Just over a week after President Trump brokered a deal that brought home the last of the hostages held by Hamas terrorists — and laid out a plan for lasting peace between Israel and Gaza — the latest reports indicate that Hamas militants have taken to publicly executing Palestinian civilians. So of course, CNN wanted to talk about — and to — former Rep. George Santos (R-NY).
For those who don&#8217;t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week&#8217;s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-commutes-sentence-of-former-gop-rep-george-santos">Trump announced</a> on Friday that he was commuting the remainder of the 7-year sentence that Santos was serving after he pled guilty to aggravated identity theft and wire-fraud charges in relation to his 2022 congressional campaign. Prior to that he&#8217;d been ousted by Congress after serving less than a year of his first term: Lawmakers <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/12/01/gop-rep-george-santos-faces-expulsion-vote-in-house.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voted</a> 311-114 to oust Santos in December 2023 after a GOP-led House Ethics Committee report accused Santos of stealing campaign donors’ money to spend on Botox, OnlyFans, and other items.
Trump swiped at Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) in the Truth Social post announcing the commutation, saying, &#8220;I started to think about George when the subject of Democrat Senator Richard “Da Nang Dick” Blumenthal came up again. As everyone remembers, “Da Nang” stated for almost twenty years that he was a proud Vietnam Veteran, having endured the worst of the War, watching the Wounded and Dead as he raced up the hills and down the valleys, blood streaming from his face &#8230; This is far worse than what George Santos did, and at least Santos had the Courage, Conviction, and Intelligence to ALWAYS VOTE REPUBLICAN!&#8221;
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So on Sunday, despite the continued bloodshed in Gaza and the ongoing Democrat-driven government shutdown, much of the conversation on CNN was focused squarely on Santos.
Anchor Dana Bash started with Senator Katie Britt (R-AL), asking whether she took issue with Trump&#8217;s decision to commute the sentence of the disgraced congressman.
&#8220;[Santos] did plead guilty to defrauding his donors and constituents of hundreds of thousands of dollars, money he will no longer be required to pay back because of this commutation. Is this acceptable to you?&#8221; Bash asked.
&#8220;Look, I will let Congressman Santos speak for himself,&#8221; Britt replied. &#8220;What I appreciate is President Trump&#8217;s commitment to the American people.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
BASH: “[Santos] did plead guilty to defrauding his donors and constituents of hundreds of thousands of dollars, money he will no longer be required to pay back because of this commutation. Is this acceptable to you?”
BRITT: “Look, I will let Congressman Santos speak for… <a href="https://t.co/3SvurPWDHk">pic.twitter.com/3SvurPWDHk</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1979939429633380426?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Bash then took the question to Santos directly, asking him whether he planned to make restitution.
&#8220;You were ordered by the court to pay $370,000 in restitution to the people you defrauded… Will you work to try to do that?&#8221; she asked.
&#8220;I can do my best to do whatever the law requires of me. So I don&#8217;t know what that is,&#8221; he replied. &#8220;If it&#8217;s required of me by the law, yes. If it&#8217;s not, then no.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
BASH: “You were ordered by the court to pay $370,000 in restitution to the people you defrauded… Will you work to try to do that?”
SANTOS: “I can do my best to do whatever the law requires of me. So I don&#8217;t know what that is… If it&#8217;s required of me by the law, yes. If it&#8217;s… <a href="https://t.co/EVBHKzKGTg">pic.twitter.com/EVBHKzKGTg</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1979942437411057676?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Bash then pivoted to note that some were critical of Trump&#8217;s decision to commute his sentence, and Santos pushed back, essentially arguing that there would be people criticizing Trump no matter what he did.
&#8220;I&#8217;m pretty confident if President Trump had pardoned Jesus Christ off the cross, he would have had critics,&#8221; Santos said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
George Santos shrugs off criticism of Trump commuting his prison sentence: “I&#8217;m pretty confident if President Trump had pardoned Jesus Christ off the cross, he would have had critics.” <a href="https://t.co/YxjwjV5F6u">pic.twitter.com/YxjwjV5F6u</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1979943369892679734?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;I&#8217;m very grateful to President Trump, Dana, and I sit here quite literally, I don&#8217;t know how much more humbled I can get before people believe I&#8217;m humble or remorseful, but I can just do the best in my actions moving forward,&#8221; Santos added.
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George Santos responds to former Republican colleagues who say he shouldn’t have been freed from prison: “I&#8217;m very grateful to President Trump, Dana, and I sit here quite literally, I don&#8217;t know how much more humbled I can get before people believe I&#8217;m humble or remorseful, but I… <a href="https://t.co/1TyrdeeDXl">pic.twitter.com/1TyrdeeDXl</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1979943593436479708?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
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He went on to say that he&#8217;d already thought of a way that he could potentially begin to give back, saying, &#8220;I told this to the president, that I&#8217;d love to be involved with prison reform, and not in a partisan way, in real human ways, in a way that we effect it, that it helps society, it helps these individuals rebuild their lives and we have a better system with less incarcerated people … If I can be a part of helping that, I think that would be a great road to follow in the future.&#8221;
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Santos: “I told this to the president, that I&#8217;d love to be involved with prison reform, and not in a partisan way, in real human ways, in a way that we effect it, that it helps society, it helps these individuals rebuild their lives and we have a better system with less… <a href="https://t.co/6qXkS9c3z3">pic.twitter.com/6qXkS9c3z3</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1979943752346353792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
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And it didn&#8217;t end there: Santos was also the topic of a panel discussion to round out &#8220;State of the Union.&#8221;
Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) said she wasn&#8217;t in favor of Trump&#8217;s decision, but that she planned to withhold judgment and give Santos a chance to prove he&#8217;d changed.
&#8220;I will give him the benefit of the doubt, and I hope he is a changed person who&#8217;s going to focus on his second chance on doing good. I do not agree with the commutation. I think it was a wrong decision, primarily because this is somebody who stole millions of dollars from his donors. He defrauded the public and his voters … I wish him well. I hope he does good, and I hope he sticks to his word that he&#8217;s a renewed person.&#8221;
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New York Republican Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis on Trump commuting George Santos’ prison sentence:
“I will give him the benefit of the doubt, and I hope he is a changed person who&#8217;s going to focus on his second chance on doing good. I do not agree with the commutation. I… <a href="https://t.co/I77ZfKoMw7">pic.twitter.com/I77ZfKoMw7</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1979948410368061661?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
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And then Paul Begala tried to make it about Trump &#8230;
&#8220;This is a story about a con man, a liar, a grifter, somebody, a felon, disgraced his high office, and also about George Santos,&#8221; he quipped.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Paul Begala: “This is a story about a con man, a liar, a grifter, somebody, a felon, disgraced his high office, and also about George Santos.”
GOP Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, Brad Todd, and Faiz Shakir join Dana Bash to react to President Trump’s controversial decision to commute… <a href="https://t.co/W7SQ50hJpp">pic.twitter.com/W7SQ50hJpp</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1979949001135763632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
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U.S. Congressman-elect George Santos

Spin Cycle: Let’s Talk About … Santos?

Spin Cycle: Let's Talk About ... Santos?

