Category: blaze media

The Senate failed Thursday to advance a government funding package that includes the Department of Homeland Security, significantly increasing the likelihood of a partial federal government shutdown as Democrats push for limits on immigration enforcement practices.

In a procedural vote required to move the six-bill appropriations package forward, the measure fell 45-55, well short of the 60 votes needed to clear the hurdle. Multiple Republicans joined Democrats in opposition, though most GOP opposition stemmed from procedural calculations.

‘Because no agreement has been reached, the failed Senate vote could allow funding for DHS and other agencies to expire at midnight Friday’

Democrats withheld support for the package while demanding changes to DHS policy, especially reforms tied to how Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol operate. Party leaders say they will not back the funding bill without significant adjustments or separating the DHS from other appropriations, a stance that directly stalled the vote.

The Senate was expected to vote again Thursday night but postponed the vote until Friday morning.

RELATED: All you need to know about shutdown day

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) and other Democrats outlined proposed reforms this week — including restrictions on agent conduct, enhanced accountability measures, and limits on mask use by federal agents — tied to heightened scrutiny after recent shootings by immigration agents.

“Let me be clear: Until ICE is properly reined in and overhauled, the DHS funding bill won’t have the votes to pass the Senate,” Schumer said.

Because no agreement has been reached, the failed Senate vote could allow funding for DHS and other agencies to expire at midnight Friday, bringing the government closer to a partial shutdown.

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While the Trump administration has been making every effort to resume control over Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations following a couple of fatal shootings earlier this month, leftists have continued to press their foot on the proverbial accelerator in their race to chaos.

On Thursday afternoon, a clip of self-described “comedian” Kathy Griffin urging her followers to follow in the footsteps of violent agitators in Minnesota went viral.

‘Sorry, but we have to know who’s on our team, and start to plan.’

Addressing those in her audience who are “awake,” Kathy Griffin refers to the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, both of whom provoked law enforcement in the minutes leading up to their death, as “murders.” She uses these examples as well as the immigration detention centers, which she calls “concentration camps,” as proof that it is time to take action.

RELATED: ‘Organized obstruction’: Leaked alleged Signal chats show anti-ICE radicals tracking ICE agents, chasing vehicles

Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Out.com

“So take that in, and I know you don’t want to participate in something radical. I don’t either. I wish I could just go on the road and do my funny stories about celebrities or making fun of politicians, but not even have to acknowledge this. But it is happening all around you.”

She goes on to talk about ICE enforcement in her hometown of Los Angeles, suggesting that the resistance model in Minnesota is something to follow:

And I think it’s time to talk to your neighbors, find out if they’re MAGA or not. Sorry, but we have to know who’s on our team, and start to plan. Is there a way we can do something as a community? When I hear from my followers in Minnesota, they describe a very sophisticated channel of a system of things that they do to help one another. And they use encrypted apps, and like I said, everyone has whistles and honks their horn. But they organize in small groups. And they’ve told me that they learned this from the George Floyd incident.

Griffin was apparently referring to the leaked alleged Signal chats in Minneapolis that independent journalist Cam Higby exposed within the last week.

“Live your life, but be conscious of this. And if you’re silent, you’re complicit,” Griffin says near the end of the clip.

The clip posted by Libs of TikTok garnered nearly 600,000 views by Friday morning.

Kathy Griffin has 1.7 million followers on X and 864,000 followers on Instagram.

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​Politics, Kathy griffin, Trump, Trump administration, Los angeles, Minnesota, Minneapolis, Ice, Anti-ice, Anti-ice protests, Signal groups, Cam higby 

Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon put Don Lemon “on notice” after he allegedly joined other radicals in participating in a so-called “ICE Out Action” by storming Cities Church in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on Jan. 18.

It appeared, however, that the former CNN talking head might avoid consequence for his alleged involvement in the church invasion when, earlier this month, an activist judge refused to issue a warrant for his arrest.

Evidently, that was a surmountable obstacle.

‘A house of worship is not a public forum for your protest!’

Federal agents arrested Lemon on Thursday night. Sources told CBS News that agents from the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations were reportedly involved in the arrest, which apparently came hours after a grand jury was impaneled.

Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Friday morning that Lemon was arrested at her direction along with three others involved in the church invasion, namely Trahern Jeen Crews, Georgia Fort, and Jamael Lydell Lundy.

A source told the Washington Examiner’s Christian Datoc that Lemon has been charged with conspiracy to deprive rights and with violating the Freedom of Access to Clinics Entrances Act.

Lemon’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell, stated that the arrest took place in Los Angeles, where the radical was supposedly covering this weekend’s Grammy Awards.

“Don has been a journalist for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done,” Lowell said in a statement. “The First Amendment exists to protect journalists whose role it is to shine light on the truth and hold those in power accountable. There is no more important time for people like Don to be doing this work.”

RELATED: ‘This is First Amendment activity’: Democrats give church-storming mobs their stamp of approval

Photo by DOMINIC GWINN/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

Lemon — who suggested in October that “black people, brown people” should take up arms against ICE — appeared to join other radicals in disrupting a service at Cities Church, video showed. The church was targeted because of a pastor’s reported role at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The leftist interlopers not only screamed and chanted but castigated the pastor and pressed parishioners individually to answer whether they support ICE.

Lemon, who lost his CNN gig amid accusations of sexist comments, seemingly slipped in and out of character as a journalist during the mob action, stating, “There’s nothing in the Constitution that tells you what time you can protest. You can protest at any time. That’s the whole point of it — is to disrupt, is to make uncomfortable. And that’s what they’re doing, and that’s what I believe when I say everyone has to be willing to sacrifice something. You have to make people uncomfortable in these times.”

The former CNN host also lectured lead Pastor Jonathan Parnell after Parnell said the mob action was “unacceptable” and that it was “shameful to interrupt a public gathering of Christians in worship.”

“There’s a Constitution and the First Amendment to freedom of speech and freedom to assemble and protest,” Lemon told Parnell, excusing the mob’s interference and intimidation tactics.

Dhillon later responded to Lemon’s defense of the mob action, noting, “A house of worship is not a public forum for your protest! It is a space protected from exactly such acts by federal criminal and civil laws! Nor does the First Amendment protect your pseudo journalism of disrupting a prayer service. You are on notice!”

Lemon is reportedly scheduled to appear in federal court in Los Angeles on Friday morning.

Liberals who were silent when Blaze News reporter Steve Baker was arrested for covering the Jan. 6 riot are apoplectic over the arrest.

Jemele Hill, a writer for the Atlantic, called the radical’s arrest “horrifying,” adding that “this absolutely cannot stand.”

Jim Acosta, also formerly of CNN, adhered to a similar script, writing, “This is outrageous and cannot stand. The First Amendment is under attack in America!”

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​Don lemon, Lemon, Arrest, Fbi, Cities church, St. paul, Minnesota, Anti-ice, Leftist, Radical, Cnn, Winning, Dhillon, Politics 

President Donald Trump has officially selected Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s successor.

Trump nominated Kevin Warsh for the role, noting the financier’s extensive experience, including his former role as a governor on the board of the Federal Reserve. At the time of Warsh’s appointment to the board in 2006, he was 35, the youngest appointee to serve, Trump claimed.

This announcement comes after a longtime feud between ‘numbskull’ Powell and the president.

Warsh is set to replace Powell in May after Powell’s term officially ends.

“I have known Kevin for a long period of time, and have no doubt that he will go down as one of the GREAT Fed Chairmen, maybe the best,” Trump said in a Truth Social post Friday. “On top of everything else, he is ‘central casting,’ and he will never let you down.”

