President Donald Trump announced Monday the members of his FEMA review council, which he tasked with returning power to state-level emergency managers.
Trump, who has been very critical of FEMA&#8217;s handling of recent natural disasters, signed an executive order in January aimed at bringing serious reform to the agency. In previous interviews, Trump has floated the idea of getting rid of FEMA all together, and handing back responsibility to the states to handle their own emergencies with federal funding.
&#8220;I am proud to announce the formation of the FEMA Review Council, comprised of Top Experts in their fields, who are Highly Respected by their peers,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://x.com/TrumpDailyPosts/status/1916943942156734688">posted</a> on Truth Social. &#8220;I know that the new Members will work hard to fix a terribly broken System, and return power to State Emergency Managers, who will help, MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN. Congratulations to all!&#8221;
Members of the task force include Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, former Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant, RNC Chair Michael Whatley, and Tampa Mayor Jane Castor.
&#8220;As a proud son of Western North Carolina, I have seen first-hand the incredible work of the Trump Administration to help the region recover from Hurricane Helene and look forward to working with these great leaders to bring much-needed reforms to federal emergency response across the country,&#8221; Whatley <a href="https://x.com/ChairmanWhatley/status/1917045935286182331" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in response to the news.
In his executive order, Trump <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/council-to-assess-the-federal-emergency-management-agency/">said</a> the council will assess “the existing ability of FEMA to capably and impartially address disasters occurring within the United States and shall advise the President on all recommended changes related to FEMA to best serve the national interest.”
The executive order stipulates that the council develop proposals to improve FEMA, survey states and other stakeholders impacted by natural disasters, and produce a comprehensive report on the agency and how disaster relief was handled before its creation.
His executive order also referenced the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-fema-official-ordered-relief-workers-to-skip-houses-with-trump-signs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">story</a> broken by The Daily Wire, revealing that a FEMA supervisor in Florida had ordered FEMA response workers to skip the homes of people with Trump signs or flags in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton.
“There are serious concerns of political bias in FEMA,” Trump wrote in the executive order. “Indeed, at least one former FEMA responder has stated that FEMA managers directed her to avoid homes of individuals supporting the campaign of Donald J. Trump for President.”

President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump Attend Hurricane Briefing at FEMA

Trump Rolls Out FEMA Taskforce To Fix ‘Terribly Broken’ Emergency System

Donald Trump

FEMA

Glenn Youngkin

Greg Abbott

Kristi Noem

Michael Whatley

Natural Disaster

Pete Hegseth

U.S.

Greg Abbott, Colony Ridge

Colony Ridge Gave Greg Abbott $1.5 Million. Here’s What Greg Abbott Gave Colony Ridge.

Abbott

Colony Ridge

deportation

Illegal Immigration

Immigration

Texas

School choice is almost a reality in Texas after the state House of Representatives voted Thursday morning to approve the $1 billion voucher program.
In a process that dragged on overnight and into the early morning hours, the state House voted 85-63 to move the school choice bill along, with only two Republicans voting no, all but securing its passage. While the legislation still has to clear some legislative hurdles before it is sent to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott&#8217;s desk, Republicans, including President Donald Trump, are already celebrating the school choice victory.
&#8220;Congratulations to my friends, Governor Greg Abbott, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, and Speaker Dustin Burrows, along with Texas Legislators, for finally passing SCHOOL CHOICE, which I strongly endorsed – this is a gigantic Victory for students and parents in the Great State of Texas!&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114353467767721095" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> on Truth Social. &#8220;We will very soon be sending Education BACK TO ALL THE STATES, where it belongs. It is our goal to bring Education in the United States to the highest level, one that it has never attained before. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!&#8221;
The school choice package, referred to as the Education Savings Account (ESA) program, would set aside $10,000 per year for most Texas students who attend an accredited private school, the Austin American-Statesman <a href="https://www.statesman.com/story/news/state/2025/02/06/school-voucher-texas-senate-bill-sb-2-choice-public-private-homeschool-impact-students-parents/78283012007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Students with disabilities attending an accredited private school would receive $11,500 per year, while homeschooling families would receive $2,000 per year for each child to use on qualifying educational expenses. Texas lawmakers included a requirement in the package that recipients of the ESA program be American citizens or people lawfully residing in the United States.
Gov. Abbott has vowed to sign the bill when it comes to his desk.
&#8220;For the first time in Texas history, our state has passed a universal school choice bill. This is an extraordinary victory!&#8221; Abbott <a href="https://x.com/GregAbbott_TX/status/1912767715460403481" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> on X Thursday morning.
&#8220;From rural communities to big cities, school choice will open doors in every region of our state,&#8221; Abbott <a href="https://x.com/GregAbbott_TX/status/1912710323112403220" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> in another post. &#8220;Every child in Texas deserves the education path that works best for them.&#8221;
The massive voucher program would be capped at $1 billion in its first year, but after that, it could grow up to $4.5 billion per year by 2030, according to The New York Times. The money for the ESA program will come from a different pot than the money used by the state to fund public schools, according to Abbott. The state House also voted on Wednesday to boost public school funding to $8 billion.
Lt. Gov. Patrick estimates that around 90,000 Texas students will participate in the ESA program. However, if demand for the vouchers exceeds the state&#8217;s funding for the program, children from low-income families and those with disabilities will be prioritized, The Dallas Morning News <a href="https://www.dallasnews.com/news/education/2025/04/17/school-choice-plan-clears-historic-hurdle-with-texas-house-approval/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
The Texas school choice bill was mostly supported by conservatives and opposed by Democrats and teachers unions, who fear that the program will harm public education and divert money away from public schools, which will still be responsible for educating most of Texas&#8217;s students. Opponents of the bill also argue that the ESA program will mostly benefit parents who already send their children to private schools.
School choice advocates are celebrating major wins across the country, including in Florida, Georgia, and Alabama. Most recently, Tennessee <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tennessee-passes-school-choice-milestone-in-advancing-education" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed</a> a school choice program after a years-long fight.

