Showing as a visitor on Friday’s Morning Joe on MS NOW, Tom Rogers — the founding father of CNBC — in contrast ICE to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard as he suggested Democrats to collapse to Republicans and assist funding DHS to keep away from blame if there’s a terrorist assault.
MS NOW’s Jackie Alemany introduced up an op-ed Rogers revealed at Newsweek.com as she arrange the dialogue:
And one thing that you simply wrote, Tom, that I believe is a really prescient and urgent issue right here is that by not funding Homeland Safety and undermining the federal authorities’s capacity to do something potential to guard towards potential terror assaults is a very dangerous thought, and one thing that Democrats would possibly probably personal within the very horrible, unlucky case that that does occur throughout a time of battle.
Rogers started his response:
Effectively, I believe that we have already seen the Iranian response on the subject of the Strait of Hormuz. The opposite response, which may properly occur, is a significant terrorist assault right here. And if that have been to occur, I believe it is one thing that might rekindle assist for President Trump.
He added:
It may actually take away all of the political momentum on affordability, on immigration, on how unpopular this battle is and switch it into one thing the place there’s assist for Trump on the premise that he merely blames the Democrats for not permitting the Division of Homeland Safety to have the sources to guard the nation at a time of battle.
After arguing that Democrats ought to assist defending the nation, he then made his obnoxious comparability between ICE and the Iranian army: “However there isn’t any doubt the Democratic place is appropriate, that we should not have ICE operating round performing just like the Iranian Republican Guard, roughing individuals up on the streets with out the constraints that police function in on this nation.”
He concluded:
And, subsequently, I believe they need to be the adults within the room and say, “Look, we will fund this for 60 days. We’ll come again in 60 days and consider issues. However we are the adults. We’ll relieve all of the traces at airports, and we’re going to ensure the nation is protected though the Republicans and Trump truly entered a battle with out fascinated by defending the nation firstly.”
Transcript follows:
MS NOW’s Morning Joe
March 20, 2026
9:37 a.m. Jap
JACKIE ALEMANY: And one thing that you simply wrote, Tom, that I believe is a really prescient and urgent issue right here is that by not funding Homeland Safety and undermining the federal authorities’s capacity to do something potential to guard towards potential terror assaults is a very dangerous thought, and one thing that Democrats would possibly probably personal within the very horrible, unlucky case that that does occur throughout a time of battle.
TOM ROGERS, FOUNDER OF CNBC:Â Effectively, I believe that we have already seen the Iranian response on the subject of the Strait of Hormuz. The opposite response, which may properly occur, is a significant terrorist assault right here. And if that have been to occur, I believe it is one thing that might rekindle assist for President Trump. It may actually take away all of the political momentum on affordability, on immigration, on how unpopular this battle is and switch it into one thing the place there’s assist for Trump on the premise that he merely blames the Democrats for not permitting the Division of Homeland Safety to have the sources to guard the nation at a time of battle.
And my view is, one, it’s a time of battle, and the primary precedence needs to be defending the homeland. Two, the Democrats ought to shield all of the political momentum they’ve, which with out some main occasion like that, I am unable to see any favorability of Trump’s being rekindled anytime quickly. Principally, hey, Democrats, do not blow it if one thing blows up right here.
However there isn’t any doubt the Democratic place is appropriate that we should not have ICE operating round performing just like the Iranian Republican guard roughing individuals up on the streets with out the constraints that police function in on this nation. And, subsequently, I believe they need to be the adults within the room and say, “Look, we will fund this for 60 days. We’ll come again in 60 days and consider issues. However we are the adults. We’ll relieve all of the traces at airports, and we’re going to ensure the nation is protected though the Republicans and Trump truly entered a battle with out fascinated by defending the nation firstly.”
