President Donald Trump laughed off loud pops that surprised his rally in Iowa on Thursday evening, telling the crowd that the noise was only from “fireworks – I hope.”
The pops interrupted the president as he was discussing the damage the unprecedented wave of illegal immigration under the Biden administration had done to the United States, and the Trump administration’s crackdown on the border that has led to historically low levels of illegal immigration.
“Don’t worry, it’s only fireworks – I hope,” the president joked.
“Famous last words. My famous last words: Trump said, ‘Don’t worry it’s only fireworks.’ You always have to think positive. I didn’t like that sound either,” Trump remarked as members of the audience chuckled.
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The sound of apparent fireworks briefly disrupted President Donald Trump&#39;s speech Thursday night during the America250 rally at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. &quot;Did I hear what I think I heard?&quot; he asked. <a href="https://t.co/K7P4Rq8FmN">pic.twitter.com/K7P4Rq8FmN</a>
&mdash; KCCI News (@KCCINews) <a href="https://twitter.com/KCCINews/status/1940942672769794480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Trump survived an attempted assassin’s bullet nearly a year ago at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. One man in the Iowa audience apparently recalled the event, yelling during the president’s riff on the pops, “Fight, fight, fight,” a reference to how Trump reacted to assassination attempt in Butler.
On July 13 of last year, Thomas Crooks was able to set up a sniper’s nest on a nearby building overlooking Trump’s rally stage. Crooks fired eight shots toward Trump, who was then a candidate for president. One shot grazed Trump’s ear. One audience member, 50-year-old volunteer fire chief Corey Comperatore, was killed.
<a class="c-link" href="https://get.dailywire.com/freedom/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=freedom&amp;utm_content=freedomeditorial" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/freedom/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=freedom&amp;utm_content=freedomeditorial" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-2388">JULY 4 SALE: Get Six Months Of DW+ Free</a>
The assassination attempt ignited a firestorm of criticism around the Secret Service that failed to secure the perimeter of Trump’s Butler rally and allowed Crooks to obtain an unobstructed view of the president’s platform.
Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-recounts-assassination-attempt-i-had-god-on-my-side">recounted</a> the attempt on his life during a speech about a month later at the Republican National Convention.
“I wanted to do something to let them know I was okay,” Trump said, referring to the crowd in Butler that witnessed the attempt and Trump buried under a pile of Secret Service agents. “I raised my right arm, looked at the thousands and thousands of people that were breathlessly waiting, and started shouting, ‘Fight, fight, fight.’”
“Once my clenched fist went up, and it was high into the air – you’ve all seen that – the crowd realized I was okay and roared with pride for our country like no crowd I have ever heard before. Never heard anything like it,” Trump said. “For the rest of my life, I will be grateful for the love shown by that giant audience of patriots that stood bravely on that fateful evening in Pennsylvania.”

Donald Trump

‘Don’t Worry, It’s Only Fireworks – I Hope’: Trump Laughs Off Pops At Iowa Rally

assassination

Iowa

Pennsylvania

U.S.

Last week, as part of Operation Narnia, Israel simultaneously killed nine of the despotic Iranian regime’s top ten nuclear scientists, prompting questions as to how such an action was accomplished.
According to Israel’s Channel 12, all nine were killed while sleeping in a simultaneous action so there would be no time for anyone to tip off any of the scientists; a tenth scientist was killed shortly afterward. The actions were carried out using a special weapon, but Israel has not revealed exactly what kind of weapon was used.
In the past, when Iranian nuclear scientists were targeted, the killings occurred when they were on the way to their cars after work; thus, one Israeli official speculated that the scientists felt safe in their homes, the Times of Israel <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/operation-narnia-irans-nuclear-scientists-reportedly-killed-simultaneously-using-special-weapon/">reported</a>.
Israel decided last November to hunt down the ten scientists, Channel 12 reported.
“Israeli intelligence officials felt that the killing of the nuclear scientists was the most important part of Operation Narnia because the military leadership and equipment killed would be more easily replaceable, while the knowledge held by the nuclear scientists would take much longer to ascertain, the network said, citing an unnamed senior Israeli official,” the Times of Israel stated.
“Throughout the operation, Israeli intelligence officials categorized Iran’s nuclear scientists into four levels for elimination, ranking them from highest to lowest priority,” The Jerusalem Post <a href="https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-858406">reported</a>. “The scientists with the most military expertise and the greatest difficulty in replacing them were ranked highest. Israel then compiled a hit list, ready for execution at command, with the most dangerous scientists at the top.”
On Wednesday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) wrote to Iranians on the IDF Farsi account on X:
<blockquote>
Dear citizens of Iran, We understand your difficult situation in light of the difficult circumstances the regime has created for you. In recent days, we have received many messages from loved ones who are worried about the current uncertain future. Even those who identify themselves as members of the regime&#8217;s security institutions express their fear, despair, and anger at what is happening in Iran and ask us to contact Israeli authorities &#8211; so that Iran does not suffer the same fate as Lebanon and Gaza. It is important to clarify here that we are not the appropriate authority for such requests.
</blockquote>
The IDF then provided a link to the Mossad.
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شهروندان عزیز ایران, ما وضعیت سخت شما را در سایه شرایط دشواری که رژیم برایتان ایجاد کرده، درک می‌کنیم. در روزهای اخیر پیام‌های زیادی از سوی عزیزانی دریافت میداریم که از آینده نامعلوم کنونی نگران اند. حتی کسانی که خود را از اعضای نهادهای امنیتی رژیم معرفی می‌کنند، احساس ترس،… <a href="https://t.co/XQMitfk46v">pic.twitter.com/XQMitfk46v</a>
&mdash; ارتش دفاعی اسرائیل | IDF Farsi (@IDFFarsi) <a href="https://twitter.com/IDFFarsi/status/1935314183798640812?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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According to The Jerusalem Post, the Mossad responded, “Iran claims to have attacked a Mossad building with missile strikes. Fortunately, no one was there&#8230; everyone is in Iran.”

US-IRAN-OPPOSITION-NUCLEAR

Israel Killed 9 Top Iranian Nuclear Scientists Simultaneously. The Details Are Wild.

