Free Republic

Mayor Brandon Johnson is facing pressure on multiple fronts this week. His campaign refunded $120,000 to two PACs tied to city vendors — part of a larger pattern of nearly $290,000 in refunds and over $120,000 spent on compliance since taking office. At the same time, Johnson signed an executive order creating “ICE-free zones” across Chicago, blocking federal immigration agents from using city-owned properties such as schools, parks, and libraries for civil enforcement operations. And now, his budget plan touts a record $1 billion surplus from Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts — even as the city faces a projected $1.15...

House Republicans held a lawmaker-only conference call on Tuesday that grew tense when Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., confronted Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., on his strategy to navigate the ongoing government shutdown.

Arizona's Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes and Arizona Democratic Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva sued the House of Representatives on Tuesday over its failure to seat the recently elected lawmaker. The lawsuit fulfills a threat Mayes made to House Speaker Mike Johnson last week over the delay. Grijalva won a special election last month. [link to lawsuit] "This case is about whether someone duly elected to the House – who indisputably meets the constitutional qualifications of the office – may be denied her rightful office simply because the Speaker has decided to keep the House out of “regular session," Mayes argued in...

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., slammed Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., Saturday, accusing him of siding with communists by backing the nationwide "No Kings" protests—a sweeping movement against the Trump administration. The social media smack down happened after Schumer posted to X Thursday encouraging "Americans who love this country" and "care about democracy" to march peacefully during the weekend rallies. "The No Kings rally says that in a very strong way, where millions of Americans will come together to say just that—that we don't want kings in America," Schumer wrote. "And I say to my fellow citizens: do not...

Mayor Brandon Johnson issued an executive order "banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers from entering any city property to enforce federal laws against illegal immigration. This includes streets and parking lots. Further, City Police are instructed to ignore any 911 calls from ICE personnel being attacked by protesters." Gov. JB Pritzker hailed this "strong response to the federal invasion of Chicago and our state. In support of Mayor Johnson I have filed a lawsuit seeking a court injunction to prevent Trump from using National Guard troops to fight crime in our state. We going to use every lever at...

A man who threatened conservative influencer Benny Johnson is set to face charges as part of a White House crackdown on political violence, Pam Bondi announced.The Attorney General gave a fiery address in Tampa, Florida on Friday as she said a suspect, named as George Isbel Jr., threatened to take out Johnson.Johnson commands a following of over four million on X and is one of the most outspoken conservative commentators on social media, known for rubbing shoulders with Donald Trump and other influential MAGA stars. In her speech on Friday, Bondi said Johnson had been targeted in recent weeks, and...

Chicago’s Democrat Mayor Brandon Johnson suggested on Tuesday that the Chicago Police should arrest ICE agents and other federal officers who he claims are breaking his new executive order aimed at hampering immigration enforcement. On Monday, Johnson signed a dubious executive order creating “ICE-Free Zones” to ban federal agents from using city-owned properties as staging areas for immigration enforcement. Johnson’s proclamation comes as President Donald Trump suggested that the anti-ICE actions by Chicago’s leaders are akin to an insurrection against the federal government. Now, the mayor is claiming that violations of his orders are a “crime” and those who break...

Summary Democratic leaders oppose Trump's military deployment in cities Legal battles ensue over National Guard deployment in Chicago, Portland National Guard deployment raises concerns over militarization of cities Illinois Governor Pritzker accuses Trump of using troops as political tool Federal judge temporarily blocks Guard deployment to Portland CHICAGO, Oct 7 (Reuters) - Donald Trump's threat to invoke a federal anti-insurrection law to expand his deployment of military personnel to U.S. cities has intensified his legal battle with Democratic-led cities over presidential authority, as hundreds of National Guard troops from Texas on Tuesday prepared to patrol the streets of Chicago. The...

Co-host (of CNN’s The Situation Room) Wolf Blitzer said, “I want to play something President Trump said last hour as he addressed senior U.S. military officers at the Marine base at Quantico, Virginia. Listen to this, then I’ll get your reaction.” […] Johnson said, “This is absolutely appalling. This president is an unstable human being, and it’s right for this moment to check him. We’re calling on Congress to do its job. There’s no way that anyone in this country should be OK with armed militarized troops being sent to cities. These individuals, these brave women and men who sign...

When US Border Patrol boats were spotted in the Chicago River Mayor Brandon Johnson (D) demanded to know "who authorized this? I didn't authorize this. I wasn't consulted before this invasion was launched. The federal government is not communicating with me or our police department." Border Patrol chief Michael Banks said "we've posted information about our latest immigration enforcement activities on social media to let residents know what we're doing. We didn't make a separate effort to coordinate with the Mayor since he has declared he wants to eradicate law-enforcement in his city." Johnson called Banks' reply "disrespectful. He's only...

