It is easy to forget the dystopian excesses of the Covid era: business closures, shuttered schools, and mask and vaccine mandates. A new development in Missouri v. Biden, a Covid-era lawsuit, serves as an important reminder of how precarious our basic freedoms become in the face of a perceived disaster. For the past four years, a coalition of state attorneys general, courageous scientists, and First Amendment advocates waged a counterattack against the federal government’s efforts to strong-arm social media companies into silencing those espousing views contrary to the government-approved narrative. 
Last week, the plaintiffs and the federal defendants submitted a consent decree to the court for approval. The <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.lawd.189520/gov.uscourts.lawd.189520.477.1.pdf">proposed consent decree</a> is both a real win for free speech and a blueprint for further protections necessary to safeguard our First Amendment rights.
That need is underscored by another recent free speech victory by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/state-dept-reaches-censorship-settlement-with-daily-wire?author=Luke+Rosiak&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=7&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Daily+Wire+Wins+Landmark+Free+Speech+Victory+In+Censorship+Lawsuit+Against+State+Department">The Daily Wire</a>, in which the State Department agreed to stop supporting efforts that targeted protected speech by American media outlets. That settlement also imposed ongoing compliance oversight, helping ensure the government cannot quietly return to the same tactics.
The core allegation in Missouri v. Biden was that senior officials across multiple federal agencies had engaged in an unprecedented campaign to coerce and pressure major social media platforms into censoring lawful speech. The plaintiffs argued that the Biden administration had effectively outsourced government censorship to private companies, leaning on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to suppress content related to Covid origins and treatments, the Hunter Biden laptop story, and election integrity.
<div id="attachment_869089" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-869089" class="size-large wp-image-869089" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/GettyImages-1915020320-864x576.jpg" alt="WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 10: Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden, departs a House Oversight Committee meeting at Capitol Hill on January 10, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" />Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images</div>
For example, Rob Flaherty, the director of digital media in the Biden Administration, tried to coerce Meta into suppressing posts critical of the Covid vaccine on Facebook, accusing Meta of driving “vaccine hesitancy.” Flaherty even demanded that Meta explain what it would do to suppress anti-vaccine content on WhatsApp, a private messaging application. Flaherty made clear he was not speaking just for himself, but rather for, “the highest — and I mean the highest — levels of the White House.&#8221;
The case bounced between trial and appellate courts, including a stop at the Supreme Court, as judges evaluated the nuances of the thorny, at times novel, claims at issue in the case. With the change in presidential administrations, however, the federal government no longer was the adversary, though it was still the nominal defendant. 
On his first day back in office, President Trump signed an Executive Order entitled, “Restoring Freedom of Speech and Ending Federal Censorship,” which condemned the types of censorship the plaintiffs in Missouri v. Biden had filed suit regarding. With a sympathetic administration in office, the plaintiffs were able to negotiate a consent decree rather than spend many more years embroiled in litigation.
The consent decree is focused on preventing the type of coercion, known as jawboning, that the federal government had used to do indirectly during Covid what it could not do directly: prevent Americans from speaking out in public about the major issues of the day. The parties agreed that the government would no longer take actions designed to bully social media companies into removing or suppressing content containing free speech. The consent decree further prohibits the government from directing or vetoing social media companies’ content moderation policies.
A critical limit in the consent decree, however, exposes the clear need for the government to take protective measures outside the confines of the Missouri v. Biden lawsuit. For technical legal reasons related to standing and jurisdiction, the consent decree is focused on the parties to the case. Rather than enjoin the federal government as a whole, the consent decree binds the Surgeon General, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), which engaged in some of the most blatant jawboning efforts during the Covid period. The consent decree further protects only the plaintiffs in the case, that is, the states and individuals who sued the government. (In a bit of poetic justice, two of the plaintiffs, Jay Bhattacharya and Martin Kulldorff, withdrew from the case after accepting senior posts in the Trump administration.)
The Missouri v. Biden plaintiffs are not the only litigants who have prevailed in challenges to Biden-era free speech violations. As The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/state-dept-reaches-censorship-settlement-with-daily-wire">reported</a>, this week, a federal judge issued a consent decree in a challenge to the Biden-era State Department’s practice of partnering with outside organizations to label various outlets — including this one and the Federalist — as disinformation. The State Department agreed that it would no longer engage in efforts to suppress, censor, demonetize, or downgrade the constitutionally protected speech of Americans and domestic news outlets. 
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/state-dept-reaches-censorship-settlement-with-daily-wire?author=Luke+Rosiak&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=7&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Daily+Wire+Wins+Landmark+Free+Speech+Victory+In+Censorship+Lawsuit+Against+State+Department"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-1070109 aligncenter" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/dw_vs._state_dept_16x9_720.png" alt="" width="720" height="405" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/dw_vs._state_dept_16x9_720.png 720w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/dw_vs._state_dept_16x9_720-300x169.png 300w" sizes=" (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px" /></a>
While these consent decrees are real victories for the plaintiffs who had the courage to take on the federal government in court, they will not stop a future administration from engaging in similar tactics that we saw during Covid, in the wake of the 2020 election, and throughout the Biden Administration. Americans as a whole deserve the robust protections the Missouri v. Biden plaintiffs earned in that litigation. 
Congressional action of any sort is admittedly a difficult feat. But there are few bedrock principles more important than those embodied in the First Amendment. If Congress wants to protect Americans’ free speech rights, the proposed consent decree in Missouri v. Biden is a useful roadmap. All federal agencies and officials, not just the select handful named in the proposed consent decree, should be prohibited from trying to control speech by telling social media companies what content is and is not allowed. And all Americans should be able to speak on social media with the assurance that the government cannot tell social media platforms to silence them.
The plaintiffs in Missouri v. Biden and their attorneys should be praised for bringing a landmark lawsuit in the face of tremendous government overreach and achieving a real victory in the process. Congress should follow suit by extending those protections to everyone else.
* * *
Jesse Franklin-Murdock is the Miles Visiting Fellow at the Center for American Liberty, and he is a partner at Sweigart Murdock, LLP in San Francisco, where he specializes in First Amendment and defamation law, political law, and civil rights.

TOPSHOT-US-POLITICS-BIDEN-ARRIVAL

After Daily Wire Legal Win, Americans Shouldn’t Wonder Who’s Silencing Them Online