RELATED: Fed Chairman Jerome Powell fears criminal indictment as Trump-Fed confrontation intensifies

Tierney L. Cross/Bloomberg via Getty Images

This announcement comes after a longtime feud between “numbskull” Powell and the president, with Trump often criticizing Powell’s refusal to cut interest rates.

This conflict came to a fever pitch when Trump’s Department of Justice launched a criminal investigation into Powell over his testimony to the Senate Banking Committee in June 2025, when he discussed the ballooning cost of renovation to the Fed headquarters.

In a statement following the subpoena, Powell claimed the investigation was actually a political response to “whether the Fed will be able to continue to set interest rates based on evidence and economic conditions — nor whether instead monetary policy will be directed by political pressure or intimidation.”

RELATED: ‘My new Fed Chairman’: Trump hints at major changes coming to Federal Reserve amid great economic report

Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Trump was originally considering National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett for the role, but later suggested he would pick someone else because he wanted to keep Hassett in his position.

“[There] was great speculation that highly respected Kevin Hassett was going to be named Chairman of the Fed, and a great Chairman he would have been but, quite honestly, he is doing such an outstanding job working with me and my team at the White House, that I just didn’t want to let him go,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.

“Kevin is indescribably good so, as the expression goes, ‘if you can’t do better, don’t try to fix it!’ Thank you Kevin for doing such a great job!”

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​Donald trump, Federal reserve, Fed chair, Jerome powell, Kevin hassett, Interest rates, Doj, Kevin warsh, Politics 

BlazeTV host and journalist Sara Gonzales’ recent reporting on widespread abuse and potential fraud in the H-1B visa program in Texas has already been hugely impactful.

In direct response to her investigative videos, Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) ordered all state agencies and public universities to immediately freeze new H-1B visa petitions and applications until May 2027. In addition, he ordered reviews of existing H-1B programs and usage in those taxpayer-funded entities to fight fraud, combat misuse of the federal program, and ensure priority for American/Texas workers in those jobs.

Now Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) is joining the fight. On Wednesday, Paxton announced a sweeping investigation into the program. He also issued Civil Investigative Demands to three North Texas businesses suspected of fraudulent activity, requiring them to provide employee details, proof of operations, and other documents to verify legitimacy.

If these CIDs reveal fraud in the H-1B companies Sara investigated, says Paxton, the scammers behind it “potentially could lose their ability to operate in Texas and have to pay a lot of money back to the state of Texas.”

“I have to tell you: From our digging that we’ve done, you’re going to need a lot of manpower on this,” says Sara.

“I keep giving the analogy — it’s like an onion. … Every layer back that we pull, it just doesn’t make any sense. You’re going to get a redirect to addresses that don’t actually exist or remote working locations where there is nobody there.”

But Paxton is confident in his team. “The good thing is we have a lot of practice doing things just like this. We’ve gone after a lot of companies that are defrauding our consumers, so we’ve had experience doing this, so it’s not our first rodeo,” he says. “We will definitely find out what’s going on.”

If Paxton’s office finds fraud in H-1B businesses, Sara wants to know what happens next.

“We don’t actually revoke [their business licenses], but, you know, a judge would if we were successful,” says Paxton. “And also deceptive trade practice. If we could show that they have deceived consumers and show what the damages are, we get treble damages.”

“I’m told that a lot of Indian scammers or Chinese scammers or whoever the scammers are — that they’re watching what I’m doing. They’re very scared. They’re sending WhatsApp messages. … And so I would imagine that … there’s a high likelihood that they may be watching this right now,” says Sara, “and I’d like to know if you have any message for any of these scammers.”

Paxton pulls no punches. “Stop … because we’re going to find out what the truth is.”

“If there are other companies doing this, which I would guess there are, if they are violating our laws or deceiving consumers, we’re going to find out.”

To hear more of the conversation, watch the full interview above.

Want more from Sara Gonzales?

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

​Sara gonzales, Sara gonzales unfiltered, Hb1 fraud, Blazetv, Blaze media, Blaze, Ken paxton, Fraud, Hbi visa, Texas 

Last week marked one year since President Trump returned to the White House with a mandate to reshape America’s future after four long years of the Biden administration’s failures.

Overnight, illegal crossings at the southern border were brought to a halt. DEI initiatives that picked winners and losers based on group identity were eliminated from the federal government. Lethality returned as the rightful marker of success in our nation’s military.

Despite holding a majority, Republicans in Congress have produced a historically low volume of legislation, leaving much of the Trump agenda uncodified and the deep state intact.

Under President Trump, Americans finally have leaders willing to put them first. But despite a record number of executive orders and a landmark reconciliation package that delivered the largest tax cut in American history, $140 billion for border security, and the elimination of the $200 tax stamp on National Firearms Act items, the job isn’t done yet.

Obamacare’s broken framework continues to get more expensive each year — both for taxpayers and enrollees. Young Americans remain priced out of the American dream, unable to afford a home. And despite holding a majority, Republicans in Congress have produced a historically low volume of legislation, leaving much of the Trump agenda uncodified and the deep state intact.

These challenges are precisely why Republicans were elected: to fix the mess Washington created. We cannot coast into November on “tax cuts,” nor can we pretend that the nation’s most urgent challenges will be solved through uncodified executive orders or rogue discharge petitions.

We need decisive action to address the crises facing the nation. We need to make the American dream affordable again. Congress needs the structure, discipline, and publicity of a new reconciliation bill that forces lawmakers to prioritize results and deliver tangible outcomes for the American people.

It’s time to go big or go home. Despite prediction markets giving Republicans a 76% chance of losing the majority in the House, many lawmakers don’t seem to care. Just last week, 81 Republicans joined Democrats to fund the National Endowment for Democracy — a rogue CIA cutout that fuels global censorship and domestic propaganda. Many of those same Republicans had praised the Department of Government Efficiency just months prior for freezing the NED’s funding.

Likewise, 46 Republicans joined Democrats to vote against defunding the office of federal district court judge James Boasberg, who repeatedly uses nationwide injunctions to override duly executed federal law and substitute his own radical policy preferences for those of the president.

A few short years ago, Democrats attempted to lock Trump in prison and throw away the keys.

Republicans, by contrast, can hardly muster the courage to dispense with a rogue judge.

Meanwhile, much of the work of the American people remains to be done. While the House has passed Texas Republican Rep. Chip Roy’s Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act twice, the Senate refuses to put it up for a vote on the floor.

On health care, members of the House Freedom Caucus have offered Americans an alternative to Obamacare’s failing architecture with market-based solutions that lower costs. Yet House moderates in our ranks, by contrast, have doubled down on stupid, joining Democrats to pass an extension of Biden’s $448 billion temporary COVID subsidies, which thankfully stalled in the Senate.

RELATED: This is what happens when a state elects a ‘moderate’ Democrat

Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images

Despite a good-faith effort from the administration on home ownership, Americans need more than solutions that subsidize demand. High interest rates, illegal immigration, and absurd capital gains taxes are crushing the market.

If Republicans don’t act now, we may not get the opportunity again. Democrats are on record clearly stating their intention to derail the administration with subpoenas and impeachments should they assume the majority in the House. We are a nation nearly $39 trillion in debt. Americans are sick of rhetoric and half measures.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act was passed in July 2025. If, 12 months later, we can only offer the American people last year’s accomplishments, do we expect them to believe we are legislating on their behalf?

