The Megyn Kelly Show - WH Shuts Down Amnesty Bill, Mamdani Snubbed in DC, Leaked Memo on Anti-Trump Bias: AM Update 7/18

Episode Date: July 18, 2025

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt slams a proposed immigration bill backed by a Republican congresswoman, making clear the White House will not support any form of amnesty. Radical NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani receives a frosty reception in Washington, with some top Democrats avoiding public support amid concerns over antisemitism and far-left policies. Investigative journalist Margot Cleveland unveils a leaked memo exposing anti-Trump bias among top federal judges, including DC Chief Judge James Boasberg.Herald Group: Learn more at https://GuardYourCard.comLean: Visit https://TakeLean.com & use code MK20 for 20% off 

Good morning, everyone. I'm Megan Kelly. It's Friday, July 18th, 2025. And this is your AM update. The president has made it very clear he will not support amnesty for illegal aliens in any way. Press Secretary Caroline Levitt slamming the door shut on White House support for amnesty legislation following a Republican congresswoman's push for a new program offering some illegals temporary protections. Democrat nominee for New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani getting the cold shoulder from some in his party's leadership in Washington. It exposed that Chief Judge Boesberg and his colleagues had a predisposition against the Trump administration. And investigative journalist Margot Cleveland exposes deep anti-Trump biases within the

federal judiciary. All that and more coming up in just a moment on your AM Update. As President Trump is settling into his new administration, one of the top Democrats in Congress aiming to undermine the Trump agenda is Democrat Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois. And according to our sponsor, the Electronic Payments Coalition, Senator Durbin has a new plan, a government takeover of your credit card. Today, Americans have thousands of choices in credit cards, but they say Senator Durbin's plan will result in less competition and less security, which means more risk for your credit and your identity. You can learn more for yourself at guardyourcard.com.

And you could consider telling your senators to stop Dick Durbin's government takeover of your credit card before it's too late. Press Secretary Caroline Levitt shutting down any possibility of amnesty after a Republican Congresswoman introduces a bill offering legal status for certain illegal immigrants. Florida Congresswoman Maria Salazar on Tuesday introducing the Dignity Act, which would include funding for border enforcement, mandatory e-verify, and reforms to asylum claims. The bill would also grant permanent legal status to so-called dreamers, those brought here illegally by their parents, and would create a new program offering a seven-year

temporary legal status for illegal immigrants if they've lived here for five or more years and meet certain qualifications. The Dignity Program does not offer a pathway to citizenship. Congresswoman Salazar flanked by a bipartisan group of fellow members of Congress, pitching the legislation to President Trump on Tuesday from the steps of the Capitol. President Trump, sir, the same God who saved you from death in Pennsylvania one year ago and who put you back in the Oval Office against all odds is the same God Almighty who millions and millions are begging to for some type of dignity, not amnesty.

Sir, I believe that you could be for immigration what Lincoln was for slavery and Reagan was for communism. It's in your hands, Mr. President. May the Lord guide you. Congresswoman Salazar insisting the bill is not amnesty as there is no pathway to citizenship. Press Secretary Caroline Levitt at the Thursday press briefing responding to whether the president supports the Dignity Act. From my understanding, the White House nor the president has actually read through this

legislation. We've been focused on, of course, the one big beautiful bill which passed, which is another historic accomplishment of this president in record time. The Genius Act this week, the rescission, rescission package, that's been the focus of the White House. But the president has made it very clear he will not support amnesty for illegal aliens in any way. Ms. Levitt confirming on Thursday, President Trump has been dealing with some minor health issues. On Sunday, a cropped photo from a Sunday sporting event appearing to show Mr. Trump with swollen

ankles, prompting speculation about the president's health. And on Tuesday, a C-SPAN camera operator zooming in to President Trump's hand, showing it covered with makeup. Press Secretary Levitt. The president wanted me to share a note from his physician with all of you today. In recent weeks, President Trump noted mild swelling in his lower legs. This concern was thoroughly evaluated by the White House Medical Unit. Bilateral lower extremity venous Doppler ultrasounds were performed and revealed chronic venous

