Politics

(WASHINGTON) — Activists and advocacy groups are staging a second round of “No Kings” protests across the country on Saturday in response to what they call abuse of power by President Donald Trump and his administration, including his immigration crackdown.

Organizers predict millions will take part.

Republicans are trying to brand the protests as “hate America” rallies and claim they’re prolonging the federal government shutdown.

Here’s what to know.

What are the “No Kings” protests?

The daylong “No Kings” protests set for Oct. 18 follow up on the thousands held in mid-June. They are being run by a coalition of organizations including the American Civil Liberties Union, Indivisible, 50501 and others. Organizers say there are more than 2,600 events planned nationwide — including major cities such as New York; Washington, D.C.; Chicago and Los Angeles — and say millions are expected to attend.

They have been “organized by regular people, by volunteers,” Deirdre Schifeling, chief political and advocacy officer of the ACLU, told ABC News.

While organizers have not released details on fundraising ahead of the protests, and the coalition has remained relatively decentralized, a few groups have indicated either heavy spending to promote the rallies or planned star power to increase buzz around them. 

For instance, Home of the Brave, a political group, said Monday it was spending $1 million to advertise the No Kings protests, including in local and national newspapers.

Celebrities, including Jane Fonda, Kerry Washington, John Legend, Alan Cumming and John Leguizamo, are slated to attend, according to a fundraising email on Thursday from the political action committee Progressive Change Campaign Committee.

“We’ll be in the streets for immigrant families under attack and for voters who are being silenced. For communities being terrorized by militarized policing. For families who are about to lose their health insurance. And for every single person whose rights are threatened by this administration’s cruelty,” the group wrote in the email.

In advance of Saturday’s rallies, law enforcement is actively monitoring social media and the internet, as well as working with local organizers and potential counter-protesters, to get a sense of what might be expected. That vigilance comes as there continues to be heightened concerns about large-scale public gatherings, especially political events. 

What are Republicans saying about the protests?

Republicans have been slamming the protests, claiming that the protests are a reason the Democratic Party does not want to end the ongoing federal government shutdown.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune asserted on Wednesday that Democrats are waiting to solve the funding issues until after Saturday’s “No Kings” rallies.

“The truth is — what Democrats really want is something Republicans can’t give them. And that is the approval of their far-left base,” Thune said. 

Republican leaders have also framed the “No Kings” protests as a series of “Hate America” rallies, framing the upcoming events as meant to criticize America and what it stands for.

“And I encourage you to watch — we call it the ‘Hate America Rally’ that will happen Saturday,” House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters on Wednesday. “Let’s see who shows up for that. I bet you see pro-Hamas supporters. I bet you see Antifa types. I bet you see the Marxists in full display, the people who don’t want to stand and defend the foundational truths of this republic.”

Johnson did not provide any proof to support his claims that “pro-Hamas supporters” and “Antifa types” will show up. Organizers have said they cannot control who shows up to protests from outside groups and have emphasized wanting to keep protests respectful and nonviolent.

In an interview taped with Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo on Thursday, Trump was asked about the rallies and he shot down that he was a “king.”

“They’re referring to me as a king. I’m not a king,” Trump said. 

Some state leaders have also said they are calling up more law enforcement in light of the protests, which supporters of the protests have said may be meant to “suppress” them.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, wrote on X on Thursday, that he “directed the Dept. of Public Safety and National Guard to surge forces into Austin” ahead of the rallies.

“Texas will NOT tolerate chaos. Anyone destroying property or committing acts of violence will be swiftly arrested,” Abbott wrote.

State Rep. Gene Wu, who chairs the state House’s Democratic caucus, wrote in response, “Sending armed soldiers to suppress peaceful protests is what kings and dictators do — and Greg Abbott just proved he’s one of them.”

How are protest organizers responding to Republican claims?

Organizers have countered that Republicans in power are responsible for the ongoing shutdown, and have said that Johnson and some other Republicans not saying the name of the protest is telling.

“I think it’s really telling that he spent an entire week calling this a ‘hate American Rally,’ on the attack against this coalition and Americans across the country, and he won’t even say the name of the protest,” Leah Greenberg, co-executive director of Indivisible, one of the major groups in the “No Kings” coalition, told reporters on a press call on Thursday. 

