Democratic lawmakers targeted in President Donald Trump’s death penalty threat said that they were disappointed over the reaction from their Republican colleagues.
"Those who are in leadership positions and have taken the oath to tell the truth and to defend our Constitution, who are failing to speak up are not fulfilling their oaths,” Jason Crow (D-Colo.) told The Independent’s Eric Garcia Thursday.
Earlier Thursday, Trump lashed out at the group of military or intelligence community veterans that, in a recent video, called for service members to uphold their oaths to the Constitution and “refuse illegal orders.”
The president accused them of having engaged in “seditious behavior at the highest level.” He called them “traitors to our country” who should be “arrested and put on trial.”
In a follow-up post, the president appeared to suggest they should receive the death penalty, writing, “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!”
House Speaker Mike Johnson criticized the video on Thursday, describing it to Garcia as “wildly inappropriate.”
During a press briefing later in the day, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt echoed this sentiment, claiming the Democrats’ message “could inspire chaos.”
Read MoreUS economy added a surprising 119,000 jobs in September, two-months-late jobs report reveals
Key Posts
- Trump calls for arrest of ‘seditious’ Democrats who told troops their duty is to uphold the Constitution
- Mike Johnson responds to Trump's posts about sedition, death penalty
- Former presidents, vice presidents arrive at Washington National Cathedral for Cheney's funeral
Gabby Giffords responds to Trump's execution threats against her husband: 'Dangerous and wrong'
02:10 , Rachel DobkinFormer Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, who survived an assassination attempt, has called President Donald Trump’s execution threats against her husband, Senator Mark Kelly, and other Democratic lawmakers “dangerous and wrong.”
Giffords said her husband “served our country with strength, courage, and integrity, dedicating his career to protecting us and upholding our constitution.”
“Today, the President of the United States called him a traitor and demanded he be executed. It is dangerous and wrong. Americans of all political beliefs need to stand up and say so,” the former congresswoman wrote on X Thursday.
My husband @CaptMarkKelly is a 25-year Navy combat pilot veteran. He served our country with strength, courage, and integrity, dedicating his career to protecting us and upholding our constitution.
— Gabrielle Giffords (@GabbyGiffords) November 20, 2025
Today, the President of the United States called him a traitor and demanded he be… https://t.co/p4BoeNBepU
Earlier Thursday, Trump accused the Democrats of “seditious behavior,” which he said was “punishable by death.” His comments were in response to a video that the lawmakers, who are military or intelligence community veterans, posted, calling for the military to refuse illegal orders.
Giffords was shot in the head in 2011 during an event in Tucson, Arizona, by a gunman who killed six people and injured 12 others. She had to learn how to speak and walk again due to her injuries.
How an assassination attempt on his wife propelled former astronaut Mark Kelly to the Senate
Nancy Pelosi on Trump execution threats: 'I'm worried about the sanity or insanity' of the president
01:50 , Rachel DobkinRepresentative Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat who is known for confronting Donald Trump, told The Independent’s Eric Garcia that she is concerned about the president’s “sanity” after he accused a group of Democratic lawmakers of sedition that he said was “punishable by death.”
"I'm worried about the sanity or insanity of the President of the United States to say such a thing,” Pelosi said on Thursday.
Nancy Pelosi on Donald Trump's remarks saying Democrats' remarks are seditious and punishable by death:
— Eric Michael Garcia (@EricMGarcia) November 21, 2025
"I'm worried about the sanity or insanity of the President of the United States to say such a thing."
Trump’s comments earlier Thursday were in response to Democrats calling for the military to refuse illegal orders.
Senate GOP leader doesn't agree with Trump's execution threats
01:30 , Rachel DobkinSenate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters Thursday that he doesn’t agree with President Donald Trump threatening execution after Democratic lawmakers released a video urging the military to defy illegal orders.
“What those folks did was ill-advised, unnecessary and clearly provocative,” Thune said in reference to the Democrats, per The Hill.
He added: “But I certainly don’t agree with the president’s conclusion on how we ought to handle it.”
Trump fumed at the Democrats on social media, accusing them of “seditious behavior,” which he said was “punishable by death.”
