The following is an edited transcript excerpt from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1897-jd-vance-destroys-reporter-did-ice-arrest-a-5-year-old?elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowHeadline=Recent+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel">The Michael Knowles Show.</a>
* * *
Since getting canned from CNN, Don Lemon has apparently decided to reinvent himself. Not as a journalist, but as some kind of YouTuber or “man on the street” troll. Whatever this is supposed to be, it’s Don Lemon wandering around with a microphone.
After conspiring with a Left-wing mob to violate the FACE Act and interrupt a church service in Minneapolis, Lemon is now suddenly popping up on sidewalks questioning random people about illegal immigration. And he’s armed with the most childish, recycled Left-wing talking points imaginable.
You’ve heard these lines before. Probably from your lesbian cousin or your purple-haired roommate, whichever liberal you love and tolerate in your own life. And Don Lemon delivers the greatest hit right on cue: crossing the border illegally is not a crime.
Watch:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Don Lemon: &#8220;Being here illegally is not a crime, it&#8217;s a misdemeanor.&#8221;
Ordinary Citizen: &#8220;Isn&#8217;t a misdemeanor a crime?&#8221;
😂😂😂<a href="https://t.co/LTfDiHrTqH">pic.twitter.com/LTfDiHrTqH</a>
— Verbal Riot (@verbalriotshow) <a href="https://twitter.com/verbalriotshow/status/2013758084791898115?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Credit: @verbalriotshow/X.com
I love it. This woman Lemon is talking to is clearly not originally from here, she has a slight accent, and she seems to be taking Don Lemon at his word. Lemon keeps insisting that a misdemeanor is not a crime, which is already an insane thing to say. Then a guy off camera finally jumps in and says the obvious: “Yes it is. Ask him. Is a misdemeanor a crime?”
Don Lemon scrambles. “It’s not a criminal act, no. If you get charged with a misdemeanor, it’s not a criminal act.”
The woman then pauses and asks the most basic question imaginable: “So why charge them at all then, if it’s not a criminal act?”
Now he’s backpedaling hard. “Because we have different levels of crime. Everything is not the same.” And that’s when she nails him. She calmly points out that if there are different levels of crime, then it is a crime—just a lesser one than a felony.
Which means he just admitted the whole thing.
Cue the nervous laughter.
And that’s it. She completely humiliates him. It’s painful to watch.
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1897-jd-vance-destroys-reporter-did-ice-arrest-a-5-year-old?elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowHeadline=Recent+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel">WATCH: The Michael Knowles Show</a></h3>
This is the standard liberal script. They’ll say illegal immigration isn’t a felony, which also isn’t even always true, especially for repeat offenders. But let’s pretend it isn’t. They say it’s just a misdemeanor. The obvious response, which this woman delivered effortlessly, is that misdemeanors are crimes.
Then comes the next dodge: well, lots of things are misdemeanors. Speeding really fast can be a misdemeanor. Certain drug offenses can be misdemeanors. Property crimes, vehicle crimes, whatever.
Fine. Don’t even argue the comparison. Just ask the follow-up question.
What’s the punishment?
Different misdemeanors have different punishments, right? Okay. What’s the punishment for the misdemeanor of illegal immigration?
Deportation.
That’s it. That’s the punishment. And that’s exactly what’s happening.
“But they’re not getting due process!”
Yes, they are. The first step in due process is getting arrested. Then you get processed based on the offense. Then there’s adjudication — guilty, not guilty, released, or removed. That’s the system.
So credit where it’s due. I don’t know this woman’s name, but she did a great job. She didn’t yell. She didn’t posture. She just followed the logic to its conclusion and Don Lemon couldn’t survive his own talking points.

