Tuesday, November 25, 2025

Reed Showalter is one to watch in Illionis

Late but I want to note Daniel Villareal's report for LGBTQ Nation:

Reed Showalter, a 32-year-old heterosexual who is one of 16 Democratic candidates running to represent for Illinois’ 7th congressional district in the U.S. House, recently responded to a candidate survey from the transphobic Illinois Family Institute by filling it out and enclosing it in a glitterbomb — namely, an envelope filled with lots of golden glitter, just waiting to spill upon whoever opens it.

“So one of the funny things about running for office is you get inundated with a bunch of questionnaires from organizations asking what your positions are, considering whether they’ll endorse you or whether they will campaign actively against you, including some of the strangest, most goblin-y people on Earth,” Showalter said in a recent video posted to his Instagram account.

“For example,” he continued, “the Illinois Family Institute, which is ‘boldly bringing a biblical perspective to public policy in the Land of Lincoln,’ which I guess to them, means opposing abortion and LGBT interests.”

The Illinois Family Institute, an allegedly Christian organization, sent Showalter a questionnaire asking if he supports withholding federal funds from schools that allow “biological males to participate in female sports.”

“So they oppose trans people, but only if it’s male to female, and not the other way around,” he notes, adding that the group’s questionnaire actually asks the sports question twice.

“They’re obsessed with it,” he says. “If it weren’t already clear, this organization is gleefully transphobic and homophobic, so I think it’s only fair that they get a little sparkle in their life.”

He then notes that the group also asks a question suggesting that its membership is made up of “COVID conspiracy theorists.” The organization, by the way, also opposes same-sex marriage, teaching about LGBTQ+ in sex education and non-sexual classroom curriculum, and supports outing trans and nonbinary students to their potentially unaccepting parents. 



Here's C.I.'s "The Snapshot:"


Tuesday, November 25, 2025.  The courts are learning just how often the Chump administration lies, Chump continues to terrorize the country with his war on immigrants, he and his supporters continue to demonstrate they don't know a damn thing about the US military for all their patriotic pretense, Chump fan bases online turn out to be overseas and non-American, and much more.


Starting with Chump's war on immigrants.


Queens, New York.  No warrant and the ICE gestapo breaks down a locked door to get inside.  No warrant.  A cousin listed the address.  A cousin that doesn't live there.  And they had no warrant and they just knocked down the door and terrorized her and her child.  

 
Now to CNN's interview earlier this week with Marimar Martinez.



An American citizen shot five times in Chicago by Chump's gestapo.

The CNN report goes a little soft.  It just notes the lie that DHS told where they claimed that she was ramming them with her car.  The event happened in early October.  As  Greg Sargent (THE NEW REPUBLIC) noted:

In particular, just after the shooting, DHS put out a statement claiming that the agents in question had been “boxed in by 10 cars” and that Martinez’s vehicle “rammed” theirs. The statement also suggests she threatened the agents with a “semi-automatic weapon.” All this “forced” an agent to shoot Martinez, who then “drove herself to the hospital.” DHS added that she’d previously doxed agents online. In short, the shooting was wholly justified: The victim was the one doing the terrorizing—of law enforcement.

Yet these claims are undermined by the criminal complaint against Martinez. It only mentions two cars menacing the agents, not 10. It doesn’t mention her gun, let alone her threatening of the agents with one. It says she was taken to the hospital by ambulance. And as the Chicago Sun-Times reports, Martinez’s lawyer says body-cam footage even contradicts the claim that she directly threatened the officers with her vehicle and shows that the agent said, “Do something, bitch,” before opening fire.


They lie.  That's all they do.  Well, they terrorize and they hunt people.  But they also lie and they keep getting caught in their lies.


A judge dismissed charges Thursday against Marimar Martinez, who was shot by a Border Patrol agent multiple times in Chicago and accused of using her car to assault and impede federal law enforcement.

The move came after federal prosecutors filed a motion to dismiss their own case. Martinez's case has been one of the most high-profile examples of civilians being accused by federal authorities of ramming into a vehicle driven by immigration agents.

