The U.S. Senate failed to advance two competing health care proposals on Thursday, leaving millions of Americans possibly facing steep insurance premium hikes when enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies expire at year’s end.
Both parties offered plans aimed at averting those increases, but neither secured the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster. The Republican measure, the Health Care Freedom for Patients Act of 2025, co-sponsored by Sens. Bill Cassidy and Mike Crapo, would have allowed the COVID-era subsidies to sunset on the timeline Democrats originally set. Instead of continuing tax credits to insurers, the bill would have redirected federal funds into health savings accounts (HSAs): $1,000 for adults ages 18–49 and $1,500 for those 50–64, capped at 700% of the federal poverty level. The proposal also would have expanded eligibility for catastrophic plans and restricted federal funds from being used for abortion or gender transition services. Republicans argued the plan sends money “back to patients” rather than insurance companies. Still, it failed <a href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1191/vote_119_1_00643.htm">51–48</a>.
The Democrat-backed proposal, the Lower Health Care Costs Act, sought a three-year extension of the enhanced ACA subsidies created during the pandemic, at an estimated cost of $83 billion. Democrats warned that without renewal, premiums could double for many families and that the expiring subsidies were crucial to keeping coverage affordable. Republicans countered that claims of widespread doubling were misleading, noting that most enrollees would continue receiving the original ACA subsidies and that only about 1.6 million people would lose enhanced credits entirely.
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With both bills blocked in the Senate, millions nationwide are expected to face higher premiums. According to <a href="https://www.kff.org/affordable-care-act/mapping-the-uneven-burden-of-rising-aca-marketplace-premium-payments-due-to-enhanced-tax-credit-expiration/#:~:text=In%2019%20states%2C%20this%20person,modest%20at%20all%20income%20levels">KFF</a>, those losing enhanced support could see increases ranging from several hundred dollars to more than $1,500 per person. University of Montana economist Katrina Mullan warned that lower-income individuals not eligible for Medicaid and older adults not yet on Medicare will feel the sharpest impacts. Rising premiums may also push healthier people out of the market, potentially driving costs higher for those who remain insured.
Kentucky GOP Sen. Rand Paul, the only Republican to vote against the GOP bill, has his own plan, which he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-senate-is-about-to-vote-on-obamacare-heres-what-to-know">said</a> was not a “watered-down version” of Obamacare.
“My plan actually fixes the system. It doesn’t cost taxpayers a dime, and it finally frees Americans to buy insurance across state lines through real co-ops. No bureaucracy, no bloated mandates – just competition, choice, and lower costs,” Paul said. &#8220;Basically I would legalize the ability to buy insurance across state lines, through a co-op.”
Despite the Senate stalemate, House lawmakers may pursue their own measure, while Republicans continue developing alternative plans, including broader HSA-based proposals and bills to expand insurance competition across state lines.

Affordable Care Act ACA and stethoscope on a table.

Senate Gridlock Puts Obamacare Funds At Risk As Competing Health Care Bills Fail

Congress

Healthcare

Obamacare

Politics

U.S. Senate

Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-MI) attempted to scold Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem during a Thursday hearing, demanding that she resign — and Noem made it clear that she would not be doing any such thing.
Thanedar, who filed articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump in April and against War Secretary Pete Hegseth just days prior to Thursday&#8217;s hearing, accused Noem of lying — though he was not clear about what — and asked whether she&#8217;d resign in the event that she was not fired from her current post.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/Sec_Noem?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Sec_Noem</a> cooks <a href="https://twitter.com/RepShriThanedar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepShriThanedar</a>: &#8220;America is very happy that, finally, they have a president in the White House that gets up every day to keep them safe.&#8221;
&#8220;I will consider your asking me to resign as an endorsement of my work.&#8221; 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/uxZpiNvY1Q">pic.twitter.com/uxZpiNvY1Q</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1999154415802998987?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;I am sick of your lies. The American people are sick of these lies. American people demand truth,&#8221; Thanedar claimed. A poster behind him read, in all capital letters, &#8220;KRISTI NOEM LIES TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.&#8221;
&#8220;America is very happy that, finally, they have a president in the White House that gets up every day to keep them safe,&#8221; Noem replied.
&#8220;Madam Secretary, your incompetence and your inability to truthfully carry out your duties of Secretary of Homeland Security,&#8221; Thanedar said then, once again leveling his claims without presenting evidence to support them. &#8220;If you&#8217;re not fired, will you resign?&#8221;
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&#8220;Sir, I will consider your asking me to resign as an endorsement of my work,&#8221; Noem replied, adding as an afterthought, &#8220;Thank you very much.&#8221;
Thanedar&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrat-pulls-trigger-on-trump-impeachment-forcing-house-to-act">attempt to impeach</a> Trump — accusing the president of abuse of power, defiance of the Constitution, and tyranny — was short-lived as leaders within his own party pressured him to hold off after he initially demanded an immediate vote.
His <a href="https://thanedar.house.gov/media/press-releases/12/09/2025/congressman-shri-thanedar-introduces-articles-of-impeachment-against-secretary-of-defense-pete-hegseth">latest attempt</a>, aimed instead at Hegseth, references the recent strikes on narco-terrorists and accuses the War Secretary of &#8220;using the United States military to extrajudicially assassinate people without evidence of any crime.&#8221; A second article of impeachment asserts that Hegseth is guilty of &#8220;reckless and unlawful mishandling of classified information.&#8221;

