President Trump on Thursday praised Texas Sen. Ted Cruz as a “talented guy” while teasing the possibility of the Republican launching another bid for the White House in 2028.
The latest twist in the 2028 GOP presidential sweepstakes came when The Daily Caller’s Reagan Reese pressed Trump directly about the race to lead his MAGA movement forward.
“Ted Cruz keeps teasing a 2028 presidential run. You ran against him for president. Do you think he could be president? What’s your reaction to that?” she asked.
“Yeah, I would say that he&#8217;s very talented. He&#8217;s a very good friend of mine. I think he might do that. Yeah, he&#8217;s a very talented — he&#8217;s a talented guy,” Trump <a href="https://x.com/cspan/status/2093034068711526786?s=20">said</a>. 
Another presidential bid appears almost inevitable for the Texas Republican, who has made no secret of his national political ambitions.
“It’s no secret that I want to be president,” Cruz said during an interview on Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1laHkwvrB0&amp;list=PLOv-623vWdc0">podcast</a>. “Time will tell.”
The 55-year-old appeared to agree with Patrick’s assertion that the GOP nomination will not be a coronation for Vice President Vance, predicting that Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott could all throw their hats into the ring.
“I will say, this is a bug that history has proved is rarely ended,” the senator <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1laHkwvrB0&amp;list=PLOv-623vWdc0">said</a> of his White House ambitions. “It is a permanent and often fatal bug.”
While Trump stopped short of an endorsement, it’s not the first time he’s left the door open for Cruz to climb the political ladder. For years, Trump has repeatedly floated Cruz as a potential Supreme Court nominee. 
Once a fierce critic and primary rival, Trump has called the conservative “an amazing guy” who is “so good and so talented,” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-floats-idea-for-his-next-supreme-court-appointment-as-rumors-swirl-about-possible-retirements">The Daily Wire previously reported. </a>
“I’m thinking about putting him in the Supreme Court,” Trump said in February. “I’m thinking because it’s very hard, getting these nominations through is tough.”
The president added that Cruz would receive “100%” of the Democratic and Republican vote, arguing that Cruz’s foes would “want to get him out of [the Senate]. He is such a pain in the ass.”
At the time, Cruz shot down the idea of serving on the nation&#8217;s highest court. 
“My answer’s not just no, it’s hell no,” he <a href="https://www.fox26houston.com/news/supreme-court-texas-ted-cruz-donald-trump">said earlier this year</a>. “It is interesting in the first Trump term, the president talked to me about all three Supreme Court vacancies, and we had very serious conversations, and I told him no all three times.”
In his podcast interview with Patrick, Cruz opened up about why he ultimately rebuffed Trump&#8217;s push to potentially consider him to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court.
“But I said no and came to a real peace with it because I believe that I can make a much bigger difference in the Senate than I would on the court,” he said. “That there are lots of good principled constitutionalists who would do that job and I care deeply about [them] being there. In the Senate, how many people actually stand up and lead?”
Not everyone, however, is convinced Cruz can win over the hearts and minds of the MAGA faithful. Trump adviser Alex Bruesewitz bluntly questioned whether the Texas senator has any path to the White House in 2028.
&#8220;It’s going to be very hard for you to become President when voters don’t like you. How do you plan to make them like you? You aren’t particularly charming, your voice is a bit annoying, you’re a career politician with limited accomplishments, and you aren’t exactly &#8216;America First,&#8217;” Bruesewitz <a href="https://x.com/alexbruesewitz/status/2092982498032767347?s=20">said</a> on X. 
&#8220;I’ve also been told your operation has been paying influencers to undermine people inside the Trump admin, which isn’t cool, bro.&#8221;

President Trump Speaks At Port Of Corpus Christi In Texas

Trump Weighs In On Potential Ted Cruz Presidential Run

2028 election

2028 presidential election

MAGA

News

Politics

President Trump

Republicans

Ted Cruz

Texas

Trump Administraiton

President Trump on Thursday signed an executive order directing the Interior Department to rename Lake Ontario “Lake America” as his trade battle with Canada continues to escalate.
Trump called reporters into the Oval Office to announce the move, while the White House made the name change official in a social media post.
“EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY: Lake Ontario is renamed to LAKE AMERICA!” the White House wrote.
The move is a direct swipe at Canadian political leaders, whom Trump criticized during his Oval Office gaggle with reporters.
“They’re nasty people,” Trump said of Prime Minister Mark Carney and Ontario Premier Doug Ford. “But they treat us very badly. Canada treats us very badly. I would say that of all countries, as you know, we have — President Xi coming in a couple of weeks — we deal with a lot of people.”
“They’ll ask me, who’s the worst to deal with on trade? And I said, that’s easy. Canada. They are the worst to trade!” he added. “They feel entitled, and we can’t have that.”
The president first floated the idea earlier this week, posting on Truth Social that he was considering a total name swap for one of North America’s iconic Great Lakes.
“The United States is giving serious consideration to changing the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America in that we don’t expect to doing much business with Ontario any longer,” Trump declared on his social media network
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-is-coming-for-another-name-on-americas-map">renaming mirrors</a> Trump’s executive action during his second term, where he directed federal agencies to rebrand the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America.” His latest move to reshape the map follows an escalating trade war with the United States’ northern neighbor.
Over the weekend, the Trump administration slapped a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-canada-us-trade-war-293908564c7a381ea58a61db6e9a8517">50% tariff</a> on over 550 distinct Canadian imports under a Great Depression-era trade law. The tariff hits everything from basic household staples like toilet paper, makeup, and honey to furniture, paint, smartphones, hockey sticks, and Christmas decorations.
In response to the $20 billion hit on exports, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney promised “dollar for dollar” retaliatory tariffs kicking off next month targeting American steel, agricultural machinery, and electronics.
The feud quickly spiraled, with Trump slamming Ford and Carney, <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/117151799569745572">writing</a> on Truth Social: &#8220;Lots of “bluster” from Doug Ford, who is the Premier of the Canadian Province of Ontario, but who is better known as the less charismatic, intelligent, and overall unimpressive brother of the late, great, Rob Ford,” Trump said. 
“America has been carrying Canada for decades, but no longer! The U.S.A. will always be far bigger, richer, and stronger than Canada. Without the United States, Canada couldn’t survive,” he added. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY: Lake Ontario is renamed to LAKE AMERICA! 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/ZFww8PexiW">pic.twitter.com/ZFww8PexiW</a>
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/2093027464545018109?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 27, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

CANADA-G7-SUMMIT-DIPLOMACY

Trump Officially Renames Lake Ontario ‘Lake America’

