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

U.S.

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

President Donald Trump is escalating his fight with Harvard University, demanding $1 billion in damages over what he calls the Ivy League school&#8217;s &#8220;strongly antisemitic&#8221; behavior.
Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116004776659519984">said</a> late Monday night that &#8220;Harvard has been, for a long time, behaving very badly&#8221; and suggested that the case against Harvard &#8220;should be Criminal, not Civil.&#8221; His comments came as The New York Times published a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/02/us/politics/trump-harvard-payment.html">report</a> claiming that the Trump administration was dropping its previous demand for Harvard to pay $500 million to settle allegations that the university mishandled antisemitism on its campus.
The president refuted the New York Times report and accused Harvard of &#8220;feeding a lot of &#8216;nonsense'&#8221; to the &#8220;failing&#8221; newspaper.
&#8220;Harvard has been, for a long time, behaving very badly! They wanted to do a convoluted job training concept, but it was turned down in that it was wholly inadequate and would not have been, in our opinion, successful. It was merely a way of Harvard getting out of a large cash settlement of more than 500 Million Dollars, a number that should be much higher for the serious and heinous illegalities that they have committed,&#8221; Trump said.
In a follow-up post, Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116004978871320100">wrote</a>, &#8220;The Failing New York Times story was completely wrong concerning Harvard University. I hereby demand that the morons that run (into the ground!) the Times’ change their story, immediately.&#8221;
Trump has fought with Harvard over multiple issues since the beginning of his second term. In April, the Trump administration froze $2.2 billion in federal grants to Harvard over the Ivy League school&#8217;s diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and allegations of an antisemitic culture. A federal judge blocked Trump&#8217;s funding freeze, and most of the funds were restored after Harvard <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/harvard-sues-to-restore-taxpayer-funding-frozen-by-trump-admin">sued</a>. The Trump administration also pushed to bar foreign students from attending Harvard, a move that was also blocked by a federal judge.
As the months-long fight continued last year, the Trump administration was also negotiating with Harvard leaders on a settlement. Last June, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-teases-mindbogglingly-historic-deal-with-harvard-they-have-acted-extremely-appropriately?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Teases+%E2%80%98Mindbogglingly+Historic%E2%80%99+Deal+With+Harvard%3A+%E2%80%98They+Have+Acted+Extremely+Appropriately%E2%80%99">praised</a> Harvard for acting &#8220;extremely appropriately&#8221; during the negotiations and suggested that a &#8220;mindbogglingly historic&#8221; deal could be made &#8220;over the next week or so,&#8221; but nothing came of those talks.
Much of the criticism of Harvard began after the university was accused of allowing antisemitism to fester on its campus following Hamas&#8217; attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Harvard&#8217;s previous president, Claudine Gay, resigned shortly after she was grilled by Congress in late 2023 over the anti-Israel protests that popped up on college campuses, including Harvard&#8217;s.
On Monday night, Trump lambasted new Harvard President Alan Garber over the negotiations and raised his demand from $500 million to $1 billion.
&#8220;Dr. Alan Garber, the President of Harvard, has done a terrible job of rectifying a very bad situation for his institution and, more importantly, America, itself. He was hired AFTER the antisemitism charges were brought &#8211; I wonder why??? We are now seeking One Billion Dollars in damages, and want nothing further to do, into the future, with Harvard University,&#8221; Trump said.
The president added that his administration &#8220;turned down&#8221; an offer from Harvard to put $500 million toward a workforce training program to address some of the federal government&#8217;s complaints.
&#8220;They wanted to do a convoluted job training concept, but it was turned down in that it was wholly inadequate and would not have been, in our opinion, successful,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;It was merely a way of Harvard getting out of a large cash settlement of more than 500 Million Dollars, a number that should be much higher for the serious and heinous illegalities that they have committed.&#8221;
Harvard leaders reportedly want to avoid paying the federal government directly, out of concern that it would harm the university&#8217;s independence. The New York Times reported, however, that Harvard&#8217;s reliance on federal funding could likely force it to cut a deal with Trump.