Martinez and co-defendant Anthony Ian Santos Ruiz pleaded not guilty last month to Justice Department charges that they used “their vehicles to assault, impede, and interfere with the work of federal agents in Chicago.”

Andrew S. Boutros, the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, filed court documents Thursday morning to dismiss the charges.

U.S. District Judge Georgia Alexakis granted the government’s motion to dismiss the charges Thursday evening, court documents show. The charges were dismissed with prejudice, meaning Martinez and her co-defendant cannot be filed again against them.

Prosecutors said Border Patrol agent Charles Exum shot Martinez in self-defense after she and Santos Ruiz allegedly rammed their cars into a federal vehicle on Oct. 4.

“After striking the agents’ vehicle, the defendants’ vehicles boxed in the agents’ vehicle, the complaint states,” prosecutors said in a statement when charges were announced last month. “The agent was unable to move his vehicle and exited the car, at which point he fired approximately five shots from his service weapon at Martinez, the complaint states.”

Martinez’s legal team had argued that it was federal agents who rammed her car with their vehicle and that the shooting was unjustified and an excessive use of force.

The motion to dismiss comes after it was revealed last week at a court hearing that the Customs and Border Protection agent who shot Martinez multiple times had bragged about it in messages to other officers.

According to Reuters, records presented at the hearing showed that in a group Signal chat with other agents, Exum wrote: “I fired 5 rounds and she had 7 holes. Put that in your book boys.”

In a message to another recipient, Exum sent a news article about the event followed by the message: “Read it. 5 shots, 7 holes,” Reuters reported. 



Across the country, people are fed up.  They've had enough of the Chump and his gestapo terrorizing people, breaking laws and never being punished.  Enough.  They've had enough of families being broken up, of parents kidnapped doing school drop offs, it's disgusting and it's un-American.



Lisbeth Torres, 26, a healthcare worker, slammed Trump as a “joke” and said immigration officials are taking construction and farm workers – doing jobs others don’t want to do.

Her father, Norberto Torres, 50, originally from Jalisco, Mexico, was approached by ICE agents on November 7 while opening his food truck in Salem around 9:40 a.m.
She described him as “a good citizen” who “took jobs that other people didn’t,” highlighting his work ethic and contributions to the community.

Norberto – a husband and father of five – faces deportation to Mexico, and parts of the family may follow while Lisbeth stays in the US to support them.

People who contribute to our economy and our security are being treated as though they're violent criminals.  It's not right.  Charlie Jones (THE MIRROR) describes the horror when ICE grabs someone and the family does not know where their family member is:

A man's family has been left desperate for answers after he was detained by immigration enforcement agents six weeks ago, with witnesses saying he started shaking and collapsed midway through the incident.

Vicente Ventura Aguilar's family hasn't heard from him for the six weeks since he was detained, with Homeland Security saying he was never in custody.
The Mexican man, who didn't have legal immigration status but had lived in the US for around 17 years, was detained during a raid in South Los Angeles on October 7.

His brother, Felipe Aguilar, heard from a friend of the missing man, who was also arrested by immigration enforcement, who said that Vincente began to shake, fell unconscious and dropped to the ground while shackled the following day at an immigration facility near the border.
Lindsay Toczylowski, co-founder of the Immigrant Defenders Law Center, is representing Ventura Aguilar’s family. She said DHS never responded to her inquiries about him.


That is outrageous.  It's inhumane and it clearly captures the hatred that is the Chump administration.  And Greg Bovino clearly captures the grift aspect that is the Chump administration.  Tom Latchem (DAILY BEAST) reports on how it appears Bovino staged raids to be able to sneak off to an early Thanksgiving celebration which is creepy family:


On Wednesday, WBTV reported that between 35 and 40 Border Patrol agents puzzled local officials with their presence in Blowing Rock—a tiny town of 1,500 two hours northwest of Charlotte with virtually no crime, and where Bovino’s sister lives, but where few immigrants do—before leaving minutes later.