White House discussed axing CNN hosts that Trump hates with Larry Ellison as part of takeover talks, report says
01:10 , Graig GraziosiLarry Ellison, the largest shareholder of Paramount, reportedly had discussions with the Trump administration about firing CNN hosts the president doesn't like, according to sources close to the matter.
The CNN hosts include Erin Burnett and Brianna Keilar, the sources told The Guardian.
Paramount has positioned itself as a potential buyer of Warner Bros Discovery. The sources said part of Paramount's interest lies in the idea that Ellison's closeness to Trump would help the deal pass a regulatory review.
Read on...
White House discussed axing CNN hosts that Trump hates with Larry Ellison
Hakeem Jeffries rails against Mike Johnson for not distancing himself from Trump's execution threats
00:30 , Rachel DobkinEarlier Thursday, President Donald Trump accused Democratic lawmakers who called for the military to disobey illegal orders of “seditious behavior,” which he said was “punishable by death.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson described the lawmakers’ comments to The Independent’s Eric Garcia as “wildly inappropriate.”
Reacting to Trump’s response, Johnson said: “What I read was he was defining the crime of sedition,” adding, “But obviously attorneys have to parse the language and determine all that.”
“What's extraordinary to me is that Mike Johnson doesn’t have the decency to distance himself from Donald Trump's death threats leveled at patriotic members of Congress,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters.
Jeffries: What's extraordinary to me is that Mike Johnson doesn’t have the decency to distance himself Donald Trump's threats leveled at patriotic members of congress. Even John Thune found it reasonable for him to say he disagrees. But Mike Johnson couldn't say a thing about it.… pic.twitter.com/xMdokn5VZw
— Acyn (@Acyn) November 20, 2025
After Jeffries’ comments, ABC News’ Rachel Scott reported Johnson as saying, “The words that the President chose are not the ones that I would use. Okay, obviously, I don't think that this is - these are crimes punishable by death or any of that.”
Asked Speaker Johnson if the president went too far?
— Rachel Scott (@rachelvscott) November 20, 2025
“The words that the President chose are not the ones that I would use. Okay, obviously, I don't think that this is - these are crimes punishable by death or any of that.”
He added, “what the point that is it that we need to…
Judge orders Trump to end ‘illegal’ National Guard deployment in DC but troops aren’t going home yet
00:10 , Associated PressA federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to end a monthslong deployment of National Guard troops in the nation’s capital.
President Donald Trump’s military takeover in Washington, D.C., illegally intrudes on local officials’ authority to direct law enforcement in the district, U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb concluded.
However, she put her order on hold for 21 days to allow for an appeal.
District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb sued to challenge the Guard deployments. He asked the judge to bar the White House from deploying Guard troops without the mayor’s consent while the lawsuit plays out.
Cobb found that while the president does have authority to protect federal functioning and property, he can't unilaterally deploy the D.C. National Guard to help with crime control as he sees fit or call in troops from other states.
Read on...
Judge orders Trump to end ‘illegal’ National Guard deployment in DC
Democrats whom Trump threatened say they're not afraid but criticized Republican silence: 'I'm frustrated and angry'
Thursday 20 November 2025 23:56 , Eric GarciaDemocrats whom President Donald Trump said had committed "SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR" that was "punishable by DEATH" said they were furious that their Republican colleagues did not defend them.
On Tuesday, Reps. Jason Crow (D-Colo.), Chrissy Houlahan (D-Penn.) and Chris DeLuzio (D-Penn.), as well as Sens. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) posted a video telling U.S. servicemembers that they can refuse illegal orders.
That sent Trump into a rage, and he said they could be executed.
"I never expected that just simply and clearly stating what Federal law says, would ask the president to threaten violence against me, that that's a situation we're in," Goodlander told The Independent.
Many were informed by others, such as their staff or other colleagues.
"I was in a meeting with other colleagues who are more online than I am," Goodlander said.
Houlahan said she was not afraid after the remarks from the president.
"It's astounding that we live in a time when the President of the United States can openly threaten the lives of six members of Congress," Houlahan told The Independent.
But many of them criticized the fact that almost no Republicans defended them. In fact, House Speaker Mike Johnson told The Independent that "that was a wildly inappropriate thing for so called leaders in Congress to do to encourage young troops to disobey orders." Other Republican senators mostly said that they had not seen the posts from the president despite the fact he made multiple ones.
