Michigan Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib lashed out multiple times during President Donald Trump&#8217;s State of the Union address on Tuesday night, including in a moment when she appeared to shout &#8220;KKK&#8221; while most of the chamber was chanting &#8220;USA.&#8221; The camera caught the Michigan congresswoman on screen during the exchange.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Is Rashida Tlaib chanting “KKK” while everyone else chants “USA”? Sure looks like it <a href="https://t.co/5nnp0or3Xn">pic.twitter.com/5nnp0or3Xn</a>
— Matthew Foldi (@MatthewFoldi) <a href="https://twitter.com/MatthewFoldi/status/2026497799055872466?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Republicans blasted Tlaib over the clip, with the National Republican Congressional Committee <a href="https://x.com/NRCC/status/2026505894771519709">stating</a>, &#8220;Everything you need to know about today&#8217;s Democrats. They cannot stand this country, they cannot stand its comeback, &amp; they cannot hide their contempt anymore.&#8221;
The Daily Wire reached out to Tlaib&#8217;s office for comment.
Tlaib, a Muslim whose district includes the highly-populated Muslim city of Dearborn, Michigan, wore a pin to the State of the Union that read &#8220;F*CK ICE.&#8221; She also wore a pair of watermelon earrings that apparently signify her solidarity with the &#8220;Palestinian cause&#8221; and another pin that read &#8220;Stand with survivors, release the Epstein Files.&#8221;
The Michigan congresswoman stood up alongside Minnesota leftist Rep. Ilhan Omar on other occasions during the speech to shout and wave fingers at Trump. Neither Omar nor Tlaib, however, stood when Trump asked members of Congress to get on their feet if they supported prioritizing Americans over illegal immigrants. They also did not stand when Trump highlighted the dozens of Israeli hostages who were rescued from Hamas captivity.
Tlaib mostly ignored the instructions from Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who urged Democrats to remain quiet or skip the State of the Union altogether.
“The two options that are in front of us in our House [are] to either attend with silent defiance or to not attend and send a message to Donald Trump in that fashion, which will include participation in a variety of different alternate programming that is going to take place in and around the Capitol complex,” Jeffries <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5748563-democrats-state-of-the-union-protests/">said</a> last week.
Dozens of Democrats boycotted the State of the Union and attended the &#8220;alternate programming&#8221; events, which were similar to political rallies where Democrats largely focused on bashing Trump&#8217;s immigration policies and tariffs. Tlaib and Omar opted to attend Trump&#8217;s speech and make a scene.
Texas Democrat Al Green made a similar decision and was booted from the chamber after holding up a large sign that read, &#8220;Black people aren&#8217;t apes,&#8221; a reference to a video that was shared by President Trump on Truth Social that briefly depicted former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama as guerillas. It was the second year in a row that Green was escorted out of the chamber during Trump&#8217;s speech to Congress.
During his address, Trump ripped Democrats multiple times, including calling them &#8220;crazy&#8221; for refusing to stand in support of protecting children from life-altering gender procedures.
“Who can believe that we&#8217;re even speaking about things like this?” Trump asked. “But surely we can all agree no state can be allowed to rip children from their parents&#8217; arms and transition them to a new gender against the parents, well, who would believe that were even talking about? We must ban it, and we must ban it immediately.”

President Trump Delivers The State Of The Union Address

WATCH: Rashida Tlaib Appears To Chant ‘KKK’ During Trump’s SOTU

Democrats

Donald Trump

House Democrats

Ku Klux Klan (KKK)

Michigan

Rashida Tlaib

New York City Democratic Socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he does not believe anyone should be charged after a mob of people surrounded NYPD officers and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/disgraceful-nypd-officers-pelted-with-snowballs-chased-out-of-park">flung snowballs</a> at them Monday afternoon, sending multiple officers to the hospital with minor injuries.
Mamdani told reporters on Tuesday that he disagrees with calls for those responsible for the attack on police officers to be charged. The leftist mayor said the videos of the incident he has watched show nothing more than &#8220;a snowball fight.&#8221;
&#8220;I think there were two officers who were facing lacerations on their face,&#8221; Mamdani said. He was then asked if he would call for the prosecution of the people who pelted the officers with snowballs. Mamdani replied, &#8220;Look, I&#8217;ve seen the videos of this snowball fight. I think that it was a snowball fight.&#8221;
The mayor&#8217;s comments are at odds with other New York officials, including Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, who called the mob&#8217;s actions “disgraceful” and “criminal.”
“The NYPD is aware of certain videos taken earlier today in Washington Square Park showing individuals attacking cops. I want to be very clear: The behavior depicted is disgraceful, and it is criminal,” Tisch said. “Our detectives are investigating this matter.”
One <a href="https://x.com/BGOnTheScene/status/2026065265201475765">video</a> of the incident showed two of the police officers attempting to walk through the crowd as people slung snowballs at them and ran up behind them to dump large pieces of snow on their heads. Some people in the crowd stood in front of the officers as they tried to walk through the park, and the officers threw at least two people to the ground. Another <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qCsdPs1OWI">video</a> showed a group of police officers fleeing the scene as the crowd continued to hurl snowballs at them. No arrests have been made.
New York Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul condemned the mob that targeted police officers in New York City&#8217;s Washington Square Park.
&#8220;Our NYPD officers put themselves on the line to protect us every day. It is never acceptable to throw anything at a police officer, full stop,&#8221; Hochul said.
Meanwhile, Mamdani&#8217;s 2024 rivals, former Mayor Eric Adams and former Governor Andrew Cuomo, called on the mayor to condemn the attack on police officers and ripped his past anti-police rhetoric.
“Words have consequences. We are seeing that in the growing disrespect for law enforcement — just as we’ve seen it in the rise in antisemitism. Real leaders understand that. This mayor does not,&#8221; Cuomo said.
Mamdani referred to those who pelted NYPD officers with snowballs as &#8220;kids&#8221; and was asked by a reporter if he knew that &#8220;for a fact or is it possible these were adults?&#8221;
&#8220;I can just tell you from the video I saw it looked like kids at a snowball fight,&#8221; the mayor said.
Mamdani also urged people to treat the city&#8217;s law enforcement with respect: &#8220;Officers have been on the front line of helping us respond to this blizzard. They have been keeping New Yorkers safe &#8230; they and our entire city workforce, of course, deserve to be treated with respect.&#8221;
&#8220;The only person in our city&#8217;s workforce who deserves to be treated with a snowball is me,&#8221; he added. On Monday, Mamdani said that students who were upset that he made the decision to have remote classes after the massive snowstorm could throw snowballs at him.

NYC Mayor Mamdani Holds News Conference Briefing On Massive Incoming Snow Storm

‘It Was A Snowball Fight’: Mamdani Downplays Unruly Mob That Injured NYPD Officers

General

Law Enforcement

New York City

NYPD

U.S.

