On Monday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents nabbed several criminal illegal aliens whom Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin described as “truly sick individuals.”

A DHS press release, obtained exclusively by Blaze News, highlighted ICE’s recent arrest of five illegal immigrants across the country who were taken into federal custody.

‘We will not allow criminal illegal aliens to roam free in our communities and terrorize innocent Americans.’

These individuals have been “convicted of voluntary manslaughter, lewd battery on a child, attempted statutory rape of a child, and other horrific crimes,” the press release read.

The DHS stated that nearly 70% of ICE arrests are of illegal aliens with prior criminal charges or convictions.

Immigration officers captured Rodolfo Sanchez, an illegal alien from Mexico who was previously convicted of voluntary manslaughter and burglary of a building in Houston, Texas.

RELATED: Woman claims ICE wrongfully detained her for 30 hours — now a sheriff is suing her for defamation

Rodolfo Sanchez. Image source: Department of Homeland Security

ICE agents nabbed Jose Rivera-Orta, a 56-year-old illegal alien from Cuba who was convicted of lewd/lascivious battery on a child 12 to 15 years old in Miami-Dade County, Florida.

Jose Rivera-Orta. Image source: Department of Homeland Security

Federal agents arrested Jacobo Pablo-Ramirez, an illegal alien from Guatemala. His rap sheet includes a conviction for attempted statutory rape of a child in Duplin County, North Carolina.

Jacobo Pablo-Ramirez. Image source: Department of Homeland Security

Daniel Garces-Flores, an illegal immigrant from Mexico, was captured by ICE. He was previously convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in Hidalgo County, Texas.

Daniel Garces-Flores. Image source: Department of Homeland Security

Immigration agents also arrested Derekson Lett, an illegal alien from Grenada who was convicted of robbery in Staten Island, New York. A local report from SILive.com stated that in 2015, Lett, who was 26 years old at the time, had tried to rob a prostitute who was allegedly fatally shot by Lett’s accomplice in a motel. He was sentenced to 11 years in prison.

RELATED: Thug accused of killing woman in Florida hammer attack is Haitian illegal alien protected from deportation under Biden: DHS

Derekson Lett. Image source: Department of Homeland Security

“Yesterday, ICE arrested some truly sick individuals, including murderers, pedophiles, sexual predators, and violent thugs,” Mullin stated. “Nearly 70% of ICE arrests are of illegal aliens charged or convicted of a crime in the U.S. We will not allow criminal illegal aliens to roam free in our communities and terrorize innocent Americans.”

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​Department of homeland security, Immigration and customs enforcement, Markwayne mullin, Dhs, Ice, Immigration, Illegal immigration crisis, Illegal immigration, Immigration crisis, Immigration enforcement, Politics 

Disgraced Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell said the women accusing Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct “deserve to be heard” during the 2018 confirmation hearings. Now a California woman is accusing Swalwell of raping her that same year.

Lonna Drewes has become the fifth woman to accuse Swalwell of sexual misconduct, alleging that the former gubernatorial candidate raped her eight years ago. In a press conference Tuesday, Drewes accused Swalwell of spiking her drink before Swalwell brought her to his hotel and allegedly raped her.

‘I did not want to live anymore.’

Swalwell infamously demanded every one of Kavanaugh’s accusers be heard, saying they “deserve for their allegations to be investigated.” Eight years later, Swalwell is saying the allegations against him are false and unfounded, eventually dropping out of the governor’s race and resigning from Congress.

“He raped me, and he choked me. And while he was choking me, I lost consciousness, and I thought I died,” Drewes said. “I did not consent to any sexual activity.”

RELATED: ‘Mutually assured destruction’: Another disgraced lawmaker to resign from Congress over sex scandal

Drewes said she did not report the incident at the time but cited other forms of documentation, like her handwritten calendar and therapy sessions at a sexual assault center, to substantiate the accusations. At the time of the alleged encounter, Drewes was in a “committed” relationship, and Swalwell’s wife was pregnant.

