Tuesday&#8217;s special election in Tennessee&#8217;s deep red 7th district should cause the Republican Party to &#8220;wake up&#8221; and &#8220;start paying attention to [its] base,&#8221; according to Republican Rep. Tim Burchett.
Burchett <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/video/6385857265112">told</a> Fox News on Tuesday morning that he&#8217;s concerned about &#8220;homegrown Marxists,&#8221; including Democratic candidate Aftyn Behn, becoming competitive against Republicans in conservative districts. Burchett pointed out that Behn was &#8220;educated in Knoxville, Tennessee.&#8221;
&#8220;It&#8217;s not these people moving in from New York, California, or Chicago, even. It&#8217;s our own homegrown Marxists that we&#8217;re bringing up,&#8221; said Burchett, pushing back on a common complaint from Tennessee Republicans, who argue that people who move from blue states are making Tennessee more liberal. &#8220;We&#8217;ve got to start paying attention to our base and what the heck is going on.&#8221;
Burchett argued that Republican Matt Van Epps is &#8220;one of the best candidates I&#8217;ve ever seen.&#8221;
&#8220;This is the proverbial canary in the cave,&#8221; the congressman added. &#8220;If Matt Van Epps, a qualified candidate in a district that Trump won by over 15 points, can&#8217;t carry this thing, we&#8217;re in trouble. Republicans are asleep at the switch. We pay attention to presidents, because President Trump is a great president. We should be paying attention to him, but when it gets down to the other races, we forget about it.&#8221;
Democrats and Republicans have poured millions of dollars into the special election, as polls showed that Behn has a chance to keep the race close. Burchett said Tennessee&#8217;s 7th district shouldn&#8217;t even be considered a possibility for Democrats to flip. Burchett blamed low turnout from Evangelical Christians and gun owners as the main reason that Republicans often struggle in special elections and off-year elections.
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&#8220;It should not even be a race,&#8221; he said. &#8220;[Behn] is a Marxist, and she&#8217;s not even a friendly Marxist like AOC.&#8221;
Democrats believe that Behn, who has advocated for abolishing police departments and supports gender procedures on children, has a chance to pull off a remarkable upset and flip the Tennessee district to the Democratic Party. The 7th district seat went up for grabs after Republican Rep. Mark Green retired earlier this year. Polling results, released by Emerson College and The Hill on Monday, showed Behn trailing Van Epps by just two points.
Along with pushing leftist policies, Behn has also been criticized for saying that she hates Nashville, parts of which she is running to represent.
“I hate the city, I hate the bachelorettes, I hate the pedal taverns, I hate country music, I hate all of the things that make Nashville apparently an ‘it’ city to the rest of the country,&#8221; Behn <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/music-city-fumble-dem-candidate-said-she-hates-city-she-wants-to-represent-in-congress">said</a> during a 2020 podcast appearance.
President Donald Trump and Republican leaders have emphasized the importance of the special election for the GOP heading into the 2026 midterm elections. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-reputation-of-our-state-is-on-the-line-gop-begins-final-push-before-critical-house-election?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=%E2%80%98The+Reputation+Of+Our+State+Is+On+The+Line%E2%80%99%3A+GOP+Begins+Final+Push+Before+Critical+House+Election">campaigned</a> with Van Epps in Franklin, Tennessee, on Monday alongside Tennessee Senators Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty. Trump also called into Monday&#8217;s rally and addressed the crowd over speaker phone, The Daily Wire previously reported.
Prominent Democrats have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/big-name-dems-make-final-pitch-for-aftyn-behn-hope-for-tuesday-miracle-in-tennessee?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Big-Name+Dems+Make+Final+Pitch+For+Aftyn+Behn%2C+Hope+For+Tuesday+%E2%80%98Miracle%E2%80%99+In+Tennessee">rallied</a> around Behn, with former Vice President Al Gore, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), and Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) joining a virtual rally with Behn on Monday night.

Tim Burchett

‘We Need To Wake Up’: Tennessee Congressman Has Stark Warning For GOP Ahead Of Special Election

Aftyn Behn

Election

Matt Van Epps

Tennessee

A former Honduran president who was convicted of helping drug smugglers import 400 tons of cocaine into the United States walked free on Monday after receiving a pardon from President Donald Trump.
Juan Orlando Hernandez, who received a 45-year sentence last year, was released from a federal prison in West Virginia after writing a letter to Trump in late October, arguing that he was the target of a political prosecution and was set up by the Biden administration. Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115629406693931908">announced</a> on Friday that he was planning on granting Hernandez &#8220;a Full and Complete Pardon.&#8221; The president said that &#8220;according to many people that I greatly respect,&#8221; Hernandez was &#8220;treated very harshly and unfairly.&#8221;
Hernandez&#8217;s wife confirmed on Tuesday morning that her husband was a free man.
&#8220;After nearly four years of pain, waiting, and difficult trials, my husband Juan Orlando Hernández RETURNED to being a free man, thanks to the presidential pardon granted by President Donald Trump,&#8221; Ana García de Hernández <a href="https://x.com/anagarciacarias/status/1995796971739656532">said</a>.
Hernandez was convicted in a U.S. court of conspiring to import cocaine into the United States in what prosecutors called a &#8220;corrupt and violent drug-trafficking conspiracy,&#8221; CBS News <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/us-arrests-indicts-former-honduran-president-juan-orlando-hernandez/">reported</a>. Hernandez was also accused of using money he received from drug trafficking &#8220;to enrich himself, finance his political campaigns, and commit voter fraud, including in connection with the 2013 and 2017 Honduran presidential elections.&#8221;
In his <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/12/02/us/politics/hernandez-letter.html">letter</a> to President Trump pleading for mercy, Hernandez argued that his conviction was based on &#8220;uncorroborated statements from drug traffickers, one of whom even recorded a video exposing senior members of the Honduran radical left party, Libre, discussing bribes with traffickers, yet admitted during my rigged trial that they had no evidence to support their accusations against me.&#8221;
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Hernandez&#8217;s letter was given to Trump by the president&#8217;s adviser and longtime ally Roger Stone hours before the president said he was going to pardon the former Honduran president, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/12/02/us/trump-ukraine-putin-news#hernandez-honduras-trump">reported</a>.
Trump&#8217;s decision to free a former Central American president who was convicted of a massive drug trafficking scheme was criticized by some on the Right and the Left, especially since Trump is currently taking out suspected Venezuelan drug runners and pressuring Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to curb drug trafficking into the United States.
&#8220;Why would we pardon this guy and then go after Maduro for running drugs into the United States? Lock up every drug runner! Don’t understand why he is being pardoned,&#8221; Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) <a href="https://x.com/SenBillCassidy/status/1995213682406760812">said</a> last week after Trump announced his plan to pardon Hernandez.
Trump <a href="https://x.com/MarioNawfal/status/1995264956262949278">told</a> reporters on Sunday that &#8220;many of the people of Honduras said that it was a Biden setup.&#8221;
&#8220;I don&#8217;t mean Biden, look, Biden didn&#8217;t know he was alive,&#8221; Trump added. &#8220;But it was the people that surrounded the Resolute Desk, that surrounded Biden when he was there. &#8230; [Hernandez] was the president of the country, and they basically said he was a drug dealer because he was the president of the country, and they said it was a Biden administration setup, and I looked at the facts and I agreed with them.&#8221;
The U.S. investigation into Hernandez <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/31/americas/honduras-juan-orlando-hernandez-dea-intl">began</a> in 2013, and he was <a href="https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/juan-orlando-hern%C3%A1ndez-former-president-honduras-indicted-drug-trafficking">indicted</a> in early 2022. The indictment charges that between 2004 and 2022, Hernandez protected drug runners who trafficked hundreds of thousands of kilograms of cocaine into the United States, and, in return, Hernandez and other Honduran officials received millions of dollars. Drug cartels in Honduras have long worked with cartels in countries such as Venezuela and Colombia to transport drugs into the United States, according to the Justice Department.
Trump&#8217;s pardon of Hernandez comes as Honduras is in the middle of a close presidential election, with results showing a &#8220;<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2dgp8mvmno">technical tie</a>&#8221; between right-wing candidate Nasry Asfura and liberal Salvador Nasralla. Trump endorsed Asfura, saying that the candidate has the &#8220;confidence&#8221; of the United States.
&#8220;If Tito Asfura wins for President of Honduras, because the United States has so much confidence in him, his Policies, and what he will do for the Great People of Honduras, we will be very supportive,&#8221; Trump wrote last week. &#8220;If he doesn’t win, the United States will not be throwing good money after bad, because a wrong Leader can only bring catastrophic results to a country, no matter which country it is.&#8221;

