Former Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA), fresh off her Senate loss to Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA), raised some eyebrows with a contentious interview that went viral on Tuesday despite the fact that it first aired in mid-September.
Porter, currently vying for the governorship of California, sat down with CBS reporter Julie Watts to discuss several key issues — and Porter became progressively agitated as Watts dared to ask pointed questions and follow-ups, her reaction suggesting that she was not accustomed to reporters asking her real questions.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
When Katie Porter is our next governor here in CA, it will make us long for the days of the evil Gavin Newsom. She’s a lot like him, only dumber.
How are Democrats not enraged that she overtly states here that she plans to make sure she runs in the general against a Republican?! <a href="https://t.co/oc9hmVQ5kC">pic.twitter.com/oc9hmVQ5kC</a>
— John Ziegler (@Zigmanfreud) <a href="https://twitter.com/Zigmanfreud/status/1969047999239036944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The first question was a gimme, as Watts asked Porter what she thought of current Governor Gavin Newsom’s (D-CA) plan to redraw the state’s congressional districts, and Porter said she was in favor of that. But then Watts asked Porter what her plan was to win over some of the 40% of voters who had voted for President Donald Trump in 2024. California’s gubernatorial race utilizes a “Top-Two” primary system, in which the two candidates with the highest vote totals — regardless of party affiliation — advance to the general election.
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“What do you say to the 40% of California voters who you’ll need in order to win, who voted for Trump?” Watts asked.
Porter appeared genuinely taken aback by the question: “How would I need them in order to win, ma&#8217;am?”
“Well, unless you think you&#8217;re going to get 60% of the vote. You think you&#8217;ll get 60%? Everybody who did not vote for Trump will vote for you?” Watts clarified. “That&#8217;s what you&#8217;re saying?”
“In a general election, yes,” Porter insisted. “If it is me versus a Republican, I think that I will win the people who did not vote for Trump.”
“What if it&#8217;s you versus another Democrat?” Watts asked.
“I don’t intend that to be the case,” Porter said.
A longer clip from the interview showed what happened when Watts continued to press Porter on the issue …
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Democrats are so used to media being their propagandists that they totally lose it when asked basic questions. Here’s California’s Katie Porter losing it during an interview. <a href="https://t.co/relSS2Ajpa">pic.twitter.com/relSS2Ajpa</a>
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClayTravis/status/1975773397524357603?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
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“So how do you intend that not to be the case? Do you — are you going to ask them not to run?” Watts asked, referencing other Democrats in the race.
“No, I’m saying I’m going to build the support, I have the support already in terms of name recognition, and so I’m going to do the very best I can to make sure that we get through this primary in a really strong position,” Porter said. “But let me be clear with you: I represented Orange County. I represented a purple area. I have stood on my own two feet and won Republican votes before. And that’s not something that every candidate in this race can say.”
She went on to say that other candidates from deep blue areas might not have the same ability to win Republican votes — but Watts kept pressing.
“But you just said you don&#8217;t need those Trump voters,” she said.
“But you asked me if I needed them to win,” Porter pointed out.
“So you don&#8217;t —” Watts pushed back.
Porter put up a hand to stop Watts and complained, “I feel like this is unnecessarily argumentative. What is your question?”
“The question is the same thing I asked everybody,” Watts said, showing Porter her notes and adding, “Every other candidate has answered this question; it&#8217;s not argumentative. The question is, &#8216;What do you say to the 40% of voters who voted for Trump?&#8217;”
“Oh, I&#8217;m happy to say that,” Porter said. “It&#8217;s the &#8216;do you need them to win&#8217; part that I don&#8217;t understand. And I&#8217;m happy to answer the question — ask the question as you have it written, and I&#8217;ll answer it.”
“And we&#8217;ve also asked the other candidates, do you think you need any of those 40% of California voters to win, and you&#8217;re saying no, you don&#8217;t,” Watts continued.
“No, I&#8217;m saying I&#8217;m going to try to win every vote I can,” Porter protested, visibly frustrated. “And what I&#8217;m saying to you is that —”
“Well, to those voters, okay, so you —” Watts attempted one more time.
“I don&#8217;t want to keep doing this. I&#8217;m going to call it,” Porter abruptly ended the interview and began fussing with her microphone.
“You&#8217;re not going to do the interview?” Watts asked, clearly baffled by Porter’s behavior.
“Nope, not like this I&#8217;m not,” Porter declared. “Not with seven follow-ups to every single question you ask.”
Watts protested, “Every other candidate has answered follow-ups.”
“I don’t care!” Porter clapped her hands together once to emphasize her point. “I want to have a pleasant, positive conversation in which you ask me about every issue on this list. And if every question, you’re going to make up a follow-up question, then we’re never going to get there … I have never had to do this before, ever!”
&nbsp;

U.S. Rep. Katie Porter election watch party 2022

California Dem Flips, Walks Out On Reporter For Asking Basic Questions

California

Democrats

Elections

Katie Porter

Politics

A brutal new campaign from California GOP gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton launching on Wednesday takes direct aim at Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom’s push to further gerrymander the Golden State’s congressional maps. 
The statewide digital ad, first shared with The Daily Wire, highlights Newsom’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gavin-tough-guy-newsom-threatens-gop-were-gonna-punch-these-sons-of-bitces-in-the-mouth">recent comments</a> about punching Republican &#8220;sons-of-bitches&#8221; in the mouth and urges California voters to vote against Proposition 50. Prop 50 would skew election maps further in favor of California Democrats and would shrink the Republican delegation to Congress if passed in November. 
Hilton says that instead of cracking down on his state’s crime and homelessness problems, Newsom is focusing on pushing a political agenda to set up his own presidential aspirations. 
“We&#8217;ve got to defeat this totally outrageous scheme by Gavin Newsom to rig our elections here in California,” he told The Daily Wire. “It&#8217;s a direct assault on democracy, by Gavin Newsom, who lectures us endlessly about democracy. This guy&#8217;s a total joke. He&#8217;s a total failure, the most useless governor in America.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Why is Gavin So Angry?" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kjEi0gJUij4?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The ad features a loop of Newsom saying that he was “going to punch these sons-of-bitches in the mouth” when discussing redistricting efforts in Texas. 
“Why is Gavin Newsom so angry? He’s not angry about the addiction and despair. He’s not angry about crime and chaos in our cities or the neighborhoods burned on his watch. He’s not angry about our crushing cost of living. Newsom is angry because he will never be president with his record of failure,” Hilton says in the ad. “Gavin Newsom wrecked our state. Now he wants to make it worse.” 
<div id="attachment_982691" style="width: 1721px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-982691" class="size-full wp-image-982691" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-07-at-9.55.24-PM.png" alt="" width="1711" height="966" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-07-at-9.55.24-PM.png 1711w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-07-at-9.55.24-PM-300x169.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-07-at-9.55.24-PM-1020x576.png 1020w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-07-at-9.55.24-PM-768x434.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-07-at-9.55.24-PM-1536x867.png 1536w" sizes=" (max-width: 1711px) 100vw, 1711px" />Hilton ad.</div>
Newsom has <a href="https://x.com/GovPressOffice/status/1955411757540970603">billed</a> the maps as a way to “end the Trump presidency” and followed Texas&#8217;s move to draw maps more favorable to Republicans. 
Hilton said that, currently, California Republicans hold only 17% of the state&#8217;s congressional seats, though roughly 40% of the populace votes Republican. The new maps would reduce Republican representation to about 6% of the seats. He said it would take, on average, about 193,000 votes to elect a Democrat, while it would take 1.5 million to elect a Republican.
<div id="attachment_982695" style="width: 1661px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-982695" class="size-full wp-image-982695" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-07-at-9.57.33-PM.png" alt="" width="1651" height="935" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-07-at-9.57.33-PM.png 1651w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-07-at-9.57.33-PM-300x170.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-07-at-9.57.33-PM-1017x576.png 1017w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-07-at-9.57.33-PM-768x435.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-07-at-9.57.33-PM-1536x870.png 1536w" sizes=" (max-width: 1651px) 100vw, 1651px" />Hilton ad.</div>
The maps have already been approved by the Democratic supermajority in California and will appear on the November 4 ballot in California. It will only require a majority to pass. 
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=fall40&amp;utm_content=fallsale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Get 40% off new DailyWire+ annual memberships with code FALL40 at checkout</a>
Hilton has also filed a lawsuit to block Prop 50, but says he has been given a court date after the election. The author and former TV host said that Democrat lawmakers in California believed that they could do whatever they wanted to. 
“They&#8217;re just arrogant beyond belief. They assume that they&#8217;ll never be held accountable, but they can do whatever they want. It&#8217;s the behavior of an authoritarian, arrogant, ruling elite,” he said.