2025 Blackweek Conference

Don Lemon Claims Illegal Aliens Don’t Commit Crime

Don Lemon

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

interview

Michael Knowles

Opinion

Artificial intelligence has been taking the world by storm, beginning a whole new technological revolution that has already influenced tens of millions of Americans and encouraged hundreds of billions in <a href="https://hai.stanford.edu/ai-index/2025-ai-index-report/economy">corporate investments</a>.
A recent Elon University <a href="https://www.elon.edu/u/news/2025/03/12/survey-52-of-u-s-adults-now-use-ai-large-language-models-like-chatgpt/">poll</a> found that over 50% of Americans now use large language models like ChatGPT and Google Gemini, some of the most popular artificial intelligence resources in use.
As a student, I can validate these findings.
When ChatGPT was released almost three years ago, many of my classmates and I quickly adopted artificial intelligence as part of our daily routine, using it for tasks like summarizing texts and exploring topics that would normally require far more time and effort. My phone now includes a quick access button linked directly to Perplexity AI’s voice mode, allowing me to directly open the app and verbally ask questions or verify comments.
An <a href="https://cdn.openai.com/global-affairs/openai-edu-ai-ready-workforce.pdf">OpenAI report</a> confirms this trend, finding that three in four college-aged users desire to use AI in their education and career.
Personally, my work and education has greatly benefited from this technology, as I am able to selectively choose the AI most applicable to my research and generate clear, yet expansive information on any subject that interests me, all without cheating or stealing information.
But, as everyone who pays even the slightest bit of attention to the news knows, there are plenty of valid concerns associated with artificial intelligence and its uses.
<a href="https://datascience.hawaii.edu/profile/peter-sadowski/">Dr. Peter Sadowski,</a> an Associate Professor at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa, has been examining this issue. His work focuses on machine learning and artificial intelligence, specifically how to use these methods to address the most challenging problems in science and engineering.
As a teacher, Dr. Sadowski has noticed a massive shift in the way AI has transformed education as we know it.
“With these language models, it is just so easy for students to take an assignment and run in through ChatGPT and get results,” he told The Daily Wire. “It can write an essay, it can solve a programming assignment, it can solve math assignments. That is just a huge shift.”
In response to this new challenge, Sadowski made some changes to his teaching model.
“The first week ChatGPT went live, I immediately abandoned take-home tests, since ChatGPT could just do all the questions … Most schools have some evolving AI guidances and policies, but the best way to learn is to experiment to become familiar with the capabilities of these technologies.”
Many schools have introduced AI policies to inform both students and faculty on how to use the new technology responsibly. For instance, my own school, the Franciscan University of Steubenville, introduced <a href="https://franciscan.smartcatalogiq.com/en/2024-2025/undergraduate-catalog-2024-2025/academic-and-university-policies/academic-integrity/use-of-artificial-intelligence">guidance</a> on using artificial intelligence, including <a href="https://magazine.franciscan.edu/articles/navigating-ai/">discussions</a> on its use in the <a href="https://magazine.franciscan.edu/articles/artificial-intelligence-in-the-classroom/">classroom</a>.
“The teaching profession has to adapt to these new technologies,” Sadowski said. “We need fair ways to evaluate student learning — more in-class exams, more careful assignments that test student learning beyond what they can do with AI.”
While many students like me largely support a responsible integration of AI into academia, sentiments remain divided among the American public, with 42% believing that it will make life worse, according to an <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/nbc-news-polls/poll-americans-form-views-ai-divided-role-school-everyday-life-rcna212782">NBC News poll</a>.
Some have a far darker view of the technology, with a new <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/article/poll-most-americans-think-ai-will-destroy-humanity-someday-212132958.html">Yahoo/YouGov poll</a> finding that 53% of the 1,770 individuals polled believe that AI is likely to someday “destroy humanity.”
“It&#8217;s become so easy and free for students to do this that it&#8217;s just shaken up education,” Sadowski said. &#8220;In computer science, the process of building something yourself helps you learn to think clearly and break down problems. If you let AI do all your homework, you will miss out on important learning opportunities, and when the AI fails, students get stuck. I see that happening in the classroom.”
Despite the possibility of cheating and outsourcing labor through AI systems, I’m optimistic — and so is Sadowski.
“In my own field, it takes students a long time to learn these technical skills to make progress on the research side,&#8221; he said. “I’m excited about the ability of AI to help student scientists accelerate research. That’s the hope.”
* * *
Simon Olech is a reporter studying journalism at the National Journalism Center in Washington, D.C.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

High school students e-learning over computers in the classroom.

I’m A College Student. Here’s Why I’m Cautiously Optimistic About AI.

American Universities

Artificial Intelligence

ChatGPT

College

Gen Z

OpenAI

Students

Teenagers

Depending on who you ask, there are anywhere from seven to 20 different basic plots into which every story ever told fits. Kelsey Grammer thinks there may only be two or three — and one that matters more than the others.
“The reason we love the stories that we have about a central figure who is lost and then is found, that is basically a retelling of the Jesus story over and over again,” the actor told The Daily Wire in a recent interview.
“It’s always about sacrifice, about someone giving of themselves to save somebody else,” Grammer said. “These are the things we aspire to and are also drawn to, because they remind us that we have a purpose,” he said, “and it’s to have a relationship with God, and with one another.”
&#8220;Frasier&#8221; — the hit show in which Grammer played the titular character for 11 seasons, 13 if you count a recent reboot — is one of these stories, he says. The &#8220;Cheers&#8221; spinoff ultimately focused on a group of “people who loved each other who worked through our differences to get to the place where we realigned.”
So too is Grammer’s latest project. “Karen Kingsbury’s The Christmas Ring,” in theaters nationwide, tells the story of a military widow on a quest to find her family’s long-lost ring, an heirloom whose tale begins on D-Day. Along the way, she meets and falls in love with an antiques dealer. Grammer plays the dealer’s father, Howard, a lovable widower who, it turns out, may hold the key to the mystery of the ring.
The movie, Grammer says, “is not a reinvention of the wheel.” It’s “not a movie that’s going to change the world,” but a movie to remind us that “the world is actually okay.”
“It’s a romantic comedy, basically, about loss and love and finding new love and redemption and forgiveness and generosity, sacrifice, the things that come along for the ride when you celebrate the Christmas season.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/u3PmNwiu_EE?si=4MtrYxcTapVM0pX3" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> 
But formulaic doesn’t mean bad, as Grammer is quick to point out. After all, we tell the same story each year on Christmas — the greatest story ever told.
“Into a world of Roman rule and infanticide and crucifixion, basically, God sent a baby to be cared for by humans, that we would discover our humanity,” Grammer says. “And that’s a pretty remarkable thing, and that story gets repeated every Christmas.”
“The Jesus story is, you know, always about finding love.”
Grammer is clearly happy to play roles in faith-forward movies. But he isn’t seeking them out exclusively — he reprises his role as the X-Man Beast in the forthcoming “Avengers” movie, he points out — nor is he trying to make some grand public pronouncement of his beliefs.
“I’m not a big proselytizer,” he says. “I’m not going to deny that I have faith and I’m a follower of Jesus, but I don’t walk around saying I’m gonna pray for you today.”
“But I say the Lord’s Prayer every night before I go to bed,” he adds. “My kids say it with me, and we try to walk towards God, towards a sense of faith, towards a higher purpose and a higher power, all these things that define your life by virtue of something outside of you.”
Grammer says he “was a Bible nerd” growing up, and while he “wasn’t a part of a church,” he “always thought” he “had a relationship with Jesus, in some way.”
The pull he’s felt throughout his life he now thinks others are feeling across the country.
“There is a movement back towards the idea that we live by faith and we are destined to do so,” he says. Even Hollywood “is catching on to the fact that there are maybe people like that who are willing to pay for a ticket, too.”
And while Grammer acknowledges that “not everybody” shares his beliefs, he’s quick to note that “even the ones who are on the other side reviling this sort of spiritual awakening” are still “our brothers and sisters.”
He hopes, though, that those on the other side of the road find their way to where he’s standing.
“It’s a real thing,” he says of America’s spiritual awakening. “And you can hate it or you can have the grace to go along with it.”
Faith, hope, and love. As a Bible nerd, Kelsey Grammer must realize these are the three things he’s mentioned most in our interview. St. Paul tells us that the greatest of these is love. And, while Grammer surely has no interest in rejiggering that order, it’s faith that he keeps coming back to — or at least what he speaks most eloquently about.
“We graduate into our humanity by the faith we carry,” he says, “And our belief in that is what unites us. Not human behavior — human behavior’s always going to let you down. But it’s God that teaches us to forgive that.”

