The Department of Justice said Friday morning that a key figure in the 2012 Benghazi attack has been brought to the United States to face justice.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said that Zubayr al-Bakoush was captured overseas and flown to the United States, arriving at Andrews Air Force Base at 3:00 a.m. Friday morning, where he was greeted by FBI Director Kash Patel and U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro.
“Al-Bakoush will now face American justice on American soil,” Bondi said. “We will prosecute this alleged terrorist to the fullest extent of the law.”
&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NEW: Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that Zubayr Al-Bakoush, a key participant in the 2012 Benghazi terrorist attack, was arrested and arrived in the U.S. today to face justice. <a href="https://t.co/cnC0CbVSB4">pic.twitter.com/cnC0CbVSB4</a>
— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) <a href="https://twitter.com/KassyAkiva/status/2019791355665347040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2026</a></blockquote>
Al-Bakoush will face several charges related to murder, terrorism, and arson for his role in the September 11, 2012, terrorist attack that led to the deaths of U.S. Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens, State Department information officer Sean Smith, and CIA contractors Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods.
“Let this case serve as a reminder: if you commit a crime against the American people anywhere in this world, President Trump&#8217;s Justice Department will find you,” Bondi said. “It might not happen overnight, but it will happen. You can run, but you can’t hide.”
The fallout from the 2012 Benghazi attack remained a major focus in U.S. political debate for years, prompting multiple congressional investigations and high-profile hearings over security failures and the Obama administration’s response under then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Much of the criticism centered on Americans on the ground who waited 13 hours for help that never came.
Bondi said that even 14 years later, holding those responsible to account still matters.
“Hillary Clinton famously once said about Benghazi, &#8216;What difference at this point does it make?&#8217; Well, it makes a difference to Donald Trump,&#8221; said Bondi. &#8220;It makes a difference to those families. And fourteen years later, it makes a difference to law enforcement who made the difference in this case.”
Bondi said the families of the victims were “absolutely thrilled,” adding that they had “probably lost faith that something would happen.”
&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I asked Attorney General Pam Bondi what communication looked like with victims families amid today’s major Benghazi suspect arrest.
Bondi said details were kept airtight until arrest was made but they contacted afterward. <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realdailywire</a> <a href="https://t.co/cnoEB8Yryx">pic.twitter.com/cnoEB8Yryx</a>
— Cameron Arcand (@cameron_arcand) <a href="https://twitter.com/cameron_arcand/status/2019794468438695948?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2026</a></blockquote>
“Donald Trump never forgets,” she said.
FBI Director Patel said capturing those responsible for the attack was an early priority, adding that more suspects remain at large. He noted that the Trump administration has arrested six of the FBI’s most wanted fugitives in about one year, two more than were apprehended under the Biden administration.
In 2014, American authorities arrested militia commander Ahmed Abu Khatallah in connection with the Benghazi attack. He was acquitted in 2017 of 14 charges, including murder, but convicted of four lesser terrorism-related counts and <a href="https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/ahmed-abu-khatallah-sentenced-22-years-prison-september-2012-attack-benghazi-libya">sentenced</a> to 22 years in prison. 
Al-Bakoush was first charged by a complaint in 2015, a case that remained sealed for 11 years, according to Pirro. 
“We&#8217;re here today because we have an interagency that is led by superior individuals who have one shared goal: protecting America and our lives and our future,” Patel said. “And to any others out there who wish to do harm, especially commit acts of terrorism here and around the world, this is the fate you will meet. You will not be forgotten by us. We will chase you down.”
The FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team, the FBI’s Critical Incident Response Group, and the FBI’s Special Flight Operations Unit were involved in the operation.
Pirro, who will prosecute al-Bakoush, said she had a close relationship with the victims&#8217; families while reporting on the attack for Fox News. She said she personally called the families to share the news after the suspect was arrested. 
“I spoke with Sean Smith’s mother, who I’ve known for years and have communicated with for years. I spoke with Tyrone Woods’ wife, widow, Dr. Dorothy Woods. I spoke with Ambassador Chris Stevens’ family, as well as Glen Doherty’s brother, Greg, as well as his widow. These were people who never expected that justice would be coming.”

US-LIBYA-POLITICS-JUSTICE-BENGHAZI

BENGHAZI BOMBSHELL: U.S. Captures ‘Key Participant’ In Deadly 2012 Embassy Attack