Winter storm

Zohran Mamdani

Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas is facing mounting pressure to resign after he was accused of having an extramarital affair with a staffer before she committed suicide last year.
Reps. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Nancy Mace of South Carolina, and Thomas Massie of Kentucky have all made public calls for Gonzales to immediately step down. Texas Republican Reps. Chip Roy and Brandon Gill, meanwhile, have urged Gonzales to end his re-election bid.
Gonzales, a 45-year-old husband and father of six children, has denied allegations of an affair with Regina Santos-Aviles, his former staffer, who committed suicide last September by dousing herself in accelerant and setting herself on fire at her Uvalde, Texas, home. Santos-Aviles, who was 35 at the time of her death, left behind a young son.
The latest revelations in the scandal came last week when the <a href="https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/tony-gonzales-santos-aviles-affair-husband-21360950.php">San Antonio Express-News</a> published messages that Santos-Aviles&#8217; husband said were sent between Gonzales and his former staffer. Screenshots of the messages show Gonzales allegedly making sexual requests of Santos-Aviles, including asking her to send him a &#8220;sexy&#8221; photo of herself and asking what her &#8220;favorite position&#8221; is.
One message shows the congressman allegedly telling Santos-Aviles about his sexual fantasy before the staffer replies, &#8220;This is too far, Tony.&#8221; In another message, she wrote, &#8220;This is going too far boss. So how long have you thought I was this hot?&#8221;
Santos-Aviles&#8217; husband, Adrian Aviles, told the Express-News, “I said the truth would come to light when it’s time, and the time is now. Tony abused his power. He should have held himself to a higher standard as a congressional leader.”
Gonzales remained defiant on Tuesday, <a href="https://x.com/i/status/2026369580382163169">telling</a> CNN, &#8220;I am not going to resign. I work every day for the people of Texas &#8230; and there will be an opportunity for all the details and all the facts to come out. What you&#8217;ve seen is not all the facts.&#8221;
Gonzales did not answer when asked by CNN whether the text messages reported by the Express-News were real. Last week, the Republican congressman said he would &#8220;NOT BE BLACKMAILED&#8221; and added that it was &#8220;disgusting to see people profit politically and financially off a tragic death.&#8221;
Adrian Aviles said he wanted to release the text messages to push back on Gonzales&#8217; claim that he is being &#8220;blackmailed.&#8221;
“I’m releasing them now because I don’t want to be called a liar and don’t want her to be called a liar,” Aviles added. “I also want to show proof to everybody the type of person that he is. He’s a predator. He took advantage of a very vulnerable woman.”
The Daily Wire reached out to Gonzales&#8217; office for comment.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Monday that Republicans should &#8220;wait for more of the facts to come out&#8221; before calling for Gonzales&#8217; resignation. A Gonzales resignation would further endanger the House Republicans&#8217; majority as the party holds on tightly to a four-seat lead over the Democrats. Some Republicans have seen enough, and are voicing their disgust with Gonzales over the allegations.
&#8220;The entire Texas delegation, as well as every single other Member of Congress, should be condemning a sitting Member of Congress asking for explicit photos of their staff,&#8221; Luna <a href="https://x.com/RepLuna/status/2026010250382610570">said</a> on Monday. &#8220;As a woman, this is really disgusting to see. Not to mention, it brings dishonor on the House of Representatives. I am so sick of people not calling this crap out. Again, like I’ve said before, this is not the only case of this crap up here. @RepTonyGonzales, shame on you.&#8221;
Congressman Roy, a member of the House Freedom Caucus, <a href="https://x.com/emilybrooksnews/status/2026312050637517217">said</a> that Gonzales should end his re-election campaign &#8220;for the good of the country&#8221; and the &#8220;good of the party.&#8221; Roy previously endorsed Gonzales&#8217; Republican primary challenger, Brandon Herrera.
Herrera called Gonzales a &#8220;sexual predator&#8221; who &#8220;wrecked a family.&#8221;
&#8220;I have now seen some of the text messages between Tony Gonzales and his late aide, Regina Santos-Aviles. It is now clear to me Tony Gonzales is a sexual predator, who abused his position of power and wrecked a family,&#8221; Herrera said on Sunday. &#8220;I also now know this is not the only case. He must resign.&#8221;
A recent <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/02/23/us-news/most-voters-have-unfavorable-view-of-rep-tony-gonzales-internal-poll/">poll</a> from Political Intelligence shows Gonzales trailing Herrera by over 20 points ahead of the Republican primary. Gonzales was also underwater by 30 percentage points in approval rating, with 54% of those surveyed holding an unfavorable opinion of the third-term representative.

US Congress Delegation Visit Kyiv

Salacious Texts Ignite Capitol Hill Scandal After Staffer’s Death

Congress

House Republicans

Love Affair

Politics

Texas

A Utah judge dismissed an attempt by Tyler Robinson&#8217;s defense team to have the prosecution disqualified on Tuesday, dealing yet another blow to the attorneys defending the man accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk. 
Robinson’s attorneys argued that the prosecutors should be recused after discovering that a daughter of one of the prosecutors was present at Kirk’s event when the Turning Point USA founder was assassinated on September 10, 2025. State District Judge Tony Graf said the prosecutors can remain on the case as the daughter&#8217;s presence at the event “did not materially influence” the prosecutor&#8217;s actions in the case.
Robinson appeared virtually for Tuesday&#8217;s hearing. He has been charged with aggravated murder, which makes him eligible for the death penalty under state law. 
Judge Graf’s decision on Tuesday keeps Robinson’s trial on track as prosecutors plan to seek the death penalty. Robinson has not yet entered a plea. Robinson’s defense team argued that there was a conflict of interest for the prosecution, since the daughter of deputy county attorney Chad Grunander was in attendance at Kirk’s event at Utah Valley University last September. 
The prosecution <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/charlie-kirks-suspected-assassin-fights-death-penalty-says-trump-influenced-prosecutor">pushed back</a> on the defense team’s claim, saying there is no conflict of interest with Grunander’s daughter and that she did not have a direct line of sight to the shooter. Grunander’s daughter also testified in court and said she did not realize Kirk had been shot until after she ran to safety, the Associated Press reported. 
Utah County Attorney Jeffrey S. Gray said in a filing, “Under these circumstances, there is virtually no risk, let alone a significant risk, that it would arouse such emotions in any father-prosecutor as to render him unable to fairly prosecute the case.” 
Graf agreed and said on Tuesday that the daughter had “no unique, relevant information” about the assassination of Kirk that would potentially put her on the witness stand.
Robinson’s attorneys also claimed earlier this month that the prosecution’s quick decision to seek the death penalty was influenced by President Donald Trump, who said shortly after Kirk’s assassination that he hoped the killer would get the death penalty. Gray said that he wanted to decide on pursuing the death penalty quickly to avoid media speculation. 
“The longer you delay that decision … the more delay, then it just creates all this unnecessary speculation and everything else,” Gray said, adding that he did it to prevent “unnecessary angst with the families of victims … so Erika Kirk didn’t have to deal with that uncertainty.”
Judge Graf’s decision comes hours before President Donald Trump gives his State of the Union address to Congress, with <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/erika-kirk-to-attend-state-of-the-union-as-president-trumps-guest?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Mary+Margaret+Olohan&amp;category=Exclusive&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=EXCLUSIVE%3A+Erika+Kirk+To+Be+Trump%E2%80%99s+Special+Guest+At+State+Of+The+Union">Erika Kirk in attendance</a> as one of his special guests. Daily Wire White House Correspondent Mary Margaret Olohan reported earlier on Tuesday that Trump will mention both Erika Kirk and her late husband during his speech.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/friendly-fire?utm_campaign=dwplus&amp;utm_content=20260224_sotu_aa_desktop&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=banner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Watch the State of the Union with The Daily Wire! Live coverage from the nation’s capital begins at 7:45 ET.</a>
The decision marks yet another loss for Robinson&#8217;s defense team. Late last year, Graf said that cameras would be allowed in the courtroom for the trial, dismissing the defense team&#8217;s claim that the media&#8217;s courtroom access could result in an unfair trial for Robinson.

