Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents assisting at airport security checkpoints are being asked not to wear masks, President Donald Trump said Monday morning, as staffing shortages strain Transportation Security Administration (TSA) operations during the ongoing Department of Homeland Security shutdown. Trump said last week that ICE agents would be deployed to help manage security amid a surge in TSA callouts. ICE agents began assisting at some major airports on Monday. “I am a BIG proponent of ICE wearing masks as they search for, and are forced to deal with, hardened criminals, many of whom were let into our Country by Sleepy Joe Biden and his wonderful ‘Border Czar,’ Kamala (she never even went to the Border!), through their absolutely INSANE Open Border Policy,” Trump posted to Truth Social. “I would greatly appreciate, however, NO MASKS, when helping our Country out of the Democrat caused MESS at the airports, etc.” The use of masks by ICE agents has become a point of contention in shutdown negotiations. Democrats have pushed to limit the practice, while supporters argue that face coverings help protect agents from being identified and targeted. ICE personnel have faced an increase in assaults in recent years, particularly during heightened immigration enforcement operations. Former acting ICE Director Jonathan Fahey said the risk could be lower in an airport setting. “I think there’s less of a danger in these situations […] because they’ll be functioning in a security role and most people will be welcoming their help to move the lines quickly,” Fahey told The Daily Wire. Fahey added that masking is not unique to ICE, noting it is also common in drug enforcement operations where officers could face retaliation or doxing. The ICE deployment comes as airports nationwide grapple with staffing disruptions. More than 300 TSA agents have quit since the shutdown began in mid-February, according to reports, and remaining agents are working without paychecks as essential employees. Some airports have advised travelers to arrive significantly earlier than usual. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport urged passengers Monday to arrive “at least 4 hours early.” The decision to send ICE agents into airports has drawn immediate pushback from Democrats, who say it could worsen disruptions. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) said the presence of ICE would “only aggravate delays & lines,” while raising broader concerns about enforcement tactics. Shutdown negotiations remain stalled. The White House sent a counteroffer to the Senate last week, but progress has been slow. Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) has been the only Democrat to oppose the shutdown from the beginning. The standoff comes at a pivotal time for the DHS, as Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) undergoes the confirmation process to succeed Secretary Kristi Noem.

President Donald Trump thanked Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents for helping TSA employees on Monday and suggested that he could also deploy the National Guard to address ongoing airport chaos. “I want to thank ICE because they stepped in so strongly. They’ll do great, and if that’s not enough, I’ll bring in the National Guard. We’re not going to have the Democrats destroy our country,” Trump told reporters on Monday. ICE agents began shifts at airports nationwide on Monday morning as TSA delays worsen at major hubs amid a partial government shutdown that has stretched into its 37th day. Over the weekend, more than a third of TSA employees called in absent or sick at some of the largest airports in the United States, including Atlanta, Houston, and New York City, according to the Department of Homeland Security. TSA agents have not been paid since the partial government shutdown began. The ICE agents at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport appeared to be focusing on patrolling lines outside TSA checkpoints and assisting with crowd control as lines stretched out of the building, CBS News reported on Monday morning. Some passengers told CBS News that they had been waiting in line for hours and had arrived at the airport four hours before their flights. ICE agents are expected to help the short-staffed TSA crews by checking passengers’ IDs while TSA employees focus on security screenings. Atlanta Democratic Mayor Andre Dickens assured travelers that ICE agents would not conduct immigration operations at the airport and would report to TSA. The heroes of ICE have arrived at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to assist the short-staffed TSA agents, who’ve gone more than a month without pay as a result of the Democrat shutdown of @DHSgov. pic.twitter.com/3bmtJqRawd — Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 23, 2026 Trump also asked for ICE agents to keep masks off while they work at airports, arguing that air travelers “typically aren’t murderers, killers, drug dealers, etc.” “I didn’t think it was an appropriate look for an airport,” he added. “I think it’s a very appropriate look when they’re out on the street trying to find one of the 11,888 murderers that sleepy Joe Biden let into the country.” Trump told reporters that the partial shutdown, which is affecting funding for the Department of Homeland Security, “is all caused by the Democrats.” “Just so you know, all this money was approved. … The Democrats went in, and they want to have radical Left lunatics come into our country, they want to have drug dealers, they want to have murderers come into our country. They want to have open borders, and we’re not letting it happen,” Trump said. The DHS funding lapse stems from a fight between Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill as Democratic lawmakers push for ICE reform to be part of any funding deal. While Congress remains deadlocked over DHS funding, some TSA employees have said they can’t afford to miss any more paychecks, The Daily Wire previously reported. After the record-breaking government shutdown last year, TSA employees who remained on the job received a $10,000 bonus on top of back pay. Trump told reporters on Monday that another bonus could be a possibility for TSA employees who remain on the job during this shutdown. “It’s not easy for them,” Trump said of the TSA workers going without paychecks.

