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This Weekend in Politics, Bulletin 283.

Ron Filipkowski Jan 11

… Kristi Noem gave a disgraceful interview on CNN today where she attempted to justify her comments immediately following the shooting of Renee Good by ICE agent Jonathan Ross: Q - “Why were you so certain that your interpretation is the truth when an investigation hasn’t even happened? Noem: I’m watching the videos. Host: Other people are watching the videos and coming to a different conclusion. Noem: Everything that we’ve stated has been factual.”

… Q - “Why didn’t you wait for an investigation before making your comments?
Noem: Well, everything that I’ve said has been proven to be factual, and the truth. This admin wants to operate in transparency. I already had conversations with ICE supervisors on the ground and I knew the truth. Host: With all due respect, the first thing you said was not what happened. You said the woman attacked them while their vehicle was stuck in the snow and attempted to ram them with her vehicle. Noem: It absolutely is what happened.”

… Q - “What was she doing when she was moving her car? Noem: The question is, why are we arguing with the president who’s working to keep people safe?”

… Q - “What is the reason for the second and third shot through the window when he’s not in the line of sight of the car? Noem: What I would appreciate is everybody sticking to the facts of the situation and recognize that this law enforcement officer took action based on his training to protect himself and the public.”

… Q - “Why did you call her a domestic terrorist? Noem: If you look at what the definition of domestic terrorism is, it completely fits the situation on the ground. Q - How can you assert for a fact within hours before any investigation? Noem: The facts of the situation are that the vehicle was weaponized and it attacked the officer. You don’t get to change the facts just because you don’t like them.”

… Noem was then shown a video of J6: Q - “Those are officers being attacked on J6. By this standard, would any of those officers be justified in shooting and killing the people causing them physical harm? Noem: When people are physically harming them, they have the authority to arrest those individuals. Host - But the president pardoned every single one of them. Noem: President Trump has been so focused on is making sure that when we’re out there, we don’t pick and choose which situations are in which laws are enforced and which ones aren’t.”

… Host: “I just showed you video of people attacking law enforcement officers. Undisputed proof, undisputed evidence. And I just said Trump pardoned all of them. And you said that Trump is enforcing all the laws equally. It’s just not true. There’s a different standard for law enforcement officials being attacked. If they’re being attacked by Trump supporters. We just saw that.”

… Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey followed Noem on CNN: Q - “You said this was a federal agent recklessly using power that resulted in somebody dying. Does your rhetoric need to change? Frey: I said this was a fed agent recklessly using power that ended up in somebody dying, because that was a fed agent recklessly using power that ended up in somebody dying. I mean, am I biased in this? Of course. And I’m biased because I got two eyes.”

… Frey was asked if he inflamed the situation at his first press conference: “I’m sorry I offended their delicate ears, but as far as who inflamed the situation. I dropped an f-bomb and they killed somebody. I think the killing somebody is the inflammatory element here not the f-bomb.”

… Frey on NBC: “I want our police preventing murders and stopping carjacking. By the way, they’re doing a hell of a job. We’ve only had two shootings this year and 50% of them were from ICE. I want our officers focusing on safety, not randomly plucking people off the street.”

… Frey: “There are 435,000 people throughout Minneapolis that are looking out for their neighbors right because they understand the magnitude of this moment, and they understand that the endurance of our republic depends on us looking out for each other. We’re standing strong here in Minneapolis.”

… Jessica Tarlov, debating a panel on Fox about the shooting: “According to the DOJ policy, it says (starts to read): ‘Deadly force may not be used solely to prevent the escape of a fleeing suspect. Firearms must be not be discharged at a moving vehicle unless a person is threatening deadly force by other means than the vehicle, and no other means of defense exists - including moving out of the path of the vehicle.’”

… Tom Homan was on NBC: Q - “How can the public trust the results of this investigation if it doesn’t include state and local officials, the people who are there on the ground? Homan: First of all, this is a federal crime. When a federal officer is in a shooting, it falls under the FBI. Q - It’s one thing for the FBI to take the lead in an investigation, but for state and local officials to be cut out altogether, are you comfortable with that? Homan: That’s a question for the FBI.”