The Republican Study Committee recently released a strong blueprint for a new reconciliation bill. The legislation would put more homes on the market by eliminating capital gains taxes on sales to first-time buyers. It includes health care reforms that empower Americans to direct their health care dollars toward insurance plans that best meet their individual needs, rather than those of their employers. The proposal also cuts over $1.6 trillion in government spending, returning a semblance of fiscal responsibility to Congress.

Republicans were elected to enact Trump’s America First agenda, not to manage decline and finance the status quo. If members of Congress fail to seize this moment, they will have no one to blame but themselves when voters decide it’s time to send them home.

​House republicans, Gop, Domocrats, One big beautiful bill, Dhs, Ice, National debt, Democrats, Reconciliation bill, Opinion & analysis 

The FBI raided the Fulton County, Georgia, elections office on Wednesday as part of an apparent investigation into possible violations of federal laws related to the preservation of election records and intimidation or defrauding of voters.

Georgia Sens. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff were among the Democrats who rushed to condemn the raid, which took place just days after President Donald Trump stated that the 2020 U.S. presidential election “was a rigged election” and “people will soon be prosecuted for what they did.”

‘A US election can never, ever be rigged again.’

Although generally critical of the raid that Warnock suggested was a political errand “for a vengeful president,” some Democrats appeared particularly rattled by the presence of Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.

Referencing a Reuters photo placing Gabbard at the site of the search on Wednesday, Virginia Sen. Mark Warner (D) asked, “Why is Tulsi Gabbard at an FBI raid on an election office in Fulton County?”

“Either Director Gabbard believes there was a legitimate foreign intelligence nexus — in which case she is in clear violation of her obligation under the law to keep the intelligence committees ‘fully and currently informed’ of relevant national security concerns,” continued Warner, “or she is once again demonstrating her utter lack of fitness for the office that she holds by injecting the nonpartisan intelligence community she is supposed to be leading into a domestic political stunt designed to legitimize conspiracy theories that undermine our democracy.”

Warner, who also shared a video of his corresponding meltdown, was hardly the only Democrat who panicked over the sight of Gabbard in Fulton County.

Rep. Jim Himes (D-Ct.) joined Warner in penning a letter to Gabbard on Thursday questioning her involvement in an apparent domestic law enforcement operation and demanding an explanation “given the politically fraught nature of elections for federal office.”

RELATED: Virginia Democrats just hit their first setback — and it could make a difference in the midterm elections

Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Democrats’ vexation might have something to do with Gabbard’s proven efficacy in blowing up official narratives and exposing bad actors. Last year, for instance, she helped expose the origins of the Russia collusion hoax and corresponding “years-long coup” against Trump.

Evidently the administration’s attention has moved from the 2016 to the 2020 presidential election.

White House officials told the Wall Street Journal that Gabbard has spent months re-examining the supposed results of the 2020 election and looking for potential crimes. This investigation has involved scrutinizing voting machines, analyzing data from swing states, and looking at glaring discrepancies.

Gabbard is expected to prepare a report on her findings.

“President Trump and his entire team are committed to ensuring a U.S. election can never, ever be rigged again,” said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. “Director Gabbard is playing a key lead role in this important effort.”

ODNI press secretary Olivia Coleman told the Journal that Gabbard “has a vital role in identifying vulnerabilities in our critical infrastructure and protecting against exploitation.”

“DNI Gabbard has and will continue to take actions within her authorities, alongside our interagency partners, to support ensuring the integrity of our election,” added Coleman.

Trump told reporters that Gabbard is “working very hard to try to keep the election safe, and she’s done a very good job.”

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​Election fraud, Election, 2020 election, Donald trump, Tulsi gabbard, Fulton county, Election integrity, Stop the steal, Odni, Warnock, Ossoff, Politics 

The Orange County Prosecutor’s office said a 23-year-old woman who fled to Mexico after decapitating her boyfriend was arrested and returned to the U.S.

On August 25, 55-year-old Enrique Gonzalez-Carbajal was found decapitated in the home belonging to Alyssa Marie Lira in Anaheim, California, on La Palma Avenue.

She was working as a stripper when she met Gonzalez-Carbajal and had been in a dating relationship until his death.

Anaheim homicide detectives named Lira as a suspect in Gonzalez-Carbajal’s death and determined that she had fled to Mexico.

KTLA-TV reported that she was working as a stripper when she met Gonzalez-Carbajal and had been in a dating relationship until his death.

U.S. law enforcement worked with Mexican officials to arrest Lira in Mexico on Jan. 22. She will be extradited to Orange County to face a felony count of murder and one felony enhancement of personally using a weapon.

If convicted on all counts, Lira faces a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in prison.

“Nothing, not time, not distance, nor foreign borders, will thwart our pursuit of justice, and Orange County law enforcement will continue to go the very ends of the earth to carry out our mission and hold criminals accountable for the heinous acts they commit,” reads a statement from Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer.

RELATED: California man decapitated and mutilated his elderly parents and their dog inside mobile home, police say

“This investigation and prosecution are a testament to the tenacity and the dedication of the Anaheim Police Department, of the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, and of our federal and international partners to identify a cold-blooded killer,” he added, “track her down in a foreign country, and bring her back to the United States to face the full weight of the law.”

Lira is scheduled to appear in court for arraignment on February 13. She is being held at the Orange County Jail.

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​Enrique gonzalez-carbajal beheaded, Stripper beheads boyfriend, Alyssa marie lira arrested, Stripper murderer, Crime 

Americans seeking mental health or addiction treatment often encounter a system that claims to coordinate care but rarely delivers it quickly. As demand for behavioral health services rises, a basic question deserves a clear answer: Who actually controls behavioral health care in the U.S., and is that control helping or hurting patients in crisis?

When someone finally reaches out for help, he encounters waiting lists, paperwork, and network gaps that push him toward emergency care or no care at all.

Nevada offers a revealing case study. The state’s Department of Health and Human Services certifies programs and distributes federal grants. County and regional commissions convene advisory meetings to reflect local priorities. Medicaid sets reimbursement rates and payment timelines. Managed-care organizations impose prior authorizations that can delay or deny treatment. Each layer is designed to promote accountability. Together, they often produce delays.

The result is not a coordinated system but a fragmented patchwork of public agencies, insurers, and contractors. Federal funding arrives with compliance requirements that consume clinicians’ time. States enact parity laws to ensure mental health and substance abuse treatment is covered like other medical care. Legislatures debate how to curb investor influence over clinical decisions, insisting that licensed professionals — not financial managers — direct care.

These tensions are unfolding as Washington rethinks the structure of federal health policy. The proposed Administration for a Healthy America would consolidate agencies such as the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration into a single entity. Supporters promise efficiency; critics warn that consolidation could slow local responses.

At the state level, the policy picture is equally unsettled. In 2025, lawmakers across the country revised behavioral health statutes with competing priorities: workforce shortages, crisis response systems, parity enforcement, and the elimination of out-of-pocket costs. Some states strengthened insurance mandates. Others reconstructed governance and funding to regain control over fragmented delivery systems.

Federal policy choices loom over the whole picture. Potential Medicaid funding cuts and weaker enforcement of mental health parity threaten access as demand continues to rise. Proposed budget changes could reduce support for community mental health clinics, suicide prevention programs, and substance abuse treatment — services that are often the last line of defense before emergency rooms or jails.

RELATED: AI in education: Innovation or a predator’s playground? | Blaze Media

Shelby Tauber/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Technology adds another complication. States are beginning to regulate artificial intelligence in behavioral health, with some banning AI-driven psychotherapy outright and others exploring guardrails for diagnostic or treatment support tools. These debates reflect a larger concern: the potential for innovation to replace clinicians or create unregulated substitutes for human judgment.

