Many on the left expressed their outrage after images appeared on social media of demolition commencing at the White House to build the ballroom ordered by President Donald Trump.

Among those outraged were California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), who posted a response on social media.

‘Unhinged leftists and their Fake News allies are clutching their pearls over President Donald J. Trump’s visionary addition of a grand, privately funded ballroom to the White House.’

“Ripping apart the White House just like he’s ripping apart the Constitution,” Newsom said.

The White House fired back via its own social media account by pointing out Newsom’s hypocrisy.

“Your Capitol renovation is costing California taxpayers $1.1 BILLION — 4x more than the privately funded White House ballroom, which costs taxpayers NOTHING,” the account wrote.

The construction of the ballroom is being paid in part by $22 million from the settlement Trump reached with Alphabet, the parent company of YouTube, over its decision to suspend the president’s account after the Jan. 6 rioting.

“It’s not his house. It’s your house. And he’s destroying it,” Hillary Clinton replied.

The president’s son Eric Trump replied to Clinton.

“The ballroom will be spectacular … unlike your work in Haiti,” he said, referring to controversy surrounding the Clinton Foundation.

Others pounced to criticize the president.

“Trump won’t pay for health care, education, or a federal government budget. But Trump will build a brand new $200 million ballroom for himself and his donors. It’s clear what Trump’s priorities are — and the American people are not on that list,” replied Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.

“Everyone knows the ballroom monstrosity he’s having built is nothing more than a testament to corruption, bribery central, the new headquarters of the old swamp. Trump is destroying the White House. He’s destroying America. Disgusting,” responded liberal influencer Majid M. Padellan.

“Sometimes the symbolism feels like it’s just too obvious; too much on the nose. Trump is vandalizing the White House to build his gaudy Liberace-on-steroids ballroom, using cash from his serial shakedowns of the rich and spineless,” Trump critic Charlie Sykes replied.

RELATED: YouTube agrees to $24.5 million settlement for 2021 suspension of Trump social media account

The White House mocked the reaction in a statement that included a list of renovations made by other presidents.

“In the latest instance of manufactured outrage, unhinged leftists and their Fake News allies are clutching their pearls over President Donald J. Trump’s visionary addition of a grand, privately funded ballroom to the White House,” reads the statement, “a bold, necessary addition that echoes the storied history of improvements and additions from commanders-in-chief to keep the executive residence as a beacon of American excellence.”

The construction of the ballroom is being funded by the Trust for the National Mall nonprofit organization.

“We’re putting up our own money. The government is paying for nothing. You probably hear the beautiful sound of construction to the back. You hear that sound? That’s music to my ears. … When I hear that sound it reminds me of money. In this case it reminds me of lack of money because I’m paying for it,” the president said to Republicans Tuesday.

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Former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre had a lively interview with Stephen Colbert where she accused the Democratic Party of ignoring black women.

Jean-Pierre, who is black and identifies as “gay,” defended statements she made in her book against Democrats while also defending former President Joe Biden and supporting extremists seeking election.

‘Millions of people who voted in 2020 for the Biden-Harris ticket did not come out in 2024. We have to figure out why. What happened there?’

Colbert pressed Jean-Pierre on whether she was weakening the effort to oppose President Donald Trump by criticizing the Democratic Party and leaving to become an independent.

“Do you recommend everyone leave the party, and if so, where do they go? Because organization is how you face tyranny. Freelancing isn’t going to get anybody anything done,” the host asked.

“So, here’s the thing: I am not telling everybody to be an independent. I’m trying to start a conversation,” Jean-Pierre responded. “I’m not saying that we need a third party. I am saying that right now, the two-party system is not working.”

She received loud applause from the audience before blaming the Democratic Party for losing the 2024 election.

Jean-Pierre claimed that people would stop her in public and ask her tearfully, “What’s happening? Why is the Democratic leadership not fighting? What’s happening? We need more. How are we going to get out of this?”

She said she wanted to offer people a road map to get engaged to continue fighting for the left-wing agenda.

Colbert pointed out that many popular politicians like AOC and Zohran Mamdani are socialists, which says to him that the party is not meeting the needs of many on the far left.

“They’re actually throwing people under the bus who are vulnerable and need protection,” Jean-Pierre said.