“It had a profound impact on my mental health,” Drewes added. “I self-medicated in an unhealthy way. I did not want to live anymore. I cried all the time for years. At the time, I was in a dating relationship with a boyfriend I was fully committed to. I’ve never cheated in my life, and I would never have engaged in a consensual sexual encounter with Eric Swalwell.”

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​California governors race, Eric swalwell, House democrats, Lonna drewes, Rape allegations, Sexual assault allegations, Sexual misconduct, Politics, Brett kavanaugh 

The United States suffered a costly and deadly “invasion” at its southern border during the Biden administration.

Over the course of Joe Biden’s tenure as president, U.S. Customs and Border Protection recorded roughly 11 million border encounters with illegal aliens and other inadmissible migrants — encounters that in many cases ended with the release of border jumpers into the homeland.

The Trump administration has, however, turned things around.

‘These bans affected half of all legal immigrants coming from abroad.’

Whereas, for instance, in fiscal year 2024 there were over 2.9 million border encounters nationwide, last year there was a total of 691,906 encounters. If the pattern shaping up over the past several months continues until September, this year will see far fewer. After all, the number of border encounters from October through March was 531,301 in fiscal year 2025 but only 182,585 during the same stretch this fiscal year.

More important than the decline in border apprehensions is the total drop in releases. On Thursday, the Department of Homeland Security announced U.S. Border Patrol’s 11th consecutive month of zero releases at the southern border.

The Trump administration has, apparently, also succeeded in greatly reducing the number of legal migrants entering the nation.

David Bier, the director of immigration studies at the Cato Institute, endeavored in a new report to take the wind out of President Donald Trump’s sails on the issue of immigration control, not only claiming that Trump’s success in curbing illegal alien entries was a gift from the previous administration, but complaining that Trump has significantly reduced legal migration.

RELATED: Oracle files for thousands of H-1B visas amid mass layoffs: ‘Today is your last working day’

John Moore/Getty Images

While framing the reductions in legal immigration in negative terms, Bier — a libertarian who previously attempted to blame Trump for the immigration crisis and aided the effort to thwart the president’s executive order requiring Border Patrol to immediately send any border crosser packing — has unwittingly provided strong indications that the president has delivered a result that 55% of Americans said they wanted the year he was re-elected.

According to the Cato Institute report, the number of monthly southwest border legal entries by asylum seekers dropped 99.9% from December 2024 to February 2025, which Bier credited to the Trump administration’s elimination of the CBP One scheduling app and restrictions on asylum.

The leading countries of origin for refugees admitted in the final year of the Biden administration were Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Syria, and Venezuela.

The Trump administration also reduced the number of refugees admitted into the country. There were, for instance, 96,635 admissions from Feb. 2024 to Jan. 2025, but only 2,157 admissions from Feb. 2025 to Jan. 2026. The president has capped admissions in fiscal year 2026 at 7,500 refugees.

Bier’s frustration with what he has dubbed the “most anti-legal immigrant administration in American history” wasn’t limited to the curbs on asylum seekers and refugees.

In light of the administration’s denial of immigrant visas and visa issuances to foreigners from scores of countries and the State Department’s suspension of the Diversity Visa lottery, Bier projected — absent the relevant data on visa issuances since September 2025 — that immigrant visas for legal permanent residents have fallen by roughly half.

RELATED: ‘H-1B workers ONLY’: DOJ punishes company Sara Gonzales exposed for illegal hiring practices

SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

“These bans affected half of all legal immigrants coming from abroad, including half of all spouses and minor children of U.S. citizens, based on 2024 immigrant visa processing,” Bier wrote. “However, it’s possible some of this flow could be replaced with immigrants from other countries, but that did not happen when President Trump enacted a narrower ban on certain categories of immigrants from 19 countries in June.”

