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Cracker Barrel Did More Than Change Back Their Logo After Consumer Backlash
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Cracker Barrel Did More Than Change Back Their Logo After Consumer Backlash

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Cracker Barrel has removed the Pride page from its website amid consumer backlash over the company’s rebranding efforts and recent marketing decisions.

The link that once led to Cracker Barrel’s Pride content, which carried the slogan “bringing the porch to Pride,” now redirects visitors to a section titled “Culture and Belonging.”

The updated page states, “At Cracker Barrel, welcoming people has always been at the heart of who we are. When we take care of one another, we are able to take even better care of the people who walk through our doors.”

The decision follows months of pressure from conservative activists, including Robby Starbuck and Chris Rufo, who criticized the company’s involvement with LGBT-related initiatives.

Cracker Barrel had previously sponsored the Nashville Pride Parade in 2024 and released rainbow-colored rocking chairs during Pride Month.

The company also has an LGBTQ employee group called the “LGBTQ+ Alliance,” which is one of several resource groups, including one for military veterans.

The founder of the LGBTQ group at Cracker Barrel later served on the Human Rights Campaign’s (HRC) Business Advisory Council.

The HRC publishes the Corporate Equality Index, a tool critics say is used to pressure corporations into adopting progressive workplace policies.

In a past statement to Fox News Digital, Cracker Barrel said it “has not participated in the Human Rights Campaign Index or had any affiliation with HRC in several years.”

Cracker Barrel’s relationship with the HRC has shifted over time.

In 2002, the chain received a score of zero in the inaugural Corporate Equality Index.

In the 1990s, the company came under fire for workplace policies that discriminated against gay employees.

In 1991, a corporate rule stated that workers who failed to demonstrate “normal heterosexual values” could be terminated.

Eleven employees were fired under that policy, sparking protests and boycotts.

In subsequent years, Cracker Barrel’s score with the HRC improved, reaching 80 in 2021, as the company adopted pro-LGBTQ policies and took public stances in support of the community.

Some of those stances also sparked controversy.

In 2014, the chain pulled “Duck Dynasty” products after cast member Phil Robertson made remarks widely considered homophobic.

In 2019, Cracker Barrel barred a pastor from hosting an event at one of its restaurants after he gave a sermon describing homosexuals as “freaks” and “animals” who were “worthy of death.”

Alongside the removal of its Pride page, Cracker Barrel has also responded to criticism of its recent rebranding.

The company’s updated restaurant interiors shifted away from the Americana style it was long known for, replacing it with a more modern and simplified look.

Its redesigned logo also removed the image of an elderly man leaning on a barrel and replaced it with a plain yellow barrel outline alongside the company name.

This week, Cracker Barrel confirmed it will revert to its original logo featuring “Uncle Herschel” after significant consumer backlash.

“We thank your guests for sharing your voices and love for Cracker Barrel,” the company said in a statement to FOX Business.

“We said we would listen, and we have. Our new logo is going away and our ‘Old Timer’ will remain. At Cracker Barrel, it’s always been — and always will be — about serving up delicious food, warm welcomes, and the kind of country hospitality that feels like family.”

The restaurant chain, with more than 660 locations nationwide, continues to face public scrutiny over its branding decisions, reflecting the ongoing debate over corporate involvement in cultural and political issues.

Ten FBI Whistleblowers Reach Settlements After Retaliation Under Biden Administration
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Ten FBI Whistleblowers Reach Settlements After Retaliation Under Biden Administration

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Ten FBI whistleblowers who reported instances of “political weaponization” inside the bureau under the Biden-Harris administration have reached settlement agreements with the Justice Department.

Officials announced that the whistleblowers will receive lump sum payments for damages, with some also receiving back pay, benefits, and reinstatement to duty.

“These 10 whistleblowers’ brave actions were met with intense bureaucratic blowback that caused severe financial and emotional hardship,” Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said in a statement.

“Their lives were upended for years, but I never stopped fighting until things were made right.”

Grassley credited Attorney General Pam Bondi, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, FBI Director Kash Patel, and Deputy Director Dan Bongino for advancing the cases.

“I appreciate Attorney General [Pam] Bondi, Deputy Attorney General [Todd] Blanche, Director [Kash] Patel and Deputy Director [Dan] Bongino’s unyielding efforts to prioritize accountability and bring closure to these whistleblowers’ cases,” Grassley said.