Untitled design (66)

Kelsey Grammer Talks Faith, Hollywood, And His New Christmas Movie

Christmas

Christmas movies

Frasier

Hollywood

Jesus

Kelsey Grammer

Movies

Erika Kirk did her first sit-down interview since the assassination of her husband, conservative activist Charlie Kirk, which aired on Fox News on Wednesday night. The 36-year-old mom of two recalled several details from the day of his death, including the fact that she never got to kiss her husband goodbye.
The night before Charlie was assassinated, she said he slept in their daughter’s room while she and their daughter slept in the master bedroom.
“I said, ‘I want you to have a good night’s sleep. Go ahead and sleep in her room, and I’ll turn the air down so it’s nice and cozy in there … I just want you to get a good night’s sleep so you can be amazing tomorrow,’” she told Fox News host Jesse Watters.
“And so Gigi and I stayed in our room, and that morning he woke up super early, and he came into our bedroom, into the bathroom, because that’s where his wedding ring was and his necklace, and he came in and he grabbed that and then he left. I didn’t get to give him a kiss,” Kirk recalled.
&#8220;That night, he was so excited. I mean, he was like I can&#8217;t wait, it&#8217;s going to be the best,&#8221; Erika remembered. She said Charlie encouraged her to stay home in Arizona to be with her mother, who was experiencing a medical issue.
&#8220;[Charlie] was like, home needs you. Home needs you, be home. Come with me on Thursday to the next event we have,&#8221; she explained.
Because she didn’t get to kiss him goodbye that fateful day, Erika insisted that she kiss Charlie before his body was sent to the morgue, despite being told by doctors and a police officer that it wasn’t a good idea.
“I said, ‘With all due respect, sir, I want to see what they did to my husband, and I want to give him a kiss, because I didn’t get to give him a kiss this morning.&#8217;”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Erika Kirk reveals how she found out Charlie had been shot" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6lHOX898BoI?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>
&#8220;I&#8217;m just so glad I saw him because … when you see someone at the mortuary, they never look the same,&#8221; Erika told Watters. &#8220;They have awful makeup, and they&#8217;re cold. He was still warm, and his eyes were slightly open. It was so powerful, Jesse. He had this smirk on his face.&#8221;
“We walked into that room, and he had this smirk on his face,” she went on. &#8220;That smirk to me is that look of: you thought you could stop what I&#8217;ve built. This vision, this movement, this revival, you thought you could do that by murdering me. You got my body. You didn&#8217;t get my soul.&#8221;
Erika also mentioned never seeing the video clip of Charlie being shot and planning to keep it that way.
&#8220;I never saw the video, I never will see it,&#8221; Erika said. &#8220;I never want to see it, there are certain things you see in your life that you can never unsee. There are certain things you see in your life that mark your soul forever. I don&#8217;t want my husband&#8217;s public assassination to be something I ever see. I don&#8217;t want my kids to ever see that.&#8221;
She also told Watters how she found out her husband had been shot.
&#8220;[TPUSA chief of staff] Mikey [McCoy] called me,&#8221; Erika said. &#8220;I&#8217;ll never forget, him just being like, Charlie&#8217;s been shot. He&#8217;s been shot; get the kids. Get security, get the kids, get the kids, he&#8217;s been shot. I sprinted out of [my mother’s] treatment center and just collapsed in the middle of the parking lot, called our security. Unbelievable nightmare.&#8221;
One thing the grieving widow takes comfort in is the fact that Charlie didn’t suffer.
&#8220;The way the bullet hit him, he died instantaneously,&#8221; Erika went on. &#8220;He died on the scene. But I&#8217;m so glad he didn&#8217;t suffer, I&#8217;m so glad he didn&#8217;t suffer. No one deserves to suffer, but a handful of people. He literally blinked and probably thought he was raptured and looked around and was like, where&#8217;s everybody else? He blinked, and he was with the Lord.&#8221;
Erika discussed how her 3-year-old daughter is dealing with the loss.
“It’s really sweet because I keep explaining to her a few things, and I said, ‘If you ever want to talk to Daddy, you just look up to the sky and start talking, and he can hear you,&#8217;” she said. “I told her, ‘You know, Daddy is in heaven’ … and she goes, ‘Do you think I could go sometime?’” Erika said through tears.
“I said, ‘Baby, we will all go one day.’”
Watters also asked Erika what should happen to Tyler Robinson, the man accused of murdering her husband, and whether he should receive the death penalty. She had previously made a powerful statement during Charlie’s memorial service by saying she forgives Robinson for what he did.
“I do not want this man’s blood on my ledger when I stand before the Lord,” Erika told Watters. “I want the government to decide. That’s biblical, too … Justice will ultimately be served.”
She also said cameras should be in the courtroom during Robinson&#8217;s murder trial.
“There were cameras all over my husband when he was murdered,” Erika told Watters. “There have been cameras all over my friends and family mourning. There have been cameras all over me, analyzing my every move, analyzing my every smile, my every tear.”
“We deserve to have cameras in there,” the grieving widow added.
“Why not be transparent?” she said. “There’s nothing to hide. I know there’s not, because I’ve seen what the case is built on.”
Robinson was charged with aggravated murder and six other counts after turning himself in to the police following the fatal shooting.
“Let everyone see what true evil is,” Erika told Watters. “This is something that could impact a generation and generations to come.”