Canada

lake ontario

trade

Trump

Another slate of Democratic candidates running in the midterm elections has rejected former Vice President Kamala Harris&#8217; endorsement, underscoring the toxic brand her failed presidential campaign has left behind in key battleground states.
Iowa Democratic Senate candidate Josh Turek on Wednesday flatly rejected the idea of Harris campaigning for him.
A <a href="https://www.c-span.org/program/campaign-2026/iowa-us-senate-candidate-josh-turek-d-ia-speaks-to-reporters-in-cedar-rapids/684486">reporter pressed</a> the Senate hopeful at a Cedar Rapids event about whether he would welcome the former vice president — and one of the Democratic Party’s top leaders — onto the campaign trail.
“No,” the state representative firmly said. 
Turek, a state representative and two-time Paralympic gold medalist, is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hegseths-iowa-trip-raises-early-questions-about-2028">challenging</a> Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA), the Republican nominee for the open Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Joni Ernst. Polls show a competitive race in a state Trump won by double digits in 2024. 
Another Iowa Democrat, gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand, also rejected the idea of embracing Harris on the stump and even shot down the idea of her running for president again in 2028.
“No thanks. Let’s move on,” Sand told <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2026/08/26/iowa-governor-rob-sand-state-fair-01049432">Politico</a>. “We need some new leadership.” He also brushed off the idea of seeking former President Biden’s support. “No. Can he even do that right now?” Sand asked.
Sand, Iowa’s current state auditor and the most recent Democrat elected to statewide office, is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/razor-thin-governor-primary-snaps-trump-endorsement-streak">running against</a> Iowa farmer and businessman Zach Lahn, who narrowly defeated Trump-endorsed Rep. Randy Feenstra to win the Republican nomination for governor in June.
The strategy of sidelining national Democrats is not limited to Iowa, as the Democratic Party’s brand remains deeply unpopular with voters nationwide.
Former Rep. Mary Peltola’s (D-AK) Senate campaign <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dem-senate-hopeful-runs-from-kamala-harris-support">made clear earlier this month</a> that it wants nothing to do with Harris’s message of support.
Harris’s Fight for the People PAC sent an email urging supporters to “stand behind Mary,” The New York Times reported. The PAC called the Alaska contest a “must-win race” for Democrats seeking to retake the Senate, declaring, “If there’s anyone who can flip Alaska and secure the Senate majority for Democrats — it’s Mary.”
The message directed donors to a page asking them to split their contributions between Peltola’s campaign and Harris’s political committee. Peltola’s team quickly pushed back, saying the campaign had not authorized the email and had no knowledge of it before it was sent.
“Mary isn’t seeking endorsements from anyone from the Lower 48 — her focus is and always will be Alaska,” the statement read, citing support she has received from several Alaska labor groups.
Peltola, a former congresswoman, is running against incumbent Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK). In a state Trump won by 13 points, early polling shows a tight race with Peltola holding a two-point advantage, according to <a href="https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/senate/general/2026/alaska/peltola-vs-sullivan">RealClearPolitics.</a> <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dan-sullivan-endorses-dan-sullivan-against-dan-sullivan-in-key-senate-race?author=Jacob+Wheeler&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Dan+Sullivan+Endorses+Dan+Sullivan+Against+Dan+Sullivan+In+Key+Senate+Race">The Daily Wire</a> previously reported how the presence of two Dan Sullivans is confusing voters and complicating a race that could determine control of the Senate.
Republicans moved fast to connect the two. Nick Puglia, spokesman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/razor-thin-governor-primary-snaps-trump-endorsement-streak">said</a> Peltola had worked “hand in hand with Kamala Harris to put Alaska last, so it’s no surprise that Harris is backing Peltola.”

Democratic Presidential Candidate Sen. Kamala Harris Attends Campaign Events In Las Vegas

Nobody Wants To Campaign With Kamala

Alaska

Ashley Hinson

Democrats

elections 2026

Iowa

Josh Turek

mary peltola

Midterms

Rob Sand

U.S. Senate

Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico, who has made fighting corruption a central part of his campaign, attended a Dallas-area fundraiser earlier this month at the home of a convicted fraudster who has donated thousands of dollars to his campaign.
The <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DbaqqcvxBsv/">August 6 fundraiser</a> in DeSoto, Texas, was hosted at the home of Thomas Merrill Gaubert, 86, a Dallas-area real estate developer and former savings-and-loan owner who served three years in federal prison for bankruptcy fraud and money laundering.
<a href="https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/?data_type=processed&amp;contributor_name=thomas+gaubert&amp;max_date=12%2F31%2F2026">Federal Election Commission</a> records show Gaubert donated $3,500 to Talarico&#8217;s campaign in September 2025 and another $3,500 in March 2026.
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/janderson.lester/posts/pfbid02zfpwkdb6ZU1AiUaoUsKdWxZBWy2TSQbwSihjrxbS3cvJVB2gekS3Mb6zmpMBbEqKl">Photos</a> from the event show Talarico speaking poolside at Gaubert&#8217;s home, with the convicted fraudster seated nearby. In another image, Talarico poses for a photograph as Gaubert, wearing a pink collared shirt and khaki shorts, stands in the background. The Daily Wire independently reviewed the address and photos of the property and confirmed that the images were taken at the home.
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<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-1166649 size-full" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-2.png" alt="" width="386" height="515" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-2.png 386w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-2-225x300.png 225w" sizes=" (max-width: 386px) 100vw, 386px" /></div>
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<div id="attachment_1166599" style="width: 452px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1166599" class="wp-image-1166599 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/765573506_3664089240395889_1217918065044311701_n-442x576.jpg" alt="" width="442" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/765573506_3664089240395889_1217918065044311701_n-442x576.jpg 442w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/765573506_3664089240395889_1217918065044311701_n-230x300.jpg 230w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/765573506_3664089240395889_1217918065044311701_n-768x1002.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/765573506_3664089240395889_1217918065044311701_n.jpg 960w" sizes=" (max-width: 442px) 100vw, 442px" />Talarico poses for a photo as Thomas Gaubert appears in the background in a pink shirt.</div>
In 1993, Gaubert was convicted in federal court on 10 counts, including bankruptcy fraud and money laundering. At the time, he was also awaiting trial in a separate case in which he later pleaded guilty to bank fraud. Gaubert served three years in federal prison, <a href="https://laist.com/news/npr-news/texas-banks-draw-on-lessons-from-the-s-l-crisis">according to NPR</a>. Gaubert cost taxpayers roughly $500 million by looting his Independent American Savings Association, prosecutors said.
Gaubert contended his innocence and blamed regulators for driving his S&amp;L into the ground. &#8220;They can put you in jail, they can destroy you if you let them. But if you&#8217;ve got good work ethic and you&#8217;re smart people and you&#8217;re willing to work hard, the world doesn&#8217;t end,&#8221; Gaubert told the outlet in 2008.
In a 1996 profile, <a href="https://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-magazine/1996/december/sleaze-magnet/">D Magazine</a> described the Talarico supporter as a high-profile Democratic fundraiser who had raised millions for former U.S. House Speaker Jim Wright (D-TX) and other elected officials before his real estate empire collapsed.
Gaubert’s bankruptcy fraud conviction followed an earlier federal criminal case in 1988 involving a $32 million loan tied to a condominium project, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1988/10/31/business/land-dealer-is-acquitted.html">The New York Times</a> reported. He was <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1988/10/31/business/land-dealer-is-acquitted.html">acquitted</a> of all five counts in that case.
The exclusive fundraiser, helped by the Dallas County Democratic Party, was also co-hosted by <a href="https://www.zachariahlaw.com/about">Jacob Zachariah</a>, a criminal defense attorney whose law firm represents people accused of crimes against children. 
Talarico&#8217;s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether the candidate was aware of Gaubert&#8217;s criminal history when he attended the fundraiser or whether the campaign intends to return Gaubert&#8217;s donations.
On the campaign trail, however, Talarico has frequently branded Ken Paxton “<a href="https://x.com/jamestalarico/status/2059442627393597577?s=20">the most corrupt politician in America</a>” — despite previously arguing that Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) was even more corrupt.
“I was part of the bipartisan majority in the Texas House that voted to impeach our corrupt attorney general, so I know his crimes better than most people do. But I would say that John Cornyn is even more corrupt than Ken Paxton,” Talarico <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPgL8TpPTKE">said</a> in a recent interview. “John Cornyn was the deciding vote on that big ugly bill last year.” 
“It&#8217;s a bill that is going to kick millions of Texans off their health care. It&#8217;s going to take food out of the mouths of hungry Texas children, all to give yet another tax break to John Cornyn&#8217;s billionaire mega donors,” he added. “Ken Paxton was impeached for using his public office to enrich his donors in a very literal illegal way, but John Cornyn, at a massive scale, is using his public office to enrich his donors, so to me, it&#8217;s two sides of the same corrupt coin.”
The Texas Senate acquitted Ken Paxton of all 16 impeachment articles in 2023 after the state House accused him of corruption and abuse of office, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/texas-senate-votes-to-acquit-attorney-general-ken-paxton-of-all-charges">The Daily Wire</a> reported. 
Impeachment managers alleged Paxton accepted bribes from Austin real estate developer and campaign donor Nate Paul, including an agreement to hire Paxton’s alleged mistress and renovations to his home, in exchange for helping Paul as he faced an FBI investigation. Paxton’s defense attorney Tony Buzbee called the impeachment proceedings a “political witch hunt.”
With 68 days to go until Election Day, <a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/senate/race/488686?utm_source=chatgpt.com">Cook Political Report</a> rates the race — which could determine control of the Senate — as a toss-up.

