As Michigan lawmakers debate next year&#8217;s budget, the Democratic lieutenant governor — who&#8217;s running for governor in 2026 — floated an idea to hit back at some of the Trump administration&#8217;s spending cuts and get more money into the state government&#8217;s coffers: raise taxes on the wealthiest Trump supporters.
In a video obtained by The Daily Wire, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist told a group of Democrats earlier this month that the Trump administration has &#8220;attacked our people&#8221; by cutting funding to universities and &#8220;attacking those of us who are getting our health care from Medicaid.&#8221; Gilchrist made the remarks during a video call with the Kent County, Michigan, Democratic Party on August 13 as he gears up for a competitive Democratic primary in the 2026 Michigan governor&#8217;s race.
&#8220;We&#8217;re going to fight back and say, &#8216;Hell no, we&#8217;re not going to accept that,'&#8221; Gilchrist added. &#8220;And frankly, it pisses me off that we don&#8217;t have enough money in Michigan to be able to afford to backfill this $1.1 billion hole we&#8217;ve blown in the budget. I know how we could get a little bit more of that money — if we actually tax the wealthiest mega MAGA rich people in this state &#8230; if we actually went after the biggest companies that got a tax cut from [former Republican Governor] Rick Snyder and the Republicans.&#8221;
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In a video I&#8217;ve obtained for <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDailyWire</a>, Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist — a top candidate for governor — tells a group of Democrats via video call that he wants to raise taxes on a specific political class: &#8220;mega MAGA rich people.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/2rsPUCgFDK">pic.twitter.com/2rsPUCgFDK</a>
— Zach Jewell (@zach_d_jewell) <a href="https://twitter.com/zach_d_jewell/status/1961099735743557634?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Raising taxes on some people based on their political leanings wouldn&#8217;t be possible and would run into numerous legal issues if it were even attempted. Gilchrist&#8217;s suggestion to hit wealthy Trump supporters with higher taxes is also a questionable political tactic, given that Michigan is a swing state that President Trump won in both 2016 and 2024.
The lieutenant governor&#8217;s comments, however, played well with the Democratic base, as the audience broke out into applause and cheers when Gilchrist suggested taxing wealthy Trump supporters. In the video, Gilchrist calls into the meeting from an airport in New York City despite the Kent County Democratic Party <a href="https://midems.controlshift.app/events/kent-dems-august-2025-monthly-meeting?partner=kent-county-democratic-party&amp;source=facebook-share-button&amp;time=1754939773&amp;utm_source=facebook&amp;share=ac60ac7d-0558-48bf-a953-e21fa4e54b6f&amp;fbclid=IwY2xjawMIbFVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHouCBhh02s5zXqIir3YTKs5Y9jSlIg_Y_sBS2GI86HNcKWrnwXnL_WB4Mho0_aem_fMy07Q0O2DqWgzEbplvKxg">saying</a> that the &#8220;Social Hour&#8221; would be &#8220;hosted&#8221; by the lieutenant governor.
The $1.1 billion figure referenced by Gilchrist refers to a report released last month by the Citizens Research Council of Michigan, which claims that because of Trump&#8217;s &#8220;Big, Beautiful Bill,&#8221; the state will have to come up with a massive chunk of money to make up for Trump&#8217;s cuts to Medicaid and SNAP food benefits, according to <a href="https://bridgemi.com/michigan-government/report-big-beautiful-bill-will-blow-11-billion-hole-michigan-budget/">Bridge Michigan</a>. The report <a href="https://crcmich.org/publications/the-one-big-beautiful-bill-act-and-its-impact-on-michigans-budget">stated</a> that Michigan &#8220;will need to cut around $1.1 billion in General Fund/General Purpose appropriations from the FY2026 Executive Budget proposal.&#8221;
Republican state Rep. Ann Bollin, however, told The Daily Wire that the House has put forward a plan that incorporates all of the federal guidelines under the &#8220;Big, Beautiful Bill,&#8221; such as the work requirements for Medicaid and SNAP, without putting the state in a financial hole.
&#8220;We have managed to build a budget that takes into account what those federal requirements are,&#8221; Bollin said. &#8220;Those federal requirements are not extensive. I mean, they are work requirements. That is not a high threshold.&#8221;
&#8220;We&#8217;re implementing the research and development tax credit, we&#8217;re incorporating the $250 million that the feds are giving us for rural hospitals. We are offering relief to individuals with the elimination of taxes on tips, overtime, and social security,&#8221; Bollin continued.
She added that it&#8217;s good for the Trump administration to implement work requirements for programs like SNAP, saying that &#8220;Michigan has to address its very high SNAP error rate,&#8221; and root out fraud.
&#8220;I think we&#8217;re going to find that this budget is going to deliver on protecting the most vulnerable and keeping within some financial constraints, but also that it&#8217;s fiscally sustainable for us as a state,&#8221; Bollin said.
The Michigan legislature is currently negotiating a budget for fiscal year 2026, which begins on October 1. Lawmakers have already passed the July 1 statutory deadline to present a budget plan to the governor, as the Democrat-controlled state Senate and Republican-controlled state House work to get something passed, The Detroit Free Press <a href="https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/2025/08/26/whitmer-budget-negotiations-shutdown-brinks-hall/85813967007/">reported</a>.
While Gilchrist is suggesting raising taxes on Michigan residents, Republicans have proposed slashing state government spending. On Tuesday, Michigan House Republicans, led by Republican Speaker Matt Hall, unveiled a $78.5 billion budget proposal that would cut state government jobs and spending, while still putting forward a $3 billion plan for fixing the roads, an issue that Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer said must be included in any budget proposal.
Michigan currently has a flat 4.25% income tax for all residents and a 6% corporate income tax, with a 1.8% alternative rate for small businesses. Last year, under Democratic leadership, the income tax increased from 4.05% to 4.25%.
The Gilchrist campaign has not responded to a Daily Wire inquiry asking how much Gilchrist wants to raise taxes on Michigan&#8217;s wealthiest Trump supporters.

