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Saturday, August 22, 2026

No, You Can't Move FBI HQ — Obama Judge Blocks Trump Plan to Relocate Bureau to Reagan Building

No, You Can't Move FBI HQ — Obama Judge Blocks Trump Plan to Relocate Bureau to Reagan Building

Sit down, you may be shocked.

A federal judge blocked a Trump administration plan on Monday. I know, I know, it’s a lot to take in.

I kid, of course, because seemingly not a day has gone by since January 21, 2025, that a jurist hasn’t issued a temporary restraining order or otherwise nuked part of the president’s agenda. Now, it’s apparently illegal to move the FBI headquarters where Trump wants it because former ~~Saint~~ President Biden had planned for it to go elsewhere.

The Biden-era plan was to move the HQ to Greenbelt, Maryland, but Team Trump wanted it to remain in Washington, D.C., and be housed in the Ronald Reagan building, which had formerly housed the U.S. Agency for International Development. That scandal-plagued agency has now been folded into the State Department.

You can’t do that, the judge pronounced:

U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang, an appointee of President Barack Obama, ruled that the Trump administration illegally tossed a plan that had been previously approved to build a new facility in Maryland, the Associated Press reported.
The battle over a new location to house the FBI headquarters has been going on for years. The Biden administration picked a site in Greenbelt, Maryland, but Trump appointees tried to reverse that decision last year in favor of repurposing the Ronald Reagan Building, which is a few blocks from the current location of the FBI headquarters.

Why can’t they move it to the Reagan building? Because the state of Maryland had their eyes on all that construction money and economic benefits, and they weren’t going to go down with a fight. In their suit against the Bureau and FBI Director Kash Patel, they alleged that the administration had attempted to "unlawfully sabotage" the plan and had illegally diverted $323 million in congressionally authorized funding.

Chuang agreed, and declared the Trump plan "arbitrary and capricious and not in accordance with law."

MORE: Trump Calls White House Ballroom Lawsuit Plaintiffs 'Treasonists' in Late-Night Post

Democrats Sue Everything Trump Touches

The FBI was not pleased and accused the court of politicizing the case instead of ruling on the merits.

This is not the first time courts have tried to undermine the administration in its goal to make government more cost-effective for American taxpayers. The court has chosen to impermissibly intervene for political reasons. This FBI is mission-focused and will continue the best course of action to meet the needs of law enforcement. Sycophants seeking to undermine the work of this FBI, which has led the largest reduction in crime in American history under President Trump, will not deter us.

As I’ve written previously, some of the more than 850 cases filed against the Trump administration may have merit, but when the district courts seemingly vote time and time again against the president’s agenda, one can’t help but feel that an activist judiciary is trying to run the country the way it sees fit.

The administration will, for now at least, remain in the J. Edgar Hoover Building in D.C., which was built in 1975 and has experienced structural problems and security issues for years. The FBI will almost certainly appeal the ruling, but this long ordeal to modernize the nation’s premier federal investigative agency will drag on for who knows how long.

Tune in tomorrow to see if we get any new injunctions or court strike-downs. Maybe we'll even get a Judge James Boasberg sighting.

https://redstate.com/bobhoge/2026/08/18/no-you-cant-move-fbi-hq-obama-judge-blocks-trump-plan-to-relocate-bureau-to-reagan-building-n2205769?utm_source=rsmorningbriefingvip&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nl

Nothing to See Here Folks — Except 24,000+ Noncitizens Voting in the 2020 Election

Nothing to See Here Folks — Except 24,000+ Noncitizens Voting in the 2020 Election

By Bob Hoge

Move along, folks, move along; nothing to see here. Just a few noncitizens voting in our federal elections. The Democrats say we don’t need the SAVE America Act, which would require voter ID, and that such things never happen, so we should be fine.

The Census Bureau reported Tuesday that they’re partially done poring through the 2020 election data, and they’ve so far identified 24,000 noncitizen voters.

Wait, what?! That doesn’t sound safe, legal, or rare.

If the percentage continues at the same rate as they count the rest, that number could eventually rise to 30,000 votes that should not have been tallied. And yet, Congress still can’t or won’t pass SAVE.

