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Being There: Are These People In the Room With Us?
These truly-through-the-looking-glass days, it seems the drunk great-uncle you really didn't wanna ask to dinner is somehow getting worse. Scarily and no longer mirthfully, the befuddled "head" of a GOP blitzed on projection daily spirals deeper into phantasmagoria - slurring words, crafting fictions, renaming oceans, rekindling grievances, losing it over trifles and consorting with imaginary friends as the world burns. An Orange-Stain plea from No Kings for the coming election: "Clean Up On Aisle USA" please. Soon.
To be clear, Trump was a lying fabulist from way back. In the glitzy 1980s and 1990s, he regularly posed as a successful businessman, savvy dealmaker and cad-about-town who'd infamously call reporters or publicists as "John Barron" to boast about his money or conquests - a ploy he admitted in later court depositions he learned from his Nazi father. In power, like "a pre-teen with a girlfriend in Canada nobody's met," he's long invented "friends," fans, sources who praise him and his dreadful policies, from cultists invariably with tears in their eyes who "thank me for saving the country" to U.S. CEOs and "one of the great people of China, from the highest echelons" who inexplicably extol his disastrous tariffs.
Lately, though, the GOP is reportedly freaking out, watching the line between fact and fiction increasingly blur in Dear Leader's mashed-potato mind as the economy keeps tumbling and vital mid-terms approach. They want him to celebrate (albeit largely imaginary) tax cuts, trade deals, safe borders, winning fights against drag shows and "transgender for everyone" (sigh). Instead, he raves about livestreamed executions, the hotness of GOP candidates, often in the wrong state - "His ass, shit, it's like a pile of muscle" - his bestie Putin who's been "fine on Ukraine," how "not a single" undocumented immigrant has entered America since he took office, how soaring gas and diesel costs are "a small price to pay," though it's unclear for what.
He garbles words or makes them up - "When we had the hurricane...We call it a watercane" - prompting excited patriots to up their expectations: "OK, cancel the Blue Wave, we want a Blue Watercane." Wearily, he jokes about creating a robot lookalike on the campaign trail- "Nobody would know the difference" - so he can stay home and watch TV, his true, small vocation. Weirdly, he fantasizes about trashing other countries: He boasts about "polling higher than anyone has ever polled in Venezuela," which is why "after I finish with this" he'll to go Venezuela, "learn Spanish quickly, it won't take long, I'm good at languages" and run for president there, and yes we are here for it.
Hopefully, Venezuela won't have pesky reporters asking him questions that drive him to melt down in "dementia anger-flare." Because he lacks both impulse control and any trace of decency, he's also lauded Vivek Ramaswamy's grotesque ad against rape survivor and Dem opponent Amy Acton, wherein her estranged, unhinged mother calls her a liar, charging the Fake News "is trying to convince everyone this Ad is bad because it’s so good!...It's called 'hitting pay dirt.’” He adds that if his "legendary" mother "said anything bad about me, (it) would go down as the Ad of the Decade — Maybe the Century!" Vivek should keep the ad up, he says, so people know Acton is "a DISASTER who, uncontrollably, lies, cheats, and steals!” Killer pot/kettle.
There are more. The racist fraudsters who got rich on corruption - and turned Minneapolis into Fallujah - want us to rat on our neighbors for...fraud under Trump's stammered "Fraud Whistle...Blower Incentive...Program" whereby "Americans (can) report theft of taxpayer dollars," with DOGE "skunk-works" stragglers helping. Turn in someone with $1 billion, you get 1%: "That's a lot of money.” Except the cap is $30K, you probs won't see it, and it's queasily akin to Nazi bounties on Jews. Stephen Goebbels was even there to smear phantom Somalis who get $30 million for a fake daycare, buy BMWs or mansions, fly their kids "first class all over the world...living the high life." What a sick fuck. Meanwhile, America urges, "Call in fraud at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue."
Alas, the more loopy he gets, the more openly he flies his violent, racist, crassly unfettered flag. There are more curses and more bellicose AI slop like the video of a macho white guy put in prison with three scary black guys, by one scary black cop, who takes them all down: "Bullies Can’t Break a Strong Man." (So many pots/kettles!) The rallies grow more pugnacious too: In the second assault this month, a South Carolina sheriff's office is investigating an attack on a protester - punched in the head, neck and chest - that Trump cheered on, praising the thugs' "courage." "Who's the guy that threw that punch?" he excitedly asked. "I love that." He also mocked the victim as "a very unattractive guy," for a rare combo sick fuck and pot/kettle.
That was at a rally, in a reported “livestock arena” say what, for Darlene Graham, who’s “gonna have a big win.” If so, no thanks to his shambolic speech, which roamed from renaming the Atlantic Ocean - “I was always high end” - to insisting he doesn’t ramble while rambling - “I got - I know everything I’m doing. I got aptitude they dream about” - to again whining about the prizes he didn’t win: The Pulitzer for writing - “The people that got it shouldn’t have gotten it” - and the usual Nobel, despite being “one person who deserves it more than any yuman being." ”Not that I want it - it’s just ridiculous,“ he babbled. ”How the hell do you not get the Nobel Prize? i settled like 8 wars. The woman that got it, I don’t know where the hell she comes from.“ Losingest loser ever.
Finally, amidst all the lame, foul, daft fails, there are his deeply undignified transfers: The careening burlesque of a walk to his helicopter in Alaska. The ambling approach to his beloved, million-year helipad when he suddenly stops to acknowledge, salute and wave to a crowd of supporters, aka thin air. Eventually, the camera zooms out to show...empty space. A few seconds later, aides walk out from a different direction; other angles - here and here - show the same abyss, for which Fox would've run Biden out of town. Same for last week's event, ostensibly to honor first responders where, amidst a losing war, crumbling economy, burning planet and hungry children, Nero nattered and raved about his house projects. Nothing to see here.
“You're seeing this for the first time. This used to be grass. So if we did this, you couldn't do it. It was unusable. You know, this is built on a wetland. So the grass was always wet. Even if you were in a drought, the grass was soaking wet. And especially women with the high heels, they'd be holding their shoes. They go out and buy beautiful new high heels that go into the White House and they come back and their shoes are destroyed. But we did a job with the same stone that matches the White House stone and hasn't been totally finished. We're going with the black over here, too, because the limestone doesn't hold up well. Never, never did. Never will. But what we've done here is really amazing. We put a brand new coat over the White House, brand new coat. We fixed up the walls. They were all broken, chopped, terrible shape. A lot of the ornamentation, like around the windows, was broken. And many years ago, 30, 40, 50 years ago, probably a lot during Biden three years ago because he had no idea what the hell he was doing. But you'd look at a window and you'd see ornament on the right side. And on the left side, you'd see it was it had fallen off. Some people think that's OK, but I don't think it's OK. So we had molds made of the right side. We put it on the left side. It's all perfect now. So we re-skinned. Basically, it's a re-skinning. And that building is good to go for another 100 years or at least actually. But even this, the you see the the top sections where it was so bad, I didn't even like standing under it. The thing was all cracked and broken all over the place. We put the sign up, solid brass, half inch thick, as opposed to laminate. You ever see these laminate? They they don't want to spend the money on the brass. So they have a piece of brass laminated. It's about a hundredth of an inch thick. And they put it on a piece of wood to save a lot of money. And then in about two years, it decomposes and it's laying all over the floor. We don't do that. But up there is the Rose Garden. And then we, as you know, that wall has sat for 150 years empty. And I said, something has to be on that wall. And I just had the the notion I've often thought of it because I've never seen it before. A presidential walk of fame. So we went from George Washington to Trump. And that will be extended on this wall right up here because somebody said, oh, but you have no room for anybody else. I said, no, it extends this way. And but I'm going to have to leave that because whoever it is, maybe they won't be able to figure that out. And if they don't figure it out, I don't know what they're going to do. You know, but we have we have at least one hundred and twenty five years of extension going this way. So it's fun. But everybody loves the presidential walk of fame. Nobody knows if there is any. And we have a very generic, very good description of every president from Washington all the way down. And we get a little bit more personal as we get closer to my my year. Talk a little bit about in more detail about what we've had to put up with....All I do is write the truth.” - Donald J. Trump
Ladies and gentlemen, the President (sic) of the United StatesGetty Image
As Biodiversity Summit Begins, 'Systems That Sustain Life on Earth Are Under Threat'
Four years after world leaders agreed to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, representatives from nearly 200 nations gathered in the Armenian capital on Monday for a summit to review progress on the agreement and discuss future actions to protect nature.
In the lead-up to the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17) in Yerevan, the United Nations Environment Program released a "State of Biodiversity Action" report. UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that the framework "has inspired action across the globe," with nearly 90% of parties establishing national targets, but "progress is uneven, and far too slow."
The framework—sometimes called the "Paris Agreement for Nature"—features 23 targets for 2030 and four for 2050. The world isn't on track to meet any of them, including its key goal to protect 30% of all land and water by the end of this decade. Guterres noted that "even if current national commitments are met, only 26% of terrestrial and 12% of marine ecosystems would be protected" on that timeline.
The Guardian pointed out that "the last biodiversity summit, COP16 in Cali, Colombia, ended in disarray with no clear agreement on key topics after negotiations ran out of time. Another round of talks were needed in Rome to finish the meeting."
