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President Donald Trump has finally named the enemy: Mexican drug cartels. Declaring them unlawful combatants and recognizing a “non-international armed conflict” marks one of the most consequential national security shifts in modern history.

For decades, Washington treated cartel violence as a crime — a problem for prosecutors, not generals. Indictments were filed, assets seized, and sanctions imposed. But the cartels fought a different kind of war, one that combined terror, intelligence, and territorial control. Calling it “crime” guaranteed defeat.

We refused to define the cartels as belligerents — and fought the wrong fight.

According to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, Mexico ranks among the world’s most violent conflict zones — behind only Palestine, Myanmar, and Syria. It is also the second-most dangerous country for civilians. Those numbers are not from a failed state overseas. They come from our southern border, where cartel wars spill into American communities daily.

The old paradigm failed

For decades, federal authorities insisted on using a law-enforcement lens. Agencies operated under Title 21, Title 50, and limited “detect and monitor” authorities. They punished crimes but never broke campaigns. The narrow scope bred strategic blindness. While U.S. prosecutors filed indictments and built cases, cartels corrupted institutions, coerced populations, and built empires.

As the Marine Corps teaches: How you define the environment determines how you operate in it. We refused to define the cartels as belligerents — and fought the wrong fight.

Hybrid belligerents, not gangs

By every operational measure, cartels are hybrid threats. They control territory, command loyalty through terror, and run parallel governments. They tax, adjudicate, and even “protect” local populations. Their power rests on corruption and espionage: bribing officials, infiltrating agencies, and compromising law enforcement through human networks that resemble intelligence tradecraft.

Cartels operate across land, air, maritime, subterranean, cyber, and electromagnetic domains. They deploy drones, tunnels, jammers, and encrypted systems. They are multi-domain actors running hybrid campaigns.

Weaponized migration

Cartels don’t just smuggle — they destabilize. Mass migration has become a weapon of war: overwhelming institutions, hiding operatives, and masking foreign infiltration. Millions of illegal entrants from more than 170 nations have crossed under cartel supervision. The intent is not just profit. It’s demographic disruption.

Under federal law, terrorism includes violence intended “to intimidate or coerce a civilian population” or “influence government policy.” By that definition, Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation qualify as terrorist organizations.

A war of sovereignty

At the Texas Public Policy Foundation, I have testified before the Texas legislature and the U.S. Congress, warning that Mexico’s cartel conflict meets the Geneva Convention’s definition of a “non-international armed conflict.”

I described cartels as hybrid insurgents — foreign terrorist organizations that combine paramilitary violence, illicit economies, and political corruption to dominate populations. In March 2025 testimony, I stated plainly:

Mexico today is more accurately described as a state where governance has collapsed in key regions and foreign terrorist organizations dominate political and economic life, much like Afghanistan.

The president’s declaration confirms what many of us have argued for years: This is not a border problem — it is a war of sovereignty.

Against global networks

Cartel operations now span 65 countries. Chinese networks provide chemical precursors and launder money. Hezbollah and Iranian agents exploit the same smuggling corridors. Russia and Venezuela supply logistics and protection. Europol has confirmed joint cartel-European production of methamphetamine and cocaine. This is global insurgency — hybrid warfare waged through proxies.

The Western Hemisphere’s stability now hangs on whether the United States accepts that this is a war, not a criminal nuisance.

America has seen this pattern before. In Afghanistan, we failed not because we lacked strength but because we enabled corruption. We funded partners already captured by our enemies. The special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction documented how U.S. aid sustained the very system it sought to reform.

The parallels with Mexico and Venezuela are striking. Elements of their governments shelter cartels through impunity and contracts. Continuing to fund or legitimize such partners would repeat the Afghan mistake — this time on our own doorstep.

The new designation’s power

Trump’s declaration resets U.S. strategy. Recognizing cartels as unlawful combatants unlocks interagency coordination — treasury targeting financial networks, the IRS auditing tax-exempt fronts, and the Justice Department prosecuting to the “maximum extent permissible by law.” It is a full-spectrum approach that finally matches the enemy’s scale.

RELATED: Latin American leaders react to report that Trump will use US military against cartels

Photo by David Dee Delgado/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The new framework clarifies rules of engagement and intelligence sharing. We can now strike at the networks themselves, not just their accountants.

The cartels serve as convenient cutouts for America’s adversaries. China supplies chemicals, Iran and Hezbollah move cargo, Russia and Venezuela launder proceeds. These regimes use cartels as proxy forces — deniable, flexible, and brutal. The Western Hemisphere’s stability now hangs on whether the United States accepts that this is a war, not a criminal nuisance.

Peace through strength revisited

With this declaration, Trump restores the Reagan principle: peace through strength. As Secretary of War Pete Hegseth put it last week, “Our number-one job is to be strong so that we can prevent war in the first place.” Matching threats with capabilities sends a message not just to cartels, but to the nations behind them: Challenge us, and you will lose.

To borrow Hegseth’s phrasing: “Should our enemies choose foolishly to test us, they will be crushed by the violence, precision, and ferocity of the War Department. In other words, to our enemies: FAFO.”

The war has been declared. The only question now is whether America has the will to win it. State legislatures, Congress, and the public must rally behind this strategy. Half-measures have failed. The moment demands unity, clarity, and resolve.

America is under attack. The commander in chief has drawn the line. Now the nation must stand behind it — and fight to victory.

​Opinion & analysis, Opinion, Drug cartels, Cartels, Drugs, Drug smuggling, Smuggling drugs, Armed combatants, Unlawful combatants, Drug war, Donald trump, Pete hegseth, Department of war, Department of justice, Department of homeland security 

There is a new current running through the world, a circuit being completed. It begins deep in the earth, in the extraction of lithium, cobalt, and nickel, and ends in the silent hum of an autonomous vehicle or the disembodied voice of an AI assistant. This vertically integrated system, from mine to motor to computational model, is what some industry leaders have called the “electro-industrial stack.” The term is anodyne and technical, masking a shift in the organization of power, a reconfiguration of national destinies and the texture of daily life.

Software, we were told, would eat the world. And it did, in a sense. It devoured communication and media. But it left the heavy machinery of civilization largely untouched. The mine, the factory, the power grid, these remained analog, relics of a prior age. The electro-industrial stack is the return of the physical, the reassertion of atoms over bits. This system marries the digital brain to a metallic body, and in doing so, rewrites the rules of the game.

In a world of increasing instability, the ability to make your own things, from start to finish, is a form of power.

