Vance gets the cause of fear in L.A. totally backward in trying to justify military presence

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Briefing with Jen Psaki Episode Title: Vance gets the cause of fear in L.A. totally backward in trying to justify military presence
Release Date: June 21, 2025

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Introduction

In this episode of The Briefing with Jen Psaki, hosted by MSNBC, the focus centers on Vice President J.D. Vance's recent visit to Los Angeles. The discussion critically examines Vance's attempts to justify the continued military presence in the city amid declining civil unrest and escalating fears within immigrant communities. The episode features in-depth conversations with MSNBC contributor Paula Ramos and Congressman Greg Cassar, providing a multifaceted view of the current immigration enforcement climate and its repercussions on Los Angeles.

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Vance's Visit to Los Angeles

Vice President J.D. Vance initiated his visit to Los Angeles amidst a backdrop of apparent calm streets, contrasting with his justification for the sustained military presence.

• Legal Justification: Vance referenced the recent ruling by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which allows former President Trump to retain control over over 4,000 members of the California National Guard. He emphasized the legitimacy of federal intervention when necessary.

  "When the president makes a determination that you've got to send in certain federal officials to protect people, that determination was legitimate." [01:41]

• Premature Military Deployment: Despite the absence of active riots or clear threats, Vance and Trump advocate for a robust military presence to support their immigration agenda and establish precedence for deploying troops to other cities.

  "But Trump and Vance still want that military force on the streets of LA for their immigration agenda, and they want to lay the groundwork to send more troops to more American cities." [02:00]

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Critique from Paula Ramos and Congressman Greg Cassar

MSNBC contributor Paula Ramos and Congressman Greg Cassar provide a counter-narrative to Vance's assertions, highlighting the disproportionate impact of federal immigration raids on immigrant communities.

• Impact of Militarized Raids: Ramos points out that while there have been improvements in rioting, the presence of soldiers and Marines remains a source of fear, not necessarily due to ongoing protests but because of the administration's actions.

  "A lot of communities across the city do feel very threatened right now, but they don't feel threatened by protesters. They feel threatened by this administration." [02:48]

• Misrepresentation of Criminality: Ramos and Cassar challenge the administration's claim that most detainees are hardened criminals. They present data showing that a significant majority of ICE detainees lack criminal convictions.

  "Only 7% of the people detained since October had violent convictions." [07:00]

  "They are just picking people up off the street in many cases. And it isn't even just immigrants that are getting caught up in the federal immigration dragnet here." [07:36]

• Political Theater and Racism: Cassar criticizes Vance's actions and language as racially charged and politically performative, undermining trust within Latino communities.

  "The Vice President of the United States of America should know who Alex Padilla is... that is a racist comment." [15:43]

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Impact on Los Angeles Communities

The episode delves into the tangible effects of increased immigration enforcement on Los Angeles, highlighting economic downturns and community distress.

• Economic Decline: Businesses in predominantly immigrant areas suffer as fear of raids deters customers and disrupts daily operations.

  "Inside Ye's family owned restaurant in Boyle Heights, the tables empty, chairs unoccupied, and business in the historic shopping district down considerably." [03:20]

• Public Health Concerns: Reduced attendance at healthcare facilities due to fear of detention has led to missed vaccinations and medication abandonment.

  "The LA Times reports today that health care groups are noticing a substantial and concerning uptick in no shows... because they are afraid." [03:34]

• Transit Ridership Drop: Contrary to expectations, the opening of the LAX transit center coincided with a decline in public transit usage, attributed to fears of ICE targeting buses and trains.

  "Metro officials tell the Times that there's been a 10 to 15% decline in bus and rail ridership since this new wave of immigration enforcement activities began." [06:00]

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Case Study: Mahmoud Khalil's Release

A significant segment features the release of Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University student detained for his outspoken views, highlighting broader issues of free speech and governmental overreach.

• Detention and Release: After 104 days in an ICE detention facility, Khalil was released on bail due to insufficient evidence against him. His case underscores the administration's crackdown on free speech, especially among international students.

  "A federal judge ordered that Khalil be released from an ICE detention center in Louisiana over the objections of the Trump administration." [23:37]

• Legal and Emotional Impact: Khalil's legal team emphasizes the lack of evidence supporting the administration's allegations and the unconstitutional grounds for his detention.

  "They never introduced any evidence that he had committed a crime... the judge realized that Mahmoud is not a flight risk, he's not a danger to the community." [26:44]

• Human Rights Violations: Ramos expresses outrage over the treatment of detainees, highlighting the dehumanizing conditions and the broader implications for democracy and free speech.

  "It's horrific... we're seeing family separation in real time happening in our communities." [28:09]

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Republican Budget Bill Opposition

The latter part of the episode shifts focus to the political landscape surrounding the Republican budget bill, dubbed the "Big Beautiful Bill," and the growing opposition it faces.

• Unpopularity Across the Board: Recent polls indicate significant public opposition to the bill, with major concerns about its impacts on healthcare, education, and food assistance.

  "Nearly twice as many Americans oppose this bill than support it." [35:00]

• MAGA Support Declines with Information: Initial support among MAGA supporters drops sharply when the bill's specific provisions, such as cutting health insurance for millions, are revealed.