Iran

Iran Nuclear

Israel

scientists

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he won&#8217;t &#8220;waste time&#8221; with a phone call to &#8220;whacked out&#8221; Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz following the assassinations of a state representative, her husband, and the near-assassination of a state senator and his wife over the weekend.
Sources close to Walz said that the governor spoke to Vice President JD Vance after the Saturday morning shootings, but added that he had not heard from the president. Asked if he would reach out to Walz, the Democrats&#8217; 2024 vice presidential nominee, Trump <a href="https://x.com/kaitlancollins/status/1934918294508638209">said</a>, &#8220;I&#8217;m not calling him.&#8221;
&#8220;I think the governor of Minnesota is so whacked out. Why would I call him?&#8221; Trump <a href="https://x.com/factpostnews/status/1934953237678899354">added</a>. &#8220;I could call and say, ‘Hi, how you doing?’ The guy doesn’t have a clue. He’s a mess. I could be nice and call, but why waste time?”
After the suspected Minnesota assassin killed Democratic state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, and wounded Democratic state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, Trump addressed the deadly shootings.
&#8220;Such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America. God Bless the great people of Minnesota, a truly great place,&#8221; the president <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114682713948931541">posted</a> on social media.
Trump was also <a href="https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/trump-call-walz-after-minnesota-shootings-calls-grossly-122870353">asked</a> about reaching out to Walz during an interview with ABC News on Sunday.
&#8220;Well, it&#8217;s a terrible thing. I think he&#8217;s a terrible governor. I think he&#8217;s a grossly incompetent person. But I may, I may call him, I may call other people too,&#8221; Trump said.
Authorities arrested 57-year-old <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/suspected-minnesota-assassin-went-to-homes-of-two-other-elected-officials-prosecutor">Vance Boelter</a> on Sunday, just over 24 hours after the assassination of Hortman and the near-killing of Hoffman. The suspect is accused of impersonating a police officer and visiting the houses of at least four elected Democrats in Minnesota. At the Hoffmans&#8217; home, Boelter barged in after being confronted by the state senator and his wife. Boelter opened fire, wounding both of them. He later shot and killed Hortman and her husband at their home before engaging in a shootout with police and getting away.
Police said they found a potential &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/read-the-hit-list-found-in-minnesota-gunmans-vehicle">hit list</a>&#8221; in Boelter&#8217;s vehicle that contained the names of numerous Democrats, including Gov. Walz, Rep. Ilhan Omar, Rep. Angie Craig, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, and Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan.
Boelter, who was appointed to Minnesota Democrat Governor Tim Walz’s Workforce Development Council in 2019, was “very conservative,” his roommate <a href="https://x.com/lilialuciano/status/1934315979687010680">told</a> CBS News. The roommate added that Boelter “would be offended if people thought he was a Democrat,” referring to rumors spreading on social media that Boelter was a leftist. The suspect rented a room <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYQPRPe1M3I">part-time</a> in a house in north Minneapolis, but he also <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7c5cDL2ryU">lived</a> in a home about an hour southwest of the Twin Cities with his wife and five children.
Boelter faces federal charges, including stalking, murder, and multiple firearms-related offenses. The federal murder charge makes Boelter eligible for the death penalty.

Donald Trump/Tim Walz

Trump Says He Won’t Call Tim Walz After Minnesota Assassinations: ‘He’s A Mess…Why Waste Time?’

Crime

Democrats

Executive

Minnesota

Murder

Police

Politics

Tim Walz

A federal prosecutor revealed on Monday that the suspected assassin, who shot Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman and state Rep. Melissa Hortman along with their spouses early Saturday morning, also visited the residences of two other state lawmakers between the attacks.
Vance Boelter, the 57-year-old man accused of murdering Hortman and her husband and attempting to kill Hoffman and his wife, stopped by the homes of two other politicians while impersonating a law enforcement officer, according to Joseph Thompson, the acting U.S. attorney for Minnesota, USA Today <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/06/16/minnesota-shooting-vance-luther-boelter-charges-live-updates/84224901007/">reported</a>. Thompson didn&#8217;t name the other two lawmakers, but said one was a state representative and the other was a state senator.
After shooting and wounding Sen. Hoffman and his wife, Boelter traveled to the home of a state representative in Maple Grove, Minnesota. After arriving at the home, Boelter rang the doorbell at around 2:24 a.m., Thompson said during a press conference on Monday.
&#8220;Again, he was dressed as a law enforcement officer, wearing a tactical vest and body armor, carrying a handgun and a flashlight, and wearing that same hyper-realistic silicon mask,&#8221; the prosecutor <a href="https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/minnesota-shooting-suspect-went-to-the-homes-of-two-other-elected-officials-us-attorney-says/">added</a>.
&#8220;Fortunately, the state representative was not home. She and her family were gone on vacation,&#8221; Thompson said. &#8220;So Boelter left.&#8221;
The suspected assassin then traveled to another state senator&#8217;s home in New Hope, Minnesota. Outside of the home, Boelter parked his black SUV, which had a police license plate, in the street. As Boelter was parked outside, a New Hope police officer arrived on the scene to do a wellness check on the lawmaker after learning that Hoffman and his wife had been shot. The New Hope police officer believed Boelter was another officer who had been dispatched to do a wellness check and rolled down the window of her patrol car to speak with him.
&#8220;Boelter did not respond. According to the officer, he just sat there and stared straight ahead,&#8221; Thompson said. &#8220;So the New Hope police officer who had been dispatched to the scene proceeded to the state senator’s home, and she waited for other law enforcement to arrive. When they did, by the time they did, Boelter had left the scene.&#8221;
The suspected assassin&#8217;s next target was state Rep. Hortman in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, where he shot and killed her and her husband, Mark, in their home. Boelter allegedly had a &#8220;hit list,&#8221; containing the names of numerous Democratic lawmakers and abortion clinics in his vehicle, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/read-the-hit-list-found-in-minnesota-gunmans-vehicle">reported</a>. Among those named on the &#8220;hit list&#8221; were Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Rep. Ilhan Omar, Rep. Angie Craig, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, and Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan.
Boelter, who was appointed to Minnesota Democrat Governor Tim Walz’s Workforce Development Council in 2019, was &#8220;very conservative,&#8221; his roommate <a href="https://x.com/lilialuciano/status/1934315979687010680">told</a> CBS News. The roommate added that Boelter &#8220;would be offended if people thought he was a Democrat,&#8221; referring to rumors spreading on social media that Boelter was a leftist.
The suspected assassin was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/authorities-catch-suspected-minnesota-assassin?author=Daniel+Chaitin&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Suspect+In+Minnesota+Political+Assassination+Captured+Alive">arrested</a> by authorities in a wooded area near his home on Sunday. He is charged with six counts, including stalking, murder, and multiple firearms-related offenses, according to USA Today.
&#8220;It is not an exaggeration to say that his crimes are the stuff of nightmares,&#8221; Thompson <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/06/16/minnesota-shooting-vance-luther-boelter-charges-live-updates/84224901007/">said</a>. &#8220;Boelter stalked his victims like prey.&#8221;

Minnesota assassination

Suspected Minnesota Assassin Went To Homes Of Two Other Elected Officials: Prosecutor

