ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos did his best to run cover for ousted CNN anchor Don Lemon — but Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche quickly pushed back.
Stephanopoulos spoke with Blanche during Sunday morning&#8217;s broadcast of &#8220;This Week,&#8221; where they discussed the Justice Department&#8217;s move to arrest Lemon over his participation in a protest that disrupted a Sunday service at a Minneapolis church days earlier. Despite video that appears to show him conferring with the protesters prior to their coordinated incursion, Lemon has insisted that he was simply acting as a journalist at the time and had nothing to do with the protest itself.
WATCH:
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🚨 HOLY CRAP! Deputy AG Todd Blanche just CALLED OUT Fake News ABC George Stephanopoulos to his FACE for running cover for Don Lemon storming a church
&#8220;CONVENIENTLY missing from what you just showed, George, is the appellate court and a judge on the appellate court who said just… <a href="https://t.co/xXMd06A5hm">pic.twitter.com/xXMd06A5hm</a>
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2017972800217059798?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;When do you believe that Mr. Lemon crossed the line from reporting what was going on to criminal activity?&#8221; Stephanopoulos asked.
&#8220;Conveniently missing from what you just showed, George, is the appellate court and a judge on the appellate court who said just a few days later there was clearly probable cause — and it wasn&#8217;t even a close question!&#8221; Blanche shot back.
&#8220;And by the way, a grand jury, which is what our system has set up to determine whether probable cause exists, concluded that there was probable cause!&#8221; he continued. &#8220;That indictment is now public. Everybody in this country can pull it up and read for themselves and see what the grand jury found that Mr. Lemon did. I am not going to comment on the charges specifically because that&#8217;s not appropriate.&#8221;
Blanche went on to talk about the protest as a whole, arguing that disrupting a church service and attempting to intimidate those who were just there to worship was a violation of their First Amendment rights to practice religion without being harassed while doing so.
&#8220;We talk about the First Amendment right. You have a right of freedom of religion, which is just as important as any other right that we have!&#8221; he explained. &#8220;And George, I don&#8217;t know if you&#8217;ve watched the videos or read the indictment about what it&#8217;s alleged that Mr. Lemon did, but if anybody in this country thinks that that is quote, independent journalism, I would like to have a conversation with you.&#8221;
Blanche concluded by saying that Lemon was certainly entitled to hire an attorney and raise any defense he saw fit, but that protesters should not be allowed to feel comfortable disrupting church services and intimidating those who had just come to worship.
President Donald Trump, aboard Air Force One on Saturday, minced no words when delivering his opinion of the former CNN anchor — but said that he had not known Lemon was going to be arrested.
&#8220;He’s a sleazebag! Everyone’s known that. He’s a washed up,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;Probably from his standpoint, the best thing that could happen to him. He had no viewers. He was a failed host. And now, he’s in the news. I didn’t know anything about it.&#8221;

MixCollage-30-Jan-2026-03-55-PM-1994

ABC Host And Top Trump Official Spar Over Don Lemon Arrest

ABC News

Don Lemon

George Stephanopoulos

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Media

Politics

This Week

While Winter Storm Fern blanketed much of the southeastern United States with snow — and, of course, ice — media outlets continued to foment panic over President Donald Trump&#8217;s use of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (the other kind of ICE) and Border Patrol in major cities like Minneapolis.
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.
Tensions ramped up over the weekend after a fatal shooting involving Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis, where federal immigration officials continue their efforts to apprehend and remove criminal illegal aliens. Sanctuary policies — promoted both by Mayor Jacob Frey and by failed vice presidential candidate and Governor Tim Walz (D-MN) — have left federal agents working not only without the coordination and cooperation of local law enforcement, but sometimes directly in opposition to them.
The end result is the impasse that made a surge of federal resources and personnel necessary in the first place: local officials claim that having federal agents in the streets make the people less safe, while federal officials maintain that if state and local police would honor ICE detainers and allow federal officers to apprehend criminal illegals in jails and courthouses, federal officers would not need to be on the streets.
By Sunday, the lines in the snow had been drawn and reinforced — and the legacy media outlets brought in Democrats (and a few Republicans) who would question the Trump administration, at least in light of the latest fatal confrontation.
ABC News anchor Jonathan Karl began his broadcast of &#8220;This Week&#8221; with a brief profile of Alex Pretti, 37, who was shot by Border Patrol agents — and quoted Pretti&#8217;s mother as saying, &#8220;He loved his country, but he hated what people were doing to it.&#8221;
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“He loved his country, but he hated what people were doing to it,” Alex Pretti’s mother told the AP.
ABC News’ <a href="https://twitter.com/jonkarl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JonKarl</a> reports on what we know about the 37‑year‑old, who was shot and killed by federal agents Saturday in Minneapolis. <a href="https://t.co/nzQJ9tYzE4">pic.twitter.com/nzQJ9tYzE4</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/2015456870299742298?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Karl then brought in Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) — who is expected to jump into the gubernatorial race in the coming months — to discuss the situation. Klobuchar claimed she would have supported efforts to root out fraud and to apprehend the worst of the worst when it came to criminal illegal aliens — but she believed it was clear that was not what the Trump administration had been doing.
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“If your goal was to go after fraud, that’s a righteous goal. But that’s not what this is. If your goal was to apprehend violent offenders — good. But that’s not what you’re doing anymore.”
Sen. Klobuchar’s message to federal officials after escalating tensions in Minneapolis. <a href="https://t.co/FRz5VoRNvy">pic.twitter.com/FRz5VoRNvy</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/2015457301939802182?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Klobuchar addressed the Pretti shooting directly, saying that some Republicans had spoken to her quietly about their concerns regarding the actions of federal agents but that was not enough. &#8220;At this point, silence is complicity,&#8221; she said, claiming that federal agents were violating constitutional rights at every turn.
Klobuchar argued, among other things, that the agents cracking down on violent protests were violating First Amendment rights to assemble — and then claimed that Border Patrol agents were violating the Second Amendment because Pretti had been a legally-permitted gun-owner.
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Sen. Amy Klobuchar criticizes her Republican colleagues who she says have not spoken about the federal actions in Minneapolis: “At this point, silence is complicity.” <a href="https://t.co/Q4LlxAFJW9">https://t.co/Q4LlxAFJW9</a> <a href="https://t.co/Jmda2AVYSx">pic.twitter.com/Jmda2AVYSx</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/2015466555245498871?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Karl wrapped up the broadcast by giving New York City&#8217;s democratic socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani a chance to double down on his calls to defund ICE. &#8220;ICE is an organization that cares little for the rules. It&#8217;s an organization that operates with reckless impunity and seems to revel in the flouting of those kinds of rules. And that&#8217;s what gives people a real sense of fear,&#8221; Mamdani claimed.
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NYC Mayor Mamdani on his calls to abolish ICE: “ICE is an organization that cares little for the rules. It&#8217;s an organization that operates with reckless impunity and seems to revel in the flouting of those kinds of rules. And that&#8217;s what gives people a real sense of fear.” <a href="https://t.co/i3n9c6Np6N">pic.twitter.com/i3n9c6Np6N</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/2015483794371789101?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2026</a></blockquote>
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On CBS News, &#8220;Face the Nation&#8221; host Margaret Brennan brought in Senator Angus King (I-ME) to discuss the surge of agents coming to his state in the same way they&#8217;d dispatched to Minnesota, and he drew a hard line: &#8220;I believe what we&#8217;re seeing is an attempt to intimidate the American people. Again, armed people with masks and telling people they can&#8217;t photograph what they are doing and intimidating protesters, that&#8217;s not American.&#8221;
King joined Democrats making noise about another possible government shutdown as he said that he couldn&#8217;t possibly vote for a bill that funded ICE.
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Sen. Angus King (I-ME) says he “can&#8217;t vote for a bill that includes ICE funding in these circumstances, what they are doing in my state, what we saw yesterday in Minneapolis.”
“I believe what we&#8217;re seeing is an attempt to intimidate the American people,” King says. “Again, armed… <a href="https://t.co/ESbH4QMwzX">pic.twitter.com/ESbH4QMwzX</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/2015470479973216473?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2026</a></blockquote>
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King claimed that there was a way for federal authorities to enforce immigration law without &#8220;ransacking our cities and terrorizing our residents,&#8221; but he did not say how he expected that to happen while local and state authorities were refusing to cooperate with the feds – and while Democrat leaders were actively encouraging civilians to obstruct and push back on the federal agents attempting to do their jobs.
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When asked how the state and federal government can work together on immigration, Sen. Angus King (I-ME) says federal authorities “can enforce the laws against illegal immigration and people that are criminals without ransacking our cities and terrorizing our residents.”
“There… <a href="https://t.co/yH2uHNj1sf">pic.twitter.com/yH2uHNj1sf</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/2015469864622731720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Brennan also spoke with Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O&#8217;Hara, who suggested that the federal agents were going about things the wrong way.
&#8220;The Minneapolis Police Department went the entire year last year recovering about 900 guns from the street, arresting hundreds and hundreds of violent offenders, and we didn&#8217;t shoot anyone,&#8221; he claimed, but he failed to address the fact that the city was still awash in criminal illegal aliens that he and his department had done nothing about.
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After two U.S. citizens were killed by federal agents in Minneapolis in recent weeks, the city’s police chief, Brian O’Hara, says the people of Minneapolis “have had enough” of ICE’s Operation Metro Surge.
“The Minneapolis Police Department went the entire year last year… <a href="https://t.co/dX3DKVtHbe">pic.twitter.com/dX3DKVtHbe</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/2015458221582852432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2026</a></blockquote>
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And on CNN, anchor Dana Bash discussed the situation with newly-elected Governor Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ). Asking Sherrill about the fact that her state was home to numerous &#8220;sanctuary&#8221; jurisdictions — and was likely to face surges of federal agents as well, Bash asked how she planned to handle such actions.
Sherrill&#8217;s response was to compare ICE to the communist STASI, East Germany&#8217;s brutal secret police.
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Sherrill on ICE: &#8220;This is about a basically Stasi-type force of secret police that wear masks, that are unidentifiable, that are unaccountable, that have leadership in the Trump administration blatantly lying about what&#8217;s going on, when the American people can see the videos… <a href="https://t.co/oRnMsIUEDE">pic.twitter.com/oRnMsIUEDE</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/2015475979393593555?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2026</a></blockquote>
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ICE Protest

