Friday, August 29, 2025

WE ARE 100% INDEPENDENT AND READER-FUNDED. FOR A GUARANTEED AD-FREE EXPERIENCE AND TO SUPPORT REAL NEWS, PLEASE SIGN UP HERE, TODAY.

Furious DNC Attacks Sanders for Saying Democrats ‘Abandoned Working Class.’

Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Jaime Harrison lashed out at Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) on Thursday over a statement criticizing the Democratic Party’s rejection of working-class voters. “It should come as no great surprise that a Democratic Party which has abandoned working class people would find that the working class has abandoned them,” Sanders said following President-elect Donald J. Trump’s victory over Vice President Kamala Harris. “While the Democratic leadership defends the status quo, the American people are angry and want change.”

“Will the big money interests and well-paid consultants who control the Democratic Party learn any real lessons from this disastrous campaign?” Sanders asked. “Will they understand the pain and alienation that millions of Americans are experiencing?”

The furious response of Chairman Harrison suggests they may not. “This is straight up BS,” the 48-year-old DNC chief wrote, insisting Joe Biden has been “the most-pro worker President of my life time… creat[ing] millions of good paying jobs.”

“There are a lot of post election takes and this one ain’t a good one,” he sneered.

The election results so far indicate that Trump earned significant support in battleground states, particularly among white and Latino working-class voters, and is on track to secure the popular vote nationally.

Contrary to Harrison’s claims about “millions of good-paying jobs,” the evidence suggests that most positions created post-pandemic have been filled by migrants.

By Popular Demand.
The National Pulse Now has an on-site comments section for members. Sign up today and be part of the conversation in our community of almost 15,000.
More From The Pulse

WE ARE 100% INDEPENDENT AND READER-FUNDED. FOR A GUARANTEED AD-FREE EXPERIENCE AND TO SUPPORT REAL NEWS, PLEASE SIGN UP HERE, TODAY.

TX Gov. Signs Redistricting Bill, Cutting Five Democrat House Seats.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) signed a new redistricting bill to redraw the state’s congressional map, favoring Republicans.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Governor Abbott, Texas legislators, and President Donald J. Trump.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The bill was signed on Friday in Texas following approval by the state house and senate.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Big WIN for the Great State of Texas!!! Everything Passed, on our way to FIVE more Congressional seats and saving your Rights, your Freedoms, and your Country, itself.” – Donald Trump

🎯IMPACT: The new map will increase Republican-majority districts from 25 to 30, removing several Democratic-majority districts.

IN FULL

Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) has signed a new redistricting bill that favors Republicans in the state’s congressional map. The bill, signed on Friday, follows a contentious process during which state Democrats staged a weeks-long walkout earlier this month.

In a video posted to X (formerly Twitter), Abbott described the bill as creating “the one big, beautiful map that ensures fairer representation in the United States Congress for Texas.” The bill was approved by the Texas House of Representatives in an 88-52 party-line vote before being passed by the Texas Senate early last Saturday.

President Donald J. Trump, whose request for new congressional maps prompted the redistricting, celebrated the move last week on Truth Social, writing: “Big WIN for the Great State of Texas!!! Everything Passed, on our way to FIVE more Congressional seats and saving your Rights, your Freedoms, and your Country, itself.” He added, “Texas never lets us down. Florida, Indiana, and others are looking to do the same thing.”

The new map increases Republican-majority districts from 25 to 30 out of Texas’s 38 districts. It also eliminates Democrat-majority districts in key urban areas such as Houston, Austin, and the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.

However, the move has drawn backlash from Democrat-aligned election and lawfare groups. Demetria McCain, policy director for the Legal Defense Fund, stated, “Black voters are not a tool for legislators to use to cut up maps as they see fit. This redistricting process in Texas is a shameful power grab at the expense of Black voices.”

Oni Blair, executive director of the ACLU Texas chapter, also condemned the move, calling it “disgraceful.”

