come to their senses and re-open the government this week,» said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.
Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., says he doesn’t «see an end in sight.» (Getty Images)
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., accused Republicans of continually changing their reasons for why Democrats are blocking the GOP bill to fund the government.
«In a few days, it will be about something else,» Jeffries said.
So, we enter the ice age of Congressional inactivity as the government shutdown enters its fourth week.
Who could have predicted it?
Then again, who could have predicted thieves could make off with millions of dollars of jewelry inside the Louvre in an historic heist? At least the bandits stole our attention away from the government shutdown for a bit.
SHUTDOWN STANDSTILL: NO HEADWAY UNTIL THERE’S ‘INCENTIVE,’ POLITICOS LAMENT
That said, everyone knows (even if they won’t say it publicly) who will likely end the government shutdown: Trump.
He’s not just the president. Trump has a sway over Republicans in Congress that Ronald Reagan could only envy. So until he joins the fray, the government will remain closed.
«Donald Trump definitively needs to get involved. He needs to get off the sidelines. Get off the golf course and actually decide to end the shutdown that he’s created and that he has allowed to happen,» Jeffries said.
«Donald Trump, instead of leaving the country before he leaves the country, should sit down and negotiate with us so we can address this horrible crisis,» said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. «The president should meet with us. It’s not me, him or anything political. It’s that the people are in crisis every day.»
President Trump met with Republican lawmakers this week. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
The president did meet with lawmakers this week, holding court with Senate Republicans for lunch in the renovated Rose Garden.
«Did you notice the white marble floor?» quipped the president.
But Democrats contend that Trump huddled with the wrong party. Schumer characterized it as «a Rose Garden pep rally.»
Trump implored Democrats to bend – and vote for the GOP spending bill.
«They’re getting killed in the polls,» he said.
SCREAMING MATCH ERUPTS BETWEEN HAKEEM JEFFRIES, MIKE LAWLER AS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN CHAOS CONTINUES
«Shouldn’t the president get involved in negotiations at this stage to end this?» yours truly asked Johnson.
«We’re not going [to] pay a ransom to reopen the federal government,» replied the speaker.
«Isn’t the only key to end this shutdown to just have a sit-down negotiation with both sides?» I countered.
«Republicans have nothing to offer to Democrats,» replied Johnson.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., meanwhile, contends that «Republicans have nothing to offer Democrats.» (J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo)
In fact, some Republicans argued that Trump shouldn’t even negotiate.
«If I’ve learned anything about President Trump, it’s his timing. I think that he feels like the timing is not right now. We’re winning the messaging war,» said Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan. «So there’ll be a time. But the time is not ripe yet.»
It’s unclear when that time may come, considering that the government has remained shuttered for more than three weeks.
And two weeks ago, Republicans torched Schumer for declaring things got «better» for Democrats the longer the shutdown dragged on, but shutdown fatigue is now setting in on Capitol Hill.
BATTLEGROUND REPUBLICANS HOLD THE LINE AS JOHNSON PRESSURES DEMS ON SHUTDOWN
«Welcome to day 22 of the Democrats’ shutdown,» Johnson declared at the now sonorous daily press briefings delivered by both sides.
«This does suck,» said Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., on Fox Business about the shutdown.
Lawmakers are now seeking shutdown daylight.
«The hope is that we get this shutdown resolved before the end of the month,» Jeffries said.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., expresses hope that the shutdown will be resolved by the end of the month. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)
There’s worry about how the shutdown might impact national parks.
«(Here are) the more negative consequences that we’ll start to see without regular staffing. Litter will pile up and park ecosystems will be affected,» said House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman, R-Ark.
Both parties are convinced they’re prevailing in the shutdown.
«What I did hear on our telephone town hall repeatedly (is) ‘Don’t you guys give into these hostage takers,’» said Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho. «I heard that repeatedly.»
«It’s resonating with Americans. What I’m hearing from people in Connecticut is ‘hang tough,’» said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.
