Category: blaze media

Immigration and Customs Enforcement performed another successful sweep on Thursday that resulted in the arrests of several sexual offenders and “violent thugs,” according to a press release exclusively obtained by Blaze News.

‘President Trump and Secretary Noem are calling on patriotic Americans who want to help remove these sickos from our country to apply to become [an] ICE officer.’

The Department of Homeland Security detailed several of the criminal illegal aliens’ arrests that spanned multiple states, including California, Illinois, Texas, and Utah.

ICE Los Angeles captured Leonardo Pop-Coc, an illegal alien from Guatemala, who was registered as a sex offender after he was convicted of sex with a minor in San Dimas.

Leonardo Pop-Coc. Image Source: Department of Homeland Security

ICE Chicago arrested Alejandro Flores-Martinez, an illegal alien from Mexico who was previously convicted of first-degree sexual abuse in Butler County, Missouri.

RELATED: Exclusive: DHS reveals ‘record-shattering’ winning streak on immigration

Alejandro Flores-Martinez. Image Source: Department of Homeland Security

Edgar Agustin Gonzalez-Hernandez, a Mexican national illegally in the U.S., was picked up by ICE Dallas. His criminal record included aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in Amarillo.

Edgar Agustin Gonzalez-Hernandez. Image Source: Department of Homeland Security

DHS also highlighted the arrest of Ricardo Perez-Valdiviezo, an illegal alien from Mexico. He was previously convicted of robbery in Deaf Smith County, Texas, before being picked up on Thursday by ICE Houston.

Ricardo Perez-Valdiviezo. Image Source: Department of Homeland Security

Wilberth Maldecino, an illegal alien from the Philippines, was arrested by ICE Salt Lake City. Maldecino was previously convicted of attempted lewdness with a child in Las Vegas, Nevada.

RELATED: Exclusive: DHS underground nightclub raid dismantles alleged drug operation tied to illegal aliens

Wilberth Maldecino. Image Source: Department of Homeland Security

Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated, “It is sickening to see how many pedophiles, sex offenders, and violent thugs were allowed to roam our streets and prey on Americans. Every single day ICE arrests these criminals and is removing them from our country.”

“President Trump and [DHS] Secretary [Kristi] Noem are calling on patriotic Americans who want to help remove these sickos from our country to apply to become [an] ICE officer at JOIN.ICE.GOV,” she added.

The DHS noted that Americans are applying to join ICE “in droves” to help the agency’s “mission to remove the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens.”

“DHS encourages Americans – of any age – with a commitment to public safety, national service, and upholding the rule of law to apply to join ICE today and help DHS remove the worst of the worst from our communities,” the DHS stated.

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​News, Illegal immigration crisis, Illegal immigration, Immigration, Immigration and customs enforcement, Ice, Donald trump, Trump, Trump administration, Trump admin, Kristi noem, Department of homeland security, Dhs, California, Illinois, Texas, Utah, Los angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Salt lake city, Politics 

The New York Times is getting hit with a wave of online criticism over an article arguing that the left cannot win unless there is a radical restructuring of the government.

The article is titled “Abolish the Senate. End the Electoral College. Pack the Court,” and has as a subheading, “Why the left can’t win without a new Constitution.”

‘The NY Times finally recognizes that the Constitution is a bulwark against totalitarian Communism.’

Most of the criticism is a response to the headline and subheading, but the article is a wide-ranging interview by conservative commentator Ross Douthat of progressive Osita Nwanevu and his book calling for radical change in the structure of the government.

Nwanevu and Douthat discuss the different notions that define democracy, going all the way back to the founders, and debate whether their vision can be improved upon to better serve the modern U.S. electorate.

Many were unimpressed by the radical suggestions and responded negatively on social media.

“The New York Times is finally mainstreaming the idea to overthrow our Constitution,” author J. Michael Waller responded.

“It is helpful to everyone for the modern American left to come out and openly acknowledge what has been obvious, but denied, for a long time: their objective is to repeal and replace the existing U.S. Constitution,” Jim Geraghty of National Review replied.

“The @nytimes has abandoned any pretense and now confirms it actually hates the United States and loathes our democratic republic form of government,” legal analyst Phil Holloway said.

RELATED: New York Times gets mocked mercilessly for claiming women face ‘poop shame’ in the workplace

“Document designed to frustrate revolutionaries and promote compromise and incrementalism works as designed,” Noah Rothman of National Review replied.

“The NY Times finally recognizes that the Constitution is a bulwark against totalitarian Communism. Naturally, the socialist wants a new constitution,” another commenter wrote.

In April, the Times was similarly mocked and ridiculed over an article documenting how Christians were wearing crosses, which was apparently worth chronicling for posterity.

Nwanevu’s book, titled “The Right of the People: Democracy and the Case for a New American Founding,” was released Tuesday.

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​Nyt vs social media, Nytimes mocked and ridiculed, Osita nwanevu democracy, Ross douthat, Politics 

Most residents of the District of Columbia appeared to be supportive of President Donald Trump’s federalization of law enforcement when asked this week by Blaze News national correspondent Julio Rosas, but one was especially rancorous.

Some of the residents didn’t want their faces to be recorded, but even those who said they were uneasy about President Donald Trump admitted that D.C. officials had failed to protect them from crime.

‘You can’t expect a society to flourish when they’re surrounded by things that they can’t predict or control. So it’s a good thing.’

The president said that he would take over criminal enforcement in the district for 30 days as allowed by the Home Rule Act, but he has hinted at possibly keeping the troops there for far longer.

“I think it’s a good thing. I think far too many people feel like they have to keep their head on a swivel going about their daily lives,” said a woman who had been a hairdresser in D.C. for 15 years. “And you can’t expect a society to flourish when they’re surrounded by things that they can’t predict or control. So it’s a good thing.”

“The crime is outrageous, and you do feel unsafe walking the streets, I know me as a senior,” said a black female resident to Rosas.

When asked if she felt like the city and the mayor were addressing her concerns about public safety, she laughed.

“No! You think I would agree with this type of crime going, that it was OK? No,” she laughed.

One man said he was absolutely opposed to the effort and said the president was wrong.

“Hell, yeah, I disagree with Trump, everything. Everything. He’s a crazy maniac. A Hitler type! I don’t like none of his — anything that he’s doing!” the man said.

When asked if he believed what the president said about the high crime rate in D.C., he was just as colorful.

“Hell, no! You walking the street, ain’t nobody jumpin’ on you!” said the man.

“It’s true!” Rosas laughed.

“He can walk the streets too; won’t nobody jump on him!” he continued. “You don’t need a whole bunch of police around here! You police yourself by how you behave! People treat you the way you want to be treated, so no, hell, no, I don’t believe nothing Trump says.”

Another woman who didn’t want to appear on camera said her concerns about crime had not been met by city officials.

“It’s terrible. I don’t even like reading the news no more,” she said. “Every day you read people getting killed and carjacked. It’s just a lot of crap that shouldn’t be going on. So I’m for it.”

RELATED: Nancy Pelosi cites Jan. 6 to criticize Trump takeover of DC — and gets obliterated by former chief of the Capitol Police

When Rosas tried to talk to some left-wing protesters, they were far less accommodating and much more strident. They asked him who he worked for and recoiled in horror when he mentioned Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck’s name.

“Glenn’s an a**hole!” said one female activist.

“He’s a f**king right-wing propagandist! F**k you guys! Get a better job!” said a male activist.

“How does it feel to have a white person to berate a brown person?” asked Rosas. “Does that mean anything to you at all?”

Rosas challenged the man, who identified as white, for telling him to “f**k off” and asked if that would be considered racist.

“I didn’t attack you for being brown. I told you to f**k off and get a better job!” the man responded.

“OK,” Rosas said.

“I’ll tell anybody to f**k off and get a better job if they’re working for fascists!” he added.

He went on to tell Rosas that the white supremacists in the Trump administration would seek to deport him despite his being a U.S. citizen.

‘As a Washingtonian, I love this place! I want it to be better!’

Another woman who also didn’t want to be identified on camera said she wouldn’t support or oppose Trump’s federalization, but said she would support anything that lowered crime. She added that it did appear as if crime had eased up recently.

“I want it to get better! I’m hoping for better!” she said. “As a Washingtonian, I love this place! I want it to be better!”

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​Washington dc residents, Dc militarization, Federalization of dc, Blaze media julio rosas, Politics 

A Chicago father was broadcasting live video on Facebook in front of family and friends when he was shot and killed.

Kevin Watson, 42, parked his car in the city’s South Austin neighborhood and was livestreaming inside his vehicle around 6:14 p.m. Wednesday.

‘This hurt a lot of us.’

Watson is heard talking about a parking dispute he had experienced earlier before becoming alarmed, putting up his hands, and asking, “What’s up, bro? What’s up?”

He then says, “Hell, nah!”