Agence France-Presse reported Monday that "only a handful of world leaders, including UN chief Antonio Guterres but mostly heads of state from nearby Central Asian nations, turned up for a high-level session on Friday ahead of the formal negotiations."
Armenian Environment Minister Hambardzum Matevosyan, who is presiding over the summit, told AFP that success "will not be measured simply by the number of participants, high-level statements, or decisions adopted," but whether nations actually take action. He added at the opening session that "over the next two weeks, our task will be to bridge the differences, build consensus, and ensure that COP17... deliver[s] results commensurate with the urgency of the challenges before us."
Those who are participating in the summit and parties to the convention face pressure from conservation leaders, including Jeffrey Parrish, the Nature Conservancy's global managing director for nature protection, who declared that "our planet is in peril. The biodiversity that sustains us is being lost faster than ever, and ecosystems that fuel our health and economies are fraying."
Parrish called on those in Yerevan to turn the review process "into an acceleration agenda" to boost progress on the 2030 goals, "transform our financial systems" to mobilize investment at the necessary scale, "integrate biodiversity into infrastructure and development decision-making," and "strengthen policy frameworks to deliver durable, area-based conservation outcomes."
Nature COP17 starts today, with governments gathering to assess progress towards restoring nature The target to protect 30% of land for nature by 2030 seems within reach, but ‘paper parks’ won’t cut it - eg just 7% of England is *properly* protected for naturewww.theguardian.com/environment/...
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— Guy Shrubsole (@guyshrubsole.bsky.social) October 19, 2026 at 3:34 AM
An Lambrechts, head of advocacy group Greenpeace's delegation to the summit, said in a statement that "we're halfway to 2030 and the evidence is clear: We are far off track to reach the 30×30 targets. The systems that sustain life on Earth are under threat, and decisions made at COP17 must deliver a clear course correction to protect our planet's ecosystems."
"This COP can't become a mere entry in a vast log of destruction," she argued. "Governments need to agree on concrete actions that tackle the drivers of biodiversity loss, increase finance, and redirect money flows to where they are needed. But decisions in Yerevan will only matter if governments follow through at home. They cannot continue promising to protect nature while supporting its destruction through harmful subsidies and incoherent policies. Any more delay is a threat to our survival on the planet."
Nichanan Tanthanawit, global project lead for Greenpeace's Ocean Justice Campaign, stressed that "protecting 30% of the planet by 2030 is not just a numerical target. Our ambition must be centered around justice, equity, and those who protect nature. Indigenous Peoples and local communities have cared for these lands and waters for generations, yet their knowledge, rights, and leadership are still too often overlooked."
Camila Jardim, an international political expert at Greenpeace Brazil, highlighted how biodiversity concerns connect to the fossil fuel-driven climate crisis—which world leaders have also failed to adequately address, despite scientists' warnings.
"The world is moving towards a looming 1.5ºC overshoot and the sixth mass extinction, with the human-caused climate and biodiversity crises already severely impacting people all over the world," Jardim said, referring to the Paris Agreement's temperature rise target for this century. "Those are not separate issues, but pieces of the same puzzle, and action is more urgent than ever."
"Governments can make the most impact with aligned policies to address both crises... together, with clear actions for the short, medium and long term," she continued. "This is especially critical for primary forests, which are essential for both climate stability and biodiversity protection, and the Brazil-led roadmap to halt and reverse deforestation and forest degradation by 2030 offers a real opportunity for strengthening synergies between conventions. Protection means tackling not only deforestation but also degradation, and ensuring that climate and biodiversity commitments reinforce each other rather than pull in different directions."
Europe can’t lead on nature at COP17 while cutting biodiversity cash at home
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— euobserver — EU news that matters (@euobserver.com) October 18, 2026 at 3:08 PM
Also attentive to the talks in Armenia on Monday, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) released recommendations and guidance on how to incorporate ecological integrity—or "how closely an ecosystem’s species, structure, functions, and ecological processes remain within their natural range of variation"—into relevant policies and practices.
"The world has made ambitious commitments to halt and reverse biodiversity loss, but success cannot be measured by simply counting the number of conservation areas established, the species protected, or the amount of land and water conserved," said John G. Robinson, a Wildlife Conservation Society scientist who co-chairs the IUCN Task Force on Ecological Integrity.
"The real test is whether natural ecosystems—forests, grasslands, freshwater systems, and oceans—are maintaining or recovering the ecological integrity needed to sustain life," Robinson explained. "Do these places continue to support healthy wildlife populations, functioning ecosystems, and the natural processes that make life possible? By focusing on ecological integrity, we can make conservation more effective, and governments can be more accountable for results."
'Consumers Are Feeling Spooked': Trump's Failed Economic Policies Send Price of Halloween Candy Soaring
President Donald Trump's illegal war with Iran and his global tariffs have tag-teamed to jack up the price of Halloween candy, according to a report published Tuesday.
The new analysis by Groundwork Collaborative and The Century Foundation finds that the price of popular Halloween candy has increased by more than 15% during the last year, which is several times the overall rate of inflation over the same period.
The biggest jump in price came from candy maker Mondelez, whose sour gummy candy variety pack saw its price shoot up by more than 39% in the last year.
Other notable price hikes included the Hershey variety pack, which increased by nearly 20%; the Ferrero chocolate pack, which increased by 19%; the Mars chocolate variety pack, which increased by over 13%; and Tootsie seasonal lollipops, which increased by over 7%.
The report notes that Trump's illegal Iran War and his aluminum tariffs have had an impact on candy prices by driving up packaging costs for sweets.
However, the report also points the finger at the candy companies, which have continued to raise prices even after receiving a tariff exemption for cocoa and getting refunds for illegal tariffs Trump charged them last year.
"Hershey’s profit margin jumped 50% year over year, helped by pocketing a $9 million tariff refund that never made its way back to shoppers," the report notes, "while Mondelez saw a similar 30% bump in margins."
Kyle K. Moore, chief economist at The Century Foundation, said that Trump's policies had helped turn "a fun family tradition into another terrifying bill."
"With debt and high prices eating into families’ Halloween budgets," said Moore, "it's no wonder consumers are feeling spooked."
Elizabeth Pancotti, vice president of policy and advocacy at Groundwork Collaborative, pointed out that consumer sentiment recently hit record lows, as Americans are also struggling with the rising costs of gasoline and groceries.
"Trick-or-treaters will have to make due with miniature candy bars this year to accommodate Trump’s king-size price hikes," Pancotti said.
A Sunday report in The Cleveland Plain Dealer highlighted an additional reason for the high price of Halloween candy: The price of sugar, which has been affected by "poor weather and weaker production forecasts in several major sugar-producing regions."
A survey released earlier this month by Lending Tree found that Americans expect to spend significantly less on Halloween overall this year, with 23% saying they plan to buy fewer overall Halloween items compared to a year ago, while 24% said they expected to go into debt while celebrating the holiday.
Data released by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics last week showed inflation in September rising to its fastest level in six months, driven in large part by costs related to the Iran War.
Brazil's Lula Wins 'Historic Victory' Against Right-Wing Trump Ally Flávio Bolsonaro
In a historic comeback, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva triumphed in Sunday's run-off election over right-wing challenger Flávio Bolsonaro, the son of former Brazilian President and convicted coup-plotter Jair Bolsonaro.
Lula's victory comes despite the best efforts of US President Donald Trump and his Big Tech backers, as Trump's administration openly intervened on behalf of Bolsonaro and Meta boosted pro-Bolsonaro over pro-Lula content on its social media platforms.
"Lula won, Brazil won, democracy won, the Americas won," said Pennsylvania Democratic House nominee Chris Rabb from Lula's campaign headquarters in Sao Paulo, Brazil, after the results were announced around 9:15 pm Brasilia time. "They declared victory for Lula da Silva for his fourth term against a raging fascist, rubber-stamped for Donald Trump."
"These elections have represented a historic victory for the majority of the Brazilian people, who mobilized to defend democracy against the threat of fascism."
Rabb noted that Lula's victory marked an important turning point for the left in Latin America, as far-right parties had won every other national election in the region since the start of Trump's second term. "This is the first victory for democracy in this hemisphere since Trump took office," Rabb said.
With 99.99% of the votes counted, Lula won by 51.79% to Bolsonario's 48.21%, making him the first Brazilian candidate since the restoration of democracy in 1985 to win a second-round election after coming in second in the initial round.
“I would like to thank the Brazilian people for the generosity they have shown me for a long time,” Lula said in his victory speech in São Paulo late Sunday. “And, in this second round, I want to thank the generosity of the Brazilian youth, who took to the streets to defend democracy.”
After finishing two percentage points behind Bolsonaro in the October 4 poll, Lula re-energized his campaign by finally shortening the Brazilian workweek from six to five days, as his supporters launched demonstrations against the far-right.
"These elections have represented a historic victory for the majority of the Brazilian people, who mobilized to defend democracy against the threat of fascism," Francesca Emanuele, senior international policy associate with the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR), told Common Dreams from Sao Paulo, Brazil, where she was monitoring the elections. "It was the Brazilian people themselves (students, working-class, and middle-class Brazilians) who took to the streets and mobilized tirelessly from the very first day after the first round of voting to overturn the first-round results and secure Lula’s victory."