President Donald Trump noticed. Whether these numbers would have been enough to decide the election is debatable, but they’re still a lot more than zero:

"The Census Bureau has begun checking the Voter Records from 2020 against their Citizenship Records. On the first 128,000,000 Voters, the Census Bureau proves that over 24,000 Noncitizens voted illegally! The Census Bureau is going to analyze the next 32,000,000 Voters, and this number will explode. I WON THE ELECTION! We must pass THE SAVE AMERICA ACT. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" - President DONALD J. TRUMP

The Census Bureau published the findings on their official website Tuesday. They explained that they collected data from sources such DataClear’s record of federal-election voters and registrants reported by Secretaries of State around the country. Here’s what they found, in their words:

Nearly 160 million voters cast ballots in the 2020 general election. The Census Bureau’s beginning analysis readily determined with high confidence that over 128 million of these voter records represented citizens, and that over 24,000 of these voter records represented noncitizens at the time of the election. Over 32 million voter records remain to be analyzed.

The percentage might sound pretty small — about .02 percent — but when you look at it another way, it becomes more significant. I’ve checked these numbers in this tweet regarding three swing states, and they’re accurate:

Here’s the breakdown:

Arizona: 10,457 votes
Wisconsin: 20,682 votes
Georgia: 11,779 votes
Total: 42,918

No wonder the Democrats are scared of the SAVE America Act.

MORE: ‘Hard for Any Democrat to Win’: Top Dem Gives the Game Away on SAVE America Act

Noncitizens Can’t Vote - Why Is Ro Khanna So Worried About ICE at the Polls?

Where did most of these noncitizen voters come from? If you guessed Mexico, you get an imaginary gold-plated trophy:

Country	Percentage
Mexico	36.19
Canada	9.05
Philippines	8.57
Jamaica	8.57
Germany	6.67
United Kingdom	6.19
Cuba	4.29
Vietnam	3.81
Haiti	3.81
South Korea	3.33

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick had thoughts:

The Department of Commerce’s Census Bureau just released its analysis showing more than 24,000 noncitizens illegally voted in the 2020 election. Not just registered but literally illegally voted. And that is just the beginning. More than 32 million more voters’ records will be analyzed in the coming weeks, and these records will likely show tens of thousands of additional illegal voters.
The American people deserve transparency. We are making sure the facts are out for everyone to see.

It’s unconscionable that the Democrats refuse to back the SAVE Act and protect our elections. The GOP should use any method at its disposal — including nuking the filibuster if they have to — to stop this blatant cheating.

When it comes to actually “protecting our Democracy,” instead of howling about imaginary threats, folks like Senate Minority Leader Chuck “Jim Crow 2.0” Schumer (D-NY) and Sen. Adam (It’s All a Conspiracy!) Schiff (D-CA) are nowhere to be found.

Rubio Slaps ICC Head, Senior Lawyer With Sanctions, Vows to Shield Americans From 'Sham Court'

Rubio Slaps ICC Head, Senior Lawyer With Sanctions, Vows to Shield Americans From 'Sham Court'

By Bob Hoge

The International Criminal Court, established in 2002, is home to approximately 125 member states. The U.S. is not one of them — nor is it likely to become one anytime soon.

Remember this?

On Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the United States is sick of their antics and is moving to sanction the president of the body along with a senior attorney:

Last month, I launched a diplomatic campaign to dismantle the ICC’s threat to our national sovereignty. The Trump Administration is sanctioning ICC President Tomoko Akane and Senior Trial Lawyer Abdoulaye Seye in our unwavering mission to protect Americans from this sham of a court. In honor of our Declaration of Independence, Americans will never be transported beyond seas to be tried for pretend offenses.

Rubio explained his decision in a statement posted to the department’s website.

The Trump Administration has been clear: the International Criminal Court (ICC) is a corrupt and fatally politicized supranational court that has maliciously abused its authority and exceeded its mandate. We will not tolerate its assault on state sovereignty…
The ICC has repeatedly attempted to assert authority over nationals of the United States and other countries that have not consented to its jurisdiction or ratified the Rome Statute. This sets a dangerous precedent for all nations.

In fact, the administration is prepared to make further moves because the administration wants to see the court completely “dismantled,” Rubio said.

