Connect with us

News

‘I’m a Member of Congress’: Freshman House Republican Lashes Out at CNN Host

Published

on

Freshman U.S. Rep. Brandon Williams (R-NY) attempted to promote several falsehoods but was rebuffed by Jim Sciutto, after the CNN host urged him to be respectful.

Rep. Williams, whose social media bio reads “People over Politics,” attempted to claim that President Biden could address the border issue with executive actions, including “Remain in Mexico.” Sciutto noted that the courts had stopped several of then-President Donald Trump’s executive actions on the border.

“Joe Biden shredded the Remain in Mexico policy his first week in office. He did it very, with great flamboyance and he could reinstate that today simply with a pen,” Williams told Sciutto when asked about the now-dead border bill.

“As you know,” Sciutto interjected, “many of the moves President Trump attempted were challenged in courts. You had a Democratic president here, who is willing to give more –”

Williams cut him off, saying, “Remain in Mexico was not struck down by the court. That’s simply not true.”

“I’m talking about executive privilege,” Sciutto responded, “and powers that the House is saying the President could exercise, but as you know, this is a president who’s actually making concessions that previous different Democratic presidents didn’t make. I just wonder why is it safer for your constituents to have no increased security at the border, as opposed to that negotiated by your Senate Republican colleagues?”

READ MORE: ‘Freedom or Terror and Tyranny?’: Biden Takes Aim at Trump and Speaker Johnson

“Well,” Williams said, “I’m glad to hear you say that Joe Biden has provided no security at the border along with Secretary Mayorkas. I think that’s a bold admission.”

“Not exactly what I said, I did not say that,” Sciutto declared.

“That is exactly what you said,” Williams insisted.

After talking over Sciutto, the CNN host urged Williams, “Let’s talk as people who respect each other, I respect your service. I’m asking you why no deal is better for your constituents for the rest of the year, as opposed to a deal that significantly tightened up restrictions of the border?”

But Williams continued to push falsehoods and GOP talking points.

“Well because five, you know, permitting in, in the law, in the code 5000 per day, on average, over a period of time, to enter the country,” William replied, wrongly explaining the deterrents the bill would have provided to border patrol agents.

“That’s not true. It’s not true,” Sciutto told him.

“It is true, it’s a disaster,” Wiliams insisted.

As Sciutto explained the parameters of that portion of the defunct legislation, Williams again interjected: “I’m sorry. Is that is that respecting each other? Is that what you’re getting at here is respecting each other?”

“I will challenge you when you say something that’s not true,” Sciutto offered.

“I’m a member of Congress, you’re cutting me off,” Williams protested. “It absolutely is true.”

“Only when you say something not true,” replied Sciutto.

“Oh, I see. And you’re the arbiter of truth. I realize that CNN has a great track record on that,” Williams snarked.

READ MORE: ‘Treason’: Top Constitutional Expert Warns on Trump’s Attack on NATO

“Senator James Lankford, a Republican Senator, said that the 5000 per day talking point was false. So I’ll quote him if you won’t take my word for it,” Sciutto concluded.

Last year, then-Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy joined hands with more than a dozen House Republicans, among them reportedly including Rep. Williams, as he lead them in prayer at the National Gathering for Prayer and Repentance. That event was co-sponsored by several far-right Christian organizations, at least five of which appear on the Southern Poverty Law Center’s list of anti-LGBTQ hate groups.

Also last year, as Syracuse.com reported, Congressman Williams “unleashed a profanity-laced tirade … while threatening his former top staffer at a holiday party in Washington’s International Spy Museum.”

“Williams can be seen in a video angrily pointing his finger in the face of Michael Gordon, his former chief of staff and campaign manager,” the news outlet added.

Watch Williams and Sciutto below or at this link.

READ MORE: Trump Lawyers Envisioned Jan. 6 Lasting Days or Weeks: Report

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment
 
 

Enjoy this piece?

