House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries agreed with President Donald Trump’s decision to pardon Rep. Henry Cuellar on bribery, money laundering, and “foreign influence” charges from the Biden-era Justice Department in 2024.
“Listen, the reality is this indictment was very thin to begin with, in my view. The charges were eventually going to be dismissed, if not at the trial court level by the Supreme Court, as they&#8217;ve repeatedly done in instances just like this,” the Democrat leader said on CNN’s “The Situation Room” on Wednesday, adding that Cuellar is a “beloved” member of the chamber.
He further added, “I don&#8217;t know why the President decided to do this. I think the outcome was exactly the right outcome.”
When CNN asked Jeffries if Cuellar had planned to switch parties, as he represents a south Texas district that the president won last year, he anticipates that the lawmaker will remain a Democrat.
“I think Congressman Cuellar is a highly-valued Member of the House Democratic Caucus, and I expect that he&#8217;ll continue to remain a highly-valued Member of the House Democratic Caucus,” he added.
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The Texas Democrat filed to run in the Democratic primary earlier on Wednesday. Punchbowl News reported that Cuellar said “nothing has changed” when asked on Capitol Hill after the pardon whether he planned to become a Republican.
The 2024 indictment alleged that Cuellar and his wife, Imelda Cuellar, “accepted approximately $600,000 in bribes from two foreign entities: an oil and gas company wholly owned and controlled by the Government of Azerbaijan, and a bank headquartered in Mexico City.”
Trump has been a critic of the indictment since it was announced in May 2024, saying it was politically motivated due to the congressman’s opposition to the Biden administration&#8217;s lax border policies. The Biden administration caught flak from Republicans and a handful of Democrats for the border crisis that persisted throughout the term, which led to major humanitarian issues in communities throughout the southwest that were ill-equipped to handle the resulting massive influx of individuals crossing illegally.
“I want to thank President Trump for his tremendous leadership and for taking the time to look at the facts. I thank God for standing with my family and I during this difficult time. This decision clears the air and lets us move forward for South Texas,” the Democrat said in an X post on Wednesday. “This pardon gives us a clean slate. The noise is gone. The work remains. And I intend to meet it head on.”
Trump wrote in a Truth Social post that Cuellar had ultimately been targeted for “speaking the TRUTH.”
“Henry, I don’t know you, but you can sleep well tonight — Your nightmare is finally over!” the president added.
Cuellar is expected to have a competitive race in 2026, with the Cook Political Report rating his district as a “toss-up.”

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) Holds News Conference

Hakeem Jeffries Sides With Trump Over Pardon For Texas Democrat

Congress

Hakeem Jeffries

Henry Cuellar

House of Representatives

pardons

Texas

Trump Administration

We are at a critical moment in our shared history. A moment that calls for moral clarity and an unwavering commitment to justice. 
Christians around the globe are facing a genocide. And while President Donald Trump champions religious liberty in Syria after hosting the former al-Qaeda fighter-turned-president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, and declares <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/2025/11/trump-deserves-credit-for-focus-on-nigerian-christians/">Nigeria</a> a “country of particular concern” because of the slaughter of Christians, we cannot be naive.
Christian persecution is already here in America. Our nation is becoming a dangerous place for faithful believers to live.
We must stand up now for the persecuted not only as individuals but as a united front for our brothers and sisters around the world.
Policymakers, churches, and ordinary citizens have a moral responsibility to ensure our nation remains a beacon of hope and freedom for all, especially those persecuted for their faith.
I know something about persecution and the price of freedom. I grew up in Communist Romania, where the freedoms we now experience in America were stolen from its citizens. Speaking the truth meant imprisonment, torture, and even death. The government sought to control every thought, every word, every breath. That’s why I became a political refugee and found a new home in America in 1988.
A <a href="https://www.cato.org/blog/new-poll-74-worry-americans-could-lose-our-freedoms-were-not-careful">2024 Cato Institute survey</a> found that nearly 74% of Americans worry that if we’re not careful, Americans could lose their God-given freedoms and liberties. An out-of-control regime can gradually build persecution against Christians, making small, incremental changes that could go unnoticed until it is too late. I know. I lived it.
In Communist Romania, Nicolae Ceaușescu’s regime controlled religious organizations by appointing loyal leaders, restricting activities, and nationalizing properties. Atheism was promoted through education and propaganda, portraying Christianity as outdated. Religious groups faced pressure to align with state policies, with non-compliance leading to imprisonment, job loss, or death.
The legacy of this persecution continues to shape the religious landscape in Romania today.
While the extent and nature of persecution differ significantly between Communist regimes and contemporary American society, there are parallels in the experiences of marginalization, pressure to conform, and struggles for expression. The challenges faced by Christians today often manifest initially in social and cultural pressures rather than outright physical persecution. And we are beginning to see signs of it here.
That’s why I’m joining the “<a href="https://www.washingtonpolicyinstitute.org/events/persecuted-and-prevailing-addressing-christian-persecution-in-the-modern-world/">Persecuted and Prevailing”</a> panel on December 4, 2025, at the Museum of the Bible to promote the truth, amplify our voices, and push for legislative action to support Christians.
As a human rights attorney in Communist Romania, I defended Christians, experiencing firsthand America’s crucial support. Congressmen Frank Wolf and Christopher Smith met with me often to discuss my cases, raising awareness among U.S. policymakers and the public about Romania’s dire situation. Their efforts drew media attention to the plight of Romanian Christians under the thumb of Communism, creating urgency for supporting persecuted believers.
Wolf’s actions shaped U.S. foreign policy to prioritize religious freedom, and the global impact included co-sponsoring the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/114/plaws/publ281/PLAW-114publ281.pdf">International Religious Freedom Act</a> (IRFA) of 1998, which established a framework to combat religious persecution worldwide and monitor and recommend policies. The Congressman also backed resolutions condemning persecution in Iran, Sudan, North Korea, and China, reinforcing human rights as a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy.
Now it’s our turn to carry the torch forward. Citizens who have the freedom to advocate for change must pressure policymakers to strengthen global religious liberty.
We are the voice for the persecuted who suffer in silence worldwide. If we fail to speak about oppression, like what I and many others endured in communist Romania, it will most certainly take root here. This generation needs to understand the fragile nature of freedom and the courage it takes to preserve it.
Using our voice and Constitutional rights to petition our government is the only way to protect our freedom and stand for truth. If we don’t use our voice today, we risk being silenced tomorrow.
When truth is distorted, freedom fades. Pray for discernment in a world clouded by lies. Live boldly, speak the truth in love, for true freedom flows from God’s presence, which has been with America since its founding. Remember, if God’s presence fades, so will our freedom.
* * *
<a href="https://www.virginiaprodanbooks.com/">Virginia Prodan</a> is an international human rights attorney, best-selling author of the memoir “<a href="https://virginiaprodanbooks.com/get-the-book-2/">Saving My Assassin</a>,” and host of the “<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/courageous-leadership-with-virginia-prodan/id1590554517">Courageous Leadership with Virginia Prodan</a>” podcast. She serves as an ambassador on the President’s Council for National Religious Broadcasters, a member of the Advisory Board of the American Christian Leaders for Israel, and an Allied Attorney with Alliance Defending Freedom.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
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Revolution Flag and Crowd at Polling Place

I Escaped Communist Romania. I Recognize The Early Signs Of Religious Persecution.

Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF)

Christians

Communism

Faith

Murder

Nigeria

North Korea

Persecution

Sudan

U.S. House of Representatives

We all remember the moment from &#8220;Anchorman&#8221; when Ron Burgundy, played by Will Ferrell, read the words, &#8220;Go F*** Yourself, San Diego,&#8221; to end a live news broadcast. Even though he was just blindly reading the words from the Teleprompter, which had been sabotaged, it didn&#8217;t matter. Rioters threatened to kill Ron Burgundy. He was fired. Everything changed after that moment, and everyone in the theater understood why. You see, the anchorman had just said something highly profane about the residents of his own city, on camera. It&#8217;s the kind of thing that you simply cannot come back from — unless, like Ron Burgundy, you manage to redeem yourself by saving a woman from being mauled by a bear. Which is the kind of thing that would get anyone out of the doghouse.
Back in 2004, no one would need to have this joke explained to them. The humor was pretty self-evident. But just twenty years later, it&#8217;s not remotely clear that this scene would land. For one thing, we don&#8217;t really have comedy movies anymore. That’s not just a thing people say. It’s true. Hollywood stopped making comedies right around 2012 to 2013. Now the genre essentially doesn’t exist.
But more importantly, in 2025, recent events have demonstrated that it&#8217;s actually very possible for a prominent person to tell an entire city to go f*** itself, in no uncertain terms, and then remain popular in that same city — popular enough to potentially win a congressional race. In fact, it&#8217;s now a viable campaign strategy to look the voters in the eye and pull a Ron Burgundy because, as it turns out, insulting the voters can somehow make you more popular than you were before.
If that sounds hyperbolic to you in any way, then you probably haven&#8217;t been following the rise of a Democrat congressional candidate named Aftyn Behn, who&#8217;s running in today&#8217;s special election to fill a seat in Tennessee&#8217;s 7th Congressional District. This is a district that includes downtown Nashville and most of Nashville&#8217;s black population — along with several Republican-dominated suburbs like Franklin, plus several rural counties. Back in 2020, as we&#8217;ve discussed, Behn openly attacked the city she intends to represent in Congress. She stated that she hates Nashville, and then she went on to name several specific features of the city that she despises.
But the really remarkable part of this story is that, having trashed her own potential voters in this resurfaced clip, Aftyn Behn has made the conscious decision to stand by her remarks. And, in doing so, she appears to have strengthened her political position. She&#8217;s running in a district that went for Donald Trump by more than 20 points in the last election. And yet, according to a recent Emerson College poll, Behn is within 2% points — within the margin of error — of winning this race. The Republican, Matt Van Epps, is barely holding onto the lead.
Before we get into the implications of this race for the Republican Party — and there are many implications — there are some recent videos you need to see. Without context, you might assume these clips are coming from some kind of satirical film about U.S. politics, like a modern-day take on &#8220;Anchorman.&#8221; 
They&#8217;re darkly hilarious, in many ways. But they&#8217;re very real. 
<h3>Watch:</h3>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
CNN: &#8220;Do you think it was a mistake to say you hated Nashville?&#8221;
AFTYN BEHN: &#8220;I was a private citizen.&#8221;
So yes, she still hates Nashville and people will still vote for her <a href="https://t.co/Lrg8jwsNXt">pic.twitter.com/Lrg8jwsNXt</a>
— Sara Rose 🇺🇸🌹 (@saras76) <a href="https://twitter.com/saras76/status/1995155204464083308?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Credit: @saras76/X.com
She can&#8217;t even muster up a single word of praise for Nashville — not a single positive thing — even when it&#8217;s teed up for her. The best she can do is utter a non sequitur about how she made the previous remarks bashing Nashville as a &#8220;private citizen,&#8221; as if that&#8217;s relevant in any way. But if anything, that makes it worse, because it means it&#8217;s what she actually believes. It&#8217;s something she said before she had an obvious incentive to lie, as a politician.
Of course, this woman knows what just happened in Virginia, where a Democrat sociopath — someone who says he wants conservatives and their children to die — just won the race for attorney general. She understands that Democrat voters are motivated, above all else, by hatred. And she&#8217;s made the calculation, at this point, that the only viable path forward is to appeal to Democrats&#8217; profound disdain for the world they live in (or, in this case, the city they live in).
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1700-the-matt-walsh-show?elementPosition=2&amp;row=2&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-976065" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Matt-watch-now-1-1024x171.jpg" alt="DailyWire+" width="1024" height="171" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Matt-watch-now-1-1024x171.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Matt-watch-now-1-300x50.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Matt-watch-now-1-768x128.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Matt-watch-now-1-1536x256.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Matt-watch-now-1.jpg 1800w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
To be clear, if she had just said that she hates the bachelorette parties in Nashville or whatever, that wouldn&#8217;t really be an issue. If she had said she just hates the pedal taverns and wants to abolish them and imprison everyone involved, I would wholeheartedly agree. But she explicitly stated that she also hates the entire city as a whole. And now she&#8217;s banking on the possibility that most people living in Nashville also hate the entire city — hate themselves, essentially. And frankly, she might be right.
In recent days, across various interviews with friendly outlets, Behn has used the same script when she&#8217;s been asked about her many, many other deranged comments. 
Here&#8217;s another example:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NEW: CNN&#8217;s Kasie Hunt gives up and moves on after far-left congressional candidate Aftyn Behn of Tennessee refused to admit that funding the police is a good thing.
Hunt: Would you like more money for more cops on the streets in your district?
Behn: So those um, past comments… <a href="https://t.co/DScvVKZQYt">pic.twitter.com/DScvVKZQYt</a>
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) <a href="https://twitter.com/CollinRugg/status/1995657250581742007?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Credit: @CollinRugg/X.com
Notice that, in this case, CNN attempts to do her a favor. They don&#8217;t show any of the &#8220;old posts&#8221; that they&#8217;re asking about. They think they&#8217;re teeing up a softball question — where she can safely say, without any pushback, that yes, she wants police departments to exist. This is one of those issues that, especially now that the George Floyd hysteria has subsided, is something you&#8217;d hope 100% of Americans would agree on.
But still, even with this very generous setup, she doesn&#8217;t give the answer that a well-adjusted, sane human being would give. Instead, she once again states that she was a &#8220;private citizen&#8221; when she made those &#8220;old posts,&#8221; which remain unmentioned. And then, when she&#8217;s pressed on her non-answer, she strongly suggests that, indeed, she still wants to defund the police, in the year 2025. She states that she&#8217;s going to defer to her &#8220;community,&#8221; rather than take any position of her own. And then she proceeds to say that her &#8220;community&#8221; wants &#8220;mental health services.&#8221; She never says her &#8220;community&#8221; wants to have a police department.
Again, it&#8217;s the kind of answer that will only appeal to you, as a voter, if you&#8217;re a deeply disturbed individual. And the more this woman rises in the polls, the more we have to ask ourselves if that&#8217;s a fair way to describe the entire Democrat Party — as in, every single voter they have.
Over at MSNBC — a.k.a. &#8220;MS NOW&#8221;  — the damage control went even worse for Aftyn Behn. That&#8217;s because, in this interview, the anchor actually put some of her tweets up on the screen, to great comedic effect.
<h3>Watch:</h3>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Democrat Aftyn Behn refuses THREE TIMES to walk back her previous calls to defund the police:
MSNBC: &#8220;Do you still stand by those comments?&#8221;
BEHN: &#8220;I&#8217;m not going to give cable news talking points&#8230;.
MSNBC: &#8220;What is your position today?&#8221;
BEHN: &#8220;I&#8217;m gonna talk about my race.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/92YRm2KMOk">pic.twitter.com/92YRm2KMOk</a>
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1992748967491510366?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Credit: @RNCResearch/X.com
Yeah, she&#8217;s not going to get into &#8220;cable news talking points&#8221; — like addressing the question of whether she supports burning down police stations. That&#8217;s just a &#8220;talking point&#8221; — as in, it&#8217;s something that she explicitly stated that she supports, just a few years ago. And to this day, she won&#8217;t renounce it.
To be clear, Aftyn Behn is indeed a real person. This is a real candidate that the Democrat Party is running for a House seat. And they&#8217;re not disavowing her, or even criticizing her, in any way. Why would they? Behn represents the mainstream Democrat Party. That&#8217;s the important point here. If someone says he&#8217;s a Democrat, this is what he&#8217;s supporting.
And just to emphasize that point, the Democrat Party has come out and announced that they strongly support everything this woman is saying.
This is a post from <a href="https://x.com/kenmartin73/status/1995235893116821694?s=20">Ken Martin</a>, the chair of the Democrat Party, just a couple of days ago.
<blockquote>Democrats are building momentum. We’re all gas, no brakes. Let’s do everything we can to chip away at the GOP’s House majority. This Tuesday, get out and vote for Aftyn Behn if you live in TN-7!</blockquote>
So there it is. The highest levels of the Democrat Party have endorsed one of the most demented candidates to run for office in the modern history of this country. They&#8217;ve also endorsed all of this.
<h3>Watch: </h3>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The Democrat Party is backing a candidate who wants to abolish police and thinks burning down police stations is justified.<a href="https://t.co/rzLjel5I5F">pic.twitter.com/rzLjel5I5F</a> <a href="https://t.co/KVbtPprrJR">https://t.co/KVbtPprrJR</a>
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1995324387587727378?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Credit: @RNCResearch/X.com
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 Democrat nominee for the upcoming TN07 special election Aftyn Behn condemns women who get married and start families&#8211; saying it&#8217;s the product of &#8220;deeply patriarchal structures&#8221;:
&#8220;My therapist always asks me to transcribe my dreams and the recurring dream I&#8217;ve had is standing… <a href="https://t.co/LTsYj0im7Q">pic.twitter.com/LTsYj0im7Q</a>
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) <a href="https://twitter.com/greg_price11/status/1993043067486527894?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Credit: @greg_price11/X.com
She says, &#8220;My therapist always asks me to transcribe my dreams, and the recurring dream I&#8217;ve had is standing up in a Cafeteria full of women and saying &#8216;I don&#8217;t want children. I want power!'&#8221;
Just by itself, 15 years ago, that statement would&#8217;ve been disqualifying, regardless of your politics. For one thing, she&#8217;s going around admitting that she&#8217;s in therapy — which obviously isn&#8217;t something you should brag about. There&#8217;s no reason to be proud of the fact that you&#8217;re paying someone with a master&#8217;s degree who has a vested interest in making sure you&#8217;re never &#8220;cured&#8221; of whatever disorder he&#8217;s diagnosed you with. That&#8217;s a point of shame, not pride. In fact, in a sane country, going to therapy would be disqualifying for any political candidate. If you need therapy, you are not mentally strong enough to hold political office, or any other position of importance.
But that clip gets even worse when she goes on to explain that marriage punishes women, and forces them into &#8220;patriarchal structures,&#8221; whatever that means. Maybe she&#8217;s talking about no-fault divorce laws, where women can cheat on their husbands, and then take half their assets. Who knows — she didn&#8217;t really elaborate, as far as I can tell.
What I do know is that there are many, many more clips that illustrate how unhinged this woman is. She also admitted that she follows around ICE vehicles, and harasses ICE officers and state troops, for example. She says she&#8217;s uncomfortable with Christian influence in government. And so on. But we&#8217;ll end with this clip — which we&#8217;ve played before — because it really underscores the extent of the threat that this woman, and the Democrat Party in general, pose to our country. This was how Aftyn Behn responded to the massacre of Christian men, women and children at the Covenant School in Nashville. In the aftermath of the shooting, she didn&#8217;t say she was worried about the safety of Christians, who had just been massacred because of their faith by a trans-identifying terrorist. Instead, she said the so-called &#8220;trans community&#8221; was under attack — and that, as a politician, one of her primary goals would be to go after me, and The Daily Wire. 
<h3>Watch:</h3>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
WATCH: This is how Democrat Aftyn Behn responded to the Covenant shooting, when a trans-identifying woman killed six at the Christian school.
It inspired Behn’s first run for office…so she could fight to protect “trans communities” and against Daily Wire and <a href="https://twitter.com/MattWalshBlog?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MattWalshBlog</a>. <a href="https://t.co/th13e1v6dW">pic.twitter.com/th13e1v6dW</a>
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1992975426193326512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Credit: @realDailyWire/X.com
The fact that a woman this deranged and evil even has the slightest possible chance to win the special election today — in a district that Trump carried by more than 20 points, in a deep-red state, in a race against a candidate who has been endorsed and heavily promoted by Donald Trump — is a very, very bad sign for the future of the Republican Party.
Over the past few months, we&#8217;ve talked about some major built-in advantages that Republicans are probably going to have, in future elections. If the Voting Rights Act is gutted by the Supreme Court, which is the expected outcome, Democrats will lose several seats in the House. And as more illegal aliens are deported, and as more people leave failing states like California and New York for states like Florida and Texas, Democrats will lose even more representation in Congress.
But these benefits only exist at the margins. They don&#8217;t protect the Republican Party against a complete and total collapse of popular support. And that appears to be where the party is headed, given that Democrats are running complete sociopaths — and winning, or coming very close to winning. If today&#8217;s election in Tennessee is indeed even somewhat close — if this woman isn&#8217;t completely blown out — then we are headed for the worst-case scenario, one year from now in the midterms. Democrats will sweep both houses of Congress, if this trend continues.
And we shouldn&#8217;t be surprised by that outcome, if it should come to pass. Republicans in Congress have been so ineffective that they&#8217;ve failed to give voters a single reason to support them. This is the point where, as we talked about yesterday, the Trump administration has to step in, and take decisive action — any kind of decisive action — that actually improves the lives of American citizens in some tangible way. Denaturalize as many Somali fraudsters as you can. Bomb as many drug dealers as possible. Suspend all foreign migration. Do something, or else you&#8217;ll be replaced very quickly by lunatics and craven degenerates like Aftyn Behn. Today&#8217;s election is a massive warning sign. The polling alone makes that very clear. We can either heed that warning now, while we still have time, or we will lose so badly in 2026 that, as a country and as a movement, we may never recover.