Biden Administration

Censorship

COVID

Daily Wire

Donald Trump

Hunter Biden

Joe Biden

Opinion

Social Media Censorship

The Federalist

WASHINGTON—A civil rights group this week reached a sweeping settlement with the federal government, which will stop agencies from pressuring social media companies to remove or suppress lawful speech.
The New Civil Liberties Alliance announced Tuesday that it had reached a consent decree on behalf of its clients in the case Missouri v. Biden, a long-running case in which the plaintiffs alleged the Biden administration worked with big tech platforms to censor users with opinions it viewed as disagreeable — largely conservatives who deviated from the accepted orthodoxy on the COVID-19 pandemic.
Under the consent decree, federal entities, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and the Office of the Surgeon General, are prohibited from threatening or coercing platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, and YouTube over content moderation decisions. The agreement also bars officials from directing or vetoing those decisions. 
The settlement is awaiting final approval from U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty. 
The case centers on claims that federal officials coordinated with social media companies to suppress viewpoints that conflicted with government messaging on COVID-19 and other politically sensitive topics. Plaintiffs, including Dr. Aaron Kheriaty and activist Jill Hines, argued that such actions amounted to unconstitutional government censorship carried out through private intermediaries.
NCLA attorneys said discovery in the case revealed what they described as a broad effort spanning multiple agencies and senior officials.
 “This case began with a suspicion that blossomed into fact,” said John Vecchione, a senior litigation counsel with the group. “Freedom of speech has been powerfully preserved by our clients.”
The legal fight has taken multiple turns over the past several years. <a href="https://www.scotusblog.com/2024/06/justices-side-with-biden-over-governments-influence-on-social-media-content-moderation/">In 2024</a>, the Supreme Court vacated a lower court injunction that had restricted government contacts with social media companies, ruling that the plaintiffs lacked standing at that stage of the case. Despite that setback, the lawsuit continued in district court, ultimately leading to the current agreement.
The settlement also reflects a broader policy shift under the Trump administration, which had previously condemned federal involvement in content moderation. In an early executive order, President Donald Trump criticized what he described as government infringement on Americans’ speech rights. As part of the agreement, the administration acknowledges that labeling speech as “misinformation,” “disinformation,” or “malinformation” does not remove First Amendment protections.
NCLA President Mark Chenoweth said the outcome reinforces a core constitutional principle.
“Federal officials may police the line between lawful and unlawful speech,” Chenoweth said, “but they have no role in deciding if speech is true or false.” The plaintiffs are granted authority to enforce the consent decree if violations occur, giving the agreement ongoing legal weight beyond the initial ruling.
The settlement marks one of the most significant legal developments to date in the ongoing debate over the government’s role in moderating online speech, an issue that has drawn increasing scrutiny from courts, lawmakers, and the public as social media platforms have become central to political discourse.
NCLA said related lawsuits targeting federal agencies and officials over similar allegations remain ongoing.

President Biden Holds NATO Summit News Conference As Questions Surround His Candidacy