  "When MAGA supporters were told that... Trump's bill would likely kick about 10 million people off their health insurance, favorability went from 72% down to 48%." [38:00]

• Democratic Counteractions: Democratic leaders like Bernie Sanders and Greg Cassar are actively campaigning against the bill, emphasizing its detrimental effects on working-class Americans and marginalized communities.

  "This billionaire budget bill would be the biggest cut to food assistance in American history." [38:42]

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Conclusion

The episode presents a comprehensive critique of Vice President Vance's justification for military presence in Los Angeles, juxtaposed against the stark realities faced by immigrant communities under intensified federal enforcement. Through expert analysis and real-life case studies, The Briefing with Jen Psaki illuminates the socio-economic and political ramifications of current immigration policies and legislative actions, urging listeners to recognize the human impact behind governmental decisions.

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Notable Quotes:

• "When the president makes a determination that you've got to send in certain federal officials to protect people, that determination was legitimate." — Vice President J.D. Vance [01:41]

• "A lot of communities across the city do feel very threatened right now, but they don't feel threatened by protesters. They feel threatened by this administration." — Vice President J.D. Vance [02:48]

• "Only 7% of the people detained since October had violent convictions." — Paula Ramos [07:00]

• "The Vice President of the United States of America should know who Alex Padilla is... that is a racist comment." — Congressman Greg Cassar [15:43]

• "It's horrific... we're seeing family separation in real time happening in our communities." — Paula Ramos [28:09]

• "This billionaire budget bill would be the biggest cut to food assistance in American history." — Congressman Greg Cassar [38:42]

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This summary encapsulates the essential discussions and critical perspectives presented in the episode, providing listeners with a clear understanding of the complex issues surrounding immigration enforcement and legislative politics in Los Angeles and beyond.

Transcript

[Dr. Horton]

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[Vice President J.D. Vance]

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[Dr. Horton]

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[Vice President J.D. Vance]

At Birch Lane you can explore everything from outdoor sets to living room furniture and everything in between and get fast free shipping. It's classic style for joyful living. Shop [e-mail] we are going to start tonight in Los Angeles, where, despite how on edge the city is, Vice President J.D. vance thought now would be the good moment for him to pay the city a visit. Just last night, the ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Trump will be allowed to maintain control of the more than 4,000 members of the California National Guard. While legal challenges to the constitutionality of that setup work their way through the courts, that ruling also keeps the door open for Trump to send the same kind of federalized military force we're seeing in Los Angeles into other cities, even if their local leaders object. Vice President Vance made sure to make that point today during his visit. And I think what the 9th Circuit.

[Paola Ramos]

Said very clearly is when the president.

[Vice President J.D. Vance]

Makes a determination that you've got to send in certain federal officials to protect people, that determination was legitimate, and the.

[Paola Ramos]

President'S going to do it again if he has to.

[Vice President J.D. Vance]

Part of what Vice President Vance was doing in LA today was trying to justify why they still need so many troops there. Because right now the streets of Los Angeles are actually quiet. There are no riots. There was never really a clear reason to send in the National Guard and Marines to begin with. But even the pretense of that excuse has gone. But Trump and Vance still want that military force on the streets of LA for their immigration agenda, and they want to lay the groundwork to send more troops to more American cities. So they're pushing this fantasy that Los Angeles is still under imminent threat.

[Paola Ramos]

Unfortunately, a lot of these federal buildings were under very serious threat.

[Vice President J.D. Vance]

I heard about a lot of that during my tour here today. I think there's some good news, and the good news is the rioting has.

[Paola Ramos]

Gotten a lot better. But the bad news is, as I.

[Vice President J.D. Vance]

Heard from everybody, unfortunately, the soldiers and.

[Paola Ramos]

Marines are still very much a necessary part of what's going on here because.

[Vice President J.D. Vance]

They'Re worried that it's going to flare back up. If Vice President Vance were to actually speak to the people of Los Angeles today, he would very likely hear that. A lot of communities across the city do feel very threatened right now, but they don't feel threatened by protesters. They feel threatened by this administration. The immigrant community is living in fear, even those who have papers.

[Dr. Horton]

The immigration raids have turned one of Southern California's most vibrant cities into a ghost town.

[Vice President J.D. Vance]

Inside Ye's family owned restaurant in Boyle Heights, the tables empty, chairs unoccupied, and business in the historic shopping district down considerably. With fewer people shopping, Huntington Park's beloved mom and pop stores are struggling.

[Congressman Greg Cassar]

If we compare this year to last year, I would say 70% down and.

[Vice President J.D. Vance]

Frotan says if it stays that way.

[Dr. Horton]

He could lose his business.