“That’s because if you say the name of the protest, ‘No Kings,’ the entire argument falls apart … there is nothing more American than saying that we don’t have kings and exercising our right to peaceful protest,” Greenberg said.

When asked if they thought the claims from Republicans would impact participant turnout on Saturday, organizers said they think it could have the opposite effect.

“I think, if anything, it will increase turnout,” said Schifeling. “I think Americans can really see through these sad attempts to distract attention from the failure of these Republican Congress people and Republican Trump administration to actually address what most Americans want and need from their government.”

Ezra Levin, the co-executive director of Indivisible, told ABC News that he welcomes the publicity, but simultaneously believes Republicans are trying to stop Americans from exercising their First Amendment right.

“I think the Republicans and Trump see that the largest peaceful protest in modern American history is coming together on Saturday to push back against the authoritarian overreach by this regime and its supporters in Congress, and they’re looking for ways to message against it ahead of time,” he said.

ABC News’ Josh Margolin contributed to this report.

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(WASHINGTON) — Former President Barack Obama formally endorsed New Jersey’s Democratic gubernatorial nominee, Rep. Mikie Sherrill, in a new ad first reported by ABC News. 

“Mikie’s integrity, grit, and commitment to service are what we need right now in our leaders. Mikie Sherrill is the right choice for your next governor,” Obama said in the spot, released Friday morning. 

Obama highlights Sherrill’s veteran status and argues she’s best suited to lower prices, as the party sees successes homing in on affordability.

“Mikie is a mom who will drive down costs for New Jersey families. As a federal prosecutor and former Navy helicopter pilot, she worked to keep our communities safe,” Obama said in the ad.

Sherrill currently maintains a polling edge over her Republican challenger, Jack Ciattarelli, who is endorsed by President Donald Trump. 

In a statement, Sherrill said she was “grateful” for the former president’s support and urged voters to plan to head to the ballot box on or before Election Day. 

“This November, we have an opportunity to chart a different path forward — to reject the chaos in Washington and lower costs in New Jersey — and I’m so grateful to have President Obama’s support and endorsement in this race. President Obama led historic efforts to lower healthcare costs and, now, Jack Ciattarelli is all in on Trump’s plans to raise premiums and kick hundreds of thousands of New Jerseyans off their healthcare,” said Sherrill.

Per a new Quinnipiac survey, Sherrill leads Ciattarelli by six points. That same poll found that New Jersey voters say Sherrill would do a better job in handling schools and the NJ transit, and 61% of likely voters also say Sherrill’s background serving in the U.S. Navy for nine years makes them think more favorably of her. 

Two governors’ races dominate this upcoming off-cycle Election Day, as Democrats hope to cling to power in the Garden State and flip control from Republicans in Virginia, as both incumbents are term-limited. On Wednesday, Obama boosted Virginia Democrats’ pick for governor, former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, in a similar fashion. 

Obama has been publicly supporting Sherrill, whom he calls a “friend” in the ad. His first fundraiser since the November elections was with the Democratic National Committee in New Jersey back in June, where he appeared alongside Sherrill. 

More out-of-state Democrats are also throwing weight behind Sherill in the closing weeks of the race — over the weekend, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer are set to campaign with her.

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(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump, just days after celebrating an Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement he helped broker in the Middle East, turns his attention Friday to the Russia-Ukraine war, hosting President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House.

Ukraine’s request for American-made Tomahawk missiles is expected to be a focus of the talks.

“They want to go offensive,” Trump said of Kyiv earlier this week. “I’ll make a determination on that.”

The long-range weapons would give Ukraine the ability to strike deep inside Russia, and Zelenskyy described them as a difference-maker in a conflict that has dragged three-and-a-half years. Moscow, though, warned that Tomahawk deliveries would mark “a dangerous escalation of relations between Russia and the United States.”

Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a long phone call on Thursday, one day before his in-person meeting with Zelenskyy. In a surprise development, Trump announced he and Putin plan to meet again (this time in Budapest) to discuss the war after initial discussions among high-level advisers next week.

Trump said he would be telling Zelenskyy on Friday what he and Putin discussed in the call.

