The FBI arrests a suspect linked to the infamous January 6 pipe bomb case, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo ink a peace deal brokered by President Donald Trump, and the border fight goes digital.
It’s Friday, December 5, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day. Today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below, and the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/mrn-251205-member-exclusive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video version</a> can be seen on The Daily Wire:
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">DOJ Says It Finally Caught The J6 Pipe Bomb Suspect</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1010329" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/J6-Pipe-Bomb-Arrest-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/J6-Pipe-Bomb-Arrest-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/J6-Pipe-Bomb-Arrest-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/J6-Pipe-Bomb-Arrest-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/J6-Pipe-Bomb-Arrest-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/J6-Pipe-Bomb-Arrest.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: The FBI has arrested a suspect in the January 5, 2021, pipe bomb case. The arrest comes after five years of investigations into who planted two explosive devices outside the headquarters of the Republican and Democratic parties.
According to the Department of Justice, the election of President Trump marked the start of the search for the suspect in earnest. Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel hammered that point in a press conference on the arrest on Thursday. 
“The FBI, along with U.S Attorney Pirro and all of our prosecutors, have worked tirelessly for months sifting through evidence that had been sitting at the FBI with the Biden administration for four long years,” <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-fWeLzgNyI">said</a> Bondi.
Officials gave much credit to FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino. Even before he was picked to help lead the FBI, Bongino closely followed this case.
“You&#8217;re not going to walk into our capital city, put down two explosive devices, and walk off in the sunset. Not gonna happen. We were gonna track this person to the end of the earth,” said Bongino on Tuesday.
The suspect: U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said Brian Cole Jr., of Woodbridge, Virginia, will be charged with “transporting an explosive device” and “attempted malicious destruction by means of explosive materials.”
Officials refrained from giving many more specifics on the case. At the time of the press conference, the search at Cole’s house hadn’t even concluded.
Charging <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.287327/gov.uscourts.dcd.287327.1.1.pdf">documents</a> released Thursday gave a few more details. Law enforcement said it reviewed Cole’s credit card activity and found that he purchased components consistent with the materials needed to make the bombs between 2018 and 2020. They also reviewed Cole’s cell phone data, which showed him in the area around the RNC and DNC headquarters on January 5. They also caught Cole’s car, a 2017 Nissan Sentra, on a license plate reader about half a mile from where the bombs were placed.
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">Peace In The Congo And Senate War Crime Hearing</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1010331" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/From-D.C.-With-Peace-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/From-D.C.-With-Peace-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/From-D.C.-With-Peace-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/From-D.C.-With-Peace-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/From-D.C.-With-Peace-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/From-D.C.-With-Peace.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: President Trump hosted African leaders on Thursday for the signing of yet another peace deal, as military leaders testified before Congress regarding recent airstrikes on alleged drug smuggling boats.
Peace president: Trump hosted leaders from Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo–two countries that have been engaged in a bloody conflict for more than a decade. But on Thursday, after negotiations brokered by the president, the two countries signed on to the Washington Accords, which will create a “permanent ceasefire.”
Under the agreement, Rwanda will remove all of its troops from Congolese territory, and both sides will cut off all support to militia groups operating there. The presidents of Rwanda and Congo were complimentary of Trump, crediting him with the peace agreement they both signed
“I would like to express, quite solemnly, our deep thanks to the President of the United States of America, Mr. Donald Trump. I would like to thank his administration, and I also wish to thank the American people,” Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1996650157052776787?s=20">said</a>.
What’s in it for the United States? Despite being among the poorest countries on earth, both Congo and Rwanda are home to enormous deposits of rare-earth minerals. Congo, in particular, is the world’s largest producer of Cobalt and the second largest producer of copper. Trump helped move the deal along by <a href="https://x.com/TabZLIVE/status/1996648347403477443?s=20">promising</a> that, with economic development spurred on by the United States, “everybody’s going to make a lot of money.”
War crime or hoax? Congress is moving full speed ahead on its investigation of the strikes against alleged drug boats in the Caribbean. On Thursday, Congress heard closed-door testimony from Adm. Frank Bradley, who oversaw the operation, and reportedly claimed he was given no orders to kill survivors, contradicting that Washington Post report.
Members were also shown footage of the attack. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) said it proved the two survivors were “trying to flip a boat loaded with drugs bound for the United States back over so they could stay in the fight.”
Democrat members, though, had a very different take. Connecticut Democratic Rep. Jim Himes said it showed “the United States military attacking shipwrecked sailors.”
President Trump said he would support making that footage public.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">The Immigration Information War</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1010333" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/ICE-Fact-Checks-Back-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/ICE-Fact-Checks-Back-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/ICE-Fact-Checks-Back-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/ICE-Fact-Checks-Back-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/ICE-Fact-Checks-Back-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/ICE-Fact-Checks-Back.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: As the Trump administration ramps up its immigration crackdown following the attack in Washington, D.C. by an Afghan national, it’s also fighting a PR battle against the Democrats and legacy media outlets.
Kilmar Abrego-Garcia was just the tip of the iceberg. Since the large-scale deportations began, Democrats and media personalities have glommed onto the stories of any illegal aliens that tug at the heartstrings. Whether or not the story is true does not appear to figure into their calculus.
A recent example is CBS News anchor Margaret Brennan. She claimed that nearly half, 48%, of the illegal aliens currently being detained by ICE are being held without any charges or deportation orders. 
But DHS fact-checked the claim. It says this is simply “WRONG,” and that about 70% of illegal aliens arrested “have pending criminal charges or criminal convictions.” They then pressed the outlet, asking, “Does CBS really want us to release accused murderers and rapists back on the streets?”
Democrats weigh in: Democratic lawmakers are painting the administration as reckless and tyrannical.
A recent example is Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), who referred to federal agents as kidnappers and parroted a story about a teen taken into custody at school.
But DHS pushed back on him as well, saying he’s “missing the facts.”
“This 17-year-old used his vehicle to violently ATTACK ICE and Border Patrol agents,” the agency posted. It included a timeline of events that identified the teen as an American citizen — but also identified him as a suspect who had allegedly attacked and impeded federal law enforcement officers.
Another Democratic senator from Maryland, Chris Van Hollen, recently responded to the news that a nail salon owner in his state was set to be deported to Vietnam. He said that “Melissa Tran came here on a Green Card at age 11. She’s since raised four kids, started a business, &amp; is a beloved member of the Hagerstown community.”
But as DHS noted, Van Hollen was “omitting some pesky facts.” The nail salon owner in question had “criminal convictions including grand larceny, multiple counts of forgery and fraud.” In fact, an immigration judge issued her a final order of removal way back in 2004. ICE arrested her in May.