Juan Orlando Hernandez

Trump Frees Former Honduran President Convicted Of Flooding U.S. With Cocaine

Trump Frees Former Honduran President Who Was Convicted Of Flooding U.S. With Cocaine

Donald Trump

drug trafficking

Drugs

Pardon

Around 25 million American children who would be too old to receive $1,000 for President Donald Trump&#8217;s proposed investment accounts could still be gifted up to $250 thanks to a massive donation from the founder of Dell Technologies.
Michael Dell and his wife, Susan, pledged to donate $6.25 billion to fund &#8220;Trump Accounts,&#8221; targeting children ages 10 and under who live in zip codes with a median income of $150,000 or less, CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/12/02/michael-susan-dell-trump-accounts.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The investment accounts funded by the Dells would supplement the Trump administration&#8217;s $1,000 deposit into investment accounts for American babies born between the beginning of 2025 through 2028.
Invest America, the nonprofit organization that partnered with the Dells on the donation, said that it would be the largest donation ever to American children.
“We want to help the children that weren’t part of the government program,” Michael Dell told CNBC.
“It’s designed to help families feel supported from the start and encourage them to keep saving as their children grow,” he added. “We know that when children have accounts like this, they’re much more likely to graduate from high school, from college, buy a home, start a business and less likely to be incarcerated.”
Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115650314096956008">praised</a> the Dells following their pledge, writing, &#8220;TWO GREAT PEOPLE. I LOVE DELL!!!&#8221;
Michael Dell founded his technology company, which was initially called &#8220;PC&#8217;s Unlimited,&#8221; in 1984. Dell computers soon became a household name, and he is now the 10th richest person in the world, with a net worth of around $150 billion, according to <a href="https://www.forbes.com/real-time-billionaires/">Forbes</a>.
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The proposed federal government program to hand out $1,000 to American babies is set to begin next summer. Dell was behind the initial push to fund investment accounts for American children back in 2021 after he was convinced of the idea by venture capitalist and hedge fund manager Brad Gerstner, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/02/business/dell-children-trump-accounts.html">according</a> to The New York Times. Gerstner, founder of the Invest America Charitable Foundation, reportedly discussed the idea with the Biden administration and lawmakers on Capitol Hill, but it did not take off until Dell spoke with President Trump earlier this year.
<div id="attachment_1008355" style="width: 865px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1008355" class="wp-image-1008355 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-2219358326-855x576.jpg" alt="" width="855" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-2219358326-855x576.jpg 855w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-2219358326-300x202.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-2219358326-768x518.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-2219358326.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 855px) 100vw, 855px" />WASHINGTON, DC &#8211; JUNE 09: U.S. President Donald Trump greets Dell Technologies CEO Michael Dell (L) as they arrive for the Invest America Roundtable, where they discussed the Trump Accounts on June 9, 2025. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)</div>
“We’ve always made our focus to getting the support as close to families as possible, and Invest America continues that work,” Susan Dell told the Times. “This is a slightly different way of doing this, but the opportunity now is to do something really major and really touch 25 million children that will really benefit from this in a huge way.”
Legislation introduced by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) last year to create Invest America accounts for children was eventually renamed Trump Accounts and passed under the &#8220;Big, Beautiful Bill.&#8221; The accounts allow parents to invest in low-cost diversified funds so that their children can benefit from the growth of the U.S. stock market and save for major life events, such as starting college.
After an initial $1,000 deposit from the federal government, parents can contribute up to an additional $5,000 per year into Trump Accounts for their children, while employers would also be able to contribute up to $2,500 into the investment accounts without affecting an employee&#8217;s taxable income, according to the <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/research/2025/08/trump-accounts-give-the-next-generation-a-jump-start-on-saving/">White House</a>. Under Trump&#8217;s plan, parents will be able to open and contribute to their children&#8217;s Trump Accounts beginning on July 4, 2026.

Michael Dell

Dell Founder Pledges More Than $6 Billion To Fund ‘Trump Accounts’ For 25 Million Kids

