Senator Eric Schmitt, the Republican from Missouri, says it&#8217;s all out battle with Democrats right now, saying they&#8217;ve turned themselves into &#8220;legislative terrorists&#8221; and that the days when bipartisanship was possible are gone.
&#8220;This is a new world. This is a different era,” Schmitt said in a wide-ranging interview on the political landscape. “This isn&#8217;t Ted Kennedy working with somebody on some bill; they&#8217;re legislative terrorists at this point.”
Schmitt said he expects Democrat leadership to find a way to shut down the government again before the midterm elections in November, arguing that Chuck Schumer &#8220;hears the footsteps&#8221; of fellow New York Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and needs to prove to his base that he&#8217;s a fighter.
“They&#8217;re going to shut it down,” Schmitt said.
Schmitt said the new landscape is perfectly timed with the Supreme Court’s ruling curbing race-based redistricting has reshaped the midterm election landscape, urging Republicans to go on offense and challenge congressional maps in blue states as Democrats hope to ride voter frustration over affordability to the ballot box.
Schmitt said the high court’s decision “opens up a much larger front” for targeting Democratic-led states like California and Illinois.
The former Missouri Attorney General, has called on the Department of Justice to sue California, arguing the voter-approved maps illegally relied on race to likely gain five blue seats.
“I view it as all upside because the Democrats have been doing this forever,” Schmitt said to reporters, including The Daily Wire, noting that no Republicans represent the New England area in Congress. 
Schmitt argued that the nationwide push to redraw maps in red states, combined with the Trump administration’s deportation efforts, reflects a more aggressive Republican Party.
“They understand that their political power is a real risk,” Schmitt said. “Just listen to [House Minority Leader] Hakeem Jeffries. I mean, this guy sounds like totally unhinged about how they will approach this.” 
Last Friday, the Virginia Supreme Court invalidated a state referendum that would likely have allowed Democrats to pick up five blue seats, delivering a devastating setback to Democratic efforts to take back the House of Representatives.
In response, some Democrats, including Jeffries, have floated lowering the retirement age to replace the entire Virginia Supreme Court with new nominees aligned with their political goals, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/10/us/politics/democrats-virginia-plans-gerrymandering.html">according to the New York Times. </a>Governor Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) on Monday <a href="https://x.com/TylerEnglander/status/2053924629530501207?s=20">shot down the idea. </a>
“I don&#8217;t know Hakeem Jeffries, I’m not a member of the House, but just watching him right now, he seems like [a] very desperate man because he thought he was going to be speaker,” Schmitt said. “I don&#8217;t know how everything&#8217;s going to play out, but this structural bias that they had for a long time over the next four to five years could be completely wiped out, and that&#8217;s a good thing.”

Senator Eric Schmitt, a Republican from Missouri

‘It’s A New World’: GOP’s Eric Schmitt Says Democrats Are ‘Legislative Terrorists’

Congress

Democrats

Eric Schmitt

News

Senate GOP

U.S. Senate

Tennessee Republicans approved new congressional maps Thursday that are expected to eliminate the state’s last Democratic seat, triggering protests from activists and outrage from leftists inside the state capitol. 
Tennessee’s current congressional delegation features eight Republicans and one Democrat, Rep. Steve Cohen of Memphis. The plan restructures Memphis by splitting it into three Republican-leaning districts, a move that would likely unseat Cohen. Republican Gov. Bill Lee signed the map into law shortly after it passed. 
The maps were passed during a special session called by Lee after the Supreme Court ruled that certain majority-black districts put in place by the Voting Rights Act amounted to unconstitutional racial gerrymandering. After that decision, Tennessee joined other Southern states in redrawing maps ahead of the 2026 midterms. 
During the special session, hundreds of leftist activists descended upon the Capitol in Nashville, holding up signs like &#8220;Black Voters Matter,&#8221; &#8220;Say No To Jim Crow 2.0,&#8221; and &#8220;Modern Apartheid.&#8221;
Republicans framed the new maps as a reflection of Tennessee&#8217;s political reality. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) celebrated the move as a step toward advancing President Donald Trump&#8217;s agenda and strengthening conservative leadership in the state.
“It’s a great day for Tennessee! Thank you to President [Donald Trump] for leading the charge, Governor [Bill Lee], and to the legislators who worked quickly and diligently to make this possible,” Blackburn posted on X. “This is how we cement President Trump’s agenda and usher in America’s Golden Age here in Tennessee, and how we become America&#8217;s conservative leader.”
State Rep. Jason Zachary, a Republican, called the maps &#8220;historic,&#8221; noting that they could result in a fully Republican congressional delegation alongside the state&#8217;s two GOP senators.
“For the first time in Tennessee’s history, we will have 9 Republican Congressmen and 2 Republican Senators representing our great state at the nation’s Capitol,” said Zachary. “This represents our state’s strong conservative principles and TN values.”
Rep. Cohen, a white man who has represented Memphis for nearly two decades, called the new map “insane.” 
“The GOP&#8217;s newly proposed TN Congressional maps would have people in Shelby County all the way to Williamson County—200+ miles apart—being &#8220;represented&#8221; by the same Congressman,” he said Wednesday. “It&#8217;s a blatant, corrupt power grab that would destroy the black community&#8217;s and our entire city&#8217;s voice.”