In addition to sparing the taxpayer from shouldering the cost of more welfare dependents and American labor from foreign competition, Bier faulted the administration for bringing down the number of international student visas.

A Pew Research Center poll conducted in September revealed sizable American support for restricting the number of foreign college students from various countries, particularly the countries that have historically sent the most students to U.S. universities.

Fifty percent of respondents said they supported restricting the number of Chinese students; 44%, Indian students; 42%, Nigerian students; 41%, South Korean students; and 34%, Canadian students.

Comparing issuances in summer 2024 versus in summer 2025 — the “peak months when students typically get visas” — Bier concluded that student visas had fallen by 40%. He projected that the number of issuances in 2026 will be a tiny fraction of 2025’s anticipated total of international student visas.

Bier also had some good news for critics of the much-abused H-1B visa program, which enables U.S.-based employers to temporarily hire foreign workers into specialized positions that American citizens supposedly can’t do.

The libertarian estimated that in the wake of Trump’s September executive order adding a $100,000 fee to H-1B visa applications, H-1B visa issuances had likely dropped “by a quarter.”

After trying sympathy — “these cuts to legal immigration are harming U.S. citizens seeking to reunite with their spouses, fiancés, children, and other relatives” — Bier’s libertarian reflexes kicked in, such that he emphasized that “they are also undermining U.S. prosperity and increasing the U.S. deficit.”

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​Asylum seekers, Biden administration, Cato institute, Customs and border protection, Department of homeland security, Donald trump, H1b visas, Illegal aliens, Trump administration, United states, Refugee admissions, Asylum, Immigration, Illegal, Illegal immigration, Politics 

California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom probably regrets trying to pin high gas prices on Chevron after getting nuked by a community note on the X social media platform.

Californians are suffering the highest gas prices in the nation as a result of the blowback from the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran as well as high state taxes and overregulation.

‘Dollar Tree PeeWee and his Playhouse friends weigh in again. And as usual we have to correct them.’

On Thursday, Newsom suggested that the pain at the pump was solely due to profiteering by the gas companies.

“While America suffers, Chevron profits,” the governor’s press office wrote on social media.

The governor’s office cited a report from Chevron saying the company expected a windfall between $1.6 billion and $2.2 billion from rising gas prices from the war.

The attempt to deflect from Democratic policies was completely undermined by a community note.

“The State of California collects more in taxes per gallon of gasoline than refineries such as Chevron, Shell or Valero collect in profit per gallon,” the note read.

The Automobile Association of America showed that, as of Tuesday, Californians are paying $5.88 on average for regular gas while the national average for the same is only $4.12. That comes out to be about 43% more than the national average.

The U.S. Oil and Gas Association piled on the left-wing governor.

“Ah. Dollar Tree PeeWee and his Playhouse friends weigh in again,” the organization responded.

“And as usual we have to correct them. The correct version reads like this. ‘While California suffers, Chevron profits props us up.’ Fixed it for you.”

RELATED: Newsom’s wife explains how to raise children to ‘deconstruct’ ‘limiting narratives’ on gender

Newsom is widely considered to be maneuvering to enhance his national profile in anticipation of a run for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination.

He has tried to redefine California as the foremost opponent of President Donald Trump’s policies while admitting that his office has tried to copy the president’s success on social media.

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​Gavin newsom vs chevron, California gas prices, Us-israel strikes on iran, Community note nukes newsom, Politics 

Investigative journalist Nick Shirley, made famous after his viral Minnesota day care fraud video that exposed the “Quality Learing Center” and millions of dollars of alleged fraud, appears to have ruffled the feathers of Democrats in California.

A Republican lawmaker raised the alarm on a bill in California that would drastically clamp down on investigations like those conducted by Shirley.

‘The enemy truly is within.’

On Monday, Republican Assemblymember Carl DeMaio issued a press release warning about AB 2624, a bill he dubbed the “Stop Nick Shirley Act.”