The president said he talked with Putin “a little bit” about Tomahawks in their two-hour conversation. He said he asked the Russian president how he would feel if he sold them to Ukraine. “He didn’t like the idea,” Trump said.

Trump also expressed concern about depleting the U.S. supply of Tomahawks.

“They’re very vital. They’re very powerful. They’re very accurate. They’re very good. But we need them too. So, I don’t know what we can do about that,” Trump told reporters as he took questions during an Oval Office event.

This latest diplomatic push comes nearly two months after Trump hosted Putin in Alaska for a high-profile summit that ultimately yielded no major breakthrough. Days later, Trump welcomed Zelenskyy to the White House as well as a delegation of European leaders who rushed to Washington to support the Ukrainian leader after an extraordinarily tense scene between Zelenskyy, Trump and Vice President JD Vance in the Oval Office back in February.

Trump, who once said he could end the Russia-Ukraine war immediately upon his return to office, has lamented that the conflict is more difficult to bring to a close than he anticipated.

“This is a terrible relationship, the two of them have. … Because of my relationship with President Putin, I thought this would be very quick. And it has turned out to be — who would think I did the Middle East before I did this?”

In Alaska, Trump’s immediate goal was to set up a trilateral meeting with himself, Putin and Zelenskyy, or a bilateral meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy. Those meetings never occurred.

ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Mary Bruce, after Trump announced he planned to meet Putin again in Hungary, asked White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt if the president still believed he could get Putin and Zelenskyy in the same room.

“I think he thinks it’s possible, and he would, of course, love to see that happen,” Leavitt said. “But right now, there were discussions and plans are now being made for the Russian side and our folks, led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, to meet and then for President Putin and President Trump to perhaps meet again. But I don’t think the president has closed the door on that at all.”

Meanwhile, Russia continues to bombard Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, firing more than 300 drones and about three dozen missiles at targets throughout Ukraine overnight into Thursday.

Zelenskyy, landing in Washington on Thursday, said he hopes “that the momentum of curbing terror and war, which worked in the Middle East, will help end the Russian war against Ukraine.”

“Putin is definitely not braver than HAMAS or any other terrorist. The language of force and justice will definitely work against Russia as well. We already see that Moscow is rushing to resume dialogue, just hearing about ‘Tomahawks,'” the Ukrainian president wrote on X.

Zelenskyy met with American defense and energy companies on Thursday ahead of his Friday meeting at the White House.

Trump at times blamed Russia’s invasion on Ukraine and Zelenskyy, though has recently expressed frustration and disappointment with Putin. This week, he said “all we want from President Putin” is to stop the killing of Ukrainians and Russians.

“It doesn’t make him look good. It’s a war that he should have won in one week and he’s now going into his fourth year,” the president said on Wednesday.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, in remarks at a NATO gathering this week, also ramped up rhetoric against Russia, notably calling Moscow the aggressor.

“If this war does not end, if there is no path to peace in the short term, then the United States, along with our allies, will take the steps necessary to impose costs on Russia for its continued aggression,” Hegseth said. “If we must take this step, the U.S. War Department stands ready to do our part in ways that only the United States can do.”

But so far, Trump and his administration has held back from imposing tougher sanctions on Russia. Instead, he’s focused on getting European countries and nations like India to stop purchasing Russian oil.

On Capitol Hill, there are growing calls among Republicans — including Senate Majority Leader John Thune — to proceed with a bill that would put economic penalties on Russia.

Asked what he thought about those efforts on Thursday, Trump was noncommittal: “Well, we’re going to see.”

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(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump announced a deal on Thursday between his administration and pharmaceutical company EMD Serono to reduce the cost of some fertility medications.

Senior administration officials have said this deal will help millions of American women struggling to conceive with their ability to afford the expensive treatment. 

Trump pledged to expand IVF access for Americans struggling to start families — making it a point of his presidential campaign. In February, he signed an executive order looking into how to lower costs and reduce barriers to IVF.

This deal “delivers on the president’s pledge,” an official said. 

“In the Trump administration, we want to make it easier for couples to have babies, raise children and start the families they’ve always dreamed out,” Trump said during an announcement from the Oval Office.