Trump Says Tennessee To Redraw District Maps To Boost GOP

Brutal Blow For Democrats In Red State Sparks Leftist Outrage

Bill Lee

Elections

Tennessee

U.S. Politics

Chinese purchasers have been buying up American farmland at an alarming rate.
In 1980, Chinese buyers owned 2,000 acres of American farmland, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/video/6394719129112" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Department of Agriculture. Now, they own 300,000 acres.
&#8220;The consolidation of our farmland, the foreign adversarial ownership of farmland, especially from China and other places has really been creeping up on our country,&#8221; Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins recently <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/video/6394719129112" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Fox News.
The House Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI), along with a bipartisan group of lawmakers, plans to introduce the Protecting U.S. Farmland and Sensitive Sites from Foreign Adversaries Act on Thursday. The bill seeks to close the &#8220;dangerous loopholes&#8221; that have allowed foreign adversaries, like China, to make such purchases near critical infrastructure and military bases.
“Food security is national security, and we cannot allow foreign adversaries like China to buy up American farmland near our most sensitive military and critical infrastructure sites,” Moolenaar said.
The proposal mandates that any purchases involving farmland, ports, telecommunications infrastructure, and locations in proximity to military installations and intelligence facilities undergo a mandatory review. It also gives the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), which is headed by the Department of the Treasury, the ability to provide oversight of such land purchases if they involve enemy nations such as China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.
CFIUS <a href="https://knoxradio.com/2022/12/13/fufeng-looks-forward-to-building-gf-plant-after-cfius-says-it-has-no-jurisdiction/?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">declared</a> in 2022 that a Chinese food manufacturer&#8217;s purchase of farmland in Grand Forks, North Dakota, which was situated near Grand Forks Air Force Base and Cavalier Space Force Station, wasn&#8217;t a &#8220;covered transaction&#8221; in its jurisdiction.
If passed, the latest bill would ensure CFIUS would have oversight in such cases.
Adam Savit, director for China policy at the America First Policy Institute, said threats to the food supply have become a &#8220;national security&#8221; issue, adding that &#8220;the federal government needs the jurisdiction and the tools to stop these transactions before they happen, not to negotiate mitigation agreements after the fact. States have led on this issue for years, and federal law should reinforce their efforts.&#8221;
“Legislation is needed to close these loopholes and protect critical American infrastructure and American communities, and the provisions of this bill do just that,” Savit, a former senior adviser for national security at the Department of Agriculture, added.
The bill will be cosponsored by Reps. Ashley Hinson (R-IA), Julia Brownley (D-CA), Neal Dunn (R-FL), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Dusty Johnson (R-SD), Zach Nunn (R-IA), Nathaniel Moran (R-TX), Dan Newhouse (R-WA), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Pat Harrigan (R-NC), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), and Mike Thompson (D-CA).

IMG_2583

EXCLUSIVE: Bipartisan Bill Aims To Keep China From Buying Up American Farmland

China

Farmers

Senate Republicans may use a niche procedural tool to push through $1 billion in Secret Service security upgrades, including funding tied to the completion of the White House ballroom construction project.
On Monday, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) released an immigration and border patrol funding bill that includes taxpayer funding for security enhancements. <a href="https://www.grassley.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/reconciliation_-_senate_judiciary_committee_title.pdf">The legislation</a> specifies funding for &#8220;security adjustments and upgrades,&#8221; including projects within the White House perimeter fence to support Secret Service enhancements tied to the East Wing Modernization Project.
President Trump, who previously said the ballroom would be privately funded through donors, defended the project&#8217;s rising cost on Truth Social. 
&#8220;The only reason the cost has changed is because, after deep rooted studies, it is approximately twice the size, and a far higher quality, than the original proposal, which would not have been adequate to handle the necessary events, meetings, and even future Inaugurations,&#8221; <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116527410501835336">Trump wrote.</a> &#8220;The original price was 200 Million Dollars, the double sized, highest quality completed project will be something less than 400 Million Dollars.&#8221;
The proposal is part of a broader Republican-led <a href="https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/senate-republicans-seek-1-billion-for-secret-service-upgrades-including-trumps-2026-05-05/">$72 billion package</a> to fund ICE, Border Patrol, and the Department of Homeland Security through the end of Trump’s term after Democrats shut down DHS over immigration enforcement. The plan includes $19 billion for border patrol personnel, $7.5 billion for ICE investigations, and about $31 billion for immigration enforcement, according to Reuters.
Republicans are expected to advance the measure through budget reconciliation, an obscure legislative process that would let them pass it with a simple majority and bypass a Democrat filibuster in the Senate. Reconciliation comes with the trade-off of being limited to provisions that directly affect federal spending or revenue — a test the $72 billion package, including its $1 billion in Secret Service upgrades, would need to satisfy.
The push comes amid heightened security concerns after multiple assassination attempts targeting Trump, including a recent incident at the White House Correspondents&#8217; Dinner. A White House spokesperson <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/rcna343637">told NBC News</a> that the funding would ensure the Secret Service has the resources required to &#8220;fully and completely harden the White House complex.&#8221;
The funding, which Republicans hope to pass before the midterms, would advance key priorities for the president as the party faces an increasing likelihood of losing at least one of its congressional majorities. 
Democrats have already begun to push back on the package, especially on the inclusion of funding for the ballroom.
&#8220;Just flagging that now everyone gets an up or down vote on the ballroom!&#8221; Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI)<a href="https://x.com/brianschatz/status/2051509964217491472?s=20"> said on social media.</a>