MRN_251204_V1

Morning Brief: J6 Pipe Bomb Breakthrough & Trump Brokers More Peace

Congo

Democratic Party

Department of Justice

Donald Trump

Immigration

Morning Wire

Republican Party

Rwanda

Aftyn Behn, the Democratic congressional candidate for Tennessee’s 7th District, once had recurring dreams in which she screamed, “I don’t want children. I want power!”
In an audio clip posted online on Monday, Behn can be heard speaking about her sessions with her therapist and dreams she has had. She connects the dreams back to advice her mother gave her to forgo children in order to focus on a career. It was not immediately clear when the audio clip was recorded.
“My therapist always asks me to transcribe my dreams when they happen, and the recurring dream I&#8217;ve had is standing up in a cafeteria full of women – I don&#8217;t know why I was there or whatever – and saying, ‘I don&#8217;t want children. I want power!’ And just screaming it at the top of my lungs,” Behn can be heard saying.
“For someone who grew up with my mother telling me, never have kids because you will, you know, you&#8217;ll have to give up a lot. You&#8217;ll have to sacrifice professionally,” she continued.
Behn said that the political field has not “met the challenge of working moms” and added that those women who do choose marriage and a family are in “deeply patriarchal structures.”
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“I think in the South, it&#8217;s incredibly difficult to shake those [patriarchal structures], especially if you&#8217;ve grown up here and that all you&#8217;ve been told is the definition of success, the metrics of success is how many kids you have, the bigger the square footage of your house, and where your kids go to school,” Behn said.
<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>
Behn, currently serving as a state representative in Tennessee, has a history of controversial comments that have undermined her campaign to represent Tennessee’s 7th District in the U.S. Congress. In another clip discovered and posted last week, the Democratic candidate said she hated the city she is running to represent.
“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 <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/music-city-fumble-dem-candidate-said-she-hates-city-she-wants-to-represent-in-congress">said</a>.
She later said that she was only venting frustrations about the tourism that comes to Nashville.
Behn is running against Republican Matt Van Epps in a special election to replace former Rep. Mark Green. The election is scheduled to be held early next week.

Aftyn Behn

Tennessee Dem Candidate Aftyn Behn: ‘I Don’t Want Children. I Want Power!’

Aftyn Behn: ‘I Don’t Want Children. I Want Power!’

Elections

Politics

Tennessee

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggested that Republicans should end the filibuster if the Democrats attempt to once again shut down the government in January.
Speaking with Kristen Welker of NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, Bessent was asked about the viability of ending the filibuster.
“You call for an end to the filibuster. In the past, leader Thune has said that it&#8217;s just not happening. There aren&#8217;t the votes. Mr. Secretary, do you believe that you have enough votes, that the president has enough votes to get rid of the filibuster?” Welker asked.
Bessent responded, saying that his editorial, which was published in The Washington Post on Sunday, was designed to “put the Senate on notice.”
“The Democrats kept the government shut down — and Ezra Klein in The New York Times took the mask off. He said this wasn&#8217;t about health care; this was about stopping totalitarianism. The Democrats haven&#8217;t been able to stop President Trump in the courts; they haven&#8217;t been able to stop him in the media, so they had to harm the American people — 1.5% hit to GDP, $11 billion permanent hit. They don&#8217;t care. So I believe that Senate Democrats, if Senate Democrats close the government again, Senate Republicans should immediately abrogate the filibuster,” the Treasury secretary stated.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecScottBessent?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecScottBessent</a>: &#8220;If Senate Democrats close the government again [on January 30], then Senate Republicans should immediately abrogate the filibuster.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/IXTzdKMDwN">https://t.co/IXTzdKMDwN</a> <a href="https://t.co/XqJNXuJeNo">pic.twitter.com/XqJNXuJeNo</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1992611413903159675?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
In his Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/11/23/scott-bessent-treasury-senate-republicans-filibuster/">editorial</a>, Bessent laid out the history of the filibuster, arguing that it is a relic that no longer serves its intended purpose. “Today, the minority party can abuse the filibuster to the point of rendering the Senate almost useless as a deliberative body,” he wrote.
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“Some Republicans hesitate to end the filibuster out of fear that Democrats will one day use that same power against them,” Bessent noted. “But Democrats will use that power against them whether Republicans end the filibuster or not. GOP senators who defend the filibuster are ignoring basic game theory. As the classic prisoner’s dilemma shows us, in a repeated game, the player who always cooperates while the opponent who always betrays is doomed to lose.”