Donald Trump/Harvard

Trump Escalates Fight With Harvard, Ups Demand To $1 Billion Over ‘Strongly Antisemitic’ Campus

Trump Escalates Fight With Harvard, Ups Demand To $1 Billion Over 'Strongly Antisemitic' Campus

antisemitism

Harvard

Ivy League

House Republican Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-KY) rejected requests from former President Bill Clinton and first lady Hillary Clinton on Monday. The two Democrats face contempt of Congress votes over their refusal to appear for depositions over an investigation into convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
The House is set to vote as early as Wednesday to hold the Clintons in contempt of Congress after the former president and first lady did not show up for their scheduled depositions in January. The Clintons&#8217; lawyers, however, are still hoping to work out a deal with Comer and sent the Republican a letter Saturday saying the former president would be willing to sit for a four-hour transcribed interview instead of a deposition under oath. The lawyers also said Hillary Clinton would submit a sworn declaration rather than appear in person for a deposition.
Comer <a href="https://x.com/GOPoversight/status/2018378201039282202/photo/3">called</a> the offers &#8220;unreasonable,&#8221; adding, &#8220;It has been nearly six months since your clients first received the Committee&#8217;s subpoena, more than three months since the original date of their depositions, and nearly three weeks since they failed to appear for their depositions commensurate with the Committee&#8217;s lawful subpoenas.&#8221;
&#8220;Your clients&#8217; desire for special treatment is both frustrating and an affront to the American people&#8217;s desire for transparency,&#8221; Comer wrote in a reply to the Clintons&#8217; attorneys.
Comer said that the Clintons&#8217; requests for the transcribed interview would mean that Bill Clinton could &#8220;refuse to answer whatever questions he wanted for whatever reasons he wanted.&#8221; The House Oversight chairman added that the four-hour time limit requested would give Bill Clinton an &#8220;incentive to attempt to run out the clock by giving unnecessarily long answers and meandering off-topic.&#8221;
&#8220;This is a particular concern where a witness, such as President Clinton, has an established record of being a loquacious individual,&#8221; Comer added.
Regarding the request for Hillary Clinton, Comer told the attorneys that the Oversight Committee &#8220;has made clear on numerous occasions the necessity of her in-person testimony and unacceptability of simple sworn declarations.&#8221;
A majority of the House must vote in favor of a contempt resolution for it to pass. If found in contempt of Congress, the Clintons face large fines and potentially jail time.
Bill and Hillary Clinton were subpoenaed to appear before the House Oversight Committee last year as the committee conducted its investigation into Epstein. The Clintons&#8217; deposition dates were initially scheduled for October and then moved to December, and finally moved to January, but the former president and his wife were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/republicans-seek-to-hold-bill-clinton-in-contempt-after-he-refuses-to-testify-on-epstein?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Republicans+Seek+To+Hold+Bill+Clinton+In+Contempt+After+He+Refuses+To+Testify+On+Epstein">no-shows</a>.
After the Clintons skipped their depositions, nine Democrats <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/clintons-in-the-hot-seat-as-oversight-committee-recommends-contempt-charges-over-epstein-scandal?author=Cameron+Arcand&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Clintons+In+The+Hot+Seat+As+Oversight+Committee+Recommends+Contempt+Charges+Over+Epstein+Scandal">joined</a> with all Republicans on the House Oversight Committee to hold Bill Clinton in contempt, and three Democrats voted with Republicans to hold Hillary Clinton in contempt.
The Clintons were friends of Epstein&#8217;s in the early 2000s, with Bill Clinton often flying with Epstein on the sex predator&#8217;s infamous private plane. Neither the former president nor the first lady has been accused of any wrongdoing related to Epstein&#8217;s crimes. After receiving their subpoenas, the Clintons argued that they &#8220;already provided the limited information they possess about Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell to the Committee.&#8221;
Bill Clinton has appeared multiple times in the Epstein files, as the Justice Department continues to release batches of documents and photos to the public. Some of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bill-clinton-responds-to-shocking-photos-in-epstein-file-dump">images</a> released by the Justice Department from Epstein&#8217;s estate show Bill Clinton enjoying a hot tub with a woman whose face was redacted and swimming in a pool with Epstein&#8217;s associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for her role in the sex trafficking scheme. Bill Clinton was also pictured getting a shoulder massage from one of Epstein&#8217;s accusers, Chauntae Davies. Davies has not accused the former president of any wrongdoing.
Bill Clinton’s chief of staff, Angel Ureña, said in December that the former president &#8220;knew nothing and cut Epstein off before his crimes came to light.&#8221;