MixCollage-07-Oct-2025-02-09-PM-8438

GOP Candidate’s New Campaign Targets Newsom’s ‘Outrageous Scheme’ To Rig California’s Elections

New Campaign Targets Newsom's 'Outrageous Scheme' To California's Elections

Congress

Gavin Newsom

Redistricting

In the wake of a still-unfolding text scandal involving his Democratic opponent, state Attorney General Jason Miyares (R-VA) laid out what is really at stake in the coming election: what will happen to the &#8220;Virginia Way&#8221;?
Miyares spoke with The Daily Wire by phone on Tuesday, four days after a series of 2022 texts — sent by Democratic nominee Jay Jones to a Republican colleague — went viral, and he questioned whether the traditional collegial relationship between Virginia politicians, regardless of party, could survive the mindset behind them.
In the texts in question, sent to Republican Delegate Carrie Coyner, Jones had fantasized about the assassination of then state-House Speaker Todd Gilbert, a Republican, and declared that Gilbert would never change his political positions unless he and his wife were forced to watch one of their children die. He also said he&#8217;d like to &#8220;piss on the graves&#8221; of his political opponents.
&#8220;The &#8216;Virginia Way&#8217; has always been the idea that even though Washington might not be civil at times, [members of both parties in] Richmond will be civil with each other,&#8221; Miyares said. &#8220;That’s part of why what Jay Jones has done is so troubling.&#8221;
&#8220;He knows Jennifer Gilbert, that’s not a stranger. Todd would bring his children to the assembly, so when he sent those text messages, they were only two and five years old at the time,&#8221; Miyares explained. &#8220;So this is not some type of hypothetical; this is someone that he worked with, this was a colleague. Then to say that he wanted to see two bullets in his head and then imagine saying that the children would die in their mother’s arms — this was not a stranger. He’s met the mother, he’s met the children, and in his mind, pain is the only way that change happens. That is a — I don’t know how to get my arms around that.&#8221;
Miyares said several times that it was difficult for him to fathom the mindset behind the texts Jones sent — the idea that violence was a reasonable reaction to political opposition.
&#8220;I think this election now is really a referendum on the Virginia Way,&#8221; he observed. &#8220;Is it now dead? Because I could tell you ten years ago, it would have been unquestioned, not in a million years would anybody even consider — but there seems to be this mindset that power is more important than decency.&#8221;
He went on to remark that it wasn&#8217;t just Jones — there seemed to be an abundance of Democrats who were willing to say that what Jones texted had been bad, unconscionable even, but those same people were unwilling to say that such comments should disqualify Jones from holding public office.
Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), for example, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee, called for former Governor Ralph Northam (D-VA) to resign over a 20-year-old blackface photo in a college yearbook — but she couldn&#8217;t bring herself to call for the resignation of a current candidate who&#8217;d called for the assassination of a colleague over political differences.
&#8220;Don’t forget the context of this,&#8221; Miyares added. &#8220;Jay was upset that Republicans had done a eulogy and said nice words in remembrance of a Democratic colleague and his reaction was that he wanted to ‘piss on the graves’ of his political opponents.&#8221;
Miyares, who is of Cuban descent, said that was the reason he found Jones&#8217; mindset so abhorrent – because he came from a &#8220;society where they would use violence to silence opinions.&#8221;
&#8220;Ideas were seen as so dangerous that it was morally excused to use violence to silence them. We said a long time ago in this country that we’re going to settle our debates at the ballot box and not with bullets,&#8221; he said. &#8220;The idea that somebody is seeking to be the top prosecutor — he’s never prosecuted a case in his life and would advocate violence against somebody he disagrees with and would want to piss on the graves of his opponents — I can’t imagine anybody in polite society thinking that’s acceptable.&#8221;
&#8220;My uncle Angel Miyares was arrested during the Bay of Pigs invasion,&#8221; Miyares recalled. &#8220;Castro arrested anybody that he thought could rise up against him on the island, and he was taken to an empty baseball stadium and he went through the humiliation of a mock execution. What was his crime? Ideas. His crime was simply — he was handing out anti-Castro leaflets in Havana. And he got put on Castro&#8217;s secret police radar, and they arrested him. When you suddenly take away someone’s individual dignity, their humanity, and you think that politics trumps their individual dignity, I can&#8217;t help that. I can&#8217;t – it is so outside of my worldview.&#8221;
Miyares brought the conversation back around to the &#8220;Virginia Way&#8221; and the idea that politics should not ever be an excuse to resort to violence.
&#8220;I view it as it’s not just me on the ballot this year, I view it as the &#8216;Virginia Way&#8217; and the idea that we are going to — yes, we will have a basic standard of decency in politics today, and I think that’s on the ballot,&#8221; he said.
His final thought on Jones was a question about whether or not he was suited to the office of attorney general.
&#8220;Crime does not know partisanship. Being the people’s protector means I protect everyone,&#8221; Miyares explained, adding that he wasn&#8217;t sure how someone who openly called for a political opponent&#8217;s assassination could approach the job in a way that did not reflect that. &#8220;I think it&#8217;s safe to say that where he is is a very different mindset.&#8221;

Jason Miyares takes over as the new Attorney General of Virginia.