At the base of this stack lie the minerals, the stuff of the earth itself. The old empires were built on coal and iron; the new ones are being built on lithium, copper, and rare-earth elements. The geography of these resources is the new map of power. China, having understood this earlier than most nations, now dominates not just the extraction but the crucial midstream refining of these materials. It controls roughly 90% of the world’s supply of rare-earth magnets, the tiny, powerful hearts of the electric motors that power everything from electric vehicles to drones. It produces between 80% and 95% of the world’s gallium, a metal essential for the wide-bandgap semiconductors that function as the nervous system of the stack, conditioning and directing the flow of electricity.

This concentration of control creates choke points, vulnerabilities that echo the oil crises of the 20th century. In response, a new techno-nationalism has arisen. The United States and its allies speak of “friend-shoring,” of building domestic gigafactories, of securing their own supply chains in a defensive attempt to claw back control of the physical means of production. This is a matter of national security, a recognition that the future will be built with these materials, and to be dependent on another for them is to be subject to their will.

The second layer of the stack is the battery, the ability to store energy and distribute it over time. Before the advent of lithium-ion batteries, electricity was a fleeting thing, to be used the moment it was generated. Now, it can be captured and deployed at will. This capability has untethered energy from the grid, making it mobile, personal. Here again, the story of Chinese dominance is stark. Companies like CATL and BYD supply more than half of the world’s EV battery capacity. China hosts 78% of the world’s cell manufacturing capacity. It gained this position through a deliberate, long-term industrial strategy.

RELATED: Dept. of War contractor warns of ‘all-out war’ with China

Photo by VCG / Contributor via Getty Images

Consider the case of BYD. The company began as a battery maker and now produces not only electric vehicles but also the semiconductors and electronic components that go into them. Its method is a case study in vertical integration, a modern-day echo of the Fordist ideal of controlling the entire production process, from raw material to finished product. This approach to production is a cultural paradigm, a way of seeing the world that prioritizes resilience and control over the supposed efficiencies of globalized supply chains. In a world of increasing instability, the ability to make your own things, from start to finish, is a form of power.

From batteries, the electricity flows through power electronics, the domain of materials like gallium nitride and silicon carbide. These are the unsung heroes of the stack, the switches and converters that manage the flow of energy with unprecedented efficiency. They allow for faster charging, longer range, and more powerful computations. And they are, of course, dependent on the Chinese-controlled supply of gallium.

Electricity, now conditioned and controlled, finds its purpose in the electric motor, translating electrical energy into motion. The permanent-magnet synchronous motors used in most EVs are miracles of efficiency, thanks to those rare-earth magnets. The dependence on China has spurred a search for alternatives, for motors that can achieve similar performance without the geopolitical baggage. It is a quiet arms race, fought in research labs and engineering departments, to design a future that is not so heavily mortgaged to a single supplier.

At the apex of the stack is compute. The processors and AI models that make sense of the world, that turn sensor data into driving decisions, that optimize the flow of power through a smart grid. Here, the concentration is just as pronounced, but the geography shifts. Nvidia, an American company, controls over 80% of the GPUs used for AI training. Most of the world’s advanced semiconductors are manufactured by TSMC in Taiwan. The combination of motive power from the lower layers of the stack with the decision-making power of the compute layer is where the digital and the material worlds finally merge.

The stack enables a world of smart appliances and autonomous drones, a world mediated by algorithms and speech interfaces. Its story is still being written, in the language of geopolitics, of materials science, and of the quiet, persistent hum of a new electrical age.

​Tech 

Two years. Two long years since morning broke on Simchat Torah — the holy day whose name literally means “rejoicing in the Torah.” But instead of the sounds of worship and laughter, Israel’s skies were filled with sirens and synagogues were filled with sheer terror and endless tears. The country was under attack.

To the south, smoke rose where children should have been waking to the rising sun. Gunfire sounded instead of music at a wilderness festival for young people or tractors working the Holy Land’s soil. The air carried cries no mother should ever hear.

On this second anniversary of October 7, God’s call is clear.

For the past two years, a silence has fallen heavy on every heart that loves Israel. October 7, 2023, happened just two years ago. It’s not a distant memory, and it remains more painful than a healed scar.

On that day — and every day in the two years since — God has been here. In the bomb shelters where prayers mix with fear, God is there. In the corridors of hospitals where the sounds of prayer and pain mingle, God is there. In churches and synagogues and living rooms and bedrooms and classrooms across the globe, where prayers are lifted up to Him, God is there.

For two years, through the grief and the war and the prayers for peace, God has made His loving presence known.

I have seen that love with my own eyes. As president and global CEO of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, I walk the narrow streets of Israel and travel the wide roads of America, and I see His presence through the people of faith that I meet — Christians and Jews who see Israel not through the fog of newsprint or the blur of the screen, but through scripture. They open the Bible and read about Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and they know that to bless Israel is to love God’s people and to live out His word.

And so, two years later, the Fellowship and our millions of supporters carry on this work of blessing God’s people.

We build shelters to shield children from rockets. We build trauma centers where wounds are healed and lives are made whole again. We build new lives for refugees fleeing persecution simply for their faith, and we welcome them to their biblical homeland. And we build bridges — of faith, of friendship, and of fellowship between Christians and Jews.

One of these bridges is adorned with flags. Flags of Fellowship is a global movement in blue and white. Outside churches and synagogues, and in yards and campus quads, tiny hands and wrinkled hands plant Israeli flags in the ground, each one remembering one of the 1,200 lives lost on that dark day two years ago. Each one is a proclamation of God’s love.

RELATED: The genocide that isn’t: How Hamas turned lies into global outrage

Tamir Kalifa/Getty Images

In a world where flags are burned in anger and hatred, these flags radiate hope.

Generosity runs like a river behind those flags. In these two years, the Fellowship has provided more than a quarter-billion dollars of aid. We have raised up hospital wings that withstand missiles. We have delivered food to the hungry, medicine to the frail, shelter to the weary.

These gifts are a proclamation of this love — for Israel and for God’s people.

To all the pastors, grandmothers, college students, and prayer warriors who love Israel with all their hearts — todah rabah. Thank you. Your love is a lifeline. Your love changes lives. Your love saves lives. And your love reminds us that here in Israel, we do not stand alone.

On this second anniversary of Oct. 7, even as we remember the hatred, the desperation, the violence, and the darkness of that day, God’s call is clear. Answer hatred with love. Answer despair with hope. Answer violence with healing. And answer darkness with light.

​Israel, Christians, Jews, October 7, Faith 

An upstate New York man was charged with more than 196 counts after police allegedly found hundreds of child sex abuse materials in his possession, according to a law enforcement release.

The Otsego County Sheriff’s Office said it received a tip in August from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and information from the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force indicating that 29-year-old Toren R. Gray was disseminating child sex abuse material.

Police said their investigation was ongoing and other charges were pending against him.

An investigation found that Gray allegedly sent the material to others through various Kik social media accounts.

