The R&R Daily Brief: July 14, 2025
Yesterday's News in Five Minutes or Less Because Even We Can't Talk About Everything
Hey friends!
Hope you had a fantastic and relaxing weekend to recharge for what promises to be another eventful week in politics. Today's newsletter covers the growing MAGA uprising over Epstein files, dramatic ICE raids that rescued children from California marijuana farms, new revelations about Secret Service failures during the Butler assassination attempt, and California's escalating battle with the Trump administration. Let's dive in.
TODAY'S HEADLINES
MAGA Uprising: Trump Defends Bondi as Base Erupts Over Epstein Files - President faces unprecedented revolt from supporters over DOJ's conclusion that no Epstein "client list" exists, with calls for AG's resignation growing louder.
ICE Rescues 14 Children in Dramatic California Marijuana Farm Raids - Over 350 arrests and child rescues during chaotic raids that turned violent when protesters attacked federal agents with rocks and weapons.
Secret Service "Cultural Cover-Up" Exposed in Butler Anniversary Report - Sen. Rand Paul reveals agency denied 10+ security requests before assassination attempt and accuses officials of stonewalling accountability.
Noem Calls Judge "Idiot" Over ICE Ruling - Homeland Security Secretary blasts Biden-appointed judge's temporary block on ICE operations, vows to continue enforcement despite court ruling.
MORNING RUNDOWN: MONDAY (ET)
WHITE HOUSE SCHEDULE
9:00 AM EDT: In-Town Pool Call Time
10:00 AM EDT: President Trump meets with NATO Secretary General in the Oval Office (Closed Press)
12:00 PM EDT: President participates in White House Faith Office Luncheon in State Dining Room (White House Press Pool)
PRESIDENT'S ACTIVITIES
President Trump remains at the White House today with no travel scheduled. No public remarks or executive actions are listed for July 14, 2025.
VICE PRESIDENT'S SCHEDULE
Vice President JD Vance's schedule is not publicly available for today.
CAPITOL HILL
Senate: Convenes at 3:00 PM EDT for morning business, votes at 5:30 PM EDT on Whitney D. Hermandorfer (Circuit Judge) and cloture on Luke Pettit (Treasury). No committee hearings scheduled.
House: Meets at noon for morning hour, 2:00 PM for legislative business, votes postponed until 6:30 PM EDT. No committee hearings scheduled.
July 14, 2025
TOP STORY
Trump Defends Bondi as Base Erupts Over Epstein Files
President Trump is facing an unprecedented revolt from his most loyal supporters over his Justice Department's handling of Jeffrey Epstein files, with calls for Attorney General Pam Bondi's resignation growing louder by the day. The crisis exploded after the DOJ released a memo concluding there was no "client list" of powerful figures connected to Epstein and reaffirming his death was suicide, directly contradicting months of promises from Bondi about releasing explosive documents.
Trump took to Truth Social Saturday defending Bondi as doing a "FANTASTIC JOB" and urging his supporters to move on from Epstein, writing "We're on one Team, MAGA, and I don't like what's happening" and dismissing the scandal as being about "a guy who never dies, Jeffrey Epstein." The post was reportedly the first Trump Truth Social message to receive more negative comments than likes.
The backlash reached fever pitch at the conservative Student Action Summit in Tampa over the weekend, where thousands of MAGA faithful called for Bondi's ouster. High-profile conservatives including Megyn Kelly, Tucker Carlson, and Steve Bannon have joined the criticism, with some warning the scandal could cost Republicans dozens of House seats in 2026.
Behind the scenes, FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino reportedly clashed with Bondi at the White House last week and is considering resignation, while FBI Director Kash Patel is also reportedly frustrated with the handling of the files. Trump privately called some of Bondi's critics over the weekend in an effort to stem the bleeding, sources told CNN.
The controversy stems from Bondi's February promise on Fox News that an alleged Epstein "client list" was "sitting on my desk right now," though she now claims she was referring to general case files rather than any specific roster of clients.