House Oversight Committee Votes On Holding Bill Clinton In Contempt Of Congress

House Oversight Chair Rejects Last-Ditch Effort From Clintons To Avoid Contempt Vote

Bill Clinton

Epstein Files

Hillary Clinton

House Republicans

James Comer

Jeffrey Epstein

Nashville Democratic Mayor Freddie O&#8217;Connell blasted the city&#8217;s electric service over the weekend just days after praising its efforts to restore power to residents left in the cold.
O&#8217;Connell said that he met with Nashville Electric Service (NES) leaders on Sunday and told them that the agency&#8217;s response and messaging around widespread power outages has been &#8220;unacceptable.&#8221; Tens of thousands of Nashville residents have gone nine days without power following a massive ice storm that ripped down trees and power lines across the city. At least four deaths have been <a href="https://www.wsmv.com/2026/01/30/victims-suspected-winter-storm-related-deaths-across-nashville-identified/">linked</a> to the storm and ensuing power outage in Nashville.
&#8220;What I learned today is that NES is unequipped to communicate about a crisis,&#8221; O&#8217;Connell <a href="https://x.com/peytonTVkennedy/status/2018298760242033103">said</a> after the meeting. &#8220;Nashvillians can&#8217;t get the last week back—nights huddled under blankets, unplanned shelter or hotel stays, the uncertainty and fear of not knowing what&#8217;s happening and how long it will take to simply return home. And that&#8217;s why it&#8217;s so troubling that details NES leadership shared about their internal outlook—that they hadn&#8217;t previously shared with us—would&#8217;ve had a huge impact on the public guidance we gave from the beginning of the crisis. That is unacceptable.&#8221;
The mayor&#8217;s statement following the meeting marked a change in tune from when O&#8217;Connell defended the Nashville Electric Service last week as residents grew frustrated with the agency&#8217;s response.
&#8220;Let’s be clear about what this is — it is a historic ice storm. This is the largest single outage in NES history. We do not have these kinds of weather events all the time,&#8221; O&#8217;Connell said at a press conference last Tuesday.
On Thursday, O&#8217;Connell suggested that the Nashville Electric Service&#8217;s response was a &#8220;success.&#8221;
&#8220;The fact that this is their largest ever number of line crews out with line workers and vegetation support ever, I think that&#8217;s a sign of their success,&#8221; he <a href="https://fox17.com/news/local/nashville-mayor-freddie-oconnell-nes-power-outages-changes-tune-says-he-is-not-satisfied-tennessee-winter-storm">said</a>, according to Fox 17 Nashville. Later during Thursday&#8217;s briefing, O&#8217;Connell said he was &#8220;not satisfied&#8221; with the power restoration efforts.
The Nashville Electric Service is led by a CEO, but it also has a five-member board that is appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the city council. Two of the current NES board members have been <a href="https://nashvillebanner.com/2026/02/02/nashville-ice-storm-recovery-nes-criticism/">appointed</a> by O&#8217;Connell. The Daily Wire reached out to the mayor&#8217;s office and asked if O&#8217;Connell met with NES leaders before the storm hit on January 24 to discuss the city&#8217;s response.
The Nashville Electric Service has faced increased criticism as over 20,000 homes and businesses remain without power in the Music City on Monday. The agency deployed only 200 linemen at the beginning of the storm to repair downed lines, far below the total number of linemen that would eventually be needed. NES officials said over 1,000 linemen are now working on restoring power in the city.
&#8220;Progress has been made with power restored to 80% of our customers who had outages,&#8221; NES CEO Teresa Broyles-Aplin <a href="https://x.com/NESpower/status/2017753965769732192">said</a> on Saturday. &#8220;By Tuesday, 90% will be restored, and by Sunday, February 8, 99% of our customers will have power back.&#8221;
She added that extensive damage in some areas means it will take the electric service more time to get power restored.
Broyles-Aplin&#8217;s past <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nashville-electric-ceo-touted-tree-hugging-over-aggressive-trimming-months-before-massive-ice-storm">comments</a> on tree maintenance have also come under scrutiny. Last August, the NES leader stressed the importance of saving Nashville&#8217;s tree &#8220;canopy&#8221; and avoiding aggressive trimming practices. Some Nashville tree service professionals argued that the Nashville Electric Service doesn&#8217;t do enough to keep trees away from power lines.
Tennessee Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tennessee-senator-declares-war-on-woke-nashville-power-company-after-week-long-outage?author=Virginia+Kruta&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=7&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Tennessee+Senator+Declares+War+On+%E2%80%98Woke%E2%80%99+Nashville+Power+Company+After+Week-Long+Outage">ripped</a> the electric service for spending time focusing on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
&#8220;The Nashville Electric Service held 102 DEI-related training sessions by the end of 2024. They should’ve been using those resources to trim trees and bury utilities. This is what happens when companies put woke politics over the needs of the people they serve,&#8221; Blackburn said on Sunday.
Last week, the Tennessee Star <a href="https://tennesseestar.com/politics/letter-from-nashville-electric-service-ceo-shows-utility-company-held-102-dei-training-sessions-by-end-of-2024/tpappert/2026/01/29/">highlighted</a> a 2024 NES &#8220;community investment&#8221; <a href="https://www.nespower.com/-/media/project/nes/common/pdfs/annual-reports/2024/nes-esg-2024-report-interactive.pdf">report</a>, which stated, &#8220;To foster a culture of civility and belonging within our organization with the hopes of extending that dynamic beyond our walls, NES’ Human Relations Department implemented Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility, &amp; Belonging (DEIAB) trainings, hosting a total of 102 sessions in 2023 and the first quarter of 2024 for both organization-wide education and nuanced resources for leadership positions.&#8221;
Blackburn argued that while linemen are working hard to restore power to Nashville residents, leaders are botching the response.
&#8220;The linemen who are on the ground making repairs and working in the frigid temperatures to restore power are the unsung heroes of the response to this horrible winter storm,&#8221; Blackburn said. &#8220;So grateful for these men and women.&#8221;