Erika Kirk

‘I Didn’t Get To Give Him A Kiss’: Erika Kirk’s First Interview Since Charlie’s Assassination

'I Didn’t Get To Give Him A Kiss': Erika Kirk's First Interview Since Charlie's Assassination

assassination

Charlie Kirk

Fox News

General

Politics

Trump Tells Pregnant Women To Avoid Tylenol Over Autism Fear

NIH Chief Jay Bhattacharya On DEI, Tylenol, And The Basis Of Truth In Science

COVID

Department of Health and Human Services

Health Care

Isabel Brown

Jay Bhattacharya

Science

Tylenol

Vaccines

The following is an edited excerpt from a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/mrn-250810-member-exclusive?elementPosition=3&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Morning+Wire&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel">Morning Wire Weekend Edition interview</a> where Daily Wire Executive Editor John Bickley sat down with U.S. Navy retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. They discussed his recent trip to Taiwan, where he had meetings with senior officials, including the president and senior military leadership. Here are five key takeaways. 

* * *
<h3>1. America Is Taiwan’s Primary Key Ally</h3>
First, they&#8217;re very appreciative of the United States. They understand the United States is their key ally and they make that very clear. No one else sells them weapons. No one else stands by them when they&#8217;re threatened by the Chinese. That doesn&#8217;t mean they don&#8217;t get some rhetorical support from the Australians or the Japanese on occasion or from European countries. But when it comes to ship movements, aircraft movements, it&#8217;s us. So number one, they get that.
<h3>2. Taiwan Will Increase Defense Spending — But Only Buys From America</h3>
Number two, Taiwan understands that we expect them to spend more on their defense. So they&#8217;re taking their defense spending from about 2.5% this year to 3% next year. Then, I think, they&#8217;ll go to 4% and eventually 5%. The irony is, to get the spending up that high, they can only buy the weapons from us. We&#8217;re the only country who sells to them.
<iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-threats-we-face-how-we-win/id1576594336?i=1000721366067" height="175" frameborder="0" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe>
<h3>3. America’s Foreign Military Sales Program Is A “Dumpster Fire”</h3>
I say this gently, our foreign military sales program is a dumpster fire. As a result, it takes seven years to get them javelin missiles; eight years to get them stinger, man-portable air missiles. These should take two, three years. So, part of the problem is U.S. foreign military sales and delivery. But the Taiwanese are going to do everything they can to get themselves to three, four, and eventually 5% [Defense spending] by the end of the Trump administration. So that&#8217;s a big deal. 
<h3>4. It Could Take Nine Years For American Weapons To Arrive In Taiwan</h3>
Our foreign military sales overseas are hampered by a bureaucratic process inside the Department of Defense and Department of State. They have to work together. They don&#8217;t do a great job. It&#8217;s also hampered by how we integrate with the weapons providers, like Raytheon or Lockheed Martin, and the back and forth with the host country. For example, we recently did a harpoon sale with Taiwan, an anti-ship cruise missile that&#8217;s really critical to the fight. The sale was locked and first approved in 2020. And I&#8217;d say the delivery is going to be completed by 2029, if we&#8217;re lucky. That should take two, three, four years max — not nine years. So, for military sales, we have a backed up docket with Taiwan alone of $12 billion – it was $18 billion just four years ago. This is way too much. Countries cannot rely on us for timely delivery of weapons if it takes five, seven, or nine years to get weapons.
<div id="attachment_960047" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-960047" class="size-large wp-image-960047" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2224992177-864x576.jpg" alt="KAOHSIUNG, TAIWAN - JULY 14: Taiwan President, Lai Ching-te, inspects the Han Kuang 41 exercise - Naval defensive mine-laying drill on July 14, 2025 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Taiwan. Taiwan’s annual Han Kuang military exercise kicked off July 9 as the island steps up preparations against a potential invasion by China. Touted as the largest and longest iteration to date, this year’s drill will span around 10 days—roughly double the length of last year’s exercise. (Photo by Annabelle Chih/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2224992177-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2224992177-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2224992177-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2224992177.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Annabelle Chih/Getty Images</div>
<h3>5. Taiwan Must Prepare For Non-Military Attacks</h3>
Taiwan really understands that, in addition to preparing for the most likely, most dangerous scenario of a cross-strait invasion, they also have to prepare for another most likely scenario  — China attacking their societal resilience, their financial systems, their communication systems, their energy systems with diplomatic, economic, cyber and influence operations, not military attacks. While the CCP would hope to break the societal resilience of Taiwan. Taiwan has to fight that. They need to make a lot of investments in that kind of domestic resilience. And then the United States can help as well.
* * *
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/mrn-250810-member-exclusive?elementPosition=3&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Morning+Wire&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel">Catch the full interview with retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery on Morning Wire.</a></h3>