What patients experience is the cumulative effect of misaligned authority. Financial power, regulatory oversight, and clinical delivery point in different directions. When someone finally reaches out for help, he encounters waiting lists, paperwork, and network gaps that push him toward emergency care or no care at all.

Reform should start with three principles. First, policymakers must reduce administrative burdens that trap providers in compliance while patients wait. Second, insurance reforms must deliver real parity in access — not just coverage on paper. Third, oversight should protect quality while allowing local systems to innovate and respond quickly to community needs.

Behavioral health care is not a niche service. It is a public safety imperative and a core function of a serious health system. Until policy shifts its focus from control to care, patients will continue to pay the price.

​Healthcare, Behavioral health, Bureaucracy, Addiction, Drug policy, Medical, Regulations, Opinion & analysis 

Bruce Springsteen recently released a stand-alone protest single titled “Streets of Minneapolis,” which strongly criticizes Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement tactics.

In the song, the washed-up has-been condemns what he dubs “state terror” in Minneapolis, memorializes Renee Good and Alex Pretti (two anti-ICE agitators who were killed by law enforcement), and condemns “King Trump,” Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.

On a recent episode of “Pat Gray Unleashed,” Pat and co-hosts Keith Malinak and Jeffy unload on the Boss’ latest flop.

Pat and the panel can’t help but howl in laughter at the out-of-touch millionaire’s cheap agitprop lyrics:

[Verse 1]

Through the winter’s ice and cold

Down Nicollet Avenue

A city aflame fought fire and ice

‘Neath an occupier’s boots

King Trump’s private army from the DHS

Guns belted to their coats

Came to Minneapolis to enforce the law

Or so their story goes.

“He took a Daily Beast story, read it, and put some music underneath it,” laughs Pat.

Jeffy says that the faded celebrity clown has been algorithmically boosted on social media recently. “He’s been making the rounds on my algorithm lately for some of his performances as of late, and he looks terrible,” he giggles, noting that social media comments regularly compare him to “Biden walking around with his shirt unbuttoned.”

Keith quips that Springsteen’s song is so bad it makes “gold” of Bon Jovi’s COVID-era “Do What You Can” track, in which the hair metal sellout sang, “Although I’ll keep my social distance / What this world needs is a hug / Until we find the vaccination / There’s no substitute for love.”

When compared to Springsteen’s woke ditty, “that should be Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-worthy,” he mocks.

Catch the full panel’s savage, laugh-out-loud takedown of Springsteen’s embarrassing woke protest rant in the episode above.

Want more from Pat Gray?

To enjoy more of Pat’s biting analysis and signature wit as he restores common sense to a senseless world, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​Pat gray unleashed, Pat gray, Patheads, Blazetv, Blaze media, Bruce springsteen, Bruce springsteen politics, Bon jovi, Springsteen, Classic rock, Music, Woke music 

American religious history is littered with cult leaders who promised a blessed life through deviant sexuality. From the earliest frontier movements to the modern era, the pattern is remarkably consistent: a charismatic figure announces that traditional Christian morality is oppressive, outdated, or unnatural — and that true freedom, enlightenment, or spiritual power is found through sexual transgression.

Today’s polygamy apologists are not offering anything new. Like cult leaders before them, they package sexual license as enlightenment and rebellion as honesty.

The sexual revolution of the 1960s can be understood as a much larger cultural wave of the same desire. “Any way you want it, that’s the way you need it,” became a slogan of liberation, echoing the older Luciferian maxim, “Do what thou wilt.” The point was not merely freedom from social constraints, but freedom from moral law itself.

The LGBTQ+ movement followed this trajectory and intensified it by questioning the very idea of nature altogether. Gender was no longer something discovered or received but something invented by the autonomous mind. Reality itself became plastic, malleable to inner desire. If the mind declares it, then it must be so.

That impulse represents the more openly “liberal” side of the sexual revolution. But today we are witnessing what some might call a more “conservative” version gaining traction: a renewed interest in polyamory and polygamy. This, too, bears all the classic marks of rejecting Christian marriage — only now it does so in a more crafty way, cloaking itself in appeals to nature, history, and even Scripture. This camouflage makes it especially dangerous.

The first move modern polygamy advocates is an appeal to what comes naturally. Men, we are told, are not designed to be with just one woman for life. What is the proof? Male desire. Men experience lust for multiple women; therefore, monogamy must be unnatural.

This argument collapses on closer inspection. It amounts to saying that because men experience disordered desire, they should not be expected to govern it. Lust becomes its own justification. By this logic, no appetite — sexual or otherwise — should ever be restrained. Gluttony, rage, greed, and violence would all be “natural” simply because they occur.

Others dress this same claim in evolutionary language. Men, we are told, are merely advanced apes whose biological purpose is to spread their seed as widely as possible. This argument is simply an abdication of moral reasoning. If evolutionary impulse defines moral obligation, then fidelity, sacrifice, and self-control become irrational. Civilization itself becomes a mistake.

Proponents of polygamy then pivot to the Bible. Didn’t Jacob have two wives? Didn’t David have many? And Solomon more than all of them?

Therefore — what, exactly?

These are not normative examples for the Christian. Scripture never presents polygamy as an ideal. At best, it records God’s tolerance of sinful arrangements within a fallen world, never His approval. In fact, the biblical record consistently highlights the misery, injustice, and disorder produced by polygamous households. The entire account of Jacob having children with four women is an account of their contest and jealousy.

Most strikingly, the very man most often invoked by modern apologists — Solomon — is the author of Scripture’s greatest celebration of monogamous love: the Song of Solomon. The man with many wives wrote the Bible’s most eloquent testimony to exclusive devotion between one man and one woman. That irony should give pause.

From the beginning, marriage was instituted as a one-flesh union. One man. One woman. One covenant. When adultery occurs,it is not the creation of a new marriage but the violation of an existing one. Bringing in a third, fourth, or fifth person breaks the union between one man and one woman as the man moves on to the next woman. This is why God uses adultery as His primary image for Israel’s sin. The prophets do not praise Israel’s “polyamory” with other gods; they condemn it as betrayal.

RELATED: Michael Knowles explains why he isn’t a Christian Zionist

Photo by Olivier Touron/AFP via Getty Images

In the New Testament, Jesus explicitly reaffirms this creational order. Appealing not to cultural norms but to Genesis itself, He teaches that from the beginning God made them male and female and that the two — not three, not many — become one flesh. Jesus was perfectly aware that pagans often practiced polygamy.

Paul makes this even more explicit in 1 Timothy 3. As the gospel advances into pagan cultures where polygamy existed, Paul does not relax the standard for Christian leadership. An elder must be the husband of one wife. Polygamist marriages of people who converted to Christianity were not dissolved, but they were not held up as ideal in the place of Christian marriage, which points us to Christ’s monogamous love for his church. A man should have known better, even as a pagan, and thus Christian leadership was preserved for those who understood what marriage pointed toward from the beginning.

From beginning to end, the biblical story is monogamous. The Old Testament image of God and Israel gives way to the New Testament image of Christ and His bride, the church. History itself culminates not in a harem, but in a wedding: the marriage supper of the Lamb.

Christ has a bride — not brides.

Today’s polygamy apologists are not offering anything new. Like cult leaders before them, they package sexual license as enlightenment and rebellion as honesty. Like wolves in sheep’s clothing, they aim not at hardened skeptics but at the unguarded and naïve.