President Trump said he is “not a fan” of former National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent following Kent’s resignation and reports that the FBI is investigating him over allegations of leaking classified information. Trump sharply criticized Kent in remarks to reporters on Monday, portraying him as ungrateful after being brought into the administration.  “Look, I’m not a fan of the guy,” Trump said, adding that he felt bad for Kent after his wife’s death and losing two Congressional races. “I said, ‘Call him up, give him a job in the White House,’ and this is what he does.” A source familiar with the matter told The Daily Wire that federal authorities are probing whether Kent improperly shared classified material. The investigation comes just days after Kent stepped down from his post in protest of the Trump administration’s military campaign against Iran’s Islamic regime. President Trump says he is not a fan of Joe Kent. pic.twitter.com/8yVV5FZX5d — Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) March 23, 2026 “I hear they’re looking at him for leaking. That’s possible,” Trump said. Trump also brought up Kent’s personal life, noting that after his wife’s death, “he remarried fairly quickly.” In his resignation letter, Kent argued that Iran “posed no imminent threat to our nation” and claimed the conflict was driven by “pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.” “Iran’s been a threat for 47 years, and there’s not a country in the world that doesn’t agree with me on that,” Trump said. “I never knew he had a problem.” Last week, Vice President JD Vance echoed the administration’s stance, emphasizing that officials are expected to support presidential decisions once they are made. “Whatever your view is, when the President of the United States makes a decision, it’s your job to make that decision as effective and successful as possible,” Vance said. “If you are on the team and you cannot help implement the decisions of his administration … then it’s a good thing for you to resign.” Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard also raised concerns about Kent’s public comments blaming Israel for the war. When asked by Rep. Elise Stefanik whether the remarks were troubling, Gabbard replied, “Yes.” In a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing last week, CIA Director John Ratcliffe directly contradicted Kent. “I think Iran has been a constant threat to the United States for an extended period of time and posed an immediate threat,” he said. Since leaving the administration, Kent has appeared on podcasts hosted by Tucker Carlson and Megyn Kelly, where he has continued to argue that the war with Iran does not serve American interests and has sought to rally opposition among conservative audiences.  Following his departure, people in Trump’s orbit accused him of leaking, with one calling him a “crazed egomaniac.” “Joe Kent is a crazed egomaniac who was often at the center of national security leaks, while rarely (never?) producing any actual work,” said Taylor Budowich, the former deputy White House chief of staff. “He spent all of his time working to subvert the chain of command and undermine the President of the United States.” “This isn’t some principled resignation — he just wanted to make a splash before getting canned. What a loser.”

Leonid Radvinsky, the owner of OnlyFans, has died at age 43 following a battle with cancer, the company announced Monday. “We are deeply saddened to announce the death of Leo Radvinsky. Leo passed away peacefully after a long battle with cancer,” the subscription platform said in a statement. “His family have requested privacy at this difficult time.” The Ukrainian-American billionaire entrepreneur purchased Fenix International, the parent company of OnlyFans, in 2018, according to The New York Post. He served as the company’s director and majority owner until his death.  Radvinsky was known for staying out of the spotlight and had not publicly announced his illness. He was a graduate of Northwestern University with a degree in economics and is survived by his wife, Katie Chudnovsky, and their four children. The family resided in Florida. He famously declined interviews and did not attend industry events. According to The Wall Street Journal, employees were required to sign nondisclosure agreements limiting unauthorized disclosures about the company and its operations. At the time of his death, Radvinsky’s net worth was estimated at $7.8 billion.  The tech entrepreneur is credited with turning OnlyFans into the massively successful company that it is today. Under his leadership, OnlyFans grew into a highly profitable platform that allows creators to sell subscription-based content directly to users, including pornographic material.  Critics say the model has expanded access to producing and distributing adult content and played a role in normalizing sex work. Reports indicated that Radvinsky had explored a potential sale of the company but had not finalized a deal. 

Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, deputy commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), delivered a direct message to the Iranian people in a new interview, drawing a sharp distinction between the country’s ruling regime and its citizens. Speaking with Iran International’s Samira Gharaei, Cooper said the United States remains prepared to counter aggression from Iran and its proxies, while emphasizing that the broader goal is regional stability, a vision he believes is shared by the Iranian public but stifled by their leaders. The centerpiece of the conversation was Cooper’s direct address to the people of Iran. He went to great lengths to draw a clear line between the ruling regime’s actions and the population’s aspirations. “The government, they could stop this war right now, absolutely, if they chose to do so,” Cooper said, criticizing Iranian leadership for continuing hostilities. He also accused the regime of endangering its own population by launching missiles and drones from populated areas. “They need to stop putting the wonderful Iranian people at risk,” he added. “They have no care for the people. They’re threatening their own people.” Cooper said Iranian-backed forces have carried out at least 300 attacks targeting civilians across the Middle East, adding, “That needs to stop.” Then he turned to the Iranian citizenry, saying: For the Iranian people, the wonderful Iranian people who I’ve gotten to know over several years, including living in the region for many years, extraordinary culture, deep culture of thousands of years, my main message is this: First and foremost, we are attacking the regime in the Islamic Republic, not the wonderful people. The second piece is continue to heed our advice. We’ve had multiple messages that have come out that have said, “Beware, the government doesn’t care about you. They’re launching missiles and drones from populated areas. You need to stay inside for right now.” Third, there will be a clear signal at some point, as the President has indicated, for you to be able to come out. And then the last thing I’d like everyone to know is I’ve watched this over the last week, this extraordinary contrast between the comfort and protection that you’re seeing with the senior generals in the Islamic Republic, at least those that are still alive, who are up in deep bunkers and facilities in and around Tehran, and contrast that with the soldiers who are down on the ground, who are unprotected. The generals are protected; the soldiers are not protected. I’ve watched this in Bashir, Shiraz, Bandar Abbas, Abu Musa Island, Konarak, Jask, Chabahar, over and over again. This is a story that has to be told over and over again so that the people understand exactly what’s happening. The generals are protected; the people are not. “And I think this is an important point,” he concluded.