WH Backs Waltz, DOJ Says Khalil Lied on Green Card App, Judge Boasberg Deep Dive： AM Update 3⧸26
Episode Stats
Words per Minute
150.84967
Summary
A tense day on Capitol Hill for Trump administration intel officials after The Atlantic s editor-in-chief was accidentally added to a war planning group chat. The DOJ claims former Columbia student agitator Mahmoud Khalil lied on his green card application. Reporter Julie Kelly does a deep dive on Judge Brett Bosberg in an AM Update exclusive, and President Trump pardons Hunter Biden s ex-best friend.
Transcript
00:00:00.000
Good morning, everyone. I'm Megan Kelly. It's Wednesday, March 26th, 2025. This is your AM
00:00:09.420
Update. If it's not classified, share the text now. As the White House previously stated. Is it
00:00:15.800
classified or non-classified information on this text? A tense day on Capitol Hill for Trump
00:00:20.180
administration intel officials after the Atlantic's editor-in-chief was accidentally added to what he
00:00:26.360
calls a war planning group chat. The DOJ, claiming former Columbia student agitator Mahmoud Khalil,
00:00:33.940
whom DHS is seeking to deport, lied on his green card application. He's going to use his authority
00:00:40.500
unchecked until this point to lead the judicial insurrection, the judicial resistance to President
00:00:48.620
Trump and his administration. Reporter Julie Kelly does a deep dive on Judge Bosberg in an AM Update
00:00:55.460
exclusive and President Trump pardons Hunter Biden's ex-best friend. All that and more coming
00:01:01.680
up in just a moment on your AM Update. There's a lot of talk about government debt, but after four
00:01:08.080
years of inflation, another real crisis is personal debt. Some people are working harder than ever and
00:01:13.560
still drowning in credit card debt and overdue bills. But there's done with debt. Now done with
00:01:19.420
debt has unique escape strategies to help end your debt fast so you can keep more of your hard earned
00:01:24.980
money. Done with debt does not try to sell you a loan or bankruptcy. Their tough negotiators will
00:01:30.620
go one-on-one with your credit card and loan companies with one goal, to drastically reduce
00:01:35.520
your bills, eliminate interest, and erase penalties. Most clients wind up with more money in their pocket
00:01:41.320
month one, and they don't stop until they break you free from debt permanently. Take a few minutes and
00:01:47.220
visit donewithdebt.com. Speak with one of their debt strategists for free. But listen up. Some of
00:01:52.920
their solutions are time-sensitive, so you've got to move quickly. Go to donewithdebt.com. That's
00:02:03.060
President Trump expressing confidence in National Security Advisor Mike Walz following a report that
00:02:08.560
Mr. Walz accidentally added the Atlantic's Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg to a private
00:02:14.520
group chat on messaging app Signal discussing war plans. Mr. Trump saying in a gaggle, quote,
00:02:20.640
Michael Walz has learned a lesson, and he's a good man. Mr. Trump saying the incident is the only
00:02:26.140
glitch in the two months since retaking office, and, quote, it turned out to not be a serious one.
00:02:33.620
Folks, apps like Signal are not government-approved platforms to transmit classified information.
00:02:41.240
There are systems in place for these classified conversations to take place. They're a bit unwieldy.
00:02:47.100
You have to use different phones, different equipment, different systems, but they are in
00:02:51.160
place so that you don't have to use something like Signal. These are national security professionals
00:02:56.800
at the highest levels of government. They should know better. Republican analyst Scott Jennings on
00:03:02.540
CNN saying much of the criticism is likely overblown. The Signal program was preloaded on a number of
00:03:09.440
devices and agency computers in this circuit when they got there. So, in their view, it was already
00:03:14.900
in use. Number two, in some of the messages, they talk about needing to go to the high-side
00:03:19.480
computers, which is the classified system. So, they clearly were knowing there was a line on what
00:03:23.740
you could discuss in a chat like this versus classified system. Number three, there is a
00:03:28.660
dispute over whether the term war plans is being exaggerated. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says no
00:03:34.260
war plans were shared. Jeffrey Goldberg telling CNN on Monday night they were.
00:03:39.520
He was texting war plans. He was texting attack plans. When targets were going to be targeted,
00:03:47.380
how they were going to be targeted, who was at the targets, when the next sequence of attacks
00:03:52.360
were happening. And I continue not to publish it because it felt like it was too confidential.
00:03:58.180
Mr. Goldberg saying in subsequent interviews he may release more of the conversation.