ABC News

CBS News

Donald Trump

George Santos

Media

NBC News

Politics

Prison

President Donald Trump left for Israel on Sunday to celebrate the deal he&#8217;d brokered just days earlier between Israel and Hamas, the terrorist group responsible for the brutal massacre on October 7, 2023. In the days since the agreement was reached, the litmus test has been a simple one: who is willing to give Trump credit for the work he&#8217;s done — and who isn&#8217;t?
For those who don&#8217;t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week&#8217;s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
While there were some on both sides of the political aisle who were willing to acknowledge Trump&#8217;s role in securing a deal to bring the hostages home and ultimately end the war entirely, others tried to qualify his success — or even omit him from the conversation.
Vice President JD Vance, of course, was firmly in Trump&#8217;s corner as he made the rounds on the Sunday morning shows. On ABC&#8217;s &#8220;This Week,&#8221; he spoke with anchor George Stephanopoulos about phase one of the deal and the return of the last remaining hostages held in Gaza.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Vice President JD Vance confirmed to <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ThisWeekABC</a> anchor George Stephanopoulos that Hamas has said they are holding 20 living hostages, and that those hostages are expected to be released in the next 24 hours. <a href="https://t.co/UfEwC9T1VW">https://t.co/UfEwC9T1VW</a> <a href="https://t.co/m2YM0mFINZ">pic.twitter.com/m2YM0mFINZ</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1977374051581530562?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Vance took a similar tone with &#8220;Face the Nation&#8221; host Margaret Brennan on CBS, telling her, &#8220;The president is actually traveling to the Middle East, likely this evening, in order to meet them and greet them in person. It&#8217;s a big day for their families, but I think more importantly, it&#8217;s a big day for the entire world.&#8221;
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Vice President JD Vance says he is “very confident” the Israeli hostages will be released by Monday’s deadline.
“The president is actually traveling to the Middle East, likely this evening, in order to meet them and greet them in person. It&#8217;s a big day for their families, but I… <a href="https://t.co/GHr02lZ1z6">pic.twitter.com/GHr02lZ1z6</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1977386745722245598?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty also spoke to Brennan and expressed confidence in Trump&#8217;s deal. &#8220;We are very hopeful that the first phase will be completed in all honesty,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We are in full contact with the Palestinians, with Hamas, because it’s all about, of course, releasing the hostages and for Israel, releasing some of the Palestinian detainees.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty says Egypt is “confident the first phase of the Trump peace plan will be implemented,” telling <a href="https://twitter.com/margbrennan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@margbrennan</a> “we are very hopeful that the first phase will be completed in all honesty” from Israel and Hamas.
“We are in full contact with… <a href="https://t.co/J1ncn5MvTq">pic.twitter.com/J1ncn5MvTq</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1977400339612483731?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Senator Chris Murphy, however, couldn&#8217;t bring himself to directly credit Trump with the win — even when asked point blank by Brennan whether the deal marked something upon which he could agree with the president.
&#8220;I congratulate the negotiators on getting this done. There&#8217;s no politics about this moment,&#8221; he said. &#8220;But you watch those devastating images of what Gaza looks like today, and it&#8217;s both heartbreaking and infuriating that this deal has been on the table for over a year. So again, this will be a good week, but as you have reported, there are big issues to come. Israel is not fully pulling out of Gaza. There is no clear path forward on what the security and governance force is going to look like inside that country.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
In reaction to the first phase of the peace deal between Israel and Hamas, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) says “I congratulate the negotiators on getting this done. There&#8217;s no politics about this moment.”
“But you watch those devastating images of what Gaza looks like today, and it&#8217;s… <a href="https://t.co/Yz2SjimNgv">pic.twitter.com/Yz2SjimNgv</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1977408024877707484?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
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CNN anchor Dana Bash also asked her guests whether Trump deserved some credit for securing the deal. Senator <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/he-worked-this-out-senate-dem-admits-trump-deserves-a-lot-of-credit-for-gaza-deal">Mark Kelly</a> (D-AZ) told her that Trump &#8220;should get a lot of credit&#8221; for making it happen.
&#8220;I think he should get a lot of credit. I mean, this was his deal,” Kelly replied. “He worked this out. He sent [Middle East Envoy] Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner over to negotiate this. And so far, it’s gone well. Hopefully, the hostages get released here — might not be within 24 hours — but certainly, I think, by Monday. And that’s progress. And now we’re going to have to see what happens next.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Sen. Mark Kelly on ceasefire deal in Gaza: I think Trump &#8220;should get a lot of credit.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/iFopebsXTI">pic.twitter.com/iFopebsXTI</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1977373195628941468?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Former President Joe Biden&#8217;s National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan was also quick to agree that Trump had earned credit by securing the ceasefire. Bash recalled Kelly&#8217;s interview and asked Sullivan whether he agreed that Trump should be lauded for getting the deal across the finish line. &#8220;Of course he does,&#8221; Sullivan said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Former Biden National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan on whether Trump deserves credit for ceasefire deal in Gaza: &#8220;Of course he does.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/enthxBCStL">pic.twitter.com/enthxBCStL</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1977380978344538545?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
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CNN guest Jamal Simmons attempted to split the baby, qualifying Trump&#8217;s success: &#8220;The problem that we see is, on one side is Donald Trump solving or doing a great job in bringing people together around the world around some of these peace issues, while at the same time dividing people at home.&#8221;
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“The problem that we see is, on one side is Donald Trump solving or doing a great job in bringing people together around the world around some of these peace issues, while at the same time dividing people at home.”
Jamal Simmons, Scott Jennings, Nayyera Haq, and Rebeccah… <a href="https://t.co/TfVoGrgFyO">pic.twitter.com/TfVoGrgFyO</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1977392744906502336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Even former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/obama-snubs-trump-over-israel-hamas-peace-deal">Barack Obama</a> took some heat for praising the deal without even acknowledging who had brought it about.

