Democrat Rep Charged with FEMA Fraud, Trump vs Dems on Hypothetical "Illegal Order": AM Update 11/21

Summary

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Podcast Summary: The Megyn Kelly Show

Host: Mark Halpern (filling in for Megyn Kelly)
Episode: Democrat Rep Charged with FEMA Fraud, Trump vs Dems on Hypothetical "Illegal Order": AM Update
Date: November 21, 2025

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Episode Overview

This AM Update delivers a rapid-fire digest of political controversies and breaking news, centering on a Florida Democratic congresswoman’s federal indictment, an escalating rhetorical battle over Trump’s hypothetical "illegal military order," economic updates, immigration debates, and a bizarre case involving a staged political attack. Mark Halpern steers the coverage with a focus on the day’s headline-grabbing stories and trenchant political reactions.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick's Federal Indictment

[02:41 - 05:42]

• Allegations:
  Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) indicted for allegedly diverting $5 million in FEMA COVID staffing funds to her 2021 campaign, laundering the money through accounts linked to friends and relatives.
• Accused Co-Conspirators:
  • Her brother Edwin
  • Staffer Najej LeBlanc
  • Tax preparer David Spencer (charged with filing a false return)
• Prosecutors’ Charge:
  Funds used for political spending and personal expenses, falsely deducted as business outlays and inflated charitable contributions.
• Potential Consequence:
  Faces up to 53 years in prison if convicted.
• Congresswoman’s Response:

  "This is an unjust, baseless sham indictment and I am innocent. The timing alone is curious and clearly meant to distract from far more pressing national issues."
  — Cherfilus-McCormick statement, [03:53]

• Context:
  Already under House Ethics Committee investigation for allegedly steering project funding to for-profit enterprises she controlled.
• Relevant Past Action:
  Settled a lawsuit with the State of Florida over $5 million in overcharges, agreeing to pay it back over 19 years.

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2. Democrats vs. Trump: The "Hypothetical Illegal Order" Controversy

[05:42 - 09:56]

• The Video:
  Six Democratic lawmakers, including Senators Alyssa Slotkin and Mark Kelly, post a message urging military/intel personnel to refuse “illegal orders” and to “not give up the ship.”
  • Quote:

    "Our laws are clear. You can refuse illegal orders."
    — Alyssa Slotkin, [05:44]

• Underlying Context:
  Fears that a second-term Trump might order unlawful military actions; no specific examples cited.
• Legislative Action:
  Slotkin introduces the “No Troops in Our Streets Act” to let Congress block National Guard deployments.
• Trump’s Reaction:
  • On Truth Social, Trump calls the video “seditious behavior from traitors” and floats “Lock them up???”

    "This is really bad and dangerous to our country. Their words cannot be allowed to stand. Seditious behavior from traitors. Lock them up. ???"
    — Donald Trump, [06:48]

• Democrats Fire Back:
  • Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer responds:

    "The president of the United States is calling for the execution of elected officials. This is an outright threat and it's deadly serious."
    — Chuck Schumer, [07:08]

  • Warns of increasing risk of political violence.
• White House Press Secretary’s Clarification:
  • Caroline Levitt asserts Trump does not want to execute Congress members, points to lawmakers’ video as provocative.

  • "You have sitting members of the United States Congress who conspired together to orchestrate a video message...encouraging them to defy the president's lawful orders."
    — Caroline Levitt, [07:53]

• House Speaker’s Take:
  • Mike Johnson calls the congressional video “very dangerous”

    "You have leading members of Congress telling troops to disobey orders. I think that's unprecedented in American history."
    — Mike Johnson, [08:38]

• Sen. Slotkin’s Response to Trump:

  “Earlier today, President Trump threatened myself and a number of other service and veteran lawmakers with arrest, trial and death because he didn’t agree with a video we put out this week. I would hope that people of all backgrounds...would agree that threatening death for people you disagree with is beyond the pale of who we are as Americans.”
  — Alyssa Slotkin, [09:16]

• Overall Tone:
  Mutual accusations of sedition, escalation of political rhetoric, and highlighting fears about constitutional overreach and incitement.