James Talarico

Talarico Attends Fundraiser Hosted By Infamous Convicted Fraudster

2026 Midterms

campaign finance

Corruption

Crime

Donations

Elections

Ken Paxton

money laundering

In a U.S. Senate race that could determine control of the chamber, Alaskans now face an unusual choice: Dan Sullivan or Dan Sullivan. And a third political heavyweight named Dan Sullivan has drawn a line in the sand, weighing in on which Sullivan he backs heading into November.
Earlier this week, former Anchorage Mayor Dan A. Sullivan endorsed Sen. Dan S. Sullivan (R-AK) for re-election this fall over retired teacher Dan J. Sullivan and former Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola. 
“As the OG Dan Sullivan, I urge Alaskans to vote for Sen. Daniel S. Sullivan. He’s been great for Alaska,” the former mayor <a href="https://www.facebook.com/dan.sullivan.3910/posts/pfbid02rq5wKtwmJHp3b1fNCQmQ43AspBkDZqcCTDV5KneoBean9q35RKX7Ao5CmeEF9mXUl">posted on his Facebook page.</a>
The endorsement, which went viral on social media, follows a closely watched legal fight over Dan J. Sullivan’s Senate bid. The former elementary school teacher, who has no prior political experience, successfully qualified for the primary ballot, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dem-senate-hopeful-runs-from-kamala-harris-support">The Daily Wire previously reported.</a>
Republicans, including the incumbent senator, have accused Dan J. Sullivan of working with Democrats and the Peltola campaign to confuse voters and boost Peltola&#8217;s chances of defeating Sen. Sullivan.
Dan J. Sullivan, Peltola&#8217;s campaign, and the Alaska Democratic Party have denied the allegation.
Sen. Sullivan has called his namesake&#8217;s candidacy a &#8220;dirty political trick coordinated by Democrats and the campaign&#8221; of Peltola and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/06/02/alaska-senate-dan-sullivan-name-ballot-peltola/6559e452-5ee5-11f1-9c46-d6211372eede_story.html">accused</a> him of &#8220;purposely trying to trick my constituents to rig the election for Peltola.&#8221;
Alaska election officials initially removed Dan J. Sullivan from the ballot, but he ultimately prevailed at the state’s highest court and was allowed to run.
Republicans&#8217; concerns intensified after Dan J. Sullivan placed third in the nonpartisan primary and secured a spot on the November ballot alongside Sen. Sullivan and Peltola. 
The national GOP, however, got some good news in the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/08/18/us/elections/results-alaska-us-senate-primary.html">latest vote dump</a> from the August 18 election. As of Wednesday, Democratic candidate David B. Leslie was leading another Republican by just 43 votes for the final spot on the November ballot. If the result holds, Leslie would advance and could potentially pull votes away from Peltola.
Alaska uses ranked-choice voting in the general election. Voters rank candidates by preference, and if no candidate receives a majority of first-choice votes, the lowest-performing candidate is eliminated and those ballots are redistributed according to voters&#8217; subsequent choices.
Peltola also made waves earlier this month when she distanced herself from support offered by former Vice President Kamala Harris’ political action committee.  
Harris’s Fight for the People PAC sent an email urging supporters to “stand behind Mary,” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dem-senate-hopeful-runs-from-kamala-harris-support">The Daily Wire reported.</a> It called the Alaska contest a “must-win race” for Democrats hoping to retake the Senate and declared, “If there’s anyone who can flip Alaska and secure the Senate majority for Democrats — it’s Mary.”
Peltola&#8217;s team responded almost immediately, insisting it had not approved the email and had no knowledge of it before it went out.
“Mary isn’t seeking endorsements from anyone from the Lower 48 — her focus is and always will be Alaska,” the statement read. 
<a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/senate/race/488531">The Cook Political Report</a> ranks the race as a toss-up.