Texas On The Verge Of School Choice Plan With Support From Trump

Education

School Choice

Texas Governor Greg Abbott slammed Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) this week after the inflammatory 43-year-old lawmaker mocked him over being wheelchair-bound.
Abbott made the remarks during an interview with Fox News&#8217; Sean Hannity on Tuesday night after Crockett referred to Abbott as &#8220;Governor Hot Wheels.&#8221;
&#8220;It&#8217;s another day and another disaster by the Democrats,&#8221; Abbott said. &#8220;The reality is they have no vision, no policy. They have nothing to sell but hate, and Americans are not buying it.&#8221;
&#8220;It&#8217;s one reason why Texas is going to remain red and why Republicans are going to continue to win elections across the country,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;The fact is that Texas is actually in direct contrast to what she was talking about. Texas has ranked number one for the most new jobs in America over the past month, number one for the most new jobs over the past year.&#8221;
He said that CEOs have consistently ranked his state as the top state in the country for running businesses.
&#8220;With comments like this by Democrats, we will just leave them in the dust in future elections,&#8221; he added.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Gov. Abbott responds to Democrat&#039;s &#039;Hot Wheels&#039; insult: &#039;Nothing to sell but hate&#039;" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/91oug_gcT_c?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>
Abbott was studying for the bar exam at the age of 26 in 1984 when he took a break to go jogging.
As he ran, a large oak tree along his path cracked and fell on his back, leaving him permanently paralyzed from the waist down.
“Doctors discovered several crushed vertebrae splintering into his spinal cord, broken ribs, and damage to vital organs,” Abbott says on his website.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrat-jasmine-crockett-faces-censure-push-for-governor-hot-wheels-taunt">Democrat Jasmine Crockett Faces Censure Push For ‘Governor Hot Wheels’ Taunt</a>

US-TEXAS-SPACE-ABBOTT

Abbott Fires Back After Crockett Mocks Him For Being In Wheelchair: ‘Nothing To Sell But Hate’

