Democrat In-Fighting; Conservative Media on Trump; Mahmoud Khalil's Wife Speaks

Summary

Up First from NPR – March 15, 2025 Episode: Democrat In-Fighting; Conservative Media on Trump; Mahmoud Khalil's Wife Speaks

NPR's "Up First" delivered a comprehensive and engaging episode on March 15, 2025, tackling three pivotal stories shaping the national discourse: internal conflicts within the Democratic Party, the shifting narrative in conservative media regarding President Trump amid economic challenges, and the personal ordeal of Noor Abdallah, whose husband faces deportation. Below is a detailed summary capturing the essence of each segment, enriched with notable quotes and attributions.

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1. Senate Spending Bill Sparks Democratic Infighting

The episode opened with a critical analysis of the recent Senate spending bill's passage, highlighting the unexpected support from Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. This move averted a potential government shutdown but ignited significant turmoil within the Democratic ranks.

Key Points:

• Schumer's Decision: Initially, Schumer advocated for a one-month funding bill to prolong negotiations, expressing concerns over the lack of Democratic input in the Republican-drafted bill. However, he reversed his stance, voting to advance the bill, a decision that garnered support from nine other Democratic senators.

• Internal Reactions: This abrupt shift left many House Democrats feeling betrayed and frustrated. Barbara Sprunt, NPR's congressional correspondent, noted, “Members were really upset. They felt betrayed because they had voted on the same bill earlier this week, and all but one voted against it” (02:26).

• Implications for Party Unity: The decision is seen as a strategic misstep that could erode trust within the Democratic caucus. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez emphasized the long-term consequences, stating, “There will be a day where the Senate will need the House to move...It will make cooperation difficult” (12:31).

• Constituent Backlash: With Congress entering a recess, Democrats anticipate significant pushback from their constituents, who may view the bipartisan support for the bill as a betrayal of Democratic principles.

Notable Quotes:

• Ayesha Rascoe: “I think they're going to rue the day they make this decision. I think this just gives, you know.”—David Folkenflick (04:05)

• Ayesha Rascoe: “They now have the acquiescence of Senate Democrats.”—David Folkenflick (04:09)

This internal conflict underscores the challenges the Democratic Party faces in maintaining cohesion and a unified front against Republican strategies, especially in a landscape where Republicans control both the House and Senate.

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2. Conservative Media's Shifting Coverage of President Trump Amid Economic Challenges

The second segment delved into how conservative media, typically staunch supporters of President Trump, are adapting their narratives in response to economic downturns such as declining stocks, consumer confidence, and fears of a recession.

Key Points:

• Media Entities Addressing Economic Issues: Outlets under Murdoch's media empire, including the Wall Street Journal, New York Post, and FOX News, are presenting more critical views on Trump's economic policies. David Folkenflick highlighted that these outlets are balancing their brand promises with the need to address real economic concerns (06:16).

• Examples of Critical Coverage:

  • New York Post: Featured a cartoon depicting Trump’s policies as a "rollercoaster," symbolizing market instability (07:06).
  • Wall Street Journal: The editorial page labeled Trump’s trade wars as “the dumbest trade war in history” (07:04).
  • FOX News: Hosts like Bret Baier and Maria Bartiromo offered nuanced explanations of the negative impacts of tariffs, deviating from their usual supportive stance (08:03; 08:17).

• Pro-Trump Outlets' Defensive Strategies: While some outlets maintain their supportive rhetoric by deflecting blame onto former President Biden or defending Trump's actions as beneficial in the long term, others are conceding to the economic fallout, indicating a more complex media landscape (08:34).

• Audience and Strategic Implications: Folkenflick suggests that this shift mirrors the outlets’ understanding of their audience's concerns and attempts to influence the president subtly, recognizing that media scrutiny remains high (09:11).