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Dan Sullivan Endorses Dan Sullivan Against Dan Sullivan In Key Senate Race

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A Boston federal judge on Wednesday lifted her remaining block on key portions of President Donald Trump&#8217;s executive order seeking to tighten mail-in voting rules ahead of the midterm elections.
U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani’s decision <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/supreme-court-makes-decision-in-mail-in-ballot-fight-ahead-of-midterms?author=Jacob+Wheeler&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=6&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Supreme+Court+Makes+Decision+In+Mail-In+Ballot+Fight+Ahead+Of+Midterms">comes two days</a> after a divided Supreme Court stayed a previous ruling from Talwani that blocked the Trump administration from implementing portions of the order.
In her <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.298449/gov.uscourts.mad.298449.204.0.pdf">nine-page order</a>, Talwani, an Obama appointee, expressed frustration with the Supreme Court&#8217;s intervention and cited Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s dissent but said she was “compelled” to lift the injunction in light of the high court’s ruling.
The development allows the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to move forward for now with new requirements for mail ballots in federal elections, even as Democratic-led states challenge the new rule in a <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.305406/gov.uscourts.mad.305406.1.0.pdf">separate lawsuit.</a>
“This is a major win for the security of American elections,&#8221; White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis told The Daily Wire. &#8220;These are commonsense measures that protect the security of mail-in ballots and ensure only Americans are electing American leaders. This Administration will continue to lawfully enact the agenda President Trump was elected on — which includes the safety and security of our elections.”
The Supreme Court&#8217;s unsigned 6-3 decision Monday marked an interim victory for Trump but did not resolve the order’s underlying legality.
The justices found that the Trump administration was likely to prevail on its argument that the states challenging the order lacked standing because they had not demonstrated the concrete and imminent injuries necessary to bring their claims at this stage.
“The Court’s disposition of this application does not mean that any measure taken by the Government to implement the Order will necessarily be lawful. On that score, time will tell,” the court wrote. “But the Order itself does not harm the States, so the District Court lacked jurisdiction to bar the Government from trying to implement it.”
In March, Trump signed an <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/03/ensuring-citizenship-verification-and-integrity-in-federal-elections/">executive order</a> directing the Department of Homeland Security to create and distribute “State Citizenship Lists” identifying residents who are U.S. citizens and will be at least 18 years old by the next federal election. 
A separate provision directed the U.S. Postal Service to establish new procedures for mail-in and absentee ballots in federal elections.
Last Friday, the USPS issued a <a href="https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2026-17238.pdf">final rule</a> establishing new standards for mail-in ballots in federal elections. Under the rule, election officials would have to submit voters’ names, addresses, and unique ballot-envelope barcodes through a federal portal before handing ballots over to the Postal Service. Ballots in violation would be rejected and returned to the authorized ballot mailer.
All three liberal justices dissented from Monday&#8217;s Supreme Court decision. Justice Jackson wrote a solo dissent to blast the court’s order.
“This is not a close call. The Government suffers no harm from an injunction limiting unlawful actions, much less ‘hypothetical’ and ‘speculative’ acts that the Government says it was not even sure it would take,” Jackson wrote. 
“When the Government’s obvious goal is to interfere with the Plaintiff States’ practices and prerogatives in a manner that the Constitution does not authorize, it is both a serious legal error and a grave misuse of our equitable emergency powers to let the Executive proceed even one step further,” Jackson added.

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Trump Scores Second Major Win In Mail-In Voting Fight

2026 elections

Executive Orders

Mail-In Voting

Supreme Court

voting restrictions

A baby born with a severe heart defect is in critical condition as a bitter legal battle continues between a pro-life surrogate who refused to abort him and genetic parents who demanded the pregnancy be terminated.
The newborn, whom surrogate McKenna West named Gabriel and his genetic parents named Rumi, was placed back on a breathing tube after his condition deteriorated following open-heart surgery, according to court documents obtained by <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2026/08/25/surrogate-mckenna-wests-baby-gabriel-in-critical-condition/">TMZ</a>. 
In a Dallas courtroom Tuesday, the genetic parents Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed told a judge they were reeling after West defied their demand to get an abortion and traveled to Texas, where she sought legal protection and medical care for the baby.
“He’s our child,” Gilkar said, according to <a href="https://apnews.com/article/baby-surrogacy-mckenna-ivf-texas-heart-surgery-3df649dd00acd9fec8324687be557044">The Associated Press</a>, which reported that the California woman wiped away tears on the witness stand. Referring to the surrogate sitting across the courtroom, Gilkar added, “She’s unstable. She’s trying to take him from us.”
Jeff Domen, an attorney for West, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/baby-surrogacy-mckenna-ivf-texas-heart-surgery-3df649dd00acd9fec8324687be557044">repeatedly pressed</a> Gilkar about her desire to terminate the pregnancy after the baby was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, or HLHS.
“Would you trust somebody to care for your child that wanted your child dead?” Domen asked.
Gilkar said she did not know how to answer.
West, an Alaska nurse and single mother of two, delivered the baby earlier this month in the Dallas area after Texas Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton secured a court order requiring that he receive life-saving medical care. 
The baby was diagnosed at 20 weeks with HLHS, a serious congenital heart defect. West has said that after learning of the diagnosis, the genetic parents demanded that West travel to California to abort the child, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/red-state-comes-to-rescue-of-surrogate-mom-facing-pressure-to-kill-baby?author=Jacob+Wheeler&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Red+State+Comes+To+Rescue+Of+Surrogate+Mom+Facing+Pressure+To+Kill+Baby">The Daily Wire</a> previously reported.
West told the judge she scheduled an abortion at 23 weeks at the couple’s urging but ultimately could not bring herself to go through with it. 
“I knew that this baby, despite the diagnosis, had a great chance at survival and a great chance at leading a long life,” West told the court.
West also described the “terrifying” prospect of undergoing an abortion.  
“It would have been a two-day procedure … they would have injected his heart with a solution that would stop it,” West <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/08/25/us-news/surrogate-mckenna-west-breaks-down-describing-abortion-procedure-at-over-20-weeks/">testified</a>, saying the baby would have been removed two days later. “It was terrifying.”
The <a href="https://dam.tmz.com/document/3f/o/2026/08/14/3fb808514e0747bca9785de19a7b2472.pdf">surrogacy agreement</a> at the center of the dispute contains a provision giving the genetic parents broad authority to request that West abort the baby.
The child later underwent <a href="https://x.com/LilaGraceRose/status/2089514128465649710?s=20">complex heart surgery</a>, the first of three surgeries needed to treat HLHS. Since then, the baby’s condition has taken a turn for the worse.
“He’s struggling to breathe … We have to watch him gasp for air and choke on tubes,” Gilkar said, according to the <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/08/25/us-news/surrogate-mckenna-west-breaks-down-describing-abortion-procedure-at-over-20-weeks/">New York Post.</a> 
Beyond the custody fight, the California couple is reportedly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/surrogate-baby-saga-takes-dark-new-turn-after-mom-chose-life?author=Jacob+Wheeler&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=19&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Surrogate+Baby+Saga+Takes+Dark+New+Turn+After+Mom+Chose+Life">seeking a six-figure cash award</a> from West, accusing her of “malicious conduct” by refusing to terminate the pregnancy and breaching the surrogacy agreement. 
Gilkar and Ahmed have claimed they suffered emotional distress throughout the ordeal, which has captivated attention from pro-life activists and members of the Trump administration. 
West previously said having the baby could cost her up to $200,000 — a price she was willing to pay.
“This is my body, and I absolutely don’t want to go through this. Nothing was scarier than questioning my own soul and knowing what would happen to this baby boy,” she <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/red-state-comes-to-rescue-of-surrogate-mom-facing-pressure-to-kill-baby?author=Jacob+Wheeler&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=12&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Red+State+Comes+To+Rescue+Of+Surrogate+Mom+Facing+Pressure+To+Kill+Baby">told</a> Live Action. “His life doesn’t have a price tag on it. There’s nothing that they could try to come after me for that would be worth his life.”
The Dallas judge on Tuesday extended for another two weeks a temporary restraining order barring West from making medical decisions for the baby. The judge did not issue a final custody ruling.