Reginaldo Lopes, a federal deputy for Lula's Workers' Party, told The Guardian: “I feel incredible… This is Brazil telling the world that the extreme right is fascist, that the extreme right is against Black people, is against the poor, against the state, against gay people... We are going to reorganize the democratic forces [in this country.]"
Sunday's victory did not come easily, as the Lula campaign complained of bus shortages in the key cities of Salvador and Sao Paulo, requesting that the Brazilian Supreme Court extend the voting by two hours. The court granted the request, so polls closed at 7 pm Brasilia time instead of 5 pm.
"Lula’s win is the first good news for the planet in a while!"
"Lula has won despite the unfair practices his campaign has faced from Meta, interference from the Trump administration, and severe disruptions to public transportation on election day in major cities (where up to 50% of bus fleets were reportedly out of service)," Emanuele told Common Dreams. "These disruptions disproportionately affected working-class voters, who rely heavily on public transportation and have historically been a key part of Lula’s electoral base."
She continued: "Despite all these obstacles, Lula’s campaign managed to turn around a first-round result that, just a few weeks ago, had seemed extremely difficult to reverse. This is a major victory for the majority of the Brazilian people."
Several advocates and lawmakers hailed the election results as a rebuke to the far-right and the Trump administration in particular.
"During his campaign, President Lula characterized 2026’s elections as a choice between 'sovereignty or submission.' Brazil has clearly chosen sovereignty," the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), who sent a delegation to observe both rounds of Brazil's elections, wrote in a statement.
Progressive Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) posted on social media: "People all across the world are fighting back against extremism. With Lula in Brazil, they just won. Authoritarian leaders always attack democracy because they stand no chance against the will of their people. Trump must respect the results and not undermine Brazil’s elections."
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said: "Congratulations to Lula on his extraordinary reelection victory in the Brazilian presidential election. Lula has stood up for Brazilian workers & democracy—and will continue to do so in the next four years."
"Lula's hard-fought victory is an indictment on the right-wing wave sweeping through Latin America," Joseph Bouchard, a journalist and researcher who focuses on Latin America, told Common Dreams. "Except for [ Salvadorian President Nayib] Bukele, the right across the region is still incredibly unpopular, and rightly seen as corrupt, autocratic, and uncommitted to fixing systemic issues. Lula shows there is still a fight for democracy worth having, while the region is plunged into its darkest, most regressive period since the Cold War. The entire region is populated by vassal states for US interests, who have declared states of exception to curtail rights, freedoms, and basic principles of social democracy, in the name of a failed and anti-human war on drugs."
Lula's victory also has planetary consequences, as he brought deforestation in the Amazon rainforest back down to record lows after it accelerated during the tenure of Jair Bolsonaro, who attacked environmental protections and Indigenous rights.
"Lula’s win is the first good news for the planet in a while!" wrote 350.org and Third Act co-founder Bill McKibben. "I bet it shaves a tenth of a degree off how hot our Earth eventually gets, which will save millions of lives. Thank you Brazil!"
Lula still faces a fight ahead, as Bolsonaro announced it was "impossible to concede the election result" due to the extension of polling hours, even though his team had also sought an extension in parts of southeastern Brazil because of unfavorable weather.
Bouchard pointed out that "Lula will fight an uphill battle with a far-right Congress, inept Supreme Court, and constant outside pressure.."
"Trump's silence on the result is worrisome, with Flavio not conceding and demanding an annulment," he told Common Dreams. "Sadly, much of the corporate press has legitimated these claims, despite the right's concerted efforts at destroying democracy. No matter how much the authoritarians try to tip the scales, the people can still prevail, if the left is willing to fight. This might prove to be a confidence boost to the demoralized and overpowered left all over the region, and may hopefully set the region back toward progress, hard fought after decades of dictatorship and neoliberal transitions."
US-based Lula allies urged others in the US to defend Brazil's democracy from Trump administration interference and to take their own stand against the far-right in the upcoming midterm elections.
The DSA wrote:
However, the fight continues—the thin margin of this victory indicates that continued struggle and mobilization will be crucial. As global capitalism fails to solve worsening problems of its own making, the capitalists turn to right-wing authoritarianism. Brazil’s left-wing coalition will face a right-wing Congress at home, a hostile Trump administration in the US, and hostile capitalists both [at] home and abroad in the years ahead. We of the DSA stand in solidarity with our comrades in the PT [Lula's Partido dos Trabalhadores], PSOL [Brazil's left-wing Socialism and Liberty Party], and Brazilian social movements in this fight for democratic self-determination.
This solidarity means recognizing our country’s role in the threat to Brazilian democracy. These elections were marred by interference from the US, whether by Trump’s politically motivated tariffs, or by manipulation of social media by US-based tech companies like Meta. They aimed to subvert Brazil’s democracy to favor its far-right allies grouped in the "Shield of the Americas," and to get their hands on crucial natural resources, such as lithium, cobalt, and rare earth minerals as well as petroleum and iron ore, which Brazil possesses in abundance and which Lula has sworn to protect as national patrimony. The DSA categorically denounces these meddlesome, imperialist efforts. We fight for a working-class foreign policy—one which centers peace, multilateralism, and respects national self-determination, free from US interference.
Rabb concluded his message with a call to action, and a celebration: "This is a big deal for us in the United States. This shows that Trumpismo is waning, and it is our responsibility now to make sure that we kill the beast. That beast is injustice, it's oligarchy, it's neoliberalism. All of these things. Now it's our turn, folks. November 3 is right around the corner, but right now I'm going to party with these Brazilians."
Update: This piece has been updated with commentary from Joseph Bouchard.
Under Assault From Trump, Embattled ICC Wins Top Human Rights Prize in Europe
The European Union on Thursday awarded its most prestigious human rights prize to the International Criminal Court and its officials in a rebuke to President Donald Trump’s efforts to destroy the institution.
The EU’s Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought—previously awarded to figures such as Nelson Mandela and Malala Yousafzai—follows another international honor this month for a former ICC judge. Earlier in October, Navi Pillay, a former judge for the war crimes court, received the Nobel Peace Prize.
“The European Union is built on respect for multilateralism and international institutions," said European Parliament President Roberta Metsola as she announced the award on Thursday. “With the award of the Sakharov Prize to the International Criminal Court and its officials, the European Parliament recognizes the court’s important work in upholding international law and justice.”
Welcoming the award, which will be presented in December, ICC president Tomoko Akane noted that it “comes at a time when the court and its officials face unprecedented challenges.” She added, “There is no peace without justice and no security without law.”
In retaliation for the ICC’s 2024 arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Trump administration has declared war on the court, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying the goal was to “dismantle” it.
The US and Israel have not ratified the Rome Statute that created the ICC in 2002, and they claim that the court therefore has no power to hold their citizens accountable for war crimes. Supporters of the body argue that it has jurisdiction over crimes committed by Americans or Israelis in member states, such as Afghanistan and Palestine.
At last month's United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York, Trump raged against the court as an "evil group of people" and declared that he would "never allow US service members or anyone else to be investigated or given show trials by an anti-American tribunal with no jurisdiction over us." During the same speech, he threatened to "annihilate" Iran and bragged about seizing Venezuela's oil as "spoils" of war.
After sanctioning individual judges, UN experts, and human rights organizations that provided evidence of Israeli war crimes in Gaza, the Trump administration earlier this month sanctioned the court as a whole—threatening to cut it off from financial services and technology it needs to function. Human rights organizations have decried the sanctions as a fundamental assault on international law itself and a declaration of impunity by the United States.
Yannis Maniatis, a Greek lawmaker and vice president for foreign affairs of the European Parliament’s Socialists and Democrats bloc, which nominated the ICC for the prize, said the honor was meant to reinforce the idea “that no one is above the law.”
“We stand by the ICC and its officials, and we are committed to safeguarding its work," he said Monday. "We must guarantee that the ICC is able to operate independently, free from pressure or external interference."
"The court ensures that victims around the world have access to justice," he added. "It is a people-based organization, not a political one. If the aggressors become the victims, and if we stand by helplessly as international justice erodes, we risk allowing those who believe themselves above the law to prevail."
Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, likewise welcomed the award.
"For victims of the world's gravest crimes, justice means a voice," she said. “The [ICC] must be free to pursue its mission independently and without pressure or intimidation.”
Some European lawmakers have warned that expressions of solidarity with the ICC will mean little unless the EU takes decisive action to shield the court from US sanctions.
Earlier this month, the chairs of five European Parliament bodies said that "targeting the court as an institution crosses a fundamental red line, one that threatens the independence and integrity of a tribunal established to uphold accountability for the gravest crimes of concern to the international community."
"The European Union must now demonstrate unwavering solidarity with the ICC and its personnel—not only with words but also with concrete acts," they said. "The European Commission must immediately trigger the EU Blocking Statute, shielding the court and European actors from the extraterritorial reach of these sanctions. Europe must stand firm in defense of international law and the rule of law.”
On Monday, European Commission spokesperson Siobhan McGarry confirmed that the measure remained under consideration but announced no decision or timeline for activating it.
The Left, a coalition of socialist and other left-wing parties in the European Parliament, said awarding the Sakharov Prize to the ICC sent a “strong signal to the European Commission to immediately invoke the Blocking Statute and protect international justice from US sanctions and intimidation.”