Business

Children

General

schoolchildren

Prominent Democrats from across the country were campaigning for Tennessee Democrat Aftyn Behn on Monday night as the party hopes to pull off a &#8220;miracle&#8221; in Tuesday&#8217;s special election.
Behn, running against Republican Matt Van Epps for Tennessee&#8217;s 7th Congressional district seat, was joined on a Zoom call by some of the Left&#8217;s biggest names, including former vice president Al Gore, and far-left congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Pramila Jayapal. The virtual rally was the final event of Behn&#8217;s special election campaign and was attended by around 1,200 people, many of whom appeared to be hopping on Zoom from out of state based on their comments in the video call&#8217;s chat.
Ocasio-Cortez acknowledged that it would take a &#8220;miracle&#8221; for Democrats to turn the Tennessee district blue, but added that Behn&#8217;s position in the race has shown that &#8220;miracles still happen.&#8221; The democratic socialist from New York urged Democrats in Tennessee to remain hopeful that politicians like Behn can successfully push leftist policies in deep red states as the Democratic Party looks ahead to the pivotal 2026 midterm elections.
Behn is hoping to win the deep red district despite pushing leftist policies in the past, including voicing support for abolishing police departments and saying that she was &#8220;fearful&#8221; for &#8220;trans communities&#8221; after a trans-identifying shooter killed three Christian schoolchildren and three staff members in Nashville.
Behn&#8217;s Republican opponent was rarely mentioned during the rally, as the Democratic speakers focused much of their attention on attacking President Donald Trump and his administration. Democrats are positioning the Tennessee special election as a referendum on Trump&#8217;s agenda, as the party is optimistic that Behn is within striking distance in a district that went for Trump by 22 points in 2024.
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The virtual rally got off to a bumpy start when Gore was introduced by Behn&#8217;s campaign manager, with the former vice president nowhere to be seen. After a few quiet and awkward moments, Gore&#8217;s face appeared on screen and he was introduced for a second time. Gore kicked off the rally by doubling down on that focus and painting the Trump White House as one of the most evil and corrupt administration&#8217;s in U.S. history.
Earlier on Monday, big name Republicans also gathered in the district to push Van Epps as the GOP and Trump emphasize the importance of the special election. At the Van Epps rally, Republicans were confident that they would win on Tuesday, but also acknowledged that the margins could be closer than what Republicans have come to expect in the district, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-reputation-of-our-state-is-on-the-line-gop-begins-final-push-before-critical-house-election?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=Original&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=%E2%80%98The+Reputation+Of+Our+State+Is+On+The+Line%E2%80%99%3A+GOP+Begins+Final+Push+Before+Critical+House+Election">reported</a>.
Republicans and Democrats have poured millions of dollars into the special House race, with Behn’s campaign raising over $1 million between October 1 and November 12, according to campaign finance records. In that same timeframe, Van Epps raised $591,000, but the Republican candidate is also getting a big boost from Trump-aligned outside groups that have spent over a million dollars on advertisements.
Over 84,000 voters cast their ballots during the early voting period, which lasted from November 12-26, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1169221962004705&amp;set=pcb.1169223325337902">according</a> to the Tennessee Secretary of State. A large chunk of Republicans and Democrats are still expected to head to the polls on Tuesday morning. Polling results from Emerson College and The Hill <a href="https://www.wsmv.com/2025/12/01/poll-shows-republican-van-epps-holding-slight-lead-over-democrat-behn-tennessees-special-congressional-race/">released</a> on Monday showed Van Epps with just a 2-point edge on Behn.
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Al Gore/Aftyn Behn/AOC

Big-Name Dems Make Final Pitch For Aftyn Behn, Hope For Tuesday ‘Miracle’ In Tennessee

Al Gore

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Democrats

Republicans

The White House released medical results for President Donald Trump on Monday that showed &#8220;perfectly normal&#8221; scans of the president&#8217;s heart and stomach.
Trump, who turned 79 in June, underwent MRIs as part of his physical exam in October, and promised reporters on Sunday that he would release the results after Minnesota Governor Tim Walz questioned the president&#8217;s health and called on him to make the MRI results public. During the Monday afternoon White House press briefing, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt read from a statement prepared by Trump&#8217;s doctor, Sean Barbabella.
&#8220;As part of President Donald J. Trump&#8217;s comprehensive executive physical, advanced imaging was performed because men in his age group benefit from a thorough evaluation of cardiovascular and abdominal health,&#8221; Barbabella wrote. &#8220;The purpose of this imaging is preventative: to identify issues early, confirm overall health, and ensure he maintains long-term vitality and function.&#8221;
Barbabella said that Trump&#8217;s cardiovascular and abdominal imaging were &#8220;perfectly normal,&#8221; adding that the president remains in &#8220;perfect health.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NEW: White House releases President Trump’s MRI results:
“This level of detailed assessment is standard for an executive physical at President Trump&#8217;s age and confirms that he remains in excellent overall health.” <a href="https://t.co/nhOlYr6hzD">pic.twitter.com/nhOlYr6hzD</a>
— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaryMargOlohan/status/1995568054806479205?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Trump&#8217;s critics have questioned his health throughout his second term, pushing <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/not-dead-at-all-trump-teases-exciting-announcement-from-oval-office">rumors</a> that he was dealing with major health issues, and some people even speculated that Trump had died in September. Trump&#8217;s health was brought into question again on Sunday by Walz.
Trump ripped Walz in a Thanksgiving Day message, calling the governor &#8220;seriously retarded&#8221; and arguing that “hundreds of thousands of refugees from Somalia are completely taking over” Minnesota. Walz said on Sunday that Trump is &#8220;fading physically,&#8221; adding that his behavior is &#8220;not normal&#8221; and &#8220;not healthy.&#8221;
Trump responded to Walz&#8217;s comments on Sunday and said that he had no issue releasing the MRI results.
&#8220;If you want to have it released, I’ll release it,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/12/01/us-news/trump-tells-reporters-hell-release-results-of-october-mri-if-you-want/">told</a> reporters. “It was just an MRI. What part of the body? It wasn’t the brain because I took a cognitive test and I aced it.&#8221;
The president, who is approaching his 80th birthday, has maintained an intense schedule throughout his second term and remains in &#8220;excellent&#8221; condition, according to his doctor. In July, however, Trump was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/white-house-reveals-medical-condition-causing-swelling-in-trumps-legs">diagnosed</a> with “chronic venous insufficiency” in his legs, which causes his legs to swell. Barbabella said Trump&#8217;s “chronic venous insufficiency” is a “benign, common condition, particularly in individuals over the age of 70.”

White House Releases MRI Results From Trump’s Heart And Stomach Scans

White House Releases Results On Trump's Heart And Stomach Scans

Health

Media

White House

The Afghan national suspected of killing one National Guardsman and wounding another in Washington, D.C., last week was &#8220;radicalized&#8221; after coming into the United States, according to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
Noem told NBC&#8217;s &#8220;Meet the Press&#8221; on Sunday that the federal government believes 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal maintained &#8220;connections&#8221; to people in Afghanistan who may have helped radicalize him. Lakanwal was allowed to enter the United States under the Biden administration&#8217;s Operation Allies Welcome following the former president&#8217;s disastrous withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country.
&#8220;I will say we believe he was radicalized since he&#8217;s been here in this country,&#8221; Noem said. &#8220;We do believe it was through connections in his home community and state, and we&#8217;re going to continue to talk to those who interacted with him, who were his family members, who talk to them.&#8221;
Lakanwal is accused of shooting National Guardsmen Sarah Beckstrom and Andrew Wolfe on the day before Thanksgiving, killing Beckstrom and seriously wounding Wolfe. The suspected shooter was injured by return fire, but he is expected to survive and stand trial. Lakanwal was charged with first-degree murder, with more charges expected to be handed down as the investigation continues. President Donald Trump called the shooting a &#8220;terrorist attack,&#8221; saying that the suspect &#8220;went nuts.&#8221;
&#8220;It happens too often with these people,&#8221; Trump added.
The suspected shooter was granted asylum in the United States after serving alongside U.S. troops in a special Afghan Army unit that was backed by the CIA, the Associated Press <a href="https://spectrumlocalnews.com/mo/st-louis/ap-top-news/2025/11/30/suspect-in-national-guard-attack-struggled-with-periods-of-dark-isolation-community-member-says">reported</a>. Noem blamed the Biden administration for failing to properly vet Afghan refugees who were granted asylum in the United States. Lakanwal&#8217;s asylum claim was approved in April under the Trump administration, but Noem <a href="https://x.com/Acyn/status/1995145198192771113">said</a> &#8220;the vetting process all happened under Joe Biden&#8217;s administration.&#8221;
&#8220;Vetting is happening when they come into the country, and that was completely abandoned under Joe Biden&#8217;s administration,&#8221; Noem added.
Lakanwal reportedly exhibited troubling behavior long before he attacked National Guard troops in D.C., according to the Associated Press. Lakanwal settled with his wife and children in Bellingham, Washington, where he reportedly struggled to hold a job and failed to assimilate into U.S. culture, according to emails from a community advocate who works with Afghan refugees.
In one email from January 2024, the community advocate wrote that Lakanwal &#8220;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.&#8221; The community advocate added that Lakanwal would spend weeks in a “darkened room, not speaking to anyone, not even his wife or older kids.” After receiving the emails from the community advocate, the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants checked up on Lakanwal, but it appears that Lakanwal was not contacted or refused assistance.
Lakanwal drove across the United States from Bellingham to Washington, D.C., where he allegedly carried out the attack, according to U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro.

