Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-CA) was laughed off the set of CNBC’s Squawk Box when he tried to gaslight the hosts into believing the Trump White House weaponized the Department of Justice (DOJ). That’s a flat-out lie. The politicization of the DOJ began under Obama and peaked under Joe Biden. We know about Arctic Frost, Plasmic Echo, and the ongoing surveillance operations against the Trump family and its officials.
It’s why co-host Joe Kernen had a good laugh:
Joe Kernen LAUGHED Democrat Rep. Pete Aguilar off the set on live TV. Aguilar came on Squawk Box this morning and tried to claim it’s Republicans who turned the Justice Department into a political weapon. Kernen was willing to do what most of the press won’t...he CALLED OUT Aguilar to his face called and started rattling off names. He began by naming every Democrat AG who did EXACTLY that...then told Aguilar he was impressed he could even say what he just said with a straight face. It was brilliant to watch. KERNEN: “Congressman, if we lived in a perfect world, I’d be nodding.” “But do I need to mention Merrick Garland? Do I need to mention Eric Holder? Janet Reno? Loretta Lynch, who was on the plane with Bill Clinton?” “I mean, come on.” “I love you, congressman. But you delivered that with a straight face, which is what I liked.” Aguilar had nothing. He called it a conspiracy theory and tried to pivot to costs. AGUILAR: “If you want to talk about 12 year old conspiracy theories about planes, that’s fine. Joe, the American people are getting crushed with costs.” Kernen wasn’t done. KERNEN: “Eric Holder was Obama’s wingman.” Good for Kernen. This needed to be said.
— Overton (@overton_news) November 11, 2026
KERNEN: “Congressman, if we lived in a perfect world, I’d be nodding.”
“But do I need to mention Merrick Garland? Do I need to mention Eric Holder? Janet Reno? Loretta Lynch, who was on the plane with Bill Clinton?”
“I mean, come on.”
“I love you, congressman. But you delivered that with a straight face, which is what I liked.”
Aguilar had nothing. He called it a conspiracy theory and tried to pivot to costs.
AGUILAR: “If you want to talk about 12 year old conspiracy theories about planes, that’s fine. Joe, the American people are getting crushed with costs.”
Kernen wasn’t done.
KERNEN: “Eric Holder was Obama’s wingman.”
This is what happens when you only watch MSNBC.