Jasmine Crockett

Jasmine Crockett, the incredibly voluble congresswoman from Texas, is the new fresh leader of the Democrat Party, the fresh-faced Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (who is now considered a veteran).
And Crockett is trying to steal AOC’s thunder.
The Democrats are completely lost. They&#8217;re in the wilderness right now because their leaders are people like Crockett. They&#8217;re attempting to show that they are, in fact, The Resistance. And they think that the way to show they are The Resistance is by cursing a lot and saying deeply insulting, terrible things.
Thus, Jasmine Crockett.
Last Saturday, she was at the Human Rights Campaign, which is all about LGBTQ+ and supposedly about marginalized people. While speaking at the evening’s dinner, she proceeded to drop an insane line about Texas GOP governor Greg Abbott, who is a paraplegic, <a href="https://x.com/bonchieredstate/status/1904547637002436980">saying</a>, “Because we in these hot-a** Texas streets, honey. Y’all know we got Governor Hot Wheels down there. Come on, now. And the only thing hot about him is that he is a hot-a** mess, honey.”
There are a few problems with this. First, Crockett grew up in a rather privileged precinct of St. Louis, so she&#8217;s cosplaying.
But beyond that, when she refers to Governor Abbott as “Hot Wheels,” she is insulting a person who is in a wheelchair and a paraplegic. She is insulting a paraplegic for being in a wheelchair by calling him “Hot Wheels” as the members of the Human Rights Campaign laugh with her and cheer — members who are supposedly all about the inclusion of marginalized people.
I don&#8217;t think they are about the inclusion of marginalized people. I have doubts that is their actual political agenda.
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/bss-ep-2166-member-exclusive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: The Ben Shapiro Show</a></h3>
Then, Crockett tried to walk back her remarks because it turns out that it&#8217;s actually not great to insult the disabled and to characterize them as “Hot Wheels.” She tried to pretend she wasn&#8217;t talking about the fact that Governor Abbott is a paraplegic. She <a href="https://x.com/RepJasmine/status/1904620222008472021" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> on X:
<blockquote>I wasn’t thinking about the governor’s condition—I was thinking about the planes, trains, and automobiles he used to transfer migrants into communities led by Black mayors, deliberately stoking tension and fear among the most vulnerable.
Literally, the next line I said was that he was a “Hot A** Mess,” referencing his terrible policies. At no point did I mention or allude to his condition. So, I’m even more appalled that the very people who unequivocally support Trump—a man known for racially insensitive nicknames and mocking those with disabilities—are now outraged.</blockquote>
At one time, Trump supposedly made fun of a journalist who had a condition, but it was actually not him making fun of the journalist who had the condition. He was making the same weird hand motions he makes whenever he talks about someone he thinks is stupid and weak.
But the media played it as though this particular journalist was being mocked by Trump. It became a national news story.
Crockett publicly called a paraplegic “Hot Wheels.” Now, she&#8217;s claiming the reason she called Abbott “Hot Wheels” was not because he is in a wheelchair, but rather because he is sending migrants on airplanes to various cities led by black mayors.
I don&#8217;t think that&#8217;s what she meant. And the reason I don&#8217;t is that, in 2021, she liked a post referencing Governor Abbott as “Hot Wheels,” which was before the migrant transfers.
Oopsie daisy.
That fact was <a href="https://freebeacon.com/democrats/jasmine-crockett-liked-posts-calling-abbott-hot-wheels-in-2021-undercutting-her-explanation-for-deriding-wheelchair-bound-governor/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">uncovered</a> by the Washington Free Beacon, which does tremendous reporting.
This, of course, has generated angst and antagonism in the House of Representatives, which is staffed by good, responsible people who actually care about their constituents.
But there is also a contingent of the House of Representatives that is basically comparable to Jerry Springer running for various gubernatorial seats. That is what the House of Representatives has become. In large part, it is filled with some of the dullest knives in the drawer.
That includes Rep. Ayanna Pressley, who&#8217;s now complaining about the Trump administration for — wait for it — being too white. Yesterday, she <a href="https://grabien.com/story?id=520080" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said:</a>
<blockquote>Look, I don&#8217;t want us to lose sight of what is actually happening here. Let&#8217;s not revise what&#8217;s happening. The Trump cabinet is on track to be one of the whitest cabinets in modern history. And when the government is given unchecked authority, civil rights are often the first to be sacrificed.</blockquote>
This is what they’ve got: “The Cabinet’s too white” and “Hot Wheels governor.”
These are your leaders, Democrats. You chose your fighters.
There&#8217;s a whole Democratic campaign right now which is asking, “Do you regret your vote for Trump?” And the answer so far seems to be, “Absolutely not,” for the vast majority of people who voted for Trump.
And the reason for that is because the specter of Democrat rule is simply frightening.
One of the ousted members of &#8220;The Squad,” Cori Bush, <a href="https://grabien.com/story?id=520096" target="_blank" rel="noopener">admitted</a> what the Democrats were going to do next if they gained power. And it was terrifying: “Remember, the investment kept going down, down, down. And we were like, ‘No, because we need this investment. We need,’ like you said, ‘the money.’ … I thought we were at 10 and then we&#8217;re down to six and down to three, then we&#8217;re down to 1.7,” she said.
They were going to shoot for a $10 trillion — $10 trillion — in a climate bill. If they had unified control of the government, they would try to do it again.
No wonder people are still resonating with President Trump&#8217;s message.

Human Rights Campaign’s 2025 Los Angeles Dinner – Inside

The Fresh New Dem Leader, Jasmine Crockett. No Wonder Trump Is Soaring.

Ben Shapiro

Democrats

Human Rights Campaign

Opinion

President Trump

U.S. House of Representatives

A House Republican is moving to censure Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) for &#8220;disgraceful and vile attacks&#8221; on Texas Governor Greg Abbott.
Rep. Randy Weber (R-TX) announced on Tuesday that he intended to introduce such a measure after Crockett <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/governor-hot-wheels-jasmine-crockett-mocks-greg-abbotts-disability" target="_blank" rel="noopener">taunted</a> Abbott as &#8220;Governor Hot Wheels.&#8221; Abbott, a Republican, is permanently paralyzed from the waist down and uses a wheelchair.
&#8220;I plan to introduce a bill to censure Jasmine Crockett for her disgraceful and vile attacks against our Governor of Texas,&#8221; Weber <a href="https://x.com/TXRandy14/status/1904604098059461036" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a post on X. &#8220;This kind of rhetoric has no place in Congress.&#8221;
Weber was responding to a report from Fox News on his plans. Liz Elkind, a reporter for the outlet, also <a href="https://x.com/liz_elkind/status/1904602256538042701" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shared</a> a copy of the congressman&#8217;s draft resolution.
It noted that Crockett &#8220;spoke at a Human Rights Campaign event in a manner unbecoming of a Member of Congress, calling the Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, &#8216;Governor Hot Wheels,&#8217; and a &#8216;hot a** mess'&#8221; on March 22.
Should Weber offer his censure resolution as privileged, House leadership would have two legislative days to take action on it.
The remarks from Crockett drew a wave of condemnation from Republicans and their allies.
&#8220;Jasmine Crockett is despicable,&#8221; Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton <a href="https://x.com/KenPaxtonTX/status/1904577254274842918" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on X.
In a <a href="https://x.com/RepJasmine/status/1904620525457994147" target="_blank" rel="noopener">thread</a> posted on X, Crockett claimed she &#8220;wasn’t thinking about the governor’s condition,&#8221; but rather Abbott transporting migrants to &#8220;communities led by Black mayors.&#8221; The Democrat further insisted that she did not &#8220;mention or allude to his condition&#8221; and called the controversy &#8220;another distraction.&#8221;
Weber&#8217;s draft resolution had more to say.
It stated that Crockett&#8217;s remarks were not just &#8220;discriminatory in nature&#8221; but also &#8220;the latest in a continued series of inappropriate comments.&#8221;
As an example, the measure cited a House Committee on Oversight and Investigations hearing on May 16, 2024, when Crockett &#8220;espoused inflammatory comments about the appearance of another Member of Congress.&#8221;
During a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/17/us/politics/marjorie-taylor-greene-insults-crockett.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tense session</a> on that date, Crockett flung a &#8220;bleach blonde, bad built, butch body&#8221; insult at Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA). That was after Greene took a shot at Crockett, saying, &#8220;I think your fake eyelashes are messing up what you’re reading.&#8221;
Over the course of United States history, <a href="https://history.house.gov/Institution/Discipline/Expulsion-Censure-Reprimand/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">28 House lawmakers</a> have faced a censure — a formal rebuke that is a less severe form of punishment than expulsion.
In recent years, the House has censured Republican member Paul Gosar and Democrat representatives Adam Schiff, Rashida Tlaib, and Jamaal Bowman. Earlier this month, 10 Democrats joined with 214 Republicans in voting to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/10-dems-join-gop-to-censure-rep-al-green-for-heckling-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pass</a> a censure resolution against Rep. Al Green (D-TX) for his outburst during President Donald Trump&#8217;s address to a joint session of Congress.

Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX)

Democrat Jasmine Crockett Faces Censure Push For ‘Governor Hot Wheels’ Taunt

Congress

Texas Democratic Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, one of the loudest voices in her party, mocked Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who is permanently paralyzed from the waist down and must use a wheelchair, taunting him as “Governor Hot Wheels.”
Crockett spoke at an event for the Human Rights Campaign in Los Angeles. The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is the largest LGBTQ political lobbying organization within the United States, according to its <a href="https://www.hrc.org/about">website</a>.
Abbott was studying for the bar exam at the age of 26 in 1984 when he took a break to go jogging. As he ran, a large oak tree along his path cracked and fell on his back, leaving him permanently paralyzed from the waist down. “Doctors discovered several crushed vertebrae splintering into his spinal cord, broken ribs, and damage to vital organs,” Abbott’s <a href="https://www.gregabbott.com/why-governor-greg-abbott-wheelchair/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a> noted.
“Listen, if you’ve ever paid any attention to me, y&#8217;all know that I always have remarks, and then something else happens,” Crockett <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDEdXM5sTe8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">began</a>. “And so we gonna do just a couple of remarks and then something else gonna happen and y’all just pray for me cause who know what I’m gonna end up sayin’?”
“I can tell you that Morgan (Morgan Cox, an HRC board of director) has always been one of those people who will ask ‘What is it that you need?&#8217; You know, a lot of people see you out front, fightin&#8217;, but nobody’s really asking you, ‘What do you need to maintain that fight?’” she said a couple of minutes later. “So thank you so much, Morgan, because we in these hot-a** Texas streets, honey. Y’all know we got Governor Hot Wheels down there, C’mon now.”
“And the only thing hot about him is that he is a hot-a** mess, honey,” she continued.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Jasmine Crockett continues to embarrass herself, the state of Texas, and the US Congress by referring to Governor Greg Abbott as “Governor Hot Wheels.” Gov. Abbott was paralyzed at the age of 26 when an oak tree fell and crushed his spine while jogging.
This woman is trash. <a href="https://t.co/ddiwCBkaHL">pic.twitter.com/ddiwCBkaHL</a>
&mdash; Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) <a href="https://twitter.com/charliekirk11/status/1904549846687854831?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Last week, Crockett ranted about Elon Musk, saying, “All I want to see happen on my birthday is for Elon to be taken down. I have learned, as I serve on the DOGE Oversight committee, that there is only one language that the people that are in charge understand right now, and that language is money.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi warned, “This is domestic terrorism and now you have this congresswoman, Crockett, who is calling for attacks on Elon Musk on her birthday. Let&#8217;s take him out on my birthday,&#8217; she says. Yet she turns and says, &#8216;Oh, I&#8217;m not calling for violence.&#8217; Well, she is an elected public official, and so she needs to tread very carefully, because nothing will happen to Elon Musk and we&#8217;re going to fight to protect all of the Tesla owners throughout this country. And it&#8217;s basic safety once again, domestic terrorism is going to come to a stop in our country.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Perseverance" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CTrxQ9A6KjE?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>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pam-bondi-issues-warning-to-jasmine-crockett-over-calling-for-attacks-on-elon-musk">Pam Bondi Issues Warning To Jasmine Crockett Over &#8216;Calling For Attacks On Elon Musk&#8217;</a>