Notable Quotes:

• David Folkenflick: “They are pushing back on Trump... reflecting what Rupert Murdoch really wants, which is to kind of gently ease Trump into what he thinks is the right thing, predictable stable markets and not trade wars.” (06:16)

• Maria Bartiromo: Addressed concerns about a possible recession, saying, “A what? A what?” in response to Bloomberg's projections, showcasing the tension between factual reporting and political allegiance (08:16).

This examination reveals a nuanced shift within conservative media, balancing traditional support for Trump with the pragmatic need to address tangible economic issues affecting their readership and viewership.

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3. Personal Impact: Mahmoud Khalil’s Wife Speaks Out on Deportation Fears

The final segment presented a deeply personal and emotional story of Noor Abdallah, who is grappling with the potential deportation of her husband, Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian graduate student and activist detained by immigration authorities.

Key Points:

• Detention Incident: Noor recounted the harrowing experience of arriving home to find immigration agents detaining her husband without presenting a clear warrant. “We were both like, what is happening?” she described the confusion and fear she felt (10:21).

• Legal Concerns: The government accuses Khalil of supporting Hamas, an allegation Noor vehemently disputes, citing a lack of evidence and stating that he has never been charged with a crime (12:19).

• Impact on Family: Noor, a U.S. citizen, is now facing the distressing possibility of raising a child without her husband, who holds a green card. She expressed profound concerns about their safety and security in the U.S. following the ordeal (12:58).

• Advocacy and Support: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez publicly condemned the treatment of Khalil, labeling the accusations as “smears” and criticizing the manner of his detainment (12:31; 12:44).

Notable Quotes:

• Noor Abdallah: “He has and always will stand up for what's right. And the way that he was taken from his family was. Was not right.” (12:31)

• Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: “I love this apartment, and I love the place that we live. But I think unfortunately, they kind of took away that sense of security and that sense of safety, at least for me.” (12:58)

Noor’s story underscores the human cost of stringent immigration policies and the broader implications for families caught in the crossfire of political and legal battles. It highlights the emotional toll and the urgent need for transparent and fair legal processes in immigration enforcement.

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Conclusion

This episode of "Up First" adeptly balanced political analysis with personal narratives, providing listeners with a multifaceted view of current events. The Democratic Party's internal strife over the Senate spending bill illuminates the precarious state of party unity, while the conservative media's evolving coverage of President Trump reflects broader tensions within media outlets facing economic realities. Finally, Noor Abdallah’s poignant story brings a human face to the complexities of immigration policy, emphasizing the real-life consequences of governmental actions. Through insightful reporting and compelling interviews, NPR continues to inform and engage its audience with the news that matters most.

Transcript

[Scott Simon]

No government shutdown for now.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

One key Democratic vote from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer helped the Republican bill.

[Scott Simon]

Advance, and some of his fellow Democrats view that as wrong.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

I'm Ayesha Rascoe.

[Scott Simon]

I'm Scott Simon. And this is up first from NPR News.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

The Republican spending bill narrowly passed the Senate last night with help from a few Democratic lawmakers.

[Scott Simon]

That move led to infighting in a party already in turmoil. We'll have more on that.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

Plus, conservative media usually puts a positive spin on President Trump's policies, but how are they covering the economic fallout?

[Scott Simon]

And we'll hear from the wife of a Palestinian graduate student and activist who faces deportation.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

Stay with us. We have the news you need to start your weekend.

[Leila Fadl]

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[Leila Fadl]

This message comes from Comedy Central's the Daily Show. Jon Stewart and the Daily show news team are kicking off 2025 with brand new episodes covering a brand new administration and a not quite brand new president. While it may feel like history is repeating itself, it's never been covered like this with Jon Stewart behind the desk kicking off every week. Comedy Central's the Daily show, new weeknights at 11 on Comedy Central and streaming next day on Paramount.