Is The ‘Virginia Way’ Dead?: AG Jason Miyares Breaks Down What’s Really At Stake In Jay Jones Race

Is The 'Virginia Way' Dead?: AG Jason Miyares Breaks Down What's Really At Stake In Jay Jones Race

Jason Miyares

Jay Jones

Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) says he will still support Jay Jones — the Democratic nominee for state attorney general — in spite of several vile text messages he sent to a Republican colleague in 2022.
CNN congressional reporter Manu Raju caught up with Kaine on Tuesday to ask him whether he&#8217;d withdraw his support for Jones after the old texts surfaced — texts in which Jones had advocated for the assassination of then state House Speaker Todd Gilbert, a Republican, and had said Gilbert would never change his political positions unless he and his wife were forced to watch one of their young children die.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Democrat Virginia Senator Tim Kaine STILL backs Jay Jones, who fantasized about killing a Republican official and his children, and also supports killing cops.
KAINE: “I&#8217;m still supporting Jay Jones.” <a href="https://t.co/3EXIFaGDXa">pic.twitter.com/3EXIFaGDXa</a>
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1975570425775329686?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
At first, it appeared as though Kaine was going to walk away without giving any answers to the questions being shouted after him — &#8220;Senator, do you still support Jay Jones? Do you think he should drop out of this race after those comments? Do you have concerns about what you saw?&#8221; — but he eventually stopped and turned around to speak with Raju directly.
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&#8220;The comments are completely indefensible,&#8221; Kaine declared. &#8220;But I&#8217;ve know Jay Jones for 25 years, and those comments are very much out of character for him. So if I put the comments, which are clearly beyond the pale, against knowing this guy for 25 years, I&#8217;m still supporting Jay Jones.&#8221;
With that, Kaine turned on his heel and walked away, adding himself to the rapidly growing list of Democrats who were willing to condemn calls for the assassination of political rivals, but not willing to say that people making such calls were declaring themselves unqualified to hold public office.
It should be noted that Kaine, the Democrats&#8217; 2016 vice presidential nominee, stood by twice-failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton after she wrote off half of the American population as a &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/whoopi-goes-full-basket-of-deplorables-says-she-cant-even-talk-to-trump-supporters">basket of deplorables</a>.&#8221;

Tim Kaine

Top Virginia Senator Says Jay Jones Still Has His Support

Virginia

The Virginia Democrat mired in scandal over text messages — in which he called for the assassination of a political opponent — once called for a police lieutenant to lose his job over a $25 donation to Kyle Rittenhouse’s legal defense fund.
Jay Jones, currently a candidate for state attorney general in Virginia, has not responded to calls for him to drop out of the race over 2022 texts advocating political violence against then-state House Speaker Todd Gilbert, a Republican. But in 2021, claiming to be in pursuit of “true accountability in policing,” Jones demanded that Norfolk Police Lt. William K. Kelly III lose his job after he donated $25 to the legal defense fund for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/thats-when-i-knew-they-didnt-have-a-case-rittenhouse-details-critical-moments-of-trial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kyle Rittenhouse</a> — the teenager who fatally shot two protesters and injured another in Kenosha, Wisconsin, during a 2020 riot. A jury <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-kyle-rittenhouse-found-not-guilty">determined</a> that Rittenhouse acted in self-defense.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
In 2021, Jay Jones called for a Norfolk police lieutenant to be fired after donating $25 to Kyle Rittenhouse’s legal defense fund — calling it “utterly disgusting” and demanding “true accountability in policing.”
Now Jay Jones himself is the one who fantasized about political… <a href="https://t.co/ayIe4IONPD">pic.twitter.com/ayIe4IONPD</a>
— Tim Anderson (@AssocAnderson) <a href="https://twitter.com/AssocAnderson/status/1974962395559702558?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
At the time, The Guardian reported on the sources of some of the donations for Rittenhouse’s defense, identifying Kelly as one of the donors.
“God bless. Thank you for your courage. Keep your head up. You’ve done nothing wrong,” the message with the donation read. “Every rank and file police officer supports you. Don’t be discouraged by actions of the political class of law enforcement leadership.”
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Jones, at the time a Norfolk delegate, argued that such a donation was reason enough for Kelly to lose his job.
“We have to get to the bottom of this reported conduct, which is utterly disgusting. If these allegations are true, Officer Kelly must resign from the Norfolk Police Department immediately,” Jones declared. “Should he not resign, he must be terminated. Kelly’s actions have broken the public’s trust and emboldened the worst elements in our society. If we are ever going to repair and strengthen the already fragile relationship between our communities and law enforcement and have a public that truly feels safe, we must root out bias and hatred in our justice system and have true accountability in policing.”
For the sake of comparison, here are some of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/read-them-virginia-dem-sent-shocking-texts-about-killing-gop-leader-pissing-on-graves">text messages</a> Jones sent about former House Speaker Gilbert in 2022: “Three people, two bullets. Gilbert, Hitler and Pol Pot. Gilbert gets two bullets to the head. Spoiler: put Gilbert in the crew with the two worst people you know and he receives both bullets every time.”
Earlier in the text messages, Jones expressed that he would attend the funerals of Republican lawmakers in Virginia “to piss on their graves.”
“Send them out awash in something,” he added.

Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) campaigns as the Democratic nominee in the Virginia’s governor’s race.

Jay Jones Demanded Cop’s Badge Over Rittenhouse Donation

Jay Jones Demanded Police Lieutenant's Job Over Rittenhouse Defense Fund Donation

Kyle Rittenhouse

Political Violence

Virginia State House Speaker Don Scott, a Democrat, took to the pulpit at Mount Calvary Baptist Church on Sunday, where he cautioned members of the congregation not to be “distracted” by apparently insignificant details like text messages in the lead-up to an important election.
The reference was obvious, as Scott’s impassioned speech came just 48 hours after Jay Jones — the Democratic nominee for attorney general in his state — found himself at the center of a text scandal of his own making. In resurfaced messages from 2022, Jones had openly advocated for the assassination of a political opponent — and had said that he’d attend the funerals of Republican lawmakers to “piss on their graves.”
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Here is the current Speaker of the House in Virginia, in a church pulpit, telling congregants to ignore Jay Jones&#8217;s call for the assassination of the prior Speaker and murder of his kids because…politics. Where is The Bulwark? Where are Dem leaders? <a href="https://t.co/titRtnAmIt">pic.twitter.com/titRtnAmIt</a>
— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) <a href="https://twitter.com/EWErickson/status/1974907347920474517?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“So we need to understand something,” he said from the pulpit. “We have to be mature in our thinking and how we vote. We can’t get distracted ’cause they want us to get distracted by the text messages here, or something else — stay focused!”
Critics were not impressed with Scott’s performance and said so.
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“When Speaker Johnson quotes Bible verses or when Senator Rubio shares the gospel, the usual suspects warn of a dangerous new theocracy. But stuff like this happens all the time in leftist churches and it’s crickets,” one posted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
When Speaker Johnson quotes Bible verses or when Senator Rubio shares the gospel, the usual suspects warn of a dangerous new theocracy. But stuff like this happens all the time in progressive churches and it’s crickets. I talk about this in my new book: <a href="https://t.co/Y696LDdF8v">https://t.co/Y696LDdF8v</a> <a href="https://t.co/ENcsHp7OV4">https://t.co/ENcsHp7OV4</a>
— Daniel Darling (@dandarling) <a href="https://twitter.com/dandarling/status/1974917680521199863?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“I don’t know what to make of how radical the @vademocrats are. We are a purple-ish state. We have a Republican governor. Our legislature has a lot of Republican members. You can ‘what about Trump’ all day long. I didn’t vote for him over comments that are FAR less disturbing than calling for corrective political violence directed at children. No part of this is okay,” another posted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I don’t know what to make of how radical the <a href="https://twitter.com/vademocrats?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@vademocrats</a> are. We are a purple-ish state. We have a Republican governor. Our legislature has a lot of Republican members. You can “what about Trump” all day long. I didn’t vote for him over comments that are FAR less disturbing than… <a href="https://t.co/30DWHFpyGM">https://t.co/30DWHFpyGM</a>
— Corie Whalen (@CorieWhalen) <a href="https://twitter.com/CorieWhalen/status/1974934714223038801?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“Absolutely wild that he calls the messages (and subsequent phone calls) where Jay Jones doubles down on bloodlust ’a distraction.’ Don&#8217;t get &#8216;distracted&#8217; by a guy relishing a mother holding her dead child. &#8216;Stay focused,&#8217; he says. This is nauseating,” another said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Absolutely wild that he calls the messages (and subsequent phone calls) where Jay Jones doubles down on bloodlust &#8220;a distraction.&#8221; Don&#8217;t get &#8220;distracted&#8221; by a guy relishing a mother holding her dead child. &#8220;Stay focused,&#8221; he says.
This is nauseating. <a href="https://t.co/rh35e4l7a0">https://t.co/rh35e4l7a0</a>
— Rachel Bovard (@rachelbovard) <a href="https://twitter.com/rachelbovard/status/1975213172169801839?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 6, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“Don’t get distracted by a Democrat’s stated desire to murder a Republican and his children, he preached from the pulpit,” Guy Benson summed it up.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Don’t get distracted by a Democrat’s stated desire to murder a Republican and his children, he preached from the pulpit <a href="https://t.co/OBT1atqMlI">https://t.co/OBT1atqMlI</a>
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) <a href="https://twitter.com/guypbenson/status/1974928099818238167?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

