A new bill from Republican Senator Tom Cotton would protect National Guard troops from “deranged individuals” who attack or spit on them while they are on duty.
Cotton’s bill would create a 15-foot buffer zone around any National Guard member performing official duties, his office told The Daily Wire. The intent would be to shield troops from people trying to intimidate, harass, touch, or spit on them.
“The brave Arkansans who serve in our National Guard should be protected from deranged individuals. My bill ensures that anyone who attempts to intimidate or harass a Guardsmen will face the full force of the law,” Cotton told The Daily Wire.
Cotton’s legislation comes as President Donald Trump has deployed National Guard troops to cities across the country from Memphis to Los Angeles to assist in federal operations.
The bill, known as the ‘‘National Guard Protective Zone Act,” would create a federal misdemeanor for those who enter the protective zone to intimidate, harass, or impede a troop. It would also create a felony for anyone who spits on or throws an object at a National Guard member while on duty. That would be punishable by up to five years in prison.
“Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit activity protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States that is conducted outside a posted protective zone,” the legislation reads.
Since being deployed to Washington, D.C., National Guard troops have faced protests and violence. Just before Thanksgiving, two National Guard troops were shot, with one dying while another was critically injured. The man suspected of shooting the troops was an Afghan refugee who entered the country under former President Joe Biden.
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In another high-profile incident, a man threw a subway sandwich at a Customs and Border Patrol officer during part of the Trump administration’s law enforcement surge to the nation’s capital.
On Wednesday, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals said the Trump administration could keep the National Guard deployed to the district while litigation plays out.
“Another important court victory for President Trump’s agenda: today, the D.C. Circuit unanimously issued a stay in favor of our National Guard deployment to Washington, DC,” Attorney General Pam Bondi <a href="https://x.com/AGPamBondi/status/2001375227465322966">said</a>. “Our federal surge in DC has saved countless lives, removed hundreds of illegal guns off the streets, and led to a dramatic drop in crime in our nation’s capital city.”

Senate Confirmation Held To Consider John Ratcliffe To Be CIA Director

National Guard Under Attack From ‘Deranged Individuals’ In U.S. Cities, Senator Says

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As she prepared to launch a statewide campaign as a Democrat in deep red Arkansas, the woman hoping to unseat Arkansas Republican Tom Cotton appears to have scrubbed from the internet her work for a nonprofit dedicated to helping people &#8220;make decisions about their sexuality&#8221; in Peru, where she literally led a pro-transgender parade through the streets of the capital city.
&#8220;The only thing Hallie ever wanted to do was farm,&#8221; Democrat Hallie Shoffner&#8217;s campaign <a href="https://www.hallieshoffner.com/about-1">website</a> states. &#8220;But if she can’t farm, she’s going to fight.&#8221;
The tunnel-vision desire to farm somehow brought her to work in South America at Peru&#8217;s Center for the Promotion and Defense of Sexual and Reproductive Rights, &#8220;a feminist non-governmental organization that, through political advocacy, knowledge generation and alliances, helps people to make decisions about their sexuality and reproduction with autonomy, dignity, justice and equality,&#8221; according to an English translation of its <a href="https://promsex.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a>.
The group, generally referred to by the acronym PROMSEX, was founded in 2005 to advocate for &#8220;a more just society for all people, free from gender stereotypes and prejudices.&#8221; During her time with the group, Shoffner appears to have run a blog for the group, called <a href="https://perusinglima.blogspot.com/2010/07/pride-in-peru.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PERUsing Lima</a>. The blog was taken down at some point between November 2023 and August 2025, before Shoffner announced her Senate bid. Her work at the nonprofit is not listed on her LinkedIn page or on her campaign website.
But a Daily Wire review of Shoffner&#8217;s social media accounts and an archived version of the blog appear to confirm her involvement. In one LinkedIn post, she touted how she led a &#8220;Gay Pride Parade&#8221; in Peru in July 2010.
“I marched in Lima&#8217;s 9th Annual Gay Pride Parade yesterday (Saturday, July 10, 2010). Now, when I say I marched in Lima&#8217;s 9th Annual Gay Pride Parade, I marched in the FRONT of Lima&#8217;s 9th Annual Gay Pride Parade. I mean in the very front. Leading the charge. My org, Promsex, funded the parade so our staff carried the opening banner,” she wrote at the time, according to an internet <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20231122025443/https:/perusinglima.blogspot.com/2010/07/pride-in-peru.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">archive</a> of the blog available on the Wayback Machine.
Shoffner&#8217;s behavior poses a sharp contrast to her state&#8217;s views on transgender issues. Arkansas has been a leader in socially conservative legislation related to transgender surgery for minors. The state&#8217;s Republican governor, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, has aggressively pursued policies to protect women&#8217;s spaces from transgender-identifying men. She won her office by nearly thirty percentage points.
Shoffner said her experience &#8220;celebrating being gay, lesbian, transexual, [and] bisexual&#8221; was &#8220;incredible!&#8221;
“On occasion, while we were marching, I would stop to take a photo of the very colorful line behind us. When I did, I saw that the front truck would stop too. So when I say I was leading the parade, I&#8217;m not kidding. It was incredible!&#8221;
“The celebration of who you are and what you believe (a celebration of self-love and pride with pure happiness) also defies the nay-sayers. And what were we celebrating? Yes, we were celebrating being gay, lesbian, transexual, bisexual&#8230;we were even celebrating being straight. But, primarily, we were celebrating love and humanity&#8217;s ability to love. That is what we should be most proud of. Some of Promsex&#8217;s staff&#8230;I&#8217;m so happy to be a part of the family!” she continued.
The blog also featured numerous photos of the parade, including shots of Shoffner herself.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1002183 size-full aligncenter" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/parade-peru-2010-shoffner.jpg" alt="" width="512" height="341" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/parade-peru-2010-shoffner.jpg 512w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/parade-peru-2010-shoffner-300x200.jpg 300w" sizes=" (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px" /></div>
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<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1002181 size-full aligncenter" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/shoffner.jpg" alt="" width="512" height="341" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/shoffner.jpg 512w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/shoffner-300x200.jpg 300w" sizes=" (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px" /></div>
Shoffner did not respond to a request for comment.
Republicans have criticized Shoffner, saying that her values make her a poor representative for Arkansas.
“Hallie Shoffner’s organization funded a trans-pride parade in Peru, she led the parade, and then she tried to hide it from Arkansans — what else is Hallie Shoffner hiding?&#8221; Bart Hester, President pro tempore of the Arkansas Senate, told The Daily Wire in a statement. &#8220;Arkansas has led the way in protecting our kids from trans surgeries, even when far-left activists attacked us. We were the first state to ban these harmful surgeries.&#8221;
“We also passed a law offering recourse to children who are victims of trans surgeries,” he continued. “It&#8217;s one thing for Hallie Shoffner to lead a trans pride parade in Peru, but for her to cover it up and try to hide the evidence shows she should be running for Senate in California, not in Arkansas.”
Cotton has introduced legislation to allows minors who have received “gender-transition procedures” to pursue damages if they choose to do so afterward.
“Gender-transition procedures aren’t safe or appropriate for children. Unfortunately, radical doctors in the United States perform dangerous, experimental, and even sterilizing gender-transition procedures on young kids, who cannot even provide informed consent,” Cotton said in a 2023 statement on the proposal.
Shoffner appears to have worked at PROMSEX while obtaining her Master&#8217;s of Public Service at the University of Arkansas&#8217; Clinton School of Public Service, which said that Shoffner &#8220;developed a fundraising strategy and donor database&#8221; for the organization, according to the school&#8217;s <a href="https://clintonschool.uasys.edu/news/panel-on-international-project/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">webpage</a>.
Currently, PROMSEX&#8217;s main initiative is NosoTrans, &#8220;a project that seeks to help trans women in vulnerable situations exercise their right to health, especially for hormone therapy processes, by accessing safe, reliable and transphobia-free health services in six areas of southern Lima.&#8221;