According to Grassley’s office, the whistleblowers had been subjected to demotions, indefinite unpaid administrative leave, and security clearance revocations, collectively amounting to “over 12 years’ worth of inappropriate suspension time.”

The whistleblowers were represented by the legal nonprofit Empower Oversight.

In a March 5 letter to the FBI’s general counsel, the organization outlined what it described as “reprisal” and “improper targeting” against the agents, while expressing a willingness to “amicably resolve and remedy the harms the FBI has inflicted on our clients.”

Stephen Friend
FBI Special Agent Stephen Friend was indefinitely suspended without pay and had his security clearance revoked after objecting to the use of a SWAT team to arrest a January 6 defendant on a misdemeanor charge.

Friend argued the subject had been cooperative in the past and warned that the operation risked the safety of both the public and FBI personnel. He was sent home on the day of the arrest but was recorded as absent without leave.

Garret O’Boyle
FBI Special Agent Garret O’Boyle, who worked at the Critical Incident Response Group in Virginia, was suspended without pay and had his clearance pulled after being accused of leaking information related to an investigation involving Project Veritas and of improperly accessing FBI files.

Empower Oversight later determined O’Boyle “simply provided information about Project Veritas to another FBI employee and had only accessed FBI files as part of protected whistleblowing to Congress beginning in 2021.”

His clearance was revoked anyway following an additional claim that he mishandled classified information while transferring work materials from his previous post in Wichita, Kansas.

Zachery Schoffstall
Supervisory Special Agent Zachery Schoffstall, based in Idaho, reported what he described as Department of Justice “misconduct” in an investigation involving the white supremacist group Patriot Front.

Schoffstall stated the probe appeared politically motivated. He refused to sign a search warrant affidavit against Patriot Front, or assign another agent to do so, after learning of exculpatory evidence.

He was reassigned to West Virginia and proposed for removal from the bureau.

Monica Shillingburg
FBI employee Monica Shillingburg disclosed what she described as “gross mismanagement” and “gross waste of funds,” tied to changes in how the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) appeals were handled.

She argued the new process would worsen backlogs and increase the chance of an improper gun sale.

According to Empower Oversight, her concerns were later “proven correct.” Shillingburg was reassigned, stripped of responsibilities, and denied telework.

Michael Zummer
Special Agent Michael Zummer, from the New Orleans Division, reported misconduct in the prosecution of a district attorney charged with sex crimes.

According to Empower Oversight, Zummer was blocked from informing the court about conflicts of interest between prosecutors and the DA’s defense attorney.

The case ended in a plea deal for harassment of a witness, with a maximum three-year sentence, despite authorization for more serious charges including RICO.

Zummer’s clearance was suspended and later revoked when he reported the conflicts.

Several of the other whistleblowers who secured settlements have not been identified publicly.

Empower Oversight leaders Jason Foster and Tristan Leavitt wrote to Grassley that “for each of these cases where whistleblowers finally received at least some measure of justice for the retaliation they faced just for telling the truth about wrongdoing, there are many more who still need a remedy.”

They added, “[T]here are more who still have no remedy and no justice. The work to combat weaponization and whistleblower retaliation is far from over.”

The group noted that each settlement varied, but “none required any resignations as a condition of the agreement” and “all include lump sum payments for damages.”

Three whistleblowers—Friend, O’Boyle, and Schoffstall—will also return to duty with restored pay and benefits.

ICE Shackles Kilmar Abrego Garcia, He Goes Viral for What He Said Under His Breath
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ICE Shackles Kilmar Abrego Garcia, He Goes Viral for What He Said Under His Breath

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Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a 30-year-old native of El Salvador, was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Baltimore on Monday, according to the Department of Homeland Security, which released footage of the arrest.

The video, recorded inside the ICE Field Office shortly after his detention, shows Abrego Garcia being led in handcuffs.

As an agent escorted him, he said, “it’s a corrupt government.”

DHS distributed the clip with a written statement alongside the footage: “He doesn’t belong here. He won’t be staying here. America is a safer nation without this MS-13 Gangbanger in it. Good riddance.”

Officials said Abrego Garcia is being processed and faces the possibility of removal to Uganda.

Abrego Garcia’s detention followed his release from a Tennessee jail last week while awaiting trial on federal human smuggling charges.

Prosecutors have tied those charges to a 2022 traffic stop on a Tennessee highway, where authorities say he was pulled over with eight passengers in a car and no luggage.