Benghazi

Crime

Department of Justice

Jeanine Pirro

kash patel

Pam Bondi

Politics

Multiple gun rights groups, which are typically supportive of President Donald Trump and his policies, are enraged over the administration&#8217;s response to the deadly shooting of an armed protester in Minneapolis over the weekend.
In the hours after anti-ICE protester Alex Pretti was shot and killed by Border Patrol agents on a Minneapolis street, multiple officials in the Trump administration suggested that anyone who carries a firearm at a protest is breaking the law and inflaming tensions.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&amp;v=4zRMVdGYgBw">said</a> on Saturday, &#8220;I don&#8217;t know of any peaceful protester that shows up with a gun and ammunition rather than a sign. This is a violent riot when you have someone showing up with weapons and are using them to assault law enforcement officers.&#8221; FBI Director Kash Patel referred to Noem&#8217;s comments during an interview on Fox News on Sunday, <a href="https://x.com/mtracey/status/2015515877249040840">adding</a>, &#8220;As Kristi said, you cannot bring a firearm loaded with multiple magazines to any sort of protest that you want. It&#8217;s that simple. You don&#8217;t have that right to break the law and incite violence.&#8221;
The Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus, which focuses on defending &#8220;the right to keep and bear arms&#8221; for Minnesotans, <a href="https://x.com/mnguncaucus/status/2015454381953396888">said</a> that Patel&#8217;s comments were &#8220;completely incorrect on Minnesota law.&#8221;
&#8220;There is no prohibition on a permit holder carrying a firearm, loaded, with multiple magazines at a protest or rally in Minnesota,&#8221; the gun owners caucus added.
Other gun rights groups criticized Bill Essayli, the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, after he said, &#8220;If you approach law enforcement with a gun, there is a high likelihood they will be legally justified in shooting you.&#8221;
&#8220;This sentiment from the First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California is dangerous and wrong,&#8221; the National Rifle Association <a href="https://x.com/NRA/status/2015227627464728661?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2015227627464728661%7Ctwgr%5E0002a021af82c8c202fed9086b877f0f2c2c5307%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wsj.com%2Fus-news%2Fgun-rights-groups-clash-with-trump-officials-over-fatal-shooting-of-armed-protester-acf5e433">said</a>. &#8220;Responsible public voices should be awaiting a full investigation, not making generalizations and demonizing law-abiding citizens.&#8221;
Gun Owners of America <a href="https://x.com/GunOwners/status/2015178191715893725">condemned</a> &#8220;the untoward comments of [Essayli],&#8221; adding, &#8220;Federal agents are not &#8216;highly likely&#8217; to be &#8216;legally justified&#8217; in &#8216;shooting&#8217; concealed carry licensees who approach while lawfully carrying a firearm. The Second Amendment protects Americans&#8217; right to bear arms while protesting—a right the federal government must not infringe upon.&#8221;
Gun Owners of America then called on the Left to &#8220;stop antagonizing&#8221; federal immigration agents on the streets. After Pretti was shot, hundreds of people descended on the scene. According to the Department of Homeland Security, one leftist agitator bit off the finger of a federal officer. The NRA released another statement on Saturday condemning Minnesota Democrats over their refusal to work with federal immigration officers.
&#8220;For months, radical progressive politicians like Tim Walz have incited violence against law enforcement officers who are simply trying to do their jobs,&#8221; the NRA said. &#8220;Unsurprisingly, these calls to dangerously interject oneself into legitimate law-enforcement activities have ended in violence, tragically resulting in injuries and fatalities.&#8221;
At least one member of the Trump administration had an acceptable response to the shooting in the eyes of gun rights activists. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche was praised by Gun Owners of America when he told NBC, &#8220;There&#8217;s nothing wrong with anybody lawfully carrying firearms.&#8221;
&#8220;But whether he was disarmed, or whether he pulled the gun on law enforcement, or whether law enforcement saw him go for the gun —what they have to do is protect themselves. They have to protect the public around them. And we&#8217;ll see what happens,&#8221; Blanche added.
The Daily Wire reached out to the Justice Department and the DHS for comment.
President Donald Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115951636521315703">mentioned</a> the fact that Pretti was carrying a firearm at the protest, asking, &#8220;What is that all about? Where are the local Police? Why weren’t they allowed to protect ICE Officers? The Mayor and the Governor called them off?&#8221;
Pretti was licensed to carry a firearm when he was shot and killed. DHS said on Saturday that a Border Patrol agent fired &#8220;defensive shots&#8221; as Pretti was &#8220;violently&#8221; resisting arrest. Pretti appeared to be shot ten times in about five seconds.
&#8220;The suspect also had 2 magazines and no ID—this looks like a situation where an individual wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement,&#8221; Homeland Security added. Video shows that Pretti was filming federal immigration officers with his phone as they conducted an operation. A group of federal agents then wrestled Pretti to the ground in an attempt to arrest him. One video angle appears to show an officer disarming Pretti before gunfire erupted. The investigation remains ongoing, but so far, the Trump administration has defended Border Patrol&#8217;s actions.
The Trump administration has urged Minnesota Democratic leaders to cooperate with federal immigration officers, but Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, both Democrats, have continued to oppose Trump&#8217;s immigration operations in the state and have demanded that ICE and Border Patrol leave.
Trump has doubled down on the federal immigration operations in Minnesota following the deadly shooting over the weekend. On Sunday, the president also <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115958123338296139">called</a> on Congress to pass legislation to &#8220;END Sanctuary Cities,&#8221; which he called &#8220;the root cause of all these problems.&#8221;

US-POLITICS-TRUMP

Gun Rights Groups Slam Trump Officials For ‘Demonizing’ Law-Abiding Armed Citizens

Gun Rights Advocates Rip Trump Officials

Kristi Noem

Minneapolis

Minnesota

Second Amendment

Trump Administration

The FBI officially closed the J. Edgar Hoover Building office in Washington, D.C., on Friday.
Director Kash Patel announced the move after reports over the summer that headquarters would now be relocated to the Ronald Reagan Building.
“After more than 20 years of failed attempts, we finalized a plan to permanently close the FBI’s Hoover headquarters and move the workforce into a safe, modern facility. Working directly with President Trump and Congress, we accomplished what no one else could,” Patel posted to X on Friday.
He also said a plan for a $5 billion, newly built headquarters was scrapped.
“Instead, we selected the already-existing Reagan Building, saving billions and allowing the transition to begin immediately with required safety and infrastructure upgrades already underway. Once complete, most of the HQ FBI workforce will move in, and the rest are continuing in our ongoing push to put more manpower in the field, where they will remain,” he continued, adding that the Hoover Building “will be shut down permanently.”
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In July, General Services Administration Public Buildings Service Commissioner Michael Peters said in a press release for the FBI that the decision to instead move to the Ronald Reagan building, which is only down the block from the Hoover building, would also cut costs on upkeep for the facility.
“This move not only provides a world-class location for the FBI’s public servants, but it also saves Americans billions of dollars on new construction and avoids more than $300 million in deferred maintenance costs at the J. Edgar Hoover facility,” Peters stated in July. “We are proud to partner with Director Patel to drive efficiency and improve the quality of space for a productive workforce in service to national security and taxpayers.”
The closure announcement comes amid other reports about the possible teardown of different federal buildings in the city, such as the Liberty Loan Building, Robert C. Weaver Federal Building, Wilbur J. Cohen Federal Building, and the GSA Regional Office Building, according to the <a href="https://komonews.com/news/nation-world/controversy-over-new-arc-plans-as-ex-gsa-worker-claims-historic-buildings-at-risk-donald-trump-arc-de-triomphe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National News Desk</a>. However, the outlet reported that GSA Associate Administrator for Strategic Communications Marianne Copenhaver denied the accusations as “a manufactured narrative built on speculation.”
At the White House, Trump’s decision to demolish the East Wing and build a ballroom has earned both intense praise and criticism since it was announced in October.

Justice Department Announces Federal Enforcement Action Against International Criminal Organization

FBI Shuts Down Old Headquarters In Move That Could Save Taxpayers Billions

General

U.S.

Washington D.C.