Christians must be better equipped. Know the Scriptures. Understand the arguments. Do not be deceived by appeals to desire dressed up as nature or sin disguised as tradition. The sexual revolution — whether “progressive” or “conservative” — always ends the same way: with broken people, broken families, and broken faith.

Truth, by contrast, calls us not to indulge our lusts, but to master them. The Christian marriage points us to Christ’s monogamous love for his church.

​Polygamy, Bible, Christianity, Lgbtq, Cult, Sexual revolution, Solomon, Monogamy, Biblical marriage, Opinion & analysis 

The head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services posted a video exposing alleged government funding fraud in Los Angeles, and the Democratic governor instead opened an investigation into the “racially charged” allegations.

CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz posted a video on his Instagram account showing businesses in Van Nuys that he suspected were fronts for criminal activity and fraud.

‘Given the historic sensitivities involved, we are taking these allegations seriously. Any and all acts of hate have no place in California.’

“What we have learned, there’s roughly $3.5 billion of fraud taking place here in Los Angeles, in hospice and home care,” Oz said. “It’s run, quite a bit of it, by the Russian-Armenian mafia; you notice the lettering and language behind me.”

He called L.A. County the “epicenter” for health care fraud in America.

“Criminals have corrupted the system so much that fraud is now almost expected,” he added. “President Trump has made it clear: We will not tolerate the patient harm or taxpayer funded theft any longer. More to come.”

However, the targeting of Armenian business owners by Oz, who is Turkish-American, led many to believe they were being racially discriminated against.

Rather than look into the claims of fraud, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said he would investigate Dr. Oz.

“Our office is reviewing reports that Dr. Mehmet Oz targeted the Armenian American community in Southern California recently — making racially charged claims of fraud outside Armenian-owned businesses, including a popular bakery,” he posted on social media.

“Given the historic sensitivities involved, we are taking these allegations seriously,” he added. “Any and all acts of hate have no place in California.”

RELATED: Entire board of directors at charter school resigns after allegations of massive fraud scheme

Newsom was referring to hostility between Armenians and Turkish people over the 1.5 million Armenians that were killed beginning in 1915 by the Ottoman Empire, which is now Turkey.

Dr. Oz fired back at the governor.

“If there were a real defense for California’s fraud crisis, we’d hear it. CMS and law enforcement will keep doing the actual work: going after fraudsters, period.”

Garen Janbachian with the Armenian National Committee of America told KNBC-TV that the community was outraged that Oz was singling them out, and they denied allegations of fraud.

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​Dr. mehmet oz vs armenians, Armenian turkey conflict, Gavin newsom vs dr oz, Armenian business fraud, Politics 

While many on the left expressed outrage at the shooting reported near the U.S.-Mexico border by federal agents, the sister of the man shot says he’s “no victim.”

Very few details were initially available when the shooting 10 miles from the border was reported on Tuesday. One person was shot at about 7:30 a.m. and was in serious but stable condition.

‘He is no victim. He is a violent person. That’s who he always has been.’

The man was later identified as 34-year-old Patrick Gary Schlegel. Police said he had an active warrant for human trafficking when he was stopped and that two men rushed out of his truck after he drove away.

He eventually ran out of the truck and fired gunshots in the direction of a police helicopter pursuing him, which led to his getting shot and being injured in the leg and head.

Amber Schlegel, the man’s sister, told KOLD-TV Wednesday that he had placed many people in danger through his actions.

“To hear that he’s back running illegals again didn’t surprise me, but to hear that he actually fired at federal agents — that took me by surprise,” she said. “He is no victim. He is a violent person. That’s who he always has been.”

She said that she had already sought a protection order against him when he threatened her for speaking out against him.

“He’s where he should be,” she added. “Whether he recovers or not, he needs to be locked up for a very long time.”

Police said they found a handgun, a .45 pistol, and a cell phone in Schlegel’s possession.

RELATED: More UNHINGED anti-ICE extremist footage: ‘I am a liberal, leftist, pagan, lesbian, transgender woman, and witch!’

The two men who were in his truck allegedly told police that they had paid Schlegel to bring them across the border. One claimed to have paid $8,000, while the other said he paid him $14,000.

The man is charged with assault on a federal officer and had many other previous run-ins with the law.

“Schlegel has a significant criminal history to include an active federal arrest warrant issued in 2025 by the U.S. Marshals Service for escape related to a previous smuggling conviction,” said Heith Janke, FBI special agent in charge in Phoenix.

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​Border patrol shooting, Arivaca border shooting, Patrick gary schlegel, Human smuggler shot at border, Politics 

If you were to turn conservative media off and instead tune in to the opinions of celebrities and the mainstream media, BlazeTV host Stu Burguiere points out that you’d realize that “the skepticism that you might feel about the media’s coverage of these types of incidents when we’re talking about ICE murdering people does not exist in most people’s world.”

“They see the video maybe one time. They see everyone posting all these things, and they just assume with 100% certainty that this is murder, and all these things were murder, and the Gestapo is out in Minnesota, and they’re killing everybody,” he explains.

One celebrity giving his followers the impression that Immigration and Customs Enforcement is in fact the Gestapo is actor Pedro Pascal, who recently posted on Instagram a list of the nine people he claims have been killed by ICE in just 2026 alone.

“I bet you all of those people were not actually murdered by ICE. … So let’s go through all the names. This is going to be very interesting and maybe a little misleading. Now before I do it, I want to tell you there’s no way Pedro Pascal did what we’re about to do,” Stu says, before beginning with the names that are not Renee Good or Alex Pretti.

Geraldo Lunas Campos, 55, was an illegal immigrant being detained at an ICE detention center. His death was ruled a homicide.

“This in theory could fit the post. … In theory, you could say, ‘OK, this guy was murdered by ICE.’ Maybe that’s true. And despite what I’m about to tell you, if that is true, the people responsible for that should be charged with crimes. That is how these things should happen,” Stu says.

“I will say, your sympathy factor for him may be slightly diminished when I tell you he had prior convictions, including sexual contact with a minor. So we’re talking about someone who was charged with child molestation … they don’t put that in the Instagram post though. They just put the name,” he explains.

The next name is Keith Porter Jr., who was killed by an off-duty ICE officer on New Year’s Eve.

“Well what if I were to tell you that yes, an ICE agent did shoot the person, but that ICE agent was off-duty, not working for ICE at the time. … He was in his home and heard multiple gun shots and believed there was an active shooter outside. So he went out to try to help the situation and saw a man with a rifle and wound up shooting him,” Stu explains.

In the reports on the story, it’s also revealed that “Porter’s loved ones and advocates say that they believe he was ringing in the New Year by firing a gun into the air.”

“Of course, shooting your gun into the air to celebrate New Year’s is a very dangerous act and also a crime. You’re not allowed to do that at all,” Stu says.

Parady La is the next name on the list, and he comes with a multi-decade criminal record outside of the fact that he was here illegally. La died in ICE custody while going through severe withdrawal from opioids and was found unresponsive in his cell. Attempts to save him failed.

Luis Beltran Yanez Cruz is also on the list, and he died after being admitted to a hospital for health-related issues. He had a heart attack in prison. The next name is Luis Gustavo Nunez Caceras, and he also died after being treated for chronic heart-related health issues.

“Then we have Heber Sanchez Dominguez … he was an illegal immigrant, of course, but he also was driving without a license. Is that enough to murder a man in prison? I don’t know. You’d have to ask him because he killed himself,” Stu explains.

The next name on the list, Victor Manuel Diaz, also killed himself.