Trump said EMD Serono, the largest fertility drug manufacturer in the world, has agreed to provide discounts for the cost of fertility drugs the company sells in the U.S., including its most popular, Gonal-f, which treats infertility in women and men.

Officials told ABC News a fertility drug typically costs between $5,000 and $6,000 per cycle, the officials said, and only about 30% of families have access to some sort of employer-based coverage. 

Trump said EMD Serono will list its fertility drugs online at “very, very heavily reduced prices.”

“We’re pleased to announce that, depending on the patient’s income, the cost of drugs for a standard IVF cycle of infertility will decrease somewhere between 42 and 79% for families,” an official said, and “based on the results of this negotiation.”

The official said those drugs will be available in early 2026.

In 2024, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) stated the cost for a single cycle of IVF can range from $15,000 to $20,000, and can surpass $30,000 if a donor egg is involved.

The average number of cycles needed to become pregnant from IVF is 2.5, meaning the average cost of IVF to conceive successfully can exceed $40,000, according to the HHS.

In May, Trump signed an executive order to pressure companies to only charge U.S. patients the same rate as they charge in other countries, an effort called “most favored nation” pricing.

This kicked off a monthslong campaign to pressure pharmaceutical companies to drop their prices voluntarily, without regulation. 

The White House also said that the two specialty pharmacies that account for more than 80% of the distribution of the drug — CVS Specialty Pharmacy and Express Scripts Freedom Fertility Pharmacy — told the administration they would “materially reduce their expenses associated with the handling of this drug, while still ensuring access to all families who wish to use it.” 

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(BOSSIER PARISH, La.) — Three B-52 bombers took off from Barksdale AFB in Louisiana on Wednesday and flew for hours near the coast of Venezuela, according to flight tracking data, in what appears to be a major show of force by President Donald Trump.

The B-52 is a long-range, heavy bomber that has been used in conventional warfare in such places as Iraq and Syria. But it’s also capable of carrying nuclear weapons.

Trump confirmed on Wednesday that had authorized CIA action in Venezuela because of the flow of migrants and drugs from the country, and indicated his administration is exploring land strikes inside Venezuela.

Asked what’s next for his administration’s “war” on drug cartels and whether they were considering strikes on land, Trump said they were looking into it.

“Well, I don’t want to tell you exactly, but we are certainly looking at land now because we’ve got the sea very well under control,” the president said.

On Tuesday, Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted a video of another lethal strike on alleged drug boat from Venezuela.

Since Sept. 2, Trump has ordered military strikes on at least five boats in the Caribbean Sea that the administration insists, without providing evidence, were carrying drugs to the U.S. The use of lethal of military force against drug boats is unprecedented and raises legal questions. Past administrations have relied on law enforcement to interdict drug shipments.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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(WASHINGTON) — Sen. Mitch McConnell, 83, fell to the ground in a Capitol hallway Thursday afternoon as he made his way to Senate votes.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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(WASHINGTON) — Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he offered Democrats an opportunity to address their biggest priority in an effort to end the government shutdown — but it was not enough to end the stalemate.

Thune, during an interview on MSNBC that aired Thursday morning, said he has offered Democrats a vote on extending the Affordable Care Act premium subsidies, but that he couldn’t guarantee an outcome.

“I’ve told them. I said, and I’ve said, ‘We are willing to have the conversation.’ I’ve said, ‘If you need a vote, we can guarantee you get a vote by a date certain.’ At some point Democrats have to take yes for an answer,” Thune said in the interview, which was taped Wednesday.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he offered Democrats an opportunity to address their biggest priority in an effort to end the government shutdown — but it was not enough to end the stalemate.

Thune, during an interview on MSNBC that aired Thursday morning, said he has offered Democrats a vote on extending the Affordable Care Act premium subsidies, but that he couldn’t guarantee an outcome.

“I’ve told them. I said, and I’ve said, ‘We are willing to have the conversation.’ I’ve said, ‘If you need a vote, we can guarantee you get a vote by a date certain.’ At some point Democrats have to take yes for an answer,” Thune said in the interview, which was taped Wednesday.

Thursday’s vote is a different sort of vote than previous ones related to the shutdown. This vote begins debate on one of 12 regular order annual appropriations bills that keep the government running.

