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Jane Coaston: It’s Tuesday, February 24th, I’m Jane Coaston, and this is What a Day, the show enjoying more of President Donald Trump just making stuff up. This time, it’s sending a hospital ship to Greenland. Trump posted on Truth Social Saturday that a quote, “great hospital ship was headed to Greenland” to do something for Greenlanders. But according to the Wall Street Journal, the Pentagon hasn’t gotten any orders to send one of our two hospital ships anywhere, and both ships are currently being repaired. Remember, PDT JMSU. President Donald Trump just makes stuff up. [music break] On today’s show, it’s a big night for President Trump and likely a very painful night for everyone else. What will he say about Iran, the Supreme Court, groceries, his many, many enemies? A lot of Democrats won’t be sticking around to find out. They have their own plans tonight, we’ll tell you all about them. So let’s start with the state of the union. President Trump will be giving his address tonight, and spoiler, the state of his particular union isn’t great. According to new polling from CNN, Trump’s approval rating with Americans is 36%. And on his two biggest issues, immigration and the economy, multiple polls are showing that the president is flailing. His numbers with Democrats are bad, which you expected, but there’s even been a dip with Republicans. CNN’s Harry Enten dove into Trump’s overwhelming unpopularity on Monday. 

[clip of Harry Enten] Talking about the lowest Trump has ever been going into the State of the Union, the lowest that any president has been this century going in with State of the Union at this point in their presidency. It is also the weakest that Donald Trump has ever been with independents. Look at this drop. We’ve been talking about it the past few months. At this point, a year ago, Donald Trump was at minus 13 points. Look at this, minus 47 points among independents. The lowest Donald Trump has ever been in either of his two terms as president with independents. 

Jane Coaston: But of course, Donald Trump doesn’t believe any of it. Here’s the president on Monday at an event honoring people killed by undocumented immigrants. 

[clip of President Donald Trump] Polls are tough, you know, when you get a fake poll, I get ’em today. I saw one today that I’m at 40%. 40%, I’m not at 40%, I’m at much higher than that. I mean, I’d love to run against anybody. The real polls say you kill everybody, it wouldn’t even be close. 

Jane Coaston: Yes. The president ranted about his polls at an event honoring people killed by undocumented immigrants. Naturally. But despite all of this, Democrats are still not winning over the American people. So how should they respond to tonight’s two-hour adventure of non-sequiturs, rants, and excessive use of bronzer? To find out, I spoke to New Jersey Democratic Representative LaMonica McIver. She’s delivering a prebuttal to the State of the Union today. Representative McIver, welcome to What a Day! 

LaMonica McIver: Thank you so much, it’s great to be on. 

Jane Coaston: Some of your Democratic colleagues will be skipping the State of the Union. Are you going? 

LaMonica McIver: I’m going to be skipping as well. I mean, at the end of the day, we know what to expect. We know what the president is going to be talking about and who wants to sit through hours of rhetoric, hatefulness, and pure lies? 

Jane Coaston: I mean, I 100% agree. I also would not go. What are you doing instead? 

LaMonica McIver: Well, we have a bunch of programming happening. We’re going to be definitely going over to join the move on state of the people, state of The Union. I’m not sure exactly what they’re calling it, but they’re having an entire program there and really looking forward to going to participate in that. We’re going to be talking to constituents as well in my district about what they’ve heard, how they feel. And I think that’s really more important than listening to Donald Trump for sure. 

Jane Coaston: You are also giving a prebuttal to the state of the union Tuesday morning. What’s your message to Americans right now? 

LaMonica McIver: I think the message right now to people what we’re aiming for is to talk about how our democracy isn’t at stake and how it’s being stripped away every day underneath Donald Trump and this administration. And I think people have been so overwhelmed of all of the things that are happening that really, you know, folks are losing sight. Some may be, you, know, fully engaged. But I think telling you know explaining to people and talking to people about why it’s important that we keep our democracy intact and that we defend the country that we love the most and our freedoms here. I think that that is what I am aiming for and I hope that people grab from my speech. The last thing I will say is that I hope to leave some inspiration for folks of why we must be on the front lines in defending our democracy because we want to keep our freedoms intact here in this country. I need people to understand why their fight is important and why they have to do all that they can safely, right, um to make sure that we defend our democracy. 

Jane Coaston: What does that look like to you? What is being on the front lines look like? 

