Before the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots even kick off for Super Bowl LX in San Francisco on Sunday, the game will already be in the record books as the first Super Bowl to feature two teams that missed the playoffs the previous season.
The unusual Super Bowl matchup is a fitting ending to a season that saw the downfall of past seasons&#8217; dominant teams and the rise of new talent. At the beginning of the 2025 season, neither the Seahawks nor the Patriots were expected to compete for a Super Bowl. The Seahawks, coming off a 10-7 record in 2024, were overlooked in a stacked NFC West division this year. The Patriots, meanwhile, were believed to be in the middle of a long rebuild with a young quarterback after finishing with just four wins last season.
But now, both teams have clawed their way to the biggest game in sports.
At first glance, Super Bowl LX seems to lack the intrigue that NFL fans are accustomed to. There&#8217;s no dynasty looking to collect more hardware and there&#8217;s no superstar quarterback who&#8217;s expected to dominate the game. But Super Bowl LX has plenty of storylines to make it a must-watch game.
<h3>Redemption on Both Sides</h3>
<div id="attachment_1040521" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1040521" class="wp-image-1040521 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2257728168-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2257728168-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2257728168-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2257728168-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2257728168.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />SEATTLE, WASHINGTON &#8211; JANUARY 25: Sam Darnold (Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)</div>
When Seattle runs out of the tunnel and onto the field at Levi&#8217;s Stadium, it will be led by quarterback Sam Darnold, whose NFL career appeared to be reduced to playing full-time backup just two years ago. Darnold was picked No. 3 overall in the 2018 draft by the New York Jets with the hope that he would become the team&#8217;s franchise quarterback. The hype around Darnold in New York, however, lasted only three seasons as he went just 13-25 with the Jets before he was traded to the Carolina Panthers ahead of the 2021 season.
In Carolina, Darnold played well in some games, but dealt with injuries and battled to remain a starter before he was let go and signed by the San Francisco 49ers in 2023. In San Francisco, Darnold backed up young QB Brock Purdy and made his first Super Bowl appearance, but he didn&#8217;t contribute much to the Super Bowl run, only appearing in one game all season.
In 2024, Darnold got another chance on a one-year contract with the Minnesota Vikings, where he became the starting quarterback and led the team to a surprising 14-3 record and a playoff appearance. Darnold&#8217;s solid season with the Vikings wasn&#8217;t enough to keep the critics off his back as many analysts and commentators slammed him for choking in big games down the stretch. His impressive record with the Vikings also wasn&#8217;t enough to keep him in Minnesota as the team opted to let Darnold go, and he was quickly signed by the Seahawks.
Many thought of Darnold as a reliable veteran who could lead a team to some wins while it continued to build up the offensive line and receiving core, but despite leading the league in turnovers this season, Darnold did enough to lead the Seahawks to the best record in the NFC and a dominant playoff run.
<div id="attachment_1040523" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1040523" class="wp-image-1040523 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2258770424-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2258770424-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2258770424-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2258770424-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2258770424.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />DENVER, COLORADO &#8211; JANUARY 25: Mike Vrabel (Photo by Lauren Leigh Bacho/Getty Images)</div>
There&#8217;s a redemption arc on the New England sideline, too, where head coach Mike Vrabel is hoping to win a Super Bowl in his first year with the Patriots after being fired by the Tennessee Titans in 2023. Vrabel, a former Patriots linebacker, is also looking to become the first person in NFL history to win Super Bowls as a player and a coach for the same franchise.
Vrabel&#8217;s journey to the big game was likely not what he envisioned. Just a few years ago, Vrabel appeared destined to be the man to lead the Tennessee Titans into glory. Under Vrabel, the Titans made a remarkable playoff run in 2018, defeating Tom Brady and the defending Super Bowl champion Patriots and then beating the AFC&#8217;s best team, the Baltimore Ravens, to reach their first AFC championship game since 2002. The Titans would eventually lose to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, who went on to win Super Bowl LIV.
Vrabel reached the playoffs with the Titans again in 2020 and 2021, attaining the #1 overall seed in the AFC in 2021. The Titans, however, struggled in those playoff appearances, losing in the wild card round to the Baltimore Ravens in 2020 and getting upset by the Cincinnati Bengals in the divisional round in 2021.
In a shocking decision, the Titans fired Vrabel after rough seasons in 2022 and 2023. Vrabel took a break from coaching the following season before he was hired by the Patriots ahead of the 2025 season. In just one season with New England, Vrabel has already proven that he should have never been fired, but a Super Bowl ring would put an exclamation point on his return to the NFL.
&#8220;From Day 1, he set that standard. That culture,&#8221; Patriots linebacker Harold Landry <a href="https://www.nfl.com/news/patriots-players-laud-mike-vrabel-for-setting-standard-for-super-bowl-turnaround">said</a> of Vrabel. &#8220;And he brought in guys to kind of help him with that message. [Vrabel] is just at the forefront of it all. Guys have a lot of respect for him because he&#8217;s been here and done it as a player.&#8221;
<h3>Rematch of the Unforgettable</h3>
<div id="attachment_1040525" style="width: 864px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1040525" class="wp-image-1040525 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-474971694-854x576.jpg" alt="" width="854" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-474971694-854x576.jpg 854w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-474971694-300x202.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-474971694-768x518.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-474971694.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 854px) 100vw, 854px" />GLENDALE, AZ &#8211; FEBRUARY 01: Malcolm Butler #21 of the New England Patriots intercepts the pass at the goal line late in the fourth quarter against the Seattle Seahawks during Super Bowl XLIX. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)</div>
The Seahawks and Patriots last met in the Super Bowl on February 1, 2015, in Glendale, Arizona. It&#8217;s a game that won&#8217;t be soon forgotten — no matter how hard Seahawks fans try to erase it from their minds. Simply saying the phrase &#8220;2nd down from the one-yard-line&#8221; or the name &#8220;Marshawn Lynch&#8221; is all that&#8217;s needed to evoke memories of that unforgettable game when Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7rPIg7ZNQ8">inexplicably decided</a> to throw the ball on a game-deciding play from the one-yard line instead of handing it off to one of the league&#8217;s most dominant running backs, and Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler jumped the route and intercepted Russell Wilson.
Of course, this year, Carrol is not calling plays on the Seattle sideline, and Wilson and Lynch won&#8217;t be lining up together. New England&#8217;s team is no longer defined by Tom Brady and Bill Belichick&#8217;s dynasty, but the shadow from that 2015 Super Bowl still looms, and if Seattle lines up at the New England one-yard line late in the 4th quarter, there will be no escaping the comparisons to the play call from more than a decade ago.
<h3>An Opportunity for History</h3>
<div id="attachment_1040527" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1040527" class="wp-image-1040527 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2258688802-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2258688802-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2258688802-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2258688802-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2258688802.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />DENVER, CO &#8211; JANUARY 25: Drake Maye (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)</div>
While Sam Darnold goes for redemption, 23-year-old Patriot Drake Maye is seeking to become the youngest starting quarterback to ever win the Super Bowl. If he hoists the Lombardi trophy on Sunday night, Maye — who is 23 years and 162 days old — would surpass Steelers great Ben Roethlisberger, who won his first Super Bowl at 23 years and 340 days old.
Maye, who was taken by the Patriots as the third overall draft pick in 2024, became one of the NFL&#8217;s most consistent quarterbacks in his second season. Maye ranked fourth this season in total passing yards at 4,394, which was just ahead of Darnold&#8217;s 4,048 yards. Maye was also third in the NFL in total touchdown passes with 31.
The New England quarterback has a lot to live up to after Brady&#8217;s two decades of MVPs and Super Bowl championships for the Patriots. But the young gunslinger Maye is off to an impressive start, and if he gets his Super Bowl ring on Sunday alongside his new head coach, things in New England will look eerily similar to 2002 — only Maye would be one year younger than Brady was when the all-time great won his first Super Bowl.