Thune has signaled that if the Senate does successfully support this package Thursday, he’ll attempt to affix funding bills for additional agencies to it using regular order on the Senate floor.

Reopening the government is a crucial first step to continue discussions about reforms to health care, Thune said on MSNBC. He committed to conversations, but not an outcome. 

“There is a path forward, I believe, but it has to include reforms, and can I guarantee an outcome? No. And that’s what people want to see — guarantee us that this is going to pass,” Thune said. “I can’t guarantee it’s going to pass. I can guarantee you that there will be a process and you will get a vote.” 

Asked about Thune’s comments, Speaker Mike Johnson reiterated Thursday morning that no health care outcomes can be guaranteed.

“It’s not possible for Leader Thune to guarantee to Chuck Schumer some outcome on that, because we haven’t finished those deliberations. I mean, that’s just as simple as it is,” Johnson said during his Thursday morning news conference.

There is bipartisan interest, Thune said, in keeping health care costs down. But changes to the program need to be made, and negotiations on those changes start with opening the government, Thune said. 

Thune was pressed on efforts by the White House to rescind congressionally appropriated funds. Democrats have said that the use of rescissions has made them leery to work on funding deals. Thune did not explicitly say he wanted the White House to stop making rescissions, but he said regular order appropriations were the preferred method.

“The rescission power is something that constitutionally the president has — the question of whether they use it or not — yeah, I mean, that’s obviously something I think that they would need to talk to the White House about,” Thune said.

He said he’s had “conversations” on the topic with the White House and that “I do think that it’s in everybody’s best interest, including the White House’s, to have a normal appropriations process where people are bought in.”

As Thune sat for this interview, the House was in its third consecutive week of recess. Thune was asked if it was the right choice for the House to remain out of town. He said it was a “judgement call” for Speaker Johnson to make. 

“There isn’t anything right now. They did their job. They passed their bill. The game is in the Senate,” Thune said.

He also couldn’t guarantee the shutdown would end any time soon. When asked by Ali Vitali if he thought it would be over by Thanksgiving, Thune didn’t commit. 

“I hope it doesn’t last through Thanksgiving, because that’s going to be a lot of harm to the American people,” he said.

ABC News’ Lauren Peller contributed to this report.

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(WASHINGTON) — Just weeks before the planned meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea, China dramatically expanded its restrictions on rare earth minerals, a move the Trump administration sees as a sharp escalation in China’s efforts to tighten its grip on global manufacturing.

China’s new rules, which apply to all countries, are set to take effect in phases on Nov. 8, then Dec. 1.

“It is an exercise in economic coercion on every country in the world,” Ambassador Jameison Greer said Wednesday during a press conference alongside Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. “This will give China control over basically the entire global economy and the technology supply chain.”

The move prompted Trump to threaten 100% tariffs on all products from China starting Nov 1st. So far, Beijing hasn’t shown any public indication that it’s pulling back on its controls, but Bessent remains sanguine.  

“I am optimistic that this can be de-escalated. Ultimately, we are confident in the strong relationship between President Trump and President Xi,” Secretary Bessent said. ” We’ve had substantial communication with the Chinese over the past few days, and we believe that there will be more forthcoming this week.”

Some experts say Beijing is playing hardball to increase its leverage in these upcoming talks, while undercutting U.S. efforts to boost its industrial base.

Bessent said Wednesday that Trump is still expected to meet with Xi in South Korea despite the tariff threats.

The Chinese government stated on Sunday that it does not want a trade war, but it will also not shy away from it.

“On the tariff issue, China’s position remains consistent: we do not want a trade war, but we are not afraid of one,” China’s Ministry of Commerce said in a statement Sunday. “If the U.S. persists in its course, China will resolutely take appropriate countermeasures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests.”

China’s move to restrict rare Earth minerals could have global implications.

The restrictions affect a wide swath of the U.S. and global economy. Rare earths are key to producing computer chips, which are needed for many things like smartphones and AI systems. They’re also critical to making magnets to power drones, robots and cars. Rare earths are also crucial for defense technology, including F-35 fighter jets, Tomahawk missiles, and radar systems.