Kristi Noem

Dem With Impeachment Fantasies Scolds Kristi Noem. She Isn’t Having Any Of That.

Dem With Impeachment Fantasies Scolds Kristi Noem. She Isn't Having Any Of That

Donald Trump

Impeachment

U.S. House of Representatives

When twice-deported Honduran illegal immigrant Oscar Gerardo Solorzano-Garcia allegedly fatally stabbed a passenger on a North Carolina train, the incident immediately drew national attention.
&#8220;Another stabbing by an Illegal Migrant in Charlotte, North Carolina,&#8221; President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social. &#8220;What&#8217;s going on in Charlotte? Democrats are destroying it, like everything else, piece by piece!!!&#8221;
But North Carolina had become a flashpoint in the national immigration debate well before Trump&#8217;s post. The Department of Homeland Security has been conducting “Operation Charlotte’s Web” in the region, which has yielded over 400 arrests so far, according to <a href="https://www.wbtv.com/2025/12/03/425-arrested-operation-charlottes-web-federal-officials-say/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WBTV</a>.
Michael Whatley, a Republican Senate candidate in the state and the former Republican National Committee chairman, told The Daily Wire that immigration-related woes are no surprise, as the Biden-era crisis turned “every state, including North Carolina, into border states.”
The Republican is poised to face off against Democrat Roy Cooper, North Carolina’s former governor, in one of 2026&#8217;s most hotly competitive races If elected, the Republican said that “we need to make sure that ICE is going to be funded,” along with Border Patrol.
He also took a jab at Cooper, who left office at the start of this year, for his immigration stances. The Democrat vetoed House Bill 10 last November, which would have required sheriffs to work with ICE. His veto was <a href="https://dailytarheel.com/article/city-ncga-ice-regulations-sheriff-deportation-20241126">overturned</a> by the North Carolina General Assembly.
“He has set up a revolving door for criminals in North Carolina,&#8221; he said. &#8220;He is fighting harder for criminals and illegal aliens than for his own constituents as governor.&#8221;
“When we talk about going into the Senate, ultimately it&#8217;s a vote, and it&#8217;s going to be a vote for the president and his agenda, or it&#8217;s gonna be a vote for Bernie Sanders and Chuck Schumer and the rest of the card-carrying woke mob that Roy Cooper belongs to,” Whatley continued.
“Roy Cooper is the only candidate who spent his career prosecuting violent criminals and keeping thousands of them behind bars as attorney general, and signing tough-on-crime laws and stricter bail and pretrial release rules as governor,&#8221; a Cooper campaign spokesman told The Daily Wire.
Whatley also pushed back on the notion that some Trump voters were surprised at how immigration enforcement was going to be conducted. On the campaign trail, signs even said “Mass Deportation Now.”
“The fact is, the American people voted for security. They voted for safe communities and safe kids, right? They voted to shut down the border. They voted to deport violent, criminal, illegal aliens,” Whatley said.
“President Trump made it very clear that that was his plan. So any voter who was voting on those issues knew that the president was going to be moving very forcefully to get this done. And that we&#8217;re seeing those protests and in a lot of different places is a little bit surprising to me,” he continued. “But you also have paid organizations that are out there, you know, fomenting these protests as a very real point.”
Whatley said that immigration is likely to be a top issue once again in 2026, along with the economy.
“We need the economy to be clicking. I think ultimately the economy is the most important factor when people vote, right? We need to create jobs, we need to raise wages, we need to lower costs,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And the American people need to feel like we have a very strong economy. All signs right now are pointing towards us having a very strong, robust economy.&#8221;

Lara Trump, Michael Whatley

Illegal Immigrant Crime Could Tip The Scales In North Carolina’s Crucial Senate Race

