For most of its existence, Wikipedia has been hailed as a marvel of the digital age: a sprawling, collaborative encyclopedia written by anyone and corrected by everyone. An open marketplace of knowledge. A monument to the democratization of information.
But democracies — political or epistemic — rarely collapse in an instant. They erode from within. And what my team at the Media Research Center (MRC) has uncovered about how Wikipedia operates, and how carefully it conceals that machinery, should alarm anyone who believes a self-governing society depends on an open, honest information sphere.
<a href="https://mrcfreespeechamerica.org/blogs/free-speech/luis-cornelio/2025/11/17/how-wikipedia-infiltrated-colleges-train-next-generation">Our recent investigation</a> shows that Wikipedia and its educational partner, Wiki Education, have developed a vast, little-known system for shaping, and increasingly weaponizing, the content millions of Americans rely on every day. What we found is not simply concerning; it reveals the quiet architecture of an ideological project. It is also possible that, in attempting to hide its operations, Wikipedia has crossed legal lines that could carry serious consequences.
Wikipedia’s co-founder, Larry Sanger, has said openly that the platform no longer reflects its original mission of neutrality. It has become a curator of political narrative, amplifying the messaging of the left rather than serving as an impartial arbiter of knowledge.
<h2>The Blacklist(s)</h2>
Wikipedia is transparent about one thing: it blacklists right-leaning news outlets and conservative non-profits. But even this admission obscures more than it reveals. In reality, <a href="https://mrcfreespeechamerica.org/blogs/free-speech/luis-cornelio/2025/02/03/exclusive-wikipedia-effectively-blacklists-all-right">Wikipedia maintains three tiers of blacklists</a> — Blacklisted, Deprecated, and Generally Unreliable — each designed to exclude certain publishers from the encyclopedia’s information ecosystem.
The “Blacklisted” category is the most severe. Sources here are blocked entirely; links cannot even be submitted for review. This is Wikipedia’s “do not pass go” list. It includes outlets such as the Heritage Foundation, Breitbart News, and the Washington Examiner. Content from these organizations is not debated or fact-checked, it is simply turned away at the gate.
The second level, “Deprecated,” involves sources that are “generally prohibited.” Users attempting to cite to these sources receive warnings, before Wikipedia’s editors almost always reject the suggestions. LifeSiteNews, Newsmax, The Daily Caller, and Blaze Media fall here. The effect is the same as the first list, exclusion, just with a thin procedural layer.
The third category, “Generally Unreliable,” is essentially a blacklist with a tiny escape hatch. Wikipedia discourages use of these sources and directs contributors to “more reliable” outlets. The Daily Wire is stuck in this purgatory: technically citable, but heavily disfavored.
The disparities this system produces are staggering. The Daily Wire has been cited only 445 times across Wikipedia. The New York Times, by contrast, appears in more than 1.6 million citations — meaning Wikipedia cites the Times nearly 4,000 times for every single Daily Wire reference. Similar gaps exist with Newsweek, Politico, and The Washington Post, which are cited hundreds of times more frequently than their far more reliable conservative counterparts.
More broadly, <a href="https://mrcfreespeechamerica.org/blogs/free-speech/luis-cornelio/2025/02/03/exclusive-wikipedia-effectively-blacklists-all-right">MRC research shows</a> that Wikipedia cites to left-leaning outlets almost 20 times more often than to right-leaning outlets. <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/695762/trust-media-new-low.aspx">Trust in the media is at an all-time low</a>, specifically because of the bias injected into news stories. Wikipedia intentionally magnifies that bias, resulting in gross distortions of reality. We have documented Wikipedia’s smears against many political figures, including President Donald Trump, Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Charlie Kirk. 
When gatekeepers designate half the country’s media ecosystem — representing tens of millions of readers — as inherently “unreliable,” the result is not a pursuit of truth. It is a systematic silencing of outlets disfavored by the ideological left. The encyclopedia built on openness now thrives on exclusion.
<div id="attachment_1011409" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1011409" class="size-large wp-image-1011409" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-1079587192-864x576.jpg" alt="skynesher. Getty Images. Male teacher giving a lecture from desktop PC during a class at computer lab." width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-1079587192-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-1079587192-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-1079587192-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-1079587192-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-1079587192-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-1079587192-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-1079587192-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />skynesher. Getty Images.</div>
<h2>The Student Army</h2>
Yet the core of the MRC’s latest findings lies not in the blacklist itself, but in the machinery feeding content into Wikipedia: Wiki Education, a California nonprofit created as a spin-off of the Wikimedia Foundation, operating with its funding, personnel, and blessing.
Wiki Education recruits college professors to assign Wikipedia editing as coursework. Since 2010, more than 145,000 students have participated, generating over 120 million words of content. On the surface, this could be a civic success story — young people helping build a shared public resource.
But the reality, based on the courses Wiki Education recruits and supports, is far more ideological. Classes such as Queering Religion, Critical Race Feminisms, Queer of Color Critique, Gender and Identity in STEM, and similarly activist-oriented seminars are not fringe exceptions; they are typical of the curriculum Wiki Education promotes.
These disciplines are not merely academic; they are frameworks for political activism. And the content they generate — guided by ideology rather than neutrality — flows directly into Wikipedia. The encyclopedia becomes the final destination for arguments crafted within contemporary left-wing academic theory.
<h2>The Taxpayer Foots The Bill</h2>
Even more astonishing is that this ideological pipeline is largely underwritten by taxpayers. Because Wiki Education embeds itself in public universities, it leverages state-funded faculty, classrooms, and infrastructure to funnel student labor into Wikipedia. Students believe they are learning digital literacy; in practice, many are producing politicized content for a global platform.
The pattern extends to Wiki Education’s leadership. Every traceable political donation from its senior staff and board flows to Democratic candidates, progressive PACs, and left-aligned advocacy groups. While not illegal, it reveals the institutional alignment shaping the organization’s priorities.
<h2>A Potential Legal Problem</h2>
This coordinated system — Wikipedia funding Wiki Education, Wiki Education training student editors, students supplying content that reinforces Wikipedia’s ideological filters — creates not only an informational problem but potentially a legal one.
When Wikipedia spun off Wiki Education in 2013, the structural ties between the two organizations remained unusually close. Yet Wikipedia has insisted in court filings, sworn under penalty of perjury, that it is merely an “interactive computer service,” not a “publisher.” It did so to seek the liability protections of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.
If Wikipedia effectively controls Wiki Education as an alter ego — training, directing, and financing its editorial labor — then it may have misrepresented its true operations under oath. Filing false statements in court is a crime under state and federal law. Attorneys general in jurisdictions where Wikipedia has invoked Section 230, like the state of Florida, may have ample reason to investigate those claims. And while the U.S. Department of Justice has its hands full unwinding the malfeasance committed during the Biden administration, Attorney General Pam Bondi might be interested in this, too.
<h2>Why It Matters</h2>
Wikipedia is not just a reference site. It is infrastructure. It consistently dominates Google search results — Google itself being a company that aggressively manipulates search results to push its own ideology. And modern AI systems, including chatbots, draw heavily from Wikipedia’s content pipelines. When Wikipedia’s entries tilt, so does the entire information ecosystem.
Its blacklist system also has downstream economic effects. Being labeled “unreliable” reduces an outlet’s visibility, decreases traffic, and predictably harms ad revenue. The encyclopedia’s judgments ripple outward into media markets and public perception.
Given these stakes, Congress should investigate. So should the Federal Trade Commission. And attorneys general, especially in cases where Wikipedia has defended its corporate structure under oath, should scrutinize whether the organization misrepresented how it operates.
Wikipedia has every right to express ideological preferences. But it does not have the right to cloak them behind false claims of neutrality to donors, to engage in deceptive or anticompetitive practices, or to misrepresent its structure in legal proceedings.
Transparency requires accountability. And it is long past time for the public to understand what Wikipedia has become.
* * *
Dan Schneider is Vice President for Free Speech at the Media Research Center.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Wikipedia