BALLROOM-5

Republicans Float $1 Billion In Ballroom Security After WHCD Shooting

Ballroom

White House

California Democrat Rep. Jim Costa faced a probe over allegations that he made inappropriate advances toward interns, according to a new report. 
A former House Democrat staffer filed a complaint in 2023 accusing Costa of making unwanted advances toward her in February 2020 when she interned for a different lawmaker, NOTUS <a href="https://www.notus.org/congress/jim-costa-allegations-ethics-committee-investigation">reported</a> Monday. The complaint was later dismissed by the House Ethics Committee and the Office of Congressional Conduct after they found they did not have sufficient evidence to proceed. 
The revelation comes amid a flurry of sexual misconduct claims involving members of Congress. Former Reps. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) and Eric Swalwell (D-CA) resigned last month over claims of sexual misconduct. Costa has denied any suggestion of wrongdoing, pointing to the conclusions of ethics investigators.
One incident involving Costa allegedly took place during an event at the California State Society when the woman was 22, and he was 67. The woman told the Office of Congressional Conduct that Costa approached her outside the event as she got ready to leave and tried to get her to stay before he asked her to dance with him.
“First, he greeted me, and then said, are you here alone? I said, yes. I said, I’m waiting for my bag. I’m going home. He said, oh no, why would you go home? It’s such a nice night. Don’t you want to dance? I was like, I’ve already danced. He’s like, well, I didn’t dance with you,” she told investigators. 
The woman then said he asked her if she “knew how to shimmy.” She said she did, and they danced while she waited to leave. 
“Every time I leaned back, it seemed like he got farther forward. So I was grateful that I could do a back bend. It was a very uncomfortable situation,” she said. 
“That’s a scary situation. Especially when you’re an intern and you don’t know what relationships that you could mess up,” she added. “Yeah, I guess he started the conversation. I was gracious and responded. And then he immediately asked me to shimmy. I don’t know about you, but it’s a very sexual and awkward dance move.”
The woman later claimed that Costa gave her his personal cell phone number and told her he could help with her career or grab dinner sometime. During a later encounter, the woman said that he asked if she was dating and later ghosted her after she proposed they meet for coffee instead of dinner. 
The woman told NOTUS she only filed the complaint when she felt like her career had enough “cachet” to survive any fallout. She also recounted another incident where he allegedly danced closely with another young intern at a California State Society event. The woman said she and another person broke up the dancing. 
Costa’s office pointed NOTUS to the dismissal of the allegations by ethics investigators. 
“Rep. Costa fully cooperated with a review conducted by [OCC] and the House Committee on Ethics several years ago. The OCC recommended dismissal, and the Ethics Committee unanimously voted to dismiss the matter,” his office said. “The actions of the OCC and the Ethics Committee speak for themselves.”
Four decades ago, Costa issued an apology after he was cited for soliciting a prostitute while traveling in a state-leased vehicle with a prostitute, the Los Angeles Times <a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-09-05-mn-13503-story.html">reported</a>.