2026 election

Immigration

Michael Whatley

North Carolina

Roy Cooper

Senate

The U.S. Senate will vote on two different healthcare bills on Thursday &#8212; one Democrat-backed bill and one supported by Republicans.
The bill from Democrats seeks to extend COVID-era Obamacare subsidies for another three years, which will cost taxpayers tens of billions of dollars. Notably, the subsidies were set to expire this month, a deadline set by Democrats.
The other bill, backed by Republicans, lets the Obamacare subsidies expire. Instead, it directly gives some Americans about $1,000-1,500 into health savings accounts.
Notably, neither bill is expected to pass the Senate.
<h3>Extended Obamacare Tax Credits</h3>
Democrats say the Obamacare subsidies, which are technically tax credits, need to be extended again. They started back in 2021 and were only supposed to be in place for two years, but Democrats extended them until the end of this year.
The extension, called the “Lower Health Care Costs Act,” is expected to cost taxpayers $83 billion, while wait times and healthcare costs continue to skyrocket for most Americans.
Democrats, who are reportedly trying to keep healthcare a main issue for the coming midterm elections, say tens of millions of Americans will see their healthcare plans double if the subsidies are not extended once again.
Republicans, however, say that&#8217;s not true.
“Twenty-two million of the 24 million people will still get their subsidies, the original Obamacare subsidies, which subsidize the insurance at 91% of the premiums,” Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/obamacare-is-a-disaster-could-trumps-plan-fix-it?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=26&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Obamacare+Is+A+Disaster.+Could+Trump%E2%80%99s+Plan+Fix+It%3F">told</a> The Daily Wire last month. “So their premiums won’t double.”
“Now, you can argue that people that went from paying a negligible amount to zero premiums, they’re going to have to pay another negligible amount,” Johnson said. “But again, going from zero to a negligible amount is an infinite increase. You can’t put that as ‘doubling premiums.&#8217;”
“The people we’re talking about, the 1.6 million people whose subsidies completely go away — I’m willing to work with Democrats on that,” the senator added. “But again, it’s simply false to say that most people are gonna see their premiums double and triple. Now, the gross premium has more than doubled and tripled since Obamacare, but that’s because of Obamacare.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
To be clear, the Obamacare subsidies will continue. What’s at issue are the temporary, COVID-era enhanced subsidies that Democrats scheduled to expire at the end of this year.
Obamacare’s faulty design is driving premiums higher. Instead of fixing the underlying problems,… <a href="https://t.co/kwCZPf8RxZ">pic.twitter.com/kwCZPf8RxZ</a>
— Senator Ron Johnson (@SenRonJohnson) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenRonJohnson/status/1998932956144959893?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
The GOP also argues that Obamacare, and these subsidies specifically, are creating massive fraud &#8212; another burden on the American taxpayer.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
A STUNNING new report shows just how broken Obamacare’s subsidy system is:
&#8211; 23 of 24 fraudulent applications were approved 
&#8211; 18 ARE STILL receiving coverage 
&#8211; TENS OF THOUSANDS of duplicate SSNs used 
&#8211; $94 million paid for DEAD people
And Democrats want to extend this system… <a href="https://t.co/vy3wzFdxq4">pic.twitter.com/vy3wzFdxq4</a>
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerJohnson/status/1998867691667706228?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
<h3>&#8220;Health Care Freedom for Patients Act of 2025&#8221;</h3>
The GOP-backed bill, called the Health Care Freedom for Patients Act of 2025, lets the Obamacare subsidies expire on the timeline Democrats set. It offers Americans direct payments to help cover healthcare costs &#8212; an idea floated by President Donald Trump last month.
The health savings accounts created by the bill are limited for Americans making up to 700% of the federal poverty limit. Funds will range from $1,000 to $1,500 for 2026 and 2027.
While accusing Democrats of papering over the issues of Obamacare and enriching insurance companies, the GOP says its plan will directly help the American people.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Obamacare made healthcare unaffordable.
The Democrat solution, as usual, is to send billions in subsidies to big insurance companies.
Republicans want to help Americans directly instead. ⬇️ <a href="https://t.co/Cuer2bKiPv">pic.twitter.com/Cuer2bKiPv</a>
— Senate Republicans (@SenateGOP) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenateGOP/status/1998782549615632695?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
Like the Democrats&#8217; plan to extend Obamacare subsidies, the GOP plan is not expected to pass the Senate, despite the GOP majority. Some Republicans are still unsure about how to handle the expiring subsidies, viewing the issue as a political lightning rod, especially ahead of the midterms. Moreover, the GOP doesn&#8217;t seem to have any support among Democrats, and the bill would need support from a handful of them to pass.
<h3>Other Plans In The Works</h3>
Republicans are still working on other healthcare plans, hoping to craft something that will garner enough votes to land on President Trump&#8217;s desk.
One plan, led by Republican Study Committee Chairman August Pfluger (R-TX) and Senator Rick Scott (R-FL), is called the More Affordable Care Act (MACA).
The plan would create HSA-style Trump Health Freedom Accounts, which would notably restrict use for abortion health plans, abortion services, transgender surgeries, or gender transition procedures &#8212; something most conservatives view as vital.
<div dir="ltr">
MACA would also create a new state waiver program within Obamacare to allow competition and drive down prices. It would allow health insurance plans to be sold across state lines and expand the availability of health insurance plans within existing Obamacare exchanges.
Another plan is being proposed by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY). Paul says his plan is not a &#8220;watered-down version&#8221; of Obamacare, like current GOP options.
&#8220;My plan actually fixes the system. It doesn’t cost taxpayers a dime, and it finally frees Americans to buy insurance across state lines through real co-ops. No bureaucracy, no bloated mandates – just competition, choice, and lower costs,&#8221; Paul said this week.
&#8220;Basically I would legalize the ability to buy insurance across state lines, through a co-op,&#8221; the senator said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Democrats want Obamacare on steroids, and Republicans are pushing a watered-down version that barely changes anything.
My plan actually fixes the system. It doesn’t cost taxpayers a dime, and it finally frees Americans to buy insurance across state lines through real co-ops. No… <a href="https://t.co/AXl552RHQK">pic.twitter.com/AXl552RHQK</a>
— Senator Rand Paul (@SenRandPaul) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenRandPaul/status/1998888972701868365?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
</div>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/obama-takes-victory-lap-over-obamacare-which-remains-a-total-disaster?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=10&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Obama+Takes+Victory+Lap+Over+Obamacare%2C+Which+Remains+A+Total+Disaster">Obama Takes Victory Lap Over Obamacare, Which Remains A Total Disaster</a>