Arkansas Dem Hallie Shoffner Led Pro-Trans Parade In Peru, Derailing Moderate ‘Farmer’ Image

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Senate

Transgender

Arkansas Republican Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders is rolling out workplace reforms for state employees, including implementing a new Infant at Work policy and ceasing future remote work, The Daily Wire has exclusively learned.
The new policy for parents of newborn babies is part of her Arkansas Forward initiative and will allow parents to bring their infants, from four weeks to six months old, into the workplace with supervisor approval. The program was initially piloted in the Governor’s Office and the Department of Human Services, but will now be expanded statewide. Sanders says it gives working families greater flexibility during a child’s earliest months of life.
“As a working mom, I know how important a child’s earliest months are for bonding and education,” Sanders said in a letter that was sent to state employees. “Working moms and dads are a critical component of our workforce, and I want to make sure we provide additional options for families to have flexibility and not have to choose between staying home with their infant or returning to work.”
In addition to the expanded Infant at Work program, Sanders announced another policy change. Starting October 1, Arkansas will end the regular use of remote work in state agencies plus will extend office hours to 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., encourage in-person meetings over virtual ones, and implement standardized flexible and alternative schedules.
“State employees serve our citizens best when they collaborate in person,” the governor wrote in the letter.
Sanders described these changes as part of a broader effort to leave behind “inefficient policies” that had become standard during the pandemic. 
“Five years ago, COVID-19 changed workplaces in Arkansas and around the world. But the pandemic is in the rearview mirror,” she wrote in the letter. “It’s time to leave the inefficient policies implemented five years ago in the past, too.”
The Arkansas Forward program has identified at least $300 million in cost savings while raising salaries for two-thirds of state employees to bring them closer in line with the private sector, Sanders shared. With these new reforms, the governor wrote, the state is attempting to create a more efficient government that doesn’t force families to choose between work and parenthood.
“We all entered public service because we care about the people of this state. I know all of you work hard to deliver for our citizens – but that doesn’t mean we can’t look for ways to improve our best practices. With these new policies, we’ll be able to build the responsive, efficient government our people want and deserve,” the letter from Sanders concluded.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders

Arkansas Governor Implements Infant At Work Policy, Ends Remote Work For State Employees