All of them, save for Kelly, showed up to vote in the House and Senate on Thursday.
Crow, a Democrat and former Army Ranger who tried to protect his colleagues after the Jan. 6 riot, criticized Johnson.
"Every time somebody lies or mischaracterizes what people say or don't say, it further aggravates what is already a very tough situation. Right now, our country needs leadership," Crow told The Independent. "Those who are in leadership positions and have taken the oath to tell the truth and to defend our Constitution, who are failing to speak up, are not fulfilling their oaths."
The move comes as Trump has continued to use the military for extrajudicial killings of people on boats coming from Venezuela. The president also deployed troops and the National Guard to cities like Los Angeles, Portland and Chicago. But so far, Republicans have remained silent.
Houlahan compared the situation to the fact that many Democrats joined on a resolution denouncing political violence after the shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in September.
"And yet, here we are now, just weeks later, really, and my Republican colleagues can't find the heart and the gut and the morality to identify that it's not okay for the leader of the free world to threaten to murder members of Congress," she said.
"I think fear is contagious and courageous too, and I don't bow to threats," Goodlander said. "And I'm here to do a job."
Trump urged to ‘bang some heads’ and focus on these three specific messages with Republican polling in free fall
Thursday 20 November 2025 23:30 , Kelly RissmanDonald Trump ally Steve Bannon has urged the president to “bang some heads” and come up with a game plan for Republicans amid dismal recent polling.
"Let's run the table [with] a simple plan, aggressively executed," Bannon, the host of War Room and Trump’s chief strategist during his first term, told Axios. "The President may have to bang some heads. [His] entire plan has an objective of GROWTH, JOBS, HIGHER WAGES — now execute."
Just weeks after a blue wave swept elections across the country, a series of recent polls this week suggest Trump’s approval rating is slipping as the administration copes with the fallout from the Epstein files and a turbulent economy.
After months of resistance to making the government files related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein public, Trump on Wednesday signed the bill to release the highly anticipated records. The president, who campaigned on affordability, has also faced concerns over the economy; while the U.S. added 119,000 jobs in September, unemployment reached 4.4 percent and grocery prices remain high.
Read on...
Trump urged to ‘bang some heads’ as Republican polling in free fall
Mark Kelly says 'I never thought I'd see a President call for my execution'
Thursday 20 November 2025 23:10 , Rachel DobkinSenator Mark Kelly, an Arizona Democrat and former Navy captain, has reacted to President Donald Trump’s threats of execution after he and other Democratic lawmakers released a video telling the military to refuse illegal orders.
“I’ve had a missile blow up next to my airplane, been shot at dozens of times by anti-aircraft fire, and launched into orbit — all for my country. I never thought I'd see a President call for my execution,” Kelly wrote on Thursday. “Trump doesn’t understand the Constitution, and we're all less safe for it.”
I've had a missile blow up next to my airplane, been shot at dozens of times by anti-aircraft fire, and launched into orbit — all for my country. I never thought I'd see a President call for my execution.
— Captain Mark Kelly (@CaptMarkKelly) November 20, 2025
Trump doesn’t understand the Constitution, and we're all less safe for it.
Trump had accused the Democrats of “seditious behavior,” which he said was “punishable by death.”
ANALYSIS: MTG had nastiest breakup with Trump since Musk and now Elon’s back. Could Georgia rebel win back his MAGA heart?
Thursday 20 November 2025 22:50 , John BowdenSure, Marjorie Taylor Greene is currently on the outs with Donald Trump after spearheading the Republican revolt over the Epstein files in the House and laying into Speaker Mike Johnson for the GOP’s continued failure to present a vision for reforming the American health care system.
But Donald Trump is also famously a man who understands the value of making peace with conservatives, rather than war, when it serves his purposes.
Take Greene’s fellow Republican on the discharge petition, Rep. Nancy Mace, as an example. Trump famously endorsed against her as recently as 2022, backing a Republican state representative in a failed primary bid to unseat the one-term congresswoman. But Mace, despite her thin resume on the Hill, won re-election easily — and Trump, ever eager to back the winning horse, let her back into the fold.
Perhaps the most famous member of Trumpworld to be banished was Elon Musk, the Tesla CEO and former DOGE chief whose roughshod run of the White House in January-April of this year rankled members of Trump’s Cabinet and quickly led to the downfall of Musk’s political crusade as he became a political anchor around the necks of Republicans.
