The Brian Lehrer Show Monday Morning Politics: Trump Meddles with Latin American Presidents; Pauses Migration from "Third-World"; And More
Dec 1, 2025
Susan Glasser, a staff writer for The New Yorker and an expert in U.S. foreign policy, dives into Trump's recent immigration actions following a tragic shooting incident. She critiques the administration's mixed signals on asylum for Afghan allies while tracing the roots of Trump's nativist rhetoric. The discussion also highlights historical parallels with the 1924 immigration act and examines the military's unclear stance towards Venezuela. Through it all, Glasser addresses the tangled web of politics, law, and the implications for U.S. relations abroad.
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Crisis Used To Push Immigration Agenda
- Susan Glasser argues Trump used the D.C. shooting to push a pre-existing anti-immigration agenda.
- She calls this collective punishment and a predictable political exploitation of a crisis.
Translator's Hard Choice After Withdrawal
- Susan Glasser recounts her Afghan translator who became a doctor and later sought refuge abroad after the U.S. withdrawal.
- He chose Canada over the U.S. partially because he thought Canada would be less racist.
Vetting Demand Contradicts Asylum Law
- Glasser notes the administration's asylum standard misreads the law by demanding foreign governments vet asylum seekers.
- She warns this standard would bar refugees from precisely the unstable countries asylum is meant to protect.