Parenting

Work environment

An Arkansas law shielding kids from transgender medical procedures passed four years ago can now be enforced after a federal appeals court overturned a block on the legislation. 
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit ruled Tuesday in an 8-2 decision to allow the Save Adolescents From Experimentation Act (SAFE) to go into effect. The law prohibits doctors from performing transgender procedures on kids and blocks them from referring kids for such procedures. 
“The question is whether this Nation’s history and tradition, as well as its historical understanding of ordered liberty, support the right of a parent to obtain for his or her child a medical treatment that, although the child desires it and a doctor approves, the state legislature deems inappropriate for minors. This court finds no such right in this Nation’s history and tradition,” the majority <a href="https://ecf.ca8.uscourts.gov/opndir/25/08/232681P.pdf">wrote</a> in their opinion. 
The ruling comes just weeks after the Supreme Court issued a landmark decision in June upholding Tennessee’s ban on transgender procedures for kids. The justices pointed to the Tennessee case multiple times throughout their opinion. 
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The law blocks procedures like removing the breasts of girls who identify as boys, genital procedures, and prescribing kids puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones. These procedures have been shown to cause irreversible consequences for bone density, fertility, and development. Arkansas was the first state to pass such a law, and now over two dozen states have enacted similar legislation. 
The law was first blocked by a district judge in July 2021 by a lawsuit from four minors living in Arkansas and two medical professionals. The suit claimed that the law violated the First Amendment and the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection and Due Process clauses. 
“To the contrary, the Act does not classify based on transgender status. Like the Tennessee law upheld by the Supreme Court, the Act effectively divides minors into two groups,” the judges wrote. “In one group are minors seeking drugs or surgeries for the purposes that the Act prohibits. In the other group are minors seeking drugs or surgeries for purposes the Act does not prohibit.”
The ruling was celebrated by Arkansas Republican officials who defended the law. 
“I applaud the court’s decision and am pleased that children in Arkansas will be protected from experimental procedures,” Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin said. 
“This is a win for common sense — and for our kids,” Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders <a href="https://x.com/SarahHuckabee/status/1955351793916928062">posted</a> on X. “Arkansas’ first-in-the nation law to protect kids from life-altering gender experiments is back in effect!”

Congressional Leaders Unveil Johnny Cash Statue At US Capitol

Red State Can Now Protect Kids From Trans Procedures After Court Victory

Red State Can Protect Kids From Trans Procedures After Court Victory

Courts

transgender surgery

Senator Tom Cotton introduced a bill on Wednesday that would amend federal law to allow for parental leave in the case of an unborn child’s death.
The Arkansas Republican&#8217;s <a href="https://www.cotton.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/healing_act_2025.pdf">bill</a> would amend the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to allow for a mother and her husband to take 12 workweeks of unpaid leave over the course of a year in the event that they lose an unborn child. The bill would also create a refundable tax credit for any mother, or couple, who experiences a stillbirth. 
“This bill will make sure families receive the resources they need to help recover from the unexpected loss of a child,” Cotton told The Daily Wire. “No amount of money can replace such a loss, but the legislation will make sure parents have time to begin the recovery process.”
The legislation is called the ‘‘Helping with Equal Access to Leave and Investing in Needs for Grieving Mothers and Fathers Act.” Cotton introduced similar legislation in 2023. 
Republican Senators Kevin Cramer (ND) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (MS) also sponsored the legislation. 
 
“It has taken policymakers too long to recognize that parents should be allowed time to heal following a miscarriage or stillbirth,” Hyde-Smith said. “The loss of a child is devastating and heartbreaking for families, and this legislation formally acknowledges their need for time following such a loss.”
The bill would “provide leave for the spontaneous loss of an unborn child” with spontaneous loss defined as “the loss of a child in the womb that does not result from a purposeful act and is unplanned.” It would be consistent with current standards for certification, notice, flexibility and leave substitution for federal family leave law. 
Women who end the lives of their unborn children through abortion would not qualify for the benefits under the legislation.
The bill is similar to a law in Arkansas passed in 2021 that provides a tax credit for unborn children who are stillborn. Republican State Representative Les Eaves <a href="https://www.kark.com/news/politics/arkansas-paisleys-law-inspires-federal-bill-for-stillborn-reform/">introduced</a> the bill after his granddaughter, Paisley Havranek, was stillborn on February 6, 2019.
“One day before she died, she was a perfect, fully formed, beautiful little girl, but she’s not recognized as a dependent at that point,” he said at the time. 
In recent years, Republicans have pushed for more legislation to support family formation. Earlier this year, West Virginia Republican Rep. Riley Moore <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-republican-bill-would-save-thousands-for-parents-who-stay-home-with-kids?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=EXCLUSIVE%3A+Republican+Bill+Would+Save+Thousands+For+Parents+Who+Stay+Home+With+Kids">introduced</a> a bill alongside Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) that would ensure that new moms would not be “penalized” under federal law for deciding to leave the workforce and stay home with their child.

Sen. Tom Cotton

EXCLUSIVE: Tom Cotton Pushes To Give Key Benefit To Mothers Who Lose Unborn Children

family

Arkansas has moved forward with banning the purchases of candy and soda with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly referred to as food stamps.
Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders was one of the first governors in the nation to submit a waiver to the federal government, asking for approval to limit SNAP. This week, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins approved the waiver.
“This approval sends a clear message: President Trump and his administration are tackling America’s chronic disease epidemic, and Arkansas stands with him in that fight,” Sanders said of the approval, as first <a href="https://www.dailysignal.com/2025/06/10/exclusive-arkansas-bans-junk-food-food-stamps/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> by The Daily Signal.
“I am incredibly grateful for Secretary Rollins’ quick approval of our waiver. Arkansas leads the nation in getting unhealthy, ultra-processed foods off food stamps and helping our most vulnerable citizens lead healthier lives,” she added.
Rollins has previously said she&#8217;s working closely with Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to advance the &#8220;Make America Healthy Again&#8221; movement. Kennedy, the figurehead of the MAHA movement, has called sugar &#8220;poison,&#8221; led the phasing out of petroleum-based food dyes, and encouraged states to limit SNAP.
Nebraska, another red state, has also been approved by the federal government to limit SNAP purchases to healthier options.
The Daily Wire spoke to Sanders earlier this month about Arkansas becoming a leading state in the MAHA movement. On SNAP limitations, Sanders said it only makes sense.
“It&#8217;s crazy to think that you can use food stamps to purchase soft drinks and candy, but not a hot rotisserie chicken,&#8221; she told The Daily Wire in a video interview. &#8220;The very definition of SNAP, if you look at the second word, it&#8217;s &#8216;nutrition.'&#8221; 
&#8220;There&#8217;s nothing nutritional about candy bars and Cokes,&#8221; she continued. &#8220;So making sure that we are actually helping the people who really need it, and help incentivize healthier choices is something we have to do.&#8221;
&#8220;The food stamp program is a $119 billion federally run program, but about $27 billion of that are spent on candy, soft drinks, and unhealthy desserts and snacks,&#8221; Sanders said. &#8220;So we are literally helping fund the epidemic crisis that we have going on of unhealthy lifestyles in our country, when we&#8217;re supposed to be helping these recipients of the food SNAP program.&#8221; 
&#8220;We can and we have to do a better job,&#8221; the Republican added. &#8220;I&#8217;m proud of the fact that Arkansas is again leading the way.&#8221; 
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sarah-sanders-wont-back-down-after-cvs-threatens-to-leave-arkansas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sarah Sanders Won’t Back Down After CVS Threatens To Leave Arkansas</a>