From Open Encyclopedia To Ideological Weapon: Wikipedia’s Hidden War On Truth

American Universities

Censorship

Democrats

Investigation

Leftists

Media Bias

Media Research Center

Silicon Valley

Students

California has opened its tip line to report federal officers, as Democratic leaders in the state attempt to push back on immigration enforcement measures by the Trump administration.
“My office created a portal that will allow Californians to report misconduct by federal agents,” Attorney General Rob Bonta posted to X on Wednesday, asking people to send in a tip if they “believe a federal agent is abusing their power or acting unlawfully.”
“Federal agents have broad authority to enforce federal laws, but they must do so lawfully,” he added.
The webpage specifically names Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the National Guard as examples of entities that could be reported to the state. However, it disclaims that it cannot guarantee it will “take any action” on a report.
The move was quickly blasted by Republicans, as there is a limited scope of what a state government can do regarding federal authorities.
“How about if you think state agents or officials have abused their power or committed unlawful acts?” Assemblyman James Gallagher said. “Asking for a friend.” Bonta is facing scrutiny for using roughly $500,000 in campaign dollars for legal assistance as part of a federal bribery case probe, <a href="https://www.kcra.com/article/attorney-general-rob-bonta-campaign-funds-legal-help/69477723" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KCRA</a> reported.
“We have a portal too. People can report California state officials engaged in illegal activity at the following link,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli posted with a link to the FBI’s tip line. 
50% off DailyWire+ annual memberships will not return for another year, so don’t miss this deal! Join now at <a class="c-link" href="http://dailywire.com/cyberweek" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="http://DailyWire.com/cyberweek" data-sk="tooltip_parent">DailyWire.com/cyberweek</a>.
The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-admin-sues-to-block-california-laws-that-recklessly-endanger-lives-of-federal-agents">reported</a> last month that the Trump administration was suing the state over new laws seeking to stop federal agents from wearing masks and other measures that the administration says are meant to protect the safety and identity of agents who may be targeted while off the job.
“The No Secret Police Act and No Vigilantes Act directly regulate the Federal Government by dictating permissible uniforms for federal agents and forcing federal agencies to adopt specified policies,” the lawsuit stated. “But the Federal Government, not California, has authority to control its own agents and activities.”
At the time, Bonta raised concerns about Trump’s approach to immigration. The Golden State has been at the center of attention for the administration’s efforts, especially after anti-ICE riots broke out in Los Angeles earlier this summer, along with a tense raid at a pot farm leading to hundreds of arrests.
“It’s problematic when Californians can’t tell the difference between a law enforcement officer who is charged with protecting them and a criminal who is attempting to cause them harm,” Bonta’s office stated. “The FBI itself has warned that the practice of ICE agents obscuring their identity has led to a rise in copycats committing crimes, threatening public safety and eroding trust in law enforcement.”

ICE Raid At Southern California Farm Sparks Protests

California Opens Tip Line To Report Federal Immigration Agents, Quickly Blasted By GOP

Border Patrol

California

Immigration

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

National Guard

Republicans

Trump Administration

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.