National Guard shooting

Suspected National Guard Shooter Was ‘Radicalized’ Through ‘Connections’ In Afghanistan, Noem Says

Afghanistan

Biden Administration

Crime

Kristi Noem

National Guard

Trump Administration

World

The 2026 midterm elections are still a year away, but Republicans and Democrats are already in full election mode as an important U.S. House seat is up for grabs on Tuesday.
Democrats are optimistic their candidate will make some noise on December 2, when votes are counted for the special U.S. House election that will determine who represents Tennessee&#8217;s 7th Congressional District. The seat became empty after Republican Rep. Mark Green retired on July 20, shortly after voting to pass President Donald Trump&#8217;s &#8220;Big, Beautiful Bill.&#8221;
It&#8217;s a district that Democrats have no business winning and one that Republicans are counting on to help maintain their House majority come the 2026 midterm elections. For an off-year election in a deep red state, the stakes can&#8217;t get any higher, so here&#8217;s everything you need to know ahead of the December 2 election.
<h3>The Candidates</h3>
Republican candidate Matt Van Epps, 39, easily won the crowded GOP primary in October after an endorsement from President Trump. Van Epps is an Army helicopter pilot and combat veteran with years of experience in the Tennessee state government. He <a href="https://www.mattfortn.com/meet-matt">served</a> as the deputy chief operating officer for the Tennessee Governor&#8217;s Office. He was then tapped by Republican Governor Bill Lee to run the Tennessee Department of General Services, where he &#8220;oversaw statewide procurement, facilities management, and essential services that touch every department in Tennessee government.&#8221;
During the Republican primary, Van Epps was criticized by his opponents for working to implement strict COVID lockdown measures in the early days of the pandemic and was nicknamed &#8220;Tennessee Fauci.&#8221; That line of attack on Van Epps was ineffective, and he won the GOP primary by more than 25 points.
<div id="attachment_1005705" style="width: 586px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1005705" class="wp-image-1005705 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-25T094309.502-576x576.jpg" alt="" width="576" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-25T094309.502-576x576.jpg 576w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-25T094309.502-300x300.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-25T094309.502-150x150.jpg 150w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-25T094309.502-768x768.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-25T094309.502.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 576px) 100vw, 576px" />Matt Van Epps for Congress</div>
Van Epps <a href="https://www.mattfortn.com/issues">describes</a> himself as a &#8220;conservative warrior&#8221; who is focused on &#8220;advancing President Trump&#8217;s America First agenda.&#8221; Along with snagging Trump&#8217;s endorsement, the Republican candidate also boasts <a href="https://www.mattfortn.com/endorsements">endorsements</a> from Governor Lee, former Rep. Green, and Ohio Republican Rep. Jim Jordan.
Democrats picked Tennessee state Rep. Aftyn Behn as their nominee for the 7th district special election. Behn, 36, has served in the Tennessee state House since 2023. The Tennessee Democrat was <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/kamala-harris-returns-campaign-trail-trump-country-back-aoc-tennessee">dubbed</a> the &#8220;AOC of Tennessee&#8221; by Democratic activist David Hogg, referring to leftist New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. After socialist Zohran Mamdani&#8217;s stunning victory in the New York City mayor&#8217;s race, Democrats are hoping that the party&#8217;s younger and more radical candidates can win, even in deep-red states.
<div id="attachment_1005697" style="width: 586px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1005697" class="wp-image-1005697 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-25T094027.635-576x576.jpg" alt="" width="576" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-25T094027.635-576x576.jpg 576w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-25T094027.635-300x300.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-25T094027.635-150x150.jpg 150w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-25T094027.635-768x768.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-25T094027.635.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 576px) 100vw, 576px" />Aftyn Behn, Tennessee General Assembly</div>
Other prominent Democrats have come alongside Behn, campaigning for her in Nashville. Last week, former Vice President Kamala Harris made a <a href="https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2025/11/18/kamala-harris-nashville-aftyn-behn-7th-district-election/87324707007/?gnt-cfr=1&amp;gca-cat=p&amp;gca-uir=false&amp;gca-epti=z114035p005050c005050u116535d00----v114035&amp;gca-ft=51&amp;gca-ds=sophi">surprise appearance</a> with Behn, returning to the Democratic campaign trail for the first time since her 2024 election loss.
Behn is not hiding from her leftist views. Earlier this year, she followed and filmed ICE agents and Tennessee Highway Patrol officers as they made immigration arrests around Nashville. She has <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DJPrwJbpkoO/">called</a> Trump&#8217;s immigration operations &#8220;state-sponsored fear and violence.&#8221; Behn also voiced <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tennessee-democrat-aftyn-behn-wont-take-back-support-for-burning-down-police-stations">support</a> for burning down police stations during the 2020 George Floyd riots. She recently refused to address the controversial social media post where she stated, “Good morning, especially to the 54% of Americans that believe burning down a police station is justified.”
After three Christian schoolchildren and three staff members were killed by a trans-identifying shooter in Nashville in 2023, Behn <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrat-aftyn-behn-said-covenant-shooting-made-her-fearful-for-trans-communities">said</a> she was &#8220;fearful&#8221; for &#8220;trans communities.&#8221; Behn has also been slammed for saying in the past that she hates Nashville, parts of which she&#8217;s now running to represent.
<h3>The Location</h3>
The 7th district sits in the western part of what is considered Middle Tennessee. It spans from the state&#8217;s border with Kentucky, through north and west Nashville, and all the way to the Alabama state line. Voters in the 7th district went for President Donald Trump by 22 points in 2024, and the district has been safely in the hands of Republicans and Rep. Mark Green, who represented the 7th from 2019 until his surprise retirement earlier this year.
<div id="attachment_1005707" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1005707" class="wp-image-1005707 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-25T094502.570-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-25T094502.570-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-25T094502.570-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-25T094502.570-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-25T094502.570.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />TN 7th Congressional District, TN Secretary of State</div>
The various demographics inside the 7th district will be a key aspect to watch when results come in on Tuesday night. Much of District 7 covers rural areas, where Van Epps is expected to perform well, but it also covers north and west Nashville, which is far more liberal than the surrounding area. Behn will have to perform exceptionally well in those areas of Nashville and will need a high Democratic turnout for a chance to pull off an upset.
Last month&#8217;s primary election showed that turnout could be an issue for Democrats. Behn pulled off a narrow primary victory, receiving just over <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/10/07/us/elections/results-tennessee-us-house-7-special.html">8,600 votes</a>. Van Epps, meanwhile, pulled in over 19,000 votes in the primary as Republican turnout far outpaced that of the Democrats.
If Republicans show up in the counties surrounding Nashville and the more rural areas of the state as they have in recent House elections, Van Epps will likely cruise to victory. Tennessee&#8217;s 7th district includes areas such as part of wealthy Williamson County, which Trump <a href="https://www.politico.com/2024-election/results/tennessee/">won</a> by more than 30 points in 2024, and rural Robertson County, which Trump won by 40 points.
The House Majority PAC, which is connected to House Democratic leadership, believes that Democratic wins in New Jersey and Virginia earlier this month show that &#8220;no Republican-held seat is safe.&#8221; Democrats are also hoping that Behn can reach independents and moderate Republicans with her focus on affordability and the economy.
<h3>The Spending</h3>
Republicans and Democrats have poured millions of dollars into the special House race, with Behn&#8217;s campaign raising over $1 million between October 1 and November 12, NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/millions-pour-tennessee-special-election-ahead-december-vote-rcna244846">reported</a>. In that same timeframe, Van Epps raised $591,000. Outside groups have also dumped millions of dollars on the race, mostly in support of Van Epps and in opposition to Behn. The Trump-aligned MAGA Inc. has reportedly spent over $1 million on the race. The conservative group Club for Growth has also waded into the special House race to boost Van Epps.
Behn&#8217;s campaign has spent more than half a million dollars on advertisements, while the Democrat-aligned House Majority PAC and Your Community PAC have spent a combined $950,000 on additional ads, according to the <a href="https://nashvillebanner.com/2025/11/24/tennessee-7th-congressional-district-election-spending/">Nashville Banner</a>.
<h3>The Expectations</h3>
Earlier this month, Cook Political Report <a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/house/race/485206">moved</a> Tennessee&#8217;s 7th district from &#8220;solid&#8221; Republican to &#8220;lean&#8221; Republican. Under its summary of the race, Cook Political Report states, &#8220;Sources roundly agree that Nashville Democrats are ravenous at the prospect of an upset, while many Republican voters are unaware an election is even taking place.&#8221;
Tennessee Republican Party Chair Scott Golden <a href="https://wpln.org/post/how-competitive-is-tennessees-special-congressional-race/">told</a> WPLN News last week that the race will come down to how many Republican voters show up to the polls. Golden stressed that the special election date and early voting running up against the Thanksgiving holiday make the GOP campaign&#8217;s job even tougher.
“Anytime you have a special election that is bracketed by the Thanksgiving holiday, you can’t afford to take a day off,” he said. “I think if there’s concern, it’s just that people aren’t aware that they have the opportunity to vote right now.”