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3. Vice President J.D. Vance: Jobs Report, Immigration, and Catholic Response

[10:58 - 14:32]

• Jobs Report:
  • 119,000 new jobs in September (surpassing economist expectations of 50,000)
  • Unemployment up marginally to 4.4% (highest since October 2021)
  • Vance’s Analysis:

    "A huge jobs report...the Trump economic policies are actually working...If you look below the surface, the numbers are actually better...we’ve increased take home pay by about $1,200, adjusting for inflation."
    — J.D. Vance, [11:32]

• Immigration & the Catholic Church:
  • US Conference of Catholic Bishops/ Pope Leo XIV criticize mass deportation and the climate of fear.
  • Papal Comments:

    "No one has said that the United States should have open borders. I think every country has a right to determine who and how and when people enter. But when people are living good lives...to treat them in a way that is extremely disrespectful to say the least."
    — Pope Leo XIV, [12:48]

  • Vance on Faith and Border Security:

    "We ignored how open borders were not actually good for the dignity even of the illegal migrants themselves...Border security is not just good for American citizens. It is the humanitarian thing to do for the entire world."
    — J.D. Vance, [13:31]

  • 527,000 deportations, 1.6 million self-deportations reported since the start of Trump's second term.

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4. Republican Staffer Charged With Staging Violent Attack

[14:32 - 16:45]

• Key Details:
  • Ex-staffer Natalie Green (previously with Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-NJ) charged with concocting a fake assault implicating political motivations.
  • Crime involved zip ties, staged injuries, and painted slurs; investigation revealed preparatory scarification and self-inflicted wounds.
• Legal Consequences:
  • Charges: conspiracy to convey false statements, making false statements to federal officials
  • Faces up to five years in prison per count, $250,000 fine.

  • "Craziest thing I’ve ever heard."
    — Mark Halpern, [16:45]

  • Rep. Van Drew’s office:

    "Our thoughts and prayers are with her. We hope she’s getting the care she needs."
    — Spokesman statement, [16:39]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Politicization of Indictments:

  "The timing alone is curious and clearly meant to distract from far more pressing national issues."
  — Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick, [03:53]

• On Military Obedience & Civilian Control:

  "Our laws are clear. You can refuse illegal orders."
  — Alyssa Slotkin, [05:44]

• Escalation of Rhetoric:

  "The president of the United States is calling for the execution of elected officials. This is an outright threat and it's deadly serious."
  — Sen. Chuck Schumer, [07:08]

• Vice President Vance on Immigration:

  "Border security is not just good for American citizens. It is the humanitarian thing to do for the entire world."
  — J.D. Vance, [13:31]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:41] Indictment details of Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick
• [05:42] Debate over Trump "illegal order" video
• [07:08] Chuck Schumer denounces Trump’s response
• [08:38] House Speaker Mike Johnson's statements
• [09:16] Senator Slotkin’s video response
• [10:58] VP J.D. Vance discusses the jobs report
• [12:48] Pope Leo XIV’s nuanced immigration stance
• [13:31] Vance’s perspective on faith and border security
• [14:32] Story of the staged political attack

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Tone and Language

The episode’s delivery is brisk, news-centric, and leans on sharp, often adversarial quotations to illustrate deepening polarization in national politics. Speaker attributions preserve the distinctive voices—serious, at times indignant, and colored with frustration or defiance.

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Summary

This AM Update unpacks another tumultuous news cycle: a Democratic lawmaker faces dire federal charges, Congress and Trump trade heated threats and accusations over civilian-military relations, J.D. Vance touts economic and border successes, and a surreal tale of political deception unfolds in New Jersey. Listeners are left with an urgent sense of the combative, high-stakes environment gripping American politics in late 2025.

Transcript

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[Mark Halpern]

Hey, good morning everybody. It's Mark halpern, host of NextUp, filling in today for the great Megyn Kelly. It's Friday, November 21, 2025, and this is your AM update. A Democratic Florida congresswoman indicted for allegedly stealing 5 million bucks in FEMA money and redirecting it to her campaign.