Freddie O’Connell

Nashville’s Dem Mayor Slams Electric Service He Just Praised As City Hits 9 Days Without Power

Nashville

Severe Weather

Tennessee

Winter storm

New York Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul proposed a new law on Friday that would ban local police departments from working with the federal government to enforce immigration laws.
Hochul, who has recently condemned Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpeoM879718">said</a> at a press conference that she would seek to end participation in a federal program that grants local police power to enforce immigration laws. Hochul called her proposal the &#8220;Local Cops, Local Crimes Act,&#8221; arguing that ICE should not &#8220;expect local law enforcement to team up with them because we have other responsibilities.&#8221;
&#8220;We are called to act in this moment of tyranny,&#8221; Hochul said.
&#8220;So today, with this proposal, we&#8217;re sending a strong message to ICE,&#8221; she added. &#8220;You will not weaponize local police officers against their own communities in the state of New York. You will not use our police technology to track people who have done nothing wrong. You will not throw innocent people into our jails.&#8221;
Hochul&#8217;s proposal targets <a href="https://www.ice.gov/identify-and-arrest/287g">ICE&#8217;s </a>287(g) program, which establishes agreements with state and local law enforcement agencies and allows ICE to deputize those officers. The program also allows ICE to use local police facilities for immigration enforcement. If Hochul&#8217;s proposal becomes law, New York would become the seventh state to ban the agreement with ICE, joining California, Illinois, New Jersey, Oregon, Washington, and Connecticut.
The Democratic governor accused the federal government of abandoning its responsibility to pursue public safety &#8220;lawfully, transparently, and with humanity.&#8221;
&#8220;In every corner of our state, New Yorkers are feeling traumatized and stunned as they watch federal agents carry out unspeakable acts of violence in a country they no longer recognize,&#8221; Hochul said, surrounded by New York officials, such as NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
&#8220;For weeks, our eyes have been turned to the horrors unfolding on the streets of Minneapolis,&#8221; she added, accusing federal immigration agents of &#8220;murder&#8221; in the shooting of anti-ICE demonstrators Alex Pretti and Renee Good. Hochul said her announcement on Friday was in response to Minneapolis Democratic Mayor Jacob Frey&#8217;s &#8220;call&#8221; for leaders throughout the country to stand up to ICE.
New York Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman, a current Nassau County executive, ripped Hochul after her announcement, calling her &#8220;the most pro-criminal governor in the United States who has a callous disregard for the safety of our communities and victims of crime.&#8221;
&#8220;By banning local law enforcement partnerships with ICE, Hochul is allowing dangerous criminals to return to our neighborhoods. That ends when I’m Governor,&#8221; Blakeman added.
Hochul&#8217;s effort to push back against ICE operations in New York comes as the Trump administration seeks to negotiate with Democratic leaders for greater cooperation on immigration enforcement, especially in major cities such as Minneapolis and New York City. Zohran Mamdani, New York City&#8217;s newly elected democratic socialist mayor, is also strongly opposed to any cooperation with federal immigration agents on arresting and deporting illegal immigrants in the Big Apple.
Democrats doubled down on their opposition to President Donald Trump&#8217;s massive deportation push after Minneapolis residents Alex Pretti and Renee Good were shot and killed by federal agents this month.