Federal authorities have accused another Chinese researcher of smuggling biological materials into the United States, as the FBI cautions American universities about growing threats from the communist nation.
FBI Director Kash Patel announced Friday that Chinese national Youhuang Xiang was arrested for allegedly smuggling genetic material from E. coli bacteria into the United States while working as a researcher at Indiana University. According to court documents, Xiang entered the country in 2023 on an educational exchange visa to secure a postdoctoral position at the school.
“This is yet another example of a researcher from China — given the privilege to work at a U.S. university — who then allegedly chose to take part in a scheme to circumvent U.S. laws and receive biological materials hidden in a package originating from China,” Patel posted on X. “The [FBI] and our CBP partners are committed to enforcing U.S. laws put in place to protect against this global threat to our economy and food supply. If not properly controlled, E. coli and other biological materials could inflict devastating disease to U.S. crops and cause significant financial loss to the U.S. economy.”
Xiang has been charged with conspiracy to commit smuggling, smuggling, and making false statements. He could face up to 20 years in prison and fines totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars if convicted. James Tunick, Xiang&#8217;s lawyer, disputed the allegations.
&#8220;Youhuang Xiang was legally working in the United States on a J-1 visa with a professor from the Biology Department at Indiana University to better wheat crop production in the United States,&#8221; Tunick told The Daily Wire. &#8220;The allegation that Youhuang smuggled E. coli into the United States is completely false and is not even charged by the United States Department of Justice.&#8221;
Xiang, whose <a href="https://biology.indiana.edu/about/research-associates/index.html">bio</a> says he specializes in “recognition specificity in host-pathogen interactions and engineering crop resistance to pathogen,” was first arrested on November 25. Information about the case was unsealed this week. 
In March 2024, Xiang requested that a person in China referred to as “Individual A” ship plasmid DNA from E. coli bacteria to his home in Bloomington, Indiana, according to the indictment. The material was shipped to him shortly after, concealed in a package of clothing items that &#8220;Individual A&#8221; declared included a men&#8217;s vest and women&#8217;s underwear, investigators said. The package allegedly came from Guangzhou Sci Tech Innovation Trading.
More than a year later, on November 23, 2025, Xiang landed in Chicago after returning from a trip to London, where agents with Customs and Border Protection questioned him. During that interview, he allegedly lied to them about the package he had sent to his home and about his ties to the Chinese government. 
Xiang was scheduled to remain at Indiana University through 2027 and was leading a research program focused on genome editing in wheat plants to increase resistance to fungal diseases.
The FBI was made aware of the shipment by CBP as part of an investigation into biological materials being smuggled into the United States from China, which is why he was questioned on November 23. 
“Information provided to the FBI by CBP included information about the history of shipments from China to certain individuals at IU conducting research into wheat pathogen Resistance,” the criminal complaint said. “That information indicated that XIANG was associated with that research and that XIANG received a shipment from China at his residence on March 28, 2024.”
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The FBI also thought it was “odd” that Xiang purchased and shipped “women’s underwear from China, and further assessed it as peculiar that a company by the name ‘Guangzhou Sci Tech Innovation Trading’ would sell underwear or clothing,” according to the complaint. 
A <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674205219301625">paper</a> written by Xiang also listed his affiliation with the National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics in Shanghai, which raised flags for investigators. 
“I know from my training and experience that the PRC ‘Key Laboratories’ are overseen by the Chinese Government and have a history of concerning actions including technology transfer and theft of intellectual property,” the FBI agent who investigated the case wrote in the criminal complaint. 
Over the last few months, other Chinese researchers at American universities have been arrested for smuggling biological materials into the country. Multiple arrests have been made at the University of Michigan, where <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/feds-makes-more-arrests-as-alarming-pattern-of-chinese-smuggling-continues">investigators said</a> that shipments of concealed biological materials related to roundworms were smuggled into the United States. 
President Donald Trump has faced criticism over the presence of Chinese students at American universities. While some critics have called for reducing the number of Chinese nationals admitted to U.S. schools, Trump has argued that their enrollment helps provide funding for American institutions.

Cornfield and blue sky

Chinese National Accused Of Smuggling E. Coli DNA Into United States

Chinese National Accused of Smuggling E. Coli DNA Into United States

China

Communist China

Indiana

Smuggling

World

A person of interest detained over the shooting at Brown University that left two dead and nine injured has been released as law enforcement continues to hunt for the gunman, officials said late Sunday. 
That announcement came one day after a gunman wearing all black stormed an engineering building and opened fire on a group of students studying for finals. Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said that evidence pointed law enforcement in a different direction. 
“There was some degree of evidence that pointed to this individual, but that evidence needed to be corroborated and confirmed,” he said at a press conference on Sunday. “That evidence now points in a different direction. So what that means is that this person of interest needs to be, and should be released.”
Neronha added that it was unfortunate that specific information about the person of interest had been leaked to the media. 
“I think what is really unfortunate [is] that this person&#8217;s name was leaked to the public. It&#8217;s hard to put that back in the bottle, OK? So we&#8217;re going to proceed very carefully here,” he said. “ There is too much at stake for the victims of this horrific crime and their families to take chances with respect to this investigation.”
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When the person of interest was initially detained by law enforcement, Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez said that authorities were not looking for anyone else in connection with the attack. Perez said Sunday that the person of interest was not the individual captured on video that was released by the police department. Law enforcement is still looking for the person shown in the video.
&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Video of person of interest in Brown shooting: <a href="https://t.co/fjufQ3MTdC">pic.twitter.com/fjufQ3MTdC</a>
— Providence Police (@ProvidenceRIPD) <a href="https://twitter.com/ProvidenceRIPD/status/2000054325825961988?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
At the same press conference, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said the investigation was ongoing but that they did not believe there was any ongoing threat to the community.  
“We know that this is likely to cause fresh anxiety for our community, and we want to reiterate what we said earlier, which remains true, which is ever since the initial call, now a day and a half ago, we have not received any credible or specific threats to the Providence community,” he said. 
Rhode Island Governor Daniel McKee said he spoke with FBI Director Kash Patel before the press conference to inform him that the person of interest would be released. He said Patel told him federal resources would continue to be provided while the search was ongoing.

