HOT TOPICS | Donald Trump, Kristi Noem, & Pete Hegseth: The Grinches Who Stole Thanksgiving
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What opening sponsors and show milestones are announced at the start of the episode?
Support for The Don Lemon Show comes from the Freedom From Religion Foundation. Let me tell you something. Real freedom isn't a slogan. It's not a prop for politicians to use. Real freedom is in the Bill of Rights. December 15th is Bill of Rights Day, and that First Amendment protects all of us. Freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and yes, freedom from government-imposed religion. And right now, those freedoms need defending. Christian nationalism is creeping into policy, into classrooms, into our politics today. That's why I respect what FFRF has been doing since 1978, holding the line between church and state so the rest of us don't lose our rights while we're busy living our lives. And they're running a Season of Reason campaign through December 9th.
You can get 20% off of all FFRF merch. I love a good t-shirt that says exactly what you believe in. And... They are doing a two-for-one membership deal. Join and you can gift a membership to another free thinker in your life. New U.S. memberships only, but a great way to grow the movement. Go to ffrf.us slash shop or text Don to 511-511. Again, that's ffrf.us slash shop or text Don to 511-511 because rights only survive when we protect them. Message and data rates may apply. Good morning, everybody. Welcome to the Don Lemon Show Hot Topics, 10 a.m. Eastern Time and on the East Coast. We're grateful that you're here and we're thankful for your support and for helping to grow this community. You know, we reached the million subscriber threshold last night, which really puts us in a different category.
So hit the like, hit the thumbs up. Thank you, first of all. Hit the like, hit the thumbs up because more people become aware of our channel, our conversation, our quickly growing channel. Thank you very much, Fairy Cat 1971. One million, you did it Lemon Nation, congratulations. So thank you all for that. It is Thanksgiving week and we're thankful for you, this community, and that we have people who understand just what dire consequences can happen when you don't follow the Constitution. And I believe that is what I think I know that is what the Trump administration is doing right now. So I'm going to give you some facts and figures and then bring in someone who's going to speak to this, who is going to give us clarity from experience.
And that is Senator Ruben Gallego. But let me explain to you what we're going to do today. We're going to talk about how I know the thumbnail says how these Grinches stole Thanksgiving. And they did because they're stealing joy. from many people here in America. First, I'm going to talk about these ICE raids. As of mid-November of 2025, approximately 16,135 people were in ICE detention, the highest level recorded in modern tracking era. Now, this continues as a sharp climb from late summer when detention had already hit previously record levels at just over 61,000. The composition of those detained? Guess what? Remember they said they were only going to go after the most violent criminals, the worst of the worst.
Roughly 74% of people in ICE custody now have no criminal conviction at all. A ratio that has held steady for months and has trended upward throughout 2025 as the population surged. Only 5%, only 5%. have a violent, prior violent conviction. So to put those numbers into context for you, the flow into detention has been enormous. In October alone, ICE booked more than 41,000 people into detention. But 2025 enforcement data shows ICE administrative arrests, CBP transfers and removals shows that the overall enforcement activity is significantly higher than in 2024 and is a major driver of the population spike. Also, the Trump administration wants to investigate Senator Mark Kelly and are now expanding their investigation into all six of the lawmakers, they say, who participated in that video.
basically just informing service members of what they already know, the oath that they took, that they don't have to follow unlawful orders. One Democratic senator, other than Senator Mark Kelly, has been very vocal about how outrageous he thinks he is.
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What opening sponsors and show milestones are announced at the start of the episode?
0:13–9:35
2
Why does Don Lemon call this Thanksgiving ‘heavier’ and who does he identify as the 'Grinches'?
9:35–12:58
3
What are the latest ICE detention numbers and who is being detained?
12:58–18:41
4
Why is the Trump administration investigating Senator Mark Kelly and other lawmakers?
18:41–20:22
5
How does Senator Ruben Gallego respond to investigations and ICE raids in his interview?
20:22–52:13