… Q - “Is anyone who protests ICE a domestic terrorist in the eyes of the admin? Homan: It’s a case by case basis. If you look up terrorism - is there violence based on ideology that wants to change the way we what we do. Q - Was Noem right to label her a domestic terrorist? Homan: If you look up the definition of terrorism, it can fall under that definition. I don’t know what the secretary has. I’m not going to judge what the secretary says, but if you look up the definition of terrorism, it could certainly fall within that.”

… Homan: “We gotta stop the hateful rhetoric. Saying this officer is a murderer is dangerous. It’s just ridiculous. It’s gonna infuriate people more which means there’s gonna be more incidents like this.”

… I guess Ross saying, “Fucking bitch” after murdering Good, Noem an hour later calling her a “domestic terrorist”, and Trump saying she was “a paid agitator” was the Trump admin’s version of “stopping the hateful rhetoric.”

… Q - Did you keep $50,000 in the Cava bag or did you return it? Homan: I did nothing illegal. Q - Was there $50,000 in the bag? Homan: This is an attack on my integrity and I’m not addressing it. Q - Did you return the money? Homan: I didn’t have any money to return. Q - Would you be comfortable releasing the recordings? Homan: I’m not going to get ahead of their investigation.”

… ICE Director Todd Lyons was asked on Fox about the possibility of Ross being prosecuted by the state of MN: “My message to the sheriff is: try and arrest my folks—let’s see what happens.”

… WSJ: “WSJ identified 13 instances of agents firing at or into civilian vehicles since July, leaving 8 people shot with two confirmed dead. Only one civilian was armed—with a concealed weapon that was never drawn—and at least 5 of those shot were US citizens.”

… The Advocate on the ICE agent Jonathan Ross: “Ross’s family and friends describe him as a hardcore conservative Christian and MAGA supporter, who sports ‘Don’t Tread on Me’ flags and Trump/Vance stickers. Social media posts reveal him arguing with his family over the white supremacist group the Proud Boys.”

… “His sister, Nicole, posted a photo on Facebook in October 2020 of herself wearing a face mask with the caption, ‘I denounce and condemn white supremacy,’ the outlet reports. Ross replied in a comment that has since been deleted, prompting Nicole to respond, ‘we have to respectfully disagree. You are my brother and I love you, but we will not engage in a debate on Facebook.’”

… Politico: “Blue state lawmakers have had it with ICE. State legislatures across the country are accelerating efforts to shape immigration enforcement policy after the deadly shooting of a Minnesota woman by a federal agent, raising tensions between local leaders and the Trump admin. From CA to NY and IL to NJ, they’re pushing a range of bills aimed at limiting enforcement and protecting people targeted by ICE, while turning up the rhetoric with comparisons to the Gestapo.”

… NY state Sen. Pat Fahy, who sponsored a bill that would prohibit ICE agents from wearing masks and one that would create a state dashboard tracking immigration officials’ activity: “Momentum is on our side. To me, this goes beyond immigration. People understand now that masked, armed men in our city and suburban streets are seriously eroding any form of public trust in law enforcement. Some of these issues are having more universal appeal.”

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… Politico: “The Trump admin’s rapid and aggressive response to the MN shooting has prompted quiet concern among some administration allies, as well as former and current ICE officials. Particular anguish centers around how quickly Kristi Noem, in public remarks on Wed, insisted that Renee Good had committed an act of ‘domestic terrorism’ and tried to ‘ram them with her vehicle.’”

… One Trump admin official: “This is highly problematic and not a good look and not something our govt should be remotely engaged in.”

… John Sandweg, who led ICE under the Obama admin: “You’re not doing the agency or the agents any justice when you rush out and reflexively defend them. You just create risks of more of this. No one at ICE goes to work saying ‘I want to shoot someone,’ absolutely not. But the aggression is being rewarded, and I think sometimes you’re better off to just stop and think a little bit.”

… CNN: “CNN’s analysis found that while DHS claims that Renee Good was ‘blocking’ ICE agents, multiple cars – including one driven by Ross – were able to drive around Good’s vehicle before the shooting. Some experts said Ross’s decision to use a cell phone to record the encounter, including as he fired the fatal shots, could have hampered his ability to respond effectively in the moment.”

… Law enforcement analyst Jonathan Wackrow: “If you’re an agent, then you should not be encumbered by anything in your hands. That’s what body worn cameras are for. But they’re not wearing body-worn cameras.”

… A senior law enforcement official with knowledge of DHS policies: “I would have been livid if one of my folks were doing that. If you’re so concerned about your safety, then why are you tying up your hands and attention on your cell phone? Clearly they didn’t feel threatened.”