[Vice President J.D. Vance]

Workers say it's noticeably less crowded here and at many public places as people are not showing up to work or shop out of fear. It's a horrible display of waste. Rotting fruit and vegetables scattered throughout this market. Store after store here closed for now, each with plenty to sell. But no one dare come here to buy. These days, immigrants usually fill this marketplace, but since ICE agents arrived in downtown la, it's empty. So all across Los Angeles communities are living in fear because of raids targeting immigrants at things like car washes. Some car washes have literally closed amid fear of more sweeps. Mayor Karen Bass told the LA Times that the streets in some neighborhoods were so empty they reminded her of COVID The LA Times reports today that health care groups are noticing a substantial and concerning uptick in no shows people missing things like childhood vaccinations, blood sugar checks, abandoning medications at pharmacies because they are afraid. The LA Times wrote an entire article to help parents answer their children's questions about ICE raids. Quote, will mom get detained? Fear is a hard thing to quantify. It's hard to show you statistics or data to give you the scale of something like the fear in LA's immigrant communities. But we do have this. Two weeks ago today, the LA Metro finally opened the LAX transit center. That means that after decades of waiting, Los Angeles residents can finally take the train to the airport. You would expect that would mean a huge surge in the amount of riders LA's metro system receives. At the very least, you would expect to see some kind of bump. But today, the LA Times is reporting the exact opposite. Metro officials tell the Times that there's been a 10 to 15% decline in in bus and rail ridership since this new wave of immigration enforcement activities began. There have been rumors of ICE targeting buses and trains for weeks now. Rumors that were unfortunately proven true on Wednesday in the city of Pasadena in northeastern la. Wednesday morning, masked armed men arrested six people at a bus stop. Even today, two days later, local press cannot say for certain that those masked men were federal agents. I should say we're essentially certain those men were federal immigration agents. But the men showed no id and the federal government has yet so far to actually confirm it was them. The city of Pasadena is now investigating part of that raid. The moment you can see here where one of the men points a gun at a bystander after that bystander attempted to take a photo of his car's license plate. The mayor of Pasadena says the city and its police chief have been trying for two days to get a response from ICE or DHS about this incident. They have not heard back. A huge part of why all of this has been so terrifying for communities across Los Angeles is that these raids are being carried out by heavily militarized, all often masked federal agents. And the justification from the Trump administration about why all that is the case is that the administration claims the people they're rounding up and accosting are primarily hardened criminals. Do you think that the administration has been too aggressive with the deportation efforts? Like our non criminals getting caught up in the dragnet as well?

[Paola Ramos]

No, look, I don't think that we've.

[Vice President J.D. Vance]

Been too aggressive at all.

[Paola Ramos]

We've got a lot of bad people in the United States of America that we've got to do the job of getting out of our country.

[Vice President J.D. Vance]

That was Vice President Vance pushing that line of logic just this afternoon. Before that, earlier today, Trump's Homeland Security Secretary, Kristi Noem claimed that so far In Trump's term, 75% of the immigrants they have arrested have either been charged with or convicted of a crime. Noem then cherry picked some examples of violent criminals ICE has arrested to paint this picture that the vast majority of the people federal agents are arresting right now are dangerous. But that is simply not the truth. Today the Cato Institute obtained non public data from ICE showing that 65% of the people ICE has obtained since October had no convictions at all. And the number of convicted of violent crime, the number of people convicted of violent crime even smaller. Only 7% of the people detained since October had violent convictions. 7%. That is data from October to last week. And just so you don't think there's some huge anomaly between October and when Trump actually took office. That's skewing all this data. Check out this chart from the American Immigration Council. This is the percent of people detained by ICE with no criminal record at all. Right. As Trump takes office, you see there, it just skyrockets. And of course it has. They are just picking people up off the street in many cases. And it isn't even just immigrants that are getting caught up in the federal immigration dragnet here. The video I'm about to show you is upsetting. So if you'd like to turn away, now is the time to do so. This was the scene on Tuesday at a Walmart parking lot in the city of Pico Rivera in the southeastern corner of Los Angeles. The man being arrested is 20 years old. His name is Adrian Martinez. He's a Walmart employee and a US Citizen. At another point in that same video, you can see an officer clearly grab this 20 year old by his neck and push him into a patrol vehicle to justify this use of force against, again, a U.S. citizen. Trump's newly appointed U.S. attorney for Los Angeles posted a photo of Adrian's face along with an allegation that Adrian had punched a Border Patrol agent in the face. A serious allegation. But today, a reporter for the LA Times obtained the actual criminal complaint against Adrian. As she writes, nowhere does it mention punching an agent. His actual charges are allegedly blocking agents vehicles with his car and and a trash can. That is the treatment a US Citizen got in Los Angeles this week from federal law enforcement. See J.D. vance and Donald Trump want you to think that Los Angeles is in such a state of chaos that it justifies this kind of aggressive, militarized use of federal force. They want you focused on images of the rare moments of violence at protests and want you to believe that the vast majority of the immigrants they are rounding up are violent people when they're not. They want the American public to think that they are the force fighting the chaos, not the force creating it. Remember, this was how Trump originally justified sending active duty US Marines into Los Angeles.

[Congressman Greg Cassar]

Do you still plan to send troops?

[Vice President J.D. Vance]

Well, we're going to have troops everywhere. We're not going to let this happen to our country. We're not going to let our country be torn apart. I mean, if we see danger to our country and to our citizens will be very, very strong in terms of law and order.

[Dr. Horton]

It's about law and order.