President Trump Signs Executive Order In The Oval Office

Bessent: Republicans Must Nuke Filibuster If Dems Attempt Shutdown Again

Congress

Filibuster

Government Shutdown

Scott Bessent

U.S. Senate

Democrat Virgin Islands Del. Stacey Plaskett claimed on Tuesday that she was texting convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during a 2019 hearing because he was a &#8220;constituent&#8221; and not, at the time, under federal investigation.
It was recently revealed that Plaskett was texting Epstein in real-time during a congressional hearing with former Trump attorney-turned-adversary Michael Cohen. Epstein was texting Plaskett information to seemingly go after President Donald Trump. 
“I got a text from Jeffrey Epstein, who at the time was my constituent,&#8221; Plaskett <a href="https://x.com/greg_price11/status/1990899465318785072">said</a>, defending herself on Tuesday. &#8220;[It] was not public knowledge at that time that he was under federal investigation, and &#8230; was sharing information with me.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
STACEY PLASKETT: “I got a text from Jeffrey Epstein, who at the time was my constituent. It was not public knowledge at that time that he was under federal investigation.&#8221;
It was, however, a full 11 years after he was first arrested for child sex crimes. <a href="https://t.co/WcUZ1BPR4g">pic.twitter.com/WcUZ1BPR4g</a>
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) <a href="https://twitter.com/greg_price11/status/1990899465318785072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
During the hearing, Epstein told Plaskett to question Cohen about the president’s former executive assistant. Plaskett notably frets over not understanding the person&#8217;s name and tells Epstein that she&#8217;s &#8220;up next.&#8221;
Minutes after Plaskett brings up the assistant&#8217;s name as she was told, Epstein texts Plaskett, “Good work.&#8221;
&#8220;New Epstein files show [Stacey Plaskett] got real-time help via text messages from Jeffrey Epstein on how to hurt Trump during 2019 congressional hearing with former Trump attorney,&#8221; journalist Michael Shellenberger <a href="https://x.com/shellenberger/status/1989514904647471239">captioned</a> video of the newly uncovered incident.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
New Epstein files show Rep. <a href="https://twitter.com/StaceyPlaskett?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@StaceyPlaskett</a> got real-time help via text messages from Jeffrey Epstein on how to hurt Trump during 2019 congressional hearing with former Trump attorney. Plaskett is the person who smeared us during Twitter Files hearing &amp; falsely accused <a href="https://twitter.com/mtaibbi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mtaibbi</a> <a href="https://t.co/U0mzrfNuTC">pic.twitter.com/U0mzrfNuTC</a>
— Michael Shellenberger (@shellenberger) <a href="https://twitter.com/shellenberger/status/1989514904647471239?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
The same day as Plaskett&#8217;s jarring defense of her actions, the House rejected a Democrat bid to stop a resolution to censure Plaskett.
“Delegate Plaskett’s willingness to receive instructions on official congressional proceedings from Epstein, a convicted felony sex offender with deeply concerning international associations, is especially alarming and inappropriate given her own past service in the U.S. Department of Justice and her current role on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence,” the resolution, which was introduced by GOP Rep. Ralph Norman (SC), reads.
The resolution will likely be considered sometime this week.
“Jeffrey Epstein was a predator who exploited minors,&#8221; Norman <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/11/18/us-news/gop-effort-to-censure-dem-plaskett-for-texting-epstein-survives-first-house-vote/">said</a>. &#8220;The idea that any Member of Congress would coordinate with him on official proceedings is beyond comprehension.&#8221;
&#8220;This was not casual contact,&#8221; he added. &#8220;These were deliberate communications that shaped part of a hearing designed to attack President Trump. It raises serious questions about judgment, integrity, and fitness to serve.”
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-to-vote-on-epstein-files-transparency-act?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Amber+Jo+Cooper&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Senate+Unanimously+Votes+To+Release+The+Epstein+Files%2C+Sending+Bill+To+Trump’s+Desk">Senate Unanimously Votes To Release The Epstein Files, Sending Bill To Trump’s Desk</a>

US-POLITICS-USPS-MAIL

Democrat Who Texted Epstein Asking For Trump Dirt Gives Patently Insane Excuse

Jeffrey Epstein

“Socialism is not a dirty word anymore!” former Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) yelled the night of November 4.
Bowman joined noted leftists Mehdi Hasan and Hasan Piker in an election night stream from Zohran Mamdani’s victory party. Mamdani, a 34-year-old socialist, had just won election as mayor of the most populous city in the United States.
The Democratic Party’s left flank is increasingly boxing out more moderate members to follow the lead of progressives, as seen in the government shutdown or in helping progressives and self-described socialists secure influential positions, one GOP political strategist told The Daily Wire.
“Progressives are fired up and the establishment Dems are trying to do as much as they can to capture it. I mean, a cynical person might say that the government shut down so Abigail Spanberger could win Virginia, right?” the strategist said. “I think that the only reason why the establishment Dems … picked such a difficult battle for them to win policy-wise in the shutdown is to make sure that their progressive comrades are not able to criticize them as much, and that means that the progressives are the tail that is wagging the dog right now.”
The progressive dominance is starkly evident in Maine. Democratic Rep. Jared Golden is known for regularly breaking with his party, sometimes on key votes. He was the only Democrat to vote with House Republicans to pass a short-term continuing resolution to head off the government shutdown that stretched a record 40 days.
Golden announced on November 5, the day after Mamdani’s victory, that he would forgo a run at re-election in 2026.
“I’m confident that were I to run again, I would win,” said Golden in a <a href="https://x.com/golden4congress/status/1986163261696278844">statement</a>. “Now, I look forward to my next chapter: raising my young daughters with Izzy and spending more time with our family and friends.”
The now-outgoing congressman abandoned his re-election campaign as he was facing significant pressure from his left from Democrat Matt Dunlap, Maine’s former secretary of state. When Dunlap announced his primary challenge to Golden last month, Dunlap’s first move was to <a href="https://www.mainepublic.org/politics/2025-10-06/former-maine-secretary-of-state-matt-dunlap-launches-primary-challenge-against-jared-golden">characterize</a> Golden as too soft on President Donald Trump.
Dunlap appears to have resonated with voters in Maine’s second district. In a University of New Hampshire <a href="https://scholars.unh.edu/survey_center_polls/897/">poll</a> released last month, Dunlap was leading the incumbent, Golden.
That same poll also showed another progressive Democrat in Maine, Graham Platner, leading the field for the chance to challenge Republican Sen. Susan Collins. Maine Governor Janet Mills, known in the state as a more moderate Democrat despite her combative streak with Trump, <a href="https://www.realclearpolling.com/latest-polls/senate">trails</a> far behind Platner.
Platner is an Iraq War veteran, an oyster farmer, and the harbormaster of the small town of Sullivan. He has a history of <a href="https://mainemorningstar.com/2025/11/07/washington-need-not-apply-how-mainers-are-evaluating-controversy-laden-graham-platner/">working</a> with the climate alarmist Acadia Center, and he has secured endorsements from high-profile progressives, including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).
Last month, he was revealed to have a tattoo of a Nazi symbol, a skull-and-crossbones known as a Totenkopf, on his chest. He <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMnc4ddc7j4">clarified</a> he is “not a secret Nazi” and claimed that he had not known where the symbol originated until the scandal blew up. Some doubt about Platner’s story is warranted, though, since a <a href="https://jewishinsider.com/2025/10/graham-platner-ss-tattoo-maine-senate/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> that the candidate had been referring to his tattoo as a Totenkopf as early as 2012.
Platner’s online history has come up in the campaign, as well. In 2020 and 2021, Platner was in internet posts claiming to be a “communist” while using racist language and gay slurs. While he has called the posts “indefensible,” he has also dismissed them as unserious and jokes.
Platner’s campaign has <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/maines-graham-platner-thinks-voters-will-overlook-his-past-to-support-a-new-type-of-candidate">imploded</a> in recent weeks with multiple high-level departures, including his treasurer and finance director. Platner’s former campaign manager left after four days, excusing the early departure by saying his wife is pregnant. Separately, Platner’s campaign has required staff members to sign nondisclosure agreements, which the candidate has said is necessary in a high-stakes election.
Despite the upheaval, Platner’s political allies, including Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez, have stood by the embattled Platner, showing just how durable support can be among the progressives’ favored candidates.
“One reason for that is it&#8217;s very clear that the base is furious, riled up, ready to support candidates that they wouldn&#8217;t have in the past,” whether for personal or policy reasons, said the GOP strategist, who has worked in Maine politics for more than a decade.
Progressives were reassured recently that voters may not punish them for standing by Platner. In Virginia, Democrats’ pick for state attorney general, Jay Jones, won the election to the office despite past text messages he sent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/read-them-virginia-dem-sent-shocking-texts-about-killing-gop-leader-pissing-on-graves">supporting</a> violence against his political opponents and their families.
Jones’ victory in Virginia is “a sad reflection of a discomfiting willingness among voters to prioritize partisanship over human decency,” as The Washington Post editorial board <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/11/03/virginia-election-governor-spanberger-sears-jay-jones/">wrote</a> ahead of the November 4 election.

