The Trump administration has made no secret of its plans to pursue and deport illegal immigrants who have committed crimes in the United States, and judging by an announcement on Friday from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), that promise is being kept.
As Breitbart reports, an illegal alien from Colombia, convicted in the 2024 death of Kaitlyn Weaver in Colorado, is now in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials and will be deported, another win for DHS and Secretary Kristi Noem.
It was last July in Arapahoe County, Colorado, that 24-year-old Weaver was making her way home from work when her vehicle was struck by a teen driver who was reportedly traveling at 90-mph in a 45-mph zone.
Weaver had stopped her car at a stop sign when the other driver -- unnamed due to age shield laws -- slammed into her while racing a Jeep in a residential neighborhood, as Fox News noted.
Suffering from catastrophic injuries, Weaver remained on life support for two days before donating her organs.
In the aftermath of the crash, the illegal immigrant, an unlicensed Colombian teen, was arrested and was initially charged with vehicular homicide, with Weaver's grieving family receiving assurances that the case would be treated as a “no plea offer” scenario.
However, the shock and outrage of Weaver's family and the broader community, Democrat District Attorney Amy Padden offered the driver a lenient plea agreement involving a mere two years of probation and 100 hours of community service.
At the time of the plea agreement, John Weaver, the victim's father, lamented not just the district attorney's decision to opt for leniency, but also the Biden administration's open-border policies, but amid news of the perpetrator's arrest, at least some measure of justice may finally be served.
According to the Friday announcement from ICE the driver who killed Weaver was arrested, along with members of his family, was arrested and is now in federal custody.
ICE officials made the news public in a post on X, blasting the prior outcome in Weaver case, declaring that for the local district attorney in Arapahoe County, “justice is no jail time and probation for this criminal alien who killed a young woman while driving more than 90 mph.”
Marking a sharp contrast in approach, the post continued, “For ICE, justice is arrest and removal.”
The agency went on to state that the individual is slated to remain in ICE custody until an immigration hearing can be held, with President Donald Trump taking to Truth Social to declare that the offender and his family will be deported, as CBS News noted.
Grieving dad John Weaver told Fox News Digital that he was made aware of the impending action from ICE against his daughter's killer, and he was quick to express his gratitude.
“I appreciate ICE taking enforcement action, and I really appreciate the outpouring of support from everyone,” Weaver said, though there is no remedy -- legal or otherwise -- that can ever erase the pain resulting from the needless, utterly avoidable loss of his daughter.
The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Trump administration’s policy abolishing an immigration parole program for migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, The New York Post reported. The decision means more than 530,000 migrants could be deported.
Then-President Joe Biden implemented the program as a form of "humanitarian parole" for migrants from those nations ruled by authoritarian leaders. It allowed the migrants to stay and bring their immediate families for up to two years.
President Donald Trump targeted this program as part of his overall crackdown on immigration. The abolition of the program was initially blocked in a ruling by U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani.
The judge, appointed by President Barack Obama, decided that deportations should not be a blanket issue but rather be decided on an individual basis. However, the high court overturned that decision Friday.
Seven of the nine justices decided in Trump's favor, with just the left-leaning Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissenting. "The Court has plainly botched this assessment today," Jackson asserted in her dissenting opinion.
"It requires next to nothing from the Government with respect to irreparable harm. Even if the Government is likely to win on the merits, in our legal system, success takes time and the stay standards require more than anticipated victory," Jackson contended.
Jackson further claimed that the individuals involved would be subject to "irreparable harm," including dangerous conditions in their countries of origin and family separation. She lamented that the only other option is to stay and face "arrest and detention" by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
However, Biden's plan to import hundreds of thousands of migrants under the program is to blame for the conundrum these people now face. Trump is left to fix the problem, and the president was grateful that the high court was behind him in this.
"We had a great decision from the Supreme Court, thank goodness. That was very important," Trump said following the ruling.
Democrats are wringing their hands over a supposed humanitarian crisis this ruling is sure to create. However, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller explained that this was righting a wrong committed by Trump's predecessor.
"They have to be deported. You can't have a situation where the Biden administration can fly in half a million illegal aliens in the last 24 months and we're having a conversation about, ‘Oh, maybe they should get to stay for life,'" Miller said Friday.
“They've been here for 24 months. They were flown into our country illegally. The good news is the airplanes travel in two directions," Miller added. The clip was shared on X, formerly Twitter, by conservative commentator Benny Johnson.