TOPSHOT-US-ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-TRUMP-NETANYAHU-CONFLICT-DIPLOMACY

Spin Cycle: The Gaza Litmus Test — And Who Is Passing It

Benjamin Netanyahu

Fox News Sunday

Hostages

Israel

Legacy media outlets appear to have absolutely zero curiosity when it comes to the text-message scandal building around Jay Jones — the current Democratic nominee for state attorney general in Virginia — as evidenced by the glaring lack of coverage they gave it on the Sunday morning political talk shows.
For those who don&#8217;t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week&#8217;s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
This week, what was most notable about media coverage across the networks was not where the spin was so mush as where it wasn&#8217;t. Less than 48 hours had passed since the texts — sent by Jones in 2022 and containing overt statements advocating for the assassination of a political opponent — went viral, and in that time, not one national Democrat had publicly condemned Jones or called for him to step out of the race. Despite all that, not one host of one show — &#8220;This Week&#8221; on ABC, &#8220;Face the Nation&#8221; on CBS, &#8220;Meet the Press&#8221; on NBC, or &#8220;State of the Union&#8221; on CNN — raised the question with their guests.
The topic did come up once — on &#8220;Meet the Press&#8221; — but it was one of the guests who mentioned it during a panel discussion. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-biden-adviser-blows-off-despicable-jay-jones-texts-a-private-conversation">Marc Short</a>, who served as former Vice President Mike Pence&#8217;s chief of staff, mentioned Jones in the context of the many Democrats who had spent days in a public group meltdown over a few memes featuring House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) with a fake mustache and a sombrero.
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BONKERS. Neera Tanden excuses Virginia Democrat AG candidate Jay Jones calling for the assassination of a Republican leader and his kids as just merely just a “private conversation.”
Utterly disgraceful. 🤡🤡🤡🤡 
<a href="https://t.co/N5KEyFZHPU">pic.twitter.com/N5KEyFZHPU</a>
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) <a href="https://twitter.com/SteveGuest/status/1974871008147616176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
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“Can we stop with the pearl-clutching about the mean tweets and the sombrero tweets?” he asked. “This week it came to light that a Democrat candidate for attorney general in the state of Virginia called for the assassination of a political opponent, called for the assassination of that political opponent’s family, and there’s not one national Democrat calling for him to step aside — not one! It’s disgraceful.”
Host Kristen Welker conceded that the text scandal was likely to become a bigger story — but gave no insight as to why, if she believed that to be true, she had not raised the question herself. She then pivoted to Neera Tanden, who worked in former President Joe Biden&#8217;s White House, to address the situation.
&#8220;I mean, I absolutely think people should criticize that, 100%,” Tanden began, but then almost immediately attempted to turn the argument back on President Donald Trump. &#8220;I think it was a private conversation he had, but still awful and disgusting … it should be condemned, but then we should condemn that, but then you should condemn when the president calls the Democratic Party the ‘party of satan.&#8217;”
After some cross talk from both Short and Tanden, Short once again stressed his original point: that not one national Democrat had come out to condemn Jones or call for his resignation.
&#8220;The fact that not one Democrat has stood up when he called for a political assassination in this moment of political violence is crazy,&#8221; he said.
Jones had sent the texts in question three years earlier, in 2022, calling for former state House Speaker Todd Gilbert (R-VA) to be murdered. “Three people, two bullets. Gilbert, Hitler and Pol Pot. Gilbert gets two bullets to the head,” Jones texted to Del. Carrie Coyner (R) at the time. “Spoiler: put Gilbert in the crew with the two worst people you know and he receives both bullets every time.”
In other messages, he&#8217;d also claimed that Gilbert would not change his political positions unless he and his wife had to watch one of their children die — and that he&#8217;d attend the funerals of Republican lawmakers in order to &#8220;piss on their graves.&#8221;
Vice President JD Vance also noted the lack of Democrats distancing themselves from Jones and his vile text messages, saying, &#8220;The Democrat candidate for AG in Virginia has been fantasizing about murdering his political opponents in private messages. I&#8217;m sure the people hyperventilating about sombrero memes will join me in calling for this very deranged person to drop out of the race.&#8221;
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The Democrat candidate for AG in Virginia has been fantasizing about murdering his political opponents in private messages. I&#8217;m sure the people hyperventilating about sombrero memes will join me in calling for this very deranged person to drop out of the race. <a href="https://t.co/ZapsWc9VFG">https://t.co/ZapsWc9VFG</a>
— JD Vance (@JDVance) <a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance/status/1974549343744205204?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/not-funny-trump-trashes-jay-jones-over-sick-and-demented-texts-advocating-political-violence">President Trump</a> also called for Jones to exit the race &#8220;immediately,&#8221; endorsing his opponent Attorney General Jason Miyares (R-VA) and adding, &#8220;It has just come out that the Radical Left Lunatic, Jay Jones, who is running against Jason Miyares, the GREAT Attorney General in Virginia, made SICK and DEMENTED jokes, if they were jokes at all, which were not funny, and that he wrote down and sent around to people, concerning the murdering of a Republican Legislator, his wife, and their children.&#8221;
And in the state of Virginia, the situation is even worse — in addition to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/virginia-dems-say-candidate-who-fantasized-about-murdering-gop-leader-is-better-than-republicans">not condemning Jones</a>, a number have either remained entirely silent on the issue or have come out and said that no matter what he&#8217;d said in the past, the current race was too important to allow a Republican to win.
<a href="https://x.com/jaaavis/status/1974237981268381718?s=46" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Louise Lucas</a>, president pro tempore of the Virginia Senate and a marijuana dispensary co-owner, said in a statement, “There is no place for political violence or violent rhetoric in our public discourse, and Jay must take accountability for his actions. But we will not allow this moment to overshadow the stakes of this election. … The choice before us is far bigger than this mistake.”

Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) campaigns as the Democratic nominee in the Virginia’s governor’s race.

Spin Cycle: Jay Who? Sunday Shows Black Out Dem Scandal Rocking Virginia

Democrats

Political Violence

As a government shutdown looms in the very near future, the topic at the forefront of discussions across the Sunday morning political talk shows was funding the government: who is holding the most leverage, who — if anyone — is willing to budge, and what will happen if they can&#8217;t come to an agreement?
For those who don&#8217;t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week&#8217;s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
After previously canceling a meeting with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) — and declaring their demands for a potential deal to be &#8220;ridiculous,&#8221; Trump has reportedly agreed to a rescheduled meeting to discuss plans to avoid a shutdown. Republicans and Democrats alike addressed what such a deal might look like — and thus far, a consensus it is not.
Jeffries, for example, told ABC News host Martha Raddatz on &#8220;This Week&#8221; that he was willing to sit down with anyone who was interested in finding a path forward to funding the government.
&#8220;We&#8217;ve made clear that we&#8217;re ready, willing, and able to sit down with anyone at any time and at any place in order to make sure that we can actually fund the government,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“We&#8217;ve made clear that we&#8217;re ready, willing, and able to sit down with anyone at any time and at any place in order to make sure that we can actually fund the government,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries tells <a href="https://twitter.com/MarthaRaddatz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MarthaRaddatz</a>. <a href="https://t.co/CyT5lxgzMc">https://t.co/CyT5lxgzMc</a> <a href="https://t.co/tWvRtrkObC">pic.twitter.com/tWvRtrkObC</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1972304860528722211?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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But in the same interview, he badmouthed the people he claimed to be ready to work with, saying they&#8217;d &#8220;behaved not as a separate and co-equal branch of government and a check and balance on an out-of-control executive branch, but as a consistent rubber stamp for Donald Trump&#8217;s extreme agenda.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Republicans have “behaved not as a separate and co-equal branch of government and a check and balance on an out-of-control executive branch, but as a consistent rubber stamp for Donald Trump&#8217;s extreme agenda,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries says. <a href="https://t.co/OKY7B0xDem">https://t.co/OKY7B0xDem</a> <a href="https://t.co/FrrprqmxbC">pic.twitter.com/FrrprqmxbC</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1972305063549800536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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And then he flipped back, saying once again that he wanted to work with the Republicans he&#8217;d just referred to as &#8220;rubber stamps&#8221; for an &#8220;extreme agenda.&#8221;
&#8220;We want to find a bipartisan path forward and reach a spending agreement with our Republican colleagues that actually meets the needs of the American people, but that also addresses the Republican health care crisis,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“We want to find a bipartisan path forward and reach a spending agreement with our Republican colleagues that actually meets the needs of the American people, but that also addresses the Republican health care crisis,” Rep. Hakeem Jeffries says. <a href="https://t.co/OKY7B0xDem">https://t.co/OKY7B0xDem</a> <a href="https://t.co/IOdlC4TrET">pic.twitter.com/IOdlC4TrET</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1972305251743973649?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) made it clear that he believed Republicans — who hold a slim majority — had the advantage and did not plan to make unnecessary concessions.
&#8220;I’m glad that President Trump is showing leadership in meeting with all leaders … But ultimately, those Democrats have to make a decision,&#8221; he told Raddatz, adding that he still believed there was time for them to reach a deal.
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House Majority Leader Steve Scalise says “there’s still time” to fund the government and avoid a shutdown.
“I’m glad that President Trump is showing leadership in meeting with all leaders … But ultimately, those Democrats have to make a decision.” <a href="https://t.co/VVmgI0y1x3">https://t.co/VVmgI0y1x3</a> <a href="https://t.co/0hmyU6JT1Y">pic.twitter.com/0hmyU6JT1Y</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1972314405963510038?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On CBS, &#8220;Face the Nation&#8221; opened with a statement from President Trump — who said that unless Democrats are willing to move on several key issues, the government is likely to shut down.
&#8220;I just don’t know how we are going to solve this issue,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NEW THIS MORNING: President Trump tells <a href="https://twitter.com/costareports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@costareports</a> the government is likely to shut down this week unless top Democrats address his concerns on immigration and health care, and says both parties are now at a stalemate.
“I just don’t know how we are going to solve this issue,”… <a href="https://t.co/VdLXd7Qxl0">pic.twitter.com/VdLXd7Qxl0</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1972313362793943395?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On NBC&#8217;s &#8220;Meet the Press,&#8221; Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) made it clear that Republicans did not plan to give an inch — and that Democrats were just going to have to come around.
&#8220;The choice remains the same: Democrats can either vote for a clean, short-term, nonpartisan CR that prioritizes the American people, or they can choose a completely avoidable shutdown that prioritizes politics above all else,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The choice remains the same: Democrats can either vote for a clean, short-term, nonpartisan CR that prioritizes the American people, or they can choose a completely avoidable shutdown that prioritizes politics above all else. <a href="https://t.co/ESOndRHAO9">pic.twitter.com/ESOndRHAO9</a>
— Leader John Thune (@LeaderJohnThune) <a href="https://twitter.com/LeaderJohnThune/status/1972326146139467887?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Schumer, who has apparently learned his lesson after he worked with Republicans to avert the last potential government shutdown, also appeared on the NBC Sunday morning show and insisted that Republicans were &#8220;feeling the heat&#8221; and would soon give in to Democrats&#8217; demands.
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Republican Senators, Representatives, and even Donald Trump are feeling the heat to do something about the horrible health care crisis they’ve created. <a href="https://t.co/20SG3sKiX1">pic.twitter.com/20SG3sKiX1</a>
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenSchumer/status/1972349160717205796?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) joined host Jake Tapper on CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union,&#8221; where he called on members of his party to &#8220;hold the line.&#8221;
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Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen calls on his party to “hold the line” in government funding fight. <a href="https://t.co/0nn9wg5v7w">pic.twitter.com/0nn9wg5v7w</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1972311184863813768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Van Hollen, who made a name for himself when he left his own constituents twisting in the wind while he flew to El Salvador to advocate for a deported MS-13 gang member, then snarked at President Trump and suggested he&#8217;d previously refused to meet with congressional leaders because he was too busy golfing.
&#8220;It&#8217;s good to see the president finally get off the golf course and decide to talk,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen on Trump’s meeting with Democratic leaders ahead of shutdown deadline: “It&#8217;s good to see the president finally get off the golf course and decide to talk.” <a href="https://t.co/gjjckTkaZa">pic.twitter.com/gjjckTkaZa</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1972311038612643938?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Trump explained days earlier that he&#8217;d <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/do-the-right-thing-trump-axes-meeting-with-radical-dems-calls-for-realistic-terms">called off a planned meeting</a> because the demands put forth by the Democrats at the time had been unrealistic.