Tyler Robinson

Judge Rejects Bid To Oust Prosecutors From Charlie Kirk Assassination Case

Judge Dismisses Defense Effort To Remove Prosecutors From Charlie Kirk Assassination Case

assassination

Charlie Kirk

Court

Erika Kirk

Turning Point USA

Utah

President Donald Trump riled up California Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday night, suggesting the Democrat decided to take his name out of consideration for the 2028 presidential election.
&#8220;Wow! Gavin Newscum just dropped out of the Presidential Race!!!&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116123225544591694">wrote</a> on Truth Social.
Newsom has not announced a decision on a 2028 presidential bid, but Trump&#8217;s post came as the governor faced criticism for comments he made about his SAT scores and dyslexia to a crowd in Atlanta during his book tour. The president&#8217;s Truth Social post caught Newsom&#8217;s attention, and the governor quickly responded through his personal and official social media accounts.
&#8220;WOW. THE PRESIDENT IS SUNDOWNING HARDER THAN USUAL TONIGHT!!! — GOVERNOR GCN,&#8221; <a href="https://x.com/GovPressOffice/status/2026129785420742660">wrote</a> on the official account for Newsom&#8217;s press office, which regularly mocks Trump&#8217;s social media activity. &#8220;Sundowning&#8221; refers to symptoms that affect many Alzheimer&#8217;s patients, such as increased confusion and agitation that usually occur later in the day.
Newsom also joked about the president&#8217;s Truth Social post on his personal X account, <a href="https://x.com/GavinNewsom/status/2026130066019651698">writing</a>, &#8220;It’s on page 69 of my new book. Buy it here.&#8221;
Newsom was slammed on Monday after a clip of his book tour event in Atlanta went viral, showing the governor discussing his low SAT score with Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens in front of a crowd of Democratic supporters.
“I’m like you. I’m not better than you,” Newsom said. “I’m a 960 SAT guy.”
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/friendly-fire?utm_campaign=dwplus&amp;utm_content=20260224_sotu_aa_desktop&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=banner">Watch the State of the Union with The Daily Wire! Live coverage from the nation&#8217;s capital begins at 7:45 ET.</a>
Conservatives accused Newsom of making the comment in an attempt to pander to black Americans in a city made up of a large black population. In 2024, the average SAT score for black students was 907, while white students scored an average of 1083, according to College Board data.
After making the comment, Newsom added, &#8220;I&#8217;m not trying to offend anyone and act all there if you got 940. But [I&#8217;m] literally a 960 SAT guy.&#8221;
Newsom raged against Fox News host Sean Hannity after Hannity said Newsom &#8220;thinks a 960 SAT score makes him &#8216;like&#8217; black Americans. Let that sink in.&#8221;
&#8220;You didn’t give a sh*t about the President of the United States of America posting an ape video of President Obama or calling African nations sh*tholes — but you’re going to call me racist for talking about my lifelong struggle with dyslexia?&#8221; Newsom shot back. &#8220;Spare me your fake f*cking outrage, Sean.&#8221;
Mayor Dickens defended Newsom after videos of his remark went viral on social media.
&#8220;Take it from someone who was actually in the chair asking the questions: context matters more than a headline,&#8221; he <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DVHpugCFGFT/?img_index=1">said</a>. &#8220;The conversation around his new book included him speaking about his own academic struggles, including not doing well on the SAT. That wasn’t an attack on anyone. It was a moment of vulnerability about his own journey.&#8221;
Dickens added that people in Atlanta were not offended by the governor&#8217;s comment.
&#8220;Let me be clear though. This is Atlanta. We don’t need anyone to tell us when to be offended. And history has shown&#8230; when we are, you’ll know,&#8221; he said. &#8220;If you want the full context, watch the full clip, read the book, and engage the complete conversation.&#8221;
Newsom is among the favorites to win the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination. While he has not officially announced a presidential run, the governor appears to be testing the waters. Newsom launched a nationwide book tour last Saturday to discuss his new memoir with Americans, making his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/in-tennessee-gavin-newsom-sprints-to-the-far-left">first stop in Nashville</a>.
While in Nashville, Newsom echoed some rhetoric from the far-Left wing of the Democratic Party, praising Democratic socialist Bernie Sanders and saying that America’s economic system “fundamentally has to be reformed.” He also said the next Democratic president should be more aggressive with executive actions, adding, &#8220;We are capable of doing much more.&#8221;