Shooting At Brown University In Providence Leaves Multiple People Dead And Injured

Person Of Interest Released As Police Intensify Manhunt For Brown University Shooter

Brown University

Mass Shooting

Police

Rhode Island

FBI Director Kash Patel promised on Sunday that the Justice Department had embarked on an &#8220;all-out 24/7 campaign&#8221; to deliver results in the Brown University shooting that took place one day prior.
Patel detailed just a few of the steps being taken by federal law enforcement officers on the ground in Providence, Rhode Island — and noted that the quick response had already resulted in the apprehension of a &#8220;person of interest&#8221; in the case.
&#8220;An update on the @FBI response at Brown University: @FBIBoston established a command post to intake, develop and analyze leads, and run them to ground,&#8221; Patel began in a <a href="https://x.com/FBIDirectorKash/status/2000244040667676940">lengthy X post</a>. &#8220;We activated the FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team, to provide critical geolocation capabilities.&#8221;
&#8220;As a result, early this morning, FBI Boston’s Safe Streets Task Force, with assistance from the @USMarshalsHQ &amp; the @Coventry_RI_PD, detained a person of interest in a hotel room in Coventry, RI, based off a lead by the @ProvidenceRIPD,&#8221; he added.
Providence Mayor Brett Smiley announced early Sunday that a &#8220;person of interest&#8221; had been detained, immediately lifting the &#8220;shelter in place&#8221; order that had been in effect since Saturday evening.
&#8220;We have deployed local and national resources to process and reconstruct the shooting scene — providing HQ and Lab elements on scene. We set up a digital media intake portal to ingest images and video from the public related to this incident,&#8221; Patel continued, explaining how digital evidence from cellphones and surveillance cameras would be processed rapidly on site.
He also noted that the FBI was helping to provide resources for those who witnessed the traumatic event, adding, &#8220;The FBI’s victim specialists are fully integrating with our partners to provide resources to victims and survivors of this horrific violence.&#8221;
&#8220;This FBI will continue an all out 24/7 campaign until justice is fully served,&#8221; Patel promised, saying, &#8220;Thanks to the men and women of the FBI and our partners for their continued teamwork. Please continue praying for the victims and their families — as well as all those at Brown University.&#8221;

Kash Patel

FBI’s Patel Promises ‘All Out 24/7 Campaign’ To Deliver Justice After Brown University Shooting

Kash Patel Promises 'All Out 24/7 Campaign' To Deliver Justice After Brown University Shooting

Justice

justice department

Shooting

The FBI says it conducted more than a thousand interviews and is &#8220;very confident&#8221; in its assessment that Thomas Crooks acted alone in his attempt to kill President Donald Trump at a rally in 2024, pushing back on online theories that have gained momentum in recent weeks.
&#8220;It is the FBI’s conclusion that Crooks acted alone,&#8221; FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/exclusive-fbi-concludes-trump-shooter-thomas-crooks-acted-alone-after-unprecedented-global-investigation">told</a> Fox News, which received a briefing on the evidence that was reviewed by authorities.
Bongino, FBI Director Kash Patel, and the senior official said in an interview with Fox News that online conspiracies about Crooks are simply not true. For example, the FBI did gain access to every electronic device from Crooks, examining &#8220;35 accounts linked to Crooks, including social media, bank, and other online accounts.&#8221;
&#8220;The FBI has been able to access all of the accounts,&#8221; the senior official said. &#8220;There has been reporting to inappropriately and incorrectly state that there was encryption that the FBI was not able to get into — that is not true. We have been able to get into every single account.&#8221;
Crooks did have foreign-based email accounts from Germany and Belgium, which were also &#8220;fully&#8221; accessed &#8220;within days of the attack,&#8221; the official said.
&#8220;There is no foreign connection in this case,&#8221; a senior FBI official echoed. &#8220;There is no individual that is outside U.S. borders or inside U.S. borders that had any role in directing him, inspiring him or assisting him in any way — and that includes foreign governments.&#8221;
&#8220;Additionally, the FBI engaged with foreign partners who also provided all of the content of those email accounts,&#8221; the official continued. &#8220;We can say with confidence that there is no communication, there are no emails that Crooks had that we have not been able to access.&#8221;
Patel also noted that Crooks&#8217; home was &#8220;completely swept.&#8221;
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&#8220;Every device in the home was collected and accessed fully,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Reports say that we didn’t get into certain devices? That’s false. We got into all of the devices.&#8221;
The FBI officials also addressed recent theories and questions related to an Antifa-linked individual named William Tepes. Crooks and Tepes never spoke to one another directly, though Tepes did respond to Crooks&#8217; online public posting, the feds said.
&#8220;Crooks posted on YouTube. Tepes is a Norwegian, nordic resistance member. He simply responded to content Crooks posted,&#8221; Patel said.
The global investigation included more than 1,000 interviews, a review of 2,000 tips, and the execution of more than ten search warrants and 100 subpoenas. The feds &#8220;specifically analyzed 13 electronic devices that were associated with Crooks and his family members from his home in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania,&#8221; the official said.
Bongino noted there was no manifesto left from Crooks.
&#8220;Dan and I have been on this since we got here eight months ago,&#8221; Patel said of the investigation. &#8220;We fully briefed the president, as a victim of this case, at the White House, providing him with all of the details of our investigation, and the president was satisfied with the results and where we left it.&#8221;
&#8220;We are very confident in the outcomes of this investigation,&#8221; Bongino said. &#8220;We have pulled on every threat. We are absolutely confident, and if information surfaces, please, immediately get it over to us for instant action.&#8221;
The deputy director, who is personally close with Trump, stressed that there is no motivation for a coverup, as some online have suggested.
&#8220;I would ask the public: What motivation would Kash Patel and Dan Bongino possibly have to hide from their personal friend — not just their boss, the president — information about a crime where he was the victim?&#8221; he asked. &#8220;I don’t understand what the motivation would be.&#8221;
&#8220;No one is interested in guilt or innocence, they’re interested in someone to blame,&#8221; Bongino said, quoting &#8220;A Few Good Men.&#8221; &#8220;The public is pissed off. We get it. We sympathize with you. It couldn’t have just been this guy — it couldn’t have just been this guy — it is. There is no reason I would tell you otherwise.&#8221;
Patel added that pushing conspiracy theories online makes big money.
&#8220;As to why people keep coming back to this on social media, the reality is, many people make a lot of money on social media pushing conspiracy theories for clicks,&#8221; he said. &#8220;That is a fact.&#8221;
Responding to accusations from Congress about the FBI not disclosing all pertinent information, Patel said this was also not true, adding that lawmakers have been &#8220;fully debriefed.&#8221;
&#8220;Congress is accusing us of not turning over all of this stuff — but all of this stuff doesn’t exist. It is an empty narrative they’re firing into a vacuum,&#8221; Patel said. &#8220;The very limited information we have not turned over is respective to victims&#8217; rights. There isn’t some trove of documents that we haven’t sent over there.&#8221;

