Ben Bowers

Greenville College Audio Prof.

[Barack Obama @BarackObama]

It is a basic principle of American democracy that the government can’t selectively target individuals simply because of their political beliefs or what they say. But that’s exactly what the Trump Administration is doing to Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota.

To understand why this is so appalling, it’s important to know the facts. Congresswoman Omar came to this country with her father when she was 12 years old. Five years later, her father became a naturalized citizen. If Ilhan had been 18 at the time, she would have had to apply for citizenship separately. But because she was 17, she became a naturalized citizen automatically.

Congresswoman Omar went on to graduate from college, work as a community organizer, become the first Somali-American legislator elected to public office in the U.S., and win a seat in Congress. There, she has been one of the Trump Administration’s fiercest critics, which has led the president to repeatedly single her out as someone who he believes does not belong in this country.

Now the Administration is actively trying to deport Congresswoman Omar, seemingly based solely on the unsubstantiated theory that she was actually 18 when her father was naturalized, and therefore is not a citizen. Federal agents have raided her home, confiscated personal records, and seized her phone — all to try and uncover a nonexistent smoking gun from 20 years ago that will somehow make their case.

Think about that. The full weight of the federal government is being brought down on a law-abiding elected official because she has dared to criticize the president. And it’s not the first time this has happened. Under President Trump, the Justice Department has repeatedly gone after those he considers his political enemies — from the Attorney General of New York, to the former head of the FBI, to members of the Federal Reserve.

In those cases, the prosecutions either stalled or were dismissed for having no basis in law, and the same is likely to happen in this case. But not before Congresswoman Omar’s life has been turned upside down, her legal bills have piled up, and she’s been forced to spend time fighting unsubstantiated charges instead of serving the people of Minnesota.

The fact that any president, or any administration, is willing to engage in such transparent efforts to intimidate someone should outrage all Americans, regardless of how they feel about Congresswoman Omar’s political views. Because if this becomes the new normal, there’s no reason to believe it will stop with her — or that future presidents, in either party, won’t do the same.

[Ben Bowers @bbowser92]

@midstpodcast Easily one of my favorite episodes of the whole story and contains my favorite moments with Weepe and Saskia. 👏🏻 Bravo! The culmination of Saskia and Weepe’s story was a masterpiece of storytelling.

[Linus Tech Tips @LinusTech]

Are you ready for Starfield?

Starting now until 5pm PST on Sunday, September 3rd, we'll be hosting a giveaway in partnership with @AMD to give you the chance to win ONE of FIVE Starfield AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX and Ryzen 7 7800X3D combos with a premium edition game code. Just sign-up at https://t.co/thtuxFmqoY to enter for a chance to win!

[Ben Bowers @bbowser92]

@nathoodmt @theadamcrouch @theadamcrouch

[Ben Bowers @bbowser92]

@MatthewrMoore I can’t read this… it’s nonsense.

[Ben Bowers @bbowser92]

@MatthewrMoore Zac Braff?

[Ben Bowers @bbowser92]

@turbo_erbo I feel this.

[SportsCenter @SportsCenter]

ALBERT PUJOLS HITS NO. 6️⃣9️⃣9️⃣ TO THE 🌕‼️

JUST ONE AWAY FROM 700 👏

(via @SNstats)

[farhad manjoo (former bluecheck) @fmanjoo]

this is just an incredible response

[farhad manjoo (former bluecheck) @fmanjoo]

I still like this

[Katelyn Burns @transscribe]

if you have a problem with the student loan cancellation because you already paid off your loans, just pretend its a tax cut for the rich that you also never got but mysteriously didn't complain about.

[thucksgiving @TylerHuckabee]

Christians on this website are literally like "we can't just FORGIVE our DEBTORS"

[President Biden Archived @POTUS46Archive]

I’ll be delivering remarks on my Administration's student loan debt relief plan at 2:15 PM ET.

In the meantime, go to https://t.co/80wXPTae6V for more information.

[President Biden Archived @POTUS46Archive]

In keeping with my campaign promise, my Administration is announcing a plan to give working and middle class families breathing room as they prepare to resume federal student loan payments in January 2023.

I'll have more details this afternoon.

[Denee Bowers @Denee_Bowers]

30s are the new 20s, guys.
#NBAFinals

[Ben Bowers @bbowser92]

@MatthewrMoore

[Ben Bowers @bbowser92]

@MatthewrMoore Never gets old

[Ben Bowers @bbowser92]

@bodie32 Oh gosh. Again?

[Ben Bowers @bbowser92]

What the f is Stomp and Holler and why do I listen to it so much?