Illinois Democratic Governor JB Pritzker, who was labeled a &#8220;big fat slob&#8221; by President Donald Trump, revealed on Monday that he has lost 80 pounds thanks to a GLP-1 medication he started taking in the last two years.
Pritzker said in an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kDg6zTyoN4">interview</a> with CBS News&#8217; David Begnaud that he began taking the GLP-1 after a Type 2 diabetes diagnosis. The governor&#8217;s weight loss has been evident in recent months as he continues to put himself in front of the media, taking shots at the Trump administration as he&#8217;s floated as a likely 2028 Democratic presidential candidate.
&#8220;I&#8217;ve been overweight most of my life, really. Since I was probably 7 or 8 years old,&#8221; Pritzker said. The governor added that the stress of his job led him to put on even more weight, CBS News reported.
Begnaud said the weight gain &#8220;forced [Pritzker] to put up with unwanted attention.&#8221; The outlet then played a clip of Trump from a campaign rally in March 2024, when Trump stated, &#8220;Pritzker, I don&#8217;t know, he&#8217;s too busy eating. He wants to eat all the time.&#8221; In November 2025, Trump again took a shot at Pritzker&#8217;s weight, while dishing on Illinois Democrats.
&#8220;The mayor is incompetent and the governor is a big fat slob,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9AJaWEZ2UU">said</a>.
When asked by Begnaud if his weight loss is part of a strategy to help his image ahead of a potential 2028 run, Pritzker replied, &#8220;I&#8217;ve been driven my whole life to lose weight. The fact that I am now able to do it because this GLP-1 became available is truly &#8230; it&#8217;s something that has meant a lot to me. I have not made any decisions about what I might do in the future. I can tell you I want to be the governor of the state of Illinois for a while longer, and I&#8217;m running for re-election.&#8221;
The CBS News reporter then gave him another opportunity to say if he would run for president in 2028.
&#8220;I&#8217;m going to give you an easy out: tell me you&#8217;re not running for president in 2028,&#8221; Begnaud said.
Pritzker laughed and replied, &#8220;I honestly am focused on what&#8217;s best for the people of Illinois.&#8221;
Pritzker is running for a third term as governor in November.
Whether he&#8217;s taking GLP-1s for his political image or just for his health, Pritzker doesn&#8217;t seem self-conscious about his image anymore. In recent weeks, the Democrat posted a self-aggrandizing video to relate to Gen Z.
“When you’re in an aura farming contest and your opponent is J.B.” the short clip stated.
&#8220;Aura farming&#8221; is Gen Z speak for a person intentionally seeking out ways to make himself look confident and charismatic without making it look like the person is trying too hard. Pritzker captioned his video &#8220;Governor-maxxing.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Governor-maxxing. <a href="https://t.co/KUZRJc9ANF">pic.twitter.com/KUZRJc9ANF</a>
— JB Pritzker (@JBPritzker) <a href="https://x.com/JBPritzker/status/2091993783478919327?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Pritzker has even joked about his weight loss in recent months, <a href="https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/03/23/pritzker-brings-heat-and-2028-buzz-00839505">telling</a> a crowd in Washington, D.C., “I’m JB Pritzker, governor of the great state of Illinois, and if you’re seeing me in person for the very first time, yes, I’m the guy who put ‘gov’ in ‘Wegovy.’”
In his CBS News interview, Pritzker spoke to Begnaud alongside his wife, MK, as the three of them ate salads in the governor&#8217;s kitchen. When asked about Pritzker taking GLP-1s, MK said, &#8220;Well, I was very encouraging of it I have to say, and obviously I knew the history of his family. You know, it&#8217;s such a sad story, and of course, I want him to be around for a really long time.&#8221;
Pritzker&#8217;s father, Donald, a co-founder and president of the Hyatt Corporation, died of a heart attack at the age of 39.
&#8220;He was actually quite an active person even though he was overweight, so he was on a tennis court and had a heart attack and my mother was there. And he died in her arms,&#8221; Pritzker said.

