Is ICE Only Arresting Criminal Migrants?

Summary

What A Day Podcast Episode Summary

Podcast Information:

• Title: What A Day
• Host: Jane Coaston (Crooked Media)
• Episode: Is ICE Only Arresting Criminal Migrants?
• Release Date: January 30, 2025

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Introduction to Today's Topics

In this episode of What A Day, host Jane Coaston delves deep into the contentious landscape of U.S. immigration policy under the Trump administration. The discussion is spearheaded by a comprehensive conversation with Michelle Hackman, a Wall Street Journal reporter specializing in U.S. immigration policy. The episode also covers significant political events, including the confirmation hearings of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., federal funding freezes, and notable judicial and administrative actions.

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1. Immigration Enforcement Under the Trump Administration

Jane Coaston opens the episode by highlighting President Donald Trump's signing of the Lake and Riley Act. This legislation mandates the detention of undocumented immigrants accused of committing any crime, irrespective of its severity. Notably, the bill garnered bipartisan support, including from Democrats in swing districts. Trump's rhetoric during this period was characterized by strong anti-immigrant sentiments, exemplified by his statement:

“They come from all over the world. They come from every continent... some of the meanest criminals anywhere in the world.”
— Donald Trump [00:51]

Additionally, Trump announced plans for an executive order to send migrants to a detention center at Guantanamo Bay, further intensifying the administration's hardline stance.

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2. In-Depth Conversation with Michelle Hackman

To unpack the complexities of ICE's recent activities, Jane interviews Michelle Hackman. Their discussion centers on the nature of ICE's target lists, arrest quotas, and the broader implications for immigrant communities.

• ICE's Targeting Criteria: Michelle clarifies that ICE is primarily targeting individuals with criminal histories, operating off existing target lists developed before Trump's presidency.

  “As far as we know, they are primarily still actually trying to go after people with some kind of criminal history.”
  — Michelle Hackman [03:01]

• Arrest vs. Deportation: Being arrested by ICE does not equate to automatic deportation. Factors such as deportability status and cooperation from the individual's home country play crucial roles.

  “When someone's arrested, ICE has to then make a determination, is that person deportable?”
  — Michelle Hackman [03:29]

• Administration's Mixed Messaging: The conversation highlights the Trump administration's contradictory statements regarding the definition of "criminals," oscillating between targeting serious offenders and broadly categorizing all undocumented immigrants as criminals.

  “I think we've seen a lot of mixed messaging from this administration on that point...”
  — Michelle Hackman [04:32]

• Guantanamo Bay Detention Plans: While the facility has a historical precedent for detaining migrants, scaling it up to house 30,000 individuals remains uncertain.

  “It's possible. And it's something that's relatively easy... but how easy it is to scale up to 30,000 people.”
  — Michelle Hackman [05:40]

• Impact of Arrest Quotas: The implementation of arrest quotas (ranging from 1,200-1,500 per day) raises concerns about indiscriminate enforcement, potentially targeting individuals without criminal backgrounds.

  “The fear is that they're going to start arresting a lot more people who, you know, have done nothing other than enter the country illegally...”
  — Michelle Hackman [07:31]

• Community Ramifications: The heightened enforcement has instilled fear across immigrant communities, disrupting daily life and economic activities, particularly within Latino neighborhoods.

  “We've heard all sorts of things that sort of very Latino neighborhoods are pretty empty... employees are afraid to come to work.”
  — Michelle Hackman [09:37]

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3. Senate Confirmation Hearings for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The episode transitions to political theater in the Senate, where Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced rigorous questioning during his confirmation hearing for the Secretary of Health and Human Services position. Addressing his controversial stance on vaccines, Democratic Senators challenged Kennedy on various conspiracy theories and statements he has previously made.

• Challenging Vaccine Rhetoric: Senator Michael Bennett scrutinized Kennedy's past remarks linking vaccines to bioweapons and other unfounded claims.