After obtaining a search warrant, police said they found more than 300 images of child sexual abuse material on the man’s accounts.

Gray was arrested on Wednesday and charged with 32 counts in the town of Laurens, including 4 counts of obscenity, 14 counts of possessing a sexual performance by a child, and 14 counts of possessing an obscene sexual performance by a child.

He was also charged with 164 counts in the town of Otego, including 12 counts of obscenity, 75 counts of possessing a sexual performance by a child, and 77 counts of possessing an obscene sexual performance by a child.

RELATED: Teacher caught taking photos of children in theater bathroom led to the arrest of second teacher, police say

Gray was processed at the sheriff’s office and awaits arraignment while being held at the Otsego County Correctional Facility. Police said their investigation was ongoing and other charges were pending against him.

Laurens is a small village of about 263 residents in the central part of New York state.

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​Child sex abuse material, Toren r gray, Upstate ny man arrest, Child abuse crimes, Crime 

In 1994, 17 Senate Republicans — including Mitch McConnell — lined up behind the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act. They thought they were cutting a clever deal: In exchange for criminalizing anti-abortion protesters outside clinics, the law would also apply to anyone blocking access to churches.

Like every “bipartisan compromise,” the results were anything but balanced. For decades, pro-life activists — grandmothers singing hymns, young people praying on sidewalks — faced years in prison for nonviolent protest. Meanwhile, not a single violent leftist or Islamist was prosecuted under the FACE Act for harassing or assaulting people of faith.

Mitch McConnell and company signed on to the FACE Act thinking they were being clever and instead saddled conservatives with decades of one-sided prosecutions.

Until last week.

The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, under Harmeet Dhillon, filed civil charges against two radical groups — the Party for Socialism and Liberation and American Muslims for Palestine — along with six individuals. Their crime: violently blocking Jewish worshippers from entering Congregation Ohr Torah in West Orange, New Jersey.

A mob at the synagogue

In November 2024, about 50 agitators linked arms outside the synagogue, blasting bullhorns and physically charging congregants. Several Jews were attacked.

New Jersey authorities, true to form, looked the other way. In fact, the Essex County prosecutor charged two congregants — including one who fought to defend a 65-year-old man being choked unconscious — with aggravated assault and bias intimidation. Not one of the attackers was indicted.

The message was clear: When radical Islamists or communists attack Jews, the state shrugs. Imagine the reverse — 50 Christians or Jews storming a mosque. Washington would have treated it like January 6 all over again.

This time, the Justice Department did not look away. The government’s civil complaint details how defendant Altaf Sharif broke through a police line, blocked worshippers, and used a vuvuzela as a weapon, blasting it into a man’s ear to cause permanent hearing loss. He then grabbed another congregant by the throat, placed him in a chokehold, and tackled him down a hill — all while screaming anti-Semitic slurs.

The kicker: The congregant who intervened to save the victim was indicted by local prosecutors, while Sharif skated free. That’s blue-state Jim Crow in favor of Islamic radicals.

AMP’s terrorist roots

American Muslims for Palestine, one of the groups charged, is no harmless civic association. It is the successor to the Holy Land Foundation, Hamas’ old fundraising arm in the United States. When the Holy Land Foundation was forced to pay $156 million to a terror victim’s family, AMP was born in its place.

As the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals noted in 2021, AMP inherited its leadership, its conferences, and its mission. In other words, Hamas simply changed its letterhead.

The Islamic-communist axis

This case exposes a dangerous reality: Radical Islamists and communists are not just funding terror abroad; they are carrying it out here at home. That is why President Trump must follow through on his pledge to formally designate both the Muslim Brotherhood and Antifa as terrorist organizations.

RELATED: ‘Hypocrisy is palpable’: Former Trump lawyer blows up liberals’ gaslighting about Antifa crackdown

Photo by Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg via Getty Images

And it is why state attorneys general should continue investigating the “charitable” and “civic” groups that serve as their domestic cover. Just two weeks ago, a Virginia judge found AMP in contempt for failing to comply with an order from Attorney General Jason Miyares requiring the group to hand over documents related to terror finance.

Using a bad law for the right reasons

The FACE Act remains a terrible law. It was written to criminalize prayer and hymn-singing, not protect churches. It should be repealed.

But if old ladies can face 10 years in prison for praying outside Planned Parenthood, then yes — the law must be used against mobs who choke Jews outside synagogues. For once, the Justice Department is pointing the weapon in the right direction.

And let’s be clear: Republicans built this weapon and handed it to the left. McConnell and company signed on to the FACE Act thinking they were being clever and instead saddled conservatives with decades of one-sided prosecutions. If they want to show their repentance, they should join the fight now to repeal the law — or at the very least, stop pretending that “bipartisanship” ever serves our side.

​Opinion & analysis, Opinion, Face act, Face act charges, Mitch mcconnell, Lawfare, Weaponization of government, Weaponized justice, Weaponization of the doj, Antifa, Islamic terrorists, Anti-semitism, Synagogue, Muslim brotherhood, Bipartisanship 

On September 25, President Trump issued National Security Presidential Memorandum 7, or NSPM-7. The sweeping directive lays out a “whole-of-government strategy” for combating domestic terrorism.

Most headlines focused on Antifa’s new designation. But NSPM-7 is the real story. It’s the game changer, and the left is only beginning to grasp its scope. Expect it to define political battles for years to come.

Naming the enemy

For the first time in years, a presidential directive names threats with specificity instead of hiding behind euphemisms. NSPM-7 defines what it calls “the anti-fascist lie” — the framing of foundational American principles like border security and support for law enforcement as “fascist” to justify violent revolution.

NSPM-7 marks a historic break with the old rules. It calls the threats by name, orders the government to follow the money, and strips the Justice Department of its wiggle room.

That lie, the document states, has become the “organizing rallying cry” for domestic terrorists. And it spells out the ideological fuel behind the violence: anti-Americanism, anti-capitalism, anti-Christianity, extremism on migration, race, and gender, and open hostility toward traditional American views on family and morality.

Political correctness has long forbidden that kind of bluntness. NSPM-7 throws it out.

In doing so, Trump’s memorandum recalls his 2016 insistence on naming “radical Islamic terror” despite Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton’s refusal to do so. As Trump said during his second debate with Clinton: “To solve a problem, you have to be able to state what the problem is or at least say the name.”

NSPM-7 says the names.

Following the money

The directive goes further than definitions. It instructs agencies to act.

Perhaps most striking: The Treasury Department is ordered to identify and disrupt the financial networks that fund domestic terrorism and political violence. That includes tracing illicit funding streams and coordinating with other agencies to choke them off.

The IRS is directed to ensure no tax-exempt entities are financing political violence — directly or indirectly. And when they are, the IRS must refer those organizations, their leaders, and their employees to the Justice Department for prosecution.