Crockett

“Governor Hot Wheels’: Jasmine Crockett Mocks Greg Abbott’s Disability

Disability

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will defend Texas A&amp;M in court after it was sued over a decision to ban drag performances on its campuses, The Daily Wire learned Friday. 
The Board of Regents for Texas A&amp;M was sued earlier this month by a student group called the Queer Empowerment Council, which alleged that the board&#8217;s February decision to no longer sanction drag shows on campus is a violation of the First Amendment. Paxton said Friday that the publicly-funded university system had no obligation to host “obscene” drag shows, and that he would be representing the board. 
“Our colleges and universities exist to help students learn and equip them as they take their next steps in life,&#8221; Paxton told The Daily Wire. &#8220;They are not, and have never been, a place for taxpayer-funded drag shows where men pretending to be women engage in obscene, offensive, and degrading behavior.&#8221;
“Texans’ tax dollars should not fund or be used for vulgar assaults on our values, which is why I’m defending the Board’s ban on these shows against frivolous lawsuits launched by left-wing radicals,” he added. 
In a February 28 <a href="https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/487e01de1b7579fc428d19d2ee25ecf9/Item%201%20BOR%20Resolution%20re%20Campus%20Events.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">resolution</a>, the board said that it found that drag shows were “inconsistent” with the mission of the university system as they “involve sexualized, vulgar or lewd conduct” and “involve conduct that demeans women.”
The board said that it believed that drag shows created a hostile environment for women in violation of Title IX in university public spaces. 
The resolution also cited an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-to-sign-executive-order-defining-sex-as-male-and-female" target="_blank" rel="noopener">executive order</a> from President Donald Trump that directs federal funding to be cut from entities that promote gender ideology and a letter from Governor Greg Abbott directing state agencies to comply with the executive order. 
The board wrote that “both the System and the Universities receive significant federal funding, the use of facilities at the Universities for Drag Show Events may be considered promotion of gender ideology in violation of the Executive Order and the Governor’s directive.”
In response to the decision, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression <a href="https://www.thefire.org/news/lawsuit-lgbtq-student-group-sues-overturn-texas-ams-unconstitutional-drag-ban" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filed</a> a federal lawsuit on behalf of the student-led Queer Empower Group. That group alleged that the board was violating the First Amendment by engaging in viewpoint discrimination.
The group was particularly upset that a drag festival called “Draggieland,” will no longer be allowed to be hosted at a campus venue.

U.S. Supreme Court Hears Expedited Challenges Over Texas Abortion Ban

EXCLUSIVE: Texas AG To Defend Texas A&M Over Decision To Ban Campus Drag Shows

Drag Queens

Drag show

Ken Paxton

Texas A&amp;M

More than 100 illegal aliens were captured on Monday in the joint deportation operation from the Department of Homeland Security and the Texas Department of Public Safety inside Colony Ridge, the massive Texas development that The Daily Wire exposed as a magnet for illegal aliens.
Border czar Tom Homan described Monday&#8217;s actions as “phase one” of a “larger criminal investigation.” He also highlighted the number of criminal illegal aliens inside Colony Ridge.
&#8220;This is something a little different today,&#8221; Homan <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/homeland-security-texas-agents-arrest-around-90-illegal-immigrants">said</a> to Fox News. &#8220;You know, this is a larger criminal investigation into a network. And a lot of the people we were interested in were located in that area.&#8221; ICE <a href="https://x.com/ICEgov/status/1894485344923652152">reported</a> that a total of 118 illegal aliens, including some suspected of homicide, manslaughter, manslaughter, and child sexual abuse, were caught at the development.
&#8220;The last number I saw was around 69 criminals,&#8221; Homan added, discussing those who have criminal records beyond entering the United States illegally. &#8220;I know for a fact, several child sexual predators were arrested.&#8221;
One of those alleged child sexual predators was Florentin Chevez-Luna, a 39-year-old, three-time previously deported criminal alien from El Salvador.
An ICE spokesman told The Daily Wire that Chevez-Luna “was arrested by ICE and Texas DPS pursuant to a criminal arrest warrant for alleged repeated sexual abuse of a minor over an eight-year period from November 2008 to November 2016.”
Colony Ridge CEO John Harris said that he was thankful for the efforts to arrest the criminal illegal aliens living in the development.
&#8220;We are grateful for the efforts of Governor Abbott, Tom Homan and all those involved in rooting out criminal illegals in Texas,&#8221; Harris stated. &#8220;In fact, DPS officers have been working throughout Colony Ridge for more than two years. They know who the bad guys are, so we are fully supportive of these efforts.”
He also went on to claim that Colony Ridge is “one of the safest communities of its size anywhere in Texas” despite the raid revealing that criminal illegal aliens were active in the area.
Colony Ridge, just north of Houston, has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/inside-colony-ridge-the-fastest-growing-development-in-the-u-s-is-a-magnet-for-illegal-immigrants">systematically attracted</a> illegal aliens to the development, encouraging buyers to “own land in the United States” and advertising that land purchases can be made without social security numbers. A litany of criminal illegal aliens, including drug runners and murder suspects, have been caught in Colony Ridge even before the latest raid. 
This story has been updated to reflect an increase in the number of illegal aliens that authorities report were captured at Colony Ridge.