Dem With Sights On 2028 Presidential Bid Loses 80 Pounds With Fat Shot

2028 presidential election

donald trump

glp1 weight loss drugs

illinois

jb pritzker

weight loss

President Donald Trump tore into leftist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani over their gleeful exchange at the 9/11 memorial event at Ground Zero while families of the victims mourned.
Cameras at the 9/11 memorial in New York City cut from a young man crying in front of the names listed at the 9/11 memorial to a shot of AOC and Mamdani as they laughed together during the somber event. Trump was asked about the video on Sunday and called the democratic socialists&#8217; actions &#8220;terrible.&#8221;
&#8220;It&#8217;s not the place to be laughing, especially in that case,&#8221; the president said. &#8220;The fact that they were laughing together in a very important part of the ceremony was inappropriate.&#8221;
Trump was not in New York City this year for the 9/11 ceremony as he remained near the nation&#8217;s capital and spoke at a 9/11 memorial event at the Pentagon. Vice President JD Vance attended the Ground Zero memorial ceremony in NYC alongside former Presidents Joe Biden, Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton.
After video of AOC and Mamdani spread on social media, the giggling leftists were ripped by numerous commentators, including by Republican NYC Councilwoman Inna Vernikov, who wrote, &#8220;After thousands of families of victims of terror beg Mamdani not to show up, he stands there and laughs while families weep. This is NYC’s Mayor.&#8221;
“How the hell do you laugh while the names of those murdered on 9/11 are being read aloud? Why would you do so?” added Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX).
Some people, however, came to the defense of Mamdani and AOC. Michael Ragusa, who worked for former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani and who was also present at the memorial last Friday, said the mayor and congresswoman were only greeting each other.
&#8220;The videos of [them] laughing are not true. I was standing next to them the whole time,&#8221; Ragusa <a href="https://x.com/themikeragu/status/2098463760289542461">wrote</a> on X. &#8220;The camera just caught her greeting him hello. Multiple other politicians were laughing and joking behind me. Republicans and Democrats.&#8221;
A <a href="https://x.com/dprzygoda/status/2099220776465715692">longer clip</a> of the mayor&#8217;s interaction with AOC shows the congresswoman approach Mamdani mid-ceremony as the two embrace before they converse and appear to laugh together. After the interaction, the two politicians returned their attention to the stage where names of the victims were being read.
Neither Mamdani nor AOC have responded to the controversy.
Numerous 9/11 victims’ families had previously urged Mamdani to stay away from the memorial on the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people on American soil. A petition launched by relatives of those who were killed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks asking Mamdani to steer clear of the memorial event garnered over 100,000 signatures.
The backlash over Mamdani’s attendance was fueled in large part by Mamdani’s chief counsel, Ramzi Kassem, who previously served as a defense lawyer for Ahmed al-Darbi, an al Qaeda operative held at Guantanamo Bay whose brother-in-law helped hijack the plane that struck the Pentagon, The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mamdani-to-attend-9-11-ceremony-despite-awkward-ties-to-terrorist-sympathizers">reported</a>.
The Muslim mayor has also sparked outrage with comments about “Islamophobia” that Muslims faced after the 9/11 attacks.
“I want to speak to the memory of my aunt, who stopped taking the subway after September 11th because she did not feel safe in her hijab,” Mamdani said last October.
Ocasio-Cortez has her own history of controversy over 9/11. In 2019, the leftist defended her fellow Squad member, Muslim Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), when Omar said of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, “Some people did something.” AOC claimed the backlash to Omar’s comment was “incitement of violence against progressive women of color.”

AOC/Trump/Mamdani

Trump Blasts Mamdani And AOC Over ‘Inappropriate’ 9/11 Memorial Behavior

alexandria ocasio-cortez

politics

september 11 attacks

ted cruz

zohran mamdani

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani were spotted giggling together Friday morning while families mourned at Ground Zero as the names of 9/11 victims were read.
Cameras at the 9/11 memorial in New York City cut from a young man crying in front of the names listed at the 9/11 memorial to a shot of AOC and Mamdani as they laughed together during the somber event.
Numerous 9/11 victims&#8217; families had previously urged the giggling mayor to stay away from the memorial on the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 Americans. City, state, and U.S. officials, including Vice President JD Vance, gathered at Ground Zero for the annual memorial service.
AOC and Mamdani were blasted after the clip of them laughing spread on social media.
&#8220;How the hell do you laugh while the names of those murdered on 9/11 are being read aloud? Why would you do so?&#8221; <a href="https://x.com/tedcruz/status/2098449419544756332">said</a> Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX).
&#8220;After thousands of families of victims of terror beg Mamdani not to show up, he stands there and laughs while families weep. This is NYC’s Mayor,&#8221; <a href="https://x.com/InnaVernikov/status/2098448965154886112">said</a> Republican NYC Councilwoman Inna Vernikov.
Commentator Meghan McCain <a href="https://x.com/MeghanMcCain/status/2098439370822873228">added</a>, &#8220;Why the f*ck are these two laughing?!?&#8221;
Mamdani has made multiple callous remarks about the 9/11 terrorist attacks. On Thursday night, Mamdani released a statement on the attacks that failed to mention that radical Muslims killed thousands of Americans in a terrorist attack. Instead, he made the horrific events seem no different than a natural disaster.
&#8220;Today, I attended a memorial mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, led by Archbishop Ronald A. Hicks, in honor of those who died on 9/11,&#8221; Mamdani wrote on Thursday night. &#8220;25 years ago, we bore witness to unimaginable suffering. But New Yorkers met that moment with a spirit of love, sacrifice, and solidarity that guided us forward. As we remember those we lost, let us continue to take refuge in one another. Let us recommit to the work of building a better city — one that is worthy of the legacy they left.&#8221;
On Friday morning — after major backlash for his previous statement — Mamdani released another statement, in which he wrote, &#8220;25 years ago, terrorists killed nearly 3,000 people, including 2,753 New Yorkers.&#8221;
Earlier this week, Mamdani brushed aside concerns from former Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Governor George Pataki and said he would attend the 9/11 memorial ceremony. The backlash over Mamdani&#8217;s attendance has been fueled in large part by Mamdani’s chief counsel, Ramzi Kassem, who previously served as a defense lawyer for Ahmed al-Darbi, an al Qaeda operative held at Guantanamo Bay whose brother-in-law helped hijack the plane that struck the Pentagon, The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mamdani-to-attend-9-11-ceremony-despite-awkward-ties-to-terrorist-sympathizers">reported</a>.
The Muslim mayor has also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/zohran-mamdanis-islamophobia-speech-echoes-famous-norm-macdonald-joke">sparked outrage</a> with comments about &#8220;Islamophobia&#8221; that Muslims faced after the 9/11 attacks.
“I want to speak to the memory of my aunt, who stopped taking the subway after September 11th because she did not feel safe in her hijab,” Mamdani said last October.
“Growing up in the shadow of 9/11, I have known what it means to live with an undercurrent of suspicion in this city,” he continued, adding, “To be Muslim in New York is to expect indignity, but indignity does not make us distinct. There are many New Yorkers who face it. It is the tolerance of that indignity that does.”
Ocasio-Cortez has her own history of controversy over 9/11. In 2019, the leftist defended her fellow Squad member, Muslim Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), when Omar said of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, &#8220;Some people did something.&#8221; AOC claimed the backlash to Omar&#8217;s comment was &#8220;incitement of violence against progressive women of color.&#8221;