00:04:03.040
On Tuesday morning, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard,
00:04:06.180
FBI Director Cash Patel, and CIA Director John Radcliffe appearing before the Senate Intel Committee
00:04:12.380
on a hearing about global threats facing the U.S. It turned into a grilling on the Signal chat.
00:04:19.480
Both Directors Gabbard and Radcliffe, who were on the message chain,
00:04:25.880
Senator, I can attest to the fact that there were no classified or intelligence equities
00:04:30.960
that were included in that chat group at any time.
00:04:33.940
The Secretary of Defense is the original classification authority, and my understanding
00:04:38.480
is that his comments are that any information that he shared was not classified.
00:04:44.960
Democrats on the committee orchestrating many combative exchanges.
00:04:48.840
Did Jeff Goldberg, did he create a hoax that allowed him to become part of this Signal thread?
00:04:55.140
Please answer the question. You don't. Don't insult the intelligence of the American people.
00:05:01.880
It's hard for me to believe that targets and timing and weapons would not have been classified.
00:05:14.820
Is it classified or non-classified information on this text?
00:05:17.780
Back at the White House, the administration embracing what they think of as the big picture,
00:05:22.380
like the attacks against the Houthi rebels, were a success.
00:05:25.640
We are looking into him, reviewing how the heck he got into this room.
00:05:29.840
But I'll tell you what, the world owes President Trump a favor.
00:05:36.620
Pinprick attacks, months between them, our destroyers being fired upon dozens of times.
00:05:42.800
President Trump took decisive action with his national security team,
00:05:47.860
took out the head missileer, knocked out missiles, knocked out headquarters,
00:05:54.600
And for once, as we hear, as you all hear from every one of our allies,
00:06:07.080
New details in the Trump administration's fight to deport former Columbia University student agitator
00:06:14.340
Khalil objects to being deported, arguing in part that he has a green card.
00:06:18.780
In a new court filing, federal prosecutors saying Mr. Khalil lied on that green card application
00:06:24.160
by leaving out key information from his background.
00:06:27.520
Prosecutors alleging Mr. Khalil failed to report his role as a political affairs officer
00:06:32.540
with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees from June to November 2023,
00:06:40.180
a period that includes the October 7th Hamas attacks, in which 1,200 people were killed in Israel
00:06:46.020
and around 250 taken hostage, including Americans.
00:06:49.480
In January 2024, Israeli intelligence reported that at least 12 UNRWA employees took part in the
00:06:57.420
October 7th attacks, prompting the Biden administration to suspend U.S. funding to UNRWA.
00:07:02.960
A December 2024 UN Watch report further accusing UNRWA's leadership of allowing Hamas to infiltrate
00:07:10.040
the group and indoctrinate Palestinian children with terrorist ideology.
00:07:14.700
While Mr. Khalil's exact responsibilities at UNRWA are unclear, reporting indicates he was
00:07:20.940
enrolled in a Columbia master's program from 2022 through December 2024, overlapping with the period
00:07:29.240
prosecutors say he worked for UNRWA. It's not known whether he worked remotely, traveled to the
00:07:35.040
region, or both. Prosecutors claim Khalil also failed to disclose his continuing employment
00:07:40.660
with the British Embassy in Beirut after 2022. Finally, the filing claims that Mr. Khalil did not
00:07:48.160
disclose his involvement to the feds with Columbia University Apartheid Divest, the radical activist
00:07:54.760
student group he joined on Columbia's campus, which reportedly expressed sympathy for Hamas and Hezbollah.
00:08:01.480
The group, for which Khalil was spokesman, organizing major protests at Columbia, including the takeover of
00:08:08.160
Hamilton Hall last year and the creation of the Gaza Solidarity encampment, both of which led to
00:08:13.920
hundreds of arrests. Mr. Khalil's lawyer calls the new charges, quote, completely meritless, saying,
00:08:20.080
quote, this case is purely about First Amendment protected activity and speech, and U.S. citizens and
00:08:25.620
permanent residents alike are free to say what they wish about what is going on in the world.
00:08:30.480
Coming up, a closer look at U.S. District Court Chief Judge James Bosberg, the central figure in
00:08:38.320
the Trump administration's legal battle to deport illegal immigrants under the Alien Enemies Act,
00:08:44.300
and President Trump signing a pardon for Hunter Biden's ex-best friend.
