Matthew Chapman
January 27, 2026
RAW STORY
U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) speaks as Kash Patel, U.S. President Donald Trump's nominee to be director of the FBI, testifies before a Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., January 30, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
Senate Judiciary Committee chair Chuck Grassley (R-IA) pleaded ignorance when questioned by reporters on Tuesday about whether Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents had legal authority to break into people's homes without a warrant from a judge.
According to Igor Bobic of HuffPost, when Grassley was posed the question, the answer he gave was, “Ask a constitutional lawyer. I'm a farmer.”
Grassley, age 92, has served multiple terms heading up the Judiciary Committee, where he has been responsible for, among other things, vetting and shepherding through the confirmation of President Donald Trump's judicial nominees.
Ironically, in 2014, the Iowa Senate race that went on to elect Grassley's junior colleague Joni Ernst was shaken up when her Democratic opponent, then-Rep. Bruce Braley, was raked over the coals by Republicans and the Iowa press for telling a room full of attorneys in Texas that Grassley's background as a farmer made him unqualified to chair the Judiciary Committee.
"If you help me win this race you may have someone with your background, your experience, your voice, someone who’s been literally fighting tort reform for 30 years, in a visible or public way, on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Or, you might have a farmer from Iowa who never went to law school, never practiced law, serving as the next chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee," said Braley at the time. He gave a lengthy apology when the remarks were leaked.
While Grassley deflected the question, other GOP senators are increasingly raising alarms about ICE tactics and Homeland Security leadership in general. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) told Bobic he objects to “the idea that you can write your own warrant,” while Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) have outright called for DHS Secretary Kristi Noem's resignation.
Top Republican sparks outrage after playing dumb about Trump's ICE: 'Coward'
Robert Davis
January 27, 2026
RAW STORY
U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) speaks during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., September 16, 2025. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), sparked outrage on Tuesday after he seemed to play dumb about whether some of the actions of President Donald Trump's immigration forces are legal.
Igor Bobíc, senior politics reporter at HuffPost, posted on X that he tried asking Grassley whether it is appropriate for Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to enter an American citizen's home without a judicial warrant. Last week, the Associated Press reported that ICE officers have been told they have the legal authority to enter people's homes without a warrant, sparking outrage from legal experts.
“Ask a constitutional lawyer,” said Grassley, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee. “I'm a farmer.”
Grassley's comments happened at a time when Trump's immigration forces are facing increased scrutiny over their actions in Minneapolis. Over the last several weeks, immigration agents have shot multiple people while conducting immigration raids. Two shootings have led to high-profile deaths that caused calls for the Trump administration to reform its operations.
Political analysts shared their reactions on social media.
"This f------ chickens--- coward," writer Charlotte Clymer posted on X.
"Disgraceful," The Tennessee Holler posted on X.
"I see Chuck Grassley’s going with the 'I'm just a smol bean' defense here," progressive YouTuber Brian Tyler Cohen posted on X.
"To be fair, Chuck's 92, he started bending the knee to Trump back 10 years ago and just couldn't get back up," the anti-Trump group The Lincoln Project posted on X.
Robert Davis
January 27, 2026
RAW STORY
U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) speaks during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., September 16, 2025. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), sparked outrage on Tuesday after he seemed to play dumb about whether some of the actions of President Donald Trump's immigration forces are legal.
Igor Bobíc, senior politics reporter at HuffPost, posted on X that he tried asking Grassley whether it is appropriate for Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to enter an American citizen's home without a judicial warrant. Last week, the Associated Press reported that ICE officers have been told they have the legal authority to enter people's homes without a warrant, sparking outrage from legal experts.
“Ask a constitutional lawyer,” said Grassley, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee. “I'm a farmer.”
Grassley's comments happened at a time when Trump's immigration forces are facing increased scrutiny over their actions in Minneapolis. Over the last several weeks, immigration agents have shot multiple people while conducting immigration raids. Two shootings have led to high-profile deaths that caused calls for the Trump administration to reform its operations.
Political analysts shared their reactions on social media.
"This f------ chickens--- coward," writer Charlotte Clymer posted on X.
"Disgraceful," The Tennessee Holler posted on X.
"I see Chuck Grassley’s going with the 'I'm just a smol bean' defense here," progressive YouTuber Brian Tyler Cohen posted on X.
"To be fair, Chuck's 92, he started bending the knee to Trump back 10 years ago and just couldn't get back up," the anti-Trump group The Lincoln Project posted on X.
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