“As a black woman who has walked through the walls of the White House and been part of this party for a very long time, I believe — and this is my personal opinion — that we get forgotten and that by large part the Democratic Party does not see us,” she added. “And for me, especially in this past year, I needed to make a statement and to make a point.”

RELATED: Furious Karine Jean-Pierre hangs up on radio interview after being asked if Biden has dementia: ‘It is incredibly insulting!’

“We are under attack. Our democracy is slipping through our fingers,” she claimed.

“Millions of people who voted in 2020 for the Biden-Harris ticket did not come out in 2024. We have to figure out why. What happened there?” she asked rhetorically.

The interview can be viewed in its entirety on the YouTube channel for Colbert’s show.

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Antifa defenders have claimed that they are simply standing up to tyranny, much like the Boston Tea Party patriots — but a quick journey back through time tells a much different story.

Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck uses the image of the skull and crossbones with a crown that floats above the head of the skull to illustrate the major difference between the No Kings protesters and America’s brave founders.

“This comes from colonial days when they would say ‘no kings.’ But they followed that with ‘no kings but Christ.’ Meaning the only king they serve is Christ,” Glenn says, explaining that the meaning of the skull and crossbones is that the “leaders of the country are mortal.”

“They die. They turn to dust. But the crown of Christ doesn’t,” he adds.

This is what changed everything in America, because initially, kings were considered to be appointed by God.

“So when you say ‘no kings,’ what exactly do you mean?” he asks.

“They’ll tell you a democracy, but a democracy gives you kings. It gives you dictators. It gives you authoritarians. We know this because that’s why the founders wrote the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution the way they did,” he explains.

“Now, let me tell you the difference between our founders and Antifa, because you know our kids are being taught that what happened in the Boston Harbor in 1773 with the Boston Tea Party was the same that Antifa is doing,” Glenn says.

Rather than a crew of “faceless anarchists,” those boarding three ships under the cover of night were farmers, shopkeepers, and artisans.

“They’re husbands, they’re fathers, they’re Sons of Liberty, and they’re not out to burn their own neighborhoods. In fact, they’re not out to burn the ships themselves. What they want to do is make a statement against the king that had refused to listen to them,” Glenn explains.

“And so their protest is very targeted, very deliberate, and very symbolic,” he says, noting that it was also “completely non-violent.”

“No looting, no torched businesses, no innocent citizens bloodied in the streets. Property was destroyed, yes, but the destruction was purposeful, singular, squarely at the political grievance of taxation without representation,” Glenn says.

“And nobody lost anything except for the insurance companies,” he adds.

Want more from Glenn Beck?

To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis, and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, 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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After refusing to call on Virginia attorney general candidate Jay Jones to drop out of the race over a text message scandal, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger is hoping to boost her odds with a Tuesday campaign event featuring two familiar names.

Bill Nye “the Science Guy” and Biden Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg were scheduled to join Spanberger on Tuesday for her rally in Charlottesville, according to Fox News Digital. Buttigieg and Spanberger will host a “Virtual Coalitions All Call” on Tuesday evening.

‘I made clear to Jay that he must fully take responsibility for his words.’

Former President Barack Obama, who endorsed Spanberger last week, will attend her Norfolk rally on November 1, her campaign website states.

“Virginia’s elections are some of the most important in the country this year, and I am proud to endorse Abigail Spanberger for governor. Republican policies are raising costs on working families so billionaires can get massive tax cuts,” Obama stated. “As governor, Abigail will stand up for Virginia families. She’ll work to build an economy that works for everyone, not just big corporations and the wealthy.”

Nye attended a No Kings event in D.C. over the weekend. During his speech, he criticized President Donald Trump.

“We are here to tell our lawmakers that what’s going on in our government is wrong. They must stop the abuses of this petulant president and his circle of sycophants,” Nye said.

“This president and his associates cannot tolerate dissent. To them, our free speech is frightening. They are arresting people and denying due process in courts,” he continued.

RELATED: Democrat Jay Jones cancels fundraiser amid growing backlash over violent texts about GOP rival and his kids

Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images

Spanberger’s high-profile endorsements follow a public relations scandal that Virginia Democrats have attempted to downplay. In a leaked text message exchange from 2022, Jones, a former Virginia delegate, wished death upon a Republican lawmaker and his children.