  “Did you say that COVID 19 was a genetically engineered bioweapon that targets black and white people but spared Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people?”
  — Michael Bennett [13:37]

• Economic Exploitation Critique: Kennedy's association with anti-vaccine messaging extended to commercial endeavors, such as selling baby onesies with anti-vax slogans, which further fueled skepticism.

  “Your organization is making money selling a child's product... which casts fundamental doubt on the usefulness of vaccines.”
  — Michael Bennett [14:58]

• Repercussions of Misleading Actions: Referring to the measles outbreak in Samoa, Senators highlighted the real-world consequences of spreading vaccine misinformation.

  “The outbreak that has been connected to Kennedy because he took a trip there to push lies about vaccines shortly before?”
  — Jane Coaston [15:12]

The hearings underscored the high stakes of the position, emphasizing that the role directly impacts public health and safety.

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4. Federal Funding Freeze and Administrative Confusion

Another significant topic covered is the Trump administration's directive to freeze federal financial assistance, which has led to widespread confusion and legal challenges.

• Initial Freeze and Confusion: The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a directive freezing trillions in federal aid, affecting schools and organizations reliant on such funds.

  “The pause was set to go into effect Tuesday evening, but a federal judge in D.C. temporarily blocked the order.”
  — Jane Coaston [16:35]

• Contradictory Communications: Press Secretary Caroline Levitt's statements further muddled the situation, claiming the freeze wasn't a blanket pause, despite the OMB's memo.

  “This is not a rescission of the federal funding freeze... remain in full force and effect.”
  — Caroline Levitt [16:53]

• Judicial Intervention: U.S. District Judge John McConnell temporarily blocked the freeze, citing the administration's mixed messages and potential harm caused by the original memo.

  “Because of the confusion, McConnell suggested the harm caused by the original memo was still likely to occur.”
  — Jane Coaston [16:53]

The episode highlights the precarious balance between executive actions and judicial oversight, emphasizing the immediate effects on federal aid recipients.

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5. Sentencing of Former Congressman Bob Menendez

In a landmark case, former New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison for accepting nearly $1 million in bribes from Qatari and Egyptian governments, including cash, cars, and gold bars. This conviction underscores the serious repercussions of political corruption.

“Menendez used to lead the Senate's Foreign Relations Committee. A jury found Menendez guilty on several charges, including extortion, conspiracy and obstruction of justice last summer.”
— Jane Coaston [16:35]

Menendez's sentencing will be deferred until July to allow him to attend his wife's trial, Nadine Menendez, who faces similar charges, highlighting the broader implications of the case on political integrity.

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6. Elon Musk and the Astronauts' Return from ISS

The episode concludes with a lighter yet intriguing topic involving Elon Musk and the delayed return of NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams from the International Space Station (ISS).

• Extended Stay and Public Speculation: Due to a malfunction with Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, the astronauts' return was postponed from an expected one to two weeks to late March.

  “NASA delayed their voyage home.”
  — Jane Coaston [16:35]

• Trump's Intervention: President Trump publicly urged SpaceX to expedite the return of the astronauts, claiming Musk would facilitate their timely homecoming.

  “President Trump asked SpaceX to bring home the astronauts, quote, as soon as possible.”
  — Jane Coaston [16:35]

• Skepticism and Future Prospects: While the suggestion adds a humorous twist, the practicality of Musk's involvement in the astronauts' return remains uncertain.

  “If it's between, stay in space and go home. But you have to be with Elon Musk.”
  — Jane Coaston [16:35]

This segment juxtaposes high-stakes political and administrative discussions with moments of levity, reflecting the podcast's dynamic coverage.

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Conclusion

This episode of What A Day offers a thorough exploration of the Trump administration's immigration policies, the complexities of federal funding freezes, significant political trials, and unexpected interactions between tech moguls and space endeavors. Through incisive interviews and detailed reporting, Jane Coaston provides listeners with a nuanced understanding of the multifaceted issues shaping the current political and social landscape.