US-POLITICS-TRUMP-CONGRESS

The Senate Is About To Vote On Obamacare. Here’s What To Know.

Senate Votes On Two Healthcare Bills Today. Here’s What To Know.

The House of Representatives passed a massive bipartisan $900 billion package on Wednesday to increase pay for troops, authorize defense infrastructure spending, and provide hundreds of millions in funding for Ukraine.
The 3,000-page National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) <a href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2025320">passed</a> 312-112 with 197 Republicans and 115 Democrats voting in favor. House Republican leadership celebrated the legislation, saying that it was critical to advancing the Trump administration’s foreign policy goals. 
“With the NDAA, President Trump and Congressional Republicans are restoring American strength, defending our homeland, standing with our allies, and ensuring the United States remains the most powerful and capable military force the world has ever known,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) <a href="https://x.com/SpeakerJohnson/status/1998935936164327660">said</a>. 
House Republicans said that the bill would codify 15 of President Donald Trump’s executive orders, including removing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) mandates and initiatives from the military, declaring an emergency at the southern border, banning men from participating on women’s sports teams at military academies, and building a “Golden Dome” missile defense system.
&#8220;America is the world’s strongest country because of our military,&#8221; said Rep. Roger Williams (R-TX). &#8220;With FY26 NDAA, Congress sends a clear message: We are committed to protecting our homeland, keeping our troops safe, and preserving peace.&#8221;
The bill allocates $800 million in support to Ukraine the next two years, increases spending on shipbuilding, forces War Secretary Pete Hegseth to turn over footage of strikes on drug boats or face cuts to his travel budget, limits Hegseth’s authority to pull American troops out of Europe, repeals certain sanctions on Syria, increases troop pay by 3.8%, and repeals the authorizations of force for the 2003 Iraq War and the Persian Gulf War.
A ban on the Department of War funding transgender surgeries for troops did not make the final version of the legislation. 
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Eighteen Republicans, mostly members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, voted against the final passage of the bill. Some voiced concerns about the amount of spending and aid allocated to Ukraine and other foreign countries, while others believe not enough waste was cut. 
Rep. Keith Self (R-TX) <a href="https://x.com/RepKeithSelf/status/1998885041263292751">said</a> that he voted no because there was no provision included to ban a central bank digital currency. Self said he had been promised that language because a central bank digital currency would be an “ultimate tool for government surveillance and control over every American’s finances. It would hand the federal government unprecedented power to track, restrict, and even freeze transactions.”
Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) took issue with the hundreds of millions allocated for Ukraine and said lawmakers did not have enough time to review the legislation. 
“Over 100 Democrats voted to pass this. That ought to tell you right there what this is about. Got some liberal stuff tucked in there, and it&#8217;s over 3,000 pages. We get it on Sunday, and they&#8217;re voting on it today. There&#8217;s no way we will ever know what was in there,” he said. 
The bill will now head to the Senate.

