Overview
- At an Oct. 8 White House roundtable on Antifa, a reporter asked President Trump about possibly suspending habeas corpus, prompting him to reply, “Suspending who?”
- Trump redirected the question to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who said she had not been part of any discussions about suspending the writ.
- Clips of the moment drew wide online ridicule and late-night commentary, including Seth Meyers highlighting Trump’s deferral and Noem’s past stumble on the term.
- In May, Noem incorrectly defined habeas corpus during Senate testimony before being corrected by Sen. Maggie Hassan, and aide Stephen Miller said officials were “actively looking” at suspension.
- Legal context in the coverage explains that suspending habeas corpus would enable detention without charges or prompt judicial review, and reporting shows no formal move to implement it.