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The Dictatorship

Megyn Kelly doesn’t think Muslims should hold office in America. There’s a word for that.

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Megyn Kelly doesn’t think Muslims should hold office in America. There’s a word for that.

MAGA thought leader Ben Shapiro made headlines earlier this week when he unloaded on his former friend and political ally Tucker Carlson over the latter’s chummy interview with the unabashed antisemite and white nationalist Nick Fuentes. Shapiro correctly accused Carlson of “normalizing” the vile identity-based hatred emanating from Fuentes and his followers, and called Carlson an “intellectual coward, a dishonest interlocutor and a terrible friend.”

Let’s not kid ourselves, racism and other forms of intolerance are already fully normalized within the MAGA movement.

As the conservative firewall that once isolated Fuentes as a “fringe” kook crumbles, MAGA is at war with itself. On one side, overt bigots such as Fuentes and Carlson have become increasingly critical of Israel and more open about their antisemitism. On the other side, pro-Israel right-wingers such as Shapiro who seemed comfortable with intolerance when it was directed at Blacks, immigrants, trans people and other marginalized groups, are shocked (shocked!) that their former friends also hate Jews.

The conundrum lies with mainstream MAGA stars like Shapiro wanting to clean the bigotry out of their house on an a la carte basis — but fear and loathing of “the other” is as MAGA as a red baseball cap. The ideological civil war over the increasing popularity of Fuentes (especially among young men) in the MAGA movement is a Spider-Man pointing meme come to life. The hate is coming from inside the house.

Case in point: Hours before New York City voters elected Zohran Mamdani as their next mayor, MAGA podcast superstar Megyn Kelly delivered a rant against the New York state assemblyman that was both chillingly prejudiced and comically un-self-aware.

Sounding very much like Archie Bunker with a law degreeKelly said Mamdani, a U.S. citizen born in Uganda, is “not American,” and that Muslims “should not be ascending to our mayors and our governors” because “the tenets of Islam are not consistent with Western civilization.”

The xenophobic diatribe came a week after Kelly declared“I do have a problem with Islam. I do. I think it’s totally incompatible with Western values and I don’t think people who practice Islam should be the leaders of America. I just don’t. That’s how I feel and I’m entitled to that belief because Islam is more than a religion. It is a political ideology…All of Islam is political Islam. That’s the truth. And we can’t be afraid to say it.”

Attempting to anticipate the counterargument that America is a nation of immigrants, Kelly retorted“Yeah. Like immigrants like my grandfather from Italy, and then my grandfather on the other side from Ireland, who desperately wanted to assimilate. But if they didn’t … you’d have some guy with an Irish brogue eating a lot of meat and potatoes and drinking a lot. That was the most significant downside to the Irish not potentially assimilating. It’s a very different story when you’re talking about immigrants from Uganda who are Muslim at a minimum and potentially radicalized Muslims.”

“Muslim at a minimum.”

Fear and loathing of “the other” is as MAGA as a red baseball cap.

It’s apparently lost on Kelly that religious tolerance is a founding tenet of the United States. And indicting millions of Muslims as inherently dangerous and untrustworthy isn’t fearless iconoclasm — it’s gutter bigotry. It’s un-American. And it’s very difficult to believe Ben Shapiro, an Orthodox Jew, would be OK with another MAGA influencer declaring all Jews to be unfit for public office or disloyal to America.

Like Kelly, I’m an American descended from Italian and Irish immigrants. Unlike Kelly, I’m not oblivious to the connection between her xenophobic fulminations about Muslims and the kind of discrimination directed at our immigrant ancestors.

Irish immigrants in the 19th century were regularly met with “No Irish Need Apply” declarations in job listings. A Harper’s Weekly political cartoon from 1871 depicts an Irish immigrant as an ape waving a rum bottlesitting on a gunpowder keg. In the early 20th century, the next wave of immigrants to America included many southern Europeans — and Italians were often depicted in the mainstream press as racially inferior criminals.

A New York Times editorial in 1891 deplored the public lynchings of 11 Italian immigrants in New Orleans, while also saying the victims were “sneaking and cowardly Sicilians, the descendants of bandits and assassins … to us a pest without mitigations.”

As for Kelly’s assertion that Islam is a “political ideology,” both Italians and Irish — two groups with large Catholic populations — were accused of being politically loyal to the Pope in Rome. When John F. Kennedy ran for president in 1960, he felt it necessary to give a televised address declaring that “contrary to common newspaper usage, I am not the Catholic candidate for president.”

As Kelly demonstrates, xenophobia’s practitioners usually consider past immigrants the “good ones” who loved America and assimilated instantly, but are certain the next wave will be made up of fifth columnists hell-bent on bringing the country down from the inside.

And let’s not kid ourselves, racism and other forms of intolerance are already fully normalized within the MAGA movement.