US-NEWS-CALIFCONGRESS-CAMPAIGN-FUNDRAISING-FR

Another Democrat Caught Up In Scandal — This Time With Interns

California

Ethics

Sex Scandal

Throughout April, Congress <a href="https://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2026/04/17/congress-passes-short-term-spy-powers-extension-as-conservatives-fight-for-surveillance-reform/">faced</a> a deadline everyone knew was coming. Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), a spy tool that enables our intelligence agencies to collect information on non-U.S. persons, was set to expire. Despite years of documented abuses and a growing bipartisan demand for reform, talks stalled, and Congress initially opted for a 10-day extension to work out their differences. After once again reaching an impasse, despite the grumblings of the deep staters, a last-minute agreement for another short-term reauthorization was reached for another 45-day extension, and life in America will go on.
The House <a href="https://x.com/RepThomasMassie/status/2049794823859630164?s=20">passed</a> a measure to reauthorize Section 702 of FISA for three years without meaningful changes. However, Senate Majority Leader John Thune <a href="https://x.com/jordainc/status/2049237669788418138?s=20">indicated</a> this measure was “dead on arrival” in the Senate because of an attached ban on central bank digital currency. His preference is for a <a href="https://x.com/LauraEWeiss16/status/2049861057527570894?s=20">45-day</a> clean extension, and a <a href="https://x.com/jordainc/status/2049872261440553416?s=20">three-week extension</a> by Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) failed on unanimous consent due to an objection from Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) to an added provision to declassify a recent FISC ruling.
While the intelligence community might argue that this uncertainty threatens national security, the reality is that the precarious position they find themselves in was entirely avoidable. Rather than taking the bipartisan calls for reform seriously, they played chicken and got burned.
This fight has offered a rare, final chance for redemption, a chance to finally secure common-sense reforms that organizations across the political spectrum have spent years fighting for.
Why FISA Isn’t Serving Our National Interest
Section 702 is one of the most powerful surveillance authorities the federal government possesses, empowering it to collect the communications of non-U.S. persons located abroad. In the process, it also incidentally collects billions of Americans&#8217; communications, and it has become a backdoor for warrantless surveillance of Americans. The FBI has routinely queried this massive database on Americans, all without ever seeking a warrant. When the public learned that the program was abused for everything from vetting romantic matches to spying on protesters and sitting members of Congress, the intelligence agencies shouldn’t be surprised that “trust us” isn’t a viable policy anymore.
For years, <a href="https://youtu.be/SmoggfXJqJ4?si=OUXsD9mvft3CFfkC">critics</a> and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/17/opinion/section-702-surveillance-safe-act.html">politicians</a> across the political spectrum have raised serious <a href="https://www.aclu.org/documents/coalition-letter-urging-reforms-section-702-fisa">concerns</a> over the misuse of Section 702. Rampant, repeated violations and a lack of meaningful accountability have eroded trust in a key institution charged with keeping the country safe. Considering the stakes and value of the program, a significant portion of the president’s daily briefing contains information collected via 702; the fact that Congress and the intelligence community allowed this to come down to the wire reflects a sense of complacency.
The 10-day extension didn’t have to happen, and it’s disappointing that another short-term reauthorization of 45 days was needed. Lawmakers had ample time to debate potential reforms, negotiate compromises, and pass something to keep the program’s lights on. Hopefully, this latest extension provides the necessary space to move beyond the false choice between subjecting Americans to total surveillance or total blindness for our intelligence agencies.
Priorities For Reform
First and foremost, Congress needs to close the backdoor search loophole. If the intelligence community would like to search an American’s communications, get a warrant. In many reform camp legislative proposals, there is a litany of carve-outs to allow for defensive queries, identify victims, and exempt metadata from the warrant requirement, all to ensure that, in exigent circumstances, these agencies can operate with the needed flexibility.
Second, the government shouldn’t be able to buy its way out of Fourth Amendment scrutiny by <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/mar/19/fbi-buying-location-data-use">purchasing information</a> on Americans from data brokers. Ending the data broker loophole is critical. Otherwise, we are effectively turning every consumer’s smartphone into a tracking device for the state.
Third, we must fix the definition of an electronic communications service provider. During the last FISA reauthorization fight, this definition was expanded so broadly that it could potentially deputize a wide range of businesses and organizations into the national security apparatus for simply providing access to communication infrastructure. This approach, where “everyone is a spy,” is a massive overreach that needs to be reined in.
There is also a broader economic consideration. As the administration seeks to export the American AI tech stack globally, our domestic surveillance practices matter. If we fail to incorporate serious reforms, we undermine the faith other nations place in American technology. We will hinder our ability to win the AI race if our tech stack is viewed as a Trojan horse for our intelligence agencies to conduct surveillance.
This isn’t about blinding agencies to legitimate threats. National security and civil liberties are not mutually exclusive. In fact, when the government violates Americans’ rights by ignoring the Constitution, it erodes the social contract that empowers it to operate effectively. That erosion is its own fundamental threat to national security. The administration, the intel community, and Congress have been given a second chance to stop kicking the can down the road and move toward reform.
We need a Section 702 reauthorization that respects the law as much as it protects the country. There is more than enough time to do the right thing.
***
James Czerniawski is the head of Emerging Technology Policy at the Consumer Choice Center. His work has been featured in The New York Post, Newsmax, Newsweek, and more. He has testified to Congress on government surveillance issues. You can follow him on X @<a href="https://x.com/JamesCz19">JamesCz19</a>.