MixCollage-02-Dec-2025-04-42-PM-4216

This Is The Platform That Psycho Feminist Aftyn Behn Is Running On. It’s Crazier Than I Thought.

This Is The Platform That Psycho Feminist Aftyn Behn Is Running On. It's Crazier Than I Thought.

Democrats

Leftists

Matt Walsh

Opinion

Tennessee

In a move that drew near-uniform support on the House floor, lawmakers on Monday advanced a blunt, unambiguous message: those who took part in the Hamas-led October 7 atrocities in Israel will not set foot in the United States. The “No Immigration Benefits for Hamas Terrorists Act of 2025,” introduced by Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA), <a href="https://www.jns.org/house-passes-bill-to-bar-deport-oct-7-perpetrators/">sailed through the House</a> by voice vote—without objection—underscoring just how little patience remains in Washington for loopholes that allow terrorists to slip through America’s immigration system.
McClintock’s bill takes direct aim at anyone who “carried out, participated in, planned, financed, afforded material support to or otherwise facilitated” the brutal rampage Hamas launched on October 7, 2023, a massacre that left more than 1,200 Israelis—children, infants, seniors—slaughtered for the crime of being Jewish. The bill explicitly includes members of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and it arrives with 18 Republican co-sponsors, including Reps. Joe Wilson (R-SC), Claudia Tenney (R-NY), and Ann Wagner (R-MO).
Democrats signaled support but quibbled with the method. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) insisted that members of Foreign Terrorist Organizations are already barred from entering the United States, and argued that Congress has historically avoided naming specific attacks in the Immigration and Nationality Act—even after 9/11. McClintock countered that there is precedent, pointing to the Nazi Party and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), whose members are explicitly blocked under American law. “Does anyone seriously argue that we should repeal the sanctions against persons who aided and abetted the Nazis’ Holocaust?” he asked. “If not, why oppose extending the same sanctions to the Nazis’ would-be modern-day successors?”
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The timing of the bill’s passage wasn’t accidental. It comes on the heels of the shocking <a href="https://x.com/EFischberger/status/1979143145632772553?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">arrest</a> of Mahmoud Amin Ya’qub al-Muhtadi, a Gaza-born operative accused of helping coordinate the October 7 attacks, then waltzing into the United States on a fraudulent visa. According to federal prosecutors, al-Muhtadi organized fighters in Gaza, moved behind the first wave of terrorists entering Israel, and sent messages instructing attackers to “bring the rifles” and “get ready.” His phone even <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/17/us/fbi-hamas-attack-louisiana.html?unlocked_article_code=1.uE8.zTMe.8-olRlhIWLLf&amp;smid=nytcore-ios-share&amp;referringSource=articleShare">pinged</a> an Israeli cell tower on the morning of the assault. Yet he made it into the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport in 2024 and was later found working at a restaurant in Lafayette, Louisiana.
For McClintock and his allies, that case alone is all the justification America needs. The bill now moves to the Senate—where an earlier version languished—and House Republicans are making clear they won’t accept another failure to act.

Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA)

House Overwhelmingly Passes Bill Blocking Oct. 7 Terrorists From Entering U.S.

Hamas

October 7

Politics

Terrorists

Tom McClintock

FRANKLIN, Tenn. — “The reputation of our state is on the line,” said Tennessee Republican senator Bill Hagerty as he addressed several hundred Republican voters gathered Monday morning to rally support for congressional candidate Matt Van Epps one day before a crucial special election.
The temperatures outside were chilly, but the mood of Republican officials inside the rally was confident yet urgent. Most said they believed that Van Epps would win the race for Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District, but that the margins could be closer than what would typically be expected in the Republican favorable district. Van Epps is facing off against state Democrat Representative Aftyn Behn, a far-Left candidate who supports transgender procedures on kids and wants to roll back Tennessee’s pro-life protections.
Democrats have poured millions into the race, capitalizing on their wins last month and hoping for low Republican turnout in the rural areas of the district and high turnout in parts of Nashville. Former congressman Mark Green won the district by over 20 points during the 2024 election before later announcing his resignation.
“It’s all going to come down to the numbers, and my friends, the Democrats have seen an opportunity. They’re counting on us to slide into December 2 having enjoyed Thanksgiving and not thinking that this seat is at risk,” Hagerty said. “The message that we can send from here in Tennessee has to be loud and clear. Not only is Tennessee a red state, Tennessee seven is a red district, and the reputation of our state is on the line.”
Hagerty said he believed that Van Epps would be OK, but that Tennessee voters had a chance to put a stop to Democrat confidence after racking up wins in Virginia and New Jersey.
The rally was held at the barn of American businessman and billionaire Willis Johnson in rural Williamson County with the backdrop of Johnson’s classic car collection on display. Inside the rally were a who’s who of Volunteer State Republicans, including Governor Bill Lee, Senator Marsha Blackburn, Rep. John Rose, Rep. Andy Ogles, Rep. Tim Burchett, state Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson, and state GOP Chair Scott Golden.
&#8220;We are going to win this because we are going to have a coalition that gets out and we&#8217;re going to win decisively,&#8221; Van Epps told the crowd, promising to fight for America First policies if elected to office.
Van Epps won a crowded Republican primary in August after being endorsed by President Donald Trump. A number of Van Epps&#8217; primary opponents, including Reps. Gino Bulso and Jody Barrett, were in attendance and gave Van Epps their full-throated support.
Republican National Committee Chair Joe Gruters also spoke, as did House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), who flew in from Washington, D.C., Monday morning. To much cheering, Johnson called President Donald Trump, who addressed the crowd on speaker phone.
<div id="attachment_1007877" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1007877" class="size-full wp-image-1007877" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-2248788404.jpg" alt="FRANKLIN, TENNESSEE - DECEMBER 1: House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) holds his phone to the microphone during a call with U.S. President Donald Trump during a get out the vote event held in support of Republican congressional candidate Matt Van Epps on December 1, 2025 in Franklin, Tennessee. Tennessee's 7th congressional district special election is being held to fill the seat vacated following the resignation of republican Mark Green. " width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-2248788404.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-2248788404-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-2248788404-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-2248788404-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Credit: Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images.</div>
Trump said that he heard the “crowd is incredible” and that he wanted to be there in person, but that the Secret Service said it would be difficult on such short notice.
“I love Tennessee, one of my all-time favorite places. Tennessee, I guess, loves me because we won by the biggest margins anybody has ever won by,” Trump said. &#8220; But if you can go Matt Van Epps, he&#8217;s a winner, he&#8217;s going to be great. Don&#8217;t let this stuff fool you.”
Trump also ripped into Behn for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/music-city-fumble-dem-candidate-said-she-hates-city-she-wants-to-represent-in-congress">previously saying</a> that she hates country music. “How the hell can you elect a person like that?” Trump asked.
Several Republican officials said that they expected Van Epps to win by about 7-10% of the vote. State Senator Joey Hensley told The Daily Wire he thought he would win by 8-10% of the vote, while Williamson County GOP Chair Steve Hickey said he believed the margin would be about 7%. Congressman John Rose told The Daily Wire he thought Van Epps would finish strong.
Multiple local attendees who spoke with The Daily Wire said that they worried that a sense of complacency had set in across the district because the seat went so strongly Republican in the past. Attendee Matt said that he couldn’t believe how close the polls indicated the race would be and said he was confused why Green resigned his seat. Chad, who said he had voted early, said he was worried that Republican turnout would be low.
Other Republicans said the result would hinge on turnout. “The game is tied and it will be decided what we do tomorrow,” Golden said.

House Speaker Johnson Campaigns With Tennessee GOP Congressional Candidate Matt Van Epps

‘The Reputation Of Our State Is On The Line’: GOP Begins Final Push Before Critical House Election