Shooting

Governor Tim Walz (D-MN) attempted to blame political violence — like the targeted shooting of two Democratic lawmakers and their spouses in his home state — on &#8220;mean tweets&#8221; in an apparent jab at President Donald Trump, despite the fact that he himself had called on Democrats to &#8220;be meaner&#8221; just a few weeks earlier.
Walz gave a statement on Sunday evening after it was announced that the alleged shooter, Vance Boelter, had been apprehended after a two-day manhunt — and he called for &#8220;decency&#8221; in political discourse.
&#8220;A moment in this country where we watch violence erupt, this cannot be the norm. It cannot be the way that we deal with our political differences,&#8221; Walz began. &#8220;Now is the time for us to recommit to the core values of this country. And each and every one of us can do it.&#8221;
&#8220;Talk to a neighbor rather than arguing. Debate an issue. Shake hands. Find common ground. This is who Melissa Hortman was. In the first negotiating session that I had a chance to work with her, she got all the partners in the room, and she provided each and every one of us a copy of a book called &#8216;Getting to Yes,'&#8221; he continued, remembering the deceased legislator. &#8220;And the whole premise was debating with a sense of goodwill, a sense to come to compromises that serve everyone. And because of her, we did that. Because of her we did that year after year after year. That’s the embodiment of how things are supposed to work.&#8221;
&#8220;It’s not about hatred. It’s not about mean tweets,&#8221; Walz added, in an apparent jab at Trump. &#8220;It’s not about demeaning someone. It’s leading with grace and compassion and vision and compromise and decency. That was taken from us in Minnesota with the murder of Speaker Hortman. So for each and every one of us to truly honor, and we will, we will continue to honor that spirit, but we will need to do it in just more than actions in a memorial. Conducting ourselves in the spirit that Melissa Hortman did her work is what the country needs to heal.&#8221;
The governor&#8217;s words on Sunday mark a dramatic departure from what he said just a few weeks earlier about Democrats needing to &#8220;be a little meaner&#8221; when it came to engaging in political discourse.
Walz, during his remarks at the South Carolina Democratic Party Convention, referred to Trump as a &#8220;wannabe dictator,&#8221; a &#8220;bully,&#8221; and a &#8220;cruel man&#8221; – and suggested that Democrats needed to &#8220;bully him back.&#8221;
&#8220;Maybe it’s time for us to be a little meaner, maybe it’s time for us to be a little more fierce,&#8221; he said.

JD Vance And Tim Walz Face Off In Vice Presidential Debate In New York

Tim Walz Told Dems To ‘Be Meaner,’ Then Blamed Trump’s ‘Mean Tweets’ For Political Violence

Gov Who Called ICE Agents 'Modern Day Gestapo' Blames Trump 'Mean Tweets' For Political Violence

Political Violence

Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) blamed President Donald Trump for the shootings that took place in Minnesota, apparently targeting Democratic lawmakers in politically motivated attacks — and CNN anchor John Berman gave him no pushback.
Merkley joined Berman on Monday morning, just hours after it was announced that the suspect in the case had been apprehended, and he immediately pivoted to attack Trump when asked about the political climate in the country.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
In an unbelievable moment just now on CNN, Democrat Senator Jeff Merkley just blamed President Trump for the weekend shootings of Minnesota lawmakers.
&#8220;I feel like Trump has really popped the lid off of the rhetoric and the the sense of hate and violence, and promoted this type… <a href="https://t.co/v58LSfTyZ5">pic.twitter.com/v58LSfTyZ5</a>
— DeVory Darkins (@devorydarkins) <a href="https://twitter.com/devorydarkins/status/1934591461997330871?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Berman set Merkley up for the attack, framing his question about the Minnesota shootings in such a way as to suggest that the political climate was responsible for driving the shooter to act.
&#8220;There was a state representative, Democratic leader, of the state legislature in Minnesota killed over the weekend, a state senator shot,&#8221; Berman began. &#8220;How would you describe the political atmosphere in this country this morning?&#8221;
&#8220;I feel like Trump has really popped the lid off of the rhetoric and the sense of hate and violence, and promoted this type of environment,&#8221; Merkley said, suggesting several times that the threats were only coming from the right. &#8220;It&#8217;s profoundly disturbing for all of us. We have seen increased threats across the country, you&#8217;re probably familiar with the pizza threats, we&#8217;ve seen more of that where pizzas or other food is delivered to people&#8217;s families that they haven&#8217;t ordered just to say from the right-wing, we know who you are, we know where you live.&#8221;
&#8220;I can tell you all of our families feel a greatly heightened sense — let me just say my heart goes out to the families in Minnesota. How horrific — horrific for the whole country, but particularly we&#8217;re holding the folks in Minnesota in our hearts,&#8221; he added.