Congress

Matt Walsh

Opinion

Tennessee

U.S. House of Representatives

Former CNN anchor Chris Cuomo does not believe that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) — or any of the Democratic Party&#8217;s &#8220;horses,&#8221; for that matter — truly love more about the United States than they hate about it.
Cuomo made the comments during a recent podcast conversation with progressive podcaster Brian Tyler Cohen, using his father — former Governor Mario Cuomo (D-NY) — as a point of reference.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨NEW: Chris Cuomo says he doesn&#8217;t think AOC loves America🇺🇸
&#8220;I don&#8217;t believe AOC — any of your horses — I have a hard time believing they love the country. I think they hate more about it than they love about it.&#8221;
&#8220;I can&#8217;t think of the last time I heard AOC say something good… <a href="https://t.co/WOiQgyg7hD">pic.twitter.com/WOiQgyg7hD</a>
— Jason Cohen 🇺🇸 (@JasonJournoDC) <a href="https://twitter.com/JasonJournoDC/status/1995881240092647543?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;What did my father have? Okay, I know I’m a white guy, okay? I know, I’m not saying anything but that,&#8221; Cuomo began, noting that his father had not been considered so. &#8220;My father was not considered a white guy. He was considered an ethnic, okay? He had that other thing going.&#8221;
&#8220;He was an other. And he hated it. And he hated the people who got to decide that, and who kept opportunities from him. So he was a real one, okay? But he loved the f***ing country,&#8221; Cuomo continued. &#8220;That’s the part that you guys, in my opinion, don’t get right. I don’t believe AOC — or any of your horses — I have a hard time believing they love the country. I think they hate more about it than they love about it. And that may be unfair. But if it is unfair, it’s because of how they’ve made their own case about themselves.&#8221;
Cohen pushed back, claiming that patriotism in the United States was largely performative and &#8220;jingoistic&#8221; in the way that kids are trained to repeat the Pledge of Allegiance. He explained that he&#8217;d taught in France, and said that the students there found the concept of such actions &#8220;foreign.&#8221;
50% off DailyWire+ annual memberships will not return for another year, so don’t miss this deal! Join now at <a class="c-link" href="http://dailywire.com/cyberweek" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="http://DailyWire.com/cyberweek" data-sk="tooltip_parent">DailyWire.com/cyberweek</a>.
But Cuomo wasn&#8217;t finished. He went on to expand that because Democrats had pushed away from patriotism with such force, they&#8217;d effectively allowed the Right to take complete ownership of symbolic America.
&#8220;Here’s my point: Why are people surprised when they see an American flag on my truck, or in front of my house? Why were the Democrats okay with that becoming a party symbol for the GOP?&#8221; Cuomo asked, adding, &#8220;You are absolutely right, and every political philosopher has only agreed with you that dissent and criticism of your government is one of the strongest forms of patriotism. I don’t even think that’s really an open question.&#8221;
The problem, Cuomo argued, was that the Left had not found a way to balance dissent with patriotism — and the result was that they gave the appearance that they hated the country, whether that was true or not.
&#8220;What do you balance it with?&#8221; he asked. &#8220;When’s the last time you heard Democrats say something good about this country? That’s true, too. And I think it goes to your point about, hey man, you gotta play the game where it stands. I think that a real one who hates certain things that were done to them — systemic, cultural — and is fighting to change it because they believe so much in what this country can be, is, and is at her best. That’s the sweet spot. I can’t think of the last time I heard AOC say something good about the country.&#8221;

2017 Turner Upfront

Chris Cuomo Doesn’t Believe Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Loves America

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Chris Cuomo

Media

Politics

Democrats have hit upon a two-pronged strategy for 2028. 
One of the strategies is to make members of the military truly uncomfortable about following their orders. The Democrats apparently believe that this will somehow create unrest and chaos. I don&#8217;t know how else to explain why Democrats are now suddenly coming out of the woodwork to suggest that a bunch of illegal orders are being issued from the Trump administration that members of the military must now consider.
When Democrats such as Senator Mark Kelly or Senator Elissa Slotkin from Michigan say to soldiers, to airmen, to members of the Navy, “If you guys follow an illegal order, you will be punished,” but then don&#8217;t define “illegal order,” what they are doing is creating a Catch-22 situation.
That’s because if people follow orders, they&#8217;re protected in the moment. But down the road, some Democrat may be elected and declare retroactively that those orders were illegal, members of the military should not have obeyed them, and they could end up court-martialed. 
Thus, it’s a Catch-22 for members of the military. That is why it is so negative. 
All of that is prong number one in the Democratic strategy; a chaos strategy with regard to military orders. 
Prong number two is setting up an entire slate of possible Democratic nominees who appear to be moderate.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-2325-war-crime-hegseth-s-narcoterror-missile-strike-draws-fire?elementPosition=7&amp;row=2&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-974957 aligncenter" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp" alt="DailyWire+" width="1024" height="171" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-300x50.webp 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-768x128.webp 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1536x256.webp 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-2048x341.webp 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
One of the big questions in the aftermath of President Trump winning his second term was: Will Democrats shift over to the Zohran Mamdani Left, or are they going to move toward a more moderate middle? Are they going to jettison much of their culture war baggage or start talking about trans, or are they going to stop talking about trans?: Are they going to up the ante on DEI or move away from DEI?
By all indicators, it appears the Democrats are not being morons. It appears that while people like Zohran Mamdani may be winning in places like New York and deep blue areas, what the Democrats are actually attempting to do is play moderate.
It seems that more and more often, they&#8217;re playing dead on the trans issue. It&#8217;s seemingly disappeared from the Democratic lexicon.
You don&#8217;t hear Democrats talking about “equity” in the same way that they were even a year and a half ago, when this was the be-all, end-all of American politics. 
Even on immigration, Democrats have taken a more moderate middle line. They&#8217;re no longer arguing, along with AOC, that ICE ought to be disbanded.
They&#8217;re not arguing anymore that the police ought to be defunded.
Instead, what they seem to be doing is arguing that President Trump is largely right on the southern border. They say he&#8217;s being overzealous in the prosecution of illegal immigrants who they say have not committed crimes. 
Democrats seem to be — at least in image — turning toward the middle.
That’s part of what is going on with the controversy swirling around Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
To recap, last week, there was a report from The Washington Post. It argued that the White House had, via Hegseth, given a direct order to basically blow away members of narco-trafficking cartels in the water after they were already put out of commission.
Supposedly, Hegseth ordered everyone to be killed, up to and including survivors who were in the water clinging to the wreckage of the burning boat. This raised some fairly significant legal issues because, as it turns out, under the laws of war, under the Geneva Conventions, and under American law, you are not supposed to kill people who are no longer in the fight.
The 1949 Geneva Conventions, ratified by the United States, <a href="https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/en/ihl-treaties/gci-1949/article-3">state</a>:
<blockquote>Persons taking no active part in the hostilities, including members of armed forces who have laid down their arms and those placed hors de combat (out of combat) by sickness, wounds, detention, or any other cause, shall in all circumstances be treated humanely, without any adverse distinction based on race, color, religion or faith, sex, birth or wealth, or any other similar criteria. The following acts are and shall remain prohibited at any time and in any place whatsoever with respect to the above persons: violence to life and person, in particular murder of all kinds, mutilation, cruel treatment, and torture …</blockquote>
In other words, you can&#8217;t take somebody as a P.O.W. and shoot them. Under the Geneva Conventions, there is no policy of “We take no prisoners.”
There is the possibility that these people would not be considered hors de combat, depending on the condition of the boat; the boat may have been dead in the water, but at the same time, they could call their narco-trafficking friends. That is one possible defense.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt read <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/karoline-leavitt-says-hegseth-didnt-order-second-strike-on-narco-terrorists-boat">this statement</a>:
<blockquote>President Trump and Secretary Hegseth have made it clear that presidentially-designated narco-terrorist groups are subject to lethal targeting in accordance with the laws of war. With respect to the strikes in question on September 2nd, Secretary Hegseth authorized Admiral Bradley to conduct these kinetic strikes. Admiral Bradley worked well within his authority and the law, directing the engagement to ensure the boat was destroyed and the threat to the United States of America was eliminated. </blockquote>
The contention here is that there was a general order given to take out the boat, and that possibly Admiral Bradley is the person who actually gave the order to conduct a second strike, if, in fact, a second strike was conducted.
The New York Times published a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/01/us/hegseth-drug-boat-strike-order-venezuela.html">follow-up piece</a> in which they seemed to admit that Hegseth did not give a general kill order, especially for people who were already hors de combat.
All of this seems like a convenient way of simply providing support to the Democrats who released the video that told members of the military not to obey orders.
This feels ginned up.
It feels as though The Washington Post went ahead and reported a story on extraordinarily thin sourcing to create the possibility of an illegal order that, it turns out, may not have been illegal at all, in order to provide support for the Democratic narrative that this administration is lawless, and that only a moderate military veteran who might be running in 2028 can step into the breach.
This feels like the predicate for a move by the Democratic Party to elevate somebody like Senator Mark Kelly, a former astronaut who tends to portray himself as a moderate, even though he voted with Joe Biden in the Senate almost all of the time.
The Democrats are not going to burn themselves down by openly championing the leftist causes they truly believe in.
They’ll wait until they gain power before they turn on that spigot.

