What Happened Today - 24 Oct 2025

What Happened Today – 24 Oct 2025 
Canada’s Commercial with Reagan
ICE Update
DOJ – Halligan is just burning it to the ground…
The Lies Told this week…just some of them…there were SO MANY of them…
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Canada’s Commercial with Reagan
Let’s get deep into the mess brewing between Trump, Reagan’s legacy, and Canada. This week’s trade drama is wild even by MAGA standards.

First, about that Ontario ad—here’s what Reagan actually said, and why it’s upending relations. Back in 1987, Reagan made a speech warning about tariffs: “When someone says, ‘Let’s impose tariffs on foreign imports,’ it looks like they’re doing the patriotic thing by protecting American products and jobs. And sometimes, for a short while, it works, but only for a short time.” Then he hit the core: “Over the long run, such trade barriers hurt every American, worker and consumer. High tariffs inevitably lead to retaliation by foreign countries and the triggering of fierce trade wars. … Markets shrink and collapse, businesses and industries shut down, and millions of people lose their jobs.” This is all, word for word, Reagan—he wasn’t mincing words about the dangers of tariffs and trade wars.

Now, here’s where the political sabotage kicks in. Ontario stitched together these passages for a $75 million TV ad blitz aimed at US Republicans, throwing Reagan’s own anti-tariff words in Trump’s face just as the Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on the legality of Trump’s own tariff regime. Trump absolutely lost it—called the ad “fake,” accused Canada of interfering with the courts and American politics, then slammed the brakes on all trade negotiations. He went public railing that the Reagan Foundation itself was being run by his own people now (yup, a loud pro-Trump donor took hold of its board last year), and they’re backing this “lie” by calling out Ontario for using Reagan’s message without permission. Funny thing is, the ad used Reagan’s real words, just edited for dramatic effect. So it’s not a lie, just the oldest trick in politics—cut, paste, and replay history for maximum impact.

All of this comes against the backdrop of Trump calling off a planned meetup with Putin over Ukraine, blaming it all on “political distractions.” He’s still heading to Asia for a sit-down with Xi, so expect him to toss some verbal grenades there as he tries to deflect attention from the trade mess and the homegrown chaos ripping through his base.

The drama over the Reagan ad isn’t just about trade—it’s a pure play for the soul of Republican politics. Trump’s got his people running the Reagan Foundation, using that to delegitimize anyone using Reagan’s words against tariffs. It’s about keeping the MAGA myth alive, even when history says something else. Canada’s hitting back hard, showing that Reagan was a free-trader, not a nationalist, and most of the world can see the hypocrisy. The fallout is serious: trade between two major allies stalled, entire industries on edge, and Trump barking from his social platform with zero sign of toning it down.

The ad’s real, the words are Reagan’s, Trump’s crew is running the Reagan Foundation and calling it fake, and Canada’s not backing down. MAGA world is spinning full tilt, and Trump’s unpredictable foreign policy is making every headline for all the wrong reasons.
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ICE Update
Things have gotten downright ugly with ICE this week, and the fallout just keeps spreading. Chicago and Indiana were straight-up battlegrounds today—protestors came out in force, shutting down major streets near the Gary airport and Broadview processing center. The main flashpoint was the ‘Midway Blitz’ operation, which saw ICE teams rolling deep into west and north-side neighborhoods, backed up by riot gear and unmarked vans. In Lake View and Lincoln Park, federal agents even broke out tear gas against groups blocking intersections, with social media lit up by cell footage of panicked families and kids scattering.

Indiana’s not much better, with residents converging outside the Gary airport to try and stop deportation flights. Tensions boiled over when cops and ICE clashed with teens and clergy, leading to some detainments and threats of more charges for “obstruction.” Politicians from the Illinois State Assembly are now openly threatening legal action against ICE for what they say are illegal raids and excessive force—a sharp rebuke to the usual hands-off approach. Even some city mayors are talking about bringing their own lawsuits, which is rare.