Donald Trump/Gavin Newsom

Trump Taunts Newsom With 2028 Suggestion After Viral SAT Comment

Atlanta

California

Elections

Executive

Gavin Newsom

Multiple officers with the New York City Police Department were targeted by people who started a snowball fight in a park after a massive winter storm dumped around two feet of snow in the area.
As much of the city was at a standstill due to the storm, a large group organized a snowball fight at Washington Square Park on Monday afternoon. NYPD officers responded to the scene after some people had climbed onto the roof of one of the buildings inside the park, ABC 7 New York reported.
Video shows multiple people pelting the officers with snow as others stood by with their phones out to record. Multiple officers were injured and treated at the hospital for lacerations on their faces, according to the outlet.
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Another <a href="https://x.com/BGOnTheScene/status/2026065265201475765">video</a> shared on social media showed two of the police officers attempting to walk through the crowd as people slung snowballs at them and ran up behind them to dump large pieces of snow on their heads. Some people in the crowd stood in front of the officers as they tried to walk through the park, and the officers threw at least two people to the ground. It does not appear that anyone was arrested, however.
One of the videos showed a group of police officers fleeing from the scene as the crowd continued to hurl snowballs at them.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch called the actions &#8220;disgraceful&#8221; and &#8220;criminal.&#8221;
&#8220;The NYPD is aware of certain videos taken earlier today in Washington Square Park showing individuals attacking cops. I want to be very clear: The behavior depicted is disgraceful, and it is criminal,&#8221; Tisch <a href="https://x.com/NYPDPC/status/2026128921905803638?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2026128921905803638%7Ctwgr%5E255217b0726999553d44c8fe3a95ef56634573d0%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fabc7ny.com%2Fpost%2Fnypd-officers-hit-snowballs-injured-responding-washington-square-park-manhattan%2F18641766%2F">said</a>. &#8220;Our detectives are investigating this matter.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/friendly-fire?utm_campaign=dwplus&amp;utm_content=20260224_sotu_aa_desktop&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=banner" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-sk="tooltip_parent">Watch the State of the Union with The Daily Wire! Live coverage from the nation&#8217;s capital begins at 7:45 ET.</a>
New York City Democratic Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who has <a href="https://x.com/ZohranKMamdani/status/1277414510131916801?lang=en">referred</a> to police as &#8220;racist&#8221; and a &#8220;threat&#8221; in the past, has not commented on the incident. Following the snowball attack on police, Mamdani was put on blast by New York political rivals, including former Mayor Eric Adams and former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who both lost to Mamdani in the 2025 mayoral election.
&#8220;This is disgraceful. But with a mayor who has a history of calling the police &#8216;racist, evil, wicked and corrupt,&#8217; he set the tone,&#8221; Cuomo wrote on X. &#8220;Words have consequences. We are seeing that in the growing disrespect for law enforcement — just as we’ve seen it in the rise in antisemitism. Real leaders understand that. This mayor does not. @NYCMayor must denounce this at once.&#8221;
Adams, who left office last month after Mamdani&#8217;s victory, <a href="https://x.com/ericadamsfornyc/status/2026233199454548446">wrote</a>, &#8220;Watching officers get pelted with snow while they are out in brutal weather protecting this city should make every New Yorker furious. It is disgusting behavior. And the politicians who constantly bash the police and refuse to have their backs are setting a terrible example. Leadership matters. Tone matters. ALL ELECTED OFFICIALS must speak out and make it clear that attacks on our officers, in any form, will not stand. Back the police. Full stop.&#8221;
New York Republican Rep. Claudia Tenney also pointed the finger at Mamdani after the snowball mob targeted police officers.
&#8220;You can thank Mamdani’s anti-police rhetoric for this,&#8221; she said. &#8220;New Yorkers should not stand for this and those responsible should be held accountable.&#8221;
The major winter storm was the first test of Mamdani&#8217;s emergency preparedness and response as mayor, and he also faced <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nyc-raises-wages-to-30-hour-to-lure-snow-shovelers-after-historic-blizzard">criticism</a> after the city struggled to attract snow shovelers. After few people signed up to clear snow, the city reportedly increased the hourly wage from $19.14 to $30 per hour.

‘Disgraceful’: NYPD Officers Pelted With Snowballs, Chased Out Of Park

Snow

The U.S. women&#8217;s hockey team, which won gold against Canada earlier this week, said on Monday that the players could not attend President Donald Trump&#8217;s State of the Union address, citing &#8220;previously scheduled academic and professional commitments.&#8221;
Trump invited the U.S. women&#8217;s and men&#8217;s hockey teams to attend his address on Tuesday night after both teams brought home the gold medal, with each team taking down arch-nemesis Canada in overtime. While not yet official, the men&#8217;s hockey team appeared excited to make the trip to Capitol Hill for Trump&#8217;s address. The women&#8217;s team, however, said that &#8220;the athletes are unable to participate.&#8221;
&#8220;We are sincerely grateful for the invitation extended to our gold medal–winning U.S. Women’s Hockey Team and deeply appreciate the recognition of their extraordinary achievement,&#8221; a USA Hockey spokesman said, according to <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/us-womens-hockey-team-declines-trumps-invitation-state-union-rcna260299">NBC News</a>.
The women&#8217;s team dominated during the Olympics, allowing just two goals throughout the entire tournament. Despite blowing past Canada in the preliminary round 5-0, the U.S. women found themselves trailing late against Canada in the gold-medal game. In a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/revenge-served-cold-team-usa-takes-gold-over-canada-in-olympic-sudden-death-overtime">thrilling finish</a>, Hilary Knight tied the game with just two minutes left before Megan Keller scored the game-winner in sudden-death overtime to lift the U.S. women past Canada.
A State of the Union invite is a rare honor, as members of Congress, as well as the speaker and the president, are afforded a very limited number of guests. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said on Monday that officials were working to &#8220;figure out logistics&#8221; for the House to host both teams, which would include dozens of players and coaches, POLITICO <a href="https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/02/23/congress/usa-hockey-teams-sotu-00793130">reported</a>.
“There’s no way to have special guests on the floor because it’s a literal session of Congress,” he said. “But we’re going to work and do what we can to accommodate.”
After the United States won its first gold medal in men&#8217;s hockey since 1980 on Sunday, Trump spoke to the team over the phone and invited them to the State of the Union.
&#8220;I must tell you, we’re going to have to bring the women’s team, you do know that,&#8221; Trump told the men&#8217;s team after its victory over Canada. He joked that if he didn&#8217;t also invite the women&#8217;s team, &#8220;I do believe I probably would be impeached.&#8221;
The U.S. men&#8217;s team, most of whom were chugging beers alongside FBI Director Kash Patel, was ecstatic when Trump spoke to them over the phone in the locker room.
&#8220;We&#8217;re giving the State of the Union speech on Tuesday night. I could send a military plane or something if you would like to,&#8221; Trump said. Some of the players then replied, stating, &#8220;We&#8217;re in!&#8221;
&#8220;If you could work that out, I would be honored to have you all,&#8221; Trump added.
The men&#8217;s team flew back to the United States on Monday, arriving in Miami after their flight was rerouted due to the massive winter storm in the Northeast. Star forward Matthew Tkachuk told reporters that the team would spend the day in Miami before flying to Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. Asked if they would attend the State of the Union, Tkachuk replied, &#8220;I don&#8217;t know what our plan is yet.&#8221;
Tkachuk said &#8220;it was an honor&#8221; to get a call from Trump after the gold-medal victory.
&#8220;We&#8217;re definitely honored to represent him and hundreds of millions across the country, bringing a gold medal back,&#8221; he added.