Biden’s Social Media Censorship Campaign Is Finally Dead

COVID-19

Free Speech

Surgeon General

Less than a month before the 2024 presidential election, President Joe Biden&#8217;s administration brought together transgender activists, government officials, and major progressive philanthropists in what organizers dubbed a &#8220;speed dating&#8221; event.
The event, called “Our Family Values: Building the Evidence Base for Child Well-Being,” took place just three weeks before Americans would vote to send Donald Trump back to the White House following a campaign that revolved largely around radical gender ideology. But even as the election seemed to break against them, the Biden White House was working to match leaders of “family acceptance” child welfare programs with major funders of the LGBTQ movement, records show.
Biden officials viewed “family acceptance” of so-called gender identity as an <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20221204062339/https://mchb.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/mchb/programs-impact/edc-parental-acceptance.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">important</a> step in “preventing” LGBTQI+ children from entering foster care and wanted to further the impact of radical child welfare programs. The goal of the speed dating event was to expand child welfare programs that re-educate non-affirming parents to accept their child&#8217;s “LGBTQI+” identity, <a href="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">records</a> <a href="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-7.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">show</a>.
“We know that family support around LGBTQI+ identity, as early as possible, is a key protective factor against … entry into the child welfare and juvenile justice systems for LGBTQI+ youth,” Julie Kruse, a contracted senior advisor for the LGBTQI+ Initiatives, wrote in an <a href="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">email</a> describing the event. “These programs are critical to preventing LGBTQI+ youth homelessness and entry into foster care.”
Angela Weeks, director of the <a href="https://sogiecenter.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity &amp; Expression Center,</a> was instrumental in setting up the event. On October 13, she sent an email to participants explaining how the &#8220;Partnership Speed Matching” would work.
“You will rotate between tables of philanthropic organizations and ACF leadership. They will be instructed to ask you and question they have of you during the 8-min discussion. When each rotation only has two minutes left, Marlene will give the 2-minute warning, which is the cue for you all to start discussing next steps/collaboration,” Weeks wrote in the <a href="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/speed-date5.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">email</a>. “Try not to leave the table without a next step and a contact person. It will be the purveyor’s responsibility to follow-up.”
At least 14 donors were invited to participate in the speed dating event, along with government officials who came from the Administration for Children and Families, the National Institutes of Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, records show.
After the event, Kruse sent several follow-up <a href="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/speed-date-6.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">emails</a> <a href="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/speed-date-7.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">indicating</a> the meeting was successful and that donors were interested in funding the family acceptance programs.
“Our great hope is that you made connections and identified resources at this event that will help you take actions to increase the availability of LGBTQI+ family support services, so that children can stay safely in their homes with families of origin and kin, preventing LGBTQI+ youth homelessness and entry into foster care,” wrote Kruse.
Some transgender activists believe refusing to affirm a child’s gender confusion is a form of child abuse. During a webinar hosted by the Department of Health and Human Services in the fall of 2023, one activist called “transphobia” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-harris-hhs-consulted-activist-who-said-parents-should-be-prosecuted-for-transphobia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">child abuse</a> and suggested families should be prosecuted as abusers for refusing to call their gender confused child the opposite sex.
“Biden promised to enforce LGBTQ ideology throughout government systems in his 2020 campaign platform, and no administration has done more damage to child welfare systems,” Laura Hanford, senior policy analyst at the Richard and Helen DeVos Center for Human Flourishing, told The Daily Wire. “He funneled millions of dollars to toxic ideological training programs promoting the lie that raising a gender-confused child as his or her sex is abusive, and forcing parents to ‘transition’ their gender-confused children or lose them to the state.”
The organizers of the invitation-only October 16 event hoped to elevate “family acceptance programs” to the scientific standards of the <a href="https://preventionservices.acf.hhs.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Prevention Services Clearinghouse</a>, a federal database of social services programming used by child welfare agencies across the country.
“October 16 will focus on building the evidence base (e.g., research, analysis, evaluation) for family support programs that would make them eligible for the Family First Prevention Services, a significant source of federal funds for prevention programs that meet a certain evidence threshold,” Kruse wrote.
The <a href="https://acf.gov/cb/title-iv-e-prevention-program" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Family First Prevention Services Act,</a> which became law in February 2018, diverted federal funds from supporting children in foster care to programs aimed at <a href="https://www.myflfamilies.com/kids/news/family-first-prevention-services-act-ffpsa#:~:text=The%20Family%20First%20Prevention%20Services%20Act%20(FFPSA),are%20imminent%20risk%20of%20entering%20foster%20care" target="_blank" rel="noopener">preventing children</a> from entering state systems. The <a href="https://acf.gov/opre/project/title-iv-e-prevention-services-clearinghouse-2018-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Prevention Services Clearinghouse</a> was established in accordance with the law to provide a systematic process to <a href="https://acf.gov/opre/project/title-iv-e-prevention-services-clearinghouse-2018-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rate and review</a> the quality of evidence supporting prevention programs. The database lists available programming with a rating of  “well-supported, supported, promising, or does not currently meet criteria,” according to its <a href="https://preventionservices.acf.hhs.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a>. States can receive <a href="https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF10590" target="_blank" rel="noopener">federal reimbursement </a>for using programs approved by the Prevention Services Clearinghouse.
“The idea was that [the Clearinghouse] was going to give states a list of evidence-based programs that they could choose from and that they would be eligible to receive federal reimbursement if they used those programs,” Naomi Schaefer Riley, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, told The Daily Wire. “If they passed, if they got the Clearinghouse stamp of approval, then states could kind of pick these programs off of a kind of shelf and say, ‘We&#8217;re going to use this one and we&#8217;ll get federal reimbursement for it.’&#8221;
The &#8220;speed dating&#8221; event was co-sponsored by the Administration for Children and Families, the Department of Health and Human Services, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Child Welfare League of America, the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, the National Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity &amp; Expression Center, the Trevor Project, and Think of Us, records show.
Kruse personally invited Funders for LGBTQ Issues, a philanthropic organization that envisions a “world where all queer, trans, and gender non-conforming people are liberated, loved, valued, respected, and thriving,” to attend the meeting. The group gives approximately $200 million annually to LGBTQ issues, according to its <a href="https://lgbtfunders.org/about/about-mission/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a>.
A representative from the organization wrote it was unable to attend the October 2024 meeting but hoped they could “remain in touch to identify future ways we can partner together to advance our shared goals,” emails show. In response, Kruse set up a personal meeting between the Funders for LGBTQ Issues, the Administration for Children and Families, and Weeks.
The Funders for LGBTQ Issues did not respond to The Daily Wire&#8217;s requests for comment.
The National SOGIE Center is home to a group of activists working to transform social services nationwide through gender affirming programs, many of which are available on its <a href="https://sogiecenter.org/programs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a>. Members of the group <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2024/10/14/activists-behind-biden-harris-foster-care-regulation-want-to-strip-custody-from-non-affirming-parents/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">worked hand in hand</a> with the Biden administration to inform its September 2023 <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/09/28/2023-21274/safe-and-appropriate-foster-care-placement-requirements-for-titles-iv-e-and-iv-b" target="_blank" rel="noopener">regulation</a> requiring foster care families to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/states-press-hhs-over-illegal-rule-that-could-force-foster-care-providers-to-facilitate-trans-procedures" target="_blank" rel="noopener">affirm</a> a child’s gender confusion.
Weeks had a working relationship with Kruse that was critical in organizing the “Our Family Values” event, records reveal.
In July 2024, Kruse <a href="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/speed-date-8.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">emailed</a> Weeks and officials from the Administration for Children and Families, HHS, and NIH, to lay the groundwork for the event. The pair stayed in regular communication through November 2024, records show.
The “Our Family Values” event was focused on three programs: Chosen Affirming Finding Family, Youth Acceptance Project, and AFFIRM Caregiver programs, which are all affiliated with the National Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity &amp; Expression Center.
The Chosen Affirming Finding Family <a href="https://www.kinnect.org/what-we-do/safe-affirmed-youth/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">program</a> helps “LGBTQ+ young people” identify “chosen family” who can provide them support and “works with those people to help them understand the young person’s LGBTQ+ identity and the best ways to affirm and support them with their identity and transition into adulthood,” according to a SOGIE Center <a href="https://sogiecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/CAFF-1-pager-PDF.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">document</a>.
The <a href="https://familybuilders.org/programs-services/youth-acceptance-project/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Youth Acceptance Project</a> is a program that re-educates parents of children who are “at risk” of entering the child welfare system due to “family stress” surrounding the child’s gender identity.
“The YAP social workers/clinicians provide a trauma-informed, psycho-educational model while partnering with parents/caregivers; supporting them to process misinformation, resistance, fear, and grief that families often struggle with when they learn that their child is LGBTQ+,” a National Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity &amp; Expression Center <a href="https://sogiecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/YAP-1-pager-PDF.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">document</a> reads. “The Youth Acceptance Project is designed to work both with families of children already in, or at risk of entering, the child welfare system due to family stress resulting from their child’s sexual orientation, gender identity or expression.”
Finally, the Affirm Caregiver <a href="https://www.affirmativeresearch.net/register/p/affirm-caregiver-june-2026" target="_blank" rel="noopener">program</a> is an educational intervention that enhances “affirmative parenting practices that promote the safety and wellbeing of LGBTQ+ youth,” according to a National Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity &amp; Expression Center <a href="https://sogiecenter.org/programs/affirm-caregiver/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">document</a>.
Parents across the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/murdered-by-gender-ideology-mother-whose-daughter-committed-suicide-blasts-child-protective-services" target="_blank" rel="noopener">country</a> have had their children taken away by child <a href="https://becketfund.org/case/m-c-and-j-c-v-indiana-department-of-child-services/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">welfare</a> <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2024/10/17/exclusive-gender-confused-kids-taken-non-affirming-parents-one-family-fight-son-back/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">services</a> for affirming their child’s sex.
President Trump called for federal action to protect the rights of parents to affirm the true sex of a gender confused child in his recent State of the Union address.
“Surely we can all agree no state can be allowed to rip children from their parents’ arms and transition them to a new gender against the parents’ will,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;Who would believe that we’re even talking about it? We must ban it, and we must ban it immediately.&#8221;
The Trump administration is taking action to stop the spread of child welfare family acceptance programs.
The Clearinghouse <a href="https://preventionservices.acf.hhs.gov/programs-planned-review" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a> notes that the <a href="https://sogiecenter.org/programs/affirm-youth/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AFFIRM Youth</a>, a sister program of <a href="https://sogiecenter.org/programs/affirm-caregiver/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AFFIRM Caregiver</a>, was “removed from the working list of programs and services planned for systematic review,” in accordance with Executive Order 14151.
The Administration for Children and Families at HHS has also alerted all 50 states that affirming “biological reality” does not constitute child abuse or neglect under federal laws. It has also encouraged states to clearly define the terms “abuse” and “neglect,” saying these definitions should clarify that affirming a child’s sex and “refusing to condone sex-rejecting interventions” does not constitute abuse.
The Trump administration has since &#8220;rescinded a Biden-era rule that required prospective foster families to affirm support for a child’s gender transition or sexual orientation in order to receive federal funding,&#8221; Health and Human Services Press Secretary Emily G. Hilliard told The Daily Wire.
&#8220;This requirement discouraged many faith-based families from participating in foster care at a time when the nation is experiencing a record year-over-year decline in foster families. By removing this barrier, ACF is expanding the pool of qualified caregivers and reinforcing its commitment to biological reality, parental rights, and equal access to the foster care system.&#8221;
“The child welfare actions of the Trump and Biden administrations are diametrically opposed,&#8221; Hanford told The Daily Wire. &#8220;Biden&#8217;s programs embedded toxic gender ideology in child welfare systems, leading to gender-confused children being ripped from parents who simply affirmed the reality of their sex. Trump, in contrast, is taking major steps to protect such families from being ripped apart.&#8221;
The Daily Wire reached out to the organizations named in public records as possible attendees of the October 16, 2024, event.
A spokeswoman for Arnold Ventures confirmed it does not fund the family acceptance programs seeking funding at the October 16, 2024, event.
The Annie E. Casey Foundation told The Daily Wire, “Due to our longstanding expertise in child welfare, over the years the Foundation has frequently been invited by the administrations of both parties to events on topics related to foster care and family well-being. As part of that ongoing engagement, a Foundation representative attended the signing of President Trump’s ‘Fostering the Future’ executive order in November 2025.”
A representative from Blue Meridian Partners told The Daily Wire the invited representative did not attend the event and that it has not considered for funding or funded the organizations or programs discussed at the &#8220;Our Family Values&#8221; event.
The Daily Wire requested a comment from the Pritzker Foster Care Initiative, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Child Welfare League of America, the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, the National Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity &amp; Expression Center, the Trevor Project, Think of Us, Angela Weeks, Julie Kruse, Family Builders (YAP program), Kinnect (CAFF program) and Affirmative Research for comment but did not receive a response.