He has pleaded not guilty and has stated he is not a gang member.

After Monday’s appointment at the Baltimore ICE office for a scheduled interview, federal authorities detained him again and transferred him to a detention facility in Virginia.

The arrest comes after Abrego Garcia was mistakenly deported to El Salvador in June.

He was subsequently returned to the United States to face the pending criminal case involving the alleged transportation of migrants living in the country illegally.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said ICE had moved forward with enforcement steps following the Baltimore interview.

“Today, ICE law enforcement arrested Kilmar Abrego Garcia and are processing him for deportation,” Noem said.

She added: “President Trump is not going to allow this illegal alien, who is an MS-13 gang member, human trafficker, serial domestic abuser, and child predator to terrorize American citizens any longer.”

Attorneys for Abrego Garcia said they filed a lawsuit seeking to block his removal to any country until he has an opportunity to contest the destination.

They also said federal officials discussed potential removal outcomes during plea negotiations.

“They’re holding Costa Rica as a carrot and using Uganda as a stick,” his lawyer, Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, said.

“They’re weaponizing the immigration system in a way that’s completely unconstitutional.”

In court proceedings Monday afternoon, U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis said she planned to hold additional hearings on the administration’s plan to deport Abrego Garcia to Uganda.

The judge barred the government from removing him until such a hearing is held.

Sandoval-Moshenberg said that, if deported, assurances would be needed that Abrego Garcia would not be returned to El Salvador due to concerns about persecution.

“We don’t know if Uganda will even let him walk around freely in Kampala or whether he’ll be inside of a Ugandan jail cell,” the attorney said.

He also said Abrego Garcia had informed the U.S. government that he would be willing to accept removal to Costa Rica, which, according to the lawyer, has said it would provide him refugee status.

The attorney did not say whether Abrego Garcia would agree to plead guilty in the criminal case.

Abrego Garcia had been released on bond last Friday in the human smuggling case before reporting to the ICE office in Baltimore on Monday.

Following the arrest there, DHS said he was transported to a Virginia detention facility while immigration authorities pursue removal proceedings.

Tulsi Gabbard Recovers Stashed ‘Corrupt’ 2020 Election Files: ‘Burn Bags’ Not Burned
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Tulsi Gabbard Recovers Stashed ‘Corrupt’ 2020 Election Files: ‘Burn Bags’ Not Burned

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President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has located bags of documents connected to alleged corruption in the 2020 election and that the materials will be made public.

The announcement came as Trump addressed his administration during events in Washington, D.C., highlighting a federal crime crackdown and ongoing efforts to encourage negotiations to end the Russia-Ukraine war.

Trump described the discovery as significant and asked for a timeline on disclosure.

“And you’ve also found many bags of information. I think they call them burn bags. They’re supposed to be burned, and they didn’t get burned, having to do with how corrupt the 2020 election was. And when will that all come out?” he said.

Gabbard, who is serving as Director of National Intelligence, confirmed that teams working under her office had recovered the materials and are cataloging them.

“Mr. President, I will be the first to brief you once we have that information collected. But you’re right, we are finding documents literally tucked away in the back of safes in random offices in these bags and in other areas, which again speaks to the intent of those who are trying to hide the truth from the American people and trying to cover up the politicization that was led by people like John Brennan and James Clapper and others that have caused really immeasurable harm to the American people and to our country,” Gabbard said.

Neither Trump nor Gabbard provided a release date for the records or described specific agencies in possession of the materials.

Trump said the files contain “massive” evidence and indicated that public disclosure is expected once the review is complete.

Gabbard has previously outlined a broad set of inquiries into intelligence-community conduct and election-related issues.

In April, she said her office had opened multiple lines of investigation with a focus on voting systems and election integrity.

“I’ve got a long list of things that we’re investigating. We have the best going after this, election integrity being one of them,” Gabbard said.

She also described concerns about electronic systems used to record and count votes.

“We have evidence of how these electronic voting systems have been vulnerable to hackers for a very long time and vulnerable to exploitation to manipulate the results of the votes being cast, which further drives forward your mandate to bring about paper ballots across the country so that voters can have faith in the integrity of our elections,” Gabbard said.

In June, Trump used his Truth Social account to urge the appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate fraud in the 2020 presidential election.