Census data shows that Blowing Rock is 93 percent white, with a non-white population of about 100 people.
Asked about Bovino—who a judge declared a liar this month over false evidence he gave about using tear gas—Rep. Norma Torres cast serious doubt over his North Carolina detour.

“It is not suspicious at all—[nothing] out of... this administration is [suspicious]—and I am pretty sure that this is what he is doing, to benefit himself, to ensure that he is able to be home and enjoy a holiday with his family, while he separates immigrant families,” the California Democrat said.

“His behavior has been dodgy from day one, he is an unethical person, and time and time and time again, ICE and Border Patrol have been found by our courts to be lying in their reports, and they will continue to do so until Congress holds them accountable.”

Last night on MS NOW,  Rachel Maddow noted: 

In Charlotte, North Caroline, a lawsuit against Trump's immigration agents there has resulted in a release of this video in which ICE agents are exclaiming to each other, "This is great! This is fun!" while they try to smash  their car into a  vehicle driven by a US citizen.   The ICE agents in this vehicle allegedly had a 12-pack of beer with them in the vehicle -- a twelve pack of Modelos with them in that car  while they were enjoying themselves and talking about smashing into that guy while they were on the job 

That's not up on YOUTUBE.  In the full show -- not posted yet on YOUTUBE -- not even in audio form -- it's around 1925 mark.


Does Chump ever take a beat to think about how he is hurting people?  No.  Thought isn't Chump's strong suit and others aren't his focus. 

As Ben notes this morning on MEIDASTOUCH NEWS, Chump is too busy freaking out over his non-stop failures -- including his cases against James Comey and Letitia James being kicked out of court.

 

 

Last week, Chump attacked Democrats in Congress who did a PSA.  We noted that here and we noted UCMJ -- see "The Snapshot" from Friday -- and that is where it begins and ends.

Or should be when a nut case doesn't occupy the Oval Office.  UCMJ -- which is the code of the military, which is what they train troops on -- is explicit on this point: If you are given an illegal order, you do not obey it.  

Chump is now trying to go after Senator Mark Kelly.  He wants him brought back into the military so that he can be court-martialed.  

This is insanity.  

 
 

The only thing this accomplishes is to expose how stupid Donald and his followers are.  They're so stupid because they don't even know UCMJ -- in fact, they probably don't even know what UCMJ means.  Their stupidity is all the more frightening when you think that, unlike Donald, some of them might have served in the military but if they did then they are so stupid that they were actually a threat to this country because they couldn't absorb their training.

The military code of justice demands that any US service member given an illegal order has the duty to refuse it.



Quack Quack! says lame duck Chump as he tries to waddle in a straight line.  Thomas Kika reports:

Republican members of Congress continue to vent their frustrations and threaten to leave Washington amid the fallout from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, with some citing worries at the arrival of President Donald Trump's "lame duck" era.

Greene, long a staunch and outspoken ally of the president, announced on Friday evening that she will be resigning from Congress on Jan. 5, only halfway through her current term, citing her dissatisfaction with Trump's current term after her recent break from him on numerous issues. On Monday morning, a Punchbowl News report cited multiple anonymous GOP members of Congress with similar sentiments, with some predicting that more high-profile resignations are possible before the 2026 midterms.
“More explosive early resignations are coming," one Republican told Punchbowl. "It’s a tinder box. Morale has never been lower. [House Speaker] Mike Johnson will be stripped of his gavel and they will lose the majority before this term is out.”

Following the release of that report, its writer, Jake Sherman, took to X to share that more and more GOP members of Congress had reached out with their own similar sentiments and thoughts of resigning, expressing frustration over the bleak outlook for Congress for the next year or so.


Some House Republicans told Punchbowl News that they believe Greene’s resignation to be the first of many, with one senior House majority member telling the outlet, “This entire White House team has treated ALL members like garbage.”