RICHMOND, VA – MARCH 8: Don L. Scott Jr. (D-Portsmouth) listens

Virginia House Speaker Uses Church Pulpit To Double Down On Jay Jones

Virginia State House Speaker Uses Church Pulpit To Double Down On Jay Jones

Church

Top Democrat officials in Virginia have rallied around Attorney General candidate Jay Jones, declining to call for him to drop out of the race despite texts expressing his violent fantasies about murdering Republicans.
<a href="https://x.com/jaaavis/status/1974237981268381718?s=46" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Louise Lucas</a>, president pro tempore of the Virginia Senate and a marijuana dispensary co-owner, said in a statement, &#8220;There is no place for political violence or violent rhetoric in our public discourse, and Jay must take accountability for his actions. But we will not allow this moment to overshadow the stakes of this election. &#8230; The choice before us is far bigger than this mistake.&#8221;
&#8220;Jay Jones has demonstrated the character, compassion, and vision that the Office of Attorney General deserves. Jason Miyares, by contrast, has proven himself to be nothing more than Donald Trump&#8217;s pro-bono attorney, pushing dangerous, partisan agendas &#8230; our rights, our democracy, and our future are on the line.&#8221; The statement was co-authored by Sen. Mamie Locke, a political science professor and head of the Senate Democrats&#8217; political arm.
Jones&#8217; text messages, first reported by National Review, were sent in 2021 to a Republican lawmaker after the then-Republican leader of the state house, Todd Gilbert, said kind words about a Democrat who had died, which infuriated Jones, who seemed to feel that the deceased Democrat was insufficiently liberal if he had respectful relationships with Republicans.
“Three people, two bullets. Gilbert, Hitler and Pol Pot. Gilbert gets two bullets to the head,” Jones <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/read-them-virginia-dem-sent-shocking-texts-about-killing-gop-leader-pissing-on-graves" target="_blank" rel="noopener">texted</a> to Del. Carrie Coyner (R). “Spoiler: put Gilbert in the crew with the two worst people you know and he receives both bullets every time.”
He hoped for the death of Gilbert&#8217;s children as a way of impacting the state&#8217;s politics, saying, &#8220;Only when people feel pain personally do they move on policy.&#8221;
He added: &#8220;Do I think Todd and Jennifer are evil? And that they&#8217;re breeding little fascists? Yes.&#8221;
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When Democrats took control of the House of Delegates, Gilbert was replaced as speaker by Don Scott, a convicted crack dealer. In recent days, Scott defended Jones on criticism that he was arrested for driving 116 miles an hour and performed his court-ordered community service by volunteering for his own PAC, and attempted to tie a Republican candidate to &#8220;Nazis.&#8221;
The two Democrats running for Virginia&#8217;s top slots alongside Jones condemned his violent rhetoric without rescinding their endorsements or saying he should drop out of the race.
<div id="attachment_981127" style="width: 584px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-981127" class="size-full wp-image-981127" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-04-at-9.33.40-AM.png" alt="" width="574" height="1030" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-04-at-9.33.40-AM.png 574w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-04-at-9.33.40-AM-167x300.png 167w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-04-at-9.33.40-AM-321x576.png 321w" sizes=" (max-width: 574px) 100vw, 574px" />Credit: Fox News</div>
<div id="attachment_981171" style="width: 1356px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-981171" class="size-full wp-image-981171" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-04-at-12.41.42-PM.png" alt="" width="1346" height="1210" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-04-at-12.41.42-PM.png 1346w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-04-at-12.41.42-PM-300x270.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-04-at-12.41.42-PM-641x576.png 641w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-04-at-12.41.42-PM-768x690.png 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1346px) 100vw, 1346px" />Credit: National Review</div>
<div id="attachment_981169" style="width: 1342px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-981169" class="size-full wp-image-981169" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-04-at-12.41.33-PM.png" alt="" width="1332" height="1494" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-04-at-12.41.33-PM.png 1332w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-04-at-12.41.33-PM-267x300.png 267w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-04-at-12.41.33-PM-514x576.png 514w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-04-at-12.41.33-PM-768x861.png 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1332px) 100vw, 1332px" />Credit: National Review</div>
Ghazala Hashmi, the Democrat candidate for lieutenant governor, said, &#8220;I have been very clear that political violence has no place in our country, and I condemn it at every turn. Jay must take accountability for the pain that his words have caused. We must demand better of our leaders and of each other.&#8221;
In Virginia last week alone, one man was <a href="https://www.fauquiernow.com/news/loudoun-man-arrested-in-death-threat-against-local-del-higgins/article_877db319-6e27-4984-aa63-77122912311e.html">arrested</a> for allegedly threatening Republican state delegate Geary Higgins by writing “I will shoot u @ yer next public rally. Then send you memes with the photos. I know where your f*in kids are,” while another man was charged with writing that he <a href="https://www.progress-index.com/story/news/local/2025/09/26/va-delegate-remains-defiant-in-face-of-death-threat-says-its-political/86374505007/?tbref=hp">planned to kill</a> Republican Del. Kim Taylor. Taylor said Democrat gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger&#8217;s exhortation to supporters to &#8220;let rage fuel you&#8221; could have contributed to that.
John Reid, the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor, told The Daily Wire in an interview that if violence has no place in politics, then Jones must withdraw from the race.
&#8220;The Democrats have a violence problem. They talk about it nonstop. They have enough followers in their party who are willing to act on it that they should show some self-restraint,&#8221; he said. &#8220;When you see the pattern of Democrat leaders who are constantly fanning the flames and then acting like they don&#8217;t understand why people are taking them up on killing &#8216;Nazis&#8217; and killing &#8216;fascists&#8217; or attacking fantasy &#8216;white supremacists.'&#8221;
He said he&#8217;s begun wearing a bulletproof vest. &#8220;As a candidate for lieutenant governor of Virginia, that&#8217;s crazy to me.&#8221;
Spanberger, the Democrat nominee for governor, said, &#8220;I made clear to Jay that he must fully take responsibility for his words &#8230; as the next Governor of our Commonwealth, I will always condemn violent language in our politics.&#8221;
Yet Jones did not fully take responsibility: Jones acknowledged that the texts were real, but his would-be apology blamed his Republican opponent and, inexplicably, Donald Trump, saying it was a &#8220;smear&#8221; to call attention to the accurate story.
“Like all people, I’ve sent text messages that I regret, and I believe that violent rhetoric has no place in our politics,” Jones <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/virginia-ag-candidate-once-referenced-putting-two-bullets-head-gop-leader-texts-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Fox. “Let’s be clear about what is happening in the attorney general race right now: Jason Miyares is dropping smears through Trump-controlled media organizations to assault my character and rescue his desperate campaign.”
Miyares, the Republican incumbent attorney general and Jones&#8217; opponent in next month&#8217;s election, <a href="https://x.com/SchneiderG/status/1974548230131331275" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, &#8220;I don&#8217;t accept his apology.&#8221;
John Reid asked, &#8220;What kind of narcissism do you have to try to make yourself a victim when you said this?&#8221; Of Spanberger and Hashmi, he added, &#8220;They think that they&#8217;ll chastise him with one or two lines on X and that will make this go away. I think this is much more serious than a slip of the tongue when you look at the pattern of violence over the last year years and when Abigail Spanberger says, &#8216;let your rage fuel you.'&#8221; That, he said, &#8220;implies uncontrollable anger and hostility.&#8221;
He noted that Democrats called for Democrat Governor Ralph Northam to resign when decades-old pictures that were offensive to black people surfaced, but have not done the same when Jones said he would &#8220;piss on [the] graves&#8221; of dead Republicans.
&#8220;Democrats have demonized Republicans to such an extent that they are simply running on hatred of the other side,&#8221; with Spanberger refusing to tell Virginians where she stands on prominent issues like transgenders in locker rooms, and Hashmi refusing to debate Reid, he said.
&#8220;That&#8217;s one reason I have put out policy positions every week, unlike the other candidates. I just think people should cast a vote not just based on how bad your opponent is, but what your ideas are. I&#8217;m trying to bring that old fashioned positive mindset back to the campaign. But the Democrats can&#8217;t help themselves but bring up ludicrous statements, like you&#8217;re a Nazi or a white supremacist, at the same time that their people are actually advocating violence. And they&#8217;ve got to be held accountable for that,&#8221; he said.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fairfax-prosecutor-broke-law-by-treating-illegals-more-favorably-ag-alleges?author=Luke+Rosiak&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Dem+Prosecutor+Broke+Law+By+Treating+Illegals+More+Favorably+Than+Americans%2C+Virginia+AG+Says">Dem Prosecutor Broke Law By Treating Illegals More Favorably Than Americans, Virginia AG Says</a>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/transgender-man-who-planned-to-assassinate-brett-kavanaugh-gets-off-easy-will-serve-just-8-years?author=Luke+Rosiak&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Transgender+Man+Who+Planned+To+Assassinate+Brett+Kavanaugh+Will+Serve+Just+8+Years">Transgender Man Who Planned To Assassinate Brett Kavanaugh Will Serve Just 8 Years</a>