Taiwan Holds Defense Drills

‘Nine Years To Get Weapons’: An American Admiral On Defending Taiwan From China

'Nine Years To Get Weapons': An American Admiral On Defending Taiwan From China

China

Military Weapons

Morning Wire

Pentagon

Taiwan

U.S. Military

U.S. Navy

As the United States prepares to celebrate her 249th birthday, a growing number of Americans say they’ve noticed a marked decline in patriotism.
More specifically, 44% of respondents in an <a href="https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/5379913-44-percent-say-us-becoming-less-patriotic-survey/">Economist/YouGov survey</a> published this week said they believe the U.S. is becoming less patriotic. In comparison, a much smaller 14% said they think the nation is becoming more so.
Jesse Parks, a former U.S. Army Sergeant who served in Afghanistan, has noticed this shift in attitude.
“[Seeing] flags being burnt and seeing protests being more frequent,” Parks told the Daily Wire, “it tears down the country.”
Born into a military family, Parks said he was inspired to follow in the footsteps of those who came before him.
“All my uncles, dad, older brother, served. Everybody,” he said.
Parks initially applied to serve in the United States Marine Corps, but his application was rejected. Undeterred, he enlisted later in the United States Army, where he was accepted and rose through the ranks.
When asked why he enlisted, Parks said, “I think you join the military to fight for your country. It opens up a lot of doors, but in the end, you fight.”
He was deployed to Afghanistan in December 2010, where he said his unit’s primary mission was to train and advise the Afghan National Army Basic Training Command Teams, alongside the British and French Armies. He later became an infantry fire team leader.
Parks said that patriotism was a major factor in his decision to join the armed forces. He described it as “a love of your country put into action, whether that&#8217;s military, that&#8217;s political, or that&#8217;s civil service.”
But what is “patriotism” anyway?
“Patriotism” <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patriotism">is often defined</a> as a “love for or devotion to one’s country.”
Yet, a growing number of Americans say they don’t see a shared sense of admiration for the country they call home. Lightning rod political issues ranging from abortion to illegal immigration, along with a major political realignment that has seen the Democratic Party lurch harder to the left and the Republican Party lurch harder to the right, have revealed a simmering disunity.
“[Patriotism is] a big part of what allows us to progress,” Parks said. “It is what kind of helps us progress as a society. We don&#8217;t all have to have the same views, but as long as we have patriotism, which is different than nationalism, as long as it&#8217;s there, it allows us to progress.”
<h3><a href="https://get.dailywire.com/freedom/">JULY 4 SALE: Get Six Months Of DW+ Free</a></h3>
While Parks has an expressed love of country, his may not be a shared passion: only 67% of people claim to be extremely or very proud to be American, down from 91% in 2004, according to a 2024 <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/646655/american-pride-remains-near-record-low.aspx">Gallup</a> survey.
A separate <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/646655/american-pride-remains-near-record-low.aspx">Marist</a> poll likewise found a majority of Americans have noticed this shift, with 52% of respondents stating that the country seems less patriotic than it was just a few years ago.
The disunity and decline may feel all the more evident with the recent riots and attacks on first responders.
“[T]here has been a perversion of patriotism,” Parks told the Daily Wire.
“Groups like Antifa seem like they don&#8217;t care about this country and want to tear it down,” he said. “January 6 was similar; it was a movement to dismantle the country. It is seen on both sides.” 
Rather than being complicit in this division, Parks said, groups such as Antifa should “consider the opportunity they have in this time in history to affect the country’s direction, and to act accordingly in a constructive manner.”
Despite all of this, the Army veteran sees hope for the future.
“There is a lot of talk about division in the country at the moment, but I don’t think that is anything new,” Parks said. “I hope people will get involved over the issues they think are important.”
Participation “will increase their sense of pride and reignite a love for their country.”
* * *
Simon Olech is a reporter studying journalism at the National Journalism Center in Washington, D.C.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Hands holding American flag in a wheat field at sunset. Independence Day, 4th of July.

Americans Say Patriotism Is Fading. One Army Veteran Is Pushing Back With Steely-Eyed Optimism