… “Bystander footage shows that shortly after he got out of his SUV and approached Renee Good’s vehicle, Ross pulled out his cell phone and recorded. Ross’s video footage shows him recording Good in the driver’s seat. Good appeared calm and had both of her hands visible as she said, ‘That’s fine dude. I’m not mad at you.’ Another officer in the footage can be heard telling Good, the driver, to ‘get out of the fucking car.’”

… “Ross was still filming as he walked in front of Good’s vehicle. Good first put her vehicle in reverse, and then accelerated forward. Good appeared to turn the steering wheel away from Ross as she pulled forward. The angle of Ross’s phone does not capture any contact between him and the car. With his cell phone still gripped in one hand and recording, Ross yelled ‘Woah,’ pulled his gun with the other hand and fired into the car – killing Good, whose vehicle continued accelerating down the street before crashing.”

… Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) on CBS: “It’s really important for Americans to record, to create the level of accountability and transparency we need. What we have seen in Minneapolis is ICE agents oftentimes jumping out of unmarked cars, oftentimes wearing a mask. We know that DHS has lied repeatedly, so it is even more important for there to be recording from eyewitnesses every single time.”

… Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) on NBC: “The amount of training that’s given to an ICE officer has been cut in half by this admin. The number of days of training they get are only 47. You know why they cut it to 47 days? As an homage to the vanity of the president. No wonder the number of violent incidents are going through the roof.”

… Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-MI): “JD Vance is defending the cop who killed Renee Good more than he ever defended his wife and kids from vile racists on his own side.”

… Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) on MS NOW: “There are now more ICE agents in Minnesota than there are police officers combined in Minneapolis and St. Paul. So they are outnumbering our own local police officers out on the streets.”

… Politico: “A day after the Minneapolis shooting, Secretary Noem quietly signed a new policy barring congressional visits to ICE facilities without a week’s advance notice.”

… Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN) was part of a contingent of MN reps who tried to gain access to the local ICE detention facility only to be met with a huge group of ICE agents in full gear and turned away: “We were told because this facility is being funding by the ‘Big Beautiful Bill,’ not the congressional appropriations act, that we would not be allowed to enter the facility. That’s complete nonsense. I informed them they were violating the law. They said they didn’t care.”

… Axios: “Protesters, expected in the tens of thousands, took to the streets in Minneapolis and other cities to participate in ‘ICE Out For Good’ protests and vigils, following the fatal shooting of a woman by an ICE agent. The death of Renee Good and a separate Border Patrol shooting in Portland have ignited widespread outrage over the Trump admin’s immigration tactics — and fueled criticism of federal agencies’ defense of the incident.”

… “Events organized by groups including Indivisible, 50501, the Disappeared in America Campaign, Voto Latino and the ACLU, are aimed at humanizing victims and demanding accountability and transparency from federal law enforcement. Leila Miller, a spokesperson for Indivisible, a grassroots movement, said 67,000 people RSVP’d to attend more than 1,000 protests.”

… Daily Mail: “Trump has ordered his special forces commanders to draw up a plan for the invasion of Greenland - but is being resisted by senior military figures. Sources say that the policy ‘hawks’ around the president, led by political adviser Stephen Miller, have been so emboldened by the success of the operation to capture Venezuela’s leader Nicolas Maduro that they want to move quickly to seize the island before Russia or China makes a move.”

… “British diplomats believe that Trump is also motivated by a desire to distract American voters from the performance of the US economy before the mid-term elections later this year, after which he could lose control of Congress to the Democrats. But such a dramatic move would put him at odds with PM Keir Starmer and would effectively lead to the collapse of NATO.”

… “The President has asked JSOC to prepare the invasion plan, but it is being resisted by the joint chiefs of staff on the grounds that it would be illegal - and would not be supported by Congress.” Source: “They have tried to distract Trump by talking about less controversial measures, such as intercepting Russian ‘ghost’ ships - a clandestine network of hundreds of vessels operated by Moscow to evade Western sanctions - or launching a strike on Iran.”

… “One diplomatic cable describes the ‘worst-case’ scenario as leading to ‘the destruction of NATO from the inside’. It adds: ‘Some European officials suspect this is the real aim of the hardline MAGA faction around Trump. Since Congress would not allow Trump to exit NATO, occupying Greenland could force the Europeans to abandon NATO. If Trump wants to end NATO, this might be the most convenient way to do it.’”