Illegal alien arrested

Over 100 Illegals Captured In Colony Ridge Deportation Raids

Department of Homeland Security

Politics

Tom Homan

The Texas National Guard has been empowered by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to make immigration-related arrests.
The <a href="https://www.breitbart.com/border/2025/02/02/texas-national-guard-granted-authority-to-make-immigration-arrests/">memorandum of understanding</a> was written by CBP Acting Commissioner Pete R. Flores. It allows Texas National Guardsmen to conduct patrols and exercise the duties of immigration enforcement agents as long as a Border Patrol agent or other federal immigration officer accompanies them.
Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott touted the new policy <a href="https://x.com/GregAbbott_TX/status/1886247738402021714">in a post</a> on X.
“In an agreement I signed between Texas and Trump&#8217;s Customs and Border Protection, the Texas National Guard is granted the power of immigration officials to make immigration arrests. Effective immediately,” he wrote. “This boosts man power for border security.”
&#8220;The purpose of this MOU is to grant to Texas National Guard personnel, in a State Active Duty status, authority under Title 8 to exercise the duties and functions of an immigration officer,&#8221; a <a href="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/MOU-CBP-Texas-National-Guard.pdf">copy of the memo</a> obtained by The Daily Wire reads. &#8220;This authority shall be exercised only under the supervision and direction of CBP officials.&#8221;
The memo, which had not yet been disseminated to all of Texas&#8217; border sectors as of Sunday, comes after President Donald Trump’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) gave other federal law enforcement agents the power to conduct <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dhs-authorizes-federal-law-enforcement-to-implement-trump-immigration-policies/">immigration enforcement</a> activities. The move allowed federal agents to partake in “investigating, determining the location of, and apprehending” illegal aliens in the United States.
Agents within the Drug Enforcement Agency, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the U.S. Marshals Service were all empowered by the Trump DHS.
The agreement between Texas and CBP comes as Trump has <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/2025/01/26/ice-arrests-raids-trump-quota/">reportedly</a> expressed dissatisfaction with the number of deportations that have thus far been carried out since his inauguration on January 20. Trump officials directed Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to increase the number of arrests from a few hundred every day to at least 1,200 to 1,500, The Washington Post reported, though White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt disputed the outlet’s report.

Texas National Guard

Texas National Guardsmen Empowered To Make Immigration-Related Arrests

Border

Customs and Border Protection (CPB)