Early Voting Begins In Virginia Gubernatorial Race

Virginia Dems Say ‘Our Democracy’ Depends On Voting For Candidate Who Fantasized About Assassination

Terrorism

Violence

Democrat Virginia attorney general candidate Jay Jones, in recently uncovered text messages, fantasized about murdering a state GOP leader with &#8220;two bullets to the head&#8221; and &#8220;piss[ing]&#8221; on the graves of other Republicans.
In the wake of the scandal &#8212; which comes at a time of increased political violence from the Left &#8212; Jones has sought to blame Republicans and President Donald Trump.
In text messages obtained first by National Review, Jones says to another lawmaker that he would use two bullets to murder then-GOP House Speaker Todd Gilbert.
&#8220;Three people, two bullets. Gilbert, Hitler and Pol Pot. Gilbert gets two bullets to the head,&#8221; Jones texted to Del. Carrie Coyner (R). &#8220;Spoiler: put Gilbert in the crew with the two worst people you know and he receives both bullets every time.&#8221;
Earlier in the text messages, Jones expressed that he would attend the funerals of Republican lawmakers in Virginia &#8220;to piss on their graves.&#8221;
&#8220;Send them out awash in something,&#8221; he added.
Jones&#8217; comments were reportedly in reference to Republicans saying kind words about Democrat Del. Joe Johnson, who passed away at age 90.
<div id="attachment_981127" style="width: 331px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-981127" class="wp-image-981127 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-04-at-9.33.40-AM-321x576.png" alt="" width="321" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-04-at-9.33.40-AM-321x576.png 321w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-04-at-9.33.40-AM-167x300.png 167w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-04-at-9.33.40-AM.png 574w" sizes=" (max-width: 321px) 100vw, 321px" />Credit: Fox News</div>
A follow-up message from Jones, he seemed to confirm that he wants Gilbert&#8217;s children to die. He wrote, &#8220;I’ve told you this before. Only when people feel pain personally do they move on policy,&#8221; Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/virginia-ag-candidate-once-referenced-putting-two-bullets-head-gop-leader-texts-show">reported</a>.
<div id="attachment_981169" style="width: 524px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-981169" class="wp-image-981169 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-04-at-12.41.33-PM-514x576.png" alt="" width="514" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-04-at-12.41.33-PM-514x576.png 514w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-04-at-12.41.33-PM-267x300.png 267w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-04-at-12.41.33-PM-768x861.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-04-at-12.41.33-PM.png 1332w" sizes=" (max-width: 514px) 100vw, 514px" />Credit: National Review</div>
The Democrat also said Gilbert and his wife were&#8221;evil&#8221; and &#8220;breeding little fascists.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_981171" style="width: 651px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-981171" class="wp-image-981171 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-04-at-12.41.42-PM-641x576.png" alt="" width="641" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-04-at-12.41.42-PM-641x576.png 641w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-04-at-12.41.42-PM-300x270.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-04-at-12.41.42-PM-768x690.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-04-at-12.41.42-PM.png 1346w" sizes=" (max-width: 641px) 100vw, 641px" />Credit: National Review</div>
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Coyner&#8217;s campaign confirmed the texts were real and called them &#8220;disturbing and disqualifying for anyone who wants to seek public office.&#8221;
&#8220;Jay Jones wished violence on the children of a colleague and joked about shooting Todd Gilbert,&#8221; a spokesperson said. &#8220;It&#8217;s disgusting and unbecoming of any public official.&#8221;
The texts were exchanged on August 8, 2022, according to Coyner.
Jones has not denied the veracity of the texts, though he has sought to blame Republicans, specifically his GOP opponent Jason Miyares, and &#8220;Trump-controlled media.&#8221;
&#8220;Like all people, I&#8217;ve sent text messages that I regret, and I believe that violent rhetoric has no place in our politics,&#8221; Jones <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/virginia-ag-candidate-once-referenced-putting-two-bullets-head-gop-leader-texts-show">told</a> Fox. &#8220;Let’s be clear about what is happening in the attorney general race right now: Jason Miyares is dropping smears through Trump-controlled media organizations to assault my character and rescue his desperate campaign.&#8221;
&#8220;This is a strategy that ensures Jason Miyares will continue to be accountable to Donald Trump, not the people of Virginia,&#8221; he added. &#8220;This race is about whether Trump can control Virginia or Virginians control Virginia.&#8221;
Jones also told NBC News that he&#8217;s reached out to Gilbert to apologize.
“I want to issue my deepest apology to Speaker Gilbert and his family. Reading back those words made me sick to my stomach. I am embarrassed, ashamed, and sorry,” he <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/democratic-candidate-virginia-attorney-general-jay-jones-text-messages-rcna235573">said</a>. “I have reached out to Speaker Gilbert to apologize directly to him, his wife Jennifer, and their children. I cannot take back what I said; I can only take full accountability and offer my sincere apology.&#8221;
Republican gubernatorial candidate Winsome Earle-Sears has said the texts from Jones are “wholly disqualifying.”
&#8220;This is horrible to read and should be wholly disqualifying of someone running for an office that protects the people of Virginia,&#8221; she posted to X. &#8220;Jay Jones’ horrific comments are a symptom of the entire Democratic Party and his running mate, Abigail Spanberger, needs to call on him to drop out.&#8221;
Spanberger has been heavily criticized for <a href="https://www.washingtonblade.com/2025/06/28/spanberger-touts-equality-reproductive-rights-in-arlington/">telling</a> supporters, &#8220;let your rage fuel you.&#8221;
&#8220;Attorney General Jason Miyares has served the people of Virginia with honor and dignity, and will continue to do so come November,&#8221; Winsome Earle-Sears added. &#8220;Jay Jones can never be Attorney General of Virginia.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Statement on Jay Jones’ violent texts:
This is horrible to read and should be wholly disqualifying of someone running for an office that protects the people of Virginia.
Jay Jones’ horrific comments are a symptom of the entire Democratic Party and his running mate, Abigail…
— Winsome Earle-Sears (@winwithwinsome) <a href="https://twitter.com/winwithwinsome/status/1974199752507208188?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2025</a></blockquote>
Over the last decade, Democrats have amped up language against political opponents and law enforcement, often comparing them to Nazis, the Gestapo, Adolf Hitler, and fascists.
Last month, conservative Charlie Kirk, a champion for free speech, was assassinated while speaking to college students with differing views. Weeks later, there was a targeted shooting at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Dallas, Texas, by a man who scrawled &#8220;ANTI-ICE&#8221; on an unfired rifle cartridge.
Moreover, over the summer, Democrat Minnesota lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband were assassinated in &#8220;targeted political violence&#8221; by a man with anti-Trump &#8220;No Kings&#8221; posters in his vehicle. There have also been numerous assassination attempts on the life of President Donald Trump.