Half a Million People in Gaza to Lose Food Aid Due to Funding Shortages: UN
The United Nations's World Food Program announced on Monday that funding shortages were forcing it to significantly reduce assistance in Gaza, where it projected half a million people would lose access to food aid.
The WFP said the cuts would also mean that families still receiving assistance will only get half of the rations they previously received.
WFP has cut the number of hot meals it provides in Gaza by 40%, while reducing the value of cash assistance it provides to 75,000 families.
The agency also said that it would be reducing its operations in the West Bank, where an estimated 200,000 people are projected to lose access to food assistance.
The WFP said the fiscal shortfalls came after it received "less than half as much funding for its Palestine operation in 2026 as in previous years," adding that it needs $450 million to maintain its critical operations in the two Palestinian territories over the next six months.
"As winter approaches," WFP said, "additional resources are urgently needed to sustain emergency food assistance, provide critical engineering support and prevent malnutrition among young children and pregnant and breastfeeding women."
Shaun Hughes, WFP's representative and country director for Palestine, told The Guardian that the cuts were coming after the program had made steady progress in reducing hunger in Gaza, while emphasizing that "these are very fragile gains, easily reversed, and the situation is still brutal."
"We need to invest in recovery," Hughes added. "This humanitarian operation isn’t affordable or sustainable in the long term. Ultimately that’s also what everyone in Gaza is telling us. They really don’t want to be reliant on these handouts, don’t want to stand in the hot meals queue every day. They want to have some chance of stability and recovery."
Some Palestinians who spoke with BBC on Monday expressed horror at news of the cuts, which come as Gaza is still under attack by Israeli forces.
Mervat al-Satari, a displaced Palestinian mother, told BBC that the cuts were "a disaster" and asked "how will we provide for the little ones?"
Palestinian mother Dalal al-Dahdouh, who is living in the ruins of her home in Gaza City, told BBC that WFP rations were already insufficient before the cuts took effect.
"In the past, thank God, we had our own home and a wonderful life," al-Dahdouh said. "We had fresh vegetables, proper sanitation facilities, and our own land. Now we live entirely on aid, including WFP vouchers."
Over a Million Seniors Sent Scrambling as Medicare Advantage Giants Slash Plans Under Trump
Medicare Advantage giants are seeking to boost their profits by cutting benefits and exiting counties across the US—despite receiving a big payment boost from the Trump administration.
Seniors across the United States are scrambling to find alternative health coverage as Humana, UnitedHealthcare, and other private insurance giants slash Medicare Advantage benefits and cancel some plans entirely—despite receiving a major payment increase from the Trump administration for the coming fiscal year.
Humana and UnitedHealthcare's plan cancellations are expected to impact more than 1 million seniors nationwide, forcing people to find new plans in the current open enrollment period that runs until December 7. Both companies have signaled that they are trying to boost their bottom lines by exiting unprofitable Medicare Advantage markets and cutting benefits such as routine dental coverage, which is not offered by traditional Medicare.
"My biggest challenge for picking a plan next year is the cost of dental plans and vision are going up," one Medicare Advantage enrollee told PBS last week.
The health policy nonprofit KFF noted in an analysis earlier this month Humana and UnitedHealthcare are withdrawing their Medicare Advantage prescription drug plans from more US counties than they are entering in 2027. UnitedHealthcare is exiting 228 counties and entering nine new ones, while Humana is leaving 62 counties and entering four new ones, KFF found.
Blue Cross Blue Shield is also eliminating some of its Medicare Advantage plans, which are funded by the federal government—at a massive cost to US taxpayers—and run by private companies. The Boston Globe reported on Monday that "about 20,000 seniors in Massachusetts will be forced to find new health insurance plans" due to the Blue Cross Blue Shield cuts.
In Minnesota, an analysis by the Star Tribune found that around two-thirds of state residents enrolled in Medicare Advantage—around 340,000 people—will have to find new coverage for the coming year due to private insurers' cuts.
"Fifteen counties are losing their remaining Medicare Advantage options next year. In 12 of those counties, though, insurers will sell a different kind of privatized Medicare coverage called a Cost plan," the Star Tribune reported last week. "Cost plans sell at typically higher monthly premiums than Medicare Advantage plans."
Nationwide, more than half of the Medicare-eligible population is enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans, which are notorious for overbilling the federal government and denying coverage for necessary care—increasingly using artificial intelligence technology.
Medicare Payment Advisory Commission estimated in a report published earlier this year that the federal government will pay roughly $76 billion more to cover seniors on Medicare Advantage plans than it would have if those same people were on traditional Medicare. Over the next decade, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, Medicare Advantage overpayments could cost the federal government around $1 trillion.
Earlier this year, the Trump administration gave the Medicare Advantage industry a significant boost by hiking federal payments to private insurers by roughly 2.5%—a sizeable increase compared to the 0.9% raise that the administration previously floated. Reuters reported in April that the industry will also receive a "2.5% benefit from a change to risk assessment payments related to health status, for a total increase of about 5%."
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which announced the payment boost, is currently headed by Mehmet Oz, who once proposed a healthcare plan dubbed "Medicare Advantage for All."
The advocacy group Families USA called the 2027 payment increase for Medicare Advantage insurers "a big giveaway" that could have gone toward "bolstering benefits in Medicare for all seniors and people with disabilities."
Van Hollen Says Medicare for All Is What's Needed If Democrats Take Back the Senate
“The reality is people are facing huge increases in premiums and copays… So we need a Medicare-for-All-type solution,” Van Hollen said. “This is the kind of debate we need to have.”
Another possible Democratic presidential contender says the party needs to pursue “Medicare for All” as a solution to America’s healthcare crisis should the US Senate flip blue in November.
“The reality is people are facing huge increases in premiums and copays. So we need a Medicare-for-All-type solution,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) said in a Monday report from Politico. “This is the kind of debate we need to have.”
Van Hollen joins a list of potential 2028 hopefuls who have endorsed the idea of a single-payer healthcare system—including Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), who have championed the policy for years, following the lead of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).
Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom has also declared that he believes in “universal healthcare” and “Medicare for All” but has not yet released a concrete proposal for what his version of the policy would look like.
Van Hollen, who previously backed a public health insurance option to compete with private insurance, supported Sanders' Medicare for All bill in December as premiums were set to skyrocket after Republicans allowed enhanced Affordable Care Act insurance subsidies to expire.
He declared that Congress "must stop tinkering around the edges of a broken healthcare system," pointing to the massive administrative costs and poor health outcomes under the for-profit status quo.
Medicare for All could also face a more favorable climate in the Senate than it did during the Biden presidency.
If Democrats retake the chamber this November—buoyed by promises to tackle the high costs of everything from healthcare to energy to food—Sanders is expected to once again be appointed chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee.
Sanders led the committee from 2023-25, a time when Medicare for All lacked any chance of passing out of a Republican-controlled House of Representatives.
While a new Medicare for All bill would likely be routed through the Senate Finance Committee, chairing HELP would give the Vermont socialist the power to frame the debate on healthcare by holding hearings that could address problems with private insurance and launching investigations into industry practices, while making the case for a single-payer system.
In an April 2026 letter, co-signed by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Sanders called for a series of high-profile Senate hearings grilling insurance CEOs over rising premiums, coverage denials, executive compensation, and industry consolidation.
“The American public deserves to know why the big insurance executives... continue to get richer and richer, while over one-third of people with health insurance have been forced to skip or delay getting the care they need because of the outrageous cost,” Sanders and Wyden wrote. “It is time for our committees to hold the chief executives of the major health insurance companies accountable for their greed and to address the healthcare crisis in America."
A strong showing for Democrats in November's midterms could bring a new crop of Medicare for All supporters to Congress, such as former Detroit public health official Abdul El-Sayed and labor leader Troy Jackson, who are leading their Senate races in Michigan and Maine.
As private insurance premiums spike and millions of Americans lose coverage after the Trump administration imposed the largest federal healthcare spending cut in the nation's history, Medicare for All also has more public support than it has had in years.
A September survey by KFF found that 66% of adults said they’d favor “a national health plan in which everyone gets insurance from a single government plan.” Support came from 84% of Democrats, who’ve long backed it, as well as nearly three-quarters of independents and even just over a third of Republicans.
“If I have anything to say about it… the agenda of the Democratic Party is going to be extremely bold. It is going to take on high costs,” Sanders told Politico. “The super [political action committees] are not going to run the agenda anymore. We’re going to do what the American people want.”
Brazil's Lula Wins 'Historic Victory' Against Right-Wing Trump Ally Flávio Bolsonaro
"This shows that Trumpismo is waning, and it is our responsibility now to make sure that we kill the beast," Pennsylvania Democratic House nominee Chris Rabb said.
In a historic comeback, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva triumphed in Sunday's run-off election over right-wing challenger Flávio Bolsonaro, the son of former Brazilian President and convicted coup-plotter Jair Bolsonaro.
Lula's victory comes despite the best efforts of US President Donald Trump and his Big Tech backers, as Trump's administration openly intervened on behalf of Bolsonaro and Meta boosted pro-Bolsonaro over pro-Lula content on its social media platforms.
"Lula won, Brazil won, democracy won, the Americas won," said Pennsylvania Democratic House nominee Chris Rabb from Lula's campaign headquarters in Sao Paulo, Brazil, after the results were announced around 9:15 pm Brasilia time. "They declared victory for Lula da Silva for his fourth term against a raging fascist, rubber-stamped for Donald Trump."
