Democrat Rep Charged with FEMA Fraud, Trump vs Dems on Hypothetical "Illegal Order": AM Update 11/21

What is discussed, and when

1. 0:00 – 3:00: gogevity.com, healthcare independence, illegal order, J. D. Vance
2. 3:00 – 6:00: community project funding, Congressman Chris Stuzio, David Spencer, House Ethics Committee
3. 6:00 – 9:00: Michigan, treason
4. 9:00 – 12:00: Breitbart News, Electronic Payments Coalition, guardyoucard.com, J. D. Vance
5. 12:00 – 15:00: open borders, cartels, District of New Jersey, Egg Harbor Township
6. 15:00 – 17:10: Next Up, Pennsylvania, scarification

Notable quotes from "Democrat Rep Charged with FEMA Fraud, Trump vs Dems on Hypothetical "Illegal Order": AM Update 11/21"

• We ignored how open borders were not actually good for the dignity even of the illegal migrants themselves.

  about open borders · at 0:34

• Preventing problems when they are cheap and easy to fix. I want to tell you about Jevity. They are revolutionizing preventative care with something radically different. 100 plus blood markers tested at your home.

  about Jevity · at 1:29

• Siblings conspired to steal the funds, diverting it through multiple accounts to hide the source. Staffer Najed LeBlanc also indicted in the alleged scheme Southern District of…

  about Najed LeBlanc · at 2:42

• Indicted representatives to step down from leadership positions. The state of Florida suing Trinity Health Services, of which the congresswoman was the CEO in December 2024 for…

  about Trinity Health Services · at 3:40

• Refuse illegal orders and quote don't give up the ship. Senator Alyssa Slotkin of Michigan, Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, Congressman Chris Stuzio and Chrissy Hulianne of…

  about Michigan · at 4:51

• Illegal orders they might be referring to. Senator Slothkin last week introducing the No Troops in our streets act, enabling Congress to block or terminate any National Guard…

  about No Troops in our Streets Act · at 5:38

• What January 6 was like. We live through January 6. When Donald Trump uses the language of execution and treason, some of his supporters may very well listen.

  about treason · at 7:04

• Undermine the Trump agenda is Senator Dick Durban. And according to our sponsor, the Electronic Payments Coalition, Senator Durban has a new scheme, a government takeover of…

  about Electronic Payments Coalition · at 9:54

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

• J. D. Vance — Person · 2 mentions · first at 0:41
  Vice President J. D. Vance weighing in on an array of topics from jobs to immigration and more. And an ex- New Jersey Republican congressional staffer charged with, get this, faking a violent.
• Mark Halper — Person · 1 mention · first at 0:02
  Hey, good morning everybody. It's Mark Halper, host of Next Up, filling in today for the great Megan Kelly. It's Friday, November 21st, 2025, and this is your AM update. A Democratic Florida.
• Najed LeBlanc — Person · 1 mention · first at 2:47
• David Spencer — Person · 1 mention · first at 3:00
  Funneled the extra money to friends and relatives who then donated it back to the campaign. Tax preparer David Spencer charged with conspiring to file a false tax return from…
• Senator Mark Kelly — Person · 1 mention · first at 4:57
  Refuse illegal orders and quote don't give up the ship. Senator Alyssa Slotkin of Michigan, Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, Congressman Chris Stuzio and Chrissy Hulianne of…
• Congressman Chris Stuzio — Person · 1 mention · first at 4:58
  Give up the ship. Senator Alyssa Slotkin of Michigan, Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, Congressman Chris Stuzio and Chrissy Hulianne of Pennsylvania, and Maggie Goodlander of New…
• Maggie Goodlander — Person · 1 mention · first at 5:03
  Arizona, Congressman Chris Stuzio and Chrissy Hulianne of Pennsylvania, and Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire, plus Jason Crow of Colorado posting this video addressed…
• Jason Crow — Person · 1 mention · first at 5:05
  Chrissy Hulianne of Pennsylvania, and Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire, plus Jason Crow of Colorado posting this video addressed directly to military service members. Right…
• Pope Leo 14 — Person · 1 mention · first at 11:45
  Confirms that. Now turning to immigration VP Vance asked about recent comments made by Pope Leo 14. The US Conference of Catholic Bishops last week releasing a rare statement…
• Jeff Van Drew — Person · 1 mention · first at 14:18
  Now, this is a crazy story. a former congressional staffer of Republican US Congressman from New Jersey, Jeff Van Drew, charged with staging a violent political attack against herself.
• Natalie Green — Person · 1 mention · first at 14:28
  According to the federal criminal complaint out of the District of New Jersey, 26-year-old Natalie Green is charged with one count of conspiracy to convey false statements and…
• Caroline Leavitt — Person · 1 mention
• Chrissy Houlahan — Person · 1 mention
• Edwin Cherfilus — Person · 1 mention
• Senator Elissa Slotkin — Person · 1 mention
• Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick — Person · 1 mention