… then let us make a small request. The New Civil Rights Movement depends on readers like you to meet our ongoing expenses and continue producing quality progressive journalism. Three Silicon Valley giants consume 70 percent of all online advertising dollars, so we need your help to continue doing what we do.

NCRM is independent. You won’t find mainstream media bias here. From unflinching coverage of religious extremism, to spotlighting efforts to roll back our rights, NCRM continues to speak truth to power. America needs independent voices like NCRM to be sure no one is forgotten.

Every reader contribution, whatever the amount, makes a tremendous difference. Help ensure NCRM remains independent long into the future. Support progressive journalism with a one-time contribution to NCRM, or click here to become a subscriber. Thank you. Click here to donate by check.

News

Trump Appeared Unaware His Budget Bill Cuts $1T From Medicaid: Report

Published

10 hours ago

on

July 2, 2025

By

President Donald Trump reportedly appeared to be unaware that the Republican budget legislation, formerly his “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” cuts approximately $1 trillion from Medicaid. In a meeting at the White House on Wednesday, Trump told moderate Republicans not to cut Medicaid, Medicare, or Social Security.

“Trump still doesn’t seem to have a firm grasp about what his signature legislative achievement does,” NOTUS reports. “According to three sources with direct knowledge of the comments, the president told Republicans at this meeting that there are three things Congress shouldn’t touch if they want to win elections: Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security.”

The legislation not only cuts $1 trillion from Medicaid, it effectively forces cuts of hundreds of billions of dollars from Medicare, and takes a large chunk—also possibly hundreds of billions—out of SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

The President has repeatedly vowed he will not touch Medicaid.

And as recently as Tuesday, Trump wrote: “Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security Benefits are not being cut, but are being STRENGTHENED and PROTECTED from the Radical and Destructive Democrats by eliminating Waste, Fraud, and Abuse from those Programs.”

READ MORE: ‘Every Reason to Be Scared’: Strategist Worried Trump Could Try to Rig or Cancel Midterms

“As the President has said numerous times, there will be no cuts to Medicaid,” a June 29 White House memo claimed. “The One Big Beautiful Bill protects and strengthens Medicaid for those who rely on it—pregnant women, children, seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income families—while eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse.”

That memo also claimed, “Medicare has not been touched in this bill— absolutely nothing in the bill reduces spending on Medicare benefits.”

At least 17 million people will lose health care coverage due to the bill’s cuts, The Washington Post reported on Tuesday.

READ MORE: ‘Special Place in Hell’: Top Dem Slams ‘Cult’ of ‘People Who Take Food Away’ From Kids

Critics blasted the President.

“No matter how far into physical or mental decline he was, there was never a single moment in Biden’s presidency that he appeared to be as checked out about what his administration was doing as Trump appears to be about this bill,” wrote Yahoo Finance reporter Jordan Weissmann.

“Imagine for a moment if Joe Biden did not know at a basic level of generality what the signature piece of legislation he was attempting to pass contained. The media outrage would be measured on the Richter scale but oddly, Trump is not held to this standard,” added another social media user.

And Bloomberg columnist Matthew Yglesias made this request: “Can a reporter ask Trump to explain what Medicaid is? Does he know?”

Watch the video above or at this link.

READ MORE: Trump Threatens to Block NYC Democratic Mayoral Nominee He Calls a ‘Communist Lunatic’

 

Image via Reuters

Continue Reading

News

‘Every Reason to Be Scared’: Strategist Worried Trump Could Try to Rig or Cancel Midterms

Published

12 hours ago

on

July 2, 2025

By

In a stark warning, a top, veteran Democratic strategist says he believes President Donald Trump could try to rig or cancel the 2026 midterm elections, to retain control of Congress.

“I don’t put anything past him, nothing,” James Carville told former CNN reporter Jim Acosta, as The Daily Beast reported on Wednesday. “To try to call the election off, to do anything he can. He can think of things like that that we can’t because we’re not accustomed to thinking like that.”