READ THEM: Virginia Dem Sent Shocking Texts About Killing GOP Leader, ‘Piss[ing]’ On Graves

Democratic Party

Winsome Sears

In the wake of the horrific and historic assassination of the brilliant young conservative Charlie Kirk, there has understandably been increased focus on the rhetoric that preceded and followed the event. The overwhelming majority of Americans <a href="https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/media.deseret.com/media/misc/pdf/kirk-sky-national.pdf">(86%)</a> express concern over political violence, with <a href="https://statesunited.org/resources/political-violence-survey/">78%</a> believing it has escalated in recent years, and 57% saying it is a major problem — the highest response to that question in the last two years. 
When it comes to assessing blame, Americans are unsurprisingly <a href="https://www.deseret.com/u-s-world/2025/09/15/political-violence-america-charlie-kirk-shooting-morning-consult-poll/">split along partisan lines</a> on culpability, with the plurality of respondents believing the Left and Right bear equal responsibility. However, they find agreement in blaming politicians on both sides as being the key instigators.
Republicans point to examples of Hillary Clinton calling Trump supporters “deplorables;” Biden telling us that it’s time to “put a bulls-eye on Trump;” Maxine Waters telling supporters to “create a crowd and … push back” and during the 2021 unrest in Minneapolis “to get more confrontational;” Schumer telling Supreme Court Justices “… you will pay the price. You won’t know what hit you;” Dan Goldman telling an MSNBC interviewer that Trump “has to be eliminated;” Vice President Harris telling everyone that Trump and MAGA supporters were “a threat to democracy;” and of course, the countless references to Trump and MAGA supporters being Hitler, Nazis, fascists, and Gestapo.
Democrats counter with references to Steve Bannon referring to the political opposition as “criminals, vermin,” and “enemies of the republic;” Trump telling supporters to “fight like hell” and claiming he called white supremacists “very fine people;” Marjorie Taylor Greene suggesting a “peaceful national divorce” between red and blue states; Trump calling Democrats “scum, garbage” and “enemies of the people;” and Musk posting that “The Left is the party of murder.”
It is much more emotionally engaging to discuss the implications and injustices of rhetorical content, but regardless of which side has been more vitriolic, there is a far larger, more influential factor that supersedes all of it: Who controls the dominant media platforms — and specifically, the digital platforms. And that dominance overwhelmingly belongs to the Left. The result is that the Left’s messages and hyperbole are broadcast to dramatically more people, dramatically more frequently, and on dramatically more channels. Further, competing or contradictory messaging is far more likely to be absent or censored on the Left’s channels, so their audience is fed a much more homogenous diet of narratives.
Consider three important media domains: 
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">The Legacy Media, with centralized and professionally produced content, including television, radio, and newspapers (CNN, Reuters, Fox News, The New York Times, NPR, BBC, etc.)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Social media — with user-generated content, no editorial oversight, and algorithm-generated visibility (Facebook, X—formerly Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Reddit, etc.)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Search (Google, Bing, Yahoo, DuckDuckGo, etc.)</li>
</ul>
The waning, but still significant, mainstream media are <a href="https://www.mrc.org/liberal-mediaevery-poll-shows-journalists-are-more-liberal-american-public-and-public-knows-it">dominantly Left-leaning and becoming more so</a>. Research has shown that members of the media are <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/Fact_check/Do_97_percent_of_journalist_donations_go_to_Democrats">overwhelmingly liberal</a>, with the vast majority of them supporting Democratic candidates. In 2016, 96% of journalists’ donations went to the Hillary Clinton campaign. <a href="https://www.mrc.org/node/90399">Media Research Center found</a> that 92% of Trump coverage during the 2020 presidential campaign was negative – even more so than the relentless, hostile coverage he received in 2017. When examining bias in mainstream/traditional media, <a href="https://www.biasly.com/media-bias-chart/us-main/?">studies</a> have concluded that upwards of 60% of these outlets are left-leaning. But that doesn’t tell the whole story because that percentage is based on the number of outlets, regardless of the audience size for that outlet. When considering the total audience size and the percentage of it that receives information with a left-leaning bias, the <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/06/pj_2025-06-10_news-media-sources_report.pdf">bias number climbs closer to 75%</a>. The percentage of Americans viewing a liberal bias in the mainstream media has doubled since 1985.
However, traditional media are quickly being pushed aside by social media, where the leftist bias is even more pronounced. The top social media companies are all Left-leaning (See <a href="https://www.cato.org/commentary/how-did-ai-get-so-biased-favor-left">here</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Rigged-Media-Democrats-Seized-Elections/dp/168451259X/">here</a>, <a href="https://www.investors.com/politics/editorials/social-media-trump-conservative-bias/">here</a>, and <a href="https://twitterfiles.substack.com/p/the-censorship-industrial-complex">here</a>). Meta, the undisputed king of social media, owns Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger, reaching approximately <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/272014/global-social-networks-ranked-by-number-of-users/">4 billion users</a> and controlling 75-80% of the social media market worldwide. Alphabet Inc., a smaller behemoth that owns Google and YouTube, has just surpassed $3 trillion in market cap and reaches some <a href="https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2025-sub-section-top-social-platforms?">2.2 billion users</a>. A collection of companies, including those owning TikTok, Douyin, WeChat, QQ, and Snapchat, reaches an additional <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/272014/global-social-networks-ranked-by-number-of-users/?">3.5 billion users</a> combined. Musk’s little X is much further down the list with a mere 500 million users.
I previously described social media as the <a href="https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2023/08/the_federal_government_colluded_with_social_media_to_control_content_so_what.html">800-pound gorilla in a rapidly shrinking cage</a>, noting that usage has skyrocketed from 5% in 2005 to over 70% today. Some estimates indicate that as much as 38% of all internet time today is spent on social media. Considering Facebook alone, the vast majority (nearly 70%) of <a href="https://www.demandsage.com/facebook-statistics/?">Facebook’s nearly 3 billion users</a> visit the site daily, and more than half of them visit it several times per day. 
The younger generations are particularly fond of social media, with a strong plurality — some <a href="https://www.weforum.org/stories/2025/07/news-consumption-social-video/?">44% of Americans aged 18 to 24 and 34% of those aged 25 to 34 </a>— reporting that they now obtain their news and information from social media and video formats, rather than traditional media. This trend is accelerating worldwide, raising concerns about misinformation, algorithmic bias, and the blurring of entertainment and news.
What about when audiences go searching for information on their own? Most commonly today, this means using a computer, and in this world, Google controls a whopping <a href="https://gs.statcounter.com/search-engine-market-share?">90% of the search market</a>, processing some <a href="https://sqmagazine.co.uk/google-search-statistics/?">8.9 billion search requests</a> per day, amounting to over 5 trillion annually. Over 70% of all clicks go to the top 5 search results (hence the industry joke that the best place to bury a dead body is on the second page of results for a Google search — because nobody ever looks there). They control a significantly larger share (<a href="https://www.theglobalstatistics.com/google-statistics/?">95%</a>) of the global mobile search market.