AftynVanEppsFinal

Everything You Need To Know For The Crucial Tennessee Special House Election

U.S. House of Representatives

For decades, Christians in Africa have faced intense persecution at the hands of Islamic extremists. That persecution has especially focused on Christians in Nigeria and Sudan, two war-torn nations that President Donald Trump now wants to address.
Last month, Trump designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, saying that &#8220;Christianity is facing an existential threat.&#8221; Then, last week, the president vowed to take more action to end the civil war in Sudan. Both countries are in the midst of upheaval and have large Christian populations, whose faith puts a target on their backs.
Trump&#8217;s <a href="https://www.state.gov/frequently-asked-questions-irf-report-and-countries-of-particular-concern">designation</a> of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern means that the United States will seek to actively address Nigeria&#8217;s violations of religious freedom and opens the door to potential economic penalties.
“When Christians, or any such group, is slaughtered like is happening in Nigeria (3,100 versus 4,476 Worldwide), something must be done!&#8221; Trump said.
For Nigerian Christians, the Country of Particular Concern designation could be a useful tool to push the Nigerian government to take more action to protect Christians from Islamic extremists, according to Ryan Brown, CEO of Open Doors U.S., an organization that helps raise awareness and get aid to persecuted Christians.
The situation in Nigeria has gained attention thanks to the Trump administration, along with some unlikely cultural figures who have called out the persecution against Christians in the country, including left-wing political commentator <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bill-maher-exposes-nigerias-christian-genocide-in-47-seconds">Bill Maher</a> and pop star <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nicki-minaj-teams-up-with-trump-will-highlight-christian-persecution-in-address-to-united-nations">Nicki Minaj</a>. Minaj even met with Trump administration officials about the issue earlier this month and raised awareness about Christian persecution in Nigeria in front of the United Nations.
The slaughter of Christians in Nigeria has become a full-blown genocide, according to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-can-the-world-still-deny-nigerias-christian-genocide">on-the-ground accounts and data from recent years</a>. Just this year, more than 7,000 Christians have reportedly been killed for their faith in Nigeria, including 250 Christians who were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/morning-brief-nigerian-christians-slaughtered-russia-standoff-illegal-alien-tiktoker-nabbed">killed</a> by Islamic extremists in the Yelwata village massacre in June. Research on worldwide Christian persecution suggests that Nigeria accounts for around 80% of the Christian deaths worldwide that come from persecution, according to Open Doors.
Nigeria&#8217;s government has denied that Christians in the country are being systematically targeted, saying, &#8220;There is no Christian genocide in Nigeria,&#8221; but it has agreed to discuss the issue with the United States. Last week, the Trump administration took more steps to address persecution in Nigeria, with War Secretary Pete Hegseth meeting with the country&#8217;s national security adviser.
&#8220;Under [President Trump&#8217;s] leadership, [the Department of War] is working aggressively with Nigeria to end the persecution of Christians by jihadist terrorists,&#8221; Hegseth <a href="https://x.com/SecWar/status/1991908064912617733">said</a>.
Brown told The Daily Wire that Nigerian Christians &#8220;would certainly say that the Nigerian government has not done enough to protect the freedoms and provide safety for the men and women on the ground there.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_1006245" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1006245" class="wp-image-1006245 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2244444115-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2244444115-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2244444115-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2244444115-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2244444115.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />A general view of a catholic Church in Maiduguri on November 3, 2025. (Photo by Audu MARTE / AFP) (Photo by AUDU MARTE/AFP via Getty Images)</div>
Some media <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2025/10/2/no-bill-maher-there-is-no-christian-genocide-in-nigeria">outlets</a> have also <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgqlzkdeeqjo">scrutinized</a> claims of targeted violence toward Christians in Nigeria, writing that the violence in the African nation is too complicated to say that Christians are being systemically wiped out. But Brown told The Daily Wire that the reports of violence against Christians in Nigeria are not exaggerating the extent of the situation.
&#8220;These are realities on the ground that Christians are facing. In Nigeria, this has really been a multiple-year trend,&#8221; Brown said. &#8220;I was with a pastor from Nigeria a couple weeks ago, and he said for the better part of 15 years, he&#8217;s been trying to tell this story to the world, and he&#8217;s been just so thankful that the collective attention finally is seeming to be raised.&#8221;
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Nigeria received more attention earlier this month when more than 300 students and 12 staff members were <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/21/africa/students-kidnapped-nigerian-catholic-school-intl">kidnapped</a> from a Catholic boarding school by armed men. That mass kidnapping came shortly after 25 girls were abducted from a government boarding school in Nigeria and after an <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/gunmen-attack-church-nigeria-killing-two-kidnapping-others-2025-11-19/">attack</a> on a church, where at least two people were killed, and the pastor was abducted.
<div id="attachment_1006343" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1006343" class="wp-image-1006343 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2247525679-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2247525679-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2247525679-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2247525679-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2247525679.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />A pair of shoes is seen inside a student dormitory at St. Mary&#8217;s Catholic School in Papiri, Agwarra local government, Niger state, on November 23, 2025. Gunmen raided the school early on November 21, taking 303 children and 12 teachers in one of the largest mass kidnappings in Nigeria. (Photo by Ifeanyi Immanuel Bakwenye / AFP via Getty Images)</div>
Each year, Open Doors releases a &#8220;World Watch List&#8221; which shows where Christians face the most persecution. In its 2025 list, released in January, Nigeria was near the top at 7th. Open Doors uses research teams to follow news updates in countries around the world and on-the-ground relationships with Christians in numerous countries, according to Brown.
