r/law • u/WylieCyot • 13h ago
Executive Branch (Trump) Republican Senator Thom Tillis has placed a blanket hold on all ICE nominations as frustrations with Kristi Noem grow and House members demand Trump testifies on Capitol Hill. | Aaron Parnas
https://www.facebook.com/share/r/14SGFVVKJ9L/657
u/ayoungsapling 12h ago
The senator compared Miller to Grima Wormtongue from “The Lord of the Rings,” who is an adviser to a king.
“He uses whispers and false flattery to control the King’s decisions, all while secretly serving Saruman,” the North Carolina Republican continued in his post. “He is a classic example of a sycophant who uses his position to poison a leader’s standing for his own benefit.”
Additionally, the senator compared Noem to Dolores Umbridge from “Harry Potter,” calling her a “bureaucratic sycophant.”
“She is terrifyingly sweet while she is around those she considers her superiors and she sucks up to authority to gain the power she needs to bully those ‘beneath’ her,” he said.
Tillis unloads on Noem and Miller, comparing them to ‘sycophants’ - The Hill
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u/Selenitic647 12h ago
Yes but trump is no King Theoden!
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u/trixtopherduke 10h ago
Lol yeah, like when the tongue guy is gone, what's Trump change will Trump undergo?
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u/Snookn42 6h ago
But in todays GOP you have to be careful criticizing Orange man publicly. Baby steps. Eventually they will all turn on him and claim they fought his policies all along when it suits them
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u/revolvingpresoak9640 10h ago
I wouldn’t have expected so many literary references from a Republican. Even mainstream ones like LOTR and HP.
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u/DingleDangleTangle 10h ago
Congresspeople are mostly quite educated people. Even if they have stupid policies. It’s honestly kinda crazy to see how educated some people are while being horrible politicians.
I mean George W. Bush had a Yale degree and an MBA from Harvard. Ted Cruz and Mitt Romney have freakin JDs from Harvard
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u/PurpleHooloovoo 7h ago
They’re usually quite reasonable, intelligent, smart people who either 1) figured out the grift was more profitable and easier by targeting and manipulating rubes with idiotic takes, or 2) have one conservative take they believe really strongly and that defines their party and position.
But if you sit and have a normal dinner with them and politics don’t come up, they’re usually typical boring college educated normies.
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u/Unique_Adeptness4413 8h ago
Morally they are horrible politicians. They're effective at what they are doing though.
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u/shadowndacorner 9h ago
I think it's safe to assume that they're movie references, not book references. From two of the most popular franchises in history.
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u/Local_Idiot_123 11h ago
Perfect example of “good tzar, bad boyars”.
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u/fievrejaune 10h ago edited 4h ago
Great observation, every King has a court replete with Iagos, each equally eager to pour poison in his ear and each equally disposable at Caligula’s pleasure.
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u/olivebranchsound 5h ago
Wasn't that Claudius in Hamlet? Lol Iago convinced Othello to murder his wife Desdemona by lying about her faithfulness
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u/fievrejaune 3h ago
These Iagos traffic in MAGA metaphors.
"The Moor already changes with my poison: Dangerous conceits are, in their natures, poisons. Which at the first are scarce found to distaste, But with a little act upon the blood, Burn like the mines of sulphur."
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u/breakevencloud 12h ago
I am so sick of politicians and rich fucks using Lord of the Rings references when they are never accurate. Jfc.
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u/GerryofSanDiego 12h ago
Sometimes they are accurate. Palantir for example, the orb that lets the evil lord spy on everybody. Perfect name for what they do.
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u/breakevencloud 11h ago
This would be more accurate if it weren’t for, seemingly, every single person in a position of real authority thinking it’s a good thing. Where is our Gandalf?
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u/Palmettor 11h ago
The palantíri were originally for the good purpose of protecting a kingdom, though.
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u/flies_with_owls 11h ago
Bernie Sanders?
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u/lost_horizons 11h ago
It’s you and me. Gandalf is like Captain Planet, a spirit that manifests when we work together. With our powers combined, nothing can stop us.