Read on...
Will Marjorie Taylor Greene’s rebellion end her alliance with Trump forever?
GOP congressman says 'rhetoric needs to be brought down stat' after Trump accused Democrats of 'seditious behavior'
Thursday 20 November 2025 22:30 , Rachel DobkinRepresentative Mike Lawler, a New York Republican, has said that the “rhetoric needs to be brought down stat” after Donald Trump accused Democrats of “seditious behavior,” which the president said was “punishable by death.”
The lawmakers had posted a video calling for the military to refuse illegal orders.
“Members of Congress should not be calling for active duty troops to defy orders issued by the Commander-in-Chief by trying to imply they have been given illegal orders and not being able to cite one,” Lawler wrote on X Thursday.
He continued: “The President should not imply that Members of Congress should face death, no matter how ill-advised their comments are.”
Two things are true:
— Mike Lawler (@lawler4ny) November 20, 2025
Members of Congress should not be calling for active duty troops to defy orders issued by the Commander-in-Chief by trying to imply they have been given illegal orders and not being able to cite one.
The President should not imply that Members of Congress…
White House defends Trump’s ‘HANG THEM’ repost in rant calling for death to members of Congress over military remarks
Thursday 20 November 2025 22:10 , Andrew FeinbergThe White House on Thursday defended President Donald Trump’s call for a group of Democratic legislators to be put to death by hanging after they teamed up for a social media video urging service members to “refuse” what they deemed to be “illegal orders.”
Asked about the matter in her briefing, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt accused the senators and Congress members of delivering a “radical message” that could “disrupt the chain of command.” But she did not try to clarify or tamp down the president’s inflammatory call for a violent end.
Earlier in the day, Trump took to Truth Social to accuse senators Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and Mark Kelly of Arizona, plus Colorado Rep. Jason Crow, New Hampshire Representative Maggie Goodlander and Pennsylvania’s Chris Deluzio and Chrissy Houlahan of engaging in what he described as “seditious behavior” by participating in the video, calling them “traitors to our country” who should be “arrested and put on trial.”
He later posted a message in which he repeated his all-caps accusation of “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR” from the lawmakers before claiming that such “behavior” is “punishable by DEATH,” along with a repost of another Truth Social user who encouraged him to “HANG THEM.”
Read on...
White House defends Trump calling for death to members of Congress over video
Senator Elissa Slotkin reacts to Trump's threats of death for sedition
Thursday 20 November 2025 21:49 , Rachel DobkinEarlier Thursday, Trump accused Slotkin and other Democratic lawmakers who called for the military to disobey illegal orders of “seditious behavior,” which he said was “punishable by death.”
Mike Johnson serves up word salad when asked about Trump’s call for lawmakers to face death penalty
Thursday 20 November 2025 21:01 , Brendan RasciusHouse Speaker Mike Johnson defended President Donald Trump’s saying that Democratic members of Congress should face the death penalty for saying that members of the military can refuse orders if they believe those commands violate their oaths to the Constitution.
A handful of Democratic members of Congress and senators who served in the U.S. military or intelligence posted a video on social media on Tuesday saying that members of the military can refuse orders they deem illegal.
Trump posted on Truth Social describing their behavior as seditious and insinuated they deserve the death penalty.
But Johnson said that Trump simply defined what crime they committed.
“What I read was he was defining the crime of sedition,” he told The Independent. “But obviously attorneys have to parse the language and determine all that. What I'm saying, what I will say unequivocally, that was a wildly inappropriate thing for so called leaders in Congress to do to encourage young troops to disobey orders.”
Eric Garcia reports...
Mike Johnson serves up word salad about Trump’s call for Democrats to be executed
Trump called Epstein moments after winning 2016 election, pedophile’s brother claims
Thursday 20 November 2025 19:50 , Brendan RasciusDonald Trump allegedly called Jeffrey Epstein moments after his 2016 election victory over Hillary Clinton, contrary to his later claims he had not spoken to the pedophile financier in many years.
The president had called Epstein to express his shock at the victory, his brother Mark Epstein told CNN in an interview.
