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Matt Sledge

Matt Sledge

The Intercept

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Trump’s Budget Bill Would Explode Funding for ICE. Top Democrats Aren’t Talking About It.

Democrats denounced the bill’s cuts to Medicaid and attempted to rebrand it as “One Big, Ugly Bill.” They didn’t mention its handouts to ICE....

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The Intercept

Matt Sledge

Trump’s Budget Just Passed the Senate. Brace for a Massive Increase in ICE Raids.

The budget gives $175 billion to immigration enforcement. “The orders of magnitude are going to be multiplied,” immigration experts say. The post...

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The Intercept

Matt Sledge

Tulsi Gabbard Is Hunting for “Deep-State Criminals.” Is She Even Following the Law?

The allegedly leaked document undermined the White House’s case for an immigration crackdown. The post Tulsi Gabbard Is Hunting for “Deep-State...

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The Intercept

Matt Sledge

Fetterman Voted With GOP to Make Sure Trump Can Attack Iran Again

Most Democrats rallied behind a war powers resolution in the Senate, but not the caucus’s most vocally pro-Israel member. The post Fetterman Voted...

28.06.2025 10

The Intercept

Matt Sledge

War Powers Resolution From House Democratic Leaders May Not Limit Trump’s War Powers

In an apparent nod to Israel, some Democrats want to give Trump power to defend “an ally or partner of the United States from imminent attack.”...

25.06.2025 3

The Intercept

Matt Sledge

Trump Appointee Prosecuting LA Protesters Defended Jan. 6 Suspects

Bill Essayli once warned Jan. 6 prosecutions would “criminalize political differences.” Now he’s throwing the book at anti-ICE protesters. The...

24.06.2025 9

The Intercept

Matt Sledge

Hakeem Jeffries Said Trump’s Attack on Iran Was Unconstitutional. What’s He Going to Do About It?

High-ranking Democrats are working on their own way to stop a war with Iran — instead of signing onto a war powers resolution. The post Hakeem...

24.06.2025 10

The Intercept

Matt Sledge

Virginia AG Hopeful Was Outraising His Rival — Then Dominion Energy Tipped the Scale

“The scale of these contributions appears to be unprecedented in Virginia Attorney General races.” The post Virginia AG Hopeful Was Outraising His...

14.06.2025 10

The Intercept

Matt Sledge

Some Republicans Opposed Using Troops Against Protests in 2020. Now They’re Marching in Lockstep.

The near-unanimous chorus is a sign of how thoroughly Trump has consolidated his grip on Republicans. The post Some Republicans Opposed Using Troops...

13.06.2025 5

The Intercept

Matt Sledge

Trump Appointee Wanted to Lock Up CIA Leaker for a Decade. The Judge Ignored Him.

The judge in Asif William Rahman’s case disregarded pleas from the Trump administration to go well beyond sentencing guidelines. The post Trump...

12.06.2025 8

The Intercept

Matt Sledge

Feds Seek “Unprecedented” Sentence Boost for CIA Leaker, Leaning on His Use of Signal

Asif William Rahman’s lawyers thought they had a deal. Now Trump’s prosecutors are asking for a super harsh sentence. The post Feds Seek...

11.06.2025 7

The Intercept

Matt Sledge

Crypto Wades Into New Jersey Governor Race With Big Sean and Crudités

Ahead of Tuesday’s gubernatorial primaries, Stand With Crypto threw a party for three candidates fond of the industry. The post Crypto Wades Into...

10.06.2025 10

The Intercept

Matt Sledge

Trump Could Use Sacred Native Land for a Monument to… Christopher Columbus

Trump’s plan for a national statue garden could get built on sacred Native land currently held by a wealthy South Dakota mining family. The post...

06.06.2025 5

The Intercept

Matt Sledge

How the FBI and Big Ag Started Treating Animal Rights Activists as Terrorists

“Animal rights and environmental groups have committed more acts of terrorism than Al Qaeda,” warned an FBI agent who met with Big Ag groups. The...

02.06.2025 3

The Intercept

Matt Sledge

Trump’s Big, Beautiful Handout to the AI Industry

The budget bill advanced by House Republicans bans states from regulating AI while pumping billions into autonomous weapons. The post Trump’s Big,...

29.05.2025 3

The Intercept

Matt Sledge

Who’s on the Guest List for Trump’s Meme Coin Dinner?

Many guests at Trump’s meme coin dinner have something to gain. Others are anonymous. Here’s what we know about attendees. The post Who’s on the...

23.05.2025 10

The Intercept

Matt Sledge

Senate Dems Hand Trump a Win by Backing Stablecoin Bill

Democrats helped the GENIUS Act evade filibuster risk, paving the way for crypto legislation that stands to enrich Trump. The post Senate Dems Hand...

