NW Riverside News

Mark Takano, a member of the U.S. Congress representing California's 39th district, has recently shared his views on several political issues through social media posts. Takano, who succeeded Jerry Lewis in 2013 and holds a degree from Harvard University, expressed concerns over recent actions by former President Donald Trump and their implications for national security and free speech.

On March 4, 2025, Takano criticized Trump's decision to cut off aid, describing it as a "sign of weakness" rather than strength. He stated that this action was making the United States less safe by yielding to foreign influence. Takano urged Republicans to publicly denounce this move. "Trump cutting off this aid isn’t a sign of strength; it’s one of weakness. He is bowing Putin and making us less safe. Republicans must publicly denounce this."

Later that day, Takano addressed the firing of David, a veteran who had been working for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). He invited David to hear directly from the President and called for accountability regarding the dismissal of veterans by both Trump and Elon Musk. "David was fulfilling his service to our country by working for the VA. Last month, he was fired. I'm inviting David to hear from the President directly. I hope the President can answer to David and the thousands of other veterans he and Elon Musk have fired."

On March 5, 2025, Takano commented on Trump's approach to free speech following an incident where a Member of Congress was removed from the chamber for disagreeing with him. He likened this behavior to practices in Soviet Russia."Trump's version of free speech is kicking a Member of Congress out of the chamber who disagreed with him. It's like Soviet Russia."