🔥Stephen Miller on the Supreme Court ruling in favor of President Trump stripping legal status of the 500,000 criminal aliens Biden flew into the country.
He just doesn’t miss:
“They called it parole for those individuals.. Amnesty.. Now of course they're all subject to… pic.twitter.com/GGMJ2o0SxS
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) May 30, 2025
The Biden administration purposely flooded the U.S. with migrants over the last four years. Democrats claim Trump is the one who is to blame for the aftermath as he works to undo that agenda piece by piece.
President Donald Trump's administration has rescinded Moderna's $766 million bird flu vaccine grant over concerns about safety and efficacy, the UK Daily Mail reported. This comes as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. no longer recommends the COVID-19 vaccine for pregnant women and children.
In July 2024, Moderna received the first $176 million for the vaccine, with the remainder due in January, before Biden's departure from office. However, the HHS has withdrawn the funding as Kennedy explores longstanding concerns about the novel vaccine technology.
The grant was awarded under the administration of then-President Joe Biden. The government promised to fund its development and eventual purchase of the jab for the H5N1 bird flu, which has so far sickened 70 people and killed one.
Some experts see this virus as a new pandemic threat "unfolding in slow motion." Despite its name, the virus has been found in cattle and pigs and could become an increasing threat to humans.
Just this week, Moderna touted its findings in an initial study of the bird flu vaccine, involving around 300 people aged 18 and above in good health, The Washington Post reported. The company has pledged to continue developing the vaccine even with the shortfall.
"These clinical data in pandemic influenza underscore the critical role mRNA technology has played as a countermeasure to emerging health threats," Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel said in a statement. HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon disagreed after a "rigorous review" of the vaccine.
This more cautious approach tracks with RFK Jr.'s renewed scrutiny of the technology and is a positive development for his supporters. "This is great news. RFK Jr. Cancelled $766 million award for Moderna mRNA vaccines. This is what I voted for," a user posted to X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday.
This is great news. RFK Jr. Cancelled $766 million award for Moderna mRNA vaccines.
This is what I voted for. pic.twitter.com/jwFKUr1cFV
— Sally (@TalkWithSally) May 29, 2025
According to Fox News, Kennedy announced Tuesday that the HHS would no longer recommend the coronavirus jabs for pregnant women and children. "Last year, the Biden administration urged healthy children to get yet another COVID shot, despite the lack of any clinical data to support the repeat booster strategy in children," Kennedy said in a video.
"That ends today — it's common sense and it's good science," said NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, who appeared in the video along with FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary and Kennedy. Makary added that other countries have stopped recommending it for healthy children, as there's no evidence that it's even necessary.
"We're now one step closer to realizing President Trump's promise to make America healthy again," Kennedy said. This admission serves as vindication to Americans who voted for Trump because of this issue and Kennedy's promise.
It makes sense that the bird flu jab would face similar scrutiny, given Kennedy's role at HHS, especially considering the narrative being pushed for it. Just as the claims about COVID-19 were arguably overblown, the same may be true for this newest panic.
Kennedy's vaccine hesitancy was once a highly controversial position. Now with the Make America Healthy Again movement, Kennedy is addressing growing concerns over the new mRNA technology.
A new watchdog report found that then-President Joe Biden may have been unaware of the details of at least eight environmental executive orders signed by autopen, Breitbart reported. This is significant given recent revelations about Biden's apparent cognitive impairment while in office.
The nonprofit Power the Future found "no evidence" that Biden was aware of the details of what was signed. Daniel Turner, the organization's founder and energy expert, said it was "troubling," considering most of Biden's actions were signed using an autopen.
Biden used this device to sign many of his documents in the waning days of his administration, a process which could presumably used by anyone. Turner believes this is a potential scandal, given the types of documents signed in this manner.
"These are not obscure bureaucratic memos; these were foundational shifts in American energy policy, yet not once did Joe Biden speak about them publicly," Turner noted. Because of the findings in the report, Turner sent a letter to the House and Senate Oversight Committees and several pertinent agencies.
Letters were sent to the Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Justice, and others demanding an investigation. The letter to Republican House Oversight Chair James Comer makes the case that Congress needs to get involved.
The letter asserts there is "growing evidence that actions purportedly taken by the former president may not have been approved or signed by him," Power the Future said. Rather, it's possible they were signed by a "small coterie of advisers in his name without his knowledge or over his signature using an ‘autopen,'" the letter said.