U.S. Senate Democratic Leadership Press Conference

CNN Anchor Says Nothing As Dem Senator Blames Trump For Minnesota Assassinations

Jeff Merkley

Media

“No Kings” protests cause chaos as the Army celebrates its 250th anniversary, a Minnesota manhunt concludes following a political assassination, and President Donald Trump ups the pressure on Iran.
It’s Monday, June 16, 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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If you’d rather listen to your news, today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
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<iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/no-kings-riots-minnesota-manhunt-6-16-25/id1576594336?i=1000713066115" height="175" frameborder="0" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe>
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<h2>&#8220;Mostly Peaceful&#8221; Protests And A Birthday Parade</h2>
<div id="attachment_934735" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-934735" class="size-large wp-image-934735" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2219848297-864x576.jpg" alt="SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JUNE 11: Protestors gather in front of the Henry M. Jackson Federal building during a protest against federal immigration arrests on June 11, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. Protests against ICE raids have spread to cities across the nation after beginning in Los Angeles last weekend. (Photo by Rio Giancarlo/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2219848297-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2219848297-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2219848297-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2219848297.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Rio Giancarlo/Getty Images</div>
Topline: As President Trump presides over the celebration of the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary – “No Kings” protests erupt in violence.
Multiple rioters were arrested near Portland’s ICE facility over the weekend after police declared that a planned protest had devolved into a riot. The chaos in Portland, which left several officers injured, was part of a wave of anti-Trump protests across the country and coincided with Trump&#8217;s celebration of the Army’s 250th birthday.
The Portland &#8220;No Kings&#8221; protest included <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/multiple-arrests-near-portland-ice-building-after-police-declare-riot">tens of thousands of people</a>. While city officials touted the event as a &#8220;large-scale free speech gathering,” eventually the focus became on an ICE facility. Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/officers-injured-portland-rioters-breach-ice-building-explosives-rocks">told Fox News Digital</a> that the rioters broke glass and forcibly entered the building. During the attack, they threw rocks and launched fireworks and smoke grenades at federal law enforcement. Officials say at least four officers were injured.  Four rioters were initially arrested for what the Portland Police Bureau stressed was “violent activity,” and they said in a press conference early Sunday that more could be rounded up.
We saw yet <a href="https://apnews.com/article/no-kings-protest-trump-philadelphia-los-angeles-immigration-raids-a3b67d23733cd060f8d01aef1e391dbf">more violence</a> in Los Angeles, which has become the epicenter of these protests and riots. Law enforcement used tear gas and other crowd-control munitions to clear out rioters over the weekend. Then there was Salt Lake City, where a “No Kings” protest featured a shooting. Police said Sunday that three people were taken into custody, including the shooting suspect, and that the motive was still being investigated.
These “No Kings” demonstrations were planned nationwide in response to Trump holding that massive celebration of the U.S. Army. The military parade marked the 250th anniversary of the founding of the Army, which came a year before the Declaration of Independence. It also happened to coincide with Trump’s 79th birthday.
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<h2>Assassination Shakes Minnesota</h2>
<div id="attachment_934575" style="width: 840px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-934575" class="size-full wp-image-934575" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-14-at-10.47.41-AM.png" alt="" width="830" height="506" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-14-at-10.47.41-AM.png 830w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-14-at-10.47.41-AM-300x183.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-14-at-10.47.41-AM-768x468.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 830px) 100vw, 830px" />MN State Senate//Melissa Horton via Facebook</div>
Topline: The assassin suspected of killing a Minnesota state lawmaker and critically injuring another was captured by authorities late Sunday night after a two-day search.
The nation was rocked over the weekend after a prominent Minnesota lawmaker and her spouse were gunned down in an apparent politically motivated assassination. Early Saturday morning, Democratic state Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were left in critical condition after being shot inside their home. Police, fearing the crime was politically motivated, proactively checked the homes of several other lawmakers, including Melissa Hortman, the top Democrat in the State House. When officers arrived, they found what appeared to be a police SUV with flashing blue lights in the driveway, and a man dressed as a cop exiting the house. That man immediately opened fire on police before fleeing the scene on foot. When officers searched the home, they found Hortman and her husband dead. 
Footage from a home security system shows a man dressed as an officer approaching the front door, wearing a life-like rubber mask.
Immediately after the shootings, police issued a shelter-in-place order for a three-mile radius surrounding the home, but the killer was able to flee the area on foot and make it to another car he owned. Authorities quickly identified 57-year-old Vance Boelter as the suspect, a Minnesotan with no past criminal history. While Boelter escaped the crime scene, by Sunday afternoon, police had located his second vehicle 50 miles southwest of Minneapolis in Sibley County. By 10 pm Sunday, he was in custody after being caught hiding out in a patch of woods. 
Police say a manifesto was found in Boelter’s car, but they have not released it to the public, although they’re confident this was a politically motivated attack. Authorities say a list of potential targets was also found in Boelter’s car — it reportedly included a number of prominent Democrats, along with abortion providers in the state. The suspect’s roommate told reporters he believed Boelter voted for Trump, but was unaware of his views on state politics. 
 Boelter also had ties to Democratic Governor Tim Walz, who appointed him to the Governor’s Workforce Development Board back in 2019. Previous Democrat Governor Mark Dayton had appointed Boelter to the same position in 2016.
<h2>Iran vs Israel: Dueling Airstrikes</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-934853" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/blogcover-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/blogcover-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/blogcover-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/blogcover-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/blogcover.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" /></div>
Topline: As Israel and Iran trade blows, President Trump ratchets up the pressure on Tehran.
Things have changed rapidly since Israel launched its attack on Iran on Thursday, and the situation will likely keep changing fast. Since launching Operation Rising Lion, Israelis have carried out more than 700 different strikes against nuclear sites, military, and leaders of the Iranian regime. In retaliation, Iran has fired salvos of drones and missiles at Israeli population centers.
“These missiles have been coming in by the dozen over the last couple of nights,” Jonathan Schanzer, the executive director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, who has been sheltering in place in a bomb shelter inside Jerusalem, told The Daily Wire. “Last night there were a couple of direct hits, destroying buildings, destroying a full half of one building or even a half of a city block in one case. I think, you know, what we&#8217;re looking at is a potential war of attrition if things go the way that Iran would like them to go. The regime understands that there&#8217;s a finite number of missile defense interceptors that the Israelis can use. And they have a lot of ballistic missiles… The one kind of wrinkle that I&#8217;m watching right now is that the US is helping to defend the skies over Israel, and it appears that a number of Western countries may also be deploying assets to the region as well.”
American involvement in the broader conflict is uncertain. In the opening hours after the first Israeli airstrikes, officials from the Trump administration denied any American involvement in the operation. However,  they appear to have been given prior warning. 
Many of Israel’s key military platforms – including the F-16 and F-35 fighters, both of which have featured prominently in its air war against Iran – are American-made, and the two countries are close allies.
“I think there&#8217;s also a high degree of intelligence sharing,” Schanzer told The Daily Wire. “The fact that the Israelis attacked on day 61 after Donald Trump&#8217;s 60-day deadline does suggest that there was some degree of coordination here. The big question that I think everyone is asking right now is whether the United States will get involved.”
Some of Iran’s nuclear facilities, including an underground uranium enrichment facility at Fordow, appear to be hardened against conventional attacks, although larger “bunker buster” bombs in the American inventory could break through their defenses. Israel lacks an equivalent stockpile and has asked America to join its air campaign.
Publicly, President Trump continues to call for negotiations with Iran and has pressured Tehran to abandon its nuclear program in exchange for peace. “Iran and Israel should make a deal and will make a deal, just like I got India and Pakistan to make,” the president wrote on <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114687664442020232">Truth Social</a> on Saturday. “We will have PEACE, soon, between Israel and Iran! Many calls and meetings [are] now taking place.”

US-Army-250th-Celebration

Morning Brief: Minnesota Gunman Captured & ‘No Kings Riots’