AOC/Mamdani

Disgusting Moment AOC And Mamdani Laugh During Most Somber Part Of 9/11 Memorial

new york city

A woman who lost her husband in the 9/11 terrorist attacks delivered a blistering criticism of recent presidential administrations and their perceived failure to hold Saudi Arabia responsible for its alleged role in the attacks on American soil.
At the 9/11 remembrance ceremony at Ground Zero Friday morning, Terry Strada, who went up to the podium to read her husband&#8217;s name, spent nearly two minutes in front of the crowd, ripping American leaders, whom she accused of protecting &#8220;the Saudis instead of standing with the 9/11 families.&#8221;
Fifteen of the 19 radical Islamic terrorists who hijacked planes on September 11, 2001, were Saudis, and an ongoing lawsuit accuses the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia of being complicit in the attacks.
&#8220;My husband, Tom Strada, you are missed more with each year that passes. But how can it be 25 years and still we have no justice for the role that Saudi Arabia played in your murder,&#8221; Strada said as many people in the audience responded with applause. &#8220;Yes, we finally made it into a court and have proved that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia fomented a rancid culture of anti-American terrorism around the globe and then sent its agents to support radical Islamist hijackers so they could attack you and all of our loved ones.&#8221;
&#8220;But for 25 years, administration after administration, including leaders in front of us here today, chose to protect the Saudis instead of standing with the 9/11 families,&#8221; she added.
&#8220;They withheld evidence. They vetoed JASTA,&#8221; Strada continued, referring to former President Barack Obama&#8217;s veto of the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, which was overridden by Congress. JASTA specifically focused on Saudi Arabia and allowed families of 9/11 victims to seek legal recourse against the Middle Eastern country.
&#8220;They broke promises, both public and private,&#8221; Strada said. &#8220;It has been one betrayal after another. President Trump can still change that. Tell the Saudis to stop lying. Tell them that if they want to be friends with the USA, they cannot continue to deny all of this, all of the pain, all of the destruction that we have been suffering through.&#8221;
Strada then turned her attention to Vice President JD Vance, who was among those in attendance at the Ground Zero ceremony.
&#8220;Vice President Vance, thank you for being here today. Please carry that message back. Stand with the families, stand with the survivors, stand with Americans. As my husband Tom would have said, that is always the right thing to do.&#8221;
Tom Strada was killed after American Airlines Flight 11 slammed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. His wife Terry is now the national chair of 9/11 Families United, which for years has sought to hold Saudi Arabia liable for the 9/11 attacks.
A federal appeals panel is set to hear more arguments next month on the alleged Saudi government connection to the 9/11 terror attacks. Next month, the court will focus on Omar al-Bayoumi, a Saudi national who has ties to the 9/11 hijackers and was on the payroll of Saudi intelligence, according to a 2017 FBI memo, The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/09/11/us-news/sept-11-widow-blasts-saudis-on-25th-anniversary-of-attacks-no-justice/">reported</a>.
The 9/11 Families United scored a major legal win last year when a federal judge rejected Saudi Arabia&#8217;s attempt to dismiss the plaintiffs&#8217; claims. The federal judge determined that there was enough evidence to claim that the kingdom employed two people to help the 9/11 hijackers, according to <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/09/11/911-widow-saudi-arabia-trump">Axios</a>.
The Saudi government has denied any involvement in the planning or coordination of the terror attacks that killed 2,977 people in New York City, Arlington, Virginia, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
Trump has maintained a close relationship with Saudi Arabia, securing major economic and defense deals with the kingdom. Earlier this year, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visited Trump at the White House and was asked by a reporter about the accusations leveled against his country by the 9/11 families.
&#8220;We have to focus on reality, reality based in CIA documents and based on a lot of documents that Osama bin Laden used Saudi people in that event for one main purpose &#8230; to destroy the American-Saudi relation[ship],&#8221; bin Salman said.

The 25th Anniversary Of The September 11th Attacks

9/11 Widow Goes Off Script, Calls Out 25 Years Of ‘Betrayal’ At Ground Zero

ground zero

jd vance

saudi arabia

terry strada

Golf legend Tiger Woods switched his not guilty plea to guilty in court on Wednesday as he faces charges in a DUI case stemming from a rollover crash in Florida earlier this year.
Woods will pay a $1,000 fine and have his driver’s license suspended for five years. The judge stressed that the suspension is intended to protect the public and said there will be no exceptions.
Woods answered “yes” when asked whether he had enough time to speak with his attorney before changing his plea.
Woods officially changed his plea during an appearance in the Martin County, Florida district court. Woods&#8217; girlfriend Vanessa Trump, the ex-wife of Donald Trump Jr., walked with the golfer into the courthouse.
On March 27, Woods sped through a residential neighborhood in his Land Rover in Jupiter Island, Florida, and attempted to pass a truck pulling a trailer, but he clipped the trailer, flipping his SUV. No one was injured in the crash, but Woods caused $5,000 in damage to the truck and trailer, according to the incident report. He initially pled not guilty in the Martin County, Florida, circuit court.
Woods told deputies at the scene of the crash that he was distracted and had looked down at his phone before hitting the trailer, but one deputy described him as “lethargic and slow,” with “bloodshot and glassy” eyes and “extremely dilated” pupils, according to the arrest affidavit.
A breathalyzer test that Woods agreed to take showed no signs of alcohol in his blood system, but the pro golfer refused to take a urine test.
Woods informed officers that he takes “a few” prescription medications, and two hydrocodone pills were found on his person when he was arrested. Hydrocodone, which is typically taken to treat severe pain, is classified as a Schedule II controlled substance by the U.S. government and is among the drugs that the Food and Drug Administration warns “could make driving dangerous.”
“So at this time, I do believe your normal faculties are impaired,” one of the deputies told Woods as she placed handcuffs on him, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/body-cam-shows-tiger-woods-undergoing-sobriety-test-after-rollover-crash?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Body-Cam+Shows+Tiger+Woods+Undergoing+Sobriety+Test+After+Rollover+Crash">bodycam footage</a> shows. “And you’re under the unknown substance, so at this time, you’re under arrest for DUI.”
Prosecutors zeroed in on Woods&#8217; pain medications and secured a subpoena granting them access to the golfer&#8217;s prescription drug records between January 1 of this year through March 27, the date of the crash. Prosecutors were especially <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/prosecutors-zero-in-on-key-detail-for-prescription-meds-taken-by-tiger-woods?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Prosecutors+Take+A+New+Approach+In+Tiger+Woods+Case">interested</a> in the “date and time prescription was filled, type of prescription, number of pills in each prescription, the dosage amount, and all special instructions.&#8221;
After the crash, Woods stepped back from his normal life &#8220;to seek treatment and focus on my health.&#8221;
&#8220;I’m committed to taking the time needed to return in a healthier, stronger, and more focused place, both personally and professionally,&#8221; Woods <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tiger-woods-breaks-silence-after-dui-arrest-pga-tour-also-issues-statement?author=Jordan+Schroeder&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Tiger+Woods+Breaks+Silence+After+DUI+Arrest%2C+PGA+Tour+Also+Issues+Statement">said</a>. &#8220;I appreciate your understanding and support, and ask for privacy for my family, loved ones and myself at this time.&#8221;
Woods, who is widely considered one of the greatest golfers of all time, has taken pain medications after dealing with severe back injuries throughout his career and being in a serious single car crash in Los Angeles in 2021. He was also arrested in 2017 and charged with a DUI after police found him asleep behind the wheel of his car, which was on the side of the road.