Super Bowl LX

Redemption, Rematch, And Records: Super Bowl LX Is Filled With Great Storylines

Football

General

New England Patriots

San Francisco

Seattle Seahawks

Super Bowl

U.S.

Suspected assassin Luigi Mangione spoke out in court on Friday after a New York judge set his state trial date for June 8.
As he was being escorted out of the courtroom, Mangione raged against the state trial moving forward, as he also faces a federal trial. Mangione faces multiple state charges, including second-degree murder related to the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on December 4, 2024. Mangione has pleaded not guilty to all state and federal charges.
&#8220;One plus one equals two. This is the same trial twice,&#8221; Mangione said, according to <a href="https://www.fox5ny.com/news/luigi-mangione-double-jeopardy-claim">Fox 5 New York</a>. &#8220;This is double jeopardy by any common sense definition.&#8221;
The suspected assassin was unexpectedly ordered back in court on Friday by Manhattan state Judge Gregory Carro. His next appearance in state court wasn&#8217;t scheduled until May. Mangione&#8217;s lawyer objected to the June 8 trial start date, arguing that the defense team would also be preparing for the federal trial at that time.
“Mr. Mangione is being put in an untenable situation,” defense lawyer Karen Friedman Agnifilo said, according to the Associated Press. “This is a tug-of-war between two different prosecution offices.&#8221;
&#8220;The defense will not be ready on June 8,&#8221; she added.
&#8220;Be ready,&#8221; the judge replied.
Jury selection for Mangione&#8217;s federal trial was set for September 8, with opening statements scheduled for October 13. Last week, the judge overseeing Mangione&#8217;s federal trial <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/federal-judge-says-prosecutors-cant-pursue-death-penalty-against-luigi-mangione?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Federal+Judge+Says+Prosecutors+Can%E2%80%99t+Pursue+Death+Penalty+Against+Luigi+Mangione">dropped</a> the murder charge that carried a potential death penalty.
In a surprising twist to the federal trial, U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett agreed with Mangione’s defense team and said that stalking does not constitute “a crime of violence.” The judge acknowledged that her decision was “strange,” but argued that violence is defined by using force, and stalking could technically be committed without using force, ABC News <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/luigi-mangione-latest-judge-rule-death-penalty-stays/story?id=129677290">reported</a>.
Assistant Manhattan District Attorney Joel Seidemann argued for Mangione&#8217;s state trial to begin before the federal trial, saying that the state’s interests &#8220;would be unfairly prejudiced by an unnecessary delay.&#8221; Seidemann also told the judge that Thompson&#8217;s family wants the state trial to proceed first, which would also help prosecutors avoid a double jeopardy challenge. New York state law could prevent Mangione from being tried at the state level if his federal trial comes first.
Judge Carro said on Friday, &#8220;It appears the federal government has reneged on its agreement to let the state, which has done most of the work in this case, go first.&#8221;
In May, Carro will decide whether prosecutors can use evidence seized from Mangione when he was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Investigators say that Mangione was found with a 9 mm handgun that connects him to the crime scene and a notebook, where Mangione allegedly discusses taking out Thompson.
U.S. District Judge Garnett ruled last week that federal prosecutors can use the items found on Mangione when he was arrested as evidence.