“Now it’s possible we might find out later on that he didn’t kill himself and that ICE agents came in, grappled him, murdered him, hung him from his cell. Those things might be possible, and we might know them in investigation, but it’s obviously misleading and obviously wrong when all the evidence we have to this point indicates that some of these people killed themselves,” Stu says.

“Some of them had heart attacks,” he says, adding, “This is insanity.”

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​Camera phone, Free, Video, Video phone, Upload, Sharing, Youtube.com, Stu does america, Stu burguiere, The blaze, Blazetv, Blaze news, Blaze podcasts, Blaze podcast network, Blaze media, Blaze online, Blaze originals, Ice, Ice shooting, Illegal immigration, Illegal immigrants, Pedro pascal, Leftist celebrities 

The defense team for Jan. 6 D.C. pipe-bomb suspect Brian Cole Jr. accused the U.S. Department of Justice of being “reckless” by insinuating that Cole’s sister and grandmother were somehow involved in the crime.

Defense attorney J. Alex Little filed an 11-page rebuttal of the DOJ’s recent 39-page opposition memo, which seeks to prevent Cole’s release from jail pending trial.

‘It is an unjustified deprivation of liberty.’

Oral arguments on the question were held before U.S. District Judge Amir Ali on Jan. 28. The judge said he would issue a ruling later. On Jan. 16, Judge Ali denied an emergency motion for Cole’s release from custody. The judge set a status hearing for Feb. 27.

Cole was arrested Dec. 4 on a criminal complaint alleging that he planted pipe bombs behind the Democratic National Committee building and near the Republican National Committee building between 7:54 p.m. and 8:16 p.m. on Jan. 5, 2021. In January 2026, he was indicted by a federal grand jury and charged with two explosives-related crimes.

‘Resorts to insinuation’

Near the end of its Jan. 23 memo opposing Cole’s release from jail pending trial, the DOJ mentioned that Cole’s sister texted her mother that she was going into D.C. on Jan. 5, 2021. Brittany Cole texted her mother that her grandmother cautioned her there could be protests.

“Unable to identify an actual, present threat, the government resorts to insinuation. It closes its response by suggesting that Mr. Cole’s sister and grandmother may have been involved in the charged conduct,” Little wrote.

“Its proof? Text messages showing that Mr. Cole’s sister — a club promoter who frequently works in Washington D.C. — told her mother she was going to the city, and that her grandmother had warned it might be crowded,” he wrote.

The DOJ memo also mentioned that Cole sent texts to his mother in the days leading up to Jan. 6. There was no mention of the content of those messages. Little said this reference baselessly suggested something nefarious.

A federal grand jury charged Brian Cole Jr. with two explosives-related charges, alleging he planted pipe bombs on Capitol Hill on Jan. 5, 2021. FBI, Prince William County photos

The DOJ said Cole’s sister texted their mother at 4:17 p.m. Jan. 5, writing: “I’m going to dc…Grams said it may be crazy out there so I was just letting you know.” The sister “sent a text message to the defendant a few hours earlier, at approximately 12:39 p.m. on Jan. 5,” the DOJ memo read.

“That is not evidence of involvement. Nor is it evidence of dangerousness,” Little countered. “It is family checking in with each other. The government’s decision to publicly imply, with no factual basis, that these private citizens are connected to domestic terrorism is reckless and reveals how little actual evidence it has that Mr. Cole poses a continuing danger.”

Brittany Cole provided an affidavit on Jan. 27 stating that her job as a concert promoter took her to D.C. that afternoon and that her trip had nothing to do with Jan. 6 or the crimes her brother is accused of.

‘Unable to identify an actual, present threat, the government resorts to insinuation.’

“As part of my work, I routinely had meetings and would attend events in the Washington D.C. area,” she wrote. “I attended these meetings and events as a networking event for my work and the nightclubs I marketed before.”

Tim Lauer, director of external affairs at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, told Blaze News, “When a defendant claims he should be released into the custody of his family, there will inevitably be a court discussion about the appropriateness of that release.”

For nearly a month, the two sides in the pipe-bombs case have argued whether Cole should be held behind bars until trial. The government insists that Cole is so dangerous that no combination of supervision or monitoring could adequately protect the public.

The DOJ said Cole had purchased other items besides the alleged bomb-making components used for the pipe bombs. This included a pressure cooker on July 25, 2020, a funnel and canning jar on Jan. 28, 2021, nails on Feb. 10, 2021, four alarm clocks and duct tape on March 28, 2020, and three analog wristwatches in 2020 and 2021.

Little said the pressure cooker was purchased to cook meals and was not some kind of bomb component.

“Mr. Cole explained during his interrogation that he bought it for the house for cooking, and there is no evidence it has ever been used for anything else,” Little wrote, noting that “millions of Americans own pressure cookers.”

Police walked right past DNC pipe bomb to first look under a bush where bomber sat 17 hours earlier. Photos by U.S. Capitol Police

“The government’s inclusion of this item in a list of purported ‘bomb-making components’ is the kind of innuendo that pervades its argument — suggestive without context but unsupported by any actual evidence,” Little said.

In numerous filings with the court, the DOJ said Cole “used beaker sets to conduct another science experiment to create potassium chlorate,” a chemical “oxidizing agent commonly used in explosives.” This experiment was done sometime after Jan. 5, the DOJ said.

Little said the DOJ “has the timeline wrong.”

‘There is significant evidence of the defendant’s continued interest in bomb-making.’

“This experiment occurred years before the charged conduct, not after,” Little wrote. “During his interview, Mr. Cole described the experiment in detail: He used beakers and got bleach on the carpet. The government’s own discovery confirms that the beakers the government describes were purchased in 2018.”

Cole’s mother, Delicia Cole, provided an affidavit stating, “In or before 2018, while living in my home, Brian attempted a science experiment to create homemade ‘rocket fuel.’” Her son’s attempt to make rocket fuel “was an innocuous science experiment without any ill intent,” Delicia Cole wrote.

Little said the DOJ has provided no forward-looking evidence of Cole being a danger to society. He said his client is willing to be placed under the strictest release conditions, including home detention and GPS monitoring.

“Mr. Cole’s alleged conduct occurred more than five years ago. He has done nothing dangerous since,” Little wrote. “He has no criminal history, strong community ties, and family — including a retired law enforcement officer — willing to ensure his compliance.”

‘Deprivation of liberty’

Given Cole’s willingness to submit to comprehensive release conditions, Little said that continued detention of his client “is not the ‘carefully limited exception’ the Constitution requires — it is an unjustified deprivation of liberty.”

The DOJ cited Cole’s alleged history of purchasing bomb-making components, his alleged confession, and a nearly five-year effort to avoid law enforcement as factors showing he is a danger to society and must remain in custody.

“There is significant evidence of the defendant’s continued interest in bomb-making, and there are concrete reasons to doubt that the defendant will abide by release conditions or that a third-party custodian will effectively monitor him,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles R. Jones wrote in a memo opposing Cole’s release.

“On this record, and given the statutory presumption of detention, there is clear and convincing evidence that no combination of conditions will reasonably assure the community’s safety if the defendant is released,” Jones wrote.

A U.S. Capitol Police bomb robot (center) responds to the Democratic National Committee building on Jan. 6, 2021. Photos by FBI, U.S. Capitol Police

Little scoffed at the idea that his client evaded law enforcement for nearly five years.

“The government paints him as a criminal mastermind who engaged in a sustained effort to avoid apprehension. But the government’s own evidence tells a different story,” Little wrote.