California

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Los Angeles

Military parade

Morning Wire

Oregon

Portland

Protests

UPDATE: The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans said they are reviewing a &#8220;manifesto&#8221; allegedly penned by the suspect, identified as Vance Boelter, but the motivation has still not been determined.
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“This is a very active and fluid investigation throughout the day, as you’ve been waiting, and these teams have been working out in the field, and they have been gathering more documents and information,&#8221; he <a href="https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/minnesota-shootings-manhunt-06-14-25">said</a>. &#8220;So it would be premature for me at this point to really say exactly what the motivation might be from these writings, but we will be continuing to work on that and provide that information when we’re able.&#8221;
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Evans added that they are &#8220;still exploring&#8221; to see if the suspect knew those he targeted.
“There’s certainly some overlap with some public meetings, I will say, with Senator Hoffman and the individual, but we don’t know the nature of the relationship or if they actually knew each other,&#8221; he said.
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Boelter still remains at large.
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Original report:
Minnesota law enforcement officials confirmed on Saturday that the suspect involved in the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lawmakers-spouses-gunned-down-in-targeted-shootings?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Lawmakers%2C+Spouses+Gunned+Down+In+‘Targeted’+Shootings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">murder and attempted murder of four people</a>, including state lawmakers, had the names of other elected officials and anti-Trump &#8220;No Kings&#8221; protest flyers in his vehicle.
Additionally, the suspect, identified as Vance Boelter, 57, was appointed to Minnesota Democrat Governor Tim Walz&#8217;s Workforce Development Council in 2019.
“When we did a search of the vehicle, there was a manifesto that identified many lawmakers and other officials. We immediately made alerts to the state. We took action on alerting them and providing security where necessary,” said Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley, <a href="https://www.whio.com/news/police-say-they-have/QN6NVORVYJEQ5FXGK5YXQU2FNA/">according</a> to the Associated Press.
State Patrol Col. Christina Bogojevic said during a presser that the suspect had “No Kings” flyers in his car, displaying a photo of the materials (see below). &#8220;No Kings&#8221; is a reference to nationwide left-wing protests taking place on Saturday to object to President Donald Trump.
Organizers of &#8220;No Kings&#8221; protests in the state of Minnesota have canceled today&#8217;s events.
<div id="attachment_934625" style="width: 871px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-934625" class="wp-image-934625 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-14-at-1.22.26-PM-861x576.png" alt="" width="861" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-14-at-1.22.26-PM-861x576.png 861w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-14-at-1.22.26-PM-300x201.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-14-at-1.22.26-PM-768x514.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-14-at-1.22.26-PM.png 1390w" sizes="(max-width: 861px) 100vw, 861px" />Minnesota State Patrol</div>
As reported by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lawmakers-spouses-gunned-down-in-targeted-shootings?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Lawmakers%2C+Spouses+Gunned+Down+In+‘Targeted’+Shootings">The Daily Wire</a> on Saturday morning, state Sen. John Hoffman and state Rep. Melissa Hortman and their spouses were shot by a suspect allegedly impersonating a police officer in Champlin and Brooklyn Park.
<div id="attachment_934575" style="width: 840px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-934575" class="wp-image-934575 size-full" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-14-at-10.47.41-AM.png" alt="" width="830" height="506" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-14-at-10.47.41-AM.png 830w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-14-at-10.47.41-AM-300x183.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-14-at-10.47.41-AM-768x468.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 830px) 100vw, 830px" />MN State Senate//Melissa Hortman via Facebook</div>
The pair were attacked in their homes. Rep. Hortman and her spouse were killed in what Gov. Tim Walz said was a &#8220;politically motivated assassination.&#8221; Hoffman and his wife were both shot numerous times, but are expected to survive.
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NEW: Minnesota law enforcement announce that &#8220;No Kings&#8221; flyers were found in the car of the suspect who k*lled MN State Representative Melissa Hortman.
The &#8220;No Kings&#8221; protests are being held today across the country in protest of President Trump.
&#8220;Given the targeted shootings… <a href="https://t.co/X6UPxjHEZ9">pic.twitter.com/X6UPxjHEZ9</a>
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) <a href="https://twitter.com/CollinRugg/status/1933929181026685181?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
Boelter was identified as the suspect in the attacks on Saturday afternoon, per sources close to the Associated Press. He was appointed to serve on the Workforce Development Council in 2019 by Gov. Walz, and Boelter&#8217;s term expired in January 2023, <a href="https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/57-year-old-suspect-sought-in-targeted-shootings-of-minnesota-state-lawmakers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to EYEWITNESS NEWS.
Boelter previously served on the board, which is categorized as nonpartisan, back in 2016 by then-Governor Mark Dayton, also a Democrat.
This post has been updated with additional information.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lawmakers-spouses-gunned-down-in-targeted-shootings?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Lawmakers%2C+Spouses+Gunned+Down+In+‘Targeted’+Shootings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lawmakers, Spouses Gunned Down In ‘Targeted’ Shootings</a>

“No Kings” flyers

Flyers For Anti-Trump ‘No Kings’ Protest Found In Suspected Assassin’s Vehicle

The emir of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) directed American Muslims to assassinate President Donald Trump, calling assassinations &#8220;the greatest form of jihad today&#8221; in a video released by AQAP over the weekend and <a href="https://www.memri.org/reports/video-leader-al-qaeda-arabian-peninsula-aqap-calls-american-muslims-assassinate-president">translated</a> by the Middle East Media Research Institute.
The leader, Sa&#8217;ad bin Atef al-Awlaki, also listed Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Elon Musk, and the U.S. Senate as targets, calling them &#8220;the scum of the earth.&#8221; The video showed photos and footage of American officials as al-Awlaki identified them.
&#8220;Go after them and their families and all those who have any ties or are close to the politicians of the White House,&#8221; al-Awlaki said. &#8220;There are no red lines after all that has been happening to our people in Gaza.&#8221;
Al-Awlaki pointed to non-Muslim violence, including the attempted assassination of Trump in July of 2024, as examples for Muslims to follow.
&#8220;Do not consult anyone about killing infidel Americans,&#8221; al-Awlaki said.
AQAP is an affiliate of the Sunni Islamist terrorist organization al-Qaeda, which was founded by Osama bin Laden, according to a <a href="https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF11854">Congressional Research Service</a> report. The group primarily operates in Yemen.
Al-Awlaki has led AQAP after the sudden death of its previous leader in March 2024, according to the <a href="https://www.fdd.org/analysis/op_eds/2024/03/11/al-qaeda-in-the-arabian-peninsula-names-new-emir-u-s-has-6-million-bounty-on-his-head/">Foundation for Defense of Democracies</a>. The United States is <a href="https://rewardsforjustice.net/rewards/saad-bin-atef-al-awlaki/">offering</a> a reward of up to $6 million for information about al-Awlaki due to previous calls for attacks against the United States.
Al-Awlaki also told Muslims to attack U.S. military bases, as well as U.S. companies such as Microsoft and Tesla. He also directed Muslim hackers to &#8220;go after the American economy.&#8221;
Al-Awlaki said American Muslims should &#8220;take revenge&#8221; against &#8220;those who support the war in Gaza&#8221; and concluded by calling for Muslims to attack Jews in the United States and Europe.
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/gift/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=wisepops&amp;utm_campaign=dad&amp;utm_content=fathersdaygiftpopups" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gift Dad an All Access Membership. Use code DAD40 at checkout to save 40%!</a>
&#8220;Do not leave a single safe place for Jews, just as they have not left any homes, shelters, or respite for the Palestinians,&#8221; al-Awlaki said.
The AQAP has weakened since its peak in the 2010s, according to FDD, but it remains &#8220;a significant threat to Yemen and further afield.&#8221; A United Nations report said AQAP has maintained connections with Al-Qaeda&#8217;s central leadership.
The video comes after Trump recently banned travel from Yemen and other countries with inadequate &#8220;information-sharing and identity-management procedures,&#8221; The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/we-dont-want-them-trump-slaps-travel-ban-on-countries-whose-citizens-arent-vetted">reported</a>. The memorandum cited protecting American citizens from terrorist attacks as a reason for the ban.
The most recent report to the United Nations Security Council <a href="https://docs.un.org/en/S/2025/71/Rev.1">said</a> al-Awlaki has &#8220;consolidated control of&#8221; AQAP since becoming the terrorist group&#8217;s leader.
&#8220;The media arm of AQAP, considered by many to be Al-Qaeda’s strongest, exploited conflicts, including the Gaza and Israel conflict, to recruit and incite lone actors to conduct attacks,&#8221; the report said.

