Maddow: Trump 'wobbling' as his agenda falls apart in the face of pressure
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What recent events have caused Donald Trump to wobble in his agenda?
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Really, really happy to have you here. All right, I have some stuff to show you guys. Less than two weeks ago, a week ago Wednesday, so that was January 21st, the Department of Homeland Security wrote to Hanover County, Virginia. Hanover County, Virginia is just outside Richmond, Virginia. It's Republican territory. Trump beat Kamala Harris in Hanover County by 26 points, just for context in terms of the local politics there. But on the 21st of January, Homeland Security sends a letter to Hanover County saying, we are going to build a Trump prison camp in Hanover County, specifically in Ashland, Virginia. We, Homeland Security, are going to build an ICE prison camp Here, just wanted to let you know, that letter was sent to the county Wednesday, a week and a half ago.
People locally learn about that two days later, last Friday, with reports like this in the local press. The Trump administration wants to build one of their camps, wants to build a prison camp for immigrants in a Hanover County warehouse. Specifically, they want to build it out on the site of a former cattle farm in Hanover County.
How are communities resisting Trump's immigration prison camps?
In total, it's about 15 miles north of Richmond. Right now, there is a half million square foot warehouse on that site that ICE wants to use to convert into a prison camp. That warehouse was built by a company owned by a Canadian billionaire, a guy based in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Yeah.
His company is apparently going to sell that warehouse in Virginia to ICE so ICE can build a prison camp there. So that news comes to the county on Wednesday. The news gets out locally that this is happening two days later on Friday. Then over that weekend... The Canadians get going on this. The head of the Green Party in British Columbia announces a boycott of that billionaire, of all the companies owned or operated by that Canadian billionaire, if he goes through with selling this warehouse to become an ICE prison camp in Virginia. That happens over the weekend. Then on Monday, the union that represents workers at one of his grocery stores, they say, basically, yeah, we're with her. You better not sell that warehouse for a Trump prison camp for ICE.
By the way, we're your workers at your grocery store. You better listen to us. The day after that, Tuesday, the billionaire's company puts out a kind of milquetoast, everybody calm down statement that basically just says, you know, we understand that this is something people feel really strongly about. Thanks for your concern. But basically the upshot of it is we're still moving ahead with this thing. That's Tuesday. Following day, Wednesday, a big outdoor advertising company that does tons of business with that billionaire's company, advertising company called Point Blank, they send the billionaire a letter saying, hey, you know, if you help ICE build a freaking prison camp in America, in Virginia, we're never doing any business with any of your companies ever again.
Well, that night, back in Virginia, back in Hanover County, there's a Board of Supervisors meeting. When they first got those local news reports that this prison camp was coming to town, that ICE wanted to build a prison camp there, those local news reports had mentioned that the local Board of Supervisors was, quote, "...set to consider the proposal and potential next steps at its next regularly scheduled meeting on Wednesday, January 28th, weather permitting." Well, as of Wednesday, January 28th, weather was not permitting. It was absolutely freezing, snow everywhere, the roads were completely covered in ice. Nevertheless, the local Board of Supervisors in Hanover County, Virginia, met that night, Wednesday, and the place was absolutely packed with locals.
The public comment period at the Board of Supervisors meeting went on and on and on for hours. And nobody was allowed to speak at that public comment period unless they were from Hanover County.
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
What recent events have caused Donald Trump to wobble in his agenda?
0:00–1:34
2
How are communities resisting Trump's immigration prison camps?
1:34–6:43
3
What actions did Kansas City take to block an ICE prison?
6:43–10:51
4
How has the arrest of journalists impacted the freedom of the press?
10:51–21:33
5
What strategies are being employed to prevent ICE facilities in various states?
21:33–32:07
6
How are local governments responding to proposed ICE facilities?
32:07–42:19
7
What role does public protest play in opposing Trump’s policies?
42:19–44:31
Speakers
5 identifiedMore from The Rachel Maddow Show
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