Spin Cycle: Will They Or Won’t They (Shut Everything Down)?

Spin Cycle: Will They Or Won't They (Shut Everything Down)?

Charles Schumer

Chris Van Hollen

Government Shutdown

Hakeem Jeffries

John Thune

Steve Scalise

A man has been arrested after firing multiple shots at a window of an ABC News affiliate in Sacramento, California, following the network&#8217;s decision to pull late night host Jimmy Kimmel after he lied about the assassination of 31-year-old Charlie Kirk.
The suspect has been identified as 64-year-old Anibal Hernandez-Santana. He&#8217;s been arrested on charges of assault with a deadly weapon, negligent discharge of a firearm, and shooting into an occupied building.
An investigation into the shooting is still underway, however, a <a href="https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/abc-affiliate-sacramento-gunfire-kimmel-protest-1236524751/">report</a> from Variety says the suspect is a former legislative director for the California Federation of Teachers, and his social media is rife with &#8220;anti-Trump commentary.&#8221;
In one post, the suspect allegedly wrote in July, “The authoritarian oligarchy is now complete. CBS+ caving, big law firms in DC, the subservients FBI and AG, university presidents stepping down, fan boys SCOTUS, public radio, ICE goons. We are going to have to ‘fight like hell’. Rules don’t apply if election was stolen. FIGHT!”
&#8220;The man suspected of firing 3 shots into the window of an ABC affiliate in California after the Kimmel decision is a former teacher&#8217;s union legislative director whose X feed is full of far-left rhetoric encouraging escalation,&#8221; conservative account &#8220;AG&#8221; posted to X.
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The man suspected of firing 3 shots into the window of an ABC affiliate in California after the Kimmel decision is a former teacher&#8217;s union legislative director whose X feed is full of far-left rhetoric encouraging escalation. <a href="https://t.co/rxwVi7cg4u">pic.twitter.com/rxwVi7cg4u</a>
— AG (@AGHamilton29) <a href="https://twitter.com/AGHamilton29/status/1969479346801754532?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 20, 2025</a></blockquote>
KCRA showed footage of the damage from the bullets, as shown in the video, below:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NEW: The man who shot up the ABC affiliate in Sacramento following the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel, has been identified as Anibal Hernandez-Santana.
An X account that appears to belong to Hernandez-Santana is full of anti-Trump posts, as reported by Variety.
The man, 64,… <a href="https://t.co/4fZmyLZCkR">pic.twitter.com/4fZmyLZCkR</a>
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) <a href="https://twitter.com/CollinRugg/status/1969498664625455276?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 20, 2025</a></blockquote>
On Wednesday, ABC pulled Kimmel’s late night show &#8220;indefinitely&#8221; after criticism erupted over comments the host made about Kirk&#8217;s assassination. Kimmel falsely claimed on air that the gunman who murdered Kirk was a member of the “MAGA gang” and mocked President Donald Trump for his response to Kirk’s death.
“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel <a href="https://x.com/newsbusters/status/1967982924986487284" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
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Andrew Alford, President of Nexstar’s broadcasting division, <a href="https://www.nexstar.tv/nexstar-abc-affiliates-to-preempt-jimmy-kimmel-live-indefinitely-beginning-tonight/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement: “Mr. Kimmel’s comments about the death of Mr. Kirk are offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse, and we do not believe they reflect the spectrum of opinions, views, or values of the local communities in which we are located.&#8221;
“Continuing to give Mr. Kimmel a broadcast platform in the communities we serve is simply not in the public interest at the current time, and we have made the difficult decision to preempt his show in an effort to let cooler heads prevail as we move toward the resumption of respectful, constructive dialogue,” he added.
</div>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/suspicious-armed-man-arrested-outside-stadium-where-charlie-kirk-memorial-to-be-held?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=UPDATED%3A+‘Suspicious’+Armed+Man+Arrested+Outside+Stadium+Where+Charlie+Kirk+Memorial+To+Be+Held">UPDATED: ‘Suspicious’ Armed Man Arrested Outside Stadium Where Charlie Kirk Memorial To Be Held</a>

Jimmy Kimmel

Shots Fired At ABC Affiliate By Suspected Leftist After Network Pulls Jimmy Kimmel