Watson exits his car, and what sounds like a physical confrontation occurs just outside the vehicle — and beyond the view of the video camera in his car.

Seconds later, a single gunshot rings out. The audio of the video then goes eerily silent.

Soon the door of another vehicle is heard slamming shut, after which the sound of a car driving away is audible.

Several people are heard screaming in the background.

One man yells, “Call the police!”

Someone is instructing others to apply pressure to Watson’s gunshot wound.

The New York Post reported that Watson was transported to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The shooting occurred just a few blocks from a police station.

RELATED: Chicago carnage: 50+ shot, 8 killed during bloody July 4th weekend — but mayor focuses on LGBTQ Pride, safety in city

The disturbing Facebook live video was shared on social media. One post that includes the clip had nearly 2 million views as of Friday afternoon.

Some of Watson’s loved ones were watching the livestream.

Freddie Collier, a friend of Watson, stated, “We’re going to have to figure out how to move on and be strong, day to day, to help each other get past this, because this didn’t just hurt one person. This hurt a lot of us.”

Watson was killed just weeks shy of his birthday, and he leaves behind a 6-year-old son.

The fatal shooting occurred near the liquor store where Watson’s cousin worked. Watson reportedly visited his cousin there shortly before he was killed.

“He was choking for breath. He was trying to struggle to breathe,” Watson’s cousin Jacquez Smith told WLS-TV.

Lamar Spencer, a close friend of Watson and a witness, recalled, “I rubbed his palm, and I squeezed his hand, and he wouldn’t squeeze back.”

Alvin Jackson, Watson’s close friend and a shooting witness, told WLS, “He was talking to a guy, and he was going to his car, then the guy followed behind him. So the guy followed behind him and pulled the gun on him. He was trying to wrestle with the gun, and the gun went off.”

Smith said, “He was a good man. No matter what he done, he helped people, you know? He helped me get this job in here.”

The Chicago Sun-Times said there have been no arrests in connection with the deadly shooting, and detectives are investigating the case.

The Chicago Police Department on Friday did not immediately respond to Blaze News’ request for comment.

According to the Chicago Police Department data, there have been 903 shootings in the city so far in 2025 along with 249 murders. The year before, there were 359 murders in the Windy City and 1,432 shootings.

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​Chicago, Chicago crime, Shooting, Ambush, Gun violence, Chicago murders, Chicago shootings, Crime, Facebook live, Livestream, Fatal shooting 

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has accomplished a lot in just a short amount of time. From removing Pfizer’s mRNA jab from the childhood recommended immunization schedule to spearheading organ transplant reform, these massive wins should not go unnoticed.

And they’re not, especially by the medical industry.

“And the reason that industry is attacking Bobby Kennedy, it’s not because of what he’s done. It’s because of what he’s about to do,” BlazeTV host Liz Wheeler says on “The Liz Wheeler Show.”

“Bobby Kennedy is preparing. He’s building. He’s laying the foundation brick by brick to do something paradigm-shifting. But he hasn’t done anything paradigm-shifting yet, and industry is desperate to prevent that,” she continues.

One paradigm-shifting step RFK could take is to overhaul the entire childhood vaccine schedule.

“Incrementalism is not going to take you from evil and corruption to flourishing. And so, yeah, we want the childhood vaccine schedule changed. We don’t just want research. We don’t just want randomized clinical trials. We don’t just want studies into the effects of aluminum,” Wheeler says.

“We need the childhood recommended immunization schedule changed because right now it’s weaponized. It’s weaponized against parents,” she continues.

“It doesn’t matter if the parent looks at a new study and says, ‘Oh, I don’t think that my child needs that vaccine,’ or, you know, ‘In our situation, the benefits do not outweigh the risks.’ If it is not removed from the childhood vaccine schedule, then the experience of parents is going to be the same,” she adds.

Want more from Liz Wheeler?

To enjoy more of Liz’s based commentary, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​Upload, Video phone, Sharing, Free, Video, Camera phone, Youtube.com, The liz wheeler show, The blaze, Blazetv, Blaze news, Blaze podcasts, Blaze podcast network, Blaze media, Blaze online, Blaze originals, Rfk jr, Robert f kennedy jr, Vaccines, Childhood vaccine schedule, Vaccine side effects 

Sydney Sweeney, the all-American icon we desperately need in our post-woke wasteland, is repairing classic Americana — one Ford at a time.

Her now-infamous American Eagle jeans ad may have hit the final nail in woke advertising’s coffin. Betting on the classic, winning formula — hot girl, blue jeans, cool car — American Eagle’s campaign with Sweeney paid off — big-time.

After years of gender-fluid, body-positive ads accompanied by ever-plummeting stock prices, American Eagle’s stock jumped 15% the day the campaign launched — bumping its market cap by $400 million.

The Zoomer bombshell is bringing back the wholesome Americana that we’ve lost to the Millennials’ woke crusade against family, beauty, hard work, and wholesome fun.

Sweeney can fix woke advertising. And apparently, she can fix cars, too.

Restoring the ‘all-American girl’

Amid the idle-making, mind-numbing sea of TikTok content, you may stumble across the surprisingly wholesome, grease-stained oasis of Syd’s Garage.

Separate from her main account, Syd’s Garage is a passion project. In partnership with Ford, Sweeney gets under the hood of Broncos and Mustangs, teaching viewers how to jump-start, fix tire pressure, and change air filters — all while wearing denim overalls, covered in sweat and engine grime, beaming with real joy.

I’ll admit, I had my doubts. Was this just another thirst trap for conservative dudes? Was Sweeney pulling a Cindy Crawford — cracking open a Pepsi in a low-cut top next to a cool car for clicks and kickbacks?

I’m happy to say she proved me wrong.

Syd’s Garage is wholesome, it’s all-American, and it actually shows Sweeney knows a thing or two about cars.

You won’t find low-cut tops or booty shorts here — to my relief. Instead, she’s decked out in Dickies jumpsuits, oversized T-shirts, and the occasional baseball cap as she documents the full restoration of her cherry-red 1969 Ford Bronco — lovingly named “Bronco.”

Her account also features her 1965 Mustang, “Brittney,” a sky-blue Fiat 500 beach cruiser called “Jolly,” and most recently, a tank-like Hummer H3 named “Arnold.”

Sweeney doesn’t outsource the work. She takes apart every piece, de-rusts every nook and cranny, changes the spark plugs, installs new transmissions, and, in her words, “cleans, cleans, cleans.”

It’s not flashy. It’s not overly produced. It’s just a girl who is genuinely passionate about cars — and it happens to be Sydney Sweeney. And as if the channel couldn’t get more lovable, Sweeney’s dad and dog are regularly featured.

Keep going, Sweeney

Say what you want about Sweeney, but the Zoomer bombshell is bringing back an iconic feminine American archetype that’s been lost to the Millennials’ woke crusade against family, beauty, hard work, and wholesome fun.

She’s “Rosie the Riveter” putting in some serious elbow grease. She’s the girl next door fixing cars the way her dad taught her. She loves her family, her dog, and off-roading in America’s deserts. And dare I say, the joy she has in overalls while working on her Bronco is even more stunning than her most glamorous red-carpet looks.

More often than not, the internet is a black hole of doom, gloom, clickbait, thirst traps, and trolls. Syd’s Garage is the exception. Maybe it will inspire a few girls to go offline, put on some gloves, and open a hood.

​Return, Sydney sweeney, Syd’s garage, Tiktok, Americana, American eagle, American eagle ad 

Comedian Marc Maron blamed “anti-woke” performers for ushering in a cultural movement that he likened to fascism.

Maron is widely recognized as a progressive comic, and when he appeared on Howie Mandel’s podcast, “Howie Mandel Does Stuff,” he called out colleagues for continuing to oppose liberal dogma.

Co-host Jackelyn Shultz prompted Maron by saying other comics have taken issue with comedians like Tony Hinchcliffe, who use “shock value” in their routines.

‘Give it a year, it’s going to be Mexicans.’

Maron first called it “lazy and sloppy” for comedians to do bits about transgender people before fully launching into a critique about how comedians like Hinchcliffe are participating in the erosion of rights and progressive culture.

“You guys got the freedom you wanted, you can now say whatever you want, they’re defeated, their rights have been denied,” Maron stated about transgender people. “The policies that you guys encouraged with your stupid material are now policy and now, like, you know, half the people under the umbrella of ‘anti-woke’; we’ve lost a tremendous amount of democratic-leaning ideas and movements.”

The podcast clip, which notes that Maron is not a fan of Hinchcliffe or Joe Rogan, continues with the progressive saying anti-woke comedians are “spearheading” a dominant culture of oppression.

RELATED: ‘They were all high-fiving me’: Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe says his Puerto Rico joke helped Trump’s campaign

Mandel attempted to defend his fellow comedians, saying that while he did not think they had as much influence as Maron claimed, their material is a reflection of their time. Mandel compared it to the time of slave-owning, when if a person “bought a hundred slaves,” he would be considered an aristocrat, “not a racist.”