Luigi Mangione

Luigi Mangione Erupts In Courtroom Outburst After Judge Sets State Trial Date

Court

New York

A gunman shot and seriously wounded a senior Russian intelligence official in his Moscow apartment building on Friday in yet another assassination attempt that the Kremlin is blaming on Ukraine.
Lieutenant General Vladimir Alekseyev, a deputy head of Russia&#8217;s military intelligence arm, was taken to the hospital after the shooting and remains in critical condition, Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russian-military-official-hospitalised-after-being-shot-agencies-report-2026-02-06/">reported</a>, citing Russian investigators. The gunman fled the scene and has not been identified as of Friday morning.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called the shooting a &#8220;terrorist attack&#8221; and claimed that Ukraine was attempting to derail talks between Moscow and the United States, NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/world/russia/senior-russian-military-general-vladimir-alekseyev-shot-moscow-rcna257748">reported</a>. The shooting took place just one day after U.S., Russian, and Ukrainian officials concluded another round of peace talks in the United Arab Emirates. Ukraine and Russia agreed to another prisoner swap during the negotiations, but no breakthroughs on a potential peace deal or ceasefire were announced.
Alekseyev, 64, is a highly respected military official in Russia and was honored by Russian President Vladimir Putin with the &#8220;Hero of Russia&#8221; award, which recognizes exceptional service for the country. The United States has sanctioned the Russian general for his role in Russian cyberattacks. Alekseyev was also sanctioned by the European Union after Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter were poisoned in England in 2018.
In 2023, Putin sent Alekseyev to negotiate with Wagner mercenary group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin after Prigozhin started a mutiny and attempted to overthrow the Russian dictator. The coup attempt ultimately failed, and Prigozhin was killed in a plane crash that U.S. officials <a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/russia/wagner-prigozhin-russia-assassinated-intelligence-3e456fab">believe</a> was caused by a bomb on board &#8220;or some other form of sabotage.&#8221;
Russian news media cited law enforcement sources who said the gunman was waiting for Alexeyev outside of his apartment and opened fire when the military official left to go to work. Alekseyev reportedly sustained gunshot wounds to the chest, along with one of his arms and a leg. Following the assassination attempt, some Russian journalists questioned why top military leaders are not better protected, Reuters reported.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded to some of those criticisms, saying, &#8220;It is clear that military commanders and high-level specialists are at risk during wartime. But it is not the Kremlin that should be deciding how to ensure their safety. This is a matter for the special services.&#8221;
Ukraine has not taken responsibility for the assassination attempt, which comes just two months after another Russian general was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/another-russian-general-taken-out-by-car-bomb-on-moscow-street?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Another+Russian+General+Taken+Out+By+Car+Bomb+On+Moscow+Street">killed</a> in a car bombing in Moscow. In December, Lt. Gen. Fanil Sarvarov, who was head of the Operational Training Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces, was killed along with his assistant in a blast that Russian authorities blamed on Ukraine&#8217;s intelligence agency.
Sarvarov was the third high-ranking Russian military leader to be assassinated since late 2024. Ukraine has claimed responsibility for the assassinations of multiple Russian generals since the beginning of the war.
During the trilateral talks in the United Arab Emirates this week, the White House agreed to resume high-level military dialogue with Russia, something that has not happened since before Moscow invaded Ukraine. The agreement comes as the nuclear arms control treaty between the United States and Russia <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nuclear-caps-gone-as-u-s-russia-treaty-expires">expired</a> on Thursday.

Top Russian Military Intelligence Lt.Gen. Vladimir Alexeyev Wounded In Moscow

Top Russian Military Official Shot In Moscow Shortly After Trilateral Peace Talks Conclude

Kremlin

Russia

Ukraine

Ukraine-Russia War

Self-described antifascist anarchists advertised their plans to protest at the <a href="https://yaf.org/events/nashville/">Nashville Freedom Conference</a> later this week, which will feature Daily Wire hosts Michael Knowles, Reagan Conrad, and Cabot Phillips, along with Daily Wire White House Correspondent Mary Margaret Olohan.
A leftist Nashville group, which goes by the name 615 Antifascist, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/antifascist_615/">posted</a> a flyer on social media calling for people to &#8220;rally against transphobia&#8221; at the Nashville Freedom Conference on Saturday, February 7. The Freedom Conference, hosted by the Young America&#8217;s Foundation, is a two-day event that begins Friday and is expected to draw hundreds of young conservatives from across the country.
The anarchist group specifically called out Knowles, whom they accused of making &#8220;inflammatory&#8221; comments, &#8220;especially around transgender people.&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;ve been informed that Antifa intends to protest my speech on Friday. The last time they sent a goon to one of my speaking events, he ended up in federal prison,&#8221; Knowles said on Monday. &#8220;Looking forward to another opportunity to help correct America&#8217;s under-incarceration problem!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I&#8217;ve been informed that Antifa intends to protest my speech on Friday. The last time they sent a goon to one of my speaking events, he ended up in federal prison.
Looking forward to another opportunity to help correct America&#8217;s under-incarceration problem! <a href="https://t.co/nllaYT0aLX">pic.twitter.com/nllaYT0aLX</a>
— Michael Knowles (@michaeljknowles) <a href="https://twitter.com/michaeljknowles/status/2018402892525207641?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
It&#8217;s unclear if the group has any plans to also protest on Friday, when Knowles is scheduled to take the stage.
Knowles commented further on the leftist group&#8217;s protest plans during his show on Tuesday.
&#8220;There&#8217;s a Nashville antifa — even in Nashville. Nowhere is sacred, I guess. This is the &#8216;rally against transphobia.&#8217; They&#8217;re still on this; they&#8217;re still on the trans thing,&#8221; Knowles said. &#8220;They never give it up because it&#8217;s the apotheosis of liberalism, because the transgender ideology is the culmination of centuries of the liberal impulse for radical liberation from everything, including morality, social order, religion, God, and even the self.&#8221;
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Zohran Mamdani Freezes 16 New Yorkers To DEATH" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Utd803pNIpY?start=167&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Knowles is used to leftists and anarchists showing up to make a scene when he speaks, and in one instance, three years ago, a protest became violent.
In 2023, a leftist protester attempted to disrupt an event featuring Knowles at the University of Pittsburgh by setting off homemade smoke bombs and shooting a firework into a crowd of protesters and police officers, injuring one person. The protester, 37-year-old Brian DiPippa, was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/protester-who-shot-firework-explosive-at-police-during-michael-knowles-event-sentenced">sentenced</a> to five years in prison.
Knowles has enraged radical leftists for years over his strong stance against gender procedures. During a 2023 speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference, Knowles <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/knowles-at-cpac-there-is-no-meeting-halfway-between-truth-and-falsehood">argued</a> that &#8220;transgenderism must be eradicated from public life entirely — the whole preposterous ideology, at every level.&#8221;
The comment sparked a firestorm from leftists who falsely claimed that Knowles was arguing for the eradication of trans-identifying people.
The Nashville antifascist group said in its flyer that the Freedom Conference &#8220;will include leadership sessions, and a lineup of right-wing voices from media designed to &#8216;confront the Left&#8217;s narratives&#8217; and mobilize young conservatives across campuses and communities.&#8221; Other featured speakers at the event include CNN conservative contributor Scott Jennings, conservative activist Robby Starbuck, and pro-life activist Abby Johnson.
The anarchists told people to meet at a Lutheran church just a block away from the hotel in downtown Nashville where the conference is being held.
The antifascist group <a href="https://615antifascist.com/">says</a> it&#8217;s &#8220;a collective of anonymous individuals based in Nashville, Tennessee, united in the mission to combat Fascism in all its manifestations.&#8221; The group focuses on protesting the Trump administration&#8217;s policies and &#8220;rejecting oppressive social norms &#8230; such as racism, sexism, xenophobia, capitalism, and transphobia.&#8221;