[Vice President J.D. Vance]

As my colleague Paula Ramos put it in Time magazine earlier this month, voters are increasingly seeing Trump as the perpetrator of that division and once you see it, it's hard to look away. As federal immigration agents roam through communities, ordinary bystanders rely on their own eyes, not the administration's manufactured photo ops portraying migrants as gang members to judge the scenes. Because if you zoom into the deluge of rolling videos, it's not the immigrants who do not belong in the frame. It's those masked, armed agents glaring back at us, she writes. Award winning journalist Paula Ramos is standing by and she joins me here live in just 90 seconds. What if you could use your home equity to pay off your debt without monthly payments so you could focus on reaching your other financial goals? With a home equity investment from HomeTap, you can get access to your home equity in cash, get closer to financial freedom and get more out of life. Learn more and see if you pre qualify for an [e-mail] subject to eligibility terms and conditions apply. Get access to your home equity in cash. Visit hometap.com to apply in minutes.

[Dr. Horton]

That's hometap.com your new beginning starts now. Dr. Horton has new construction homes available in Ellensburg and throughout the greater Seattle area. With spacious floor plans, flexible living spaces and home technology packages, you can enjoy more cozy moments and sweet memories in your beautiful new home. With new home communities opening in Ellensburg and throughout the Seattle area, Dr. Horton has the ideal home for you. Learn more @ Dr. Horton, America's builder and equal Housing Opportunity Builder.

[Vice President J.D. Vance]

Welcome to Birch Lane, where you can.

[Dr. Horton]

Find a fresh take on classic furniture and decor.

[Vice President J.D. Vance]

Every piece is handpicked and crafted to.

[Dr. Horton]

Last for years to come.

[Vice President J.D. Vance]

At Birch Lane, you can explore everything from outdoor sets to living room furniture and everything in between. And get fast free shipping. It's classic style for joyful living. Shop [e-mail] and joining me now is Paola Ramos, MSNBC contributor and author of the Rise of a Latino Far Right and what It Means for America. Paula, it is so great to see you. So I know you probably watched the exact same time I was as Vice President J.D. vance landed in LA today suggesting that troops need to stay there because things could, quote, flare up again. It seems really open ended. I'm curious what your reaction to his remarks today was.

[Congressman Greg Cassar]

I mean, it's simple, no? The strategy is to simply continue to create the illusion that we are at war with this enemy. The idea, I think, is to sustain, and you and I have talked about this, it's to sustain the very same fear, the very same resentment, the very same grievances that got Trump elected in the first place. And so that visit is supposed to symbolically try to distort the reality on the ground. What does that mean? It means trying to paint this idea that protesters are part of the mob or that Democratic leaders are socialists or that migrants are invaders and criminals. And so all of those conspiracy theories are now sort of culminating in that show of force that then, as you said, Antonio, are supposed to paint Trump and J.D. vance as sort of the saviors now, these patriotic saviors of the country that are liberating us. It's just theatrics. It's politics. Now. The danger to me, though, is that beyond a show of force, we have to remember that for them, this is an ideological battle. They have people like Stephen Miller that believe that they truly need to fight for civilization, that they have to fight to really protect our Western values. And so once you mix the physical show of force with this escalating narrative, not with that escalating language, that in and of itself, at least to me, it worries me, because it seems like they're creating the perfect storm for even more violence.

[Vice President J.D. Vance]

There was this one moment that really stood out to me in the presser where we heard the Vice President, he was trying to reference Senator Alex Padilla and called him Jose. Take a listen. Well, I was hoping Jose Padilla would be here to ask a question, but unfortunately, I guess he decided not to.

[Paola Ramos]

Show up because there wasn't the theater. And that's all it is. You know, I think everybody realizes that's what this is. It's pure political theater. These guys show up, they want to.

[Vice President J.D. Vance]

Be captured on camera doing something pure political theater. And, Joseph. So, Paola, do you think that was a mistake?

[Congressman Greg Cassar]

I don't know, but I think that's the point. I think the point. First of all, the. The Vice President of the United States of America should know who Alex Padilla is. Now, Alex Padilla is the first Latino senator of California. He's an MIT grad. He's the son of Mexican immigrants. J.D. vance should know who he is, and that in and of itself, we have to say it, that is a racist comment. Now, are we surprised? I'm not. I'm not surprised because J.D. vance is also the same person that was pushing conspiracy theories about Haitian migrants. Right. He is one of the people that really spread this idea that Haitian migrants were eating pets. He's also the same person that said that Haitian migrants that have TPS are illegal aliens. And so I'm not surprised. Now, the problem is that that type of language, that type of racist language that manifests on the ground. And that is precisely why then you have ICE agents that are roaming around our streets and that are literally harassing people, detaining people, stopping people. Because they look Hispanic? No, because they think that everyone is Jose. And so that's the danger when those words manifest in violence on the ground.

[Vice President J.D. Vance]

Paula, in all your years covering immigration, have you ever seen ICE and sort of the broader federal apparatus operate in this way, where we're seeing people completely masked up, sunglasses, hats on, unwilling to identify or explain themselves even to elected officials, as we just saw here with Brad Lander here in New York City a few days ago. How abnormal is all of this? To what extent have we crossed a red line, you think?

[Congressman Greg Cassar]

Look, I think mass deportations are not new. Our broken immigration system is not new. Deporting people is not new. It is part of the dark history of this country. It's not new. Now, what is new is that it seems to be that the cruelty is explicit and that is manifesting in ways that finally are making people notice. I think of some of the conversations that I've had with some Latino voters, including some Latino Trump supporters, who are looking at these images and are looking at the Marines and are looking at National Guard and they're looking at ice ages. And it reminds them of Venezuela and it reminds them of Cuba and of Nicaragua. And I think that is kind of this breaking point, that through these ICE raids and through immigrants, people are seeing a larger picture that is making them feel very uncomfortable, taking them back to the authoritarian regimes that many immigrants flee from. And I think that's what's starting to at least feel different.

