Schaumburg Area Democrats

06/01/2026

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05/27/2026

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May 25, 2026
HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

MAY 26








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Last Friday, just before the long holiday weekend, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard resigned, effective as of June 30, citing her husband’s recent cancer diagnosis as the factor that forced her decision. A source told Jonathan Landay and Erin Blanco of Reuters that President Donald J. Trump had forced her out. Certainly, he has sidelined her.
Congress created the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) in 2004 after concluding that intelligence failures, including a lack of communication across agencies, had contributed to the vulnerability that permitted the 9/11 attacks. The ODNI is supposed to oversee the eighteen different intelligence agencies and to coordinate the information they produce.
Gabbard did not have deep experience in intelligence and had endorsed Russian talking points about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine when Trump named her director of ODNI. Trump’s former national security advisor John Bolton called her “a hand gr***de ready to explode.”
Gabbard ran into trouble with Trump by June 2025, when she released a video warning of “nuclear holocaust” because “political elite warmongers are carelessly fomenting fear and tensions between nuclear powers.” They were bringing the world “closer to the brink of nuclear annihilation than ever before,” she said. She released the video days before Trump launched his first attack on Iran, and a former intelligence officer told Nick Schifrin of PBS that Trump considered the video an attempt to try to convince him not to launch the strikes.
Afterward, Gabbard seemed to try to regain Trump’s favor by backing his extremist pet projects, including accusing former president Barack Obama of leading a “treasonous conspiracy” and calling for him to be prosecuted over the FBI’s investigation of the ties between Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and Russian operatives. She also oversaw an FBI raid at the Fulton County, Georgia, election headquarters during which the administration scooped up all the physical ballots from the 2020 presidential election, as well as ballot images, tabulator tapes, and the voter rolls from that election.
But she never recovered her standing with the president. As Shane Harris noted in The Atlantic, while Trump was preparing to invade Venezuela and extract its president and his wife, Gabbard was posting pictures of herself on a Hawaiian beach.
Trump stayed in the White House over the weekend, missing his son Don Jr.’s wedding in the Bahamas with a social media post explaining that “[w]hile I very much wanted to be with my son, Don Jr., and the newest member of the Trump Family, his soon to be wife, Bettina, circumstances pertaining to Government, and my love for the United States of America, do not allow me to do so. I feel it is important for me to remain in Washington, D.C., at the White House during this important period of time.”
Whatever else might be going on, Trump is under pressure to find a way out of Iran. Not only are prices skyrocketing owing to the rising cost of oil after Iran shut the Strait of Hormuz in response to attacks from the U.S. and Israel, but the clock has run out on any authorization he could have claimed for his military adventure in Iran, and Congress seems ready to force his hand.
Congress alone can declare war, but the 1973 War Powers Act permits the president to act against an “imminent” threat so long as he notifies Congress within 48 hours. Then he has 60 days to get congressional approval. That timeline ran out on May 1, and the administration claimed it didn’t need authorization because it had declared a ceasefire on April 7, although it continued to maintain a blockade against Iranian ports—an act of war—and to exchange fire with Iranian forces. Republicans in Congress appeared to accept that argument for a time. But last Thursday, House speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) had to send representatives home a day early to keep members from passing a war powers resolution that would order Trump to remove U.S. troops from his war on Iran.
The House and Senate will come back on June 2, and Trump clearly would like to have an agreement with Iran in place before they do.
Trump’s social media account over the weekend was active. He twice posted an image of himself leering over Greenland with the caption “Hello, Greenland!” and repeated suggestions that “China Loves Trump.” He posted an AI image of Representative Ro Khanna (D-CA) as a devil (I think), calling him a “SLEAZEBAG” and a “Dumocrat,” and an image of eight lawmakers or officials in orange jumpsuits (except for Obama’s tan one), claiming they had “Caused tremendous damage through Weaponization!” And he posted a number of images of colorful fountains.
But much of the account’s attention this weekend was on Iran. On Saturday morning the account posted an image of Iran covered by a U.S. flag, and at 4:30 that afternoon, it posted that Trump had just had a call with leaders from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Pakistan, Türkiye, Egypt, Jordan, and Bahrain, and then a separate call with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, about Iran. All the calls “went very well,” according to the post.
“An Agreement has been largely negotiated,” the post read, “subject to finalization…. Final aspects and details of the Deal are currently being discussed, and will be announced shortly. In addition to many other elements of the Agreement, the Strait of Hormuz will be opened.”
But Iran’s state media immediately posted that Trump’s claim that the strait would reopen as it was before the war was “not true,” adding that “it should be noted that American officials have acknowledged in multiple messages to Iran that Trump’s tweets are primarily for promotional purposes and media consumption within the United States, and they have recommended that no attention be paid to these statements.”