hegsethkelly

The Democratic Party’s Two-Pronged 2028 Strategy: Military Chaos, Moderate Messaging

Ben Shapiro

Department of War

Donald Trump

Mark Kelly

narco-terrorism

Pete Hegseth

U.S. Navy

Prominent Democrats from across the country were campaigning for Tennessee Democrat Aftyn Behn on Monday night as the party hopes to pull off a &#8220;miracle&#8221; in Tuesday&#8217;s special election.
Behn, running against Republican Matt Van Epps for Tennessee&#8217;s 7th Congressional district seat, was joined on a Zoom call by some of the Left&#8217;s biggest names, including former vice president Al Gore, and far-left congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Pramila Jayapal. The virtual rally was the final event of Behn&#8217;s special election campaign and was attended by around 1,200 people, many of whom appeared to be hopping on Zoom from out of state based on their comments in the video call&#8217;s chat.
Ocasio-Cortez acknowledged that it would take a &#8220;miracle&#8221; for Democrats to turn the Tennessee district blue, but added that Behn&#8217;s position in the race has shown that &#8220;miracles still happen.&#8221; The democratic socialist from New York urged Democrats in Tennessee to remain hopeful that politicians like Behn can successfully push leftist policies in deep red states as the Democratic Party looks ahead to the pivotal 2026 midterm elections.
Behn is hoping to win the deep red district despite pushing leftist policies in the past, including voicing support for abolishing police departments and saying that she was &#8220;fearful&#8221; for &#8220;trans communities&#8221; after a trans-identifying shooter killed three Christian schoolchildren and three staff members in Nashville.
Behn&#8217;s Republican opponent was rarely mentioned during the rally, as the Democratic speakers focused much of their attention on attacking President Donald Trump and his administration. Democrats are positioning the Tennessee special election as a referendum on Trump&#8217;s agenda, as the party is optimistic that Behn is within striking distance in a district that went for Trump by 22 points in 2024.
50% off DailyWire+ annual memberships will not return for another year, so don’t miss this deal! Join now at <a href="https://get.dailywire.com/gift-guide/">DailyWire.com/cyberweek</a>.
<div class="c-message_kit__blocks c-message_kit__blocks--rich_text">
<div class="c-message__message_blocks c-message__message_blocks--rich_text" data-qa="message-text">
<div class="p-block_kit_renderer" data-qa="block-kit-renderer">
<div class="p-block_kit_renderer__block_wrapper p-block_kit_renderer__block_wrapper--first">
<div class="p-rich_text_block" dir="auto">
<div class="p-rich_text_section">
The virtual rally got off to a bumpy start when Gore was introduced by Behn&#8217;s campaign manager, with the former vice president nowhere to be seen. After a few quiet and awkward moments, Gore&#8217;s face appeared on screen and he was introduced for a second time. Gore kicked off the rally by doubling down on that focus and painting the Trump White House as one of the most evil and corrupt administration&#8217;s in U.S. history.
Earlier on Monday, big name Republicans also gathered in the district to push Van Epps as the GOP and Trump emphasize the importance of the special election. At the Van Epps rally, Republicans were confident that they would win on Tuesday, but also acknowledged that the margins could be closer than what Republicans have come to expect in the district, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-reputation-of-our-state-is-on-the-line-gop-begins-final-push-before-critical-house-election?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=Original&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=%E2%80%98The+Reputation+Of+Our+State+Is+On+The+Line%E2%80%99%3A+GOP+Begins+Final+Push+Before+Critical+House+Election">reported</a>.
Republicans and Democrats have poured millions of dollars into the special House race, with Behn’s campaign raising over $1 million between October 1 and November 12, according to campaign finance records. In that same timeframe, Van Epps raised $591,000, but the Republican candidate is also getting a big boost from Trump-aligned outside groups that have spent over a million dollars on advertisements.
Over 84,000 voters cast their ballots during the early voting period, which lasted from November 12-26, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1169221962004705&amp;set=pcb.1169223325337902">according</a> to the Tennessee Secretary of State. A large chunk of Republicans and Democrats are still expected to head to the polls on Tuesday morning. Polling results from Emerson College and The Hill <a href="https://www.wsmv.com/2025/12/01/poll-shows-republican-van-epps-holding-slight-lead-over-democrat-behn-tennessees-special-congressional-race/">released</a> on Monday showed Van Epps with just a 2-point edge on Behn.
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>

Al Gore/Aftyn Behn/AOC

Big-Name Dems Make Final Pitch For Aftyn Behn, Hope For Tuesday ‘Miracle’ In Tennessee