“Zero Border crossings for the month for TRUMP, verses 60,000 for Sleepy, Crooked Joe Biden, a man who lost the 2020 Presidential Election by a “LANDSLIDE!,” Trump wrote.

“Biden was grossly incompetent, and the 2020 election was a total FRAUD! The evidence is MASSIVE and OVERWHELMING.”

“A Special Prosecutor must be appointed,” he added. “This cannot be allowed to happen again in the United States of America! Let the work begin! What this Crooked man, and his CORRUPT CRONIES, have done to our Country in 4 years, is grossly indescribable!”

The White House and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence did not announce additional details Tuesday about the review process for the newly found materials.

Trump said the records would be released after government procedures are completed. Gabbard said she would brief the President first and emphasized that her teams are continuing to collect and secure documents “tucked away in the back of safes in random offices.”

Tuesday’s remarks add to a series of steps the administration has outlined on election-related matters.

Gabbard has said her office is prioritizing investigations involving alleged politicization within the intelligence community and the resilience of voting systems, while the President has called for national reforms aimed at increasing public confidence in election results, including paper-ballot initiatives.

No timeline for public release of the newly located documents has been set.

Gabbard said she would deliver an initial briefing to the President when the collection phase is complete and additional analysis has been conducted.

John Bolton Breaks Silence After FBI Raids Home and Office
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John Bolton Breaks Silence After FBI Raids Home and Office

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Former National Security Adviser John Bolton publicly commented Tuesday for the first time since FBI agents raided his Maryland home and Washington, D.C., office last week, issuing sharp criticism of both President Donald Trump’s policies and the law enforcement actions against him, as reported by The New York Post.

Bolton, who served as Trump’s national security adviser, posted multiple messages on X decrying what he called the president’s “incoherent” approach to Ukraine and condemning the raids executed against his properties on Friday.

BEDMINSTER, NEW JERSEY – 19 NOVEMBER 2016: President-elect Donald Trump & Vice President-elect Mike Pence met with potential cabinet members at Trump International

“Donald Trump’s Ukraine policy today is no more coherent than it was last Friday when his administration executed search warrants against my home and office,” Bolton wrote.

“Collapsing in confusion and haste, Trump’s negotiations may be in their last throes, along with his Nobel Peace Prize campaign.”

His post linked to an opinion piece he authored in the Washington Examiner, published Monday, where Bolton argued that the administration’s Ukraine strategy lacked consistency.

“The administration has tried to camouflage its disarray behind social media posts, such as Trump comparing his finger-pointing at Russian President Vladimir Putin to then-Vice President Richard Nixon during the famous kitchen debate with Nikita Khrushchev,” Bolton wrote.

“Why Trump wants to be compared to the only president who resigned in disgrace is unclear.”

Bolton continued on X, claiming that “bilateral relationships have suffered considerable damage because of the fallout from the administration’s failing diplomacy.” He added, “The longer India hangs out to dry, the worse the New Delhi-Washington relationship gets.”

A senior FBI official told The Post on Friday that the searches were connected to an investigation into allegations Bolton used a private email server to send classified documents to family members while serving in the White House.

Bolton’s X account had been largely inactive since the raids, aside from one message posted roughly 30 minutes after FBI agents arrived at his Bethesda, Maryland, home, again criticizing Trump’s Ukraine approach. It remained unclear whether that post was pre-scheduled.

“Russia has not changed its goal: drag Ukraine into a new Russian Empire. Moscow has demanded that Ukraine cede territory it already holds and the remainder of Donetsk, which it has been unable to conquer. Zelensky will never do so,” Bolton said.

Former National Security Advisor and Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton speaks during the Vanderbilt Chancellor s Lecture Series event at Vanderbilt University’s Langford Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn., Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020. Bolton Rice 021920 003

“Meanwhile, meetings will continue because Trump wants a Nobel Peace Prize, but I don’t see these talks making any progress.”

In addition to his own commentary, Bolton retweeted an interview posted by UK-based Times Radio with former Conservative Party leader William Hague.

Hague said it was “suspicious” that the raids occurred after Bolton had criticized Trump, calling the action “a potential encroachment on freedom of speech and liberty.”

The investigation into Bolton’s alleged handling of classified information remains ongoing.