Image by Gage Skidmore.

Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.

show less
show more
By Popular Demand.
The National Pulse Now has an on-site comments section for members. Sign up today and be part of the conversation in our community of almost 15,000.

WE ARE 100% INDEPENDENT AND READER-FUNDED. FOR A GUARANTEED AD-FREE EXPERIENCE AND TO SUPPORT REAL NEWS, PLEASE SIGN UP HERE, TODAY.

Trump DOJ Loosens Qualifications for Temporary Judges to Tackle Immigration Backlog.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a rule change allowing attorneys without immigration law experience to serve as temporary immigration judges.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The DOJ’s Office of Immigration Review, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and immigration judges.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The rule was published on Thursday in the Federal Register and applies to immigration courts nationwide.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Immigration law experience is not always a strong predictor of success as an [immigration judge],” the DOJ stated in the Federal Register.

🎯IMPACT: The new rule aims to address a backlog of over three million immigration cases by expanding the pool of eligible judges.

IN FULL

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has initiated a rule change to allow attorneys without immigration law experience to act as temporary immigration judges as part of an effort to clear a backlog of immigration cases numbering in the millions. On Thursday, the DOJ’s Office of Immigration Review published the rule in the Federal Register removing the requirement that temporary immigration judges have substantive prior experience in immigration law.

According to the rule change, Attorney General Pam Bondi will hold authority over the approval of jurists appointed to serve as immigration judges. This represents a significant shift following the dismissal or buyout of over 100 judges by the Trump administration earlier this year, amid concerns that many had an anti-deportation bias.

The Federal Register rule change states that the DOJ “no longer believes the restriction of TIJs to current department employees with a threshold level of immigration law experience serves EOIR’s interests,” adding: “Immigration law experience is not always a strong predictor of success as an [immigration judge] and EOIR has hired individuals from other federal agencies and Department components without prior immigration experience who have become successful and exemplary [immigration judges].” It further explained that the change allows for “the greatest degree of flexibility” in finding qualified candidates.

In addition, the rule notes that attorneys with experience in prominent courts or those who have clerked for the Supreme Court should not be disqualified from serving in an immigration-related capacity.

The DOJ emphasized that the need for assistance in adjudicating immigration cases has significantly increased since the original plan to utilize temporary immigration judges was introduced in 2014.

Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.

show less
show more
By Popular Demand.
The National Pulse Now has an on-site comments section for members. Sign up today and be part of the conversation in our community of almost 15,000.

WE ARE 100% INDEPENDENT AND READER-FUNDED. FOR A GUARANTEED AD-FREE EXPERIENCE AND TO SUPPORT REAL NEWS, PLEASE SIGN UP HERE, TODAY.

ICE Has Tripled Arrests of Illegal Aliens in This Democrat City:

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has tripled the rate of arrests of illegal immigrants in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, compared to the Biden government’s final year in office.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: ICE, Pittsburgh police, eight regional agencies, and illegal immigrants.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “We continue to honor and protect our immigrant neighbors, who are an essential part of what makes Pittsburgh strong—through their contributions, cultures, and presence in our communities.” – Mayor Ed Gainey (D)

🎯IMPACT: ICE arrests have increased and leftist activists are protesting.

IN FULL

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has surged agents in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, taking about 580 illegal immigrants into custody in the city so far this year, compared with only 210 in the same time frame during former President Joe Biden’s final year in office. The surge in arrests comes despite Pittsburgh’s Democrat-enacted policy barring local police from assisting ICE in federal immigration enforcement actions.

Notably, the arrest data was compiled by the Deportation Data Project, a pro-open borders non-profit group that works with organizations providing aid to illegal immigrants. Estimates from both Pew and the Center for Migration Studies suggest around 300,000 illegal immigrants currently reside in Pennsylvania.