Spin Cycle: Forecast Calls For More Snow And ICE In Minneapolis

CBS News

Donald Trump

NBC News

President Donald Trump has made no secret of his desire to acquire Greenland for the United States, and while his administration has insisted the goal is a negotiated purchase of the strategically-located island from Denmark, critics in the media and the Democratic Party have nonetheless suggested he will use the military to take the island by force.
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.
The renewed furor over Greenland began with a Saturday <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115911344443637897">Truth Social post</a> from the president leveraging tariffs against a number of European nations until an agreement is reached for the United States to purchase it.
&#8220;The United States of America is immediately open to negotiation with Denmark and/or any of these Countries that have put so much at risk, despite all that we have done for them, including maximum protection, over so many decades,&#8221; Trump said.
Following a week of military buildup in Greenland — as European nations attempt to help Denmark shore up defenses against a U.S. invasion that the Trump administration has repeatedly stated is not coming — anchors and guests across the legacy networks discussed the fate of the island nation as if an invasion was imminent.
Anchor Jonathan Karl raised the question with Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) on ABC&#8217;s &#8220;This Week,&#8221; asking what he made of the president&#8217;s rhetoric regarding gaining control of Greenland.
&#8220;I want to put your foreign affairs hat on — what do you make of what&#8217;s going on with the president and Greenland? And how he&#8217;s slapped tariffs on eight of our allies in Europe? He&#8217;s not rolling out military force to get Greenland?&#8221; he asked, his tone almost one of disbelief.
McCaul quickly pointed out the fact that American presidents had considered Greenland to be a strategic purchase since the United States acquired Alaska, adding, &#8220;It is very strategic right now from a national security standpoint against China and Russia. But in 1951 we signed a treaty with Denmark that allows us full access to Greenland — to protect Greenland, and this was after World War II — President Truman initially was involved and then President Eisenhower.&#8221;
&#8220;The fact is, the president has full military access to Greenland to protect us from any threats,&#8221; McCaul added, noting that Trump could increase the American military presence in Greenland without the United States officially taking ownership of the territory. &#8220;If he wants to purchase Greenland, that&#8217;s one thing. But for him to militarily invade would turn Article 5 of NATO on its very head, in essence, put us at war with NATO itself.&#8221;
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GOP Rep. Michael McCaul on President Trump’s proposed action in Greenland: “If we want to put more military in there, we can, we don&#8217;t have to invade it. If you want to buy it, that&#8217;s fine. But I don&#8217;t see a willing seller right now.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/XjdJpMxs7P">https://t.co/XjdJpMxs7P</a> <a href="https://t.co/VuenM5BGQA">pic.twitter.com/VuenM5BGQA</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/2012910723244888229?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Karl also brought in Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) to discuss the situation, and he immediately accused the president of an attempted land grab with regard to Greenland.
&#8220;Donald Trump wants to get his hands on the minerals and other resources of Greenland, just like the real reason he went into Venezuela had nothing to do with stopping drugs from coming,&#8221; he claimed.
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Sen. Chris Van Hollen calls President Trump’s pursuit of Greenland a “land grab.”
“Donald Trump wants to get his hands on the minerals and other resources of Greenland, just like the real reason he went into Venezuela had nothing to do with stopping drugs from coming.” <a href="https://t.co/c1JOw3UudA">pic.twitter.com/c1JOw3UudA</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/2012916694298079330?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) also joined Karl on Sunday morning, and she argued that it would be unfair to the people of New Jersey for Trump to spend federal funds — some of which come out of her state — on a strategic purchase like Greenland.
&#8220;There is not one person in New Jersey that wakes up in the morning and says, ‘Gee, I hope today&#8217;s the day that the president dumps billions of dollars into buying Greenland,&#8221; she added.
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“There is not one person in New Jersey that wakes up in the morning and says, ‘Gee, I hope today&#8217;s the day that the president dumps billions of dollars into buying Greenland.”
NJ Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill criticizes President Trump’s use of federal funds. <a href="https://t.co/jWAURz3lDw">pic.twitter.com/jWAURz3lDw</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/2012931291994350023?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) threatened a vote on a bill that would prevent Trump from using federal funds to exert control over Greenland — and claimed that there was no threat to Greenland from Russia or China. Ignoring the fact that the Trump administration&#8217;s assertion is that the three is not to Greenland but to the United States – and that Greenland, protected solely by Denmark, is the weak link in the security chain — Warner claimed that the only actual threat to Greenland was coming from Donald Trump.
&#8220;There is no current security threat from Russia or China to Greenland. The only security threat to Greenland right now is the United States,&#8221; he told &#8220;Face the Nation&#8221; anchor Margaret Brennan on CBS News.
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Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, says he would “of course” vote in support of a bill proposed by Sens. Shaheen and Murkowski that would prohibit the use of federal funds to assert control over the territory of a NATO state. But Warner tells… <a href="https://t.co/bzXWVgwf23">pic.twitter.com/bzXWVgwf23</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/2012934974203199978?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Brennan also ran with a new CBS News poll that showed Americans were largely opposed to possible U.S. military action in Greenland, and worried that such action would likely &#8220;create more instability in the world.&#8221;
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There’s widespread bipartisan opposition to the prospect of U.S. military action in Greenland, with many Americans saying the implications would create more instability in the world, a new CBS News poll finds. <a href="https://t.co/a6pikO0swy">https://t.co/a6pikO0swy</a> <a href="https://t.co/EnQZgoFnpP">pic.twitter.com/EnQZgoFnpP</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/2012942648055566729?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2026</a></blockquote>
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On CNN, anchor Jake Tapper brought in former Vice President Mike Pence to push back on Trump&#8217;s apparent plan. Pence argued that while it was perfectly reasonable to look at Greenland as a strategic objective, the issue was how President Trump might go about bringing Denmark to heel.
&#8220;Well, look, I think it&#8217;s a question right now, Jake, not of what the president&#8217;s trying to accomplish, but how? And I have concerns about using what I think is a questionable constitutional authority, imposing unilateral tariffs on NATO allies to achieve this objective,&#8221; he explained.
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Former Vice President Mike Pence questions President Trump threatening new tariffs on allies over Greenland:
&#8220;Well, look, I think it&#8217;s a question right now, Jake, not of what the president&#8217;s trying to accomplish, but how? And I have concerns about using what I think is a… <a href="https://t.co/2MYQrcpZTb">pic.twitter.com/2MYQrcpZTb</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/2012896195752968501?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) rounded out the conversation with Tapper by complaining about the use of federal funds to gain a strategic foothold in the Arctic.
&#8220;The idea that we&#8217;re going to waste money for everything we want is the dumbest decision we can make. The only person who can make a decision this dumb is someone who could let a casino go under, and guess who is President right now?&#8221; he said.
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Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego on Trump&#8217;s push to acquire Greenland:
&#8220;The idea that we&#8217;re going to waste money for everything we want is the dumbest decision we can make. The only person who can make a decision this dumb is someone who could let a casino go under, and guess… <a href="https://t.co/uubEY1KMMC">pic.twitter.com/uubEY1KMMC</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/2012901242503127129?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)