President Biden Hosts Pride Month Celebration Event

Biden Admin Hosted ‘Speed Dating’ Event For Trans Activists With One Rule

Department of Health and Human Services

LGBTQ

Transgender

Defense officials were pushing for unrestricted lawful use of Anthropic’s AI models. Anthropic agreed—with two caveats. The leading AI company did not want its technology deployed for autonomous weapons systems or for mass domestic surveillance. The Biden administration previously agreed to these terms under a contract in 2024, but Trump administration Undersecretary of War Emil Michael is pushing back.
“I looked at the contracts and was like, holy cow. You can’t use them to plan a kinetic strike. You can’t use their AI model to move a satellite,” Michael said, arguing that the terms are incompatible with the Pentagon’s mission.
“I need to have terms of service be rational relative to our mission set,” he added.
Negotiations reached a climax when the Department of War designated Anthropic as a &#8220;supply-chain risk.&#8221; Historically, that label has only been used for foreign companies. 
During talks, Anthropic agreed to make exceptions to their rules for certain scenarios, such as planning for a drone swarm or responding to a Chinese hypersonic missile—but those carve-outs were not enough for the Pentagon.
“The exceptions [don&#8217;t] work,” said the undersecretary of War. “I cannot predict for the next twenty years all the things we might use AI for, so all lawful use seems like a good thing. If Congress wants to act, great. We have our own internal policies; we’ll follow them. It’s our province to decide how we fight and win wars.”
Michael also raised concerns about operational risk.
&#8220;If they&#8217;re willing to impose red lines that limit lawful military use, what&#8217;s to stop them from enforcing a shutdown if they disagree with how we&#8217;re applying it?” He added, “If in the middle of an operation they decide it violates something and shut it down, that&#8217;s not just unreliable—it&#8217;s dangerous to the troops depending on it.&#8221;
Senior employees at Anthropic have <a href="https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=cd133ae2d49e3551&amp;rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS1183US1185&amp;sxsrf=ANbL-n6QiThSAILMq57dIAMIniqyHLAwXw:1772902370049&amp;udm=7&amp;fbs=ADc_l-aN0CWEZBOHjofHoaMMDiKpaEWjvZ2Py1XXV8d8KvlI3ppPEReeCOS7s1VbbZz2TLt2sOibMbYx2XAHg-v8xM5VswWDsYo9WtqkvCRRg9-K9YK9-rwJY6otdILLcL1llHf6wa6fD9SWKWQ3hafveoFnDlzP7RXdVXDjm5FT8bTXZrAumtXaqFa-mzfvg6g4QfqAeDxEdIS5054TbMKRJVNt4dwQNA&amp;q=tarun+chhabra&amp;sa=X&amp;sqi=2&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjh0_P_n46TAxXiMlkFHZPEDdEQtKgLegQIFRAB&amp;biw=706&amp;bih=775&amp;dpr=2#fpstate=ive&amp;vld=cid:ee0a1859,vid:09BzmFm6lDU,st:0">publicly acknowledged</a> the company restricts model access when it believes usage violates its policies.
“We know what Russia and China and North Korea and others are trying to do with these models right now. We catch them. We turn it off,” said Tarun Chhabra, a senior member of Anthropic’s national security team, a team involved in negotiations with the Pentagon. Chhabra previously served as a member of Biden’s National Security Council.
Trump administration AI Czar David Sacks has stated that Biden-era policies would cause America to lose the global artificial intelligence race and <a href="https://x.com/DavidSacks/status/2028160240974188590">highlighted</a> that many Biden AI staffers have joined Anthropic. &#8220;Guess where those Biden AI staffers went to work as soon as the admin was over? Anthropic.&#8221;
Biden alum Elizabeth Kelly currently leads Anthropic&#8217;s Beneficial Deployments team and Biden&#8217;s special assistant Benjamin Merkel serves as a legislative analyst.
Anthropic told The Daily Wire that while the company has employed staff from the Biden administration, they recently appointed Trump alum Chris Liddell to the company&#8217;s board of directors.
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei added that despite the Trump administration&#8217;s unprecedented decision to deem his company a supply-chain risk, the company will allow the Pentagon to continue using its technology. 
“We have offered continuity. We&#8217;re actually deeply concerned about this. We&#8217;re deeply concerned about the kind of interruption of service, which is exactly what&#8217;s happening when we&#8217;re designated a supply chain risk,” Amodei <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/anthropic-ceo-dario-amodei-full-transcript/">said</a>.
Secretary of War Pete Hegeseth <a href="https://x.com/SecWar/status/2027507717469049070">confirmed</a> the continued usage, saying, “Anthropic will continue to provide the Department of War its services for a period of no more than six months to allow for a seamless transition to a better and more patriotic service.”
​​Michael explained the unprecedented designation is needed because he didn’t want the risk of Anthropic’s policy bias to enter into any part of the defense enterprise. “If their model has this policy bias based on their constitution, their culture, their people, I don’t want Lockheed Martin using their model to design weapons for me.”
Dean Ball, a former Trump administration official who left his AI advisory position six months ago, said he sympathizes with Anthropic’s stance.
“I’m very sympathetic to—if I built something that was powerful and dangerous and uncertain, and the government was excitedly buying it for uses that could be very profound in how they affect people’s lives—wanting to be very careful that I didn’t sell them something that went horribly [expletive] wrong. And then I am blamed for it by the public and by the government,&#8221; said Ball.
Anthropic’s position differs from other AI companies. Elon Musk’s Grok and Google’s Gemini agreed the Pentagon could use their software for all lawful use cases.
Anthropic CEO Amodei <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/anthropic-ceo-dario-amodei-full-transcript/">told</a> CBS his hesitation to give the Pentagon full lawful use of Anthropic’s technology is because the &#8220;technology is not ready.&#8221; He added, “We don&#8217;t want to sell something that we don&#8217;t think is reliable, and we don&#8217;t want to sell something that could get our own people killed or that could get innocent people killed.”
Secretary of War Hegseth <a href="https://x.com/SecWar/status/2027507717469049070">argues</a> that unelected tech executives such as Amodei should not make that call and should leave operational risk decisions to the United States military, and ultimately, President Trump.
“The Commander-in-Chief and the American people alone will determine the destiny of our armed forces, not unelected tech executives,&#8221; he stated.

Anthropic AI – Photo Illustration

Are Biden-Era AI Ties Behind Pentagon Showdown In Trump’s War Department?

