The Daly Weekly (2/6)

ICE in Minnesota, Franklin Graham and the Super Bowl, the assault on Ilhan Omar, and more.

Hi everyone.

Welcome to this week’s Daly Weekly, where I answer whatever questions you throw my way.

Let’s get right to it…

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John- Wow, that was a booklet of information and I must say- your crystal ball is very crystal clear. Such keen insight you have, but a huff and a puff won't "blow the house down." That might take an army of who knows what- which leads me to my question of the week for you: What are your feelings and opinions for the next twelve months? Any military actions will be viewed in a negative light. Firing any cabinet members as well. It's "politics" until the midterms? I think so. — Sharon H.

I suspect we’ll mostly see more of the same, Sharon. I keep calling this the YOLO presidency, because I think Trump is largely just doing stuff that he thinks is cool. Most of it’s self-serving. Some of it actually benefits the country, while a lot of it is hurting the country, our institutions, and our Constitutional order. I don’t think he cares much about the midterms.

I think we’ll probably see some more military operations, possibly in Iran, but more likely in smaller, less internationally consequential countries (similar to what was done with Venezuela). Trump definitely should fire a number of his cabinet members (several are unqualified), but I’m not convinced he will. In his first term, he mostly fired people who he viewed as insufficiently loyal rather than incompetent. In this term, he has surrounded himself with incompetent people who are extremely fawning and flattering of him, and willing to bend the rules at his command. Thus, he’s more likely to keep them on.

John: These news stories coming out of Minnesota remind me of a Bernard Malamud novel with no heroic characters. ICE is going in with covered faces and paramilitary tactical gear to forcibly remove illegal aliens (and others?) in violent and haphazard ways. The “protestors” are doing more than watching, they are placing untrained civilians in harm’s way in direct, high-stakes confrontations with armed agents. Both are playing simultaneous games of Quien es mas macho? and Quien es mas loco? Aren’t there better ways of doing this? And do you have another way of looking at this? — Steve R.

I think you’ve largely described the situation correctly, Steve, but Trump’s the one paying a political price for it all, with two American citizens being shot and killed (by ICE officers who seemed ill-prepared for urban policing), and then called “domestic terrorists” by the administration. Local Democratic leaders have certainly been reckless in their rhetoric, and haven’t helped the situation. And as you say, some of the protesters have really been making matters worse as well. The good news is that things seem to be settling down a bit after the administration’s change in posture.

You’re right that there are better ways of doing this. The administration chose to make these arrests as dramatic as possible, with masks and in broad daylight, for the performative effect — perhaps to send a signal to illegal immigrants. I think that was a mistake. If the broader goal is to get (and keep) illegal immigrants out of the country, I think a better option, at least for the non-criminal variety, is to change public policy to punish employers harder for employing illegal immigrants. But I acknowledge it’s a complicated situation.

Okay, how do you get so many solid guests on your Reagan Caucus podcast??? Marc Short was Vice President Pence’s chief of staff! — Alex D.

Honestly, it’s just by asking. I’ve made a lot of connections through my political commentary over the years, including through social media. My co-host Thomas D. Howes has made several through legal and academic circles. It’s a good pairing. It also helps that the Reagan Caucus brand has gotten a lot of attention over the past couple of years, and a number of people (including some high-profile people) like what we’re doing. I think the episodes have been good, I’m enjoying hosting them, and the willingness of notable individuals to talk to us has been very encouraging.

And since you teed me up, Alex, we’d love more subscribers to our Reagan Caucus YouTube channel, BernardGoldberg.com readers. 😉

Greetings Sir John —Recently Anthony Kazmierczak was charged for spraying Ilhan Omar with apple cider vinegar at a town hall meeting, although nobody knew what the spray was at the time. Trump is not the only person who believes that this was entirely staged because, at the time, Omar shouldn’t have known what was sprayed at her, and the natural / intelligent response would be to go to the hospital immediately in case this was a toxic chemical (to her AND the other attendees Yet she “bravely fought back” and refuses to “back down from bullies,” while blaming “Trump’s rhetoric” for the attack. She took NONE of the safety responses following the attack….Okay. The suspect is charged now, but as of this writing, he doesn’t actually appear to be some type of diehard MAGA fan. Do you think this was staged? If it’s proven that it was, do you think that Omar will be punished in any way? Your thoughts are welcome. —“Possible Jussie Smollet 2.0” regards from The Emperor

I have no reason to believe it was staged, Emperor. I don’t even understand the accusation. You think someone would coordinate with Omar to get himself arrested, criminally charged, thrown in jail and solitary confinement (I think he’s still there)… just for her to look brave in the face of an apple cider attack? I have no idea what the assailant’s politics are (and I’m not sure it matters), but I suspect he’s just a loon.

Rev. Franklin Graham, in protest of Bad Bunny performing at the Super Bowl (which Graham calls a “sexual agenda”), has endorsed TPUSA’s “The All-American Halftime Show” featuring Kid Rock, who’s known for such wholesome hits as "Balls in Your Mouth," "Wax the Booty" and "Cadillac Pussy."

Is anything in our politics NOT beyond parody at this point? — Ben G.

Nope.

Thanks everyone! You can send me questions for next week by leaving a comment in the comment section.