Spin Cycle: As Trump Escalates On Greenland, Media Speculates

Greenland

A shooting involving an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent and an anti-ICE activist Renee Good left the former injured and the latter dead. Despite evidence to the contrary provided in multiple videos — from several different angles — media outlets were quick to assist Democrats in their claims that the ICE agents were nothing more than aggressors, carrying out the whims of President Donald Trump.
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.
Even after videos emerged showing Good intentionally blocking federal agents with her car and taunting them — and then accelerating and striking the agent before he began firing his weapon — Democrats and the legacy media persisted in pushing several distinct narratives. While their coverage varied, the common thread was a simple one: the ICE agents had done something wrong.
ABC News anchor Martha Raddatz brought in Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) to discuss the situation, and Smith complained that the Department of Homeland Security had referred to Good&#8217;s behavior as &#8220;domestic terrorism&#8221; before details had been released. Of course, by the time Smith joined the broadcast, it had become apparent that Good was part of an anti-ICE activist group and had been trained to obstruct federal agents as they worked to enforce immigration law.
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Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith criticizes the Trump administration’s response to the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE officer: “They were calling her a domestic terrorist before they even knew what her name was.” <a href="https://t.co/kfto0xsFHL">https://t.co/kfto0xsFHL</a> <a href="https://t.co/EFdfteguUD">pic.twitter.com/EFdfteguUD</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/2010362541239574960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Credit: @ThisWeekABC/X.com
Smith claimed the ICE agents suddenly snapped after a friendly exchange with protesters, arguing that better training would have prevented the incident.
&#8220;No professional law enforcement would exchange words or banter with somebody who is engaged in their legal right to protest and then lose control, which looks to me like what happened here,&#8221; she said.
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Sen. Smith reacts to the new video of the moments leading to the shooting of Renee Good: “No professional law enforcement would exchange words or banter with somebody who is engaged in their legal right to protest and then lose control, which looks to me like what happened here.” <a href="https://t.co/Q9UTCVAASj">pic.twitter.com/Q9UTCVAASj</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/2010362945818005597?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Credit: @ThisWeekABC/X.com
Raddatz also spoke with former acting ICE Director John Sandweg about the shooting, asking how the landscape had changed in recent years. Marching straight through the door Raddatz had opened for him, Sandweg said that ICE had adopted new &#8220;tactics&#8221; — and that those tactics were the real reason agents were facing dramatic increases in assaults against them as well as confrontations that ended in violence.
&#8220;This is a new environment for ICE and it’s not one that’s part of their core mission,&#8221; he said, suggesting with no pushback from Raddatz that the ICE agents stepping outside of their &#8220;core mission&#8221; was the root cause of the problem.
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Former acting ICE Director John Sandweg on how the shooting of Renee Good compares to what he has seen historically: “This is a new environment for ICE and it’s not one that’s part of their core mission.” <a href="https://t.co/zeciQhyQ95">https://t.co/zeciQhyQ95</a> <a href="https://t.co/5SKI8qfw7Q">pic.twitter.com/5SKI8qfw7Q</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/2010375127393780180?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Credit: @ThisWeekABC/X.com
On CBS News, &#8220;Face the Nation&#8221; anchor Margaret Brennan spoke with Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) about the shooting — and she too made the claim that the ICE agent in question had not been properly trained.
&#8220;Renee Nicole Good, as you hear her say, she&#8217;s not mad, she&#8217;s sitting in her car, peacefully waving cars to get by,&#8221; Omar said, leaving out the fact that Good had positioned her vehicle so that it created a choke point that would only let one car, moving slowly, to get around her. She then immediately identified the ICE officer as the aggressor, describing his actions as wholly unnecessary and suggesting that Good was attempting to flee the scene because he&#8217;d scared her.
&#8220;And then you see the other officer, who can clearly see the car is moving, move toward the front of the car, which if they are saying that he has ten years on service and is trained, he should know that you shouldn&#8217;t be trying to get in front of a moving car,&#8221; Omar claimed, despite multiple video angles that show the officer standing in front of the vehicle prior to Good&#8217;s acceleration.
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Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) tells <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FaceTheNation</a> it is “not acceptable” for DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, President Trump and Vice President Vance to make judgements about the moments surrounding the shooting of Renee Macklin Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis “without there being a… <a href="https://t.co/neMjx6SoET">pic.twitter.com/neMjx6SoET</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/2010391818811134214?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Credit: @FaceTheNation/X.com
Although Brennan offered no challenge to Omar&#8217;s narrative — despite the video evidence that contradicted it — she did push back slightly when she asked whether it was reasonable to have citizens effectively stalking federal agents while they were attempting to do their jobs.
Omar insisted that it was &#8220;very important&#8221; for Americans to record ICE agents while they work &#8220;to create the level of accountability and transparency,&#8221; adding, &#8220;I think it is fair for citizens to document what law enforcement is doing in their communities.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), speaking to <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FaceTheNation</a>, says “it is really important for Americans to record” ICE agents “to create the level of accountability and transparency.”
Asked to clarify further, as the Trump administration claims its ICE officers are being stalked and… <a href="https://t.co/ahi8gEa0Jy">pic.twitter.com/ahi8gEa0Jy</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/2010392392277332260?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Credit: @FaceTheNation/X.com
On CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union,&#8221; anchor Jake Tapper spoke with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D), who claimed that the ICE presence in his city was not doing anything to help people.
&#8220;ICE and Kristi Noem and everything they&#8217;re doing is making [Minneapolis] far less safe,&#8221; he said, despite the growing list of violent offenders who have been apprehended in his city since the surge began.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8220;That was some wild and crazy stuff.&#8221; Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey responds to Jake Tapper’s interview with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, saying that, &#8220;ICE and Kristi Noem and everything they&#8217;re doing is making [Minneapolis] far less safe.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/4d8vLWxpZY">pic.twitter.com/4d8vLWxpZY</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/2010388954483454260?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Credit: @CNNSOTU/X.com
Frey took things a bit further, also attempting to spin Renee Good&#8217;s clearly intentional blockage of traffic as her simply not being very good at turning around. &#8220;(Renee Good) was doing a three or a four or five-point turn&#8230; if doing a three point turn or a four point turn is a domestic terrorist and my wife is a criminal every single day,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
MAYOR JACOB FREY: &#8220;(Renee Good) was doing a three or a four or five-point turn&#8230; if doing a three point turn or a four point turn is a domestic terrorist and my wife is a criminal every single day,&#8221;
Mayor Frey doesn&#8217;t know what a three-point turn is. 
🤡🌎 <a href="https://t.co/OfIm19O0PU">pic.twitter.com/OfIm19O0PU</a>
— Andrew @ Don’t Walk, RUN! (@DontWalkRUN) <a href="https://twitter.com/DontWalkRUN/status/2010377694937018486?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Credit: @Don&#8217;tWalkRUN/X.com

Shooting At Annunciation School Church In Minneapolis Leaves Multiple Children Dead And Many Injured

Spin Cycle: In Wake Of ICE Shooting, The Gaslights Are On — But Is Anyone Home?