Doctor used an Ultrasound  3d sonogram  monitor for  the fetus 22 weeks young adult patient pregnant

Baby Fights For Life As Genetic Parents Battle Surrogate Who Refused Abortion

Abortion

California

life

McKenna West

pro-choice

Pro-Life Movement

Surrogacy

surrogate

In a scandal first uncovered by The Daily Wire, a new Department of Homeland Security <a class="decorated-link" href="https://www.oig.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/assets/2026-08/OIG-26-21-Aug26.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_new" rel="noopener" data-start="90" data-end="196">inspector general report</a> found that a FEMA disaster response crew illegally skipped Florida homes displaying signs supporting President Donald Trump, as workers surveyed damage from Hurricane Milton without proper training.
In November 2024, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-fema-official-ordered-relief-workers-to-skip-houses-with-trump-signs">The Daily Wire first exposed</a> the FEMA scandal after multiple federal employees confirmed that a supervisor ordered disaster relief workers to “avoid homes advertising Trump” as they canvassed Lake Placid, Florida, to identify residents eligible for federal aid. Internal messages obtained by The Daily Wire showed that supervisor Marn’i Washington issued the directive both verbally and in a group chat used by the relief team, according to multiple government employees.
“This situation eroded public trust in FEMA’s ability to treat everyone impartially, offer unbiased and consistent assistance, and ensure equal access to resources and tools,” the inspector general’s report <a href="https://www.oig.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/assets/2026-08/OIG-26-21-Aug26.pdf">said</a>. 
The 25-page investigation concluded that the discrimination violated both FEMA policy and the Hatch Act. The <a href="https://www.osc.gov/services/hatch-act/overview/">1939 federal law</a> prohibits government employees from using their positions or government resources for partisan political activity.
FEMA disaster relief crews canvassed more than 744,000 homes and other locations after Hurricanes Helene and Milton. But a DHS watchdog found that workers deliberately skipped 11 homes displaying signs supporting then-presidential candidate Donald Trump.
Images obtained by The Daily Wire showed workers documenting the homes in the government system with messages such as “Trump sign no entry per leadership.”
<div id="attachment_1165733" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1165733" class="wp-image-1165733 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/fema-avoid-trump-1-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/fema-avoid-trump-1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/fema-avoid-trump-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/fema-avoid-trump-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/fema-avoid-trump-1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/fema-avoid-trump-1.avif 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Microsoft Teams chat used by FEMA workers.</div>
“These issues occurred due to weaknesses in FEMA’s training, documentation, and oversight,” the inspector general&#8217;s report concluded. “FEMA DSA [Disaster Survivor Assistance] crews did not receive ethics and Hatch Act training before deploying to disasters, DSA policies and procedures did not require crews to explain why they skipped homes, and DSA crew leaders were not required to conduct quality control reviews of survivor interactions.” 
Investigators also interviewed 18 random FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance crew members deployed during the natural disasters and found 11 who said they never received Hatch Act training.
Hurricane Helene slammed into Florida’s Gulf Coast as a Category 4 storm on September 26, 2024, unleashing catastrophic flooding and devastation that killed hundreds and caused billions of dollars in damage from the Gulf Coast to the mountains of North Carolina. Less than two weeks later, Hurricane Milton struck near Siesta Key, Florida, as a Category 3 storm, battering communities still reeling from Helene. 
President Biden quickly approved major disaster declarations for Florida, North Carolina, and Tennessee, unlocking federal aid to help survivors clean up and begin rebuilding.
As FEMA scrambled to respond to the back-to-back disasters, the agency called on a DHS Surge Capacity Force, drawing volunteers from other DHS agencies to bolster its understaffed workforce ahead of Hurricane Milton.
“I know they’re short-staffed, I thought we could go help and make a difference,” one of the employees told The Daily Wire at the time. “When we got there we were told to discriminate against people. It’s almost unbelievable to think that somebody in the federal government would think that’s okay.” 
The employee said it felt wrong to discriminate against Trump supporters when they were at their “most vulnerable.” 
“I volunteered to help disaster victims, not discriminate against them,” the employee said. “It didn’t matter if people were black, white, Hispanic, for Trump, for Harris. Everyone deserves the same amount of help.”
The guidance came as the Biden administration faced mounting criticism over what many rural communities described as a lackluster response to Hurricane Helene. In Roan Mountain, Tennessee, for example, residents <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-a-small-tennessee-town-survived-helene-after-the-emergency-response-floundered">told</a> The Daily Wire that it took nearly two weeks for FEMA to arrive. Carter County, where the town is located, <a href="https://www.politico.com/2024-election/results/tennessee/">voted 81%</a> for Trump.
The FEMA workers ordered to bypass homes displaying Trump signs were operating in Highlands County, a deep-red region of south-central Florida that backed Trump with 70% of the vote. The county was battered by tornadoes, torrential winds and rain, and flooding when Hurricane Milton struck in October.
The inspector general’s report laid out the limited exceptions in which FEMA workers could skip homes, including &#8220;hostile&#8221; interactions with residents, no-trespassing or private-property signs, hazardous debris, or purple paint marking a property as off-limits.
Political signs supporting Trump were not among the exceptions.
The inspector general reviewed thousands of FEMA canvassing records and identified 11 cases with notes indicating potential political bias. The workers logged the skipped homes under generic categories such as “Not Able to Access Property” and “Private Property.” 
“However, in the notes field all 11 surveys included the name of then-presidential candidate Donald Trump to explain the reason for skipping the homes,” the investigation found. 
<div id="attachment_1165737" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1165737" class="wp-image-1165737 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/MixCollage-08-Nov-2024-03-17-PM-8891-2048x1024-1-1024x512.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="512" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/MixCollage-08-Nov-2024-03-17-PM-8891-2048x1024-1-1024x512.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/MixCollage-08-Nov-2024-03-17-PM-8891-2048x1024-1-300x150.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/MixCollage-08-Nov-2024-03-17-PM-8891-2048x1024-1-768x384.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/MixCollage-08-Nov-2024-03-17-PM-8891-2048x1024-1-1536x768.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/MixCollage-08-Nov-2024-03-17-PM-8891-2048x1024-1.avif 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />One of the homes skipped by FEMA/ FEMA app tracking what homes were visited.</div>
The report could not determine whether FEMA workers used similar discriminatory tactics elsewhere in the country as communities reeled from hurricane devastation.
“We could not determine if crews skipped locations for unallowable reasons during other disasters because the support contract for FEMA’s Field Assessment and Collection Tools ended in September 2025 when then-Department of Homeland Security Secretary Noem did not act on FEMA’s request to fund it before expiration,” investigators said.  
Looking forward, the inspector general issued four recommendations: strengthen ethics and Hatch Act training before deployments, create a system to document survivor interactions, and require FEMA crews to standardize how they record skipped homes and the reasons for doing so. 
After The Daily Wire broke the story, a FEMA spokesman said the agency was “deeply disturbed” and “horrified” by the employee’s actions, and that it has “taken extreme actions to correct this situation.”