Leader Of Al-Qaeda In Arabian Peninsula Calls For Muslims To Assassinate Trump, American Officials

Al Qaeda

Radical Islam

Terrorism

World

COLLEGE PARK, MD — Long classified files pertaining to the 1968 assassination of Robert F. Kennedy are now available to the public, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard revealed to The Daily Wire in an exclusive interview.
“Today is a big day,” Gabbard said during an interview from the National Archives in College Park, Maryland. “It is the first time the country will be able to see the documents that have been sitting here, at the National Archives records agency, around the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy.”
Speaking from the lab where government employees busily worked to prepare documents to be digitized, scanned in high capacity scanners, and then ultimately uploaded to the National Archives website, Gabbard said the files are ready to go after decades under lock and key.
“These are boxes that have been here, in storage, never scanned before, never reviewed by the public before,” Gabbard said. “Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, and his executive order mandating maximum transparency, we have had well over a hundred people who have been working around the clock, going page by page, scanning them in, going through these reviews…all to lead us to this day, where the 10,000 pages that have been sitting here are now going to be available online.&#8221;
The batch of newly available files is <a href="https://www.archives.gov/research/rfk">now available on the National Archives website</a>.
WATCH: 
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Kennedy, who served as Attorney General of the United States in his brother’s presidential administration, was elected to the Senate in 1965. He announced his presidential campaign in 1968, while representing New York in the upper chamber. On June 5, 1968, Kennedy was shot and killed by Sirhan Sirhan, a Palestinian immigrant, during a campaign event at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. He was pronounced dead the next day.
Sirhan admitted that he shot Kennedy in a 1969 trial, though he <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/retropolis/wp/2018/05/26/who-killed-bobby-kennedy-his-son-rfk-jr-doesnt-believe-it-was-sirhan-sirhan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a> he had no memory of doing so. Two decades later, Sirhan told British journalist David Frost that he felt <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1989/02/20/us/sirhan-felt-betrayed-by-kennedy.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">betrayed</a> by Kennedy — whom he once viewed as a hero — due to his “support of Israel.”
Kennedy’s autopsy report found that the senator was killed by a shot fired behind the ear — though Sirhan was standing in front of Kennedy — leading some to speculate that Sirhan did not fire the fatal bullet.
One proponent of the second gunman theory: Kennedy’s son, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
“The people that were closest to [Sirhan], the people that disarmed him all said he never got near my father,” Kennedy said in 2018. That year, RFK Jr. had traveled to California to meet with Sirhan, saying he “was curious and disturbed by what I had seen in the evidence.”
“I was disturbed that the wrong person might have been convicted of killing my father. My father was the chief law enforcement officer in this country,” Kennedy said at the time. “I think it would have disturbed him if somebody was put in jail for a crime they didn’t commit.”
RFK Jr. <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-gabbard-rfk-assassination-files-release/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">supported</a> Sirhan’s 2021 parole request, which California Governor Gavin Newsom rejected.
Trump signed an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/everything-will-be-revealed-trump-declassifies-jfk-rfk-and-mlk-jr-assassination-files" target="_blank" rel="noopener">executive order</a> shortly after his inauguration declassifying all files pertaining to the assassinations of RFK, John F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr. Trump in March <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-releases-roughly-80000-pages-of-secret-jfk-assassination-files" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released</a> around 80,000 pages of previously secret files pertaining to JFK’s 1963 assassination, which revealed, among other things, that some Cuban diplomats at the time <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/what-we-learned-from-the-jfk-files" target="_blank" rel="noopener">immediately concluded</a> the CIA was behind the assassination.
As Gabbard previewed the release of the files on Thursday, she warned The Daily Wire that they may challenge details of the current narrative surrounding Kennedy’s death.
“Of course there are a lot of different theories and questions surrounding these assassinations,” Gabbard explained on Thursday.
“People will find in the release today, there is no ‘smoking gun,’ but there are a lot of things that have not been previously known that really call into question what really happened — and who was behind it, which includes conversations that were happening in other countries, and messages that were going around about the assassination itself.”
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<div id="attachment_909461" style="width: 459px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-909461" class="size-large wp-image-909461" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-3243546-449x576.jpg" alt="16th March 1968: Headshot of Senator Robert F. Kennedy (1925 - 1968) announcing his candidacy for president of the United States, Washington, D. C. (Photo by Arnold Sachs/Consolidated News Pictures/Getty Images)" width="449" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-3243546-449x576.jpg 449w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-3243546-234x300.jpg 234w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-3243546-768x986.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-3243546.jpg 798w" sizes="(max-width: 449px) 100vw, 449px" />Senator Robert F. Kennedy announcing his candidacy for president of the United States, Washington, D. C. (Photo by Arnold Sachs/Consolidated News Pictures/Getty Images)</div>
Asked about what other countries were involved, Gabbard pointed out a diplomatic cable that&#8217;s part of the 10,000 files that National Archives staff had placed out for her to view.
“If you look on this memo alone, you see Kuwait, London, Tel Aviv, Beirut, Benghazi…all of these American embassies who were the recipients of this cable,” she explained. “People are going to have to go to the website and read for themselves to kind of get an insight into what the conversations were like before, and after, Senator Kennedy’s assassination.”
“There are more questions than answers,” she warned.
Gabbard repeatedly stressed the importance of transparency in releasing these files to the public, noting that people will have to dig into them themselves in order to understand the realities of what they hold. Such was the case with the release of the files related to John F. Kennedy’s assassination. While the files offered a deeper picture into the American president’s death, they did not offer immediate answers or solutions.
“President Trump is ushering in a new era of maximum transparency,” Gabbard <a href="https://x.com/DNIGabbard/status/1902136765953032472" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> at the time.
In addition to the RFK files, the National Archives facility in College Park is home to <a href="https://www.archives.gov/college-park/highlights/textual" target="_blank" rel="noopener">records</a> pertaining to the JFK assassination and other historical artifacts, <a href="https://www.archives.gov/files/publications/prologue/2015/spring/hitler-will.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">including</a> the last will and testament of Adolf Hitler.
The historical artifacts related to the JFK and RFK assassinations are housed in a secure vault for safety, where Executive for Research Services Chris Naylor took Gabbard on Thursday afternoon.
Inside, Naylor showed the passport Lee Harvey Oswald carried when he defected to the Soviet Union, as well as his passport application and the shirt he was wearing when he was shot and killed. Also showcased was the camera used to record what is best known as the Zapruder film, the home movie that provides the most complete view of JFK&#8217;s 1963 assassination in Dallas, Texas.
“There’s so many stories behind all of this,” Gabbard said as the tour concluded. “It’s incredible to be here, to actually see it.”
As she strolled down the hall with Jim Byron, the senior advisor to the acting head archivist, Gabbard asked why the JFK artifacts aren’t showcased to the public, including the bullet that struck the deceased president.
Gabbard and Byron agreed that the artifacts should be opened up to the public.
“That’s how it works in this administration,” she said with a laugh.