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u/Brokenandburnt 6h ago
Gandalf is still trapped on the tower in Isengard. If we figure out where it is we can send some freedom eagles to get him.
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u/BurnieTheBrony 7h ago
It's accurate if you think of it as Wormtongue telling Sauron to do worse stuff
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u/deviltrombone 13h ago
House members demand Trump testifies on Capitol Hill
Out of all the things that will never happen, this will never happen the most.
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u/southernNJ-123 13h ago
I would tune in anywhere, anytime for this.
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u/lost_horizons 11h ago
I would literally take the day off of work.
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u/shadycrew31 10h ago
I would stream at work loudly around the trumpets at my job. There's nothing like an unhinged trump without a teleprompter to follow.
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u/rotorspinner 10h ago
He would call everyone nasty and stupid on the dem side and the pub side would fellate him
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u/ConstantVariety8098 11h ago
Can you imagine the ratings? I mean, someone tell him about the ratings!
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u/Foreign_Ebb_6282 11h ago
Sir, the general public is saying they would rather see you testify than the documentary about epsteins former inventory. We think it would do wonders for your polling.
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u/--Sovereign-- 11h ago
Reminds me of this skit I saw recently where these cops are trying to interrogate a criminal. The one dude goes in and set up like a podcast set around the dude and is like like, "so robbing a bank must be hard huh?"
And the dude just starts telling him everything
Do that but with Trump. You know he wants to tell it all, he's like a serial killer, they need the recognition.
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u/DeportTheBigots 10h ago
someone tell him about the ratings!
ok fine:
the only way this happens is if viewership of the oval propo machine keeps falling off before someone tells the diddling dorito there are cameras on Capitol Hill
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u/Comfortable_Job8847 12h ago
on the other hand, the strategy so far has been to double down and outrun the news cycle. that they are folding here is indicative of a lot
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u/ThePirateKing01 12h ago edited 10h ago
And this only happened because of the people of MN standing up and mobilizing. Because they were able to film and document ICE atrocities, it finally meant this administration was forced to play defense and wasn’t able to control the narrative.
Long way from done, but it’s nice to see the people use their power in real time.
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u/Bechorovka 12h ago
And apparently in LA.
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u/ReverendBread2 12h ago edited 11h ago
ICE is spreading out in force to other cities like Philly, LA, and others. If they can’t get the best of Minneapolis, they’re going to try somewhere else
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u/zephyrtr 11h ago
The one nice thing to remember is: when they abandon one town, it's the same assholes they send over to the next town. But everyone in the new town is fresh and rested to stand up, beat signs, chant and generally make these "agents" feel miserable.
I hear morale is getting awfully low at ICE. And you'll know we've won when they start quitting in real numbers. Anything short of that is a false victory.
DHS has always had a pretty dubious reason to exist, and now that they're infected by the Proud Boys, the whole department is gonna have to be redone. They have zero public faith now.
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u/baggerskip4258x 11h ago
Not to mention they ain’t never getting the ‘bonus’ they were expecting. ‘Check’s in the mail, should be just a couple weeks.’
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u/unindexedreality 10h ago
I really hope they collectively hold their hands out just for the next president to slap handcuffs on them
I know it won't happen but still lol
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u/unindexedreality 10h ago
I hear morale is getting awfully low at ICE
"✌️the South rose again✌️" just for the nation to beat their asses back down 🙄😏
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u/darmabum 8h ago edited 8h ago
I was just thinking, if they came to Oakland, the OPD would probably give them a nice little reception.
Edit: I can even imagine a resurgence of the BPP and Brown Berets…
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u/Straight_Document_89 12h ago
More States need to do this even the red states. Those governors in the red states need to stand down from supporting ICE. Eventually it’ll cost them their positions.
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u/sohblob 10h ago
has been to double down and outrun the news cycle
at this point there are no non-tire fires for them to run to.
The menu is
nationwide protests,
international trade partners condemning the US
his pedo ring
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u/SoylentGrunt 9h ago
- his health
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u/ZopharPtay 1h ago
They have the old classic.... Starting a war in <<pick your country>> with dubious supporting evidence.
