{"id":264,"date":"2025-04-22T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-22T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.logicalware.net\/?p=264"},"modified":"2025-04-22T19:14:07","modified_gmt":"2025-04-22T19:14:07","slug":"republicans-lean-in-on-abrego-garcia-case","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.logicalware.net\/index.php\/2025\/04\/22\/republicans-lean-in-on-abrego-garcia-case\/","title":{"rendered":"Republicans lean in on Abrego Garcia case"},"content":{"rendered":"
The White House and Republicans are not shying away from battling with Democrats over the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia<\/strong>, the man mistakenly deported to El Salvador.<\/p>\n Their view: It doesn\u2019t hurt President Trump<\/strong> \u2014 and may even help him and the party.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course it\u2019s a winning issue. Americans support enforcing the law. Common sense tells you this and polls confirm it. If Democrats want to talk about MS-13 gang members, we’re happy to oblige them,\u201d a senior White House official told me about the messaging in the Abrego Garcia case. Abrego Garcia\u2019s attorneys and family have disputed allegations<\/a> he is in MS-13.<\/p>\n The National Republican Congressional Committee<\/strong> (NRCC), House Republicans\u2019 campaign arm, went as far as to offer to pay for House Democrats\u2019 trips to El Salvador as they demanded Abrego Garcia\u2019s release \u2014 on the condition they \u201clivestream the whole thing\u201d and \u201csnap plenty of selfies with your MS-13 buddies.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll pay for the plane tickets, they just can\u2019t forget to smile for the camera while they sell out their constituents,\u201d NRCC spokesperson Mike Marinella<\/strong> said in a statement Monday, coming after a group of House Democrats announced travel<\/a> to the country.<\/p>\n That is exactly what some Democrats have been worrying about as their colleagues sound the alarm about what they see as the underlying issue: the Trump administration appearing to ignore the Supreme Court\u2019s order to facilitate Abrego Garcia\u2019s return.<\/p>\n Sen. Amy Klobuchar<\/strong> (D-Minn.) said on CNN\u2019s \u201cState of the Union\u201d on Sunday that the White House \u201cpicked out this case and this man because it\u2019s about a subject that they want to keep in the news.\u201d And California Gov. Gavin Newsom<\/strong> (D), asked to comment on the case<\/a> last week, said it was \u201cthe distraction of the day,\u201d adding: \u201cThis is the debate they want. This is their 80\/20 issue.\u201d<\/p>\n Sen. Chris Van Hollen<\/strong> (D-Md.), who traveled to El Salvador an met with Abrego Garcia last week, shot back at Newsom on NBC\u2019s \u201cMeet the Press\u201d on Sunday, saying: \u201cI don’t think it’s ever wrong to stand up for the Constitution\u201d and that \u201cAmericans are tired of elected officials or politicians who are all finger to the wind, ‘what’s blowing this way, what’s blowing that way.’\u201d<\/p>\n But as Democrats battle over the right tactics and principles, actions from the White House and Republicans show they are leaning in.<\/p>\n White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt<\/strong> said Abrego Garcia will \u201cnever live in the United States again.\u201d The White House\u2019s social media accounts have dug in<\/a>, too, saying he will not come back.<\/p>\n Speaker Mike Johnson<\/strong> (R-La.) joined in highlighting Democrats\u2019 travel to El Salvador, posting Monday<\/a>: \u201cToday, House Democrats travel to El Salvador as part of their obsession to bring a violent illegal alien and member of MS-13 BACK INTO the United States. Could the contrast be more clear?\u201d<\/p>\n Republicans are encouraged by the polls showing support for deportations:<\/p>\n Other polls, however, paint a more nuanced picture. A March 28-April 1 YouGov poll<\/a> found that 61 percent of adults opposed deporting immigrants without criminal convictions to El Salvador to be imprisoned, without letting them challenge the deportation in court. Abrego Garcia has no criminal record.<\/p>\n And while Republicans are digging in on the messaging, they are not necessarily giving full-throated support to the Trump administration on every aspect of the controversy.<\/p>\n Sen. John Kennedy<\/strong> (R-La.) said on NBC\u2019s \u201cMeet the Press\u201d on Sunday that Abrego Garcia\u2019s deportation was a \u201cscrew up.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI understand why the administration has bowed up and won’t admit it’s a mistake, because if they do, they’ll have their throats torn out. But, it was a screw up,\u201d Kennedy said.<\/p>\n Related: Patience runs thin as Trump\u2019s battle with Supreme Court intensifies<\/a>,<\/u> from my colleague Zach Schonfeld.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n I\u2019m Emily Brooks, House leadership reporter at The Hill, here with a weekly look at the influences and debates on the right in Washington. Tell me what\u2019s on your radar: ebrooks@thehill.com<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n PAPAL POLITICS IN WASHINGTON:<\/strong> As the Vatican prepares for a papal conclave that will choose the next head of the Catholic Church, right-wingers in Washington are already piping up with political posturing in wake of Pope Francis<\/strong>\u2019s death.