The Beast noted that “Carville is so convinced that Trump will rig the midterm elections that he’s already started sounding the alarm.”

“You know people come up to me all the time and say, ‘James. I’m really scared,’” Carville told Acosta on “The Jim Acosta Show” (video below).

READ MORE: ‘Special Place in Hell’: Top Dem Slams ‘Cult’ of ‘People Who Take Food Away’ From Kids

“I said, ‘you should be, you have every reason to be scared. Don’t kid yourself,’” Carville added.

“This is scary s—!” Acosta replied.

“Yeah, it’s really scary,” responded Carville. “Really scary.”

The conversation was sparked by a viewer’s question.

“They want to know,” Acosta said, “Do you worry about vote tampering in the midterms?”

“Do you worry,” the host continued, “about Donald Trump and Stephen Miller and some of these types monkeying around with the midterms and the way we do elections in this country?”

READ MORE: Trump Threatens to Block NYC Democratic Mayoral Nominee He Calls a ‘Communist Lunatic’

“In the short word, yes, in the longer word, very,” Carville said.

He went on to suggest that Democrats will do well in the governors’ races in Virginia and New Jersey, which will be held this November.

“I think what may happen is he’ll see the writing on the wall in Virginia,” Carville continued. “This is what I think is gonna happen. In New Jersey, also. He’s going to see retirements and people are going to start coming in and saying, ‘you know we’re getting ready to lose. I got to change, and I got to get some distance,’ and he’s going to see all that coming and I don’t put anything past him.”

Watch the video below or at this link.

READ MORE: ‘This Is Fascism’: Trump Sparks Fury After Calling to Deport U.S. Citizens

Continue Reading

News

‘Special Place in Hell’: Top Dem Slams ‘Cult’ of ‘People Who Take Food Away’ From Kids

Published

15 hours ago

on

July 2, 2025

By

U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA), the Ranking Member of the powerful House Rules Committee, blasted his Republican colleagues for their support of President Donald Trump’s budget bill that will cut $1 trillion from Medicaid, hundreds of billions from Medicare, and greatly reduce the food program known as SNAP—also by hundreds of billions—while giving massive tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans.

As the House began voting on the legislation on Wednesday, giving members just one hour for debate in a rush to meet the President’s July 4 deadline, Rep. McGovern took to the floor.

The Massachusetts Democrat denounced Republicans’ “attack” on SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. “You can live without a lot of things, but you can’t live without food,” he reminded his GOP colleagues.

Speaking to “those Republicans who think that it’s okay to give [billionaire] Jeff Bezos a tax cut, and at the same time, cut food benefits for struggling families,” McGovern declared, “we don’t share the same values.”

READ MORE: Trump Threatens to Block NYC Democratic Mayoral Nominee He Calls a ‘Communist Lunatic’

“Unloading billions of dollars in new costs on states, money they do not have, will force them to cut benefits and throw needy people off of SNAP. It is a rotten thing to do,” he added.

“And I believe there’s a special place in hell for people who take food away from veterans, from seniors, from children, from foster youth, and from hungry families. This is sick. This is disgusting.”

He called the rushed floor vote “legislative malpractice.”

READ MORE: ‘This Is Fascism’: Trump Sparks Fury After Calling to Deport U.S. Citizens

“We are not on a deadline,” he reminded House members. “No looming crisis.”

“We’re here because Donald Trump wants a Fourth of July party to celebrate this garbage bill. He wants fireworks and flags and cameras, not for this country, but for himself. So he says, ‘Close your ears, close your eyes, and vote for this bill.’ Honestly, sounds more like a cult than a Congress to me.”

After listening to a Republican—who was standing next to a big poster of President Donald Trump and fireworks—call for members to support the bill, McGovern declared, “Cult much?”

Watch the videos above or at this link.

READ MORE: ‘Surrounded by Sharks’: After Touring ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Trump Vows to Renovate Original

 

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2020 AlterNet Media.