Last week, Vice President JD Vance repeated the debunked racist slander he pushed during the 2024 election that Haitian immigrants were stealing and eating their neighbors’ pets. Last month, Vance quickly came to the defense of a group of young Republican leaders who were exposed as participants in a racist and antisemitic group chat.

MAGA bankroller”https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-accuses-elon-musk-of-stoking-antisemitism-on-twitter-after-soros-remark/?utm_source=chatgpt.com” target=”_blank”>Elon Musk has endorsed antisemitic conspiracy theories and backed the Nazi-sympathizing German political party Alternative for Germany (AfD). And, of course, President Donald Trump’s got a long track record as MAGA’s bigot-in-chief.

Indicting millions of Muslims as inherently dangerous and untrustworthy isn’t fearless iconoclasm — it’s gutter bigotry.

Speaking at the Republican Jewish Coalition Leadership Summit this week, Sen. Lindsey GrahamR-S.C., said, “I just want to make it really clear: I’m in the ‘Hitler sucks’ wing of the Republican Party.” He smiled, selling it as a joke — but many a truth is said in jest. If there’s a “Hitler sucks” wing of the GOP, then the opposite wing, by definition, does not think “Hitler sucks.”

Meanwhile, after the election, Kelly endorsed MAGA intellectual architect Steve Bannon’s commentary on Mamdani’s victory: “Forty to fifty years of visa scams and ten to fifteen million illegal alien invaders, that’s what you end up with. If you don’t think that’s a reality check, you’re not paying attention.”

Shapiro and his allies may want to exorcise Carlson, Fuentes and other antisemites in MAGA’s midst. But if rooting out identity-based hatred and conspiracy theories about the sinister “other” is the goal (and it should be), MAGA’s big tent will have to get a whole lot smaller.

Anthony L. Fisher is a senior editor and writer for BLN Daily. He was previously the senior opinion editor for The Daily Beast and a politics columnist for Business Insider.

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The Dictatorship

French company Capgemini to sell subsidiary working with ICE

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French company Capgemini to sell subsidiary working with ICE

PARIS (AP) — French company Capgemini announced Sunday it is selling off its subsidiary that provides technology services to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, during global scrutiny of ICE agents’ tactics in the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

France’s government had pressured the company to be more transparent about its dealings with ICE, whose actions in Minneapolis in recent weeks have raised concern in France and other countries. The government’s campaign against immigrants in Minnesota’s capital has led to the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens at the hands of federal immigration officers.

Capgemini said in a statement Sunday that it will immediately start the process of selling off its subsidiary Capgemini Government Solutions. It said the rules for working with U.S. federal government agencies ″did now allow the group to exercise appropriate control over certain aspects of the operations of this subsidiary to ensure alignment with the group’s objectives.″

It didn’t give further explanation for the decision, but noted that the subsidiary represents only 0.4% of the company’s estimated 2025 revenue.

Capgemini CEO Aiman Ezzat said he was only recently made aware of the subsidiary’s contract with ICE. In a LinkedIn post, he said, “The nature and scope of this work has raised questions compared to what we typically do as a business and technology firm.’’

The company selloff announcement came after French Finance Minister Roland Lescure, speaking to parliament last week, urged Capgemini ″to shed light, in an extremely transparent manner, on its activities … and to question the nature of these activities.″ Lescure’s office did not comment on the company’s decision.

Non-governmental organization Multinationals Observatory reported that Capgemini Government Solutions provided ICE technical tools to locate targets for the immigration crackdown. CapgemiSni did not immediately respond to a query about the tools.

Capgemini is a consulting and technology company that employs more than 340,000 people in more than 50 countries.

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The Dictatorship

‘Melania’ opens with strong ticket sales for a documentary

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‘Melania’ opens with strong ticket sales for a documentary

NEW YORK (AP) — Promoted by President Donald Trump as “a must watch,” the Melania Trump documentary “Melania” debuted with a better-than-expected $7 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The release of “Melania” was unlike any seen before. Amazon MGM Studios paid $40 million for the rights, plus some $35 million to market it, making it the most expensive documentary ever. Directed by Brett Ratner, who had been exiled from Hollywood since 2017, the film about the first lady debuted in 1,778 theaters in the midst of Trump’s turbulent second term.

While the result would be a flop for most films with such high costs, “Melania” was a success by documentary standards. It’s the best opening weekend for a documentary, outside of concert films, in 14 years. Going into the weekend, estimates ranged from $3 million to $5 million.

But there was little to compare “Melania” to, given that presidential families typically eschew in-office memoir or documentary releases to avoid the appearance of capitalizing on the White House. The film chronicles Melania Trump over 20 days last January, leading up to Trump’s second inauguration.