21.05.2025 10

The Intercept

Matt Sledge

What is “Efilism,” the Obscure Anti-Natalist Ideology of the Palm Springs Bomber?

Palm Springs bomber Guy Bartkus was an adherent of an anti-natalist ideology sometimes known as “efilism.” But was he really “anti-pro-life”...

20.05.2025 40

The Intercept

Matt Sledge

Kari Lake Lost the Election, but Her Campaign Still Rakes in Cash From Small Donors

Lake once ripped a rival for deceptive fundraising tactics, but many of her donors are filing credit card disputes. The post Kari Lake Lost the...

14.05.2025 10

The Intercept

Matt Sledge

Private Prison CEO on ICE Contracts: We’re a Better Deal Than El Salvador’s CECOT

Private prison firms CoreCivic and GEO Group are thrilled about ICE’s spending spree, but they’re already facing local opposition. The post...

09.05.2025 6

The Intercept

Matt Sledge

Democrats Woke Up to Trump's Crypto Grift. Will They Stop Other Scammers?

“Many of the potential issues we see with the Trump family’s crypto practices are a feature — not a bug — of the crypto industry.” The post...

08.05.2025 4

The Intercept

Matt Sledge

Trump’s Auto Tariff Relief “Helps Tesla a Lot” — Leaving Other Carmakers Behind

A Wall Street auto analyst says the Big Three American carmakers are unlikely to benefit much, while Musk’s Tesla gets a leg up for now. The post...

30.04.2025 3

The Intercept

Matt Sledge

Marco Rubio Silences Every Last Little Criticism of Israel at State Department

Rubio wants to dismantle the only internal sounding board for critics of Israel — and the only place those criticisms might’ve had any teeth. The...

26.04.2025 8

The Intercept

Matt Sledge

Hegseth Purges Defense Advisory Board After MAGA Came For It

On Tucker Carlson’s show, a MAGA loyalist ripped the Defense Policy Board. In short order, Pete Hegseth purged all its members. The post Hegseth...

25.04.2025 40

The Intercept

Matt Sledge

After Tucker Carlson Guest Attacked a Defense Advisory Board, the Pentagon Nuked Its Website

A fired aide to Pete Hegseth had laid into the Defense Policy Board, a political football dominated by hawkish establishment figures. The post After...

25.04.2025 10

The Intercept

Matt Sledge

AI Firm Behind Mysterious Trump Donation Is Run by Alleged Election Overthrow Plotter

Why did a shadowy nonprofit make a six-figure gift to Trump's inauguration committee? "It was mostly to meet people,” said a company official. The...

23.04.2025 8

The Intercept

Matt Sledge

Congress’s Biggest Financial Priority Is “Stablecoin.” What the Hell Is That?

Instead of tackling crashing markets, Congress is pushing a crypto sector that the Trump family is financially involved in. The post Congress’s...

21.04.2025 20

The Intercept

Matt Sledge

The Galaxy Brains of the Trump White House Want to Use Tariffs to Buy Bitcoin

Critics on the right and left say the bitcoin reserve is a pointless industry handout — and using tariff revenue is even dumber. The post The Galaxy...

19.04.2025 10

The Intercept

Matt Sledge

How Much Did Congress Make Off Market Turmoil and Why’re They Allowed to Make Anything at All?

Questions about who profited from Trump’s tariff flip-flop revived the push to ban members of Congress themselves from trading stocks. The post How...

11.04.2025 30

The Intercept

Matt Sledge

Progressives Push to Assert Congress Power Over Yemen War

Going beyond their critique of the infamous Signal chat, progressives demanded to know the White House’s legal justification for its Yemen strikes....

09.04.2025 5

The Intercept

Matt Sledge

What Could Progressive Tariffs Actually Look Like?

The U.S. moved toward tariffs that protected U.S. workers, industry, and the environment, says one expert. Trump is undoing it all. The post What...

09.04.2025 20

The Intercept

Matt Sledge

Trying to Block Arms to Israel, Bernie Sanders Denounces AIPAC’s Massive Election Spending

Republicans need to worry about getting bullied by Elon Musk, and Democrats need to worry about AIPAC, Sanders said. The post Trying to Block Arms to...

04.04.2025 60

The Intercept

Matt Sledge

Police Across the Country Are on High Alert Over Tesla Protests

Intelligence reports warn law enforcement about “acts of violence against electric vehicles” and the danger of battery fires. The post Police...

03.04.2025 5

The Intercept

Matt Sledge

Trump Just Pardoned ... a Corporation?