ABC Affiliate Shot At By Suspected Leftist After Network Cancels Jimmy Kimmel

California

Crime

Sacramento

Shooting

U.S.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) — along with a host of elected Democrats and media personalities — scrambled to defend ousted late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel after he was suspended indefinitely, arguing that it was a free speech issue.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/abc-pulls-jimmy-kimmels-late-night-show-indefinitely-after-charlie-kirk-comments">Kimmel&#8217;s suspension</a> — which, according to ABC, is indefinite — follows comments he made after the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. &#8220;We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it,&#8221; the comedian said on Monday.
Schumer immediately identified Kimmel&#8217;s suspension as evidence that the United States was sinking into authoritarian rule.
&#8220;It is outrageous. It&#8217;s a page right out of Xi&#8217;s playbook,&#8221; he said. &#8220;This is just despicable, disgusting, and against democratic values. Trump and his allies seem to want to shut down speech that they don&#8217;t like to hear.&#8221;
Schumer did not explain how he&#8217;d reached the conclusion that ABC — which had to shell out millions to Trump in a lawsuit prompted by comments made by anchor George Stephanopoulos — had become one of those &#8220;allies.&#8221;
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Chuck Schumer foams at the mouth over Jimmy Kimmel getting suspended by ABC.
Jimmy might have a right to free speech, but he&#8217;s not free from consequences Chuck.<a href="https://t.co/RWEWRxgeJM">pic.twitter.com/RWEWRxgeJM</a>
— MRC NewsBusters (@newsbusters) <a href="https://twitter.com/newsbusters/status/1968465635446235629?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Schumer had previously called for former Fox News host Tucker Carlson&#8217;s removal from the air waves.
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2023: Chuck Schumer demands Tucker Carlson be taken off the air because he “slimed the truth.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/MXfn6ceVCO">pic.twitter.com/MXfn6ceVCO</a>
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) <a href="https://twitter.com/WesternLensman/status/1968519104022577264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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MSNBC host Chris Hayes called it part of &#8220;Donald Trump&#8217;s ongoing campaign to crack down on free speech&#8221; and &#8220;render the First Amendment meaningless&#8221; — but as some pointed out, he&#8217;d taken a very different approach when Fox News parted ways with former host Tucker Carlson.
&#8220;He believed he could say anything no matter how vile, no matter how disgusting, no matter how offensive, no matter how dehumanizing, belittling &#8230; over time, probably not going to work out well for you,&#8221; he said at the time.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
MSNBC’s Chris Hayes on Kimmel getting fired: This renders the First Amendment meaningless.
Chris Hayes on Tucker getting fired: He believed he could say anything no matter how disgusting and get away with it. Over time, that’s not going to work out well for you. <a href="https://t.co/KOdROGvseE">pic.twitter.com/KOdROGvseE</a>
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) <a href="https://twitter.com/WesternLensman/status/1968671818471846350?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Former CNN host and longtime Trump foil Jim Acosta also ran to Kimmel&#8217;s defense, saying, &#8220;Jimmy Kimmel deserves better than this. He’s a class act. Case in point &#8211; after my first appearance on his show back in 2018, he very thoughtfully asked whether I was receiving adequate security at that time, as Trump was repeatedly smearing journalists as &#8216;the enemy of the people,&#8217; comments that resulted in threats aimed at many of us in the White House Press Corps. I’ll never forget that moment of kindness from Jimmy. It spoke volumes. Make no mistake, our right to free speech is under attack in this country. This right must be defended as it is essential to the American way of life.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Jimmy Kimmel deserves better than this. He’s a class act. Case in point &#8211; after my first appearance on his show back in 2018, he very thoughtfully asked whether I was receiving adequate security at that time, as Trump was repeatedly smearing journalists as “the enemy of the… <a href="https://t.co/s44423s3H6">pic.twitter.com/s44423s3H6</a>
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) <a href="https://twitter.com/Acosta/status/1968495637881593958?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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And they were far from alone.
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Kimmel getting canceled has BROKEN these people. <a href="https://t.co/wIwFeWGKn8">pic.twitter.com/wIwFeWGKn8</a>
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) <a href="https://twitter.com/GuntherEagleman/status/1968711537947787757?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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A free and democratic society cannot silence comedians because the President doesn’t like what they say.
This is an attack on free speech and cannot be allowed to stand.
All elected officials need to speak up and push back on this undemocratic act.
— Governor JB Pritzker (@GovPritzker) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovPritzker/status/1968455604650819889?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
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There is no such thing as free speech under Donald Trump’s reign.
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) <a href="https://twitter.com/GavinNewsom/status/1968508546749972509?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The Writers Guild of America blasts the decision to suspend <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JimmyKimmelLive?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JimmyKimmelLive</a>: &#8220;The WGA stands with Jimmy Kimmel and his writers.&#8221;
&#8220;The right to speak our minds and to disagree with each other – to disturb, even – is at the very heart of what it means to be a free people. It is… <a href="https://t.co/fUwPcuFYxp">pic.twitter.com/fUwPcuFYxp</a>
— Variety (@Variety) <a href="https://twitter.com/Variety/status/1968511537204605260?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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There&#8217;s even legislation in progress to block President Trump from suppressing free speech &#8230; even though Kimmel was actually booted by ABC.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
BREAKING NEWS:
We have new legislation to protect free speech in the wake of the Trump administration’s attacks on it.
Watch live as I stand shoulder-to-shoulder with:<a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisMurphyCT?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChrisMurphyCT</a><a href="https://twitter.com/RepJasonCrow?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepJasonCrow</a><a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisVanHollen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChrisVanHollen</a><a href="https://twitter.com/SenTinaSmith?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenTinaSmith</a><a href="https://twitter.com/RepCasar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepCasar</a><a href="https://twitter.com/RepHoulahan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepHoulahan</a> <a href="https://t.co/HIV0JxthsO">https://t.co/HIV0JxthsO</a>
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenSchumer/status/1968710180004053195?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Stephen L. Miller summed up the outrage in a single sentence: &#8220;The national media being more upset at Jimmy Kimmel losing his show than they are Charlie Kirk losing his life is kind of proving the point.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The national media being more upset at Jimmy Kimmel losing his show than they are Charlie Kirk losing his life is kind of proving the point.
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) <a href="https://twitter.com/redsteeze/status/1968672820717645949?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY)

‘A Page Right Out Of Xi’s Playbook’: Dems And Media Talking Heads Lose It Over Kimmel Ouster

'A Page Right Out Of Xi's Playbook': Dems And Media Talking Heads Lose It Over Kimmel Ouster

Charlie Kirk

Chris Hayes

Chuck Schumer

Jim Acosta

ABC News reporter Matt Gutman offered an explanation and an apology after taking an immense amount of public backlash for his on-air description of a text exchange between suspected Charlie Kirk assassin Tyler Robinson, 22, and his live-in boyfriend, who is transitioning to identify as a woman.
Gutman took to X to share a statement clarifying his position, saying, &#8220;Yesterday I tried to underscore the jarring contrast between this cold blooded assassination of Charlie Kirk — a man who dedicated his life to public dialogue — and the personal, disturbing texts read aloud by the Utah County Attorney at the press conference.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
2. I deeply regret that my words did not make that clear.
But let there be zero doubt here: I unequivocally condemn this horrific crime and the pain it caused Charlie Kirk&#8217;s family, those who were forced to witness it at UVU, and the millions of people he inspired.
— Matt Gutman (@mattgutmanABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/mattgutmanABC/status/1968261728631980518?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;I deeply regret that my words did not make that clear,&#8221; Gutman continued. &#8220;But let there be zero doubt here: I unequivocally condemn this horrific crime and the pain it caused Charlie Kirk&#8217;s family, those who were forced to witness it at UVU, and the millions of people he inspired.&#8221;
Following the publication of the text exchange — in which Robinson referred to the boyfriend as &#8220;my love&#8221; while appearing to confess to the murder of the Turning Point USA founder and give detailed information about the weapon he&#8217;d used and then hidden — Gutman had commented on the &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/abc-reporter-describes-suspects-texts-confessing-to-charlie-kirk-assassination-as-very-touching">very touching</a>&#8221; nature of some of the texts.
After remarking on the level of detail included in the texts with regard to the murder weapon, Gutman said at the time, &#8220;It was very touching, in a way, that I think many of us didn’t expect — a very intimate portrait into this relationship between the suspect’s roommate and the suspect himself, with him repeatedly calling his roommate, who is transitioning, calling him ‘my love.’ And ‘I want to protect you, my love.'&#8221;