Books & papers

• No Troops in our Streets Act — Book · 1 mention · first at 5:42

Companies & orgs

• Next Up — Company · 2 mentions · first at 0:04
  Hey, good morning everybody. It's Mark Halper, host of Next Up, filling in today for the great Megan Kelly. It's Friday, November 21st, 2025, and this is your AM update. A Democratic Florida congresswoman indicted for allegedly.
• Trinity Health Services — Company · 1 mention · first at 3:44
• The Washington Post — Company · 1 mention · first at 3:52
  Of which the congresswoman was the CEO in December 2024 for refusing to turn over $5 million in overcharges. The Washington Repost reporting the congresswoman settled the…
• Office of Congressional Conduct — Company · 1 mention · first at 4:06
  Only trouble she faces though. In a separate ongoing matter in 2024, the Office of Congressional Conduct referring Chef McCormack to the House Ethics Committee for…
• House Ethics Committee — Company · 1 mention · first at 4:08
  Separate ongoing matter in 2024, the Office of Congressional Conduct referring Chef McCormack to the House Ethics Committee for investigation from the referral, this is a…
• Breitbart News — Company · 1 mention · first at 10:32
  Vice President JD Vance addressing the just released jobs report and more in a sitdown interview with Breitbart News.
• US Conference of Catholic Bishops — Company · 1 mention · first at 11:45
  Confirms that. Now turning to immigration VP Vance asked about recent comments made by Pope Leo 14. The US Conference of Catholic Bishops last week releasing a rare statement…
• Department of Homeland Security — Company · 1 mention
• FEMA — Company · 1 mention

Products & tech

• Jevity — Product · 1 mention · first at 1:33

Concepts & topics

• open borders — Concept · 3 mentions · first at 0:34
• illegal order — Concept · 2 mentions · first at 0:32
  Bizarre moment of Trump derangement syndrome as Democrats fight Trump over a hypothetical illegal order.
• Trump derangement syndrome (TDS) — Concept · 1 mention · first at 0:27
  Calling for the execution of elected officials. and what some are calling a bizarre moment of Trump derangement syndrome as Democrats fight Trump over a hypothetical illegal order.
• transparency in government — Concept · 1 mention · first at 1:17
  Real datadriven decisions based on your body's actual numbers. We demand transparency in government. But most of us have no idea what's happening inside of our own bodies.…
• healthcare independence — Concept · 1 mention · first at 1:53
• community project funding — Concept · 1 mention · first at 4:16
  The referral, this is a quote, There is substantial reason to believe that she requested community project funding that would be directed to a for-profit entity. She at the…
• treason — Concept · 1 mention · first at 7:10
• Mass deportation — Concept · 1 mention · first at 11:52
  Conference of Catholic Bishops last week releasing a rare statement criticizing the Trump administration's mass deportations effort. Quote, We are disturbed when we see among…
• cartels — Concept · 1 mention · first at 13:31
  The humanitarian thing to do for the entire world. Because when you empower the cartels and when you empower the human traffickers, whether in the United States or anywhere…
• human traffickers — Concept · 1 mention · first at 13:33
  Entire world. Because when you empower the cartels and when you empower the human traffickers, whether in the United States or anywhere else, you're empowering the very worst…
• self deportations — Concept · 1 mention · first at 14:10
  Deportations since the start of the second Trump administration, as well as 1.6 million self deportations.
• scarification — Concept · 1 mention · first at 15:51
  The ones used on Green. Further investigation leading detectives to a scarification artist, which is exactly what it sounds a person who cuts into a client's body to…
• data-driven decisions — Concept · 1 mention
• sedition — Concept · 1 mention