Texas Bill Would Mandate Warning Label “Not Recommended For Human Consumption” On Some Foods

MAHA: Another Republican State Bans Candy, Soda Purchases With Food Stamps

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Food Stamps

Health

More than 81 years after D-Day, Private Rodger Dean Andrews, an American soldier killed in the historic battle, was laid to rest at Bethel Cemetery in Gravette, Arkansas, <a href="https://www.kark.com/news/state-news/burial-service-to-be-held-june-9-for-gravette-wwii-soldier-killed-in-d-day-invasion/">NBC News</a> reported. He received full military honors.
In June of 1944, Private Andrews was assigned to the 37th Engineer Combat Battalion in the European Theater. That same month, Operation Overlord commenced, in which American, Canadian, and British soldiers stormed the beaches of Normandy, France.
Andrews was killed during the battle, but his specific cause of death is unknown. After D-Day, his remains were recovered, but went unidentified until his family requested a renewed effort in 2014. In 2019, Andrews’ remains were exhumed, and his identity was confirmed through dental and anthropological analysis. They arrived in Arkansas on Sunday evening, where Bentonville’s Epting Funeral Home took them into their care.
His name at the Normandy American Cemetery will now be marked with a rosette.
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The United States commemorated the anniversary of the historic D-Day battle on Friday, June 6, when President Donald Trump delivered honorary remarks about the brave men who fought and died in the battle.
“To the men who sit behind me, and to the boys who rest in the field before me, your example will never, ever grow old,” he said. “Your legend will never tire. Your spirit — brave, unyielding, and true — will never die.”
The White House also released a <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/2025/06/presidential-message-on-the-81st-anniversary-of-d-day-2025/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>, which read in part: &#8220;We are grateful for those young men who answered their nations’ calls and faced the carnage of war in order to defeat tyranny—and we are eternally indebted to the souls who gave their lives in this noble struggle. It is our solemn obligation to remember their heroic stories, honor their sacrifices, and ensure that the freedom for which they died for may never again be in peril.&#8221;
On Monday, Private Andrews’ funeral procession departed from Epting Funeral Home, and the BCSO Motor Division escorted him to his final resting place. In a Facebook post, BSCO said that community members were &#8220;encouraged to line the route and pay their respects to honor the life and service of Private Rodger Dean Andrews, a true American hero.&#8221;