Artificial Intelligence

Defense

Department of War

Executive

Pentagon

Pete Hegseth

Politics

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested a 28-year-old illegal alien woman convicted of sex crimes against a teenage boy on Thursday, the Department of Homeland Security told The Daily Wire.
ICE agents nabbed Michelle Rodriguez-Berrio, an illegal alien from Colombia, convicted in Utah for sexual contact with a 16- or 17-year-old boy. Rodriguez-Berrio was let into the country under former President Joe Biden in 2022, a DHS spokesman told The Daily Wire.
“In February 2022, this sexual predator alien illegally entered the U.S. and was encountered by Border Patrol. She was released into the U.S. by the Biden administration,” the spokesman said. “On January 26, 2026, Rodriguez was convicted by the Salt Lake City County District Court for the offense of Unlawful Sexual Conduct with a 16- or 17-year-old. Thanks to ICE, she is now off American streets and will remain in custody pending removal.”
Rodriguez-Berrio was one of the “worst of the worst” illegal alien offenders detained by ICE agents on Thursday. Others highlighted by DHS to The Daily Wire included:
<blockquote>-Rene Lopez-Balbuena, an illegal alien from Mexico convicted of endangering the welfare of a child and sexual assault of a child in Monmouth County, New Jersey.
-Luis Elias-Santos, an illegal alien from Mexico convicted of second-degree statutory rape in Boone County, Missouri.
-Jeovanny Porras-Rodriguez, an illegal alien from Mexico convicted of trafficking in meth in Buncombe County, North Carolina.
-Leonardo Garcia-Meza, an illegal alien from Mexico, convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in Collin County, Texas.</blockquote>
<div id="attachment_1047515" style="width: 2570px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1047515" class="size-full wp-image-1047515" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/MixCollage-20-Feb-2026-02-41-PM-4224.jpg" alt="" width="2560" height="1440" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/MixCollage-20-Feb-2026-02-41-PM-4224.jpg 2560w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/MixCollage-20-Feb-2026-02-41-PM-4224-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/MixCollage-20-Feb-2026-02-41-PM-4224-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/MixCollage-20-Feb-2026-02-41-PM-4224-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/MixCollage-20-Feb-2026-02-41-PM-4224-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/MixCollage-20-Feb-2026-02-41-PM-4224-2048x1152.jpg 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" />Elias-Santos/Porras-Rodriguez: DHS.</div>
“Even while facing doxing, threats, harassment and a more than 1,300% increase in assaults against them, ICE continues to go after criminal illegal aliens, including pedophiles, violent sex criminals and drug traffickers,” Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told The Daily Wire. “Nearly 70% of all ICE arrests are of illegal aliens convicted or charged of a crime in the U.S. If you break the law, you will face the consequences. Criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the U.S.”
Millions of illegal aliens were released into the United States during the Biden administration, many of whom went on to commit crimes, including Jose Antonio Ibarra, the Venezuelan national who murdered 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley.

MixCollage-20-Feb-2026-02-36-PM-7544

Illegal Alien Convicted Of Sex Crime Against Teen Entered U.S. Under Biden

Department of Homeland Security

Illegal Immigration

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

U.S.

Utah

Illegal immigrant Jose Ibarra was found guilty in 2024 of the murder of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley — but Friday could mark the beginning of a new trial for the convicted killer.
On Friday, a judge will hear oral arguments from Ibarra’s attorneys claiming that their client suffers from a “congenital deficiency” that could make him “incapable of preparing a defense and standing trial.” They also contend he lacked the mental capacity to knowingly waive his right to a trial by jury.
Athens-Clarke County Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard, who rendered the verdict after Ibarra waived his right to a jury trial, will hear the post-conviction arguments. The oral arguments begin about one year after the Laken Riley Act was passed.
President Donald Trump signed the Laken Riley Act into law in 2025. The legislation requires the Department of Homeland Security to detain illegal immigrants for crimes including burglary, theft, larceny, and shoplifting. The legislation applies to illegal immigrants who have been charged with, arrested for, convicted of, or even just admitted to the crimes. If the act had been passed before Laken’s death, under the act, the federal government would have been required to detain Ibarra for a <a href="https://www.majorityleader.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=4359">shoplifting citation</a> earlier that year.
If Haggard grants Ibarra a new trial, competency would become the central issue. If Ibarra is found incompetent, he could be committed to a mental health facility for treatment aimed at restoring competency. Discharge from a psychiatric ward could occur if the ward determines he is not considered a danger to himself or others. Haggard is expected to issue a decision within ninety days of hearing the arguments.
If Haggard grants Ibarra a retrial, it would mean revisiting graphic evidence and testimony, forcing Riley’s family and the university community to relive the case in open court.
Jessica Moore was a senior at the University of Georgia when Ibarra took Riley’s life. She told The Daily Wire, “The feeling that loomed over our campus that day was one that students and the victim’s family should never have to feel again, and a new trial would bring it right back.”
CBS News <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/laken-riley-murder-final-texts-mother-trial/">reported</a> that during crime scene testimony, members of Riley’s family and others left as body-cam footage played from the officer who found Riley’s body in a wooded area.
Ibarra’s prosecutor, Sheila Ross, stated: “[Ibarra] put on a black hat, a hoodie-style jacket, and some black kitchen-style disposable gloves, and he went hunting for females on the University of Georgia’s campus.”
She added, “When Laken Riley refused to be his rape victim, he bashed her skull in with a rock repeatedly.”
Laken’s death caught national attention when authorities confirmed Jose Ibarra entered the country illegally. At a campaign rally, then-presidential candidate Trump said that Riley “would be alive today if Joe Biden had not willfully and maliciously eviscerated the borders of the United States.”
During Ibarra’s trial, Laken’s mother Allyson Phillips said, “There’s no end to the pain, suffering or loss. On that horrific day, my precious daughter was attacked, beaten, and shown no mercy. … This sick, twisted, evil coward showed no respect of Laken’s life.”

Laken Riley

Laken Riley Case Returns To Court As Killer Seeks New Trial

Courts

Crime

President Trump said this month that his Department of Justice is looking into the finances of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) &#8212; but scrutiny of the congresswoman&#8217;s finances didn&#8217;t begin under this administration. According to prior reporting, a review involving federal authorities dates back to 2024 under President Joe Biden’s Department of Justice.
The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/26/us/politics/ilhan-omar-investigation-finances.html">reports</a> that people familiar with the matter said the investigation was opened to examine her finances, campaign spending, and interactions with a foreign citizen.
The inquiry reportedly began with the United States Attorney&#8217;s Office in Washington in June 2024, though it received little public attention until Trump raised the issue on Truth Social.
The president said, along with the U.S. Attorney’s office, &#8220;The DOJ and Congress are looking at Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, who left Somalia with nothing, and is now reportedly worth more than $44 million dollars. Time will tell all.” 
Omar has denied any wrongdoing. Earlier this month, she dismissed the allegations, saying, “They have been doing this sort of weird ethics investigation. Nothing has yielded anything because I have been as transparent as I can be.” 
On Monday, the congresswoman said, “Sorry, Trump your support is collapsing and you’re panicking. Right on cue, you’re deflecting from your failures with lies and conspiracy theories about me. Years of &#8216;investigations&#8217; have found nothing. Get your goons out of Minnesota.”
Also on Monday, political commentator Benny Johnson raised questions about Omar’s reported net worth. Johnson pointed to a winery linked to Omar, claiming its valuation rose sharply between 2023 and 2024. In <a href="https://disclosures-clerk.house.gov/public_disc/financial-pdfs/2023/10060937.pdf">2023</a>, Omar’s financial disclosures stated that the winery was valued between $15,000 and $50,000 &#8212; but in <a href="https://disclosures-clerk.house.gov/public_disc/financial-pdfs/2024/10068415.pdf">2024</a>, she listed the asset as valued between $1 million and $5 million. Her disclosures show the winery listed under ESTCRU LLC and that it&#8217;s located in Santa Rosa, California.
Another dramatic increase came from Rose Lake Capital LLC, which is a venture capital firm. In 2023, Omar valued the asset between $1,000 and $15,000, and in 2024, the asset was valued between $5 million and $25 million. Congressional financial disclosures do not require members to disclose exact valuations, but do require them to select the correct value range for the asset.
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) said, “This needs to be investigated. She was right at the center of the Somali fraudster operation called Feeding Our Future. The $250 million fraud case, the largest pandemic fraud case in the country.”
He added, “I don’t know what she’s doing, but I suspect it’s not legal.&#8221; 
Alongside the winery, Republicans want to know how Omar and her husband’s net worth could have increased by potentially $30 million in just one year, based on her financial disclosures.
The House Oversight Committee is probing Omar’s skyrocketing net worth. House Oversight Chairman Rep. James Comer (R-KY) said staff lawyers will be looking into Omar and her husband.
Comer said, “There are a lot of questions as to how her husband accumulated so much wealth over the past two years. It’s not possible. It’s not. I&#8217;m a money guy. It’s not possible.” He added, “We’re going to get answers, whether it’s through the Ethics Committee or the Oversight Committee.”