Michael Knowles/antifascist protest

‘Antifascist’ Anarchists Plan To Protest Nashville Freedom Conference Headlined By Daily Wire

Leftism

Michael Knowles

Nashville

Reagan Conrad

The Daily Wire

Young America's Foundation

Former Secretary of State and first lady Hillary Clinton on Thursday requested that her and former President Bill Clinton&#8217;s Jeffrey Epstein-related testimonies be public and on camera.
Clinton, who, along with her husband, finally agreed to appear for depositions before the House Oversight Committee later this month, accused House Republicans of playing &#8220;games&#8221; when they issued subpoenas for the Clintons to testify on their relationship with the late convicted sex offender. The House Oversight Committee is investigating the crimes committed by Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell as the Justice Department continues to release millions of documents from the case.
&#8220;For six months, we engaged Republicans on the Oversight Committee in good faith. We told them what we know, under oath,&#8221; Clinton <a href="https://x.com/HillaryClinton/status/2019394857312399796">said</a>. &#8220;They ignored all of it. They moved the goalposts and turned accountability into an exercise in distraction.&#8221;
&#8220;So let’s stop the games,&#8221; she added. &#8220;If you want this fight, [Rep. James Comer (R-KY)], let’s have it—in public. You love to talk about transparency. There’s nothing more transparent than a public hearing, cameras on. We will be there.&#8221;
Comer <a href="https://x.com/bennyjohnson/status/2019449373860544596">responded</a> to Clinton&#8217;s request and told conservative podcaster Benny Johnson that the testimonies &#8220;will be public&#8221; since the committee will release the transcripts, as well as audio and video. The depositions are scheduled to be recorded, with the recordings and transcripts released later, but Comer suggested that the committee is considering live-streaming the hearings.
&#8220;We hadn&#8217;t planned on it being live, but we&#8217;re seeing the legality of that, and it&#8217;s never been done before,&#8221; Comer said.
Earlier this week, the Clintons agreed to appear for depositions as the House was preparing to vote to hold the Democrats in contempt of Congress. The Clintons did not appear for their scheduled depositions last month, sparking outrage from Republican lawmakers who quickly began contempt proceedings.
Last week, nine Democrats joined with all Republicans on the House Oversight Committee to hold former President Bill Clinton in contempt, and three Democrats voted with Republicans to hold Hillary Clinton in contempt. The full House vote on holding the Democratic couple in contempt was expected to take place on Wednesday, but on Monday, the Clintons changed course and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/clintons-cave-agree-to-testify-in-house-epstein-investigation">agreed</a> to appear for their depositions.
Hillary Clinton is scheduled to appear before the Oversight Committee on February 26, while Bill Clinton is set to testify on February 27. Oversight Committee Chairman Comer <a href="https://oversight.house.gov/release/chairman-comer-announces-the-clintons-caved-will-appear-for-depositions/">said</a> the Clintons &#8220;completely caved&#8221; after &#8220;it became clear that the House of Representatives would hold them in contempt.&#8221;
&#8220;We look forward to questioning the Clintons as part of our investigation into the horrific crimes of Epstein and Maxwell, to deliver transparency and accountability for the American people and for survivors,&#8221; Comer added.
The Clintons have not been accused of any wrongdoing related to Epstein&#8217;s sex crimes. Bill Clinton was a friend of Epstein&#8217;s in the early 2000s, traveling with the financier numerous times on Epstein&#8217;s plane, which was used for sex trafficking. The former president was also seen in a picture getting a back massage from Chauntae Davies, one of Epstein&#8217;s accusers. None of Epstein&#8217;s victims has accused Bill Clinton of any wrongdoing.
The Clintons have argued that they &#8220;already provided the limited information they possess about Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell&#8221; in sworn statements they sent to the Oversight Committee. Comer, however, said that the Clintons need to answer questions under oath.

Hillary Clinton/James Comer

Hillary Clinton Challenges House Oversight Chair To Hold Her Epstein Deposition ‘In Public’

Bill Clinton

Ghislaine Maxwell

Hillary Clinton

House Oversight Committee

James Comer

Jeffrey Epstein

President Donald Trump announced at the 74th annual National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday morning that the United States would be &#8220;rededicated as one nation under God&#8221; as he touted his administration&#8217;s defense of religious values.
Trump discussed religious freedom and Christianity and announced that Americans are invited to &#8220;come together on our National Mall to pray, to give thanks,&#8221; on May 17.
&#8220;We are going to do something that everyone said, &#8216;That&#8217;s tough.&#8217; We&#8217;re going to rededicate America as one nation under God,&#8221; Trump said, adding, &#8220;I&#8217;ve always said, you just can&#8217;t have a great country if you don&#8217;t have religion. You have to believe in something. You have to believe that what we&#8217;re doing, there&#8217;s a reason for it.&#8221;
Throughout his speech, the president also sprinkled in criticism of his political opponents, specifically calling former President Joe Biden &#8220;the worst president we&#8217;ve ever had&#8221; and former President Barack Obama &#8220;a terrible divider of our country.&#8221;
&#8220;He was a divider, and believe it or not, we&#8217;re bringing the country together. You know what&#8217;s bringing it together, tremendous success. We&#8217;re having tremendous success,&#8221; Trump said.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t know how a person of faith can vote for a Democrat,&#8221; he added. &#8220;I really don&#8217;t, and I know we have some here today, and I don&#8217;t know why they&#8217;re here. They certainly don&#8217;t give us their vote.&#8221;
As he often does, Trump drifted from his prepared remarks for most of the speech and even commented on how he had been ignoring the teleprompter.
&#8220;At some point, I&#8217;m going to get right back onto the teleprompter and you&#8217;re going to say that was a wonderful speech,&#8221; he said before looking back into his prepared remarks.
&#8220;On that momentous day in 1776, history changed forever when our founders proclaimed the immortal truths that echoed around the world and down all the way through time. They declared that all of us are made free and equal by the hand of our creator. A lot of presidents refuse to say that,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;Some major politicians refuse to say the word &#8216;God.&#8217; They don&#8217;t want to say it. I say it.&#8221;
&#8220;We are endowed with our sacred rights to life and liberty, not by government but by God Almighty himself,&#8221; he added.
Throughout his second term, Trump has focused on addressing &#8220;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/eradicating-anti-christian-bias/">anti-Christian bias</a>&#8221; in the United States as well as the persecution of Christians in Africa and the Middle East. Last February, Trump established a task force to look into attacks on Christians, condemning the Biden administration for &#8220;targeting peaceful Christians, while ignoring violent, anti-Christian offenses.&#8221;
&#8220;My Administration will not tolerate anti-Christian weaponization of government or unlawful conduct targeting Christians,&#8221; Trump stated in his order on February 6, 2025.
In the past year, Trump has also called out attacks on Christians in foreign countries, such as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trumps-next-peace-push-focuses-on-nigeria-and-sudan-where-christians-are-killed-by-the-thousands?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump%E2%80%99s+Next+Peace+Push+Focuses+On+Nigeria+And+Sudan%2C+Where+Christians+Are+Killed+By+The+Thousands">Nigeria</a>. The president designated Nigeria as a &#8220;Country of Particular Concern&#8221; in October, saying that “Christianity is facing an existential threat.”
During his speech on Thursday, the president spent a considerable amount of time talking about how he targeted ISIS terrorists in the Middle East during his first term and then slammed the Biden administration&#8217;s failure to keep the region stable after he left office.
&#8220;The election was rigged and I wasn&#8217;t there, and for four years, ISIS rebuilt, rebuilt, rebuilt, and they have a little bit of ISIS now again,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And we knocked the hell out of them the other day in Nigeria because they were killing Christians. I said, &#8216;You can&#8217;t do that.'&#8221;

