Politics and views in the United States

The White House blames Democrats, media, and commentators for ongoing political violence. The VA Supreme Court hears a case challenging the redistricting referendum snd the DHS initiates a new green card policy.

Transcript

Welcome to 2026 Talks, where we're following our democracy in historic times.

The left-wing cult of hatred against the president and all of those who support him and work for him has gotten multiple people hurt and killed, and it almost did so again this weekend.

White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt blames Democrats, liberal commentators, and the media for comments which she says led Cole Thomas Allen to attempt to assassinate President Donald Trump this past weekend.

Allen is being charged with attempted assassination, transportation of guns, and firing a weapon during a violent crime.

His preliminary hearing is in two weeks.

Polls show Americans have generally been more bipartisan in assigning blame for the current levels of political violence.

Surveys show two-thirds fault political leaders who embrace or fail to condemn extremist rhetoric.

This is the third attempt on Trump in two years, and even excluding January 6th, the number of attacks on lawmakers and their families is running at a multi-decade high.

Meanwhile, Virginia's Supreme Court heard a case on the state's newly passed congressional maps.

Opponents argue the state's General Assembly violated procedure in putting the constitutional amendment before voters.

Matthew Seligman represents Democrats who support the mid-decade redistricting.

The General Assembly and the people thus complied strictly with every step that the Constitution requires.

That is all that Article 12 requires.

As a result, the proposed constitutional amendment has been ratified and is now part of the Virginia Constitution.

The new maps would give Democrats an advantage in 10 of the state's 11 districts.

Currently, Democrats hold six and Republicans hold five.

A Richmond Circuit Court judge separately denied a request by the Republican National Committee, the Virginia GOP, and others looking to block the districts.

The national redistricting wave that started last year in Texas has not given either party a decisive victory.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is asking that state's legislature to draw new maps there, but it's not clear if he has the votes.

New guidelines from Homeland Security say a person can be denied permanent U.S. residency based on their political statements, including participating in pro-Palestinian protests or, quote, endorsing, promoting or supporting anti-American views.

Murata Wauta with the New York Immigration Coalition says this sets a dangerous precedent.

This is part of the administration's broader deportation agenda that is predicated on expanding every avenue to silence and detain people whose views are not shared by the federal administration, denying them their rights and deport them.

Environmental groups are challenging the White House repeal of the 2009 endangerment finding, which held that greenhouse gases endanger public health.

The West Virginia Highlands Conservancy has joined a national lawsuit which would require the EPA to limit power plant and vehicle emissions.

The group's Olivia Miller says the scientific evidence shows clear and immediate harm to everyday people.

The rollback has no basis in law or science and reality, and the EPA cannot walk away from its responsibility to protect public health.

I'm Edwin J. Viera for Pacifica Network and Public News Service.

Find our trust indicators at publicnewsservice.org.