Tiger Woods Attends Plea Conference Hearing In DUI Case

Tiger Woods Accepts Punishment After Changing Plea In Rollover DUI Case

florida

sports

tiger woods

vanessa trump

The White House ripped into Democrats after a near-unanimous vote Tuesday night in defense of socialism, calling the vote the latest illustration of &#8220;how extreme their party has become.&#8221;
The vote turned contentious, with only eight Democrat members of the House crossing the aisle to vote with Republicans on the resolution to denounce &#8220;socialism in all its forms.&#8221; It passed 220-192, with all the votes against the condemnation coming from Democrats. Two Democrats refused to pick a side and simply voted present.
The White House is using the vote to tear into Democrats, suggesting that the party has been lost to its most radical elements.
&#8220;Yet again, the Democrats prove how extreme their party has become,&#8221; White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis told The Daily Wire. &#8220;They support radical socialism, defunding federal law enforcement, and non-citizens voting in American elections.&#8221;
The vote was far closer than last November, when a <a href="https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/11/21/congress/house-denounces-horrors-of-socialism-00664412">similar resolution</a> condemning the &#8220;horrors of socialism&#8221; passed with support from 86 Democrats. The shift comes as the Democrat Socialists of America <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/who-is-behind-the-rapid-rise-of-the-dsa">grows its influence</a> on the political Left, with many of the most prominent party figures in the country proudly embracing the socialist label.
Highlighting this radical shift will be central to the Republican strategy in the rapidly approaching midterm elections, which, especially in House elections, will play out with electorates far less open to socialism than the Democrat base. In some key elections that will determine control of the U.S. Senate, however, the Democrat candidates who prevailed in primaries are on the far-Left.
Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico, for example, <a href="https://texasscorecard.com/decisiontexas/talarico-said-capitalism-is-an-oppressive-system-that-must-be-dismantled/">called</a> capitalism an &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/talarico-attacked-capitalism-wait-until-you-see-who-was-helping-pay-his-bills">oppressive system</a>&#8221; that needs to be &#8220;dismantled.&#8221; Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic Senate nominee in Michigan, has attempted to distance himself from the socialist but has regularly reached out to the far-Left wing of the party — including by campaigning with America-hating communist streamer <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/el-sayed-defends-alliance-with-hasan-piker-in-newly-circulated-video">Hasan Piker</a>.
The White House is pledging that Republicans will continue to focus on President Donald Trump&#8217;s &#8220;commonsense agenda.&#8221;
&#8220;President Trump and Republicans will continue to deliver on his commonsense agenda that includes tax cuts for American families, border security, and record low prices for prescription drugs,&#8221; Bis told The Daily Wire.
Using resolutions to force Democrats to expose their radical positions has been part of the Republican strategy in Congress, and Democrats continue to step right into the trap. Earlier this year, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/53-dems-vote-against-declaring-iran-state-sponsor-terror?msockid=2ac6c3f27a1c60101941d5cb7b3161f3">53 Democrats voted against</a> declaring Iran a state-sponsor of terror — an undeniable fact, unless you don&#8217;t recognize groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis as terrorists.
Democrats, however, are fearful of repercussions from the radical base that doesn&#8217;t want to see it side with Republicans on anything. Two Democrats who crossed the aisle to help Republicans get the resolution to a final House vote were lambasted by party leadership for doing so.
&#8220;The decision by two of our colleagues to blindside the entire House Democratic Caucus and join with the Republican majority to pass a procedural rule on the brink of failing represents a significant breach of trust,&#8221; said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), in reference to Jared Golden of Maine and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington, who both voted for the resolution.

