The Needle: Trump Puts His Face on DOJ HQ, D.C. Restaurant Owners Told to Fire Migrant Workers, And Kash Patel Flew to the Olympics On Your Dime
- February 20, 2026
The Needle: Trump Puts His Face on DOJ HQ, D.C. Restaurant Owners Told to Fire Migrant Workers, And Kash Patel Flew to the Olympics On Your Dime – Washington City Paper
Hell’s kitchen: D.C. restaurant owners are being told they must fire workers who Homeland Security Investigations agents have flagged after collecting I-9 forms last year, or prove that they are legally authorized to work within 10 business days. One owner told Washingtonian HSI flagged more than two-thirds of the staff even though they believe the employees are all legally allowed to work. Minus two points for screwing with working people. -2 [Washingtonian]
So sad it’s funny: Ben Palmer, a stand-up comedian from Nashville, set up a fake ICE hotline and received nearly 100 tips from across the country. People reported their exes, their Uber drivers, and random people they saw at the grocery store. One woman, a teacher, reported the parents of a kindergarten student at her school. Palmer has posted some of the tips on TikTok. They’re worth a watch. Plus five points for dark comedy. +5 [Post]
Of course: Convicted felon and President Donald Trump keeps dumping crap from the East Wing demolition and construction site onto the golf course at East Potomac Park. Minus one point for destroying the “people’s golf course.” -1 [NYT]
Stated plainly: Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen and about a dozen other Democrats will not attend Trump’s State of the Union address next week. “We cannot normalize this moment when Trump is marching our country toward fascism,” Van Hollen said. “I refuse to be a prop in the chamber as Donald Trump shreds our Constitution and attacks our democracy.” He’s joining other lawmakers and supporters for an event they’re calling “The People’s State of the Union,” which is scheduled for the same evening. Plus one point for alternative programming. +1 [Informer]
Monumental ego: Vietnam War vets are suing the Trump administration over the president’s planned 250-foot triumphal arch. They argue that the stupid thing will disrupt the experience of visiting the Arlington National Cemetery and “obstruct the “symbolic and inspiring view” from the cemetery to the Lincoln Memorial. Plus one point for trying to stop it. +1 [Post]
Another goddamn banner with his face on it: Trump hung a banner of himself on the Department of Justice’s headquarters. Comparisons to North Korea and Nazi Germany ensued. Former FBI Director James Comey, who Trump has tried and failed to indict, called the banner “sickening to see,” adding that Trump “forgot to cover up the inscription” on the building that says, “Where law ends tyranny begins.” Minus one point for tyranny. -1 [NBC News, Guardian, Post]
Kash out: Current FBI Director Kash Patel flew to the Olympics in Italy on the FBI jet at a cost to taxpayers of about $75,000. The FBI claims Patel’s trip was for business, not personal reasons. Minus one point for wasting our money on some bullshit. -1 [MS Now]