“California Democrats are trying to intimidate citizen watchdog journalists and protect waste and fraud happening in far-left-wing NGOs. AB 2624 can only be described as the ‘Stop Nick Shirley Act’ — a bill designed to silence citizen journalists exposing fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars,” DeMaio said in the press release.

RELATED: ‘Minnesota was big but California is even bigger’: Nick Shirley uncovers staggering alleged fraud right under Newsom’s nose

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

“AB 2624 would allow activists and taxpayer-funded organizations to demand the removal of video evidence — even if it captures misconduct in plain view — and threatens journalists with massive financial penalties,” DeMaio added. “That’s not about public safety — it’s about protecting powerful interests.”

AB 2624 was proposed by Democrat Assemblymember Mia Bonta earlier this year. Bonta’s husband, Rob Bonta, is the Democrat attorney general of California.

Attorney General Bonta has been targeting hospices and other facilities for possible fraud, overlapping with Shirley’s investigations in many respects. On Monday, Bonta wrote on social media that “in California, we’ve been cracking down on fraud for years.”

AB 2624 is framed as a privacy and anti-doxxing measure specifically for immigration service providers, their associates, and their clients. The bill is written with the following context in mind, directly calling out President Trump and his “anti-immigration” policies:

Persons working in the organizations that provide immigration support services have faced doxxing, courthouse targeting, online harassment, anti-immigrant vigilante threats, and coordinated campaigns and death threats. These acts have risen to alarming levels in 2025 and will continue due to the current federal administration’s anti-immigration attitude and policies.

The bill prohibits the posting of the “personal information or image” of a “designated immigration support services provider, employee, or volunteer, or other individuals residing at the same home address” “with the intent that another person imminently use that information to commit a crime involving violence or a threat of violence.”

Those found in violation of this section of the bill would face a fine of up to $10,000, one year of imprisonment, or both.

Additionally, if bodily injury were to come to anyone protected by the bill as a result of an investigation, the person responsible for the post would have committed a felony punishable by up to $50,000, imprisonment, or both.

The other key provision of the bill is more obscure:

A program participant may request that state and local agencies use the address designated by the Secretary of State as the participant’s address. When creating a public record, state and local agencies shall accept the address designated by the Secretary of State as a program participant’s substitute address.

In other words, the addresses of program participants and immigration service providers, which are presumably public, would be obscured with another address, thereby possibly blocking investigations into these programs.

Interested journalists and opponents of the bill view the potential obscuring of addresses and the steep punishments for disseminating information about these services, even without the intent to cause harm, as impediments to investigation and accountability.

Elon Musk weighed in on the news, and DeMaio reposted his comment: “California legislators are trying to make investigating fraud illegal.”

Nick Shirley, responding to DeMaio’s press release, said in part, “The enemy truly is within. When our politicians would rather protect fraudsters and illegal migrants, it’s time for us to stand up or face mass oppression from the traitors who ‘rule’ over us.”

Shirley added in a subsequent post that he was thinking of moving on to exposing fraud in another state, but the news of this bill changed his mind: “I’ve helped save America millions and billions of dollars by exposing fraud across the country. I was thinking about exposing another state but I think I will now go back to California[. N]ew exposé coming soon.”

Blaze News contacted California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) and Assemblymember Mia Bonta for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

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​California democrats, Fraud and abuse, Fraud video, Hospice fraud, Investigative journalist, Minnesota daycare, Nick shirley, Politics, Rob bonta, Secretary of state, Exposing fraud, Doxxing, California, Carl demaio, Quality learning center 

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s visit to the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Kentucky, in late March drew overwhelmingly positive reactions from truckers and other industry professionals.

“Truckers are the BACKBONE of our great country,” Duffy wrote in a post on social media. “I am so impressed by every one of them at the Mid-America Trucking Show! I promise to fight as hard as the truckers do to MAKE TRUCKING GREAT AGAIN.”