Kathy Hochul

Kathy Hochul Seeks To Ban Local Police Agreements With ICE, Says She Must Act In ‘Moment Of Tyranny’

Illegal Immigation

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

New York

A Manhattan judge ruled on Friday that federal prosecutors cannot seek the death penalty against suspected assassin Luigi Mangione, a major twist ahead of the highly anticipated trial.
Attorney General Pam Bondi directed federal prosecutors to pursue the death penalty last year after Mangione was arrested and hit with federal charges for the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett, however, said the parts of the case that made the death penalty a possibility had &#8220;legal infirmities,&#8221; The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/01/30/us-news/luigi-mangione-case-federal-judge-throws-out-death-penalty/">reported</a>.
The federal charge against Mangione that made him eligible for the death penalty accused him of &#8220;using a firearm to commit murder in furtherance of a crime of violence.&#8221; Garnett said that she was dismissing that part of the indictment “solely to preclude the death penalty as an available punishment when the jury determines if the Defendant caused Brian Thompson’s death.”
Garnett <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/luigi-mangione-latest-judge-rule-death-penalty-stays/story?id=129677290">agreed</a> with Mangione&#8217;s defense team and said that stalking does not constitute &#8220;a crime of violence.&#8221; The judge acknowledged that her decision was &#8220;strange,&#8221; 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>.
Thompson was gunned down from behind in Midtown Manhattan on December 4, 2024, as he was walking to a hotel during his company&#8217;s annual investor conference. Thompson, a Minnesota resident, left behind a wife and two small children. Shell casings retrieved from the scene had the words “delay,” “deny,” and “depose” written on them, according to the New York Police Department. The words found on the shell casings have been connected to a 2010 book that was critical of the health insurance industry. Mangione&#8217;s fingerprints allegedly matched fingerprints found on shell casings at the murder scene.
Garnett&#8217;s ruling means that Mangione now faces a maximum of life in prison without parole. Prosecutors plan on appealing the decision, NBC 4 New York <a href="https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/luigi-mangione-death-penalty-judge-decision-evidence/6452337/">reported</a>.
In another decision on Friday, Garnett sided against Mangione&#8217;s defense team and said that the prosecution could use evidence that was seized from Mangione&#8217;s backpack when he was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania. While the suspected assassin&#8217;s backpack was searched by police without a warrant, Garnett said there are exceptions to the requirement for obtaining a warrant, such as the discovery of a weapon.
Mangione was arrested at a McDonald&#8217;s in Altoona following a five-day manhunt, and police found a firearm, silencer, and what appeared to be a manifesto in the man&#8217;s backpack. In one section of a notebook found in Mangione&#8217;s possession, the author planned to &#8220;whack” the health care CEO “at the annual parasitic bean-counter convention.”
Mangione pleaded not guilty to the federal and state murder charges. With the death penalty thrown out, opening arguments for the trial are set to begin in October, with jury selection scheduled for September 8.
The case has already gripped the nation, and Mangione has gained a following, with some of his supporters defending the murder of Thompson and <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/luigi-mangione-protesters-call-death-elon-musk-other-corrupt-healthcare-ceos.print">calling</a> for more health care executives to be killed.
Attorney General Bondi <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/attorney-general-pamela-bondi-directs-prosecutors-seek-death-penalty-luigi-mangione">said</a> last year that the murder of Thompson was &#8220;a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America.&#8221;

Luigi Mangione Appears In Court To Face NY State Murder Charges

Federal Judge Says Prosecutors Can’t Pursue Death Penalty Against Luigi Mangione

assassination

Court

federal judge

Luigi Mangione

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Zach Jewell