ABC NEWS: ELECTION NIGHT 2024

ABC Reporter Apologizes After Calling Suspected Charlie Kirk Assassin’s Texts ‘Very Touching’

ABC Reporter Apologizes After Calling Suspected Charlie Kirk Assassin's Texts 'Very Touching'

assassination

ABC News reporter Matt Gutman described the texts sent from suspected assassin Tyler Robinson to his trans-identifying boyfriend — in which he appears to confess to murdering conservative commentator Charlie Kirk — as &#8220;very touching.&#8221;
Gutman was reporting on the text exchange, which was released on Tuesday by authorities, when he commented on the fact that despite confessing to murdering someone in front of hundreds of college students — and putting their lives in danger as well — Robinson seemed to really care about his partner.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/mattgutmanABC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mattgutmanABC</a> says he found the messages between Charlie Kirk&#8217;s killer and his trans boyfriend &#8220;very touching, in a way, that I think many of us didn’t expect.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/8H4E1dFD3K">pic.twitter.com/8H4E1dFD3K</a>
— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaryMargOlohan/status/1968038545387589896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Gutman began by saying that he wasn&#8217;t sure &#8220;if we have seen an alleged murder with such specific text messages about the alleged murder weapon — where it was hidden, how it was placed, what was on it — but also it was very touching, in a way, that I think many of us didn’t expect — a very intimate portrait into this relationship between the suspect’s roommate and the suspect himself, with him repeatedly calling his roommate, who is transitioning, calling him &#8216;my love.&#8217; And &#8216;I want to protect you, my love.'&#8221;
&#8220;So, it was this duality of someone who the attorney said not only jeopardized the life of Charlie Kirk and the crowd, but was doing it in front of children, which is one of the aggravating circumstances of this case,&#8221; Gutman continued. &#8220;And then, on the other hand, he was, you know, speaking so lovingly about his partner. So a very interesting and, as Pierre said, riveting press conference.&#8221;
Gutman continued in the same vein a short time later, adding, &#8220;It’s heartbreaking on so many levels, Kyra. Obviously, Charlie Kirk was murdered brutally in front of a crowd of thousands &#8230;[O]n the other hand, there is this duality of a very a portrait of a very human person, a very human experience from this entire family &#8230; the kid who had got a 34 out of 36 on the ACT, who had a 4.0.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
ABC’s Matt Gutman doubled down, ten minutes later after this on ABC News Live: “It’s heartbreaking on so many levels, Kyra. Obviously, Charlie Kirk was murdered brutally in front of a crowd of thousands&#8230;[O]n the other hand, there is this duality of a very a portrait of a very… <a href="https://t.co/0ykDhsg1Ko">pic.twitter.com/0ykDhsg1Ko</a>
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) <a href="https://twitter.com/CurtisHouck/status/1968045665541365867?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;I don’t think I’ve ever experienced a press conference in which we’ve read text messages that are A, so fulsome, so robust, so apparently, allegedly self-incriminating and yet, on the other hand, so touching — right — with the suspect reaching out to his roommate, who was allegedly his boyfriend, who we understand, you know, identified as male at birth, now identifies as female,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And the terminology he used, he was trying to protect him. He kept calling him ‘my love.’ ‘My reason for doing this is to protect you,’ you know, but also asking him to delete the messages and not speak to law enforcement. So there’s this, this heartbreaking duality that we’re seeing very tragically playing out here.&#8221;

ABC Reporter Describes Suspect’s Texts Confessing To Charlie Kirk Assassination As ‘Very Touching’

ABC Reporter Describes Suspect's Texts Confessing To Charlie Kirk Assassination As 'Very Touching'

Violent Crime

The tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk has further exposed media bias, with outlets like MSNBC, CNN, and ABC labeling him “divisive” or “controversial” while downplaying leftist rhetoric that may have fueled violence. <a href="https://newsbusters.org/blogs/cnsnews/craig-bannister/2025/09/12/charlie-kirks-murder-cheered-online-liberal-teachers">Posts by liberal school teachers cheering</a> Kirk’s death and comments from Democrat politicians like Jasmine Crockett and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker inciting unrest reveal a double standard. This tragedy may finally force the elite legacy media to confront the effect their far-left bias has had on America. Even before Kirk’s assassination, President Trump was pushing broadcasters to restore balance to heal the political divide, improve network viewership, and ensure the airwaves serve all Americans, aligning with the law and fostering fair discourse.
When Donald Trump descended the escalator in the summer of 2015, he put on center stage the fight that the Media Research Center (MRC) has been engaged in for nearly 40 years. While MRC may be the incumbent in this battle against media bias, the president deserves enormous credit for helping to identify and root out media malfeasance.
President Trump and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr are addressing the longstanding issue of media bias by enforcing the legal obligations of broadcast networks like ABC, CBS, and NBC, which use public airwaves rent-free. These networks must meet a “public interest test” to serve all Americans, not just select political groups. Recent actions, including Trump’s lawsuits against CBS and ABC for deceptive editing and defamation, highlight a commitment to rooting out bias.
Legacy media are undoubtedly biased and purpose-driven. Take ABC’s David Muir, who was still allowed to host a presidential debate after MRC research found his nightly newscast had <a href="https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/rich-noyes/2024/09/09/100-abc-debate-moderator-david-muir-hosts-most-pro-harris-left-wing">100% positive coverage of Kamala Harris</a> and <a href="https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/rich-noyes/2025/04/28/tv-news-assaults-2nd-trump-admin-92-negative-coverage">92% negative coverage of Donald Trump</a>. From routine <a href="https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/bill-dagostino/2025/09/02/why-cant-cbs-stop-deceptively-editing-interviews-politicians">deceptive</a> editing in their interviews with Trump – and his cabinet officials – to initially refusing to mention the brutal Charlotte stabbing, only to eventually <a href="https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/jorge-bonilla/2025/09/08/nbc-trumpwashes-their-coverage-brutal-charlotte-stabbing">report</a> the tragedy through the lens of it being right-wing hysteria and fuel for Trump’s tough-on-crime approach. The media have earned the colossal decline of their collective reputation.
The public is now keenly aware of the media’s deficiencies, with <a href="https://news.gallup.com/opinion/gallup/657239/five-key-insights-americans-views-news-media.aspx">69% </a>of people saying they have very little to no trust in the media, the worst result for the media since Gallup started assessing public confidence in it.
Some would argue, and most conservatives would agree, that these broadcasters and their cable news counterparts have a right to anchor themselves in whatever political persuasion favors their interests, so long as they are honest with their audience. While it would, at best, lack journalistic integrity for a major cable network like MSNow (formerly MSNBC) or CNN to show blatant favoritism in how they interview a Supreme Court justice, it would still easily pass legal muster. However, when traditional network broadcasters like CBS engage in <a href="https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/jorge-bonilla/2025/09/07/tale-two-interviews-cbss-norah-odonnell-fawned-over-justice#">the same behavior</a>, it’s a completely different story.
That is because the airwaves used by ABC, CBS, and NBC are owned by the American public. It will surprise many to learn that these broadcasters use our airwaves rent-free. This might sound like a terrible deal for taxpayers, but that is why broadcasters are required to meet a “public interest test,” ensuring that the whole public is served. Not just Democrats. Not just liberals. Not just left-wing agitators.
Carr is taking action to hold broadcasters accountable to the law which requires them to act in the interest of all Americans. Perhaps ironically, by requiring broadcasters to serve a much larger audience, Carr is probably saving these networks from their plummeting ratings and their declining revenues. Moreover, by reducing other regulatory burdens placed on them by the Biden administration, like the onerous DEI and ESG requirements, Carr is helping their bottom lines in more ways than one.
It’s no secret that traditional <a href="https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2025-05-11/network-evening-newscasts-still-matter-but-face-stiff-winds-of-change#:~:text=View%20All-,The%20network%20evening%20news%20is%20in%20flux:%20Why%20an%20American,With%20David%20Muir%E2%80%9D%20on%20ABC.&amp;text=Network%20evening%20newscasts%20are%20down,younger%2C%20digital%2Dsavvy%20viewers.">broadcast media is</a> in financial trouble. Without question, this is due to the fact that their current business model focuses on the fastest shrinking segment of America: liberals.
That might or might not work for a niche channel, like MSNow, but it is a guaranteed losing proposition for broadcast news.
By getting these networks to live up to their legal obligations, President Trump and Chairman Carr are helping all Americans become better informed while simultaneously helping the networks increase their <a href="https://allaboutcookies.org/cord-cutters-streaming-survey#:~:text=Rising%20cable%20costs%20and%20the,to%20move%20away%20from%20cable." target="_blank" rel="noopener">sagging viewership and revenue.</a> 
Their recent actions represent the first serious attempt in modern history to restore lawfulness, fairness, and order to the political discourse in America’s media. It is something we need more of.
* * *
Dan Schneider is the Vice President of the Media Research Center.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