4th of July

Fourth of July

U.S. Army

United States

To prove that Donald Trump is a very mean person while journalists are totally compassionate and loving, CNN has aired a sympathetic interview with a member of a Mexican drug cartel. 
Now, I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, “Oh, Klavan, you marvelous merchant of magical mirth, only you could invent a scenario in which a Left-wing news outlet sinks so deeply into the bubbling tarpit of its own twisted political hatred that the lunatic idea of legitimizing a death-mongering gangster could wend its way through every level of internal decision-making without one voice of even semi-decency speaking up to say, “Wait, wait, we can’t allow our childish demonization of our political opponents to twist our souls into gnarled burnt offerings fit only for the altars of hell so that we actually call evil good and good evil right there on cable TV in front of our six or seven viewers.”
But no, my friends, I am not making this up.
CNN girl reporter Shapely Nudnick actually traveled to a Mexican hideout where she spoke sympathetically with a masked member of the Sinaloa Drug Cartel, whose former boss El Chapo was said to be personally responsible for the deaths of over 34,000 people.
Ms. Nudnick, winner of this year’s Pulitzer prize for most attractive backside, fetchingly leaned forward and asked the masked gangster – and as God is my witness, I am not making this up, “According to the Trump Administration, you are a terrorist … What do you make of that?”
The masked member of the murderous cartel responded, “I don’t like to get overly emotional because my job depends on inspiring terror in anyone who tries to stand in my way, but I must be honest and tell you this slur from your President Trump hurt my feelings very deeply. I am just a man trying to make a living in this crazy world, and when I heard I had been labeled a terrorist, my hands were literally shaking so hard I could barely shove a screwdriver into the face of one of my rivals. I respect President Trump, and respect is very important because people who don’t return my respect are often found inside plastic bags in several different locations. But a man must eat and, to be fair, our customers are mostly in the United States and as any good businessman will tell you, you have to go where the customers are and then slowly poison them to death. I hope the American people will push back against this insult, and if they don’t, I know where they live.”
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/the-andrew-klavan-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: The Andrew Klavan Show</a> </h3>
CNN has proudly announced that this interview is only the first in a new series of self-degrading acts of pure evil that will appear over the course of the Trump Presidency, and they’ve been airing tantalizing previews of future episodes. In one clip, Shapely Nudnik bravely travels to an undisclosed elementary school to interview a pedophile teacher who says, “I think it’s very cruel for people to demonize someone they don’t even know with ugly words like pervert and evil scum-sucking hell-fiend. I just thank heavens I belong to a teachers’ union where they support the idea that minor attracted persons can work at an elementary school. After all, that’s where the children are, not to mention the porn.” 
In another clip, Miss Nudnick scores an interview with former Nazi torture doctor Joseph Mengele who says, “It’s true I used to perform grotesque and unspeakable medical experiments on children, but I’ve totally reformed, and now I’m supplying kids with gender affirming care, because I’ve had a lot of practice, and that’s what I’m good at.” 
In other Left-wing media news, the Pulitzer committee has awarded its prize for photography to a picture of a bullet flying at President Trump’s head. Committee Chairman Thaddeus Foul-heart said, “We know that other photo of a wounded Trump raising his fist with the American flag in the background is the single most iconic image of the first quarter of this century, but that photo inspired love and admiration for our president, whereas we were rooting for the bullet.”
* * *
This excerpt is taken from the opening satirical monologue of “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/the-andrew-klavan-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Andrew Klavan Show</a>.”
The views expressed in this satirical article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
Andrew Klavan is the host of “The Andrew Klavan Show” at The Daily Wire. Follow him on X: @andrewklavan
Klavan is the bestselling author of numerous books, including the Cameron Winter Mystery series. The fourth installment, “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1613165536?ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_thcv_3&amp;storeType=ebooks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A Woman Underground.</a>” His most recent nonfiction release is “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Kingdom-Cain-Finding-Literature-Darkness/dp/0310368340/?_encoding=UTF8&amp;pd_rd_w=nMYjR&amp;content-id=amzn1.sym.bc3ba8d1-5076-4ab7-9ba8-a5c6211e002d&amp;pf_rd_p=bc3ba8d1-5076-4ab7-9ba8-a5c6211e002d&amp;pf_rd_r=133-8344803-2786917&amp;pd_rd_wg=7a8J3&amp;pd_rd_r=5791ea0f-6d96-4732-9d6a-3a4e6b348bb5&amp;ref_=aufs_ap_sc_dsk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Kingdom of Cain: Finding God in the Literature of Darkness.</a>” (May 2025, Zondervan/HarperCollins).

CNN Airs Heartfelt Sit-Down With Masked Cartel Hitman

Andrew Klavan

Humor

Legacy Media

Mexico

President Trump

Satire

Sinaloa Cartel

Terrorism

North Carolina Tar Heels head football coach Bill Belichick released a statement on Wednesday about the recent CBS interview that went viral, claiming the network &#8220;selectively edited&#8221; footage to make it appear as though his younger girlfriend was running the show.
Fans have reacted by saying that Jordon Hudson, 24, was overly controlling and refused to allow Belichick, 73, to answer some questions. 
The former general manager and head coach of the New England Patriots claimed the discourse surrounding the interview was a “false narrative.”
&#8220;Prior to this interview, I clearly communicated with my publicist at Simon &amp; Schuster that any promotional interviews I participated in would agree to focus solely on the contents of the book,&#8221; Belichick <a href="https://x.com/BrendanRMarks/status/1917639712530907465">said</a>. &#8220;Unfortunately, that expectation was not honored during the interview.&#8221;
Belichick said he was &#8220;surprised when unrelated topics were introduced&#8221; and claimed interviewer Tony Dokoupil brought up his romantic relationship “several times” when the topic of the interview was supposed to be promoting his new book.  
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
UNC football coach Bill Belichick has released a statement related to his viral CBS interview over the weekend: <a href="https://t.co/rlUysaAggX">pic.twitter.com/rlUysaAggX</a>
&mdash; Brendan Marks (@BrendanRMarks) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrendanRMarks/status/1917639712530907465?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;[Hudson] was not deflecting any specific question or topic but simply doing her job to ensure the interview stayed on track,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;Some of the clips make it appear as though we were avoiding the question of how we met, but we have been open about the fact that Jordon and I met on a flight to Palm Beach in 2021.&#8221;
Belichick added, &#8220;The final eight-minute segment does not reflect the productive 35-minute conversation we had, which covered a wide range of topics related to my career. Instead, it presents selectively edited clips and stills from just a few minutes of the interview to suggest a false narrative — that Jordon was attempting to control the conversation — which is simply not true.&#8221;
The network responded to the statement, saying, &#8220;When we agreed to speak with Mr. Belichick, it was for a wide-ranging interview. There were no preconditions or limitations to this conversation.” 
Belichick has been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bill-belichick-interview-goes-viral-after-his-24-year-old-girlfriend-calls-the-shots">roasted</a> after the release of the interview, which included Hudson snapping a terse, “We’re not talking about this,” when Dokoupil asked how they met. 
Many criticized the interview, which aired on CBS Sunday Morning, with Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy writing, “My Sunday morning routine is always coffee and CBS Sunday Morning. It’s a feel good show. The opposite of controversial. So [imagine] my surprise this morning when they had the most awkward Bill Belichick interview I’ve ever seen. Like I was squirming in my seat.”
British broadcaster Piers Morgan wrote, “It was utterly excruciating. Mr Belichick needs a family or friend intervention asap.”
“I actually felt uneasy with his girlfriend,” another X user noted. “If he were my Dad, I’d be watching her very closely. She is definitely controlling the relationship &amp; is securing her financial future. It’s a bit creepy.”