Places & events

• Michigan — Place · 2 mentions · first at 4:57
• Pennsylvania — Place · 2 mentions · first at 5:01
  Of Michigan, Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, Congressman Chris Stuzio and Chrissy Hulianne of Pennsylvania, and Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire, plus Jason Crow of Colorado…
• New Hampshire — Place · 1 mention · first at 5:03
  Arizona, Congressman Chris Stuzio and Chrissy Hulianne of Pennsylvania, and Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire, plus Jason Crow of Colorado posting this video addressed…
• District of New Jersey — Place · 1 mention · first at 14:26
  According to the federal criminal complaint out of the District of New Jersey, 26-year-old Natalie Green is charged with one count of conspiracy to convey false statements and hoaxes and one count of making false statements to.
• Egg Harbor Township — Place · 1 mention · first at 14:49
  Telling officers they had been attacked by three men while walking on a wooded nature trail in Egg Harbor Township. The co-conspirator telling the 911 operator, quote, I came…

Sponsors

• gogevity.com — Sponsor · 1 mention · first at 1:56
  Consultations on your schedule. This is healthcare independence and you get 20% off at gogevity.com/megan with code Megan. That's go gevi ti.com/megan because no one should control your health decisions but you.
• Electronic Payments Coalition — Sponsor · 1 mention · first at 9:58
• guardyoucard.com — Sponsor · 1 mention · first at 10:18
  Security. And that means more risk for your credit and identity. Learn more at guardyoucard.com.

Full transcript with timestamps

0:02 Hey, good morning everybody. It's Mark Halper, host of Next Up, filling in today for the great Megan Kelly. It's Friday, November 21st, 2025, and this is your AM update. A Democratic Florida congresswoman indicted for allegedly stealing 5 million bucks in FEMA money and redirecting it to her campaign.

0:20 The president of the United States is calling for the execution of elected officials. and what some are calling a bizarre moment of Trump derangement syndrome as Democrats fight Trump over a hypothetical illegal order.

0:34 We ignored how open borders were not actually good for the dignity even of the illegal migrants themselves.

0:41 Vice President J. D. Vance weighing in on an array of topics from jobs to immigration and more. And an ex- New Jersey Republican congressional staffer charged with, get this, faking a violent political attack. All that and more coming up in just a moment here on your AM update.

1:02 We talk a lot about personal responsibility on this show. Well, here's one aspect that's really important. Your health. And I'm not talking about following whatever the experts recommend. I'm talking about real datadriven decisions based on your body's actual numbers. We demand transparency in government. But most of us have no idea what's happening inside of our own bodies. Disease can develop silently for years before symptoms appear. By then, you're playing catch-up with expensive treatments instead of preventing problems when they are cheap and easy to fix. I want to tell you about Jevity. They are revolutionizing preventative care with something radically different. 100 plus blood markers tested at your home.

1:42 Personalized supplement packs shipped directly to you based on your deficiencies. by annual retesting to track progress, plus ongoing virtual consultations on your schedule. This is healthcare independence and you get 20% off at gogevity.com/megan with code Megan. That's go gevi ti.com/megan because no one should control your health decisions but you. Congresswoman Sheila Surfis Pakormick, a Democrat from Florida, and several codefendants indicted Wednesday by a federal grand jury out of Miami. The feds accusing the group of stealing FEMA disaster funds and laundering the money into her 2021 congressional campaign.