Graham Platner

‘The Tail Wagging The Dog’: Progressives Dominate Democratic Politics In Maine And Beyond

Maine

Susan Collins

Zohran Mamdani

Comedian and HBO host Bill Maher predicted on Friday that New York City&#8217;s mayor-elect — who identifies as a Democratic socialist — may be &#8220;the future of the party,&#8221; just not the party most people might think.
Maher argued that Mamdani, who ran for office and was elected as a Democrat, would likely promote policies that would ultimately do more to boost the Republican Party than the Democratic Party.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/TheDemocrats?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheDemocrats</a> must recognize that Zohran Mamdani is the party&#8217;s future, but unfortunately, it&#8217;s the Republican Party. <a href="https://t.co/XTgr0YNULa">pic.twitter.com/XTgr0YNULa</a>
— Bill Maher (@billmaher) <a href="https://twitter.com/billmaher/status/1989549473601880067?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;New rule,&#8221; Maher began. &#8220;Democrats must recognize that Zohran Mamdani is the future of the party — unfortunately, it&#8217;s the Republican Party.&#8221;
There was a long pause then, followed by uncomfortable laughter.
&#8220;Get it?&#8221; Maher asked, and the laughs picked up volume. &#8220;And if you missed his victory speech in last week&#8217;s mayoral election in New York, don&#8217;t worry: you&#8217;ll see it in every attack ad for the next two years.&#8221;
Maher went on to say that he did not have any personal beef with the democratic socialist — but he wasn&#8217;t so keen on joining his party in its increasingly-rapid slide into the full-on embrace of socialism, and he didn&#8217;t see it succeeding in the United States.
&#8220;But before the whole left side of the country catches socialism fever, let&#8217;s listen to the other big winner in last Tuesday&#8217;s election, Virginia Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger — who, before the &#8217;24 election, said things like, &#8216;If the party didn&#8217;t shift to the center, we will get f***ing torn apart,'&#8221; Maher continued. &#8220;And, &#8216;We need to never use the word socialist or socialism ever again.&#8217; Well, she was right, but they didn&#8217;t listen. Typical. Am I right, ladies?&#8221;
Maher then pointed out that the younger generations felt like they&#8217;d been failed by capitalism. &#8220;They&#8217;re quiet-quitting capitalism and texting socialism that they&#8217;re &#8216;down to f***.&#8217; The thing is, socialism will f*** you because socialism, to put it simply, just doesn&#8217;t work and has never worked. Like Kevin Federline.&#8221;
&#8220;I know the kids think that stuff that happened before their appearance on the planet didn&#8217;t really happen, but it did,&#8221; Maher added, referencing the failures and accompanying death toll of socialism. &#8220;We&#8217;ve run this experiment many times, and the results are always obvious.&#8221;
The results, he explained by citing Venezuela as an example, were almost always the same: wealthy, developed nations rapidly descending into chaos and widespread poverty.
&#8220;If you think New York can somehow reinvent this wheel, you&#8217;re in for a rude awokening,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Zohran can&#8217;t make your wishes come true. You&#8217;re thinking of Zoltar. Democratic socialism is like a dating profile: things look great until you meet up in the real world.&#8221;

Bill Maher

Bill Maher: Zohran Mamdani Is The Party’s Future. The Republican Party, That Is.