Donald Trump

Trump Vows To Rededicate America As One Nation Under God

Christianity

Christians

Executive

Freedom of Religion

Politics

Prayer

Religion

The Trump administration asked a federal court on Wednesday to compel Nike to produce information on its diversity, equity, and inclusion goals as the athletic footwear and apparel giant faces allegations that it discriminated against white employees.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said in a court filing that it is investigating allegations that Nike discriminated against white workers and job applicants to carry out its DEI objectives. The federal government said that Nike also faces accusations of &#8220;disparate treatment against white employees&#8221; in layoff decisions.
Nike refused to comply with a subpoena asking for the information, according to the commission, which has now filed an enforcement action in a federal court. The commission is asking the court to force Nike to hand over information going back to 2018, and especially wants to look into the criteria Nike has used to select people for layoffs.
“When there are compelling indications, including corporate admissions in extensive public materials, that an employer’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion-related programs may violate federal prohibitions against race discrimination or other forms of unlawful discrimination, the EEOC will take all necessary steps—including subpoena enforcement actions—to ensure the opportunity to fully and comprehensively investigate,” <a href="https://www.eeoc.gov/newsroom/eeoc-files-subpoena-enforcement-action-against-nike">said</a> Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Chair Andrea Lucas.
A Nike spokesman told The Daily Wire that the federal government&#8217;s action on Wednesday &#8220;feels like a surprising and unusual escalation.&#8221;
&#8220;We have had extensive, good-faith participation in an EEOC inquiry into our personnel practices, programs, and decisions and have had ongoing efforts to provide information and engage constructively with the agency,&#8221; the spokesman added. &#8220;We have shared thousands of pages of information and detailed written responses to the EEOC’s inquiry and are in the process of providing additional information.&#8221;
Conservative law firm America First Legal filed a civil rights <a href="https://aflegal.org/press-release/america-first-legal-slams-nike-files-federal-civil-rights-complaint-for-alleged-racial-and-sex-discrimination-against-white-males/">complaint</a> with the commission in January 2024, highlighting how the company has pushed race- and gender-based hiring practices. In 2025, Nike aimed to have half of its global corporate workforce made up of women, and 35% of its U.S. corporate workforce made up of racial minorities.
Nike has also stated that its &#8220;Employee Networks&#8221; support racial minorities, women, and LGBT people, but noticeably missing from the company&#8217;s web page on fostering an &#8220;inclusive community&#8221; was any mention of straight white men.
The Nike spokesman told The Daily Wire that it remains &#8220;committed to fair and lawful employment practices and follow all applicable laws, including those that prohibit discrimination.&#8221;
&#8220;We believe our programs and practices are consistent with those obligations and take these matters seriously,&#8221; the company added. &#8220;We will continue our attempt to cooperate with the EEOC and will respond to the petition.&#8221;
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said its investigation into Nike is part of a &#8220;renewed &#8230; focus on evenhanded enforcement of Title VII,&#8221; which prohibits employers from discriminating based on race, religion, or sex.
“Title VII’s prohibition of race-based employment discrimination is colorblind and requires the EEOC to protect employees of all races from unlawful employment practices,&#8221; the commission added.
In recent years, multiple companies and organizations have faced scrutiny over allegations that they have discriminated against white people, especially white men. In 2023, NASCAR <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nascar-takes-down-blatantly-illegal-racial-requirement-for-internship-after-daily-wire-report">removed</a> a racial requirement that discriminated against white applicants in an intern program following a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/blatantly-illegal-nascar-bans-white-applicants-from-diversity-internship">Daily Wire report</a>.
The Supreme Court <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/supreme-court-unanimously-rules-in-favor-of-straight-woman-in-reverse-discrimination-lawsuit?author=Spencer+Lindquist&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Supreme+Court+Unanimously+Rules+In+Favor+Of+Straight+Woman+In+%E2%80%98Reverse+Discrimination%E2%80%99+Lawsuit">ruled</a> last summer in favor of a white woman who sued after alleging that she was denied a promotion and demoted for being straight, while both the person who received the promotion and took her old job identified as LGBT. The ruling ensured that white and straight people could sue for discrimination without being forced to meet a higher burden of proof.