[Chuck Schumer]

The president of the United States is calling for the execution of of elected.

[Mark Halpern]

Officials and what some are calling a bizarre moment of Trump derangement syndrome. As Democrats fight Trump over a hypothetical illegal order.

[J.D. Vance]

We ignored how open borders were not actually good for the dignity even of the illegal migrants themselves.

[Mark Halpern]

Vice President J.D. vance weighing in on an array of topics from jobs to immigration and more. And an ex New Jersey Republican congressional staffer charged with get this, faking a violent political attack. All that and more coming up in just a moment. Here on your AM Update.

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[Mark Halpern]

Congresswoman Sheila Cerflis McCormick, a Democrat from Florida and several co defendants indicted Wednesday by a federal grand jury out of Miami. The feds accusing the group of stealing FEMA disaster funds and laundering the money into her 2021 congressional campaign. According to the indictment, the family health care company operated by Shepherd McCormick and her brother Edwin received a $5 million overpayment on a FEMA COVID vaccine staffing contract back in July of 2021. Prosecutors alleged the siblings conspired to steal the funds, diverting it through multiple accounts to hide the Source. Staffer Najej LeBlanc, also indicted in the alleged scheme. Southern District of Florida prosecutors alleging the defendants funneled the extra money to friends and relatives who then donated it back to the campaign. Tax preparer David Spencer, charged with conspiring to file a false tax return. From the Justice Department press release, quote, they falsely claim political spending and other personal expenses as business deductions and inflated charitable contributions in order to reduce her tax obligations. The congresswoman yesterday releasing a statement saying, quote, this is an unjust, baseless sham indictment and I am innocent. The timing alone is curious and clearly meant to distract from far more pressing national issues. Also yesterday, the congresswoman relinquishing her leadership position on a Foreign affairs subcommittee as Democratic Caucus rules require any indicted representatives to step down from leadership positions. The state of Florida suing Trinity Health Services, of which the Congresswoman was the CEO, in December 2024 for refusing to turn over $5 million in overcharges. The Washington reposed reporting the congresswoman settled the lawsuit, agreeing to pay back the funds over the next 19 years. These charges are not the only trouble she faces though. In a separate ongoing matter in 2024, the Office of Congressional Conduct referring Chef Eliss McCormick to the House Ethics Committee for investigation. From the referral, this is a quote, there is substantial reason to believe that she requested community project funding that would be directed to a for profit entity. She at the time also denied any wrongdoing. The congresswoman now faces up to 2:53 years in prison if convicted on all the charges related to the alleged FEMA scheme. With the Epstein files bill now in the rearview mirror, Democrats quickly shifting their focus to a new political flashpoint, a hypothetical illegal order given by President Trump to the military. President Trump reacting to a video posted by six Democratic lawmakers on Tuesday urging members of the U.S. military and intelligence community to refuse illegal orders and quote, don't give up the ship. Senator Alyssa Slotkin of Michigan, Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, Congressman Chris d' Aluzio and Chrissy Houlan of Pennsylvania and Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire, plus Jason Crow of Colorado posting this video addressed directly to military service members right now, the.

[J.D. Vance]

Threats to our Constitution aren't just coming.

[Mark Halpern]

From abroad, but from right here at home. Our laws are clear. You can refuse illegal orders.

[Alyssa Slotkin]

We need you to stand up for.

[Mark Halpern]

Our laws, our Constitution, and who we are as Americans. Don't give up. Don't give up. Don't give up.

[Alyssa Slotkin]

Don't give up.

[Sponsored Message Host]

The ship.