insufficiency, a benign and common condition, particularly in individuals over the age of 70. No signs of heart failure, renal impairment, or systemic illness were identified. Additionally, recent photos of the president have shown minor bruising on the back of his hand. This is consistent with minor soft tissue irritation from frequent handshaking and the use of aspirin, which is taken as part of a standard cardiovascular prevention regimen. This is a well-known and benign side effect of aspirin therapy, and the president remains in excellent health. Democrat candidate for New York City mayor, the 33-year-old Democrat socialist Muslim born in Uganda, Zoran Mamdani, receiving a notably chilly reception from some Democrats on a visit to Washington, D.C. this week, in sharp contrast to the warm welcome lavished

upon current mayor Eric Adams following his primary victory four years ago. In 2021, Adams quickly invited by then House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to address the Democratic caucus and also invited to the Biden White House. At the time, Democrats pointing to the Adams campaign as a blueprint for future races, a moderate former cop with appeal to working-class voters. This time around, Mamdani's day in D.C. reportedly lasting just four hours Wednesday and absent any meetings with top leadership. Mamdani is running on a radical left-wing platform promising rent freezes, floating city-run grocery stores, vowing not to cooperate with ICE, wanting to replace cops with social workers on domestic violence calls, and saying he would have Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

arrested if Netanyahu were to visit New York. In DC, Democratic New York Congresswoman AOC hosting a breakfast meeting for Mamdani, CNN reporting just 40 of the 212 House Democrats in attendance. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, also a fellow New Yorker, skipping the meeting. Mr. Jeffries did not endorse Mamdani in the primary, but is set to meet with the candidate later today in Brooklyn. Before leaving the Capitol, Mamdani meeting with U. but is set to meet with the candidate later today in Brooklyn. Before leaving the capital, Mamdani meeting with U.S. Senator from Vermont, Bernie Sanders. Sanders, who is Jewish, reportedly advising Mamdani to be more cautious in how he approaches

talking about Israel. Mamdani is seeking to lead the city with the second-largest population of Jewish people in the world, many in the community expressing deep concern with what they view as anti-Semitism on his part, including Mamdani's past refusal to condemn the phrase, globalize the intifada. In mid-June, Mamdani struggling on a podcast with The Bulwark to articulate his feelings about the phrase so often shouted by pro-Hamas protesters in the streets of New York City. I know people for whom those things mean very different things. And to me, ultimately, what I hear in so many is a desperate desire for equality and equal

rights in standing up for Palestinian human rights. And I think what's difficult also is that the very word has been used by the Holocaust Museum when translating the Warsaw Ghetto uprising into Arabic because it's a word that means struggle. As a Muslim man who grew up post-911, I'm all too familiar in the way in which Arabic words can be twisted, can be distorted, can be used to justify any kind of meaning. I think that's where it leaves me with a sense that what we need to do is focus on keeping Jewish New Yorkers safe. And the question of the permissibility of language is something that I haven't ventured into.

In the month since that interview, Mamdani's team brainstorming a more politically viable answer. Politico reporting on Tuesday, Mamdani is expected to clarify his stance on the use of the phrase. New polling from Harris X shows a tightening race. Mamdani at 26 percent, statistically tied now with disgraced former governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, running as an independent at 23 and Republican nominee Curtis Lewa at 22. Mayor Adams also running as an independent and the sitting mayor trailing at 13%. The election set for November 4th. Coming up, a deep dive into an internal memo revealing anti-Trump bias within the federal judiciary.

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Rogue judges issuing sweeping rulings, grinding many parts of the Trump agenda to a halt. This as the president moved to carry out a key campaign promise, the largest mass deportation effort in history. At the center of some of the most controversial injunctions, Chief Judge of the DC District Court, James Boesberg, issuing orders blocking deportation flights to El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act, then attempting to hold contempt proceedings for failing to halt deportation operations already underway. The Federalist obtaining a memo exposing what appears to be deep anti-Trump bias from Judge