Maron immediately interjected and said the United States was about a year away from re-instituting slavery.

“Give it a year, it’s going to be Mexicans,” Maron said. The New Jersey native then claimed a “new caste of people” would be created in the U.S. to “fill those jobs” that illegal immigrants did.

Maron was still not done, though. On top of noting that his comedy has “evolved” based on audiences feeling he was being “inappropriate,” the 61-year-old said offensive comedians need to rely less on shock value.

“Isn’t there a creativity workaround that could be funny without creating this juice that just comes from using words that used to be kind of triggering and are less now because the dominant cultural force is now slightly fascistic and leaning towards alienating those voices,” Maron asked.

Rejecting the idea that anti-woke comics do not have influence, Maron said those same comedians have been “skirting the responsibility” of the climate they helped create, which consists of fans who believe “woke people suck” and “scientists are liars.”

RELATED: ‘The Naked Gun’ remake is laugh-out-loud funny? Surely, you can’t be serious

Marc Maron arrives at TCL Chinese Theatre on July 23, 2025, in Hollywood, California. Photo by Maya Dehlin Spach/WireImage

Blaze News reached out to several comedians who could be considered “anti-woke” to get their reaction to Maron’s claims.

“Watching millionaires on both sides complain is hilarious, you’re rich. Shut up, and go count your money,” said Brendan Blacquier, member of the comedy group Danger Cats.

Comedian Leonarda Jonie told Blaze News that Maron’s reaction is one born out of jealousy because comedians who “refused to follow the rules” are now more successful than he is.

“This is the problem with all of these liberal ‘comedians.’ They are talentless and cowardly, and they agree to the rules of the left. Because they comply so hard, they believe they are owed success, and when it doesn’t happen, they are resentful,” she continued. “Now that the status quo is ‘diversity, LGBTQIA+#%, women, & degeneracy,’ progressives don’t tolerate the ridicule because it reveals their insanity.”

A comedian close to Hinchcliffe, who is black, did not take Maron’s remarks about the return of slavery or “slightly fascistic” fans very seriously. The comic simply reacted to the statements with laughing emojis first, followed by crying emojis.

Hinchcliffe did not respond to requests for comment.

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​Comedy, Align, Woke, Anti-woke, Dei, Stand-up, Entertainment 

As evidenced by President Donald Trump calling Rep. Jasmine Crockett “the future of the Democrat Party” on Friday morning, Democrats have been at a loss for direction since Trump’s inauguration. However, New York’s self-proclaimed socialist mayoral candidate, Zohran Mamdani, has recently been making waves in the largest city in America.

Mamdani launched what he called the “Five Boroughs Against Trump” rally tour on Monday, speaking at locations in each borough throughout the week. He finished the tour of the boroughs on his home turf in Queens on Friday.

‘As we gather on an island, where nearly 1 in 4 were born outside of this country, an island where 30% of its residents speak a language other than English, it’s an island that we know is not immune from this horrific crackdown.’

From messages of “hope” and affordable living to attempts to connect Andrew Cuomo with Trump, one issue stood out among all others: immigration. Born and raised in Uganda until age 7, when his family moved to America, Mamdani made clear that he would do everything in his power to protect New York City’s “sanctuary city” status and resist Trump’s immigration policies.

RELATED: Exclusive: Vance on Mamdani: ‘Who the hell does he think that he is?’

Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Friday morning in Queens, Mamdani took a final jab at the Trump administration in a message of defiance: “Today marks the fifth and final day in our Five Boroughs tour of this city, and standing up against the Trump administration’s vision and the way in which it mandates an attack on the very fabric of the city that we call home,” Mamdani told the crowd at the 32BJ Service Employees International Union in Richmond Hill.

In Staten Island on Wednesday, Mamdani took aim at Trump’s enforcement of immigration law: “As we gather on an island, where nearly 1 in 4 were born outside of this country, an island where 30% of its residents speak a language other than English, it’s an island that we know is not immune from this horrific crackdown.”

Mamdani’s platform website lays out a plan for “Trump-proofing NYC”: “He’ll ensure our immigrant New Yorkers are protected by strengthening our sanctuary city apparatus: getting ICE out of all City facilities and ending any cooperation, increasing legal support, and protecting all personal data.”

“Comrade Mamdani is the American people’s worst nightmare,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told Fox News earlier this week. “The American people have repeatedly rejected the communist agenda, and the more Mamdani shares his radical policies, the more the American people will recoil.”

Mamdani’s campaign and the White House did not respond to Blaze News’ request for comment.

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​Politics, Zohran mamdani, Five boroughs against trump, New york, New york city, Queens, Immigration, Ice, Sanctuary city 

Democrats expressed outrage and dismay when federal immigration officers performed an operation near a press conference Thursday where Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom (Calif.) berated the Trump administration.

Among those was Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D), who suggested that President Donald Trump intentionally ordered the action in order to intimidate and threaten California officials who opposed his policies. Newsom had called on Democratic-led states to redistrict in response to a similar proposal by Texas Republicans.

‘That is unbelievably disrespectful. It’s a provocative act! They’re talking about disorder in Los Angeles, and they are the source of the disorder in Los Angeles right now.’

Bass went into a long rant in front of television news cameras, where she accused the feds of “staging a stunt” at the same time as Newsom’s event.

“This is a complete provocation! This has nothing to do with safety! In fact, this is the exact opposite of keeping our city safe! We do not need them here, and they have no business to come here and provoke this!” said Bass.

She went on to suggest that it was improper for immigration officials to perform operations in front of an “iconic” museum in Los Angeles.

“There is no way this was a coincidence. This was widely publicized that the governor and many of our other elected officials were having a press conference here to talk about redistricting, and they decided they were going to come and thumb their nose in front of the governor’s face,” she continued.

“Why would you do that? That is unbelievably disrespectful. It’s a provocative act!” Bass said. “They’re talking about disorder in Los Angeles, and they are the source of the disorder in Los Angeles right now. This is just completely unacceptable!”

A reporter told Bass that a federal commander had said the operation was a result of a routine patrol, but she completely rejected the notion.

“This is about causing trouble in our city,” Bass replied.

RELATED: Los Angeles Mayor Bass sues Trump admin to protect illegal aliens from mass deportations

Bass went on to accuse the Trump administration of violating a recent court order from the Ninth Circuit Appeals Court that restricted “roving patrol” operations that may target people based on their appearance, where they work, and whether they speak Spanish.

“We’re going to use every tool in our toolbox to make sure that we do everything we can to keep Angelenos safe,” she continued. “But I will tell you that that is a very difficult charge for me to fulfill when the government itself violates the law. Here we are as Angelenos needing to protect ourselves from our own federal government.”

In response to the mayor’s meltdown, acting U.S. Attorney for Central California Bill Essayli fired back a response defending the operation.

“The mayor and other California officials are under the false impression that they are an actual sanctuary from federal law,” he wrote on social media. “No person or state is above the law. Federal agents will operate anywhere and anytime within the United States.”

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​La mayor vs trump, Ice operation in los angeles, Newsom vs trump, Newsom redistricting, Politics 

The male accused of punching a woman in her face and knocking her out during last month’s mob attack in Cincinnati has been extradited from Georgia and faced an Ohio judge Friday morning, WXIX-TV reported.

Patrick Rosemond, 38, had been in Fulton County, Georgia, where he was arrested Aug. 4 and was brought back overnight to Hamilton County, Ohio, prior to his 9 a.m. court appearance, the station said.

Rosemond is seen on video dancing, high-fiving spectators, and taunting victims following the ‘violent attack,’ the prosecution added, according to WXIX.

Cincinnati police and prosecutors say Rosemond is the male who punched and knocked out the woman known as Holly during the mob attack, WXIX reported.

Cellphone video (1:34 mark) shows Holly, who is wearing a blue dress, apparently trying to intervene on behalf of a beaten-up man, but instead another female punches her from behind — and seconds later, a male punches her in the face, knocking her flat on her back on the street.

Republican U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno of Ohio shared on X grisly images of Holly’s face days after the beatdown.

“This is Holly,” Moreno wrote in his post. “She wanted to have a nice evening out with friends. Instead, she got this.”

RELATED: Mother of Cincinnati mob attack suspect defends ‘honor roll’ son, 34, charged with felonious assault, aggravated riot

Vivek Ramaswamy — who is running for Ohio governor — shared a disturbing close-up image of Holly’s face after she hit the ground; her eyes are wide open, and her body is motionless. Video shows a few people soon trying to help her up.

Holly has spoken out several times since the mob attack.

RELATED: Cincinnati official who said mob attack victims ‘begged’ for beating doubles down; woman punched in face records tearful clip

During Friday’s hearing, Hamilton County prosecutors asked the judge to set a high bond for Rosemond, WXIX reported.