Firm details about the deal were scarce, but as journalist David Schuster posted, Al-Jazeera reported that the deal included “unfreezing billions in Iranian funds, lifting U.S. blockade, pulling U.S. forces away, reopening strait of Hormuz though with tolls to Iran, and allowing Iran to keep its enriched uranium.” “This would be a total U.S. surrender,” Schuster noted. Iran’s military spokesperson Ibrahim al-Fiqar posted an AI image of Trump kneeling before Iran’s supreme leader with the caption “The end.”
Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS), chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, immediately condemned the deal. He told reporters it “would be a disaster. Everything accomplished by Operation Epic Fury would be for naught.” Wicker urged Trump to “allow America’s skilled armed forces to finish the destruction of Iran’s conventional military capabilities and reopen the strait. Further pursuit of an agreement with Iran’s Islamist regime risks a perception of weakness. We must finish what we started. It is past time for action.”
By Sunday morning Trump was, once again, posting AI images of U.S. bombers attacking Iranian ships (complete with bodies flying through the air) and insisting that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) negotiated between the U.S., China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, and Iran during the Obama administration was “[o]ne of the worst deals ever made by our Country.” Under the JCPOA, Iran agreed to reduce its stockpile of enriched uranium significantly and allow inspections, in exchange for relief from some sanctions. The Strait of Hormuz remained open. Although inspectors said Iran was honoring the deal, Trump took the U.S. out of the JCPOA in 2018, and the following year, Iran resumed work on enriched uranium necessary for a nuclear weapon.
Trump added that he expected Middle Eastern countries, including Iran, to join the Abraham Accords, the deal hammered out during Trump’s first term under which the UAE and Bahrain formally recognized Israel. According to Barak Ravid of Axios, Arab leaders met Trump’s suggestion of such a recognition during the Saturday phone call with silence.
Then his account posted: “If I make a deal with Iran, it will be a good and proper one, not like the one made by Obama, which gave Iran massive amounts of CASH, and a clear and open path to a Nuclear Weapon. Our deal is the exact opposite, but nobody has seen it, or knows what it is. It isn’t even fully negotiated yet. So don’t listen to the losers, who are critical about something they know nothing about. Unlike those before me who should have solved this problem many years ago, I don’t make bad deals!”
This morning, Trump’s account posted: “I laugh at all of the Dumocrats, RINOS, and Fools who know nothing about the potential deal I am making with Iran, things that haven’t even been negotiated yet.” “[T]hey are losers! The deal with Iran will either be a great and meaningful one, or there will be no deal. It will be the exact opposite of the JCPOA disaster negotiated by the failed Obama Administration, which was a direct and open path to a Nuclear Weapon for Iran. No, I don’t do deals like that!”
Meanwhile, on Meet the Press Sunday, Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY), who last week lost the primary for reelection to his seat after Trump backed his opponent and Trump supporters threw a gobsmacking $35 million at the contest, reopened fire from a different direction. Massie has been key to demanding the release of the Epstein files, and the administration continues to ignore the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which required the Department of Justice to release all the files no later than December 19, 2025.
When host Kristen Welker, noting that Massie had named names from the files in the past, asked, “Can we expect you to name more names in the coming weeks and months?” Massie answered: “Yes.”
—
Notes:
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/gabbard-resigns-trumps-national-intelligence-director-fox-news-digital-reports-2026-05-22/
https://apnews.com/article/gabbard-trump-putin-intelligence-russia-syria-a798adaf9cd531a5d0c9329f7597f0f6
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/06/10/tulsi-gabbard-nuclear-weapons-00396586
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/tulsi-gabbards-record-and-impact-on-the-u-s-intelligence-community
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/gabbards-unprecedented-claim-president-led-treasonous-conspiracy-rcna217151
https://www.theatlantic.com/national-security/2026/05/tulsi-gabbard-resigns-odni-trump/687280/
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/18/tulsi-gabbard-obama-2016-election-russia
https://www.mississippifreepress.org/trumps-iran-agreement-would-be-a-disaster-says-roger-wicker-a-top-republican-u-s-senator/
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/24/world/middleeast/five-main-issues-iran-israel-nuclear.html
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/05/25/world/iran-war-trump
https://www.axios.com/2026/05/24/trump-iran-war-israel-muslim-countries-abraham-accords
https://armscontrolcenter.org/the-iran-deal-then-and-now/
https://www.newsweek.com/thomas-massie-promises-to-expose-more-names-from-epstein-files-11989729
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/insight/record-35m-battle-tests-massie-ahead-of-kentucky-primary/gm-GMB6071BD4
X:
Ibrahim_alFiqar/status/2058297686391210087
trumpstruth.org:
statuses/38710
statuses/38716
statuses/38719
statuses/38724
statuses/38722
statuses/38743
statuses/38748
statuses/38749
statuses/38753
statuses/38755
statuses/38763
Blueksy:
meidastouch.com/post/3mmkgmxbpdc2n
gtconway.bsky.social/post/3mmkpwcvoe22w
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© 2026 Heather Cox Richardson
548 Market Street PMB 72296, San Francisco, CA 94104
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05/22/2026