Shooting

On Saturday, elite American military operators descended upon an indicted narco-terrorist and extracted him from Venezuela, delivering him to New York to face the charges. That indicted narco-terrorist just happened to be Nicolás Maduro, the dictator who calls himself &#8220;president.&#8221;
With Maduro gone, Democrats who once called for his ouster are suddenly up in arms, simply because President Donald Trump is the one who made it happen.
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.
Across the major legacy networks, Democrats complained about the fact that the Trump administration had sent military operators in to extract Maduro — and media personalities quickly joined them in questioning whether or not the Trump administration had the authority to take that action without first getting congressional approval.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer — who <a href="https://x.com/mazemoore/status/2007868827355484611">criticized Trump</a> in 2020 for not ending Maduro&#8217;s regime — led the charge on ABC&#8217;s &#8220;This Week,&#8221; speaking with Democratic strategist-turned-ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos, Schumer conceded that Maduro was a bad actor but claimed that the Trump administration had still been coloring outside the lines in going to get him.
&#8220;Look, Maduro is a horrible, horrible person,&#8221; Schumer said. &#8220;But you don&#8217;t treat lawlessness with other lawlessness. And that&#8217;s what&#8217;s happened here. The American people, this morning, are scratching their heads in wonderment and in fear of what the president has proposed: &#8216;The United States will run Venezuela.&#8217; We have learned through the years [that] when America tries to do regime change and nation-building in this way, the American people pay the price in both blood and dollars.&#8221;
Stephanopoulos pointed out the fact that Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Trump administration had the authority to move on Maduro, and Schumer protested: &#8220;It&#8217;s a violation of the law to do what they did without getting the authorization of Congress.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer criticizes the U.S strike in Venezuela and capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro: “It&#8217;s a violation of the law to do what they did without getting the authorization of Congress.” <a href="https://t.co/jbZuHwZD9A">https://t.co/jbZuHwZD9A</a> <a href="https://t.co/nNEQWg1d7V">pic.twitter.com/nNEQWg1d7V</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/2007838874295287924?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2026</a></blockquote>
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CBS News anchor Margaret Brennan brought in Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), who became a household name when he traveled to El Salvador to retrieve MS-13 gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia. Van Hollen also complained that the Trump administration had overstepped its authority in taking action in Venezuela without asking Congress first.
He predicted that in reaction, Congress &#8220;will have a vote on a war powers resolution probably as early as this week, if not next.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Sen. Chris Van Hollen says President Trump does not have the legal authority to attack Venezuela and says he’s sure that Congress “will have a vote on a war powers resolution probably as early as this week, if not next.”
“For the most part, Republicans are happy to give Donald… <a href="https://t.co/J4kq7RraNC">pic.twitter.com/J4kq7RraNC</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/2007863051152679414?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2026</a></blockquote>
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On &#8220;The Sunday Briefing,&#8221; Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) said much the same to Fox News host Jacqui Heinrich, after first claiming that more traditional avenues like sanctions hadn&#8217;t worked on Maduro because American allies hated Trump too much to join the United States in enforcing them. Then he, too, argued that Trump should have come to Congress for approval before sending military operators into Venezuela.
Kaine, as recently as 2024, had called Maduro an <a href="https://x.com/SenTimKaine/status/1836398711837974976">illegitimate leader</a> and demanded a &#8220;peaceful transfer of power.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 WOW. Democrat Sen. Tim Kaine just got UTTERLY EMBARRASSED on national television!
&#8220;If Dems cared SO MUCH about process, why didn&#8217;t THEY do anything to bring Maduro to justice when THEY were in charge? The guy&#8217;s been under indictment since 2020!&#8221; 🔥💯<a href="https://t.co/aoPkS0qMlC">pic.twitter.com/aoPkS0qMlC</a>
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2007878745403912679?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2026</a></blockquote>
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More of the same came from Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT), who <a href="https://x.com/TimMurtaugh/status/2007864277823107222">said in 2019</a> that Trump would move to topple Maduro because &#8220;getting rid of Maduro is good for the United States.&#8221;
On CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union,&#8221; however, he said Trump&#8217;s actions had been &#8220;wildly illegal&#8221; and claimed that he was only moving on Venezuela to gain control of natural resources for his own personal financial gain.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Sen. Chris Murphy tells Dana Bash that Trump’s attack on Venezuela “seems to be mostly about oil and natural resources” and is “all about making money for his friends.” <a href="https://t.co/EvylbRzl5B">pic.twitter.com/EvylbRzl5B</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/2007847037501329477?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2026</a></blockquote>
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But Rubio explained in several interviews on Sunday why the Trump administration had not asked Congress for permission to act — or even notified Congress prior to doing so — and why they hadn&#8217;t been bound to do so.
&#8220;This was not an action that required congressional approval. In fact, it couldn’t require congressional approval because this was not an invasion. This is not an extended military operation,&#8221; he told NBC News anchor Kristen Welker on &#8220;Meet the Press.&#8221;
&#8220;We will seek congressional approval for actions that require congressional approval. Otherwise, they’ll get congressional notification.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8220;This was not an action that required congressional approval&#8230; This was not an invasion,&#8221; says <a href="https://twitter.com/SecRubio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecRubio</a>.
&#8220;We will seek congressional approval for actions that require congressional approval. Otherwise, they&#8217;ll get congressional notification.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/up6ZEJtmXd">pic.twitter.com/up6ZEJtmXd</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2007831235091910730?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2026</a></blockquote>
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On ABC&#8217;s &#8220;This Week,&#8221; he added, &#8220;You can&#8217;t congressionally notify something like this for two reasons. Number one, it will leak. It&#8217;s as simple as that. And number two, it&#8217;s an exigent circumstance,&#8221; Rubio explained.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Sec. Rubio responds to criticism of the lack of congressional authorization in the U.S. operation in Venezuela: “You can&#8217;t congressionally notify something like this for two reasons. Number one, it will leak. It&#8217;s as simple as that. And number two, it&#8217;s an exigent circumstance.” <a href="https://t.co/qIBPiRuDYk">pic.twitter.com/qIBPiRuDYk</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/2007837470977581424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2026</a></blockquote>
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George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley addressed that point as well, responding specifically to the comments made by Tim Kaine, and argued that not only was the Trump administration&#8217;s action legal, it was no different than actions taken by previous Democratic presidents.
&#8220;Sen. Tim Kaine (D., Va) told Fox that &#8220;the Constitution does not give the President the right to initiate military action.&#8221; That is entirely incorrect. The Constitution does not give a president the right to declare war. However, presidents are allowed to use military forces without such a declaration&#8230;&#8221; <a href="https://x.com/JonathanTurley/status/2007884771209187539">Turley stated</a>, adding, &#8220;Democratic presidents routinely launched attacks in other countries without any objection from Sen. Kaine. Obama not only killed an American citizen not charge with any crime but attacked Libya&#8217;s capital and attacked its military to cause a regime change without consulting with Congress.&#8221;