In what may be an American first, President Donald Trump pardoned a company sentenced to $100 million in fines for breaking money laundering laws. The...

02.04.2025 80

The Intercept

Matt Sledge

GOP Leaders Said Don’t Do Town Halls. This Indiana Republican Did — and Got an Earful.

“Do your job!” the crowd chanted, urging Rep. Victoria Spartz, one of the most outspoken DOGE supporters, to rein in Elon Musk. The post GOP...

30.03.2025 10

The Intercept

Matt Sledge

ICE Is Erasing Rules That Protected Trans Immigrants

Records reviewed by The Intercept show that ICE altered contracts with immigration detention centers to cut transgender care requirements. The post...

27.03.2025 9

The Intercept

Matt Sledge

U.S. Officials Called Signal a Tool for Terrorists and Criminals. Now They’re Using It.

Despite years of official criticism of encrypted messaging, CIA Director John Ratcliffe revealed that Signal comes installed on agency computers. The...

26.03.2025 20

The Intercept

Matt Sledge

Trump Wants Immigrants on U.S. Soil to Hand Over Social Media Accounts to Apply for Citizenship

Trump is demanding social media handles for citizenship, green card, and visa applicants whether they're already in the U.S. or not. The post Trump...

23.03.2025 70

The Intercept

Matt Sledge

Texas’s GOP Governor Can Arbitrarily Deny Democrats a Seat in Congress Until Next Year

Texas’s heavily Democratic 18th Congressional District has an empty seat. State law gives Greg Abbott the power to delay the election to fill it....

21.03.2025 30

The Intercept

Matt Sledge

DEA Insiders Warned About Legality of Phone Tracking Program. Their Concerns Were Kept Secret.

The DEA ignored the internal alarm about its mass phone data collection program, according to newly revealed details in a government report. The post...

18.03.2025 20

The Intercept

Matt Sledge

Trump’s New Muslim Ban Poised to Sweep Up Immigrants Already in the U.S.

A revived and expanded Muslim ban is stoking fears that U.S. residents with “hostile attitudes” toward the country will be targeted. The post...

12.03.2025 4

The Intercept

Matt Sledge

Here’s How Much the Guests at Trump’s Crypto Summit Donated to His Inauguration

The list of invitees at the White House crypto summit illustrates the tight link between Trump and new cohort of political donors. The post Here’s...

08.03.2025 40

The Intercept

Matt Sledge

“Opportunism and Fear”: Crypto Industry Sets Its Sights on Governors’ Mansions

An industry increasingly associated with Trumpism is moving into the spotlight in Democratic gubernatorial races in New Jersey and New York. The post...

28.02.2025 5

The Intercept

Matt Sledge

Bernie Sanders Hasn’t Stopped Arms Sales to Israel — But He Won’t Stop Trying

With the ceasefire in Gaza is on the edge of collapse, Sanders once again introduced resolutions to block certain weapons sales to Israel. The post...

26.02.2025 3

The Intercept

Matt Sledge

DOGE Said It Cut $232 Million From Social Security Budget. It Was Only About Half a Million.

The cut, an anti-trans attack, was the latest example of confusion sown by bold claims that wither under scrutiny. The post DOGE Said It Cut $232...

21.02.2025 100

The Intercept

Matt Sledge

Democrats Swear They’ll Fight Elon Musk. But What About the Cash They Took From SpaceX?

Musk has emerged as Trump’s far-right-hand man, creating some awkwardness for the president’s Democratic foes. The post Democrats Swear They’ll...

14.02.2025 20

The Intercept

Matt Sledge

Private Prison CEO on Trump Deportation Surge: “One of the Most Exciting Periods in My Career”

CoreCivic CEO Damon Hininger could barely contain his excitement about the Laken Riley Act and Trump’s anti-immigration executive orders. The post...

11.02.2025 4

The Intercept

Matt Sledge

How Many Trump Officials Have Taken Money From Qatar?

Oversight laws about foreign influence were already limited. Now the Trump administration is shredding them. The post How Many Trump Officials Have...

11.02.2025 8

The Intercept

Matt Sledge

Marco Rubio’s USAID “Humanitarian Waiver” Isn’t Helping Restart Lifesaving Programs

After plunging USAID and its network of contractors into chaos, communications breakdowns and bureaucratic snafus leave projects stalled. The post...

06.02.2025 6

The Intercept

Matt Sledge

Tulsi Gabbard Refused to Back Down on Edward Snowden. It Could Tank Her Nomination.

Facing more than a dozen questions about her views on the NSA leaker, Gabbard held her ground at her DNI confirmation hearing. The post Tulsi Gabbard...

30.01.2025 4

The Intercept

Matt Sledge