Garlin Gilchrist/Trump supporters

Top Dem Gov Candidate Proposes Tax Hike On ‘Mega MAGA Rich People’ To Fix Potential Budget Hit

Democrats

MAGA

Michigan

Taxes

Trump Supporters

The president of a major medical organization made wild claims about the benefits of transgender procedures on kids during a conversation with a Michigan lawmaker before falling back on so-called “experts,” according to video footage <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-2267-trump-protects-the-american-flag-plus-we-break-a-major-story?elementPosition=3&amp;row=2&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel">published</a> by the Ben Shapiro Show on Tuesday. 
During a video call earlier this year, American Medical Association (AMA) President Bobby Mukkamala defended his organization’s support for transgender procedures on kids by saying they relied on what “experts” had told them. Mukkamala also claimed that puberty blockers were reversible and cited other questionable statistics about transgender regret and suicide rates. 
Mukkamala made the comments during a call with Michigan Rep. Brad Paquette and Dr. Eithan Haim, the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-doctor-blew-the-whistle-on-his-hospitals-transgender-clinic-now-the-feds-are-trying-to-ruin-his-life">doctor who exposed</a> Texas Children’s Hospital for doing transgender procedures on kids.  When pressed on the American Medical Association’s <a href="https://www.ama-assn.org/press-center/ama-press-releases/ama-states-stop-interfering-health-care-transgender-children">advocacy</a> for transgender procedures on kids, Mukkamala said that the association effectively rubberstamps whatever “the experts” tell them. 
“Neither one of us spent an hour working on transgender care, neither one of us,” Mukkamala told Haim in the footage obtained by Shapiro. “So we have no business discussing the science that&#8217;s brought to the American Medical Association from people that spent years in training for this, and years taking care of patients for this.”
The call was arranged by Paquette, a Republican who represents the southwest corner of Michigan, who was looking to discuss the AMA&#8217;s endorsement of transgender procedures on kids. Paquette supports shielding kids from transgender procedures and introduced a bill in May that would have banned them in Michigan.
The American Medical Association is the largest association of medical professionals in the United States and plays a powerful role in medical education, ethics, and advocacy.
&#8220;This footage is pretty catastrophic for the AMA,&#8221; Shapiro said. &#8220;It proves beyond any doubt that their support for trans &#8216;healthcare&#8217; is based on fake science, willful blindness, and a total abandonment of all evidence-based medicine — all of which are supposed to be antithetical to the existence of their organization, a violation of the Hippocratic Oath.&#8221;
WATCH BEN&#8217;S FULL EPISODE ON AMA: 
<iframe loading="lazy" title="LEAKED FOOTAGE: American Medical Association Exposed" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/J2hsAz7h07U?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>
Throughout the call, Haim pressed Mukkamala to provide evidence that transgender procedures don&#8217;t have damaging long-term impacts on kids. When he brought up the flawed studies frequently cited by WPATH and other proponents of transgender procedures, Mukkamala said that he relied on the interpretations of others and didn’t look at them himself.
“I don&#8217;t look at them. I rely on a specialty society to look at them and then give us their opinion of them. I&#8217;m not an expert at all. And honestly, I don&#8217;t think you are either,” he said. “I&#8217;m not an expert at all. I&#8217;m not an expert at all in the science that you&#8217;re talking to me about. I defer to the experts.”
At one point, Mukkamala clearly mocks Haim for even asking questions about the issue.
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EXCLUSIVE: Secretly recorded call with American Medical Association President, Dr. Bobby Mukkamala, reveals an alarming abdication of responsibility on &#8220;gender-affirming care&#8221; at the highest level of medicine.
Confronted with &#8216;puberty blocker&#8217; side effects, Dr. Bobby evades: <a href="https://t.co/PCqHqNpjts">pic.twitter.com/PCqHqNpjts</a>
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) <a href="https://twitter.com/benshapiro/status/1960403515999690972?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Commenting on Mukkamala&#8217;s repeated claims that he was not an expert,  Shapiro said that he should at least be aware of the ethical issues surrounding transgender medicine.