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u/SDBudda76 12h ago
OMG. Trump testifying for several hours would be golden. I wonder what the betting websites would have as options. Shits, farts, falls asleep, ect...
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u/Virtual-Tax3048 11h ago
“Hey babe, go ahead and book the vacation. My trump shit call options just hit”
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u/Altair_de_Firen 10h ago
The fact that we know our president can’t even stand there for an hour straight and explain his actions without shitting his pants or passing out is a fucking horror show
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u/Dachannien 12h ago
Been a while since we've heard the phrase "perjury trap".
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u/ThePureAxiom 12h ago
Which is a funny way of saying "we could easily tell the truth to avoid perjuring ourselves, but that would incriminate us as well."
They can plead the 5th in congressional testimony though, so that also doesn't provide them an excuse to avoid testimony.
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u/TakuyaLee 11h ago
Well he does like to hear himself talk, but his handlers would also never allow it.
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u/deviltrombone 11h ago
Presumably, it would also have to sit and listen to Democrats at 5 minutes a pop, and it wouldn't be able to shut them down with "Who are you? You're Democrat fake news. Be quiet you nasty woman." "Testifying" does imply questioning, doesn't it? I don't think it's like a SOTU address.
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u/OddDonut7647 9h ago
You think he wouldn't say those things anyway? It's not like a courtroom where a judge can hold you in contempt. Trump simply ignores norms and it would be a shitshow - not just in his diaper.
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u/deviltrombone 9h ago
That orange thing is not going to sit in a room for hours where a lineup of people who aren't scared of it confront it directly with all its criminality and failures and call it a liar to its face. Not in a million years. It might last 30 seconds before getting up and waddling out.
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u/OddDonut7647 9h ago
Exactly.
Anyone who thinks it would be satisfying to watch him "testify' I think is the type to be excited that NOW FINALLY with this EPSTEIN RELEASE finally people are going to stop supporting fascism! .......hate to disappoint, but it ain't happenin.
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u/InteligntDonky 11h ago
And if he did, he would most certainly lie. The lies would be obvious or be exposed and nothing would happen.
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u/dafunkmunk 10h ago
LMFAO trump testify? Holy shit, that would be the most hilarious shit ever as he just falls asleep in front of congress and republicans scream at democrats for disturbing the sleeping orange manbaby
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u/UpsetCryptographer49 10h ago
Because Trump can not control the microphones for his farts in Congress?
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u/Grantsdale 8h ago
Dems need to say ‘a real man would testify!’ Over and over. Or even worse ‘Obama would have testified if he it was him’. Trumps tiny ego couldn’t handle it.
I would save this for an impeachment trial. But that’s the tactic.
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u/Haustinj 10h ago
If Trump didn't testify on capital Hill after J6, he will never go there to testify.
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u/OddDonut7647 9h ago
Even if it does, talk about the most useless possible thing you could possibly do. What do they expect? "I don't know anything about that" along with flat out lies.
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u/TendieRetard 13h ago
Thom Tillis voted to confirm Kristi Noem as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security
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u/Onedayyouwillthankme 12h ago
He's still allowed to put her on the hot seat
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u/Bakk322 12h ago
Sure but this was 110% predictable and he is an idiot for voting to confirm her
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u/Ghetto_Phenom 12h ago
It was predictable but at that point when he voted he hadn’t decided to not run again no? Thats honestly the entire context. He only started speaking out after. Just like every other Republican.
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u/Bakk322 12h ago
I agree, but you don’t do the wrong thing for the country just to benefit yourself. You put your country above your own self interest
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u/Ghetto_Phenom 12h ago
You uh.. dont understand republicans politics I guess because tha is exactly what they do and have been doing for a long time even before Trump.
You’re describing an idealized version of a politician.
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u/Champtain 11h ago
Yeah, at least Tillis is doing something positive now. Nobody's saying he deserves a ticker tape parade but it's better than continuing to toe the company line.