‘We have a long way to go and a lot of work ahead, but for the first time in a long time, it feels like the right people are finally listening.’

A press release from MATS following the completion of its event, which over 53,000 people attended, called Duffy’s participation “a major highlight,” noting that the secretary “met with industry leaders, exhibitors, and professional drivers to discuss the importance of trucking to the nation’s economy, supply chain, and infrastructure.”

“The visit underscored the federal government’s recognition of trucking as a critical pillar of American commerce and mobility,” MATS wrote.

Duffy delivered a speech at the event, promising to advocate for American truckers.

“You make up what is great about America. The work you do, makes our country great,” he told attendees.

RELATED: End of the road: 200,000 foreign truckers could lose their CDLs as Trump’s rule takes effect

Sean Duffy. Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Industry professionals like Danielle Chaffin shared their video interviews with Duffy and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Administrator Derek Barrs, who spoke to truckers on the show floor.

“So you guys do pay attention to us?” Chaffin asked Duffy and Barrs.

“100%,” Duffy responded.

“Even when I think we’re doing great things, I get a little hard time from those on X. But I do appreciate the feedback, and we see it’s a very loud voice — a vocal industry. And I think that’s fair because, if you’ve been forgotten, you felt like you’re screaming into the storm. Well, you’re not screaming into the storm anymore because we’re actually listening, and you see the work that we’re doing.”

“We are watching because that’s some of the ways that we can actually make some of the changes that we’re making is because of X and people on social media,” Barrs told Chaffin.

“This industry has spent years shouting into a void. Finally, years later, our voices and concerns are being heard,” Chaffin told Blaze News. “Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy and FMCSA Administrator Derek Barrs stood in a room full of truckers and treated them as the experts they are. They spoke with genuine concern and care for the people who actually move this country. They made it very clear they are paying attention to the operators, the owners, and those of us who have been sounding the alarm on X.”

“We have a long way to go and a lot of work ahead, but for the first time in a long time, it feels like the right people are finally listening,” Chaffin continued. “Not only are they listening, but they are taking action. We are making progress to save the American trucking industry!”

Charles Gracey, who hosts SiriusXM’s “Trucking Sense” and FreightWaves’ “Brake Check,” gave Duffy and Barrs high praise for their attendance at MATS.

“When an administration is truly paying attention to the people it represents, there will be signs,” Gracey wrote. “One of those signs is showing up where those people actually are, and that is exactly what U.S. @USDOT @SecDuffy and @FMCSA @BarrsDerek did at the Mid-America @truckingshow in #Louisville.”

“What makes it even more powerful is that they did not just show up for optics. They showed up, they engaged, and they took time to hear our thoughts about the industry we know and love, and the very same industry they say they are working to protect for us and for the future of trucking,” Gracey added.

RELATED: ‘Use my daughter as an example’: Trump DHS cheers as bill to stop illegal alien truck drivers crosses major hurdle

Sean Duffy. Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Duffy and Barrs were joined at MATS by Dalilah Coleman, a young girl who sustained critical and life-altering injuries as a result of a 2024 car wreck involving an illegal alien truck driver.

Dalilah’s Law, a bill named after Coleman, was introduced in the Senate in February. If passed, it would prohibit states from issuing commercial driver’s licenses to illegal aliens, allowing them to be issued only to U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, and holders of specific work visas. Additionally, the bill mandates the revocation of existing CDLs held by individuals who do not meet these eligibility criteria.

“Proud to see Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy standing in the gap for Dalilah at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, KY,” the American Truckers United wrote. “Stand with Secretary Duffy. Stand with Dalilah. Pass Dalilah’s Law!”

Justin Martin, a trucking industry professional who goes by SuperTrucker on X, called on government leaders to attend MATS more frequently.

“DOT/FMCSA leadership should be at MATS every year to hear from drivers in the industry directly. Thanks for coming out this year,” Martin wrote.