Congressional Lawmakers Continue Budget Reconciliation Process On The Hill

Trump Flags Ilhan Omar’s Finances As Report Reveals Prior DOJ Scrutiny

Department of Justice

Ilhan Omar

Money

Trump Administration

A federal judge appointed by former President Joe Biden is tying the hands of ICE agents in Minneapolis as rioting continues to escalate in the liberal city.
Agents are now barred from detaining or using tear gas or other measures against peaceful protesters who aren&#8217;t obstructing operations, according to an <a href="https://www.aclu-mn.org/app/uploads/2025/12/ECF-85-Order-1.16.25.pdf.pdf">order</a> issued by U.S. District Judge Kate Menendez on Friday night.
Complicating the already heated operations and riots in the Minneapolis area, Menendez says officers would have to show probable cause or reasonable suspicion that someone has committed a crime or is obstructing law enforcement operations to act. Additionally, the judge specifically noted that following officers &#8220;at an appropriate distance&#8221; is not reason for an officer to take any action.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin reacted to the order by stressing that &#8220;rioting&#8221; is not protected by the First Amendment and said DHS will continue to uphold the rule of law and protect their officers and the public.
&#8220;We remind the public that rioting is dangerous—obstructing law enforcement is a federal crime and assaulting law enforcement is a felony,&#8221; McLaughlin said in a <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/federal-judge-restricts-ice-agents-amid-ongoing-minneapolis-area-protests-over-fatal-shooting">statement</a>. &#8220;Rioters and terrorists have assaulted law enforcement, launched fireworks at them, slashed the tires of their vehicles, and vandalized federal property. Others have chosen to ignore commands and have attempted to impede law enforcement operations and used their vehicles as weapons against our officers.&#8221;
&#8220;Despite these grave threats and dangerous situations, our law enforcement has followed their training and used the minimum amount of force necessary to protect themselves, the public, and federal property,&#8221; she added.
As highlighted by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/live-updates-ice-agent-fatally-shoots-agitator-as-chaos-erupts-in-minneapolis?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Daily+Wire&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=LIVE+UPDATES%3A+DOJ+To+Investigate+Walz%2C+Minneapolis+Mayor%2C+For+Impeding+ICE+Agents">The Daily Wire</a>, ICE operations in the liberal city have become subject to heated rioting. Fox News National Correspondent Alexis McAdams, for example, said she&#8217;s observed rioters behaving more like trained operators than spontaneous protesters.
&#8220;This isn’t a protest — it’s an operation. Anti-ICE activists in Minneapolis rapidly track, doxx, and harass anyone they believe is tied to ICE,&#8221; she said, adding, &#8220;They take pics of you, your license plate, &amp; upload to their &#8216;data base.'&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
This isn’t a protest — it’s an operation. Anti-ICE activists in Minneapolis rapidly track, doxx, and harass anyone they believe is tied to ICE.
They take pics of you, your license plate, &amp; upload to their “data base”.
Follow you, harass you, &amp; try to stop active… <a href="https://t.co/s9m54zSIrW">pic.twitter.com/s9m54zSIrW</a>
— Alexis McAdams (@AlexisMcAdamsTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexisMcAdamsTV/status/2012283463441785271?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2026</a></blockquote>
Earlier this month, an ICE agent fatally shot a protester named Renee Good after she hit him with her vehicle during operations. DHS says the officer suffered internal bleeding from the incident and acted in self-defense, likely saving other agents, too.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/live-updates-ice-agent-fatally-shoots-agitator-as-chaos-erupts-in-minneapolis?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Daily+Wire&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=LIVE+UPDATES%3A+DOJ+To+Investigate+Walz%2C+Minneapolis+Mayor%2C+For+Impeding+ICE+Agents">LIVE UPDATES: DOJ To Investigate Walz, Minneapolis Mayor, For Impeding ICE Agents</a>