"Congress deserves to know how or whether these executive actions were authorized, and whether the former President was aware of such orders before they were implemented by the federal bureaucracy. Were these actions taken on behalf of the president and purporting to execute his authority undertaken with the president’s knowledge and approval?" the letter continues.
"It appears incumbent upon Congress to inquire about all parties involved in these actions, who instructed them to do what, when," the letter urged. A review from the Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project found a similar troubling result.
The conservative organization concluded that "every document we could find with Biden’s signature over the course of his presidency" used an autopen signature, except his announcement that he was withdrawing from his reelection bid. "Whoever controlled the autopen controlled the presidency," the Oversight Project said.
Power the Future's review noted that the eight executive actions "that fundamentally reshaped American energy policy" came with "no evidence" that Biden ever spoke publicly about them. "Not in a press conference. Not in a speech. Not even a video statement," it said.
The policies included the 2022 Defense Production Act Invocation, which pushed for the use of solar panels and heat pumps, utilizing Cold War-era emergency powers. There were others in 2021, including a sweeping edict to eliminate carbon-producing electricity by 2030 and to switch the federal government over to net-zero emissions by 2050.
Despite the significant impact these and other orders would have, Biden didn't speak of them. This has profound implications considering revelations in Jake Tapper's book Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again.
According to Fox News, Tapper admits that the cover-up of Biden's significant cognitive decline was "even worse than Watergate." If Biden was impaired and these orders were signed with an autopen, it calls into question the legality of all of it.
It was obvious that Biden was struggling mentally while Democrats and their media accomplices allegedly coordinated to hide that fact as the autopen continued to make law in the U.S. This is indeed an outrageous scandal for the ages if it's true.
Lara Trump said that CNN anchor Jake Tapper's apology for ignoring the signs of then-President Joe Biden's cognitive impairment is a "bit too late," Fox News reported. The former Republican National Committee chair slammed Tapper for this on Tuesday's The Ingraham Angle on Fox News.
Earlier this month, Tapper released the book Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again. In it, he blames the White House for keeping the situation under wraps even though it was obvious to everyone.
To save face, Tapper has thrown out a few mea culpas about his role in the cover-up that led to Biden staying in the race too long before stepping down. Trump doesn't buy it and thinks Tapper took way too long to come clean.
"Jake Tapper saying that this is like a Watergate-level type of situation, now that he played a role in it, it feels a little bit too late to me. I do appreciate that he did keep his word, though, and has come out and said that I was right," Trump told host Laura Ingraham about Tapper's admission.
On Monday's Piers Morgan Uncensored, Tapper acknowledged that the cover-up of Biden's mental decline was "worse" than the Watergate scandal. He also apologized to Trump after a disagreement they had early on about whether Biden was already showing signs of some sort of mental deficit during the 2020 presidential election.
She and Tapper got into a tussle during an episode of State of the Union in October of that year. When Trump brought up Biden's confusion and other issues, Tapper claimed Trump was unfairly judging Biden for his stutter.
"I think you were mocking his stutter," Tapper claimed at the time. "And I think you have absolutely no standing to diagnose somebody's cognitive decline," he charged.
It only took Tapper five years to get around to apologizing to Trump, as he called her to say he was sorry about two months before the book's release. "Knowing what we know now, and looking back on that interview, which I feel tremendous humility about, she was right, and I was wrong. I did not see, in the moments he was having, I did not see that as cognitive decline," Tapper told Morgan.
Even with the apology, Trump still believes that Tapper can't "discount his role" in perpetuating this scandal for so long. It seems Tapper only had an attack of conscience now that there was nothing to lose by admitting it.
"No matter how much he wants to come out now and say, 'You know what, we're going to start calling the shots like we see them actually now.' It's too late," Trump said.
"You can't do this time and time again to people and continue to lie to people in the way they did and think that you're going to get any different result. It's the reason Donald Trump is in the White House right now," she added.
This issue is more than just political for Lara Trump. As the wife of President Donald Trump's son Eric Trump, she had a front-row seat for the coordinated effort to keep her father-in-law, Donald Trump, out of the White House at all costs.
Tapper is finally doing the right thing now, but he was complicit in the effort to shield the truth from the public when it suited his purpose. What he did is shameful, but the fact that he will make money from a book about it is particularly distasteful.