Speaker Johnson Talks To Reporters Following GOP Conference Meeting

House Approves Major Defense Bill Boosting Troop Pay, Funding Ukraine Aid

Defense

House of Representatives

Mike Johnson

National Security

NDAA

Ukraine

Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA) reverted to the talking points favored by Iranian terrorists during a recent interview, referring to the United States first as the &#8220;world&#8217;s number one bully&#8221; and then &#8220;the Great Satan.&#8221;
Johnson, who first became a household name when he suggested that the Pacific island of Guam might &#8220;tip over&#8221; if too much American military equipment was placed there, made the comments while speaking with far left host Dean Obeidallah.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Democrat Hank Johnson directly echoes propaganda from the terrorist Iranian regime.
JOHNSON: &#8220;We are the world&#8217;s number one bully&#8230;America is indeed&#8230;the great hand of Satan&#8230;the great Satan.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/3JxrccCqLY">pic.twitter.com/3JxrccCqLY</a>
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1998121577833972222?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Johnson told Obeidallah that the United States was the quintessential playground bully, lording it over other countries that had less power simply because it was possible to do so.
“We are the world&#8217;s number one bully, and we are using our immense unrivaled power to rule over those who have less power,” he claimed, adding, “This sends a shocking message to the world that America is indeed the — what did they used to call it — the great hand of Satan, or something like that.”
“I mean, America under the Trump regime is demonstrating that that moniker is entirely accurate. That’s what we’ve become in this country, the great Satan,” he continued.
Johnson, during a congressional hearing about a military buildup on Guam, raised eyebrows when he suggested the added weight of the military equipment could cause the island to capsize.
“My fear is that the whole island will become so overly populated that it will tip over and capsize,&#8221; Johnson said.
Admiral Robert Willard, who was serving as head of the U.S. Pacific Fleet at the time, paused and managed to give his reply with a straight face: &#8220;We don&#8217;t anticipate that.&#8221;

Hank Johnson

Georgia Democrat Refers To United States As ‘World’s Number One Bully,’ ‘The Great Satan’

Iran

United States

The Supreme Court is looking at the possibility of ensuring that the federal executive branch is a unitary executive.
The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/07/us/politics/supreme-court-trump-independent-agencies.html">reports</a>:
<blockquote>As a young staff member in the Reagan administration, John G. Roberts Jr. was part of a group of lawyers who pushed for more White House control over independent government agencies.
The “time may be ripe to reconsider the existence of such entities, and take action to bring them back within the executive branch,” the future chief justice of the United States advised the White House counsel in a 1983 memo. Independent agencies, he wrote, were a “constitutional anomaly.”
Once he ascended to the Supreme Court, Chief Justice Roberts joined other conservatives on the bench in a series of rulings that have chipped away at Congress’s power to constrain the president’s authority to fire independent regulators.</blockquote>
The real question here is this: Where in the Constitution do you find the idea of independent regulators? It does not exist. We have three branches of government, and, in order of power, it’s supposed to be: legislative, executive, and judicial.
With that said, all of these are unitary powers. The president is not supposed to implement legislative power, which is why many of the regulatory agencies that currently exist should be ruled unconstitutional. If there are unelected agencies writing laws — which is what regulations are — there is no mode for that under the Constitution of the United States.
Simultaneously, there is no independent fourth branch of government set up by Congress that is not answerable to the executive branch, but only answerable to Congress. There&#8217;s nothing like that contemplated by the Constitution.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-974957" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp" alt="DailyWire+" width="1024" height="171" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-300x50.webp 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-768x128.webp 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1536x256.webp 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-2048x341.webp 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
There will be a case argued in the Supreme Court over whether President Trump can fire people across the federal government in defiance of laws meant to protect their jobs and shield them from politics.
The Court’s majority will likely side with Trump, which makes perfect sense because there is nowhere in the Constitution where it says Congress has the power to set up an agency inside the executive branch that the president of the United States cannot run.
This case revolves around whether President Trump can fire Rebecca Slaughter, a Democratic member of the Federal Trade Commission, simply because he says she does not align with his agenda. That firing would be despite a law that says the president can only remove commissioners for inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office.
The administration is asking the justices to toss out a 90-year-old precedent that said the Constitution allowed laws like that one and put limits on the president&#8217;s authority to dismiss some quasi-independent government officials.
There are two dozen other agencies charged with protecting consumers, workers, the environment, or nuclear safety. They have been insulated from complete presidential control by similar laws.
One of the points Trump makes is that he&#8217;s doing the obvious thing. Democrats have been firing these people by ginning up cases against them for a very, very long time. This is also how they manage to maintain control of the regulatory state even after they lost an election. This is what Trump would label the so-called “deep state.”
Trump has repeatedly ousted Democratic leaders — including at the National Labor Relations Board, the Merit Systems Protection Board, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission —  to make way for replacements who share his policy priorities. That makes perfect sense. When you elect a president, you&#8217;re supposed to be able to shift regulatory policy along those lines.
It is why the Constitution was written the way that it was. Once you have a gigantic regulatory authority wedded to the executive branch, either the executive branch itself, run by the president, gains significant power, or you have to set up a fourth unregulated branch of government that is the regulatory state that actually runs the place.
Neither of those two solutions is good. Thus, the Constitution states that no lawmaking power lies with Congress. Executive power lies with the president.
We should hope that we return to the idea of a functional unitary executive, meaning everything that happens under the executive branch is run by the president.
If we go back to that, maybe Congress would actually legislate instead of kicking the can over to the regulatory branches of government to avoid responsibility.
The theory of the unitary executive is an idea that dates back to the Reagan administration. In a 2010 decision, Chief Justice Roberts said that the president&#8217;s power generally includes the authority to remove those assisting him in carrying out his duties. Without such power, the president could not be fully held accountable for discharging his own responsibilities.
That is exactly right, and I hope that the Supreme Court carries through on all of that. That would be a genuinely positive development.

