Tony Katz & Lauren Bis on ICE in Indiana

0:00Lauren Biss is the deputy White House press secretary and she was commenting to me about a story that comes out of Indianapolis, which is really a story that comes out of so many cities across the country, which is ice doing its job. Tony Katz, Tony Katz today, good to be here, good to be with you as I have argued. If you want to change the tactics of ice, go change the tactics of ice, I'm not here to tell you how to live, but don't tell me I shouldn't do their job. I should be removing people in the country illegally and some people still can't accept the idea that there are people in the country illegally and they need to be removed from the country. They want to be angry and they want to now go to where ice agents are staying in hotels and scream and yell and out them and they want to shoot at ice agents. I'm not arguing that we can't talk about policies for ice, but if we're going to discuss whether or not people in the country illegally should be removed, well, that's a strange

1:04thing to be arguing against. Lauren Biss joins me right now. She's a senior White House deputy press secretary. I appreciate you taking the time to be here. There was this post in the Washington Post and a story in the Washington Post about what's been going on in Indiana. This is just one of many stories, not specific to Indiana, about ISIS movements. Has the White House been hearing about what has taken place here from either angry residents or appreciative residents? You know, we've only heard good news from everyday Americans about our ice operations. Over 400 illegal aliens arrested, many with criminal histories, including sex offenders, drug traffickers, burgulars, violent other violent offenders, and less than a week. It was a huge success and we will keep up with all of these operations across the country to make American safe again. It's what the Americans noted for and we're going to keep delivering.

2:05Everyone always mentions, Lauren, talking to Lauren Biss, senior White House deputy press secretary, this idea of violent offenders and then they'll get into this number of people did not commit violent crimes. As you understand it and the conversations about ice, is it about violent offense or not violent offense or is it about whether or not you're in the country legally? Look, it is a crime to illegally enter the United States, but there's no doubt about that. We are targeting all illegal aliens, but we are started to focus primarily on criminal offenders just to highlight the worst of the worst first. No one has got the table. If you're in the country illegally, you need to leave now. You don't, we will find you, we will arrest you and you will be deported with the opportunity to never return to the United States. You're not getting an argument from me on the need and necessity for this, but we

3:06have, as we have seen, representative Salazar deciding to come out with this very large statement, all politics being local, maybe it is indeed a tight race there in Southern Florida. But we hear top line through media, the anger and the upset and America doesn't want this. But then there is the resultant, which we're seeing lower crime rates across the country. Does the White House make claim that their moves via ice and deportations have led to safer streets in cities from coast to coast? Yeah, you know, President Trump has delivered Americans the largest decrease in violent crime in American history. It is no coincidence that it's happening as we are arresting and removing over a million illegal aliens, many criminals from the communities that were led in by Joe Biden. Don't forget the Democrats want open borders. They want to abolish your presence. Their soft on crime policies led to a crime crisis in this country that President Trump

4:09has reversed and had huge success to deliver safer communities and neighborhoods for American citizens. Is this a topic for the midterms? You know, everything is a midterm conversation. Everything is how tight this is if you believe polling, the Senate can stay in Republican hands. The House might be a loss. I don't actually see it that way. But as you see it, as you're engaged in the communication, talking to Lauren Biss, D.I.S., she is the senior White House deputy press secretary. Where does the border and these ICE operations fit in White House messaging about the midterms? Look, our message to Americans is simple. President Trump and Republicans are for common sense. Radical Democrats have extreme policies that they want to put on your communities. We're talking about socialism. We're talking about abolishing your presence. We're talking about free healthcare for illegal aliens. These are the type of things they stand for. What we stand for is common sense policies.

5:11And these are the same policies President Trump ran on in one in 2024. And we're going to keep delivering that same message to the American people. Where the party of common sense, while the Democrats have become an extremely far left radical party. Is there ever, just to go along with the thoughts of the narrative, is there ever a conversation within the White House amongst Tom Homan or others? I mean, if you want to give me personal details, I'm listening, Lauren. But is there ever a conversation regarding tactics? I don't even say I disagree with them. Is there ever a conversation of if we did this, we would get a better result with the American people on that? Or is there a dismissal of the idea that the tactic is the issue and it is a media generated story? Look, it's clearly a media generated story. Our law enforcement officers are highly trained. We don't let far left radicals or the media control how our officers operate.

6:16Their safety comes first. They are simply just enforcing our nation's laws. They are forcing the laws passed by Congress. They're going to continue to do that. And unfortunately, it's clear that radical Democrats and Congress and many in the media will continue to smear our law enforcement. And because of these smears, our officers are facing a more than 1300 percent increase in assault against them and an 8000 percent increase in death threats. Here in Indianapolis, the mayor, Joe Hogset, discusses that this is a city that prides itself on being a welcoming, you have a quote out of the Washington Post from Alisa Koop, Indiana-based director of legal services at the National Immigrant Justice Center, saying, this is what it looks like when ICE has a blank check to do enforcement. Are these kinds of statements? How does the White House respond to this idea that somehow they are opposed to the cities?

7:17They're opposed to the idea that the argument is you're devastating cities and your argument is we're making cities safer. What is the response to them? Is there ever any response to them? Look, Democrats show it's time and time again who they are. They always choose to side with illegal aliens over American citizens. President Trump will never do that. He is going to continue to enforce the laws passed by Congress when she says blank enforcement. Yeah, we have the right to enforce our nation's laws. And unlike Joe Biden, we're going to do that. We're not going to allow criminals to flood into our communities. We've sealed the border. We've had 16 straight months of zero releases at the border. We enforce our nation's laws. Our nation's laws. President Trump is a law-and-order president. And we're seeing the results, like I said earlier, the largest decrease in violent crime in American history. His policies are working. They're delivering results. I don't know why Democrats continue to smear them when the results just speak for themselves.