FBI Works To Shut Down Online Theories About Thomas Crooks: ‘We Are Very Confident’

FBI Drops Major News About Would-Be Trump Assassin Thomas Crooks

assassination attempt

Dan Bongino

Donald Trump

Thomas Matthew Crooks

A Democratic congresswoman from Florida is facing decades in prison after the Justice Department accused her of stealing more than $5 million in FEMA funds. Prosecutors allege that she diverted the disaster-relief money to support her congressional campaign and enrich her associates.
The Justice Department announced Wednesday that a Miami grand jury had indicted Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick for fraudulently obtaining federal disaster funds, laundering the proceeds, and putting the money toward her 2021 congressional race. According to the Justice Department, Cherfilus-McCormick conspired with her brother, 51-year-old Edwin Cherfilus, to steal a $5 million FEMA overpayment that was sent to their family’s health care company.
“Using disaster relief funds for self-enrichment is a particularly selfish, cynical crime,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “No one is above the law, least of all powerful people who rob taxpayers for personal gain. We will follow the facts in this case and deliver justice.”
The $5 million payment was made in July 2021 after the siblings had a contract with FEMA for COVID vaccinations. The money was routed through multiple accounts to Cherfilus-McCormick’s 2021 congressional campaign and other personal accounts, according to the Justice Department. 
“This individual and her family allegedly stole money from FEMA and then laundered it through friends toward her own personal benefits &#8211; including her campaign accounts,” FBI Director Kash Patel <a href="https://x.com/FBIDirectorKash/status/1991306995366756653">said</a>. “Today the FBI and partners at [the Justice Department] took action. No one is above the law.”
The indictment also accuses 46-year-old Nadege Leblanc, Cherfilus-McCormick’s district chief of staff, of working with the Democrat representative to funnel some of the stolen money to straw donors who then donated back to the campaign.
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An additional defendant is 41-year-old tax preparer David Spencer, who is accused of working with Cherfilus-McCormick to file a false federal tax return. The indictment says that they falsely claimed political spending and personal expenses as business deductions and inflated her charitable contributions. 
Cherfilus-McCormick faces up to 53 years in prison; Edwin Cherfilus faces up to 35 years; Leblanc faces up to 10 years; and Spencer faces up to 33 years, according to the Justice Department. Cherfilus-McCormick&#8217;s legal team <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/sheila-cherfilus-mccormick-indicted-stealing-fema-funds-campaign-rcna244889">said</a> she was &#8220;a committed public servant&#8221; and that they would &#8220;fight to clear her good name.”
Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL) is expected to file a motion on Thursday to censure Cherfilus-McCormick and remove her from all committees. She currently sits on the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Veteran Affairs. 
“This is one of the most egregious abuses of public trust I have ever seen. Stealing $5 million in taxpayer disaster funds from FEMA of all places is beyond indefensible,” he <a href="https://x.com/RepGregSteube/status/1991317294870392922">said</a>. “Millions of Floridians have relied on FEMA after devastating hurricanes, and that money was supposed to help real disaster victims.”
Cherfilus-McCormick is also under investigation by the House Ethics Committee.

Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick

Florida Democrat Indicted For Turning FEMA Funds Into Campaign Cash

Congress

FEMA

Florida

House of Representatives

WASHINGTON—Alexis Wilkins is a conservative country music artist whose boyfriend, Kash Patel, is the head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. When the two began dating three years ago, they became a kind of conservative celebrity couple. But Wilkins never imagined that she would soon star in the internet&#8217;s pet conspiracy theory — one that would drown her and her family in a deluge of threats.
&#8220;I&#8217;ve been in the political sphere for a second,&#8221; she explained in a phone interview with The Daily Wire. &#8220;You get crazy things from the left, you&#8217;re kind of used to it if you&#8217;re speaking up about things that you believe in or talking positively about America. I kind of thought that [direction] would be where this would continue, just maybe more dramatic, but what&#8217;s happened is&#8230;the internet has just become a place where you can just say whatever you want and affect people&#8217;s lives, and it really reverberates.
Internet users and commentators have accused 27-year-old Wilkins of being an Israeli spy, a &#8220;honeypot&#8221; Mossad agent, assigned to manipulate her 45-year-old boyfriend as he leads the FBI. Wilkins, who is Christian, has repeatedly denied the claims, which she calls absurd.
&#8220;There&#8217;s security issues, there&#8217;s safety issues, the death threats are graphic, and, there are a lot of them,&#8221; she added. &#8220;You have to think about your house getting swatted, you deal with stuff where people are trying to harm you. That is the intent, and that&#8217;s been very real, very quickly for me in the last couple of months.&#8221; 
Their relationship, ages, and personal lives have been scrutinized publicly, as has Patel&#8217;s use of the FBI director&#8217;s plane for personal trips to see Wilkins (as FBI director, Patel cannot fly commercial and must use the plane for legitimate and needed purposes, but his <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/kash-patel-jet-tracker-fbi-director-alexis-wilkins-10980941">recent trip to Nashville</a> drew heavy criticism).
A source close to the couple told The Daily Wire that Patel &#8220;knew Alexis was the one as soon as he met her,&#8221; and that she recently moved in with him in Washington, D.C., but spends time in Nashville with her family. They will likely be engaged and married soon, that source shared.
In the meantime, the country music artist is grappling with the consequences of viral internet rumors.
An FBI spokesperson confirmed to The Daily Wire that Wilkins has received &#8220;hundreds of credible threats.&#8221; Wilkins now has a security detail, that spokesperson confirmed, based on security assessments of credible threats conducted due to her connection with Patel.
One concern, based on some of the threats, is that Wilkins might be kidnapped.
&#8220;She&#8217;s not getting threatened to be kidnapped by cartels because they think she&#8217;s cute,&#8221; a source close to Wilkins shared. &#8220;It&#8217;s because she&#8217;s a good hostage candidate.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_1001607" style="width: 471px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kash-patels-girlfriend-alexis-wilkins-details-violent-threats-spurred-by-internet-theories/signal-2025-11-17-104407_002" rel="attachment wp-att-1001607"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1001607" class="wp-image-1001607 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/signal-2025-11-17-104407_002-461x576.jpeg" alt="Photo courtesy of Alexis Wilkins." width="461" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/signal-2025-11-17-104407_002-461x576.jpeg 461w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/signal-2025-11-17-104407_002-240x300.jpeg 240w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/signal-2025-11-17-104407_002-768x960.jpeg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/signal-2025-11-17-104407_002-1229x1536.jpeg 1229w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/signal-2025-11-17-104407_002.jpeg 1440w" sizes=" (max-width: 461px) 100vw, 461px" /></a>Photo courtesy of Alexis Wilkins.</div>
Wilkins receives threatening messages almost daily on social media. The Daily Wire reviewed a number of these messages and posts, showing individuals fantasizing about killing her, graphically describing acts of sexual violence, promising to kill her within specific time frames, posting her address, phone number, and those of Patel and her parents online, and more.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t feel very comfortable going in public,&#8221; she shared, asked how this affects her daily life. &#8220;I don&#8217;t leave my house a lot.&#8221;
Less explicit but still threatening rhetoric is also publicly visible on Wilkins&#8217; social media posts as well. For example, one commenter posted on an Instagram post of Wilkins and Patel at his swearing in: &#8220;I hope these two don&#8217;t plan on going out in public. Or having a public speaking event in an amphitheater.&#8221;
&#8220;People know what to say,&#8221; she said, discussing the messages she shared with The Daily Wire. &#8220;These are not just hyperbolic threats, these are credible threats that [mention] things about you going in public together, things about you doing a public speaking engagement, things about you doing a concert outside&#8230;They want you to stop living your life. They want you to be afraid.&#8221;
About two weeks ago, Wilkins shared, her parents&#8217; home was swatted. This means that someone called in a false emergency at their home with the goal of prompting a massive law enforcement response. Swatting is particularly dangerous since victims may find themselves in violent or dangerous situations, depending how they respond to the law enforcement presence, since a SWAT team <a href="https://www.thefederalcriminalattorneys.com/swatting-crime">might be responding to what has been described</a> to them as an imminent threat, a bomb situation, or domestic violence.
Wilkins and her family now have to talk through security protocols that have never occurred to them, planning out how to respond when, for example, someone calls the house demanding to know if Wilkins herself is present — a sign that a swatting may be imminent.
&#8220;Swatting doesn&#8217;t only affect your house, you have to realize that people are also looking for your family, especially when it&#8217;s an allegation that is so untrue&#8230;you&#8217;re getting called a spy, so people are digging into your history, people are trying to find your parents, people are calling people that you&#8217;ve known,&#8221; Wilkins said. &#8220;Colleagues of mine have received calls asking for information about my family, some of them unaware of how to respond and will give a name or give my mom&#8217;s maiden name or give things that are helpful in order to find us.&#8221;
&#8220;So it hasn&#8217;t just been me,&#8221; she said. &#8220;It&#8217;s been my family as well.&#8221;
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Wilkins has continued to attend speaking or singing engagements with organizations like Turning Point USA and the Young America&#8217;s Foundation. She is suing a number of political influencers and commentators for suggesting she is an agent of Israeli intelligence. And she says she is determined not to cower but to stand up for herself, arguing that &#8220;bullies respond to strength.&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;m so happy to support the person that I love, but I&#8217;m not the director of the FBI,&#8221; Wilkins said. &#8220;I&#8217;m here to support, and my parents are also&#8230;but ultimately, this is not something that they signed up for, and I think people forget that when they&#8217;re digging for what they think is the truth, they&#8217;re doing it in a way that is not helpful, and it&#8217;s very dangerous.&#8221;
Reflecting on the death of Charlie Kirk, who she knew through her work with TPUSA — at whose events she often sings the national anthem — Wilkins pointed out how massively important Kirk&#8217;s faith was to him, and how he talked about how he wanted to be remembered for his faith.
She is very proud of her own Christian faith. Yet now, she is &#8220;being called something that I&#8217;m not, a spy for another country, essentially accusing me of treason, which is horrific enough, but I&#8217;m a Christian.&#8221;
&#8220;I grew up Armenian. My family&#8217;s Armenian,&#8221; she explained. &#8220;I grew up Christian and I&#8217;m very proud of that.&#8221;
&#8220;His legacy of his faith and the things that he represented, I think that it obviously is a huge void that we all feel now, because of who he was personally and who he was in the movement,&#8221; she reflected, sharing how the day after Kirk&#8217;s assassination, she had to come to terms with the fact that Patel would be speaking at an outdoor event, and she could do nothing but wait to hear that he was ok.
&#8220;It&#8217;s that horrible feeling,&#8221; she said. &#8220;How radicalized do people become? Is this a chain of events? There&#8217;s no way to make yourself feel better about it.&#8221;
She has considered ignoring much of the criticism and threats. But, she says, she wants to be a &#8220;role model for people who are being attacked, for even just their views, no matter what side they are on.&#8221;
&#8220;I think that everyone should have the right to say what they want to say,&#8221; she said. &#8220;I love the Constitution. I love the First Amendment in this country.&#8221;
And asked what she would tell the internet folk who are posting about her, she responded: &#8220;If it feels fun behind your keyboard to hate someone, your heart is probably in the wrong place and you also probably have some details wrong.&#8221;
&#8220;Before you run with what sounds like the most fun, horrifying and cliquey conspiracy theory, there&#8217;s probably a more common sense result, a more common sense answer.&#8221;

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Kash Patel’s Girlfriend Alexis Wilkins Details Violent Threats Spurred By Internet Theories

Israel

The FBI prevented a potentially &#8220;violent terrorist attack&#8221; planned for Halloween weekend and arrested multiple people in Michigan, FBI Director Kash Patel said on Friday morning. 
“The FBI thwarted a potential terrorist attack and arrested multiple subjects in Michigan who were allegedly plotting a violent attack over Halloween weekend,&#8221; Patel wrote in a post on X. 
Patel did not disclose where exactly the attack was planned to take place or who was allegedly behind it, but he added that more details would be released soon.  
The FBI director thanked the men and women of the FBI and law enforcement everywhere who stand guard 24/7 to “defend the homeland.” 
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
This morning the FBI thwarted a potential terrorist attack and arrested multiple subjects in Michigan who were allegedly plotting a violent attack over Halloween weekend. More details to come. Thanks to the men and women of FBI and law enforcement everywhere standing guard 24/7…
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBIDirectorKash/status/1984222011158102097?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Feds Thwart Potential Halloween Weekend Terrorist Attack, Kash Patel Says