[Vice President J.D. Vance]

To me, polling on this issue can be really complicated because on the one hand, there's still a lot of support and also in Latino communities for serious border enforcement, border security. But then when you start to ask people follow up questions about how immigration enforcement has been expanded activities in the interior of the country, that's where you start to see separation from Trump. I'm curious, to what extent do you think there really is this moment of moral clarity in communities from Los Angeles down to Miami Dade County? Do you think people are really starting to see this differently than they did just a few months ago during the election?

[Congressman Greg Cassar]

I think when it comes to some Latinos. You mentioned Miami Dade County. Right. I think one of the differences is that when some Latino voters that supported Donald Trump before the election, when you asked them, do you think that Donald Trump is talking about you when he talks in such negative ways about immigrants, the answer was no. No, Most people did not believe that Donald Trump was talking about them when he was referring to Latinos and to immigrants. So I think now it's sinking in this idea that even U.S. citizens, no, even Latinos that are U.S. citizens are too being racially profiled. And I think that's sinking now. I think the problem is that that moral outrage has to outweigh the anti immigrant sentiment. And I think in these moments we tend to think and look, and this is where I'm perhaps a little bit more skeptical, but I think in these moments we tend to think that remorse will sort of prevail and that people will have second thoughts. And I still want to believe that, but we always still have to come to the reality that one of the things that we learned in this election is how deep and how toxic and how dangerous that anti immigrant sentiment is. So the question is for some of those sort of Latino Trump supporters who are, when they see those images, do they feel resentful towards the Trump administration or do they feel resentful towards immigrants? And that's where Trumpism comes into play now, that it sort of, it pushes some Latinos to really, really feel resentful by the fact that they are being lumped into this group with other immigrants. And that, I think, is where we have to really understand the nuance.

[Vice President J.D. Vance]

And listen, it's going to be fascinating to see how attitudes shift in the coming months. You and I both covered the family separation crisis and we remember the moral outrage, the absolute outrage that was shared by so many. And it feels like we should be back in one of those moments, but we are not quite yet. Paula, thank you so much for joining me tonight. Your insight is always incredible.

[Congressman Greg Cassar]

Thank you, Antonia.

[Vice President J.D. Vance]

Coming up, former Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil has finally been released on bail after spending months in a Louisiana detention facility. A member of his legal team joins me here at the table. When we come back, what if you could use your home equity to pay off your debt without monthly payments so you could focus on reaching your other financial goals With a home equity investment from HomeTap, you can get access to your home equity in cash, get closer to financial freedom and get more out of life. Learn more and see if you pre qualify for an [e-mail] Subject to eligibility, terms and conditions apply. Get access to your home equity in cash. Visit hometap.com to apply in minutes. That's hometap.com hi, I'm Ashley Flowers, creator and host of the number one true crime podcast, Crime Junkie. Every Monday me and my best friend Britt break down a new case, but not in the way you've heard before and not the cases you've heard before. You'll hear stories on Crime Junkie that haven't been told anywhere else. I'll tell you what you can do to help victims and their families get justice. Join us for new episodes of Crime Junkie every Monday. Already waiting for you by searching for Crime Junkie wherever you listen to podcasts during KFC$10 Tuesdays, you can get a bucket of golden brown juicy chicken plus four dipping sauces for just $10. Or see what $10 gets you at a coffee shop.

[Paola Ramos]

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[Vice President J.D. Vance]

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[Paola Ramos]

The Trump administration are doing their best to dehumanize everyone here. Whether you are a US Citizen, an immigrant, or just a person on this land doesn't mean that you are less of a human. The moment you enter this facility, your rights leave you behind. So once you enter there, you see a different reality, just a different reality about this country. The supposedly champions Human rights After 104.

[Vice President J.D. Vance]

Days in ICE custody, Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil is finally free. Today, a federal judge ordered that Khalil be released from an ICE detention center in Louisiana over the objections of the Trump administration. Khalil entered the US Legally on a student visa to attend Columbia University. The Trump administration is attempting to deport him over his outspoken criticism of Israel's war in Gaza, arguing that his mere presence in the United States somehow undermines the U.S. s ability to combat antisemitism. His case has gained national attention as a symbol of the Trump administration's crackdown on the free speech of international students. After his arrest, the administration shipped Khalil to a detention center in Louisiana, more than 1,000 miles from his home here in New York. Lawyers for the Trump administration have pushed back against every effort to release him as his case moves forward. But this morning, the federal judge overseeing Khalil's case rejected the Trump administration's arguments for keeping him locked up. The judge said that there was a, quote, very strong and uncontested record that Khalil is not a flight risk and poses no danger to the public. In April, Khalil was forced to miss the birth of his son while still in ICE detention. And tonight, after his release, Mahmoud Khalil spoke about the limited contact he has had with his family.

[Paola Ramos]

The only time I spent my son was at a specified one hour limit that the government had imposed on us. So that means that now I can actually hug him and noor my wife without looking at the clock.