TOPSHOT-US-IMMIGRATION-ICE-SHOOTING

Biden Judge Ties ICE’s Hands In Minneapolis As Rioting Escalates

Minneapolis

Minnesota

Rioters

Editor’s note: This week, we’re reprinting some of our best stories from the past year. This piece, originally published in November, details the Biden administration&#8217;s apparent unwillingness to protect one European nation from the predations of another.
In the final months of 2022, President Joe Biden was dealing with one foreign policy crisis after another.
The crisis dominating headlines and requiring the administration’s immediate attention that year was Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. But there was another conflict brewing, around 200 miles south of Russia’s border.
In December 2022, Azerbaijan set up environmental protests as a false flag to illegally block the Lachin Corridor, the only road connecting Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh, a region inside of Azerbaijan that had been the home of ethnic Armenians for thousands of years. In the months that followed, the Azerbaijani regime in Baku ramped up its attack on Nagorno-Karabakh, as Armenian soldiers and civilians were killed in intense fighting.
Azerbaijan also cut off electricity and prevented food and aid from reaching the region, forcing around 120,000 ethnic Armenians to flee the place they had called home since the 7th century B.C.
One senior Biden administration official appeared to be the ideal person to address the growing humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh and come to the aid of Armenians. Samantha Power, Biden’s Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), spent decades raising awareness for human rights issues, including highlighting the violence that Armenians have faced for decades. Power, a longtime journalist, gained more notoriety after publishing a book titled “A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide,” in which she highlighted the Armenian genocide, among other genocides that she argues the U.S. government failed to stop.
“She was not your average Biden administration official,” Democratic political strategist Eric Hacopian told The Daily Wire. “Because she has this halo over her head about human rights.”
Her human rights activism and writing landed Power a coveted post in the Obama administration when she was tapped to be the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Power had <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yNt7XsV-Dg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">thrown her support</a> behind Obama’s 2008 campaign, arguing that he had an “unshakable conscientiousness about human rights on the issue of genocide prevention.” Power also highlighted then-candidate Obama’s support for recognizing the Armenian genocide and “his willingness as president to commemorate it and certainly to call a spade a spade and to speak truth about it.” That recognition never came under Obama, something for which Power <a href="https://x.com/SamanthaJPower/status/856561854520467457" target="_blank" rel="noopener">apologized</a>.
Power then became one of the most influential people within the Biden administration when it came to human rights, especially with Armenia. Then the conflict with Azerbaijan exploded.
Azerbaijan’s attacks in late 2022 and 2023 were not a surprise: President Ilham Aliyev’s regime had long hinted that it would push to take control of the region. Professor Nerses Kopalyan told The Daily Wire that the Biden administration’s “inaction” on preparing for such an attack was “shocking.”
“The fact that the United States&#8217; foreign policy establishment was privy to this information, their general inaction was quite shocking purely from the lens of humanitarianism, considering the fact that Samantha Power and the entire wing in the foreign policy structures in the Biden administration had for such a long time been very vocal and a strong proponent of humanitarian issues,” Kopalyan said.
“When it came time to walk the walk, Samantha Power and that branch of the Biden administration basically disappeared,” Kopalyan added. “So we realized that it was all talk and no action, and the blockade continued until the ethnic cleansing.”
Between November 2022 and September 2023, then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken held three rounds of peace talks with Armenia and Azerbaijan, with the Biden administration <a href="https://www.foreign.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/6667fb89-a975-4fab-d8b8-e8875312e37e/09%2014%2023%20--%20Assessing%20The%20Crisis%20in%20Nagorno-Karabakh.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claiming</a> that the talks “yielded results.” But whatever was discussed during the meetings was not enough to stop Azerbaijan from proceeding with its plan to uproot over 100,000 Armenians from their home. Top Biden officials also <a href="https://www.foreign.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/6667fb89-a975-4fab-d8b8-e8875312e37e/091423_Kim_Testimony.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signaled</a> that the administration would not tolerate the ethnic cleansing of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh, a line that the Aliyev regime crossed without any consequences.
Internally, some officials in the Biden administration urged the White House to draw a red line for Azerbaijan, according to a former government official with knowledge of the situation who spoke to The Daily Wire on the condition of anonymity.
“We were certainly pushing for more fortitude on the part of the White House and the State Department in making it clear to Aliyev that there would be consequences for moving militarily on Nagorno-Karabakh,” the official said. “Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.”
The source said that in the months prior to Azerbaijan’s offensive, “there was a sense” in the Biden administration that Baku would move militarily on Nagorno-Karabakh, adding that “there was outreach from Washington to Baku at a high level to dissuade that kind of action.”
“But that messaging was not married up with real consequences,” the former official added.
Despite Power’s apparent sympathy for the Armenian position, many Armenians believe that she left them out to dry. In the weeks and months leading up to Azerbaijan’s blockade, Power did not visit Armenia or make any major statements on aiding the Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Hacopian, who is also an Armenian political commentator, told The Daily Wire that Power and USAID were “entirely insincere” in their efforts “early on in the process” before Azerbaijan launched its major offensive.
“They were never working to get aid into that region during the illegal Azerbaijani blockade,” Hacopian said. “They simply wanted to deal with the effects of the ethnic cleansing.”
He added that it was obvious that the Biden administration wanted to take a hands-off approach to the conflict, and that Power was “not willing to take a stand.”
“She, essentially, cynically went along for the ride, not saying a word,” Hacopian said. “And the moment the ethnic cleansing started, she showed up.”
“She’s wildly reviled here because of that,” he added.
Some of that disdain for Power was captured on camera after she arrived in Armenia in September 2023. During a press conference near the Azerbaijan border, Power was heckled in Armenia by someone who shouted, “Sanction Azerbaijan or go back to your country. You don’t care. Stop the lies.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="US Response to Calls for Sanctions in Azerbaijan: Samantha Power&#039;s Armenia Visit" width="422" height="750" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Kk6KTtTh1KA?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Power did not respond to a request to be interviewed for this piece.
The former Biden official who spoke to The Daily Wire on the condition of anonymity said that once Azerbaijan had forced the Armenians out of Nagorno-Karabakh, discussions in the administration were “less about how do we punish Azerbaijan right now and more about what do we do to support Armenia in this moment.”
“We could’ve walked and chewed gum at the same time, but we didn’t,” the official said. “But I do think there was an effort to try to show up for Armenia.”

Best Of 2025: The Human Rights Activist Who Couldn’t Save Her Cause: How A Top Biden Official Failed Armenia

Armenia

Global Politics

World

The Department of Housing and Urban Development revealed that there were over $5 billion in “potential payment errors” made with rental assistance during the last fiscal year of the Biden administration.
Specifically, the department’s annual financial report found possible “improper payments,” as well as “process gaps” and “material weaknesses” for Tenant-Based Rental Assistance, a voucher program, and Project-Based Rental Assistance programs in fiscal year 2024.
“A massive abuse of taxpayer dollars not only occurred under President Biden’s watch, but was effectively incentivized by his administration’s failure to implement strong financial controls resulting in billions’ worth of potential improper payments,” HUD Secretary Scott Turner said in a statement on Tuesday.
“HUD will continue investigating the shocking results and will take appropriate action to hold bad actors accountable. Additionally, the Department is advancing efforts made under President Trump’s first administration to strengthen program integrity and ensure taxpayer-funded assistance serves the vulnerable communities it was intended for,” Turner continued.
The report also noted $77 million in potential payment errors made for tenants who have died, totaling 29,715 people, and $150.3 million in possible erroneous payments made for those with a Social Security number “that does not meet SSA rules” – just under 9,500 people.
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The report also highlighted payments doled out to over 165,000 people for “excessively high rents,” which was an estimated $287.6 million. HUD said that they are now working toward finding methods to keep a close eye on funding for Public Housing Authorities and those who receive grants from the federal government, according to a press release.
Since President Donald Trump retook office, there have been multiple major changes at HUD, including an audit on public housing authorities nationwide to ensure that illegal immigrants are not using taxpayer-funded resources.
&#8220;No longer will illegal aliens be able to leave citizenship boxes blank or take advantage of HUD-funded housing, riding the coattails of hardworking American citizens,&#8221; Turner stated at the time, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hud-launches-crackdown-illegal-immigration-public-housing-riding-coattails" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News</a> reported.
HUD and the Department of Homeland Security announced a Memorandum of Understanding in March to provide information as it relates to illegal immigrants in the public housing system.
“The Biden Administration prioritized illegal aliens over our own citizens, including by giving illegal aliens taxpayer-funded housing at the expense of Americans. Not anymore. The entire government will work together to identify abuse and exploitation of public benefits and make sure those in this country illegally are not receiving federal benefits or other financial incentives to stay illegally. If you are an illegal immigrant, you should leave now. The gravy train is over,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem stated, according to a press release at the time.