For those seeking to stay informed on pivotal daily events with depth and clarity, What A Day continues to be an invaluable resource.

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Notable Quotes:

• Donald Trump [00:51]: “They come from all over the world... some of the meanest criminals anywhere in the world.”

• Michelle Hackman [03:01]: “As far as we know, they are primarily still actually trying to go after people with some kind of criminal history.”

• Caroline Levitt [16:53]: “This is not a rescission of the federal funding freeze... remain in full force and effect.”

• Michael Bennett [13:37]: “Did you say that COVID 19 was a genetically engineered bioweapon that targets black and white people but spared Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people?”

• Jane Coaston [15:12]: “The outbreak that has been connected to Kennedy because he took a trip there to push lies about vaccines shortly before?”

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Stay Updated:

To keep abreast of the latest episodes and in-depth analyses, subscribe to What A Day on your preferred podcast platform or watch it on YouTube. Engage with the content by leaving a five-star review on Apple Podcasts and sharing it with friends to foster informed discussions.

Transcript

[Jane Coston]

It's Thursday, January 30th. I'm Jane Coston, and this is what a day. The show telling you to hide your roadkill because we're recapping the RFK junior Confirmation hearings. On today's show, former New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez receives a sentencing for those gold bars. And the Trump administration's federal funding freeze is in flux. But let's start with immigration, because there's a lot to cover. On Wednesday, President Donald Trump signed the Lake and Riley act, which requires that undocumented immigrants who are accused, not convicted, of committing a crime, whether it's violent or not, be detained. The bill got bipartisan support, including from Democrats in swing districts. And Trump got to do two of his favorite take a victory lap and denigrate some immigrants.

[Donald Trump]

They come from all over the world. They come from every continent. And they came here by plane and they were loaded onto buses and they were were driven right up to our border, and they drove right through the border, and nobody even said a word to them. And in those buses and those cars and those trucks were some of the meanest criminals anywhere in the world.

[Jane Coston]

He also did his third favorite thing make a big announcement that seems like a massive deal, but raises a bunch of questions that he will never, ever answer. In this case, he announced plans to sign an executive order to send migrants to a detention center in Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.

[Donald Trump]

Most people don't even know about it. We have 30,000 beds in Guantanamo to detain the worst criminal illegal aliens threatening the American people. Some of them are so bad, we don't even trust the countries to hold them because we don't want them coming back. So we're going to send them out to Guantanamo.

[Jane Coston]

All of this is taking place while the Trump administration is coordinating immigration raids in cities across the country. According to U.S. immigration and Customs Enforcement, at least 4,800 arrests have taken place since Inauguration Day. For comparison's sake, in September 2024, the Biden administration arrested around 282 people per day. There's a new quota system for ICE. According to the Washington Post, ICE's field offices were told to meet a quota of roughly 1200-1500 arrests per day. And real communities are bearing the brunt of the fear and confusion that such raids can create. I mean, when Native American folks are getting swept up by ice, I think I can state that's not great.

[Michelle Hackman]

Many have been visited by ICE or any other law enforcement officials, either at their apartment homes, their homes, or even at their places of work. So right now, there's a lot of frustration happening here on the Navajo Nation on how to address this.

[Jane Coston]

So to try and figure out what is actually going on with ICE and the Trump administration right now, I called up Michelle Hackman. She's a reporter at the Wall Street Journal with a focus on U.S. immigration policy. Michelle, welcome to What a day.

[Michelle Hackman]

Thanks for having me.

[Jane Coston]

So who are the people being targeted in these raids we keep seeing on tv? Were these people known to ICE before Trump took office?