Trump said in 2019 that although he and Epstein were at one point close friends, their relationship had soured and he had not spoken to him in “probably 15 years,” adding “I wasn’t a fan of Jeffrey Epstein let me tell you.”
Mike Bedigan reports...
Trump called Epstein moments after defeating Clinton, pedophile’s brother claims
‘We have a communist coming:’ White House talks upcoming Zohran Mamdani visit
Thursday 20 November 2025 19:09 , Brendan RasciusWhite House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt spoke about Trump’s upcoming meeting with Zohran Mamdani, the incoming mayor of New York City.
During a press briefing on Thursday, a reporter questioned whether there is anything the Democratic socialist can do to “ease” concerns from Trump.
“I won't get into the president's thinking,” Leavitt said. “You’ll all hear from him directly.”
She added, “It speaks volumes that tomorrow we have a communist coming to the White House because that’s who the Democrat Party elected as the mayor of the largest city in the country.”
Leavitt defends Trump as ‘frank and honest’ after he called reporter ‘piggy’
Thursday 20 November 2025 19:01 , Brendan RasciusWhite House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt defended Trump after he called a female reporter “piggy” aboard Air Force One on Friday.
“The president is very frank and honest with everyone in this room,” she said during a Thursday press briefing when asked about the incident. “He calls out fake news when he sees it. He gets frustrated with reporters…but he also is the most transparent president in history.”
Karoline Leavitt addresses Trump's posts about sedition, death penalty
Thursday 20 November 2025 18:56 , Brendan RasciusA reporter asked White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt about Trump’s Truth Social posts accusing Democratic lawmakers of sedition and implying they deserve the death penalty.
“Does the president want to execute members of Congress?” the reporter asked during a Thursday press briefing.
“No,” Leavitt responded.
She went on to attack the group of six Democratic lawmakers for posting a video urging service members to disobey illegal orders.
“They are literally saying to 1.3 million active duty service members to defy the chain of command,” Leavitt said, adding it “could inspire chaos and it could incite violence.”
Karoline Leavitt says dismantling Education Department is 'common sense'
Thursday 20 November 2025 18:39 , Brendan RasciusWhite House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt lauded Trump’s dismantling of the Department of Education as “common sense.”
“American families do not need the Department of Education,” she said during a Thursday briefing. “It’s clear that throwing more money at a broken system does not work.”
Her remarks come two days after the administration unveiled a plan to pare down the Department of Education’s responsibilities by transferring its programs to other agencies.
Democrats accused of treason by Trump issue joint statement
Thursday 20 November 2025 18:23 , Brendan RasciusSix Democratic lawmakers criticized the president for accusing them of sedition and implying they deserved the death penalty.
“We are veterans and national security professionals who love this country and swore an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States,” Sens. Elissa Slotkin and Mark Kelly, and four representatives said in a joint statement released Thursday afternoon. “No threat, intimidation, or call for violence will deter us from that sacred obligation.”
“What’s most telling is that the President considers it punishable by death for us to restate the law,” they added.
In Truth Social posts this morning, Trump labeled the lawmakers guilty of sedition for posting a video urging service members to ignore illegal orders.
“Punishable by DEATH!” he added.
Chuck Schumer calls Trump's attack on Democratic lawmakers 'deadly serious'
Thursday 20 November 2025 18:04 , Brendan RasciusSenate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the president’s recent Truth Social posts about Democratic lawmakers “deadly serious.”
"The president of the United States is calling for the execution of elected officials,” Schumer said on the Senate floor on Thursday. “This is an outright threat and it's deadly serious...When Donald Trump uses the language of execution and treason, some of his supporters may very well listen.”
Video: Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy reacts to Trump's latest threats
Thursday 20 November 2025 17:45 , Brendan Rascius“If you're a person of influence in this country and you haven't picked a side, maybe now would be the time to pick a f****** side,” Murphy wrote in a post accompanying the video.
Mike Johnson responds to Trump's posts about sedition, death penalty
Thursday 20 November 2025 17:45 , Brendan RasciusHouse Speaker Mike Johnson was asked about President Donald Trump’s latest Truth Social posts, which accuse Democratic lawmakers of sedition and appear to call for the death penalty.
"What I read was he was defining the crime of sedition,” Johnson told The Independent’s Eric Garcia on Thursday.