D-Day 80th Anniversary Ceremony At Normandy American Ceremony

D-Day Soldier Identified After 80 Years Laid To Rest In Arkansas

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Arkansas Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is not backing down after pharmacy giant CVS has threatened to leave the state over a new state law targeting drug middlemen called pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs.
In an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqAe_rGGNek">interview with The Daily Wire</a>, Sanders said she would not allow CVS, which owns one of the &#8220;Big Three&#8221; PBMs called Caremark, to &#8220;manipulate and control the market simply so that they keep a few stores in our state open.&#8221; 
“It shows where their priorities are,&#8221; the governor said over CVS&#8217;s response to the law. &#8220;They would rather own the PBM than keep their pharmacy open and provide care to the patients they claim to care about. I think it tells us everything that we need to know, that they care more about their bottom line.&#8221;
&#8220;Look, I&#8217;m all for private industry making money, but not on the backs of the people who really need access to care, really need access to some of these specialty drugs that they&#8217;re inflating the market on,&#8221; Sanders continued. 
The Republican told The Daily Wire that other pharmacies are willing to take CVS&#8217;s place if need be.
&#8220;We have a number of other pharmacies that I know will be happy to step up and take CVS’s place if they decide to take their ball and go home,&#8221; Sanders blasted. 
As highlighted by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/every-cvs-pharmacy-in-red-state-might-close-after-crackdown-on-drug-middlemen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Wire</a> last month, CVS said it might have to close all 23 of its pharmacies in Arkansas over the new policy. The company issued similar threats before Sanders signed the bill into law in April.
The law in question is a first-in-the-nation targeting of PBMs, and is set to go into effect in January 2026. It bans PBMs from holding permits for prescription drug sales in Arkansas.
PBMs are supposed to lower drug prices for Americans. They act as middlemen between drug manufacturers, insurance companies, and pharmacies, and negotiate prices. 
However, over the last decade, PBMs have consolidated, and now there are just three companies overseeing prescriptions for more than <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/21/business/prescription-drug-costs-pbm.html">270 million Americans</a>. They’ve been accused by both Republicans and Democrats of inflating prices for their own benefit and driving small pharmacies out of business. 
“What was happening is you have these pharmaceutical companies, they’re supposed to use PBMs to negotiate better drug prices between the insurance companies and the pharmacies,&#8221; Sanders explained. &#8220;But what was actually happening is the pharmacies were buying the PBMs and completely controlling and monopolizing the market. We call &#8217;em drug middlemen, because that’s exactly what they are.&#8221;
&#8220;They’re over-inflating prices and passing that inflation down to the consumer,&#8221; she continued. &#8220;You had three of the largest PBMs in the country controlling 80% of the pharmaceutical market – complete control allows them to charge more.” 
Sanders also stressed that this law in Arkansas is intended to help small pharmacies keep their doors open. PMBs reportedly pay lowball prices to small independent pharmacies, forcing many to close their doors. 
“We&#8217;re optimistic that prices will come down not only in our state, but also that our local pharmacies will be able to keep their doors open, which was another big priority for us, so that people in rural communities don&#8217;t lose that access to care,&#8221; Sanders said. 
In a statement sent to The Daily Wire on Wednesday, CVS called the law in question &#8220;harmful&#8221; and &#8220;unconstitutional.&#8221;
&#8220;We’ve filed a lawsuit to block Act 624, a harmful law that will shut down 23 CVS Pharmacy locations, eliminate hundreds of jobs, and drive-up costs for Arkansans,&#8221; the statement said. &#8220;This unconstitutional law puts local politics ahead of patients, restricting their access to life-saving medications and undermining fair competition.&#8221;
The company notes its PBM reimbursing small independent pharmacies in the state more than it does CVS pharmacies.
About a month after Sanders signed the Arkansas bill, President Donald Trump signed an executive order targeting PBMs. The EO encourages direct consumer purchases, cutting out PBMs, and mandates more pricing transparency. 
Sanders said momentum is building across the country to tackle this issue. 
&#8220;I think the big thing here is that this isn&#8217;t just going to be something that takes place in Arkansas,&#8221; she said. &#8220;You&#8217;re seeing Louisiana look at passing similar legislation, New York, Texas, other states all over the country. It&#8217;s not even a Republican or Democrat issue. This is something that I think a lot of governors, as well as this president, are recognizing and actually taking action on something that&#8217;s been needed for a long time.” 
Sanders said she&#8217;s optimistic that consumers will have more access to prescription drugs and lower prices soon after this law goes into effect in 2026. 
WATCH the Morning Wire interview with Governor Sanders:
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This post has been updated to include comment from CVS. 
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/every-cvs-pharmacy-in-red-state-might-close-after-crackdown-on-drug-middlemen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Every CVS Pharmacy In Red State Might Close After Crackdown On Drug Middlemen</a>