[Scott Simon]

Another spending cycle, another barely avoided government shutdown after the Senate just managed to pass a partisan stopgap spending bill.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

But that was only possible with help from a few Democratic lawmakers, which has riled up their congressional colleagues.

[Scott Simon]

NPR congressional correspondent Barbara Sprunt joins us. Barbara, thanks for being with us.

[Barbara Sprunt]

Hey, thanks for having me.

[Scott Simon]

This was an abrupt shift from the minority leader, Chuck Schumer. What happened?

[Barbara Sprunt]

That's right. Schumer had said Republicans didn't get input from Democrats when drafting this bill and so they wouldn't get the Democratic votes they'd need to advance it. Instead. He wanted to pass a one month funding bill to give them more time, time to negotiate a deal. But on Thursday, he made a U turn and he said he was going to vote to advance the bill. Schumer and the nine other Democrats who ultimately voted alongside him argued the bill was bad, yes, but a government shutdown would be worse. They said it would enable President Trump and his top adviser, Elon Musk, to further gut federal agencies. And their support enabled Republicans to ultimately pass the bill largely along party lines.

[Scott Simon]

Barbara, would it be fair to say that Senator Schumer's colleagues just didn't see this coming?

[Barbara Sprunt]

It would be fair. I was at a conference in Virginia with House Democrats when Schumer made this announcement. I saw jaws drop. I saw heads shake. Members were really upset. They said they felt betrayed because they had voted on the same bill earlier this week, and all but one voted against it. It was a tough vote for a lot of members, particularly those in vulnerable districts. But the caucus banded together to present a united front and make strong show of opposition. They said that the bill was essentially a blank check for Trump because it doesn't rein in the administration's efforts to cut spending that was previously approved by Congress. Here's New York Congressman Joe Morelli reacting to Schumer's comments.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

I think they're going to rue the day they make this decision. I think this just gives, you know.

[David Folkenflick]

License to Republicans continue to dismantle the government.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

They now have the acquiescence of Senate Democrats.

[Barbara Sprunt]

Members told me they were calling and texting their senators, imploring them not to vote alongside Schumer. So a lot of frustration and anger among House Democrats.

[Scott Simon]

Barbara, what's the implication of this rift among Democrats? At a time when, after all, Republicans control the House, the Senate, and the.

[Barbara Sprunt]

White House, House Democrats felt that they finally had some momentum, you know, as the opposition party. The vote over the shutdown was a rare and big piece of lever. To have unity in the House and then have the Senate Democrats shift course at this late stage is a breakdown in strategy. And New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez said that it has implications, in her view, far beyond this one vote.

[Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez]

There will be a day where the Senate will need the House to move.

[Barbara Sprunt]

On something, and if there is an.

[Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez]

Erosion of trust and a breach of.

[Barbara Sprunt]

Trust such as what is being considered.

[Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez]

Right now, it will make cooperation difficult.

[Barbara Sprunt]

After the vote, she posted that the Democratic votes in the Senate were a, quote, fear based, inexplicable abdication and that the Senate owns what happens next. You know, I talked to Democratic strategists about this yesterday, and they said that Senate leadership really misread what constituents want for Democrats to hold the line, even if it means a shutdown. There's concern that this emboldens the gop makes it harder for Democrats to present a unified message. Now Congress is on recess next week. I expect the Democrats will be getting an earful from constituents.

[Scott Simon]

And here's Barbara Sprunt. Thanks so much.

[Barbara Sprunt]

Thank you.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

President Trump can ordinarily count on the support of more conservative news outlets, but.

[Scott Simon]

It'S been tough to sugarcoat nose diving, stocks and consumer confidence, trade wars and a looming recession.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

NPR media correspondent David Folkenflick joins us now to tell us more. Good to have you, David.

[David Folkenflick]

Thanks.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

Where are we starting to see some of this pushback?