[Vice President J.D. Vance]

Joining us now is Amol Sinha, executive director of the ACLU of New Jersey and a member of Mahmoud Khalil's legal team. Mr. Sinha, thank you so much for joining me. This I watched that live as he was speaking in Louisiana earlier tonight, and you could hear his voice crack at times. You could feel that he was desperate to get on a plane, get back to his wife and his newborn baby. What was it like for you to see your client finally free after 104 days?

[Paola Ramos]

I feel a sense of profound relief, relief that Makmoudu will now be able to be with his wife and his newborn son. Even though he missed those precious early moments of having a newborn child, he's now able to be with his family. So I feel a sense of outright relief and joy for him. I also feel outrage. I'm outraged that this ever even happened, that he was detained for over 100 days unconstitutionally, illegally for expressing his First Amendment rights on behalf of Palestinians and human rights. And you know, the Trump administration has made it a key agenda for this government to target people based on their speech, not based on their actions, not based on any evidence of criminality, but based on the views that they hold and the speech that they advocate for.

[Vice President J.D. Vance]

In the course of those 100 plus days, did the government ever introduce evidence that he had committed a crime?

[Paola Ramos]

They never introduced evidence that he had ever committed a crime. They never even introduced any evidence that supported any of the allegations against him, including the bogus idea that he was a threat to the foreign policy interests of the United States. There hasn't been a shred of evidence presented that supports any of the claims that the Trump administration is trying to make. And thankfully, a judge in New Jersey acknowledged that. And he realized that Mahmoud is not a flight risk, he's not a danger to the community. And in fact, last week, the judge held that the foreign policy grounds on which the Trump administration is trying to detain him is likely unconstitutional. And so it's really just illegal and unconstitutional what this administration is trying to do to Mahmoud and so many others.

[Vice President J.D. Vance]

I don't think most Americans have any idea what it would be like to be suddenly picked up by federal Immigration agents right in front of your home or in the hallway of your home, to then be taken 1,000 plus miles down south to Louisiana to a notorious facility, and then to be detained in a facility like that for months on end. Can you bring us into what that is like for your clients and what your team hears about what's happening inside these places?

[Paola Ramos]

It's horrific. It's as horrific as it sounds. There are people are incarcerated in these facilities. They are in close quarters with one another. They are treated as though they are less than human. And we've heard about terrible conditions in these facilities, including limited access to medical care, not being able to have contact with their family, being far away from your loved ones and your legal counsel, for that matter. And so I think the cruelty is the point where the Trump administration is ripping families apart. We're seeing family separation in real time happening in our communities, in our backyards, from New York to New Jersey to Louisiana.

[Vice President J.D. Vance]

What kind of preparation has your team tried to do for him and for many of the other clients? I think of Rumesa Ozturk. As people adjust to regular life, try to go back to being a student or a father in Khalil's case, how challenging is that going to be? I assume life doesn't go back to normal for him the second he lands in New York City tonight.

[Paola Ramos]

I hope he gets a moment of joy to be back with his family and to hold his baby. But you're right that life is not going to be normal for him anymore. But what we're focused on is the fight ahead. Mahmoud has been fighting tooth and nail to make sure that his rights are defended and that everybody's rights are defended. And we're not going to stop until we prevail. We know that Mahmoud should be free, that this case should be over, it never should have been brought in the first place, and that he stands for something that anybody across the ideological spectrum should believe in, which is the First Amendment right to speak your mind. If you care about democracy, if you care about free speech, if you care about the rule of law, you should be outraged by what's happening to Mahmoud and so many others.

[Vice President J.D. Vance]

For people who don't like his activism, who have their criticisms of what happened on Columbia's campus last spring, what would you say to them about why the protection of his speech should matter and what the broader implications of the federal government's actions against people like him represents?

[Paola Ramos]

Yeah, the government should not be the arbiter of who gets to speak and who doesn't. The government should not be able to say that we like this speech and we don't like that speech, because if it's happening to Mahoud today, it could happen to any one of us tomorrow. And so what I would say is that speech wholesale is protected in the United States, not just the speech that you and I agree with and not just the speech that the Trump administration approves of. And so what I would say to people who may be disapproving of any speech out there is that, look, we need to live in a world, in a democracy where speech is protected. Otherwise, we're not going to move forward as a society. So it's incredibly important that we uphold the rule of law and the core fundamental values that define our democracy. And free speech is first among them.

[Vice President J.D. Vance]

Thank you so much for being here at the table tonight. I know your team has been incredibly busy fighting for Khalil, but also, you guys have been working across so many student cases. So, you know, to give us some of your time, we don't take it lightly. Thank you for being here tonight.

[Paola Ramos]

Thank you so much.