Gemini generated Roberts Scotus Trump

Supreme Court Poised To Rein In ‘Fourth Branch,’ Restore Unitary Executive

Ben Shapiro

executive power

Federal Government

John Roberts

Judicial Branch

Opinion

Presidency

Supreme Court

Former Rep. Colin Allred (D-TX) is dropping out of the Texas Senate race and instead running for the House again, which is paving the way for Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) to possibly enter the Democratic primary.
“I am deeply moved by the personal stories and trust that so many Texans have placed in me. I&#8217;m forever grateful and believe it comes with heavy responsibility,” Allred, who unsuccessfully challenged Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) in 2024, wrote in an X post, setting up a primary challenge to incumbent Rep. Julie Johnson (D-TX).
“That’s why I’ve made the difficult decision to end my campaign for Senate and run to represent the newly drawn CD-33,” he added.
The often bombastic Crockett is inching toward a bid, but she has yet to formally announce her decision. Allred’s exit could be an indicator that she is jumping into the race, as state Rep. James Talarico (D-TX) also has his hat in the ring.
“It is hilarious to me that me saying that I will announce what I plan to do on 12/8, like I’ve been saying is scaring the heck out of so many people. The attacks are hilarious … note to those that don’t know how politics works … only the threat gets attacked,” Crockett posted to X on last week. She told CNN last month that she would “make a final decision by Thanksgiving on whether or not we’re gonna ultimately move forward.”
“Again, my decision to go one way or another will be based upon facts &amp; not feelings… historical data, trends, etc,” she continued.
On the Republican side, there’s a heated primary underway between incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, Attorney General Ken Paxton, and Rep. Wesley Hunt. Paxton and Hunt are arguing that Cornyn is not doing enough to support President Donald Trump’s agenda, whereas Cornyn and the National Republican Senatorial Committee have said that the incumbent has the best shot at winning the general election.
In recent days, Cornyn’s social media has taken numerous shots at Crockett, including saying, “she insults the people she is supposed to serve.”
Trump has yet to endorse in the Republican primary. The Cook Political Report ranks the race as “Likely Republican.”
Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has already sounded the alarm on a potential bid from the Democrat congresswoman, who drew national attention in 2024 after referring to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) as a &#8220;bleach-blonde, bad-built, butch body&#8221; during a heated congressional hearing.
“Jasmine Crockett about to learn the hard way that most Texans are very different from her district, her base &amp; her values,” Abbott posted to X. “She’ll be pummeled for her progressive socialist agenda &amp; get crushed by the Republican nominee for Senate.”
“The Texas political cemetery is filled with blow hards like her who have no idea what it’s like to run statewide. Looking forward to watching the circus&#8211; and KEEPING the US Senate seat red,” he added, saying maybe there’s a spot on “The View” for her.
Republicans currently hold 53 of the 100 Senate seats, with Democrats holding 45 – along with two independents who caucus with Democrats. As for Texas, Trump won the state&#8217;s 40 electoral votes, taking more than 56% of the vote compared with former Vice President Kamala Harris&#8217; 42.5%. In the Senate race, Cruz defeated Allred with 53%, and the Democrat won around 44.6%.

Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, Texas’ 30th District: An Intimate Brunch