MixCollage-08-Nov-2024-03-07-PM-8035-e1735225768669

Daily Wire Bombshell Leads To Report Finding FEMA Illegally Skipped Trump Supporters’ Homes

Biden Administration

FEMA

Florida

Hurricane

hurricane damage

Hurricane Milton

Inspector general

Investigation

natural disasters

North Carolina

Trump Administration

Trump-endorsed Sen. Darline Graham (R-SC) won Tuesday’s Republican runoff and will advance to the November general election, overcoming concerns about the political newcomer&#8217;s lack of experience as she seeks a full term in her late brother&#8217;s Senate seat. 
Graham defeated Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC), winning roughly 53.3% of the vote in the runoff to secure the Republican nomination for a full six-year term. Decision Desk HQ called the race at 8:38 pm EDT.
Graham’s runoff victory caps a dramatic rise for a candidate who had never previously held elected office before being appointed to the Senate last month. The race also presented another test of President Donald Trump&#8217;s influence over Republican voters in the Palmetto State. 
On Friday, Trump hit the stump for Graham in Myrtle Beach, making a personal pitch for why the MAGA base should turn out to support her.
&#8220;They say Trump does great when he&#8217;s on the ballot. But when he&#8217;s not on the ballot, his people don&#8217;t come, and they don’t vote for senators, congressmen, and other Republicans,” Trump <a href="https://x.com/theblaze/status/2090947947785601323?s=20">said</a>. “What I want you to do is pretend – please – like I&#8217;m on the ballot. Just come and vote. It&#8217;s so important.&#8221;
Norman’s strong showing revealed <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trumps-pick-to-replace-lindsey-graham-faces-growing-gop-revolt">significant hesitation</a> among Republican voters about handing Graham a full, six-year Senate term. Concerns about her inexperience were on full display during a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lindsey-grahams-sister-admits-in-debate-im-not-that-informed-on-national-security">viral debate-night gaffe</a> where she admitted she was “not that informed on national security.”
“I’m just going to be honest here, I’m not that informed on national security,” she <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYbTRsRnT6U">said</a> when asked whether Taiwan and the South China Sea are national security issues for the United States.
Former South Carolina Republican Gov. Nikki Haley criticized the remark.
“Lindsey Graham was well informed on the United States’ national security. Graham admits she’s not,” Haley <a href="https://x.com/NikkiHaley/status/2089882589918019869?s=20">said</a>. “This is not something you inherit. And it’s critical in the U.S. Senate.”
Graham has previously outlined the differences between herself and her brother on foreign policy, saying in a July interview <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lindsey-grahams-sister-breaks-from-one-of-his-defining-priorities">that</a> she preferred to focus on issues that matter to “the average person.”
Norman, a conservative Republican who endorsed Haley in the 2024 presidential primary, had a long track record in South Carolina politics. He was first elected to Congress in a 2017 special election and previously served in the South Carolina House of Representatives.
“There’s nothing enormously special about him. But, you know what you’re going to get. He is a solid conservative voter,” Ryan Girdusky, a conservative political consultant, previously told<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trumps-pick-to-replace-lindsey-graham-faces-growing-gop-revolt?author=Jacob+Wheeler&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=29&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump%E2%80%99s+Pick+To+Replace+Lindsey+Graham+Faces+Growing+GOP+Revolt"> The Daily Wire</a>.
Norman secured endorsements from conservative Sens. Rick Scott (R-FL) and Mike Lee (R-UT), as well as several Upstate sheriffs. Graham, meanwhile, sought to strengthen her conservative credentials while leaning heavily on Trump’s MAGA base.
In a<a href="https://x.com/AdImpact_Pol/status/2085743817810972817?s=20"> recent campaign ad</a>, Graham touted her pro-life beliefs and called for a ban on biological men competing in women’s sports as she made the case for carrying on her late brother’s legacy.
“Lindsey taught me public service isn’t about titles; it’s about helping people. President Trump asked me to run for the Senate to work with him on the issues we care about,” she said. “While I never wanted to be in this position. I’m ready to serve the people of South Carolina.”
Turnout in Tuesday’s runoff was abnormally low, with local officials <a href="https://abcnews4.com/news/local/early-voting-ends-in-south-carolina-gop-senate-runoff-as-officials-cite-voter-fatigue">citing voter fatigue </a>as a key factor behind the depressed participation. If elected in November, Graham would become the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from South Carolina.
Graham entered a crowded special Senate race on July 20 after Trump enthusiastically endorsed her, telling the head of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/im-in-lindsey-grahams-sister-makes-it-official">“RUN, DARLINE, RUN!”</a> South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Graham in July to serve out the remainder of her brother&#8217;s term.
Lindsey Graham died unexpectedly last month at his Capitol Hill home in what the medical examiner’s office believes was an aortic dissection. Before collapsing, Graham reportedly told a staffer he was experiencing chest pain. He had easily won his Republican primary in June before his death upended the race.
“I think that the president was really in a state of grief. He loved Lindsey Graham,” Girdusky said. “And he picked her, you know, very, very, very quickly.”
Graham will now advance to the November general election against Democrat <a href="https://drannieandrews.com/">Annie Andrews</a> in a seat that <a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/senate/race/488671">The Cook Political Report</a> rates as Solid Republican.