[Mark Halpern]

A remarkably bold and notably vague directive. Military law does require troops to refuse unlawful orders, but the lawmakers never describe what illegal orders they might be referring to. Senator Slotkin last week introducing the no Troops in Our Streets act, enabling Congress to block or terminate any National Guard deployments by majority vote. Democrats heavily criticizing Mr. Trump's previous deployments of the National Guard to America's cities to aid in illegal immigration crackdowns. Congressman Crow earlier this week introduced a resolution to block the White House from conducting additional strikes on suspected drug boats en route to the US in recent months, the US carrying out more than 20 such strikes, killing at least 80 suspected drug traffickers. President Trump reacted to the video yesterday morning responding on Truth Social, quote, this is really bad and dangerous to our country. Their words cannot be allowed to stand. Seditious behavior from traitors. Lock them up. Question mark, question mark, question mark. Democrats perhaps getting what they wanted in the first place. In response to Mr. Trump's post from the Senate floor yesterday, here is Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

[Chuck Schumer]

The President of the United States is calling for the execution of elected officials. This is an outright threat and it's deadly serious. We have already seen what happens when Donald Trump tells his followers that his political opponents are enemies of the state. Every time Donald Trump posts things like this, he makes political violence more likely. None of us should tolerate this kind of behavior. We all remember what January 6th was like. We lived through January 6th. When Donald Trump uses the language of execution and treason, some of his supporters may very well listen.

[Mark Halpern]

At yesterday's White House briefing, the press secretary, Caroline Levitt, fielding multiple questions from an outraged press corps.

[Caroline Levitt]

Just to be clear, does the President want to execute members of Congress? No. Let's be clear about what the President is responding to, because many in this room want to talk about the President's response, but not what brought the President to responding in this way. You have sitting members of the United States Congress who conspired together to orchestrate a video message to members of the United States military, to active duty service members, to members of the national security apparatus, encouraging them to defy the President's lawful orders.

[Mark Halpern]

House Speaker Mike Johnson redirecting a question about Mr. Trump's statement back to the original video, which he calls dangerous.

[Mike Johnson]

I know the DOJ and the Pentagon are looking into the legality of all that, but what I can address is what everybody knows that was wildly inappropriate. It is very dangerous. You have leading members of Congress telling troops to disobey orders. I think that's unprecedented in American history. And as the father of a young man who is, you know, at the Naval Academy going to be joining the service, I know young soldiers, airmen, sailors, they don't need that kind of nonsense from people in Congress. It is very dangerous.

[Mark Halpern]

Senator Slotkin, who organized the original video, posting another video yesterday on X. I'm.

[Alyssa Slotkin]

Senator Alyssa Slotkin, Senator from Michigan, former CIA officer. Earlier today, President Trump threatened myself and a number of other service and veteran lawmakers with arrest, trial and death because he didn't agree with a video we put out this week. I would hope that people of all backgrounds, Democrat, Republican, independent, would agree that threatening death for people you disagree with is beyond the pale of who we are as Americans. For me, I believe in the power of this country and that we are better than our current politics represent. And I refuse to be intimidated out of defending the country I love.

[Mark Halpern]

And back and forth and back and forth we go. Coming up, Vice President J.D. vance weighing in on the jobs front, the Pope and more in a very wide ranging fireside chat. And a former congressional staffer in court for allegedly staging an attack against herself.

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[Mark Halpern]

Vice President J.D. vance addressing the just released jobs report and more in a sit down interview with Breitbart News on that latest jobs report. The September numbers just released yesterday due to that government shutdown causing a delay showed better than expected gains of 119,000 jobs, breaking a two month downward trend. Unemployment remaining relatively flat, ticking up by a 0.1 to 4.4%, the highest level since October of 2021. Mr. Vance saying the report underscores the strength of Donald Trump's policies.

[J.D. Vance]

So a huge jobs report And I assume the market is going crazy right now, probably just opened, because what this shows is that the Trump economic policies are actually working and you've got 119,000 new jobs. Economists thought that we would have about 50,000 new jobs, but that's actually just the headline number. If you look below the surface, I think the numbers are actually better. So number one, wages continue to way outpace inflation. If you go back to the three years of the Biden administration, the average American worker actually lost about $3,000 of take home pay in the first 10 months of the Trump economy. We've increased take home pay by about $1,200, adjusting for inflation. So that's a huge, huge thing. And this jobs report confirms that.