US-POLITICS-VOTE-NEW YORK-MAYOR

White House Tears Into Democrats After Near-Unanimous Vote Defending Socialism

democratic socialists of america

hakeem jeffries

house of representatives

socialism

white house

Crews began removing the final three Confederate-linked statues from the grounds of the Virginia State Capitol on Friday after Democrats buried a provision in the budget that set up the removal.
The statues depict Confederate General Thomas &#8220;Stonewall&#8221; Jackson, Confederate General and two-time Virginia Governor William &#8220;Extra Billy&#8221; Smith, and Confederate Army surgeon Dr. Hunter Holmes McGuire. Capitol Square has <a href="http://www.vacapitol.org/statues.htm">displayed</a> Jackson&#8217;s statue since 1875, McGuire&#8217;s since 1904, and Smith&#8217;s since 1906.
Former state Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria) introduced legislation earlier this year directing the state to remove the statues. It passed the Senate but died in a House committee before lawmakers resurrected the plan during state budget negotiations, WTVR Richmond <a href="https://www.wtvr.com/news/local-news/richmond/removing-confederate-statues-capitol-square-aug-28-2026#google_vignette">reported</a>.
Virginia gifted the Confederate statues to the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation, according to the Department of General Services.
&#8220;Stonewall&#8221; Jackson is one of the Confederacy&#8217;s most iconic generals. His actions at the First Battle of Bull Run helped lead the Confederates to a major victory early in the Civil War. A separate monument to Jackson that had stood on Richmond&#8217;s Monument Avenue since 1919 was removed in July 2020 during the protests and riots that followed George Floyd&#8217;s death.
Smith took over as a commander of Confederate troops after their commander died, despite acknowledging that he had little knowledge of battlefield tactics.
McGuire served as a surgeon in the Confederate Army who worked to save numerous lives. After the war, he served as the president of the American Medical Association, as <a href="https://x.com/BlueBoxDave/status/2093375266240213425">pointed out</a> by Fox News Digital columnist and West Virginia resident David Marcus.
&#8220;I guess Woke 1.0 is still with us, after all,&#8221; Marcus <a href="https://x.com/BlueBoxDave/status/2093373688548651133">said</a> of the statue removal, referencing a comment made by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) when she was pressed about radical leftist priorities like defunding the police. “I have a local city councilman that has this saying, ‘Woke 1 was crazy,&#8217;” AOC said.
Marcus added, &#8220;It’s interesting that the people who tore down statues, renamed schools, and banned mascots, are furious that the inviolable name of Lake Ontario could ever be altered.&#8221;
The Left has aggressively pushed for the removal of statues depicting Confederate figures — and sometimes even Founding Fathers — since 2015. The movement to remove depictions of American history gained steam in 2017 after the deadly Charlottesville rally and in the summer of 2020 following the death of George Floyd and the ensuing riots. Public <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-protests-poll/a-majority-of-americans-want-to-preserve-confederate-monuments-reuters-ipsos-poll-idUSKCN1B12EG/">polls</a> during that time showed that a plurality of Americans <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/confederate-statues-removal-polls_n_599de056e4b05710aa59841c">favored</a> keeping the statues in place despite the Left&#8217;s campaign to tear down historic monuments.
Despite the public opposition to taking down the monuments, around 90 Confederate statues were <a href="https://cwmemory.com/recent-confederate-monument-removals/">removed</a> in 2020 alone. Ten monuments were torn down by rioters that year. From 2020 to 2024, a total of 123 Confederate monuments have been taken down across the country, including 38 in Virginia.

Civil War Statues

Dems Use State Budget To Remove Final Confederate Statues From Capitol Grounds

confederate monument removal

stonewall jackson

virginia

virginia state capitol

Police officers in Ohio were stunned after arresting San Francisco 49ers owner John &#8220;Jed&#8221; York in a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/49ers-owner-busted-in-prostitution-sting-at-trailer-park">prostitution sting</a> at a trailer park.
York, who has an estimated <a href="https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/sports/nfl/2026/08/25/jed-york-49ers-owner-arrested-east-palestine-ohio-net-worth-wife-danielle-belluomini/91453250007/">net worth</a> of around $500 million, was accused of agreeing to pay $140 for sex at the trailer park in East Palestine.
The bodycam footage from the East Palestine Police Department was obtained by TMZ on Wednesday. The footage shows an officer approach York&#8217;s car, asking for his hands and telling him, &#8220;Don&#8217;t move.&#8221; York, wearing a gray New York Yankees t-shirt and shorts, held out his wallet, but the officer immediately unbuckled the NFL team owner and detained him.
&#8220;Can I ask what you&#8217;re doing?&#8221; York asked.
&#8220;What are you doing here?&#8221; the officer replied.
&#8220;Just driving,&#8221; York said.
&#8220;You meeting anybody?&#8221; the Ohio police officer pressed.
&#8220;No.&#8221;
York informed officers that he was driving a rental car. He is originally from Youngstown, Ohio, which is just over 20 miles north of East Palestine.
After York was placed in a cruiser, one of the officers commented on the large amount of cash that they found in his wallet. Police found $160 in cash in York&#8217;s wallet.
&#8220;He&#8217;s a real estate guy. He&#8217;s got all the money,&#8221; the other officer said, adding, &#8220;It&#8217;s crazy the people that do this. Like, they could do whatever they want. Like, they could do other things. They could go other ways, but wow.&#8221;
York was nabbed after an undercover officer posted an ad posing as a woman on a &#8220;known prostitution website,&#8221; according to an incident report, ESPN <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/49723635/49ers-owner-jed-york-contacted-fictitious-prostitution-ad-3-s-arrest">reported</a>. York allegedly contacted the undercover officer twice last Saturday, and reached out a third time on Sunday after his he didn&#8217;t get a response to the first two messages. After the third message from York, the undercover officer offered to meet York in East Palestine, according to the incident report.
York was initially charged with engaging in prostitution and possession of criminal tools before he accepted a plea deal that changed the prostitution charge to a disorderly conduct charge. York was absent from the NFL team owners&#8217; meeting on Wednesday, and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/roger-goodell-confirms-league-reviewing-jed-yorks-plea-deal-for-possible-punishment">said</a> the league was reviewing the incident.
The 49ers owner filed for divorce in May of this year after a nearly 15 year marriage with his wife Danielle. The couple share two children.
York&#8217;s connection to the 49ers goes back generations as his grandfather owned the franchise for 23 years before passing ownership onto York&#8217;s parents, who in turn, passed the torch to York. The wealthy businessman is also a co-owner of Premier League club Leeds United and Scottish Premiership club Rangers.