Digital code and Washington DC, USA

Protecting America Without The Surveillance State Starts With Fixing FISA

DW Opinion

FISA

WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump alerted Congress to changes in the U.S. approach to Operation Epic Fury in a war powers letter sent Friday afternoon, according to a copy of the letter obtained by The Daily Wire.
The letter informs Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and Chuck Grassley, president pro tempore of the United States Senate, of &#8220;changes in the posture of the United States Forces&#8221; in the Central Command Area of Responsibility, as part of the president&#8217;s efforts to &#8220;keep Congress fully informed, consistent with the War Powers Resolution.&#8221;
Trump reminded Congress that he reported to them on March 2 that the U.S. had begun Operation Epic Fury by conducting precision strikes against Iran on February 28.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NEW: President Donald Trump&#8217;s war powers letter alerting Congress to changes in the United States approach to Operation Epic Fury.
“Accordingly, the Department of War continues to update its force posture in the AoR in select countries, as necessary and appropriate, to address… <a href="https://t.co/ch6bdl3VHd">pic.twitter.com/ch6bdl3VHd</a>
— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaryMargOlohan/status/2050285769906929695?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 1, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;I ordered that operation consistent with my responsibility to protect Americans and United States interests at home and abroad, and in furtherance of United States national security and foreign policy interests,&#8221; the letter states.
&#8220;On April 7, 2026, I ordered a 2-week ceasefire,&#8221; Trump notes. &#8220;The ceasefire has since been extended. There has been no exchange of fire between United States Forces and Iran since April 7, 2026. The hostilities that began on February 28, 2026, have terminated.&#8221;
Though the United States has been successful in its operations against Iran, the letter notes, &#8220;the threat posed by Iran to the United States and our Armed Forces remains significant.&#8221;
The letter, by declaring that hostilities with Iran have been &#8220;terminated,&#8221; effectively sidestepped a May 1 deadline to seek congressional approval for the war Trump launched two months ago — preserving his ability to resume strikes without returning to Congress.
&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/in-war-powers-letter-to-congress-trump-shares-changes-coming-to-iran-war/screenshot-2026-05-01-at-12-47-06-pm" rel="attachment wp-att-1088185"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-1088185 size-full" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-01-at-12.47.06-PM.png" alt="" width="920" height="1200" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-01-at-12.47.06-PM.png 920w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-01-at-12.47.06-PM-230x300.png 230w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-01-at-12.47.06-PM-442x576.png 442w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-01-at-12.47.06-PM-768x1002.png 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 920px) 100vw, 920px" /></a> <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/in-war-powers-letter-to-congress-trump-shares-changes-coming-to-iran-war/war-powers" rel="attachment wp-att-1088189"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-1088189 size-full" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/war-powers.png" alt="" width="928" height="1212" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/war-powers.png 928w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/war-powers-230x300.png 230w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/war-powers-441x576.png 441w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/war-powers-768x1003.png 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 928px) 100vw, 928px" /></a>
&#8220;Accordingly, the Department of War continues to update its force posture in the AoR in select countries, as necessary and appropriate, to address Iranian and Iranian proxy forces&#8217; threats and to protect the United States and its allies and partners,&#8221; the letter continues. &#8220;These changes are more fully outlined in the classified attachment to this letter. I have and will continue to direct United States Armed Forces consistent with my responsibilities and pursuant to my constitutional authority to conduct United States foreign relations and as Commander in Chief and Chief Executive.&#8221;
Trump concludes the letter by promising to update Congress on any &#8220;noteworthy changes,&#8221; consistent with the War Powers Resolution.
The letter was made public amid murmurs that the president may resume strikes against Iran, which has submitted a new proposal for negotiations with the United States through Pakistani mediators, according to the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).
The move comes after President Trump rejected a previous offer and extended the ceasefire indefinitely, citing internal divisions within the Iranian government that have delayed consensus on a deal.
Iran is using the current ceasefire with the United States to recover weapons and rebuild its capabilities, according to NBC News, citing U.S. officials. The report says Iranian forces have intensified efforts to dig out missiles, drones, and other munitions that were hidden underground or buried beneath debris following U.S. and Israeli strikes.
U.S. officials reportedly believe Tehran is trying to quickly restore its missile and drone capabilities in case fighting resumes, allowing it to launch attacks across the Middle East if necessary.
Trump shared Friday afternoon that Iran has offered a new proposal to the United States to end the war. But the president is not satisfied with the terms that Iran offered.
&#8220;We just had a conversation with Iran,&#8221; the president told reporters Friday as he prepared to depart the White House on Marine One, headed to Florida. &#8220;Let&#8217;s see what happens, but I would say that I&#8217;m not happy.&#8221;
&#8220;They&#8217;ve got to come up with the right deal,&#8221; he added. &#8220;At this moment, I&#8217;m not satisfied with what they&#8217;re offering.&#8221;