"These elections have represented a historic victory for the majority of the Brazilian people, who mobilized to defend democracy against the threat of fascism."
Rabb noted that Lula's victory marked an important turning point for the left in Latin America, as far-right parties had won every other national election in the region since the start of Trump's second term. "This is the first victory for democracy in this hemisphere since Trump took office," Rabb said.
With 99.99% of the votes counted, Lula won by 51.79% to Bolsonario's 48.21%, making him the first Brazilian candidate since the restoration of democracy in 1985 to win a second-round election after coming in second in the initial round.
“I would like to thank the Brazilian people for the generosity they have shown me for a long time,” Lula said in his victory speech in São Paulo late Sunday. “And, in this second round, I want to thank the generosity of the Brazilian youth, who took to the streets to defend democracy.”
After finishing two percentage points behind Bolsonaro in the October 4 poll, Lula re-energized his campaign by finally shortening the Brazilian workweek from six to five days, as his supporters launched demonstrations against the far-right.
"These elections have represented a historic victory for the majority of the Brazilian people, who mobilized to defend democracy against the threat of fascism," Francesca Emanuele, senior international policy associate with the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR), told Common Dreams from Sao Paulo, Brazil, where she was monitoring the elections. "It was the Brazilian people themselves (students, working-class, and middle-class Brazilians) who took to the streets and mobilized tirelessly from the very first day after the first round of voting to overturn the first-round results and secure Lula’s victory."
Reginaldo Lopes, a federal deputy for Lula's Workers' Party, told The Guardian: “I feel incredible… This is Brazil telling the world that the extreme right is fascist, that the extreme right is against Black people, is against the poor, against the state, against gay people... We are going to reorganize the democratic forces [in this country.]"
Sunday's victory did not come easily, as the Lula campaign complained of bus shortages in the key cities of Salvador and Sao Paulo, requesting that the Brazilian Supreme Court extend the voting by two hours. The court granted the request, so polls closed at 7 pm Brasilia time instead of 5 pm.
"Lula’s win is the first good news for the planet in a while!"
"Lula has won despite the unfair practices his campaign has faced from Meta, interference from the Trump administration, and severe disruptions to public transportation on election day in major cities (where up to 50% of bus fleets were reportedly out of service)," Emanuele told Common Dreams. "These disruptions disproportionately affected working-class voters, who rely heavily on public transportation and have historically been a key part of Lula’s electoral base."
She continued: "Despite all these obstacles, Lula’s campaign managed to turn around a first-round result that, just a few weeks ago, had seemed extremely difficult to reverse. This is a major victory for the majority of the Brazilian people."
Several advocates and lawmakers hailed the election results as a rebuke to the far-right and the Trump administration in particular.
"During his campaign, President Lula characterized 2026’s elections as a choice between 'sovereignty or submission.' Brazil has clearly chosen sovereignty," the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), who sent a delegation to observe both rounds of Brazil's elections, wrote in a statement.
Progressive Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) posted on social media: "People all across the world are fighting back against extremism. With Lula in Brazil, they just won. Authoritarian leaders always attack democracy because they stand no chance against the will of their people. Trump must respect the results and not undermine Brazil’s elections."
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said: "Congratulations to Lula on his extraordinary reelection victory in the Brazilian presidential election. Lula has stood up for Brazilian workers & democracy—and will continue to do so in the next four years."
"Lula's hard-fought victory is an indictment on the right-wing wave sweeping through Latin America," Joseph Bouchard, a journalist and researcher who focuses on Latin America, told Common Dreams. "Except for [ Salvadorian President Nayib] Bukele, the right across the region is still incredibly unpopular, and rightly seen as corrupt, autocratic, and uncommitted to fixing systemic issues. Lula shows there is still a fight for democracy worth having, while the region is plunged into its darkest, most regressive period since the Cold War. The entire region is populated by vassal states for US interests, who have declared states of exception to curtail rights, freedoms, and basic principles of social democracy, in the name of a failed and anti-human war on drugs."
Lula's victory also has planetary consequences, as he brought deforestation in the Amazon rainforest back down to record lows after it accelerated during the tenure of Jair Bolsonaro, who attacked environmental protections and Indigenous rights.
"Lula’s win is the first good news for the planet in a while!" wrote 350.org and Third Act co-founder Bill McKibben. "I bet it shaves a tenth of a degree off how hot our Earth eventually gets, which will save millions of lives. Thank you Brazil!"
Lula still faces a fight ahead, as Bolsonaro announced it was "impossible to concede the election result" due to the extension of polling hours, even though his team had also sought an extension in parts of southeastern Brazil because of unfavorable weather.
Bouchard pointed out that "Lula will fight an uphill battle with a far-right Congress, inept Supreme Court, and constant outside pressure.."
"Trump's silence on the result is worrisome, with Flavio not conceding and demanding an annulment," he told Common Dreams. "Sadly, much of the corporate press has legitimated these claims, despite the right's concerted efforts at destroying democracy. No matter how much the authoritarians try to tip the scales, the people can still prevail, if the left is willing to fight. This might prove to be a confidence boost to the demoralized and overpowered left all over the region, and may hopefully set the region back toward progress, hard fought after decades of dictatorship and neoliberal transitions."
US-based Lula allies urged others in the US to defend Brazil's democracy from Trump administration interference and to take their own stand against the far-right in the upcoming midterm elections.
The DSA wrote:
However, the fight continues—the thin margin of this victory indicates that continued struggle and mobilization will be crucial. As global capitalism fails to solve worsening problems of its own making, the capitalists turn to right-wing authoritarianism. Brazil’s left-wing coalition will face a right-wing Congress at home, a hostile Trump administration in the US, and hostile capitalists both [at] home and abroad in the years ahead. We of the DSA stand in solidarity with our comrades in the PT [Lula's Partido dos Trabalhadores], PSOL [Brazil's left-wing Socialism and Liberty Party], and Brazilian social movements in this fight for democratic self-determination.
This solidarity means recognizing our country’s role in the threat to Brazilian democracy. These elections were marred by interference from the US, whether by Trump’s politically motivated tariffs, or by manipulation of social media by US-based tech companies like Meta. They aimed to subvert Brazil’s democracy to favor its far-right allies grouped in the "Shield of the Americas," and to get their hands on crucial natural resources, such as lithium, cobalt, and rare earth minerals as well as petroleum and iron ore, which Brazil possesses in abundance and which Lula has sworn to protect as national patrimony. The DSA categorically denounces these meddlesome, imperialist efforts. We fight for a working-class foreign policy—one which centers peace, multilateralism, and respects national self-determination, free from US interference.
Rabb concluded his message with a call to action, and a celebration: "This is a big deal for us in the United States. This shows that Trumpismo is waning, and it is our responsibility now to make sure that we kill the beast. That beast is injustice, it's oligarchy, it's neoliberalism. All of these things. Now it's our turn, folks. November 3 is right around the corner, but right now I'm going to party with these Brazilians."
Update: This piece has been updated with commentary from Joseph Bouchard.
'A Vote for Rogers Is a Vote for the Trump Agenda' Says El-Sayed as Rogers Hedges in Interview
Appearing on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday, Michigan Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers twice dodged questions about his support for President Donald Trump and the MAGA movement.
In another indication that the cratering popularity of President Donald Trump and his policies is making GOP midterm candidates nervous, Michigan Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers stammered before saying there was something wrong with his earpiece when asked if a vote for him was "a vote for the Trump agenda."
The moment came during an interview with Kristin Welker on NBC's "Meet the Press" Sunday morning.
"I'm apologizing, I'm having some difficulty in my earpiece, but, 'Is a vote for you...' I'm not sure, I'll tell you what a vote for me is, it's a great day for the state of Michigan," Rogers said.
His midterm opponent, Democratic Michigan Senate candidate Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, shot back on social media: "Lemme pick that up for him: Yes, yes it is. A vote for Rogers is a vote for the Trump agenda."
Lemme pick that up for him: Yes, yes it is. A vote for Rogers is a vote for the Trump agenda.
— Dr. Abdul El-Sayed (@AbdulElSayed) October 25, 2026
Throughout the interview, Rogers hedged on his relationship to the president and the MAGA movement that put him in power. In his extended answer to the first question, he mentioned that there were things that he disagreed with Trump on, namely some of the Canadian tariffs and the Iran War, but argued that a Republican majority was better placed to "work with" Trump on those issues rather than "just go back to poke him in the eye." He did not say why a Republican Congress had not been able to make progress on either ending the war or mitigating the tariffs to date.
However, when Welker then asked him if he would vote to repeal some of Trump's tariffs, Rogers also sidestepped the question, saying, "The best way to do this is walk in and say, 'Can we work this out?'"
Toward the end of the same interview, Rogers also would not answer directly when Welker asked, "Big picture: Do you consider yourself to be a MAGA Republican?"
Rogers responded by calling the question "a little bit disgusting" and spending the rest of the interview talking over Welker about Democrats who had told him they would not vote for his opponent El-Sayed.