Jed York arrest

WATCH: Police Stunned After Arresting 49ers Owner In Prostitution Sting

jed york

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san francisco 49ers

Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed urged a group of young boys to &#8220;have conversations with all your neighbors&#8221; about the upcoming elections in a video he released Tuesday on social media.
&#8220;All our kids are all our kids,&#8221; El-Sayed wrote in the video&#8217;s <a href="https://x.com/AbdulElSayed/status/2092280307596558448">caption</a>.
The Democratic candidate joined the boys, many of whom wore &#8220;Youth for Abdul&#8221; shirts, on a soccer field and explained how decisions made in Washington would affect their futures.
&#8220;My whole job is to go to Washington, D.C., to try and make laws that are better for you,&#8221; he told the boys. &#8220;That&#8217;s the whole point. So you have better schools, so that you can breathe cleaner air, you can drink cleaner water, so we don&#8217;t go send our money to kill other people instead of keeping it here, to protect you and give you healthcare, to make sure your parents have good jobs, that they have protections from a union.&#8221;
&#8220;The world that we&#8217;re building right now is the world you&#8217;re going to live in a lot longer,&#8221; he continued, adding, &#8220;When you are going out having conversations with all your neighbors and talking about elections and voting, what you&#8217;re asking them to do is build a future that&#8217;s better for you guys.&#8221;
El-Sayed told the children that he wanted them to &#8220;fight for their future&#8221; and promised he would do the same if elected to the Senate in November.
Some social media users objected to El-Sayed&#8217;s &#8220;all our kids&#8221; caption, interpreting it as suggesting that children belong collectively to the broader community, and <a href="https://x.com/CatB99261688/status/2092298658897097204">ripped</a> the Democrat for the lack of diversity in the video.
El-Sayed&#8217;s campaign did not respond to a request for comment from The Daily Wire.
The caption El-Sayed used for the post is similar to a quote from civil rights activist James Baldwin, who <a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/notes-house-bondage/">wrote</a> in The Nation in 1980, “The children are always ours, every single one of them, all over the globe; and I am beginning to suspect that whoever is incapable of recognizing this may be incapable of morality.” Baldwin espoused many socialist ideals and <a href="https://lvdsa.org/2020/07/08/socialist-spotlight-james-baldwin/">argued</a> for socialism to be implemented in the United States.
El-Sayed has attempted to distance himself from socialism throughout his Senate campaign, telling <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/im-not-a-socialist-michigans-mamdani-has-the-lefts-new-playbook-but-doesnt-want-the-new-label">The Daily Wire</a> in February, &#8220;I&#8217;m a scientist. I’m not a socialist.”
Yet many of El-Sayed&#8217;s <a href="https://abdulforsenate.com/priority/money-in-your-pocket/#h-taxing-billionaire-wealth">positions</a> are indistinguishable from socialist ideals, and he has campaigned with democratic socialists, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT). He has also joined forces with Marxist streamer Hasan Piker, whom he refuses to disavow even after Piker made <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hasan-piker-delivers-ominous-warning-to-pro-israel-jews">threatening comments</a> warning pro-Israel Jews to stop supporting the country before somebody “takes action” against them.

Democratic Senate Candidate Abdul El-Sayed Holds Primary Night Event In Detroit

El-Sayed Enlists Children To Spread Political Message: ‘All Our Kids Are All Our Kids’

2026 midterm election

abdul el-sayed

bernie sanders

michigan senate race

Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed compared Sharia Law to Canon Law when he was pressed by Fox News host Jesse Watters on Monday night on a past eyebrow-raising statement about America&#8217;s opposition to Sharia.
During an interview on &#8220;Jesse Watters Primetime,&#8221; El-Sayed, a Muslim, was confronted with a statement he made in 2022 when he argued that white supremacist forces are behind the effort to prevent Sharia Law from being implemented in America.
&#8220;So getting rid of Sharia Law is white supremacy? Can you explain that one?&#8221; Watters asked.
El-Sayed replied with his own question, &#8220;Do you know what Canon Law is, Jesse? I assume you&#8217;re a Christian, right? So Canon Law is the name for Christian law. I don&#8217;t begrudge you and your right to practice your faith as you choose. I don&#8217;t know why the idea that I could practice my faith that I choose is a problem.&#8221;
&#8220;Nobody is trying to push Sharia Law on anyone else. Just like I hope nobody is trying to push Canon Law on anybody else because we live in an America where you should have the freedom of religion,&#8221; El-Sayed added.
El-Sayed&#8217;s comparison doesn&#8217;t quite match up. Canon Law is the Christian system of rules and practices set up for leaders and members within a specific church. Sharia Law, meanwhile, encompasses rituals practiced within the Muslim faith while also setting up rules for legal systems and public practices.
Extremist Muslim nations, including Iran and Afghanistan, are completely under Sharia Law for their governmental systems. The implementation of Sharia Law in these Middle East countries has led to numerous human rights violations and extreme punishments for so-called lawbreakers, which typically target and oppress women, Christians, and people who identify as LGBT.
In many Muslim-majority nations around the world, Sharia Law is incorporated into public life and used as the basis in civil law — such as for marriage and divorce — while the government adheres to more Western principles.
During his interview with Watters, El-Sayed slammed efforts to ban Sharia Law from being implemented in U.S. legal systems, calling out one bill proposed by Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL). El-Sayed said that such efforts are &#8220;deliberately targeting the Muslim community because they&#8217;re different,&#8221; adding, &#8220;As if somehow Muslims are out here trying to push Sharia Law.&#8221;
&#8220;I would never want someone to push their faith on me, and I would never push my faith on somebody else,&#8221; he added. &#8220;When people preemptively go out there and start preemptively passing laws to ban something that&#8217;s not happening, what you&#8217;re trying to do is target a very small community because they&#8217;re different.&#8221;
Watters shot back, saying, &#8220;Sharia Law in Michigan is kind of scary. People don&#8217;t go for that. You know, it&#8217;s like men and women [aren&#8217;t equal], it&#8217;s like physical punishments. People don&#8217;t like that in Michigan. I&#8217;m just saying I don&#8217;t think that&#8217;s a good position.&#8221;
&#8220;Nobody is pushing it,&#8221; El-Sayed said. &#8220;You know what the issue is in Michigan. The issue that people are worried about is not that someone is going to come and put Sharia Law on them. The issue in Michigan is people are worried about how they&#8217;re going to afford their gas. The issue in Michigan is how am I going to see a doctor when I get sick? How am I going to keep my job?&#8221;
In a 2009 interview with The New York Times, El-Sayed said that he had <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/abdul-el-sayed-dedicated-his-life-to-sharia-law">dedicated</a> his life to Sharia Law. In the interview, he was asked about buying his first home, and he said that he had chosen a Sharia-compliant mortgage that avoided interest, which Islamic law prohibits.
“Ultimately, the question is, when I die and I stand before God and go through everything I did in my life, I don’t want to say I did it the easy way instead of the Shariah-compliant way. Not because of fear but because of obligation,&#8221; he said.