Marc Beckman, left, shake hands with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and his wife Jennifer as they arrive for the premiere of first lady Melania Trump's movie

Marc Beckman, left, shake hands with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and his wife Jennifer as they arrive for the premiere of first lady Melania Trump’s movie “Melania” at The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center For The Performing Arts, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

On Thursday, Trump hosted a premiere of the film at the Kennedy Centerwith attendees including Cabinet members and members of Congress. There, Ratner downplayed its box-office potential, noting: “You can’t expect a documentary to play in theaters.”

The No. 1 movie of the weekend was Sam Raimi’s “Send Help,” a critically acclaimed survival thriller starring Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien. The Walt Disney Co. release debuted with $20 million. The film, with a $40 million budget, was an in-between kind of release for Raimi, whose hits have typically ranged from low-budget cult (“Army of Darkness”) to big-budget blockbuster (2002’s “Spider-Man”).

The microbudget sci-fi horror film “Iron Lung,” directed by YouTuber and filmmaker Markiplier, came in second with $17.9 million, far exceeding expectations. The Jason Statham action thriller “Shelter” debuted with $5.5 million.

But most of the curiosity was on how “Melania” would perform. A week earlier, the White House hosted a black-tie preview attended by Amazon chief executive Andy Jassy, Apple chief executive Tim Cook and former boxer Mike Tyson.

The audience waits in a movie theater for the start of the screening of a documentary about Melania Trump in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

The audience waits in a movie theater for the start of the screening of a documentary about Melania Trump in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

The film arrived in a week dominated by coverage of federal immigration tactics in Minnesota after a U.S. Border Patrol agent fatally shot 37-year-old Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.

“Melania” didn’t screen in advance for critics, but reviews that rolled out Friday, once the film was in theaters, weren’t good. Xan Brooks of The Guardian compared the film to a “medieval tribute to placate the greedy king on his throne.” Owen Gleiberman of Variety called it a “cheese ball informercial of staggering inertia.” Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter wrote: “To say that ‘Melania’ is a hagiography would be an insult to hagiographies.”

But among those who bought tickets over the weekend, the response was far more positive. “Melania” landed an “A” CinemaScore. Audiences were overwhelmingly 55 and older (72% of ticket buyers), female (72%) and white (75%). As expected, the movie played best in the South, with top states including Florida and Texas.

David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm FranchiseRe called it “an excellent opening for a political documentary.”

“For any other film, with $75 million in costs and limited foreign potential, it would be a problem,” said Gross. “But this is a political investment, not a for-profit movie venture, and if it helps Amazon with a regulatory, taxation, tariff or other government issue, then it will pay back. $75 million is insignificant to Amazon.”

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive for the premiere of her movie

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive for the premiere of her movie “Melania” at The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center For The Performing Arts, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

“Melania” is Ratner’s first film since he was accused of sexual misconduct in 2017. Multiple women, including the actor Olivia Munn, accused Ratner of sexual harassment and misconduct. Ratner has denied the allegations. Last fall, after Trump’s reported intervention, Paramount Pictures said it would distribute his “Rush Hour 4.”

“Melania,” which will stream on Prime Video following its theatrical run, was released globally. Shortly before its debut, South African distributor Filmfinity said it would no longer release it. The company said it changed course “based on recent developments.”

International ticket sales for “Melania” were expected to be minuscule.

Top 10 movies by domestic box office

With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:

1. “Send Help,” $20 million.

2. “Iron Lung,” $17.9 million.

3. “Melania,” $7 million.

4. “Zootopia 2,” $5.8 million.

5. “Shelter,” $5.5 million.

6. “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” $5.5 million.

7. “Mercy,” $4.7 million.

8. “The Housemaid,” $3.5 million.

9. “Marty Supreme,” $2.9 million.

10. “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple,” $1.5 million.

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The Dictatorship

‘ICE out’: Bad Bunny uses Grammy speech to speak out

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‘ICE out’: Bad Bunny uses Grammy speech to speak out

As awards season progresses, celebrities continue to speak out against the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown — especially in Minneapolis. Though some stars have opted for a slight nod of resistance with pins that say “ICE out,” others have been more vocal in their stances.

Upon accepting the Grammy Award for Best Música Urbana Album on Sunday night, Bad Bunny got straight to the point.

“Before I say thanks to God, I’m going to say ICE out,” the Puerto Rican performer said as soon as he approached the podium with award in hand.

After a standing ovation and cheers from the crowd, he continued.

“We’re not savage, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens. We are humans and we are Americans.”⁣

This is not the first time the artist has spoken out against the Trump administration’s rhetoric against immigrants in the United States. Last year, he announced he would no longer tour in the U.S., which drew criticism from some right-wing commentators.

Despite that pushback, Bad Bunny scored the headlining spot at this year’s Super Bowl and said he decided to “do just one date in the United States.”

The album Bad Bunny accepted the award for, “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” also won Album of the Year, becoming the first primarily Spanish-language album to win the distinction in the ceremony’s 68-year history.

Kathleen Creedon is a platforms editor for MS NOW. She previously worked as a web producer for Vanity Fair.

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