Just prior to the 2022 midterm elections, <a href="https://www.allsides.com/blog/google-news-shows-strong-political-bias-allsides-analysis">researchers found that the plurality of articles returned</a> for a Google search under the term “election” were from the New York Times and CNN (44%), with 0% from center or Right-leaning outlets. In 2023, <a href="https://www.allsides.com/blog/google-news-shows-strong-political-bias-allsides-analysis?copilot_analytics_metadata=eyJldmVudEluZm9fbWVzc2FnZUlkIjoiMXB5eDR2NGs1WnJkVDYxR3RWcXA4IiwiZXZlbnRJbmZvX2NvbnZlcnNhdGlvbklkIjoiOURMZ3dnaG5tdFlhWHpzc0xiZGVzIiwiZXZlbnRJbmZvX2NsaWNrU291cmNlIjoiY2l0YXRpb25MaW5rIiwiZXZlbnRJbmZvX2NsaWNrRGVzdGluYXRpb24iOiJodHRwczpcL1wvd3d3LmFsbHNpZGVzLmNvbVwvYmxvZ1wvZ29vZ2xlLW5ld3Mtc2hvd3Mtc3Ryb25nLXBvbGl0aWNhbC1iaWFzLWFsbHNpZGVzLWFuYWx5c2lzIn0=">the same research firm found</a> that 61% of the articles posted on the Google News homepage came from Left-rated sources, with only 3% coming from Right-rated sources. Repeated samplings produced very similar results.
<a href="https://www.gotchseo.com/google-biased/?">Another research firm</a> used 50 politically charged search terms with Google and found that the results were demonstrably left-leaning. Consider their results for the following:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">“Black Lives Matter” — 9 out of 10 results from Left-leaning outlets.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">“Border wall” – 7 of 10 results Left-leaning.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">“Dreamers” – 6 of 10 results Left-leaning.</li>
</ul>
Conversely, searches for “immigration policy” or “gun control facts” would surface snippets from CNN, NYT, or Vox, while conservative sources were buried or absent. Notably, the researchers attribute some of the results to the dominance of left-leaning outlets in Search Engine Optimization, rather than to algorithmic intent. Regardless, the result in the output is the same.
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In his 2019 testimony before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee, Dr. Robert Epstein, a self-proclaimed lifelong Democrat, argued that Google posed a threat not only to democracy but also to human autonomy. He has focused particularly on ephemeral search results — the auto-complete function that Google and others provide, which offers suggestions for alternative or additional phrasing. As but one example, he found that typing “Hillary Clinton is…” yielded suggestions like “winning,” “awesome,” and “qualified,” while “Donald Trump is…” produced “dangerous,” “racist,” and “a liar.” He <a href="https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Epstein%2520Testimony.pdf">concludes</a>: 
<blockquote>We are all aware that Google deletes or blocks access to videos on YouTube, which it owns, but few people are aware that Google blocks access to millions of websites. By the way, it is not just conservative content that gets censored . . . The problem with Google is not that it censors conservatives; the problem is that it has the power to determine what content billions of people worldwide will or will not see. No single entity – especially a private company that is not accountable to the public – should have such power.</blockquote>
It is clear that all three domains — the legacy media, social media, and search — are all heavily Left-leaning. Consider what this dominance means for the sheer volume of leftist information and rhetoric being broadcast and received. Put aside for the moment the questions of whether Democrats are using more pernicious or violent language than republicans. That issue pales in comparison to the question of how frequently their message is being broadcast — how many videos, shorts, stories, op-eds, posts — the sheer volume of minutes that will be devoted to the Left&#8217;s position versus the Right&#8217;s and whether any counter to it will be available.
The Left has a massive, pervasive, powerful, and sophisticated digital network, which I previously analogized to a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/as-democrat-warplane-takes-flak-audacity-remains-intact?author=Greg+Salsbury&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=6&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=As+Democrat+Warplane+Takes+Flak,+Audacity+Remains+Intact">stealth fighter</a>. Comparatively, conservatives have a Sopwith Camel. It is why on any number of issues, from Russiagate to Charlottesville misquotes, to Trump’s comments about COVID and bleach, to Charlie Kirk’s killer being right-wing, a shockingly high percentage of Americans still believe the lies that were broadcast ad nauseam despite their thorough debunking. Until conservatives can deal with the massive differential in scale, reach, and volume, “turning down the rhetoric” will remain a far lower priority issue.
* * *
Greg Salsbury, Ph.D. is former president of Western Colorado University and Board of Advisors member for <a href="https://starrs.us">STARRS.US</a>. He earned his Ph.D. in Communication from the University of Southern California and an M.A. from the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at USC.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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President Donald J. Trump on Monday unleashed a political bomb on New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, branding him a “self-proclaimed communist” and warning voters the city won’t see a dime of federal funding if the far-Left radical prevails.
“He is going to have problems with Washington like no Mayor in the history of our once great City,” Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115287641147640374">wrote on Truth Social</a>. “Remember, he needs the money from me, as President, in order to fulfill all of his FAKE Communist promises. He won’t be getting any of it, so what’s the point of voting for him?”
Mamdani, who has openly embraced socialist policies and swept the Democratic primary by promising a tidal wave of government spending, now finds himself directly in Trump’s crosshairs — and potentially cut off from the very federal cash he needs to make his utopian wish list happen.
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Mamdani has promised:
<ul style="font-weight: 400;">
<li><a href="https://nypost.com/2025/09/27/us-news/mamdani-pledges-to-pump-another-100-million-for-free-lawyers-for-migrants-facing-deportation/">$100 million in new legal aid </a>for illegal immigrants facing deportation. Mamdani calls it a “cornerstone” of his campaign.</li>
<li>$6 billion annually for universal childcare.</li>
<li>$700 million a year for “free” bus transit.</li>
<li>200,000 affordable housing units, partially relying on federal funding for NYCHA, which faces a $40 billion repair backlog.</li>
<li>A new Department of Community Safety to strip the NYPD of traditional duties like traffic enforcement and homeless outreach.</li>
</ul>
Where does Mamdani think the money will come from? Higher corporate taxes. He’s proposed increasing New York’s corporate tax rate to match New Jersey’s, slamming businesses with a 9% burden and suggesting he’ll yank tax exemptions from major universities to help fill the gaps.
But even if New Yorkers are willing to crush private industry with higher taxes, it still wouldn’t come close to covering the cost of Mamdani’s sweeping socialist plans. That’s where Washington comes in. Mamdani has floated plans that hinge in part on federal subsidies and funding for public housing and city infrastructure, although he has been conveniently vague about which federal grants or programs he expects to tap.
In Mamdani’s platform, he proudly touts ideas like converting private housing into “community land trusts,” gutting police responsibilities, and flooding the city budget with new departments and social programs. He’s even vowed to “Trump-Proof NYC” by using city funds to shield illegal immigrants from deportation.
Mamdani&#8217;s game hinges on the cooperation of the federal government.
President Trump ain&#8217;t playing.