Michigan Democratic Senate Primary Winner Abdul El-Sayed Holds News Conference Day After Primary Win

WATCH: El-Sayed Makes Bizarre Comparison When Pressed On Sharia Law

jesse watters

michigan

sharia law

Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, who regularly rails against Israeli influence on American elections, had no issue speaking at a conference aimed at influencing the politics of a foreign country over the weekend.
Surrounded by Pakistani flags, El-Sayed spoke at the Pakistan Association of America in Metro Detroit on Sunday, celebrating the 79th anniversary of Pakistani independence and calling for an end to military rule in the South Asian country, The Detroit Free Press <a href="https://x.com/nwarikoo/status/2091643859272945749">reported</a>. He also compared the fight for democracy in Pakistan to his party&#8217;s efforts against President Donald Trump.
&#8220;I&#8217;m so honored to be here with you today to celebrate Pakistani independence, but I do want to speak specifically to this moment right now because the only reason I could be running for office is because I was born in these United States of America because of an accident of history,&#8221; El-Sayed said.
&#8220;Democracy is a precious thing. It is a beautiful thing,&#8221; El-Sayed added. &#8220;And it operates on a knife&#8217;s edge, and we see that in these United States right now under a president who threatens the very ideals of democracy itself.&#8221;
El-Sayed went on to condemn the current regime in Pakistan that has jailed its political opponents, including the former prime minister. The Democratic candidate, who routinely bashes the American Israel Public Affairs Committee&#8217;s (AIPAC) activities in U.S. elections, did not hesitate to push for major reforms in Pakistan while speaking at the Pakistan Association of America gathering.
El-Sayed&#8217;s campaign did not respond to The Daily Wire&#8217;s request for comment.
The leftist Muslim made his opposition to Israel and AIPAC a central part of his Senate primary campaign against Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI), who was backed by AIPAC. El-Sayed regularly highlights how AIPAC and its affiliated groups <a href="https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/elections/2026/aipac-has-spent-a-record-amount-on-michigans-senate-primary-the-biggest-test-of-its-influence-yet/">spent</a> roughly $30 million backing Stevens in the primary. In June, El-Sayed warned that he was &#8220;coming for the system that tells us that the best way to run and win campaigns is to take money from corporations and special interests like AIPAC,&#8221; adding that Israel was “the most egregious example” of foreign governments attempting to influence U.S. elections.
While El-Sayed touts himself as the candidate pushing back against foreign influence, questions have also been raised about outside influences on his own campaign. On Monday, The Midwesterner <a href="https://www.themidwesterner.news/2026/08/egyptian-sentenced-to-life-for-funding-muslim-brotherhood-giving-money-to-abdul-el-sayeds-u-s-senate-campaign/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that El-Sayed&#8217;s campaign is benefiting from thousands of dollars from an Egyptian-American activist who was sentenced to life in prison for helping radicals in the Muslim Brotherhood.
Mohamed Soltan, 38, the president of the American Committee for Middle East Rights, has made at least two contributions to El-Sayed&#8217;s campaign. Soltan&#8217;s organization has also donated $25,000 to the Fighting for Michigan PAC, which was created to support El-Sayed.
Soltan faced charges related to aiding protests against the military coup that ousted Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi in 2013, including accusations that he funded and belonged to the Muslim Brotherhood. Soltan disputed the charges. He was released from prison in 2015 after pressure from the Obama administration.
El-Sayed&#8217;s birth mother, Fatten Fathy Elkomy, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/abdul-el-sayeds-mother-worked-for-terror-group-that-funded-bin-laden-and-taliban">worked</a> for an Islamic charity later designated by the U.S. government as a supporter of terrorism after the organization was accused of funneling funds to Osama bin Laden, the Taliban, and Hamas. El-Sayed has said little about his birth mother and said that his stepmother and grandparents mostly influenced him after Elkomy and his father divorced.
El-Sayed also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/abdul-el-sayed-displayed-book-written-by-extremist-tied-to-1993-world-trade-center-attack?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Abdul+El-Sayed+Displayed+Book+Written+By+Extremist+Tied+To+1993+World+Trade+Center+Attack">displayed a book</a> written by an Islamic scholar linked to the 1993 World Trade Center terrorist attack, the Washington Free Beacon first reported. The book, called “Dream Interpretation According to the Qur’an,” was written by Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips, an Islamic scholar listed as an unindicted co-conspirator in the first bombing attack on New York’s World Trade Center. The book was just one of several tied to radical Islam seen on the bookshelf that El-Sayed attempted to hide from cameras in resurfaced documentary footage.
El-Sayed&#8217;s campaign responded, saying, &#8220;This was not Abdul’s bookshelf.&#8221; The campaign added, &#8220;Abdul is a doctor and Rhodes Scholar who reads widely, including authors whose views he may disagree with. A book appearing in the background of documentary footage is not an endorsement of its content nor a reflection of his beliefs.&#8221;
The Democrat has campaigned with Marxist streamer Hasan Piker, who said that &#8220;America deserved 9/11.&#8221; El-Sayed is also scheduled to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/el-sayed-to-speak-at-conference-that-will-include-cleric-who-forced-13-year-old-into-marriage?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=El-Sayed+To+Headline+Convention+With+Cleric+Who+Loves+Child+Marriage">headline a conference</a> organized by the Islamic Society of North America over Labor Day weekend. El-Sayed&#8217;s panel is set to address &#8220;Cultivating God Awareness in a Turmoiled America&#8221; alongside Cenk Uygur, the radical-leftist founder of The Young Turks and Piker&#8217;s uncle.
Allies of Republican Mike Rogers, who&#8217;s running against El-Sayed in the general election, are <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mike-rogers-allies-urge-aipac-to-stay-out-of-michigan-senate-race">reportedly</a> asking AIPAC to back off plans to broadcast its support for Rogers. Axios reported that Rogers met with AIPAC chairman Michael Tuchin earlier this month before the organization held off on releasing an ad attacking El-Sayed.