… French Gen. Nicolas Richoux to LCI TV (France): “Greenland is allied territory. If the US attacks Greenland, we must fight the Americans - and make them the historical villains. Greenland is the RED LINE. If the US invades, they stop being systemic adversaries – they become ENEMIES. When you attack a territory, what’s the point of armies if you don’t use them? If we let this happen, we might as well spend our €55B defense budget on welfare instead.”

… Gen. Richoux: “How about Greenland simply belongs to the Greenlanders? There’s already a GIGANTIC US base there since WWII! Don’t talk nonsense: we don’t need to ‘physically seize’ Greenland – they’re already in control. This is about letting Americans drill and mine whatever they want, however they want. After Trump’s threats (and Venezuela), is this the moment NATO breaks if America attacks Denmark? Time to defend OUR territory. Our interests. Our future.”

… Conservative Danish MP Rasmus Jarlov: “Denmark will not hand over Greenland even if the US threatens us with nuclear weapons. I am not saying this to stump our chest and try to be tough. We are small and no match for the US. We know that. But we are not doing it under any circumstances. The door is open for military bases, mining or whatever the US would like. It always has been. Sovereignty and running the country is completely out of the question. Greenlanders should run the country and Denmark will continue to assist them with what they want.”

… Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) on CBS: “I can tell you this - we will force a vote in the Senate about no US military action in Greenland or Denmark if we need to. We will get overwhelmingly bipartisan support that this president is foolish to even suggest this. We’re not gonna ‘do it the hard way and we’re not gonna do it the easy way’ either.”

… National security analyst Marc Polymeropoulos: “There are a number of potentially enormous foreign policy issues breaking all at once, critical junctures- in Iran, Venezuela, Russia/Ukraine, and Gaza. (Do I add Greenland?) I can’t remember a confluence of near or current crises like this in some time. Ordinarily, it would take great leadership to manage. Yet I very much worry that this admin doesn’t have the competence, leadership, experience, personnel to handle all.”

… “There is also no consistency in our approach -and what we believe in. Neocon/isolationist/transactional/imperialist/mercantalist - what are we? All a jumble of contradictions. Interesting times ahead…”

… AP: “The organization that oversees the Nobel Peace Prize is throwing cold water on talk of Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado giving her recent award to Trump. Once the Nobel Peace Prize is announced, it can’t be revoked, transferred or shared with others, the Norwegian Nobel Institute said in a short statement: “The decision is final and stands for all time.”

… US State Dept issued the following warning: “Venezuelan militias are hunting for US citizens, and any Americans should leave the country immediately. The security situation in Venezuela remains fluid. As international flights have resumed, US citizens in Venezuela should leave the country immediately. Before departure, US citizens should take precautions and be aware of their surroundings.”

… “There are reports of groups of armed militias, known as colectivos, setting up roadblocks and searching vehicles for evidence of US citizenship or support for the US. Remain vigilant and exercise caution when traveling by road. Monitor airlines’ communications and websites for updated information.

… “Venezuela has the highest Travel Advisory level – Level 4: Do Not Travel – due to severe risks to Americans, including wrongful detention, torture in detention, terrorism, kidnapping, arbitrary enforcement of local laws, crime, civil unrest, and poor health infrastructure.”

… So much for “mission accomplished” and “we are controlling the Venezuela.” This alert also came one day after Trump promised oil executives “total safety” if they sent their employees to Venezuela.

… Energy Secretary Chris Wright was asked about Trump’s meeting with oil company executives about going into Venezuela: “President Trump is no helper to the oil and gas industry, and certainly there is no corruption, preferential placement of people. There’s not of that. I can assure you of that.”

… You just wonder how these people can look at themselves in mirror.

… Q - “Does the Trump admin want to own portions of oil companies? Wright: That’s certainly a very real possibility.”

… Guardian: “After US troops swarmed into Venezuela, seizing the country’s president and his wife, there was little to be heard from the Pentagon. Typically, it would be a time for defense officials to talk to the Pentagon press corps: a group of journalists made up of some of the most talented reporters in the US. The Pentagon could have been expected to be held to account over what has been criticized as a violation of international law. Under the Trump admin, that didn’t happen.”