MixCollage-17-Apr-2025-09-35-PM-8009

EXCLUSIVE: Tulsi Gabbard Takes The Daily Wire Inside The RFK Assassination File Drop

National Archives

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Tulsi Gabbard

Normally when a major new law is proposed, it&#8217;s given a name that makes it catchy and appealing to as many people as possible. Of course, pretty much every time, the name is an obvious lie. But it&#8217;s still an effective lie, because every time someone says the name of the law, they&#8217;re giving you a positive soundbite. Obama&#8217;s health care plan, of course, was famously called &#8220;The Affordable Care Act.&#8221; So all of the news articles and cable news segments that talked about the law — even if they were critical of it — ended up reinforcing the message that it would make health care &#8220;affordable.&#8221; The same principle applies to the so-called &#8220;Equal Pay Act,&#8221; the &#8220;Freedom of Information Act,&#8221; the &#8220;Fair Housing Act,&#8221; and so on.
With that in mind, it&#8217;s worth taking a look at the name of a new ballot initiative that was <a href="https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/initiatives/pdfs/25-0002%20%28Health%20Care%29.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">introduced</a> last week in the state of California. This ballot initiative was proposed by a retired lawyer in the state. And it would prevent insurance companies from denying coverage for medication or procedures, unless those insurance companies could demonstrate — by &#8220;clear and convincing evidence&#8221; — that the medication or procedure is completely unnecessary in every way. In other words, they can&#8217;t reject a procedure because it&#8217;s too expensive. If they do, they&#8217;ll face a lawsuit that will almost certainly be successful. In practical terms, this would mean that the cost of health insurance (and medical procedures) would skyrocket. It would have the exact opposite of its intended effect. Insurance companies would probably go bankrupt very quickly, and a lot of people would lose access to health care entirely as a result. So calling this &#8220;bad policy&#8221; would be an understatement.
But that&#8217;s not the point. The point is the name of this ballot initiative. It&#8217;s not called the &#8220;Better Health Care Insurance Act.&#8221; It&#8217;s not called the &#8220;Save Lives Act&#8221; or the &#8220;Free Money Act&#8221; or anything like that. Instead, this ballot initiative is called the &#8220;Luigi Mangione Access to Healthcare Act.&#8221; Yes, a law has just been proposed in the state of California that&#8217;s named after someone who just (allegedly) shot a health care CEO in the back, on camera, after stalking him for weeks. And as much as I&#8217;d like to say that most people in this country have rejected this legislation, that&#8217;s not true. It&#8217;s actually getting a lot of support and mainstream attention at the moment. Watch:
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So evidently, it&#8217;s not enough for the ballot initiative to be named after an alleged murderer. On top of that, the text of the ballot initiative also references the words that the assassin wrote on the bullets that he used to murder Brian Thompson. This is about as sociopathic as things can possibly get. But it&#8217;s got a fighting chance to pass in California. Already many <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/1jnl1rm/california_ballot_measure_named_after_luigi/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">people</a> are supporting the proposal on social media, as you can probably imagine. They&#8217;re particularly fond of the idea on Reddit, which has become a breeding ground for domestic terrorists of late. And the state of California is well-known for passing ballot initiatives like this one.
Reason Magazine <a href="https://reason.com/2025/03/31/the-best-thing-about-the-proposed-california-initiative-named-after-luigi-mangione-is-the-title/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a> that: &#8220;California has a history of gadflies getting far-reaching policies on the ballot that then end up winning. Liberal California likes to point to Proposition 13, which limited property tax increases, as the canonical example of this. Another example would be Proposition 103, an initiative pushed by consumer advocates that created California&#8217;s current regulatory regime for property and auto insurance. Prop. 103 limits insurers&#8217; ability to raise rates on policyholders and creates a laborious system to justify whatever price increases they are still permitted.&#8221;
And there&#8217;s another reason to think that this initiative will pass. This is a poll that was just conducted by the &#8220;Network Contagion Research Institute,&#8221; which just surveyed Americans across the political spectrum in order to determine their level of tolerance for political violence. <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/bombshell-study-reveals-assassination-culture-080006498.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">From Fox</a>, which reported on the results: &#8220;38% of respondents said it would be at least &#8216;somewhat justified&#8217; to murder Donald Trump, and 31% said the same about Elon Musk. &#8230; When counting only left-leaning respondents, justification for killing Trump rose to 55% and Musk to 48%.&#8221;
Yes, more than half of &#8220;left-leaning respondents&#8221; — which includes anyone who identifies as a liberal in any way — believes that it would be acceptable for an assassin to execute Donald Trump. And nearly half of &#8220;left-leaning respondents&#8221; believe it would be acceptable if someone murdered Elon Musk. On top of that, nearly 60% of &#8220;left-leaning respondents&#8221; declared that it would be acceptable to destroy a Tesla dealership. They&#8217;re saying it&#8217;s fine to commit acts of domestic terrorism, solely because they disagree with the political views of the CEO of the company.
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/mws-ep-1572-member-exclusive?row=2&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Carousel&amp;rowHeadline=The+Matt+Walsh+Show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: The Matt Walsh Show</a></h3>
Yes, polls can be misleading. We talk about the bias that exists in polls all the time. They&#8217;re not necessarily a reliable indicator but in this case, based on everything that&#8217;s happened in this country in the last few years, everyone knows this poll is accurate. We&#8217;ve all seen the outpouring of support for Luigi Mangione — support that continued even after it became very clear that he&#8217;s a raging, wealthy narcissist who had no reason to be upset with United HealthCare whatsoever. In fact, a few months ago, many of Luigi Mangione&#8217; supporters dogpiled one of my videos on YouTube, in order to inform me that I should &#8220;read the room&#8221; and defend first-degree murder.
We&#8217;ve also <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXtWVnpnx4U" target="_blank" rel="noopener">played</a> dozens of clips of random Tesla stores and vehicles being attacked, as mobs cheer on the carnage. People are being terrorized solely on the basis of a vehicle they&#8217;ve purchased — which as far as I can tell, has never happened before in the history of this country. At the height of the Bud Light boycott, no one was violently assaulted for drinking a Bud Light. But for Tesla owners, it&#8217;s a different story. And these attacks are continuing, by the way. Just yesterday, shortly after midnight in Washington State, an explosion <a href="https://www.carscoops.com/2025/04/explosion-rips-through-tesla-supercharger-triggering-fbi-response/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">destroyed</a> a Tesla charging station.
Along the same lines, as we <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZ7Lue_aa0I" target="_blank" rel="noopener">discussed</a> earlier this week, there&#8217;s been a groundswell of support for Karmelo Anthony, who recently stabbed a white high school student to death in Texas at a track meet. Anthony&#8217;s family has now raised more than $250,000 — a quarter of a million dollars — on GiveSendGo, on the theory that the killing was somehow an act of self-defense — even though Karmelo Anthony himself asked officers, as they arrested him, whether self-defense was a viable strategy to pursue. At this rate, he&#8217;ll raise a million dollars for killing a white 17-year-old. Yes, there&#8217;s essentially a bounty for killing white people in this country. Does it matter to these people that Austin Metcalf didn&#8217;t hurt Karmelo Anthony in any way? Does it matter to them that Karmelo Anthony instigated the fight and then threw away the murder weapon as Austin Metcalf died in his brother&#8217;s arms? Does it matter that Karmelo Anthony brought a deadly weapon to the opposing team&#8217;s tent at a track meet, and then dared someone to touch him? Of course not. None of that matters. All that matters is that Austin Metcalf was white and Karmelo Anthony was black.
<div id="attachment_903441" style="width: 966px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-903441" class="size-large wp-image-903441" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screenshot-2025-04-05-at-9.43.51-AM-956x576.png" alt="" width="956" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screenshot-2025-04-05-at-9.43.51-AM-956x576.png 956w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screenshot-2025-04-05-at-9.43.51-AM-300x181.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screenshot-2025-04-05-at-9.43.51-AM-768x463.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screenshot-2025-04-05-at-9.43.51-AM.png 1168w" sizes="(max-width: 956px) 100vw, 956px" />Frisco Police Dept//Metcalf family handout</div>
So no, it&#8217;s not surprising in the slightest that most self-described liberals in this country are explicitly supporting political violence. We see the evidence everywhere. But at the same time, the diagnosis from the political science experts is obviously lacking in several respects. They aren&#8217;t fully grasping the problem. To give you some idea, here&#8217;s what they have to say.
This is <a href="https://cbsaustin.com/news/nation-world/new-survey-reveals-disturbing-trend-in-support-of-political-violence-president-trump-left-of-center-elon-musk-liberal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">from CBS</a>: &#8220;Stanley Schwartz, a history professor at Cedarville University, tells us, violence has a long history in American democracy, but it was still striking to read through this report. &#8230; &#8216;A lot of folks on the left are probably feeling a sense of hopelessness or despair following the election loss,&#8217; said Schwartz. &#8230; [Another expert], Darryl Paulson, who specializes in political parties and elections at the University of South Florida, tells us, there used to be rules in how you conducted politics. But those rules don&#8217;t exist anymore. &#8216;Those rules of the game have been thrown out, and it&#8217;s every man for himself,&#8217; Paulson said.&#8221;
That&#8217;s the explanation that the academics have come up with. They&#8217;re saying that something has abruptly changed, and that &#8220;a lot of folks&#8221; are mad that a Republican won the presidency. But that doesn&#8217;t actually capture the magnitude of what&#8217;s happening here. So-called “assassination culture” — as these pollsters have referred to this phenomenon — is not merely the result of hyper partisanship and political division. We&#8217;ve had a lot of very intense political disagreements in this country&#8217;s history, including all-out brawls on the floor of Congress in the 19th century. What we haven&#8217;t seen, until now, are coordinated terror campaigns — endorsed by a major political party — that are conducted against American citizens on the basis of their political beliefs. That is new.
When the Weather Underground bombed The Capitol, both Democrats and Republicans had the good sense to condemn it. But when the modern Weather Underground gets to work against Elon Musk and his supporters, Democrats say nothing. Actually, it&#8217;s worse than that. They come out and publicly taunt Elon Musk and his company, and they suggest he and Tesla got what they deserved.
We&#8217;re seeing this response because, at its core, Leftism is relativistic, fundamentally amoral, and dehumanizing. Leftism has taken over the Democratic Party, and we&#8217;re now witnessing the consequences of that takeover. That is why Leftists are celebrating the murder of Brian Thompson, without any pushback from elected Democrats. That&#8217;s why they&#8217;re happy Austin Metcalf is dead, and it&#8217;s why they&#8217;re now desperately hoping that they&#8217;ll get to kill Elon Musk and Donald Trump. Above all else, Leftism is concerned with advancing the interests of the party. That is their overriding goal. It&#8217;s all that interests them. Nothing else matters. They will continue their campaign of violence, at any cost. They don&#8217;t even feel the need to hide it anymore, as the &#8220;Luigi Mangione Access to Health Care Act&#8221; demonstrates. The same people who cheered the killing of Brian Thompson would cheer your death as well, if they felt it would advance their interests in any way.
Countries can survive economic upheaval, political disagreements and even civil war. But they cannot survive an ideology that is fundamentally anti-human — that&#8217;s completely uninterested in any form of human progress. That is what Leftism, as endorsed by the Democratic Party, now stands for. A majority of Democrats agree with this sentiment. It&#8217;s impossible to overstate this, so I&#8217;ll say it again: They will rationalize your murder if you don&#8217;t agree with them. They will rationalize your murder, as we&#8217;ve seen with Austin Metcalf, if you&#8217;re white. It is incumbent on every sane person — anyone with any survival instinct whatsoever — to stay as far away from these people as possible. And if we accomplish nothing else in the next few years, we should do everything we can to eradicate this ideology so that it doesn&#8217;t result in any more death and destruction than it already has. Leftism arrived in this country relatively quickly. If there&#8217;s one silver lining here, it&#8217;s that we can eliminate it just as quickly.