Despite Democrat-backed legal measures preventing assistance from the Pittsburgh police, at least eight other regional law enforcement agencies have approved ICE’s 287(g) cooperation agreements. The federally coordinated immigration enforcement operation has sparked backlash from far-left activists, who allege ICE raids have damaged several local businesses, including causing a restaurant kitchen fire. However, ICE contends the fire was caused by a group of illegal immigrants employed by the establishment.

According to an ICE spokesman, the “damage to the restaurant, including the small fire, was created by the illegal aliens themselves while they were trying to escape or hide from law enforcement officers.”

Despite Pittsburgh recently being removed from the Justice Department’s list of “sanctuary” jurisdictions, Democrat city mayor Ed Gainey has stressed that “It’s important to make clear that the City of Pittsburgh has not altered its policies or practices.”

“We continue to honor and protect our immigrant neighbors, who are an essential part of what makes Pittsburgh strong—through their contributions, cultures, and presence in our communities,” he added.

Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.

show less
show more
By Popular Demand.
The National Pulse Now has an on-site comments section for members. Sign up today and be part of the conversation in our community of almost 15,000.

WE ARE 100% INDEPENDENT AND READER-FUNDED. FOR A GUARANTEED AD-FREE EXPERIENCE AND TO SUPPORT REAL NEWS, PLEASE SIGN UP HERE, TODAY.

ICE Captures Pedophile Living Illegally in California Daycare.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: An illegal immigrant, convicted sex offender, and gang member was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after being found living inside a daycare for children in California.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Ezequiel Cruz-Rodriguez, an illegal immigrant from Mexico and a documented member of the Logan Heights gang.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Cruz-Rodriguez was arrested in San Diego, California, at an in-home daycare facility.

💬KEY QUOTE: “It is sickening to think that this pedophile criminal illegal alien was residing inside the home where a daycare operates and hiding out in a sanctuary city.” – Senior Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official

🎯IMPACT: The arrest ensures highlights the threat to children and the wider American public posed by illegal aliens, particularly in sanctuary jurisdictions.

IN FULL

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have arrested an illegal immigrant from Mexico with an extensive criminal record that includes convictions for sexual abuse of a child under 14, sexual battery, illegal possession of a firearm, robbery, and drunk driving. Ezequiel Cruz-Rodriguez, a documented member of the Logan Heights gang who was previously deported from the United States on three separate occasions, was discovered living with his wife, a DACA recipient, inside an in-home daycare for children in San Diego, California.

“It is sickening to think that this pedophile criminal illegal alien was residing inside the home where a daycare operates and hiding out in a sanctuary city,” a senior Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official said in a statement, adding: “Thanks to the brave work of our ICE law enforcement officers, this criminal illegal alien, convicted pedophile, and known Logan Heights gang member—will no longer be able to prey on children inside a daycare.”

Cruz-Rodriguez was first ordered deported by a federal immigration judge in 1996 and was removed from the United States that same year. Subsequently, he reentered illegally and was deported again in 2003. A third deportation occurred in December 2012 after another illegal reentry. Following this, he reentered the U.S. again as an unknown “got-away.”

Image by Gage Skidmore.

Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.

show less
show more
By Popular Demand.
The National Pulse Now has an on-site comments section for members. Sign up today and be part of the conversation in our community of almost 15,000.

WE ARE 100% INDEPENDENT AND READER-FUNDED. FOR A GUARANTEED AD-FREE EXPERIENCE AND TO SUPPORT REAL NEWS, PLEASE SIGN UP HERE, TODAY.

All German Political Parties Agree to Stay Silent on Immigration During Election—Except One.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Establishment political parties on both the left and the right in Cologne, Germany, have signed an agreement to promote positive messaging about immigration and not bring up its downsides during local elections. However, the populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is not part of the pact.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Social Democratic Party (SPD), Greens, Free Democratic Party (FDP), Left Party, Volt, Die Partei, the Cologne Round Table for Integration association, and the AfD.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Cologne, Germany, ahead of local elections scheduled for September 14.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Our parties are so stupid that they don’t see the tactical disadvantage [in not discussing immigration] and are so weak-minded that they don’t see that they themselves are damaging our democracy by not wanting to talk about important issues.” – Political scientist Werner Patzelt

🎯IMPACT: The agreement suppresses debate on immigration but may inadvertently bolster the AfD, which has a strong stance against mass migration.