Oh my goodness -- for nearly 3 minutes, Mike Rogers refuses to answer Kristen Welker's repeated questions about if he considers himself to be "a MAGA Republican" https://t.co/q4uSP5hgam
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 25, 2026
"He’s too afraid to admit he’s a MAGA Republican and he’s too afraid to admit he’s not," writer and director Andy Ostroy wrote on social media. "Mike Rogers is a weak, feckless coward who has nothing to offer Michiganders except outrageously racist lies about @AbdulElSayed, and the good people of Michigan know it. Which is why Abdul is going to win…"
Rogers' flailing came days after Trump's net approval ratings fell to a new career low of 31%, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling.
Social media account The Measured Take noted that "Mike Rogers has tied himself to Donald Trump for years. With nine days until the election and Trump’s approval rating in the low 30s, he sees the writing on the wall and is trying to distance himself."
The interview reflects a growing trend of Republican midterm candidates tepidly and belatedly criticizing some of Trump's policies, especially the war with Iran, without taking any real action to back up their words.
El-Sayed had previously slammed Rogers for reversing course on the war in late September.
“You’ve spent your entire campaign supporting the war in Iran," he said. "Liar, coward, fraud.”
'Just Run This as an Ad': Trump Dismisses Pump Pain to Boast of Oil and Gas Profits
"I don't give a damn, I'm going to say it: We're making a freaking fortune," the president said at a rally in Georgia.
If there was any doubt, President Donald Trump made it very clear Saturday evening that he cares more about wealthy oil and gas executives than ordinary people.
During a midterm campaign rally in Perry, Georgia, Trump acknowledged the high price of oil and gas, but said that the US fossil fuel industry was "making hundreds of billions of dollars."
His advisers, he told the crowd, had instructed him not to mention this "because people are paying a little higher," he said in a condescending voice. "That number's going to come way down," he continued, "but what we've done for this country, we're making money like this country has never made before," seemingly conflating the fortunes of wealthy oil and gas companies with the US as a whole.
TRUMP on HIGH GAS PRICES: We’re making money like we’ve never made before. They’ll say: President Trump is bragging about all the money they're making while people are suffering at the pump. I don’t give a damn. We’re making a freaking fortune. https://t.co/KZ2pYsTPyR
— Acyn (@Acyn) October 25, 2026
"Trump to people who want lower gas prices: 'Fuck you, I’m making money!'" Melanie D'Arrigo, the executive director of the Campaign for New York Health, posted on social media. "Just run this as an ad."
Nation writer Jeet Heer made a similar point, saying that Trump's remarks were an "amazing closing argument—for the Democrats. They just need to run this clip."
Drop Site News reporter Ryan Grim noted the tone of Trump's voice.
"Trump here does a widdle baby voice to mock people who are complaining about high gas prices, explaining that the oil and gas industry is making 'hundreds of billions, trillions,'" Grim wrote on social media. "It’s never been clearer how much he hates the people who voted for him."
"Like the epigraph for the entire Trump 2.0 presidency: 'I don’t give a damn. We’re making a fortune.'"
Trump seemed to anticipate a negative reaction to his statement, which echoed similar points he had made at a rally in Arizona over a week before.
"I can just see the fake headlines," he said. "President Trump is talking about all the money they're making while people are suffering at the pump. That will be the headline. But I said, I don't give a damn, I'm going to say it: We're making a freaking fortune."
Yet his supposedly fake headline is just a factual restatement of his own words.
It is true that major oil companies have made a killing from the Iran War, with ExxonMobil and Chevron reporting combined second-quarter profits for 2026 of $26.5 billion. This has been good for Trump, who owns stock in oil companies that has made him between $1.5 million and $4.4 million richer since the illegal war he started. However, this windfall has not reached ordinary Americans, who have spent around $1,100 per household in additional gas and diesel costs since the war began, according to the running Iran War Energy Cost Tracker maintained by the Watson School of International and Public Affairs and the Climate Solutions Lab at Brown University.
In fact, and in contradiction to Trump's boasting of shared American prosperity, Big Oil's windfall exists because of consumer suffering, as Climate Solutions Lab director Jeff Colgan pointed out.
“The profits for Big Oil are huge, and they are coming straight out of the pockets of American consumers at a time when many people are feeling the pinch,” Colgan told HuffPost on Tuesday.
Ron Filipkowski, editor in chief at MediasTouch, also noted the divide between the wealthy few benefiting from Trump's policies and everyone else when responding to Trump's remarks on Saturday.
"We are making the oil oligarchs rich. We are making Trump and his cronies rich. It is literally at our expense every day. There’s no trickling down happening. And Trump is bragging about it knowing nobody in the Republican Party will stand up to him and say enough," he wrote on social media.
New Yorker writer Susan Glasser said Saturday's statement was "like the epigraph for the entire Trump 2.0 presidency: 'I don’t give a damn. We’re making a fortune.'"
Jamie Henn, the director of Fossil Free Media, clarified on Sunday what Trump meant when he said "we."
"When Trump says 'we' are making money he doesn’t mean you, me, or the United States. He means Exxon, Chevron, and his other Big Oil donors," Henn wrote on social media.
In a separate post, however, he offered a policy solution that would actually benefit the majority of Americans.
"A Big Oil Windfall Profits Tax could return thousands of dollars to families who are struggling most to pay for fuel at the pump," he wrote.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) also weighed in on Sunday:
"Trump just said the quiet part out loud: He doesn’t “give a damn” about higher gas prices, as long as his billionaire friends are making a fortune," Sanders wrote on social media. "Trump doesn’t tell the truth very often, but he did last night!"
The Young Turks executive producer and host Ana Kasparian summed it up on Saturday: "The government tells us they hate us every single day."
Update: This piece has been updated with quotes from Sen. Bernie Sanders and Jamie Henn.
'Dismantle ICE' Says Jayapal After 60th Death in Agency Custody During Trump 2.0
"When our country detains people, we have the responsibility of ensuring both their physical and mental health—not driving them, though incredible cruelty, to commit suicide," Jayapal said.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed on Saturday that a man had died in its custody the day before, marking the 60th death in ICE custody since President Donald Trump resumed office with the promise of mass deportations.
Luis Sandoval, a 48-year-old man from El Salvador, was found early on Friday morning with a "ligature around his neck" in the Folkston D. Ray ICE Processing Center in Folkston, Georgia, according to a press release from the agency.
"Today I received notification of the 60th death in ICE custody since Trump returned to office. Sadly, this appears to be a death by suicide," Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) wrote on social media in response to the news. "When our country detains people, we have the responsibility of ensuring both their physical and mental health—not driving them, though incredible cruelty, to commit suicide. Dismantle ICE."
"We call for an immediate independent investigation into this tragic death and for accountability. Folkston must be shut down immediately.”
Sandoval was detained in Newark, New Jersey on October 2 and transferred to Georgia on October 8. ICE said that staff attempted "life-saving measures" upon discovering him Friday and that Charlton County Emergency Medical Services also attempted to save him when they arrived on the scene. ICE added that the death was "under investigation."
“This was a preventable tragedy,” Azadeh Shahshahani, legal and advocacy director for the Georgia-based Project South, said, as The Guardian reported. “We hold ICE and the private prison corporation fully responsible for any harm that migrants suffer at Folkston. We call for an immediate independent investigation into this tragic death and for accountability. Folkston must be shut down immediately.”
The Folkston detention center is contracted to the private prison company GEO Group. Immigrant rights advocates and Democratic lawmakers have raised alarms about the Folkston before Sandoval's death due to its treatment of detainees, approximately 500 of who launched a hunger strike in early October over a lack of due process in their asylum cases as well as poor conditions in the facility.
“People have reported seeing bugs in the water. People have reported getting rashes, presumably from the water that they never had. Skin rashes that they’ve never had before,” Samantha Hamilton, senior litigation staff attorney at Asian Americans Advancing Justice Atlanta, told The Current. ”People have reported their hair falling out as a result of taking showers from the water, and because the water is so disgusting, people really try to avoid it at all costs.”
Sandoval died the day after Georgia Democratic Sens. Jon Ossof and Raphael Warnock sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and the DHS inspector general calling on them to launch an “immediate investigation” into how the facility was treating detainees, and hunger strikers in particular, as The Current reported further.
It is not yet known if Sandoval was among the hunger strikers.
Sandoval is not the first person to die in ICE custody at Folkston. In April 2024, Jaspal Singh died after being placed under medical observation when he reported feeling chest pains. A review by ICE determined that the medical care he received at Folkston contributed to his death.
An average of one person has died in ICE custody every 10 days this year, Relevant Research president Austin Kocher, who is also an American University research fellow, told The Guardian.
“Even in the past, there has not been such an overt dehumanization and overt view that migrants’ lives are expendable,” Kocher said. “I worry that that tone [from the Trump administration] has a tendency towards neglect and viewing migrants as disposable.”
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline—which offers 24/7, free, and confidential support—can be reached by calling or texting 988, or through chat at 988lifeline.org.
Thousands March Across Europe Against Inequality and 'for Young People’s Future'
“Looking at countries like the United States, we don’t want to end up like them, where part of the population has everything and the others have nothing,” one French protester said.
Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets across Europe on Saturday as anger continues to build over the rising cost of living and deteriorating social services.
While demonstrators emphasized different demands in different countries, the protest wave reflects a sense that the status quo has ceased to work for ordinary people, especially the young.
“I see so many more similarities than differences,” Alice de Brito, the vice president of French student union UNEF, told CNN of the protests. “We are all talking about the need for investments in education, in the universities, in youth in general. But we are also talking about the cost of living, about housing.”