LaMonica McIver: For me as a Congress member, it means number one, conducting oversight. It means holding this administration accountable. It means speaking up for the voiceless. It means defending people’s rights and honestly honoring the constitution, which is what we should be doing. Our democracy is not something that we made up because we wanted it and it sounds good and it’s like nice to have. It’s a part of our constitution. It’s part of our rights that we, you know, many folks way before me and you fought for, for us to have and so really to me, that’s what it looks like being on the front lines and you know speaking up and being the resistance. 

Jane Coaston: To your point regarding oversight, you’re facing federal charges for a visit you made to a detention center last May. What was your reaction when you found out that the Department of Justice was charging you with assaulting federal agents? 

LaMonica McIver: I was shocked. I mean, I’m still almost a year later shocked that this is happening and that I am facing 17 years in prison. Once again, I showed up to a detention center in my district to do my job, to have an oversight visit. I wasn’t there to protest. I was not there for any other reason other than to do the job that the people of the 10th congressional district elected me to do, which is protect them and make sure that I’m having oversight, which is my right as a Congress person. 

Jane Coaston: How did you find out about the charges? 

LaMonica McIver: I found out via Twitter, which was crazy, um you know, we had been getting these threats all week that I was going to be charged. And then someone sent me like a screenshot from our acting U.S. Attorney at the time, Alina Habba, who said she was charging me. You know, my lawyers went on like the database where you go to find like charges or to find the document and literally couldn’t even find it. So that’s how I found out, which was once again a nutty situation. But you know what can you expect with this administration? 

Jane Coaston: It actually checks out that you found out via Twitter knowing the Trump administration. How has your experience affected how lawmakers show up to detention centers even if they show up? 

LaMonica McIver: Well, I think some lawmakers have doubled down a little bit on their oversight responsibilities and have shown up literally because the Trump administration is trying to keep us out of these detention centers. But then I also think that some lawmakers have been scared away, right? They feel intimidated, they feel bullied. Who wants to be up against charges for doing their job? You know, no one. I mean, it’s a hard pill to swallow and the process itself is the punishment. And so fighting this case, you know, legal fees, all of these things that I’m dealing with, I don’t think anyone wants to sign up for necessarily. So I’m sure it scared some lawmakers away from doing oversight. 

Jane Coaston: Yeah, because I mean, the entire process of this, it’s not just like one day you’re charged and then at some point you’ll go to court, you’re back and forth with your lawyers, I’m assuming, like, pretty frequently. 

LaMonica McIver: Yes, we are literally in the second stretch of our fight of this case. We filed an appeal to the Third Circuit Court and we’re waiting to go back in front of a judge again to argue why this case should be dismissed based on legislative immunity. And so it’s a process. I mean I, I feel like I should have went to law school at this point because of all of the information I’ve learned. And quite frankly, it’s just been sad, you know, to know that this is the state of our country, what we’re dealing with with this president and his administration, and how they’ve literally weaponized the Department of Justice. You know, I’ve said since last May, while it may have started with me, it will not end with me. 

Jane Coaston: We’re in the second week of a partial government shutdown. The Department of Homeland Security is closed, but immigration and customs enforcement is fully funded and still functioning because of Trump’s spending bill that was passed last year. So what is the point of the shutdown if nothing about immigration enforcement will change? Because it seems really unlikely that it will while some federal workers are missing another paycheck. 

LaMonica McIver: Yeah, so I mean, the point of it right now is that people are, especially Democrats here in Congress, and I think half of the country, if not more. 

Jane Coaston: Yeah. 

LaMonica McIver: Um. They are tired of seeing what is happening with the Department of Homeland Security and ICE. And so the demands have been listed of what Democrats would like to see, which are some guardrails to put on ICE agents, as well as the Department of Homeland Security. And so, you know, those demands are important, especially when we see American citizens being killed in broad daylight. You know, we see families and communities scared to come outside because ICE and the Department of Homeland Security, it continues to terrorize them. And so I don’t think it’s an all in all fix. We won’t get to an all-in-all fix until Democrats can get control back over the House. But I think it’s a start to at least do what we can to protect the people that count on us who voted for us to do so. 

Jane Coaston: Obviously shutting down the government isn’t ideal. Is there another way Democrats can get what they want out of DHS besides shutting down the government? 