For years, Americans suspected billion-dollar left-wing institutions were underwriting street violence while hiding behind plausible deniability. NSPM-7 sets the stage to prove it. It establishes the long-demanded “follow the money” strategy — something only government agencies can do. Had it been in place before the Black Lives Matter riots of 2020, the “Summer of Love” might have cost millions in damages, not billions, as resources dried up.

Zero tolerance

The president’s directive also mobilizes Joint Terrorism Task Forces and makes domestic terrorism a national priority area. But its most consequential piece comes at the Justice Department’s expense.

The attorney general is instructed to prosecute all federal crimes tied to domestic terrorism “to the maximum extent permissible by law.” Every word matters. “All” means no discretion. If it can be charged, it must be charged. “Maximum extent” means no plea deals designed to make cases go away.

RELATED: Hollywood goes full antifa with ‘One Battle After Another’

Photo by AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

That language is a direct rebuke to the Justice Department’s pattern of selective prosecution. Think back to the Eastern District of Virginia’s refusal to pursue James Comey until a new U.S. attorney had to take it on. Trump’s team drafted NSPM-7 to make sure that kind of deep state resistance doesn’t happen again.

The test ahead

The proof will come quickly. Attorney General Pam Bondi now must prosecute at scale. No more leniency for “unpermitted protests” that turn into riots or for assaults on ICE officers. The Justice Department’s past record has been sparse, at best. NSPM-7 removes its excuses.

NSPM-7 marks a historic break with the old rules, and I’m here for it. It calls the threats by name. It orders the government to follow the money. It strips the Justice Department of its wiggle room.

The left sees the danger in this because it exposes its networks of funding and protection. Conservatives should see the opportunity.

Trump has delivered a strategy that treats domestic terrorism not as a nuisance, but as a war to be fought and won. Now, it must be enforced.

​Opinion & analysis, Opinion, Antifa, Antifa terrorist group, Anti-trump, Fascism, Trump, Democratic establishment, Leftists, Leftism, Domestic terrorism, Law and order, Portland, Donald trump, Law enforcement 

Two of the biggest news stories of late involve crimes by former military officers. On September 27, 40-year-old marine veteran Nigel Max Edge opened fire from a boat into a crowd at the American Fish Company waterfront bar in Southport, North Carolina, killing three people and injuring eight others before fleeing and being arrested.

The very next day, Thomas Jacob Sanford, also a 40-year-old Marine veteran from Burton, Michigan, opened fire on a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints meetinghouse in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan, killing four people and injuring eight others before being killed by police.

Rick Burgess, BlazeTV host of spiritual warfare podcast “Strange Encounters,” has seen the writing on the wall for some time: “Our military is becoming more and more secular and more and more unfriendly to the Christian faith.”

Years ago, Rick was speaking to his gym trainer, who used to serve in the military, and he told Rick that the United States military had begun to bend away from Christianity and toward Norse paganism.

For those unfamiliar, Norse paganism, also called heathenism, is an ancient, polytheistic religion of the Germanic peoples of Scandinavia, centered around gods like Odin, Thor, and Freyja, with beliefs in cosmology, rituals, and an afterlife in Valhalla.

“A lot of the people in the military are beginning to wear tattoos of these Viking gods. … They’re now looking at themselves as warriors that are pleasing these gods of war, as opposed to serving their country under the authority of the one and only living God,” Rick says.

“It’s very concerning. Why? Because these Scandinavian gods don’t exist. This mythology is false. So really, if you’re worshipping these things, and you’re building these little altars and you’re practicing these things, what you’re really worshipping are demons,” he says frankly.

Rick can’t help but wonder if there’s a connection between the growing paganism in the military and the uptick in crimes committed by former military veterans.

“When I keep seeing these former military people turning into cold-blood killers against civilians, it makes me wonder: Did they participate in [paganism] when they were in the military?” he asks.

To hear more of Rick’s analysis, watch the episode above.

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​Strange encounters, Rick burgess, Blazetv, Blaze media, Norse paganism, Heathenism, Military vets 

Former CNN anchor Don Lemon struck out when he tried to get a New Yorker to criticize the mass deportation policies of President Donald Trump on his livestream video.

Lemon talked to several people walking around in New York City before he sat down with a black man who said he was enthusiastic about the raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

‘I want for him to concentrate on nothing but immigration and getting them out of here!’

“How do you feel about the ICE raids?” Lemon asked the unidentified man.

“I feel good about them,” the man said.

“You want them to crack down?” Lemon asked.

“More, yes!” the man responded. “Been wanting it for years — all my life!”

Lemon asked if he supported federal agents “roughing people up” during raids.

“Nah, nah. That s**t crazy. Don’t put your hands on nobody, that’s crazy. Don’t hurt nobody. Do it the legal way,” he replied.

“At the same time, get them out of here!” he smirked. “Get them all out of here. Please and thank you!”

He raised his fist in the air and said loudly, “Trump four more years for that! Just for that!”

Lemon asked him if he voted for Trump, and he said he did not because he lost his voting rights when he was 22 years old. But he went on to say that he would be happy if the president served a third term.

“Just because I want for him to concentrate on nothing but immigration and getting them out of here, just for that!” he added.

“Well, you’re a cool dude,” Lemon said at the end of the interview.

“Let me give a shout-out to my mommy!” the man replied.

RELATED: Don Lemon says he lost ‘liberal friends’ after he predicted that Trump would win the presidency

The Department of Homeland Security said that 2 million illegal immigrants have either been deported or self-deported from the U.S. in the first 250 days of the president’s second term.

Lemon was fired from CNN in April 2023 and began creating his own content on social media. He made headlines in December when he launched into an expletive-filled rant over the fissure that broke out between Trump supporters over H-1B visas.

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​Don lemon, New yorker supports trump, Mass deportations, Live streaming video, Politics 

The Democratic mayor of Chicago is trying to shut down deportation operations by creating “ICE-free zones,” but the White House doesn’t appear to respect the decision much.

Mayor Brandon Johnson made the announcement establishing the zones in a media briefing Monday. The Trump administration has put Chicago and its sanctuary-city policies in its crosshairs.

‘This is SICK. He is aiding and abetting criminal illegal immigrant killers, rapists, traffickers, and gang bangers.’

“Today we are signing an executive order aimed at reining in this out-of-control administration,” Johnson said. “The order establishes ICE-free zones. That means that city property and unwilling private businesses will no longer serve as staging grounds for these raids.”

He went on to say that the city would take further steps to stop federal operations if Immigration and Customs Enforcement escalated its efforts.

“The order builds a broad civic shield that limits the reach of harmful enforcement practices,” Johnson added.