Community groups are all-hands-on-deck, running emergency workshops for affected families, legal hotlines, and rapid response teams to physically support those being targeted. There’s a buzz among activists that some ICE agents themselves are burnt out and frustrated—leaks have popped up from staff complaining about being forced to take part in tactics they personally despise. Morale is reportedly at a low over what some agents are calling “politically-mandated showdowns” designed to boost Trump’s tough-guy image with the base instead of focusing on actual security.

This is not “business as usual” immigration enforcement. The scale and aggression of the raids—and the political heat from top Illinois lawmakers—could set off even bigger legal battles. ICE’s leadership in Chicago is staying radio silent, but today’s scenes were some of the most confrontational since Trump returned to office. The mood? Angry, anxious, and absolutely bracing for what’s next.
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DOJ – Halligan is just burning it to the ground
The DOJ is in shambles right now thanks to the circus of scandals swirling around both the James and Comey cases, and Lindsey Halligan is floundering at the center of it all. Trump brought in Halligan as a loyalist bulldog, but she’s got zero track record for big federal prosecutions, and it shows—her approach is loud, messy, and constantly stepping into landmines. 

On the James case, Halligan got caught breaking protocol by texting legal reporter Anna Bower and leaking what looks like sensitive info, maybe even grand jury testimony, just days after indicting James on bank fraud. That alone could torpedo the case or get her sanctioned—defense attorneys are already lining up to file for dismissal over “government misconduct.” The whole fiasco has DOJ career lawyers fuming, saying Halligan’s antics violate ethics and undermine faith in the process. 

Same goes for the Comey case. Halligan has pushed super-aggressive prosecution strategies but keeps getting called out by judges for shaky evidence and grandstanding in the courtroom. Staff turnover in her office is sky-high because nobody wants to get dragged down by her reckless moves. The press is full of whistleblower leaks from colleagues claiming morale is at rock bottom and warning that Halligan is turning the DOJ into a “Trump campaign side show.”

With Halligan steering these high-profile cases more like a reality TV host than a prosecutor, both the James and Comey cases are stumbling under the spotlight. Legal experts and insiders warn that the department’s credibility is taking a historic hit, and every blunder makes Trump’s whole “the system is rigged” routine more convincing to the public. The DOJ right now? Chaotic, divided, and losing grip—thanks to Halligan’s headline-chasing approach and total inability to run a clean case.
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The Lies Told this week…just some of them…there were SO MANY of them…
Donald Trump
-    Claimed Israel killed “50,000 Hamas members” in Gaza (Fox News interview, Oct 19).
Israel’s official numbers and independent conflict trackers put the number at under 9,000, with most killed being civilians, not Hamas fighters. The “50,000” figure is a massive exaggeration, not supported by any evidence .
-    Said he won the 2024 election by “millions of votes—with a massive mandate” (World Economic Forum, Oct 23).
Trump’s popular vote margin was about 2.2 million, far from a historic landslide. His claim misleads about the size of his win .
-    Stated he won the “youth vote by 36 points” (Fox News, Oct 22).
Exit polls showed Trump lost 18–29-year-olds by 4%, contradicting his statement outright.
-    Claimed at an October 21 rally that “the US Navy destroyed Iranian boats in the Gulf with full presidential authority.”
Pentagon sources immediately clarified: No confirmed sinkings of Iranian vessels occurred this week, and the orders to engage weren’t legally authorized by Congress or under the War Powers Act. The president can’t authorize strikes like this unilaterally in noncombat situations—his claim of sole authority is false.
-    Also repeated: “All actions taken at sea are with my expressed authority, Congress agrees.”
Bipartisan Senate leaders said no new authorization for use of force was ever granted, and several members expressed outrage at Trump overstepping his constitutional powers for military strikes.

Karoline Leavitt
-    At press briefings Oct 22 and 23, responded to criticism about Putin summit in Budapest by dismissing concern as “far-left hackery,” called questions ‘bull—t,’ and insisted “Ukraine is ‘excited’ about the venue.”
Ukrainian officials and multiple press outlets dispute that Ukrainian leadership was consulted, much less supportive, about Budapest as a site. Her comments dismissed legitimate diplomatic outrage .
-    Claimed during White House press briefing on Oct 23: “The shutdown isn’t hurting real Americans.”
Federal data and bipartisan reports show hundreds of thousands of working families—including military and Border Patrol—missing pay due to the shutdown. The claim is flat-out false.
-    Said at a White House press briefing (Oct 22): “The administration followed all proper procedures and has ongoing authority to engage hostile boats anywhere US forces operate.”
That overstates reality. The administration still needs Congress for anything beyond immediate self-defense; long-term or preemptive actions are not covered under existing authorizations.