Islamic extremists with terror groups, such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province, are targeting Christians mainly in the country&#8217;s northern regions, but the violence isn&#8217;t completely centered on Christians. Muslims with different ethnicities from the terrorists are also killed for political and religious reasons.
&#8220;There are so many different contributing factors that are at play here. It&#8217;s a complicated situation,&#8221; said Brown. But he added that the nuance doesn&#8217;t mean the world should look past the violence targeting Christians.
&#8220;Some have said because it&#8217;s nuanced and complicated, the conclusion we should draw is Christian persecution is not happening. We would look at those same nuances and complexities and say no, it&#8217;s an oversimplification to say that Christian persecution is not part of the fabric of what&#8217;s being woven here,&#8221; Brown said.
Nigerian Christians continue to hold their faith as they face threats and violence from radical Islamic terrorists, and they are hopeful that President Trump&#8217;s focus on their plight will result in positive steps being taken toward religious freedom. When Trump designated Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern, Brown said that Nigerian Christian leaders had &#8220;an incredible sense of gratitude and thankfulness,&#8221; but added that they also recognized there was a lot of work to be done to address Christian persecution in the African nation.
The Trump administration is not just seeking to end the persecution of Christians in Nigeria — it also has its sights set on ending the war in Sudan, a conflict that has resulted in the deaths of numerous Christians and Muslims. Like in Nigeria, the violence against Christians in Sudan spans decades and is perpetrated by radical Islamic extremists.
Gasim Domkog, a pastor who grew up in Sudan before coming to America, told The Daily Wire that the violence against Christians has been nonstop as the country has gone through regime changes and civil war.
&#8220;We went through a lot. I personally went through a lot,&#8221; Domkog said, adding that many members of his own family have been killed by the Islamic extremist violence.
&#8220;It&#8217;s very rare to find anybody from Sudan that has not had people from their family that has been killed,&#8221; added Domkog, who now leads an Arabic-speaking church in Nashville and ministers to Christians who came out of Islam.
Along with facing intense persecution for their faith, Sudanese Christians are also affected by the civil war that has torn the country apart. Sudan&#8217;s current civil war, which started in 2023, is fought between the government and the Rapid Support Forces, a powerful Islamic militant group seeking to gain control of the country. More than 150,000 people have been killed in the war, and over 12 million have been forced to flee their homes.
<div id="attachment_1006235" style="width: 850px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1006235" class="wp-image-1006235 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2245123877-840x576.jpg" alt="" width="840" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2245123877-840x576.jpg 840w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2245123877-300x206.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2245123877-768x527.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2245123877.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 840px) 100vw, 840px" />AL DABBAH, SUDAN &#8211; NOVEMBER 8: Sudan&#8217;s Sovereignty Council Chairman and Army Commander Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan visits the newly established Al-Afadh camp in Al Dabbah, Northern State, where tens of thousands of Sudanese have taken refuge after being displaced by clashes following the Rapid Support Forces&#8217; takeover of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur. (Photo by Stringer/Anadolu via Getty Images)</div>
Sudan ranks 5th on the Open Doors &#8220;World Watch&#8221; list of countries where Christians face the most persecution. Violence against Christians in Sudan is perpetrated by the radical Islamic extremist groups that vie for control of the country. Often, these groups are controlled by the Muslim Brotherhood.
The country has been unstable since the early 1980s, when civil war broke out and continued until 2005. Following more than 20 years of conflict, South Sudan, which is made up mostly of Christians, broke away from Sudan and formed its own country in 2011.
Similar to the Muslim extremists in Nigeria, terrorists in Sudan also target Muslims who have ethnic differences. In the war-torn region of Darfur, militants have gone door-to-door killing thousands of people. Evidence of the mass killings could be seen from <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/International/blood-visible-space-sudan-shows-evidence-darfur-genocide/story?id=126985544">satellite images</a>, which showed blood-soaked neighborhoods in Darfur. The killings took place immediately after the Rapid Response Forces took control of the city. Most of the people killed in Darfur are Muslims and are targeted because they have darker skin, Domkog told The Daily Wire.
&#8220;At first, the jihadists were using religious war as holy war, but now they&#8217;re focusing on ethnicity,&#8221; Domkog said. &#8220;They say that if you&#8217;re not of Arab descent, you need to be killed. Now, they&#8217;re killing their own people.&#8221;
&#8220;The agenda was either to become Muslim and obey their rules and to be under Sharia Law or they will get rid of you, and that&#8217;s what they&#8217;re doing,&#8221; he added.
<div id="attachment_1006239" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1006239" class="wp-image-1006239 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2247191335-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2247191335-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2247191335-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2247191335-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2247191335.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />A Sudanese woman who fled El-Fasher in Darfur carries jerrycans of water at the Al-Afad camp for displaced people in the town of Al-Dabba, northern Sudan, on November 21, 2025. (Photo by Ebrahim Hamid / AFP) (Photo by EBRAHIM HAMID/AFP via Getty Images)</div>
President Trump <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-announces-us-making-new-effort-end-war/story?id=127683382">said</a> last week that after meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, he has agreed that the United States will &#8220;do something very powerful having to do with Sudan.&#8221;
The war will be a complicated web for the Trump administration to address. Evidence presented by human rights groups <a href="https://www.americanprogress.org/article/how-congress-can-help-curb-the-uaes-role-in-sudans-crisis/#:~:text=The%20UAE%27s%20role%20in%20perpetuating,and%20supplies%20as%20humanitarian%20aid." target="_blank" rel="noopener">shows</a> that the United Arab Emirates is the main backer of the Rapid Response Forces, while other nations, including China, Iran, Egypt, Turkey, and Russia, send weapons and ammunition to both sides of the war. Trump acknowledged that the war in Sudan will not be an easy fix, but added that he believes it&#8217;s important to seek peace in the country.
&#8220;I thought it was just something that was crazy and out of control,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;But I just see how important that is &#8230; and we&#8217;re going to start working in Sudan.&#8221;