2:27 According to the indictment, the family healthcare company operated by Shifilis McCormack and her brother Edwin received a $5 million overpayment on a FEMA COVID vaccine staffing contract back in July of 2021. Prosecutors alleged the siblings conspired to steal the funds, diverting it through multiple accounts to hide the source. Staffer Najed LeBlanc also indicted in the alleged scheme Southern District of Florida prosecutors alleging the defendants funneled the extra money to friends and relatives who then donated it back to the campaign. Tax preparer David Spencer charged with conspiring to file a false tax return from the Justice Department press release. quote, "They falsely claim political spending and other personal expenses as business deductions and inflated charitable contributions in order to reduce her tax obligations."

3:19 The congresswoman yesterday releasing a statement saying, quote, "This is an unjust, baseless sham indictment, and I am innocent. The timing alone is curious and clearly meant to distract from far more pressing national issues." Also yesterday, the congresswoman relinquishing her leadership position on a foreign affairs subcommittee as Democratic caucus rules require any indicted representatives to step down from leadership positions. The state of Florida suing Trinity Health Services, of which the congresswoman was the CEO in December 2024 for refusing to turn over $5 million in overcharges. The Washington Repost reporting the congresswoman settled the lawsuit agreeing to pay back the funds over the next 19 years. These charges are not the only trouble she faces though. In a separate ongoing matter in 2024, the Office of Congressional Conduct referring Chef McCormack to the House Ethics Committee for investigation from

4:12 the referral, this is a quote, "There is substantial reason to believe that she requested community project funding that would be directed to a for-profit entity. She at the time also denied any wrongdoing. The congresswoman now faces up to 53 years in prison if convicted on all the charges related to the alleged FEMA scheme. With the Epstein files bill now in the rearview mirror, Democrats quickly shifting their focus to a new political flash point, a hypothetical illegal order given by President Trump to the military. President Trump reacting to a video posted by six Democratic lawmakers on Tuesday urging members of the US military and intelligence community to refuse illegal orders and quote don't give up the ship. Senator Alyssa Slotkin of Michigan, Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, Congressman Chris Stuzio and Chrissy Hulianne of Pennsylvania, and Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire, plus

5:05 Jason Crow of Colorado posting this video addressed directly to military service members. Right now, the threats to our Constitution aren't just coming from abroad,

5:15 but from right here at home. Our laws are clear. You can refuse illegal orders.

5:20 We need you to stand up for our laws, our Constitution, and who we are as Americans. Don't give up. Don't give up. Don't give up.

5:27 Don't give up the ship. A remarkably bold and notably vague directive, military law does require troops to refuse unlawful orders, but the lawmakers never describe what illegal orders they might be referring to. Senator Slothkin last week introducing the No Troops in our streets act, enabling Congress to block or terminate any National Guard deployments by majority vote. Democrats heavily criticizing Mr. Trump's previous deployments of the National Guard to America's cities to aid in illegal immigration crackdowns. Congressman Crowe earlier this week introduced a resolution to block the White House from conducting additional strikes on suspected drug boats in route to the US.

6:08 In recent months, the US carrying out more than 20 such strikes, killing at least 80 suspected drug traffickers. President Trump reacting to the video yesterday morning, responding on True Social, quote, "This is really bad and dangerous to our country. Their words cannot be allowed to stand. Sedicious behavior from traders. Lock them up." Democrats perhaps getting what they wanted in the first place in response to Mr. Trump's post from the Senate floor yesterday. Here is Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

6:38 The president of the United States is calling for the execution of elected officials. This is an outright threat and it's deadly serious. We've already seen what happens when Donald Trump tells his followers that his political opponents are enemies of the state. Every time Donald Trump posts things like this, he makes political violence more likely. None of us should tolerate this kind of behavior. We all remember what January 6 was like. We live through January 6. When Donald Trump uses the language of execution and treason, some of his supporters may very well listen.

7:16 At yesterday's White House briefing, the press secretary Caroline Levit fielding multiple questions from an outraged press corp.

7:22 Just to be clear, does the president want to execute members of Congress? No. Let's be clear about what the president is responding to. uh because many in this room want to talk about the president's response but not what brought the president to responding in this way. You have sitting members of the United States Congress who conspired together to orchestrate a video message to members of the United States military, to active duty service members, to members of the national security apparatus, encouraging them to defy the president's lawful orders.

