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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said Monday on CNN\u2019s The Situation Room that the Supreme Court had \u201cenabled\u201d President Donald Trump to act like a king, calling the situation shameful.<\/p>\n
You know, one thing to understand, as people who are flirting with the Trump administration or doing the bidding of the Trump administration or engaging in the pay-to-play schemes of the Trump administration, the statute of limitations is five years,\u201d the House\u2019s top Democrat said.<\/p>\n
\u201cDonald Trump and this toxic administration will be long gone, but there will still be accountability to be had. And that process, of course, begins now. But it will not be complete until perhaps there is an independent Department of Justice, certainly an independent House of Representatives in Democratic hands,\u201d he claimed.<\/p>\n
It should be noted that Democratic attorneys general and prosecutors, as well as Joe Biden\u2019s Justice Dept., all went after Trump during his four-year hiatus from the White House, engaging in unprecedented actions against a former president.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Department of Justice is one of the great institutions in law enforcement in the history of this country and Donald Trump and these extremists have been destroying its integrity,\u201d Jeffries continued. \u201cAnd we should also blame the conservative justices on the Supreme Court for all of the things that we see happening, because they basically gave this president blanket presidential immunity in a country where the framers of the Constitution said, we don\u2019t want a king.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve effectively enabled Donald Trump at times to behave just like a king. That needs to be revisited as well. The Supreme Court, shame on them for what they\u2019ve done to this country and unleashing this out-of-control behavior that needs to be reversed,\u201d he said, without acknowledging the fact that even liberal justices on the court have regularly sided with the president and his administration.<\/p>\n
SEE MORE<\/p>\n
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, who faced criticism earlier this year for siding with Republicans to keep the government open, now says he is prepared to risk a shutdown at month\u2019s end if GOP leaders reject Democratic demands.<\/p>\n
Schumer said he and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries are aligned in opposing any spending measure that excludes key health care provisions or allows for their rollback. He argued the political landscape has shifted since March, when he pressed to avoid a shutdown, and predicted Republicans and President Donald Trump would bear the blame if they refuse to strike a bipartisan deal.<\/p>\n
\u201cThings have changed\u201d since the March vote, Schumer said in an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday. He stated that Republicans have since enacted Trump\u2019s significant tax cuts and spending reduction legislation, which has led to cuts in wasteful Medicaid spending and other government programs.<\/p>\n
Schumer, a New York Democrat, noted that his party is now united, in contrast to March, when he voted alongside Republicans while Jeffries voted against the legislation to fund the government. Schumer argued that a shutdown would not significantly worsen the current climate, with Trump already challenging Congress\u2019s authority.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt will get worse with or without it, because Trump is lawless,\u201d Schumer told the AP, though Trump\u2019s administration has faced an unprecedented amount of lawsuits since he took office and began issuing executive orders, many of which have been blocked by courts.<\/p>\n
Schumer\u2019s warning comes as Republicans weigh a short-term stopgap spending bill to avert a Sept. 30 shutdown. Without a bipartisan agreement, Democrats face two difficult options \u2014 join Republicans to keep the government open or allow it to close with no clear path forward, the AP\u00a0<\/p>\n
Republicans argue Democrats will bear responsibility if they refuse to vote to keep the government open. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has stressed that Schumer must present a concrete proposal on health care, including extending expanded tax credits under the Affordable Care Act for millions of Americans.<\/p>\n
PORTLAND, OR \u2014 Federal officials have unveiled a sweeping new security policy aimed at curbing the chaos that has plagued Portland\u2019s streets for years. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced this week that it is immediately enforcing a new \u201cvisibility and identification rule\u201d outside federal buildings \u2014 a measure that effectively bans protest participants from wearing masks, full-face coverings, or elaborate disguises during demonstrations.<\/p>\n
The rule, which had been slated to take effect in January 2026, was fast-tracked after a series of increasingly theatrical protests outside the city\u2019s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility. According to federal officials, these nightly gatherings had shifted from standard demonstrations into organized, costume-heavy spectacles that blurred the line between political expression and obstruction.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat we\u2019ve seen recently is not protest \u2014 it\u2019s coordinated disruption,\u201d said Acting DHS Spokesperson Marisol Tanner. \u201cOur officers have been confronted by individuals wearing masks, helmets, and costumes designed to prevent identification while engaging in illegal activity. That\u2019s not peaceful assembly; that\u2019s concealment with intent.\u201d<\/p>\n
A City With a Long Memory of Unrest<\/p>\n
Portland has long been a flashpoint for clashes between law enforcement and protest groups, particularly those associated with Antifa and other anti-establishment movements. Since the 2020 protests that followed George Floyd\u2019s death, the city has seen sporadic waves of demonstrations, often centered around federal facilities.<\/p>\n
While the early movements drew broad public sympathy, recent iterations have become smaller but more confrontational. Protesters now frequently appear in costumes \u2014 from comic book villains to medieval knights \u2014 a strategy they describe as \u201ccreative resistance\u201d but which law enforcement sees as deliberate confusion tactics.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey call it art; we call it camouflage,\u201d said ICE regional director Jason Cordova, who has overseen federal operations in Portland since 2023. \u201cWhen people are lighting flares and blocking entrances in masks that hide their identity, that\u2019s not performance art. That\u2019s obstruction and evasion.\u201d<\/p>\n
