Left, Right & Center Trump rants, Hegseth deflects while Congress looks for answers
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Dec 5, 2025 Mo Elleithee, a Democratic strategist and executive director at Georgetown's Institute of Politics, joins Sarah Isger, a senior editor at The Dispatch and former DOJ spokesperson. They discuss President Trump's incendiary remarks about Minnesota's Somali community and the political framing of immigration policies amid ICE raids. The panel explores historical narratives on immigration, the legality of military actions against alleged drug traffickers, and the troubling influence of foreign actors on social media amidst rising political tensions.
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Presidential Rhetoric Normalizes Othering
- President Trump's remarks targeted Minnesota's Somali community and singled out Rep. Ilhan Omar with dehumanizing language.
- Mo Elleithee and Sarah Isger say that elevating such rhetoric legitimizes xenophobia and othering in public life.
Enforcement Risks Collateral Harm
- Local leaders warned ICE raids risk detaining U.S. citizens who merely appear Somali.
- Sarah Isger and Mo Elleithee stress that broad enforcement tied to rhetoric will violate due process and fuel mistakes.
Rebuild Immigration Around Merit And Order
- Redo the immigration system from the ground up with easier legal paths and more merit-based criteria.
- Close loopholes that let people 'cut the line' to preserve orderly immigration and public trust.