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​News, Sean duffy, Department of transportation, Dot, Treasury department, Mid-america trucking show, Mid america trucking show, Louisville kentucky, Louisville, Kentucky, Mats, Danielle chaffin, Derek barrs, Federal motor carrier safety administration, Fmcsa, Charles gracey, Dalilah coleman, Dalilah’s law, American truckers united, Atu, Supertrucker, Justin martin, Trucking, American trucking industry, American trucking, Commercial driver’s licenses, Commercial driver’s license, Cdls, Cdl, Politics 

Apple offers several privacy-focused perks with its iCloud+ subscription, including an email anonymization tool called “Hide My Email.” While this feature appears to promote online anonymity by hiding subscribers’ real email addresses behind random aliases, one user found out the hard way that Apple will give users’ real identities to law enforcement, especially when lobbing threats at the girlfriend of FBI Director Kash Patel.

What does ‘Hide My Email’ actually do?

If you pay for more iCloud storage outside of your free 5GB plan, you also have access to “Hide My Email.” As the name implies, this feature lets you create anonymous email addresses — known as aliases — that all forward emails back to your main iCloud account without revealing your real Apple ID or name to the receiver.

The story raises serious questions around Apple’s purported privacy policies.

This feature especially comes in handy when signing up for new online services. You get to create an account without giving your personal name or email to developers, advertisers, or marketers, ensuring they can’t target you or sell your data to their partners.

The ‘Hide My Email’ loophole

Up until now, it wasn’t clear whether or not Apple had a system in place to link anonymous addresses to their real counterparts. This case proves that such a loophole exists, even if Apple’s dedicated copy within the “Hide My Email” menu suggests otherwise.

The menu states, “Keep your personal email address private by creating unique, random addresses that forward to your personal inbox and can be deleted at any time.” That makes it sound like these aliases are completely private from everyone, not just advertisers.

Zach Laidlaw

Unfortunately, while third-party companies can’t access your real identity, Apple can trace “Hide My Email” addresses back to their original owners and share that information with law enforcement in the event of a crime.

The crime

Around February 28, a 26-year-old man named Alden Ruml allegedly sent an email to Alexis Wilkins — country singer and girlfriend of FBI Director Kash Patel — stating that he would be “happy” to see her face “canoed by an assault rifle.” The address Ruml used to contact Wilkins was one of 134 aliases attached to his iCloud account. Ruml reportedly sent the email after reading that Patel deployed the FBI as a security detail for Wilkins.

RELATED: Google agrees to PAY $68 million to end this lawsuit

400tmax/Getty Images

Following the threat, the FBI issued a subpoena to Apple, requesting the user’s primary email address, resulting in the identification of Alden Ruml. If convicted, Ruml faces five years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and a hefty fine of $250,000.

A lesson for the rest of us

The story raises serious questions around Apple’s purported privacy policies. Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, has long held the position that “privacy is a fundamental human right,” and Apple has largely championed that stance through its products and services.

Case in point, there are many instances where Apple can’t acquiesce to law enforcement requests due to its stringent end-to-end encryption policies. As part of Apple’s legal process guidelines, the company states, “Apple does not receive or retain encryption keys for customers’ end-to-end encrypted data,” therefore this data is inaccessible to either access or hand over to third parties, including the government.

However, while iCloud emails themselves are encrypted, plain text email addresses — including primary Apple accounts and email aliases — are not encrypted. In this case, Apple had no choice but to comply with the FBI and turn over Ruml’s basic credentials that led to his arrest.

There are also questions about whether Ruml’s email to Wilkins is a credible threat of violence or simply a crude statement sent in poor taste. Some could see Kash Patel’s use of the FBI to arrest and charge Ruml as an overreach of power, simply because the target of the email was his girlfriend. Others may argue the charges against Ruml don’t go far enough after harassing a rising country artist. All of this, of course, will be hashed out in a court of law.