Ice Hockey – Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics: Day 13

Two Gold-Medal Teams, Two Very Different Responses To Trump’s Invitation

Hockey

State of the Union

Team USA

Winter Olympics

Women's Hockey

President Donald Trump ripped the &#8220;sick&#8221; legacy media and Democratic Party for ignoring the families of Americans killed by illegal immigrants, officially declaring February 22 &#8220;National Angel Family Day&#8221; to recognize the families of those whose lives were taken by criminals who entered the country illegally.
Trump addressed the Angel Families at the White House on Monday, one day after the second anniversary of the murder of Laken Riley. Trump&#8217;s <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/02/national-angel-family-day-2026/">proclamation</a> on Monday also recognized Jocelyn Nungaray and Rachel Morin, who were killed by illegal immigrants, and Matthew Denice, Sarah Root, and Ivory Smith, who were killed by drunk drivers who entered the country illegally.
&#8220;We&#8217;re willing to tell the story,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ll2R6vKFd_c">said</a> of Riley&#8217;s life and tragic murder. &#8220;I don&#8217;t know why the news doesn&#8217;t want to hear it. The Democrats don&#8217;t want to hear it, the radical Left, they don&#8217;t want to hear it. What&#8217;s not to hear? We want to stop murderers and criminals from coming into our country.&#8221;
&#8220;I watch the mayor of Minneapolis, I watch these people saying we want to protect murderers. I don&#8217;t get it &#8230; there&#8217;s something sick. We can&#8217;t have a country like that,&#8221; he added.
Riley&#8217;s mother, Allyson Phillips, addressed the room full of reporters, Trump administration officials, and Angel Families, and thanked Trump for his work to crack down on illegal immigration and recognize the Americans killed by people who illegally crossed the border.
&#8220;You have said from the beginning, literally the day after [Riley&#8217;s murder], that you would not forget about Laken,&#8221; Phillips said. &#8220;You weren&#8217;t president at that time, and you have not forgotten. You have fought a fight that most people would not want to have to fight.&#8221;
Riley, 22, was brutally stabbed to death while out for a run on the University of Georgia campus on February 22, 2024. Riley&#8217;s murderer, 26-year-old Jose Ibarra from Venezuela, illegally entered the United States under the Biden administration in 2022. Ibarra was arrested for endangering a child on a scooter in New York shortly after entering the United States, but New York authorities released him from custody before Immigration and Customs Enforcement could lodge a detainer.
The former NYPD officer who arrested Ibarra for child endangerment in 2023 also spoke at the White House on Monday, saying, &#8220;I did my job. I put him in custody, but the system failed. No detainer. No accountability. No deportation. And an innocent American life was taken.&#8221;
Trump vowed to continue to crack down on Democrat-run &#8220;sanctuary cities.&#8221;
&#8220;They protect criminals with a vengeance,&#8221; he said, adding, &#8220;There&#8217;s something wrong with them.&#8221;
Trump&#8217;s event honoring the families of Americans killed by illegal immigrants comes one day before he delivers his State of the Union address, where he will likely focus much of his time on touting his work to crack down on illegal immigration. Trump said during the White House press conference that his State of the Union address would be &#8220;a long speech because we have so much to talk about.&#8221;
Trump&#8217;s immigration policy has been one of his top priorities since returning to the White House last year. As Trump has effectively shut down illegal immigration at the southern border and moved to deport illegal immigrants, Democrats have raged against Trump&#8217;s policy, especially his large ICE operations in cities such as Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and Minneapolis.
After Minneapolis residents Renee Good and Alex Pretti were shot and killed by federal agents last month, Democrats ramped up their efforts to oppose federal immigration enforcement, with some Democratic lawmakers calling for ICE to be &#8220;abolished&#8221; and suggesting that ICE agents are terrorists and murderers.
As anti-ICE demonstrations continued in Minneapolis earlier this month, Trump sent his border czar, Tom Homan, to Minnesota to talk with the state&#8217;s Democratic leaders. After meeting with Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, Homan <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-to-end-ices-operation-metro-surge-in-minnesota-homan-says">announced</a> the end of ICE&#8217;s immigration surge in the state and said that local Minnesota officials agreed to cooperate with federal authorities.

US-POLITICS-TRUMP

Trump Torches ‘Sick’ Democrats Who Ignore Americans Murdered By Illegal Immigrants

Illegal Immigration

Laken Riley

Trump Administration

NASHVILLE — California’s Democrat governor and potential 2028 presidential candidate Gavin Newsom began his nationwide book tour in a red state on Saturday night, but he didn’t use the night to continue his move to the center.
The event was moderated by Justin Kanew of the leftist media outlet the Tennessee Holler, whose disdain for the Trump administration and conservative policies was also made evident multiple times. Throughout the evening, the Newsom weaved back and forth between discussing the book and his life journey and raging against President Donald Trump and Republicans.
Newsom spent much of his time pushing the typical Democratic talking points, such as calling out Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations and criticizing Republican-led efforts to pass strict voter ID requirements through the Save America Act. But the governor also echoed some rhetoric from the far-Left wing of the party, saying that America&#8217;s economic system &#8220;fundamentally has to be reformed.&#8221;
&#8220;We&#8217;re talking about trillionaires now, not billionaires, so this isn&#8217;t working for enough folks. If you&#8217;re 30 years old, you&#8217;re the first generation in American history that&#8217;s not doing better than their parents,&#8221; Newsom said. &#8220;So Bernie [Sanders] is right in that respect. Donald Trump was right, but he exploited it, and he has not done a damn thing to solve it and he&#8217;s just making it worse.&#8221;
&#8220;So the system fundamentally has to be reformed,&#8221; he added.
Newsom also agreed with Kanew that the next Democratic president should be more aggressive with executive actions.
&#8220;We are capable of doing much more,&#8221; he said.
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The evening, which focused on Newsom&#8217;s new memoir, &#8220;Young Man in a Hurry,&#8221; drew hundreds of people. It also allowed Newsom an opportunity to inform Democratic voters about his background and personal life. The California governor remains the betting favorite to win the 2028 Democratic nomination.
Newsom touted his own record on the economy as governor and boasted about signing legislation that is set to increase the minimum wage in California to $20 per hour for fast food workers and $25 per hour for many health care workers. He then blasted other states, hinting at Tennessee, for not raising their minimum wages. Newsom did not address <a href="https://epionline.org/release/new-data-staggering-16000-jobs-lost-under-newsoms-20-fast-food-wage-law/">data</a> that shows that numerous restaurants in California cut thousands of jobs and raised prices after the minimum wage hike.
Newsom expressed concern that Trump is attempting to hijack the 2026 midterm elections through his push for redistricting, ICE operations, and the Save America Act, but he remained optimistic that Democrats would take control of the House after the midterms.
&#8220;Donald Trump&#8217;s presidency de facto ends as we know it in November of this year when Speaker [Hakeem] Jeffries gets the gavel. It does. That&#8217;s going to happen,&#8221; he said.
The moderator then asked Newsom, &#8220;Are the elections going to matter? Is [Trump] going to steal the election? He&#8217;s going after the Georgia ballots, he&#8217;s already planning to surround the polls with ICE, so obviously voter suppression is on his mind because he knows he can&#8217;t necessarily win.&#8221;
Newsom agreed with the concerns brought up by Kanew and mentioned how former Trump adviser Steve Bannon has called for ICE agents to surround polling places in November. Bannon, who is now a podcast host, has not advised Trump since 2017. Acting ICE director Todd Lyons <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgE7QZnfBLQ">told</a> Congress earlier this month that &#8220;there&#8217;s no reason to use ICE officers&#8221; in that situation.
The governor&#8217;s criticism of ICE again on Saturday night comes a month after he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/months-after-violent-riots-newsom-claims-that-california-cooperates-with-ice">admitted</a> to Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro that it was &#8220;fair&#8221; to criticize his office for calling ICE agents terrorists.
Newsom’s admission came after Shapiro told the governor that accusing ICE of terrorism “makes our politics worse” and “our ICE officers are obviously not terrorists.”
Newsom stated bluntly on Saturday that he opposes the Republicans&#8217; Save America Act, which would require voters to provide proof of citizenship when they register to vote. The governor suggested the Save America Act would prevent Americans from voting because many people don&#8217;t have a passport or their birth certificate.
&#8220;It&#8217;s not about voter ID, the Save Act is not about that. It&#8217;s about registration. It&#8217;s about proving your citizenship with a passport. Not everyone has a passport,&#8221; Newsom said. &#8220;I don&#8217;t know where &#8230; do you know where your birth certificate is? I lost that at seven. I don&#8217;t even know where to begin to get it back.&#8221;<iframe style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; max-width: 100%; width: 100%; margin: 20px auto 5px; border: 0;" src="https://player.mux.com/NuWCjZUU5HcPe7Ha2Xx6n8QNPAYHCWXY?metadata-video-content-type=embed_video&amp;metadata-video-id=6df59e3f-eeca-485c-a714-f8fb159d69dd&amp;metadata-video-stream-type=on-demand&amp;metadata-video-title=26-02-21%3A%20Newsom%20On%20Voter%20ID&amp;poster=https%3A%2F%2Fdailywireplus-v2.imgix.net%2Fimages%2Fembedded-videos%2F18fd6908-01d7-4810-a482-ceb5ab3abdf7.png&amp;autoplay=false&amp;accent-color=%23DB3D3B&amp;primary-color=%23ffffff&amp;secondary-color=%23000000" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
The crowd, which gathered at an event space in west Nashville, consisted mostly of middle-aged and elderly people.