Dear Neighbors,

I hope this message finds you well. As always, if you have questions or concerns, please contact my office by calling (847) 413-1959, emailing me at [email protected], or sending a message through my website at https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/contact/email. For more frequent updates, I encourage you to follow me on Twitter (X), Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky.


Stopping President Trump’s $1.8 Billion Political Payback Fund




Congressman Krishnamoorthi discusses concerns about President Trump’s new $1.8 billion settlement fund and the need for congressional oversight. (Click the image above to watch.)

This week, I spoke out against President Trump’s newly announced $1.8 billion settlement fund, a taxpayer-funded compensation program for individuals President Trump claims were unfairly targeted by law enforcement — including people convicted of crimes related to January 6. The settlement stems from President Trump’s lawsuit over the leaking of his tax returns, in which he sought taxpayer money from the IRS and other federal agencies he ultimately controls as President. A federal judge had already raised serious questions about whether the case should move forward at all because President Trump effectively controlled both sides of the case. Rather than allowing the court to decide whether the case should be dismissed, the Administration negotiated a sweeping settlement that creates a $1.8 billion taxpayer-funded slush fund for President Trump’s political allies.

The settlement became even more sweeping after the Justice Department quietly expanded it to bar the IRS from pursuing tax examinations of President Trump, his family members, and related businesses for previously filed tax returns. No president should be able to negotiate away legitimate scrutiny through a backroom deal or shield himself, his family, or his businesses from oversight under the law. Americans should never have to wonder whether there is one set of rules for the powerful and another for everyone else — or whether taxpayer dollars are being used to reward people convicted of crimes related to January 6.

As someone who lived through the January 6 attack on the Capitol, I know exactly what is at stake. Using taxpayer dollars to compensate people convicted of crimes related to January 6 sends exactly the wrong message and risks encouraging more political violence — not less. Congress has a constitutional responsibility to oversee how taxpayer dollars are spent and ensure federal resources are never used to reward political allies or place anyone above the law. No one — including a president — is above the law.