Kathy Hochul Reveals Trump Call Over Possible National Guard Deployment in NYC
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Kathy Hochul Reveals Trump Call Over Possible National Guard Deployment in NYC

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New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Tuesday she recently spoke with President Donald Trump about his threat to send the National Guard to New York City, though she left the conversation unsure of whether such a deployment would occur, as reported by The New York Post.

Speaking at an event in Harlem, Hochul told reporters that the phone call with Trump took place “a couple of days ago” and that she could not predict the president’s decision. “I don’t know what he’ll do,” Hochul said.

WASHINGTON – February 22, 2025: President Donald Trump arrives at the White House South Lawn on Marine One after his visit to CPAC.

Trump has already deployed the National Guard in Washington, D.C., as part of a federal crackdown on violent crime in the capital. His actions there have included a full federal takeover of the city’s police department.

Hochul said she attempted to dissuade Trump from pursuing a similar move in New York. “I was very gracious,” she said. “I just said, ‘I’ll tell you what, Mr. President, if I think I need help from the National Guard on the stuff I’m already doing I know where to find them.’”

The governor noted that she had already deployed state National Guard troops to New York City’s subway system earlier this year in response to crime concerns.

She said she also pointed Trump to crime data in the state. “I had that conversation, I said, ‘Mr. President, I can give you all the data to show that crime is down. It’s working. Our policies are working. NYPD is doing their job.’”

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul speaks during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center.

Hochul also criticized Trump’s recent executive order aimed at ending cashless bail, a measure that appeared directed in part at New York. The state eliminated cash bail for most misdemeanors and non-violent felonies under reforms signed in 2019 by then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

The governor argued Trump’s order would not apply in New York and rejected his characterization of the state’s laws. “The president is wrong. He’s flat out wrong,” Hochul said. “We don’t have cashless bail in New York.”

She defended the state’s current bail structure, pointing out that crimes including murder, rape, robbery, and other serious violent and sexual offenses remain bail eligible.

“He has no concept of how our laws work here… He’s just trying to throw gasoline on a fire,” Hochul said. “I think he’s going after blue states, Democratic states, states with Democratic governors, states with Democratic mayors. It’s just part of a larger strategy to create chaos.”

The exchange underscores growing tensions between the White House and Democratic state officials as Trump weighs additional deployments of federal law enforcement and National Guard troops to address violent crime across the country.

JB Pritzker Claims He Lives Rent-Free in Trump’s Head, Then Cameraman Breaks the Internet
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JB Pritzker Claims He Lives Rent-Free in Trump’s Head, Then Cameraman Breaks the Internet

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Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker warned President Donald Trump against deploying the National Guard to Chicago, telling reporters the city does not meet the threshold for such federal action and that no coordination had occurred with state or local leaders.

Speaking at a press availability along the Chicago River, Pritzker argued that a National Guard deployment was unnecessary and characterized the White House’s push as political theater.

“We have crime like other cities do, but let’s be clear, we are actually in better shape than the 30 biggest cities across the United States,” he said.

“It’s important to understand that the president of the United States is doing this for theatrics.”

Pritzker said activating troops in a major U.S. city would require a compelling justification that he does not see in Chicago’s current public-safety conditions.

“Calling the military into a U.S. city to invade our streets and neighborhoods and disrupt the lives of everyday people is an extraordinary action, and it should require extraordinary justification,” Pritzker continued.

Gesturing toward the nearby riverwalk, he added: “Does this look like an emergency?”

The governor also said the administration had not reached out to coordinate any possible deployment.

“No one from the White House or the executive branch has reached out to me or to the mayor,” Pritzker said.

“No one has reached out to our staffs. No effort has been made to coordinate or to ask for our assistance in identifying any actions that might be helpful to us.”

Pritzker’s remarks followed comments from President Trump last week suggesting that a National Guard mission in Chicago could be considered after recent federal action in Washington, D.C.

The president has long criticized conditions in Chicago and escalated those critiques on Friday.

He described the city as “a mess” and indicated that active-duty troops might be required.

“We’ll straighten that one out,” Trump said, adding that after Washington, D.C., “I think Chicago will be our next, and then we’ll help with New York.”

The exchange highlighted the divide between federal and state officials over the threshold for using military forces in domestic public-safety roles.

Pritzker maintained that Chicago’s crime situation compares favorably to other large cities and that state and local law enforcement remain responsible for public safety.

He emphasized that any substantial federal intervention should be coordinated with state and municipal authorities.