The prosecution said that in addition to nearly killing Holly, Rosemond “assaulted each and every single victim in brutal and vicious fashion,” the station noted.

Rosemond is seen on video dancing, high-fiving spectators, and taunting victims following the “violent attack,” the prosecution added, according to WXIX.

What’s more, the prosecution said Rosemond has prior convictions — including 10 misdemeanors and three felonies — and is a flight risk given that he “fled the jurisdiction” to Atlanta, the station said.

Rosemond’s defense countered that going to Atlanta was pre-planned and was not a flight attempt, WXIX said.

The judge sided with the prosecution and issued Rosemond a $500,000 bond, the station said, adding that if Rosemond posts bond, he’ll be required to wear an electronic monitoring device.

Rosemond and five other suspects were indicted last Friday on eight charges each: three counts of felonious assault, three counts of assault, and two counts of aggravated riot in connection with the mob attack. Each of the six suspects faces up to 29.5 years in prison if convicted on all eight charges.

RELATED: All 6 Cincinnati mob attack suspects indicted, hit with more charges — and could get decades behind bars

A seventh mob attack suspect was arrested earlier this week on different charges — aggravated riot and aggravated robbery — after allegedly stealing a necklace off the neck of an assault victim.

Chief Assistant Hamilton County Prosecutor Kip Guinan also addressed other heated issues related to the mob attack.

First, a white male was seen on video slapping a black male in the face, after which the mob attack commenced. However, Guinan said that slap came after someone else was already beaten, not before, WXIX said.

Second, Guinan acknowledged that racial slurs are audible on some of the videos of the mob attack — however, he said the slurs were uttered “a minute and 47 seconds into the brutal beatdown,” the station reported.

“Were there words said? Yes. Were they inappropriate? Absolutely,” Guinan also noted, WXIX reported, before adding that “these poor people were being assaulted, stomped WWE-style, elbow-drops onto pavement. One woman was knocked out to the point her head hit the pavement. We could be here on a homicide.”

You can view cellphone videos of the mob attack here, here, here, here, and here.

Black leaders in Cincinnati have said the case’s prosecution so far has been unfair to the black community — and have demanded charges against the white male seen issuing the slap.

“What incited and who incited the rioting? If the riot is because of a slap, who incited the rioting?” Rev. Damon Lynch said to a crowd Monday at New Prospect Baptist Church in the Roselawn neighborhood, WXIX reported in a separate story.

After Lynch, who is black, played video of the face slap, he told the crowd, “And [mean]while the only people charged — again I’ll say it — are the ones who look like me,” the station said.

BlazeTV host Jason Whitlock — who has been commenting consistently on the mob beatdown since it all unfolded late last month — blasted Cincinnati’s black leaders for their stance.

“If anybody watched this video, if anybody sees men and women kicking a man while he’s down, if anybody sees a picture of a woman beaten, knocked out, and says, ‘Hey, I’m going to organize a press conference at a church in Cincinnati,’ and black leaders are going to complain, ‘Hey, why isn’t this white man that’s getting kicked in the head, why hasn’t he been charged?’ that’s a group of people in need of some humility,” Whitlock said.

RELATED: 2 female suspects jailed over Cincinnati mob attack get big breaks from judge

One of the clips Whitlock aired shows Rev. Lynch altering the lyrics of a Jim Croce song for his own purposes as he spoke to the crowd at church: “You don’t tug on Superman’s cape, you don’t spit in the wind, you don’t pull the mask off the ol’ Lone Ranger, and you don’t slap a black man in the face.”

Whitlock responded to Lynch’s words by saying, “Why is he racializing this? It’s disrespectful to slap anyone, regardless of color, in the face. Is he saying … if a black person slaps a black person in the face, it’s OK? If a black gang member shoots a black man in the face, it’s OK? If a black gang member accidentally shoots some young black child, it’s OK? But everybody knows that you don’t slap a black man in the face, I guess, unless you’re black. He’s in a church talking about common street thugs — and I’ll include the white guy in that, because he … seemed to be trying to fight with someone. … [The reverend is] justifying to the people in that audience and other black people in Cincinnati that if you get slapped in the face by a white person, a gang of you all should jump on that man and beat up the woman. This is inside of a church! This is insanity; this is lack of humility.”

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​Arrest, Extradition, Ohio, Georgia, Cincinnati, Mob attack, Holly, Punching woman in face, Patrick rosemond, Crime 

Et tu, Cartman?

“South Park” recently stuck it to all things GOP, again. The ICE-themed episode torched President Donald Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, Homeland Security Director Kristi Noem, and even conservative influencer Charlie Kirk.

The Hollywood denizen decrying alleged attacks on free speech has no problem destroying precious works of art for the climate change agenda.

It’s a stunning reversal for the long-running show, which has hit both sides hard over the years while attacking sacred cows aplenty. Years before Matt Walsh asked, “What Is a Woman?” “South Park” skewered trans men dominating women in competitive sports.

What changed?

One theory? The left insists President Trump got Stephen Colbert fired from CBS, and “South Park” creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone want to show that it was a financial decision for CBS, not a presidential decree.

While the parent company trimmed “The Late Show’s” legendary losses ($40 million a year, according to reports), it threw $1.5 billion at the “South Park” duo.

Or, Parker and Stone hunger for legacy-media approval after all these years, and they know slamming all things Trump will give them just that.

Sound crazy? Just ask Howard Stern, who crushed his rebel legacy by going woke and liberal in recent years. His fawning 2024 interview of a diminished President Joe Biden showed Stern’s precipitous fall in real time.

Word of warning to Team “South Park” — that move may have backfired on the dethroned King of All Media …

Praising Cain

He’ll always be Superman to his fans, but Dean Cain is taking this hero stuff seriously.

The “Lois & Clark” TV alum is that rare, openly conservative star. He’s also been relegated to the indie ranks over the past decade.

Coincidence? Of course! Tolerant liberals would never instigate a new, nastier version of the Hollywood blacklist! Just ask James Woods … or Kevin Sorbo.

Cain recently made headlines for sharing a recruitment-style video for ICE on Instagram.

He went a step further by announcing he would be following his own advice and joining the military branch.

“This country was built on patriots stepping up, whether it was popular or not, and doing the right thing. I truly believe this is the right thing.”

Some, but not all, heroes wear capes …

Ad nauseam

It’s a start.

AMC is threatening to cut down the endless barrage of commercials and trailers that precede its film screenings. It’s about time, since these snippets can run up to 28 minutes in length. And it’s not just trailers. Commercials greet unsuspecting audiences, the kind that can’t be fast-forwarded through, silenced, or otherwise skipped.

How have moviegoers responded? Most show up late, very late, knowing they’ll miss the noise and still see the movie they showed up for all along.

Here’s a pro tip: Make better movies, and you’ll sell more tickets. It’s just crazy enough to work …

Who-lu?

Hulu, we hardly knew you.

First, HBO rebranded part of its identity as Max before deciding to run with an HBO Max hybrid label. Did the team behind New Coke play a role in this?

Now, it’s Disney’s turn.

The Mouse House is essentially ending Hulu, its mainstream streaming service, folding it into its Disney+ platform.

Or is it?

The Hulu app will be no more starting sometime in 2026, but customers will still be able to sign up for either Hulu or Disney+.

Huh? Now, it must be those pesky New Coke marketers behind the scenes …

Hard on the paint

This is almost as funny as Adam McKay’s best comedies.

The writer/director behind “Anchorman” and “Step Brothers” is one of the many Hollywood signatories behind a new Writers Guild of America open letter.

The target? Supreme Leader Donald Trump, the Orange Hitler.

Stop with all the censorship, they collectively cry, citing Stephen Colbert’s cancellation as just one example. Think of the children who won’t know what the word “clapter” means!

Meanwhile, the very same mob stood down during the Twitter Files scandal, the rise of sensitivity readers, the Big Tech attacks on speech, and more.

Hypocrites, the lot of them. It’s even worse for McKay.

The Oscar winner has steered millions to eco-activists who target some of the world’s most precious art pieces. McKay has given and given to the Climate Emergency Fund. Said fund helps eco-maniacs who throw paint on famous works of art and other nasty assaults on beauty.

So, the Hollywood denizen decrying alleged attacks on free speech has no problem destroying precious works of art for the climate change agenda.

That tracks.

​Hollywood, South park, Culture, Donald trump, Stephen colbert, Entertainment, Toto recall 

Failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton (D) admitted that rival President Donald Trump would deserve high praise and acknowledgement if he succeeds in ending the war between Russia and Ukraine.

During a “Raging Moderates” podcast interview released on Friday, Clinton told host Jessica Tarlov that she would consider nominating Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize herself if he ends the war without requiring Ukraine to give up territory.

‘Hillary is not serious.’