Abdul El-Sayed

AIPAC-Obsessed El-Sayed Speaks At Event By Pakistan Association Of America

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Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy ripped Enes Kanter Freedom after the former NBA player&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/enes-kanter-freedom-reveals-what-led-to-wnba-courtside-confrontation?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=Sports&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Enes+Kanter+Freedom+Reveals+What+Led+To+WNBA+Courtside+Confrontation">courtside clash</a> with Chicago Sky guard Natasha Cloud on Sunday night.
Portnoy said that while he agrees with Freedom&#8217;s stance on keeping men out of women&#8217;s sports, he argued that Freedom is &#8220;making this issue about him.&#8221; Freedom and Cloud engaged in a viral confrontation late in the third quarter of the game between the Sky and the Fever, and Freedom was ejected from the arena.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t think boys should be allowed to play in girls sports. I also think Enes Kanter is an absolute clown for making this issue about him,&#8221; Portnoy <a href="https://x.com/stoolpresidente/status/2091696406863974812">wrote</a> on X.
The famed sports commentator argued that Freedom&#8217;s action took the spotlight off of women playing in Sunday night&#8217;s game as Freedom&#8217;s fiery confrontation drew attention away from Fever star Caitlin Clark&#8217;s dominant performance of 37 points and 10 assists.
&#8220;We should be talking about how Caitlin had another double double 37 and 10,&#8221; Portnoy added.
Some social media users, however, pointed out that very few people would have paid attention to the Fever&#8217;s game against the Sky if the clash between Freedom and Cloud hadn&#8217;t taken place.
&#8220;Except not even the WNBA wants to talk about Clark having a double double 37 and 10. That&#8217;s what led to all of this in the first place,&#8221; conservative commentator Stephen L. Miller wrote. &#8220;Portnoy isn&#8217;t wrong, but it&#8217;s the WNBA that caused all of this.&#8221;
Conservative activist Billboard Chris slammed Portnoy, arguing that Freedom is &#8220;defending women and girls from the cult of trans in the most effective way he possibly can.&#8221;
&#8220;I have never cared about a double double in the WNBA and I never will, like 99% of men,&#8221; he added. &#8220;But I care about this. Those women should all thank him for improving their ratings and their future paychecks.&#8221;
Freedom sat courtside at the game to support Cunningham, wearing a shirt that stated the definition of a woman as “adult human female.” He claimed that Cloud began shouting at him shortly after he celebrated a three-pointer made by Cunningham.
“Sophie Cunningham shot a three, and I put my hands up to celebrate. Literally, a couple possessions later, Natasha came back and started screaming and yelling and said, ‘She’s not gonna sleep with you.’” Kanter told OutKick. “And I was like, ‘I am not trying to sleep with her. I’m just here to protect women and support her.’ And then, obviously, after that she started yapping, and she started to walk towards me, and literally I just got up, and then I was like, ‘I’m just here to protect women, and that’s all.’”
Portnoy has been one of the WNBA&#8217;s biggest critics, regularly ripping the league&#8217;s inexplicable bias against Clark. He also defended Fever guard Sophie Cunningham after she was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/black-player-clocks-sophie-cunningham-then-complains-about-white-privilege-after-ejection">leveled</a> by Sky player DiJonai Carrington during a game earlier this month. Cunningham has become the center of attention in the WNBA following her comments on keeping men out of women&#8217;s sports last month. But Freedom&#8217;s response to the WNBA, including his declaration for the WNBA draft, is not helping solve issues in the league, according to Portnoy.
Freedom played his final years for the Boston Celtics, Portnoy&#8217;s favorite team, and in 2019, Portnoy said he was excited for the 6-foot-10 center to join the Celtics.
&#8220;I love Kanter. I love this new look Celtics team. Back to guys with heart who want to be here and win,&#8221; Portnoy <a href="https://x.com/stoolpresidente/status/1145758476012048384">said</a> after Freedom signed with Boston.

Portnoy Enes

Dave Portnoy Calls Enes Kanter Freedom An ‘Absolute Clown’ After WNBA Courtside Clash

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Zach Jewell