[Michelle Hackman]

So, as far as we know, ICE is working off what they call target lists that have been developed mostly previous to the Trump administration even taking office. And as far as we know, they are primarily still actually trying to go after people with some kind of criminal history. They're defining that pretty broadly, but we haven't seen any kind of, like, really broad neighborhood sweeps that are kind of people's worst nightmares.

[Jane Coston]

Does arrest mean automatic deportation?

[Michelle Hackman]

No, because when someone's arrested, ICE has to then make a determination, is that person deportable? And if they're not, they're not going to really waste a detention space on them. They have pretty limited space and detention right now. And in a lot of cases, someone, you know, depending on their home country or where they are sort of in the immigration process, they either might not have a final order of removal, or they might be from a country that just won't take them back. And in that case, ICE typically just releases somebody.

[Jane Coston]

There was an interesting exchange during Tuesday's White House press briefing, where Press Secretary Caroline Levitt was asked by a reporter about the arrests. Let's take a quick listen.

[Michelle Hackman]

Of the 3,500 arrests ICE has made so far since President Trump came back into office. Can you just tell us the numbers? How many have a criminal record versus those who are just in the country illegally? All of them, because they illegally broke our nation's laws, and therefore they are criminals as far as this administration goes.

[Jane Coston]

So, in the eyes of this administration, are we to understand that they're defining criminal as anyone who is here illegally and not someone who has committed crimes in addition to being here illegally?

[Michelle Hackman]

I think we've seen a lot of mixed messaging from this administration on that point, which is really interesting.

[Jane Coston]

Shocking news, right?

[Michelle Hackman]

I think what's happened is that Trump obviously campaigned on this huge. I mean, he was saying he wanted to deport 15 or 20 million people. And right after the election, we saw officials around Trump, and even Trump to some extent, narrowing the scope of what he was promising. And so they said things like, you know, we're going to go for the worst of the worst. First, we're going to go for criminals. And that was actually their way of saying, like, we need to be realistic here. We need to go for, like, numbers of people that we can actually promise that will deport. And that's more like the hundreds of thousands. And then what's happened since then is that they have started targeting criminals. The numbers of arrests haven't, you know, in the view of their supporters, been high enough. And so they've almost been getting flack and reversing course. And that's why you're now hearing them say, well, anyone's a criminal.

[Jane Coston]

And now Trump also says he wants to put as many as 30,000 migrants in a detention facility at Guantanamo Bay. Now, Trump says a lot of things, but how realistic is that?

[Michelle Hackman]

Guantanamo Bay, obviously, you know, most well known for being a prison, but it has also functioned as a migrant detention center since at least the 1980s. There's a really famous incident where we held thousands of Haitians there, sometimes indefinitely. And so it's possible. And it's something that's relatively easy. I don't know how easy it is to scale up to 30,000 people. And I think that's something that we still have to report on. But some of the infrastructure is there.

[Jane Coston]

The Trump administration wants us to believe, you were mentioning this, that they are really cracking down on illegal immigration. And to some extent, it's true that they are. But how does what we're seeing compare to what Biden and Obama did when they were president? I was just looking at some of Biden's deportation numbers, and they were really high. So is this meaningfully different, or are they just doing it on television wearing fancy jackets?

[Michelle Hackman]

I think there's a little bit of A, a little bit of B, especially in the first few days when you saw ICE under Trump sort of basically conducting business as usual. They attempted to dress it up and make it look different by. By putting again, those ice agents on TV, sending out Dr. Phil with ice agents in Chicago. And since then, I think it's like the way I would Describe it is ICE's activities haven't yet significantly changed in kind, but they have in pace. You know, they're forcing ICE agents to work overtime. They have people out 24, 7 in a way that maybe isn't always the case. So things are definitely speeding up.

[Jane Coston]

The Trump administration has said it wants to implement quotas on arrests of migrants, from a few hundred a day to as many as 1500. What would that all mean in terms of who would be targeted for deportation. Because whenever I hear quotas for an agency that is supposed to be enforcing anything, I just keep thinking of, like, tickets from cops, where they just start, you know, pulling over everybody, essentially.