Michigan

Terrorism

The FBI unveils a massive, mafia-tied gambling scheme involving big names in the NBA, the United States strikes another drug boat bringing “poison to our shores,” and sparks fly at the final debate for New York City mayor — but will it sway the race?
It’s Friday, October 24, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:
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If you would rather listen to your news, today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">NBA Gambling Ring</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-990669" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Basketball-Betting-Bust-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Basketball-Betting-Bust-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Basketball-Betting-Bust-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Basketball-Betting-Bust-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Basketball-Betting-Bust-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Basketball-Betting-Bust.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: A sprawling NBA gambling scandal was announced on Thursday, resulting in dozens of arrests, including former and current NBA players, coaches, and members of the Italian mafia.
The alleged scheme involved more than 30 people arrested, including Miami Heat point guard Terry Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, a former player in the Hall of Fame. 
Charges from the investigation included wire fraud, money laundering, extortion, robbery, and illegal gambling. 
“The FBI led a coordinative take down across 11 states to arrest over 30 individuals today responsible for this case, which is very much ongoing,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in a press conference. “We also entered and executed a system of justice against Laca Nora to include the Bonanno Gambino Genevese and Luccese crime families.”
First indictment: The case involves two separate indictments. The first relates to an insider betting scheme. Defendants charged in this scheme allegedly received non-public information, such as when players would be sitting out for injuries or planned absences, and used that to profit from gambling bets. 
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“One example occurred on March 23, 2023, in Charlotte, Terry Rozier, an NBA player now with the Miami Heat, but at the time playing for the Hornets, allegedly let others close to him know that he planned to leave the game early with a supposed injury,” said NYC Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch. “Using that information, members of the group placed more than $200,000 in wagers on his under statistics.&#8221;
Rozier exited the game after just nine minutes. The bets paid out tens of thousands of dollars in profit.
Second indictment: The second indictment relates to mafia-backed fixed poker games, where more than $7 million was cheated. This included new technology, such as an X-ray table that could read cards face down. Current or former NBA players like Billups were used to draw people into rigged games.
“The defendants in this case orchestrated a scheme to use wireless cheating technology to run rigged poker games across the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella. “What the victims, the fish, didn&#8217;t know is that everybody else at the poker game, from the dealer to the players, including the face cards, were in on the scam. Once the game was underway, the defendants fleece the victims out of tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars per game.”
The poker games played in the New York area were backed by at least four of the five mafia families there.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Drug Boat Strikes And Russia Sanctions</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-990667" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Drug-Boat-Dusted-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Drug-Boat-Dusted-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Drug-Boat-Dusted-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Drug-Boat-Dusted-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Drug-Boat-Dusted-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Drug-Boat-Dusted.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: The U.S. military carried out its ninth strike against what it said was a drug boat from a known terrorist entity heading toward the United States. Meanwhile, President Trump has imposed new sanctions on Russia for the first time since he returned to the Oval Office.
War Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Wednesday that the military carried out its eighth and ninth strikes against drug boats. These strikes took place in the Pacific Ocean, a first. Up until now, the strikes have been targeted in the Caribbean, which is a known smuggling corridor for narcotraffickers in Venezuela and Colombia.
Latin American resistance: The Colombian president, Gustavo Petro, called to potentially “get rid” of Trump over his campaign of pressure. Trump has accused Petro of playing a role in the drug trade and has pulled U.S. funding to Colombia.
On Thursday, Trump responded to the Colombian president’s threats, saying that the Latin American leader is a “thug and bad guy” who should “watch it.”
For now, the strikes will continue, Hegseth says.
Sanctions on Russia: The Treasury Department has now announced new sanctions on Russia for the first time in Trump’s second term. The sanctions target Russian oil giants Rosneft and Lukoil, as well as dozens of their subsidiaries.
The sanctions came alongside additional penalties from the European Union, as well as more from the U.K., announced last week. President Trump’s new pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin was a welcome move in Washington and in Europe.
“You have to compel Russia to engage in the peace process,” <a href="https://x.com/SpeakerJohnson/status/1981329802754769164">said</a> House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA). “They&#8217;ve shown they cannot be trusted. There&#8217;s a big appetite in Congress to have sanctions like this, and I think it&#8217;s a very important step.”
More important than the sanctions themselves is the message they convey. In its announcement of the sanctions package, the Treasury also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trumps-sanctioning-russian-energy-heres-what-to-know" target="_blank" rel="noopener">threatened</a> secondary sanctions against any entity that does business with Rosneft and Lukoil.
Trump on San Francisco: Trump has reversed course on sending National Guard troops to San Francisco. He said in a Truth Social <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115424560133045127">post</a> on Thursday that “friends of mine who live in the area called last night to ask me not to go forward with the surge in that the Mayor, Daniel Lurie, was making substantial progress.” He said he spoke to Lurie, a moderate Democrat who took office in January, and decided to give him a chance to turn the city around – which means Trump could change his mind in the future if he doesn’t like what he sees in San Francisco.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Mamdani Cracks In Second NYC Debate</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-990665" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Mamdani-Melts-Onstage-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Mamdani-Melts-Onstage-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Mamdani-Melts-Onstage-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Mamdani-Melts-Onstage-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Mamdani-Melts-Onstage-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Mamdani-Melts-Onstage.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: The frontrunner in New York’s mayoral race, Zohran Mamdani, faced a barrage of criticism in the final televised debate on Wednesday, raising questions about whether his performance managed to shake his lead or reinforce doubts about his readiness for the job.
The atmosphere of the race was definitely charged—not just because of the policies on the table, but also because of the direct, unrelenting pressure former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo put on Mamdani.
Polls show that while Mamdani is far and away the favorite to win, some also show he would be in a dead heat with Cuomo if Republican Curtis Sliwa were to drop out of the race.
Many media outlets and analysts said Mamdani looked uncomfortable and hesitant. He also appeared severely rushed. Some of his responses felt like watching a video at double speed.
However, some left-leaning outlets, such as Politico, said Mamdani won. The New York Times said Cuomo hurt him, but probably not enough. But the viral clips from the debate have received brutal responses, painting Mamdani as an unprepared left-wing extremist.
The debate: One of the most damaging moments circulating on social media came when Cuomo directly confronted Mamdani on his inexperience. 
“You have never had a job. You&#8217;ve never accomplished anything. There&#8217;s no reason to believe you have any merit or qualification for eight and a half million lives. You don&#8217;t know how to run a government, you don&#8217;t know how to handle an emergency, and you&#8217;ve literally never proposed a bill on anything that you&#8217;re not talking about,” Cuomo <a href="https://x.com/EYakoby/status/1981146015714726293">ripped</a> into Mamdani.
“In your campaign, you had the worst attendance record in the assembly, and you gave yourselves the highest raise in the United States of America. You went from $110,000 to $140,000, and then you never showed up for work, and you missed 80% of the votes. Shame on you,” he continued.
Cuomo also pinned Mamdani down on the rent freeze policy, labeling it as political blather.
“Zohran is a great actor. He missed his calling. Freeze rent sounds great, yeah, it affects about 25% of the number of housing units in the city of New York. It&#8217;s not a new idea. Bill de Blasio did it. It turned out to be a debacle,” Cuomo <a href="https://x.com/nypost/status/1981152739963945271">said</a>.
Often, Mamdani didn’t help himself. For example, when he suggested that when 911 receives a call, dispatchers should decide whether it’s appropriate to send police, or maybe send mental healthcare providers instead.
“Yet what we have in our city is asking those same police officers who are being asked to respond to shootings, respond to murders, to also respond to these calls. I trust the dispatchers who would be receiving these calls to make the determination as to whether there was any indication of violence. If there is no indication of a threat of violence, then we would set the mental health experts and providers to respond to those same incidents,” <a href="https://x.com/EYakoby/status/1981149365818585538">said</a> Mamdani.
How bad was it?: Polling data is still being analyzed, so it’s really too early to tell. But it’s interesting to note that there are reports that Chinese-owned TikTok appears to be pulling out all the stops for Mamdani now, maybe trying to head off any leaks of support.
The New York Post reported that TikTok’s algorithm has been boosting pro-Mamdani content while suppressing pro-Cuomo clips.