LaMonica McIver: That’s a great question. It’s a million-dollar question. I think what we’re doing right now in asking for, you know, the Republicans to consider the demands, that is like a really, really strong tool of what we are doing. It is unfortunate to shut down the government. No one ever wants to see a government shut down. But I think the situation that we’re dealing with, with Americans being shot and killed in broad daylight, people being beat, we’re in a state of emergency, you know. And we have to do something to protect the American people from ICE and the Department of Homeland Security. 

Jane Coaston: As President Trump gives the State of the Union, which you will not be present for, what will you be watching for? 

LaMonica McIver: Honestly, I have no expectations for this president. I mean, there’s no bottom for him. You know, I would say I’m gonna be appalled if he does such and such things, but I mean honestly, I’ve trained myself so well to not be appaled about anything that this president does because we see each and every day that he can go as low as, low as you can go. And so honestly, I just expect for him to be cruel. To be insulting, to have a temper tantrum meltdown, worse than a two-year-old. And I’m just, you know, we’re gonna all watch that play out as we’ve already watched that play out on many press conferences, the previous State of the Union, and any other platform that he takes, this is what we can expect. 

Jane Coaston: What do you think is the best way Democrats can show defiance right now? 

LaMonica McIver: I think the best way to show defiance is one, to continue being the resistance to this administration. I think, the number one thing is to continue to show up for the voters who voted for us. I think voters need us more now than ever, they’ve always needed us, but right now in this moment of time, there’s so much darkness, there is so much uncertainty, many people feel voiceless, they’re dealing with their troubles of lack of health care, affordability issues, there so much happening. And I think. Democrats have to be on the front lines, protecting and, you know, leading the people that voted for them. And I think that’s the number one way we can be defiant to this administration and show up and do our jobs, because that’s the number one thing we should be focused on. 

Jane Coaston: Representative McIver, thank you so much for joining me. 

LaMonica McIver: Thank you. It was great to be on. 

Jane Coaston: That was my conversation with New Jersey Democratic Representative, LaMonica McIver. Watch out! There’s more news incoming, but if you like the show, make sure you subscribe, leave a five-star review on Spotify and Apple podcasts, and watch us on YouTube. And please, share us with your friends. We’ll have more for you after some ads. [music break]

[AD BREAK]

Jane Coaston: Here’s what else we’re following today. 

[sung] Headlines. 

[clip of Barry McCaffrey] Well, I think it’s a war on the verge of war, where Trump doesn’t want war, the Iranians don’t want war, the U.S. Arab allies don’t want war. But that’s likely to be the outcome. 

Jane Coaston: Not particularly encouraging words from MSNOW military analyst retired general Barry McCaffrey. His comments follow a State Department announcement Monday that the U.S. ordered some diplomats and their families at the embassy in Beirut to leave Lebanon. The State Department also said U.S. personnel remaining in Lebanon would have their in-country travel restricted. An official who spoke to the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity said that it’s a temporary measure and that the embassy will remain operational. Meanwhile a second U.S. aircraft carrier joins the other American warships and aircraft in the region, a buildup that offers Trump several options for a potential strike, even as talks between Iran and the U.S. continue. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon has permanently barred the release of a report by Special Counsel Jack Smith on an investigation into Trump’s hoarding of classified documents. Cannon, who was nominated by Trump and who is probably his favorite at this point, granted a request from the president to keep the report under wraps. Shocking. It detailed the probe alleging Trump stored sensitive documents at Mar-a-Lago after his first term, and that he obstructed government efforts to get said documents back. According to court papers, Attorney General Pam Bondi had already determined that the report was, quote, “an internal deliberative communication that is privileged and confidential and should not be released.” Well, now I really want to see it. Cannon’s order blocking the release also applies to Bondi’s successors at the Justice Department. She said the release of the report would present a, quote, “manifest injustice to the president and his two co-defendants.” Accountability? What’s that? The Supreme Court said Monday that it will hear arguments from oil and gas companies this term. The energy companies are trying to block lawsuits seeking to hold the industry liable for billions of dollars in damage linked to climate change. The Colorado case will likely have implications for other lawsuits, some of which have been dismissed while others work their way through state courts. Suncor Energy and ExxonMobil appealed to the Supreme Court after Colorado’s highest court let the case proceed. The companies argue emissions are a national issue that should be heard in federal court, where similar suits have been tossed out. The Supreme Court has also asked the two sides to present arguments on whether the case is truly ready to be heard. President Trump’s State of the Union address is tonight, but if you don’t want to tune in, don’t worry. There are other options. Defiance.org founder Miles Taylor spoke to MSNOW’s Alex Witt about the alternative event his organization is hosting. 