CNN headquarters building.

Left-Wing Media Bias Under Scrutiny Following Coverage Of Kirk Assassination

Federal Trade Commission

Legacy Media

Media Research Center

MSNBC

The assassination of conservative commentator and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk prompted at least one major network television host to do what they all should have been doing from the start: follow Kirk&#8217;s example and listen to the people with whom you disagree.
For those who don&#8217;t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week&#8217;s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
Just four days after Kirk&#8217;s murder — which took place while he was speaking at a Utah Valley University campus event in Orem, Utah — much of the conversation was about him and how everyone would move on in the wake of such a horrific act of political violence. And after four days of comments — on social media and on the air — that essentially blamed Kirk for supporting policies that facilitated his assassination, an unexpected and unlikely respite came from ABC News host Martha Raddatz.
After speaking with Governors Spencer Cox (R-UT) and Jared Polis (D-CO) about the shooting, Raddatz brought in a panel of three young conservatives who had been a part of Kirk&#8217;s campus organization, TPUSA.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“Charlie Kirk was one of these towering figures of my youth.” <a href="https://twitter.com/MarthaRaddatz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MarthaRaddatz</a> sat down with a group of college students to discuss Kirk’s legacy, the shock of his assassination, and the future of conservative youth activism. <a href="https://t.co/2kfzutVElM">https://t.co/2kfzutVElM</a> <a href="https://t.co/fcwrk8W8wA">pic.twitter.com/fcwrk8W8wA</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1967252617328820390?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Charlie Kirk&#8217;s influence with young conservatives was far-reaching, galvanizing supporters in person and online like few others,&#8221; Raddatz began. &#8220;But he had plenty of critics who viewed him as using hateful and inflammatory language. In the wake of Kirk&#8217;s death, I sat down with three politically active, conservative college students to understand more about Kirk&#8217;s impact and his complicated legacy.&#8221;
Philip Vayntrub, a student at the College of William &amp; Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, recounted the moment he saw the horrific video of Kirk being shot, calling it absolutely &#8220;sickening.&#8221;
&#8220;Just to hear that something terrible had happened to him was just like, honestly, tragic,&#8221; added Katie Caldwell, a student at James Madison University in Virginia.
Kieran Laffey, a George Washington University student, said that he&#8217;d first learned of Kirk&#8217;s assassination while he was in a history class — and that for the first time in his college career, he&#8217;d had to step out of the classroom to process what he&#8217;d just learned.
&#8220;Charlie Kirk was one of these towering figures of my youth,&#8221; Vayntrub said, recalling videos of Kirk that he&#8217;d watched long before he ever went to college. &#8220;I&#8217;d watch these videos as a kid of him standing up, and being so articulate, but him being also so kind to everyone around him and I said I wanted to emulate that.&#8221;
Caldwell said that she&#8217;d grown up in a conservative home, and saw in Kirk a representation of the family ideals she&#8217;d known as a child. &#8220;I think that&#8217;s kind of why it hurt more,&#8221; she said.
&#8220;As a conservative on campus who&#8217;s outspoken, who like Charlie Kirk likes to speak his mind and stand up for what I think is right, I have to tell you, Martha, I&#8217;m frightened,&#8221; Laffey added, his voice breaking a bit as he added, &#8220;Because people think he deserved to die because he just voiced his opinion.&#8221;
Raddatz referenced remarks from Governor Cox, who said that the younger generation had an &#8220;opportunity&#8221; to come together instead of driving each other further apart, and asked the students to weigh in on that.
Laffey voiced concern, given the current climate: &#8220;I think unity is very imperative, and, look, I want to see people come together. I want to see the First Amendment thrive. I want to see conversations, I think most Americans do. And look, the reality is, I think it&#8217;s going to be hard to come together. Martha, I just don&#8217;t understand how a large population in this country could celebrate something like this.&#8221;
Vayntrub noted the corrosive nature of political violence, declaring, &#8220;The reason I&#8217;m here today is to reject that.&#8221;
He noted that there had been students on his campus cheering and celebrating, and vowed to take a different approach. &#8220;That should be totally condemned. But if we become as bad as them, if we act with just as much hate, then Charlie Kirk died for nothing,&#8221; he said.
When asked who might pick up the mantle and carry on Kirk&#8217;s mission, Laffey said it was incumbent on everyone to &#8220;continue the conversation and stand up for what&#8217;s right.&#8221;
&#8220;What&#8217;s &#8216;right&#8217;?&#8221; Raddatz asked, and Laffey said that continuing to champion free speech — and encourage honest and rational debate &#8220;without violence, without being shut down, without being censored&#8221; — was of the utmost importance.
&#8220;If we as Americans can&#8217;t come together and assemble and have debates on what we believe is right or wrong, we&#8217;re never going to get anywhere, we&#8217;re never going to be able to see the other side, and we&#8217;re going to live in this polarized country and that needs to stop,&#8221; Caldwell said.
Those on the political left routinely call for Americans to have a &#8220;national conversation&#8221; about some topic or another, whether it be gun violence or education reform, and what&#8217;s abundantly clear is that Charlie Kirk was having that conversation – and doing it to great effect. What Raddatz&#8217;s guests made equally clear is that they intend to keep having that conversation.