President Trump Holds Campaign Rally With Darline Graham In Myrtle Beach

Republican Voters Choose Replacement For Lindsey Graham In Hotly Contested Primary

Darline Graham

Darline Graham Nordone

Lindsey Graham

Ralph Norman

South Carolina

Dolly Parton died Tuesday following a &#8220;brief battle with cancer,&#8221; her representatives revealed after her death was announced and as fans <a href="https://x.com/JWheelertv/status/2092387189170586010?s=20">gathered outside her Nashville home</a> to mourn the loss of one of country music’s most beloved stars.
A spokesperson for the 80-year-old icon confirmed the previously undisclosed diagnosis in a statement to <a href="https://people.com/dolly-parton-died-after-a-brief-battle-with-cancer-her-team-confirms-12067930">People Magazine.</a> The specific type of cancer was not disclosed.
“Our beloved Dolly Parton spent her life and career bringing joy, laughter, hope and integrity into everything she touched. Her unmatched generosity reached the lives of countless people whom she would never meet, yet she was always there to offer a helping hand,” the statement read.
“Whether it be the hundreds of millions of books donated through her invaluable Imagination Library or funding research that helped create a lifesaving vaccine used around the world, Dolly’s unconditional love for all people was the guiding force for her lasting impact. After bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones,” the statement added.
The Tennessee-born singer was hospitalized on Friday and died four days later at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville.
Her nephew, Bryan Seaver, confirmed her death in an Instagram video. 
“But sadness lies with us, not with Dolly. Dolly has lived in the light, and is in the arms of Jesus,” Seaver said.
Parton’s death follows a period of growing health concerns. Fans were alarmed in September 2025 when she postponed a scheduled six-night Las Vegas residency at Caesars Palace. True to form, Parton eased the disappointment with humor, joking that she needed a “100,000-mile check-up” — and clarifying that it didn’t involve her plastic surgeon.
Four days before her death, she opened up to <a href="https://people.com/dolly-parton-shares-health-update-while-announcing-plans-for-museum-exclusive-12065750">PEOPLE</a> about her recent health struggles.
“I am dealing with some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over [her late husband] Carl,” Parton told the outlet.
President Donald Trump ordered American flags flown at half-staff nationwide for one week beginning Tuesday evening in honor of the philanthropist and country music icon.
“Very sad to report that Dolly Parton, one of the greatest Country singers, and far beyond, EVER, has just passed away. This is a true loss for millions of people. There has never been anyone like her, and never will,” Trump said in a Truth Social post.
At Parton’s request, a small, private service will be held for immediate family, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-world-loves-you-trump-orders-flags-to-half-staff-for-dolly-parton?author=Jacob+Wheeler&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=%E2%80%98The+World+Loves+You%E2%80%99%3A+Trump+Orders+Flags+To+Half-Staff+For+Dolly+Parton">The Daily Wire</a> reported. The family is asking that, instead of flowers, people donate to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
Parton will <a href="https://pagesix.com/2026/08/25/celebrity-news/dolly-partons-funeral-plans-revealed-after-her-death-at-age-80/">reportedly</a> be laid to rest beside her late husband, Carl Dean, at Woodlawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum — dressed in her signature high heels.

Day 3 – Glastonbury Festival

Dolly Parton’s Cause Of Death Revealed

Dolly Parton

Entertainment

Texas Democratic congressional candidate Bobby Pulido performed alongside a registered sex offender and longtime bandmate at a 2018 “Family Fiesta” Cinco de Mayo festival promoted as a family event featuring activities for young children, The Daily Wire has learned.
Pulido, a Latin Grammy-winning Tejano musician running for Congress, has faced scrutiny over his decades-long professional relationship with accordionist Frankie Caballero, 63, who was convicted of <a href="https://sor.dps.texas.gov/Search/Rapsheet?Sid=03104979">indecent sexual contact</a> with an 8-year-old girl and sentenced to four years in prison.
Caballero was sentenced in 2014 for the <a href="https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/?tab=1&amp;code=PE&amp;chapter=PE.21&amp;artSec=21.11">second-degree felony</a>, but that did not stop Pulido from continuing to share the stage with the registered sex offender following his release. Pulido&#8217;s campaign said he was unaware of Caballero&#8217;s sex-offender status.
&nbsp;
<div id="attachment_1165083" style="width: 235px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1165083" class="size-full wp-image-1165083" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Photo.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" />Frankie Caballero: Texas Department of Public Safety Sex Offender Registry</div>
<a href="https://www.kchispanicnews.com/pdfs/KCHNV21/KCHNV21N32.pdf">A preview</a> of the May 2018 &#8220;Family Fiesta&#8221; in Kansas City, Missouri advertised free admission for children 12 and younger. The two-day celebration included a petting zoo, pony rides, inflatables, rides, and toys for children.
The flyer featured Pulido and identified Caballero in a biographical section about the singer&#8217;s band. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Up747ZqZX0&amp;t=53s">Video from the Latin performance</a> reviewed by The Daily Wire shows Pulido introducing the registered sex offender to the crowd as a young child sits onstage near the band, within several feet of Caballero.
Pulido also introduced Caballero to the crowd and described him as his first accordion player.
“And when I first came out with &#8216;Desvelado,&#8217; and I first started my band, my first accordion player was this man right here, Frankie Caballero, who was actually the accordion player for Grupo Mazz. I just brought him,” Pulido said. 
In response to the revelations, a campaign spokesperson claimed Caballero was a &#8220;needs-based contractor&#8221; who Pulido hired during his music career.
&#8220;As said before, Bobby Pulido never knew about Caballero’s sex offense charges and found out like everyone else – from the New York Post,&#8221; the campaign said. The spokesperson then accused Rep. Monica De La Cruz (R-TX) of hypocrisy, pointing to allegations involving her former stepdaughter and the Epstein files.
The family festival took place roughly three weeks before Pulido and Caballero performed at a fundraiser benefiting a middle school in Texas, where the musician was introduced to students and a young girl was brought onto the stage to meet him, according to a <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/06/22/bobby-pulido-congress-texas?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=ncl_amplify&amp;utm_campaign=260623-bobby_pulido_knowingly_brought_convicted_sex_offender_to_a_school&amp;utm_content=ncl-r48J5N3nwM&amp;utm_term=&amp;_nlid=r48J5N3nwM&amp;_nhids=ncRmGi6MwU3XLls">June Axios report.</a>
Pulido&#8217;s campaign previously said he did not know about Caballero&#8217;s criminal history at the time of the school fundraiser despite <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/06/12/us-news/texas-dem-bragged-about-getting-career-criminal-bandmate-out-of-jail-who-went-on-to-sexually-assault-8-year-old/?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=ncl_amplify&amp;utm_campaign=260615-bobby_pulido_bragged_about_freeing_child_sex_offender_buddy&amp;utm_content=ncl-kDcaNyXv6W&amp;utm_term=&amp;_nlid=kDcaNyXv6W&amp;_nhids=ncGwKiXxxs6w8ls">previously bragging</a> about his efforts to get Caballero out of jail on a separate occasion. 
Pulido is running to unseat incumbent De La Cruz in Texas’ 15th Congressional District, which lies along the southern border. President Donald Trump carried the district by approximately 18 points in 2024, while <a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/house/race/485291" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Cook Political Report</a> currently rates the race &#8220;Lean Republican.&#8221;
Pulido also previously performed alongside a Mexican cartel operative, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-grammy-winning-dem-candidate-in-hot-seat-for-sharing-spotlight-with-cartel-operative">The Daily Wire</a> previously reported.
The Democrat hopeful appeared at his concerts on numerous <a href="https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1DswT2i2kq/">occasions</a> before the U.S. government formally <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-release/sm0144">sanctioned</a> Mexican singer Julión Álvarez for acting “as a front” person for a drug trafficker and his cartel, while holding “assets on their behalf.” Pulido performed on stage with Álvarez in October 2018 and shared the video on his Facebook page, where he called the sanctioned singer “mi amigo.”
In a statement, Pulido’s campaign manager Abel Prado claimed that “Álvarez was cleared,” adding that “Bobby and Álvarez are not friends, and this is just another case of Republicans not understanding our culture — ‘amigo’ is a common expression.”
“Republicans think all these attacks on Bobby are going to do something … but the fact of the matter is he is a beloved figure, and they’re going to find that out in November when he flips this seat.”