IN FULL

With local elections looming in Cologne, Germany, on September 14, all major political parties except the populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) have signed an agreement to avoid criticizing immigration or linking it to social issues like crime, unemployment, or public safety. Infamously, Cologne was the epicenter of a series of mass sex attacks by migrant mobs on New Year’s Eve 2015-16, with 650 sexual assaults reported in the city, including 22 rapes.

The so-called “fairness agreement,” organized by the Cologne Round Table for Integration, was signed by the Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s notionally right-wing Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the leftist Social Democratic Party (SPD), the far-left Greens, the neoliberal Free Democratic Party (FDP), the Left Party, Volt, and Die Partei. The pledge commits signatories to speak positively about migration and to avoid blaming refugees or migrants for any local problems, despite their proven link to increased sexual offending and other criminality.

The pact also includes promises to fight racism and anti-Semitism, with church officials tasked with monitoring compliance. Citizens have been encouraged to report candidates or campaigners who break the rules.

Notably, the populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party was excluded from the agreement. Organizers stated the anti-mass migration party, currently the second-largest in Germany, “does not share their values.”

AfD Cologne spokesman Christer Cremer criticized the move: “I view this fairness agreement somewhat critically, because I believe it is intended to suppress debate. Especially during the election campaign, it must be possible to address all issues, including issues of migration.”

Political scientist Werner Patzelt echoed those concerns, calling the strategy “tactically stupid” and warning that it only boosts the AfD by erasing pressing concerns from the public discourse. “Our parties are so stupid that they don’t see the tactical disadvantage and are so weak-minded that they don’t see that they themselves are damaging our democracy by not wanting to talk about important issues,” he said.

Some signatories are already facing backlash. The CDU came under fire for allegedly violating the agreement after distributing a flyer opposing a planned refugee center in the Agnesviertel neighborhood. CDU leader Serap Güler dismissed the criticism as “absurd,” saying the flyer reflected concerns about the scale of the project, not hostility toward migrants.

The controversy comes as the AfD continues to surge in national polling. A Forsa poll released August 12 shows the AfD leading nationwide with 26 percent, ahead of Chancellor Merz’s CDU/CSU bloc at 24 percent.

This rise in the AfD’s support comes amid growing debate over whether the populist party should even be allowed to participate in Germany’s democratic system. In October 2023, lawmakers began crafting legislation aimed at banning the party, claiming it threatens the country’s constitutional order. But the idea has sparked fierce opposition: a July 2025 survey by the Allensbach Institute found a majority of Germans, 52 percent, oppose banning the AfD, with only 27 percent in favor.

The Trump administration in the United States has also warned against such a ban, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying of a previous move to designate the AfD as an extremist organization, “Germany just gave its spy agency new powers to surveil the opposition. That’s not democracy—it’s tyranny in disguise.”

Image by Olaf Kosinsky.

Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.

show less
show more
By Popular Demand.
The National Pulse Now has an on-site comments section for members. Sign up today and be part of the conversation in our community of almost 15,000.

WE ARE 100% INDEPENDENT AND READER-FUNDED. FOR A GUARANTEED AD-FREE EXPERIENCE AND TO SUPPORT REAL NEWS, PLEASE SIGN UP HERE, TODAY.

Open Borders Kill: At Least 49 Dead After Migrant Boat Capsizes.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: A boat carrying migrants towards Europe capsized off the coast of Mauritania, leaving at least 49 dead and around 100 missing.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The passengers were primarily Gambian and Senegalese nationals attempting to reach Spain’s Canary Islands.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The incident occurred on August 26, approximately 37 miles north of Nouakchott, Mauritania.

