Trump Administration
Floor Speech
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. REED. Will the Senator yield for a question? I think he will.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. REED. Thank you very much.
First, let me say that you are demonstrating incredible courage and conscience today and last evening as you stand here and point out the grave situation this country faces. You have clearly indicated--and I believe you are right--that the direction of this administration is toward authoritarian rule. Step by step, unfortunately, we seem to get closer.
One of the great ironies of the administration is that President Trump loves to sort of fake people out, if you will, while he is doing something he doesn't like or we wouldn't like. For example, for 56 times, he has talked about the deep state, the deep state, while at the same time it appears he might be building such a deep state.
For example, the Washington Post reported that the former chief data officer for the Social Security Administration has said that Elon Musk and his DOGE gang copied a mainframe database containing the personal information of hundreds of millions of Americans, including names, birth dates, addresses, and more. In fact, if you step back, DOGE has pilfered information from every Federal Agency, and we are in a situation where I believe Trump is prepared to weaponize that information against the American people in so many different ways.
So I would just ask: Did you hear my distress that Trump could use this information to attack his opponent? Could he use this information to disrupt the elections in '26 as a path to further authoritarian influence in the United States?
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. REED. If the Senator would yield?
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. REED. DOGE, it has been my observation, has pilfered information from every major Federal organization, and the Social Security Administration's former employees have indicated they have taken the most critical files that have detailed information on every American.
I think you are right. There are only two things you can really do with this kind of data. You sell it or you weaponize it or you do both. The concern I think we both share is weaponization.
In addition, I believe that the administration has sought from secretaries of state throughout the United States information about their voting rolls, which is specifically directed perhaps at electoral interference.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. REED. Well, I concur.
If I may raise one additional question?
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. REED. You have seen firsthand what is happening in Portland. It is outrageous. The situation has been completely distorted by the President to suggest that there is major civil upheaval. That is not the case at all from the reports I have heard.
His also suggesting that military personnel can enforce the laws of the United States violates the Posse Comitatus Act, which has been a barrier to police powers by the military since the 1870s.
I assume, like myself, you are particularly disturbed that he is, again, not only weaponizing data, but he is weaponizing our military forces to go in and carry out civil wars.
Your comments?
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. REED. Thank you very much, Senator.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source