Media

New York City

NewsNation host Chris Cuomo warned on Wednesday that some of the intra-party dynamics he&#8217;d seen among Democrats — both during and immediately following the government shutdown — had led him to believe he was witnessing the end of the Democratic Party.
Cuomo delivered the assessment — along with some of the evidence he&#8217;d weighed to get there — in a short monologue, saying that he believed the far Left was quickly taking over the reins of power and the moderates would soon be forced out entirely.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨NEW: Chris Cuomo: &#8220;I think the Democratic Party, as we know it, is about to end.&#8221;<a href="https://twitter.com/DailyCaller?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DailyCaller</a> <a href="https://t.co/GmnuVnrAwk">pic.twitter.com/GmnuVnrAwk</a>
— Jason Cohen 🇺🇸 (@JasonJournoDC) <a href="https://twitter.com/JasonJournoDC/status/1988780347870572913?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;I&#8217;m not impressed by the history of this being the longest government shutdown, it&#8217;s a regrettable history,&#8221; he began. &#8220;I think this is a historic moment for another reason: I think the Democratic Party, as we know it, is about to end. I think that this is the birth of the new Left.&#8221;
Cuomo went on to point out the comments that came from House members on the far Left as it became clear that enough Senate Democrats would vote with Republicans to end the shutdown, and suggested that when they were willing to call out members of their own party as &#8220;traitors,&#8221; the eventual split was inevitable.
&#8220;I think the reason that you see so many high-profile Democrats, especially in the House, accusing the Democratic senators for ending the shutdown of basically being traitors,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;Did you hear AOC? She was literally accusing them of a conspiracy, and she said, &#8216;in exchange for nothing.&#8217; It&#8217;s really interesting to me. It makes so little sense on the merits that I have to believe it&#8217;s a ploy.&#8221;
Cuomo pointed out that it would essentially be a losing argument to claim they should have kept the shutdown going despite the increasing number of Americans suffering from its impact.
&#8220;That&#8217;s not an easy thing to want more of,&#8221; he added. &#8220;So was there some deal on the table that we don&#8217;t know about?&#8221;
If not, he argued, &#8220;What this really is, is a line in the sand for them. That we&#8217;re not with them anymore.&#8221;
Cuomo went on to argue that &#8220;capitulation&#8221; from the party in the majority — in this case, the Republicans — &#8220;has never happened&#8221; when it was the minority party keeping the government shut down and making demands.
&#8220;I get why you would want to believe that something could happen,&#8221; he added, tying in the Democratic socialists as he explained that the only logical conclusion was a fairly simple one: &#8220;They want to divide the party. They want maybe to blow up the party, get new leaders, and a new direction.&#8221;

2017 Turner Upfront

Chris Cuomo: Shutdown Dynamics Herald The Democratic Party’s Demise

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Chris Cuomo

Democratic Socialism

Democratic lawmakers are targeting Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) after eight senators defected from his caucus to push forward a deal to end the government shutdown.
On Sunday, seven Democratic senators and one independent, Sen. Angus King, who caucuses with Democrats, joined Republicans to push forward a deal that would end the record shutdown. Schumer voted against the measure, but his vote has not protected him from critics on the Left who say that the deal has exposed Schumer’s inability to lead.
“Senator Schumer is no longer effective and should be replaced. If you can’t lead the fight to stop healthcare premiums from skyrocketing for Americans, what will you fight for?” Rep. Ro Khanna of California <a href="https://x.com/RoKhanna/status/1987704522391630139">posted</a> on X.
“Don’t endorse or say who you voted for in NYC despite there being a Dem candidate. Get Dem Senators to negotiate a terrible ‘deal’ that does nothing real about healthcare. Screw over a national political party,” Rep. Mark Pocan of Wisconsin said in an X <a href="https://x.com/MarkPocan/status/1987727713474420761">post</a>, referring to Schumer. “Profile of scourge? Next.”
“Tonight is another example of why we need new leadership. If [Schumer] were an effective leader, he would have united his caucus to vote ‘No’ tonight and hold the line on healthcare. Maybe now [Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts] will finally join me in pledging not to vote for Schumer?” Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, who is running for U.S. Senate, <a href="https://x.com/MarkPocan/status/1987727713474420761">posted</a> on Sunday night.
“Chuck Schumer has not met this moment and Senate Democrats would be wise to move on from his leadership,” wrote Rep. Mark Levin of California in a <a href="https://x.com/MikeLevin/status/1987905484100112871">post</a> on X.
Democratic contenders vying for a spot in the next Congress have echoed the calls as well, including Graham Platner, who is running to unseat GOP Sen. Susan Collins in Maine, and Saikat Chakrabarti, who is running for retiring Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s seat, according to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2025/nov/10/us-government-shutdown-record-donald-trump-syria-president-ahmed-al-sharaa-rudy-giuliani-pardon-politics-live-news-updates?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-691237948f08d3736687b5e9#block-691237948f08d3736687b5e9">The Guardian</a>.
The Democratic senators who joined King in pushing forward the deal to end the shutdown are Catherine Cortez Masto, Dick Durbin, John Fetterman, Maggie Hassan, Tim Kaine, Jacky Rosen, and Jeanne Shaheen. But Schumer has borne the brunt of the criticism despite voting against the measure.
“Democrats have been fighting for months to address America&#8217;s healthcare crisis,” Schumer said in a <a href="https://x.com/SenSchumer/status/1987710257053790574">post</a> on X Sunday night. “We will keep fighting.”

Chuck Schumer

Democrats Roast Chuck Schumer Over Shutdown Deal: ‘We Need New Leadership’

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Sunday that all it would take for SNAP users to receive their benefits would be for five Democrats to “cross the aisle and reopen the government.”
Appearing on CNN’s “State of the Union” with Jake Tapper, Bessent was asked about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) crisis impacting 42 million Americans.
After noting that President Trump needs to “hear from the courts” on a potential use of contingency funds to supplement SNAP as the government shutdown wears on, Bessent said the ball is in Democrats’ court.
“As you know, the best way for SNAP benefits to get paid is for Democrats, five Democrats, to cross the aisle and reopen the government, right?” the Treasury Secretary said.
“But there is this contingency fund, and as recently as September 30, the Agricultural Department had a memo saying that these funds, the contingency funds, I think it&#8217;s about $5 or $6 billion, could be used to pay these benefits — now it&#8217;d only be two or three weeks, but that&#8217;s a lot for people who need the who need the food,” Tapper said.
Bessent again noted that Trump is waiting on the courts, but “Democrats are in the middle of a civil war, and they should just open the government. That is the easiest way to do this.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Sec. Scott Bessent: &#8220;The best way for SNAP benefits to get paid is for five Democrats to cross the aisle and reopen the government.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/nUrGHGcTCe">pic.twitter.com/nUrGHGcTCe</a>
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) <a href="https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/1984989657784816067?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Tapper pressed Bessent on the courts: “Is the administration going to appeal the ruling by the judge? Is that what you mean by the courts need to weigh in, because the courts have weighed in.”
“No, but there&#8217;s a process that has to be followed, so we’ve got to figure out what the process is. President Trump wants to make sure that people get their food benefits,” Bessent replied.
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When asked if it could be accomplished by Wednesday, Bessent responded: “Could be — and five Democratic senators could cross the aisle and open the government by Wednesday.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on if the Trump Administration will use emergency funds to cover SNAP benefits.
BESSENT: &#8220;There&#8217;s a process that has to be followed. So, we got to figure out what the process is. President Trump wants to make sure that people get their food… <a href="https://t.co/MpyTqQBktq">pic.twitter.com/MpyTqQBktq</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1984992770700837072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Bessent Blasts Dems On SNAP Crisis: ‘Cross The Aisle And Reopen Government’