“It strengthens neighborhood solidarity, and it reaffirms Chicago’s role as a welcoming city,” he said. “The fact is, we cannot allow them to rampage throughout our city with no checks or balances. Nobody is above the law. If we break the law, you should be held accountable. If Congress will not check this administration, then Chicago will.”

The order also included signs to be posted on those properties to deter federal operations.

“This property is owned and/or controlled by the City of Chicago,” the sign reads. “It may not be used for civil immigration enforcement, including as a: Staging area, processing location or operations base.”

RELATED: Chicago’s liberal mayor scolds reporter for using ‘mob’ to describe hundreds of teens looting and trashing store

A missive from the White House rapid response social media account decried the order.

“This is SICK. He is aiding and abetting criminal illegal immigrant killers, rapists, traffickers, and gang bangers,” the statement reads.

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​Chicago mayor brandon johnson, Ice free zones, Chicago vs trump, Federal immigration enforcement, Politics 

At the Raising Hope conference in Rome last week, Pope Leo XIV blessed a 20,000-year-old piece of Greenland glacial ice brought onstage by an artist whose work explores natural phenomena.

While climate change believers were enamored by the pope’s blessing, Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck and BlazeTV host Liz Wheeler were not as excited.

“Let’s start with the good news first,” Wheeler says, after Glenn asks her what she thought of the pope’s actions. “The Catholic Church is the Davidic kingdom, and it will endure regardless of infiltrators. So it’s not a political organization, it’s a spiritual one.”

“The second piece of hope is that young men entering the priesthood today are incredibly based. So the next generation is not going to be dealing with the boomer liberal priests that we have to deal with right now,” she continues.

However, she does admit that “it is demoralizing” as a Catholic to see the pope engaging in what he calls “climate justice.”

“What does that mean? And I’m not saying that rhetorically. Climate justice is a very thin mask over communist political aspirations. So it feels scandalous,” she says.

“I mean, he blessed that water. Throw that holy water on these communists, see how many demons hiss out of them. I mean, this is a communist ideology that he’s playing around with,” she continues.

“I’m not trying to stand here and define what sins have been committed or anything like that. Far be it from me,” she explains, adding, “but it seems to me that when you stand quite literally next to communists and take part in their rituals, that it’s going to be very confusing.”

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Ronald Exantus drove from Indianapolis to Versailles, Kentucky, on Dec. 7, 2015, and entered a home through an unlocked door, investigators told WKYT-TV.

It was before dawn, and authorities told the Associated Press that Exantus grabbed a large kitchen knife he found in the home and went to an upstairs bedroom where 6-year-old Logan Tipton was sleeping.

‘I laid in bed. I gave up. I gave up on life. I gave up on my family. I gave up on everybody. I just wanted to die.’

Koral Tipton, Logan’s sister, told WDKY-TV that she “woke up, and I heard Logan screaming, and all I could see was a man, a big man, over top of him, stabbing him.”

Logan’s father, Dean Tipton, also had been sleeping but leaped into action after hearing the hollering.

“He snaps, just snaps, and stands up with me sitting on top of him, and he throws me across the room,” Dean Tipton told WDKY. “I mean, maybe 10-15 feet he throws me across the room and goes after [Koral].”

Exantus ended up attacking Dean Tipton and his two daughters that night, too, injuring all of them, WKYT reported — but little Logan didn’t make it.

Dean Tipton held his son during his final moments, WDKY said: “He was gasping for air; I was holding him deep in my arms. And finally, he took his last breath, looked at me, closed his eyes, and he was gone.”

After that night, Dean Tipton said he lost the will to live, tearfully telling WLKY that “I laid in bed. I gave up. I gave up on life. I gave up on my family. I gave up on everybody. I just wanted to die.”

In 2018, Exantus was found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity but was convicted of assaulting other family members, WDKY said. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison, WKYT said.

Then, as of last week, Exantus was released from prison for good behavior, WDKY reported.

Set free from behind bars 13 years early.

As you likely would conclude, the Tipton family was furious upon hearing the news.

“He did it. He did it in front of me. He did it in front of my siblings,” Koral Tipton told WKYT. “And being an older sister, who has the obligation anyway to protect her younger siblings, it’s just, he ruined, he messed us up.”

Dean Tipton told WDKY that Extanus said “he was going to kill every one of us. So now, I’ve got to be on extra guard to protect my kids because I will not lose another one, not like this.”

And as you also could likely imagine, Logan’s dad issued a chilling promise if he ever runs into Extanus again.

“I’ve had my talks with God ’cause I’m not afraid to tell you all, I told the court — if I ever cross paths with him, I will kill the man,” he told WLKY on the station’s video report. “I will kill him where he stands.”

According to WKYT, the Kentucky Justice Cabinet released the following statement in regard to Exantus’ release:

The Parole Board did not release Ronald Exantus on parole. Exantus was reviewed for parole on 09/30/2025, as required by state law. The Parole Board issued a decision that Exantus stay in prison for the remainder of his sentence.

Despite this decision, a provision in Kentucky law required the Department of Corrections to release the inmate on Mandatory Reentry Supervision (KRS 439.3406).

Exantus will remain under probation and parole supervision until his sentence ends next year, WLKY said, adding that he will serve his mandatory re-entry supervision in Florida.

In addition, the White House confirmed an investigation into Exantus’ release: “It’s wholly unacceptable for a child killer to walk free after just several years in prison,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt posted on X Saturday morning.

Logan’s mom, Heather Tipton, added to WDKY that she also made a vow.

“I made myself promise I wasn’t going to let this tear us apart, because statistically, Dean and I should be divorced, or our family should have just broken apart at the seams statistically,” she told the station. “And I made a promise that that wasn’t going to happen, and I’m not going to let it happen.”

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​Fatal stabbing, Kentucky, Versailles, Father, Son fatally stabbed, Killer released early from prison, Vow to kill, Ronald exantus, Tipton family, Dean tipton, Logan tipton, Crime 

According to journalist Ashley Rindsberg, information about Ilhan Omar’s father and his alleged role in Somalia’s Marxist-Leninist Siad Barre regime was long dismissed by mainstream outlets as conspiracy theory.

But as Rindsberg tells BlazeTV host Liz Wheeler, the evidence paints a different picture — one the press seemed determined to bury.

“The Omars were brought or came to America under a refugee program. It gave them a special ability to enter the U.S. and to have their pathway to citizenship. And that was presuming that they were not serving in the military or the genocidal military of the country which they came from,” Rindsberg tells Wheeler.

However, Rindsberg explains that this turned out to be the case.

“This was something that was buried by the so-called fact-checking industry and the mainstream media. They called it ‘misinformation.’ They called it an anti-Muslim smear. But the reality is that Ilhan Omar’s father was a colonel in the Siad Barre regime, a Marxist-Leninist regime responsible for genocide of a neighboring tribe,” he says.