Conservatives Gather For Annual CPAC Conference In Washington DC

Sarah Sanders Won’t Back Down After CVS Threatens To Leave Arkansas

Sarah Sanders Won’t Back Down After CVS Threatens To Leave State

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Morning Wire

ICE arrests the family of the Colorado illegal alien terror suspect as the Trump administration rounds up 1,500 illegal immigrants in another sanctuary state. Drug giant CVS could be closing all of its pharmacies in Arkansas due to a first-in-the-nation law targeting pharmaceutical middlemen. And the FTC probes whether a dozen major advertising and watchdog groups illegally coordinated to blacklist platforms.
It’s Wednesday, June 4, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here: 
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<h2>Immigrant Terror Rising?</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-928913" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_00_20_08.Still001.jpeg" alt="" width="640" height="360" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_00_20_08.Still001.jpeg 640w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_00_20_08.Still001-300x169.jpeg 300w" sizes=" (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" /></div>
Topline: Immigration enforcement continues to ramp up as the Trump administration prioritizes criminal and national security threats.
Senior Homeland Security officials <a href="https://x.com/BillMelugin_/status/1929955057421738215">told Fox News&#8217;s Bill Melugin</a> on Tuesday that federal authorities have arrested the immediate family of the Boulder terror suspect, Mohamed Soliman. Sources say the family is “being processed for expedited removal.”
The arrest came a day after Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a general policy of expected removal for immigrants with ties to terrorists. “All terrorists, their family members, and terrorist sympathizers here on a visa should know that under the Trump administration we will find you, revoke your visa, and deport you.”
Meanwhile, in South Carolina, a group of <a href="https://abcnews4.com/news/state/six-illegal-migrants-charged-in-murder-of-sc-woman-defies-any-sense-of-decency">illegal aliens</a>, ranging from just 13 years old to 21, were recently arrested in connection with the brutal murder of Larisha Thompson. She was driving down the road when she was fatally shot. Authorities have charged six illegal aliens of uncertain national origin in connection with the murder. Investigators on the scene found evidence linking the firearm used in the attack to a <a href="https://wach.com/news/local/six-arrested-in-death-of-sc-woman-all-wanted-by-immigration-officials-larisha-sharell-thompson-lancaster">recent burglary</a>. An individual fired at a security camera while burglarizing a gas station convenience store. The SWAT team raided the home of the 21-year-old. The six illegal aliens have each been charged with murder, attempted armed robbery, and second-degree burglary.
And ICE has announced nearly 1,500 arrests in Massachusetts, a sanctuary state. Of those arrested, <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/ice-massachusetts-raids-todd-lyons-boston/">790 illegal aliens</a>, more than half of them, had criminal records or pending charges. Patricia Hyde, the acting director of the Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston Field Office, explained that Massachusetts’s sanctuary state policies force immigration enforcement agents to go into the community rather than simply pick up illegal aliens from jails.
<h2>Drug Middleman Crackdown</h2>
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Topline: A first-in-the-nation law takes on pharmacy benefit managers, the drug middlemen both sides of the aisle have blamed for inflating prescription drug prices.
Pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) act as middlemen between drug manufacturers, insurance companies, and pharmacies – and by extension, patients. They negotiate with drug companies and pay pharmacies for filing prescriptions. In theory, they’re supposed to lower costs for Americans. However, over the last decade, PBMs have consolidated – now just three companies oversee prescriptions for more than <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/21/business/prescription-drug-costs-pbm.html">200 million Americans</a>. They’ve been accused by both Republicans and Democrats of inflating prices for their own benefit and driving small pharmacies out of business.
A new Arkansas law, Act 624, bans PBMs from holding permits for prescription drug sales. In response, pharmacy giant CVS has said it might have to close all 23 of its pharmacies in Arkansas. CVS owns one of the Big Three PBMs, called Caremark. CVS has also <a href="https://arktimes.com/arkansas-blog/2025/05/29/express-scripts-sues-arkansas-over-new-law-banning-pbms-from-owning-pharmacies">filed suit</a> against the state to prevent the law from going into effect – Express Scripts, another of the Big Three, has also sued the state.
“PBMs [are supposed] to negotiate better drug prices between the insurance companies and the pharmacies,” Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) told The Daily Wire. “But what was actually happening is the pharmacies were buying the PBMs and completely controlling and monopolizing the market. We call ‘em drug middlemen because that’s exactly what they are. They’re over-inflating prices and passing that inflation down to the consumer. … You had three of the largest PBMs in the country controlling 80% of the pharmaceutical market – complete control allows them to charge more.”
Sanders told The Daily Wire that this law is intended to help small pharmacies keep their doors open and criticized CVS for its response. “It shows where their priorities are. They would rather own the PBM than keep their pharmacy open and provide care to the patients they claim to care about. … I&#8217;m all for private industry making money, but not on the backs of the people who really need access to care.”
About a month after Gov. Sanders signed the act into law, President Donald Trump targeted PBMs with an <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/05/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-announces-actions-to-put-american-patients-first-by-lowering-drug-prices-and-stopping-foreign-free-riding-on-american-pharmaceutical-innovation/">executive order</a>. The order encourages direct consumer purchases, cutting out the middlemen, and mandates more pricing transparency. Sanders said this momentum is building across the country and told The Daily Wire that she hopes consumers will have more access and see lower prices for prescription drugs once this law goes into effect next year.
<h2>FTC Probes Ad Collusion</h2>
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Topline: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is investigating Media Matters and about a dozen other groups for allegedly pushing advertisers to boycott social media platforms over controversial content.
The FTC is probing whether Media Matters and these other groups violated antitrust law by mobilizing advertisers to boycott platforms like X – to prevent their ads from appearing next to content deemed controversial. The commission is also targeting Ad Fontes Media, which rates media outlets’ biases, investigating the group for “possible collusion.”
Some of the groups that are under investigation help brands choose where to place ads across the internet, and some of the groups, like Media Matters, call out so-called “hateful content” online. More than a dozen organizations are under investigation, and lawyers for the groups said the FTC requested broad information about their business practices.
“I’m concerned about advertiser collusion,” FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwAPMhdq5c4">said</a> last week. “If you’ve got an idea and you want the world to know it, you need eyeballs. … You talk online, and advertisers advertise next to what you’re saying, and they make money off of that, but if advertisers are getting into a back room somewhere and agreeing, &#8216;we’re not going to advertise next to that guy’s speech,&#8217; right, that is a real problem, and it is a form of concerted refusal to deal that the antitrust laws have long prohibited.”
Ferguson also argued that the FTC’s investigation was nonpartisan – while he agreed that conservatives were disproportionately being targeted, the same principle would apply to progressive speech. “I don’t think anyone on the Left would be comfortable with the idea of a bunch of large businesses getting into a back room and saying, &#8216;hey, whenever anyone says anything favorable about abortion, we’re not advertising next to that, right?&#8217; I don’t think the Left would like that any more than the Right would like the idea that such collusion could be affecting their speech.”
X CEO Elon Musk sued Media Matters in 2023 over this issue, accusing the leftist group of trying to stop advertisers from purchasing ads on X. That lawsuit is ongoing.

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Morning Brief: ICE’s Anti-Terror Offensive And The Crackdown On Prescription Drug Middlemen