Al Gore

Election

Tennessee Democratic congressional candidate Aftyn Behn deflected when asked whether she supports abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during an interview with CNN on Sunday.
“I&#8217;ve got 48 hours to flip this congressional district, and have been dogged about the message of affordability, and that&#8217;s not what I&#8217;m hearing in the district,” Behn, a state representative, said before switching topic to rural healthcare.
Behn is running in Tuesday’s special election in the state’s Seventh Congressional District against Republican Matt Van Epps. Rep. Mark Green’s (R) resignation in July created the vacancy that this special election will fill. President Donald Trump and Green both won the district with roughly 60% of the vote in 2024.
CNN’s Manu Raju outright asked her whether ICE should be abolished, noting that it’s a stance Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has, who is expected to campaign with Behn in a tele-rally on Monday, according to the outlet.
Behn was also asked whether ICE should cease its operations in Nashville, parts of which she represents in the state legislature. The Democrat said she’s been hearing from people in her district, particularly the Hispanic community, that they are concerned about “the overreach of our federal government.”
In a May video, the Democrat said, “We’ve got our girl squad, and we’re bullying the ICE vehicles and State Troopers,” which has since been used in advertisements against Behn.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tennessee-democrat-aftyn-behn-repeatedly-advocated-for-prison-abolition?author=Cameron+Arcand&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Tennessee+Democrat+Aftyn+Behn+Also+Wants+To+Abolish+Prisons" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Wire</a> reported that she’s made previous comments that were highly critical of law enforcement and also called for abolishing prisons multiple times.
“On this Juneteenth, we need less white folks posting Canva graphics and more adopting prison abolition as a political foundation,” Behn said in a deleted post from last year.
“No, I do not agree with these ‘tough-on-crime’ policies,” she told <a href="https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2024/08/01/candidate-profiles-tennessee-senate-and-house-primary/74623149007/?gnt-cfr=1&amp;gca-cat=p&amp;gca-uir=true&amp;gca-epti=z114837d00----v114837b0054xxd005465&amp;gca-ft=181&amp;gca-ds=sophi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Tennessean</a> in August 2024. “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;
In 2020, Behn posted on social media, &#8220;Good morning, especially to the 54% of Americans that believe burning down a police station is justified,&#8221; which has led to scrutiny throughout the campaign.
“I’m not gonna engage in cable news talking points,” Behn told <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tennessee-democrat-aftyn-behn-wont-take-back-support-for-burning-down-police-stations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MS Now</a> when asked if she still agreed with her comments made at the time.
Behn has had Vice President Kamala Harris and other major Democrats campaign for her. Van Epps held a rally with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) on Monday, and Trump called in to make his case for the Republican.
“Number one, she hates Christianity,” Trump said on the call to the audience. “Number two, she hates Country Music. How the HELL can you elect a person like that?!”
&nbsp;