Trump is scheduled to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday around 3:00 p.m. Eastern at Alaska’s Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.

He has referred to the upcoming summit as a “feel-out meeting” to determine whether Putin is willing to reach a ceasefire agreement and initiate peace talks. Trump seemed optimistic about the discussion with Putin, estimating that it has a 25% chance of failure.

Clinton told Tarlov, “Honestly, if he could bring about the end to this terrible war, if he could end it without putting Ukraine in a position where it had to concede its territory to the aggressor, could really stand up to Putin — something we haven’t seen, but maybe this is the opportunity — if President Trump were the architect of that, I’d nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize.”

She added, “Because my goal here is to not allow capitulation to Putin, aided and abetted by the United States.”

RELATED: Trump is optimistic ahead of Putin meeting — predicts 25% chance of failure

Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images

Clinton stated that she believes Trump “would very much like to receive a Nobel Peace Prize.”

Trump has already indicated that an end to the war will likely require some “land swapping” that would be “good” and “bad” for both countries.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected the idea, insisting that Ukraine “will not give land to the occupier.”

RELATED: Trump ‘bothered’ after Zelenskyy shoots down compromises ahead of peace summit

Photo by MIKHAIL KLIMENTYEV/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images

David J. Harris Jr., a conservative political commentator, reacted to Clinton’s nomination statement.

“Did not have this on my 2025 bingo card!” he stated in a post on social media.

Paul Szypula, another commentator, wrote, “Of course, she sets conditions that’ll never happen like Ukraine not having to give up territory. Hillary is not serious.”

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​News, Hillary clinton, Clinton, Donald trump, Trump, Trump administration, Trump admin, Russia ukraine war, Ukraine russia war, Russia ukraine, Ukraine russia, Ukraine, Russia, Nobel peace prize, Vladimir putin, Putin, Volodymyr zelenskyy, Politics 

Hunter Biden is making headlines again — and this time it’s not for slurs, scandals, or his messy personal life, but for taking direct aim at first lady Melania Trump.

In a new appearance on “Channel 5 with Andrew Callaghan,” the president’s son alleged that Donald and Melania Trump were “very close” with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

“Of anyone in power right now, or anyone that held power to the degree that Donald Trump is holding power now, his connections to Jeffrey Epstein are beyond a doubt that he and Epstein were very close friends for a very long period of time. … According to his biographer, Jeffrey Epstein introduced Melania. That’s how … the first lady and the president met,” Hunter claimed in the video.

But Melania isn’t letting it slide. Her legal team is demanding the interview’s removal and that Hunter retract the statements and issue a public apology — or fork over $1 billion in damages and face a lawsuit.

“That’s a lot of money,” BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales remarked on “Sara Gonzales Unfiltered.” “Listen, last I checked, in Hunter Biden’s baby-mama drama, he was asked to pay child support in Arkansas to the stripper who has his kid that he doesn’t actually acknowledge, and he said ‘I can’t pay; I’m broke.’ … Now he could afford to to go to South Africa for many months … and he wasn’t broke for that. … Broke for his own daughter. I’m just not sure that $1 billion is something Hunter Biden can afford right now.”

According to Gonzales, “the Burisma gravy train has run out.”

In a follow-up interview, Callaghan offered Hunter the chance to apologize to Melania directly: “I’ve got a billion-dollar document in my hands. … So now we’re here, maybe to give you the platform to apologize to the first lady for your statements that you made about her possible connection to Jeffrey Epstein.”

“F**k that. That’s not going to happen,” Hunter responded.

Gonzales muses, “A good person would say, ‘Of course I apologize for that, I didn’t mean any ill intent; I guess I had wrong information; I’m sorry.’ … But that’s not what Hunter Biden does.”

Want more from Sara Gonzales?

To enjoy more of Sara’s no-holds-barred take to news and culture, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​Upload, Free, Camera phone, Sharing, Video phone, Video, Youtube.com, Sara gonzales unfiltered, Sara gonzales, The blaze, Blazetv, Blaze news, Blaze podcasts, Blaze podcast network, Blaze media, Blaze online, Blaze originals, Hunter biden, Joe biden, Melania trump, President donald trump, Jeffrey epstein, Andrew callaghan, Channel 5 with andrew callaghan 

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is once again holding back from commenting on Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City.

Like most of his fellow New York Democratic lawmakers, Jeffries has refrained from endorsing Mamdani despite his popularity in the city. At the same time, Mamdani’s Democratic opponents, like former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, have torn into the rising star, most recently calling him a hypocrite for living in a rent-controlled apartment.

‘The Mamdani campaign is going to have to address it.’

“Somewhere last night in New York City, a single mother and her children slept at a homeless shelter because you, assemblyman [Zohran Mamdani] are occupying her rent controlled apartment,” Cuomo wrote in a post on X.

“We are in the middle of a historic affordability crisis,” Cuomo added. “Millions of low income New Yorkers need this apartment and an apartment like it. Yet your apartment remains rented to rich people who don’t need it.”

RELATED: Pam Bondi reveals stunning new details about deranged DC leftist suspected in sandwich attack: ‘We will come after you’

Photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images

Many commentators and political analysts attribute Mamdani’s success to his focus on affordability. Unlike his challengers, Mamdani has repeatedly advocated for a rent freeze on all rent-controlled apartments intended for low-income residents, which has drawn attention to his own living situation.

Despite Mamdani’s hypocrisy, Jeffries yet again withheld from criticizing the Democratic front-runner.

When asked if Mamdani should live in a rent-controlled apartment, Jeffries told CNBC, “That is an issue for the state legislators and state government to work out.”

RELATED: Are Democrats reclaiming the ‘podcast bros’?

Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

The CNBC host promptly pressed Jeffries, pointing out that people like Mamdani are not the intended demographic for rent subsidies and financial aid.

“It’s a fascinating issue about affordability in the city and whether there are folks who are living in rent-controlled apartments all across this city that effectively should be going towards poor people who need that affordability,” the host said.

“It’s a legitimate issue that has been raised, and the Mamdani campaign is going to have to address it,” Jeffries said.

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​Zohran mamdani, Eric adams, New york, New york city, New york city mayor, Andrew cuomo, Democrats, Rent control, Affordability, Affordable housing, Rent freeze, Hakeem jeffries, Cnbc, Politics 

Assassination suspect Vance Boelter was indicted Thursday by a Minnesota grand jury on eight criminal counts, including first-degree premeditated murder, attempted first-degree murder, impersonating a police officer, and felony cruelty to an animal for allegedly shooting state Rep. Melissa Hortman’s golden retriever.

Hennepin County Attorney Mary F. Moriarty outlined the grand jury charges at an afternoon news conference in Minneapolis. Charges include:

• Two counts of first-degree premeditated murder for the assassination of Rep. Hortman (DFL-Brooklyn Park) and her husband, Mark Hortman, at about 3:30 a.m. June 14.

• Four counts of attempted first-degree murder for the shooting of Sen. John Hoffman (DFL-Champlin) and his wife, Yvette Hoffman; the attempted shooting of the Hoffmans’ daughter, Hope Hoffman; and the alleged intended murder of state Rep. Kristin Bahner (DFL-Maple Grove).

• One count of impersonating a police officer with an aggravating factor for “driving a police car or a car that looked like a police car,” Moriarty said.

• A charge of felony cruelty to an animal for the shooting death of Gilbert, the Hortmans’ golden retriever. Gilbert was heard on security video wailing in pain after being shot. He had to be euthanized by a veterinarian due to the gunshot wounds.

‘Boelter fires the gun at least nine times through the front door.’

“This is one of the most complex investigations in the history of this state,” Moriarty said.

Boelter now faces 14 state and federal charges that accuse him of gunning down the Hortmans, attempting to kill the three Hoffmans, and allegedly seeking to kill two other Democrat state lawmakers in the predawn hours of June 14.

“The damage done to the victims — those with us, those who were taken from us, and to our entire community — has opened wounds that will never heal,” Moriarty said.

Boelter, 58, was arrested June 15 near his home in Green Isle, Minn., after a 43-hour manhunt — the largest in Minnesota history. He is accused of planning to murder at least four Democrat lawmakers, including the assassination of Melissa Hortman, the former speaker of the Minnesota House.

The federal charges against Boelter for murder, attempted murder, stalking, and use of a firearm in furtherance of those crimes will go to trial first. Boelter pleaded not guilty to the federal charges Aug. 7. He will be back in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis November 12.

Moriarty said it is especially important for the state to try Boelter so that he cannot escape a sentence via a presidential pardon. There is no evidence that a pardon would be considered if Boelter were convicted on the federal charges.

Some evidence laid out by Moriarty differed from earlier accounts of the charged crimes. She said Boelter did not fire at Brooklyn Park police officers at the Hortman home, as previously believed. A Brooklyn Park officer fired at Boelter after Boelter allegedly shot Mark Hortman.