00:08:50.920
The IRS is the largest collection agency in the world, and with April 15th fast approaching,
00:08:56.340
it's more aggressive than ever. Oh, joy. If you owe back taxes or you have unfiled returns,
00:09:01.220
waiting is not an option. Not a good one. April 15th could mark another tax year that has passed
00:09:05.780
you by and stressed you out. So the smart move is get ahead of it now. But listen, never contact
00:09:11.640
the IRS alone. That's crazy talk. Instead, you could let the experts at Tax Network USA handle this
00:09:17.480
problem for you. Why? Well, not all tax resolution companies are the same. Tax Network USA has a preferred
00:09:24.440
direct line to the IRS so they know exactly which agents to deal with and which to avoid. With proven
00:09:30.800
strategies to settle tax problems in your favor, whether you owe 10 grand or 10 million, Tax Network
00:09:36.920
USA's attorneys and negotiators have already resolved over $1 billion in tax debt. Speak with one of their
00:09:43.260
strategists today for free. Don't let the IRS control your future. Call 1-800-958-1000 or visit
00:09:50.180
TNUSA.com slash Megan. That's TNUSA.com slash Megan. April 15th is just around the corner.
00:10:05.920
U.S. District Court Judge James Bosberg emerging as a central figure in the legal resistance to the
00:10:11.940
second Trump administration. So far, federal judges handing down at least 15 universal injunctions,
00:10:17.960
nationwide orders halting President Trump's executive actions that can take months or even
00:10:23.460
years to overturn. None drawing more intense scrutiny than Judge Bosberg's decision to block deportations
00:10:30.180
under President Trump's use of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. Judge Bosberg first halting the removal of
00:10:38.220
five suspected members of the Tren de Aragua gang from Venezuela, later broadening that injunction to cover
00:10:44.520
all non-citizens subject to deportation under the order. The move sparking fierce backlash from the
00:10:50.980
Trump team. Senior advisor Stephen Miller accusing Judge Bosberg and others of overreach. These radical
00:10:57.160
rogue judges that are usurping the powers of the presidency and laying waste to our entire
00:11:03.020
constitutional system. We spoke with Julie Kelly, reporter for Declassified on Substack, who has covered
00:11:08.820
Judge Bosberg's work extensively both in this case and during his oversight of the January 6th trials
00:11:14.980
in Washington, D.C. She says the judge's concern for Venezuelan deportees stands in stark contrast
00:11:21.080
to how he treated non-violent Trump supporters. He sentenced one man who had just told him that his cancer
00:11:28.200
returned. He sentenced him to 45 days in prison. He sent another woman, 60-year-old woman from
00:11:35.180
Pennsylvania on non-violent offenses, sent her to prison for 14 months. Her husband also had cancer.
00:11:42.640
You know, they're aware of how these federal prisons operate. They know exactly how these people are going
00:11:48.260
to be treated. So I think that's the real double standard here is his very cautious concern over not
00:11:56.120
just the alleged due process rights of these Venezuelans, but worried about how they're going to be
00:12:00.220
treated in an El Salvador prison when he demonstrated no such concern over how Trump supporters were going
00:12:07.420
to be treated in federal prisons. Under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, the president has sweeping
00:12:13.880
authority during wartime, an invasion, or an incursion to deport citizens of hostile nations with limited
00:12:20.720
due process. Judge Bosberg has acknowledged that throughout the case, but continues to uphold his
00:12:26.060
injunction anyway, citing due process concerns for the illegal immigrants who are alleged gang
00:12:31.560
members. Ms. Kelly reporting that Judge Bosberg participated at a privately funded anti-Trump event.
00:12:38.800
Just the News detailing on Monday the legal conference featured sponsors and speakers who have expressed
00:12:44.080
clear anti-Trump sentiments, particularly on immigration and January 6th, and a theme that echoed the
00:12:50.680
Democrat Party's 2024 stated mission of, quote, saving democracy. He attended a big conference in Idaho
00:13:00.380
sponsored by several well-known anti-Trump donors and officials. The D.C. Bar Association that has done
00:13:08.920
all that it can to destroy lawyers associated with the president. As the chief judge of the D.C.
00:13:15.680
district court, you shouldn't be attending any event that has political tones to it or any political
00:13:22.880
angle to it. But he's showing up to show, to demonstrate, that he's going to use his authority unchecked
00:13:30.060
until this point to lead the judicial insurrection, the judicial resistance to President Trump and his
00:13:38.500
administration. Beyond Judge Bosberg's alleged political bias, Ms. Kelly pointing to signs of
00:13:43.440
coordinated lawfare, highlighting ACLU documentation, including testimony from the five unnamed Venezuelans
00:13:49.920
at the heart of this case. One claiming to have overheard, quote, two U.S. government officials
00:13:57.160
talking, end quote, saying there is an order saying we can't take off, but we already have.