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The Senate holds a test vote Thursday on a bill to pay essential workers who are on the job without a paycheck, but Democrats are skeptical.
«I’d be in favor of paying the federal workers,» said Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt. «That bill, unfortunately, gives a lot of latitude to the president to pick and choose, or, I should say, (White House Budget Director) Russell Vought to pick and choose (who gets paid).»
So while shutdown weariness sets in, no one knows when it might end.
It is said that knowing what you don’t know actually constitutes true knowledge.
And if no one knows the end of the shutdown, that must mean that everyone is pretty smart.
congress,government shutdown,house of representatives politics,senate
INTERNACIONAL
Detuvieron a la gemela de una mujer acusada de matar a cuatro personas: “Asesina serial como su hermana”
El Ministerio Público de San Pablo acusó formalmente a las gemelas Roberta Cristina Veloso Fernandes y Ana Paula Veloso Fernandes de ser “asesinas seriales”. Ambas están presas por una serie de envenenamientos cometidos entre enero y mayo en los estados de San Pablo y Río de Janeiro.
Los fiscales sostienen que Roberta “instigó” y “alentó” a Ana Paula a cometer los crímenes, llegando incluso a participar en la planificación de los ataques.
Leé también: Brasil: investigan a una estudiante de Derecho acusada de matar con veneno a su exnovio y a tres víctimas más
Por primera vez, la Justicia brasileña calificó a Roberta como “asesina serial”, igual que a su hermana. Ana Paula Velloso Fernandes habría asesinado a cuatro personas con veneno. (Foto: gentileza O Globo).
“Estamos ante otra ‘serial killer’”, escribieron los fiscales Rodrigo Merli Antunes y Vania Caceres Stefanoni en la denuncia contra Roberta. “Demuestra ser una asesina en serie, igual que su hermana”, apuntaron.
Cómo operaban las gemelas: veneno y móviles económicos
Las investigaciones revelaron que las hermanas usaban veneno en bebidas y alimentos para eliminar a sus víctimas, casi siempre por motivos económicos. Un informe pericial confirmó la presencia de insecticida en los frascos encontrados en la vivienda de Ana Paula, en Guarulhos, en la región metropolitana de San Pablo.
Leé también: El caso que sacudió a Mar del Plata: mató a su marido dándole veneno para ratas, la condenaron y destapó un infierno familiar
Según la causa, Ana Paula también “sentía placer al matar”. Además, no actuó sola: Michelle Paiva da Silva, de 43 años e hija de una de las víctimas, está acusada de haber pagado 4 mil reales a las gemelas para que envenenaran y mataran a su propio padre, de 65 años.
Ana Paula fue detenida en julio, Roberta en agosto y Michelle en octubre. El Ministerio Público pidió que la prisión de Roberta pase de temporaria a preventiva y que pague 80 mil reales como reparación mínima a las familias de las cuatro víctimas. Encontraron un frasco con un potente insecticida en la casa de Ana Paula. (Foto: gentileza Metrópoles/g1).
Quiénes son las víctimas de las gemelas
- Marcelo Hari Fonseca: dueño de la casa que alquilaba Ana Paula en Guarulhos. Murió el 31 de enero tras comer un sándwich que posiblemente estaba envenenado. Tras su muerte, la estudiante universitaria comenzó a exigir a la familia del hombre que le permitiera permanecer en la residencia. La mujer afirmó tener una relación romántica con él, lo cual es falso, según la policía.
- Maria Aparecida Rodrigues: conoció a Ana Paula a través de una app de citas. Luego fue a la casa de la estudiante, donde comió una torta presuntamente envenenada. Regresó a su casa en Guarulhos, se sintió mal y murió el 11 de abril.