&#8220;And sure, he’s not an expert in endocrinology or plastic surgery,&#8221; Shapiro said. &#8220;But as the President of the AMA, he’s meant to be an expert in the AMA’s code of ethics, and at the bare minimum, the Hippocratic Oath.&#8221;
Mukkamala also claimed during the call that puberty blockers were reversible. Studies have shown that puberty blockers can cause permanent damage to fertility and loss of bone density, especially in the hips and spine. 
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3/ CLAIM: The AMA’s Dr. Bobby asserts that so-called “puberty blockers” are “reversible,” dismissing Dr. Haim’s attempts to correct him—despite Dr. Haim having worked with patients who need puberty blockers for actual endocrine disorders and being well versed in their harms. <a href="https://t.co/nHYvgnBiQr">pic.twitter.com/nHYvgnBiQr</a>
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) <a href="https://twitter.com/benshapiro/status/1960403521141887136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
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He also suggested that between 50-70% of transgender individuals commit suicide and that only 2% of those who have medical transgender procedures regret those procedures. Both numbers are suspect, as even the most extreme studies only say that up to 40% of transgender identifying people have attempted suicide. 
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5/ CLAIM: Dr. Bobby insists there is only a 2% regret rate among those who medically ‘transition,’ and cites his source as the doctors who perform the transing of the kids. An unbiased group if ever there was one… <a href="https://t.co/kLDFzHAByd">pic.twitter.com/kLDFzHAByd</a>
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) <a href="https://twitter.com/benshapiro/status/1960403528066707955?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The 2% regret rate comes from a <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33968550/">study</a> that only measured after surgery, not the tens of thousands of kids who have been placed on puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones. It also did not measure regret past two years after the initial surgery. 
After Paquette told Mukkamala that he was upset by what he was hearing about kids being pushed to transition, he said that “the way to not be distraught is to talk to experts.”
Mukkamala also appeared to claim that sex change surgeries were not happening on kids in Michigan. This conflicts with data <a href="https://stoptheharmdatabase.com/state/michigan/">compiled</a> by Do No Harm that shows that there have been at least 186 kids who have undergone a transgender surgery in Michigan. 
The American Medical Association has been a staunch defender of transgender procedures on kids for years. In April 2021, the organization sent a <a href="https://www.ama-assn.org/press-center/ama-press-releases/ama-states-stop-interfering-health-care-transgender-children">letter</a> to governors across the country urging them not to protect kids from transgender procedures. 
“Empirical evidence has demonstrated that trans and non-binary gender identities are normal variations of human identity and expression,” the organization wrote. “It is imperative that transgender minors be given the opportunity to explore their gender identity under the safe and supportive care of a physician.”
Then, in a 2022 speech, then-American Medical Association President Jack Resneck Jr. claimed that opposition to transgender procedures on kids was driven by “misinformation.” 
“Drivers of disinformation say that gender-affirming care clinics are performing genital mutilation surgeries on teens, not involving families in care decisions, or using medical treatments on young children who show up after wondering for one day if they are trans,” he said.
Advocates of radical gender ideology will frequently cite organizations like the American Medical Association for reasons why the procedures should remain legal. Over two dozen states have acted in the last few years to ban transgender surgeries on minors.
WATCH THE FULL CONVERSATION:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="The AMA’s Dr. Bobby Mukkamala on “Gender Affirming Care”" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Mxb1qG-yvzY?start=4&#038;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>

MixCollage-26-Aug-2025-02-06-PM-282

Leaked Footage Exposes Top Med Org’s Support For Trans Procedures On Kids: ‘I’m Not An Expert At All’