“The Far Left that has been ushered into office under Toni Preckwinkle’s leadership has been conducting lots of social experiments that… are very expensive. They’re hard for us to afford, and we’re not even sure if there’s any kind of return on investment.” The most glaring example Reilly cited was Preckwinkle’s decision to back her former chief of staff Kim Foxx as state’s attorney and help Foxx win a second term. “We saw public safety crumble across Cook County on Kim Foxx’s watch. Kim was there to implement Toni’s policies which were, frankly, charge fewer people with crimes and let’s...

Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7 President John Catanzara released a spicy YouTube video of his own on Friday, a video he recorded while standing in front of the mayor’s home, which is protected 24/7 by multiple CPD units. “Three squad cars blocking it, patrolling it, protecting it for him and his family,” Catanzara said. “Yet, he calls law enforcement a sickness. What a hypocrite. Piece of garbage.” Catanzara told viewers that Johnson’s words were no mistake. “He has always hated us. He still hates us. He just can’t say what he wants to publicly. But two days ago, the...

House Republicans plan to vote Friday morning on a short-term measure to fund the government as a shutdown deadline nears, hoping to keep pressure on Democrats who have signaled they will vote to shut down the government if Republicans don't cave to Democratic demands to restore cuts to Medicaid and extend Obamacare subsidies set to expire at the end of the year. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise announced Thursday afternoon that the House would vote on the measure at 10:20 a.m. Friday. House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed cautious optimism Thursday that Republicans will pass their 52-day continuing resolution on Friday...

“Jails and incarceration and law enforcement is a sickness that has not led to safe communities,” Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson declared during a fiery press conference Tuesday, adding that he intends to “eradicate” that sickness. Johnson made the remarks after a reporter asked him about his administration’s public safety plan. “I get so sick and tired of people believing that the only thing that Black and Brown and poor people get to get in this city are badges,” he continued. “No. It’s a sickness and we’re gonna eradicate it.” Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd), who recently announced a campaign to unseat...

Eleven years after the death of Ferguson, Missouri, teen Michael Brown sparked national protests over police brutality, the man who accompanied Brown on that fateful day in August of 2014 is dead. Dorian Johnson, 33, was shot and killed around 8:30 a.m. Sunday morning in an apartment complex less than a mile from where the incident between himself and Brown, who were black, and then-Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson, who is white, played out.Dorian Johnson you mean the kid that lied until he got in front of the FBI then had to tell the truth about hands up don't shoot?...

Watching the circus in Chicago is appalling. Week after week people are dying in the streets. democrats seem so inured by the violence and death that it's all normal to them. The past weekend saw 54 people shot and 8 killed. To Gov. "JBeefy" Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson it's another day at the office. Pritzker, who went to the safest part of Chicago with his retinue of bodyguards to proclaim how safe the city is says "Authoritarians thrive on your silence." He adds "There's no emergency that warrants deploying troops in Chicago". To date this year 1166 people have...

The success of President Trump's crackdown on DC crime is impressing the majority of Americans. Vice President JD Vance observed "this town averaged one murder every other day for the last 20-30 years, which means in two short weeks the president and his team have saved six or seven lives. People who would have been killed on the streets of DC are now living, breathing, and spending time with their families because the president had the willpower to say no more, we're not going to give the streets of DC over to vagrants and robbers and murderers." A recent Harvard...

Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., is pressing the Pentagon on its efforts to reinstate military troops fired by the Biden administration for forgoing the Covid shot, the senator revealed Thursday. In his Tuesday letter, the Wisconsin Republican asked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to provide an update on what the Defense Department is doing to return service members booted for not getting the experimental jab under President Biden. As The Federalist previously reported, the mandate was announced by then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in August 2021, and — while ultimately repealed by Congress — resulted in the dismissal of roughly 8,700 troops from...

The Democrats are having a hard time connecting with normal people, and one congressman decided that the best thing to do would be to grab a guitar and throw down an anti-Trump version of the Jimi Hendrix classic "Hey Joe." The only problem is that he doesn't know how to play guitar. Like, at all. **SNIP** The unbuttoned shirt, for instance, was 1,000 percent a decision made moments before his intern hit record. This may have even been take two after he stopped in the middle of tie-on take one. "Wait; hang on… (*Unbutons shirt*) …Now we're ready." But let's...

Chicago’s self-professed “progressive” Democrat mayor, Brandon Johnson, announced a new task force to study plans to dole out slavery reparations to the city’s black community, even as Johnson struggles with low approval ratings. Desperate to find his way out of his low approvals, Johnson announced the new task force during his Juneteenth address. The committee is reportedly being funded by the $500,000 dollars set aside for the purpose in the recent budget negotiations, WFLD-TV reported. The divisive mayor insisted that “investing in blacks is not a crime.” Warner Todd Huston