MATT BERG
& CROOKED MEDIA

FRIDAY
APRIL 25, 2025

I came to this world alone. I will deal with it alone, and I will go out alone.”

 
— George Santos, [reflecting on his]([link removed]) upcoming 87 months in prison.

LOSING MY RELIGION

The Trump administration is launching a sweeping campaign to eradicate “anti-Christian bias” in the federal workforce.  

- The ‘[War on Christmas]([link removed])’ was only the beginning, apparently. The term refers to the long-running, annual, tiresome debate over whether the United States has begun repressing Christian views (as many on Fox News would have you believe). Now, this grievance-based, cable-news-infused culture war appears to be spreading to the federal government — thanks to President Donald Trump.

- Top Trump officials are rolling out measures to identify employees or procedures suspected of bias against Christians. “This task force will identify any unlawful anti-Christian policies, practices or conduct across the government,” Attorney General Pam Bondi [said this week]([link removed]). This goal is “very ‘Handmaid’s Tale'-esque,” a State Department employee [told Politico]([link removed]).

- That work is already beginning at the Department of Veterans Affairs. VA Secretary Doug Collins blasted out an email to employees on Wednesday, calling on workers [to report each other]([link removed]) for “anti-Christian bias” and announcing that a task force will investigate the Biden administration’s “treatment of Christians.” (Even though former President Joe Biden is, famously, Catholic.) Three VA workers sent me screenshots of the email immediately after receiving it — indicating how flabbergasted employees were. 

- “I’ve been with the VA for almost 20 years. I don’t know the religious affiliations of any of my coworkers, because that’s not how a professional workplace runs,” one employee told me. “There is no ‘War on Christmas’ — it just seems like an extension of that. But it sure will be funny when that email address is shared online and people clog it up with fake reports.”

 
Some overtly religious messages from senior Trump officials have also made employees uneasy, even if they don’t cross any red lines.

- Before Easter weekend, employees at the Department of Housing and Urban Development received an unusually religious message from Chief of Staff Andrew Hughes, who was recently nominated to be deputy secretary.

- “America's founding fathers proclaimed that all men are endowed by their creator with the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” Hughes wrote in an email obtained by What A Day. “This declaration rang true as the Jews fled Egypt and found Land, and it rang true once again when Jesus broke bread and drank wine with his disciples showing that sacrifice can truly change the world.” Uh… which century are we in, again? Just checkin’, because this email makes me wonder!  

- Is all of this (ahem) kosher when it comes to the separation of church and state? Using religious rhetoric isn’t really an issue, legally speaking, said Daniel L. Dreisbach, a law professor at American University. “Public officials, in my view, can use rhetoric that reflects their own values and beliefs, whether they be secular or religious, without offending the restrictions of the First Amendment,” he told What A Day.

- But tracking down people who they believe aren’t fans of Christianity is questionable at best — especially considering Trump’s apparent [crackdown on Muslim students]([link removed]) who support Palestinians.

This may just be a new way to target political opponents. After all… it’s not like they’re about to investigate Vice President JD Vance’s meeting with Pope Francis, are they?

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WHAT ELSE?

[The FBI arrested Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan]([link removed]), allegedly because she “intentionally misdirected federal agents away from” an immigrant being pursued by the feds, FBI Director Kash Patel announced this morning. It’s a major escalation in Trump’s war on the judicial system over the issue of immigration — and comes as judges across the country worry Trump [may withdraw their U.S. Marshals Service protection]([link removed]). 
 
[Trump said he would “love” to send violent American citizens]([link removed]) to foreign prisons “if it were permissible by law.” In an interview with TIME, he added: “We’re looking into that.” 
 
[ICE arrested Columbia University grad student Mahmoud Khalil]([link removed]) without having a warrant, according to court documents. Trump’s government attorneys justified the move by arguing Khalil was supposedly a flight risk, so they had to move fast. Well, excuse me, but that’s total bullshit. The dude is a peaceful activist, and his wife literally just had their first kid. I can’t imagine he’s a flight risk!
 
[Surprise! More polls found that Trump’s immigration ratings are in the toilet.]([link removed]) Fifty-three percent of Americans disapprove of his handling of immigration, a five-point decrease since February, according to one poll. Another one, provided exclusively to [Pod Save America]([link removed]), found that only 25 percent of voters believe it’s OK for him to disobey court orders. 
 
[Former Rep. George Santos was sentenced to 87 months in prison]([link removed]) for his fraudulent congressional run, in which he fabricated his resume and stole almost a dozen people’s identities. It’s the end of a wild political saga for the [former drag queen]([link removed])-turned-MAGA-lawmaker-turned-[Cameo star]([link removed]), but I’m sure we’ll hear from him once his seven years are up. Presumably, he’ll be back to run Fyre Fest 3. 
 
[Luigi Mangione pleaded not guilty to all federal charges]([link removed]) against him for the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
 
[Trump’s personal cryptocurrency raked in tens of millions of dollars]([link removed]) after he told purchasers of the meme coin that they could literally buy an “intimate” private dinner with him, according to a Washington Post analysis. “This is Trump selling access to the White House,” Crooked’s Dan Pfeiffer said on [Pod Save America]([link removed]) today. “It is the most corrupt thing that any president … has ever done, hands down.”

[Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is the gift that keeps giving:]([link removed]) His personal cellphone number, tied to those infamous leaked Signal chats, was found on his Whatsapp and Facebook profiles — a major vulnerability for foreign adversaries. Even funnier: “On Aug. 15, 2024, he used his personal phone number to join Sleeper.com, a fantasy football and sports betting site, using the username ‘PeteHegseth,’” the New York Times writes. What was the bet if you lost the fantasy league? Leak national security secrets to your wife?

FRIEND (OF THE POD) ZONE
 
A new episode of Pollercoaster just dropped. Dan is joined by top Democratic pollster Molly Murphy — President of Impact Research. They’re diving into the data behind the headlines: Is Trump actually feeling the heat from economic turmoil? Should Democrats be talking about immigration? Don’t miss out on this exclusive series — available only to Friends of the Pod.  Head to [crooked.com/friends]([link removed]) to join today. And for the month of April, enjoy a 30-day free trial to the Friends of the Pod community. But hurry — this offer ends soon!
 
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[The Trump administration restored thousands of foreign students’]([link removed]) visa registrations, reversing its decision after judges ruled that the effort was illegal. We love to see Cheeto’s team taking L’s like this.

[Wildlife is returning to parts of Los Angeles that were scorched]([link removed]) by wildfires earlier this year. Trail cameras spotted a mountain lion near the Eaton Fire burn area late last month: “My first inclination was to share that to people who have lost so much during this fire and our community in Altadena, because it’s a sign of hope that nature’s returning, that nature’s resilient,” a professor tracking the wildlife resurgence said. 

[Associated Press journalist Nicole Winfield wrote this fascinating]([link removed]) inside look at Pope Francis’s relationship with the press — and her specifically. He called her “la prima della classe,” or “the first in class” in Italian. That can carry a negative connotation, but Winfield came to see it as a sign that the pope respected the AP’s tough coverage. Give it a read!

Meet Ginny, an adorable corgi.

“Hopefully this fuzz ball brings a smile to someone’s face.”

-Sarah

 

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