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino announced Sunday that the FBI will once again investigate important cases all but ignored under then-President Joe Biden's administration, Axios reported. The cases include the 2022 leak of the Supreme Court's draft decision on Roe v. Wade and cocaine found at the White House in 2023.
The cases Bongino has promised to focus on are a long time coming for conservatives. The investigation into the leak of the 2022 Dobbs decision was never solved, nor was the identity of whoever left cocaine in what's likely the most secure building in the United States.
Bongino will also look at the source of the pipe bombs discovered on Jan. 6, 2021. With President Donald Trump in the White House and appointments like Bongino and FBI director Kash Patel, it seems Americans will finally get the answers they deserve.
Thanks for following this account and allowing us to update you about what we’re doing at your FBI. A few updates:
-The Director and I will have most of our incoming reform teams in place by next week. The hiring process can take a little bit of time, but we are approaching that…
— Dan Bongino (@FBIDDBongino) May 26, 2025
Bongino's commitment to pursuing justice for investigations left unsettled came by way of an update. "A few updates: -The Director and I will have most of our incoming reform teams in place by next week," Bongino said of Patel in his post to X, formerly Twitter.
The deputy director wrote about hiring decisions for their "reform agenda" and which cases would take priority. "Shortly after swearing in, the Director and I evaluated a number of cases of potential public corruption that, understandably, have garnered public interest," Bongino wrote.
"We made the decision to either re-open, or push additional resources and investigative attention, to these cases. These cases are the DC pipe bombing investigation, the cocaine discovery at the prior administration’s White House, and the leak of the Supreme Court Dobbs case," Bongino announced.
"I receive requested briefings on these cases weekly and we are making progress. If you have any investigative tips on these matters that may assist us then please contact the FBI," he urged.
Bongino noted that he and Patel would "limit our media footprint overall in order to keep the attention on the work being done." However, he is interested in the public's cooperation and has promised more updates. "Thank you for all of your support. God bless America and all those who defend Her," he concluded.
The cases receiving a fresh look were consequential, but somehow remain unsolved. In the leak of the Supreme Court decision, NBC News reported that the source of the leaker was never found despite the relatively few people who would have had the chance to do so.
As Justice Samuel Alito noted, the leak "made those of us who were thought to be in the majority in support of overruling Roe and Casey targets for assassination, because it gave people a rational reason to think they could prevent that from happening by killing one of us." With such high stakes, it was crucial to determine the source of the leak, but none was identified.
In the case of the cocaine at the White House, it's difficult to comprehend how a place so secured and so surveilled can also be a location where illegal drugs can be dropped without consequence. If nothing else, the FBI should at least find out why that is.
The Jan. 6 pipe bombs similarly left an astonishing lack of leads despite the FBI's ability to track down others who happened to be in the vicinity of the Capitol on the day of the riot. Yet according to CBS News, they don't know who planted bombs outside the Democratic National Committee headquarters and the Republican National Committee headquarters that day.
It's about time for the FBI to take another look at these cases and find some fresh leads that could provide the answers the American people deserve. Even if nothing comes of it, this bombshell announcement demonstrates that the Trump administration is willing to do whatever it takes to restore trust.
Senate Democrats are attempting to block a cryptocurrency bill at the 11th hour, citing concerns that it could allow President Donald Trump and other conservatives to profit corruptly from the initiative.
According to Axios, a group of Democrat senators on Friday convinced Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to back an amendment to the bill that would prevent the president and other officials from profiting from stablecoins, which are regulated by the bill.
The Democrats are bothered by Trump and other Republicans' crypto ventures, and are worried they could have too much influence over the crypto markets without the amendment.
Schumer, along with Sens. Elizabeth Warren (MA) and Jeff Merkley (OR), will file the amendment.
It was also co-sponsored by Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Michael Bennet (D-CO).
"Passing the GENIUS Act without our anti-corruption amendment stamps a Congressional seal of approval on Trump selling access and influence to the highest bidder," Merkley told Axios.
As usual, Democrats are greatly exaggerating the potential of what could happen.
Also, are congressional politicians allowed to profit from stablecoins? The bill did not appear to exempt them from it the same way as the president is exempted.
As always, the less government control and involvement in Americans' business ventures, the better.
Not all Democrats are involved in this push, however.
Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) believes the bill should be passed as-is, even if Trump uses the technology corruptly.