Nicolás Maduro

Spin Cycle: Flip Test, The Maduro Edition

Congress

Constitution

Global Politics

Joe Biden

Military

Even before he raised his right hand to take the Oath of Office for the second time, Donald Trump was warring with legacy media outlets over who would control the narrative. That battle played out all year long in headlines, press rooms, and on the Sunday morning political talk shows.
The Spin Cycle was there all year long, capturing the moments Democrats and the legacy media worked overtime to spin the narrative against President Trump and his administration. 
So, as 2025 comes to a close, let&#8217;s look back at five times that happened.
<h4>Inauguration Day:</h4>
The Sunday shows aired just hours before Trump was officially sworn in, and already a question hung in the air: was a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/spin-cycle-today-the-world-either-ends-or-it-begins-again">second Trump presidency</a> a new beginning or the beginning of the end?
ABC News host Jonathan Karl opened &#8220;This Week&#8221; with this statement: &#8220;We come on the air this morning on the precipice of a historic moment, one that feels more like the beginning of a new era than a new presidency.&#8221;
He balanced that almost optimistic sentiment, however, by pausing to note that Trump would swear the oath in &#8220;the very building that was attacked by rioters shortly before the last inauguration.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“We come on the air this morning on the precipice of a historic moment, one that feels more like the beginning of a new era than a new presidency.” <a href="https://twitter.com/jonkarl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JonKarl</a> has the latest on Donald Trump’s return to Washington: <a href="https://t.co/DK1VYkzLWF">https://t.co/DK1VYkzLWF</a> <a href="https://t.co/CyrF40EIEz">pic.twitter.com/CyrF40EIEz</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1880981125557891496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Of course, several Democrats voiced concerns over policy changes Trump promised to make, from tariffs to mass deportations, saying that they expected more bad than good to come out of the president&#8217;s second term. But on &#8220;Face the Nation,&#8221; a CBS News poll suggested that the public took a different view than the Democrats.
&#8220;There is majority optimism in the country about the next four years with Donald Trump as president,&#8221; Anthony Salvanto explained, showing a graphic of the poll results that said 60% were optimistic about Trump&#8217;s second term.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
A majority of Americans say they are optimistic about Donald Trump&#8217;s second term, a CBS News poll finds one day before the president-elect&#8217;s inauguration, with high expectations for the economy after he returns to office.<a href="https://twitter.com/SalvantoCBS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SalvantoCBS</a> breaks down what we&#8217;re seeing: <a href="https://t.co/wXABLCOVNc">pic.twitter.com/wXABLCOVNc</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1881039442477232421?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
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<h4>DOGE Musk Be Stopped!</h4>
By February, nearly all of the new Trump administration hit the ground running — save for a few nominations <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/adam-schiff-complains-bondi-isnt-doing-the-job-his-party-is-blocking-her-from-getting">held up</a> in the Senate. That group included billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, with Trump&#8217;s full support, spearheading efforts to streamline the federal government via the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
ABC News anchor Martha Raddatz <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/spin-cycle-this-sudden-move-toward-government-accountability-doge-musk-be-stopped">dove in headfirst</a>, playing up the &#8220;chaos and confusion&#8221; caused by DOGE&#8217;s efforts, emphasizing details such as how much &#8220;access&#8221; to sensitive information DOGE employees must have in order to complete their tasks.
Raddatz had help from Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT), who claimed, &#8220;I think this is the most serious constitutional crisis the country has faced, certainly, since Watergate. The president is attempting to seize control of power and for corrupt purposes.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“I think this is the most serious constitutional crisis the country has faced, certainly, since Watergate,” Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy tells <a href="https://twitter.com/MarthaRaddatz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MarthaRaddatz</a>.
“The president is attempting to seize control of power and for corrupt purposes.” <a href="https://t.co/XbLNUK9FRE">https://t.co/XbLNUK9FRE</a> <a href="https://t.co/mzJMn0uscV">pic.twitter.com/mzJMn0uscV</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1888596549212443075?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Murphy did not, however, endeavor to explain what was corrupt about suggesting that the American people should not be forced to fork over tax dollars to fund Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in Central and South America or build electric cars for Vietnam — just a few of the wasteful items uncovered by DOGE employees.
The Connecticut Democrat even suggested that &#8220;full-scale&#8221; opposition to Musk and DOGE was not only reasonable but necessary: &#8220;You cannot just rely on the court system when the challenge to the Constitution and the billionaire takeover is so acute and so urgent.&#8221;
The New Yorker’s Susan Glasser also weighed in, asking, “How is it possible that one unelected billionaire, the richest man in the world, can unilaterally do that without any process?”
To date, according to the DOGE website, the department has uncovered some $214 billion in savings, which amounts to more than $1,200 per taxpayer.
<h4 class="css-12aqo6z e1a9f8qs0">Beat The Press</h4>
In May, President Trump sat down for an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/spin-cycle-trump-takes-on-nbc-anchor-in-combative-meet-the-press-interview">interview</a> with NBC’s Kristen Welker, moderator of &#8220;Meet the Press,&#8221; and he routinely pushed back on the framing of her questions.
Welker asked about the economy, pressing Trump to say whether or not Americans were still living in the Biden economy or in his — and he threaded the needle carefully, noting that some policies would give noticeable effects more quickly than others.
&#8220;I think certain aspects of it are. Costs are. I was able to get down the costs, but even that, it takes a while to get them down but we got them down good. … We lost $5-6 billion a day [on trade] with Biden — $5-6 billion. And I’ve got that down to a great number right now in a record time.&#8221;
True to form, NBC published a piece on the interview stating that Trump had claimed ownership of the &#8220;good parts&#8221; of the economy while blaming Biden for the bad.
Welker pressed Trump on whether or not he believed everyone in the United States — whether citizen or not — was entitled to due process and the right to plead their case before a judge, and Trump’s reply was simple: “I don’t know, I’m not a lawyer.”
&#8220;We have thousands of people … some of the worst, most dangerous on earth — and I was elected to get them the hell out of here and the courts are holding me from doing it,” Trump added.
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &#8220;We have thousands of people &#8230; some of the worst, most dangerous on earth — and I was elected to get them the hell out of here and the courts are holding me from doing it.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/uNJESyWas1">pic.twitter.com/uNJESyWas1</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1919022289397452899?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
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<h4>They Really Can’t Help It, Can They?</h4>
In September, the murder of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk on a Utah college campus prompted President Trump to issue one of the first public statements mourning his friend. He later took the stage at Kirk’s memorial, expressing sorrow and anger before a crowd of thousands.
Charlie’s widow, Erika, also spoke at the memorial service, where she said she had forgiven the man responsible for murdering her husband and leaving her two children without their father: “That young man, that young man. On the cross, our Savior said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ That man, that young man, I forgive him. I forgive him because it was what Christ did, and is what Charlie would do.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Erika Kirk forgives the man who murdered her husband:
&#8220;My husband Charlie&#8230;he wanted to save young men just like the one who took his life&#8230;that young man&#8230;
I forgive him.
I forgive him because it was what Christ did and is what Charlie would do.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/Pd1yGRMRVw">pic.twitter.com/Pd1yGRMRVw</a>
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1969893178393206823?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On MSNBC (Now MS NOW), Ayman Mohideen praised Erika Kirk — but he used her speech to attack President Trump for taking a different route.
&#8220;There is that disconnect between the grief that a mother who is just going to bury her husband, the father of her children, and a president who’s talking about the politics of this moment,” Mohideen complained. &#8220;And I think that’s what my takeaway was from that speech, you know, the opportunity for the president to try to heal and bring the country, as many had hoped he would, and not doing it in the way that many people would expect a president to do.&#8221;
On CNN, former Democratic National Committee comms director Xochitl Hinojosa gave essentially the same assessment: &#8220;I think in times like this, especially when there is political violence, you need the president, regardless of who it is, to bring the country together. And that has not happened. This was an opportunity for Trump to do that. He did not take that opportunity. The person who really did that was Erika Kirk.&#8221;
<h4>Jay Who? Sunday Shows Ignore Virginia AG Scandal</h4>
When a text scandal plagued Attorney General-elect Jay Jones (D-VA) in October, legacy media outlets all but ignored it — a move that likely aided him in coasting past incumbent and Trump-ally Attorney General Jason Miyares (R-VA) in November.
After the scandal broke, the topic was only discussed on NBC&#8217;s &#8220;Meet the Press&#8221; — and even then, it was not the show&#8217;s host who made it a topic of discussion. Marc Short, who served as Former Vice President Mike Pence’s chief of staff, brought it up.
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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.”
Kristen Welker prompted Neera Tanden, who worked in the Biden White House, to then weigh in, and she almost immediately pivoted to suggest that Trump was worse.
“I mean, I absolutely think people should criticize that, 100%,” Tanden said. &#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.’”
Short mentioned the Jones scandal in light of so many Democrats engaged in a public meltdown over a few memes featuring House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) with a fake mustache and a sombrero.
Vice President JD Vance also pushed back on efforts to scuttle the story, 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;

President Trump Delivers Remarks In North Carolina

Spin Cycle: Five Times The Legacy Media, Trump Battled For Narrative Control In 2025

Legacy Media

Legacy media hosts spent a good part of Sunday morning discussing the hundreds of thousands of pages of photos and documents — all related to the late convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein — that were released to the public on Friday.
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.
Nearly all of them were concerned that too much information had been redacted, and some were also complaining that the document dump — despite its volume — did not account for the remainder of the information that had been covered under the Epstein Transparency Act.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) — who can be counted among the majority of Democrats who exhibited zero interest in releasing the Epstein files when his party had control of the House, the Senate, and the White House — joined ABC News anchor Jonathan Karl on &#8220;This Week&#8221; to complain about the fact that not everything was released on Friday.
&#8220;I think there needs to be a full and complete explanation and then a full and complete investigation as to why the document production has fallen short of what the law clearly required,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries reacts to the partial release of the Epstein files: “I think there needs to be a full and complete explanation and then a full and complete investigation as to why the document production has fallen short of what the law clearly required.” <a href="https://t.co/edYpn3KR1k">pic.twitter.com/edYpn3KR1k</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/2002753628575015170?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) suggested that it was a mistake to release any of the files if they were not going to release everything at once: &#8220;Any kind of indication that there&#8217;s not a full reveal on this will just plague them for months and months more. So my suggestion would be, give up all the information, release it.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Sen. Paul calls the partial release of the Epstein files “a big mistake” for the administration: “Any kind of indication that there&#8217;s not a full reveal on this will just plague them for months and months more. So my suggestion would be, give up all the information, release it.” <a href="https://t.co/ezw1nuZJ40">pic.twitter.com/ezw1nuZJ40</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/2002766554379800837?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On CBS News, &#8220;Face the Nation&#8221; guest Reps. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Thomas Massie (R-KY) claimed that the Justice Department was &#8220;flouting the letter and the spirit of the law&#8221; with the Friday document dump because it was incomplete and because it was so heavily redacted.
&#8220;I won’t be satisfied until the survivors are satisfied,&#8221; Massie said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The Department of Justice is “flouting the spirit and the letter of the law” with its initial release of thousands of new records related to Jeffrey Epstein that include heavily-redacted pages, says Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY). He tells @margbrennnan the Trump administration’s… <a href="https://t.co/05MgVtIqrf">pic.twitter.com/05MgVtIqrf</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/2002811224153633040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;They sent a six-page memo to Congress and they cited pre-existing laws as reasons that they weren&#8217;t going to follow our law,&#8221; Massie added, claiming that he knew of a number of men accused of sex crimes related to Epstein whose names were not included in the released documents, and was unsure as to whether they&#8217;d ever be released.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) says he has been told of at least 20 men accused of sex crimes known to the FBI related to Jeffrey Epstein, but tells <a href="https://twitter.com/margbrennan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@margbrennan</a> he didn’t see the names in the files the Justice Department has released so far and isn’t optimistic they’ll ever be… <a href="https://t.co/xInQWaxKOD">pic.twitter.com/xInQWaxKOD</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/2002812237052801150?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Khanna suggested that Congress could hold Attorney General Pam Bondi in contempt over the release, adding, &#8220;I believe we’re going to get bipartisan support in holding her accountable and a committee of Congress should determine whether these redactions are justified or not.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Ro Khanna (D-CA) say they’ll take action against the Trump administration for its partial release of the Epstein files, including using Congress’ inherent contempt powers against Attorney General Pam Bondi.
“I believe we’re going to get bipartisan… <a href="https://t.co/0kBoVdCA9V">pic.twitter.com/0kBoVdCA9V</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/2002812622324785652?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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One of the storylines a number of them fixated on came from early reports that suggested a number of the redactions were made to protect not just victims but people who were considered to be politically connected. This narrative picked up steam quickly as it was revealed that a handful of the photos that were released in Friday were quickly pulled down — a move that Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said was made out of concern that some of the women in the photos might need to have their identities redacted.
Of course, the fact that one of the photos appeared to include President Donald Trump quickly became media fodder as well, and host Margaret Brennan asked Khanna about that directly.
&#8220;I am less concerned about that photo,&#8221; Khanna said of the Trump photo. &#8220;I don&#8217;t know the facts. My concern is the major documents that we know are out there that haven&#8217;t been released.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
When asked about 15 images being pulled down from the Justice Department&#8217;s Epstein files website, including a photo of a drawer with a picture of President Trump, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) says, “I am less concerned about that photo.”
“I don&#8217;t know the facts. My concern is the major… <a href="https://t.co/P3ivwYLeRu">pic.twitter.com/P3ivwYLeRu</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/2002813144784134144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On &#8220;Meet the Press,&#8221; NBC anchor Kristen Welker asked Deputy AG Todd Blanch directly about the Trump photo — and asked whether any of the redactions had been done because of potential embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity.&#8221;
Blanche&#8217;s reply was simple: &#8220;Absolutely, positively not.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NBC: Has anything in the Epstein Files been redacted on that basis of &#8217;embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity&#8217;?
Todd Blanche: &#8220;Absolutely, positively not.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/bwGtieJJgC">pic.twitter.com/bwGtieJJgC</a>
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) <a href="https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/2002749527623876652?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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And on CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union,&#8221; Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) — who also showed no interest in releasing the Epstein files until President Trump won reelection — said that he was ready to pull out all the stops in his effort to ensure the Trump administration was held accountable for failing to issue a full and complete release.
&#8220;Everything is on the table,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Rep. Jamie Raskin: &#8220;Everything is on the table&#8221; to force DOJ to release all Epstein files <a href="https://t.co/cIYBzVrZjm">pic.twitter.com/cIYBzVrZjm</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/2002775268793241749?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Patrick McMullan Archives