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Trump’s Next Peace Push Focuses On Nigeria And Sudan, Where Christians Are Killed By The Thousands

Christianity

Nigeria

Persecution

Religion

Sudan

Two National Guard troops were shot near the White House on Wednesday afternoon.
Both of the troops targeted in the attack are from West Virginia and were in uniform when they were shot. A senior U.S. official told NBC News that both of the National Guardsmen were shot in the head, and the suspect reportedly used a handgun.
The suspected gunman was identified as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who came to the United States during the Biden administration&#8217;s disastrous withdrawal from the country in 2021. The male suspect was critically wounded and taken into custody. The FBI will reportedly investigate the shooting as an act of terrorism.
Lakanwal was allowed to enter the United States under Operation Allies Welcome, and he settled in Bellingham, Washington.
A little over an hour after the shooting, West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey said that both of the National Guard troops had died, but he later walked back his statement and said that there were &#8220;conflicting reports about the condition of our two Guard members,&#8221; adding that he &#8220;will provide additional updates once we receive more complete information.&#8221;
President Donald Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115617866419112089">said</a> that both of the troops were &#8220;critically wounded&#8221; and were being treated &#8220;in two separate hospitals.&#8221;
&#8220;The animal that shot the two National Guardsmen, with both being critically wounded, and now in two separate hospitals, is also severely wounded, but regardless, will pay a very steep price. God bless our Great National Guard, and all of our Military and Law Enforcement. These are truly Great People. I, as President of the United States, and everyone associated with the Office of the Presidency, am with you!&#8221; Trump said.
The president was not at the White House at the time of the shooting as he traveled to his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida earlier on Wednesday for the Thanksgiving holiday.
War Secretary Pete Hegseth <a href="https://x.com/DOWResponse/status/1993791269580259545">said</a> that the shooting was &#8220;a cowardly, dastardly act targeting the best of America, heroes willing to serve in Washington, D.C.&#8221; He added that President Trump has requested that 500 additional National Guardsmen be deployed to the capital following the shooting.
&#8220;This will only stiffen our resolve to ensure that we make Washington, D.C., safe and beautiful,&#8221; Hegseth said.
The suspected shooter acted alone, according to a D.C. police official who <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/11/26/us/national-guard-shooting-dc/85decc03-f7f2-595f-a32d-6426f61ee8a7?smid=url-share">spoke</a> to The New York Times. Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser called the attack on National Guardsmen a &#8220;targeted shooting.&#8221;
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed that National Guardsmen had been shot, <a href="https://x.com/Sec_Noem/status/1993771280898916498">saying</a>, &#8220;Please join me in praying for the two National Guardsmen who were just shot moments ago in Washington D.C. @DHSgov is working with local law enforcement to gather more information.&#8221;
Video taken near the Farragut West metro station showed a massive police presence following the shooting.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
BREAKING — massive police and National Guard presence at Farragut West metro station. A block from White House. <a href="https://t.co/Hz2wjjWa6d">pic.twitter.com/Hz2wjjWa6d</a>
— Jay O&#8217;Brien (@jayobtv) <a href="https://twitter.com/jayobtv/status/1993766783271174498?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Over 2,300 National Guard troops have been deployed to D.C. by Trump as he seeks to address violent crime in the nation&#8217;s capital. Trump&#8217;s National Guard deployment in D.C. and other cities around the country has been met with backlash from the Left.
This is a developing story; refresh the page for updates.

US-CRIME-NATIONAL GUARD

Two National Guard Troops Shot Near White House, Afghan National In Custody

Shooting

Washington D.C.

California Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Tuesday, arguing that the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/eric-swalwell-faces-doj-criminal-probe-over-mortgage-fraud-accusations?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Eric+Swalwell+Faces+DOJ+Criminal+Probe+Over+Mortgage+Fraud+Accusations">accusations of mortgage fraud</a> against him are &#8220;patently false,&#8221; and claiming that the Washington, D.C., home at the center of the allegations is his wife&#8217;s primary residence, not his.
Swalwell argues in the lawsuit that the mortgage and tax fraud accusations are motivated by President Donald Trump&#8217;s desire to &#8220;seek retribution against his political enemies.&#8221; The lawsuit names Bill Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, as a defendant along with the Federal Housing Agency, Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, and Federal National Mortgage Association. Earlier this month, Pulte referred Swalwell to Attorney General Pam Bondi over alleged mortgage and tax fraud related to his home in Washington, D.C.
Swalwell accuses Pulte of abusing his position &#8220;by scouring databases at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac—two government-sponsored enterprises—for the private mortgage records of several prominent Democrats.&#8221;
&#8220;He then used those records to concoct fanciful allegations of mortgage fraud, which he referred to the Department of Justice for prosecution. The target of his most recent criminal referral is Plaintiff Eric Swalwell—one of the President’s most vocal and visible critics in Congress,&#8221; the lawsuit adds.
Swalwell was the fourth Democrat in recent months to face mortgage fraud allegations, after Pulte also sent criminal referrals to the DOJ for Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA), New York Attorney General Letitia James, and Biden-appointed Federal Reserve Board Governor Lisa Cook. The Justice Department is reportedly looking into the handling of the mortgage fraud investigation into Sen. Schiff, and whether the probe was pushed at the behest of Trump administration officials, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-mortgage-fraud-ed-martin-8b29a802d74b90576e0332d610ea99ce">reported</a>.
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Swalwell is accused of claiming his $1.2 million home in the nation&#8217;s capital as his primary residence despite living in California. Claiming the D.C. home as his primary residence would have qualified him for millions of dollars’ worth of loans and refinancing, the New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/11/13/us-news/eric-swalwells-1-2-million-dc-home-target-of-doj-mortgage-fraud-criminal-referral/">reported</a>. Swalwell pushes back against those accusations in the lawsuit, which states that the Democratic congressman &#8220;disclaimed any intent to occupy the District of Columbia home as his primary residence in a sworn affidavit attached to his mortgage agreement.&#8221;
According to the lawsuit, the D.C. home is the primary residence of Swalwell&#8217;s wife, while the congressman remains a permanent resident of California.
&#8220;Pulte’s referral to the Justice Department was not only a gross mischaracterization of reality. It also represented a gross abuse of power that violated the law,&#8221; the suit argues.
Swalwell&#8217;s lawsuit also accuses the Federal Housing Finance Agency of engaging in &#8220;what appeared to be a coordinated leak&#8221; to news outlets and conservatives on social media after details about the allegations against Swalwell &#8220;appeared simultaneously&#8221; as Pulte referred Swalwell to the Justice Department.
The Federal Housing Finance Agency has not responded to a request to comment.
As Swalwell faces a potential federal investigation over mortgage fraud accusations, he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/eric-swalwell-wants-to-get-out-of-d-c-as-mortgage-fraud-scrutiny-intensifies?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Eric+Swalwell+Wants+To+Get+Out+Of+D.C.+As+Mortgage+Fraud+Scrutiny+Intensifies">announced</a> last week that he is running for governor of California. Swalwell announced his run during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel&#8217;s late-night show, saying he would focus on addressing economic issues and pushing back against the Trump administration&#8217;s policies.