“The stablecoin market has reached nearly $250 billion and the U.S. can’t afford to keep standing on the sidelines," Warner said in a statement Monday. "We need clear rules of the road to protect consumers, defend national security, and support responsible innovation. The GENIUS Act is a meaningful step forward. It sets high standards for issuers, limits big tech overreach, and creates a safer, more transparent framework for digital assets. It’s not perfect, but it’s far better than the status quo.
He added: "We cannot allow that corruption to blind us to the broader reality: blockchain technology is here to stay. If American lawmakers don’t shape it, others will – and not in ways that serve our interests or democratic values. Innovation in this space is happening, with or without us. We have a responsibility to ensure it happens safely, transparently, and in a way that advances U.S. economic and national security interests. The GENIUS Act will help get us started.”
At least four Democrats would have to vote against the bill if the amendment fails in order to derail it, so we'll see what happens in the coming days.
One of the more fascinating political stories in recent years is that of Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman, who has gone from liberal darling to a frequent target of the DC rumor mill, as some inside his party suggest he is incapable of managing the duties of his job.
In the wake of a recent New York Magazine exposé questioning Fetterman's mental health, the senator has reportedly expressed frustration about the pressure he feels to appear on Capitol Hill for votes and hearings he believes are unimportant, lamenting what he says has been the weaponization of his health battles, as Huff Post reports.
The lawmaker's most recent public battle was sparked by the aforementioned magazine piece, released earlier this month.
That article included quotes from former as well as current staffers who expressed concerns about the senator's mental health, which has allegedly faltered since he suffered a stroke in 2022, as the New York Post explained.
Former Fetterman chief of staff Adam Jentleson provided much of the fodder for the magazine piece, having resigned from his role in the legislator's office and subsequently sending an email to Fetterman's physician voicing his alarm.
Jentleson was said to have written at the time, “I think John is on a bad trajectory and I'm really worried about him,” noting his fear that if the situation was not addressed, the lawmaker “won't be with us for much longer.”
Other allegations in the piece included suggestions that Fetterman had been seen “wandering” around the Capitol, was nearly hit by a vehicle, and was perhaps neglecting to take his prescribed medications.
In the wake of the New York Magazine piece, Fetterman blasted its content, labeling it “A one-source hit piece, some anonymous sources,” adding, “there's nothing new,”
Fetterman scoffed at the notion that those who offered comment in the article had his best interests at heart, stating, “They are not actually concerned, it's a hit piece.”
Despite that defiant tone, it appears to many that the attacks may be taking a serious toll on Fetterman's enthusiasm for the role he was elected to fulfill, with Huff Post claiming that he is struggling to find purpose in his work in Washington.
“My doctor warned years ago: After it's public that you are getting help for depression, people will weaponize that,” Fetterman recently told the New York Times. “Simple things are turned. That's exactly what happened.”
The toll on Fetterman's legislative diligence has been evident, with the lawmaker missing 18.1% of all floor votes since he took office, and he explained to the Times that he feels increasingly disinclined to make time for “performative” procedural votes at the expense of time with his family.
Though once touted as a fierce liberal stalwart, Fetterman has made waves within his own party due to his demonstrated willingness to meet with Donald Trump and stand against other Democrats on issues spanning immigration to Israel.
However, now that he is reportedly steering clear of votes, hearings, and even town halls back home due to fears he willl be the target of protests, Fetterman's political future seems an increasingly open question.
Former first lady Michelle Obama mused about what it would be like to be a "single girl" staying with Airbnb CEO and co-founder Brian Chesky, Fox News reported. This comment comes as divorce rumors continue to swirl about a possible split.
Michelle Obama has been trying to ride the wave of her former first lady fame with the creation of her new podcast and other endeavors. Part of that has been talking about her relationship with her husband, former President Barack Obama.
Amid constant chatter that hints at a possible divorce, which Michelle Obama has repeatedly denied, the former first lady seems intent on adding fuel to the fire. She did so during a discussion with Chesky on her "IMO" podcast, which she hosts with her brother Craig Robinson, released Wednesday.
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During the podcast, Chesky shared how he was now offering his home as an Airbnb. "Starting today, my home is now on Airbnb (yes, this is my actual home and I’ll be there when guests are here)," he posted to X, formerly Twitter, on Nov. 22, 2022.