Spin Cycle: The Epstein And [Redacted] Files

Alan Dershowitz

Ghislaine Maxwell

Jeffrey Epstein

The world reeled on Sunday with news of one deadly shooting at Rhode Island&#8217;s Brown University and another at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia — and somehow, Democrats tied both to President Donald Trump and American firearm policies.
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.
The two attacks, based on multiple reports, could not be more different aside from the method used to carry them out.
At Brown University, a masked gunman barged into a classroom where students were reviewing for an economics exam and opened fire, killing two and wounding several others. Initial reports stated that the suspect &#8220;shouted something&#8221; but it was not clear what. The suspect fled the scene, but local authorities and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fbis-patel-promises-all-out-24-7-campaign-to-deliver-justice-after-brown-university-shooting">FBI Director Kash Patel</a> announced that a &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/officials-detain-person-of-interest-in-deadly-brown-university-shooting">person of interest</a>&#8221; was apprehended within a matter of hours.
On the other side of the world, in Australia, at least two suspects opened fire on a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney&#8217;s Bondi Beach. They killed at least 15 and wounded others. One of the shooters was briefly interrupted when a civilian charged him, wrestled his firearm away, and then held him at gunpoint. He eventually was able to run to where he&#8217;d stashed another firearm, and immediately started shooting again.
In an interview with Ali Velshi that aired on MS NOW (formerly MSNBC), Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) addressed both shootings.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Ilhan Omar asked about shoot*ngs at Brown and in Australia on MSNOW:
&#8220;It is a tragedy that this has become a normal occurrence not just in the United States&#8230;&#8221;
“…but now seeing it in Australia, who&#8217;s worked really hard to create gun prevention laws to prevent the kind of… <a href="https://t.co/oatZmnVUX5">pic.twitter.com/oatZmnVUX5</a>
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) <a href="https://twitter.com/WesternLensman/status/2000291864029839661?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;This is yet another bad day for America,&#8221; Velshi prompted.
&#8220;Yeah, we are still recovering from the shooting at Annunciation church,&#8221; Omar began, referencing a school shooting that had taken place just weeks earlier in her home state. &#8220;It is a tragedy that this has become a normal occurrence, not just in the United States but now seeing it in Australia who&#8217;s worked really hard to create gun prevention laws to prevent the kind of tragedy that took place today.&#8221;
Omar made no mention of the fact that the shooting in Australia had taken place in spite of that nation enacting the kind of restrictive gun laws that she and others within the Democratic Party would be only too happy to foist on the American people. She also gave no attention to the obvious motive in the Bondi Beach shooting, in which Australian Jews were targeted while celebrating Hanukkah together.
On CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union,&#8221; Senator <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senate-dem-wastes-no-time-blames-brown-shooting-on-donald-trump">Chris Murphy</a> (D-CT) laid the blame for the Brown University shooting at President Trump&#8217;s feet, claiming that he&#8217;d been engaging in an active &#8220;campaign&#8221; to promote more and more violence.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
In the wake of the Brown University shooting, Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy tells Dana Bash that President Trump &#8220;has been engaged in a pretty deliberate campaign to try to make violence more likely in this country.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/FSSbCqWrRo">pic.twitter.com/FSSbCqWrRo</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/2000272611067019336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;It’s not shocking, because over the last year, President Trump has been engaged in a dizzying campaign to increase violence in this country,” Murphy began, clearly insinuating that the Trump administration was encouraging violence.
“He’s restoring gun rights to felons and to people who have lost their ability to buy guns, he eliminated the White House Office of Gun Violence Protection, and he has stopped funding mental health grants and community anti-gun violence grants that Republicans and Democrats supported in that 2022 bill,” Murphy continued.
“He has been engaged in a pretty deliberate campaign to try to make violence more likely, and I think you’re unfortunately going to see the results of that on the streets of America,&#8221; he said.
Murphy was referencing a rule proposed by Trump&#8217;s Justice Department in July – a rule that would allow certain people with criminal records to have their Second Amendment rights restored, but only after they were evaluated to ensure that they did not actually pose a risk to others.
CNN anchor Dana Bash pressed Murphy on that assertion, saying, “That’s a pretty big statement, he’s in a campaign to make violence more likely?”
&#8220;Of course! I mean, he’s knowingly restoring gun rights to dangerous people. He is cutting off grants that have bipartisan support to try to interrupt violence in our cities, or to try to get necessary mental health resources to families and children in need,” Murphy claimed. “The evidence tells you that when you stop funding mental health, when you stop funding community anti-gun violence programs, when you give gun rights back to dangerous people, you are going to have increase in violence. That is knowable and that is foreseeable.&#8221;
On NBC&#8217;s &#8220;Meet the Press,&#8221; Senator Raphael Warnock — who also supports restrictive gun laws — weighed in on the Brown University shooting and suggested that it had occurred because legislators had not done enough to limit access to firearms.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Any nation that tolerates violence like this year after year, decade after decade is broken and in need of moral repair. <a href="https://t.co/5q2d0rCZmG">pic.twitter.com/5q2d0rCZmG</a>
— Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (@SenatorWarnock) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenatorWarnock/status/2000288654241988745?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;We have to pray not only with our lips but with our actions,&#8221; Warnock told anchor Kristen Welker. &#8220;Any nation that tolerates this kind of violence year after year, decade after decade, in random places, on our college and school campuses, without doing all that we can to stop it is broken and in need of moral repair.&#8221;
Just hours earlier, Warnock made a similar comment in a post on X, saying, &#8220;Saddened by the tragic news of the shooting at Brown University. May God give peace to the parents and families of the victims, strength and courage to our country to do all we can to stem the awful scourge of gun violence.&#8221;