Nike

Feds Investigate Nike Over Claims Of Discrimination Against White Employees

Feds Investigate Nike For Alleged Discrimination Against White Employees

anti-white

Discrimination

Trump Administration

Vice President JD Vance said on Wednesday that the Trump administration is working to form a trading bloc with allies and partners throughout the world to stabilize critical mineral markets and counter China&#8217;s dominance.
Vance stressed the importance of forming the critical minerals trading alliance with global partners to diversify supply, &#8220;while strengthening the partner countries who help all of us in this shared effort.&#8221;
Most of the world relies heavily on China for critical minerals that are used for everyday tech items like smartphones and computers, and also for vital military equipment. China controls around 70% of rare earth mining and 90% of rare earth processing.
&#8220;This morning, the Trump administration is proposing a concrete mechanism to return the global critical minerals market to a healthier, more competitive state, a preferential trade zone for critical minerals protected from external disruptions through enforceable price floors,&#8221; Vance said.
Vance made the remarks to representatives from over 50 countries at the inaugural <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5g4eeZ4ctK4">Critical Minerals Ministerial</a>, which was hosted by the U.S. Department of State. The event was held just two days after President Donald Trump announced a new initiative called &#8220;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/videos/introducing-project-vault-a-critical-mineral-stockpile-for-american-businesses-%F0%9F%92%8E%F0%9F%87%BA%F0%9F%87%B8/">Project Vault</a>,&#8221; which aims to create a stockpile of critical minerals to protect American companies and consumers from shortages and changes in the critical mineral supply chain.
The vice president said it&#8217;s a priority for the Trump administration to stop foreign companies and governments from flooding the market with &#8220;cheap critical minerals to undercut our domestic manufacturers.&#8221; The &#8220;preferential trade zone&#8221; would set up reliable production centers and supply chains that could not be affected by outside actors, such as China, according to Vance.
Following Vance&#8217;s remarks, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told those attending the event that he hopes the gathering &#8220;will lead to not just more gatherings, but action.&#8221; Rubio added that the United States &#8220;outsourced manufacturing&#8221; to such a degree that it &#8220;outsourced our economic security and our very future.&#8221;
&#8220;We were at the mercy of whoever controlled supply chains for these minerals,&#8221; Rubio added. &#8220;So, my hope is that we are gathered here today as the first but important step to rectifying this mistake — to bring together our collective talent for innovation.&#8221;
The Trump administration has already announced <a href="https://ustr.gov/about/policy-offices/press-office/press-releases/2026/february/ambassador-jamieson-greer-announces-critical-minerals-cooperation-european-union-and-japan">agreements</a> with Japan, Mexico, and the European Union to develop a critical mineral supply chain.
“Today’s announcement is an important signal that the world’s largest market-oriented economies are committed to developing a new paradigm for preferential trade in critical minerals,” said U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. “Through the development of these Action Plans, we will lay the groundwork for a binding plurilateral agreement on trade in critical minerals with like-minded partners.&#8221;
As U.S. leaders gathered with representatives from dozens of countries to discuss critical minerals, President Trump said he had an &#8220;excellent telephone conversation&#8221; with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Trump said he and Xi discussed numerous issues, including trade, Taiwan, the Ukraine-Russia war, and China&#8217;s potential purchase of American oil and gas.
&#8220;The relationship with China, and my personal relationship with President Xi, is an extremely good one, and we both realize how important it is to keep it that way,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116013105630663812">wrote</a>. &#8220;I believe that there will be many positive results achieved over the next three years of my Presidency having to do with President Xi, and the People’s Republic of China!&#8221;
Trump&#8217;s &#8220;Project Vault&#8221; plan will be funded with a <a href="https://www.exim.gov/news/project-vault">$10 billion</a> loan from the U.S. Export-Import Bank, along with another $1.67 billion in private capital.

JD Vance

White House Aims To Counter China With Critical Minerals Alliance Of Over 50 Countries

Marco Rubio

Ryan Routh, the 59-year-old man who attempted to assassinate President Donald Trump at his Florida golf course in 2024, was sentenced on Wednesday to life in prison.
U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, handed down the sentence in a Florida courtroom. It marks a win for the Justice Department, which had argued for Routh to spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Routh was convicted last year of the attempted assassination after he hid out in the bushes with a rifle near Trump&#8217;s West Palm Beach golf course as the then-presidential candidate was golfing on September 15, 2024. Routh&#8217;s assassination attempt was thwarted by Secret Service Special Agent Robert Fercano, who spotted Routh near the sixth hole and fired at him. Routh fled the scene in a vehicle he had parked nearby, but he was eventually caught by officers with the Martin County Sheriff’s Office as he was driving north on Interstate 95.
Routh represented himself during the trial after firing his lawyers and argued that &#8220;merely&#8221; having a weapon &#8220;in the presence of another is not intent.&#8221;
A jury deliberated for two hours following a two-week trial before it found Routh guilty on all five counts, including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate and assault of a federal officer. After the verdict was handed down, Routh grabbed a pen in the courtroom and tried to stab himself in the neck, and law enforcement officers quickly restrained and shackled him.
Evidence used by prosecutors during the trial included some of Routh&#8217;s writings, where he discussed his displeasure with Trump and wrote that Iran is &#8220;free to assassinate Trump as well as me.&#8221;
The FBI also obtained a letter from Routh that was delivered to a civilian witness.
“This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I failed you,” Routh wrote in the letter. “I tried my best and gave it all the gumption I could muster. It is up to you now to finish the job; and I will offer $150,000 to whomever can complete the job.”
The letter also mentioned Iran and criticized Trump for ending &#8220;relations with Iran like a child and now the Middle East has unraveled.&#8221;
Officers who arrested Routh on the day of the attempted assassination also found cellphones and a list of flights out of the country when they searched his vehicle. The cell phone records showed that the phones had pinged near Trump&#8217;s golf course and Mar-a-Lago home multiple times between August 18 and September 15, 2024.
Routh had a fascination with Ukraine and was once <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/25/world/europe/volunteers-us-ukraine-lies.html">quoted</a> in The New York Times about his efforts to recruit fighters for the country. The Times reported that Routh had traveled to Ukraine for several months in 2022.
According to a Justice Department filing, Routh <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-would-be-assassin-tried-to-buy-a-rocket-propelled-grenade-from-ukraine-doj-filing?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Would-Be+Assassin+Tried+To+Buy+A+Rocket-Propelled+Grenade+From+Ukraine%3A+DOJ+Filing">communicated</a> with a person he believed to be a Ukrainian and requested a rocket-propelled grenade while lamenting that Trump “is not good for Ukraine.”
In a message to his contact, Routh wrote, &#8220;I need equipment so that Trump cannot get elected,&#8221; according to the DOJ filing.
Routh&#8217;s attempt to kill Trump came just two months after Thomas Crooks fired eight shots at Trump and struck him in the ear during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024. Two months after Routh tried to assassinate Trump, the Republican nominee won the 2024 presidential election.
Leif Le Mahieu contributed to this report.

