Good morning. I’m Thom Hartmann, and you’re watching Raw America.
This week has delivered a masterclass in Republican dysfunction, from the Department of Homeland Security being run like a personal fiefdom, to an entire state Republican Party literally forgetting how democracy works. These aren’t isolated incidents. They’re symptoms of a political movement that has abandoned governing in favor of grievance, grift, and gross negligence.
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Kristi Noem’s DHS Coming Apart at the Seams
Let’s start with the circus happening inside the Department of Homeland Security. According to The Wall Street Journal, Secretary Kristi Noem and her rumored escort, Corey Lewandowski, have transformed one of the most well-funded government agencies into their personal playground.
Lewandowski, who serves as Noem’s top advisor despite having no apparent qualifications, has reportedly assumed near-dictatorial control over DHS operations. Both Noem and Lewandowski are married to other people, which adds personal scandal to the professional catastrophe they’re overseeing.
But the personal drama pales next to the operational incompetence. Lewandowski reportedly fired a Coast Guard pilot because Noem’s blanket got left behind during a plane change. The pilot was only rehired when they realized nobody else could fly them home. This is the level of petty tyranny running an agency responsible for protecting 330 million Americans.
The real damage goes beyond bruised egos. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott repeatedly clashed with the duo over their promotion of now-disgraced Border Patrol agent Gregory Bovino. When Scott warned it would backfire, Lewandowski and Noem allegedly retaliated, reassigning Scott’s top staffers. After the fatal shooting of U.S. citizen Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, Bovino was quietly pulled and reassigned.
Trump Judge Slams DHS Over “Constitutional Chaos” in Minnesota Migrant Detention
A Trump-appointed federal judge has delivered a stinging rebuke to the Department of Homeland Security, ruling that immigration enforcement agencies violated the constitutional rights of detained migrants in Minnesota by systematically denying them access to legal counsel.
U.S. District Judge Nancy Brasel issued her scathing ruling on Thursday, marking the 45th time a Trump-nominated judge has ruled against the president’s mass detention operations. The decision centers on conditions at the Whipple Federal Building in Saint Paul, where ICE has been warehousing detainees as Minnesota became ground zero for Trump’s immigration crackdown—an operation that has already cost the lives of two protesters, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, both 37.
Judge Brasel, who Trump himself nominated in 2018, dismantled the administration’s excuses with surgical precision. “The Constitution does not permit the government to arrest thousands of individuals and then disregard their constitutional rights because it would be too challenging to honor those rights.”
The ruling came after lawyers documented appalling conditions: showers without proper doors, just two changing rooms (one blocked by junk), filthy facilities, and severe overcrowding. Their tour was abruptly cut short when a DHS employee became “agitated” and accused them of “interfering with operations.”
Brasel’s order mandates immediate reforms: regular phone access for detainees, advance notice before transfers, and restoration of in-person attorney meetings. Following the ruling, the Trump administration announced it would retreat from Minneapolis.
CBS’ MAGA Ownership Prepares for Staff Bloodbath
Meanwhile, at CBS News, parent company Paramount Skydance is planning another massive round of layoffs, potentially cutting 15 percent of staff. This comes as editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, the right-wing op-ed columnist with zero TV news experience, attempts to remake the legendary news division in her image.
During a recent town hall, Weiss told staffers CBS needed to move away from “commodity news.” Translation: less actual journalism, more vapid opinion and personality-driven content. She’s hired podcasters who focus less on straight reporting. One of those hires, longevity guru Peter Attia, has documented ties to Jeffrey Epstein. And while Weiss is firing experienced journalists, she has refused calls to remove him.
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Border Agent Caught in Incestuous Relationship with an Undocumented Immigrant
And finally, perhaps the most grotesque example of hypocrisy: a Customs and Border Protection supervisor charged with harboring an undocumented immigrant. But not just any undocumented immigrant. Allegedly, his niece. With whom he reportedly had a romantic relationship.
Andres Wilkinson has worked for CBP since 2001. According to the Department of Justice, Wilkinson was fully aware his niece and her daughter were living in the United States unlawfully. The woman admitted to investigators that she’d been living with her uncle since August 2024. Wilkinson allegedly supported her financially, providing credit cards, housing, help with medical debt, and adding her to his vehicle insurance.
This is the same agency conducting raids across American cities, separating families and deporting people who’ve lived here for decades. But when it’s a CBP supervisor harboring his own undocumented niece, allegedly in a romantic relationship, apparently the rules don’t apply. Wilkinson faces up to ten years in federal prison if convicted.
Trump’s regime could be best defined by the phrase, rules for thee, not for me. The MAGA movement isn’t about helping America. It’s about the craven lust for power and believing that laws only apply to people they hate. And that should terrify every American who still believes in democracy and the rule of law.
That’s all for Raw America this Friday morning. If getting your daily news from independent media is important to you, subscribe and consider becoming a supporter.
I’m Thom Hartmann. Stay vigilant, stay informed, and keep fighting. Have a great Friday.