Fired 9 times into door

At the Hoffman home about 2:05 a.m., Moriarty said, Boelter rang the doorbell and knocked on the window “multiple times” before the senator answered the door. The suspect moved into the entryway and told the Hoffmans he was a police officer. The perpetrator is heard on security video “telling them to show their hands,” Moriarty said.

The Hoffmans realized Boelter was wearing a full-head silicone mask and pushed him out of the home, she said.

RELATED: Exclusive: Assassination suspect Vance Boelter tells STUNNING inside story about shooting

The stuff of nightmares: Vance Luther Boelter allegedly sought to kill 4 Minnesota lawmakers in the overnight hours of June 14, 2025. Photos by FBI and Liz Collin/Alpha News

“They successfully push him out of the house and shut the door,” Moriarty said. “Boelter fires the gun at least nine times through the front door, striking John and Yvette multiple times. Hope was on the floor at the time.”

The Hoffmans told media that the senator was struck nine times and his wife suffered eight bullet wounds. They have since been released from the hospital.

Moriarty’s account differed from the story Boelter told Blaze News Aug. 11 in a text-message interview from the Sherburne County Jail, where he is being held pending his federal trial.

Boelter said he began firing after Sen. Hoffman, Yvette Hoffman, and Hope Hoffman all began pushing him backward. He claimed he aimed the handgun downward between his feet and theirs. Boelter said he kept firing until he realized he was outside the house.

Boelter said if shooting people was his intention, he would have used a silencer and aimed for head or heart shots.

“So I had six arms on me and realized I’m going to lose control of any shots [that] were fired,” Boelter said. Boelter asserts he did not plan to shoot anyone that day but intended to make citizen’s arrests.

‘The evidence shows that Boelter intentionally shot Gilbert.’

A federal law enforcement source told Blaze News that Boelter’s account of the Hoffman shooting is flatly contradicted by video and other evidence.

Senator Hoffman’s name appears several times in handwritten notes found by law enforcement in Boelter’s 2015 Ford Explorer Police Interceptor SUV after the Hortman shooting, Moriarty said. Blaze News learned that Vance and Jenny Boelter purchased the SUV in 2019 for their planned security company, Praetorian Guard Security Services. According to title records, the vehicle was originally owned by the Osceola Police Department in Polk County, Wis.

Hoffman’s name has a star next to it in the notebook, along with the home’s address and information on family members, she said.

After leaving the Hoffman home, Boelter allegedly drove his dark SUV to the home of Rep. Bahner in Maple Grove, arriving about 2:24 a.m. Bahner’s name was also found in Boelter’s handwritten notes, Moriarty said.

“He rings her doorbell for over two minutes,” Moriarty said. “He yells, ‘This is the police,’ and points a flashlight at her front door. He tries to open the handle. Bahner was not home.”

The Minnesota attempted-murder statute is based on intent, the county attorney said.

“Attempted murder is defined as intending to cause the death of a person and taking a substantial step toward that goal,” she said. “Beyond mere preparation, it does not matter that the act could not be completed here. In other words, the fact that Bahner wasn’t home at all is not a barrier to proving this charge.”

After allegedly parking his SUV along the curb near the home of Sen. Ann Rest (DFL-New Hope) and briefly being approached by a New Hope police officer at about 2:36 a.m., Boelter reportedly drove to the Hortman home in Brooklyn Park.

The FBI previously said Boelter rang the Hortmans’ doorbell. Mark Hortman opened the door.

RELATED: How did a religious, small-town Minnesota boy morph into an alleged political assassin?

Flowers sit on the desk of murdered Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman in the House chamber at the Minnesota State Capitol on June 17, 2025.Photo by Joshua Lott/The Washington Post via Getty Images

“When Mark Hortman answers the door, Boelter stands in the doorway. Melissa can be heard telling Mark to ask for this person’s badge number, name, and jurisdiction,” Moriarty said. “Boelter tells Mark he needs to quote-unquote ‘see’ his wife. He says he can’t see her through the window and that he needs her to come down, presumably from the stairs. Boelter tells the Hortmans that he is a Maple Grove police officer.”

When Brooklyn Park police pulled up in front of the home, Boelter began shooting Mark Hortman “while running toward him and into the house,” Moriarty said. The investigation determined that Boelter did not fire his weapon at the officers as previously reported. A Brooklyn Park officer “did fire multiple shots at Boelter after Boelter shot Mark Hortman in the doorway,” she said.

‘Do we give any credence to that? No, we do not.’

After entering the house, Boelter fired “multiple shots at Melissa Hortman,” Moriarty said.

The family dog, Gilbert, was barking when Mark Hortman opened the door but quieted when Hortman told him to stay, she said.

‘Act of cruelty’

“The evidence shows that Boelter intentionally shot Gilbert. Boelter shot Gilbert at the foot of the stairs on the main floor,” Moriarty said. “Gilbert was not standing between Boelter and Mark. Gunshots are followed by sounds from Gilbert, who remains on the floor until he’s carried out by law enforcement. He was partially paralyzed.”

The shooting of Gilbert was “an act of cruelty that led to yet another loss for the Hortmans’ grieving family,” Moriarty said. “Under our prosecution, he will be held accountable for this compounding harm.”

Prosecutors began presenting evidence to the Hennepin County grand jury within two weeks of the shootings, she said. “This was a voluminous file. We are continuously getting evidence and so we were processing that evidence as the summer went along, and we finished that presentation today.”

Moriarty dismissed claims made by Boelter to Blaze News, Alpha News, and the New York Post that he was planning to make citizen’s arrests based on an undercover investigation of 400 deaths he said were caused by COVID-19 shots.

“Apparently he’s making claims about conducting a citizen’s arrest,” Moriarty said. “Do we give any credence to that? No, we do not.”

She emphasized that Boelter had been fully pushed out the Hoffmans’ front door and the door was closed when he began firing. Nine shots were fired, all of which hit Sen. Hoffman and eight of which hit Yvette Hoffman.

Moriarty said that statements made by Boelter from the Sherburne County Jail could be used as evidence in his Hennepin County trial.

“Any time a person voluntarily makes a statement, we as prosecutors — and this goes for federal prosecutors as well — can certainly use that information if we feel it’s relevant to our prosecution,” Moriarty said. “So nobody is making him make a statement. He’s doing that voluntarily. And so we can use that should we feel it’s appropriate.”

RELATED: Suspected Minnesota assassin claims he was part of a 2-year undercover investigation

The remains of Gilbert, the beloved golden retriever of Rep. Melissa Hortman, lie in state at the Minnesota State Capitol on June 27, 2025. Gilbert was placed between the caskets of Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman.Photo by Chris Juhn/Anadolu via Getty Images

Moriarty said it is important for Hennepin County to prosecute Boelter even though he has federal charges that could lead to the death penalty.

“It’s very important to us because these are members of our community here in Hennepin County,” she said. “These were people who were public servants who represent us, and we feel it’s important to hold Boelter accountable for what he did in this county.

“I will also say there’s no possibility of anyone pardoning, or at least in the federal government, pardoning Boelter on anything that we do here in state court.”

A reporter asked Moriarty if there is a “substantial chance” that President Donald J. Trump would pardon Boelter if he is convicted in federal court. Both the reporter and county attorney referred to the president simply as “Trump.”

“I have no idea. We’d have no idea,” Moriarty said. “We’re not focused on that. We are focused on bringing accountability and justice to the people of Hennepin County and focusing on making sure that it sticks.”

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​Crime, Politics 

BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales confronted Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) on Thursday night at a town hall in Dallas.

Crockett, who was born in St. Louis, Missouri, was in South Dallas speaking to constituents and urging Democrats to band together to defeat the Republicans in the 2026 midterms.

Crockett was in the middle of telling attendees that they need to make a habit of sending “a fact” to their group chats and also talk to their neighbors when Gonzales stood up and interrupted.

‘Do your people know you’re a spoiled rich kid from Missouri?!’

Crockett had just noted how often she stayed at her granny’s house when Gonzales spoke up.

“Jasmine, the people of Dallas deserve better than a fake ghetto hood rat!”

A female attendee immediately got in Gonzales’ face, putting her hand on her phone.

“Do they know you’re a rich kid from Missouri? Do they know you’re a spoiled rich kid from Missouri?!” Gonzales continued.

At this point, security began ushering Gonzales out of the building before police threatened to escalate the situation.

RELATED: Jasmine Crockett funds lavish lifestyle off taxpayer dollars; staff calls her an ‘influencer’ and a ‘diva’

— (@)

“Do your people know you’re a spoiled rich kid from Missouri?!” Gonzales yelled as she left the building.

One officer is heard saying he was going to “put on gloves” in case he had to arrest the host, but no arrest happened.

In a video of the event posted by Dallas Weekly, Crockett is heard saying, “This is part of the problem, but I want y’all to be part of the solution.”