France
Across France, between 410,000 and 800,000 people turned out in the continuation of protests that erupted in September when students began to mobilize against underfunding, teacher shortages, and other poor conditions in their schools. Adult workers have joined with the students, criticizing widespread inequality and the rising cost of living, leading to mass demonstrations on October 17 and again a week later.
“Looking at countries like the United States, we don’t want to end up like them, where part of the population has everything and the others have nothing,” Paris protester Louis Ledoux--Xatard told The Associated Press.
“Too many billionaires; we are preparing the revolution," one group of protesters chanted, according to Al Jazeera.
There were 289 protests in France, including in Marseilles, Nantes, Nice, Lyon, Bordeaux, and Orleans. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said that almost 1,000 people were arrested, though the number was expected to grow. Two people sustained significant injuries.
"Behind every police officer, a compliant camera."
The protest in Paris had originally been scheduled to run through the center of the city, but authorities relocated it to outskirts and banned marches organized by groups other than unions.
"It won’t stop the movement. It won’t stop students from demanding better conditions in schools,” nurse Soumaya Abed told AP of the changes.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who leads the left-wing France Unbowed party, criticized the government of President Emmanuel Macron for changing the route, but also praised the marchers for carrying on.
"Total victory for the social movement," Mélenchon wrote on social media. "The march gathered at the new authorized point and is now flowing calmly over more than four kilometers. The provocations for disorder by the Paris police prefect and [French Prime Minister Sébastien] Lecornu are a total failure. For the authorities, it is time to give in, or soon they will have only the exit door left."
Victoire totale du mouvement social. La marche s'est rassemblée au nouveau point autorisé et déferle dans le calme sur plus de quatre kilomètres. Les provocations aux désordres du préfet de police et de Lecornu sont un échec total. Pour les autorités, il est temps de céder, sinon il ne leur restera bientôt que la porte de sortie.
— Jean-Luc Mélenchon (@JLMelenchon) October 24, 2026
Media reported that the Parisian demonstration was largely peaceful until the end, when police released tear gas and fired water cannons and some black-clad protesters threw projectiles.
Reporters with Agence France-Presse said they saw:
police charge several times and vigorously use tear gas and batons against some, mostly young, protesters.
"The police started moving towards everyone, telling them to get down and back off. They were just taking people down, you know, beating protesters," one demonstrator bleeding from a baton blow to his face, who gave his first name as David, told AFP.
Other witnesses also described a repressive police response to The Guardian:
Mike, a 23-year-old student who also declined to give his surname, said: “Look around, they’re just teenagers. Is it normal for teenagers to be teargassed and beaten with batons?”
For Jessica, a 24-year-old student, said: “I just don’t understand why there’s so much violence. I feel like our right to protest is being trampled on.”
Mélenchon lambasted the police and the media for working together to discredit the movement.
"In Paris, to ruin the day and unwind, the so-called forces of law and order gas and fire into the crowd at the back of the procession, all in a bid to get footage for the domestic news channels that spent the whole week airing the images that spurred the Trappes killer," he wrote on social media, referring to a racially motivated shooting west of Paris on Friday that killed one and wounded five.
In a second post, he added: "It continues with the policing of minds through the televisions of power. Tonight, staging of the « tails of the procession » to spew hatred against the popular movement. Without a single image of the masses in peaceful action. Behind every police officer, a compliant camera."
He encouraged readers to "turn off the televisions! Form your own opinion without a guardian. Journey through social networks. Stay free to think for yourselves."
Belgium
In neighboring Belgium, hundreds of people marched in Brussels in a continuation of demonstrations for improvements in the education system.
“We are here for young people’s future, for better work," rally speaker Celia Ponce told the crowd, as The Brussels Times reported.
She also accused governments of wanting to "destroy public services."
Protesters build barricades with bikes and scooters in Brussels, Belgium.Follow Press TV on Telegram: https://t.co/1ymjeeywxb https://t.co/TtQNj1BQYU
— PressTV Extra (@PresstvExtra) October 24, 2026
Police used tear gas to disperse some protesters and, in an incident reported by Reuters, kicked and hit one demonstrator after they fell during a chase.
Spain
Approximately 25,000 people marched in Madrid to support Spain's pension system and demand that it keep pace with inflation and that a gender gap be eliminated, according to Al Jazeera.
"How beautiful Madrid is when it defends its rights," Emilio Delgado, deputy spokesperson for left party Mas Madrid, wrote on social media. "We propose that no pension should be below the minimum wage. A lifetime of work deserves a dignified retirement."
Un aviso a @NunezFeijoo: No vamos a permitir que recortéis las pensiones. https://t.co/lQ7V0cQomZ
— Emilio Delgado (@EmilioDelgadoOr) October 24, 2026
The protests come a month ahead of Spain's general election, in which current Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's Spanish Socialist Workers' Party will face off against the right-wing Popular Party. Popular Party leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo has promised to adjust pensions according to inflation if his party wins, but demonstrators are still concerned about what a right-wing victory would mean for the pension system.
Portugal
In Portugal, meanwhile, the main demand was affordable housing.
People marched in Lisbon, continuing a movement that began October 10 in the city of Porto calling on the government to address the country's housing crisis, according to The Resident.
Palco dos protestos promovidos pelo movimento Acampada de Lisboa, o Rossio voltou a acolher "um mar de gente" que reivindica soluções do Governo para a atual crise da habitação.Veja a reportagem em direto no local: https://t.co/gpSIyl2mLr#agitacaosocial #europa #protestos #manifestacoes #lisboa #rossio #pais #portugal #habitacao #custodevida #noticias #sicnoticias
— SIC Notícias (@SICNoticias) October 24, 2026
"We have no home, so we set up tents!” read the slogan of the March, organized by the Acampada de Lisboa movement.
The protesters also opposed new policies from Prime Minister Luis Montenegro that would weaken a limit on annual rent increases and make it easier to evict people who are unable to make rent payments, according to AP.
Italy
Thousands of people joined demonstrations across Italy to protest the affordability crisis as well as the right-wing government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Protests were called for eight cities including Milan, Turin, and Rome, with 10,000 attending the Milan demonstration alone.
“We are here because of the rising prices and because I believe that our government has no respect for its citizens,” a 17-year-old student participant, who did not give a name, told Al Jazeera. “There are four people in my family. My mother works in a factory, but my father is about to lose his job. It’s hard to make ends meet on just one salary."
Thousands of protesters took to the streets across Italy to demonstrate against Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing government and the rising cost of living, as hundreds of soldiers were deployed to Milan as protests continue.🔗: https://t.co/JquqwnAyhj https://t.co/B97TnZaY9L
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) October 24, 2026
The Italian protests were a continuation of demonstrations that have taken place throughout October. There were fewer clashes between police and demonstrators on Saturday compared with earlier marches, though some protesters tried to enter the Colosseum before being pushed back.
Albania
In Albania, outrage over plans by US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner to build a luxury resort near a protected wildlife area—which is widely seen as an example of government corruption—has dovetailed with demands by students for less corruption in the education system specifically as well as lower tuition fees and more funding.
A demonstration in the capital of Tirana on Saturday marked the 12th day of anti-government protests this month following a summer of mobilizations against the luxury hotel.
Some protesters lit fires and threw projectiles, while police used tear gas, rubber bullets, and water cannons.
Protesters in Albania have fought running battles with police, on a 12th day of anti-government protests. Police in the capital, Tirana, used water cannon, tear gas and rubber bullets after Prime Minister Edi Rama warned he would take strong action to quell unrest. https://t.co/6oZMYPU7Ei
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) October 24, 2026
One demonstrator, the 28-year-old Daniel Tahiri, told Reuters that the Albanian government was a "dictatorship with the clothes of democracy."
"Albanians have woken up," Tahiri said.
'Make Him Veto Medicare for All': Khanna Proposes Bold Agenda in Case of Dem Victory
Progressive California Rep. Ro Khanna argued against centrist Democratic Sen. Brian Schatz's statement that Democrats should not try to pass ambitious bills if they won control of Congress in November.
Progressives including Rep. Ro Khanna slammed a recommendation from Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz, who will be the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate if the party retakes control of the body following the November 3 midterm elections, that Democratic legislators should moderate their ambitions if they regain control of Congress.
Speaking on CNN's "The Arena" with Kasie Hunt on Thursday, Schatz responded to Hunt's question about how a governing Democratic caucus might respond to the "energy" and "anger" on the left with a word of caution.
"I do not think it is time to propose things that the president of the United States is guaranteed to veto," Schatz said. "I think that is somewhat of a bit of wasted energy. And then if we want to be more aspirational, if we want to make more bold policy changes, we're going to have to take the presidency and both chambers and that's for 2028."
https://t.co/7ahr7Yu3Iv
— David Sirota (@davidsirota) October 24, 2026
Instead, Schatz argued that Democrats should see a midterm victory as an "institutional check against an out-of-control president" and use its leverage "to try to bring this war to a conclusion and to reverse the Medicaid and SNAP [Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program] cuts."
Not everyone agreed with Schatz's prescription, however, arguing that forcing President Donald Trump to veto popular policies could only help the Democrats going forward.
Progressive Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) wrote on social media late Friday that Democrats should force Trump to veto a litany of progressive policies from Medicare for All to blocking aid and bombs to Israel to taxing billionaires.