As for the rest of us, Ruml’s ill-fated email is a stark reminder that privacy is never guaranteed online, even when using products and services that promise to hide your identity.

​Tech, Apple, Hide my email, Icloud, Fbi, Kash patel 

The university where Charlie Kirk was shot and killed is facing intense scrutiny for a tone-deaf choice for commencement speaker.

Just hours after his death, educator Sharon McMahon accused Kirk of harming minorities, but she will be given the honor of addressing graduates at Utah Valley University.

‘To many Americans, especially if you are Black, LGBTQ or Muslim, Charlie Kirk was not a person who simply engaged in good-faith debates on college campuses.’

“Millions of people feel they were harmed, and the murder that was horrific and should never have happened does not magically erase what was said or done,” McMahon wrote about Kirk soon after his death. “To many Americans, especially if you are Black, LGBTQ or Muslim, Charlie Kirk was not a person who simply engaged in good-faith debates on college campuses.”

Turning Point USA chapter president at Utah Valley University Caleb Chilcutt lashed out at UVU while speaking on “Fox & Friends” Monday.

“They could have brought any other speaker. If they liked Charlie, didn’t like Charlie — I honestly don’t really care. But the fact they brought someone who was so critical, literally days after his assassination, on my campus is just shameful for me,” Chilcutt said.

Former Republican Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz called McMahon a “liberal hack” that was a “horrific choice” for commencement speaker.

“Look, there’s still time to correct this. This hasn’t happened. And if the university is gonna step up and do the right thing, they’re gonna cancel her and put in somebody like an astronaut or an athlete or somebody, anybody,” Chaffetz said on Fox News.

RELATED: Unhinged student who flipped Turning Point USA table gets arrested and faces 5 charges

“But this person, this partisan hack, she should not be addressing the students, not at the commencement,” he added.

TPUSA students weighed in on social media.

“After Charlie Kirk’s murder, Sharon McMahon chose to explain the hate, not condemn it,” TPUSA’s statement reads. “A commencement speaker is more than a guest, they’re a reflection of what a university stands for.”

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​Charlie kirk, Sharon mcmahon, Utah valley university, Commencement speaker, Uvu backlash, Politics 

A Republican is following in California Democrat Rep. Eric Swalwell’s footsteps by resigning from Congress after sex scandals imploded their respective political ambitions.

Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) announced his imminent resignation Monday, shortly following Swalwell’s statement after several lawmakers led a bipartisan effort to expel the two lawmakers from the House of Representatives. Rather than wait to be expelled, Gonzales vowed to resign from Congress, weeks after admitting to an affair with a former staffer who took her own life by self-immolating.

‘Everybody knows where one another’s bodies are buried.’

“There is a season for everything and God has a plan for us all,” Gonzales said in an X post on Monday. “When Congress returns tomorrow, I will file my retirement from office. It has been my privilege to serve the great people of Texas.”

Swalwell’s resignation came just days after new bombshell reports revealed that several ex-staffers have accused the Democrat of sexual assault and inappropriate behavior, prompting him to drop out of the California governor’s race and out of political life altogether.

RELATED: Democrats dump Eric Swalwell after sexual assault allegations implode his career

Win McNamee/Getty Images

“I am deeply sorry to my family, staff, and constituents for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past,” Swalwell said in a statement. “I will fight the serious, false allegation made against me. However, I must take responsibility and ownership for the mistakes I did make. I am aware of efforts to bring an immediate expulsion vote against me and other members.”

“Expelling anyone in Congress without due process, within days of an allegation being made, is wrong,” Swalwell added. “But it’s also wrong for my constituents to have me distracted from my duties. Therefore, I plan to resign my seat in Congress.”

Both scandals were considered open secrets, and the timing of Gonzales’ and Swalwell’s statements suggests their resignations may have been part of a backroom deal. The next pair of scandal-ridden lawmakers rumored to be on the chopping block are both from Florida: Republican Rep. Cory Mills, who has a flurry of allegations against him ranging from stolen valor to blackmail, and Democrat Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, who was federally indicted for allegedly stealing millions in FEMA funds tied to COVID.