<\/p>\n Some traditionalists are already boosting Cardinal Robert Sarah<\/strong>, a conservative Guinean. He\u2019s a favorite of those who have bristled at Pope Francis\u2019s more progressive statements. <\/p>\n Rep. Anna Paulina Luna<\/strong> (R-Fla.) is one of those pushing for him. She posted a photo<\/a> of Cardinal Sarah on X, and reposted messages from an account called \u201cTrad West\u201d calling for the next Pope to be more conservative.<\/p>\n Jack Posobiec<\/strong> \u2014 the right-wing activist and commentator who is close to the Trump administration and traveled with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth<\/strong> this year \u2014 is telling fellow Catholics<\/a> to \u201ccall on the cardinals to choose a next Pope one who understands the spiritual awakening that is sweeping millions in a return to the church,\u201d referring to traditionalist beliefs.<\/p>\n The most eye-popping comment in wake of Francis\u2019s death so far, though, is from ex-Catholic<\/a> and self-described Christian nationalist<\/a> Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene<\/strong> (R-Ga.).<\/p>\n Without naming anyone in particular, Greene posted Monday<\/a>: \u201cToday there were major shifts in global leaderships. Evil is being defeated by the hand of God.\u201d<\/p>\n Greene hasn\u2019t clarified whether she was referring to Francis. World Economic Forum Chair Klaus Schwab<\/strong> also stepped down from his post on Monday. But Greene hasn\u2019t waived off the assumption that she was talking about Francis, either.<\/p>\n As for Vice President Vance\u2026<\/em> <\/strong>The Catholic convert was one of the last leaders to meet with Francis before his death, on Easter Sunday \u2014 before Francis\u2019s Easter message calling for \u201cthose in positions of political responsibility in our world not to yield to the logic of fear\u201d toward \u201cthe vulnerable, the marginalized and migrants.\u201d (More in The Washington Post<\/a><\/u><\/strong>.)<\/p>\n Flashback\u2026<\/em><\/strong> <\/em>Former Speaker John Boehner<\/strong> (R-Ohio) abruptly announced his retirement in 2015 the day after Pope Francis spoke to a joint session of Congress, a major and emotional accomplishment for Boehner. Boehner on X recalled Fancis asking<\/a> the Speaker to pray for him.<\/p>\n And\u2026 <\/em><\/strong>Trump will attend Francis\u2019s funeral with first lady Melania Trump, he said, posting on Truth Social that they \u201clook forward to being there.\u201d<\/p>\n THREE MORE THINGS\u2026<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n 1. BABY BOOM. <\/strong>Pro-natalist activists have been pitching policy ideas to the White House to get Americans to have more babies, The New York Times reports<\/a><\/u>. <\/strong>Ideas include a $5,000 \u201cbaby bonus\u201d and reserving 30 percent of Fulbright scholarships for those who are married or have children.<\/p>\n The news comes after The Wall Street Journal\u2019s eye-popping report<\/a><\/u> <\/strong>about how Trump adviser and tech billionaire Elon Musk manages his \u201clegion\u201d of babies from multiple different mothers \u2014 and the \u201charem drama\u201d that comes along with it.<\/p>\n 2.<\/strong> EXILE. Donald Trump Jr.<\/strong> lashed out at John Ullyot<\/strong>, a former top Pentagon spokesperson who resigned from the Defense Department at the end of last week. Ullyot wrote a piece in Politico<\/a> on Sunday slamming the \u201ctotal chaos\u201d at the Pentagon. <\/p>\n Some background. Three top Pentagon officials \u2014 senior adviser to Hegseth Dan Caldwell; Colin Carroll, chief of staff to the deputy Defense secretary; and Darin Selnick, deputy chief of staff to Hegseth \u2014 were ousted last week amid what remaining defense officials said was an investigation into leaks at the Defense Department. In a joint statement<\/a> Saturday, the three officials said they had been subject to \u201cbaseless attacks.\u201d<\/p>\n Trump Jr. said<\/a>: \u201cThis guy is not America First. I\u2019ve been hearing for years that he works his ass off to subvert my father\u2019s agenda. That ends today. He\u2019s officially exiled from our movement.\u201d<\/p>\n Related from my colleagues Ellen Mitchell and Brett Samuels: Trump World fires back as Hegseth back in hot seat<\/a><\/u><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n 3<\/strong>. WHAT\u2019S IN MY BAG<\/strong>: Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem\u2019s<\/strong> purse was stolen from a restaurant in downtown D.C.<\/a> on Sunday night \u2014 which apparently included $3,000 in cash, blank checks and a DHS access badge. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin<\/strong> told NewsNation\u2019s Ali Bradley that Noem \u201chad the cash because her whole family was in town (including children and grandchildren) and was treating them to activities, dinner and Easter gifts.\u201d Personally, I\u2019m hoping for a \u201cWhat\u2019s in my bag\u201d video with Noem soon.<\/p>\n Thank you for reading, and let me know what you think: ebrooks@thehill.com<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The White House and Republicans are not shying away from battling with Democrats over the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the man mistakenly deported to El Salvador. Their view: It<\/p>\n\n
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