The Majority Report with Sam Seder 3589 - FBI’s War on Trans People; Trump’s Pro-Israel Enforcer w/ Ken Klippenstein, Connor Echols
Sep 25, 2025
Ken Klippenstein, an investigative journalist specializing in national security, discusses the disturbing trend of the Trump administration reclassifying trans individuals as part of a new 'nihilistic violent extremist' category. He explores how recent violent incidents have been manipulated to justify these designations. Connor Echols, a reporter focused on U.S. foreign policy, reveals how David Milstein, an obscure State Department official, significantly influenced U.S.-Israel relations, including altering critical humanitarian reports on Gaza. Together, they unpack the implications of these policies.
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New Extremist Label Masks Targeting
- The Trump administration is recasting trans-related incidents as a national security threat under a new "nihilistic violent extremist" label.
- Ken Klippenstein warns this hides trans-specific data and expands domestic-terrorism priorities inside agencies.
High-Profile Attack Used As Pretext
- The Charlie Kirk shooting was seized on to justify linking trans issues to extremism despite weak evidence.
- Friends and reporting indicate the shooter was socially isolated and not a coherent political actor.
Bureaucracy Redirected Toward New Threats
- The FBI reports a large spike in domestic-terror cases and is prioritizing "nihilistic" investigations heavily.
- Klippenstein says agencies now treat a wide range of political actors as terrorism threats, altering enforcement focus.