Spin Cycle: Dems Make Shootings Worldwide About Trump, American Policy

antisemitism

Australia

Gun Violence

Terrorism

Democrats and and their media surrogates have made it abundantly clear that they&#8217;re not going to let go of their chosen narrative surrounding War Secretary Pete Hegseth, Admiral Mitch Bradley, and how many strikes are necessary to neutralize the threat posed by Venezuelan narco-terrorists.
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 story that should have been on life-support by Sunday morning — published eight days earlier by The Washington Post — somehow still had legs. The initial story cited anonymous sources and described the scene that played out after SEAL Team 6 struck a boat that intelligence had identified as part of a drug-running operation.
According to the WaPo report, Hegseth issued a clear order: &#8220;Kill them all.&#8221; When the first strike left two survivors, the story alleged, a second order was given and another strike followed — this one taking out the remaining individuals on the scene.
What followed was a mad scramble for Democrats and media to take up the torch for those two survivors and give them the most sympathetic makeover possible. They were helpless, Democrats claimed, clinging to the wreckage of their boat and just hoping against hope that they might survive. Targeting unarmed survivors, they claimed, was nothing short of a war crime.
Over the following days, however, new reports added dimension to the story. ABC News anchor Martha Raddatz — who had helped sell the &#8220;helpless survivor&#8221; narrative just days earlier with &#8220;This Week&#8221; host Jonathan Karl — reported that the boat had apparently been disabled but not destroyed by the first strike. In addition, she cited sources who&#8217;d said the operators were in contact with the Judge Advocate General&#8217;s office in real time — and that because they&#8217;d believed the survivors were attempting to contact someone for help and salvage their illicit cargo, they were deemed lawful enemy combatants.
Still, the hosts of the Sunday morning shows brought in a whole new slate of guests, most of whom continued to hawk the war crimes narrative in any market where they believed it would fly.
On &#8220;This Week,&#8221; Rep. Adam Smith raised the question of land strikes in Venezuela, complaining that President Donald Trump&#8217;s administration — the War Department in particular — had not kept him and others in Congress in the loop.
&#8220;They have not kept us informed on this, they did not inform us of these strikes,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Rep. Adam Smith tells George Stephanopoulos that he has not been briefed on the possibility of land strikes in Venezuela. Referring to the Department of Defense, he said: “They have not kept us informed on this, they did not inform us of these strikes.” <a href="https://t.co/K7SoJZoCdk">pic.twitter.com/K7SoJZoCdk</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1997701054511632452?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Smith also called for the public release of video from the strike in question, claiming that President Donald Trump was trying to avoid doing so.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Rep. Adam Smith calls for the release of the videos shown to lawmakers of U.S. strikes against one suspected drug boat on Sept. 2. <a href="https://t.co/AtDV1HPtg3">pic.twitter.com/AtDV1HPtg3</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1997698092397645930?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Following the release of the Inspector General&#8217;s report — regarding Hegseth&#8217;s use of the Signal messaging app to share information about a strike on Houthi terrorists — Smith also suggested that the War Secretary wasn&#8217;t taking the right approach: &#8220;It&#8217;s perfectly okay to look back at past actions and say, ‘Yeah, I didn&#8217;t do that right.'&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Rep. Adam Smith criticizes Sec. Hegseth’s response to the inspector general&#8217;s report on the alleged release of sensitive information on the Signal messaging app.
“It&#8217;s perfectly okay to look back at past actions and say, ‘Yeah, I didn&#8217;t do that right.’” <a href="https://t.co/eIjxnABn3b">pic.twitter.com/eIjxnABn3b</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1997682715890700594?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On CBS News, Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT) constructed what was supposed to look like a thought experiment, behind which he hid an attack on Admiral Bradley&#8217;s character.
&#8220;Anyone who has ever worked with Admiral Bradley will tell you that he has a storied career and that he is a man of deep, deep integrity. And frankly, I have no reason to doubt that,” Himes said before pivoting to wonder aloud whether Bradley might compromise that integrity under pressure. “What happens when an apparently good man like Admiral Bradley is placed in a context where he knows that if he countermands an order that he is perhaps uncomfortable with, it is very likely that he will be fired? It’s interesting to think about how a good man in that context maybe does something that if he weren’t in that context he might not do.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
On the alleged Venezuelan drug boat strikes, <a href="https://twitter.com/margbrennan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@margbrennan</a> asked Rep. <a href="https://twitter.com/jahimes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jahimes</a> (D-CT) if he has confidence in Admiral Bradley.
“Anyone who has ever worked with Admiral Bradley will tell you that he has a storied career and that he is a man of deep, deep integrity. And frankly, I… <a href="https://t.co/Lv7AhPQYa1">pic.twitter.com/Lv7AhPQYa1</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1997761860200771693?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Himes also claimed that the people on the boats were likely low-level drug runners, meaning that the cartel bosses were not necessarily feeling the sting.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Rep. <a href="https://twitter.com/jahimes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jahimes</a> (D-CT) tells <a href="https://twitter.com/margbrennan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@margbrennan</a> he does not believe all the identities of those on the alleged Venezuelan drug boats are known. He says the U.S. strikes are hitting low-level operatives, not high-ranking cartel leaders, leaving the top figures in comfortable villas while… <a href="https://t.co/fec6gEQjI5">pic.twitter.com/fec6gEQjI5</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1997763814524096587?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO) used back on &#8220;This Week,&#8221; however.
Democrats &#8220;have such X-ray vision and clairvoyance that they know the intentions of narco-terrorists on boats, yet were so blind to see that they had a President for four years that was operating as a vegetable&#8230; Forgive me if I&#8217;m a little skeptical,&#8221; he declared.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/SenEricSchmitt?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenEricSchmitt</a>: Democrats &#8220;have such X-ray vision and clairvoyance that they know the intentions of narco-terrorists on boats, yet were so blind to see that they had a President for four years that was operating as a vegetable&#8230; Forgive me if I&#8217;m a little skeptical.&#8221; 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/fgyMRbrnel">pic.twitter.com/fgyMRbrnel</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1997687852566737239?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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President Trump And Pete Hegseth Address U.S. Senior Military Leaders At Quantico

Spin Cycle: Media, Democrats Still Mad At Pete Hegseth For Doing His Job

Pete Hegseth

Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO) called the Inspector General report on the “so-called scandal” surrounding War Secretary Pete Hegseth&#8217;s use of a Signal chat a “nothingburger” on Sunday.
On ABC’s “This Week,” host George Stephanopoulos asked Schmitt about the Signal issue, quoting the Inspector General report.
“Here&#8217;s a quote from the Department of Defense Inspector General report on that release of sensitive information over the Signal app. According to the inspector general, ‘the Secretary sent information identifying the quantity and strike times of manned U.S. aircraft over hostile territory over an unapproved, unsecure network approximately two to four hours before the execution of those strikes. The Secretary&#8217;s actions created a risk to operational security that could have resulted in failed U.S. mission objectives and potential harm to U.S. pilots.’ Isn&#8217;t that a concern?” Stephanopoulos asked.
“I reviewed the IG report, and it&#8217;s a nothingburger. The fact is, there was allegations that this was confidential or classified information. &#8230; It wasn&#8217;t. There was no operational integrity problems,” Schmitt said, going on to note that both operations Rough Rider and Midnight Hammer were “executed flawlessly.”
50% off DailyWire+ annual memberships will not return for another year, so don’t miss this deal! Join now at <a class="c-link" href="http://dailywire.com/cyberweek" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="http://DailyWire.com/cyberweek" data-sk="tooltip_parent">DailyWire.com/cyberweek</a>.
“There&#8217;s no confidential or classified information that was disclosed,” the senator added before pivoting to highlight the legitimate scandal from the Biden administration in which former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin underwent an undisclosed medical procedure without notifying the president.
“Literally, we had a Secretary of Defense that wasn&#8217;t on duty, and nobody knew about it. Like, that&#8217;s a real problem. This was a nothingburger, and that&#8217;s what the IG report that I read last week in the SCIF indicated.”
Stephanopoulos pressed further, but Schmitt reiterated that no classified information was disclosed, and that Signal was “approved by the U.S. government for communications” before the &#8220;so-called scandal started.&#8221;
“But I think the bigger issue was, you know, in the previous administration, you had real operational risk, you had a department, you had a Secretary of Defense that was incapacitated in a surgery, and nobody knew about it for days. That&#8217;s a problem,” Schmitt concluded.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Sen. Eric Schmitt tells George Stephanopoulos that he reviewed the IG&#8217;s report on the alleged release of sensitive information on the Signal messaging app: &#8220;There&#8217;s no confidential or classified information that was disclosed &#8230; This was a nothing burger.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/ZNfL4aWoP6">pic.twitter.com/ZNfL4aWoP6</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1997693761074143538?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The 2024 Republican National Convention

‘A Nothingburger’: Republican Senator Blasts Dem Hypocrisy Over ‘So-Called’ Signal Scandal

Republican Senator Blasts Dem Hypocrisy Over 'So-Called' Signal Scandal, Calling It 'A Nothingburger