[David Folkenflick]

Well, let's set aside the never Trumper, right? Let's start with the most important part of the conservative press, and that's the Murdoch media. There are really four big parts of that. There's the Wall Street Journal news section, the editorial pages, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Post, and of course, biggest of all, FOX News, all in various ways, some of it quite gentle, some of it less so. Are pushing back on Trump on this, reflecting in the terms of the Wall Street Journal's, I think, rigorously reported news pages, reflecting their own coverage, but also in the other elements, fulfilling their brand promise to various constituencies they're trying to take care of and also reflecting what Rupert Murdoch really wants, which is to kind of gently ease Trump into what he thinks is the right thing, predictable stable markets and not trade wars.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

So what are they saying?

[David Folkenflick]

Well, you've seen these big headlines in Wall Street Journal reporting, you know, particularly on fears about chief executives and finance chiefs and real concerns about how consumers are hurting up and down the household income levels and how they're accelerating fears about what they can do. Take the New York Post's front page last week. You saw this huge cartoon of Trump plunging straight down the incline of rollercoaster headline, buckle up, markets plunge. You saw the Wall Street Journal's editorial page talking about tariffs. They called his moves in Mexico the dumbest trade war in history a few weeks ago and sort of doubled up a few days ago, repeating the line again. And then there's a very gentle explainer by Fox News anchor Bret Baier explaining why tariffs don't really work the way the president claims that they actually end up really hitting the American consumer. And even Fox host Maria Bartiromo, a true Trump loyalist. Here's what it sounded like when she mixed it up recently with Trump's commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick. I know you said you're not expecting.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

A recession, but investors are on edge.

[David Folkenflick]

Over the possibility of a recession this.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

Year after the Atlanta Federal Reserve said that it's predicting a 2.4% contraction in the first quarter.

[David Folkenflick]

And of course, President Trump would not.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

Wait, wait, wait. Say that again.

[David Folkenflick]

A what? A what?

[Barbara Sprunt]

The Atlanta contraction.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

Correct.

[David Folkenflick]

And that's somebody who goes out of her way to frame things in the best possible way for Trump. Most of the time. She just got an appointment from Trump to the board of the John F. Kennedy center for Performing Arts.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

And how have other pro Trump outlets covered this moment?

[David Folkenflick]

I think you look at the four Ds. Defend, deflect, deny, disregard. You've seen that in a bunch of right wing pro Trump outlets. Take Newsmax's Rob Finnerty. He recently debated Ontario Premier Doug Ford about Canada's reaction to Trump's tariff moves. How is that fair? I think that Donald Trump just wants to get the best deal for the American consumer, even if that means some pain in the short term. There are other right wing and pro Trump sites that simply are focusing the blame on former President Joe Biden for whatever's going wrong now or might in the future.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

Well, what do you think the impact of this coverage will be?

[David Folkenflick]

Well, I think these things are both a leading and a lagging indicator. They tell you where these outlets think their audiences are and in the case of Fox, where they hope to get the president to because they know few people are watching Fox and the media more closely than he does.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

That's NPR media correspondent David Folkenflick. David, thanks so much for joining us.

[Barbara Sprunt]

You bet.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

The Israeli government denies that its campaign against Hamas in Gaza amounts to genocide. South Africa is arguing in the International Court of Justice that it does. The case is yet to be decided.

[Scott Simon]

It's an accusation that rang across the campus of Columbia University last year. Mahmoud Khalil was a prominent part of those protests as a student there.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

And for his role in those protests, Khalil has been taken into custody by immigration agents and is now facing deportation.

[Scott Simon]

His wife, Noor Abdallah, who is pregnant, gave her first broadcast interview to our colleague, MORNING EDITION co host Leila fadl.

[Noor Abdallah]

Thanks for having me, Scott.

[Scott Simon]

Tell us about the scene. Noor Abdallah was with her husband when he was detained last weekend.

[Noor Abdallah]

That's right, she was. And she said they were coming home from dinner and as they unlocked the door of their apartment building, a man held it open behind them and asked her husband, are you Mahmoud Khalil? And I'll just play you a bit of what she says happened next.

[Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez]

We were both like, what is happening? You know? And he says, I'm with the police. You have to Come with us. I think at that point, like, honestly, like, my heart sank. Like, I want to say Mahmoud tried to prepare me, like, two days before. He told me, like, do you know your rights if ICE comes to your door? And I, like, brushed it off. I was like, what are you saying? That's not going to happen, you know? But he was like, no. Like, you need to know.

[Noor Abdallah]

And so at this point, your heart is sinking and what is happening in front of you?

[Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez]

So Mahmoud is trying to ask the officer. Well, first he asked him, like, who are you with? He said, department of Homeland Security. And then he asked him, can I see a warrant? The officer said, he has one. He's like, it's on my phone, but never really showed it to us. And then Mahmoud was holding the keys that he had just used to open our apartment. And the officer was like, give the keys to your wife, basically. And I turned to the officer. I was like, I'm not leaving him. And the officer goes, I'll arrest you, too.

[Scott Simon]

But she's a US Citizen, right?

[Noor Abdallah]

Yeah. I mean, that's part of the reason she didn't take Mahmoud's warnings that he might be deported seriously. She was born here. He's a lawful permanent resident. He has a green card. And she says, as most Americans do, she believed they had the right to say whatever they wanted. And he was using that right to speak up about the treatment of his own people. He's Palestinian. And now Noor is in this position she never could have imagined facing the possibility that she's going to have this baby while her husband is detained in Louisiana or possibly deported.

[Scott Simon]

The government is accusing him of supporting Hamas, which could amount to a violation of US Law. What does she say about those accusations?

[Noor Abdallah]

Well, she says they've provided no evidence of that accusation because there isn't evidence. He's also never been charged with an actual crime. That would be a crime if you provided support to Hamas. Here's more of what Noor said.

[Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez]

I just want to be clear that the smears against Mahmoud are exactly that. They're smears. He has and always will stand up for what's right. And the way that he was taken from his family was. Was not right.

[Noor Abdallah]

The government's actually arguing they can take his green card under a rarely used immigration provision, not because of a crime. I also asked her if her husband were allowed to return home tomorrow, let's say, would she feel safe in the US after what's happened? And here's what she said.

[Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez]

I love this apartment, and I love the place that we live. But I think unfortunately, they kind of they took away that sense of security and that sense of safety, at least for me.

[Noor Abdallah]

And I wasn't sure if she'd lost her sense of safety in the apartment or the country. So I asked and she said both.

[Scott Simon]

And Pierre Delafadel, thanks so much for being with us.

[Noor Abdallah]

Thanks for having me, Scott.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

And that's up first for Saturday, March 15th, 2025. I'm Ayesha Rascoe.

[Scott Simon]

And I'm Scott Simon.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

Martin Patience produced today's episode with help from Ryan bank and Phil Harreld.

[Scott Simon]

Our editors are Dee Purvez, Shannon Rhodes, Ed McNulty, Kelsey Snell and Arizu Rezvani.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

Andrew Craig is our director, with support from Technical Director Andy Huether.

[Scott Simon]

And the engineers who help us out, David Greenberg, Zach Coleman and Arthur Halliday Laurent.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

Evie Stone is our senior supervising editor. And Sarah Lucy Oliver is our executive producer. Jim Cain is our deputy managing editor.

[Scott Simon]

Tomorrow on the Sunday Story with Aisha, what's it like to report on a war in a place that is also your home? We'll hear from NPR producer Anas Bhabha, who has been covering the war in Gaza, uncovering events that Israel has banned foreign journalists from seeing firsthand.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

And for more news, interviews, sports and music, you can tune in to Weekend EDITION on your radio. Go to stations.NPR.org to find your local NPR station.

[Scott Simon]

Please. We're here waiting for you.

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