[Vice President J.D. Vance]

So a very big crowd turned out tonight to see Bernie Sanders speak in deep red. McAllen, Texas. We're going to talk about why that matters when we come back. Today marks the start of the birdbath process for the Republican budget bill that is currently moving through the Senate. Now, the term birdbath, spelled by R D, stems from a rule named after the late Senator Robert Byrd. This rule is crucial to the reconciliation process that will allow Republicans to pass what Trump is calling his, quote, big, beautiful bill with a simple majority of 51 votes, which is the best that Republicans can hope for given their narrow majority in the Senate. There needs to be a fiscal reason for every provision included in the bill. And so the birdbath is to clean out the things that are extraneous or irrelevant to the budget. How the bill will change as a result of this process remains to be seen. But as it gets closer to officially passing in Congress, Republicans and Donald Trump have an even bigger problem. It has become abundantly clear that the American people do not like this bill at all. There are just a few of the most recent polls out this week. This poll from the Washington Post and Ipsos, which was conducted earlier this month, shows that nearly twice as many Americans oppose this bill than support it. Pew Research released a similar survey this week. It found that a majority of Americans think the legislation would have a negative impact on the country. In that same survey, 47% said the Republican bill would have a negative impact on them and their families, and only 24% expect a positive impact. Two weeks ago, Quinnipiac University surveyed registered voters across the country, finding that 53% oppose the one Big Beautiful Bill act that's currently being debated in the Senate. And guess what? The numbers get even worse somehow. This week, the Kaiser Family foundation released their own poll that found that 64% of American adults, a big majority, view the bill unfavorably. And guess what? These numbers don't just fall across party lines. Take a look at this data from that Kaiser poll. They asked independents, Democrats, Republicans, and specifically MAGA supporters what they all thought about the bill. At first, 72% of MAGA supporters said they had a favorable view of the bill, which more or less makes sense. After all, Trump has been pushing for this thing for months. However, once those same MAGA supporters were told what was actually in it, their support for it dropped dramatically. When MAGA supporters were told that if it passes, Trump's bill would likely kick about 10 million people off, their health insurance, favorability went from 72% down to 48%. Then, when they were told that the bill would also decrease funding for local hospitals, support dropped 28 points, down to 44%. This is a major red flag for Republicans. And the worst part is they know they can't sell this bill. As my Weekend co host Katherine Rampel pointed out yesterday, this legislation is effectively a mashup of multiple past GOP initiatives that individually had each been among the worst polling major bills in recent history. Tax cuts that benefit the ultra wealthy, cuts to Medicaid and the ACA and SNAP benefits. These things are not popular among working class Americans. So how do Republicans defend their actions? Well, it appears they aren't. In her piece in the Washington Post, Katherine lays out how Republicans in the Senate have chosen to obscure the truth about the bill, possibly so their constituents just won't notice what it actually does. As you can imagine, this type of thing is political gold for Democrats, and there are a few major players already channeling the public's dissatisfaction with Republican leadership. Tonight, Bernie Sanders kicked off another leg of his fight, the Oligarchy tour. These are pictures out of McAllen, Texas, where the senator spoke not too long ago in a deep red part of the state. Stagnant wages, people not being able to keep up with inflation, cost of childcare exploding, groceries exploding that in the midst of all of that, right now, literally today, I'll be back in Washington on Monday.

[Congressman Greg Cassar]

We'll be dealing with this.

[Vice President J.D. Vance]

Trump has brought forward with the Republican leadership a reconciliation bill, or what he calls his big, beautiful bill. What these guys want to do is cut Medicaid by some $700 billion and throw 16 million more Americans off of the health care they have. This bill would slash education funding by $350 billion a year. My next guest actually joined Bernie Sanders at that rally tonight in McAllen. Congressman Greg Cassara is the chair of the Congressional Progressive of Caucus and he joins me live from McAllen, Texas when we come back. So the Democratic Party appears to be succeeding in making Trump's big, beautiful bill a political liability. When averaging the results of four recent polls from the Washington Post, Fox News, Kaiser Family foundation and Quinnipiac, 55% of Americans opposed the bill, while only 31% supported it. And Republicans are fully aware they are losing the messaging fight. According to reporting from Punchbowl, top House Republicans worry right now that Democrats are beating them to the punch in defining what this bill does and doesn't do. One Republican aide told them a messaging void is political death. And Republicans are right to be afraid of the growing unpopularity of this bill. But bad polling does not necessarily mean a bill doesn't pass. Back in Trump's first administration, his 2017 tax cuts also polled underwater, but Republicans in Congress still managed to pull him off. So if those against Trump's bill want to kill it, they will need to keep their foot on the gas and make sure this bill is as politically unpalatable as possible. Kind of like how Democratic Congressmen Greg Cassar did in deep red McAllen, Texas, earlier tonight.

[Dr. Horton]

The people who supposedly represent you right here in McAllen, Texas, like Republican Congresswoman De La Cruz, like your Republican senators, they're doing a very dangerous but also a very unpopular and very stupid thing. They're trying to pass a billionaire budget. It's the biggest tax cut for billionaires in American history. Second, it's the biggest cut to health care in American history. And third, it's the biggest cut to food assistance in American history.

[Vice President J.D. Vance]

And joining me now from McAllen, Texas, is Democratic Congressman Greg Cassar, who appeared with Bernie Sanders at that rally tonight. Congressman, first, let's start with just the energy in the room. Tell me about the makeup of the crowd and what was on their mind.

[Dr. Horton]

We're in a jam packed house here in McAllen, Texas. McAllen is barely over 100,000 people and we had thousands of people showing up. And this is a county that Donald Trump won in his last election, but where he won it by lying to people. He lied to people's faces and said he was gonna be for working class people. But Donald Trump has only been trying to enrich his billionaire buddies. And so folks in McAllen, just like they are all over the country, are rising up against this Trump billionaire budget bill. And then they're also asking for a Democratic Party that's not gonna leave working class towns like McAllen behind.