8:01 House Speaker Mike Johnson redirecting a question about Mr. Trump's statement back to the original video, which he calls dangerous. I know the DOJ and uh the Pentagon are looking into the legality of all that, but what I can address is what everybody knows that was wildly inappropriate. It is very dangerous. You have leading members of Congress telling troops to disobey orders. I think that's unprecedented in American history. And as the father of a young man who is, you know, at the Naval Academy going to be joining the service, I I know young soldiers, airmen, sailors, they they don't need that kind of nonsense from people in Congress. It is very dangerous.

8:40 Senator Slotkin, who organized the original video, posting another video yesterday on X.

8:45 I'm Senator Alyssa Slotkin, Senator from Michigan, former CIA officer. Earlier today, President Trump threatened myself and a number of other service and veteran lawmakers with arrest, trial, and death because he didn't agree with a video we put out this week. I would hope that people of all backgrounds, Democrat Republican independent would agree that threatening death for people you disagree with is beyond the pale of who we are as Americans. For me, I believe in the power of this country and that we are better than our current politics represent and I refuse to be intimidated out of defending the country I love.

9:26 And back and forth and back and forth we go. Coming up, Vice President J. D. Vance weighing in on the jobs front, the Pope, and more in a very wide-ranging fireside chat. and a former congressional staffer in court for allegedly staging an attack against herself. As President Trump is settling into his new administration, one of the top Democrats in Congress aiming to undermine the Trump agenda is Senator Dick Durban. And according to our sponsor, the Electronic Payments Coalition, Senator Durban has a new scheme, a government takeover of your credit card. Today, Americans have thousands of choices in credit cards, but they say Senator Durban's plan will result in less competition and less security. And that means more risk for your credit and identity. Learn more at guardyoucard.com.

10:20 And consider telling your senators to stop Dick Durban's government takeover of your credit card before it's too late.

10:28 Vice President JD Vance addressing the just released jobs report and more in a sitdown interview with Breitbart News. On that latest jobs report, the September numbers just released yesterday due to that government shutdown causing a delay showed better than expected gains of 119,000 jobs, breaking a two-month downward trend. Unemployment remaining relatively flat, ticking up by a.1 to 4.4%, the highest level since October of 2021. Mr. Vance saying the report underscores the strength of Donald Trump's policies. So, a huge jobs report and I I assume the market is going crazy right now.

11:06 Probably just opened because what this shows is that the Trump economic policies are actually working and you've got 119,000 new jobs. Economists thought that we would have about 50,000 new jobs, but that's actually just the headline number. If you look below the surface, I think the numbers are actually better. So, number one, wages continue to way outpace inflation. If you go back to the three years of the Biden administration, the average American worker actually lost about $3,000 of take-home pay. In the first 10 months of the Trump economy, we've increased take-home pay by about $1,200 adjusting for inflation. So, that's a huge, huge thing, and this jobs report confirms that. Now turning to immigration VP Vance asked about recent comments made by Pope Leo 14. The US Conference of Catholic Bishops last week releasing a rare statement criticizing the Trump administration's mass deportations effort. Quote, "We are

11:56 disturbed when we see among our people a climate of fear and anxiety around questions of profiling and immigration enforcement." Many conservatives taking issue with the bishop, saying that statement sounds more like a demand to accept an unending wave of mass migration. And earlier this week, Pope Leo himself offering a more nuanced statement somewhat though echoing the bishops.

12:18 I appreciate very much what the bishops have said. I think it's a very important statement. I would invite especially all Catholics, but people of goodwill to listen carefully to what they said. If people are in the United States illegally, there are ways to treat that. There are courts. There's a system of justice. No one has said that the United States should have open borders. I think every country has a right to to determine who and how and when people enter. But when people are living good lives and many of them for 10, 15, 20 years to treat them in a in a way that is extremely disrespectful to say the least.