- Neil Corrêa da Silva: padre de Michelle, amigo de Ana Paula y excompañero de la universidad. Según la policía, su hija pagó a la asesina en serie R$4.000 para viajar a Duque de Caxias, Río de Janeiro, donde vivía el hombre de 65 años. La mujer le puso veneno en sus porotos. El hombre murió el 26 de abril.
- Hayder Mhazres: un joven tunecino de 21 años que conoció Ana Paula a través de una aplicación de citas. Según la policía, tras iniciar una relación con ella, quiso terminarla, lo que llevó a la estudiante a matarlo. La mujer le habría servido un licuado envenenado. Tras su muerte, la familia de la víctima declaró que Ana Paula afirmó estar embarazada de su hijo y les había pedido dinero. Según la investigación, mintió sobre el embarazo.
En un interrogatorio grabado, Ana Paula admitió haber matado animales con veneno. Según el diario Estadao, la estudiante también habría matado a 14 perros para probar la eficacia del veneno.
Si se confirman las muertes, la sospechosa también podría ser acusada de crueldad animal.
Leé también: Sanae Takaichi hizo historia y se convirtió en la primera ministra de Japón
El caso que estremece a Brasil
La historia de las gemelas Veloso Fernandes, acusadas de planear y ejecutar una serie de asesinatos con veneno, mantiene en vilo a la opinión pública de Brasil. La Justicia avanza en el proceso y busca determinar el alcance real de los crímenes y la responsabilidad de cada una de las involucradas.
Brasil, asesino serial
INTERNACIONAL
Hegseth says US conducted another strike in Eastern Pacific targeting alleged narco-traffickers
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Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday that the U.S. military has carried out another strike in the Eastern Pacific targeting alleged terrorists he says were engaged in narco-trafficking.
Three suspected narco-terrorists were killed, according to Hegseth. The strikes were ordered at the direction of President Donald Trump.
Hegseth said the Pentagon conducted «yet another lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization (DTO). Yet again, the now-deceased terrorists were engaged in narco-trafficking in the Eastern Pacific.»
TRUMP APPROVES MILITARY ACTION AGAINST LATIN AMERICAN CARTELS CLASSIFIED AS TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS
«The vessel was known by our intelligence to be involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, was transiting along a known narco-trafficking route, and was carrying narcotics,» he continued. «Three male narco-terrorists were aboard the vessel during the strike, which was conducted in international waters. All three terrorists were killed and no U.S. forces were harmed in this strike.»
This is the ninth vessel strike since September and the second strike reported in the Eastern Pacific. A total of 37 have reportedly been killed while two survived and were later repatriated to their home countries.
TRUMP UNLEASHES US MILITARY POWER ON CARTELS. IS A WIDER WAR LOOMING?
A U.S. military drone strike ordered by President Trump destroyed a vessel in the Eastern Pacific on Oct. 22, 2025, killing three suspected narco-terrorists, according to the Department of War. (Department of War)
«These strikes will continue, day after day,» Hegseth said on Wednesday. «These are not simply drug runners—these are narco-terrorists bringing death and destruction to our cities. These DTOs are the ‘Al Qaeda’ of our hemisphere and will not escape justice. We will find them and kill them, until the threat to the American people is extinguished.»
The Pentagon has refused to release the identities of those killed or evidence of drugs on board.
The Trump administration has been scrutinized in recent weeks over the strikes, including by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who raised concerns about killing people without due process and the possibility of killing innocent people.
A U.S. military drone strike ordered by President Trump destroyed a vessel in the Eastern Pacific on Oct. 22, 2025, killing three suspected narco-terrorists, according to the Department of War. (Department of War)
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In a recent interview, Paul cited Coast Guard statistics that show a significant percentage of boats boarded for suspicion of drug trafficking are innocent.
The senator has also argued that if the administration plans to engage in a war with Venezuela, as it has targeted boats in recent weeks it claims are transporting drugs for the Venezuela-linked Tren de Aragua gang, it must seek a declaration of war from Congress.
pentagon,pete hegseth,world,drugs,donald trump,politics
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