“It’s mutually assured destruction,” Len Foxwell, a Maryland-based Democrat strategist, told Blaze News. “Eric Swalwell is just the latest guy who got caught. Tony Gonzales was the latest guy who got caught across the aisle.”

RELATED: ‘The appropriate decision’: Scandal-ridden Tony Gonzales ends re-election bid after admitting to affair

Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call Inc./Getty Images

Although lawmakers were quick to throw Swalwell under the bus, Democrat strategist and pollster Dheeraj Chand suggested that the only reason they did so was because their open secret became a PR problem.

“I think it shows a seriousness on this side that we decided Swalwell could not continue,” Chand told Blaze News. “It shows we do take it seriously when it becomes unavoidable. They do try to protect people sometimes, but very rarely.”

“For every person who gets caught, there are, in all likelihood, a few dozen more who are engaged in inappropriate behavior with their subordinates,” Foxwell told Blaze News. “Everybody knows where one another’s bodies are buried.”

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​Congress, Cory mills, Covid relief funds, Eric swalwell, House democrats, House of representatives, House republicans, Sex scandal, Sexual assault, Sheila cherfilus-mccormick, Tony gonzales, Expulsion, Politics 

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert managed to steal the focus away from her league on draft night.

The WNBA received premium treatment by airing on ESPN’s flagship channel in prime time on Monday night, but it was actually the pre-draft press conference that has made a lasting impression with viewers online.

‘As women, we get asked different questions than men do.’

With just one simple question from New York Post reporter Madeline Kenney, Engelbert went viral for her odd response.

“How much longer do you anticipate to be in this role?” Kenney asked.

Engelbert immediately attacked the premise:

“I do crack up how everybody’s focused on me,” the commissioner began. “And you should be focused on the hundreds of amazing women and thousands of women who run this league outside of myself … my whole team of, you know, diverse women and men who are working hard every day to get the 30th season tipped off by May 8,” she went on.

Bizarrely, Engelbert then asked if the reporter would dare question a male commissioner the same way.

“I wonder whether you would ask that of a man, by the way. But I realize, as women, we get asked different questions than men do.”

“I would,” the reporter quickly affirmed.

However, those siding with Engelbert were few and far between online, with fans and reporters alike pointing out how often major sports commissioners do receive questions about their tenure and even face calls for resignation.

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– YouTube

“Its [sic] always asked of men. Like, all the time,” one fan responded on X.

“Has she not seen people calling for the heads of every commissioner of every sport?” a Brooklyn Nets fan wrote.

A New York Yankees fan replied, “There is literally nothing wrong with asking that. Give me a break.”

Sports journalists did not offer much solace for the commissioner either. Even Jemele Hill, a reporter from the Athletic known for her frequent political commentary from the left, chimed in:

“If a man had her track record, absolutely” he would be asked, Hill wrote.

There was really no shortage of sports reporters who disagreed with the WNBA boss, including female reporters.

“This would be asked of a man and has,” wrote Front Row Sports’ Annie Costabile. “Her response was a failed attempt at diverting from the discussions about her job security.”

As well, NBC Sports’ Nicole Auerbach noted that “male pro sports commissioners get asked questions about their future all the time.” Auerbach called it a “totally valid question” that garnered a “fascinating, super-defensive response.”

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Greg Wyshynski, senior NHL writer at ESPN, wrote on X that NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman “gets asked this question so often that he’s taken to preemptively answering it before it’s asked.”

Less than a month ago, Bettman was asked directly whether he had plans to step down.

“Absolutely not,” Bettman said, per Sports Illustrated. “You keep trying to get rid of me. No such luck.”

In February, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver faced calls to be fired, while NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is routinely asked if he will step down, typically following an embarrassing incident in his league.

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