Donald Trump Delivers Joint Address To Congress

EXCLUSIVE: Trump Signals Legal Path To Restart Iran Fight In Letter To Congress

Pentagon

Pete Hegseth

Massachusetts Democrat Rep. Seth Moulton suggested that Secretary of War Pete Hegseth could be executed for war crimes.
CNN host Erin Burnett played an exchange Moulton had with Hegseth in which Moulton attacked the War Secretary for saying the U.S. military should &#8220;keep pushing, keep advancing, no quarter, no mercy for our enemies” regarding the war with Iran, prompting Moulton to accuse Hegseth of inciting soldiers to commit war crimes.
Burnett then turned to Moulton and asked, “Do you believe that the Secretary of Defense is guilty of war crimes?”
“Absolutely,” Moulton answered. “I mean, he&#8217;s clearly behind the operation to shoot all these boats in the Caribbean when it&#8217;s very unclear that we actually have any confirmation that these so-called narco-terrorists — a term the administration invented to justify this action, are even on the boats. I mean, in fact, there&#8217;s a lot of evidence that these are just fishermen, you know, getting jobs, piloting these boats, trying to feed their families. There&#8217;s been press reporting on some of these individuals who&#8217;ve been killed who are clearly not criminals. And on top of that, we then have the strike where they came back and hit it again, a double tap, just purely to kill these survivors who were clinging to wreckage.”
Then Moulton went beyond the pale: “It’s interesting, Erin, back in World War II, the Allies tried Nazi submarine captains for doing this exact same thing. And guess what the conclusion was? They got executed.”
“Listen to that, Mr. Secretary,” he taunted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
INSANE
Democrat Rep. Seth Moulton FLAT OUT LIES to defend narcoterrorists and compares our military to “Nazis.”
MOULTON: “Back in WWII the allies tried Nazi submarine captains for doing this exact same thing…they got executed. Listen to that Mr. Secretary [Hegseth].” <a href="https://t.co/gAMSaDJ6Gg">pic.twitter.com/gAMSaDJ6Gg</a>
&mdash; RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/2049634784884723721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&nbsp;
In late March, Moulton appeared on CNN with host Anderson Cooper, where he huffed and puffed about the U.S. losing the war with Iran, saying:
<blockquote>
There is absolutely no plan. The administration clearly can&#8217;t even understand why they&#8217;re in this war, what their strategy is to get out of it. If you look every step of the way, they&#8217;re doing things, they&#8217;re changing their goals. They&#8217;re doing things that don&#8217;t even necessarily contribute to their goals. Apparently now, their primary goal is reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which, let&#8217;s be clear, was open before Trump started this war of choice.
So, the reality is, at this moment, we are losing this war. If Trump were to stop the war tonight, he would have to negotiate with the Iranians to reopen the strait that they have closed. That&#8217;s why he&#8217;s begging, he&#8217;s begging our greatest adversary, the People&#8217;s Republic of China. The Chinese Communist Party. He&#8217;s asking to come and bail him out to reopen this Strait. It&#8217;s an unmitigated disaster. It&#8217;s very clear they don&#8217;t have a plan going forward.</blockquote>

MixCollage-01-May-2026-10-26-AM-450

UNHINGED: Dem Rep Compares Hegseth To Nazi War Criminals, Invokes Death Penalty

Iran

narcoterrorists

Politics

seth moulton

War crimes

Former Rep. Mark Sanford (R-SC) ended his brief return to the campaign trail on Wednesday, suspending his congressional comeback bid just weeks after launching it.
Instead, Sanford said he will start a nonprofit group focused on the national debt and government spending, which has been a top issue for the former lawmaker.
“After a lot of thought, I’ve concluded that the most effective way I can contribute right now is not by seeking office, but by helping build a broader movement focused on the country’s financial future,” Sanford said in a <a href="https://x.com/MarkSanford/status/2049849181515223086?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> on Thursday.
Sanford represented South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District from 2013 until 2019, and previously served in the seat from 1995 to 2001. He also served as governor of South Carolina, gaining national attention in 2009 after he falsely claimed to be hiking the Appalachian Trail while he was in Argentina having an affair.
“I want to make a difference here, and as I began to get back into the world of politics it really began to hit me how all of Washington&#8217;s major changes have come as a result of outside pressure. Technical changes come from within Washington, but to do more of that on the debt issue is to rearrange chairs on the Titanic. It will take public pressure to bring lasting change,” he added.
“I’m grateful to everyone who offered their support,” Sanford continued. “While this isn’t the race I initially set out to run, I believe this effort has the potential to make a broader and more lasting impact.”
Sanford previously mounted a primary challenge against President Donald Trump in 2020.
He was seeking a return to South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, which is ranked “Solid Republican” by the <a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/ratings/house-race-ratings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cook Political Report</a>. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) currently holds the seat, but she is running in a competitive primary for governor.
Sanford&#8217;s campaign launch earlier this month garnered some scrutiny, in part because it came on the same day as then-Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) resigned from Congress amid sexual misconduct allegations.
“Launching today of all days?” CBS News political correspondent Caitlin Huey-Burns wrote on X.
Others had a more positive outlook for Sanford&#8217;s return, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-well-known-republican-is-making-a-comeback-and-his-past-is-part-of-the-story?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Cameron+Arcand&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=A+Well-Known+Republican+Is+Making+A+Comeback+And+His+Past+Is+Part+Of+The+Story" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Wire</a> reported.