Further Reading:
Right: MAGA world erupts over Trump's defense of Bondi amid Epstein files fallout - Fox News
Center: Democrats revel as MAGA World explodes over Trump handling of Epstein files - The Hill
Center: "This will not just go away": Trump faces MAGA trust crisis over Epstein debacle - Axios
Left: Trump defends Bondi amid MAGA fallout over her handling of Epstein investigation - CNN Politics
POLITICS
ICE Rescues 14 Children in Dramatic California Marijuana Farm Raids
ICE and CBP officers arrested over 350 illegal immigrants and rescued 14 children during raids on two California marijuana farms last week, with officials revealing many of the detained adults had criminal convictions for rape, burglary, and other serious crimes. The operation at Glass House Farms facilities in Camarillo and Carpinteria turned chaotic when hundreds of protesters attacked federal agents with rocks and bricks, with one suspect firing a weapon at officers.
One farmworker suffered catastrophic injuries including a broken neck and skull after falling 30 feet from a greenhouse roof during the chaos and remains in critical condition. CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott posted photos of the rescued children, some as young as 14, asking "California are you ready to partner with us to stop child exploitation?"
In response, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass signed an executive order providing cash cards to illegal immigrants impacted by ICE raids, while California Democrats condemned the operations as "militarized" and "inhumane." President Trump authorized ICE agents to "stop their car and arrest these slimeballs" when attacked during raids.
Further Reading:
Right: ICE Rescues Children At Marijuana Farm – LA Mayor Responds With Sanctuary Order - Daily Caller
Right: Over 350 illegal immigrants arrested after ICE raids on California marijuana farms - Washington Examiner
Left: Authorities say about 200 immigrants were arrested in raids on 2 Southern California farms - Associated Press
Left: Protesters and federal agents clash at California farm immigration raid - Washington Post
Secret Service "Cultural Cover-Up" Exposed in Butler Anniversary Report
Senator Rand Paul released a scathing report on the one-year anniversary of the Butler assassination attempt, accusing the Secret Service of a "cultural cover-up" and revealing the agency denied at least 10 security requests from Trump's detail before the shooting. The report found that then-Director Kimberly Cheatle "falsely" testified to Congress that no asset requests were denied, leading Paul to declare there was a pattern of deception within the agency.
Paul emphasized that the shooter Thomas Crooks was spotted multiple times before opening fire, including crowd members chanting "man on a roof" just three minutes before the shooting, yet Trump was never told to leave the stage. The Secret Service has only suspended six low-level personnel over the failures, with no firings despite multiple investigations finding widespread security breakdowns.
Paul stated he believes "we aren't going to know the motive" of shooter Thomas Crooks, saying the government has tried its best to find answers but simply doesn't have them. The senator attributed the agency's lack of accountability to wanting to "cover their ass" and noted disciplinary action only came after he issued subpoenas.
Further Reading:
Right: Rand Paul slams Secret Service 'cultural coverup' after Trump shooting - Fox News
Right: Sen. Rand Paul: Secret Service Engaged in a 'Cultural Cover-Up' After Trump Assassination Attempt - RedState
Left: Before Butler shooting, Secret Service denied multiple requests to bolster Trump's security detail during his 2024 campaign, report says - CBS News
Left: A year after Butler: How a near assassination led to an uneven search for accountability in the Secret Service - CNN Politics
CULTURE
Noem Calls Judge "Idiot" Over ICE Ruling, Vows to Continue Operations
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem blasted a Biden-appointed federal judge as "frankly an idiot" after the judge temporarily blocked aspects of ICE operations in California, ruling agents cannot target people based on race, language, or location. Noem declared "none of our operations are going to change" and promised to appeal the ruling, insisting ICE agents build cases based on criminal activity and investigative work.
The judge, Mame Uisi Mensah Frimpong, ruled that ICE agents cannot rely on factors like "apparent race or ethnicity, speaking Spanish or speaking English with an accent" or presence at locations like bus stops or agricultural sites when making arrests. The ruling came after the ACLU and immigrant advocacy groups accused the government of conducting "roving patrols" and "indiscriminately rounding up individuals without reasonable suspicion."
U.S. District Attorney Bill Asaley strongly disagreed with the lawsuit allegations, maintaining that agents "have never detained individuals without proper legal justification" and will continue to "enforce the law and abide by the U.S. Constitution."
Further Reading:
Right: Noem calls California judge 'idiot' over ICE ruling - Fox News
Center: Noem on blocked ICE operations ruling: Judges are 'getting too political' - The Hill
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Who could have ever imagined the Democrat Party would morph into the party that demands “blood," and fight to keep 8 and 9-year-old kids picking marijuana in 100-degree heat on an illegal weed farm? https://torrancestephensphd.substack.com/p/dirtbag-lets-member-of-th-week-senator