Senate Hearing Examines Eric Scott Turner To Be HUD Secretary

Trump Admin Finds Billions Of Dollars In Possible ‘Payment Errors’ During Biden-Era

Housing and Urban Development

scott turner

waste fraud abuse

President Donald Trump has spent this year unwrapping an economy handed to him by former President Joe Biden. Inside the box: inflation and sticker shock.
From when Biden took office in January 2021 through the end of December 2024, consumer prices rose <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/the-final-accounting-on-bidenflation-212613508.html?guccounter=1&amp;guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&amp;guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAIfT9OGeVAKKbHJR4Tc3o4i4IUGV_jwsWj6OEQ8pCpV9PPLtJmCmTCXD4cqtQ1RwqCeiHtlpYZfcCj9KieR8wHDmrBZ3JmV40xfO9AUcSvmmtUin-czVIwgJGFLU1WUxtldZKbbACfYT06DHFrn6jaTYSiXXdyPTtPvvGasDDKHL">21.2</a>%. Even as inflation cools under President Trump, Americans are still living with the higher prices locked in during Biden’s term in office.
With the exception of George Washington, every president’s tenure runs the risk of being defined by the lingering effects of their predecessor’s policies. That reality has put the Trump White House on the defensive. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has repeatedly pushed back against the notion that today’s economy belongs to Trump alone.
She’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/those-were-two-utter-lies-white-house-press-briefing-turns-contentious-over-affordability">described</a> Democrats as “the greatest con artists in history,” who are “trying to claim ownership of an issue that they created.” On offense, the press secretary says that by economic measures, things are actually looking up.
“Every economic metric does in fact show that the economy is getting better and brighter than where it was under the previous administration,” Leavitt said. Shortly after that statement, November inflation came in at 2.7% and GDP growth surged to 4.3% — far exceeding expectations.
While the economic playing field is never fully level, Joe Biden and Donald Trump occupy a rare position as the only presidents in modern U.S. history to both inherit the monetary effects of the other.
President Joe Biden received an average inflation of 1.9% and an economy primed with two stimulus packages from President Trump.
In March of 2020, Trump signed the CARES Act into law, a $2.2 trillion stimulus package that acted as a lifeline to shut-down businesses all over the country. The package was passed unanimously in the Senate and 388 to 5 in the House of Representatives — notably, the five representatives who voted against the bill were Republicans who were concerned about the cost and impacts to the federal deficit.
In December of 2020, Trump signed a second relief package totaling $900 billion, which included another round of direct payments. Six Republican senators voted against the bill; no Democrats opposed it. The House passed the measure 359-53. The 53 who voted against the bill <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/republicans-democrats-voted-against-stimulus-why-1556574?utm_source=chatgpt.com">included</a> 50 Republicans who broke with party leadership. The legislation was a compromise, with Republicans pushing for limited total spending, and Democrats demanding larger checks and extended unemployment benefits.
One year later, Joe Biden signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan into law, more than double the size of Trump’s final stimulus package. The bill sent $1,400 checks to Americans in a bustling economy. Not a single Republican voted to pass the legislation.
Economists later echoed the concern that all three of the stimulus packages inflated the economy. “Both Trump and Biden contributed to the fiscal stimulus that fed into the inflation,” <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Business/republicans-rnc-blame-biden-inflation-economists-misleading/story?id=112022864">said</a> George Selgin, senior fellow at the Cato Institute.
Biden had average inflation during his term of 4.9% while Trump had average inflation of 1.9%. Trump’s inflation reached a high of 2.5% during his first term while Biden’s reached a high of 9.1% in June 2022.
Economist Peter Morici was blunt in his <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Business/republicans-rnc-blame-biden-inflation-economists-misleading/story?id=112022864">assessment</a> of where blame should be issued.
“It was irresponsible to do stimulus when the economy was well on its way to recovery. Blame is falling where it’s due. Biden does bear responsibility for the endurance of COVID inflation.”
As inflation finally began to cool, credit shifted elsewhere. Many point to former Senator Joe Manchin for blocking additional spending that could have further fueled price increases. Left-wing MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough <a href="https://townhall.com/tipsheet/spencerbrown/2022/06/14/scarborough-says-you-can-just-thank-joe-manchin-inflation-isnt-worse-n2608707?utm_source=chatgpt.com">remarked</a>, “You can just thank Joe Manchin if you&#8217;re glad that interest rates aren’t even higher,” referring to the interest rate hikes the Federal Reserve had to implement in an attempt to tame inflation.
Billionaire entrepreneur and investor Sam Zell <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/billionaire-praises-manchin-saving-us-catastrophic-biden-bill-1716160?utm_source=chatgpt.com">agreed</a>, saying, “Unfortunately, we only had one senator who stepped up to the line when, in fact, everyone should have stepped up and recognized this was a disastrous policy.”
Others issued credit to Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. Republican Senator John Kennedy said, “It seems to me that you and some of … your colleagues deserve some credit for that. … I’m not saying things are perfect, but I never imagined that our landing could be this soft.”
The “soft landing” has continued into Trump’s second term with an average of 2.7% inflation so far. But lower inflation does not mean lower prices — and now, voters are left paying the bill. As Americans continue to confront elevated sticker prices, Republicans will be forced to defend seats in an economy still shaped by stimulus spending many warned against.

Biden-Inflation copy

Biden’s Only Gift For Trump Was The Inflation Crisis

Economy

Inflation

The Biden administration’s State Department went full DEI on its diplomats — so full that it changed the official typeface of America’s foreign service, a problem that has been rectified by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
In 2023, former Secretary of State Antony Blinken, following the sage advice of the department’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion, decreed that all official communications ditch the venerable Times New Roman font and adopt the modern, sans-serif Calibri. The rationale? Accessibility. Calibri, with its soft curves and wide spacing, is supposedly easier for readers with dyslexia, low vision, or those using screen readers. The Biden administration decided that the shape of letters could save the planet — or at least make it slightly easier for a diplomat to decipher a memo.
Enter Rubio, who on Tuesday <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/09/us/politics/rubio-state-department-font.html">dropped</a> the bureaucratic hammer: Calibri was canceled. Times New Roman, back in all its serif glory, was reinstated, 14-point and all.
Rubio’s <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/rubio-stages-font-coup-times-new-roman-ousts-calibri-2025-12-09/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">cable</a> to all American diplomatic posts, titled, “Return to Tradition: Times New Roman 14-Point Font Required for All Department Paper,” stated, “To restore decorum and professionalism to the Department’s written work products and abolish yet another wasteful DEIA program, the Department is returning to Times New Roman as its standard typeface. &#8230; This formatting standard aligns with the President’s One Voice for America’s Foreign Relations directive, underscoring the Department’s responsibility to present a unified, professional voice in all communications.”
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Rubio called the Calibri switch “wasteful” and “the degradation of the department’s official correspondence.” Serif fonts, he pointed out, have gravitas, history, and small decorative strokes — small strokes that apparently signal “professionalism” to anyone who matters in international diplomacy. Calibri, by contrast, was informal and clashed with official letterhead.
The lengths the Biden administration went to in the name of DEI here are almost comical. Not content with conventional anti-discrimination or accessibility programs, they weaponized typography, tinkering with letter shapes and point sizes — moving from 14 to 15 points — for the supposed benefit of readers who might struggle with letters. Accessibility advocates cheered; traditionalists grimaced.
Rubio’s reversal reads like a return to classical civilization, citing Roman antiquity and the script on the side of Air Force One as justification for reinstating serifs. The underlying story is less about fonts than about the extreme lengths to which the Biden administration pursued DEI, turning even the most mundane elements of office life — point sizes, font shapes, the very appearance of text — into battlegrounds for ideology.
Under Biden, DEI became so pervasive, so absurdly detailed, that the font on your official memo wasn’t just about readability — it was a statement, a policy, and, apparently, a revolutionary act. Rubio just undid it, and the world of diplomacy is back to serif conservatism.

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