The restrictions mean that foreign firms must obtain Chinese government approval to export products that have even trace amounts of certain rare earths that originate from China.

Given that China is overwhelmingly dominant in this sector, this could have major national security implications.

Ambassador Greer gave an example on Wednesday, saying that “if a car is built in America and sold in Mexico, you would need to seek approval from China before making a sale because of the chips in the car.”

The broad scope of this rule from China is similar to how the U.S. has implemented export restrictions to control chip production around the world that uses American technology.

The sweeping new restrictions are a sign, some analysts say, that China wants the U.S. to roll back its own export controls, and that this fight is about more than just tariffs.

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(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump, speaking in the Oval Office on Wednesday alongside FBI Director Kash Patel, said his administration is going to “go into other cities” to combat crime.

“We’re going to have a surge of strong, good people, patriots. And they’re going to go in, they straighten it all out,” Trump said.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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(WASHINGTON) — Democratic senators are alleging that the Department of Homeland Security potentially violated the Hatch Act by asking airports across the country to play a video featuring DHS Secretary Kristi Noem blaming Democrats for the impacts of the government shutdown.

“This appears to be a flagrant violation of Sec. 715, which states ‘No part of any funds appropriated in this or any other act shall be used by an agency of the executive to branch… for the preparation, distribution or use of any… film presentation designed to support or defeat legislation pending before the Congress, except in presentation to the Congress itself,'” Connecticut Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal wrote in the letter to DHS citing a section from the Anti-Lobbying Act. 

The Hatch Act restricts certain political activities by federal employees and by some state, Washington, D.C., and local government workers who are involved or work in federally funded programs. Penalties for violating it include removal from federal employment, suspension without pay, demotion, or blocking a party from federal jobs for up to five years, according to the Office of Special Counsel.

“The law’s purposes are to ensure that federal programs are administered in a nonpartisan fashion, to protect federal employees from political coercion in the workplace, and to ensure that federal employees are advanced based on merit and not based on political affiliation,” according to the U.S. Office of Special Counsel’s website.

In response to ABC News’ request for comment on the call for an investigation, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said “DHS responds to official correspondence through official channels.”

“It is TSA’s top priority to ensure that travelers have the most pleasant, efficient, and safe air travel security experience possible. It is a simple statement of fact that Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the federal government, and because of this, most of our TSA employees are working without pay. It’s unfortunate our workforce has been put in this position due to political gamesmanship. Our hope is that Democrats will soon recognize the importance of opening the government,” she said.

The letter followed a number of airports nationwide declining to play the video, saying their facilities’ policies bar the showing of political content. Some of them also pointed to the Hatch Act. 

Among the major airports that declined to show the DHS video are LaGuardia, Newark Liberty, John F. Kennedy, Charlotte Douglas International, Seattle-Tacoma, San Francisco, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta, Chicago O’ Hare, Phoenix International and Colorado Springs.

As of Wednesday afternoon, officials at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport in Michigan and Bismarck Airport in North Dakota said the video was being shown on screens controlled by TSA at the airports and out of their control. Both airports said they were not involved in the decision to play the video. A spokesperson for Detroit Wayne Airport said it has requested that TSA stop playing the video. 

The letter to DHS led by Blumenthal and Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed was  cosigned by 15 other senators and asks the department to “immediately remove these videos from all TSA checkpoints and cease illegally using federal funds for partisan political messaging.”  

The senators also asked DHS to provide information on the funding used to produce the video, including the cost, the approver of the funds, whether anyone from the Trump administration was consulted on the video, and if any outside contractors or organizations were involved in its creation to assess whether any federal laws were violated or funds misused, according to the letter. 

A similar letter was sent by Washington Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell, ranking member on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, to the Office of Special Counsel demanding an investigation into the video, adding that the OSC is responsible for enforcing the Hatch Act. 

“When viewed in its totality, Secretary Noem’s video can only be reasonably interpreted as a partisan message intended to misleadingly malign the Trump Administration’s political opponents, convince Americans to blame ‘Democrats in Congress’ for the ongoing government shutdown, and influence their future votes — all while omitting the fact that Republicans currently control the White House, U.S. Senate, and U.S. House of Representatives,” Cantwell wrote in the letter.

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