La Cura Fest By Carin Leon

EXCLUSIVE: Dem Performed With Convicted Child Sex Offender At ‘Family Fiesta’

Bobby Pulido

Frankie Caballero

U.S. House of Representatives

President Donald Trump ordered American flags flown at half-staff nationwide for one week beginning Tuesday evening in honor of country music icon Dolly Parton. 
“Very sad to report that Dolly Parton, one of the greatest Country singers, and far beyond, EVER, has just passed away. This is a true loss for millions of people. There has never been anyone like her, and never will,” Trump<a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/117157578446470768"> said</a> in a Truth Social post.
“In her honor, I am lowering the American flag throughout the United States for a one week period beginning tonight at 6:00PM,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;Rest in Peace, Dolly! The World loves you.”
Parton, whose sky-high blonde wigs, razor-sharp wit, and unmistakable voice made her one of the<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dolly-parton-dead-at-80?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Hank+Berrien&amp;category=Entertainment&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Dolly+Parton+Dead+At+80"> most recognizable figures</a> in American entertainment, died Tuesday. She was 80. Her nephew, Bryan Seaver, confirmed her death in an Instagram video.
“But sadness lies with us, not with Dolly. Dolly has lived in the light, and is in the arms of Jesus,” Seaver said.
Parton’s death follows a<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dolly-parton-dead-at-80?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Hank+Berrien&amp;category=Entertainment&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Dolly+Parton+Dead+At+80"> period of health concerns.</a> Fans were alarmed in September 2025 when she postponed a scheduled six-night Las Vegas residency at Caesars Palace. True to form, Parton eased the disappointment with humor, joking that she needed a “100,000-mile check-up” — and clarifying that it didn’t involve her plastic surgeon.
Born into poverty in a one-room cabin on Locust Ridge, Parton rose from humble beginnings to become one of the biggest stars in the world without abandoning the Tennessee roots that shaped her.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), the frontrunner to become the state’s next governor, said Parton&#8217;s legacy will always be intertwined with their home state.
“Dolly’s life and career are forever woven into Tennessee’s music, culture, and history. Her extraordinary talent, generosity, and love for the Volunteer State touched hearts around the world and will continue to inspire generations to come,” Blackburn<a href="https://x.com/VoteMarsha/status/2092311588921303148?s=20"> said</a>.
“Tennessee will forever be grateful for Dolly.”
Parton’s autobiographical song “Coat of Many Colors” drew from her childhood, recounting how her mother sewed her a jacket from scraps of fabric. She recorded her first single, “Puppy Love,” at 13 and headed for Nashville the morning after graduating high school in 1964, carrying her belongings in paper grocery bags.
“She was an incredible East Tennessean who served as an inspiration to little girls everywhere,” Rep. Tim Burchett<a href="https://x.com/timburchett/status/2092314282092351926?s=20"> said</a>. “Dolly never changed her accent or forgot where she came from.”
Parton became a songwriting powerhouse whose influence transcended country music. “I Will Always Love You” topped the country charts twice for Parton before reaching global heights in 1992, when Whitney Houston’s iconic rendition became the signature song of &#8220;The Bodyguard.&#8221;
Her success also crossed into Hollywood, where she starred in films including &#8220;9 to 5,&#8221; &#8220;The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas,&#8221; and &#8220;Steel Magnolias.&#8221; She also wrote the iconic theme song for &#8220;9 to 5,&#8221; further cementing her status as a crossover star.
Parton turned a country music career into an economic empire, building one of America&#8217;s most recognizable brands. Her beloved theme park, Dollywood, created thousands of jobs and helped transform the Pigeon Forge area of East Tennessee into a major tourism destination. 
“Dolly was talented beyond compare, and an entrepreneurial juggernaut who played an integral role in transforming our state,” Tennessee Senator Bill Hagerty said. “She brought laughter and joy to so many through her musical and philanthropic endeavors. She will be deeply, deeply missed.”
Parton’s influence extended well beyond entertainment and business. Though she never had children of her own, she spent decades investing in young people through charitable efforts.
“Through the Dollywood Foundation and her global Imagination Library, Dolly gave free books to children around the world, sparking a lifelong love of reading,” Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME)<a href="https://x.com/SenatorCollins/status/2092323656860827937?s=20"> said</a>. “Her legacy will live on in the classrooms and communities she uplifted and the beautiful music she created.”
From a dirt-poor cabin in East Tennessee to the world’s biggest stages, Parton never lost her authenticity and iconic roots — even while commanding the<a href="https://x.com/Phil_Lewis_/status/1727835416189956454?s=20"> halftime stage</a> and belting out “We Are the Champions” before a packed stadium at the 2023 Thanksgiving halftime show.
Country music star Reba McEntire paid tribute to her lifelong friend, reflecting on their first meeting and final conversation.
“Thank you, Lord, for Dolly. She’s gonna have a blast in heaven singing all her favorite songs with all her family and friends who have gone on before her,” McEntire<a href="https://x.com/reba/status/2092321157106262090?s=20"> said</a>. “I’ll never forget the first time I met you, and I’ll never forget our last conversation. I hold it with love in my heart.”
<a href="https://x.com/DollyParton/status/2092329891350159576?s=20">At Parton’s request,</a> a small, private service will be held for immediate family. The family is asking that, instead of flowers, donations be made to<a href="https://imaginationlibrary.com/"> Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.</a>

Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors – Season 1

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Jacob Wheeler