2025 elections

Aftyn Behn

Donald Trump

Elections

Matt Van Epps

Mike Johnson

Democrat Delegate Stacey Plaskett, the Virgin Islands&#8217; non-voting member of Congress, garnered headlines recently when it came to light that she took <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrat-who-texted-epstein-asking-for-trump-dirt-gives-patently-insane-excuse" target="_blank" rel="noopener">direction from</a> sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during a 2019 congressional hearing.
Her relationship with Epstein is especially notable because Plaskett herself had &#8220;private nude images&#8221; of her stolen by her own ex-staffers, who used them to attempt to sabotage her re-election campaign. The husband of one of the culprits was, like Epstein, later found dead.
In March 2016, Plaskett asked staffer Juan R. McCullum to fix her iPhone. After snooping around, McCullum found nude images and videos, including one of her husband naked and wearing makeup while their young child was in the room, according to <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.187870.1.0.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">court papers</a>.
Plaskett is a member of the House Intelligence Committee. She has said she had texted with Epstein during a House Oversight Committee hearing because Epstein was providing her information about what to ask President Donald Trump&#8217;s former attorney, Michael Cohen, because Epstein &#8220;had information, and I was going to get information to get at the truth.&#8221;
After the Epstein revelations emerged, she faced a <a href="https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/11/19/congress/plaskett-remains-defiant-00659210" target="_blank" rel="noopener">censure vote</a> in the House, narrowly escaping on a 209-214 vote.
In July 2016, after leaving Plaskett&#8217;s office to work for Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-FL), McCullum created an email address and sent the photos to politicians and the media, as well as posted them to Facebook using a fake account. Police traced the accounts to McCullum and found that he had communicated with another former Plaskett staffer, Dorene Browne-Louis, who had gone on to work for the Department of Homeland Security.
&#8220;Somebody will pay for how we were treated,&#8221; he wrote to Browne-Louis.
Browne-Louis &#8220;made numerous false and misleading statements about her knowledge of McCullum&#8217;s activities,&#8221; and falsely denied deleting relevant text messages, prosecutors said. She later testified before a federal grand jury and provided false statements, including that she &#8220;did not know that McCullum wanted to seek revenge against Delegate S.P.,&#8221; court papers said.
A <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.187871/gov.uscourts.dcd.187871.31.0.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">superseding indictment</a> said Browne-Louis provided McCullum the email address of the governor of the Virgin Islands and political supporters — taken from confidential campaign documents — for the purpose of sending the pictures to him and others.
Using his fake email account, McCullum sent Browne-Louis multiple messages &#8220;containing derogatory statements about&#8221; Plaskett, and Browne-Louis &#8220;requested that he re-send her the nude Images and Videos,&#8221; the indictment said. Browne-Louis gave one of the images to a campaign staffer for Plaskett&#8217;s challenger in the August 6, 2016, Democratic primary election, who in turn gave it to a reporter.
In his messages, McCullum &#8220;voiced opposition to Delegate S.P. and attempted to use the communications to undermine Delegate S.P.&#8217;s re-election campaign.&#8221;
Both culprits pleaded guilty. In a <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.187871/gov.uscourts.dcd.187871.43.1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">victim impact statement</a>, Plaskett told the court that &#8220;our family&#8217;s privacy was invaded, pillaged and we were basically raped by Juan McCullum and Dorene Browne-Louis&#8230; Why, because I was mean? I demanded a lot, I demand most of myself.&#8221;
Plaskett continued, &#8220;We got calls from the White House with complaints that McCullum was pretending to be a member of the White House staff, we should have fired him then but I asked him to put his head down and let it blow over.&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;m so grateful for all the people at home who rallied around me,&#8221; she wrote. &#8220;The women who saw it for what it was. Bringing a black woman down. McCullum you&#8217;re like some creep who rips a woman&#8217;s clothes off in public, like the slave seller ripping a black woman&#8217;s clothes off.&#8221;
Right now, DailyWire+ annual memberships are fifty percent off during our Black Friday sale. Join now at <a href="http://dailywire.com/blackfriday" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dailywire.com/blackfriday</a>.
&#8220;Then you went further. They tried to first emasculate my husband. Say he was not a man, because there was a picture of him with makeup. Makeup it was obvious he was not happy to be wearing. That he lost in a bet. The worst was that they tried to put in the public that my husband and I allowed our daughter who was around 4-5 at the time of the picture in some perverted unnatural situation. For that reason, I want to physically destroy the two of them.&#8221;
Plaskett&#8217;s husband, Jonathan Buckney-Small, <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.187871/gov.uscourts.dcd.187871.43.2.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> in his victim impact statement that he ran into McCullum after finding out about the photos and &#8220;NEVER had I felt the pulse the beat the flow my blood asking me to take matters in my own hands that night when you couldn&#8217;t look me in the eye. It was then it was clear I had a decision I had to make do I go to jail to make myself feel better or do I let time take you do [sic] jail.&#8221;
In March 2018, McCullum was sentenced to a year and a day in prison, 100 hours of community service, and two years of probation. In June 2020, a judge agreed to terminate his probation early.
In August 2016, a month after the photos and video were published, Browne-Louis&#8217;s husband, Gregory Benson Louis, was shot and killed outside the firehouse where he worked.
Browne-Louis also pleaded guilty. The government did not seek jail time in part because her husband was <a href="https://stthomassource.com/content/2016/08/19/vipd-identifies-victim-of-firehouse-homicide/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">murdered</a>. She was sentenced to two years&#8217; probation.

Jeffrey Epstein and Stacey Plaskett

Congresswoman Who Texted With Epstein Was A Victim Of Revenge Porn

Congresswoman Who Texted With Epstein Was Previously Victimized With Revenge Porn