“And Mike Johnson has let it happen because he wanted it to happen,” the source told Punchbowl. “More explosive early resignations are coming. It’s a tinder box. Morale has never been lower. Mike Johnson will be stripped of his gavel and they will lose the majority before this term is out.”

Ex-MAGA firebrand Greene’s shocking resignation fed the growing flames of dissent among Republicans against the Trump administration, which has faltered in its influence in the wake of the investigation into disgraced sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.


[Analyst Doug] Heye said that he believes more Republican House members will defect in the coming days and weeks following the surprise resignation of Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene on Friday.

Some House Republicans told Punchbowl News that they believe Greene’s resignation to be the first of many, with one senior House majority member telling the outlet, “This entire White House team has treated ALL members like garbage.”

“And Mike Johnson has let it happen because he wanted it to happen,” the source told Punchbowl. “More explosive early resignations are coming. It’s a tinder box. Morale has never been lower. Mike Johnson will be stripped of his gavel and they will lose the majority before this term is out.”

Ex-MAGA firebrand Greene’s shocking resignation fed the growing flames of dissent among Republicans against the Trump administration, which has faltered in its influence in the wake of the investigation into disgraced sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.


Chump's not just a lame duck, he's a loser and an anchor around the GOP's neck.  And, more important, he's an elderly anchor around the GOP's neck.  Ewan Gleadow (RAW STORY) explains:


The midterm elections could swing massively in favor of Democrat candidates, and it's because of an issue with Donald Trump the GOP have not addressed.

Greg Sargent of The New Republic and Amanda Marcotte believe the problem of age will weigh heavy on the election cycle next year. Trump, 79, is "not looking good these days" according to Marcotte, who says the "elephant in the room" of the 2026 midterms is the president's age.
She said, "I will not be surprised if turnout is really high in the midterms. And that’s all before you even get into the fact that the elephant in the room is that Donald Trump is 79 years old, and he is not looking good these days."

"And I think that his ability to be a strongman leader of the MAGA cults kind of depends on him looking like someone who’s going to survive for the next few years. I think there’s a bet that increasingly few people are interested in taking."


All of this comes at a very bad time for Chump.  David McAfee (RAW STORY) reports:


A large number of MAGA social media influencers were exposed over the weekend as being being based in other countries.

Podcaster Matt Binder posted screenshots showing that Charlie’s Voice Rising, a popular Charlie Kirk fan account, is based in Eastern Europe (non-EU).
One popular influencer wrote "wait this is crazy" along with a screenshot showing that Defiant Ls, a MAGA account that has 1.6 million followers, is from Japan.

Dem influencer DreamLeaf wrote, "This one is great," along with evidence that a MAGA account called "Americaman" is actually based in Indonesia.

PatriotTakes, which is dedicated to research monitoring and exposing right-wing extremism and other threats to democracy, drew attention to post Trump himself had shared.

"Trump just boosted a MAGA account based in 'South Asia' #AmericaFirst," he wrote, before Brian Tyler Cohen said, "Perhaps it would be easier to identify which MAGA accounts are actually based *inside* the United States."

So these fan clubs aren't really based in the US.  Makes you wonder if they are also farms paid by foreign governments. 



Adam Van Eekeren (EXTRA.IE) sums it up, "The newest feature has sparked fury from within the MAGA movement as massively popular pro-Trump X accounts have now been exposed as foreign actors. Many accounts that have promoted an ‘America First’ ideology are now known to be operating out of countries such as Thailand, Nigeria, and Eastern Europe."

Let's wind down with this from Senator Elizabeth Warren's office:

Paramount Skydance made deals with Trump prior to gaining merger approval, now reportedly admin favorites to take over Warner Bros.

Senators warn that botched merger review could raise costs, reduce choices for Americans

“The American people deserve full confidence that the federal government is enforcing these laws independently, transparently, and free from political pressure or financial influence.”