Colorado

Federal Trade Commission

Media

Prescription Drugs

A former police chief serving a life sentence for murder and rape, dubbed the &#8220;Devil in the Ozarks,&#8221; escaped from an Arkansas high-security prison on Sunday by disguising himself as a law enforcement officer.
Grant Hardin, 56, was serving a 30-year sentence for the 2017 murder of James Appleton, a Gateway water department employee, and an additional 50 years for the 1997 rape of an elementary school teacher, according to a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/arkansas-prison-escape-police-chief-grant-hardin-934e7fe6a45d3eafb18443f5b2bc5680">report</a> by the Associated Press.
He escaped Sunday from the North Central Unit, a high-security facility in Calico Rock where he had been incarcerated since 2017, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/27/us/grant-hardin-prison-escape-arkansas">according</a> to CNN.
Rand Champion, spokesperson for the Arkansas Department of Corrections, confirmed Hardin wore a &#8220;makeshift outfit designed to mimic law enforcement&#8221; during his escape, prison officials stated.
&#8220;That was not a standard inmate uniform, not a standard correctional uniform,&#8221; Champion said. &#8220;There&#8217;s nothing inside the prison that looks like that, so that&#8217;s one of the challenges we&#8217;re going through to find out what that was and how he was able to get that or manufacture it.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_925979" style="width: 534px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-925979" class="size-large wp-image-925979" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/499909563_1131975885632996_2765357824958232388_n-524x576.jpg" alt="" width="524" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/499909563_1131975885632996_2765357824958232388_n-524x576.jpg 524w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/499909563_1131975885632996_2765357824958232388_n-273x300.jpg 273w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/499909563_1131975885632996_2765357824958232388_n.jpg 662w" sizes=" (max-width: 524px) 100vw, 524px" />Via the Arkansas Dept of Corrections on Facebook</div>
Hardin had a short tenure as police chief for the small Arkansas town of Gateway in 2016, just a few miles away from Walmart headquarters, and throughout his law enforcement career, he was <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/26/us/arkansas-grant-hardin-prison-escape.html">plagued</a> with accusations of excessive force, bad performance, and eventually resigned as chief after he was caught falsifying a police report, according to The New York Times.
Authorities have deployed canines, drones, and helicopters to search the rugged Ozark Mountains terrain, with the search area expanding as time passes.
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Champion noted the region&#8217;s challenging topography, stating, &#8220;It&#8217;s called Calico Rock for a reason, because it&#8217;s very rocky,&#8221; adding that recent heavy rainfall has further complicated search efforts &#8212; although he added it could also hinder Hardin’s escape effort.
Izard County Sheriff Charley Melton urged residents to lock their homes and vehicles and call 911 if they notice anything suspicious.
Cheryl Tillman, sister of James Appleton, who Hardin murdered in 2017, expressed alarm about the escape since she and other family members were witnesses at Hardin&#8217;s trial, but she was not surprised upon hearing of Hardin’s escape.
&#8220;He&#8217;s just an evil man,&#8221; she said, per the AP. &#8220;He is no good for society.&#8221;
Craig Caine, a retired inspector with the U.S. Marshals with 30 years of experience handling escaped inmates, told the AP, &#8220;At some point in time, he&#8217;s going to run out of provisions.&#8221;
Though Caine isn&#8217;t involved in this manhunt, he noted that investigators are likely examining Hardin&#8217;s court documents and tracking individuals who might be assisting him. He added that it is extremely unlikely for Hardin to evade capture indefinitely in the isolated region, where he is likely to stand out in small, rural communities and be turned in by residents.
The ex-police chief&#8217;s notoriety in the region led to the production of a 2023 documentary titled &#8220;Devil in the Ozarks,&#8221; which chronicled his crimes.
Hardin&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/10-inmates-some-charged-with-murder-escape-from-louisiana-jail">escape</a> comes just weeks after ten inmates fled a New Orleans jail by crawling through a hole behind a toilet. Eight of those fugitives have since been recaptured as of Tuesday.

Grant Hardin

Arkansas Residents On Edge After Violent Ex-Police Chief Escapes Prison

Crime

Murder

Prison

Prison escape

Rape

Last month, Arkansas Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed a bill banning drug middlemen from holding permits for prescription drug sales in the state. Now, CVS might have to close its pharmacies there.
The new law, which will go into effect on January 1, 2026, revokes permits for pharmacies affiliated with pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). The drug middlemen have been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-little-known-health-care-middleman-is-becoming-more-powerful-independent-pharmacies-say-that-spells-disaster-for-patients" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scrutinized</a> by multiple states and even the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pharmacy-benefit-managers-marked-up-specialty-drugs-by-over-1000-ftc-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">federal government</a> in recent years, as locally owned independent pharmacies say they are subject to the dictates of PBMs, which give an unfair advantage to large pharmacy corporations such as CVS.
CVS — which owns pharmacy benefits manager, Caremark Rx — said over the weekend that it is &#8220;looking at all available options to stay open and continue to serve Arkansans&#8221; after Gov. Sanders signed the crackdown on PBMs. Beginning in 2026, CVS must either close all of its 23 locations in Arkansas or change its PBM business model, the Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette <a href="https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2025/may/24/cvs-says-its-looking-at-ways-to-keep-arkansas/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
&#8220;For far too long, drug middlemen called PBMs have taken advantage of lax regulations to abuse customers, inflate drug prices, and cut off access to critical medications. Not anymore,” <a href="https://www.medben.com/pbm-owned-pharmacies/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CFor%20far%20too%20long%2C%20drug,House%20Bill%201150%20into%20law." target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Sanders after signing House Bill 1150 into law.
The three largest PBMs in the country —  which are owned by CVS Health, Cigna, and UnitedHealth Group — manage nearly 80% of prescription drug claims for all Americans, according to the <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/pharmacy-benefit-managers-staff-report.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Federal Trade Commission</a>. An FTC <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2025/01/ftc-releases-second-interim-staff-report-prescription-drug-middlemen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> published in January found that &#8220;the three major pharmacy benefit managers hiked costs for a wide range of lifesaving drugs, including medications to treat heart disease and cancer.&#8221;
CVS ripped the new Arkansas legislation after it was signed by the governor, calling it &#8220;bad policy&#8221; that &#8220;forces the closures&#8221; of its pharmacies.
&#8220;The Governor and legislature have chosen to pass HB 1150 which forces the closure of all CVS pharmacy operations by 1/1/26 &#8212; this includes CVS Pharmacy, CVS Specialty, and Omnicare,&#8221; a company spokesman said. &#8220;Our stores and pharmacies remain open, and our teams are continuing to serve patients and customers.&#8221;
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Arkansas Pharmacy Association Chief Executive Officer John Vinson, who supported the legislation, told the Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette that there are steps for CVS to take to continue operating its pharmacies in Arkansas, such as giving up its PBM license in the state.
&#8220;There are ways to do it &#8230; if they don&#8217;t, they&#8217;re choosing the conflict and the business model over customers,&#8221; Vinson said.
Independent pharmacy owners told <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-little-known-health-care-middleman-is-becoming-more-powerful-independent-pharmacies-say-that-spells-disaster-for-patients" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Wire</a> last year that PBMs have a direct negative effect on local pharmacies, often paying them lowball prices for filling prescriptions. With PBMs putting their hands on the scales of the prescription drug industry, patients are also directed toward pricier options and charged steep markups, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/21/business/prescription-drug-costs-pbm.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Times</a>.
Other states, such as Oklahoma, Tennessee, and North Carolina, have moved to regulate PBMs and reel in their control over the prescription drug industry. At the federal level, President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/lowering-drug-prices-by-once-again-putting-americans-first/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed</a> an executive order in April to improve transparency of &#8220;the direct and indirect compensation received by pharmacy benefit managers.&#8221;
Two bipartisan bills were <a href="https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-cantwell-reintroduce-bills-to-lower-prescription-drug-prices-drive-pbm-accountability#:~:text=Pharmacy%20Benefit%20Manager%20(PBM)%20Transparency,spread%20pricing%20and%20pharmacy%20fees." target="_blank" rel="noopener">reintroduced</a> in Congress earlier this year to &#8220;combat the high cost of prescription drugs and provide greater transparency of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs).&#8221;
This article has been updated to remove a mention of Walgreens since Walgreens does not own a PBM and is not affected by the new law. We regret the error.