[Vice President J.D. Vance]

What are the elements of the bill that were most concerning to them? Because this is a really interesting region in the country, both just given its, its diversity, the relationship that this community has not just to working class, everyday sort of kitchen table issues, but also to the immigration issues that we're seeing play out in the country right now. What were they most concerned about?

[Dr. Horton]

Look, the line that got everybody up to their feet was ending big money and corruption in politics and raising the minimum wage to at least $17 an hour. Look, this is a part of the country where virtually everybody works two jobs and they're being told that they're going to lose their health care because a billionaire wants to make a few million dollars more. That is just insane. But look, Donald Trump lied to these folks. He told working class places like McAllen that he was going to bring down prices, but he's jacking up prices. He also told these communities along the border that he was going to go after criminals and people in gangs. But now Trump is separating families, deporting teachers. He even deported a man, US Citizen, with an autism awareness tattoo that they called a gang symbol. And so people in this community want to see a Democratic Party that's willing to stand up to Trump, but also willing to stand up for people here that work seven days a week, 12 hour days, and just aren't paid enough.

[Vice President J.D. Vance]

This is also a part of the country with some of the highest rates of uninsured children, food insecure children. If this bill passes, what would happen to these communities?

[Dr. Horton]

This billionaire budget bill would be the biggest cut to food assistance in American history. So get this for SNAP benefits, what we call food stamps. Kids, families, they're getting two or three dollars a meal, while folks like Elon Musk get $8 million a day in government contracts. And so the Republicans have to answer for why they want to cut two or three dollars a meal for a hungry child. Well, not doing anything to cut. In fact, they kind of want to increase the $8 million a day that people like Elon Musk get. And so Democrats need to call out the real waste, fraud and abuse in the system. It's these corporate moochers and Donald Trump's friends that are abusing the system, not kids born and raised here on the border.

[Vice President J.D. Vance]

I was on the campaign trail for NBC and MSNBC this past cycle in working class, often rural communities where people were saying, we do not see the Democrats. They don't even try to talk to us. When they do, they're condescending at times. So do you think more of your colleagues are going to be joining you on this tour? Are they going to be replicating this kind of energy? To what extent do you think people understand now you have to actually go into these communities, talk to people face to face and do this hard work?

[Dr. Horton]

Look, Antonio, I think at the end of the day, the Democratic Party campaign strategy, the failed strategy, is that we try to dump a bunch of money into a campaign right before election Day to try to buy the trust back from people that have started to lose trust in us. That is not going to work. We have to come at a time like this when me, Bernie Sanders, neither of us are running for office right now. Neither of us even represent this area. We're not coming and asking for people's votes.

[Vice President J.D. Vance]

That's probably part of what's giving you credibility in this moment, that you're not there begging people to do something.

[Dr. Horton]

I'm not here campaigning. I'm not here asking for a buck or a vote. I'm here saying, look, you could lose your health care, your kids could lose a meal, and we're gonna fight back. Call your congressperson. And if we just get three Congress folks on the Republican side to have the guts to vote no, we can save millions of people's healthcare. And you've gotta just go and meet people where they're at. That's why we're talking to swing voters in McGowan. Then I'm headed to Amarillo, Texas, to talk to meat packers and then out to the cowboys in Fort Worth. We're in a place where I, as Progressive Caucus Chair, I'm not saying this fight is just left versus right. It's the billionaires versus everyone else. We've gotta go talk to everyone else.

[Vice President J.D. Vance]

Congressman, thank you so much for joining tonight. I know we'll be keeping an eye as you guys continue to tour around the country and talk to these voters. And I'll probably be back out there myself before the midterms. Great to see you.

[Dr. Horton]

You're welcome down here to have some tacos with us anytime.

[Vice President J.D. Vance]

I'd love that. Coming up, my partner in crime, Catherine Rampel, is standing by for a big deep dive on the Republican budget bill. And we'll be right back. So that's going to do it for me tonight, but you can find me right back here tomorrow for the weekend primetime, which I co host along with Amon Mohadin, Elise Jordan and Katherine rampel. Weekends from 6 to 9pm and tomorrow we'll be joined by Eli Givens, a trans advocate who, at just 18 years old, testified against Tennessee's bill that bans gender affirming care for minors. The Supreme Court just upheld that law in a 6:3 decision earlier this week in the middle of Pride Month. It means that gender affirming care will not only continue to be unavailable to trans minors in Tennessee, but is now in jeopardy in the 24 other states that have enacted similar bands. I'm really looking forward to our conversation with Eli Gibbons about what this means for young people like them and what they expect on the road ahead. You can catch the show Tuesday through Friday at 9pm Eastern on MSNBC. And don't forget to follow the show on Blue sky, Instagram and TikTok for now. Goodbye from Washington and we'll see you next week. Hi, I'm Ashley Flowers, creator and host of the number one true crime podcast, Crime Junkie. Every Monday, me and my best friend Britt break down a new case, but not in the way you've heard before and not the cases you've heard before. You'll hear stories on Crime Junkie that haven't been told anywhere else. I'll tell you what you can do to help victims and their families get justice. Join us for new episodes of Crime Junkie every Monday. Already waiting for you by searching for Crime Junkie. Wherever you listen to podcasts.