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New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced that he is dropping out of the race to serve another term.
In a lengthy video posted to X on Sunday afternoon, Adams thanked his mother, touted his diverse appointments, discussed the corruption case against him that was dropped earlier this year, and stated that he was officially ending his campaign to remain Mayor of New York City.
“It&#8217;s not always easy to see the impact of good policy in just three years. &#8230; I know some remain unsure of me after the unfortunate events surrounding my federal case. I was wrongfully charged because I fought for this city, and if I had to do it again, I would fight for New York again,” Adams said in the video. “And yet, despite all we&#8217;ve achieved, I cannot continue my re-election campaign. The constant media speculation about my future and the campaign finance board&#8217;s decision to withhold millions of dollars have undermined my ability to raise the funds needed for a serious campaign. I hope that over time, New Yorkers will see this city thrived under our leadership, the policies we put in place should be continued and expanded. I hope you will see that despite the headlines and innuendo, I always put you before me.”
Notably, Adams didn&#8217;t endorse any of his rivals during his video address.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Only in America. Only in New York. 
Thank you for making my story a reality. <a href="https://t.co/efHuyBnITJ">pic.twitter.com/efHuyBnITJ</a>
— Eric Adams (@ericadamsfornyc) <a href="https://twitter.com/ericadamsfornyc/status/1972348511892262962?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Adams was running as an independent candidate against socialist Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who is also running as an independent after losing the Democratic primary to Mamdani, and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa.
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Adams had been consistently placing last in polling among the four main candidates, with Mamdani in the lead and Cuomo a somewhat distant second. Currently, the <a href="https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/mayor/general/2025/new-york/mamdani-vs-cuomo-vs-adams-vs-sliwa-vs-walden">RealClearPolitics</a> polling average has Mamdani at 44.4%, with Cuomo at 25.4%, and Sliwa at 13.8%.
The New York City mayoral election is November 4.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul And NYC Mayor Eric Adams Make Announcement On Gun Violence

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Republicans are blasting Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger for backing a policy that allows biological males to compete in women’s sports if they identify as transgender.
When asked on Tuesday by a local news outlet about her stance on transgender bathroom use in schools and sports participation, Spanberger responded by saying that she supported a policy in place before incumbent Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin took office, which determined sports participation on a case-by-case basis. Youngkin, who is not eligible to run for re-election this year, introduced model school policies stipulating that participation in sports should be based on sex, not gender identity. 
&#8220;So in Virginia, we previously, until very recently, had a process in place where on an individual, one-by-one basis, schools, parents, principals, coaches were making decisions based on fairness, competitiveness, and safety, where a child might be able or might not be able to play in a particular sport,” Spanberger <a href="https://wset.com/news/local/spanberger-addresses-stance-on-transgender-women-in-sports-and-bathrooms-democratic-party-virginia-gubernatorial-candidate-election-day-2025">told</a> WSET on Tuesday. “It was in place for ten years over that time. There were roughly 40 kids who went through the process. Some were denied the ability to play the sport they wanted to play. Some were approved.”
“I think that … the process that was in place for 10 years was one that was working. It was one that took individual circumstances and individual communities into account, and I think that is the process that Virginia should continue to utilize,” she added.
Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, a Republican facing off against Spanberger in November, ripped into her lengthy answer. 
“Abigail Spanberger just went full Kamala Harris to avoid a simple yes or no question,” Earle-Sears <a href="https://x.com/winwithwinsome/status/1970841008251588822">said</a>. “The answer is YES—Abigail supports men in girls’ sports, restrooms, and locker rooms.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Abigail Spanberger just went full Kamala Harris to avoid a simple yes or no question.
The answer is YES—Abigail supports men in girls’ sports, restrooms, and locker rooms. <a href="https://t.co/adkYiXZRaa">pic.twitter.com/adkYiXZRaa</a>
— Winsome Earle-Sears (@winwithwinsome) <a href="https://twitter.com/winwithwinsome/status/1970841008251588822?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Earle-Sears has run several ads <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WinsomeESears/videos/-this-is-the-ad-abigail-spanberger-does-not-want-you-to-see/1442429363653470/">targeting</a> Spanberger’s previous support for pro-transgender policies during her time in the House. 
“Spanberger wants boys to play sports and share locker rooms with little girls. And Spanberger will let children change genders without telling their parents,&#8221; one <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AR6ErAuV8hw">recent ad</a> says.
The Republican Governors Association also <a href="https://x.com/gopgovs/status/1970847801677639754?s=46">ripped</a> into Spanberger, saying that she doubled “down on her support for biological men in girls&#8217; sports, locker rooms, and bathrooms. Not only is this wrong, it&#8217;s putting Virginia girls at risk.”
&#8220;Abigail Spanberger was asked a yes-or-no question about protecting women’s sports and private spaces. Her response? Confusion, deflection, and word salad. Virginia cannot afford this INSANITY,&#8221; said the American Principles Project, a conservative advocacy group.
The issue of transgenderism in schools was one of the defining issues of the 2021 gubernatorial election in Virginia, where Youngkin defeated Democrat Terry McAuliffe. The issue came to a head after The Daily Wire reported that a male wearing a skirt had sexually assaulted a girl in a Loudoun County high school bathroom.

Abigail Spanberger, Virginia Dem Gov Hopeful, Ripped For Weak ‘Kamala’ Answer On Trans Athletes

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