Food Stamps

Democrat gubernatorial candidate Mikie Sherrill said she would push for New Jersey classrooms to mandate LGBTQ curriculum with no parental opt-out if she were to become governor.
Sherrill made the comments during a primary debate in May, but the controversial remarks have resurfaced in the days leading up to the New Jersey gubernatorial election between Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciattarelli on November 4.
“I believe that parents have the right to oversee their children’s education,” Sherrill said. “I would push an LGBTQ education into our schools. Parents have a right to opt out of a lot of things, but this is not an area where they should be opting out, because this is an area of understanding the background of people throughout our nation.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Mikie Sherrill says children should have to learn LGBT curriculum and parents should not be able to opt-out their children.
This is deranged. Sherrill wants to push gender ideology onto your kids.
Vote Jack Ciattarelli.<a href="https://t.co/pUdvIRzOpe">pic.twitter.com/pUdvIRzOpe</a>
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) <a href="https://twitter.com/Bubblebathgirl/status/1983398182341226801?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
Notably, Sherrill has also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/top-nj-political-arm-backing-dem-gov-candidate-hosts-woke-drag-event-for-teachers">refused to condemn</a> the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) for its promotion of woke drag culture inside the classroom for state public school educators. The story was first covered by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/top-nj-political-arm-backing-dem-gov-candidate-hosts-woke-drag-event-for-teachers">The Daily Wire</a> on Monday.
The NJEA is behind one of the <a href="https://elec.nj.gov/pdffiles/elec_tronic/elec_tronic_2025/elec_tronic_issue183_042025.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">top-spending</a> political groups in the state and strongly endorsed Sherrill last month. In the days following the election, the NJEA is set to host an event to celebrate “the vibrant world of drag” for public school teachers.
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The event, called “<a href="https://njeaconvention.njea.org/njea-consortium/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Drag is not a Crime: The Past, Present, and Future of Drag</a>,” is part of the NJEA Consortium <a href="https://learning.njea.org/consortium/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">program</a>, an initiative to boost diversity, equity, and inclusion, with a focus on minority communities in K-12 classrooms across New Jersey.
The Ciattarelli campaign, however, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/top-nj-political-arm-backing-dem-gov-candidate-hosts-woke-drag-event-for-teachers">told</a> The Daily Wire that the NJEA and Sherrill don’t care about education and teachers. “Drag might not be a crime, but looking the other way while 80% of third graders in some of New Jersey’s schools can’t read at grade level should be,” a campaign strategist for Ciattarelli said.
“The NJEA and far-left politicians like Mikie Sherrill could care less about education or teachers,” the statement continued. “The NJEA’s core mission is preserving political power, pushing an extreme ‘woke’ agenda on young children, and propping up out-of-touch politicians like Mikie Sherrill who vote against parental rights.”
“When Jack Ciattarelli is Governor, parents are back in charge and the NJEA is in timeout,” the strategist added.
Ciattarelli responded to the report on X, too, posting, &#8220;I’m all about live and let live, but why are drag queens a featured event at a public school teacher’s conference and what does it have to do with educating our children?! This is Mikie Sherrill’s NJ, not mine.&#8221;
&#8220;When I’m Governor, we’re getting back to the basics in our public school curriculum, leaving all this other subject matter to the kitchen table where it belongs &#8211; where parents can decide if and when to discuss with their children,&#8221; he added. &#8220;It’s time!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
New Jersey’s <a href="https://twitter.com/Jack4NJ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Jack4NJ</a> reacts to our <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDailyWire</a> story from Monday, on <a href="https://twitter.com/MikieSherrill?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MikieSherrill</a>’s largest donor the NJEA hosting a DRAG event for teachers two days after the election.
The election is in less than a week.
Read it here: <a href="https://t.co/NtZOxgDigX">https://t.co/NtZOxgDigX</a> <a href="https://t.co/2p0oYbbEVW">pic.twitter.com/2p0oYbbEVW</a>
— Brent Scher (@BrentScher) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrentScher/status/1983724711021551989?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
The race between Sherrill and Ciattarelli has only tightened in the days leading up the election, with some polls showing a statistical tie.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/top-nj-political-arm-backing-dem-gov-candidate-hosts-woke-drag-event-for-teachers">NJ’s Top Teacher Union, A Massive Donor To Mikie Sherrill, Set To Host Woke Drag Event For Teachers</a>

Screenshot 2025-10-30 at 2.59.44 PM

Dem Gov Candidate Mikie Sherrill Says She’d Mandate LGBTQ Content In NJ Classrooms