Police shares footage of suspect in apparent assassination attempt on Trump caught in Florida

Man Who Attempted To Assassinate Trump At Golf Course Sentenced To Life In Prison

assassination attempt

Courts

Department of Justice

Florida

The man accused of shooting two National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., in November, killing one and seriously wounding the other victim, made his first court appearance on Wednesday morning.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who was in the United States as a refugee, pleaded not guilty to nine charges, which include a first-degree murder charge and multiple assault and weapons counts. Lakanwal allegedly drove to the capital from Bellingham, Washington, and opened fire on National Guard troops the day before Thanksgiving, killing Sarah Beckstrom and wounding Andrew Wolfe.
Lakanwal, who was shot by return fire, is being held without bond as his trial plays out. His next court date is scheduled for May 6.
Lakanwal&#8217;s first court appearance was originally scheduled for mid-January but was moved back to Wednesday to give his defense team more time to prepare after two additional counts of assault were added onto the charges. The federal murder charge against Lakanwal makes him eligible for the death penalty if he&#8217;s convicted, and shortly after the shooting, Attorney General Pam Bondi said that the federal government would seek it. Prosecutors said again on Wednesday that they could pursue the death penalty.
<h3>What we know about the shooting:</h3>
The National Guard troops from West Virginia were shot in what authorities have described as an ambush-style attack. Beckstrom and Wolfe, who were both patrolling the streets of D.C. as part of President Donald Trump&#8217;s crime crackdown in the nation&#8217;s capital, were shot in the back of the head with a .357 Smith &amp; Wesson revolver, according to court documents. Two National Guard majors who were nearby returned fire and struck the alleged shooter, who was subdued until law enforcement and first responders arrived on the scene.
D.C. Superior Court Judge Renee Raymond, who ordered Lakanwal to remain detained without bond, said that it appeared the suspect drove across the country &#8220;with a specific purpose in mind.&#8221;
<h3>What we know about the suspect:</h3>
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/suspected-national-guard-shooter-was-radicalized-through-connections-in-afghanistan-noem-says">Lakanwal</a> was allowed to enter the United States under former President Joe Biden after he served alongside U.S. troops in Afghanistan as part of a unit that was backed by the CIA. The Afghan national settled in Bellingham, Washington, with his wife and children, but the Associated Press reported that he struggled to find a job and assimilate into American culture.
A community advocate who worked to help refugees wrote an email to the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants in January 2024 stating that Lakanwal “has not been functional as a person, father and provider since March of last year, 03/2023. He quit his job that month, and his behavior has changed greatly.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in late November that Lakanwal was &#8220;radicalized&#8221; through &#8220;connections&#8221; he had in Afghanistan after being granted asylum in the United States. President Trump called the shooting a “terrorist attack” and said that the suspect “went nuts.”
“It happens too often with these people,” he added.
Noem also accused the Biden administration of failing to properly vet refugees following the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan. Lakanwal’s asylum claim was approved in April under the Trump administration, but Noem claimed that &#8220;the vetting process all happened under Joe Biden’s administration.&#8221;
Lakanwal lived at an apartment unit owned by the Bellingham Housing Authority, a local government agency that provides housing for low-income people, according to a police report obtained by The Daily Wire. Body cam footage and police communications reviewed by The Daily Wire from the night the suspect&#8217;s home was raided revealed that three people — two males and one female — were inside the apartment at the time of the raid.
<h3>What we know about the victims:</h3>
Beckstrom, who was pronounced dead at a hospital on November 27, was a 20-year-old military police officer with the 863rd Military Police Company of the West Virginia Army National Guard. After graduating from Webster County High School with honors, Beckstrom enlisted in the West Virginia Army National Guard in 2023. While serving in the National Guard, Beckstrom was also enrolled at Glenville State University, where she pursued mental health studies. She was awarded the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, West Virginia Legion of Merit, the D.C. Distinguished Service Medal, and the D.C. Humanitarian Service Medal.
&#8220;Unit members described her as a quiet professional who exemplified dedication and always put others above herself,&#8221; the National Guard <a href="https://www.nationalguard.mil/News/Article-View/Article/4357078/spc-sarah-beckstrom-laid-to-rest-at-west-virginia-national-cemetery/">said</a>. &#8220;Many recalled her quick smile, infectious laughter and her ability to inspire others. She was an observant people-watcher who loved exploring and spent her off-duty hours in the District taking in museums and overall city life, her family members said.&#8221;
Wolfe posted a message on social media on Tuesday, saying that he is &#8220;grateful to be alive&#8221; and thanking people for their &#8220;prayers and support.&#8221;
&#8220;It&#8217;s been hard to go through something like this. Thank you for everything,&#8221; he added.
Earlier this week, Wolfe&#8217;s mother <a href="https://www.facebook.com/melody.wolfe.739/posts/pfbid0QDQ14Vmhnj9rkF4qwPDBErZuvLvQyjKYZxBg8dhj2uxrdGniUV8w7C6LTptKt9MJl?rdid=kZaw5eJrBRfHVNoX#">wrote</a> that the National Guardsman would have skull reconstruction surgery in March.
&#8220;Mentally, he is dealing with a language disorder called aphasia,&#8221; Melody Wolfe said. &#8220;There are different levels and he is currently in a middle stage. He can most often understand what we are saying, but has difficulty saying the words he wants to say. Over the past 6 weeks though, he’s made great strides and started out almost non verbal. So, in just a little over two months since the attack, he’s already working beyond the expectations that were anticipated.&#8221;

Rahmanullah Lakanwal

Afghan Refugee Charged In National Guard Shooting Appears In Court As Death Penalty Looms

Afghanistan

National Guard

Shooting

Washington D.C.