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daniel Perry</a>, a former Army Sergeant who was granted a full pardon by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, is speaking out for the first time since he fatally shot an armed BLM protester during the summer of 2020.
In an exclusive interview with The Daily Wire, Perry details what happened that fateful night and explains some of the controversies of the case, including the shocking actions of <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/05/11/us-news/crime-victims-target-woke-soros-das-in-california-texas/">George Soros-funded</a> District Attorney Jose Garza, whom Perry says is victimizing others in Austin.
For the uninitiated, Perry, then 30 years old, was stationed with the U.S. Army outside of Austin, Texas, in 2020, and was working as an Uber driver as a side hustle. On July 25, after dropping off a passenger, he found himself in the midst of a Black Lives Matter protest, where at least two protesters were armed. Perry ended up fatally shooting Garrett Foster, 28, who approached Perry’s car window while open-carrying a loaded AK-47. Both Foster and Perry are white and military veterans.
Perry was later charged with murder by Garza. Perry was convicted of murder in April of 2023, and a year later, in May of 2024, Gov. Abbott issued a full pardon to Perry and called out Garza for politically motivated actions.
Recalling the night of the incident, Perry told The Daily Wire that he had no intention of ending up near a BLM protest, and when he realized he was approaching a crowd of people, he stopped his vehicle.
“A guy jumped in front of my vehicle so I couldn&#8217;t drive any further and somebody threw a water bottle,” Perry said. “That&#8217;s when I honked my horn.”
“They start rocking and shaking my car and banging on it with their fists and kicking it,” he continued. “And the guy approached me with an AK-47 and he motioned [for] me to roll my windows. And at this point in time, I&#8217;m kind of in a state of shock and I complied with him – I don&#8217;t know why I complied with him … I rolled my windows down.”
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LISTEN to the full interview with Daniel Perry on Morning Wire </a>
The man, later identified as Foster, said something to Perry that was “completely muffled.”
“I had no idea what he was saying, and then he takes two steps back and he points – starts raising the barrel of his AK-47 at me. And my body reacted on its own. I grabbed my revolver and I shot him.”
Perry said he sped away to try to get to safety and heard gunshots going off behind him. There was a second shooter in the crowd, but Perry thought he had missed Foster and believed Foster was now trying to kill him.
The second shooter left three bullet holes in Perry’s vehicle and has since been identified by authorities, who have determined that the person acted criminally. However, Perry said the DA’s office has refused to prosecute the shooter – another suspect decision from Garza.
“I honestly thought I wasn’t going to make it out of there alive,” Perry said. “A thought that went through me was that I hadn&#8217;t been the most right, righteous Jew in the world, and that I wouldn’t see my parents again and make amends for not talking to them as much as I should.”
Perry said that following the incident, he was seeking help to cope with the trauma he experienced and was trying to move on with his life. He never thought he would be charged with murder, since he said he clearly acted in self-defense.
But all that changed.
Perry started to receive death threats over the incident and said the U.S. Army stationed him in Alaska to protect his safety. At the same time, Perry said Garza was campaigning for District Attorney on a platform that included getting “justice” for Foster.
As Perry feared, Garza was elected and secured an indictment against him. At the time, Perry’s defense <a href="https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/us-army-sergeant-indicted-on-murder-charge-in-austin-protester-garrett-fosters-death/269-ba224d9e-d40c-48b9-b728-e26234a76c74">said</a> that the indictment was politically motivated and “unusual,” since they were unable to present a written presentation to the Grand Jury.
“Honestly, I felt like the justice system was going to work in my favor because I believe I did nothing wrong,” Perry described his feelings heading into the trial. “But at the back of my mind, I believed that the DA was going to tip the scales and put me at a slight disadvantage.”
The trial was controversial. For example, one of the jurors printed outside research and presented it to fellow jurors. The defense sought a new trial over the issue, but the judge agreed with prosecution that such action from the juror was okay.
In another controversy, the lead investigator on the case, David Fugitt, testified that Garza’s office tampered with him as a witness. Fugitt said he was ordered to remove almost all exculpatory evidence that would have helped Perry.
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“I had no idea that the jury instruction was going to be as complicated as they were going to be,” Perry said. “And I had no idea that there was a jury member bringing in outside information to the trial to use it to change the mind of the other members of the jury. I also had no idea about the witness tampering. [The DA’s office] also did not allow the police support in my trial, and they did not allow the lead detective to give his professional opinion about my case.”
Perry was convicted on April 8, 2023, for the murder of Foster, and was later sentenced to 25 years behind bars.
“I felt like I was betrayed by the American people, even though that&#8217;s not really true,” Perry told The Daily Wire. “It was just the city of Austin.”
“My entire belief system of the justice system was destroyed, because I felt like it was weaponized against me. I felt that I was never going to see my parents again alive,” he continued. “I broke up with my fiancée, because I thought I was never going to see her again. I told her that I cannot provide her the family that she deserves, so she needed to move on and find a husband who can help her raise a family. That was the hardest thing I ever had to do.”
After Perry was convicted, Gov. Abbott announced that he would be asking the Texas Parole Board to review Perry&#8217;s case, and if a recommendation was made, he would move swiftly to give Perry a full pardon. “Texas has one of the strongest ‘Stand Your Ground’ laws of self-defense that cannot be nullified by a jury or a progressive District Attorney,” the governor <a href="https://x.com/highbrow_nobrow/status/1791209488747307192">said</a>.
Perry spent 13 months behind bars before Abbott received the go-ahead from the board to grant the full pardon. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton reacted to the pardon, saying online, “Soros-backed prosecutors like Jose Garza do not get to pick and choose the rights we have as Americans, and I am relieved that justice has prevailed.”
Perry, who is Jewish, said it was his faith in God that got him through.
“I felt that God had answered my prayers,” he said. “I don&#8217;t know many prayers by heart, but I did the Shema three times a day. And then a few days later, I found out that the governor actually said that about me and actually brought me hope. I felt like I was blessed, to be honest.”
Perry also noted how Garza and his office have taken actions against him that he feels are both politically motivated and personal. In one instance, Perry believes Garza’s office was behind the push to get him a less-than-honorable discharge from the military.
“The district attorney got involved with my discharge process to ensure that I wouldn&#8217;t get an honorable discharge,” he said. “I wish I still had a copy of my discharge packet. There was a letter with the official ‘District Attorney of Travis County’ letterhead on it stating that the government&#8217;s statements about me being innocent were just political and that I am, in fact, a convicted murderer.”
Perry’s attorney, Doug O’Connell, said that the move to discharge Perry after the conviction was “wildly premature,” noting that there was still a motion for a new trial pending and there was no formal paperwork labeling Perry as guilty, Military Times <a href="https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2023/04/26/army-to-discharge-sergeant-convicted-of-murdering-air-force-veteran/">reported</a>. Moreover, the initial police report labeled Foster’s death a “justified homicide.”
“He won the conviction,” Perry said of Garza. “He didn&#8217;t have to take the extra step to make sure that all my military benefits would be stripped away from me. My unit, they tried their hardest to make sure that I would stay in so there&#8217;s a place for me to return, but the Army legal office got involved and took it out of their hands.”
Garza also released some of Perry’s private messages after Gov. Abbott said he was looking to issue a pardon. Perry says the messages were mostly with his military buddies and were taken out of context, and believes they were released as “retaliation.”
Some of the <a href="https://www.kxan.com/news/crime/daniel-perry-document-dozens-of-messages-about-guns-killing-protesters/">private messages</a> discussed guns and shooting protesters if they were to attack him, and other messages were racial in nature and offensive. The messages soon became the prevailing narrative around the case.
At the time, Perry’s defense <a href="https://www.kxan.com/news/crime/daniel-perry-document-dozens-of-messages-about-guns-killing-protesters/">issued</a> statements from two black males, Sgt. Traveon Napper and former Army member Ronald Wilson, who defended Perry.
“I can confidently say that Daniel Perry is not a racist. I have known Daniel for over five years as a colleague and a friend. I have known him to be nothing but a professional, hard-working soldier whose statements are being taken out of context. I know Daniel Perry would take a bullet for me,” Sgt. Napper said.
Wilson said in a statement, “While in the Army, I witnessed Daniel interact with people of many different races and he treated everyone the same. Anyone who knows Daniel will tell you that he’s the definition of the Army values: loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage. I know Daniel would do anything for me and I would do anything for him.”
Perry told The Daily Wire that there were racial memes sent and received to and from his black military buddies, and emphasized how guys in the military like offensive humor.
“We don&#8217;t see race in the military,” Perry said. “We see something funny – doesn&#8217;t matter how bad it is, we share it with each other. If you were ever able to sit in a room full of active duty soldiers, and you hear the conversations they have when they&#8217;re bored, a lot of people will be offended. It&#8217;s like for other soldiers or veterans, we like dirty jokes in the military. We like offensive jokes in the military.”
Perry also said he shouldn&#8217;t have “advocated for violence” in private messages about riots, but said he believes that violence is necessary for self-defense and to protect your family.
The 37-year-old has not spoken to any media about the incident or the pardon, until now. Perry said he’s only speaking to The Daily Wire because he thinks Garza is unjustly prosecuting others for political reasons, specifically police officers. Notably, Garza has indicted more than 20 Austin police officers for their actions during the violent 2020 BLM riots.
“I am completely terrified and I&#8217;m worried that they might retaliate, just because I&#8217;m talking to you guys,” Perry said. “But if nobody speaks up against the injustice that he&#8217;s bringing, nobody&#8217;s going to hear my story and more officers and more law-abiding citizens will face his wrath. I’m not his only victim.”
Perry specifically brought up the prosecution of Austin police <a href="https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/austin-police-officer-whose-murder-trial-ended-in-a-hung-jury-will-not-face-new-charges">officer Christopher Taylor</a>. “He got three hung [grand] juries and then they didn&#8217;t indict him a fourth time, so they decided to pursue another shooting he was involved in that happened a year prior with an armed man who was armed with a knife,” Perry said.
Taylor’s defense attorney said online that he&#8217;s never seen a more “clear cut self defense case involving an officer,” and <a href="https://www.fox7austin.com/news/christopher-taylor-deadly-conduct-trial-guilty-verdict">posted</a> during jury deliberations, “The jury must be improperly considering the other-unproven allegations made by this same anti-police DA.&#8221;
Perry is still facing one misdemeanor charge &#8212; a <a href="https://www.fox7austin.com/news/daniel-perry-misdemeanor-deadly-conduct-charge-austin-texas">deadly conduct charge</a> punishable by up to one year behind bars &#8212; in connection to Foster’s death. He closed the interview by telling The Daily Wire that he feels like he has nothing to lose by speaking out about Garza.
“My reputation is already ruined. My career is already ruined. The only thing they could take away from me is, maximum, some jail time,” Perry said. “But I don&#8217;t see they could take any more away from me.”
Perry’s next hearing is set for December.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LISTEN to the full interview with Daniel Perry on Morning Wire</a>