Jeffrey Epstein

Sex Crimes

The 2026 midterms are about as high-stakes as elections can be.
Thirty-five Senate seats are up for grabs next November, as are all 435 House seats. Republicans currently hold slim majorities in both houses of Congress — one that could get even slimmer with the<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/marjorie-taylor-greene-is-resigning-heres-what-happens-now?author=Amber+Jo+Cooper&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Marjorie+Taylor+Greene+Is+Resigning.+Here%E2%80%99s+What+Happens+Now." target="_blank" rel="noopener"> coming resignation</a> of Marjorie Taylor Greene. The results of the elections could shape the final two years of President Donald Trump&#8217;s time in the White House. The midterms will also loom over the 2028 presidential election, particularly for Democrats, who do not have an obvious candidate waiting in the wings.
We&#8217;re still a ways out, but many of the most crucial races are already heating up. Here are five races to keep an eye on.
<h3>Texas</h3>
The cycle&#8217;s most heated election began months ago when Trump ally and Texas Attorney General <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ken-paxton-to-probe-womens-weightlifting-competition-after-trans-identified-athlete-wins-gold?author=Tim+Pearce&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Ken+Paxton+To+Probe+Women%E2%80%99s+Weightlifting+Competition+After+Trans-Identified+Athlete+Wins+Gold" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ken Paxton</a> announced a challenge to longtime Sen. John Cornyn.
Paxton has argued that Cornyn is too establishment to continue representing the state, saying that “Cornyn’s Swamp friends are spending tens of millions of dollars to attack me.&#8221; Cornyn in turn has called Paxton a “conman and a fraud,&#8221; the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-senate-paxton-cornyn-bc9dcc271c97ad1d724383397e5807c6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Associated Press</a> reported earlier this year.
The winner of that primary will face off against either Colin Allred, a former congressman, or State Rep. James Talarico, who made national headlines in 2021 when he and a group of Democrat colleagues <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrats-who-fled-texas-to-subvert-democracy-mocked-for-playing-victim-card-you-guys-are-pathetic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fled Texas</a> to prevent the state legislature from voting on bills they opposed. More recently, Talarico — who has pitched himself as a Christian Democrat — came under fire after it was revealed that he followed a number of <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/11/15/us-news/james-talarico-caught-following-more-onlyfans-models-and-prostitutes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">OnlyFans models</a> on Instagram.
Rep. Jasmine Crockett, whose radical outbursts are almost too numerous to mention, is also weighing entering the race — which has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/crazy-radical-democrats-republicans-welcome-jasmine-crocketts-potential-senate-bid" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Republicans thrilled.</a>
<h3>Maine</h3>
Like John Cornyn, Susan Collins has caught plenty of flak from her fellow Republicans in recent years. But the moderate senator&#8217;s main concern as she runs for a fifth term comes from Democrats, not a primary challenger.
Maine Governor Janet Mills lost an early lead to populist upstart Graham Platner — though the oyster farmer blew an early lead with a series of scandals, including resurfaced <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dem-senate-hopeful-called-himself-a-communist-made-racist-comments-in-reddit-posts?author=Cameron+Arcand&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Dem+Senate+Hopeful+Called+Himself+A+Communist%2C+Made+Racist+Comments+In+Reddit+Posts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reddit posts</a> in which he slammed cops and called himself a “communist,” and the revelation that he had a<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/graham-platner-has-known-about-his-tattoos-nazi-connotations-since-2012?author=Cameron+Arcand&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Graham+Platner+Has+Known+About+His+Tattoo%E2%80%99s+Nazi+Connotations+Since+2012" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Nazi symbol</a> tattooed on his chest.
Platner has been<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/graham-platners-treasurer-switch-marks-yet-another-exit-from-campaign" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> bleeding staff</a> in the wake of these revelations, including his campaign manager, political director, and national finance manager.
Despite all this, Platner still seems to be the Democrat to beat — though a<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/maine-voters-embrace-susan-collins-the-more-they-learn-about-graham-platner-poll?author=Cameron+Arcand&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Maine+Voters+Embrace+Susan+Collins+The+More+They+Learn+About+Graham+Platner%3A+Poll" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> recent poll</a> found that voters favor Collins the more they learn about Platner.
<h3>Michigan</h3>
In Michigan, Rep. Haley Stevens, state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, and Abdul El-Sayed are seeing who can run furthest to the Left.
McMorrow recently held a fundraiser with a leftist blogger who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/michigan-democrat-teams-up-with-leftist-blogger-who-mocked-charlie-kirk-after-assassination" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mocked</a> Charlie Kirk&#8217;s assassination. Stevens, who endorsed by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), once <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-democratic-lawmaker-screams-at-constituents-over-nra-support" target="_blank" rel="noopener">screamed at her constituents</a> for supporting the Second Amendment. And El-Sayed, who&#8217;s backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), blamed Israel for &#8220;invading&#8221; Gaza in October 2023, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dem-senate-candidate-accuses-israel-of-invading-gaza-in-oct-7-fundraising-email" target="_blank" rel="noopener">failing to mention</a> that the &#8220;invasion&#8221; in question was a military response to Hamas&#8217;s October 7 massacre of Israeli civilians.
Whichever Democrat emerges victorious from the fray will face off against <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-michigan-gop-congressman-launches-2nd-senate-bid-after-coming-up-short-in-2024" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Rogers</a>, a Trump-endorsed former congressman who lost his 2024 Senate race by a tiny margin.
<h3>Ohio</h3>
Rogers isn&#8217;t the only lawmaker staging a political comeback in 2026. In Ohio,<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ohio-dem-sherrod-brown-plots-senate-comeback?author=Daniel+Chaitin&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Ohio+Dem+Sherrod+Brown+Plots+Senate+Comeback" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Sherrod Brown</a> — a longtime leftist fixture in the Upper Chamber who fell last year to Republican Bernie Moreno — is running against Republican Sen. Jon Husted, who was tapped to fill Vice President JD Vance&#8217;s seat.
Brown was dogged with allegations of hypocrisy throughout his time in the Senate, something The Daily Wire<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ohio-dem-sherrod-brown-plots-senate-comeback" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> frequently covered</a>. The leftist was slammed for taking <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ohio-democrat-senator-took-thousands-of-dollars-in-donations-from-pharma-companies-at-center-of-opioid-crisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">donations</a> from drug companies at the center of the opioid crisis and<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/east-palestine-is-still-suffering-but-ohios-democrat-senator-took-time-for-a-hollywood-fundraiser" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> attending</a> a ritzy Hollywood fundraiser while constituents worried about the water quality at their home after the 2023 train derailment in East Palestine.
<h3>California</h3>
Of all the House seats up for grabs in 2026 — and, remember, that&#8217;s all of them — the most closely-watched is California, where Democrats are fighting to fill former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi&#8217;s soon-to-be-vacated seat.
Pelosi <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/potential-pelosi-successor-pushed-a-bill-so-woke-even-the-new-york-times-has-doubts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> wants San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan to succeed her. But the candidate to beat is California State Senator Scott Wiener, a man so radical that even the New York Times <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/potential-pelosi-successor-pushed-a-bill-so-woke-even-the-new-york-times-has-doubts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has its doubts</a> about him.
From radical trans activism to legalizing prostitution and pedophilia, there&#8217;s almost nothing Wiener doesn&#8217;t want the state to permit — unless of course parents don&#8217;t want their minor children to undergo radical gender procedures, in which case he thinks the state should be able to take custody of those children.
Wiener&#8217;s record is almost too insane to believe, but The Daily Wire recently published the definitive account of this wannabe congressman. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/meet-scott-wiener-nancy-pelosis-likely-replacement-probably-thinks-youre-a-bigot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Give it a read here.</a>
<h3>Georgia</h3>
Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff will be defending his seat against a Republican challenger yet to be determined. The current frontrunners are Reps. Mike Collins and Buddy Carter, and former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley.
The race is expected to be extraordinarily expensive, as Ossoff already has $21 million in cash on hand, according to Federal Election Commission<a href="https://www.fec.gov/data/candidate/S8GA00180/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> data</a>. Although it&#8217;s unclear who the nominee on the Republican side will be, millions are already pouring in for the individual candidates at this stage,<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/inside-the-expensive-race-to-unseat-a-vulnerable-democratic-senator" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> The Daily Wire</a> reported in October.
Ossoff most recently made waves for his vote against reopening the government, a vote that Republicans will likely lord over him throughout the cycle.
<h3>But Wait, There&#8217;s More&#8230;</h3>
North Carolina’s Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper is set to square off against Republican Michael Whatley. Former Senators John Sununu and Scott Brown are <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ex-gop-senator-enters-highly-competitive-race-in-hopes-to-flip-new-hampshire-red" target="_blank" rel="noopener">duking it out</a> in a New Hampshire primary. Redistricting battles are sure to make house races <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/americas-redistricting-battle-keeps-getting-messier" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spicy</a> in Texas, Indiana, North Carolina, and more. And just for fun, the weirdest scion of the Kennedy family is running alongside about a dozen other Democrats to represent a district in the heart of Zohran Mamdani&#8217;s Manhattan.
It&#8217;s going to be a heck of a cycle. Stick with The Daily Wire, we&#8217;ll be covering it all!

Untitled design (75)

These Are The Most Important Races To Watch In The 2026 Midterms

house

Jon Ossoff

Senate

Susan Collins

WASHINGTON—As lawmakers spend Thanksgiving with their families in their home districts, they’re also taking the opportunity to highlight the accomplishments they’re most grateful to have delivered this year.
House Appropriations Committee Chair Tom Cole’s office released a Thanksgiving “menu” of the year’s “deliverables,” highlighting accomplishments — such as ending what they called the “harmful Democrat-led shutdown.”
“The House Appropriations Committee has been resolute in completing our work, line by line. No shortcuts, no stuffing – just steady FY26 stewardship,&#8221; the menu said. &#8220;No matter the challenge, tight calendar timeline, or work ahead of us, our members delivered through discourse, targeted funding, and America First priorities.&#8221;
Leaning into the Thanksgiving theme, the committee said they have “carved out” a path to regular order, “restored accountability,” and “set the table” for the remaining fiscal year bills.
“I’m thankful that American families can look forward to a more peaceful and affordable holiday season with the government back open and running on all cylinders,” Rep. Hal Rogers (R-KY), Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science said in a statement.
Rogers said families can “breathe a sigh of relief” at the Thanksgiving dinner table this year and credited the “historic tax relief” that they passed into law this year.
This month, the Ways and Means Committee <a href="https://waysandmeans.house.gov/2025/11/17/big-beautiful-success-story-2026-tax-refunds-projected-to-be-largest-ever/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Americans could see an extra $1,000 increase in their tax refund next year — which may be a “record-breaking tax refund season.”
Additionally, the White House shared the <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/11/good-news-you-may-have-missed-everyday-proof-the-trump-agenda-is-delivering/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news</a> that prices for Thanksgiving meals are down over last year, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.
The “menu” included other deliverables, such as all 12 of the House appropriations bills advancing through committee, with three of those bills already signed into law by President Donald Trump.
The three-bill minibus was part of the shutdown-ending deal.
Attention now turns to the remaining bills in the regular appropriations process, which were delayed by the longest shutdown in American history.
“With every FY26 bill reported out of committee, sixty percent of discretionary spending advanced across the House floor, the first conference committee in nearly a decade, and three full-year appropriations bills signed into law by President Trump — we have real, proven momentum,” Cole said in a statement.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) previously <a href="https://x.com/CurtisHouck/status/1973754821858533633?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> it was their goal to complete the normal appropriations process — something Congress has not done “for many years now.”
Rep. Michael Guest (R-MS) said in a statement that passing individual spending bills is “not only the responsible way to govern, but it also restores transparency, stability, and accountability to the budget process.”
He said he was thankful for the work of the committee to “ensure Congress returns to regular order.”
Additionally, the Appropriations Committee reported having “steadfast conservative stewardship amid a 406% increase in Democrat amendment attempts and 228% increase in roll call votes, protecting Republican priorities while advancing FY26 progress.”
Lawmakers highlighted additional items they were grateful for this year from their specific subcommittees.
Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Subcommittee Chairman Judge Carter said he secured a $1.4 billion investment in “major construction projects for VA hospitals and cemeteries so our veterans receive the care they deserve and a final resting place worthy of their sacrifice.”
Legislative Branch Subcommittee Chairman David Valadao said he was grateful that Congress is getting back to “regular order” and was proud that their Legislative Branch bill “strengthens security across the Capitol complex, supports the hardworking sworn officers and staff who keep this institution running, and ensures the Capitol remains open.&#8221;
Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Subcommittee Chairman Chuck Fleischmann said the energy and water bill makes “historic investments in improving our energy independence, strengthening our nuclear security, improving waterways infrastructure nationwide, and securing America’s place as the preeminent global scientific leader.”
He said he believes a “new Golden Age is dawning on America,” and predicts “the best is yet to come.”
“Let us all come together and be thankful for all the blessings God has given America,” Fleischmann said.
Lawmakers also expressed gratitude for service members, veterans, homeland security personnel, firefighters, first responders, staff, constituents, and others.
Many said they’re looking forward to getting back to work after the holiday and watching as the rest of the funding bills make their way across the finish line.
But first: time for some turkey and family.

Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA)

Here’s What Top Republican Lawmakers Are Grateful For This Thanksgiving

House Republicans

Thanksgiving

California Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Tuesday, arguing that the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/eric-swalwell-faces-doj-criminal-probe-over-mortgage-fraud-accusations?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Eric+Swalwell+Faces+DOJ+Criminal+Probe+Over+Mortgage+Fraud+Accusations">accusations of mortgage fraud</a> against him are &#8220;patently false,&#8221; and claiming that the Washington, D.C., home at the center of the allegations is his wife&#8217;s primary residence, not his.
Swalwell argues in the lawsuit that the mortgage and tax fraud accusations are motivated by President Donald Trump&#8217;s desire to &#8220;seek retribution against his political enemies.&#8221; The lawsuit names Bill Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, as a defendant along with the Federal Housing Agency, Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, and Federal National Mortgage Association. Earlier this month, Pulte referred Swalwell to Attorney General Pam Bondi over alleged mortgage and tax fraud related to his home in Washington, D.C.
Swalwell accuses Pulte of abusing his position &#8220;by scouring databases at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac—two government-sponsored enterprises—for the private mortgage records of several prominent Democrats.&#8221;
&#8220;He then used those records to concoct fanciful allegations of mortgage fraud, which he referred to the Department of Justice for prosecution. The target of his most recent criminal referral is Plaintiff Eric Swalwell—one of the President’s most vocal and visible critics in Congress,&#8221; the lawsuit adds.
Swalwell was the fourth Democrat in recent months to face mortgage fraud allegations, after Pulte also sent criminal referrals to the DOJ for Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA), New York Attorney General Letitia James, and Biden-appointed Federal Reserve Board Governor Lisa Cook. The Justice Department is reportedly looking into the handling of the mortgage fraud investigation into Sen. Schiff, and whether the probe was pushed at the behest of Trump administration officials, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-mortgage-fraud-ed-martin-8b29a802d74b90576e0332d610ea99ce">reported</a>.
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Swalwell is accused of claiming his $1.2 million home in the nation&#8217;s capital as his primary residence despite living in California. Claiming the D.C. home as his primary residence would have qualified him for millions of dollars’ worth of loans and refinancing, the New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/11/13/us-news/eric-swalwells-1-2-million-dc-home-target-of-doj-mortgage-fraud-criminal-referral/">reported</a>. Swalwell pushes back against those accusations in the lawsuit, which states that the Democratic congressman &#8220;disclaimed any intent to occupy the District of Columbia home as his primary residence in a sworn affidavit attached to his mortgage agreement.&#8221;
According to the lawsuit, the D.C. home is the primary residence of Swalwell&#8217;s wife, while the congressman remains a permanent resident of California.
&#8220;Pulte’s referral to the Justice Department was not only a gross mischaracterization of reality. It also represented a gross abuse of power that violated the law,&#8221; the suit argues.
Swalwell&#8217;s lawsuit also accuses the Federal Housing Finance Agency of engaging in &#8220;what appeared to be a coordinated leak&#8221; to news outlets and conservatives on social media after details about the allegations against Swalwell &#8220;appeared simultaneously&#8221; as Pulte referred Swalwell to the Justice Department.
The Federal Housing Finance Agency has not responded to a request to comment.
As Swalwell faces a potential federal investigation over mortgage fraud accusations, he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/eric-swalwell-wants-to-get-out-of-d-c-as-mortgage-fraud-scrutiny-intensifies?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Eric+Swalwell+Wants+To+Get+Out+Of+D.C.+As+Mortgage+Fraud+Scrutiny+Intensifies">announced</a> last week that he is running for governor of California. Swalwell announced his run during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel&#8217;s late-night show, saying he would focus on addressing economic issues and pushing back against the Trump administration&#8217;s policies.

Eric Swalwell

Swalwell Sues Trump Official Over Mortgage Fraud Claims, Insists D.C. Home Is His Wife’s

California

Washington D.C.

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Aftyn Behn, the Democrat hopeful for Congress in Tennessee, deleted a radical social media post calling on all white people to get behind abolishing prisons.
“On this Juneteenth, we need less white folks posting Canva graphics and more adopting prison abolition as a political foundation,” Behn, a white woman, said in a deleted post just over a year ago, that is now archived on the <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240619153246/https:/twitter.com/AftynBehn/status/1803450863240757499" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wayback Machine</a>. The post also recommended four books that &#8220;enhanced&#8221; her &#8220;political education.&#8221;
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Behn is running against Republican Matt Van Epps in a deep red district to replace Mark Green, a congressman who resigned earlier this year. Democrats have spent a hefty amount of money and resources to try and drive turnout among Democrats, hoping to pull an upset in a low-turnout contest.
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The deleted post was not Behn&#8217;s only time advocating for the radical policy, which has been embraced by many advocates of so-called &#8220;social justice.&#8221; In an August 2024 article in <a href="https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2024/08/01/candidate-profiles-tennessee-senate-and-house-primary/74623149007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Tennessean</a>, Behn disclosed the same stance on prisons.
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“No, I do not agree with these ‘tough-on-crime’ policies,” she told the publication at the time. &#8220;As a legislator who believes in prison abolition, I am committed to addressing the root causes of crime rather than implementing punitive measures that often perpetuate a cycle of harm.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_1006417" style="width: 980px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1006417" class="size-full wp-image-1006417" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/5927db9b04c5ef7c0d4dbea3edbfe74b0a21f59c594fb19a2ef28888837d0e2a.jpg" alt="" width="970" height="406" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/5927db9b04c5ef7c0d4dbea3edbfe74b0a21f59c594fb19a2ef28888837d0e2a.jpg 970w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/5927db9b04c5ef7c0d4dbea3edbfe74b0a21f59c594fb19a2ef28888837d0e2a-300x126.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/5927db9b04c5ef7c0d4dbea3edbfe74b0a21f59c594fb19a2ef28888837d0e2a-768x321.jpg 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 970px) 100vw, 970px" />Screenshot of Behn&#8217;s deleted post / Daily Wire</div>
Behn’s campaign did not respond to The Daily Wire’s request for comment. The Democrat has taken other controversial stances on crime, including being one of the handful of lawmakers who voted against the death penalty for those convicted of raping a minor, according to <a href="https://www.wkrn.com/news/tennessee-politics/death-penalty-for-child-rapists-clears-final-legislative-hurdle-heads-to-governors-desk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WKRN</a>. Behn raised concerns that if a child was aware that the consequence of the crime for the abuser was the death penalty, it might prevent the minor from reporting the crime.
“You can read testimonies again and again across this state, but the state intervening to kill a human being does nothing to deter the crime,” Behn said on the state House floor in April 2024 while debating the legislation with Republican Rep. William Lamberth.
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The Democrat has also faced scrutiny over a 2020 post in which she praised people who support burning down police stations.
“Good morning, especially to the 54% of Americans that believe burning down a police station is justified,” Behn posted.
Behn declined to respond, saying instead, “I’m not gonna engage in cable news talking points.&#8221;
The Daily Wire reported on her past comments on abortion as well, saying she would be willing to get arrested for her advocacy on the issue.
“We’ll continue to figure out how to get abortion pills to people. So the organizing does not stop just because Roe is overturned,” Behn said in a May 2022 conversation with the Tennessee Holler.
Another podcast clip from 2020 of her went viral, in which she said that she hates Nashville.
“I hate the city, I hate the bachelorettes, I hate the pedal taverns, I hate country music, I hate all of the things that make Nashville apparently an ‘it’ city to the rest of the country. But I hate it,” she said.
Despite her radical positions, she has won the support of prominent Democrats, including former Vice President Kamala Harris and Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett.
President Donald Trump has also waded into the race, endorsing Van Epps.
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“I am asking all America First Patriots in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District, who haven’t voted yet, to please GET OUT AND VOTE for MAGA Warrior Matt Van Epps, tomorrow, November 26th, the last day to vote early in person. You can win this Election for Matt! PLEASE VOTE FOR MATT VAN EPPS, who has my Complete and Total Endorsement,” Trump posted on Tuesday night.
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Tennessee Democrat Aftyn Behn Also Wants To Abolish Prisons