Text of Letter (PDF)

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) led Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) in writing to U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Antitrust Division Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater, warning that a potential Warner Bros. deal could be tainted by political favoritism and corruption. Warner Bros., in an upcoming formal auction process, is expected to receive bids from major media companies potentially including Paramount Skydance, Netflix, Apple, Amazon, and Comcast, raising the specter of a new, massive media giant that drives up costs and reduces choices for American families.

Recent reporting revealed that the Trump administration prefers for Paramount Skydance to win the bid, raising questions of political favoritism. The close relationship between the Trump administration and Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison could politicize the merger approval process. In July, the Trump administration approved the merger between Paramount and Skydance, just weeks after Paramount donated $16 million to Trump’s Presidential Library — and after Ellison reportedly agreed to a secret “side deal” to run millions of dollars’ worth of pro-Trump ads.

“The Department of Justice (DOJ) must guarantee that any review of a potential Warner Bros. transaction is conducted transparently, independently, and in accordance with federal antitrust and anti-corruption laws — not politics,” wrote the lawmakers. “Regardless of which bidder is selected, the combination of one of these companies with Warner Bros. would further consolidate the media market — risking higher prices and less variety for consumers.”

The lawmakers demanded that the review of any potential transaction involving Warner Bros. follow the law and avoid the taint of corruption and political favoritism. If the review is botched and a new media giant emerges, the company would have even more market power to raise costs at a time when working- and middle-class Americans are already being squeezed by skyrocketing costs across the board.

To ensure the DOJ review is fact-based and transparent, the senators are pressing for answers on interactions that might bias the transaction review process. In particular, the senators ask whether DOJ officials have discussed any matters related to a potential Warner Bros. transaction with lawyers, lobbyists, or consultants hired by Warner Bros. or any of the reported bidders. They also seek further clarification on whether conversations have been held with non-DOJ lawyers, as well as White House officials or Donald Trump, relating to transaction review at the DOJ, including a potential transaction involving Warner Bros.

“A transparent and lawful merger review process ensures that antitrust and public interest laws function as intended — to protect competitive markets, prevent concentration of power, and safeguard American families from higher prices and fewer choices,” the lawmakers concluded. “The American people deserve full confidence that the federal government is enforcing these laws independently, transparently, and free from political pressure or financial influence.”

Senator Warren has consistently fought back against corrupt corporate media consolidation:

  • On October 10, 2025, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) questioned Skydance’s refusal to address President Donald Trump’s reported secret side deal.

  • On August 1, Senator Warren released a statement in response to Paramount’s and Skydance’s responses to her letters to each of the companies, describing the responses as “dodgy” and calling for “a full, independent investigation” into whether the companies or their executives engaged in any criminal behavior connected to the approval of the companies’ multi-billion-dollar merger.

  • On July 24, Senator Warren responded to the Trump administration’s approval of the Paramount-Skydance megamerger, saying “bribery is illegal no matter who is president.”

  • On July 23, Senator Warren published an op-ed in Variety: “Elizabeth Warren on Colbert 'Late Show' Cancellation: Is the Paramount Trump Payoff a Bribe?”

  • On July 21, Senators Warren, Sanders (I-Vt.), and Wyden (D-Ore.) pressed David Ellison, CEO of Skydance, about reports of a secret deal between Skydance and President Trump—and how it may be related to Paramount’s recent multi-million-dollar settlement agreement with Trump.

  • On July 17, Senators Warren and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), along with Representatives Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), and lawmakers in Congress, unveiled the Presidential Library Anti-Corruption Act to close loopholes that allow presidential libraries to be used as tools for corruption and bribery.

  • On July 15, Senator Warren released a new report exposing how companies, special interests, and foreign governments may be pledging donations to President Trump’s future Presidential Library as a corrupt tool to secure favorable outcomes from his administration.

  • On July 2, Senator Warren called for an investigation into Paramount’s settlement with Trump.

  • On May 19, Senators Warren, Sanders, and Wyden wrote to Shari Redstone, Chair of Paramount, with concerns regarding whether Paramount may be engaging in potentially illegal conduct involving the Trump Administration in exchange for approval of its megamerger with Skydance.

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