Luigi Mangione

The Rise Of ‘Assassination Culture’ In America

The Rise Of 'Assassination Culture' In America

Elon Musk

Health Care

Leftists

Matt Walsh

Opinion

President Trump

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi directed federal prosecutors on Tuesday to pursue the death penalty in the case against Luigi Mangione, who is accused of assassinating UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
The Department of Justice <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/attorney-general-pamela-bondi-directs-prosecutors-seek-death-penalty-luigi-mangione">alleged</a> that Mangione murdered Thompson in &#8220;an act of political violence.&#8221; The 26-year-old suspect was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, in December — five days after Thompson was gunned down from behind outside of the Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan.
&#8220;Luigi Mangione’s murder of Brian Thompson — an innocent man and father of two young children — was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America,&#8221; Bondi said. &#8220;After careful consideration, I have directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case as we carry out President Trump’s agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again.&#8221;
Mangione faces both state and federal murder and terrorism charges. He has pleaded not guilty to the state charges but has not yet entered a plea for the federal charges, which make him eligible for the death penalty. According to prosecutors, state and federal cases are expected to proceed on parallel tracks. Since New York doesn&#8217;t have the death penalty, the heaviest sentence Mangione could face in the state is life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The DOJ argues that the alleged assassination of Thompson &#8220;involved substantial planning and premeditation,&#8221; adding that &#8220;because the murder took place in public with bystanders nearby, [it] may have posed grave risk of death to additional persons.&#8221;
Video footage of the killing showed the masked assassin approach Thompson from behind and shoot him in the back before firing at him again after the healthcare CEO fell to the ground. One bystander, who appeared to be a female, was also seen on camera when the assassination unfolded, but no one else was wounded.
The suspect allegedly fled the scene on a bicycle that he rode into Central Park and then made his way to a bus station, where he took a Greyhound out of the city. Mangione was arrested after patrons in an Altoona McDonald&#8217;s recognized him from flyers posted by the NYPD. The flyers showed photos of the alleged assassin smiling in the lobby of a Manhattan hostel, where he stayed just days before Thomspon was killed.
Upon his arrest, law enforcement officers allegedly found Mangione&#8217;s backpack, where inside he was storing a 9mm homemade handgun, a manifesto, and the same fake New Jersey ID that was used by the person of interest at a Manhattan hostel before Thompson was gunned down on the street. Authorities also allegedly found a notebook on Mangione where written inside were mentions of taking out “the CEO at the annual parasitic bean-counter convention.”
Mangione has gained a following among some on the Left who have called for the suspected assassin to be freed. Mangione has received letters, photos, and hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations for his legal defense.

AG Directs Federal Prosecutors To Seek Death Penalty For Luigi Mangione

Department of Justice

Pam Bondi

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