[Mark Halpern]

Now turning to immigration. VP Vance asked about recent comments made by Pope Leo. 14. The US Conference of Catholic Bishops last week releasing a rare statement criticizing the Trump administration's mass deportations effort. Quote, we are disturbed when we see among our people a climate of fear and anxiety around questions of profiling and immigration enforcement. Many conservatives taking issue with the bishop saying that statement sounds more like a demand to accept an unending wave of mass migration. And earlier this week, Pope Leo himself offering a more nuanced statement, somewhat though echoing the bishops.

[Pope Leo XIV]

I appreciate very much what the bishops have said. I think it's a very important statement. I would invite especially all Catholics, but people of goodwill to listen carefully to what they said. If people are in the United States illegally, there are ways to treat that. There are courts, there's a system of justice. No one has said that the United States should have open borders. I think every country has a right to determine who and how and when people enter. But when people are living good lives, and many of them for 10, 15, 20 years, to treat them in a way that is extremely disrespectful to say the least.

[Mark Halpern]

The vice President, a practicing Catholic, reacting.

[J.D. Vance]

The Catholic Church's views on this are actually quite clear. And it's that, yes, you must treat immigrants humanely. On the other hand, every nation has the right to control its borders. And obviously how you strike that balance is very important. We ignored how open borders were not actually good for the dignity even of the illegal migrants themselves. You had little kids getting sex trafficked. Border security is not just good for American citizens. It is the humanitarian thing to do for the entire world. Because when you empower the cartels and when you empower the human traffickers, whether in the United States or anywhere else, you're empowering the very worst people in the world. It's almost like Europe and America got this idea in their head that to control your border at all was fundamentally, you know, uncompassionate. Maybe it was even racist and bad. The president and I reject that wholesale putting the interests of your citizens first. It's not some ancillary thing. It is the very purpose of government.

[Mark Halpern]

DHS announced in October more than 527,000 deportations since the start of the second Trump administration as well as 1.6 million self deportations. Now this is a crazy story. A former congressional staffer of Republican U.S. congressman from New Jersey Jeff Van Drew charged with staging a violent political attack against herself. According to the federal criminal complaint out of the District of New Jersey, 26 year old Natalie Green is charged with one count of conspiracy to convey false statements and hoaxes and one count of making false statements to a federal law enforcement official. Late on July 23, 2025, Greene's unnamed co conspirators are calling 911, telling officers they had been attacked by three men while walking on a wooded nature trail in Egg Harbor Township. The co conspirator telling the 911 operator, quote, I came here with my friend and three guys just attacked us. They were attacking her. They were like talking about politics and stuff. They were like calling her names and they said if we don't be quiet they were going to shoot us. Police arriving on the scene led to Greene by the co conspirator officers discovering Greene laying on the ground, her feet and hands bound by black zip ties, her shirt pulled over her head. From the complaint again quoting when the officers found Greene, she had numerous lacerations on her right side, including her face, neck, upper chest and shoulder. The words Trump whore were written on her stomach and Van Drew is a racist was written on her back with a black marker. Greene was brought to a hospital for treatment. In a later interview with investigators, Greene described routine threats received by Congressman Van Drew's office where she worked. Officers searching her vehicle, discovering black zip ties similar to the ones used on Green. Further investigation leading detectives to to a scarification artist, which is exactly what it sounds like. A person who cuts into a client's body to intentionally create scars. In Pennsylvania, hours before the alleged attack, a receipt from the body modification shop revealing Grayne paid 500 bucks in cash and signed a waiver for quote, scarification. There's a new vocabulary word for everybody. The federal complaint does not identify Congressman Van Drew by name, but a spokesman for the congressman's office confirms that Green is a former employee. Quote, while Natalie is no longer associated with the congressman's government office. Our thoughts and prayers are with her. We hope she's getting the care she needs. Green appearing in court for the first time on Wednesday. Released on a $200,000 bond. Each charge carries a $250,000 fine with a maximum penalty of five years in prison and three years of supervised release. Craziest thing I've ever heard. That'll do it for your AM Update. I'm Mark Halpern. I host Next up year. Catch the Megyn Kelly show today live on Sirius XM's the Megyn Kelly Channel 111 at noon east on YouTube. Also at YouTube.com Megyn Kelly. And of course, on all your finer podcast platforms.

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