"Make him veto Medicare for All," he advised.
Make him veto Medicare for AllMake him veto a $25 living wageMake him veto free childcareMake him veto Block the Bombs to IsraelMake him veto zero aid to IsraelMake him veto free collegeMake him veto erasing student loansMake him veto taxes on billionaires
— Ro Khanna (@RoKhanna) October 24, 2026
Groundwork CEO Lindsay Owens called Schatz's strategy "worrisome" on Saturday.
"Trump vetoing bills to make healthcare cheaper is a good political outcome for Dems," she wrote on social media, arguing that it would increase the likelihood of a Democratic victory in 2028.
Worrisome strategy form a top Dem. 1. By defn if the bill gets to potus’s desk ~everyone in the caucus voted for it (not just the left). 2. Trump vetoing bills to make health care cheaper is a good political outcome for Dems (& makes it more likely that we win in 28 to do this).
— Lindsay Owens (@owenslindsay1) October 24, 2026
Writer Katelyn Burns agreed, writing: "No, wrong. You pass the popular agenda and let the other party stand in the way of what the people want. Why the fuck would you pre-veto shit??"
The Debt Collective wrote: "This broken ideology actually explains a lot. They just genuinely do not understand the strategy of making President Trump veto popular things—it almost makes you wonder if they just don't support the popular things at all."
Other s responded with sarcasm.
"Let's just not make waves and confirm Trump's judges for two years, maybe let Republicans run the committees too, that would be the sensible move," wrote The Prospect executive editor David Dayen.
Austin Ahlman, a reporter and political analyst for anti-monopoly think tank the Open Market Institute, joked: "Smart. Wouldn’t want anyone to mistake you for the opposition."
Israeli Occupation Forces Ramp Up Ethnic Cleansing in West Bank After Palestinian Resistance Attack
"What we saw today was an attempt to copy the illegal practices used in Gaza, in the heart of the West Bank,” said one Israeli lawyer. “They want to wipe out entire areas exactly as they did in Gaza."
Israeli forces on Friday began demolishing homes and businesses and forcibly evacuating residents near Hebron in the illegally occupied West Bank following a Palestinian resistance attack that killed two Israeli soldiers.
"First, we will destroy this place and completely transform it, but we will do something that has never been done before," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the scene of the shooting attack that took place earlier Friday near Hebron Junction. "We will evacuate the residents, go from house to house, remove weapons from there as well, and deal with and destroy all terrorist infrastructure."
"We will consider expanding this model to other cities as well," Netanyahu added.
The prime minister also ordered the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to “immediately impose a lockdown on Hebron and prepare for a full lockdown" of the entire West Bank, while vowing to launch the largest military operation in the occupied territory since it was conquered during the 1967 Six-Day War and subsequently ethnically cleansed of more than 100,000 Palestinians.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz also vowed that neighborhoods associated with the attackers would be "evacuated"—a word that critics call a euphemism for ethnic cleansing—"just like in Gaza; just like in Lebanon."
Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich echoed those calls.
"There is no other option but a comprehensive military campaign in Judea and Samaria to dismantle the Palestinian Authority, collect weapons, and eliminate terrorists," he said, referring to Israel's name for the West Bank.
"Exactly like in Gaza and Lebanon," Smotrich added.
Israeli forces have killed or wounded more than 250,000 people in Gaza since the Hamas-led attack of October 2023, while forcibly displacing around 1.9 million residents and destroying or damaging more than 80% of the strip's structures. In Lebanon, nearly 40,000 people have been killed or injured by Israeli attacks over the same period, during which there were two waves of mass displacement in which more than a million people were forced from their homes each time. Dozens of Lebanese villages have been flattened.
Demolition and displacement were the order of the day in the West Bank Friday as Israeli bulldozers began demolishing homes after Netanyahu's announcement, even as local residents said their properties had no connection to the attack on the slain IDF troops.
The Times of Israel reported that soldiers ordered Palestinians in the Farsh al-Hawa area to evacuate ahead of demolitions, with footage showing residents being pushed out as their belongings were loaded onto trucks.
“We are already here with the equipment on the ground, sending an unequivocal message to our enemies: If you mess with us, we will exact a very, very painful price from you,” Smotrich said in Farsh al-Hawa.
Israel’s High Court intervened and issued a temporary order to halt demolitions after Arab-Israeli human rights lawyer Mohammed Dahleh filed an urgent petition on behalf of two factory owners who claimed the destruction violated Israeli law as well as international prohibitions on collective punishment.
“What we saw today was an attempt to copy the illegal practices used in Gaza, in the heart of the West Bank,” Dahleh told The Guardian. “They want to wipe out entire areas exactly as they did in Gaza and the refugee camps in the West Bank.”
Another Israeli human rights attorney, Michael Sfard, called Smotrich's video announcement a "direct admission" of collective punishment.
The demolitions and forced evacuations are unfolding amid a wider Israeli campaign of home destruction, settler pogroms and other deadly violence, and displacement that Palestinian rights advocates and United Nations officials have called ethnic cleansing.
Palestinian olive harvesters, as well as international solidarity activists accompanying them, journalists covering settler attacks, and even international diplomats have come under attack by IDF-backed settler terrorists. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said earlier this week that between September 1 and October 12, Israeli settlers carried out 199 attacks connected to the harvest, killing one Palestinian, injuring 124, and damaging more than 2,500 trees and saplings.
According to OCHA, over 1,130 Palestinians—at least 250 of them children—have been killed by Israeli soldiers and settlers in the West Bank since October 2023.
Friday's developments came four days ahead of Israel's elections, in which the ruling far-right coalition is trying to boost support among voters, including settler colonists pushing the government to annex the West Bank.
Netanyahu has vowed to annex all settler colonies. Smotrich has presented a plan to annex approximately 82% of the West Bank, excluding six major Palestinian cities. Ben-Gvir wants to annex the entire West Bank.
Israel's actions on Friday drew widespread condemnation.
“Israeli leaders are publicly announcing plans for collective punishment and acts that could constitute war crimes,” the Israeli human rights group B'Tselem said, while imploring “governments and international institutions to act now, using all means available under international law, to prevent the forcible displacement of Palestinian civilians, collective punishment, and extensive unlawful destruction in Hebron.”
'My Name Has Always Been Ilhan Omar': Congresswoman Calls Out 'Creep' Trump
Amid efforts to deport the congresswoman, Trump amplified an unproven claim that Omar is living under a false name.
As the Trump administration tries to have her deported, US Rep. Ilhan Omar shot back at President Donald Trump on Friday after he accused her of having lived under a false identity.
In a post to Truth Social, Trump referenced a federal court filing by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) that referred to the Minnesota congresswoman as "Ilhan Nur Said Elmi" without explanation.
"It was just revealed that Ilhan Omar’s name is not Ilhan Omar, the one she used to get elected and sworn into Congress, but rather, it’s an entirely different name, Ilhan Nur Said Elmi, and that her last name is, incredibly, also the exact name of her brother, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, the person they said she married and had children with," Trump wrote on Thursday night, referencing another unproven conspiracy theory that Omar has long denied.
"Because she used a fake name to be sworn in, I assume she must IMMEDIATELY resign from Congress. Please inform the Speaker of the House of Representatives, James Michael Johnson, that the Dumocrat Party has just conceded her seat."
A spokesperson for Omar told Fox News that the allegation that she was living under an alias is "completely false."
Fox 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul confirmed that the 44-year-old congresswoman has gone by the name “Ilhan Omar” as early as age 17, when she was listed in her Edison High School yearbook as a junior. The Associated Press found that she also used the name Ilhan Omar in marriage licenses, divorce proceedings, voter registrations, and other public records dating back nearly two decades.
"The pedophile protection party’s president is laundering right-wing conspiracy theories through the most corrupt DOJ in American history," Omar wrote on social media. "Whenever the news turns bad, this creep reaches for one name: mine. So let’s make it crystal clear. My name has always been Ilhan Omar."
"Maybe you should focus on what your VP’s real name is," she said, referencing the fact that Vice President JD Vance, born James Donald Bowman, has changed his legal name twice.
The dispute comes after last week’s raid on Omar’s home as part of a highly politicized investigation into her citizenship by the US Department of Homeland Security.
The investigation reportedly focuses not on the allegation about Omar’s brother, but on whether she or members of her family falsified information when they immigrated to the US and subsequently obtained citizenship.
Investigators are reportedly examining whether Omar or her father falsified her birth date, listing her as 17 rather than 18 so she could obtain citizenship through him as a minor. Omar has not been charged with a crime, and investigators have not yet publicly provided evidence of the claim.
Trump has regularly launched racist attacks against Somali Americans during his presidency, saying they should all be deported and referring to them as “garbage” with “low IQs.” While pushing to deport Omar, he has often demonized her based on her Somali heritage.
"She’s been a scammer for a long time. I’m pretty good at watching that stuff, and she comes from a non-country, basically. Somalia has no government, has no nothing," he said during a campaign rally in Iowa this week. "All they do is run around shooting each other. Then she comes over here."
Rep. Randy Fine (R-Fla.)—who has previously described Omar as a “terrorist” and called for the mass deportation of all Muslim immigrants from the US—announced plans to introduce a resolution on Friday to expel Omar from Congress if she is found to have broken the law.