Our whole of government campaign to dismantle the threat posed by the ICC to national sovereignty will be sweeping and we expect more countries to join our campaign by ending their funding and participation in this politicized and unaccountable court. The ICC’s ability to target American nationals and those of other non-States Parties must end. The Trump Administration stands ready to take additional measures, if necessary, to systematically dismantle the ICC until it is incapable of threatening American sovereignty.

MORE: Trump/Rubio Strategy: End the ICC's Insidious Assault on US Constitution

UN Ambassador Bursts Mamdani's Bubble Over His Wish to Arrest Israeli PM Netanyahu in NYC

Rubio and the administration are appalled by the arrest warrants issued for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in November 2024 for alleged war crimes in Gaza and the court’s investigating the U.S. for the same thing in Afghanistan. In a Wall Street Journal opinion piece published in July, the secretary said the court was “backed and run by a powerful network of leftist nongovernment organizations, smug globalists, and hostile Third World governments united by their enmity toward the U.S.”

The sanctions aren’t meaningless — they involve asset freezes, travel bans, and restrictions that cut off access to the U.S. financial system

The message is clear: nobody has authority over United States sovereignty, and we’re going to keep it that way.

https://redstate.com/bobhoge/2026/08/18/rubio-slaps-icc-head-senior-lawyer-with-sanctions-vows-to-shield-americans-from-sham-court-n2205787?utm_source=rsmorningbriefingvip&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nl

Friday, August 21, 2026

Goodfellas or Public Servants? CA Official Urges Reporter to Take 'Different Tone' on Tire Story

Goodfellas or Public Servants? CA Official Urges Reporter to Take 'Different Tone' on Tire Story

By Bob Hoge

As we reported Tuesday, California energy regulators have adopted more punitive measures on Golden State drivers and are demanding that replacement tires in the future meet strict new guidelines regarding “rolling resistance,” or how much energy it takes to keep a tire moving down the road.

What does that mean? Replacement tires will become more expensive for consumers, because that’s always how these things work.

California's War on Drivers Speeds Up — Now They're Coming for Your Tires

But CA officials at the California Energy Commission — appointed by the OG energy extremist himself, Gov. Gavin Newsom — apparently didn’t much like the colverage by KCRA’s Ashley Zavala, a reporter we’ve written about many times because she's one of the few journalists in Sacramento willing to regularly hold Gov. Hair Gel to account.

Commission spokesperson Niki Woodard thought she’d drop Ashley a friendly little note:

The tone is faux friendly, but the passive aggressiveness is unmistakable. She called part of Zavala's reporting misleading, which it's not, and said, “you're probably not interested in a correction or modifying any future reporting." She forgot to add, "bless your heart."

But the money moment came when she wrote, "I gotta share my two cents and urge you to consider taking a different tone."

Oh sure, you want Zavala to suddenly start pimping for your never-ending quest to control people's lives and tell them what they can and can't buy? I can't speak for Zavala, but I can for myself: that’s not going to happen.

LA Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Hatami, who was a frequent critic of the thankfully ousted criminal-loving former DA, George Gascón, had thoughts:

Woodard continued: "You report that 70% of tires will be eliminated. That has led people to think that those tires will not be replaced by new efficient tires."

Only stupid people would think that, Niki. Zavala never said that.

Here's the kicker:

"Just like light bulbs, televisions, and refrigerator standards, the market evolves and consumers have abundant access to efficient products that save them money."

No, it never works that way. The new tires will be more expensive, and as many readers pointed out when I wrote about it Tuesday, the regulations will ensure they have less traction.

We reported on another story of government intimidation Tuesday: Boston Mayor Michelle Wu wants to use the Freedom of Information Act to find out which private citizens expressed interest in leasing parking lots to ICE. The folks in the progressive machine seem to be acting more like Goodfellas lately than they do public servants.

Wu Wants Your Name: Boston Mayor Targets Law-Abiding Locals Who Support ICE

My guess is Zavala will not “change her tone” and will simply keep on reporting the facts. Flowery language and frenemy emails can’t hide the rampant government overreach, intrusion into our lives, and attacks on “affordability” that Democrats claim to care about but keep doing everything in their power to make impossible.

Maybe stop trying to play God, then people will change their “tone.”