Ending Trump’s Illegal War in Iran and Preventing Additional Conflicts




Congressman Krishnamoorthi discusses the risks of Trump’s war in Iran and the need to prevent additional conflicts while lowering costs. (Click the image above to watch.)

As President Trump’s illegal war in Iran continues despite the expiration of the War Powers deadline, I have continued fighting to end this unauthorized conflict and reassert Congress’s constitutional role in decisions of war and peace. A prolonged war with no clear strategy or endgame only weakens America, drains military resources, and risks pulling us deeper into another costly forever war — all while driving up gas prices and increasing costs for working families, consumers, and Illinois farmers already facing higher fuel and fertilizer expenses. Congress must not surrender its constitutional authority while Americans are left paying the price for a conflict that was never authorized in the first place.

Preventing future conflicts also requires strength and deterrence that protect both our national security and our economic security. During President Trump’s summit in Beijing, Chinese President Xi Jinping reportedly pressed Trump directly on Taiwan, underscoring why the United States must stand firmly with democratic partners and negotiate from a position of strength. Peace in the Taiwan Strait and across the Indo-Pacific depends on strong deterrence — not dangerous signals of weakness that invite aggression. The United States must make clear that Taiwan is not a bargaining chip. Strength abroad matters here at home: preventing conflict helps protect supply chains, reduce pressure on fuel costs, support Illinois farmers, and avoid the kinds of disruptions that make everyday goods more expensive for working families.

I am also working to prevent President Trump from dragging the United States into another unauthorized conflict. That is why I remain concerned by reports of new legal and diplomatic actions targeting senior Cuban officials and the risk they could lay the groundwork for escalation. Congress has a responsibility to prevent new wars before they begin — through oversight, appropriations, and enforcement of the War Powers Resolution — while ensuring American foreign policy strengthens our security and lowers costs at home. Working families should not be forced to pay more at the grocery store, the gas pump, or on the farm because of reckless decisions that pull America into unnecessary conflict.


Confronting Hate Crimes and Protecting Our Communities




Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi questions witnesses during a House Intelligence Committee hearing marking 25 years since 9/11. (Click the image above to watch.)

On Wednesday, I reintroduced the Hate Crimes Commission Act alongside Senator Kirsten Gillibrand to strengthen our nation’s response to hate crimes, improve hate crime reporting, and identify strategies to prevent violence fueled by bias and extremism. Across the country, too many Americans fear whether they can safely worship, gather, or simply live free from intimidation because of who they are, how they worship, whom they love, or where they come from.

This month’s horrific shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego — which authorities are investigating as a hate crime — underscores the urgent need to confront hatred and extremism in all its forms. More than twenty years after 9/11, Muslim Americans still face threats fueled by hate and extremism. During a House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence hearing this week marking 25 years since 9/11, I spoke out against rising Islamophobia and asked witnesses to affirm that hate targeting Muslim Americans has no place in our country — receiving unanimous agreement. But the Muslim community is not alone in facing these threats. Antisemitic hate crimes have increased in recent years, Hindu Americans have faced growing harassment and vandalism targeting temples and community institutions, and many other communities continue to face threats because of race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin. We must reject antisemitism, Islamophobia, anti-Hindu hate, racism, anti-LGBTQ+ violence, and every other form of hate and extremism.

The Hate Crimes Commission Act would establish a national commission to examine what is driving hate crimes, identify barriers to accurate reporting, and develop evidence-based strategies to prevent future violence. The legislation would also direct the Government Accountability Office to review how federal hate crime data is collected so communities and policymakers have a clearer picture of the threats we face. Hate has no place in our communities, and every American deserves to feel safe in their neighborhood, school, and place of worship.


Stay Updated Through My Social Media Accounts


The best way to stay up to date on these issues beyond our newsletter is through my social media accounts, which I update multiple times each day. You can follow my Twitter (X) here, my page here, my Instagram here, my Threads here, and my Bluesky here. Thank you for staying engaged in our community.

Warm Regards,

05/21/2026