[Michelle Hackman]

Right. And that's. That's, again, the fear here. That is that, you know, former ICE officials have said ICE rarely has quotas. It's not a great system, you know, when you're trying to especially go for, like, quality just over quantity. And so the fear is that they're going to start arresting a lot more people who, you know, have done nothing other than enter the country illegally or maybe overstay a visa or something, because typically, those people are much easier to find and arrest than someone who has some kind of a criminal history history, especially someone with a serious criminal history that sort of knows how to evade law enforcement.

[Jane Coston]

So the administration is also promising to do raids in three cities each week. But it's kind of an open secret that farms, poultry factories and businesses in parts of the country that supported Trump also rely heavily on labor from undocumented workers. It's not just a blue liberal city thing. So to what extent does the administration acknowledge that, and are they willing to upset their own voters in pursuit of carrying out their plans for mass deportations?

[Michelle Hackman]

It's a really interesting question, and I don't think we fully have the answer yet. You know, outwardly, I think they would say all people here illegally are on the table, and we're not going to discriminate. I do think, to some extent, there are two things going on. One is that they really relished the fight with the blue cities. You know, the going after sanctuary cities to them is a big part of the message that they want to project, which is just as important as the actual numbers. And the other thing that we've privately heard from Trump officials is that they are actually aware of the effect that this could have on the economy. And so I think there are at least some voices in the White House that want to tread a little bit carefully and not sort of tank entire sectors by going sort of whole hog and raiding so many businesses.

[Jane Coston]

How is this trickling down to communities that include undocumented people? Whether the Trump administration is actually able to do the kind of crackdown on immigration it's envisioning is an open question. But there's no denying that part of this is fear, and the fear is very real. So what are you hearing from people who worried that they could get swept up in this?

[Michelle Hackman]

Absolutely. I mean, I think people are rightfully, you know, picking up the messages that are being sent to them and fear, you know, we've heard all, all sorts of things that sort of very Latino neighborhoods are pretty empty. Someone told me today that the 7 train which comes up from a Latino part of Brooklyn was sort of empty today. There are business owners saying their employees are afraid to come to work. Sort of Latino heavy businesses that are suffering because customers are not coming, people are afraid to go to the grocery store, all sorts of things like that. We've even heard of some cases where people are being taken advantage of by lawyers who are sort of drawing up fraudulent documents for them that say I have rights or I'm able to stay in the country. So you can imagine people have very little information, have a lot of fear. And there are some people who believed that they were here legally who are now seeing their sort of temporary legal statuses revoked. So there's another level of panic there too.

[Jane Coston]

Michelle, thank you so much for joining me.

[Michelle Hackman]

Thank you.

[Jane Coston]

That was my conversation with Michelle Hackman. She's a reporter at the Wall Street Journal with a focus on U.S. immigration policy. We'll link to some of her work in the show Notes. We'll get to more of the news in a moment. But if you like the show, make sure to subscribe. Leave a five star review on Apple Podcasts, watch us on YouTube and with your friends. More to come after some ads. What a day is brought to you by Magic Spoon. Magic Spoon has turned their super popular high protein cereal into high protein treats that are light, crispy and taste just like those classic crunchy cereal bars you remember. Magic Spoon is also launching a brand new high protein granola. True to the Magic Spoon promise, it's packed with protein and so crunchy and so sweet, perfect for breakfast or snacking. And I've been having them pretty much every day in my lunch. Magic Spoon's high protein treats are crispy, crunchy, airy and an easy way to get 12 grams of protein on the go. They come in amazing flavors like marshmallow, chocolate, peanut butter and dark chocolate. And Magic Spoon's brand new granola packs in 13 grams of protein and zero added sugars and they come in delicious flavors like honey, almond and peanut butter. Get $5 off your next order at magicspoon.com day or look for Magic Spoon on Amazon or in your nearest grocery store. That's magicspoon.comday for $5 off.