Boesberg and within the federal judiciary. We spoke with investigative journalist at The Federalist, Margo Cleveland, about her scoop. The Federalist has obtained a memo exclusively that involves a summary of the Judicial Conference, which is a group that helps oversee the federal court system. It is led by Chief Justice Roberts. And during the March meeting, they had a breakfast working meeting with Justice Roberts at which Judge Boesberg expressed the concern, as he put it, of his colleagues that the Trump administration would ignore the orders of the judges, the district court judges, and that would lead

to a constitutional crisis. Cleveland says the memo offers a rare window into the internal mindset of the very people tasked with presiding over active cases against the Trump administration. What is striking about that comment, which he made to Chief Justice Roberts, as well as the other federal judges who were at this conference, there were about 30 of them, it's the lead judges of the different circuits, is that it exposed that Chief Judge Boesberg and his colleagues had a predisposition against the Trump administration. We have to remember that Donald Trump is not merely the president, that the Trump administration

is actually a defendant in scores of cases. And what was revealing is Judge Boasberg and his colleagues had obviously discussed, not just the president, but a party in litigation. And they expressed a bias about that party. The normal presumption is that parties will follow your ruling. And in fact, there is a presumption in law that public officials will follow the rulings. But it's actually the contrary here.

By voicing that in front of Justice Roberts, it laid it out plain that there was a bias by these judges. And frankly, I have a hard time understanding how these judges will be able to put that bias aside when the Trump administration is litigating and when they have to decide whether the Trump administration has obeyed an order or not. According to the memo, Chief Justice Roberts expressing hope that those concerns would not materialize, with the Chief Justice conveying, quote, his interactions with the president have been civil and respectful, such as the president thanking him at the State of the Union address for administering the oath.

Cleveland finding irony in Judge Boasberg's concerns about the Trump administration's regard for the law. Judge Boasberg's concerns about the Trump administration's regard for the law. What is extremely ironic about this situation is that while Judge Boasberg is saying that he and his colleagues don't trust the Trump administration to follow the rulings of the court, Judge Boasberg, mere days later, entered an unlawful ruling against the Trump administration in ordering not just the planes to turn around, but in ordering the Trump administration to stop these removals. The Supreme Court would later make clear that that case was not properly before Judge Boesberg.

So, it wasn't Trump who was violating the law. It was actually Judge Boesberg. Separately, the question of ignoring court orders came up Thursday at the confirmation hearing of Deputy Attorney General Emil Bovi, who was nominated for a judgeship on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. Bovi, accused by a now-fired DOJ attorney of telling government lawyers considering deportations under the Alien Enemies Act that they might have to quote, consider telling the courts F.U. and ignore certain court orders.

The media calling this employee, Erez Rouveni, a whistleblower, suggesting the DOJ did then go on to ignore court orders under the AEA by Judge Boesberg. Attorney General Pam Bondi writing on X, quote, This disgruntled employee is not a whistleblower. He's a leaker asserting false claims seeking five minutes of fame, conveniently timed just before a confirmation hearing and a committee vote. Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Chuck Grassley, rebutting attacks on Boevi, noting, quote, most of the emails reflect internal legal debate about how

to interpret and apply court orders, something that would not occur if officials intended to ignore them, end quote. Grassley noting at the time of Mr. Boevi's alleged comment, there was not even a case filed regarding Alien Enemy Act removals, let alone any court orders to defy. Bovey denying under oath that he ever advised any DOJ attorney to violate a court order. Margot Cleveland got her hands on a different internal DOJ email, this one from Rouveni's supervisor, who summarized Boevi's actual instruction as, he advised our team that we must avoid a court order

halting an upcoming operation to implement the Alien Enemies Act at all costs. If he was seeking to disregard court's orders, there would have been no reason for that directive to be given. They would just ignore the orders. But to the contrary, the Department of Justice was instructed to try to prevent an order from being entered.

I think that what is really telling here is that it really is another sign that the Trump administration has gone to great lengths to do everything within its authority to obey what the courts are saying. It's the courts that are the ones who are going rogue and entering lawless orders. Cleveland says she does not believe Judge Boasberg is likely to recuse himself from any Trump related cases. It's difficult to say whether there is any sort of remedy. It isn't Judge Boasberg admitting that he's ruling against Trump.

It's not the other judges saying they're ruling against Trump. It's really exposing a bias. And the judges have an obligation to recuse in a case where they have a lack of partiality and there is an appearance of bias. I do not think that that is likely to happen. I think that if confronted with these comments, the judge or the judges would frame it as we were merely presenting concerns to the court that the judges have and that is the purpose of the judicial conference.

Yes, it is the purpose of the judicial conference to raise concerns to the court, but one of those concerns should not be that a party is going to disregard your orders. That shows a fundamental lack of impartiality. And that'll do it for your AM Update. I'm Megyn Kelly. Join me back here for the Megyn Kelly Show. lack of impartiality.