Overview
- During a Senate hearing on sanctuary cities and immigration, Sen. John Kennedy questioned Cato Institute scholar David Bier by reading his social media posts aloud and calling them hyperbolic.
- Kennedy cited posts from late 2025 and early 2026, including Bier’s call for service members to refuse unethical orders and his description of a “population purge agenda.”
- Bier defended his language, saying a Department of Homeland Security post advocated 100 million deportations and asserting that such a plan would be ethnic cleansing.
- Bier contrasted federal judges with immigration agents, saying judges are “much braver” than ICE officers who “hide behind masks” and, in his view, violate the Constitution.
- The exchange turned personal as Bier told Kennedy, “Your time is up,” and Kennedy replied, “You trigger my gag reflex,” with no immediate policy action or findings announced.