🎯IMPACT: The drownings highlight the dangerousness of Europe’s permissive attitude towards illegal immigration, encouraging migrants to make hazardous journeys in the knowledge that they are unlikely to be detained and deported once they arrive.

IN FULL

At least 49 migrants have died and around 100 more are missing after a dugout canoe capsized off the coast of Mauritania while heading toward Spain’s Canary Islands, a key gateway for illegal immigration into Europe. Mauritanian coastguards confirmed that 17 individuals were rescued, and search operations are still underway.

The vessel, which survivors say departed from Gambia six days earlier, was carrying approximately 160 migrants, primarily Gambian and Senegalese nationals, when it overturned off Nouakchott, the Mauritanian capital. According to coastguard officials, the boat capsized late Tuesday night after passengers, spotting lights from a nearby coastal town, moved to one side, causing the vessel to destabilize and flip.

The incident occurred along the increasingly trafficked and notoriously deadly Atlantic migration route from West Africa to the Canary Islands. This route has become one of the most popular and dangerous paths to Europe. More than half of migrant deaths worldwide result from drowning during illegal sea crossings, with the Canary Islands route accounting for a significant portion of those fatalities.

This incident highlights the threat to life posed by Europe’s permissive attitude towards illegal immigration, with the knowledge that they are unlikely to be detained and deported once they arrive, encouraging many migrants to embark on hazardous journeys.

Notably, the West African migration route to the Canary Islands has seen a dramatic rise recently. In 2024, illegal immigration along this route surged by 541 percent over a two-month period, overwhelming local Spanish authorities.

Image by Sebastián Losada.

Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.

show less
show more
By Popular Demand.
The National Pulse Now has an on-site comments section for members. Sign up today and be part of the conversation in our community of almost 15,000.

WE ARE 100% INDEPENDENT AND READER-FUNDED. FOR A GUARANTEED AD-FREE EXPERIENCE AND TO SUPPORT REAL NEWS, PLEASE SIGN UP HERE, TODAY.

Farage Is Most Recognized Political Leader in Britain—Including the Prime Minister.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Research from pollster YouGov revealed that Reform Party leader Nigel Farage has better recognition than any other British party leader, including Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Nigel Farage, Keir Starmer, other party leaders, and British voters.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Recent polling conducted in the United Kingdom by YouGov.

💬KEY QUOTE: “An overwhelming majority of 89 per cent of Britons correctly identify Nigel Farage by name when shown a photograph of him.” – YouGov poll

🎯IMPACT: The findings highlight Farage’s enduring popularity and high profile, and the lack of recognition for other party leaders, including among those party’s supporters.

IN FULL

Reform Party leader and Brexit champion Nigel Farage enjoys greater name recognition than any other British political party leader, including Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Some leaders of major parties are relatively unknown even to those parties’ supporters.

According to YouGov, 89 per cent of Britons can correctly identify Nigel Farage by name when shown his photograph, just surpassing the recognition of Prime Minister Starmer, who is named correctly by 87 per cent. No other party leaders in the poll received this reaction, likely because they were largely unrecognizable.

Nigeria-raised Olukemi Olufunto Adegoke “Kemi” Badenoch, leader of the Conservative (Tory) Party, which governed Britain for 14 years before Starmer’s Labour Party regained office in mid-2024, was recognized by 62 percent of respondents. Only 37 per cent of Britons could correctly identify Sir Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat leader.

Despite Ed Davey’s long tenure and stint as a minister in former Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government, a third of his own party’s supporters failed to recognize him. The Green Party fared even worse, with co-leaders Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsey recognized by just nine percent and two percent of Britons, respectively. Even among Green voters, Ramsey’s recognition only reached nine percent.