CVS Pharmacy

Every CVS Pharmacy In Red State Might Close After Crackdown On Drug Middlemen

Economy

Pharmaceuticals

Arkansas Governor Sarah Sanders took a big step toward protecting her state from the Chinese Communist Party and other nefarious foreign agents.
She signed a bill demanding representatives acting on behalf of hostile foreign adversaries such as the People&#8217;s Republic of China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea register publicly, disclose who bankrolls them, and spell out exactly what they are doing in Arkansas politics.
Although this foreign-agent registration is the first statute of its kind in the country, other legislatures should explore similar laws as a defense against hostile foreign actors and their agents covertly swaying policy or political activities at the state level.
Our country is facing a new kind of warfare waged through manipulation, money, and misinformation. Our adversaries are well-funded and coordinated, working relentlessly to sow division and destabilize our society. They’re attacking at the state and local level more and more, hiding behind layers of nonprofits and advocacy groups.
Take Students for Justice in Palestine, for example – a shadowy group that played a prominent role in riling up violent mobs on college campuses last year. This group and others like it (Within Our Lifetime, Jewish Voice for Peace, Palestinian Youth Movement, etc.) routinely accept secret money, raising concerns about potential support from hostile foreign actors.
Some of these organizations are not even registered as nonprofits, and alarmingly, many pro-Hamas groups have established local chapters on college campuses and receive funding from student activity fees.
The CCP perfected this playbook long ago. There are Confucius Institutes embedded on college campuses masquerading as language centers while disseminating the Party’s propaganda. Other groups such as Code Pink echo CCP talking points, attacking American energy policy and championing topics that align with China’s geopolitical objectives.
Research has shown that the CCP’s influence stretches far beyond college campuses. It targets state pension funds, critical infrastructure, farmland near military bases, and even municipal procurement of drones and surveillance tech. Every contract, endowment, or protest it bankrolls is another opportunity to steal American intellectual property, map supply chains, and erode public trust.
It’s no surprise the Federal Bureau of Investigation has labeled the Chinese Communist government a “grave threat to the economic well-being and democratic values of the United States,” and national security agencies from some of our top allies have warned the CCP is engaging in the most “sophisticated theft of intellectual property and expertise in human history.&#8221;
Arkansas has taken the first step in combating this foreign interference. The law will shine a spotlight on every foreign‑funded front group operating in the state. Agents who fail to register face stiff penalties; those tied to hostile nations risk even higher fines.
<div id="attachment_916433" style="width: 875px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-916433" class="size-large wp-image-916433" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-468385788-865x576.jpg" alt="DustyPixel. Getty Images." width="865" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-468385788-865x576.jpg 865w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-468385788-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-468385788-768x511.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-468385788-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-468385788-2048x1363.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-468385788-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-468385788-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 865px) 100vw, 865px" />DustyPixel. Getty Images.</div>
The new law also strengthens campaign finance disclosure laws, exposing individuals and organizations seeking to undermine democratic values through covert influence operations. The law is singularly focused on hostile foreign actors; international businesses and lobbyists representing allied nations are unaffected.
It is encouraging that this effort is also a part of a larger “Communist China Defense” suite of bills from Governor Sanders, with proposals to divest state resources from China and ban land purchases near critical infrastructure.
These measures are a timely reminder that safeguarding our communities begins in the statehouse, not just in Washington. Other legislatures should move quickly to adopt similar protections and fortify America’s democracy and sovereignty against those determined to erode them.
 * * *
Joe Gebbia is the CEO and Founder of State Shield, an organization dedicated to educating state leaders and uniting state and federal efforts to combat the growing threat the Chinese Communist Party poses to America’s security, supply chains, and core values.
The views in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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