In the texts, Jones presented a hypothetical scenario in which he would choose to use “two bullets” to shoot then-House Speaker Todd Gilbert (R), if given the choice between Gilbert, Adolf Hitler, and Pol Pot. He also accused Gilbert and his wife of “breeding little fascists” and wished harm on their children.

RELATED: VIDEO: Earle-Sears crushes Democratic candidate over death-wish texts during gubernatorial debate

Abigail Spanberger. Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Spanberger released a statement condemning Jones’ violent comments but stopped short of calling for him to end his campaign. Instead, Spanberger continues to host events sponsored by her campaign and those of Jones and Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor Ghazala Hashmi.

“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.”

As of Tuesday evening, no Democrats have called on Jones to step out of the race.

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Republican Rep. Marlin Stutzman of Indiana is leading the charge alongside Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas to protect Nigerian Christians who are being persecuted and slain by jihadist groups.

Stutzman introduced the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act on Tuesday in the House, an identical companion bill to Cruz’s legislation, Blaze News learned. This legislation is in response to the “rapidly deteriorating” conditions for Christians in Nigeria, who are being abducted, targeted, and murdered by the tens of thousands.

‘We must use the targeted tools we have at our disposal.’

Stutzman’s bill would protect Christians by placing targeted sanctions on Nigerian officials who facilitate violence and enforce Sharia law against religious minorities, according to the bill text obtained exclusively by Blaze News. The bill would also designate Nigeria as a country of particular concern and ensure that the jihadist militant groups Boko Haram and ISIS-West Africa remain designated as entities of particular concern.

“It is the responsibility of the United States to protect religious freedom worldwide,” Stutzman told Blaze News. “Implementing Sharia law and condoning the murder of innocent people is barbaric.”

RELATED: Nigerian Christians face latest massacre by militant Muslims

Photo By Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call

“We must use the targeted tools we have at our disposal to combat religious violence in all its forms,” Stutzman told Blaze News. “I am proud to partner with Senator Cruz to introduce this important legislation, which will create real consequences for those responsible for violence and save the lives of thousands of Christians who are facing persecution.”

Since the jihadist group Boko Haram launched its insurgency in 2009, over 125,000 Christians in Nigeria have been murdered. In just 2025 alone, these jihadists have reportedly murdered over 7,000 Christians and abducted an additional 7,800, destroying roughly 100 churches every month.

“Nigerian Christians are being targeted and executed for their faith by Islamist terrorist groups, and are being forced to submit to Sharia law and blasphemy laws across Nigeria,” Cruz said in a statement.

RELATED: Blaze News investigates: Why are Islamists targeting Catholic priests?

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

“It is long past time to impose real costs on the Nigerian officials who facilitate these activities, and my Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act uses new and existing tools to do exactly that,” Cruz added. “I urge my colleagues to advance this critical legislation expeditiously.”

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The White House has denied a TMZ report saying that President Donald Trump is considering commuting the sentence of rap mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, who was convicted of sex crimes.

The president was considering commuting Diddy’s sentence “as early as this week,” TMZ said, citing “a high-ranking White House official.” The official also claimed that Trump is “vacillating” on the decision and will ultimately “do what he wants.”

‘The president, not anonymous sources, is the final decider on pardons and commutations.’

On Tuesday the White House denied the report and accused TMZ of neglecting to ask the administration to comment on the story.

“There is zero truth to the TMZ report, which we would’ve gladly explained had they reached out before running their fake news,” read the statement. “The president, not anonymous sources, is the final decider on pardons and commutations.”

TMZ said it stands by the story.

When previously pressed by a CNN reporter to answer questions about the possibility of a pardon for Jeffrey Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, the president said that the rapper had asked him for a pardon.

“I have a lot of people [who] have asked me for pardons,” Trump said. “I call him Puff Daddy, has asked me for a pardon.”

Trump also said that he had been friends with Combs but they had a falling-out after the rapper criticized him when he became president.

Combs was convicted by a jury in July of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, but he was acquitted of more serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering. He has been imprisoned since his arrest in Sept. 2024 and was sentenced earlier this month to four years and two months.

RELATED: Blaze News exclusive: ‘I’ve attended these parties’: Former Diddy protégé recalls ‘dark hours’ with ‘extra activities’

“You abused the power and control with women you professed to love,” said the judge at his sentencing. “You abused them physically, emotionally, and psychologically.”