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Morning Brief: FBI Uncovers An NBA-Tied Gambling Ring & Trump Takes Out Another Drug Boat

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President Donald Trump this week praised the FBI for making a “record breaking” string of arrests since his inauguration.
“More than 28,000 violent criminals have been arrested,” the president wrote on Truth Social Monday. “Over 6,000 illegal weapons seized, more than 1,700 child predators and 300 human traffickers taken off the streets, 5,000 innocent children rescued, 2,000 criminal enterprises disrupted, 1,900 kilos of fentanyl taken out &#8211; historic results.”
&#8220;The FBI, under my administration, is doing an incredible job,&#8221; Trump added before praising FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino.
Thank you for your leadership letting good cops be cops Mr. President,&#8221; Patel wrote on X. &#8220;This FBI is working non stop to make America safe again.&#8221;
Thank you for your leadership letting good cops be cops Mr. President &#8211; this FBI is working non stop to make America safe again. 🇺🇸<a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"> @realDonaldTrump</a><a href="https://t.co/DfLvG5kJx6"> pic.twitter.com/DfLvG5kJx6</a>
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash)<a href="https://twitter.com/FBIDirectorKash/status/1980409061297516898?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"> October 20, 2025</a>
Patel and Bongino recently concluded &#8220;Operation Summer Heat,&#8221; a three month, <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=president+trump+announces+operation+summer+heat&amp;sca_esv=e4e3b1ba951674fc&amp;rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS1183&amp;ei=CqT3aJSgMOWe5NoP9o2RmAk&amp;ved=0ahUKEwiUzdaWy7WQAxVlD1kFHfZGBJMQ4dUDCBE&amp;uact=5&amp;oq=president+trump+announces+operation+summer+heat&amp;gs_lp=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_M_ougYECAEYB5IHCDEzLjkuMi4xoAek2gGyBwgxMi45LjIuMbgHvhfCBwY0LjIwLjHIByM&amp;sclient=gws-wiz-serp#fpstate=ive&amp;vld=cid:ec0da5e9,vid:nui6shIVS-o,st:0">nationwide</a> crackdown on crime.
Speaking to Fox Business&#8217; <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6382861786112">Larry Kudlow</a>, Patel said the purpose of the operation was simple: &#8220;Let good cops be cops.&#8221;
Patel noted that the “28,000 violent offender arrests year to date&#8221; were &#8220;double the amount of violent offenders compared to the Biden administration in the same time period a year ago.” He also noted that the FBI seized “1,900 kilograms&#8221; of fentanyl, &#8220;enough to kill 125 million Americans and a 31% increase compared to the Biden Administration.”
Trump tapped Patel in December to “shake up” the independent agency, which the president said suffered from “years of political bias and inefficiency.” Patel&#8217;s appointment marked a turning point in Trump&#8217;s relationship with the agency, which he faulted for its handling of Hillary Clinton&#8217;s classified email scandal and the Russia collusion hoax.
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Alongside revamping the FBI, President Trump deployed the National Guard to <a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/10/10/nx-s1-5567177/national-guard-map-chicago-california-oregon">four cities</a> this year in his “crackdown on crime” efforts &#8212; and after Monday, it will become five cities, with a federal appeals court overturning a lower court’s ruling, allowing him to send the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-can-deploy-oregon-national-guard-amid-anti-ice-protests-appeals-court-rules">Oregon National Guard</a> into Portland. President Trump expressed interest in sending the National Guard to New York, Baltimore, St. Louis, and New Orleans. However, only Republican governors welcomed this suggestion.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry sent a <a href="https://gov.louisiana.gov/assets/2025-Letters/9-29-25-LANG-RFApdf.pdf">letter</a> to U.S. War Secretary Pete Hegseth requesting the activation of 1,000 Louisiana National Guard personnel.
&#8220;The proposed mission and scope for the Louisiana National Guard would be to deploy throughout the state to urban centers, supplement law enforcement presence in high-crime areas, provide logistical and communication support, and secure critical infrastructure.&#8221;
Governor Landry expects Louisiana will see the troops as early as next month, right before the holidays.
Commenting on his decision to send troops to Los Angeles, President Trump said, “We will always do what is needed to keep our citizens safe, so we can, together, Make America Great Again.” 
In 2028, Los Angeles will host the Olympics, drawing an estimated <a href="https://laist.com/news/politics/2028-olympics-homeland-security-los-angeles-police-state">15 million people</a> to the city.

Trump Praises FBI: ‘Historic’ Number Of ‘Violent Criminals Have Been Arrested’

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