Aftyn Behn

Tennessee Democrat Aftyn Behn Won’t Say Whether She Supports Abolishing ICE

Elections

house

The 2026 midterm elections are still a year away, but Republicans and Democrats are already in full election mode as an important U.S. House seat is up for grabs on Tuesday.
Democrats are optimistic their candidate will make some noise on December 2, when votes are counted for the special U.S. House election that will determine who represents Tennessee&#8217;s 7th Congressional District. The seat became empty after Republican Rep. Mark Green retired on July 20, shortly after voting to pass President Donald Trump&#8217;s &#8220;Big, Beautiful Bill.&#8221;
It&#8217;s a district that Democrats have no business winning and one that Republicans are counting on to help maintain their House majority come the 2026 midterm elections. For an off-year election in a deep red state, the stakes can&#8217;t get any higher, so here&#8217;s everything you need to know ahead of the December 2 election.
<h3>The Candidates</h3>
Republican candidate Matt Van Epps, 39, easily won the crowded GOP primary in October after an endorsement from President Trump. Van Epps is an Army helicopter pilot and combat veteran with years of experience in the Tennessee state government. He <a href="https://www.mattfortn.com/meet-matt">served</a> as the deputy chief operating officer for the Tennessee Governor&#8217;s Office. He was then tapped by Republican Governor Bill Lee to run the Tennessee Department of General Services, where he &#8220;oversaw statewide procurement, facilities management, and essential services that touch every department in Tennessee government.&#8221;
During the Republican primary, Van Epps was criticized by his opponents for working to implement strict COVID lockdown measures in the early days of the pandemic and was nicknamed &#8220;Tennessee Fauci.&#8221; That line of attack on Van Epps was ineffective, and he won the GOP primary by more than 25 points.
<div id="attachment_1005705" style="width: 586px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1005705" class="wp-image-1005705 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-25T094309.502-576x576.jpg" alt="" width="576" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-25T094309.502-576x576.jpg 576w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-25T094309.502-300x300.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-25T094309.502-150x150.jpg 150w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-25T094309.502-768x768.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-25T094309.502.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 576px) 100vw, 576px" />Matt Van Epps for Congress</div>
Van Epps <a href="https://www.mattfortn.com/issues">describes</a> himself as a &#8220;conservative warrior&#8221; who is focused on &#8220;advancing President Trump&#8217;s America First agenda.&#8221; Along with snagging Trump&#8217;s endorsement, the Republican candidate also boasts <a href="https://www.mattfortn.com/endorsements">endorsements</a> from Governor Lee, former Rep. Green, and Ohio Republican Rep. Jim Jordan.
Democrats picked Tennessee state Rep. Aftyn Behn as their nominee for the 7th district special election. Behn, 36, has served in the Tennessee state House since 2023. The Tennessee Democrat was <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/kamala-harris-returns-campaign-trail-trump-country-back-aoc-tennessee">dubbed</a> the &#8220;AOC of Tennessee&#8221; by Democratic activist David Hogg, referring to leftist New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. After socialist Zohran Mamdani&#8217;s stunning victory in the New York City mayor&#8217;s race, Democrats are hoping that the party&#8217;s younger and more radical candidates can win, even in deep-red states.
<div id="attachment_1005697" style="width: 586px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1005697" class="wp-image-1005697 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-25T094027.635-576x576.jpg" alt="" width="576" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-25T094027.635-576x576.jpg 576w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-25T094027.635-300x300.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-25T094027.635-150x150.jpg 150w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-25T094027.635-768x768.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-25T094027.635.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 576px) 100vw, 576px" />Aftyn Behn, Tennessee General Assembly</div>
Other prominent Democrats have come alongside Behn, campaigning for her in Nashville. Last week, former Vice President Kamala Harris made a <a href="https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2025/11/18/kamala-harris-nashville-aftyn-behn-7th-district-election/87324707007/?gnt-cfr=1&amp;gca-cat=p&amp;gca-uir=false&amp;gca-epti=z114035p005050c005050u116535d00----v114035&amp;gca-ft=51&amp;gca-ds=sophi">surprise appearance</a> with Behn, returning to the Democratic campaign trail for the first time since her 2024 election loss.
Behn is not hiding from her leftist views. Earlier this year, she followed and filmed ICE agents and Tennessee Highway Patrol officers as they made immigration arrests around Nashville. She has <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DJPrwJbpkoO/">called</a> Trump&#8217;s immigration operations &#8220;state-sponsored fear and violence.&#8221; Behn also voiced <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tennessee-democrat-aftyn-behn-wont-take-back-support-for-burning-down-police-stations">support</a> for burning down police stations during the 2020 George Floyd riots. She recently refused to address the controversial social media post where she stated, “Good morning, especially to the 54% of Americans that believe burning down a police station is justified.”
After three Christian schoolchildren and three staff members were killed by a trans-identifying shooter in Nashville in 2023, Behn <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrat-aftyn-behn-said-covenant-shooting-made-her-fearful-for-trans-communities">said</a> she was &#8220;fearful&#8221; for &#8220;trans communities.&#8221; Behn has also been slammed for saying in the past that she hates Nashville, parts of which she&#8217;s now running to represent.
<h3>The Location</h3>
The 7th district sits in the western part of what is considered Middle Tennessee. It spans from the state&#8217;s border with Kentucky, through north and west Nashville, and all the way to the Alabama state line. Voters in the 7th district went for President Donald Trump by 22 points in 2024, and the district has been safely in the hands of Republicans and Rep. Mark Green, who represented the 7th from 2019 until his surprise retirement earlier this year.
<div id="attachment_1005707" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1005707" class="wp-image-1005707 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-25T094502.570-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-25T094502.570-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-25T094502.570-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-25T094502.570-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-25T094502.570.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />TN 7th Congressional District, TN Secretary of State</div>
The various demographics inside the 7th district will be a key aspect to watch when results come in on Tuesday night. Much of District 7 covers rural areas, where Van Epps is expected to perform well, but it also covers north and west Nashville, which is far more liberal than the surrounding area. Behn will have to perform exceptionally well in those areas of Nashville and will need a high Democratic turnout for a chance to pull off an upset.
Last month&#8217;s primary election showed that turnout could be an issue for Democrats. Behn pulled off a narrow primary victory, receiving just over <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/10/07/us/elections/results-tennessee-us-house-7-special.html">8,600 votes</a>. Van Epps, meanwhile, pulled in over 19,000 votes in the primary as Republican turnout far outpaced that of the Democrats.
If Republicans show up in the counties surrounding Nashville and the more rural areas of the state as they have in recent House elections, Van Epps will likely cruise to victory. Tennessee&#8217;s 7th district includes areas such as part of wealthy Williamson County, which Trump <a href="https://www.politico.com/2024-election/results/tennessee/">won</a> by more than 30 points in 2024, and rural Robertson County, which Trump won by 40 points.
The House Majority PAC, which is connected to House Democratic leadership, believes that Democratic wins in New Jersey and Virginia earlier this month show that &#8220;no Republican-held seat is safe.&#8221; Democrats are also hoping that Behn can reach independents and moderate Republicans with her focus on affordability and the economy.
<h3>The Spending</h3>
Republicans and Democrats have poured millions of dollars into the special House race, with Behn&#8217;s campaign raising over $1 million between October 1 and November 12, NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/millions-pour-tennessee-special-election-ahead-december-vote-rcna244846">reported</a>. In that same timeframe, Van Epps raised $591,000. Outside groups have also dumped millions of dollars on the race, mostly in support of Van Epps and in opposition to Behn. The Trump-aligned MAGA Inc. has reportedly spent over $1 million on the race. The conservative group Club for Growth has also waded into the special House race to boost Van Epps.
Behn&#8217;s campaign has spent more than half a million dollars on advertisements, while the Democrat-aligned House Majority PAC and Your Community PAC have spent a combined $950,000 on additional ads, according to the <a href="https://nashvillebanner.com/2025/11/24/tennessee-7th-congressional-district-election-spending/">Nashville Banner</a>.
<h3>The Expectations</h3>
Earlier this month, Cook Political Report <a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/house/race/485206">moved</a> Tennessee&#8217;s 7th district from &#8220;solid&#8221; Republican to &#8220;lean&#8221; Republican. Under its summary of the race, Cook Political Report states, &#8220;Sources roundly agree that Nashville Democrats are ravenous at the prospect of an upset, while many Republican voters are unaware an election is even taking place.&#8221;
Tennessee Republican Party Chair Scott Golden <a href="https://wpln.org/post/how-competitive-is-tennessees-special-congressional-race/">told</a> WPLN News last week that the race will come down to how many Republican voters show up to the polls. Golden stressed that the special election date and early voting running up against the Thanksgiving holiday make the GOP campaign&#8217;s job even tougher.
“Anytime you have a special election that is bracketed by the Thanksgiving holiday, you can’t afford to take a day off,” he said. “I think if there’s concern, it’s just that people aren’t aware that they have the opportunity to vote right now.”