Police raided the Paris offices of Elon Musk&#8217;s social media company X on Tuesday amid a wide-ranging probe into allegations that X has allowed sexually explicit deepfakes on its platform and has abused its algorithms.
The Paris prosecutor&#8217;s office sent a cybercrime unit to X&#8217;s offices and summoned Musk and former X CEO Linda Yaccarino to appear for a hearing in Paris on April 20, Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/paris-prosecutors-cybercrime-unit-searches-french-office-musks-x-2026-02-03/">reported</a>. France&#8217;s investigation into X began last year with the European country looking into alleged bias in the social media platform&#8217;s algorithms. That investigation has now expanded as prosecutors in Paris are investigating allegations that pornographic deepfakes, including child pornography, and Holocaust denialism have been allowed to spread on X.
Prosecutors are also seeking to interview X managers to gain more information into the platform&#8217;s operations, NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/world/europe/france-paris-prosecutors-x-office-elon-musk-sexual-deepfakes-holocaust-rcna257202">reported</a>. The European Union&#8217;s law enforcement agency Europol also commented on the raid, saying it involved &#8220;a range of suspected criminal offenses linked to the functioning and use of the platform, including the dissemination of illegal content and other forms of online criminal activity.&#8221;
X&#8217;s artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, has been criticized for allowing users to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-chatbot-diaries-how-ai-sex-is-getting-mainstreamed">generate</a> sexually explicit images and videos. The chatbot also allows users to upload images to alter or to make into videos. Musk&#8217;s platform warns users against &#8220;depicting likenesses of persons in a pornographic manner.&#8221;
Musk has not commented on the Paris raid directly, but the X owner shared multiple posts from other X users who slammed France over the raid. Musk also shared a House Judiciary GOP <a href="https://x.com/JudiciaryGOP/status/2018683758006665352">report</a> on Tuesday, which found that the European Union began pressuring American social media companies to censor political posts that it opposed as early as 2015. House Judiciary GOP <a href="https://x.com/JudiciaryGOP/status/2018683797630276083">said</a> that in the past ten years, the European Union &#8220;successfully pressured social media platforms to censor true information in the United States; Targeted U.S. political content for censorship; and Interfered in elections across Europe.&#8221;
The raid on X&#8217;s offices in Paris comes as European countries continue to pressure American social media companies to crack down on certain posts. In December, the European Union <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/engaging-in-censorship-european-union-hits-elon-musks-x-with-massive-fine-draws-white-house-ire">fined</a> X $140 million under its expansive internet accountability regulations. The European Union accused X of failing to meet advertising transparency requirements in violation of the Digital Services Act, which was put into place to clamp down on what the bloc views as illegal content and misinformation on social media.
Europe&#8217;s actions have also drawn criticism from President Trump and his administration. After the European Union fined X, Trump told reporters that &#8220;Europe has to be very careful.&#8221;
&#8220;They’re doing a lot of things. … Europe is going in some bad directions. It’s very bad for the people,&#8221; he added.
In December, the State Department announced that it would bar some of the people involved in Europe&#8217;s tech censorship effort from entering the United States.
&#8220;For far too long, ideologues in Europe have led organized efforts to coerce American platforms to punish American viewpoints they oppose. The Trump Administration will no longer tolerate these egregious acts of extraterritorial censorship,&#8221; Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.

Elon Musk, X

French Police Raid X’s Paris Offices As Part Of Investigation Into Elon Musk’s Social Media Company

Big Tech

Elon Musk

Europe

France

Social Media

World

President Donald Trump suggested that Republicans may have to &#8220;nationalize the voting&#8221; in a Monday interview, predicting that &#8220;interesting&#8221; details would come out of the FBI&#8217;s probe of a Fulton County, Georgia, election office last week.
Trump <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/2018378177387577835">told</a> conservative podcaster and former FBI deputy director Dan Bongino that Republicans &#8220;should take over the voting in at least 15 places,&#8221; citing his belief that it&#8217;s the only way to secure elections.
“The Republicans should say, we want to take over, we should take over the voting, the voting in at least many, 15 places. The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting,” Trump told Bongino.
&#8220;We have states that are so crooked and they&#8217;re counting votes. We have states that I won that show I didn&#8217;t win,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Now, you&#8217;re going to see something in Georgia where they were able to get the ballots with the court order. You will see some interesting things come out. But like the 2020 election. I won that election by so much. Everybody knows it.&#8221;
Last Wednesday, the FBI raided a Georgia election office and took 700 boxes of election materials. The raid was reportedly related to a federal probe into allegations of interference in the 2020 election, which Trump lost to former President Joe Biden. Trump has argued that the 2020 election results from Georgia were rigged against him. Trump lost to Biden by fewer than 12,000 votes in Georgia in 2020.
Fulton County officials are questioning the legality of the FBI&#8217;s search and said the county would sue and attempt to &#8220;force the government to return the ballots taken.&#8221;
When asked about Trump&#8217;s comments to Bongino, a White House official told The Daily Wire on Tuesday morning that Trump doesn&#8217;t believe states taking election security seriously. The official <a href="https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/voter-id">highlighted</a> more than a dozen states, including California, New York, and Illinois, that do not require photo ID to vote, and accused many states of refusing to comply with federal law on sharing voter-roll information.
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told The Daily Wire: &#8220;President Trump cares deeply about the safety and security of our elections – that’s why he’s urged Congress to pass the SAVE Act and other legislative proposals that would establish a uniform standard of photo ID for voting, prohibit no-excuse mail-in voting, and end the practice of ballot harvesting.&#8221;
The SAVE Act, which passed the House last year, would require voters to provide ID and proof of citizenship before casting their ballots in an attempt to prevent illegal immigrants and noncitizens from voting. It has stalled in the Republican-controlled Senate.
Trump also told Bongino that Republicans must deport the millions of illegal immigrants who were allowed to flood the country under Biden, or the party &#8220;will never win another election.&#8221;
&#8220;It&#8217;s crazy how you can get these [illegal immigrants] to vote,&#8221; he added. &#8220;And if we don&#8217;t get them out, Republicans will never win another election. Think of it, I won in a landslide. I won every swing state. I won the popular vote by millions. I won everything.&#8221;
&#8220;But you&#8217;re never going to have that again if you don&#8217;t get these people out. These people were brought to our country to vote, and they vote illegally,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;And it&#8217;s amazing that the Republicans aren&#8217;t tougher on it.&#8221;
Trump has also recently claimed that he won Minnesota in each of the past three elections as his administration focuses on the state&#8217;s fraud and immigration issues. Trump&#8217;s Democratic opponent carried the state in the past three presidential races.
“They’re crooked officials,” he said of Minnesota leaders. “I feel that I won Minnesota. I think I won it all three times &#8230; and I didn’t get credit for it.&#8221;

Trump Predicts FBI Georgia Raid Will Expose ‘Interesting Things,’ Calls To ‘Nationalize The Voting’

Trump Demands 'Nationalize The Vote,' Says FBI Georgia Raid Will Expose ‘Interesting Things’

Elections

Georgia

Republicans

Menu

Zach Jewell