“That is a factual statement,” he added. “But obviously attorneys have to parse the language and determine all that what I'm saying, what I will say unequivocally. "
Trump, earlier this morning, wrote on his social media platform that a group of Democratic lawmakers engaged in “seditious behavior” by posting a video urging service members to disobey illegal orders and uphold the Constitution. In a follow-up post, Trump wrote: “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!”
Johnson also criticized the video, albeit less forcefully, describing it as “wildly inappropriate.”
Photo shows Bush, Biden, Harris and Pence at Dick Cheney's funeral
Thursday 20 November 2025 17:30 , Brendan RasciusFormer Presidents George W. Bush and Joe Biden are pictured alongside former Vice Presidents Kamala Harris and Mike Pence at the funeral service.
Hakeem Jeffries says 'Trump should keep his reckless mouth shut' after president threatens Democrats
Thursday 20 November 2025 17:13 , Brendan RasciusHouse Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said President Donald Trump “should keep his reckless mouth shut” after the president threatened Democratic lawmakers.
In a statement posted on X, the New York representative said he condemned “Trump’s disgusting and dangerous death threats against members of Congress.”
It comes after Trump lashed out at a group of Democratic lawmakers who posted a video urging U.S. service members to ignore illegal orders and uphold the Constitution. In a post on Truth Social earlier this morning, the president appeared to call for them to face the death penalty.
Bush delivers eulogy for Cheney, his long-time right-hand man
Thursday 20 November 2025 17:03 , Brendan RasciusFormer President George W. Bush delivered a eulogy at former Vice President Dick Cheney’s funeral on Thursday at Washington National Cathedral.
Bush described his longtime right-hand man as “serious,” “smart and polished” and a manifestation of “sheer physical endurance.”
“This was a vice president totally devoted to protecting the United States and its interests,” Bush said. “We are grateful for his good life.”
Obama, Clinton not in attendance at Dick Cheney's funeral
Thursday 20 November 2025 16:50 , Brendan RasciusTwo former living presidents are not in attendance at former Vice President Dick Cheney’s funeral today.
Neither former President Barack Obama nor former President Bill Clinton are at Washington National Cathedral for the service.
Following Cheney’s death earlier this month, both Democrats released statements expressing condolence, while also telegraphing their differences. Obama said Cheney “represented very different political traditions,” and Clinton said “we often disagreed.”
Trump says Democrat video about troops upholding Constitution is 'Punishable by DEATH!'
Thursday 20 November 2025 16:05 , Brendan RasciusPresident Donald Trump appeared to suggest that a group of Democratic lawmakers should face the death penalty.
“SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!” the president wrote on Truth Social on Thursday morning.
Earlier in the morning, he accused a group of Democratic senators and representatives of engaging in “seditious behavior at the highest level” after they posted a video urging U.S. service members to uphold the Constitution.
Former presidents, vice presidents arrive at Washington National Cathedral for Cheney's funeral
Thursday 20 November 2025 15:50 , Brendan RasciusSeveral former presidents and vice presidents shuffled into Washington National Cathedral on Thursday morning for Dick Cheney’s funeral.
Video footage shows former Presidents Joe Biden and George W. Bush and former Vice Presidents Kamala Harris, Al Gore and Mike Pence seated alongside one another in pews. Some lawmakers are also in attendance, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune.
President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance were not invited, according to Axios.
JD Vance says Americans 'get crap health care'
Thursday 20 November 2025 15:37 , Brendan RasciusVice President JD Vance, speaking at a Breitbart News event, expressed strong criticism of the U.S. health care system — and said he open to working with Democrats to fix it.
“The American people get crap health care, and they pay way too much for it,” Vance said. “This system is broken.”
“The Democrats broke it, but who cares,” he added. “We’re willing to work together.”
Watch the video that prompted Trump to call for the arrest of ‘traitor’ Democrat veterans
Thursday 20 November 2025 15:33 , Brendan RasciusThis is the video from Democrat veterans which prompted Donald Trump to call for their arrests.
Watch video that prompted Trump to call for the arrest of Democrats
JD Vance asked about report claiming he wasn't invited to Dick Cheney's funeral
Thursday 20 November 2025 15:24 , Brendan RasciusAt a Breitbart News event on Thursday, Vice President JD Vance was asked about a report that he and President Donald Trump were not invited to former Vice President Dick Cheney’s funeral.