Major Texas Senate Race Exit Could Signal Jasmine Crockett’s Entrance

2026 elections

colin allred

Jasmine Crockett

Texas

Democratic Rep. Seth Moulton suggested Sunday that the Trump administration might soon begin to “murder” Americans.
Moulton, who is running for U.S. Senate in Massachusetts, made the radical claim during an appearance on CNN in which he suggested that the administration’s actions against narcoterrorists in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean may be replicated against Americans.
“The President of the United States and his secretary of Defense are conducting murder on the high seas. They&#8217;re committing murder and Americans should care,” <a href="https://x.com/RNCResearch/status/1997768199379505464">said</a> Moulton. “None of us like drug traffickers, but we have laws that say that drug traffickers don&#8217;t get summarily executed, and if it&#8217;s happening off the coast of America with people that we don&#8217;t know, just give it time before Donald Trump starts doing the same kind of thing to people we do know right here at home.”
The administration has declared major drug cartels in South America as terror groups, and positioned roughly 15,000 troops in the Caribbean Sea to combat narcoterrorists trafficking fentanyl and other deadly drugs into the United States. The U.S. military has destroyed roughly two dozen boats and submarines in international waters that the administration said were trafficking illicit drugs.
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Democrats ramped up criticisms of the Trump administration’s war on drugs after a report from The Washington Post last month claimed that War Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a “kill them all” order carried out against survivors of a destroyed drug-running vessel.
Top military officials have contested the report. Adm. Mitch Bradley said in a closed-door hearing in Congress last week that Hegseth never gave such an order. In one September incident that has become the basis for Democratic claims of war crimes, Bradley made the call to send a follow-up strike against a vessel that he deemed was still a threat.
Democrats have pushed to have the classified video of the follow-up strike made public. Sen. Tom Cotton, who has seen the video, appeared on NBC News on Sunday and said he had “no problem” with releasing it as long as doing so does not risk national security.
“I will say that the [Department of War] may have valid concerns about revealing what we know about tactics and techniques that these cartels are using or about our sources or methods,” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tom-cotton-has-no-problem-with-releasing-video-of-drug-boat-double-tap">said</a> Cotton. “I would trust Secretary Hegseth and his team to make the decision about whether they can declassify and release the video. But again, there’s nothing remarkable on that video in my opinion.”

Seth Moulton

Dem Congressman Suggests Trump Will ‘Murder’ Americans Like Narcoterrorists

Department of Defense

Department of War

Drug Cartels

Drugs

Fentanyl

Massachusetts

Pete Hegseth

Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth said a second military strike on a damaged drug boat in September constituted a “war crime” before checking what video evidence or after-action reports show.
Duckworth appeared on CNN on Sunday and accused the Trump administration, particularly War Secretary Pete Hegseth, of committing a war crime in the Caribbean over a report in The Washington Post last month. The senator made the strong accusation before admitting that she has not seen the classified video or military reports on the controversial strike.
Top military officials have denied the Post’s report, and additional reporting from The New York Times undercuts the Post report&#8217;s claim that Hegseth issued a “kill everybody” order.
The Illinois senator suggested that U.S. service members who participate in the “illegal” strikes may be subject to legal accountability in the U.S. or through the International Criminal Court, which the United States is not a party to.
“Everything that they&#8217;ve done has been illegal. It&#8217;s illegal under international law, it&#8217;s illegal under the Geneva Convention, and it certainly is even illegal under domestic law. It was essentially murder with that double-tap strike,” <a href="https://x.com/rcpvideo/status/1997749858468560898">said</a> Duckworth. “It is a war crime. It&#8217;s illegal. However you put it, it&#8217;s all illegal.”
Duckworth said she made her assessment without watching classified video of the strike that has been shown to some lawmakers. Duckworth said that all of her knowledge on the strike has come from “just what’s been available in the media.”
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“I&#8217;ve not seen the actual video. I&#8217;ve requested to be able to see the actual video. I&#8217;ve also actually asked to see the after-action reports from the pilots and the drone operators, as well as the intelligence debrief that all pilots and drone operators conduct after they have completed a mission,” she said.
The Washington Post reported on November 28 that Hegseth ordered the U.S. military to “kill them all” in relation to narcoterrorists who ferry drugs through international waters in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean.
Adm. Frank Bradley, who oversaw the September operation in question, testified to lawmakers last week that the Post’s account of the strike is inaccurate. Top military officials have denied that Hegseth ever gave such an order, and that Bradley’s official orders, which have been reviewed by some lawmakers, did not include that wording.
Bradley reportedly told lawmakers during his testimony, not delivered publicly because of the sensitivity of the subject, that each of the 11 people on board the vessel had been <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/admiral-told-lawmakers-everyone-alleged-drug-boat-was-list-military-ta-rcna247767">confirmed</a> by intelligence as narcoterrorists. Bradley also said that he authorized the second strike on the vessel and that Hegseth had left soon after the first strike was delivered.

Tammy Duckworth

Tammy Duckworth Calls Double-Tap Strike A ‘War Crime,’ Then Admits She Hasn’t Seen The Video

Tammy Duckworth Calls Double-Tap Strike A ‘War Crime,’ Then Admits She Hasn't Seen The Video