Eric Swalwell

Swalwell Sues Trump Official Over Mortgage Fraud Claims, Insists D.C. Home Is His Wife’s

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Congress

Politics

The Ohio state House of Representatives passed a bill along party lines last week that would allow public schools to teach on the &#8220;positive influence of religion,&#8221; particularly Christianity, in history courses.
House Bill 486, titled the &#8220;<a href="https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/136/hb486">Charlie Kirk American Heritage Act</a>,&#8221; would codify teachers&#8217; rights under the state constitution to instruct their students on how Christianity positively shaped U.S. history, according to one of the bill&#8217;s sponsors, state Rep. Gary Click, NBC Columbus affiliate WCMH <a href="https://www.nbc4i.com/news/politics/charlie-kirk-bill-to-teach-positively-about-christianity-passes-ohio-house/">reported</a>.
&#8220;The teaching of the historical, positive impact of religion on American history is consistent with the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. An accurate and historical account of the influence of Judeo-Christian values on the freedom and liberties ingrained in our culture is imperative to reducing ignorance of American history, hate, and violence within our society,&#8221; the bill states. &#8220;Accurate historical instruction regarding verifiable, historical impacts of religion on American history is factual and is not proselytization or a violation of the First Amendment.&#8221;
The text of House Bill 486 provides examples of how public school teachers can teach on the positive influence of Christianity, such as the faith of the pilgrims, the clear presence of Christianity in the Mayflower Compact, the appeal to divine power in the Declaration of Independence, and Christianity&#8217;s influence on the U.S. Constitution. The bill is named after conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, a devout and outspoken Christian, who was assassinated while speaking on the Utah Valley University campus on September 10.
“Charlie was a committed Christian, whose life and work will serve as a testament to the power of conservative ideals combined with a legacy of faith for generations to come,” Click said.
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All 62 Republicans in the Ohio House voted in favor of the legislation, while all 27 Democrats opposed it. It now heads to the state Senate, where Republicans hold a 24-9 majority.
“It’s essential that we highlight the positive influence religion has had throughout our history – uniting communities, enriching our shared values, and safeguarding our First Amendment rights as Americans to speak and worship freely,” said Republican state Rep. Michael Dovilla.
The bill was criticized by education and civil liberties groups and advocates for the separation of church and state. The Ohio American Civil Liberties Union <a href="https://www.acluohio.org/news/house-bill-486-opponent-testimony/">argued</a> that the bill &#8220;is obviously designed to paint Christianity in the most positive light while deliberately avoiding the negative.&#8221;
&#8220;The ACLU of Ohio submits HB 486 is, at a minimum, unneeded,&#8221; the organization added. &#8220;Politicians leaning on schools and universities to teach their version of Christianity and religion is an idea rejected centuries ago, and for good reasons.&#8221;
Gabe Guidarini, chairman of the Ohio College Republican Federation, pushed back on the criticism, arguing, “This bill does not impose a belief system, it simply allows teachers and professors to include historical truths that have too often been neglected — how faith shaped the resolve of the pilgrims, guided our Founders’ convictions, inspired movements that provided us the liberties we enjoy today and informed the moral fabric that has bound our republic together since its birth.&#8221;

Charlie Kirk

Charlie Kirk-Inspired Bill Allowing Schools To Teach Christianity’s ‘Positive Influence’ Nears Law

Education

History

Ohio

U.S.

President Donald Trump was busy on Sunday night sharing numerous social media posts — many from anonymous accounts — that accused six Democratic lawmakers of sedition over their calls for military members to disobey &#8220;illegal orders.&#8221;
After two Democratic senators and four representatives appeared in a video <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrats-urge-military-to-disobey-orders-from-trump-admin-trigger-accusations-of-insurrection">urging</a> military members to refuse unlawful orders, Trump suggested that their action could be viewed as &#8220;SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!&#8221; Trump later clarified that he was not calling for the Democrats to face the death penalty, saying, “In the old days, if you said a thing like that, that was punishable by death.”
Trump, however, appears to believe that the Democrats should be punished in some form. On Sunday night, he shared an AI-generated video depicting the six Democrats in <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115601863709910309">prison</a>. In another <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115601898049338376">post</a> shared by Trump, an anonymous social media user argues that the Democrats&#8217; plea is the &#8220;literal definition of sedition and they literally put it on video!!!!&#8221;
The president also <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115601867440120506">shared</a> multiple posts that argued that the Democrats are guilty of violating <a href="https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title18-section2387&amp;num=0&amp;edition=prelim">18 USC 2387</a>, which makes it a crime to &#8220;interfere with, impair, or influence the loyalty, morale, or discipline of the military or naval forces of the United States.&#8221; Those who violate the U.S. code face up to ten years in prison. Trump shared yet another post that <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115601883571083274">called</a> for bypassing the &#8220;corrupted&#8221; justice system by holding military tribunals.
The video that caused an uproar and resulted in accusations of treason was made by Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-PA), Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), Rep. Maggie Goodlander (D-NH), and Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO). In the video, the Democrats accuse the Trump administration of &#8220;pitting our uniformed military and intelligence community professionals against American citizens.&#8221;
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“Our laws are clear: You can refuse illegal orders,” they said in the video, adding, “You can refuse illegal orders. You must refuse illegal orders. No one has to carry out orders that violate the law or our Constitution.”
Another <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115601862810818001">post</a> shared by Trump on Sunday night suggests that Slotkin is using her training and knowledge from working at the CIA to &#8220;invoke a rebellion.&#8221; Slotkin, who worked for the CIA and the then-Defense Department in the early 2000s, defended the Democrats&#8217; video, arguing that it is lawful to disobey illegal orders and that the Founding Fathers wanted &#8220;to ensure our military upholds its oath to the Constitution — not a king.&#8221;
On Sunday, Slotkin was asked by &#8220;This Week&#8221; host Martha Raddatz on ABC whether any of Trump&#8217;s orders have been unlawful.
&#8220;To my knowledge, I am not aware of things that are illegal, but certainly, there are some legal gymnastics going on with these Caribbean strikes and everything related to Venezuela,&#8221; Slotkin <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/week-transcript-11-23-25-sen-elissa-slotkin/story?id=127763059">said</a>.
She added that she is also concerned about &#8220;the use of U.S. military on American shores &#8230; in our cities and in our streets.&#8221;
Another post <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115600871102876776">shared</a> by Trump came from one social media user, who stated, &#8220;Get all of those traitorous sons of b*tches for sedition at the very least. Those pompous traitorous communities should be impeached and prosecuted.&#8221;

Trump Amplifies Claims That Dem Lawmakers Committed Sedition Against America

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Zach Jewell