GOP's Case for Making Midterms About Law and Order Just Got Stronger

GOP's Case for Making Midterms About Law and Order Just Got Stronger

Stephen Kruiser

Top O' the Briefing

Happy Monday, dear Kruiser Morning Briefing friends. The Sine Qua Non Sequitur will be tripping the light fantastic for a couple of days unless Arlene from HR gets involved.

Many thanks to my good friend Kevin Downey Jr. for pinch-hitting for me yesterday so that I could spend some quality time with family to celebrate my mom's 88th birthday. A most wonderful time was had by all.

There are plenty of successes since President Trump returned to office last year that Republican candidates can campaign on in this important election year. I've been in favor of the GOP leaning into a strategy that focuses heavily on law and order. It's pretty easy to link the Democrats to various and sundry criminal types. The open-borders lunacy, for example, literally gets people killed, and the Dems are rather unapologetic about it.

Having a real president in office has seen a return of consequences for the bad guys. Law enforcement agencies were demonized and attacked all through the Biden years. The "Defund the Police" lefties had a lot of success, which led to predictably awful results. President Trump has empowered federal law enforcement, while also being an encouraging ally for law enforcement personnel at all levels.

It's all working out well. This is from Sarah:

On Friday, the FBI released its "2025 Reported Crimes in the Nation" statistics, and it told a pretty interesting story, but the most important headline is this one: "Data reported to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program shows 2024 to 2025 marked the largest year-to-year decline in violent crime rates since FBI estimations began in 1936."
The biggest decline in violent crimes in 90 years? That's huge.

All this was accomplished while prog/commie judges keep putting violent criminals back on the streets and leftist activist thugs try to thwart the efforts of law enforcement all over the country. That's a big part of the story that Republicans should be telling. One side is trying to get rid of the murderers and rapists while the other wants to get rid of the people who get rid of the murderers and rapists.

I think that would resonate with voters.

Republican strategists don't have to work very hard to come up with examples that prove any of this, Democrats are practically gift-wrapping them. This is from my friend and HotAir colleague Ed Morrissey:

Give Democrats at least this much credit for sticking to their priorities. After losing a national election largely on the issue of border security and immigration enforcement, the DNC wants to double down in the midterms.
Of course, given the DNC's cash position at the moment, "double down" is entirely figurative.
The DNC kicked off its summer meeting in Austin by deciding that voters got it all wrong two years ago. The committee that handles policy resolutions approved two proposed additions to the party's official positions in the midterms. The first would "reform" Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), while the second would abolish it altogether. The full membership passed both by unanimous acclamation:

The Democrats never believe that they are wrong about anything, so there are never really any lessons for them to learn from election failures. They just feel that they need better messaging or election laws that are more rigged in their favor.

ICE, of course, has played a huge role in making the United States safer in the last year. The Democrats have chosen to make the agency Public Enemy Number One in response. The commies in my neighborhood have signs all over the place that accuse ICE agents of kidnapping people. Crime fighters are the real criminals in the minds of lefties.

Dems have wandered so far afield ideologically that they think it's sound strategy to try and convince the electorate that the people who are responsible for increased security are a problem that needs to be dealt with. This only works if people deny the truth and opt for the alternative non-reality that the Democrats rely on for any success.

Now that the Democratic Socialists of America commie cat is out of the bag and trying to marginalize the Democratic Party establishment, the left's love of chaos and lawlessness can't be hidden. My Townhall colleague Amy Curtis wrote about a DSA steering committee discussion that's just more fuel for GOP strategists:

"So the two things that we're famous for is our commitment to a program and our hatred of the United States Constitution," said Cliff Connolly. "And what the program does is it gives us a roadmap to revolution and it gives us the obstacle that we will finally have to get over to have a revolution, which is the United States Constitution, the basis of the United States government."

These DSA kids should be a real boon to Republican campaigns at every level this year. All Republicans have to do is make it clear that there is no difference between the DSA and the elders of the Dem village. One day, they're abolishing a law enforcement agency that deals with border security; the next, they're abolishing the Constitution.

Yeah, they're on the same page.

https://pjmedia.com/stephen-kruiser/2026/08/18/the-morning-briefing-gops-case-for-making-midterms-about-law-and-order-just-got-stronger-n4956243