World

Republicans took a victory lap when Matt Van Epps defeated leftist Democrat Aftyn Behn in Tennessee&#8217;s special election this month.
But what, if anything, does Van Epps&#8217;s victory mean for Republican prospects as we head into the 2026 midterm elections?
The Daily Wire asked three Republican strategists to share their key takeaways from this race. All three said that Democrats run the risk of killing any momentum they have if they nominate far-left candidates in primaries for competitive seats.
“For all the handwringing about margin of victory, this was nearly a double digit win. Special elections are special for a reason, and Republicans were wise to leave nothing to chance and sprint through the tape,” South &amp; Hill Strategies co-founder Colin Reed said, calling Van Epps the “type of candidate the GOP needs more of.”
“There are some useful lessons looking forward for both parties: for the GOP, the midterm political climate remains challenging, as it always does for the party in charge, and for the Democrats, they need to nominate less extreme candidates if they want to compete beyond the deep blue bastions of America,” he said.
“That’s a challenge for them because the far Left is where all the energy and enthusiasm resides.”
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The results of the 2026 midterms will shape the final two years of President Donald Trump’s time in the White House. Currently, there are 220 Republicans and 213 Democrats in the House of Representatives, with two seats that are vacant. The magic number for a majority is 218, which both parties are vying for both on the campaign trail and in mid-decade redistricting battles.
Van Epps won with roughly 54% of the vote, leaving Behn with just over 45%. In 2024, Rep. Mark Green, who resigned earlier this year, won the seat with 59.5% of the vote, with President Donald Trump also winning heavily. Van Epps was sworn in on Thursday.
The race led to surrogates campaigning left and right, from President Donald Trump phoning into a rally with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), to former Vice Presidents Kamala Harris and Al Gore hoping to rally the troops for Behn.
Despite her loss, Behn expressed confidence about the margin by which she lost, as she ran her campaign largely on affordability, but faced a wave of scrutiny for her past far-left comments on abolishing prisons, law enforcement, and abortion.
“Tonight, we did something everyone counted out. We proved to a nation that states like Tennessee are still worth fighting for,” Behn posted to X on Tuesday. “The margin was close, and that can only be attributed to the thousands of volunteers who showed out. This is just the beginning.”
Chris Burger, founder and CEO of the Tennessee-based Rotunda Public Affairs, said that “voters weren’t buying what she’s selling.” Burger pointed out how the Democrat was in a primary with three others: Darden Copeland and state Reps. Bo Mitchell and Vincent Dixie.
“This is what happens when you have four people in a Democratic primary, and they elect by a pretty close margin, the most extreme left-wing person in the race, and then all the far-left activists and the national media complex come together,” he added.
&#8220;They put all their attention and money into it, and they threw the kitchen sink at it. And you know, Aftyn&#8217;s a far-left socialist and she does not represent the Seventh District or Tennessee values at large,&#8221; he said.
A third GOP operative, who spoke with The Daily Wire on background, said that they are “very encouraged” by Tuesday night’s results, and said that “a nine-point margin is really strong compared to what we&#8217;re seeing in other elections this cycle.”
However, the operative cautioned that special elections are just that — special — and that turnout likely looks very different from that during a standard election. The operative also pointed out the major messaging pivot by Democrats between the start of the year and now, which went from focusing highly on Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency to discussing the cost-of-living.
&#8220;Affordability, they call it, was a con job by the Democrats,&#8221; Trump said during his cabinet meeting earlier this week, as he often blames Democrats and the Biden administration for policies that triggered high inflation.
Burger said that the affordability argument from Democrats like Behn falls flat on its merits when people consider the &#8220;policy objective&#8221; the candidates are campaigning for.
&#8220;If you look at what the Democrats want to do: government involvement. And government involvement typically always drives the price up.

Aftyn Behn and Matt Van Epps

Three GOP Strategists Explain Why Aftyn Behn Lost — And What It Means For 2026

Aftyn Behn

Elections

Matt Van Epps

Tennessee

The House Committee on Homeland Security has asked Google and Apple to detail what steps they are taking to remove mobile applications that allow users to track federal immigration officers.
In letters sent on Friday to Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Apple head Tim Cook, committee leaders singled out ICEBlock, an app previously used to monitor U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, saying apps hosted on their app stores risk &#8220;jeopardizing the safety of DHS personnel.&#8221; Lawmakers requested a briefing by December 12.
The letters urged Google and Apple to ensure these apps cannot be used to target officers or obstruct lawful immigration enforcement.
The committee noted that while free speech is protected, it does not extend to advocacy that incites imminent lawless action, referencing a landmark Supreme Court ruling.
Google and Apple did not respond to Reuters&#8217; requests for comment.
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The letters follow concerns that these tools allow users to anonymously report and track the movements of federal agents, including those from ICE and Customs and Border Protection.
In October, Google said that ICEBlock was never available on Google&#8217;s Play Store and added it had removed similar apps due to policy violations.
Apple also removed ICEBlock and other tracking apps from its App Store at the time.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said the apps &#8220;put ICE agents at risk just for doing their jobs,&#8221; while Apple cited violations of its policies against content that could harm individuals or groups. The removals followed a surge in downloads of ICEBlock, which had more than a million users before being pulled.
(Reporting by Kritika Lamba in Bengaluru; Editing by Alan Barona)

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