Law Enforcement

Nashville

Police

The ShamWow guy wants to clean up his biggest mess yet: the woke Left. Offer Vince Shlomi, who is best known as the ShamWow infomercial host, filed Friday to run for Congress in Texas as a Republican. &#8220;ShamWow&#8221; is even listed as part of Shlomi&#8217;s official name in the <a href="https://texasgop.org/primary-filing-information/">filing records</a>.
&#8220;I&#8217;m the ShamWow guy,&#8221; Shlomi told The Daily Wire. &#8220;You want a boring politician or an exciting one?&#8221;
Shlomi said he was inspired to run after Charlie Kirk was killed.
&#8220;I feel called to stand on my beliefs and make real change in this world in his honor,&#8221; Shlomi said. &#8220;Charlie Kirk stood for what he believed in and entered himself into the fight, but more powerfully, he encouraged others to do the same.&#8221;
Shlomi admired the way Kirk stood up against &#8220;wokeism.&#8221;
&#8220;I see kids who are happy, and as they get older, they&#8217;re unhappy because they&#8217;re being subjected to wokeism.&#8221;
Shlomi thinks social media algorithms play a big role in that wokeism, something he vows to change if elected.
&#8220;Google, YouTube, and all social media companies need their codes to be open source,&#8221; Shlomi said. &#8220;The algorithms need to be fair and transparent, not biased. Google and YouTube suppress conservative views on [their] platforms and discriminate [against] anything that ridicules their woke ideology.&#8221;
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The 61-year-old is running against incumbent John Carter, as well as five other candidates looking to represent Texas&#8217; 31st District, which covers parts of Austin, Temple, and Fort Hood.
Shlomi&#8217;s campaign slogan is &#8220;Soak the Swamp.&#8221; An ode to ShamWow, the super-absorbent cleaning cloth that Shlomi made a name selling. The ShamWow commercials played throughout the early 2000s.
&#8220;I mean, I took a rag and made millions.&#8221;
The entrepreneur said his &#8220;rags to riches&#8221; experience with ShamWow makes him a natural fit for Congress.
&#8220;I am a great salesman, they say I&#8217;m the GOAT at pitching. I should be a Congressman, pitching bills that improve the Texas 31st constituents&#8217; lives. I&#8217;m not a polished politician, but I wasn&#8217;t polished when I was the pitchman either &#8212; and that&#8217;s why you loved me.&#8221;
His reputation needed a ShamWow cleanup after an incident with an alleged hooker in Miami back in 2009.
Shlomi was arrested for aggravated battery after getting into a fight with a woman at a Miami hotel. Per an <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/businessmain/shamwow-guy-cleans-his-act-8c11094914">NBC News report</a>, Shlomi struck the woman with his fists after she bit his tongue and wouldn&#8217;t let go. Prosecutors didn&#8217;t press charges.
&#8220;I was defending myself, and the public needs to know that,&#8221; Shlomi said. &#8220;It turned into a comedic story and sparked tons of rumors. I own up to the fact that I shouldn&#8217;t have put myself there.&#8221;
ShamWow Shlomi has a year to wipe out his competition for Congress. Election Day is in November 2026.

ShamWow Guy Running For Congress

‘Soak The Swamp’: ShamWow Guy Inspired By Charlie Kirk To Wipe Away Woke Ideology

Republican Party

Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) might jump into the Texas Senate race, which comes as welcome news to some Republicans ahead of the 2026 election.
Crockett, a firebrand who represents a deep blue Dallas-based district, <a href="https://transcripts.cnn.com/show/sotu/date/2025-11-23/segment/01">told</a> Jake Tapper on CNN&#8217;s “State of the Union” that she “will make a final decision by Thanksgiving on whether or not we&#8217;re gonna ultimately move forward.”
“To be perfectly honest, the only reason I’m continuing to consider whether or not I do this is because my polling says I can win. That is the bottom line. But at the end of the day, a poll is a poll,” she said.
“And so you need to actually be able to execute on that. So whether it’s Cornyn or whether it’s Paxton, we feel confident that we can get this done. The thing is, we would obviously prefer to have Paxton,” the congresswoman continued.
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The Republicans have their own closely-watched primary, with incumbent Sen. John Cornyn facing a challenge from Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt. Crockett described the primary on CNN as a “civil war.”
“Texas is the heart of President Trump’s Senate Majority and John Cornyn is ready to take on whichever crazy radical Democrats send his way,” Joanna Rodriguez, National Republican Senatorial Committee Communications Director, said in a statement, as the group is backing the senator.
Paxton spokesperson Nick Maddux told The Daily Wire that “Jasmine Crockett would make a great addition to the Democrat primary.”
If Crockett were to enter the race, she would be facing off in a primary against former Rep. Colin Allred, who lost to Sen. Ted Cruz in 2024, and state Rep. James Talarico.
Cook Political Report ranks the race as “Likely Republican.” The primary elections are on March 3, but if no candidate obtains over 50% of the vote, the top two candidates in each primary will advance to a May 26 runoff election.
The Democratic congresswoman played a key role in advocating for former President Joe Biden and then Vice President Kamala Harris on the 2024 campaign trail, and she was a speaker at the Democratic National Convention.
Crockett gained national attention for a viral moment between her and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene at a committee meeting in 2024, <a href="https://www.fox4news.com/news/dallas-rep-jasmine-crockett-has-no-regrets-on-clash-with-marjorie-taylor-greene-over-fake-eyelashes-insult" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox 4</a> reported at the time.
&#8220;I think your fake eyelashes are messing up what you&#8217;re reading,&#8221; Greene told Crockett, who then referred to the Republican as &#8220;bleach blonde, bad-built butch body.&#8221; Greene announced last week she would be resigning from Congress after a falling out with President Donald Trump. Crockett responded in an <a href="https://x.com/JasmineForUS/status/1992056249202987408">X post</a> that she was surprised by the resignation, &#8220;but the threats that come with being on the opposite side of Trump ARE REAL!&#8221;
&#8220;My final word on this is that my office reached out to MTG’s to work on some member safety legislation. I’m serious about working collaboratively on this effort if there is an interest. We can get it drafted before January,&#8221; the Democrat later added in the post.

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

‘Crazy Radical Democrats’: Republicans Welcome Jasmine Crockett’s Potential Senate Bid

Jasmine Crockett Could Make Major Senate Bid Decision In Coming Days

2026 election

Jasmine Crockett

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