He said his weekend bookings are popular and that he offers guests homemade chocolate chip cookies among other amenities. "We will work out together and train until total muscle failure (after we’ve eaten lots of cookies)," Chesky said.
Michelle Obama was very eager for this experience, noting that she had not had his homemade cookies even though she and Barack Obama are longtime friends with Chesky. Chesky quipped that she would have to book with him for that perk.
Michelle Obama's answer was crafted in a way that perhaps reveals a little too much about her state of mind. "I have to say, Brian, if I'm a single girl out there, and I find out that Brian Chesky is single, and I can, like, stay in his house..." Michelle Obama teased.
Chesky said that Barack and Michelle Obama have tried to play matchmaker for him in the past. "I'm very invested in Brian’s love life," the former first lady confirmed.
Although Michelle Obama was being playful with Chesky, the context of this remark matters. There have been several reports that her marriage is on the rocks as she opens up about her life.
The most compelling evidence came after Michelle Obama did not attend the funeral of former President Jimmy Carter with her husband, nor did she accompany him to President Donald Trump's inauguration, USA Today reported. Her explanation was just that she didn't want to.
"My decision to skip the inauguration – or my decision to make choices at the beginning of this year that suited me – were met with such ridicule and criticism. People couldn't believe that I was saying no for any other reason," the former first lady said.
"They had to assume that my marriage was falling apart," Michelle Obama added. She later claimed, "If I were having problems with my husband, everybody would know about it."
It's unclear whether Michelle Obama unconsciously fuels these rumors or if it's some sort of publicity strategy. Whatever the case may be, it seems there's no shortage of instances that seem to suggest that there may be trouble in the Obama marriage.
A federal judge has ordered two Democratic members of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board who were fired to be reinstated, Fox News reported. President Donald Trump terminated all three of the Democrats on the board, leaving one lone Republican.
Two of the fired board members filed a lawsuit in February. The third Democratic member who was fired was just days from her term ending anyway and did not join the legal action.
On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton found in favor of the terminated board members on the basis that Trump's firing without cause hindered their mission. Congress had established the board after 9/11 to make sure that any counterterrorism matters would not interfere with privacy and civil liberties.
With Walton's ruling, he claimed that allowing the president to summarily fire them effectively made the oversight body "beholden to the very authority it is supposed to oversee on behalf of Congress and the American people." The Trump administration disagrees.
The firings came in January, not long after Trump took office, Newsmax reported. The PCLOB spokesman, Alan Silverleib, announced on Jan. 27 that members Travis LeBlanc and Ed Felton, along with Chairwoman Sharon Bradford Franklin, had been let go the week before.
"The agency, however, has significant ability to continue functioning with its full staff and remaining Member Beth Williams to continue the Board's important mission, including its advice and oversight functions, and its current projects," Silverleib's statement said. The board typically consists of five members, but there was already one vacancy when the three members were ousted.
Franklin was already on her way out, but still expressed her dismay at the decision. "This isn't about me — my term was set to end later this week anyway," Franklin claimed in a statement at the time.
"But I am devastated by the attack on the board's independence and the fact that our agency will have too few members to issue official reports." LeBLanc's statement at the time revealed the basis for the eventual lawsuit.
"I regret that the board's partisan shift will ultimately undermine not only the mission of the agency, but public trust and confidence in the ability of the government to honor privacy rights, respect civil liberties, honestly inform the public, and follow the law," he said. Indeed, the judge's decision reflected LeBlanc's assertion.
Walton believes that at-will appointment negates the committee's power. "To hold otherwise would be to bless the President’s obvious attempt to exercise power beyond that granted to him by the Constitution and shield the Executive Branch’s counterterrorism actions from independent oversight, public scrutiny, and bipartisan congressional insight regarding those actions," Walton wrote in his decision.
However, Trump believes it's within the president's power to make such personnel decisions. "The Constitution gives President Trump the power to remove personnel who exercise his executive authority," Harrison Fields, White House spokesman, said.
"The Trump Administration looks forward to ultimate victory on the issue," Fields added. Trump will have the right to appeal to the Supreme Court, though it's unclear whether they will find in his favor.
The judiciary seems particularly stacked against Trump this term as they thwart him at every opportunity. This is the latest in a string of decisions to block the president's moves.
Still, the committee's oversight is not for the president but rather the intelligence and counterterrorism agencies. As the highest executive, Trump should be able to make these personnel decisions regardless of how the court feels about it.