Bill Belichick and Jordon Hudson

Bill Belichick Accuses CBS Of ‘Selectively Editing’ Interview To Make Younger Girlfriend Look Bad

Bill Belichick Accuses CBS Of Editing Interview To Make 24-Year-Old Girlfriend Look Bad

Bill Belichick

Football

Media

U.S.

Right now, the U.S. Supreme Court faces a crucial test: deciding whether states can criminalize undercover journalism simply because those in power dislike being recorded. At stake is more than just one organization’s right to expose wrongdoing — it’s about safeguarding free speech and transparency in an era increasingly defined by censorship and institutional distrust.
Project Veritas, known for undercover exposés revealing abuses within powerful institutions, recently petitioned the Supreme Court to challenge Oregon’s restrictive recording law. This statute demands that anyone recording in even the most public of places notify everyone else that they are being recorded. But there’s a rub: the state doles about permission slips making it easier to record some subjects, but not others. In short, Oregon law says you can easily record police abuse but not a school administrator admitting to indoctrinating students.
This arbitrary distinction represents precisely the kind of content-based speech restriction the First Amendment prohibits. It gives state authorities unchecked power to silence investigative efforts those in power dislike while permitting other investigations deemed politically acceptable.
Daily Wire readers should understand these implications clearly. The conservative movement has seen firsthand how selective enforcement of “privacy” laws punishes those uncovering inconvenient truths. Consider the notorious prosecution of David Daleiden and his investigation into Planned Parenthood. Instead of pursuing Planned Parenthood, California authorities, led by then-Attorney General Kamala Harris, targeted Daleiden himself.
Matt Walsh <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/walsh-california-prosecuting-journalists-doing-matt-walsh" target="_blank" rel="noopener">aptly warned</a> at the time that such prosecutions could “criminalize all forms of undercover journalism.” Walsh was right: when governments can weaponize privacy laws against whistleblowers, corruption thrives unchecked. We’d like to stop that.
Project Veritas’s case underscores this danger. If Oregon’s law stands, it sets a precedent emboldening other states to enact similarly repressive measures. Such laws don’t merely threaten controversial groups like Project Veritas — they imperil every citizen-journalist, whistleblower, and parent aiming to hold those in power accountable.
Imagine parents secretly recording school officials implementing extremist curricula, or a VA hospital employee documenting abuse against veterans. Under Oregon’s model, these citizen-journalists become criminals rather than heroes. Balderdash.
Critics argue undercover journalism invades privacy. Yet, there’s a critical difference between personal privacy and public accountability. Recording private citizens’ truly private conversations — happening, say in someone’s home or a doctor’s office — is rightly protected against. But public officials and newsworthy figures talking about bad deeds or public policy in public must not be shielded from scrutiny.
The hypocrisy here is glaring. Legacy media applauded secret recordings like the Access Hollywood tapes or Greenpeace’s hidden-camera sting of Exxon executives because these aligned politically with their interests. Yet conservative-leaning investigations face condemnation and criminalization. Oregon’s law codifies this double standard into state policy, echoing Orwell’s chilling warning in &#8220;Animal Farm,&#8221; “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” The state now decides whose truths may be exposed and whose must remain hidden, a hallmark of dystopian control.
Today, Americans distrust legacy media precisely because traditional reporting methods often fail to reveal the full truth. In our digital age, audiences demand — and deserve — objective evidence. Hidden cameras have become essential tools for accountability journalism, offering unfiltered glimpses into realities otherwise obscured by spin, stonewalling, and hidden agendas.
If the Supreme Court allows Oregon to criminalize this essential method of truth-gathering, it cripples the First Amendment. Citizen-journalism, which Daily Wire audiences rightly value, becomes vulnerable nationwide. The justices must affirm a core constitutional principle: truth doesn’t need permission from those hiding it. Our American guarantee of free speech supports rigorous, bold investigations capable of exposing hidden abuses. In 2025, undercover journalism isn’t a fringe tactic — it’s a fundamental aspect of free inquiry and transparency.
It’s time the Supreme Court rejects Oregon’s unconstitutional censorship. America needs more citizen-journalism, not less. The freedom to expose wrongdoing must remain protected — even if it makes the powerful uncomfortable.
* * *
Benjamin Barr is a partner at Barr &amp; Klein PLLC where his practice engages in a variety of constitutional litigation nationwide. Along with his law partner, Stephen R. Klein, the firm represents Project Veritas in this matter.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the Daily Wire.