PHILL MAGAKOE/AFP via Getty Images

Spin Cycle: Charlie Kirk Breaks The Cycle

The knives are out, and they&#8217;re all aimed at Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as a series of shake-ups have upended the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and a top vaccine recommendation committee.
For those who don&#8217;t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week&#8217;s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
On ABC News&#8217; &#8220;This Week,&#8221; Kennedy was the focus of a roundtable discussion involving former Governor Chris Christie (R-NJ), former Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Donna Brazile, former White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, and USA Today Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page.
Christie unloaded on Secretary Kennedy, calling him a &#8220;foolish man&#8221; and claimed that President Donald Trump had only selected him to prove that he could do whatever he wanted and get away with it.
&#8220;Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a foolish man, full of foolish and vapid ideas. And that was on display again this week in front of Congress,&#8221; Christie complained, referring to a Senate Finance Committee hearing that took place late in the week. &#8220;This wholly unqualified man [is] in charge of 25% of all government spending &#8230; the president&#8217;s smart enough to know, RFK Jr. doesn&#8217;t belong in that job. But after he won, he wanted to show everybody, &#8216;I can do whatever I want to do because this Senate will be compliant no matter what I do. And I&#8217;ll put the greatest vaccine and public health denier of the last 20 years in charge of public health in America.&#8217; It&#8217;s a human middle finger to everybody who opposed him.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 JUST IN: Chris Christie goes BERSERK on Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and warns RFK is a grave danger to American health.
&#8220;Robert F Kennedy Jr. is a foolish man, full of foolish and vapid ideas. And that was on display again this week in front of Congress.&#8221;
&#8220;This wholly unqualified… <a href="https://t.co/eDi5xxHuAE">pic.twitter.com/eDi5xxHuAE</a>
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1964703297618731224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On CBS News&#8217; &#8220;Face the Nation,&#8221; host Margaret Brennan brought in physician and Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS) to discuss Kennedy, the recent committee hearing, and the fact that several prominent Republicans had been equally hard on the secretary.
Marshall defended Kennedy, however, explaining that he had brought in for a very specific purpose: to bring about change.
&#8220;Look, President Trump picked Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be a disrupter to the CDC, and that’s exactly what he’s doing. He’s focused on making the CDC more transparent, to make it more trustworthy right now. Right now, Americans don’t trust the CDC. So, he is literally turning that place upside down,&#8221; Marshall said.
&#8220;I respect what my colleagues are saying. But this whole issue … in that meeting was about vaccines. In my humble opinion not every person needs every vaccine. And I don’t think there are many children out there who need 76 jabs by the time they’re old enough to vote,&#8221; Marshall continued, arguing that vaccines were wonderful things that had saved millions of lives but that they should be a choice rather than something that was forced on every child and every parent.
&#8220;But before you label me a non-vaxxer person, look, I’ve raised money for polio vaccinations. The MMR is a great vaccine, it’s saved thousands of lives. Vaccines, overall, have saved hundreds of millions of lives but not every person needs every vaccine and we just want to empower parents and the doctors to make great decisions,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“President Trump chose Robert F. Kennedy Jr. To be a disruptor to the CDC and that’s exactly what he’s doing,” Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) says after Kennedy faced heated questions during testimony to Congress over CDC turmoil and his leadership of HHS.
“Right now, Americans… <a href="https://t.co/oxPPK2RMHA">pic.twitter.com/oxPPK2RMHA</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1964726146450313724?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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A newly-engaged Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) took things a step further when he joined host Kristen Welker on NBC&#8217;s &#8220;Meet the Press.&#8221; Kennedy, he said, should immediately resign his post for failing to &#8220;protect Americans&#8217; health.&#8221; But that was not enough for the New Jersey Democrat, who then claimed that Trump&#8217;s entire cabinet should follow suit.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
In an exclusive interview with Meet the Press, Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) says he believes HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as well as President Trump’s entire Cabinet, should step down for not “protecting Americans’ health.” <a href="https://t.co/qCLXC7iKxP">https://t.co/qCLXC7iKxP</a> <a href="https://t.co/UYlYulx0h5">pic.twitter.com/UYlYulx0h5</a>
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) <a href="https://twitter.com/MeetThePress/status/1964690162597675314?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Kennedy himself gave some context in the aftermath of the contentious hearing, saying on Fox News&#8217; &#8220;Big Weekend Show&#8221; that it was, in fact, his job to shake things up because that was the only way to restore trust in institutions like the CDC.
&#8220;My job is to FIRE the people who were responsible for masking our children with no science, for social distancing orders with no science,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
RFK Jr: “My job is to FIRE the people who were responsible for masking our children with no science, for social distancing orders with no science.” <a href="https://t.co/K3KAefMrSG">pic.twitter.com/K3KAefMrSG</a>
— Holden Culotta (@Holden_Culotta) <a href="https://twitter.com/Holden_Culotta/status/1964693266944995534?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On &#8220;Fox &amp; Friends: Weekend,&#8221; Kennedy explained why he&#8217;d had no choice but to fire the former CDC vaccine chief.
&#8220;We tried to get the vaccine safety data language — the data that supposedly the CDC tries to use to make good decisions on whether vaccines are hurting people and whether there are side effects. For seven months, he stonewalled us so that we could not get that data!&#8221; Kennedy said. &#8220;He&#8217;s also the individual that runs the VAERS system, which is the surveillance system for injuries that captures, according to CDC&#8217;s own study, fewer than 1% of vaccine injuries. This is malpractice.&#8221;
&#8220;These people are the people who ordered our children to walk around in masks. They&#8217;re the people who closed our schools. They&#8217;re the people who imposed social distancing with no science, shut down our businesses, and they need to go,&#8221; he added. &#8220;We need new blood, and we need new people who are committed to public health and integrity and gold standard science.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 BREAKING: Secretary RFK Jr. reveals that he fired the CDC vaccine chief because for 7 MONTHS Kennedy was BLOCKED from getting vaccine safety data.
This person also STONEWALLED money going to Texas to help with measles&#8230;he was a full-on TRAITOR, holy crap!
&#8220;I gave the order,… <a href="https://t.co/dCWdKE2TZ7">pic.twitter.com/dCWdKE2TZ7</a>
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1964688908857250278?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr Testifies At Senate Finance Hearing

Spin Cycle: The Knives Are Out For RFK Jr.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

President Donald Trump trashed ABC News in a Sunday post on his Truth Social platform, criticizing the network specifically for giving air time to former Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Donna Brazile.
Trump referenced the recent lawsuit against ABC News and Democrat strategist-turned-anchor George Stephanopoulos — which he won, to the tune of $16,000,000 — and suggested that Brazile&#8217;s coverage might leave the network vulnerable to another similar lawsuit.
&#8220;Why does Fake News ABC’S This Week With George Slopadopolus have Low IQ &#8216;commentator&#8217; Donna Brazile on the show?&#8221; Trump asked in his post. &#8220;Wasn’t she totally discredited when she gave Crooked Hillary Clinton the questions to a Debate??? Wasn’t she FIRED by Fake News CNN for so doing??? Why would ABC &#8216;News&#8217; hire such a dumb retread?&#8221;
&#8220;Check out her disastrous interview with Megyn Kelly from years ago — A total Classic!!! Donna is dumb as a rock, and a liar besides,&#8221; the president continued. &#8220;She, and Sloppy Chris Christie, should be fired from a highly discredited ABC Fake News. They just paid me $16,000,000 for &#8216;inaccurate&#8217; reporting, now they should pay me more!!! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DJT.&#8221;
Trump&#8217;s post came within hours of Brazile&#8217;s appearance on Sunday morning&#8217;s broadcast of &#8220;This Week,&#8221; where she had criticized Trump&#8217;s tariff plan and claimed that it had &#8220;created a level of uncertainty that the American people can’t afford.&#8221;
She also lashed out at the president for rescinding Secret Service protection for former Vice President Kamala Harris — a privilege that former President Joe Biden had extended her in his final days as president — and claimed that Trump was only stripping her security detail because he was &#8220;petty&#8221; and &#8220;vindictive.&#8221;
Brazile, as Trump noted in his post, left her previous position as a commentator at CNN after it was revealed that she had <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/donna-brazile-resigns-cnn-after-another-wikileak-frank-camp">passed details about debate questions</a> to twice-failed presidential candidate and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton ahead of the 2016 presidential debate held in St. Louis, Missouri.

2019 ESSENCE Festival Presented By Coca-Cola – Ernest N. Morial Convention Center – Day 1

Trump Name-Drops ‘Slopadopolus’ Lawsuit In Jab At ABC, Former DNC Chair

Donna Brazile

George Stephanopoulos

Lawsuit

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