Ryan Lucas

Well, the administration is very much trying to say that this is all much ado about nothing. But I will say the information discussed in the chat is exactly the sort of intelligence a sophisticated adversary like Russia or China would want on the U.S. And the officials in the chat are all top of the target list of foreign intelligence services.

Now, as for what's next, Democrats on the Intelligence Committee made this clear today that they want to get to the bottom of it, and they have very much vowed to get to the end of this.

Now, as for what's next, Democrats on the Intelligence Committee made this clear today that they want to get to the bottom of it, and they have very much vowed to get to the end of this.

Now, as for what's next, Democrats on the Intelligence Committee made this clear today that they want to get to the bottom of it, and they have very much vowed to get to the end of this.

Right. Five members of the USIP board filed this lawsuit overnight Tuesday. The court held a hearing on it Wednesday afternoon. So that gives you a sense of the urgency here. What the lawsuit argues is that the USIP board members were unlawfully removed from their positions by President Trump. They say that USIP is an independent nonprofit think tank created and funded by Congress.

Right. Five members of the USIP board filed this lawsuit overnight Tuesday. The court held a hearing on it Wednesday afternoon. So that gives you a sense of the urgency here. What the lawsuit argues is that the USIP board members were unlawfully removed from their positions by President Trump. They say that USIP is an independent nonprofit think tank created and funded by Congress.

Right. Five members of the USIP board filed this lawsuit overnight Tuesday. The court held a hearing on it Wednesday afternoon. So that gives you a sense of the urgency here. What the lawsuit argues is that the USIP board members were unlawfully removed from their positions by President Trump. They say that USIP is an independent nonprofit think tank created and funded by Congress.

So it's not a part of the executive branch, they say. The board members who are suing, they want to be reinstated. They want to stop the Trump administration's efforts to dismantle the institute and its operations. Now, at this hearing, what they were asking the judge to do was to temporarily block Doge's takeover.

So it's not a part of the executive branch, they say. The board members who are suing, they want to be reinstated. They want to stop the Trump administration's efforts to dismantle the institute and its operations. Now, at this hearing, what they were asking the judge to do was to temporarily block Doge's takeover.

So it's not a part of the executive branch, they say. The board members who are suing, they want to be reinstated. They want to stop the Trump administration's efforts to dismantle the institute and its operations. Now, at this hearing, what they were asking the judge to do was to temporarily block Doge's takeover.

of USIP to get Doge out of the Institute and its systems and to get the board members back in. Yeah, and the judge denied that request. So what was her reasoning? Well, U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell said that there was confusion in this complaint itself, in the lawsuit. She also pointed out that a temporary restraining order

of USIP to get Doge out of the Institute and its systems and to get the board members back in. Yeah, and the judge denied that request. So what was her reasoning? Well, U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell said that there was confusion in this complaint itself, in the lawsuit. She also pointed out that a temporary restraining order

of USIP to get Doge out of the Institute and its systems and to get the board members back in. Yeah, and the judge denied that request. So what was her reasoning? Well, U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell said that there was confusion in this complaint itself, in the lawsuit. She also pointed out that a temporary restraining order

which is the specific ask that was being made yesterday, is really an extraordinary step. There are certain thresholds, legal thresholds, that have to be met for a court to agree to take that step. And what Howell said was that a couple of those thresholds just weren't met, including the likelihood of this lawsuit to succeed on the merits. So she declined to block Doge's takeover.

which is the specific ask that was being made yesterday, is really an extraordinary step. There are certain thresholds, legal thresholds, that have to be met for a court to agree to take that step. And what Howell said was that a couple of those thresholds just weren't met, including the likelihood of this lawsuit to succeed on the merits. So she declined to block Doge's takeover.

which is the specific ask that was being made yesterday, is really an extraordinary step. There are certain thresholds, legal thresholds, that have to be met for a court to agree to take that step. And what Howell said was that a couple of those thresholds just weren't met, including the likelihood of this lawsuit to succeed on the merits. So she declined to block Doge's takeover.

For now, Doge will be allowed to remain in control of the U.S. Institute of Peace for the time being as the court continues to consider this lawsuit. But still, Howell made very clear at this hearing that she had very serious concerns about Doge and how it had gone about gaining access to USIP.

For now, Doge will be allowed to remain in control of the U.S. Institute of Peace for the time being as the court continues to consider this lawsuit. But still, Howell made very clear at this hearing that she had very serious concerns about Doge and how it had gone about gaining access to USIP.

For now, Doge will be allowed to remain in control of the U.S. Institute of Peace for the time being as the court continues to consider this lawsuit. But still, Howell made very clear at this hearing that she had very serious concerns about Doge and how it had gone about gaining access to USIP.

Is that what she was talking about? Yes, but it wasn't just that. Two FBI agents also made a house call to the head of USIP security over the weekend to question him. The lawsuit also alleges that FBI agents threatened a criminal investigation, that the D.C. U.S. Attorney's Office also threatened a criminal investigation. I'll say prosecutors didn't dispute that at yesterday's hearing.