“First of all, my condolences go to Dick Cheney and his family,” Vance said. “Obviously there are some political disagreements there.”
He didn’t say whether or not he had received an invite to Cheney’s funeral, which is being held today at the Washington National Cathedral.
US economy added 119,000 jobs in September, jobs report reveals
Thursday 20 November 2025 15:05 , Brendan RasciusThe US economy added 119,000 jobs in September, but unemployment ticked up to 4.4 percent, according to a two-months late report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The report for September came late after the longest government shutdown in history began on Oct. 1., which came before the first Friday of the month, when the Bureau of Labor Statistics historically releases the nonfarm payroll employment numbers. The government reopened last week.
Eric Garcia reports...
US economy added surprising 119,000 jobs in September, months-late jobs report finds
Trump calls for arrest of ‘seditious’ Democrats who told troops their duty is to uphold the Constitution
Thursday 20 November 2025 14:47 , Brendan RasciusPresident Donald Trump on Thursday lashed out at a group of House Democrats who called for American service members to uphold their oaths to the Constitution.
Writing on Truth Social, Trump accused Senators Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and Mark Kelly of Arizona, plus Colorado Rep. Jason Crow, New Hampshire Representative Maggie Goodlander and Pennsylvania Representatives Chris Deluzio and Chrissy Houlahan had engaged in “seditious behavior at the highest level” and called the senators and representatives — all of whom are military veterans — “traitors to our country” who should be “arrested and put on trial.”
Andrew Feinburg reports....
Trump calls for arrest of Democrats who told troops to refuse illegal orders
In focus: Could five women bring down Trump?
Thursday 20 November 2025 14:45 , Joe SommerladThe president’s history of insulting women is long and depressing, but it has been his handling of the Epstein files that has alienated some of his most devoted MAGA supporters.
How poignant then, that it is women who have forced his hand and could even oversee his downfall, writes Katie Rosseinsky.
Are these the five women who could bring down Donald Trump?
GOP lawmakers warning Trump and Bondi not to withhold documents in Epstein files
Thursday 20 November 2025 14:30 , Brendan RasciusRepublican lawmakers have warned President Donald Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi that withholding any documents relating to the Jeffrey Epstein case “would add fuel to the fire.”
The warning comes as Trump caved to pressure and signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act Wednesday evening, while Bondi fumbled her way through questions on how the Justice Department would proceed now that it has 30 days to release the files.
“You can adjust for whatever investigations are going on but if you do a blanket hold, I think that they’re going to have a lot of people angry,” GOP Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina told The Hill.
“I think they would do well to figure how to release as much as possible and then have a very well-articulated reason for that which they can’t,” he said of the Justice Department. “It would add fuel to the fire if they don’t produce something meaningful.”
GOP lawmakers warning Trump and Bondi not to withhold documents in Epstein files
Watch: Piers Morgan defends Trump for calling a reporter 'piggy'
Thursday 20 November 2025 14:20 , Joe SommerladTrump didn't receive invite to Dick Cheney's funeral, report says
Thursday 20 November 2025 14:19 , Brendan RasciusPresident Donald Trump was not invited to former Vice President Dick Cheney’s funeral, a source with knowledge of the matter told Axios.
The service, set to take place at Washington National Cathedral today, will be attended by several former presidents.
Cheney, who died earlier this month, publicly criticized Trump in a 2022 campaign ad for his daughter Liz Cheney, then a Wyoming congresswoman.
What could be left out of the Epstein files by AG Bondi
Thursday 20 November 2025 13:55 , Joe Sommerlad“We have nothing to hide”, Trump wrote on Truth Social as he urged House Republicans to back the release of files related to Jeffrey Epstein.
Yet even though the president swivelled a stunning 180 degrees last weekend to reverse his previous position on the release of the files, and has said he has signed the bill, which was passed almost unanimously on Tuesday, it remains unclear precisely what the public will see.
The bill requires Attorney General Pam Bondi to release all materials, including internal communications as well as investigative materials, related to Epstein and his co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell, within 30 days of the law being enacted.
But the bill also sets out essential clauses governing what can eventually be released into the public domain.
Here’s Harry Cockburn with more.