AftynVanEppsFinal

Everything You Need To Know For The Crucial Tennessee Special House Election

Even as President Donald Trump&#8217;s administration continues to deal with the fallout from former President Joe Biden&#8217;s refusal to enforce federal immigration law, officials at the Department of Homeland Security also find themselves taking on the near herculean task of debunking the fake sob stories pushed by Democrats and media outlets to make them look bad.
Kilmar Abrego-Garcia — the gang member who quickly became a Democrat darling when the Trump administration accidentally deported him to the one country it shouldn&#8217;t have — 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.
On Sunday, for example, CBS News anchor Margaret Brennan went ahead with a claim that nearly half — 48% — of the illegal aliens currently being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) were being held without any charges or deportation orders.
DHS swooped in with the fact-check: &#8220;WRONG. ~ 70% of illegal aliens arrested have pending criminal charges or criminal convictions. Does CBS really want us to release accused murderers and rapists back on the streets? But @FacetheNation is right about one thing: our deportation operations are at a RECORD HIGH.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
WRONG. ~ 70% of illegal aliens arrested have pending criminal charges or criminal convictions.
Does CBS really want us to release accused murderers and rapists back on the streets?
But <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FaceTheNation</a> is right about one thing: our deportation operations are at a RECORD HIGH. <a href="https://t.co/JFQ044rfZe">https://t.co/JFQ044rfZe</a>
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) <a href="https://twitter.com/DHSgov/status/1992972952313249990?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
A Saturday post from Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) referred to federal agents as kidnappers and parroted a story about a teen taken into custody at school.
&#8220;Absolutely horrific. ICE detained and abducted a minor—a high school student—who the family identified as a US citizen. ICE is terrorizing our communities—I’m fighting for answers and accountability. This is just wrong,&#8221; he complained.
But a quick response from DHS suggested that Merkley either had not bothered to check the facts or did not care to do so.
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;Senator, you&#8217;re missing the facts. This 17-year-old used his vehicle to violently ATTACK ICE and Border Patrol agents,&#8221; the agency posted.
&#8220;Here&#8217;s a timeline of the events: On November 21, U.S. Border Patrol agents in Yamhill County, Oregon were being followed for several miles by a blue Chevy Tahoe. A second vehicle, a Ford F-150 truck, showed up on the scene and colluded with the Chevy Tahoe to barricade the agents, preventing their movement and obstructing them,&#8221; the post continued. &#8220;Border Patrol called for urgent assistance from ICE officers. When ICE officers arrived, the Ford F-150 fled the area.&#8221;
&#8220;USBP and ICE officers approached the Tahoe, ordered the occupants out, and arrested the driver, identified as Isaias Eduardo Soto Elias, a 20-year-old U.S. Citizen, for impeding federal law enforcement officers. Shortly after, another team located the Ford F-150 and arrested the driver, identified as 17-year-old U.S. citizen, also for impeding federal law enforcement officers. Both individuals were transported to the ERO Portland office for further investigation and federal prosecution for impeding federal law enforcement officers,&#8221; the agency concluded.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Senator, you&#8217;re missing the facts. This 17-year-old used his vehicle to violently ATTACK ICE and Border Patrol agents. Here&#8217;s a timeline of the events:
On November 21, U.S. Border Patrol agents in Yamhill County, Oregon were being followed for several miles by a blue Chevy… <a href="https://t.co/CJAt1176KM">https://t.co/CJAt1176KM</a>
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) <a href="https://twitter.com/DHSgov/status/1993023602875105655?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Governor Roy Cooper (D-NC) did not run with a specific story, but instead issued a generic post in line with his party&#8217;s rubber-stamped narrative: &#8220;I&#8217;ve prosecuted violent criminals and fought to keep them behind bars, so I know the importance of using federal resources to deport violent criminals and keep our borders strong. But randomly sweeping people up based on what they look like, including American citizens and those with no criminal records, risks leaving violent criminals at large while hurting families and the economy.&#8221;
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin fired back, however, explaining, &#8220;Firstly, @RoyCooperNC refused to turn over 1,400 violent criminal illegal aliens to ICE. On his watch, when these public safety threats and predators are released back onto Charlotte’s streets they will reoffend &amp; create more victims. Second, illegal immigration is a crime much like trespassing. And thirdly, claiming there’s racial profiling is absurd and devoid of fact.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Firstly, <a href="https://twitter.com/RoyCooperNC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RoyCooperNC</a> refused to turn over 1,400 violent criminal illegal aliens to ICE.
On his watch, when these public safety threats and predators are released back onto Charlotte’s streets they will reoffend &amp; create more victims.
Second, illegal immigration is a crime… <a href="https://t.co/qmObq2By5X">https://t.co/qmObq2By5X</a>
— Tricia McLaughlin (@TriciaOhio) <a href="https://twitter.com/TriciaOhio/status/1990580018133577751?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) — who became a household name when he flew to El Salvador to have cocktails with gang member Abrego-Garcia — responded to the news that a nail salon owner in his state was set to be deported to Vietnam.
&#8220;Melissa Tran came here on a Green Card at age 11. She&#8217;s since raised 4 kids, started a business, &amp; is a beloved member of the Hagerstown community,&#8221; he insisted.
McLaughlin wasn&#8217;t having it, however.
&#8220;Omitting some pesky facts, Senator. Mong Tuyen Thi Tran is a criminal illegal alien from Vietnam, with criminal convictions including grand larceny, multiple counts of forgery and fraud. An immigration judge issued her a final order of removal in 2004–over 20 years ago. ICE arrested her in May,&#8221; she posted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Omitting some pesky facts, Senator.
Mong Tuyen Thi Tran, is a criminal illegal alien from Vietnam, with criminal convictions including grand larceny, multiple counts of forgery and fraud.
An immigration judge issued her a final order of removal in 2004–over 20 years ago. ICE… <a href="https://t.co/WyKXIyNHPQ">https://t.co/WyKXIyNHPQ</a>
— Tricia McLaughlin (@TriciaOhio) <a href="https://twitter.com/TriciaOhio/status/1991244099714744492?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Senator Cory Booker posted another video along with the caption, &#8220;A teenager. A U.S. citizen. Detained by ICE at a courthouse. This isn’t law and order—this is intimidation. It doesn’t protect our communities; it undermines them. It violates the trust people need to safely access the justice system. It wastes law-enforcement resources that should be focused on real dangers, not innocent kids. We must condemn this and demand accountability. America is better than this.&#8221;
Once again, McLaughlin fired back: &#8220;No. This individual was never arrested or taken into custody. On November 20, Homeland Security Investigations targeted a child predator. Officers briefly questioned the individual who resembled the target.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
No. This individual was never arrested or taken into custody.
On November 20, Homeland Security Investigations targeted a child predator. Officers briefly questioned the individual who resembled the target. <a href="https://t.co/II00VnwBqE">https://t.co/II00VnwBqE</a>
— Tricia McLaughlin (@TriciaOhio) <a href="https://twitter.com/TriciaOhio/status/1992753689325699362?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The New Yorker profiled a Jamaican immigrant thusly: &#8220;Orville Etoria, a Jamaican national who’d lived in New York for nearly 50 years, was shackled and put on an ICE flight to Eswatini. &#8216;It helped me imagine how the slaves might have felt, going to another land in shackles and chains,&#8217; he said.&#8221;
But as Fox News reporter Bill Melugin pointed out, &#8220;He’s a convicted murderer with a deportation order from a federal immigration judge.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
He’s a convicted murderer with a deportation order from a federal immigration judge. <a href="https://t.co/eRayIcWXsv">https://t.co/eRayIcWXsv</a>
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) <a href="https://twitter.com/BillMelugin_/status/1993384377372623317?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Democrats and media have certainly been keeping DHS busy debunking the fake sob stories and dismantling the false narratives — and with Trump encouraging his administration to keep up the deportations, that&#8217;s not likely to change any time soon.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen Meets With Wrongly Imprisoned Man Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia in El Salvador

