Terrorist Takedowns, Tension in Tallahassee & The New Form of Lawfare – Top 3 Takeaways – March 28th, 2025
Takeaway #1: Tension in Tallahassee
Based on the drama we saw prior to the start of this year’s state legislative session, with the standoff between Governor DeSantis and new House Speaker Daniel Perez and Senate President Ben Albriton – leading to a total of three special sessions to tackle illegal immigration – it was pretty much a given that more would be coming. This week it came. First, you had Perez propose his bold sales tax cut plan – which I’ll break down in today’s Q&A – that did two things that flew in DeSantis’s face. First, it wasn’t part of DeSantis’s Budget blueprint and doesn’t fit with his agenda. Second, Perez added this when he announced it, seemingly for added effect: This will not be a temporary measure, a stunt, or a tax holiday. This would be a recurring tax reduction… this will be the largest tax cut in the history of Florida. That’s a direct jab at DeSantis’s various proposed sales tax holidays. Whether Perez’s proposal gains steam over DeSantis’s sales tax holidays remains to be seen, but meanwhile on Thursday, there was a decisive rebuttal of Governor DeSantis’s previous vetoes in the Florida House. Four-line item vetoes were overcome in the House with a supermajority vote. One of those projects impacts the Treasure Coast. The House overrode DeSantis’s veto of $2.5 million for the Rockledge Advanced Treatment Phase 1 project which is aimed at reducing nitrogen and other contaminants from the Indian River Lagoon. In response, DeSantis had this to say... Republicans in the Florida House voted to undo millions of dollars in cost savings that I instituted back in June of 2024, when I signed the budget for this fiscal year. And over the last two months, they have voted to undo more than 60 million dollars in taxpayers’ savings, choosing to spend more in this fiscal year when we’re almost at the end of it. We’re close to halfway through the state’s legislative session and what’s clear is that the tension in Tallahassee is real. Perez appears ambitious as he’s looking to make his mark independent of Governor DeSantis. As a result, the impact on policy could be significant. Especially if his sales tax proposal is taken up instead of DeSantis’s. We shall soon see.
Takeaway #2: Nearly 500 per day
Thursday started with the news that the top MS-13 leader in the eastern United States was taken down by the FBI in Northern Virigina just outside of Washington, D.C. And while it’s an especially big deal that he was taken down, he was far from alone. In part because ICE isn’t releasing data in real time, and in part because attention spans related to President Trump’s policies continue to go in many directions, there’s not much attention being paid to how many criminal illegal immigrants, that have committed additional crimes, are still being taken down by the day. The number based on ICE’s latest release is 482. And when it comes to MS-13 and related illegal immigrant gangs in this country specifically – the number is 23. Let me reframe that another way for a moment. The Trump administration is taking down an average of 23 illegal immigrant terrorists per day inside of the United States. Very few of them make the news but make no mistake that the impact of this is huge. First, imagine for a moment the extent of the damage that Biden has done through his open border policies that brought so many terrorists into our communities. But then there’s also the realization that they’re just getting started and there are so many more. After taking down the MS-13 leader, Trump said about Border Czar Tom Homan, that “he’s a superstar”, which is true. Something else that seldom makes the news now, but that remains true, is that attempted illegal border crossings remain at the lowest level on record – as in the lowest in American history since record keeping began. Taking down nearly 500 criminal illegal immigrants a day, over 20 of which are designated terrorists, while having the lowest level of illegal immigration into this country on record is a huge deal even if it doesn’t make the news. It’s a big part of making our communities safer once again, and it’s a central part of making America great again.
Takeaway #3: The new form of lawfare
Today marks 67 days since Donald Trump once again became President of the United States. He’s signed a record number of executive orders, 103, for this point in his presidency. As he continues to work faster than any president we’ve ever seen. DOGE has already saved taxpayers $130 billion, or nearly $2 billion per day for per taxpayer savings of $807 per year. And team Trump has done what’s it’s done with effectively handcuffs on. With Trump back as president of the United States, the new form of lawfare isn’t for a corrupt federal government to arrest and indict, but instead for activist judges to relentlessly obstruct. You’re likely well aware of Trump’s ongoing inability to deport members of Tren de Aragua or MS-13, due to now two judicial rulings blocking the president from doing what he was elected to do. But here’s what you’re not hearing. How many court cases have been taken up against President Trump across the country since he took office? The answer is 146 or an average of over two per day. How many have been resolved? The answer is 3. The new form of lawfare being used against the Trump administration is for figurative handcuffs to be placed on him and his team around almost every initiative that they seek to achieve. It’s amazing that Trump’s been as successful as he has in implementing his agenda considering the circumstances. But what’s also increasingly clear is that it’s time for Congress to fight the new form of lawfare with fire. It’s time to seriously evaluate defunding and reforming lower federal courts or all we’re going to get is more of the same for the next four years as activist judges attempt to usurp the authority of the president of the United States but most importantly what we voted for.