8:18Are you done in Indiana? Will we see more ICE action in Indiana? Look, we're active in Indiana and everywhere across the United States every single day. So you have not seen the last device. They are there every day and they'll all continue to be there and making your community and your city safer. Was the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, as you know it, were they supportive, were they helpful, were they obstructive? Was the mayor a joe hog set obstructive? You know, I can't speak to you roughly for how the law enforcement coordinated on this operation. But I can tell you, in cities where we do it, in operation, those seven of the 10 states, the cities in America cooperate with ICE. That's no coincidence. Majority policies that release criminal legal aliens that are arrested from jail back onto the streets make America less safe. It's common sense. We have to put a stop to these sanctuary policies for not only the safety of the public, but also for the safety of our law enforcement officers.

9:20Lauren Biss, Senior White House Deputy Press Secretary, before I let you go, Caroline Levit leaves the position. Are you here to announce that I am the new White House Press Secretary? You know what? I'll have you tune in for President Trump for a truth. I'm sure if that's the case, he'll be announcing it shortly. I look forward to the announcement. If you could just get on that already, that would be great. If you could let him know. I said so. Also great. Why not? Lauren Biss, I appreciate you taking the time. Senior White House Deputy Press Secretary, thank you. So that was from my conversation earlier with Lauren Biss, the Deputy White House Press Secretary. Some of what you're going to get when you do those kinds of interviews is, you know, the by the book stuff, it's actually one of the reasons I kind of shy away from those interviews so often. It's that I don't want the by the book stuff. I want the details, right? I want the behind the scenes. I want the more introspection. It's certainly not that they have a job to do, but it was very interesting because this is where I live.

10:20And it's no different than where you live. And you may want ice to be there. Ice may have already been there. My ice might be there right now. I don't buy into the idea of, well, you got to change the tactics. Don't you know, it's the tactics that are the issue. The tactics are the problem. I don't mind if they get changed. I mind that we think the idea or the problem is, well, you know, 50% of those who get arrested haven't committed any violent crime. That's not the argument. And that brings us to Maria Salazar and the statement that she made this, this ad that is now running in Southern Florida. Listen. Mr. President, some of your immigration enforcement efforts have gone too far. In July 50% of the 50,000 people that were detained had no criminal record.

11:20Be careful what your advisors are telling you about immigration policy. The same Hispanics will help you get to the White House in 2024. Feel be treated today. You can be for immigration what Lincoln was for slavery and Reagan was for communism. I'm not talking about giving them amnesty. I'm talking about giving them a dignified life in this promised land. I am Maria Elvira Salazar and I approve this message. Now you can ask why she's even doing that ad because that's what I ask. I'm like, this is a bad ad. This is crazy. This is ridiculous. Let's never forget the golden rule, all politics are local. I don't know if that rule is still gold, but it is still in many ways, very, very true, all politics are local. If she is involved in a tight race, or believe she's involved in a tight race in Florida, well then, okay, she has to do what she has to do to create separation. And if that means saying, hey, I'm my own person and it's not all about President Trump,

12:29then you do things like this. By the way, she won in 2022, 14.6. Is what happened in terms of her margin of victory. So I'm not sure where the real issue is there. I don't know where the problem possibly is there. But let's say she feels it. It's just like Susan Collins being a no vote on, on name it. That was all about saying for the people of Maine, you see on my own woman and I am not just a puppet for Trump. Trump gets this. Trump understands us and you'll hear in the ad she does something very slide where she says, hey, your advisors are advising you wrong. You see it's not you, Mr. President, that you got bad advisors, the advisors translation. Steven Miller, don't listen to that big it. That's the translation. This is a throwing Steven Miller under the bus where everybody's not involved in the game

13:31and Steven's like, okay, so I'll just lay down here under the bus. This is the where I'm going to lay down. This will be the best spot. That's the stuff that you can understand. But don't you dare talk about 50% of people arrested by ice don't have a criminal record. Are they in the country legally or not? That's a leftist talking point. Not a hey, you can do this better, which is a fine talking point, but you engage to left this talking point and that talking point is ridiculous. Don't try and sell anybody on the idea that that connects. 50% arrested aren't guilty of violent crimes. Are they in the country legally, yes or no, game over? And then when you get into the idea that Hispanics feel betrayed, you mean people who came to the United States, let's say they were not born in the United States, they came to the United States and they came to legally. They would rather see people go through the system illegally and get rewarded. That is backwards. That's backwards. No one believes you.

14:33That is not real. And I also don't like the way she presented it. Now she knows her district and maybe that is the kind of tough style that people like, maybe there's a cultural connection. I'm in awe of the answer there. But she hit this all wrong and she could have hit it right. All politics are local and yet this is still a mess. Keep it here. I'm Tony Katz. This is Tony Katz today. McDonald's is putting value back on the menu. Whether you're craving a big mac, McNuggets or sausage egg and cheese McGrittle's make it a meal and save. Your favorite is now your wallet's favorite too. Extra value meals are back. Sun rises, prices fall. Get a sausage McMuffin with egg or sausage egg and cheese McGrittle's small hot coffee and hash frowns for just six dollars. Price and participation may vary. Promotion pricing may be lower than meal pricing.