… “The press corps was decimated late last year. Almost all credentialed reporters from traditional media companies surrendered their Pentagon press passes in Oct, rather than sign a 21-page Pentagon document that set restrictions on journalistic activities. Into that void, the Pentagon credentialed dozens of pro-Trump rightwing online figures, creating a distinctly unserious press corps which includes someone from a pillow salesman’s nascent media company, and a man from a ‘maritime news’ website who has openly fawned over Trump and Hegseth.”

… “The Gateway Pundit, a conservative outlet known for publishing lies about the 2020 presidential election, wrote that it was a ‘stunning operation by US forces’. It framed the debate over the legality and morality over invading a foreign country and seizing its president as ‘conservative patriots supporting Donald J Trump and the leftist globalists denouncing it’.”

… Rightwing blogger Breanna Morello: “I’m not normally for regime change strikes, but there’s something very endearing about bombing Hugo Chávez’s dead body.” Right-wing influencer Cam Higby: “The WH account better be cooking up a sick edit.” Lindell TV, founded by Mike Lindell: “FOUR reasons why ‘Operation Absolute Resolve’ simply ROCKED. It’s about time the world was reminded of the absolute superiority and skills of the US military in action.”

… LA Times: “The fed govt’s Boeing E-4B Nightwatch - a military aircraft known, somewhat alarmingly, as the ‘Doomsday Plane’ - touched down at LA Intl Airport this week, in what may be the famed aircraft’s first-ever LAX landing. It is billed by the USAF as a ‘highly survivable command, control and communications center.’”

… “The plane is equipped to serve as an airborne operations center for the president, the Defense Secretary and the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the event of a disaster that wipes out command centers on land. Its sudden appearance at a busy commercial airport sparked a flurry of online speculation. ‘WAR IMMINENT?’ one X user posted, in one of several anxious social media responses to the plane’s appearance.”

… “In this case, the plane was ferrying Pete Hegseth to southern California as part of his monthlong ‘Arsenal of Freedom’ tour. Far-right activist Laura Loomer, Breitbart News reporter Olivia Rondeau and media figure L. Todd Wood accompanied Hegseth on the trip and shared photos of themselves with the plane online.”

… WaPo: “Reports of a dramatic escalation in the use of deadly force by Iranian security forces have begun to trickle out of the country despite a severe communications blackout as authorities struggle to contain mass protests. The Center for Human Rights in Iran, based in NY, said it received eyewitness accounts and credible reports indicating that hundreds of protesters have been killed in Iran since the govt cut off the country’s access to the internet on Thursday.”

… “The Trump admin is considering military options in response. Trump has not settled on a preferred option, and discussions are expected to continue. The Pentagon can intervene with lethal force or nonlethal options, such as cyberattacks that curtail Iran’s ability to block internet access. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said Sunday that if it is attacked, Iran could target the US, Israel and shipping lanes.”

… The CHRI said witnesses have reported that “hospitals were overwhelmed, blood supplies are critically low, bodies are being piled up, and the number of casualties is rising by the hour. CHRI warns that a massacre is unfolding. The world must act now to prevent further loss of life.”

… Trump posted on Truth Social: “Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!!”

… The former Shah of Iran’s son Reza Pahlavi is doing everything he can to get Trump to intervene militarily: “Mr. President, you have already established your legacy as a man committed to peace and fighting evil forces - you’re total opposite to Barack Obama or Joe Biden. Let’s hope that we can permanently seal the legacy by liberating Iran so that we and you can make Iran great again. Let’s partner on in this. I’m prepared to return to Iran at the first possible opportunity.”

… It completely unknown how many people protesting in Iran consider Pahlavi as their future leader if the current regime is overthrown. He hasn’t been in Iran since 1978. NY-based Iranian scholar and writer Arash Azizi: “To any fair observer of Iran, Pahlavi has a certain degree of support in Iranian society, although it is hard to discern just how wide this support is.”

… NY Post: “Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer is under an internal investigation following an explosive complaint alleging she’s been ‘abusing her position’ by pursuing an ‘inappropriate’ relationship with a subordinate, according to sources and documents reviewed by The Post.”

… Chavez-DeRemer (REPUBLICAN) has welcomed her alleged paramour at least 3 times to her DC apartment and twice into her hotel room while traveling, alleges a complaint filed with the Dept of Labor’s Office of Inspector General last week, which has since begun a probe.”