00:14:03.840
There are groups of lawyers who are coaching illegals how to buck the system. So this
00:14:13.280
appears to be a very good representation of that, how these illegals know exactly what needs to be said,
00:14:22.560
exactly how to countermand what the administration is saying in court, and protect themselves from being
00:14:31.240
identified as part of this gang. So it was pretty interesting to read these sworn statements,
00:14:37.800
these declarations talking about what they saw and what they heard, but also saying that they don't speak English
00:14:46.400
and they were asked to sign documents, but they didn't because they don't understand the language.
00:14:50.000
So it just goes to the insanity of the whole process.
00:14:53.760
On Monday, attorneys for the Trump administration and the defendants presenting oral arguments before a three-judge panel
00:14:59.860
of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, the Trump administration asking the court to lift the pause
00:15:05.000
on deportations under the Alien Enemies Act. The Obama-appointed judge on the D.C. Circuit
00:15:10.680
appeared skeptical of the administration's argument. Patricia Millett, highly doubtful of the government's claims,
00:15:17.240
she suggested that the Nazis were treated better under the Alien Enemies Act than the Venezuelan subjects.
00:15:24.220
Julie Kelly saying another Trump-appointed judge, Justin Walker,
00:15:27.460
was in fact more skeptical of the ACLU's arguments.
00:15:31.380
Judge Walker, on the other hand, kept pushing the ACLU as to why they didn't pursue habeas petitions
00:15:39.660
for these individuals. They didn't really have a good answer for that. He kept saying that that was
00:15:45.420
the appropriate remedy and asked, why did the ACLU choose to file that lawsuit in Washington, D.C.,
00:15:54.740
when none of the illegals in that lawsuit lived in Washington, D.C.? So it seemed like Judge Walker
00:16:01.620
was very skeptical and noted, I think, identified several problems with both the ACLU lawsuit and
00:16:10.300
Jeb Osberg's temporary restraining order. So because it's an emergency motion expecting some sort of answer
00:16:18.660
this week. So they might put a temporary stay on Jeb Osberg's temporary restraining orders to halt
00:16:26.000
those flights. And if they do, what the DOJ said Monday afternoon is, they would then go ahead and
00:16:32.260
restart those deportation flights of TDA members to El Salvador.
00:16:37.580
The third judge on the panel, Karen Henderson, is a George H.W. Bush appointee.
00:16:42.220
She remained very quiet at the argument, making her vote harder to predict.
00:16:50.640
Devin Archer, former business partner of Hunter Biden, on Tuesday receiving a federal pardon from
00:16:56.260
President Trump. Mr. Archer was convicted in 2018 of two felonies for his role in fraudulently selling
00:17:02.400
more than $60 million of tribal bonds on behalf of a South Dakota tribe. The judge sentencing Mr.
00:17:08.780
Archer to a year in prison, ordering him to forfeit nearly $16 million and pay $43 million in
00:17:14.520
restitution. Mr. Archer has since claimed Hunter Biden was also involved in the scheme, but he was
00:17:20.040
protected from prosecution. In August 2023, Mr. Archer testified in a closed-door oversight committee
00:17:26.420
hearing where he provided firsthand accounts of Hunter Biden discussing business dealings with then-Vice
00:17:32.620
President Joe Biden, contrary to what the Biden family had previously maintained. President Trump
00:17:37.960
signing a full pardon from the White House on Tuesday afternoon.
00:17:41.700
He was prosecuted relating to a fraud investigation, but notably the tone and tenor of that prosecution
00:17:49.800
changed dramatically after he began to cooperate with congressional investigators and serve as a
00:17:55.760
witness against Hunter Biden and the Biden family. We believe that was an injustice, and therefore we're
00:18:02.080
asking you to pardon him. And many people have asked me to do this. I think he was treated very
00:18:07.860
unfairly. And I looked at the records, studied the records, and he was a victim of a crime.
00:18:15.000
Mr. Archer telling the New York Post, quote, like so many people, my life was devastated by the Biden
00:18:20.100
family's selfish disregard for the truth and for the peace of mind and happiness of others.
00:18:27.420
And that'll do it for your AM Update. I'm Megan Kelly. Join me back here for The Megan Kelly Show,
00:18:31.940
live on SiriusXM Triumph Channel 111 at noon east, on youtube.com slash megankelly,