Daniel Perry

Texas Pardoned Daniel Perry For Murder Conviction Of Armed BLM Protester. Perry’s Finally Speaking Out.

TX Pardoned Daniel Perry For Murder Conviction Of Armed BLM Protester. Perry’s Finally Speaking Out.

Black Lives Matter

Courts

Law Enforcement

Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) ordered law enforcement officials in his state to target and arrest criminals who were carrying out influence operations at the behest of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) or the Chinese government.
Abbott issued the executive order to protect Texans from coordinated harassment and coercion campaigns from China that are aimed at Chinese dissidents and seek to force them to return to China.
&#8220;The Chinese Communist Party has engaged in a worldwide harassment campaign against Chinese dissidents in attempts to forcibly return them to China,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Texas will not tolerate the harassment or coercion of the more than 250,000 individuals of Chinese descent who legally call Texas home by the Chinese Communist Party or its heinous proxies.&#8221;
&#8220;Ensuring the safety, welfare, and well-being of Texans is a top priority,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;I directed the Texas Department of Public Safety to identify and bring criminal charges against individuals who harass Texans on behalf of this hostile foreign adversary. We will continue to do everything we can to protect Texans from the unlawful and repressive actions of the Chinese Communist Party.&#8221;
Abbott ordered the Texas Department of Safety to work with federal law enforcement to identify and charge individuals working for foreign governments who are suspected of being involved in crimes targeting dissidents.
The order also initiates the creation of policy recommendations from officials on how to counter threats posed by foreign harassment campaigns.
Abbott also ordered the creation of a new hotline to report suspected acts of repression or coercion by foreign actors.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Ensuring the safety, welfare, &amp; well-being of Texans is a top priority.
Issued an Executive Order today to target the Chinese Communist Party’s harassment of Texans.
I directed DPS to identify &amp; bring criminal charges against individuals who harass Texans on behalf of the CCP. <a href="https://t.co/A7uq7eVYk1">pic.twitter.com/A7uq7eVYk1</a>
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) <a href="https://twitter.com/GregAbbott_TX/status/1858562195958730803?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2024</a></blockquote>

Governor Abbott Orders Arrest Of People Carrying Out CCP Influence Operations

Communist China

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