Combs had admitted to the court in a statement asking for clemency that he was “sick from the drugs.”

“I can’t change the past but can change the future,” the wealthy celebrity said. “I ask your honor for mercy. I beg your honor for mercy, to be a father again, a son again and be a leader in my community again and get the help I desperately need.”

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The House Judiciary Committee officially referred former CIA Director John Brennan to the Department of Justice for allegedly lying to Congress about his involvement in the Russia collusion hoax.

Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) referred Brennan to the DOJ on Tuesday for allegedly making “false statements” during his transcribed testimony before the Judiciary Committee in 2023. During his testimony, Brennan made “numerous willfully and intentionally false statements,” including that the CIA was not “involved at all” with the Steele dossier, according to Jordan.

‘It indicates a pattern of Brennan’s willingness to lie.’

“Congress cannot perform its oversight function if witnesses who appear before its committees do not provide truthful testimony,” a letter from Jordan to Attorney General Pam Bondi reads. “Making false statements before Congress is a crime that undermines the integrity of the Committee’s constitutional duty to conduct oversight.”

In the letter, Jordan outlined every falsehood he claims Brennan stated during his 2023 testimony, testimony that Jordan said directly contradicted the Intelligence Community Assessment.

RELATED: ‘Ultimate hypocrisy’: Murkowski, now whining about Comey indictment, sang a different tune when Dems went after Trump

Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images

In 2017, several intelligence agencies published a report alleging that Russia had meddled in America’s elections to elect President Donald Trump to his first term in 2016. This report, which was later debunked, was based on the Steele dossier, which was funded by the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee through the law firm Perkins Coie and other opposition research firms like Fusion GPS.

After the Trump administration declassified documents showing that the report’s claims were apparently fabricated by former President Barack Obama’s administration, Brennan’s testimony was called into question.

Brennan initially claimed in May 2023 that the “CIA was not involved at all with the [Steele] dossier,” a statement that contradicted the findings “jointly made by the Directors of CIA and FBI,” according to Jordan’s letter. Jordan also claimed that Brennan “overruled senior CIA officers” who had objections about including the dossier material in the report.

“Brennan’s assertion that the CIA was not ‘involved at all’ with the Steele dossier cannot be reconciled with the facts,” the letter reads. “As the newly declassified documents show, a CIA officer drafted the annex containing a summary of the dossier; Brennan made the ultimate decision, along with then-FBI Director James Comey, to include information from the dossier in the ICA.”

RELATED: Released FBI docs reveal Comey allegedly used media mole to plant info at New York Times for Russian collusion investigation

Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images

Brennan similarly testified that the CIA “very much opposed” including the Steele dossier in the report, despite declassified documents claiming he “refused to remove it” from the report regardless of its “many flaws.”

Durin separate testimony in 2017, Brennan said the Steele dossier “was not in any way used as a basis for the Intelligence Community Assessment,” despite contrary evidence found after the Trump administration declassified documents. Notably, this testimony was made beyond the five-year statute of limitations, but Jordan said that “it indicates a pattern of Brennan’s willingness to lie to Congress about the Steele dossier.”

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A review of the voter rolls in Texas has led officials to find that thousands of possible illegal aliens have been unlawfully registered to vote.

Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson said in a press release Monday that 2,724 noncitizens were found to be registered to vote after officials cross-referenced the voter rolls with a federal citizenship database.

‘Noncitizens must not be allowed to influence American elections, and I will use the full weight of my office to investigate all voter fraud.’

“Only eligible United States citizens may participate in our elections,” wrote Nelson in the release.

“The Trump administration’s decision to give states free and direct access to this data set for the first time has been a game changer, and we appreciate the partnership with the federal government to verify the citizenship of those on our voter rolls and maintain accurate voter lists.”

About 18 million voter profiles were compared to the SAVE database of citizens managed by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

The 2,724 cases are to be referred to county officials, who will determine if any of those should be purged from the voter rolls. Noncitizens can refer to illegal aliens as well as resident aliens who are legally in the U.S. but not allowed to vote.

Nelson said that any noncitizen who is found to have voted in an election would be referred to the attorney general’s office for possible criminal prosecution.