Republican Presidential Candidate Mark Sanford Campaigns At The South Carolina Statehouse

Former GOP Congressman Ends His Comeback Bid, Shifts Focus To Advocacy

Mark Sanford

Nancy Mace

South Carolina

Tennessee appears poised to redraw its congressional map in a move that could eliminate the state&#8217;s lone deep-blue district in the Memphis area, currently represented by Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN), following Wednesday’s Supreme Court ruling narrowing the scope of the Voting Rights Act.
President Donald Trump said on Thursday afternoon that he had communicated with Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Lee about the possibility of a redraw.
“I had a very good conversation with Governor Bill Lee, of Tennessee, this morning, wherein he stated that he would work hard to correct the unconstitutional flaw in the Congressional Maps of the Great State of Tennessee,” Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116494706928688681">posted</a> to Truth Social.
“Likewise, all of the other Political Representatives of Tennessee have promised to do so. This should give us one extra seat, and help Save our Country from the Radical Left Democrats, and their Country destroying Policies of High Tax, Open Borders, Transgender Mutilization, Defunding the Police, ICE, and Border Patrol, No Voter ID, Soft on Crime, and so much more. Thank you Governor Lee — PUSH HARD!” Trump added.
The comments come after Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) called for a redrawing of the Volunteer State’s map. Blackburn is running for governor as Lee is termed out, encouraging lawmakers to act.
“I urge our state legislature to reconvene to redistrict another Republican seat in Memphis. It&#8217;s essential to cement [Trump’s] agenda and the Golden Age of America,” Blackburn <a href="https://x.com/VoteMarsha/status/2049515547910381782">wrote</a> in an X post.
“I’ve vowed to keep Tennessee a red state, and as Governor, I&#8217;ll do everything I can to make this map a reality,” she added.
In response to the president’s Truth Social comments, Blackburn posted, “Fantastic news. Thank you, [Trump] and [Lee]!”
The Supreme Court&#8217;s decision in Louisiana v. Callais hinged primarily on a majority-minority district in Louisiana, which Justice Samuel Alito wrote was “an unconstitutional racial gerrymander.”
The ruling&#8217;s broader implications are likely to be tested beyond Louisiana. Tennessee and other states, including Mississippi, have majority-minority districts created under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. In her dissent, liberal Justice Elena Kagan warned that the decision could effectively gut those protections.
“After today, those districts exist only on sufferance, and probably not for long,&#8221; Kagan wrote. &#8220;If other States follow Louisiana’s lead, the minority citizens residing there will no longer have an equal opportunity to elect candidates of their choice. And minority representation in government institutions will sharply decline.”
Louisiana has already moved to suspend its May congressional primaries as its maps are redrawn in accordance with the ruling, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-louisiana-suspends-primaries-after-major-supreme-court-ruling?author=Cameron+Arcand&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Louisiana%E2%80%99s+Election+Calendar+Just+Got+Blown+Up+After+Supreme+Court+Ruling" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Wire</a> reported Thursday morning.
Potential redistricting changes could shape the battle for control of the House of Representatives in November.

US-GERMANY-POLITICS-TRUMP-MERZ

Red State Could Wipe Out Deep-Blue House Seat After Trump’s Big Move

House of Representatives

Marsha Blackburn

The Department of Homeland Security shutdown is now set to be largely over, after the House of Representatives approved the Senate-backed plan to fund every element of the department except for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). A reconciliation bill is anticipated to fund the other two critical law enforcement agencies.
The move in the House was conducted with a voice vote, according to <a href="https://x.com/BillMelugin_/status/2049899389435449379?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News</a>.
President Donald Trump will now have to sign off on the funding, as there were concerns once again about being able to pay employees of the department starting on Friday.
The shutdown began in mid-February, as Democrats wanted sweeping federal immigration enforcement reforms in opposition to the Trump administration, particularly Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota.
On April 1, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) came to an agreement with the president on how to best tackle the shutdown, as the Senate passed the deal that left out ICE and CBP in late March, whereas House Republicans passed a 60-day continuing resolution that funded everything.
“In the coming days, Republicans in the Senate and House will be following through on the President’s directive by fully funding the entire Department of Homeland Security on two parallel tracks: through the appropriations process and through the reconciliation process,” the Republican leaders <a href="https://x.com/SpeakerJohnson/status/2039413952220631443?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stated</a> at the time.
“While we hoped they would accept the 60-day CR to fund the Department entirely so that bipartisan negotiations could continue, it is now abundantly clear that Democrats place allegiance to their radical left-wing base above all else — including their own power of the purse — which means open borders and protecting criminal illegal aliens,” the statement continued.
While Democrats wanted a long list of changes made to immigration enforcement, including the end of masking and the use of judicial warrants, it’s highly unlikely they will get the reforms they sought given the workaround nature of a reconciliation deal. A reconciliation bill allows the Senate to bypass its 60-vote procedural threshold, but it follows strict rules about what’s allowed and not allowed in the legislation.
The DHS shutdown most clearly played out before Americans due to long TSA lines, as agents were going without pay for weeks until executive action was taken.