Stephen Miller
-    Said on CNN that Trump has “plenary authority” to deploy National Guard anywhere, anytime (October 20, cabinet Q&A and TV hit).
Federal courts have ruled the president’s emergency powers are limited by law and state consent; “plenary” as described is not supported by the law or past court rulings .
-    Claimed from White House podium that “every person arrested by ICE in Chicago had a violent criminal record” (Oct 20).
Court records and ICE data confirm many detentions this week were for non-criminal immigration charges or minor violations. 
-    Echoed in a press Q&A (Oct 21): “International law gives the president unrestricted power to blow up hostile foreign vessels.”
This is just not true. Naval actions are strictly governed by treaties, US code, and international law—including the Law of the Sea—which all place real limits on presidential authority.

Pete Hegseth
-    Told Fox & Friends viewers on Oct 22 that “illegals in Illinois are all getting free government healthcare, while vets can’t get surgery.”
 State programs do cover emergency care for some immigrants, but not comprehensive health coverage, and veterans’ care is not being cut for immigrants. His claims are factually wrong according to official health and VA records. 
-    Claim: “We have the clear and legal authority—under the president’s orders and current law—to destroy suspected narco-terrorist boats anywhere in international waters near Venezuela.” Why it’s false: Current law only allows military force for self-defense, imminent threats, or with explicit congressional approval. No new law or authorization exists for preemptive boat attacks in these waters. Legal and defense experts, as well as Congress, dispute his authority.
-    Claim: “These crews are classified as ‘combatant enemies,’ which means we can take them out the same way we went after terrorists.” Why it’s false: International and US law do not treat drug traffickers as enemy combatants unless Congress specifically authorizes it. Courts and international treaties reject this blanket classification.
-    Claim: “Our intelligence proved there was an imminent threat to Americans from these vessels.” Why it’s false: No evidence has been provided to show an imminent threat. Pentagon sources say these boats were suspected traffickers and posed no direct, immediate danger to the US.
-    Claim: “Congress supports these operations as part of our broader security strategy.” Why it’s false: No recent authorization or vote gives the administration new powers for this. Congressional leaders from both parties have criticized these actions for going beyond what’s legally allowed, and there’s no record of bipartisan support.

Kristi Noem
-    Claimed at her October 21 governor’s town hall, “We haven’t had a single homeless South Dakotan all year.”
Local shelters and state agencies have reported thousands of homeless cases just in the last six months. The claim is verifiably false. 

Pam Bondi
-    Alleged at Trump rally (Oct 19) that “Democrats are hiding ICE deaths.”
ICE deaths and causes are logged by ICE and independently reported; there’s no evidence of a cover-up. 

JD Vance
-    Said in a Senate press gaggle (Oct 21): “Poland called in US troops to repel a Ukrainian attack.”
No US troops were involved or attacked in Poland during this period. Polish and Pentagon sources both denied these incidents happened.
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Trump is traveling to Asia this weekend and next week to Asia…probably to set more things on fire.  He has some long flights ahead, so I’m sure Truth Social will just be a cesspool of more garbage.  It is still unbelievable that a sitting president thought it would be in “good humor” to create a video literally SHITTING on American’s.  

Stay strong, use your voices. 

Speak Truth!  Keep speaking TRUTH!  

Go Cause Good Trouble, with Your Elbows Up!

**These are facts that I researched and verified – AI helped put together some sentence structure, but the words and tone are mine. These are my views based upon facts, research and thoughtful consideration using logic. I own the copyright to any images used.  I’m comfortable to stand alone to uphold truth.  Feel free to check me, but do not attack me. I am only causing good trouble.**