The Brief | When the Left's Own Icon Gets the MeToo Treatment
The Cesar Chavez cover-up the progressive establishment doesn't want to discuss — plus: Trump & Netanyahu's $120/barrel blowup, & Joe Kent's very convenient timing.
Happy Friday!
Weekend is incoming, and I am here for it! Although the office DIY saga continues because we realized we made a mistake and need to rip out the crown molding. This is after we cut, mounted, and caulked. Fun times! In case it’s not obvious, that is sarcasm.
I will break it all down for you in the Sunday Desk so you can learn from our mistakes.
Also, in today’s edition of the Brief, I linked the gift links to some really good articles. I recommend you add them to your reading list.
ICYMI, we talked about it on the podcast!
The Brief runs Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. If someone forwarded this to you, you can fix that problem at the bottom of this email. Let’s get into it.
In today’s Brief:
The NYT blew up one of the left’s most sacred icons — and the MeToo crowd is conspicuously quiet.
Israel bombed Iran’s biggest gas field without telling Trump, oil hit $120, and now the president and Netanyahu are publicly at odds.
Joe Kent resigned, went on Tucker, claimed Israel controls Trump — then the FBI leak investigation dropped. Interesting timing.
James Comey has been subpoenaed in a probe with 130+ grand jury subpoenas and a certain Florida judge presiding.
Democrats blocked even a standalone voter ID vote — and one senator explained exactly why.
The “ICE arrested a 5-year-old” story was wrong from day one. The asylum denial just confirmed it.The Brief runs Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. If someone forwarded this to you, you can fix that problem at the bottom of this email. Let’s get into it.
The Cesar Chavez Reckoning — When the Movement Protects the Man
A bombshell New York Times investigation (🎁 link) has exposed Cesar Chavez — labor icon, face of the Latino civil rights movement, recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the man whose bust Biden displayed in the Oval Office — as someone who systematically groomed and sexually abused underage girls for years.
Two women, Ana Murguia and Debra Rojas, both now 66, told the Times that Chavez began abusing them at ages 12 and 13. Then came the most seismic disclosure: Dolores Huerta — Chávez’s closest ally, the woman who coined “Sí, se puede,” who turns 96 next month — broke a 60-year silence and confirmed that Chávez sexually assaulted her twice in the 1960s, resulting in two pregnancies she kept hidden.
The United Farm Workers canceled all Cesar Chavez Day celebrations. A statue in Fresno was covered. California is moving to rename Cesar Chavez Day to Farmworkers Day. Chavez’s biographer, Dartmouth professor Matthew Garcia, was direct: “Chavez became too big to fail,” and the foundation — separately under scrutiny by California for financial misappropriation — actively suppressed victims to protect the image and the money.
But here’s the question the “shocked” politicians haven’t answered: how shocked can you really be?
Gov. Gavin Newsom told reporters he’s “still processing” the news and that it’s been “hard to absorb.” He noted that he and his wife, Jennifer, are “very close” with Dolores Huerta, the woman who apparently carried the secret of Chavez’s assaults for six decades while remaining one of California’s most prominent political figures. That’s a tight circle to be “in” and yet somehow entirely in the dark.
The paper trail suggests the inner circle had more than rumors to go on. The NYT’s own investigation documented that internal UFW emails discussed Murguia’s abuse claims for over a decade. More than 10 years ago, Debra Rojas — one of the two primary victims — posted in a private Facebook group for longtime UFW organizers: “Wake up people. This man u march for every year molested me.” She was pressured to delete it within days by people who accused her of jeopardizing the movement. UFW insiders saw it. They made a choice.
This wasn’t entirely hidden from the broader scholarly record either. Both of Chavez’s major biographies — Matt Garcia’s From the Jaws of Victory (2012) and Miriam Pawel’s The Crusades of Cesar Chavez (2014) — documented his serial extramarital affairs in detail, including the well-known episode where his wife left him after intercepting a love letter to an 18-year-old girl. Historians had noted that “sex played a role in his efforts to control the movement” and that the UFW became what some compared to a cult, after Chavez developed an affinity for the cult Synanon led by Charles Dietrich. Neither author raised the abuse of minors, but the shape of the pattern was already there in print, for anyone willing to look.
The Washington Post ran an opinion piece this week headlined simply: “News of César Chavez sexually abusing women and girls didn’t surprise me.” (🎁 link) That’s not a fringe take. That’s the Post.