“And he was a senior official in that very regime,” he adds.

“And yet he denied association with that government and claimed he was trying to escape it?” Wheeler chimes in.

“He cast himself as a so-called teacher trainer. This was the term that kept coming up,” Rindsberg says.

While the media acted as though his so-called position as a “teacher trainer” was a noble and harmless pursuit, Wheeler notes that the term sounds like a major “red flag” when “that person comes from a Marxist regime.”

“That phrase in and of itself is not convincing to me; that’s almost laughable,” she says.

When Omar’s father passed away in 2020, Rindsberg explains that there were “a lot of obituaries in local Somali-language and English-language outlets in Minnesota claiming and celebrating the fact that he was a colonel in the regime.”

“They were not ashamed of it. They thought this was something to be proud of,” he adds.

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A Virginia prosecutor has indicated that she may decline to charge New York Attorney General Letitia James in connection with alleged mortgage fraud.

Trump demanded that James resign from her office and called her a “wacky crook” in a social media post in April after the head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency released evidence that she allegedly falsely claimed a Virginia property as her “principal” residence.

‘Corrupt Letitia James is costing New York State Hundreds of Billions of Dollars in lost business.’

Norfolk prosecutor Elizabeth Yusi told co-workers that she did not believe there was probable cause to prosecute James, according to two sources who spoke to MSNBC.

The report said that Yusi will present her recommendation to interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan in the coming weeks. The sources said that prosecutors are bracing themselves for the likelihood that Yusi will be fired by Halligan for refusing to prosecute.

The president continued his rhetorical assault on James in a post Saturday on social media.

“Corrupt Letitia James is costing New York State Hundreds of Billions of Dollars in lost business. No company or individual wants to be there, knowing that she’s the ‘Attorney General.’ She is a Complete and Total Disaster,” he wrote.

RELATED: Court teaches Letitia James big lesson about lawfare, hands Trump a HUGE victory

MSNBC reported that the Department of Justice declined to comment and the White House did not respond to the request.

Blaze News reached out to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and to James’ office for comment.

“Until this ‘SCUM’ is removed from the Attorney General’s Office, no company will move to New York, and few companies will be using the New York Stock Exchange, or NASDAQ, for going Public,” the president added.

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​Letitia james, Mortgage fraud, Virginia prosecutor, Letitia james vs trump, Politics 

According to journalist Ashley Rindsberg, information about Ilhan Omar’s father and his alleged role in Somalia’s Marxist-Leninist Siad Barre regime was long dismissed by mainstream outlets as conspiracy theory.

But as Rindsberg tells BlazeTV host Liz Wheeler, the evidence paints a different picture — one the press seemed determined to bury.

“The Omars were brought or came to America under a refugee program. It gave them a special ability to enter the U.S. and to have their pathway to citizenship. And that was presuming that they were not serving in the military or the genocidal military of the country which they came from,” Rindsberg tells Wheeler.

However, Rindsberg explains that this turned out to be the case.

“This was something that was buried by the so-called fact-checking industry and the mainstream media. They called it ‘misinformation.’ They called it an anti-Muslim smear. But the reality is that Ilhan Omar’s father was a colonel in the Siad Barre regime, a Marxist-Leninist regime responsible for genocide of a neighboring tribe,” he says.

“And he was a senior official in that very regime,” he adds.

“And yet he denied association with that government and claimed he was trying to escape it?” Wheeler chimes in.

“He cast himself as a so-called teacher trainer. This was the term that kept coming up,” Rindsberg says.

While the media acted as though his so-called position as a “teacher trainer” was a noble and harmless pursuit, Wheeler notes that the term sounds like a major “red flag” when “that person comes from a Marxist regime.”

“That phrase in and of itself is not convincing to me; that’s almost laughable,” she says.

When Omar’s father passed away in 2020, Rindsberg explains that there were “a lot of obituaries in local Somali-language and English-language outlets in Minnesota claiming and celebrating the fact that he was a colonel in the regime.”

“They were not ashamed of it. They thought this was something to be proud of,” he 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.

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Conservative journalist Nick Sortor was arrested after a brush with Antifa in Portland on Thursday, but the charge was dropped by the district attorney on Monday.

Sortor was documenting the rioting against an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility by apparent left-wing agitators when police arrested him. He says some leftist protesters attacked him and that he swung back in defense before police intervened.

‘Free speech does not include the freedom to commit crimes.’

The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office said that police had probable cause to arrest Sortor, but “after a careful review of the investigation, including reports and video, we do not believe the crime of disorderly conduct can be proven against Mr. Sortor beyond a reasonable doubt.”

Police said two other people involved in the incident were charged with disorderly conduct.

“Free speech does not include the freedom to commit crimes. It does not matter if an individual is expressing ideology from the left, right, or center,” wrote District Attorney Nathan Vasquez in a statement, according to KOIN-TV.

“What matters is whether or not there is evidence to prove a crime was committed,” he added.

Portland police also released a statement about the arrest, according to KATU-TV.

“Our enforcement actions are guided solely by law and probable cause, not by politics or personal characteristics. We are committed to upholding the rule of law equally and fairly, regardless of political affiliation, gender, age, race, or economic status,” the statement reads in part.

“We will continue our efforts in the South Waterfront to investigate crimes, make arrests when warranted, and refer cases involving criminal behavior to the district attorney’s office,” it continues.

RELATED: Karoline Leavitt suggests cutting funds to Portland after arrest of conservative journalist during anti-ICE riot

On Friday, the White House threatened to strip Portland of federal funds over the incident.

“President Trump will end the radical left’s reign of terror in Portland once and for all,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at the media briefing. “The president has directed Secretary [of War Pete] Hegseth to provide all necessary troops to protect war-ravaged Portland and any ICE facilities under siege from attack by Antifa and other left-wing domestic terrorists.”

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From September 26 to October 9, 2025, Saudi Arabia is hosting its inaugural Riyadh Comedy Festival as part of Vision 2030’s entertainment push. High-profile American comedians, including Dave Chappelle, Kevin Hart, and Bill Burr, among others, were invited to perform for payments reportedly ranging from $300,000 to $1.6 million.

However, the conditions for their skits are strict: No criticizing the Saudi government, the royal family, the Islamic faith, or local culture.

Given Saudi Arabia’s suppression of free speech, imprisonment of dissidents and activists, and restrictions on women’s rights, the agreement of so many American comedians to perform, especially under such rigid speech restrictions, has sparked widespread controversy.

Glenn Beck is certainly perplexed. If the Trump administration offered these American comedians the same amount of money to perform for a “Trump comedy weekend” on the condition they don’t criticize the government, the Trump family, or MAGA culture, they would never agree to it, he says.