[Caroline Levitt]

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[Jon Stewart]

This podcast is supported by Comedy Central's Emmy Award winning series, 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 we've all been here before, it's never been covered like this. With Jon Stewart behind the desk kicking off every week, Comedy Central's the Daily show new tonight at 11 on Comedy Central and streaming next day on Paramount.

[Jane Coston]

Plus, here's what else we're following today. Headlines.

[Caroline Levitt]

News reports have claimed that I'm.

[Jane Coston]

Anti vaccine or any industry.

[Caroline Levitt]

I am neither.

[Jane Coston]

The Senate held its first confirmation hearing for Secretary of Health and Human Services nominee Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. On Wednesday, and lawmakers spent hours grilling him about his long record of anti vaccine rhetoric. Kennedy denied being an anti vaxxer and tried to walk back previous statements, like the time he said, quote, there is no vaccine that is safe and effective in 2023. But Democratic Senator Michael Bennett of Colorado wasn't having it. He ran through a list of several conspiracy theories Kennedy has pushed.

[Michael Bennett]

Did you say that COVID 19 was a genetically engineered bioweapon that targets black and white people but spared Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people?

[Caroline Levitt]

I didn't say it was deliberately targeted. I just, I just.

[Jane Coston]

And he did not let up.

[Michael Bennett]

Did you say Lyme disease is a highly likely militarily engineered bioweapon?

[Caroline Levitt]

I probably did say that.

[Michael Bennett]

Did you say that?

[Jane Coston]

And that's what the developer of.

[Michael Bennett]

I want all of our colleagues to hear it, Mr. Kennedy. I want them to hear it. You said yes. Did you say that exposure to pesticides causes children to become transgender?

[Jane Coston]

No, I never said that.

[Michael Bennett]

Okay. I have the record that I'll give to the chairman and he can make his judgment about what you said.

[Jane Coston]

I mean, Bennett really did not let up.

[Michael Bennett]

This matters. It doesn't matter what you come here and say. That isn't true. That's not reflective of what you really believe that you haven't said over decade after decades, decade after decade. Because unlike other jobs we're confirming around this place, this is a job where it is life and death.

[Jane Coston]

Independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont also wasn't convinced, he pointed to a line of baby onesies sold by Children's Health Defense, an anti vax nonprofit. Kennedy founded onesies that feature fun slogans like unvaxxed, unafraid and no vax, no problem.

[Michael Bennett]

Your organization is making money selling a child's product to parents for 26 bucks, which casts fundamental doubt on the usefulness of vaccines.

[Jane Coston]

Oh, and remember that measles outbreak in Samoa in 2019 that killed 83 people, mostly children and babies? The outbreak that's been connected to Kennedy because he took a trip there to push lies about vaccines shortly before? Yeah. Democratic Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon asked Kennedy about that during the hearing, and Kennedy's response was I went in June of 2019.

[Caroline Levitt]

The Measles Housebreak started in August. Oh, clearly I had nothing to do with the measles.

[Jane Coston]

Last time I checked, August comes after June, and disease outbreaks don't happen overnight. They usually happen over time. But sure, Kennedy's got another confirmation hearing on the books for today. The chamber is also scheduled to hold hearings for two other Trump Director of National Intelligence nominee Tulsi Gabbard and FBI director nominee Kash Patel. The Senate has now confirmed six Trump nominees. Lee Zeldin, the president's pick for director of the Environmental Protection Agency, was confirmed Wednesday. A lot has happened in the last 72 hours regarding the Trump administration's memo freezing federal loans and grants. So let's recap with the latest. On Monday night, the Office of Management and Budget sent out a directive that froze trillions of dollars in federal financial assistance. The order caused confusion among lawmakers as well as schools and organizations like Meals on Wheels that rely on the aid. White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt said Tuesday it was not a blanket pause on federal assistance and grant programs.