The New DHS Directive: Visibility is Non-Negotiable<\/p>\n
Under the new directive, anyone participating in or near a protest outside federal property in Portland must keep their face visible to law enforcement at all times. The rule prohibits:<\/p>\n
The measure grants federal security officers the authority to detain or remove individuals who violate the rule and imposes fines of up to $2,500 for repeat offenders.<\/p>\n
According to internal DHS documents reviewed by The Northwest Chronicle, the agency fast-tracked the enforcement date after a Halloween-week protest where more than 200 participants \u2014 many dressed as clowns, skeletons, and fantasy characters \u2014 surrounded the ICE facility, using strobe lights and noise machines to disrupt operations.<\/p>\n
Antifa-Aligned Groups Cry Foul<\/p>\n
Almost immediately after the announcement, local activist groups denounced the move as an attempt to suppress free speech.<\/p>\n
The Portland Anti-Fascist Network (PAFN) called the DHS order \u201ca pretext for criminalizing dissent\u201d and accused federal agents of targeting left-wing demonstrators while ignoring similar tactics used by right-wing activists in other parts of the country.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople wear masks at protests to protect themselves from retaliation \u2014 from employers, police, and extremists,\u201d said Kara Jennings, a PAFN organizer. \u201cNow the government is saying you have to unmask to speak. That\u2019s not democracy; that\u2019s intimidation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Civil liberties organizations also raised concerns. The American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon issued a statement saying it was \u201creviewing the legality of the DHS directive,\u201d warning that restrictions on anonymity at protests could have a \u201cchilling effect on First Amendment rights.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe government cannot equate concealment with criminality,\u201d said ACLU attorney Jacob Heller. \u201cThere are legitimate reasons individuals choose to remain anonymous, especially in politically charged environments.\u201d<\/p>\n
Federal Officials Push Back<\/p>\n
DHS officials insist the new rule is not about ideology but about maintaining order and accountability.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t care who\u2019s protesting \u2014 left, right, or center,\u201d Tanner said. \u201cWhat matters is that law enforcement can identify individuals when crimes occur. The anonymity of masks has been exploited for too long to enable vandalism, assaults, and the destruction of public property.\u201d<\/p>\n
Federal agents say the change could dramatically improve safety in Portland, where nightly protests often strain police resources and lead to standoffs lasting into the early morning.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you can\u2019t see who\u2019s in the crowd, every movement becomes a potential threat,\u201d said Federal Protective Service Officer Raymond Cho, who has been stationed in Portland since 2020. \u201cIt\u2019s about transparency. Visibility keeps everyone safer \u2014 protesters and officers alike.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mixed Reaction From Portland Officials<\/p>\n
City leaders, meanwhile, have offered mixed responses. Mayor Ted Wheeler, who has struggled for years to balance civil liberties with public order, said the federal government \u201cacted within its jurisdiction\u201d but urged DHS to ensure \u201cclear communication and restraint in enforcement.\u201d<\/p>\n
Several members of the Portland City Council criticized the move, saying it could reignite tensions between residents and federal agents.<\/p>\n
\u201cFederal intervention has never gone over well here,\u201d said Councilmember Alicia Ruiz. \u201cEvery time they step in heavy-handed, it leads to more conflict, not less. I\u2019m worried this new rule could escalate rather than de-escalate things.\u201d<\/p>\n
Public Opinion: Fatigue and Frustration<\/p>\n
Many Portland residents, weary of years of unrest, appear to support the new measure.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m all for the right to protest,\u201d said local business owner Mark Wallace, whose downtown caf\u00e9 has been vandalized multiple times during demonstrations. \u201cBut if you\u2019re showing up in a mask at 2 a.m. with fireworks and spray paint, you\u2019re not a protester \u2014 you\u2019re a problem.\u201d<\/p>\n
A recent poll by Oregon Watch, a regional media firm, found that 62% of Portland residents support stricter enforcement around federal buildings, while 28% oppose such measures on civil liberties grounds.<\/p>\n
A \u2018Game-Changer\u2019 or Another Flashpoint?<\/p>\n
DHS officials describe the anti-mask directive as a \u201cgame-changing\u201d step toward restoring accountability in protest zones. But activists vow to resist, calling the rule another chapter in the ongoing clash between law enforcement and demonstrators who see themselves as defenders of free expression.<\/p>\n
Social media posts from local groups have already called for a \u201cvisible resistance rally\u201d this weekend \u2014 a protest that organizers say will feature \u201ccreative, unmasked solidarity.\u201d Federal officials, however, warn that any attempt to defy the new rule will be met with \u201cfirm but lawful action.\u201d<\/p>\n
As Portland braces for yet another round of confrontation, one thing seems certain: the battle over masks \u2014 and what they represent \u2014 has become symbolic of a deeper national divide between order and expression, visibility and anonymity.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor years, masks have been both protection and provocation,\u201d said political analyst Lena Moritz. \u201cNow the government has decided to pull them off. Whether that restores peace or sparks new defiance, we\u2019ll soon find out.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said Monday on CNN\u2019s The Situation Room that the Supreme Court had \u201cenabled\u201d President Donald Trump to act like a king, calling the situation shameful. You…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11612,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11613","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hot-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t