DALLAS, TX – NOVEMBER 29: James OKeefe, founder of Project Veri

Supreme Court Must Protect Citizen-Journalists From Oregon’s Censorship

Supreme Court Must Protect Citizen-Journalists From Oregon's Censorship

Censorship

Journalism

Oregon

Privacy

Project Veritas

SCOTUS

Whistleblowers

The following is a distilled and edited transcript of an interview between Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief John Bickley and Dan Abrams, ABC News&#8217;s chief legal analyst and host of “On Patrol: Live.” Catch the full interview on a new <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire">weekend edition of Morning Wire</a>.
* * *
1. You have built a career at the intersection of law, media, and entertainment. What led you to create &#8220;<a href="https://www.reelz.com/show/on-patrol-live/">On Patrol: Live&#8221;</a> and why do you think it has resonated so strongly with audiences?
Dan Abrams: I’m a lawyer by training and I used that to quickly pivot into media, where I ended up covering some of the highest-profile criminal cases from the last three decades. That background is, I think, why the producers came to me to host what is now “<a href="https://www.reelz.com/show/on-patrol-live/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">On Patrol: Live</a>,” a live police show where we follow police departments in real time. This is a show that is different from any other police show out there because, unlike “Cops,” where it&#8217;s sort of a highlight reel of crazy moments, we’re actually live in eight or nine departments at once. So we&#8217;ll go to a department and we&#8217;ll see someone responding to a call and the officer doesn&#8217;t know what&#8217;s going to happen next. So, the audience joins the officers in that experience. I think that&#8217;s part of what makes the show so compelling.
<ul>
<li>Why It Matters: Authentic storytelling matters. Live coverage provides a raw, unfiltered look at policing, allowing audiences to see officers as they really are rather than through a scripted or dramatized lens.</li>
</ul>
2. The show was the #1 entertainment program on Friday and Saturday nights in 2024 and was picked up for 90 more episodes. Why do you think audiences are still drawn to &#8216;cop shows,&#8217; especially after efforts to cancel them in 2020?
Dan Abrams: People are interested in policing. There is an element of uncertainty throughout the show. Watching police engage with the community is something people have long been interested in. There&#8217;s no other place where they can see it in real time. As a result, we try to follow a mix of departments around the country to make this a really compelling show year after year. We look for both geographical diversity and diversity of the size of the department. We&#8217;re in everything from Las Vegas – one of the top 10 biggest police departments in America – to Hensley, Arkansas, where we ride with the chief of the department.
<ul>
<li>Why It Matters: Public interest in policing is unwavering. Despite political movements, the demand for real-time law enforcement coverage remains strong, demonstrating that audiences value transparency over ideology.</li>
</ul>
<iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-cop-shows-survived-the-cancel-mob-and-won-2024-3-8-25/id1576594336?i=1000698364951" height="175" frameborder="0" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe>
3. &#8216;Live PD&#8217; was canceled in 2020 following the George Floyd protests. You’ve been vocal about your frustration with that decision. What was that experience like, and how did it lead to &#8216;<a href="https://www.reelz.com/show/on-patrol-live/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">On Patrol: Live</a>&#8216;?
Dan Abrams: I thought it was a vast overreaction. That&#8217;s what I said when the show was cancelled – and I maintain it to this day. It&#8217;s important to talk about this because there&#8217;s going to be some other incident where a cop does something the cop shouldn&#8217;t have – and it might be really bad. And any good cop will tell you that the worst thing for good cops is a bad cop. No matter what career you&#8217;re talking about, considering there are hundreds of thousands of police officers around the country, you are going to have some bad cops. That doesn&#8217;t mean that the rest of the cops aren&#8217;t doing really good work.
<ul>
<li>Why It Matters: Balanced perspectives are essential. In an era of quick, reactionary decisions, maintaining a steady and fair approach to evaluating law enforcement is crucial to understanding the complexities of policing.</li>
</ul>
4. What’s your take on shifting public attitudes toward law enforcement in the last few years? Do you think the narrative is changing?
Dan Abrams: I think there’s been a recognition that the “Defund the Police” movement was absurd. It didn&#8217;t work. And that&#8217;s why liberal cities around the country are refunding the police and rehiring police officers. They realized it made no sense. I&#8217;ll tell you, as soon as “Live PD” was canceled, I received outreach from people asking me about the project. So, from a show perspective, I think it was really just a question of when. In the immediate months after the show went off the air, however, to many, the show would have been too hot – couldn&#8217;t do it, can&#8217;t risk it, don&#8217;t want to risk the protests, don&#8217;t want to risk the backlash. I do think that has faded to some degree.
<ul>
<li>Why It Matters: Public safety requires practical solutions. Knee-jerk policy shifts have real-world consequences, and restoring balance between law enforcement and community trust is a vital ongoing effort.</li>
</ul>
5. What’s next for you? Do you have any other projects in the works?
Dan Abrams: Well, I work on a lot of things. I host a daily radio show on Sirius XM on the POTUS channel. I&#8217;m still ABC News&#8217;s chief legal analyst. I own a company called Mediaite. I started &#8220;Law and Crime.&#8221; I&#8217;ve got a spirits company called Bottle Raiders, where we have an app that aggregates ratings of fine spirits and non-alcoholic drinks. So I&#8217;ve got my hand in a lot of projects, but “<a href="https://www.reelz.com/show/on-patrol-live/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">On Patrol: Live</a>” is a passion project for me.
<ul>
<li>Why It Matters: Media influences public perception. Abrams’ dedication to covering law and crime-related content ensures that audiences have access to informed, balanced perspectives on critical legal issues.</li>
</ul>
* * *
That was Dan Abrams, producer of “<a href="https://www.reelz.com/show/on-patrol-live/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">On Patrol: Live</a>” and this has been a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire">weekend edition of Morning Wire</a>.

“Thank You Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story” Special Screening

5 Questions With Dan Abrams: The Enduring Appeal Of ‘On Patrol: Live’

5 Questions With Dan Abrams: The Enduring Appeal Of 'On Patrol: Live'

ABC News

Defund The Police

Police

Television

Governor Doug Burgum Visits FOX Business Network’s “The Big Money Show”

Make America Beautiful Again: An Interview With Doug Burgum, Secretary Of The Interior

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