In a key vote about funding for the Department of Homeland Security, only one Democrat chose to vote with Republicans to keep the funding in place. Many people were surprised and asked which Democrat decided, once again, to break away from the rest of their party.
At the same time, there was controversy involving Donald Trump and a racist, AI-generated video that showed former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama in a deeply offensive way. The video was posted on Trump’s Truth Social account and later deleted. When asked about it, Trump claimed that a “staffer” had posted the video and said that person did not face any punishment. The White House appeared largely unconcerned about the situation, even though many critics said the video was racist and inappropriate.
There is also turmoil within Turning Point USA, the conservative youth organization led by Charlie Kirk. Some far-right figures, including commentator Candace Owens, have pushed conspiracy theories claiming that members of Kirk’s own organization were somehow responsible for his death. These claims have caused confusion and division among supporters, with no clear evidence provided to back them up.
Meanwhile, federal law enforcement leaders faced tough questioning in the Senate. The heads of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) appeared before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee to answer questions about how their agents have been acting, especially in Minnesota.
During the hearing, Republican Senator Rand Paul criticized the agencies over a video that showed federal agents pushing a woman face down into the snow during an encounter in Minneapolis. This happened shortly before the killing of Alex Pretti, which has sparked protests and national outrage.
CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott was asked whether forcing a woman to the ground could really be described as “de-escalation.” He responded by saying that, depending on the situation, using physical force could sometimes prevent a larger or more dangerous confrontation. He explained that if an officer believes someone might have a weapon or pose a threat, hand-to-hand force could be used to reduce risk. However, he admitted he did not know all the details of that specific incident.
Senator Paul strongly disagreed. He argued that most Americans would not consider shoving a woman’s face into the snow to be an attempt at calming a situation. He pointed out that the woman in the video did not physically attack the officers, did not try to grab their weapons, and appeared to be involved only in a verbal argument. Paul asked directly whether it is appropriate to throw someone to the ground simply because they are shouting or arguing. In the end, both Scott and Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said that it would not be proper to do so in response to verbal confrontation alone.
Another tense moment came when Democratic Senator Gary Peters raised questions about the killing of Alex Pretti. Video footage showed that Pretti was struck with a spray canister before he was shot. Peters questioned whether hitting someone with a canister could honestly be described as de-escalation.
Scott’s response did not reassure many critics. He said that from what he saw in the video, Pretti appeared not to be cooperating and seemed to be resisting officers continuously. Scott said he did not know what officers were saying or what had happened before the video began. He suggested that without knowing the full context, it was hard to judge the actions of the agents involved.
Overall, both agency leaders struggled to defend their departments’ actions during the hearing. They did not clearly promise any major changes in how Border Patrol or ICE would handle detentions or respond to protests in the future.
In recent months, there has been growing concern about the use of force by federal agents, especially after the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. Critics argue that aggressive tactics are becoming more common. There have also been reports of U.S. citizens being detained, either because they were protesting or because agents suspected them of being undocumented immigrants based on racial profiling.
Although the Trump administration has occasionally spoken about reducing tensions or promoting de-escalation, its broader policy of mass deportations continues. Even though officials announced a reduction of agents in Minneapolis, many protesters across the country say they will continue demonstrating as long as they believe injustice and excessive force are still happening.