Pritzker also continued a line of criticism he has voiced since the 2024 campaign, questioning the president’s decision-making while rejecting the need for federal troops in Chicago.

After Being Released, Syrian Migrant Re-Arrested For Slashing American Student In Face
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After Being Released, Syrian Migrant Re-Arrested For Slashing American Student In Face

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Police in Dresden, Germany have re-arrested a 21-year-old Syrian migrant accused of participating in the violent attack on American model John Rudat, who was slashed across the face after trying to protect two women on a tram, as reported by The New York Post.

The suspect, identified as Majid A., was taken into custody early Tuesday following new evidence uncovered by investigators. He appeared before a judge at the Dresden District Court later that day and was ordered into pretrial detention, according to German outlet Bild.

Authorities said Majid had already been detained on Sunday after the attack but was released less than 12 hours later due to what prosecutors described as insufficient evidence.

Police now allege Majid was directly involved in the assault, wielding a “dangerous object” during the beating of Rudat before an accomplice slashed the model across the face with a knife. The accomplice remains at large.

“Now that further investigation results are available, the 21-year-old Syrian, who was briefly in police custody on August 24, 2025, is also under strong suspicion of having been involved in the knife attack on the American and of having injured the victim with a dangerous object,” police said in a statement.

Prosecutors ordered his provisional arrest in the early hours of August 26, and the investigating judge approved the warrant. The prosecutor’s office warned that the investigation could take considerable time.

Images from the court appearance showed Majid wearing a grey Adidas hoodie and black sweatpants with “Hoodrich” printed on them, smirking as he was escorted by armed police.

Video footage reportedly shows Majid attacking Rudat before his accomplice inflicted the knife wound. Rudat, 21, of Colonie, New York, was rushed to Dresden University Hospital, where doctors stitched the gaping cut across his face.

After the incident, Rudat posted on Instagram with his face heavily bandaged, condemning Germany’s “immigration problem.”

The attack has fueled calls for tougher immigration enforcement from Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), the right-wing party currently the second-largest in Saxony’s state parliament.

“Ten years after Merkel’s ‘We can do it!’ slogan, Germany is considered a no-go zone abroad. Because the CDU didn’t want to achieve anything—it left its citizens to deal with the problems it caused. Really close the borders, launch a deportation offensive now!” the AfD said in a statement.

The accomplice in the attack has not been located, and police continue to search for additional evidence.

NYT Predicts ‘Nightmare Scenario’ for Democrats if Population Projections Hold
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NYT Predicts ‘Nightmare Scenario’ for Democrats if Population Projections Hold

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Population shifts from Democratic-led states to Republican-led states are on track to reshape congressional representation and the Electoral College map heading into the next decade, according to current projections referenced by the New York Times.

The analysis indicates these trends would benefit fast-growing states such as Florida, Texas, Utah, and Idaho, while reducing seats in states including California and New York.

According to the projections, Florida and Texas are expected to gain a combined five U.S. House seats in the next reapportionment if current population patterns hold.

Utah and Idaho are each projected to add one seat.

Silverloch Screenshot

The gains would come at the expense of states losing population or growing more slowly, including California and New York.

These are projections and will ultimately depend on final population totals at the next census and the apportionment process that follows.

The projections are separate from any potential changes to the decennial count.

Discussions continue over whether the census should exclude illegal aliens from population totals used for apportionment.

Depending on the estimate, illegal aliens constitute roughly 3% to 10% of the U.S. population.

Supporters of an exclusion policy argue that removing illegal aliens from the count would alter seat distribution further; any such change would require legal and administrative action and could face court challenges.

In Texas, separate from the long-term population shifts, recent redistricting approved in the state is expected by its backers to add five Republican seats compared with the current alignment.

That state-level mapmaking occurs independently of national reapportionment and would take effect within the existing number of Texas seats unless and until the state gains additional seats through the census.

The Electoral College impact described by the New York Times centers on potential changes to state vote weights and the distribution of competitive states.

Across scenarios involving nine states considered likely battlegrounds in the 2032 presidential election, the Times analysis found that Democrats would lose roughly one-third of their current winning Electoral College combinations if population projections hold.

Silverloch Screenshot

“The year is 2032. Studying the Electoral College map, a Democratic presidential candidate can no longer plan to sweep New Hampshire, Minnesota and the “blue wall” battlegrounds of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin and win the White House. A victory in the swing state of Nevada would not help, either.