While the DOJ said Cole “wiped” his Samsung cell phone more than 940 times, Little said that began 18 months after Jan. 5. “If Mr. Cole were trying to destroy evidence of the January 5, 2021, offense, one would expect the wiping to begin immediately afterward, not 18 months later,” Little said.

“The government’s own discovery shows that Mr. Cole purchased CCleaner, an application that advertises its ability to make phones and computers operate faster by cleaning out junk files,” Little wrote. “According to Mr. Cole’s interview, he understood it to be antivirus software.

“According to the government, beginning in July 2022, he started compulsively using the cleaning function — a pattern consistent with his documented OCD.”

The defense submitted an affidavit of Maryland neuropsychologist David O. Black, who said he diagnosed Cole with autism spectrum disorder, level 1, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

“Over the past several years, Mr. Cole has repetitively wiped his phone of junk files,” Black wrote. “Repetitive behavior of this nature is consistent with behavior that is often seen in obsessive-compulsive disorder.”

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​Jan. 6, Politics 

Podcast giant Joe Rogan is leaning on investigative reporting from independent journalists to find the truth about left-wing protests in Minnesota.

Chats on the Signal messenger app that were “infiltrated” by reporter Cam Higby showed that a complex and coordinated network of left-wing groups have been working together to allegedly impede federal operations in Minnesota.

‘The idea that this is an organic protest — these riots are organic — is nonsense.’

The chats, reviewed by Fox News, allegedly detailed socialist, communist, and Marxist-Leninist cells in the United States organizing protests after the death of Alex Pretti. In fact, the report said that agitators were already mobilized to the scene of the death before it happened.

Color me shocked

Rogan explained on his podcast that the riots and anti-government protests in the state are akin to a color revolution, which he described as a “a coordinated effort to cause chaos.”

“This is a very coordinated thing,” Rogan told commentator Andrew Wilson on episode No. 2444 of “The Joe Rogan Experience.”

“The idea that this is an organic protest — these riots are organic — is nonsense. It’s provably nonsense because now they have access to the Signal chats,” he continued.

Rogan made it clear that he did not believe that Pretti should have been shot but said he understands that federal agents were operating under chaotic circumstances.

RELATED: Klobuchar running for Minnesota governor on anti-ICE platform

‘Coordinated effort’

The Austin-based comic made the distinction that it was not Immigration and Customs Enforcement that shot Pretti, rather it was Customs and Border Protection that was brought in to assist ICE.

These agents have been “harassed outside of any hotel they’re at. People blow horns. They try to smash into the hotel. They doxx them,” Rogan explained, which he said is the reason why so many agents are wearing masks.

“It’s a coordinated effort.”

Pretti was reported to have a gun with two magazines on him at the time of his death; Rogan, who has displayed intricate knowledge of weapons over the years, discussed the nuances of concealed carry licenses with Wilson, who said he had experience in teaching weapons training.

“If you know anything about concealed carry, if you are a concealed carry holder and you are carrying not just a pistol, but two full magazines as well, you do not ever physically engage with someone,” Rogan explained. “You also are supposed to carry your license on you, and you’re supposed to have ID on you.”

Pretti was reportedly not carrying ID on him at the time of his death.

Rogan went on, “When you go to what’s supposed to be a peaceful protest and you’re fully armed like that with two magazines, it’s kind of crazy, right? Like … why do you need so many bullets?”

RELATED: ‘More arrests to come’: Bondi shares photos of anti-ICE agitators now charged with crimes

Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP via Getty Images

Welcome diversion

The comedian was careful not to get himself into legal battles over the story but overall cited the riots in Minnesota as distractions that have been welcomed to draw attention away from billions in fraud abuse in the state.

“There would be a reason why you would want to distract from all that fraud,” he added.

Recently new footage of Pretti from 11 days before his death has surfaced. The video showed Pretti swearing at federal agents, spitting at them, and even kicking the taillight off of a vehicle containing federal agents as it was driving away.

Outlets and witnesses had previously described Pretti as simply a “calm observer.”

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​Politics, Joe rogan, Andrew wilson, Gun rights, Second amendment, Alex pretti, Ice, Dhs, Immigration, Minnesota, Entertainment 

President Donald Trump skipped over some key Cabinet secretaries on Thursday, leaving onlookers to speculate about who may be on the outs.

During the 10th Cabinet meeting of his second term, Trump wrapped up the gathering after a prompt hour and 20 minutes. Trump made the exceedingly rare decision not to take questions at the end of the meeting, and those tuning in noticed he skipped over some high-profile officials who are currently under intense scrutiny.

‘Noem has come under fire from both Democrats and some Republicans.’

The most notable Cabinet official who seems to have been snubbed was Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who is at the center of a PR firestorm following another fatal shooting of an anti-ICE agitator in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Noem and other officials like top White House adviser Stephen Miller caught flak for their immediate categorization of Alex Pretti, calling him a “would-be assassin” who committed acts of “domestic terrorism.” Footage has since emerged of a man believed to be Pretti spitting on federal agents and kicking the taillights out of a government vehicle just days before he was fatally shot following another altercation.

RELATED: ‘Justice is coming’: Border czar Tom Homan vows to stay in Minneapolis ‘until the problem is gone’

Yuri Gripas/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Despite these new revelations, Noem has come under fire from both Democrats and some Republicans. The Trump administration has since swapped out Noem’s leadership on the ground, reassigning Chief Greg Bovino and bringing border czar Tom Homan onto the operation.

Trump also glossed over Attorney General Pam Bondi, whose first year in office has been primarily plagued by frustration over the handling of the Epstein files. Similarly, Bondi is now being criticized for the perceived inaction amid the situation in Minneapolis after she touted another “very strong letter” she sent to Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota.

While Noem and Bondi have received negative press for their professional duties, Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer’s personal life has been the focal point of a recent scandal.

Multiple department staff have been put on leave in recent weeks after an inspector general’s investigation was launched into Chavez-DeRemer’s alleged misconduct. The probe alleges that two staff members engaged in “travel fraud” by scheduling professional events as an excuse for personal travel while Chavez-DeRemer reportedly had an “inappropriate” relationship with a subordinate.

Although an internal investigation is ongoing, Chavez-DeRemer’s lack of participation during the Cabinet meeting is notable.

RELATED: ‘Horrifying situation’: Some Republicans retreat following Minneapolis shooting of anti-ICE agitator

Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Another Cabinet member who refrained from speaking during Thursday’s meeting was Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Rubio has been center stage in the news cycle for weeks following the capture of Nicolas Maduro and as tensions in Iran escalate.

While Trump did not ask Rubio to speak, Rubio did spend hours testifying on Capitol Hill Wednesday in defense of the administration and its agenda.

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​Kristi noem, Pam bondi, Lori chavez-deremer, Stephen miller, Minnesota, Minneapolis, Renee good, Alex pretti, Anti-ice, Marco rubio, Donald trump, Trump cabinet, Cabinet meeting, Dhs, Ice, Tom homan, Greg bovino, Politics 

As agitators continue to interrupt federal immigration operations in Minnesota, the state’s governor is tossing gasoline on the conflagration by implying a civil war is erupting.

Democratic Gov. Tim Walz asked if the violence in Minnesota was akin to that at Fort Sumter, which famously precipitated the Civil War of the 1860s.

‘That is literally the dumbest f**king thing anyone has ever said in the history of anything.’

“I mean, is this a Fort Sumter?” Walz asked rhetorically in an interview with the Atlantic.

“It’s a physical assault,” he added. “It’s an armed force that’s assaulting, that’s killing my constituents, my citizens.”

The failed vice presidential candidate was referring to the lethal shooting of Renee Good, who had driven her car into an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, and a second lethal shooting of nurse Alex Pretti, who interfered with an operation while armed with a gun.