This is the same political coalition that was loudest on MeToo, that toppled statues, demanded accountability, and told us no one gets a pass. Now Democrats are scrambling to find the right distancing language, and Axios's follow-up noted that Biden’s 2024 campaign manager is Chávez’s own granddaughter. The real story isn’t just what Chavez did. It’s who knew, what they chose to protect, and what “the cause” has been used to justify burying.
Week Three in Iran — A $120 Barrel and a Strategy Coming Apart
The gas field. Israel struck Iran’s South Pars — the world’s largest offshore gas field, jointly operated with Qatar — without U.S. coordination. Trump said he knew nothing. Netanyahu said “Israel acted alone.” Trump called Netanyahu directly and told him to stop. Netanyahu agreed not to repeat it.
The blowback. Iran retaliated by striking Qatar’s Ras Laffan Industrial City, knocking out 17% of Qatar’s total LNG export capacity and threatening Al Udeid Air Base, the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East. Oil briefly touched $120 a barrel. Treasury Secretary Bessent floated suspending sanctions on Iranian oil to calm markets, which would mean letting Iran profit from its own war to stabilize a crisis it helped create.
The strategy gap. Gabbard testified before both intelligence committees that U.S. and Israeli war goals are different; Israel wants to “disable the Iranian leadership,” and Trump wants to destroy Iran’s military capability. Those aren’t the same war. She also confirmed the new Supreme Leader is more hardline than his father, and that Iran still holds 440 kg of 60%-enriched uranium, enough for 10 nuclear weapons. Meanwhile, the WSJ’s inside account (🎁 link) details Israel’s systematic decapitation campaign, with thousands of regime members killed from top leaders to street-level forces.
The execution that wasn’t supposed to happen. Iran publicly hanged Saleh Mohammadi — a 19-year-old champion wrestler — along with two other protesters, per the New York Post. Trump had previously told Americans Tehran assured him executions would stop. They didn’t.
The polls. 83% of Republicans support Operation Epic Fury and back Trump over Tucker Carlson and Megyn Kelly. A separate Reuters/Ipsos poll found 59% of all Americans disapprove of the war and 65% think Trump will send ground troops, with only 7% supporting that. Trump said Thursday he is “not putting troops anywhere.” Both polls are real. Your job is to hold both frames at once.
Joe Kent: Principled Dissenter or Leaker Who Got Caught?
Joe Kent, former Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, resigned in protest this week, claiming Iran posed “no imminent threat” and that Trump launched the war due to “pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.” He immediately went on Tucker Carlson.
Semafor was the first to report that the FBI had been investigating Kent for leaking classified information — before he resigned, with the probe ongoing for months. CIA Director Ratcliffe directly contradicted his threat assessment in Senate testimony. And yesterday NOTUS reported that Kent was being investigated because “FBI agents had determined Kent shared secret government information with disaffected MAGA media figures, like Tucker Carlson,” and “that Kent leaked classified information from a server to a member of the media.” Of course, the sources are unnamed. While some view Kent as an honorable dissenter, others question the timing and alleged coordination of his interview with Tucker.
Before you land on “political hit job,” consider what standard counterintel practice actually looks like. Reports indicate Kent was siloed, kept in place, and access was restricted while investigators watched what he did with what he could still reach. You don’t fire a suspected leaker; you track him. The three-month gap between opening the probe and his resignation isn’t evidence it was fabricated. It’s how you run a real investigation.
What’s harder to explain is the timing of the leak. The probe existed for months. It surfaced publicly within hours of his Tucker interview. The government didn’t have to invent a case to weaponize it, if someone chose to let those three outlets run with it after he went public rather than before, the sequencing alone does the damage. Probe is real. Timing is a choice. Those aren’t the same question.
So here’s where I’ll leave you: Was Kent a principled dissenter who resigned knowing the probe was closing in, and got ahead of it with Tucker? Or was he genuinely unaware, which would mean the FBI was investigating him for months without him knowing and he resigned independently? Because those two scenarios have very different implications for what kind of operation this was — his or theirs.
The Comey Subpoena — What 130 Grand Jury Subpoenas Mean
Former FBI Director Comey has been subpoenaed by federal prosecutors in Florida as part of the DOJ’s “grand conspiracy” investigation into Obama-era intelligence officials. The subpoena relates to his alleged role in the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment on Russian election interference, you know, the one that included the Steele Dossier despite the CIA's consensus that it was an “internet rumor.” The probe has issued 130+ subpoenas. Previously in the crosshairs: John Brennan, Peter Strzok, Lisa Page, Andrew McCabe.