That is the nightmare scenario many Democratic Party insiders see playing out if current U.S. population projections hold.”

When focusing on paths considered most feasible based on 2024 voting behavior, the analysis said the effect is more substantial: of Democrats’ 25 most plausible paths to victory in 2024, only five would remain under the projected 2032 landscape.

Those findings reflect how population movements influence both congressional representation and Electoral College votes, which are tied to each state’s total number of House seats plus two senators.

States gaining residents can receive more House seats and, as a result, more electoral votes; states with slower growth can lose both. Changes in migration patterns within and between states drive these adjustments from one census to the next.

The migration trends highlighted in the projections show continued net movement toward states with relatively faster job growth and lower costs of living.

Florida and Texas have led national population gains for several years, while Utah and Idaho have sustained high growth rates relative to their size.

California and New York have experienced net domestic outflows during the same period, with overall population changes affected by international migration and natural increase.

Any decision to exclude illegal aliens from the census used for apportionment would interact with these trends.

Advocates of exclusion say it would shift representation toward states with smaller populations of illegal aliens and reduce representation for states with larger such populations.

Opponents argue that long-standing census practice counts all persons residing in the United States and that changing it would require significant legal justification and administrative adjustments.

The timeline for the next apportionment will follow the 2030 Census count, with updated House seat allocations applying to the congressional and presidential election cycles that follow.

State legislatures and redistricting bodies will then draw district lines within their updated seat totals, subject to federal and state law.

As population estimates are updated and legal debates over census methodology continue, both parties are assessing how prospective changes could alter congressional control and presidential pathways.

The projections cited indicate that, even without changes to who is counted in the census, expected migration patterns alone would shift seats and electoral votes toward states that have posted the strongest population g

Joe Scarborough Corners Brandon Johnson After He Dodges Police Funding Question
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Joe Scarborough Corners Brandon Johnson After He Dodges Police Funding Question

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MSNBC’s Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough pressed Democratic Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson on Tuesday after Johnson repeatedly avoided answering whether he would support adding more police officers to help combat crime in the city, as reported by The Independent Journal Review.

The exchange came as President Donald Trump has floated the possibility of a federal crackdown in Chicago, including the potential deployment of the National Guard, to address violent crime.

WASHINGTON APRIL 25 Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski arrive at the White House Corespondents Association Dinner April 25, 2015 in Washington, DC

“I’m curious, would you also like to get federal funding to help put 5,000 more cops on the street in Chicago, would that help drive down crime?” Scarborough asked Johnson.

Johnson responded by saying that policing was not the “full strategy” to address violence in the city. Scarborough pushed back, clarifying his question.

“No, I understand that. You’ve talked about the other things you want, and I said those are good and important programs, but I’m asking also, would 5,000 more police officers on the street in Chicago be helpful to go along with all of those social programs that a lot of cities are engaging in and having success with?”

Johnson pointed to other funding priorities, including housing and mental health. “I believe that the city of Chicago and cities across America would be safer if we actually had affordable housing,” Johnson said.

Scarborough pressed again.

“Okay, but that’s not the question I asked. My question is, and I just need a yes or a no. Do you believe the streets of Chicago would be safer, if you got all of those extraordinary programs put back into place, which do have a history of being successful, if that’s complimented by having 5,000 more cops on the streets of Chicago?”

Johnson declined to answer directly, saying the problem could not be narrowed to just policing. “What I’m saying is policing and affordable housing, is policing and mental and behavior healthcare services, is policing and youth employment. It’s a full package,” Johnson said.

Chicago has faced rising violence in recent years, hitting a 25-year high in 2021 with 797 homicides, according to the Chicago Tribune.

As of August 26, 2025, there have been 262 homicides reported in the city — 117 fewer than at the same point in 2024. Violent crime overall fell 22 percent in the first half of 2025 compared to the previous year, the Tribune reported.

Trump said Friday that he would “probably” focus next on Chicago after the federal crime crackdown in Washington, D.C. Since the federal takeover began on August 7, authorities in the capital have reported 1,007 arrests and seized 111 illegal firearms, according to U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C., Jeanine Pirro.

Johnson and Illinois Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker have pushed back, saying Trump would be violating the Constitution if he sent the National Guard into Chicago.

Johnson also accused the president on August 11 of spreading misinformation about Chicago crime statistics, arguing that federal intervention would “undermine” public safety rather than improve it.


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