In Tennessee, Gavin Newsom Sprints To The Far-Left

Tennessee

In Michigan, late winter and early spring are unpredictable. It’s a time of year when the state could get buried under a foot of snow at the beginning of a week and then reach 60 degrees with sunshine by the weekend.
This year, Michigan&#8217;s unpredictable late winter season will also serve as an important gauge in a wide-open 2026 midterm Senate election. For the first time in the state’s history, the governor&#8217;s race and the U.S. Senate contest will both take place without an incumbent running in either election, thanks to the retirement of Democratic Senator Gary Peters. While the primary elections and the warm Michigan summer are still months away, the Michigan Senate race is already heating up.
The 2026 Senate election in Michigan could also serve as a bellwether for other important races across the country as the GOP looks to hold onto control in the upper chamber. Michigan remains a political paradox as a state that returned Trump to the White House in 2024 while simultaneously electing a Democrat to the Senate. In 2026, it once again remains a pure toss-up.
Recent elections have been brutal for Michigan Republican Senate candidates. The party hasn’t won a Senate race in the state since 1994 — when star athletes Isaiah Thomas and Barry Sanders were still playing in Detroit.
<h3>Strong Start For Republicans</h3>
Republicans are hoping for a breakthrough in this year’s Senate election with former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, a familiar name on the ballot in Michigan. Rogers ran for an open Senate seat in 2024, but despite voters pushing Trump over the edge in Michigan, Rogers lost to Democrat Elissa Slotkin by just over 20,000 votes.
Asked if there is any lingering trepidation from the 2024 election loss, Rogers told The Daily Wire that he&#8217;s confident he has &#8220;enough votes in the bank to win this election.&#8221;
&#8220;We had over 100,000 people walk into the polls in 2024, vote for Donald Trump, and turn around and leave, didn&#8217;t vote for any other Republican,&#8221; Rogers said. &#8220;Here&#8217;s the good news: I got more Republican votes than any other statewide candidate for a state of Michigan office in the history of the state by 300,000 votes. So I have enough votes in the bank to win this election. We&#8217;ve just got to get people ginned up to get there.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_816855" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-816855" class="wp-image-816855 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/GettyImages-2166165020-1-864x576.jpg" alt="US Senate candidate Mike Rogers (R-MI) speaks before Republican Vice Presidential Nominee, Senator JD Vance to delivers remarks at Cordes, Inc. in Byron Center, Michigan, on August 14, 2024." width="864" height="576" />Mike Rogers (JEFF KOWALSKY/AFP via Getty Images)</div>
This year, Rogers once again boasts an endorsement from Trump, which came much earlier in the race than in 2024, marking him as the clear favorite to win the GOP primary. With the primary all but secure, Rogers is busy building a general election war chest as a crowded field of Democrats vie for the nomination. That&#8217;s a welcome development for the Rogers campaign, which fell far behind the Democrats in fundraising in 2024.
Rogers told The Daily Wire that he believes his campaign represents Republicans’ best chance to pick up a Senate seat in the 2026 midterms.
“Having President Trump’s endorsement early, having the Senate leadership support early, having our ground game organized early, all of that has made a tremendous difference,” he said. “And the result of that is that we’ve led in the last four current polls, which tells you in a state like Michigan, getting out a little bit early like this and having better ground game, better organization, better funding is really, really significant.”
Rogers said that after decades of Democratic control of both U.S. Senate seats in Michigan, residents are ready for “change.”
“People are fired up about this race, and they’re excited for change,” he said. “And why not have a voice of reason finally, after 30 years, representing somebody who actually started working on a factory floor and is now a candidate for Senate.”
As he gears up for a general election battle, Rogers is fine-tuning his messaging on the economy and the housing market, issues that President Trump has also focused on in recent months. Earlier this month, Rogers unveiled a plan to help Americans “unlock homeownership.” The Republican Senate candidate proposed expanding 529 savings plans to cover first-time home down payments and deferring student loan payments while saving for a down payment.
“The Democrats will find everything to be against. They don&#8217;t stand for much of anything for how to fix a problem,” Rogers said. “They know that I&#8217;ve fixed problems, and I&#8217;m going to fix problems when I become their next United States senator. That&#8217;s what people are fired up about.”
The Daily Wire asked Rogers about Americans&#8217; ongoing economic frustrations one year after Trump, who was largely elected on promises to fix those economic issues, was sworn in. Rogers said the Trump administration and Republicans are trying to fix &#8220;four years of really bad Democrat policies&#8221; under the Biden administration. The GOP Senate candidate specifically called out how former President Joe Biden&#8217;s policies affected Michigan autoworkers.
&#8220;They damn near put out of business two great American car companies with all these EV mandates. Even the Ford CEO came out and said it was the EV mandates that was the cause of the increase of cost for these cars,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Democrats have had years to do this damage. The Republicans and Donald Trump have had about a year to undo as much of that as possible.&#8221;
<h3>A Big Question Mark For Democrats</h3>
Three Democratic candidates are in a close primary race for the chance to face Rogers and maintain the Democratic Party’s dominance in Michigan Senate elections.
U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, state Senate leader Mallory McMorrow, and former health care director Dr. Abdul El-Sayed are at the top of the field in a crowded race. While Republicans are already focusing on the general election, the door remains wide open for Democrats. According to the most recent <a href="https://emersoncollegepolling.com/michigan-2026-poll-crowded-democratic-senate-primary-remains-wide-open/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">polling</a> from Emerson College, McMorrow leads the field at 22%, with Stevens coming in at 17% and El-Sayed standing at 16%. Nearly 40% of voters polled, however, remained undecided.