12:58 The vice president, a practicing Catholic reacting. The Catholic Church's views on this are actually quite clear and it's that yes, you must treat immigrants humanely. On the other hand, every nation has the right to control its borders. And obviously, how you strike that balance is very important. We ignored how open borders were not actually good for the dignity even of the illegal migrants themselves. You had little kids getting sex trafficked. Border security is not just good for American citizens. It is the humanitarian thing to do for the entire world. Because when you empower the cartels and when you empower the human traffickers, whether in the United States or anywhere else, you're empowering the very worst people in the world. It it's almost like Europe and America got this idea in their head that to control your border at all was fundamentally, you know, uncompassionate. Maybe it was even

13:50 racist and bad. The president and I reject that wholesale. putting the interests of your citizens first. It's not some ancillary thing. It is the very purpose of government.

14:02 DHS announcing in October more than 527,000 deportations since the start of the second Trump administration, as well as 1.6 million self deportations. Now, this is a crazy story. a former congressional staffer of Republican US Congressman from New Jersey, Jeff Van Drew, charged with staging a violent political attack against herself. According to the federal criminal complaint out of the District of New Jersey, 26-year-old Natalie Green is charged with one count of conspiracy to convey false statements and hoaxes and one count of making false statements to a federal law enforcement official. Late on July 23rd, 2025, Green's unnamed co-conspirator, sir, calling 911, telling officers they had been attacked by three men while walking on a wooded nature trail in Egg Harbor Township. The co-conspirator telling the 911 operator, quote, "I came here with my friends and three guys just attacked us. They were

14:58 attacking her. They were like talking about politics and stuff. They were like calling her names and they said if we don't be quiet, they were going to shoot us." Police arriving on the scene led to Green by the co-conspirator. Officers discovering Green laying on the ground, her feet and hands bound by black zip ties, her shirt pulled over her head. From the complaint, again quoting, "When the officers found Green, she had numerous lacerations on her right side, including her face, neck, upper chest, and shoulder. The words Trump were written on her stomach, and Van Drew is a racist was written on her back with a black marker." Green was brought to a hospital for treatment. And in a later interview with investigators, Green described routine threats received by Congressman Van Drew's office where she worked. Officers searching her vehicle, discovering black zip ties similar to the ones used on Green. Further

15:48 investigation leading detectives to a scarification artist, which is exactly what it sounds like, a person who cuts into a client's body to intentionally create scars. In Pennsylvania, hours before the alleged attack, a receipt from the body modification shop revealing Green paid 500 bucks in cash and signed a waiver for quote scarification. There's a new vocabulary word for everybody. The federal complaint does not identify Congressman Van Drew by name, but a spokesman for the Congressman's office confirms that Green is a former employee. Quote, "While Natalie is no longer associated with the Congressman's government office, our thoughts and prayers are with her. We hope she's getting the care she needs. Green appearing in court for the first time on Wednesday. Released on a $200,000 bond. Each charge carries a $250,000 fine with a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and 3 years of supervised release. Craziest thing I've

16:43 ever heard. That'll do it for your AM update. I'm Mark Halpern. I host next up here. Catch the Megan Kelly show today live on SiriusXM's The Megan Kelly channel 111 at noon east on YouTube. also at youtube.com/making kelly and of course on all your finer podcast platforms.

Questions about this episode

What is discussed in "Democrat Rep Charged with FEMA Fraud, Trump vs Dems on Hypothetical "Illegal Order": AM Update 11/21"?

In order: 0:00 gogevity.com, healthcare independence, illegal order, J. D. Vance; 3:00 community project funding, Congressman Chris Stuzio, David Spencer, House Ethics Committee; 6:00 Michigan, treason; 9:00 Breitbart News, Electronic Payments Coalition, guardyoucard.com, J. D. Vance; 12:00 open borders, cartels, District of New Jersey, Egg Harbor Township; 15:00 Next Up, Pennsylvania, scarification.

What is mentioned in this Megyn Kelly episode?

49 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including open borders, Next Up, illegal order, J. D. Vance, Michigan, Pennsylvania. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "Democrat Rep Charged with FEMA Fraud, Trump vs Dems on Hypothetical "Illegal Order": AM Update 11/21"?

The episode runs 17 min; the transcript is about 2,750 words in 32 timestamped sections.

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