Recent polling has been unkind to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Beyond dissatisfaction with his handling of key issues like border control and the economy, public opinion of him personally has been unfavorable. Earlier this month, polls indicated that U.S. President Donald J. Trump is viewed more positively in the United Kingdom than Starmer, despite a media environment almost universally hostile to the American leader.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.

show less
show more
By Popular Demand.
The National Pulse Now has an on-site comments section for members. Sign up today and be part of the conversation in our community of almost 15,000.

WE ARE 100% INDEPENDENT AND READER-FUNDED. FOR A GUARANTEED AD-FREE EXPERIENCE AND TO SUPPORT REAL NEWS, PLEASE SIGN UP HERE, TODAY.

Migrant Riots Are Overtaking Another Once-Peaceful European Country.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Riots broke out in Lausanne, Switzerland, following the death of a 17-year-old migrant during a police pursuit.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Marvin M., a migration-background 17-year-old, Swiss police, and up to 200 rioters.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Marvin M. died while fleeing police on a stolen scooter on Sunday in Lausanne, Switzerland, with riots taking place over the following days.

💬KEY QUOTE: “I expect that we will have [riots] again next week. Now you have these other groups, people related to more aggressive anti-capitalist positions, who say ‘OK, that’s the moment we can have riots’.” – Sandro Cattacin, sociology professor at the University of Geneva.

🎯IMPACT: The riots have raised concerns that Switzerland, a stereotypically high-trust, peaceful country, is facing the same issues with social disintegration as Britain, France, Germany, and other high-immigration European countries.

IN FULL

Lausanne, Switzerland, is facing riots after Marvin M., a 17-year-old migrant, died while fleeing police officers on a stolen scooter. The crash happened on Sunday, when Marvin drove into a garage wall. Despite efforts to revive him, he was declared dead at the scene.

Over Sunday and Monday nights, young rioters, many of them migrants, clashed with police, hurling Molotov cocktails and lighting fires. They accused the Lausanne police of so-called systemic racism, a charge intensified by recent findings of allegedly discriminatory messages in officers’ private WhatsApp chats, leading to the suspension of four officers.

Sandro Cattacin, a sociology professor at the University of Geneva, cautioned that the unrest could worsen if far-left anti-capitalist groups involve themselves. “If they arrive [at] the weekend, then [the riots will] be more brutal, and from the police [the response will] be more violent,” he said.

Mayor Gregoire Junod appeared to side with the rioters, urging a “cultural change” among the police to tackle alleged discrimination. Meanwhile, populist politicians have used the example of the riots to advocate for stricter immigration policies and policing.

The unrest underscores growing strains in Switzerland, a stereotypically high-trust, peaceful country, which has taken in over 200,000 refugees in the last decade and is beginning to experience some of the same social issues as Britain, France, Germany, and other high-diversity, high-immigration European countries.

Image by REGIS COLOMBO/diapo.ch.

Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.

show less
show more
By Popular Demand.
The National Pulse Now has an on-site comments section for members. Sign up today and be part of the conversation in our community of almost 15,000.

WE ARE 100% INDEPENDENT AND READER-FUNDED. FOR A GUARANTEED AD-FREE EXPERIENCE AND TO SUPPORT REAL NEWS, PLEASE SIGN UP HERE, TODAY.

Trump, Fed Ask Court for Swift Decision on Dismissal of Lisa Cook.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump requested a judge deny Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook’s bid to block her removal as her lawsuit proceeds in court.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, Lisa Cook, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, and Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Court filings were made on Friday morning, ahead of a scheduled hearing in Washington, D.C.

💬KEY QUOTE: The Federal Reserve stated it would “follow any order this Court issues.”

🎯IMPACT: The dispute will likely escalate to the Supreme Court for resolution regardless of the hearing’s outcome.

IN FULL

On Friday morning, President Donald J. Trump filed a request asking a judge to deny Federal Reserve Board Governor Lisa Cook’s attempt to block her removal. The filings were submitted just hours before a scheduled hearing in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.