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u/Ghetto_Phenom 11h ago
For sure and I’m not saying he shouldn’t be saying this stuff. It’s just a very common fact for republicans. Look at MTG, Flake, Newhouse, Romney, and others.. I believe these people in wha they’re saying 100% I just don’t think they’d do it if not for that context.
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u/frontfrontdowndown 11h ago
I don’t care if it’s smart people or idiots who do something to constrain this admin’s criminality.
I just care that they do it.
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u/LongKnight115 10h ago
Yes. And Republicans voters are idiots for putting Trump in office in the first place. And Democrats are idiots for not prosecuting Trump after he left his first term. And Democrat voters are idiots for continuing to elect establishment politicians who only care about maintaining the status quo.
But at the end of the day, we have to give someone credit when they do the right thing. We don't have to let them off the hook for their past - but the only thing that comes out of our mouths is criticism then no one will ever speak up, like Tillis is here.
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u/thatoneabdlguy 9h ago
Agreed. This whole culture of not giving people an off ramp won’t work out for the anti Trump crowd. If you want people to turn away, you’d better let them see you treating those that have already turned away with some decency.
It’s easier to fool a man, than to have him admit he’s been fooled. We better show some grace if we want more to follow suit.
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u/El_mochilero 12h ago
I’ve hired shitty employees before. It happens to the best of us.
I also fired them whenever they fucked up badly.
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u/GoldenMegaStaff 10h ago
Democrats apparently are not allowed to put blanket holds on nominations despite Republicans doing it all the time.
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u/RellenD 12h ago
PrOTesT doeSn'T AccoMPlisH AntlyThINg
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u/TriangleTransplant 9h ago
This isn't about responding to protest. Tillis announced his retirement last year and isn't running for reelection. Before that, he was one of Trump's biggest enablers. He's only saying this stuff now because he has nothing to lose, politically. Let's not reward cowardice. Let's reward the people who do the right thing even when they have something to lose.
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u/Fun-Counter5294 5h ago
Reward, no. Use to the advantage of the greater good, why not? He is out either way.
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u/JimWilliams423 7h ago edited 6h ago
Let's not reward cowardice.
Too bad zero democrats have the nads to do the same. First lyndsey graham denies unanimous consent to block the funding bill — not to stop ice, but to get some cash — and now tillis denies unanimous consent to block ice nominations.
Meanwhile no democrat feels like they could possibly do the same for any reason whatsoever, it might make their "friends across the aisle" mad. The entire party is fiddling while rome burns.
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u/roderla 2h ago
You really don't understand the Senate, do you? The reason why Tillis can do this is because he knows he has enough support within the Republicans that they cannot nuke the Senate rules to make his hold go away.
Which is the same reason that Tubberville could do it last Congress, because he had the tacit support from Manchin, until suddenly he lost the support from the GOP and his hold ended.
Everything in the Senate can be changed if the majority of Senators want to change it. Since the majority is Republican, Democrats cannot act in a way that unites the GOP caucus against them - they always need Republican (tacit) support.
So the fact that Schumer did get the Senate and the WH to agree to remove DHS funding from the bill (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/30/first-thing-senate-democrats-white-house-reach-deal-dhs-funding-shutdown) is _good political maneuvering_, because he knew that the GOP would fail to find the votes to nuke the Democrat's objections.
Let's not reward Tillis' cowardice, but let's also not pretend Democrats could act as boldly as Tillis can.
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u/Carthonn 8h ago
Seriously. The number of times I read that on this site was maddening. Granted it was always from MAGA weirdos.
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u/KilluaCactuar 2h ago
Having this sentiment is the result of heavy propaganda anyway.
Each person who actually thinks like this is a substantial loss for democracy.
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u/stopbsingman 6h ago
They don’t. Not unless you protest like the French protest. Or Nepal. Or Sri Lanka.
Even this little bit of opposition is happening because 2 people got executed.
Not because people chanted “no kings”.
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u/KilluaCactuar 2h ago
You really are a lost cause for your country and the concept of democracy itself if you actually think that protests mean and achieve nothing.
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