She included a file with a list of those cases found for each county. Forty-eight potential noncitizen registrations were found in Brazoria County, 68 cases were found in Cameron County, 277 cases were found in Dallas County, and 165 cases were found in El Paso County.

In June Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced that Nelson had referred 33 cases of potential illegal voting in the 2024 election to his office.

RELATED: Trump order leads to investigation of 33 potential incidents of noncitizen voting, AG Paxton says

“Noncitizens must not be allowed to influence American elections, and I will use the full weight of my office to investigate all voter fraud,” Paxton said at the time.

Nelson added that President Donald Trump had opened up access to the SAVE database in order to root out possible cases of voter fraud.

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An Indiana man died in a head-on collision on Wednesday involving an unlicensed semitruck driver who is allegedly in the country illegally.

The crash occurred amid national scrutiny in the trucking industry over an increase in non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses issued to foreign nationals, some of whom do not meet required English language proficiency standards, raising concerns about road safety and national security.

‘Immigration and Customs Enforcement Chicago lodged an immigration detainer with the Porter County Jail against criminal illegal alien Borko Stankovic following his arrest on Oct. 15 for reckless homicide and criminal recklessness.’

Borko Stankovic, 41, an alleged illegal alien from Serbia and Montenegro living in Lyons, Illinois, was driving his truck eastbound along U.S. 20 in Portage, Indiana, when he failed to slow down for a stopped van in his lane waiting to make a left turn, according to authorities. In a last-minute maneuver to avoid a collision with the van, Stankovic made a hard left turn, crossing into oncoming traffic and striking a Subaru Crosstrek heading westbound, police told WFLD-TV.

Stankovic’s truck jackknifed, causing the trailer to collide with the rear of the van, which then was forced into a road sign. While the driver and passenger of the van were treated at the scene and released, Jeffrey Eberly, the 54-year-old driver of the Subaru, died at the scene.

Stankovic reportedly did not have a valid CDL. According to WFLD, his carrier was not registered with the Department of Transportation. Blaze News contacted the DOT to confirm whether Stankovic’s trucking operation was legally registered with the department.

RELATED: Exclusive: DOT withholds $40M from blue state for flouting English requirements for truckers

Photo by Kevin Carter/Getty Images

While Stankovic reportedly did not have a driver’s license or a CDL, WFLD stated that he was in possession of a suspended Illinois CDL belonging to a family member.

The Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles stated that it does not have a record of Stankovic. Blaze News contacted the Illinois secretary of state to determine whether he holds any licenses with the state.

DOT Secretary Sean Duffy stated that Stankovic “spoke broken English.”

“This is EXACTLY why President Trump and I are working so hard to get dangerous foreign drivers OFF our roads. More to come,” Duffy said.

An Indiana case summary revealed that Stankovic is facing two felony charges: reckless homicide and criminal recklessness.

RELATED: ICE nabs alleged illegal alien truck driver with ‘NO NAME GIVEN’ license

Photographer: David Peinado/Bloomberg via Getty Images

According to the Porter County Sheriff’s Office, Stankovic was arrested by state police and booked on October 15 around 6:30 p.m. When reached for comment, the Indiana State Police directed Blaze News to contact the Portage Police Department, noting that the local police were handling the investigation.

The Department of Homeland Security stated that Immigration and Customs Enforcement has placed a detainer against Stankovic. The department told Blaze News that he has been in the U.S. illegally since February 2011, which is when his nonimmigrant visa status expired.

Nassau County Police Department in New York previously arrested Stankovic in 2018 for resisting arrest and obstructing governmental administration. New York also ordered Stankovic to pay $3,400 after he was accused of damaging a guide rail in 2018, according to court records.

Blaze News reached out to the New York DMV to verify whether Stankovic has ever been licensed there.

Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated, “U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Chicago lodged an immigration detainer with the Porter County Jail against criminal illegal alien Borko Stankovic following his arrest on Oct. 15 for reckless homicide and criminal recklessness.”

“Stankovic, a 41-year-old illegal alien from Serbia and Montenegro, was driving a semitruck and caused a multi-vehicle accident in Portage, Indiana, that tragically claimed the life of Jeffrey Eberly,” McLaughlin continued. “This criminal illegal alien didn’t even have a valid commercial driver’s license (CDL). DHS is working with our state and local partners to get illegal alien truck drivers who often don’t know basic traffic laws off our highways.”

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