“Everybody would have been out of their mind crazy on the left saying, ‘Look at Donald Trump, wants to shut people down,”’ he scoffs.

Comedian Bridget Phetasy thinks success has gone to comedians’ heads. “I think comedians got too rich. … Maybe comedians in general just need to go back to being kind of viewed as dumb losers again,” she laughs.

“Maybe this is a challenge for them to push the limits because they can say whatever they want in America. So going to Saudi is, like, a little dangerous, a little titillating,” she adds.

However, she doesn’t necessarily blame these comedians — especially the ones who haven’t had much success — for taking advantage of the opportunity. They may be choosing to “sell their [souls],” but many of them probably needed the money.

“Some of these comedians were not hugely famous and have been struggling for a long time. … So, I don’t know. It’s like, get that bag, but you’re going to have to hear about this forever,” Phetasy tells Glenn, noting that some of the more well-known comedians probably ended up doing damage to their brands for agreeing to the Saudis’ conditions.

Glenn’s co-host, Stu Burguiere, doesn’t see an issue with comedians performing in Saudi Arabia either. “I don’t understand why there is a double standard for entertainers in this world. All sorts of American companies sell products in these countries. … Tons of investors do business in Saudi Arabia,” he says.

“This is not the Nazi regime. We’re not at war with them. They’re supposedly in some ways allies of ours, and, like, do the people of Saudi Arabia not get to laugh? Do they not get to go to comedy shows?”

“That’s all absolutely true, and I don’t blame really any of these people for taking the money and going. At the same time, you also have to understand that you are a useful idiot who’s being used by a regime,” Phetasy counters.

Unlike Stu, she doesn’t think this comedy event is the same as an American company doing business with the Saudis.

“Business people are smart enough to be behind closed doors and do all this stuff in Park City at secretive events where they all fly in on their private jet. And entertainers — their face is their brand; their jokes are their brand. … I think that’s why they get held to this unfair double standard because they’re actually quite poor compared to everyone else around them. These are court jesters for the kings. Literally,” she says.

But Glenn can’t get past the hypocrisy. “The Jewish state could have put on a comedy festival and paid them the same amount of money, and I bet you almost all of those comedians would have turned it down because it’s Israel. They would never do it for Donald Trump,” he says.

To hear more of the conversation, watch the video above.

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Virginia Democratic attorney general nominee Jay Jones is facing increasing pressure to withdraw from the race after a disturbing text message exchange he had with a colleague in 2022 was leaked to the public. The messages were so upsetting that they even prompted an MSNBC host to call for Jones to end his campaign.

Jones, then a Democratic Virginia House delegate, texted Republican House Delegate Carrie Coyner on August 8, 2022, criticizing Republican lawmakers, including then-House Speaker Todd Gilbert, according to messages obtained by the National Review.

‘He should probably be forced to withdraw from the race.’

He reportedly called Gilbert a “POS,” adding that if his Republican colleagues “die before me,” he would “go to their funerals to piss on their graves.”

“Three people, two bullets,” Jones allegedly wrote. “Gilbert, hitler, and pol pot.”

“Gilbert gets two bullets to the head,” Jones apparently continued. “Spoiler: put Gilbert in the crew with the two worst people you know and he receives both bullets every time.”

Jones also appeared to wish harm on Gilbert’s children.

RELATED: Texas National Guard deployed to Chicago amid increasing left-wing violence

Jay Jones. Trevor Metcalfe/The Virginian-Pilot/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

“Only when people feel pain personally do they move on policy,” Jones reportedly wrote.

“I mean do I think Todd and Jennifer are evil? And that they’re breeding little fascists? Yes,” he allegedly continued.

Coyner responded by asking Jones to “please stop,” adding, “It really bothers me when you talk about hurting people or wishing death on them.”

Coyner told the National Review that she sent screenshots of the conversation to Gilbert the same day.

“On August 8, 2022, I had a text conversation with Jay Jones. What he said was not just disturbing but disqualifying for anyone who wants to seek public office,” she told the news outlet. “Jay Jones wished violence on the children of a colleague and joked about shooting Todd Gilbert. It’s disgusting and unbecoming of any public official.”

Jones did not deny sending the messages. However, he initially downplayed his remarks and blamed the uproar about the messages on his opponent, Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares, in a statement to WTVR-TV on Friday.

“Like all people, I’ve sent text messages that I regret, and I believe that violent rhetoric has no place in our politics,” Jones wrote. “Let’s be clear about what is happening in the attorney general race right now: Jason Miyares is dropping smears through Trump-controlled media organizations to assault my character and rescue his desperate campaign. This is a strategy that ensures Jason Miyares will continue to be accountable to Donald Trump, not the people of Virginia. This race is about whether Trump can control Virginia or Virginians control Virginia.”

Later that day, he issued another statement, taking “full responsibility for my actions” and extending his “deepest apology to Speaker Gilbert and his family.”

“Reading back those words made me sick to my stomach. I am embarrassed, ashamed, and sorry,” the statement reads. “I have reached out to Speaker Gilbert to apologize directly to him, his wife Jennifer, and their children. I cannot take back what I said; I can only take full accountability and offer my sincere apology. Virginians deserve honest leaders who admit when they are wrong and own up to their mistakes. This was a grave mistake, and I will work every day to prove to the people of Virginia that I will fight for them as attorney general.”

Jones’ apology failed to stop the growing calls for his withdrawal from the race.

RELATED: Liberty cannot survive a culture that cheers assassins

Virginia State Delegate Todd Gilbert. Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Miyares called Jones’ text messages “disqualifying, particularly in this era of political violence.”

“He apologized now, two years after the fact. … And he said it is only through pain that policy changes occur. Now, the idea that you think pain is what changes policy, I don’t think that’s acceptable in the public arena,” Miyares added.

President Donald Trump also urged Jones to end his campaign, calling him a “Radical Left Lunatic.”

“It has just come out that the Radical Left Lunatic, Jay Jones, who is running against Jason Miyares, the GREAT Attorney General in Virginia, made SICK and DEMENTED jokes, if they were jokes at all, which were not funny, and that he wrote down and sent around to people, concerning the murdering of a Republican Legislator, his wife, and their children,” Trump wrote on social media. “Democrat Jay Jones should drop out of the Race, IMMEDIATELY, and the People of Virginia must continue to have a GREAT Attorney General in Jason Miyares who, by the way, has my Complete and Total Endorsement — JASON WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!”

Even MSNBC host Joe Scarborough agreed that Jones should withdraw his candidacy.

“He should probably be forced to withdraw from the race. And ‘probably’ is doing a lot there,” Scarborough stated during the Monday episode of “Morning Joe.”

