In a heated exchange during a House Oversight Committee hearing on Thursday, Republican Florida Rep. Byron Donalds vehemently criticized Minnesota Governor Tim Walz for his controversial remarks comparing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to the Nazi-era Gestapo. Donalds demanded Walz retract the statement, calling it “disgusting” and an insult to the agents serving the country.
The controversy stems from a May 18 commencement speech where Governor Walz labeled ICE agents as President Donald Trump’s “modern-day Gestapo.” Walz made the comparison while discussing the Trump administration’s crackdown on mass deportations and the arrest of undocumented immigrants.
“Do you realize how disgusting a phrase that is considering the history of Nazi Germany?” Donalds pressed Walz. “Would you like to recant that statement?”
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Walz defended his comments, clarifying, “What I said, congressman, and I have a long history of supporting law enforcement, is that President Trump was using them as his modern-day Gestapo, not identifying who you are, coming up in unmarked vans, taking people away.”
While Walz acknowledged that ICE agents are responsible for arresting and deporting individuals who have entered and reside in the U.S. illegally, Donalds countered that the previous Biden administration had “abused every process” related to illegal immigration.
“The president is doing his job. So it is sick to refer to Americans who are ICE agents as Gestapo. Governor, you’re wrong. You need to apologize to these agents. They’re doing their jobs. They are Americans, they are serving this country with honor and decency and respect,” Donalds asserted, urging Walz not to “diminish their work simply because you tried to make a cheap point that you could tweet.”
Walz also accused ICE agents of arriving at individuals’ homes in “unmarked vans” and sending them to “foreign torture dungeons” without trial. He claimed that those arrested “disappeared,” stating, “To be clear, there’s no way for us to know whether they were actually criminals or not, because they refused to give them a trial.”
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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin issued a statement on May 19, calling Walz’s remark “sickening” and highlighting that such rhetoric has led to a 43% increase in assaults on ICE agents.
Recent data indicates strong public support for Trump’s immigration policies, including among legal immigrant citizens, who overwhelmingly favor the deportation of undocumented immigrants.
A White House fact sheet noted a significant decrease of 93% or more in border crossings, migrant encounters, and “gotaways” during the first 100 days of the Trump administration.
Adding to the political landscape, a new national poll released by Cygnal reveals a record number of Americans believe the nation is headed in the right direction.
Poll: Record Number Say Nation Is On Right Track; Voters Back Trump’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’
The monthly National Voter Trends (NVT) poll, conducted June 3-4 among 1,500 likely general election voters, also shows strong support for President Trump’s proposed “One Big Beautiful Bill” (BBB), particularly its tax relief provisions.
According to Brent Buchanan, Cygnal’s President, and Alex Tarascio, Director of Policy and Political Strategy, who oversaw the poll:
“One Big Beautiful Bill” Garners Broad Support: The BBB enjoys significant support, especially among parents (+11 net support), swing voters (+9), and those earning under $75,000 (+5), indicating its content resonates with a diverse and expanding coalition. Notably, while the bill is popular, female support shifts 12 points to the negative when explicitly tied to the President. Contrary to Democratic claims, those earning over $200,000 are the least supportive income group (-16).
“Contrary to what Democrats are pushing in the media, the One Big Beautiful Bill – especially its individual components – is popular with voters mostly because of the tax cut provisions,” said Brent Buchanan. “This proves President Trump’s political senses reflect the priorities of regular Americans. Voters want to see action from Congress to match Trump’s pace and this push for the BBB reflects that – especially when we hit another record number of voters saying the country is on the right track.”
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Trump’s Tariff Rationale Finds Support for Reshoring: In a surprising turn, 54 percent of Democrat voters expressed a preference for a free-market approach to trade without government intervention. However, when President Trump’s rationale for tariffs is explained, a plurality of voters (34%) support their use to pressure companies to bring production home, with an additional 26 percent supporting the goal but not the method.
“I never thought I’d see the day when Democrats preferred a free market approach to anything,” commented Alex Tarascio. “But apparently they do when it comes to tariffs and trade if President Trump is on the other side of the issue. The partisan divide on tariffs as a tool of leverage is stark – 54 percent of Democrats say a free-market approach is better for reshoring jobs and manufacturing compared to only nine percent of Republicans who share that view. The GOP firmly supports, 63 percent, President Trump’s actions to use tariffs to pressure companies to bring back production.”
Tax Relief Provisions are Top Priority within BBB: When voters were asked about specific provisions within the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” the top three most supported items all concerned taxation: increasing the standard deduction for seniors (24%), eliminating taxes on tips and overtime (17%), and permanently extending the Trump tax cuts (17%). This interest in tax relief coincides with a record 47% of voters believing the country is headed in the right direction and a growing sense of fiscal hawkishness, with 12% identifying reducing government waste and spending as a top priority.
National Debt a Significant Concern: A substantial 38 percent of voters are extremely concerned about the national debt. When asked if they support reducing government spending to pay down the national debt, even if it meant reductions in services for some, 53 percent of voters backed the tradeoff.
Differing Views on Medicaid’s Purpose: Voters hold divergent views on the purpose of Medicaid. A majority, 58 percent, believe it should serve as a bridge for those in need to get back on their feet once they are able to work, while 38 percent view it as a lifeline without conditions.
Alarming Concerns Over Antisemitism: A striking 82 percent of voters expressed concern about rising antisemitism in the United States. Republicans identified Jewish (57%), White (40%), and Native American (38%) peoples as being treated most unfairly, while Democrats cited Black (73%), Palestinian (70%), and Native American (70%) peoples.
Confidence in Emergency Plane Landing Varies: Only a quarter of voters believe they could land a passenger plane in an emergency, with significant gender (36% of men vs. 16% of women) and partisan differences (Republicans 30%, Independents 25%, Democrats 20%).
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