[clip of Miles Taylor] We’re calling our event the state of the swamp for a reason, because Donald Trump said, Alex, he was going to drain the swamp. And now, through corruption and greed and abuses of power, he’s turned America into that swamp. 

Jane Coaston: Taylor is a former Trump Department of Homeland Security advisor. According to Defiance.org, State of the Swamp will feature remarks and appearances by a myriad of guests like Massachusetts Representative Seth Moulton, New York Representative Dan Goldman, Oregon Senator Ron Wyden, former CNN anchor Jim Acosta, Crooked Media host Stacey Abrams, legendary actor Robert De Niro, and producer Caitlin Plummer’s pride and joy, Mark Ruffalo. The State of The Swamp will take place in Washington D.C. and is scheduled to stream for free. And that’s the news. [music break] One more thing. As I said earlier, the Trump administration lies all the time. The entire administration, every member of it, lies like they breathe. And one of the biggest liars is Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. I know there are so many examples of Noem lies you’re probably thinking of right now, like alleging that Alex Pretti was engaged in, quote, “domestic terrorism” after he was shot and killed by federal immigration enforcement in Minneapolis in January. But there’s one lie that I am just baffled by. Let’s go back to July 1st, 2025. Here’s Noem speaking at an event at the so-called Alligator Alcatraz deportation camp in Florida. 

[clip of Kristi Noem] The other day I was talking to some marshals that had been partnering with ICE. They said that they had detained a cannibal and put him on a plane to take him home and while they had him in his seat he started to eat himself. And they had to get him off and get him medical attention. These are the kind of deranged individuals that are on our streets in America that we’re trying to target and get out of our country. 

Jane Coaston: Sorry what? She told this same insane story again on Fox News that same night. Breaking news, we’re deporting cannibals. 

[clip of Kristi Noem] I talked today about one of the horrific instances of our individuals, our law enforcement officers having to put hands on individuals that were even cannibals and removing them from our country. 

Jane Coaston: She even told Fox News’ Jesse Waters in another Fox News interview, quote, “You know what bothered me most is that this U.S. Marshal just said it was like it was normal,” adding that the Marshal said, quote, “he was literally eating his own arms. That is what he did. He called himself a cannibal and ate other people and ate himself that day.” Was there any evidence for the story provided at the time? Any say corroboration? Of course not. And now, six months later, the truth came out. According to three Department of Homeland Security officials, the cannibal allegation is, quote, “entirely false.” Another official said of the story, quote, “that is completely made up.” Asked for comment on Kristi Noem inventing a cannibal deportation story, the Department of Homeland Security put the blame squarely on someone else, telling The Intercept, quote, “she was told that story on a deportation flight by one of the air marshals.” Sure, so again it’s clear, Kristi Noem will lie about anything, even cannibals. [music break]

[AD BREAK]

Jane Coaston: That’s all for today. If you like the show, make sure you subscribe, leave a review, remember that the best version of FBI director Kash Patel is the Kash Patel who is not directing the FBI, and tell your friends to listen. And if you’re into reading, and not just about how I keep seeing people furious at Kash Patel for drinking beer in the US men’s hockey team locker room, but like, do you want Kash Patel to be running around doing FBI stuff? Really? Like me, What a Day is also a nightly newsletter. Check it out and subscribe at Crooked.com/subscribe. I’m Jane Coaston and Kash, don’t listen to the haters. The 2026 Tokyo Marathon is March 1st and I think it would be so cool if you went and then never came back. [music break] What a Day is a production of Crooked Media. It’s recorded and mixed by Desmond Taylor. Our associate producer is Emily Fohr. Our producer is Caitlin Plummer. Our video editor is Joseph Dutra. Our video producer is Johanna Case. We had production help today from Greg Walters and Matt Berg. Our senior producer is Erica Morrison. And our senior vice president of news and politics is Adriene Hill. Our theme music is by Kyle Murdock and Jordan Cantor. We had help today from the Associated Press. Our production staff is proudly unionized with the Writers Guild of America East. [music break[