Biden Administration

Executive

Lloyd Austin

Signal

Trump Administration

An unreleased video of a second strike on suspected narco-terrorists appears to support War Secretary Pete Hegseth and the War Department, according to ABC News. The report suggests that a second strike was not only justified, it was necessary to complete the intended mission.
ABC News anchor Martha Raddatz weighed in on the new information from an anonymous source on Wednesday evening, saying that it supported reports of two survivors remaining after a first strike on a suspected drug-running boat in the Caribbean. Where the new intelligence diverged, she reported, was that the suspected narco-terrorists were not simply clinging to the wreckage. The two appeared to be making attempts to salvage their illicit cargo and may have remained in contact with others in their network once their vessel had been disabled.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
ABC’s Martha Raddatz on Wednesday’s ‘World News Tonight’ about drug boat-gate: “And tonight, new information: According to a source familiar with the incident, the two survivors climbed back on to the boat after the initial strike. They were believed to be potentially in… <a href="https://t.co/R5eHFzzDql">pic.twitter.com/R5eHFzzDql</a>
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) <a href="https://twitter.com/CurtisHouck/status/1996369433569161520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;And tonight, new information: According to a source familiar with the incident, the two survivors climbed back on to the boat after the initial strike,&#8221; Raddatz told host David Muir on ABC&#8217;s &#8220;World News Tonight.&#8221;
&#8220;They were believed to be potentially in communication with others, and salvaging some of the drugs,&#8221; she continued. &#8220;Because of that, it was determined they were still in the fight and valid targets. A JAG officer was also giving legal advice. So, again, David, that video will be key, and Admiral Bradley will be on the Hill tomorrow behind closed doors.&#8221;
The Washington Post published an anonymously-sourced &#8220;exclusive&#8221; on Saturday claiming that things had gone very differently, however.
According to the initial story, a direct order to “kill them all” was attributed to Secretary Hegseth — and the scenario described suggested that two survivors had been clinging to wreckage when a second strike was ordered to ensure that they weren’t left alive.
Democrats and legacy media outlets were only too happy to run with that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/spin-cycle-wapo-hit-piece-targets-pete-hegseth-and-legacy-outlets-fall-in-line">narrative</a>, and they spent much of the day Sunday declaring Hegseth — along with anyone who had been involved in carrying out his order — was likely guilty of war crimes.
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/whoopi-goldberg-says-pete-hegseth-set-soldiers-up-to-face-war-crimes-charges">narrative</a> continued into the week as the hosts of ABC’s “The View” not only proclaimed Hegseth guilty of “war crimes,” but insisted that if other military service members were eventually tried for war crimes, it would be because Hegseth’s orders had effectively “set them up.”

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narco-terrorism

Washington Post

The Washington Post ran with an anonymously-sourced <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/11/28/hegseth-kill-them-all-survivors-boat-strike/">hit piece</a> claiming that War Secretary Pete Hegseth had ordered Seal Team 6, when executing a strike against narco-terrorists in the Caribbean, to &#8220;kill them all&#8221; — and legacy media outlets fell all over themselves platforming guests who would question whether or not such an order, if given, was legal.
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.
Once the story began circulating on Saturday, Hegseth <a href="https://x.com/SecWar/status/1994552598142038358">addressed it directly</a>, saying, &#8220;As usual, the fake news is delivering more fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory reporting to discredit our incredible warriors fighting to protect the homeland.&#8221;
&#8220;As we’ve said from the beginning, and in every statement, these highly effective strikes are specifically intended to be &#8216;lethal, kinetic strikes.&#8217; The declared intent is to stop lethal drugs, destroy narco-boats, and kill the narco-terrorists who are poisoning the American people,&#8221; Hegseth continued. &#8220;Every trafficker we kill is affiliated with a Designated Terrorist Organization.&#8221;
The focus across media outlets was on what happened after the initial missile strike: operators watched a live feed that showed two survivors clinging to the wreckage of the boat. Then, according to The Washington Post&#8217;s report, a second strike was carried out in order to comply with the directive to &#8220;kill them all&#8221; — and the legality of that second strike in particular was where they focused the majority of the attention.
On ABC&#8217;s &#8220;This Week,&#8221; host <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/abc-personalities-run-with-wapo-hit-piece-on-hegseth-ignore-war-secs-response">Jonathan Karl</a> brought in global affairs correspondent Martha Raddatz to discuss the issue, and she questioned whether the second strike, reportedly carried out when the two survivors were not known to be an &#8220;imminent threat&#8221; might stand in violation of the &#8220;rules of war.&#8221;
&#8220;Did those two men clinging to the side of the boat pose an imminent threat?” she asked, and she wondered aloud whether the order to strike a second time had been given with the knowledge that survivors were hanging on for dear life, and whether the lawyers had been consulted about the legality of such a strike.
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“Did those two men clinging to the side of the boat pose an imminent threat?”<a href="https://twitter.com/MarthaRaddatz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MarthaRaddatz</a> weighs in on the Washington Post reporting of a military strike that allegedly targeted two survivors in the Caribbean. <a href="https://t.co/qh5zs8hdWr">https://t.co/qh5zs8hdWr</a> <a href="https://t.co/alnukF1hlq">pic.twitter.com/alnukF1hlq</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1995139913990255102?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Karl then set up Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) with the framing of the second strike as a &#8220;war crime.&#8221; Van Hollen agreed that it would certainly be a &#8220;war crime,&#8221; but only if one accepted the Trump administration&#8217;s assertion that the United States was, in fact, at war with the cartels.
&#8220;But it could be worse than that. If that theory is wrong, then it&#8217;s plain murder,&#8221; he said. &#8220;But even if you accept their legal theory, then it is a war crime.&#8221;
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“I do believe that the Secretary of Defense should be held accountable for giving those kind of orders.”
Sen. Van Hollen comments on the Washington Post reporting of a military strike that allegedly targeted two survivors in the Caribbean. <a href="https://t.co/CeUj71b7jA">https://t.co/CeUj71b7jA</a> <a href="https://t.co/eqaL76Vd4o">pic.twitter.com/eqaL76Vd4o</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1995153144502767839?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) took the same position as Raddatz, arguing that he could not see how two men hanging onto wreckage in the water amounted to an &#8220;imminent threat.&#8221;
&#8220;It&#8217;s hard to believe that two people on a raft trying to survive would pose an imminent threat,&#8221; he said, but argued that he didn&#8217;t believe Hegseth would give an order to kill survivors after an initial strike.
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Rep. Don Bacon on the Washington Post reporting of a military strike that allegedly targeted two survivors in the Caribbean: “It&#8217;s hard to believe that two people on a raft trying to survive would pose an imminent threat.” <a href="https://t.co/Nh3a5IomlB">https://t.co/Nh3a5IomlB</a> <a href="https://t.co/NmxgtniEnp">pic.twitter.com/NmxgtniEnp</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1995159073562509713?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On CBS&#8217;s &#8220;Face the Nation,&#8221; Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) argued that he was unsure of the legality of any of the strikes against narco-terrorists. &#8220;It’s time for Congress to rein in a president who is deciding to wage war on his own say so, which is not what the Constitution allows,&#8221; he said.
He also argued that a second strike &#8220;rises to the level of a war crime if it&#8217;s true.&#8221;
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Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) says the “shoddy” legal rationale the Trump administration provided Congress for its military strikes on alleged drug boats “was not at all persuasive that these are legal actions.”
“It’s time for Congress to rein in a president who is deciding to wage war… <a href="https://t.co/KrMKfTNhYb">pic.twitter.com/KrMKfTNhYb</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1995179682661081112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union,&#8221; Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) claimed that he would have disregarded the order to carry out the second strike.
&#8220;I&#8217;m a guy who — I have sunk two ships &#8230; during the first Gulf War,&#8221; Kelly said. &#8220;I never in that situation questioned whether those strikes were legal. We were given an order to do this, it was a time of war.&#8221;
Kelly went on to say that he, like Kaine, questioned the legality of the strikes from the start.
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BASH: You mentioned that you were a captain in the Navy. If you received that order, would you have carried it out? 
KELLY: No. No. <a href="https://t.co/CngXyLvL1f">pic.twitter.com/CngXyLvL1f</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1995155167302353331?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
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A second strike on top of that — particularly when the men in the water supposedly posed no immediate threat — would rise to the level of a &#8220;war crime,&#8221; Kelly said.
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Sen. Mark Kelly: U.S. military carrying out second strike on a suspected drug vessel killing unarmed survivors &#8220;seems to&#8221; constitute a war crime. <a href="https://t.co/eTJl19bVxm">pic.twitter.com/eTJl19bVxm</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1995155407535260011?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On Fox News&#8217; &#8220;Big Weekend Show,&#8221; however, Marine Corps veteran Joey Jones pushed back and argued that an “imminent threat” does not always have to come in the form of guns pointed at American citizens.
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🚨 Joey Jones just ended the left with one quote:
“Spare me the tears over terrorists when you don’t cry over Americans who’ve died from them. Spare me the tears over terrorists when you didn’t have anything to say when President Obama droned American citizens.”
🔥🔥🔥 <a href="https://t.co/6ISsgZkWzD">pic.twitter.com/6ISsgZkWzD</a>
— Gina Milan (@ginamilan_) <a href="https://twitter.com/ginamilan_/status/1994905288915521570?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Jones noted that if the survivors were able to radio others in their drug trafficking network, that could be just as grave a threat — and could also quickly result in men with guns showing up to defend them.

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