[Michelle Hackman]

Individual assistance that includes. I'm not naming everything that's included, but just to give you a few examples, Social Security benefits, Medicare benefits, food stamps, welfare benefits, assistance that is going directly to individuals will not be impacted by this pause.

[Jane Coston]

The pause was set to go into effect Tuesday evening, but a federal judge in D.C. temporarily blocked the order. That brings us to Wednesday, when the OMB sent out a two sentence notice rescinding its initial pause on payments for federal grants and other programs. But leave it to Levitt to add to the confusion. After the memo went out, she posted on Twitter, this is not a rescission of the federal funding freeze, levitt said. Trump's executive orders on federal funding, quote, remain in full force and effect and will be rigorously implemented later on Wednesday, U.S. district Judge John McConnell said he'd grant a group of Democratic attorneys generals request to block the freeze on federal aid, but he's asking the states for new language to block the funding freeze before he signs off on it. McConnell referenced the White House's mixed signals. He said Lovett's statement contradicted the OMB's memo to rescind the hugely ambiguous freeze. Because of the confusion, McConnell suggested the harm caused by the original memo was still likely to occur. Who's to say what will happen in the next 72 hours? Former Congressman Bob Menendez was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison on Wednesday. The former New Jersey senator was accused of accepting nearly $1 million in bribes from the Qatari and Egyptian governments. Those payouts came in the form of cash, cars and even gold bars. This obviously presented a huge conflict of interest, seeing as Menendez used to lead the Senate's Foreign Relations Committee. A jury found Menendez guilty on several charges, including extortion, conspiracy and obstruction of justice last summer. Menendez's sentence will be deferred until July so he can attend the trial of his wife, Nadine, who faces similar charges. And finally, Elon Musk is pointing fingers at the Biden administration for the extended stay of two astronauts at the International Space Station. But according to Musk, help is on the way. He said Tuesday that President Trump asked SpaceX to bring home the astronauts, quote, as soon as possible. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have been stuck at the International Space Station since June. Their trip in orbit was supposed to last about a week or two, but because of a malfunction with Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, NASA delayed their voyage home. On Tuesday, Trump confirmed on Truth Social, quote, elon will soon be on his way. Yay. Elon Musk to the rescue. Said no one ever. If it's between, stay in space and go home. But you have to be with Elon Musk. I'm kicking it in space for the rest of my life. The funny thing about this, among other things, is that SpaceX was already scheduled to bring Wilmore and Williams back to Earth no earlier than late March. And that's the news before we go. This week on Assembly Required, Senator Cory Booker joins Stacey Abrams for a conversation on how to communicate effectively with your elected representatives and support organizations pushing back on the new administration. They also share tips for amplifying useful Democratic information online. It's a great and helpful listen and made us feel a little bit more hopeful, so make sure to check it out wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. That's all for today. If you like the show, make sure you subscribe. Leave a Review Remember the time that Michelle Obama was like eat some vegetables on the American right, freaked out and tell your friends to listen. And if you're into reading and not just about the let's Move campaign and how in response, Fox News brought on a psychiatrist to declare that Michelle Obama was too fat to talk about nutrition like me. What a Day is also a nightly newsletter. Check it out and [e-mail] subscribe I'm Jane Coastin and I've been cursed with remembering events that took place before 2015. Water Day is a production of Crooked Media. It's recorded and mixed by Desmond Taylor. Our associate producers are Raven Yamamoto and Emily Foer. Our producer is Michelle Aloy. We had production help today from Johanna Case, Joseph Dutra, Greg Walters and Julia Claire. Our senior producer is Erica Morrison and our executive producer is Adrienne Hill. Our theme music is by Colin Gilliard and Kashaka. Our production staff is proudly unionized with the Writers Guild of America East.

[Unknown]

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[Michelle Hackman]

USA.