While many have been calling for a calming of heated rhetoric, the comments from Walz were widely ridiculed on social media.

“What a complete and total dumbass. Good grief,” replied CNN commentator Scott Jennings.

“Tim Walz is, to put it mildly, not the sharpest tool in the shed,” responded Mike Coté of the Spectator.

“That is literally the dumbest f**king thing anyone has ever said in the history of anything, and quoting it as though it were not condemns the Tweeter as well,” replied John Podhoretz of Commentary.

“Walz, once again, proves he is a moron who both lacks the context for the (horrible and inaccurate) historical analogies he uses and also is not lowering the heated rhetoric. The fact Harris thought this guy was some kind of positive is astounding,” said another user.

Others pointed out that Walz appeared to misunderstand his own comparison.

“Federal agents are in a recalcitrant state trying to enforce federal law, and the governor of that state wonders if it’s Fort Sumter without stopping to puzzle out which side that makes him in the analogy,” replied Charles C.W. Cooke of National Review.

RELATED: Tim Walz says Democrats need to be ‘meaner’ and ‘bully the s**t out of’ Trump

“Uh. Yeah. That is a more apt comparison than he probably realizes. Once again, democrats starting a Civil War to keep their slaves. (Walz, dude, you are the bad guy),” said another user.

Walz is under investigation for allegations that he obstructed investigations into massive fraud in the Minnesota Somali community. He has since dropped his re-election campaign for the governor’s office.

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​Tim walz civil war, Is this fort sumter, Walz mocked online, Twitter attacks democrats, Politics 

Amid the escalating anti-ICE protests raging through the Twin Cities, President Trump announced on Monday that he was immediately dispatching border czar Tom Homan to oversee and manage ICE operations on the ground in Minnesota.

The announcement came shortly before another Truth Social post in which Trump revealed that he had spoken with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) about working toward a solution to quell the escalating protests, noting that Homan would be a key figure in the process.

But BlazeTV host Steve Deace can’t imagine a situation where Tom Homan — “the crown prince of the entire [Trump] regime,” he calls him — de-escalates a raging left-wing movement.

It won’t be enough, Deace argues, for Homan to deliver messaging that counters that of Walz and Frey. “That’s a good start, but that’s not going to quell the level of [violence we have seen],” he says.

Unlike most people on the right, who “won’t do bold stuff because they don’t want to get in the way of their comfort,” left-wing activists, like Renee Good, says Deace, are willing to risk their lives for a cause. They don’t seem to be motivated by protecting their comforts in the same way conservatives are.

That said, he “[doesn’t] believe there’s a single protester right now who’s going to tune in to Tom Homan’s … superior messaging to Tim Walz and Jacob Frey.”

It’s delusional to think these protesters, who are often willing to break the law and put themselves in danger, will hear a Homan sound bite and suddenly say, “Well, by golly, you know, I was going to listen to my 45,000 TikTok followers telling me that I’m a hero to sacred democracy if I go out there and and give my life for the cause. But now, you know, that was just a great 60-second quip by Tom Homan,” Deace mocks.

If the Trump administration is serious about squashing this anti-ICE movement in Minnesota, it’s going to “take more commitment than that,” he declares.

Right now, “blue city-states” within red states, like Austin, Texas, are watching how Homan and the Trump administration handle Minnesota, says Deace. If a strict precedent isn’t set, he fears that similar anti-ICE protest movements will sprout up across the country.

Deace explains Homan’s role in Minnesota using the analogy of President Abraham Lincoln sending Union General William T. Sherman to capture the key Confederate city of Atlanta during the Civil War. The campaign involved heavy fighting, destruction of supplies and railroads, and a lot of hardship for people in the area, but it was necessary to win the war.

“This is Lincoln calling Sherman in and saying, ‘Atlanta’s a problem; go and solve it,’ all right? And I’m all for that, but we need to understand, then, sometimes you have to solve things the way that Sherman did. Sometimes the solutions are not easy,” says Deace.

“We have to understand now: We are never quelling their desire. We have to defeat it.”

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​Steve deace, Deace, Steve deace show, Tom homan, Donald trump, Minnesota, Tim walz, Jacob frey, Somali fraud, Anti ice protests, Truth social, Homan, Minnesota anti-ice protests, Minneapolis 

New York City’s newly inaugurated mayor, Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani, revealed plans to increase taxes on “the richest New Yorkers” less than one month into his term, blaming former Mayor Eric Adams (D) for a budget shortfall.

On Thursday, Mamdani held a press conference to detail the “Adams Budget Crisis,” claiming that the former mayor “misled and misinformed” New Yorkers about the “true state” of the city’s finances.

‘And here’s the part socialists hate saying out loud: “Free” is a lie.’

“I will be blunt: New York City is facing a serious fiscal crisis. There is a massive fiscal deficit in our city’s budget to the tune of at least $12 billion. We did not arrive at this place by accident. This crisis has a name and a chief architect,” Mamdani said.

“This is the Adams Budget Crisis.”

He accused Adams of handing the new administration “a poisoned chalice” by “systematically” under-budgeting necessary services, including rental assistance, shelter, and special education.

“Knowing his time in office was likely coming to an end, Mayor Adams chose political self-preservation over fiscal responsibility. This is not just bad governance. It is negligence,” Mamdani remarked.

“The Adams administration dramatically and intentionally understated the problem.”

Mamdani vowed to balance the budget over two fiscal years by implementing “bold solutions,” including “recalibrating the broken fiscal relationship between the state and the city.” He argued that New York City contributes 54.5% of the state’s revenue but receives only 40.5% of its operating expenditures.

RELATED: ‘Proud to be a sanctuary city’: Mamdani announces another handout for illegal aliens in NYC

Zohran Mamdani. Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images

“Working people did not cause this crisis, and they cannot be made the victims of its solution,” Mamdani stated.

“The time has come to tax the richest New Yorkers and most profitable corporations,” he declared.

Mamdani stated that he could “build a stronger city for everyone” if New York’s top 1% earners paid an additional 2% in income taxes, while claiming that the increase was not significant enough to drive wealthy individuals to leave the state.

RELATED: ‘Tax them to the white meat!’ Mamdani’s new ‘equity officer’ posted now-deleted X posts against white women.

Eric Adams. Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images

Adams fired back at Mamdani in several posts on X, denying that he left a deficit in the city’s budget.

“Facts have a way of getting in the way when slogans replace math and blame replaces leadership,” Adams wrote. “I didn’t leave a ‘budget hole.’ I left over $8 BILLION in reserves. Only someone who can’t read a balance sheet would call that a crisis.”

“And here’s the part socialists hate saying out loud: ‘Free’ is a lie. Every so-called free program comes with a price tag, and someone always pays for it,” he added.

Adams argued that Mamdani’s real motive behind his press conference was to find a way to pay for the “laundry list of ‘free’ giveaways” he promised New Yorkers “to buy votes.”

“Now that the math doesn’t work, instead of owning the fact that he misled New Yorkers, he’s blaming me,” Adams said. “This is the same Mamdani who spent years attacking me for not spending enough during the migrant crisis. The only reason those reserves exist is because I ignored him and his socialist comrades who demanded we blow billions more with no guardrails.”

Adams mocked Mamdani in a third post on X, writing, “When you promise ‘free’ everything on Sunday, boldly declare that millionaires and billionaires shouldn’t exist on Monday, and by Tuesday you’re scrambling to fund your giveaways with the very people you wanted gone just yesterday.”

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