Presiding: Judge Aileen Cannon. CIA Director Ratcliffe has declassified records showing Brennan pushed to include the dossier over intelligence community objections. Declassified Presidential Daily Briefs show the IC assessed as late as December 2016 that Russia “did not impact” the election. For years, concerns about the 2016 ICA were dismissed as conspiracy thinking. 130+ subpoenas and a Judge Cannon grand jury later, that chapter isn’t closed.
⚡ Quick Rundown
Democrats block a standalone voter ID vote. The Senate voted 51-48 to begin debating the SAVE Act, then Republicans called Democrats’ bluff with a clean voter ID-only vote, and Democrats blocked it. Sen. Jacky Rosen’s floor statement: “This bill is about shrinking the size of our electorate to benefit Republicans.” That’s not a policy objection; it’s an admission. Sen. Fetterman, a Democrat: “83% of Americans agree on voter ID.” Fox News has the full breakdown.
The Post Millennial@TPostMillennialSenator Jacky Rosen (D) expresses grievances that the SAVE Act would shrink the size of the Democrat voting pool due to voter ID laws: "This bill is about shrinking the size of our electorate to benefit Republicans."12:51 AM · Mar 20, 2026 · 8.55K Views55 Replies · 24 Reposts · 105 LikesThe “ICE arrested a 5-year-old” story gets its confirmation — and its correction buried. A judge denied asylum for the family of Liam Conejo Ramos and ordered deportation to Ecuador. DHS clarified months ago: ICE conducted a targeted operation on the father, who fled on foot, leaving the child behind. CBS News’s lede on the denial still called it “the arrest” of the boy. Two framing failures, one story.
CBS News@CBSNewsA federal judge has denied the asylum claim for the family of Liam Conejo Ramos, a 5-year-old Minnesota boy whose arrest by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in January gained national attention. According to a statement from Columbia Heights Public School
3:30 AM · Mar 19, 2026 · 201K Views1.27K Replies · 240 Reposts · 989 LikesMullin DHS nomination clears committee. The Senate Homeland Security Committee advanced Markwayne Mullin 8-7, with Sen. Fetterman crossing the aisle to provide the decisive vote. Committee Chairman Rand Paul voted no. Full Senate vote expected next week.
Afroman beats the cops. Ohio rapper Afroman was found not liable in a defamation case filed by seven sheriff’s deputies who sued him for making satirical music videos using security footage of their 2022 home raid. “It’s for Americans,” he said outside the courthouse. Solid First Amendment Friday.
The Lead CNN@TheLeadCNNRapper Afroman emerged victorious in a defamation case filed by police who raided his home in 2022. Afroman tells @jaketapper about how he turned the raid into the album 'Lemon Pound Cake'11:10 PM · Mar 19, 2026 · 218K Views76 Replies · 403 Reposts · 3.14K LikesJames Gracey found. The body of 20-year-old University of Alabama student James Gracey was recovered from the sea near Barcelona on Thursday. Spanish authorities believe the death was accidental. Our condolences to his family and the UA community.
CBS News@CBSNewsThe body of missing University of Alabama student James Gracey, who disappeared on a trip to Barcelona, has been found, Spanish police said Thursday. The 20-year-old from Elmhurst, Illinois, was visiting friends studying abroad during his spring break. cbsn.ws/41hBijE8:19 PM · Mar 19, 2026 · 153K Views30 Replies · 67 Reposts · 271 LikesThe White House registered Aliens.gov. The domain was quietly registered this week, a month after Trump ordered agencies to begin identifying UFO-related files. The site isn’t live. When asked, the White House said: “Stay tuned 👽.” We’ll see.
Let’s Talk About It
Two questions I keep coming back to:
On Cesar Chavez — The UFW saw Debra Rojas's Facebook post over a decade ago and pressured her to delete it. Internal emails about Murguia's abuse circulated for years. Historians documented the cult-like control patterns. Gavin Newsom says he's "still processing." At what point does "I didn't know" become a choice you made?
On Kent — Kent either resigned, knowing the FBI was closing in, and used Tucker as his exit ramp — or he had no idea he was under investigation and quit independently. Those two scenarios have very different implications for what kind of operation this was. Which one do you believe?r?
Reply and tell me what you think. I read everything.
The Brief publishes Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Forward to someone who needs to understand what’s actually happening.
I don’t like that Trump is asking for more $$ for the non war we are in with Iran.