Cook’s lawsuit, filed Thursday, alleges that Trump’s decision to terminate her is unlawful. She has requested a temporary restraining order to prevent her removal while the case is litigated. Trump has cited allegations from Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte, who accused Cook of mortgage fraud involving properties in Atlanta and Ann Arbor, Michigan, prior to her tenure at the Federal Reserve.

On Thursday night, Pulte announced he had filed a second criminal referral against Cook with the Department of Justice (DOJ). This referral reportedly pertains to a mortgage for a condominium in Cambridge, Massachusetts, as well as alleged misrepresentations about that property and two others in government ethics filings during Cook’s time as a Fed governor.

The Federal Reserve, in its own court filing, stated it would not argue the merits of Cook’s request but asked Judge Jia Cobb to issue a “prompt ruling” to resolve the matter. The central bank also emphasized its intention to comply with any court order issued in the case. Cook has included Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and the Fed Board of Governors in her lawsuit, asserting that they could potentially act to enforce Trump’s decision to fire her.

Notably, Supreme Court precedent appears to be on President Trump’s side. Two early 20th-century cases, Shurtleff v. United States and Reagan v. United States, both grant the President broad authority to remove executive branch officials in cases where “for cause” statutes are vaguely defined.

Image by Brookings Institution.

Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.

show less
show more
By Popular Demand.
The National Pulse Now has an on-site comments section for members. Sign up today and be part of the conversation in our community of almost 15,000.

WE ARE 100% INDEPENDENT AND READER-FUNDED. FOR A GUARANTEED AD-FREE EXPERIENCE AND TO SUPPORT REAL NEWS, PLEASE SIGN UP HERE, TODAY.

Trump Terminates Security Detail for Kamala Harris.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Former Vice President Kamala Harris’s extended Secret Service protection has been canceled by President Donald J. Trump, effective September 1, 2025.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, Kamala Harris, and the United States Secret Service.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The decision takes effect September 1, 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The vice president is grateful to the United States Secret Service for their professionalism, dedication, and unwavering commitment to safety,” said Kirsten Allen, a senior adviser to Harris.

🎯IMPACT: Harris will no longer receive federal security protection, which was extended beyond the standard six months by former President Joe Biden in an order President Trump has now reversed.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump has canceled extended Secret Service protection for former Vice President and failed Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, effective September 1, 2025, according to a senior White House official. Typically, former vice presidents receive six months of Secret Service protection after leaving office, but Harris’s coverage was extended to one year by then‑President Joe Biden in an order that President Trump has now reversed.

Harris is set to embark on a 15‑city book tour in support of her memoir, 107 Days, which recounts her brief time as the Democratic presidential nominee after Biden’s withdrawal from the race. The tour, beginning in September, spans major U.S. cities, including New York, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Houston, San Francisco, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Durham, Birmingham, and international stops in London and Toronto, and concludes in Miami on November 20.

The decision to terminate Harris’s additional security was communicated in a letter to the Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, that Secret Service protection beyond the six months required by law should be discontinued on September 1, 2025.

Kirsten Allen, a senior adviser to Harris, expressed gratitude on her behalf to the Secret Service, stating, “The vice president is grateful to the United States Secret Service for their professionalism, dedication, and unwavering commitment to safety.”

Since leaving office, Harris has focused on public engagement and writing. She notably announced in July 2025 that she will not run for California governor in 2026, a decision that closed off speculation about a state-level comeback. At the same time, she has not ruled out a potential second presidential bid in 2028.

President Trump’s move comes after his administration also removed Secret Service security for several others, including former national security official John Bolton. Bolton is now under investigation for potentially mishandling classified documents and was raided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on August 22.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.

show less
show more
By Popular Demand.
The National Pulse Now has an on-site comments section for members. Sign up today and be part of the conversation in our community of almost 15,000.