The congresswoman tried to calm her supporters down, repeatedly saying, “No, no, no,” but Gonzales encountered jeers, swear words, and even a man in a mask as she exited.

“Jasmine Crockett has made quite a lucrative career out of a totally fake persona: the idea that she is from South Dallas, which is a rough, low-income neighborhood,” Gonzales told Blaze News. “It’s why you see her changing the way she speaks depending on who she is speaking to.”

Calling Crockett a “disingenuous” rich kid, Gonzales claimed that “rabid security personnel” at the event ignored her getting assaulted by attendees and even grabbed her by her waist to remove her from the building’s interior.

Gonazles added, “There is such a rich irony in low-IQ Jasmine screaming about President Trump and Republicans being ‘fascists’ and then sending her goons to assault me for exercising my First Amendment right and criticizing a government representative.”

RELATED: Jasmine Crockett calls Trump a ‘piece of s**t’ during rant at left-wing rally

CBS Texas covered Crockett’s event but did not mention Gonzales’ interruption or another by a different conservative influencer.

Another woman who goes by Blonde Conservative asked Crockett, “Jasmine, why do you hate white people? Why are you racist towards white people?”

The woman was immediately asked to leave.

Crockett gave multiple interviews surrounding the event, warning Texans that if they do not stop the state’s redistricting plan, residents will not “be able to save anything” in the Dallas-Forth Worth area.

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​Sara gonzales, Jasmine crockett, Texas, Town hall, Dallas, Trump, Democrat, Politics 

While the Trump-Putin summit in Anchorage has dominated headlines, another danger has quietly re-emerged — one far more dangerous to American lives than a frozen conflict in Eastern Europe. Donald Trump has legitimized a man who once led an al-Qaeda/ISIS faction, lifting U.S. terrorist designations and sanctions to recognize him as Syria’s leader.

For millions of Trump voters, ending America’s involvement in endless wars and repudiating the neocons who started them was a central promise. Trump’s campaign video “Preventing World War III” called out warmongers and globalist elites like no other candidate before him. He vowed to replace them with patriots and pursue an expressly America First foreign policy.

Trump’s instincts on war and peace can be right — if he listens to MAGA voices.

But instead of draining the neocon swamp, Trump has given it fresh water. His recognition of Abu Mohammed al-Jolani — the protégé of ISIS founder Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi — has kept us on the endless war track.

This isn’t what MAGA voted for.

How we got here

In December, Bashar al-Assad’s government in Syria collapsed after 14 years of civil war. Into the vacuum stepped al-Jolani and his terrorist army, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham — the latest iteration of al-Qaeda and ISIS. This is the same Islamist movement that murdered 3,000 Americans on 9/11, beheaded Americans, and committed atrocities across the globe.

Yet the United States — first under Joe Biden and now Trump — recognized HTS as a legitimate government. Trump went farther, praising al-Jolani as “a young, attractive guy” with “a strong past” and removing HTS from the U.S. government’s list of designated terrorist groups.

The ISIS record

Trump still celebrates the 2019 mission that killed ISIS founder al-Baghdadi. But Baghdadi’s deputy, al-Jolani, was an equally ruthless figure — a homicidal psychopath once targeted by the State Department with a $10 million bounty and a spot on its most-wanted list.

ISIS, originally known as al-Qaeda in Iraq, became notorious for public beheadings, bombings, rape, sexual slavery, torture, and genocide — including the murder of Americans.

In 2011, al-Baghdadi sent al-Jolani to Syria to establish an ISIS foothold. Al-Jolani formed the Al-Nusra Front, Syria’s largest jihadist militia, which later evolved into HTS.

Interventionist fingerprints

ISIS didn’t appear from nowhere. U.S. foreign policy paved the way, under the influence of neoconservatives who believe that the purpose of American military might is to bend the world to their political will, regardless of who is in the White House. They’ve engineered endless wars in service of the military-industrial-congressional complex and globalist elites.

Just a month after 9/11, General Wesley Clark learned of a neocon plan within the Pentagon to topple seven Middle Eastern governments in five years: Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Iran.

Six are down. Only Iran remains.

The 2003 invasion of Iraq was predicated on nonexistent “weapons of mass destruction.” The result? 4,492 dead Americans, at least 655,000 dead Iraqis, trillions of tax dollars squandered, the ascent of ISIS, and a far more dangerous Iran.

Barack Obama’s decision in 2011 to oust Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi was another interventionist catastrophe. Spearheaded by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (Democrat by party, neoconservative interventionist by worldview), Libya was left a barbaric, failed state.

RELATED: The terrorists run Syria now — and Christians, religious minorities are paying the price

Photo by OMAR ALBAW/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

After Gaddafi was sodomized to death by a mob of savages, Clinton perversely gloated: “We came, we saw — he died.” Now Libya is a human trafficking hub with open-air slave markets.

Then came Syria. Obama secretly authorized the CIA’s Operation Timber Sycamore to arm “moderate” rebels. Billions’ worth of weapons ended up on the black market or with al-Qaeda affiliates, including al-Jolani’s forces.

Syria has been shattered — 530,000 dead, 13 million displaced, with 6 million fleeing abroad.

Immigration jihad

Since 2001, U.S.-led wars have displaced 38 million people, destabilizing Europe and swelling its Muslim population to 44 million. Many have no interest in assimilating. Globalist elites and EU leaders have encouraged this migration to weaken national sovereignty and culture.

Clothes make the man?

When Assad fell, al-Jolani rebranded. Out went the mujahedeen garb; in came tailored European suits. Trump praised him and lifted sanctions, granting his regime international legitimacy.

Predictably, HTS continues slaughtering Christians, Druze, Alawites, and other Shia Muslims.

The choice ahead

When it comes to foreign affairs, Trump’s presidency is faltering. Badly. Caving to neocon interventionists has escalated war and betrayed his base. Embracing an al-Qaeda/ISIS warlord desecrates the memory of every victim of jihadist terror.

I still believe Trump’s instincts on war and peace can be right — if he listens to MAGA voices. Patriots inside and outside his administration must push him to break with the neocons, reject al-Jolani, and put America First again.

​Opinion & analysis, Donald trump, Maga, America first, Foreign policy, Syria, Civil war, Abu mohammed al-jolani, Abu bakr al-baghdadi, Isis, Al qaeda, Terrorism, Religion, Christianity, Islam, Druze, Alawite, Neocon elitist warmongers, Neocon, Intervention, Endless wars, Libya, Muammar gaddafi, Iraq war, Saddam hussein, George w. bush, Dick cheney 

U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are slated to meet Friday in Alaska. Trump has referred to the upcoming summit as a “feel-out meeting” to determine the likelihood of reaching a ceasefire agreement and ultimately an end to the conflict with Ukraine.

Trump stated in the days leading up to the summit that if the talks are successful, there is a chance they will remain in Alaska longer than initially planned to host a second meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

‘Trump is not likely to suffer another Putin ploy to string him along, making this meeting more consequential and high-risk for Moscow, with secondary sanctions and tariffs already placing a cost on those still supporting or doing business with Russia.’

Trump is optimistic that Putin “wants to get it done,” though he noted that there is a 25% chance the meeting will be a failure.

“I believe now he’s convinced that he’s going to make a deal,” Trump said. “I’m going to know very quickly.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio made similar remarks ahead of Friday’s summit, stating that the administration will know “very early” in the meeting “whether something is possible or not.”

Trump has vowed to implement “very severe consequences,” including sanctions, if Putin refuses to advance peace talks.

RELATED: Trump ‘bothered’ after Zelenskyy shoots down compromises ahead of peace summit

Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

He indicated that negotiations between Putin and Zelenskyy would likely require some “land swapping” that would be “good” and “bad” for both countries.

“Russia has occupied a big portion of Ukraine,” Trump stated. “They’ve occupied some very prime territory. We’re going to try and get some of that territory back for Ukraine.”

Zelenskyy rejected Trump’s land swapping idea, stating that Ukraine “will not give land to the occupier.”

On Thursday, Putin said that the Trump administration was “making, in my opinion, quite energetic and sincere efforts to stop the hostilities, stop the crisis and reach agreements that are of interest to all parties involved in this conflict.”

Zelenskyy is less optimistic about the upcoming meeting, claiming that Russia has shown “no sign” that it is preparing to end the war.

“Our coordinated efforts and joint actions — of Ukraine, the United States, Europe, and all countries that seek peace — can definitely compel Russia to make peace,” Zelenskyy said.

He has accused Russia of “dragging out the war,” insisting that “it deserves stronger global pressure.”

“Russia refuses to stop the killings, and therefore must not receive any rewards or benefits. And this is not just a moral position — it is a rational one. Concessions do not persuade a killer. But truly strong protection of life stops the killers,” he wrote in a post on social media.