Dems And Media Force DHS To Work Overtime Debunking Fake Illegal Immigrant Sob Stories

Department of Homeland Security

Illegal Immigration

Sixteen-year-old Washington state basketball player Frances Staudt has emerged as one of the most forceful young voices challenging the state’s Democratic leadership over policies she argues endanger girls’ sports and punish dissent.
After refusing to compete against a transgender player she described as a “quite obvious” male, Frances found herself under investigation by the Tumwater School District and the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association for “misgendering”—an action that prompted a <a href="https://www.fairforall.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Civil-Rights-Complaint_Tumwater-Schools.pdf">federal civil-rights complaint</a> on her behalf earlier this year.
The district, citing state law, insisted it would not “discriminate based on sexual identity” while acknowledging that families hold divergent views. But according to Frances, the message from school officials was far harsher: her concerns “did not matter,” and acknowledging biological sex was off-limits.
At a recent event supporting two “Let’s Go Washington” initiatives aimed at restoring protections for female athletes, Frances delivered a blistering speech accusing Washington’s highest Democratic officials of abandoning girls to ideological pressures. She described escalating social retaliation—public condemnation from staff, online harassment, threats against her family—and said adults privately expressed support but were too afraid to speak.
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>.
Her criticism reached its apex in the passage below:
<blockquote>
Let me end by saying this: Governor Ferguson, (state superintendent) Chris Reykdal, and (state attorney general) Nick Brown, we see right through you. And what we see is gutless men trying to stifle the voices of young women. I may be 16 years old, but I have way more guts than you&#8217;ll ever have.  We&#8217;re not going to stand for it anymore. I&#8217;m calling your bluff, and I&#8217;m exposing the lies that you tell over and over, and I refuse to share my locker room with the boys and men or be kicked out or punished for doing so. I will not be stopped, and what you&#8217;ve done to me is wrong.
</blockquote>
Staudt called on voters and President Donald Trump to intervene, saying, “We need you, President Trump, to please put these out-of-touch politicians in their place and stop this nonsense. I won&#8217;t stop.  Thank you. I won&#8217;t stop, and I&#8217;m asking everyone listening to fight with me. Fight, fight, fight. We will not stand down.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NEW: Tumwater High School girls basketball player Frances Staudt joined Let&#8217;s Go WA&#8217;25 signature gatherers in Issaquah, WA over the weekend. 
Staudt is part of a growing movement in the state to ban biological boys from girls sports. 
Here is her speech in full. 🧵👇 <a href="https://t.co/49ygUZk4zE">https://t.co/49ygUZk4zE</a> <a href="https://t.co/w2X5S8Jkya">pic.twitter.com/w2X5S8Jkya</a>
— Jonathan Choe (@choeshow) <a href="https://twitter.com/choeshow/status/1993019359414174024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Americans Await Results In 2024 Presidential Election

‘Gutless Men’: Teen Athlete Blasts Washington State Democrats For Failing To Protect Girls’ Sports

Washington State

Women's sports

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>.
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>.
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

Washington D.C.

War Secretary Pete Hegseth gave an earful to a small group of Democrats — most of whom were veterans of the United States Armed Services — who created a video that appeared to be actively encouraging current service members to disobey orders from President Donald Trump.
In the video in question, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/despicable-reckless-and-false-hegseth-coins-new-nickname-for-dems-pushing-military-insurrection">six Democrats</a> — former CIA analyst and Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) along with Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), Rep. Maggie Goodlander (D-NH), Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO), and Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) — called on members of the military to seriously consider whether or not orders coming from the White House were “lawful&#8221; and clearly insinuated that they might not be.
Hegseth laid into the six lawmakers in a post on Tuesday, pointing out that even though civilians might not think anything of the things they&#8217;d said, military service members should know better.
&#8220;The despicable video urging @DeptofWar troops to &#8216;refuse illegal orders&#8217; may seem harmless to civilians — but it carries a different weight inside the military,&#8221; Hegseth explained. &#8220;This was a politically-motivated influence operation: It never named a specific &#8216;illegal order&#8217;; It created ambiguity rather than clarity; It used carefully scripted, legal-sounding language; It subtly reframed military obedience around partisan distrust instead of established legal processes.&#8221;
&#8220;In the military, vague rhetoric and ambiguity undermines trust, creates hesitation in the chain of command, and erodes cohesion,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;The military already has clear procedures for handling unlawful orders. It does not need political actors injecting doubt into an already clear chain of command. As veterans of various sorts, the Seditious Six knew exactly what they were doing — sowing doubt through a politically-motivated influence operation. The @DeptofWar won’t fall for it or stand for it.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The despicable video urging <a href="https://twitter.com/DeptofWar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DeptofWar</a> troops to “refuse illegal orders” may seem harmless to civilians — but it carries a different weight inside the military.
This was a politically-motivated influence operation:
☑️ It never named a specific “illegal order.” 
☑️ It created…
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) <a href="https://twitter.com/PeteHegseth/status/1993304935874592932?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Right now, DailyWire+ annual memberships are fifty percent off during our Black Friday sale. Join now at <a class="c-link" href="http://dailywire.com/blackfriday" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="http://dailywire.com/blackfriday" data-sk="tooltip_parent">dailywire.com/blackfriday</a>.
After noting on Monday that Senator Kelly — the only one of the six who retired from the military — was still subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), Hegseth sent a memorandum on Tuesday to the Secretary of the Navy asking for a full review of Kelly&#8217;s comments on the video. He said that he&#8217;d expect a brief on the Navy Secretary&#8217;s review no later than December 10.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://t.co/42TxcjdJiK">pic.twitter.com/42TxcjdJiK</a>
— Department of War 🇺🇸 (@DeptofWar) <a href="https://twitter.com/DeptofWar/status/1993436056008507865?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Pete Hegseth – Dan Caine holds a joint press conference in DC

Pete Hegseth Unloads On Insurrection Video: ‘A Politically-Motivated Influence Operation’

insurrection

Menu