… “The former Oregon congresswoman is also accused of drinking in her office during the workday and committing ‘travel fraud’ by having her chief of staff and deputy chief of staff ‘make up’ official trips to destinations where Chavez-DeRemer can spend time with family or friends on the taxpayers’ dime. Sources also accused her of being a ‘boss from hell,’ by forcing aides to run personal errands or perform other menial tasks while on the clock.”

… “The complaint said that additional video footage from the hotel shows the pair engaging in unprofessional behavior on at least two trips to Vegas in 2025. When word of the alleged misconduct began circulating in the department, Chavez-DeRemer instructed her chief of staff, Han, to ‘leave it alone,’ the complaint stated. The complaint also described Chavez-DeRemer drinking in her office - with references to ‘a stash’ of champagne, bourbon and Kahlua that she keeps there.”

… “In 2025, the DOL spent hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars for the secretary to visit 37 states on more than 50 official trips. At least 10 of those visits were to Nevada or locations where she has personal ties — including her home state of Oregon; Arizona, where she and her anesthesiologist husband have a home that’s listed as a primary residence in mortgage documents, and Michigan, where her daughter resides.”

… Financial Times: “Trump’s family business has announced $10 billion in luxury developments in Saudi Arabia as it expands its footprint in the Gulf. Real estate developer DarGlobal, which has partnered with the Trump Org in the past, said on Sunday the latest, $7 billion project would include a Trump-branded hotel and golf course as part of Diriyah, a $63 billion development backed by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund.”

… “The two businesses are also working on a $3 billion Trump Plaza tower in Jeddah that will include offices, high-end apartments and town houses. The tower will form part of a larger ‘Manhattan’ project - a nod to the president’s NY real estate background. The announcement comes weeks after Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom’s heir apparent, met Trump in the WH and agreed a series of deals in defense, AI and nuclear energy.”

… WaPo: “On Thur, neither party really had the majority in the House. Over the course of 7 roll-call votes, the final tally showed 5 times that the exact same number of Republicans and Democrats had voted. The actual tallies of ‘yeas’ and ‘nays’ varied between noncontroversial legislation passed by wide margins to a narrow victory for Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), on the ACA, helped by a bloc of renegade Republicans.”

… “Each side repeatedly had the same number of members casting votes, with 213 lawmakers on both sides of the aisle and a handful of Republicans missing. That highly unusual outcome illustrates the incredible tightrope that the titular majority party walks every day that the House comes into session.”

SHOWER HEADS!

… “A couple of days ago, House GOP leaders had to delay a planned vote on legislation that would loosen regulations on the capacity of shower heads in response to a favorite line in Trump’s stump speeches. Several Republicans had signaled that they would not be on hand for votes, creating the possibility of a humiliating defeat. So the vote was delayed.”

… House Maj Leader Steve Scalise: “With a lot of bills, you’re not just looking at when’s the best time to bring it. You are also looking at making sure that everybody is going to be there. There are always going to be days where it’s a very narrow majority.”

… David Letterman on a podcast: “What about those idiots at CBS? The CBS News is a wreck, it’s just gone. The integrity of CBS News has been trampled on, pissed on, and eviscerated by these idiots that have taken it over.”

… RFK Jr: “Reports coming out of Germany show a government sidelining patient autonomy and limiting people's abilities to act on their own convictions when they face medical decisions. That is why I sent a letter to Germany's Federal Minister of Health, Nina Warken. In my letter, I made it clear that Germany has the opportunity and the responsibility to correct this trajectory, to restore medical autonomy, to end politically motivated prosecutions, and to uphold the rights that anchor every democratic nation.”

… German historian Rob Schafer responded: “You seem to be laboring under the delusion that Germany is a colony for your conspiracy theories. Let me be blunt: Your brand of 'freedom'—the freedom to die of preventable 19th-century diseases—is an export we have no interest in buying. ​We established the world's first universal social healthcare system under Bismarck in 1883. You still do not have anything comparable.”

… “We are the nation of Koch and Virchow and have spent 140 years using state power to defeat disease through science AND solidarity. You, meanwhile, preside over a system where insulin is rationed like gold dust and medical bankruptcy is a national pastime. ​The fact that you think you have the moral standing to lecture the country that invented modern medicine on 'medical decisions' is not just arrogant; it is grotesque! ​Keep your chaos on your side of the Atlantic. Mind your own business.”

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