RELATED: Vance makes one thing abundantly clear ahead of Trump’s big ceasefire meeting with Putin

Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Regardless of the outcome of Friday’s meeting with Putin, Trump intends to speak with the press afterward. However, it remains undecided whether the press conference will be addressed jointly.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt previously indicated that Trump and Putin would hold a press conference together, but Trump later appeared to walk back those plans.

“If it’s negative, I’ll have a press conference to say that the war is going to go on and these people are horribly going to continue to shoot each other and kill each other, and I think it’s a disgrace, and I’ll head back to Washington,” Trump said. “Or I’ll have a press conference that’s positive.”

Trump plans to call European leaders and Zelenskyy after his meeting with Putin to discuss next steps. He promised that the next meeting would involve both Putin and Zelenskyy.

“I will put the two of them in a room,” he said. “I think it will get solved.”

Trump is scheduled to meet with Putin at Alaska’s Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson around 3:00 p.m. Eastern.

Brent Sadler, a national security senior research fellow with the Heritage Foundation, told Blaze News, “The best outcome is Putin beginning to talk and giving up his maximalist approach to negotiations. Trump is not likely to suffer another Putin ploy to string him along, making this meeting more consequential and high-risk for Moscow, with secondary sanctions and tariffs already placing a cost on those still supporting or doing business with Russia.”

When contacted for a comment, the White House directed Blaze News to the statements made by Trump and Leavitt ahead of the summit.

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​News, Donald trump, Trump, Trump administration, Trump admin, Vladimir putin, Putin, Volodymyr zelenskyy, Zelenskyy, Ukraine war, Ukraine russia war, Ukraine russia, Russia ukraine, Russia ukraine war, Marco rubio, Alaska, Politics 

Mark Levin has repeatedly invited Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on “LevinTV” to debate him over Sanders’ long list of socialist policies, like government-run health care, punitive wealth taxes, and union-heavy labor schemes. Many public invitations have been extended, but every time — crickets.

Is he just too busy rallying Trump haters on his “Fighting Oligarchy” tour? Or is he scared Mark will wipe the floor with him?

Perhaps he’s hesitant because he knows he’ll be skewered over his fascination with communist dictators — like his lauding of the tyrannical Cuban despot Fidel Castro back in 2020 during a “60 Minutes” interview and subsequent CNN town hall.

Following his controversial statement in the interview that it’s “unfair to simply say everything [about Castro’s Cuba] is bad,” Sanders doubled down in the town hall.

“When Fidel Castro first came to power … you know what he did? He initiated a major literacy program,” Sanders retorted.

“There was a lot of folks in Cuba at that point who were illiterate, and he formed a literacy brigade. … They went out, and they helped people learn to read and write. You know what I think? Teaching people to read and write is a good thing,” he added.

“Wow, a literacy program,” mocks Levin. “But you weren’t allowed to read what you wanted to read. You weren’t allowed to say what you wanted to say. There was no right to speech, free speech, or any other kind of speech unless it was dictated by the government.”

Castro, he reminds, was “a genocidal maniac who was killing people and throwing them in prison,” and his “literacy brigades” were “filled with people who had allegiance to [him] and the communists.”

“They were not just going into homes to teach literacy. They were going in their homes to spy,” says Levin.

Sanders caveated his praise of Castro’s literacy initiative by arguing he’s been “critical of all authoritarian regimes all over the world,” including Cuba’s, but Levin calls him a “a liar.”

“He used to defend all the communist leaders. Now, he’s got a little more clever in his extremely old age,” he corrects.

“He supported the communist leader in Nicaragua. … He supported the communist leader in Cuba. He supported the communist leader in the old Soviet Union when he honeymooned in Moscow,” Levin adds.

Sanders capped his defense of Castro by arguing, “I happen to believe in democracy, not authoritarianism.”

“No, he doesn’t believe in democracy,” says Levin, citing George Orwell’s 1946 essay “Politics and the English Language,” in which he argued that political language is often manipulated by authoritarians to mask their wicked ends.

Sanders is “a Stalinist,” he says.

“This is why Bernie Sanders won’t come on any of my shows. He will not come on any of my shows because he knows I’m going to question him.”

To see the clip of Sanders and hear more of Levin’s commentary, watch the clip above.

Want more from Mark Levin?

To enjoy more of “the Great One” — Mark Levin as you’ve never seen him before — subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​Levintv, Mark levin, Blazetv, Blaze media, Bernie sanders, Communism, Stalinism, Fidel castro, Cuba 

Five of the seven suspects in the now-infamous Cincinnati beatdown case appeared in court Thursday for arraignments and bail hearings. It was a routine appearance — until one defense attorney made what may be the most unintentionally revealing courtroom statement of the year. Maybe even the decade.

“Vernon’s attorney, Clyde Bennett, argued that the case against his client had been inflamed due to race and politics, but in reality it was just a fight fueled by alcohol.”

The sooner we remind people that they are moral agents — capable of making choices and accountable for them — the sooner we’ll see fewer ‘Cincinnati beatdowns’ in the news.

Let that sink in for a moment. According to Bennett, it would be unfair to frame the case as racial or political. No — don’t get it twisted — it was just about drunken violence. Ah, yes, much better.

The irony is thick enough to spread on toast.

For two decades, Americans have been told everything is about race and politics. We’ve lived under a constant drumbeat of racialized news coverage. We don’t have to reach back to Trayvon Martin or Michael Brown — George Floyd in 2020 will do. Cities burned for months while the national media insisted the destruction was “mostly peaceful.”

Back then, pointing out the deadly fentanyl in Floyd’s system, the crime he’d just committed, or broader issues like high crime rates in certain neighborhoods or the role of fatherlessness in cycles of violence was “racist.” Facts didn’t matter. Only the race narrative did.

Sick of the double standard

The narrative claimed that violence disproportionately involved black men, which supposedly proved “systemic racism.” Why? Because in the Marxist worldview, crime stems from the environment — people are violent because the “system” forces them to be. If you took the same statistics and said, “Yes, something is going wrong with crime, violence, and broken families — let’s talk about it,” you were branded a racist.

It’s always been a one-way street. Race gets invoked when it advances a left-wing narrative of grievance and dependency. When it doesn’t fit, race suddenly disappears from the discussion and you’re told to drop the subject.

Americans are sick of this double standard. Racism is wrong for everyone.

The statistics show something is deeply wrong, and ignoring it won’t fix anything. But the left’s “solutions” aren’t solutions — they’re programs to stoke grievance, increase dependency, and keep personal responsibility out of the conversation. It is always someone else’s fault, and that fault is usually “whiteness.”

Which brings us back to Thursday’s courtroom gem. Bennett’s “blame it on the alcohol” defense isn’t just legally flimsy — it’s philosophically bankrupt. Being drunk while committing a crime is not a defense. You can’t rob a store, beat someone up, or kill a man and then shrug because you had one too many.

That’s not how the law works. That’s not how life works.

Choices have consequences

The bigger problem is that this mindset — “I had no choice, the system made me do it, those people made me do it, the booze made me do it” — has become the default for too many Americans. It strips people of agency and moral responsibility. It says, “I don’t make choices. Things just happen to me.” That’s a recipe for failure.

We need to bring back the idea that character matters. If someone can control his anger and walk away from a fight, that shows good character. If he can’t, we don’t help him by letting him blame booze, “the system,” or “the man.”

At some point, everyone needs to learn that choices have consequences.

We’ve gone from laughing at “blame it on the alcohol” to taking it seriously as social theory. That’s not progress. It’s regression — into a world where no one is accountable for anything. In this world, you can declare yourself a victim and opt out of morality.

RELATED: The awful irony of the White House’s crackdown on juvenile crime

Mikhail Rudenko via iStock/Getty Images

The incentive to claim oppression is huge. If you’re white, the easiest way is to identify as an “oppressed” sexual minority. This isn’t just about sex — it’s about securing a lifetime exemption from blame.

The Cincinnati case is ugly. And yet a defense attorney stood in court and suggested that drunken mob violence is better than racial politics. That’s how far we’ve drifted from personal responsibility.

If we want to cut crime and restore order, we must stop rewarding this thinking. We must revive the idea that personal responsibility isn’t outdated. We must stop letting people hide behind whatever excuse is in fashion — race, politics, poverty, wealth, or booze.

Thirty years ago, “I wasn’t asleep; I was drunk!” was a Homer Simpson joke. Today, it could be a legitimate legal defense in certain left-wing circles.

The sooner we remind people that they are moral agents — capable of making choices and accountable for them — the sooner we’ll see fewer “Cincinnati beatdowns” in the news. Until then, leftists, having injected race into every conversation, should take responsibility for what they created.

​Opinion & analysis, Crime, Cincinnati, Cincinnati beatdown, Race, Black on white crime, Racism, Black lives matter, Defense, Drunk, George floyd, Marxism, Systemic racism, Police, Homer simpson