LGBTQ

New Jersey

The consequences of the government shutdown rear their ugly heads, a congressional hearing to examine the origins of political violence, and Trump continues his Asia tour as the Left melts down over his East Wing renovations.
It’s Tuesday, October 28, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day. Today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below, and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/mrn-251028">the video version can be seen on The Daily Wire</a>:
<iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shutdown-fallout-mounts-congress-probes-political-violence/id1576594336?i=1000733841804" height="175" frameborder="0" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Government Shutdown Repercussions</h2>
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Topline: The government shutdown is dragging on, and pressure is mounting on Democrats to end it.
About 13,000 air traffic controllers are set to miss their first paycheck on Tuesday, which is bound to make a bad situation significantly worse. Some reports say air traffic controllers are taking second jobs as DoorDash drivers to supplement their income.
Roughly 18,700 flights were delayed on Sunday. On Monday, more than 3,000 flights were delayed, and more than 100 were canceled. Airports have become a flash point of the shutdown. Air traffic controllers and TSA agents were some of the first employees to see their pay disrupted, and Americans are generally united in hating flight delays.
Uh-oh, Democrats: A couple of major airline pilot unions last week called for an end to the shutdown, and that turned out to be only a precursor of what was to come. Now, the largest union representing 800,000 federal workers, the American Federation of Government Employees, has issued a statement calling for the Senate to pass a continuing resolution to end the shutdown.
Union President Everett Kelley said it&#8217;s time for leaders to focus on solving problems for the American people rather than on who is going to get the blame for the shutdown. He is calling for back pay for every single employee who has been forced to stay home.
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AFGE is a Democratic stalwart. It pushed to stop the Trump administration from making federal workers return to the office, it endorsed Joe Biden for president, and just last week, it blamed Trump and congressional Republicans for keeping the government closed. But while this statement doesn’t lay the blame on one party in particular, the union calls for a clean CR, which Republicans have put forward over a dozen times and Democrats keep rejecting.
Oh SNAP: In addition to flight delays and organized labor turning against them, Democrats also have to contend with the fact that food stamps benefits will lapse starting on Friday.
The expiration of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will impact 40 million people. House Majority Whip Tom Emmer said on Monday that not only is this affecting airports, but that some states, such as his own, will now have to be forced to cut off SNAP benefits—an example of SNAP becoming one of the big talking points this week.
Food stamps are not an explicitly partisan issue, and lawmakers from both parties will have to explain this disruption in benefits to their constituents. Democrats are working to shift the blame to Republicans. The California Department of Social Services is texting residents, blaming the imminent SNAP disruption on Trump and the GOP.
Republicans dismissed the attack, as California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom is using taxpayer money to spread political propaganda. But each new disruption is likely going to hit Democrats harder than Republicans, increasing the likelihood that some members of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s caucus break ranks in the coming days.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Hearing On Politically Violent Attacks</h2>
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Topline: The assassination of Charlie Kirk has prompted a congressional hearing for Tuesday, organized by Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO), on &#8220;Politically Violent Attacks.” The hearing seeks to examine the origins of political violence and extremism, which have come mainly from the Left in recent years. 
Morning Wire spoke with Sen. Schmitt and Michael Knowles, host of “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/the-michael-knowles-show">The Michael Knowles Show</a>” on The Daily Wire, about the nature of political violence in the United States today. (The following transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.)
Morning Wire: Senator, you’ve organized this hearing, and this issue is obviously a high priority. What are the goals of the proceedings today?
Schmitt: The assassination of Charlie Kirk brought left-wing political violence really front and center, and I think it needs to be exposed. This isn’t a one-off thing. This is sort of an ideology that’s taken hold now. When you have 25% of those who describe themselves as “very liberal” believe political violence is justified, over 55% of those on the left believe it&#8217;s at least somewhat justifiable to assassinate President Trump, there’s a problem. And I think if we’re ever going to get on the other side of this and get to healing – where we can say, free speech, yes, political violence, no – we have to expose the truth, which is that this is overwhelmingly coming from one side.
Morning Wire: Senator thanks for joining us. Among those testifying at the hearing today is Daily Wire host Michael Knowles. Michael, good to have you back on. You obviously were invited to this hearing for specific reasons – tell us about that, and what you plan to address.
Knowles: I was invited largely because I was the target of leftist violence on a few occasions, but of organized leftist violence, specifically two years ago. This was at the University of Pittsburgh. I was doing a debate on the topic of transgenderism, and there was a large demonstration. They burnt me in effigy, lit the street on fire, and then two Antifa operatives showed up and threw smoke bombs at the attendees and the police. And then threw a large explosive firework at the police and seriously injured one female police officer, gave her life-altering injuries that took her out of work for at least a year – and also injured other police officers as well. … Happily, there was one intrepid FBI agent in the crowd, and he had noticed the uptick in left-wing violence at these conservative speaker events. … It was only because he really pushed this up through the DOJ that any charges were brought at all. … So these are two people who are members of an anarchist cell, part of the Torch Antifa Network. The guy had set off TSA scanners with explosive material multiple times. It’s an illustrative example of violence because if you look up left-wing ideologically motivated violence in any of the databases that concern it or at the federal government level, you won&#8217;t find it. It won&#8217;t turn up. That just doesn&#8217;t exist, and this is true for a lot of examples of left-wing violence, perhaps most notably the BLM riots, which are just simply not classified as left-wing violence. … So we’re going to call attention to that fact, as well as to the fact that now even the honest liberals can not hold up the lie that the violence is coming from the right.
Morning Wire: What do you think the federal government’s role should be in addressing politically motivated violence — is there a line which they should not cross?
Knowles: I don’t think we’re at fear of over-policing left-wing terrorists, okay? I think we’re barely policing them at all. And so then the question becomes, well, what tools are at the federal government&#8217;s disposal? And there are plenty. You know, President Trump has said that he will classify Antifa as a domestic terror organization. Now, the government is more limited in its resources to go after domestic terrorists as opposed to foreign terrorists. However, we&#8217;ve done it before. The federal government has successfully dismantled the Ku Klux Klan, has successfully dismantled organized crime using all sorts of statutes; going after them for RICO, for conspiracy, for all manner of things all the way up to tax evasion, I suppose. President Trump putting this renewed focus on it is very important because the Left has dismissed this as a concern by lying and saying that the political violence is a right-wing phenomenon, and it has allowed this problem to fester so much so that we saw its tragic apotheosis in the murder of Charlie Kirk – and we cannot allow that to continue anymore.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Trump Hunts For A Deal</h2>
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Topline: President Trump continues his swing through Asia as Democrat and media backlash builds following his White House renovation.
Japan: After signing a big peace deal Sunday between Thailand and Cambodia and rolling out new trade deals elsewhere, Trump headed to Japan, where he received royal treatment. Famous landmarks across Tokyo were lit up with red, white, and blue displays.
The Trump administration and Japan reached a deal on rare earth minerals on Tuesday and unveiled a list of projects included in a $550 billion investment proposal stemming from a July trade agreement.
The rare earth deal, which President Donald Trump signed alongside Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, establishes a mutual stockpiling arrangement and stipulates that the United States and Japan will cooperate with international partners to protect the supply chain, Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/trump-takaichi-agree-rare-earth-critical-minerals-supply-2025-10-28/">reported</a>. Trump has been pushing to better secure the rare-earth supply chain and cut into China&#8217;s stranglehold over rare-earth minerals.
Along with the rare-earth deal, the United States and Japan released a list of proposed projects to boost Japanese investment in the U.S. economy. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1983119054983287061">said</a> at a press conference alongside Trump on Tuesday that the proposals &#8220;are driven by the Japanese strategic investment initiative, which was created by [Trump&#8217;s] tariff policy and by [Trump&#8217;s] historic trade agreement with Japan.&#8221;
The White House credited the threat of tariffs with pushing our trading partners to make deals favorable to the United States. Deals were announced with Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam on Sunday, and now Japan has been added to the list on Monday. But the world is still waiting to see what will come of this meeting with China on Thursday. 
China: Officials from both sides have continued to meet to hammer out the framework of a deal. The White House says it&#8217;s confident both sides will agree to dramatically lower tariffs and possibly strike a permanent solution to the battle over TikTok ownership.
Trump put it more bluntly: “I think we&#8217;re going to come away with a deal.”
While Trump’s optimism has not always preceded deals, investors seem to think this is good news. Gold, cryptocurrency, and oil prices all spiked on Monday as global markets rallied to all-time highs across Asia.
On Wall Street, the DOW, NASDAQ, and S&amp;P 500 all hit record highs on Monday. Leading the way were tech companies like Nvidia, which have been hobbled this year by massive tariffs on semiconductors. Stateside, shares of domestic mining companies fell, a sign that investors believe China is about to reopen the flow of rare earth minerals as part of a looming deal.
White House remodel: The East Wing of the White House has now been demolished to make way for a 90,000 square foot ballroom. The administration says it’s a matter of practicality and safety, noting that in the past, if a president wanted to hold a large event honoring foreign dignitaries, they were often forced to erect makeshift tents on the White House lawn.
Former presidents such as Teddy Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, FDR, Harry S. Truman, Richard Nixon, and Barack Obama added items to the White House, made renovations, or removed items. Though that has not stopped criticism from being leveled at Trump over his plans for a ballroom.
There are already some on the Left attempting to mount a legal challenge to block the project. A Virginia couple filed a motion in a D.C. federal court last week seeking a temporary restraining order against the demolition, arguing it violates the National Historic Preservation Act. The administration says it’s well within its authority to make renovations, the same way so many presidents have done before.