Each of the Democratic candidates is struggling to maintain momentum and has been hurt by recent controversies. A <a href="https://x.com/townhallcom/status/2001727745919680652?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2001727745919680652%7Ctwgr%5E8a533198239aecff6fa22f4f663189c37d2763b6%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailywire.com%2Fnews%2Fdem-senate-hopeful-says-shed-throw-beer-at-conservative-justices-lacks-self-control">video</a> published by conservative outlet Townhall in December shows McMorrow suggesting to supporters that she would <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dem-senate-hopeful-says-shed-throw-beer-at-conservative-justices-lacks-self-control">throw beer</a> at conservative Supreme Court Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh if she saw them in public.
“I talked to somebody yesterday who said they saw her with Brett Kavanaugh at a tailgate last weekend. I was like, ‘I would not be able to control myself,&#8217;” McMorrow said. “That would be bad — there would be beers thrown in people’s faces.”
<div id="attachment_983569" style="width: 875px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-983569" class="wp-image-983569 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2166823388-865x576.jpg" alt="CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, UNITED STATES - AUGUST 19: State Senator Mallory McMorrow, a Democrat from Michigan speaks during the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, United States on August 19, 2024." width="865" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2166823388-865x576.jpg 865w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2166823388-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2166823388-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2166823388.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 865px) 100vw, 865px" />State Sen. Mallory McMorrow (Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images)</div>
Stevens was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-dem-files-articles-of-impeachment-against-rfk-jr-and-even-her-own-party-is-trashing-her">criticized</a> by some Democratic leaders late last year after she filed articles of impeachment against Health and Human Services Director Robert F. Kennedy Jr. According to The New York Times, some of Stevens Democratic colleagues viewed the move as a political stunt.
Stevens shot back, arguing that she’s “not one for political theater” and that she was “standing up for the health and safety of the people I represent.”
<div id="attachment_98743" style="width: 711px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-98743" class="wp-image-98743 size-full" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/03/Haley-Stevens.jpg" alt="Freshman Congresswoman Haley Stevens (D-MI), center, celebrates after being sworn in by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi for the 116th Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington DC on Thursday January 3, 2019. (Photo by Melina Mara/The Washington Post via Getty Images)" width="701" height="407" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/03/Haley-Stevens.jpg 701w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/03/Haley-Stevens-300x174.jpg 300w" sizes=" (max-width: 701px) 100vw, 701px" />Rep. Haley Stevens (Melina Mara/The Washington Post via Getty Images)</div>
In October, El-Sayed sent a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dem-senate-candidate-accuses-israel-of-invading-gaza-in-oct-7-fundraising-email">fundraising email</a> on the anniversary of Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, but in the email, El-Sayed made no mention of the terror group’s atrocities and blamed Israel for launching “a ground invasion of Gaza.” After the email was sent, the Democratic candidate said that it was pushed out by mistake, and he released a separate statement on the anniversary of October 7 condemning Hamas for the “heinous attack,” but also accusing Israel of committing “genocide.”
El-Sayed, who was endorsed by democratic socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/im-not-a-socialist-michigans-mamdani-has-the-lefts-new-playbook-but-doesnt-want-the-new-label">told</a> The Daily Wire last week that the email had been approved to go out, but was supposed to be sent on a different day.
“It went out, and I very quickly reached out to leaders in the Jewish community to apologize for having stepped on their grief,” he said, adding, “The message in the email is something I stand by.”
<div id="attachment_983129" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-983129" class="wp-image-983129 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-1206289728-864x576.jpg" alt="Dr. Abdul El-Sayed speaks during a coronavirus public health roundtable with Senator Bernie Sanders, an Independent from Vermont and 2020 presidential candidate, not pictured, in Romulus, Michigan, U.S., on Monday, March 9, 2020. Sanders said any eventual vaccine for the deadly novel coronavirus should be made available free of charge once developed and approved for use." width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-1206289728-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-1206289728-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-1206289728-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-1206289728.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Dr. Abdul El-Sayed (Erin Kirkland/Bloomberg via Getty Images)</div>
The top Democratic candidates are already beating up on each other, and there are still months to go in the bitter primary battle before Michigan’s August 4 primary. In a forum hosted by the United Auto Workers in Detroit last week, the Democratic candidates clashed over multiple issues, including how far to the Left Michigan voters would be willing to go.
McMorrow, who is leading in early polls, suggested that El-Sayed — who is the farthest to the Left of the three Democrats — is focusing on “rhetoric” over delivering results, while arguing that Stevens is “too beholden to corporate interests.” During the forum, Stevens, who is viewed as most in line with the Democratic establishment and is endorsed by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, focused her attacks on Trump and Rogers, NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/democrats-vying-michigan-senate-seat-clash-corporate-money-first-forum-rcna258221">reported</a>.
El-Sayed, meanwhile, ran to the Left of both McMorrow and Stevens, calling for “Medicare for all” and for Immigration and Customs Enforcement to be “abolished,” stances he also discussed in a 20-minute phone conversation with <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/im-not-a-socialist-michigans-mamdani-has-the-lefts-new-playbook-but-doesnt-want-the-new-label" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Wire</a> last week.
The Daily Wire reached out to the campaigns of McMorrow and Stevens, requesting interviews, but they have not responded.
The race could ultimately come down to how well Republicans can maintain their focus on the general election and whether Rogers can maintain his fundraising advantage, as the Democrats battle it out for the nomination.
A lot can change in these political campaigns in a short amount of time — just like Michigan&#8217;s weather in late February.