Democratic gubernatorial nominee Abigail Spanberger did not explicitly call for Jones to withdraw.

“After learning of these comments earlier today, I spoke frankly with Jay about my disgust with what he had said and texted,” Spanberger stated. “I made clear to Jay that he must fully take responsibility for his words. What I have also made clear is that as a candidate — and the next governor of our commonwealth, I will always condemn violent language in our politics.”

Blaze News asked Spanberger and the Virginia Democratic Party whether they have any plans to request that Jones withdraw from the race.

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Country singer Zach Bryan is coming under fire for releasing a snippet of a song that appears to attack Immigration and Customs Enforcement while claiming the U.S. is “fading.”

The singer-songwriter released a snippet of what seems to be a new song, but the lyrics led many to criticize him on social media.

‘I don’t care how popular he is, he’ll never sound the same to me.’

The snippet was posted to his Instagram account with only the description “the fading of the red white and blue.”

The lyrics refer to police as “cocky motherf**kers” and then have a line against ICE.

“ICE is gonna come bust down your door,” it reads. “Try to build a house / no one builds no more.”

The lyrics end, “Got some bad news / the fading of the red, white, and blue.”

Many online objected to the message of the song.

“Who’s ready for the Zach Bryan-Dixie Chicks tour? Prob a huge Bud Light sponsorship for this one,” joked country singer John Rich.

“Zach Bryan has always been a giant douchebag…his music has also always sucked. I’m just glad more people will start to see how big of a clown he really is,” read another response.

RELATED: TikToker encourages illegal aliens to find vacant homes and become squatters: ‘We can seize it!’

Photo by James Smith/Sam Snap/Getty Images

“ICE agents risk their lives daily. Violent leftists throw bricks at them, attack them, spit at them, even shoot at them. And this is the song he released. Career over,” said one critic.

“Deleted all of his music. He’s like Springsteen now. I don’t care how popular he is, he’ll never sound the same to me,” responded another detractor.

“Yeah, over this guy now. I was listening but as soon as the politics comes out, he goes the way of Robert DiNero [sic], Bruce Springsteen, Cher, and all the other far left proponents. Too bad,” read another response.

Bryan made headlines in 2023 when he was arrested in Oklahoma and charged with obstruction of investigation. He posted his side of the story on a video on social media and apologized for getting too “lippy” with the police.

“I was an idiot today,” he said at the time.

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With the government shutdown nearing its first full week, Democrats have kept up their demands that have led to the deadlock. Over the weekend, however, President Trump had some choice words for Fox News after the outlet aired an interview with a Democrat senator arguing for their outrageous demands.

Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), a familiar figure on Fox News programming, joined Fox News White House correspondent and co-host of “The Sunday Briefing” Peter Doocy to discuss health care in an interview on Sunday. Amid the government shutdown, President Trump took to Truth Social to call out this move.

‘Fox should either get on board, or get off board, NOW.’

“Why is FoxNews [sic] and Peter Doocy putting on Democrat Senator Mark Kelly to talk about, totally unabated or challenged, Healthcare?” Trump said in a Truth Social post Sunday morning. “The FAKE SPIN is so bad for Republicans that it is hard to believe that we WIN.”

In one part of the interview, Kelly called Republican criticism of Democrats’ demands a “red herring.”

RELATED: Trump administration finds a creative new way to mock Democrats amid shutdown

Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Trump gave Fox News what appears to be an ultimatum regarding its messaging going forward: “Fox should either get on board, or get off board, NOW, but at this point, it just doesn’t make any difference to me.

“They suck up the Ratings because of us, and then spin them in the Democrats’ direction.”

Trump also aired his grievances with what he perceived as incorrect polling, claiming his real approval rating is 65% popularity, “a Republican RECORD.”

“Republicans are so tired of this fight with Fox always trying to be so ‘politically correct!’ Thank you for your attention to this matter,” Trump concluded.

Blaze News reached out to Fox News for comment.

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​Politics, Trump, President trump, Government shutdown, Democrats, Peter doocy, Fox news, Sunday briefing, White house 

The Trump administration is deploying 400 troops from the Texas National Guard to Chicago amid escalating violence over Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in the city. The move comes on the heels of an attack on ICE officers, allegedly by left-wing activists, and weeks of rolling protests and riots around ICE detention facilities in and around the city.

‘Violent incidents … are impeding the execution of the laws of the United States.’

The unrest has increased in response to Operation Midway Blitz, an immigration enforcement operation targeting illegal aliens in Chicago. The city has become a hotbed for illegal immigration due in large part to its status as a sanctuary city, meaning that law enforcement is not permitted to cooperate with federal personnel and city resources are open to illegal aliens.

In a memo on Sunday, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced he was activating the Texas National Guard, writing, “Violent incidents, as well as the credible threat of continued violence are impeding the execution of the laws of the United States.”

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, said that he “fully authorized the President to call up 400 members of the Texas National Guard to ensure safety for federal officers.”

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a Democrat, called the deployment “Trump’s invasion” in a post on X and said, “Every American must speak up and help stop this madness.” He lamented the fact that “no officials from the federal government called me directly to discuss or coordinate.”

Pritzker signed a law in 2019 banning Illinois law enforcement from cooperating with ICE. He has stated that “the state of Illinois will not coordinate with ICE on federal immigration enforcement.”

RELATED: Trump reportedly sends 300 National Guard members to Portland from California — and Democrats are seething

Photo by Spencer Platt / Contributor Via Getty Images

In a press release, the Department of Homeland Security announced that special operations teams have been deployed to Chicago following attacks on federal law enforcement on Saturday. The attacks occurred as Border Patrol officers were carrying out operations in Chicago.

According to DHS, Border Patrol vehicles were boxed in and then rammed by left-wing “domestic terrorists.” One of the alleged assailants, Marimar Martinez, “was armed with a semi-automatic weapon and has a history of doxxing federal agents.”

CBP agents fired shots in self-defense, hitting Martinez, who has been discharged from a local hospital and is now in FBI custody, the press release said. Anthony Ian Santos Ruiz, suspected of driving another vehicle “involved in the ramming,” has also been arrested.

Crowds “began throwing smoke, gas, rocks, and bottles at DHS law enforcement” as the scene became increasingly violent. DHS reported that Pritzker refused “to allow local police to help secure the scene.”

Another ICE vehicle suffered a flat tire and was “mobbed by domestic terrorists, forcing law enforcement to abandon the vehicle for their own safety.” DHS added that several CBP officers have been hospitalized with various injuries.

In addressing the situation, Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said, “We will not allow domestic terrorists to attack our law enforcement. If you lay a hand on law enforcement, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

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​Operation midway blitz, Chicago, Hegseth, Abbott, Pritzker, Border patrol, Politics