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Morning Brief: Shutdown Fallout Mounts & Congress Probes Political Violence

Morning Brief: Shutdown Consequences Coming, Leftist Political Violence, And Trump's China Deal

Charlie Kirk

China

Eric Schmitt

Japan

Michael Knowles

Washington D.C.

White House

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the nation’s largest federal workers’ union, is once again applying political pressure in Washington, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/afge-largest-federal-workers-union-end-shutdown-rcna239767">demanding</a> that Democrats abandon their current negotiating stance and pass a clean funding measure to end the government shutdown.
AFGE President Everett Kelley, whose union represents more than 800,000 federal and D.C. government employees, urged Congress to reopen the government immediately under a short-term continuing resolution and ensure full back pay for federal employees, both those who have been furloughed and those forced to work without pay.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The federal employees’ union is no friend of President Trump and even they agree: pass a clean CR and reopen the government.
Democrats’ political posturing needs to end. <a href="https://t.co/BU2H8N35qb">https://t.co/BU2H8N35qb</a>
— Sarah Huckabee Sanders (@SarahHuckabee) <a href="https://twitter.com/SarahHuckabee/status/1982811195775070387?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
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“It’s time to pass a clean continuing resolution and end this shutdown today. No half measures, and no gamesmanship. Put every single federal worker back on the job with full back pay — today,” Kelley said in a <a href="https://www.afge.org/article/its-past-time-to-end-this-shutdown/">statement.</a>
“Senate Democrats have insisted that they won’t vote to reopen the government without a commitment from Republicans and President Donald Trump on extending health care subsidies through the Affordable Care Act, which are set to expire at the end of the year,” NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/afge-largest-federal-workers-union-end-shutdown-rcna239767">noted</a>.
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While AFGE frames the shutdown as a purely humanitarian issue, the union has a long history of political alignment with the Democratic Party. It endorsed Joe Biden in 2020 and has participated in Democratic-aligned protests, including demonstrations against President Donald Trump. AFGE has also taken legal action to enforce its agenda, suing over Trump-era mass layoffs and claiming partisan messaging unfairly blamed Democrats for previous shutdowns. AFGE also has a <a href="https://www.influencewatch.org/labor-union/american-federation-of-government-employees/">checkered past</a>, with numerous officials convicted or pleading guilty to corruption offenses.
Kelley’s statement portrays federal workers as innocent victims caught in political crossfire, highlighting employees from the TSA, the Army, and the USDA who are working without pay while struggling to cover basic expenses. “These are patriotic Americans—parents, caregivers, and veterans—forced to work without pay because of political disagreements in Washington. That is unacceptable,” Kelley wrote.
The union’s demand for a “clean” continuing resolution — without conditions or policy negotiations — effectively undercuts Democrats’ negotiating leverage and aligns with Republicans’ repeated calls to fund the government immediately. As the standoff approaches a full month, AFGE’s demands illustrate the growing tension between the federal workforce and the Democratic Party.

Trump ‘Crypto Week’ Advances As House Conservatives End Blockade

Dem-Aligned Union Breaks Ranks, Demands End To Govt Shutdown

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