Mullin To Face Senate Scrutiny Over Ability To Lead Behemoth DHS

DHS Shutdown Ends For TSA And Secret Service, But Border Security Left Hanging

Department of Homeland Security

Government Shutdown

Illegal Immigration

A visa program created to support victims of crimes has become a breeding ground for &#8220;fraud,&#8221; a new Republican-sponsored bill seeking to end the immigration program argues.
Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) introduced the &#8220;End U Visa Abuse Act&#8221; Thursday, saying that the U visa program has become &#8220;a magnet for fraud, allowing illegal aliens to game the system, avoid deportation, and secure work permits they were never meant to have in the first place.&#8221;
“This broken program undermines the rule of law and encourages further illegal immigration by allowing immigration lawbreakers to claim they are crime victims to potentially qualify for the visa,&#8221; Roy told The Daily Wire. &#8220;Alleged victimization should not be a basis for securing a green card — it’s time we end the fraud-ridden U visa program once and for all.”
The United States began handing out U visas in 2000 &#8220;for victims of certain crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse and are helpful to law enforcement or government officials in the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity,&#8221; according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Roughly 400,000 petitions for U visas are pending approval, according to the Center for Immigration Studies. The United States caps yearly approvals at 10,000, which doesn&#8217;t include the spouses, children, or parents who the primary applicant can sponsor.
One major issue with the program is that the applicant&#8217;s reported crime doesn&#8217;t need to have yielded any arrests, charges, formal investigation, prosecution, or conviction, as USCIS states on its website in its instructions to law enforcement signing off on an alleged victim&#8217;s petition.
While awaiting the outcome of their application, immigrants can avoid deportation, which is put on hold while a decision is pending. That&#8217;s a massive incentive, leaving the program vulnerable to abuse, Roy&#8217;s bill argues.
Between 2012 and 2018, roughly 22% of U visa applicants were previously in removal proceedings, while about 13% said they were in deportation proceedings when they applied, <a href="https://www.law.georgetown.edu/immigration-law-journal/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2022/06/GT-GILJ220021.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to a 2022 Georgetown Immigration Law Journal article. In 2018 alone, 33% of applicants were in removal proceedings before and 15% had ongoing deportation cases when they applied.
Managing Attorney of Codias Law Cody Brown, who represents American citizens who are victims of immigration fraud, called the U visa &#8220;the most absurd immigration program ever conceived.&#8221;
&#8220;The federal government hands illegal aliens — and their entire extended families — a path to U.S. citizenship simply for accusing an American of a crime,&#8221; Brown told The Daily Wire. &#8220;No investigation, no prosecution, no conviction required.&#8221;
&#8220;The accused citizen gets no notice, no hearing, and no right to defend themselves. Worse: federal law actually forbids USCIS from denying the visa based solely on the accused citizen&#8217;s evidence,&#8221; he said.
Several recent cases shed light on how foreigners have attempted to fraudulently obtain U visas.
Federal authorities charged a group of ten Indian nationals in March for allegedly staging armed robberies of convenience stores so the clerks could falsely claim to be crime victims in order to apply for U visas, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/pr/ten-indian-nationals-indicted-visa-fraud-conspiracy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to USCIS.
In a separate case, five current and former law enforcement officials in Louisiana allegedly produced police reports for illegal immigrants to pose as victims of robberies in order to apply for U visas, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdla/media/1408116/dl?inline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to a July indictment.
Meanwhile, Roy&#8217;s bill argues that if an immigrant &#8220;is a crime victim and is actively cooperating with law enforcement as a witness&#8221; that they should pursue obtaining an S visa.&#8221; The proposed legislation also states that the Homeland Security secretary &#8220;can grant humanitarian immigration parole to purported alien crime victims or witnesses on a case-by-case basis if they are needed by law enforcement or are required to testify.&#8221;
S visa applications are submitted by a law enforcement agency for a witness or informant. U visas are submitted by the foreigner and are signed by a law enforcement official who &#8220;must confirm that you were helpful, and currently being helpful, or will likely be helpful in the investigation or prosecution of the case,&#8221; according to USCIS.

Children Receive U.S. Citizenship Certificates In New York

EXCLUSIVE: How An Immigration Path For Crime Victims Became A Breeding Ground For Fraud

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