Michigan Senate Race

The Senate Race Democrats Have Controlled For Decades — Now It’s Wide Open

2026 Midterms

Republicans

U.S. Senate

Two officers with the Detroit Police Department were suspended without pay for 30 days on Thursday for calling Customs and Border Protection agents on two separate occasions that resulted in the agents taking suspects into federal custody.
A Detroit Police sergeant and officer were accused by Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison of breaking department policy when they called Border Patrol agents during traffic stops on December 16 and February 9, ABC&#8217;s Detroit affiliate WXYZ <a href="https://www.wxyz.com/news/dpd-officer-sergeant-could-be-fired-after-calling-cbp-on-traffic-stops">reported</a>. Bettison pushed to fire the officers, but the Board of Police Commissioners voted on Thursday to suspend the cops without pay. The officers were initially suspended with pay on February 12.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement <a href="https://x.com/ICEgov/status/2024856403232403816">responded</a> to the development and told the suspended officers in a post on X, &#8220;We have a place for you, patriots.&#8221; Under its message, ICE posted the link to where people can apply to work for the agency.
While Detroit has not officially declared itself a &#8220;sanctuary city&#8221; for illegal immigrants, it effectively acts as on as the police are prohibited from cooperating with federal immigration agents. During the incident earlier this month, Detroit Police sergeant Denise Wallet was called to assist an officer who was dealing with a person who could not speak English. According to Chief Bettison, the sergeant called Border Patrol to help with translation services instead of using the police department&#8217;s translation service line.
Wallet, who has been with the department for 27 years, sued the city after she was suspended. In a complaint, Wallet said that she contacted Border Patrol simply to identify the suspect, &#8220;not to enforce immigration law or to inquire into the subject’s immigration status,&#8221; Michigan Advance <a href="https://michiganadvance.com/2026/02/20/detroit-cop-who-called-border-patrol-sues-city-to-keep-her-job-says-she-did-not-violate-policy/#:~:text=Currently%2C%20Detroit%20Police%20Department's%20policy,for%20translation%20services%20during%20stops.">reported</a>. Wallet&#8217;s action was discovered by the police department during a bodycam audit, which showed the sergeant make &#8220;a verbal comment expressing her disagreement with the DPD policy regarding immigration and collaboration with the federal government.&#8221;
In the complaint, Wallet argues that the police department&#8217;s policy violates federal law, which states that &#8220;no state or local government entity or official may prohibit or restrict any government entity or official from sending to, or receiving from, federal immigration authorities information regarding the citizenship or immigration status of any individual.&#8221; Wallet also argues that her due process rights were violated since she was suspended without being given an opportunity to defend herself.
Leftist Michigan Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib praised Chief Bettison for punishing the police officers.
&#8220;Chief Bettison and I agree that we need to make sure that our community and our residents trust the people who are trying to keep us safe,&#8221; Tlaib said.
Michigan House Republican leader Matt Hall, however, said that the Detroit Police Department&#8217;s action could prompt the state House to review the department&#8217;s policies, saying that firing the officers would be &#8220;unacceptable,&#8221; The Detroit News <a href="https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2026/02/19/michigan-house-detroit-police-officers-being-fired-for-calling-border-agents-immigration-detention/88760280007/">reported</a>.
After the board voted on Thursday to suspend the officers without pay, Bettison said he would no longer pursue firing the officers.
&#8220;This incident should make it clear, however, that as Chief, I will continue to vigorously enforce DPD&#8217;s policies,&#8221; he added.
While Detroit has not seen the same surge in federal immigration operations that cities like Minneapolis and Chicago have experienced, ICE agents <a href="https://bridgemi.com/michigan-government/ice-in-michigan-more-arrests-detainees-and-protests/">routinely arrest</a> suspected illegal immigrants in the Motor City and surrounding area.

Detroit Police

Detroit Police Officers Punished For Cooperating With Border Patrol. ICE Tells Them To Apply For Jobs.

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Detroit

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

President Donald Trump announced on Thursday night that his administration would provide $10 million in economic assistance to the East Palestine, Ohio, community as it continues to recover from the disastrous train derailment and chemical spill in 2023.
Trump vowed to &#8220;never&#8221; forget about the Americans affected by the derailment and blasted former President Joe Biden, saying he &#8220;betrayed&#8221; the residents of East Palestine. Trump&#8217;s move on Thursday came just after the third anniversary of the disaster, which forced some residents of the small Ohio community to leave their homes for months after toxic chemicals leaked into the ground and air.
&#8220;To the Great People of East Palestine, Ohio, who were disgracefully betrayed and forgotten about by Crooked Joe Biden — &#8216;TRUMP&#8217; has never forgotten about you, and never will!&#8221; he <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116100280662640693">wrote</a> on Truth Social. &#8220;In addition to our Administration’s Longterm Health Study for the benefit of the residents, we are providing $10 Million Dollars through the Economic Development Administration to help the Community continue its Economic Recovery from the disastrous train derailment.&#8221;
The Economic Development Administration, which is part of the Commerce Department, <a href="https://www.eda.gov/about">focuses</a> on investing in communities throughout the United States to &#8220;establish a foundation for long-term job growth and build durable regional economies.&#8221; The Daily Wire reached out to the Economic Development Administration for more information on Trump&#8217;s plan to pump $10 million into East Palestine&#8217;s local economy.
Trump added on Thursday, &#8220;We want to see East Palestine grow, flourish, and be able to take advantage of our now BOOMING Economy. It was horrible what was allowed to happen there, and we are with you for the LONG HAUL.&#8221;
The February 3, 2023, derailment spilled toxic and combustible chemicals, such as vinyl chloride, into the ground and water, and authorities conducted a controlled burn of the train cars carrying vinyl chloride to prevent a potentially massive explosion. The controlled burn released more chemicals into the air, and authorities in East Palestine and the surrounding areas advised residents to remain indoors.
The train disaster exacerbated an already growing economic problem in East Palestine, which was struggling to retain businesses amid a declining population. East Palestine&#8217;s population shrank from over 5,500 in the 1970s to around 4,700 at the 2020 census.
&#8220;There are a lot of businesses who have left our town, and we are in need of financial recovery and economic recovery,” Chris Page, the president of the East Palestine Community Improvement Corporation, <a href="https://spectrumnews1.com/oh/columbus/news/2026/02/04/east-palestine-economic-recovery-derailment">said</a> earlier this month.
Trump visited East Palestine shortly after the train derailment in February 2023, handing out water bottles and talking with citizens who were concerned about the future of their community. Trump&#8217;s visit to the small Ohio village drew a sharp contrast with then-President Joe Biden, who did not visit East Palestine until a year after the disaster.
“In too many cases, your goodness and perseverance were met with indifference and betrayal,” Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/three-years-after-east-palestine-the-fight-over-railway-legislation-chugs-along">said</a> at the time.
Along with the health and economic consequences of the disaster, some East Palestine residents also alleged in a lawsuit filed last year that the toxic chemical spill and burn-off led to the deaths of seven people, including a 1-week-old infant.
The wrongful death <a href="https://www.alleghenyfront.org/norfolk-southern-derailment-east-palestine-ohio-lawsuit-wrongful-death/">lawsuit</a>, which was filed against the Norfolk Southern railroad company, claims that contractors hired by the railroad company did not effectively clean up the toxic chemical waste and also alleges that the Environmental Protection Agency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention failed to properly warn residents about the health risks.
Norfolk Southern previously settled a class-action lawsuit with many East Palestine residents for a total of $600 million. In that settlement, residents within a 2-mile radius of the derailment received up to $70,000 for property damage and up to $25,000 for personal injuries. The plaintiffs in the wrongful death lawsuit, however, did not sign onto the class-action case that was settled.

‘Never Forgotten’: Trump Delivers $10M To Community Still Haunted By Toxic Disaster

'Never Forgotten': Trump Hands Out $10M To East Palestine Community Recovering From Train Disaster

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Zach Jewell