American Medical Association

Ben Shapiro

Medical Research

The Ben Shapiro Show

Transgender

transgender surgery

In a TikTok video on Monday, a Michigan Democratic legislator offered to help children access “gender-affirming” care if they contacted her office.
Michigan State Rep. Carrie Rheingans said in the video that she was specifically talking to “trans kids here in Michigan,” adding that life-altering gender procedures are still legal in the state. Wearing a “Protect Trans Kids” sweatshirt, the Michigan Democrat posted the video Monday in response to the University of Michigan’s hospital network <a href="https://michiganadvance.com/2025/08/25/university-of-michigan-health-ends-gender-affirming-care-after-doj-subpoena/">ending</a> gender procedures for minors under pressure from the Department of Justice.
In her video, Rheingans told children that they could still get “care” at other places in Michigan.
“I want you to know, as trans kids here in Michigan, that this care is obviously safe and effective. That’s why it’s been approved and why it’s been used all across the country and continues to be used,” she added. “So if you need to find a new place to get care it is still legal here in Michigan, and reach out to our office, we’ll be able to connect you to what might still be available in our community.”
Rheingans, who represents Ann Arbor, urged children to “please contact our office” and provided contact information.
“We love you. We are really supportive of you as kids, and we want to make sure that you can grow up and thrive here in Michigan,” she added.
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<blockquote class="tiktok-embed" style="max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@reprheingans/video/7542692547190181151" data-video-id="7542692547190181151">
<section><a title="@reprheingans" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@reprheingans?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@reprheingans</a> 🏳️‍⚧️ <a title="transkids" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/transkids?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#TransKids</a> in <a title="michigan" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/michigan?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#Michigan</a>: we live you and want to see you grow and thrive here 🩵🤍🩷 <a title="genderaffirmingcare" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/genderaffirmingcare?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#GenderAffirmingCare</a> <a title="♬ original sound - MI State RepCarrie Rheingans" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7542692567620602655?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">♬ original sound &#8211; MI State RepCarrie Rheingans</a></section>
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The federal government and medical establishment previously pushed gender procedures for children as an effective way to treat gender dysphoria, but the practice has come under intense <a href="https://opa.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/2025-05/gender-dysphoria-report-exec-summary.pdf">scrutiny</a> as new research highlights the dangers of performing life-altering gender surgeries and puberty blockers. A Health and Human Services <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hhs-releases-damning-review-of-gender-treatments-for-minors-the-risks-cannot-be-ignored">review</a> released earlier this year, shortly after President Donald Trump took office, stated, “These interventions carry risk of significant harms including infertility/sterility, sexual dysfunction, impaired bone density accrual, adverse cognitive impacts, cardiovascular disease and metabolic disorders, psychiatric disorders, surgical complications, and regret.”
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=summer&amp;utm_content=editorialsummersale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">End of Summer Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a>
Even before Trump stepped into the White House, the federal government was changing its tune on gender procedures for children. Last summer, the Biden administration opposed lowering the age minimums for hormonal treatments, mastectomies, breast augmentations, facial, and genital surgeries, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/28/health/transgender-surgery-biden.html">reported</a>.
The Trump administration has threatened to cut federal funding to hospitals that continue to perform gender procedures on children, resulting in many large hospitals such as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/health-care-puts-stop-to-trans-surgeries-on-kids">Kaiser Permanente</a> and <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Health/us-hospitals-ending-gender-affirming-care-minors-impact/story?id=124889031">Children’s National Hospital</a> ending the practice.
Michigan Republican state Rep. Brad Paquette, who is leading an effort in the Great Lakes State to protect children from gender procedures, told The Daily Wire that he has a “good relationship” with Rheingans and has discussed the issue with her “pretty extensively.”
“So here in the state of Michigan, one of the unfortunate aspects is my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are completely captured by this ideology, this gender theory,” Paquette said. “So I’m trying to do my best to figure out how to get my colleagues informed as to what these procedures are.”
“She has this mentality that she carries — that the trans activists carry — that there are safe spaces, that you’re an ally or you’re not,” Paquette added. “And this causes an extreme divide among families and in the political arena.”
Rheingans did not respond to a Daily Wire request for comment, but she did address some criticism of her video on social media.
“Horrifying because I told children that I love them. Calm down,” she <a href="https://x.com/RepRheingans/status/1960364046546244058">replied</a> to one post from conservative communicator Steve Guest, who said it was “one of the most horrifying videos that I’ve ever seen posted by a politician.”
“Kids need to see that some grownups love them, and not all are bullies,” she <a href="https://x.com/RepRheingans/status/1960373622473691545">wrote</a> in another post.
Rheingans has made LGBT issues a significant part of her political agenda, saying earlier this year that she was “proud to vote YES to expand Michigan’s civil rights law,” which added sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of protected classes.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🫶🏻 Thank you to our many constituents and advocates from @equality_michigan for sharing your stories and being your beautiful selves! I was proud to vote YES to expand <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Michigan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Michigan</a>&#8216;s civil rights law &#8230; 1/2 <a href="https://t.co/2M3mtsfooo">pic.twitter.com/2M3mtsfooo</a>
— Rep. Carrie Rheingans (@RepRheingans) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepRheingans/status/1923327547858731264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
In 2024, Rheingans spoke at the Ann Arbor Pride Festival and <a href="https://archive.ph/VU0Dl#selection-1603.0-1606.0">urged</a> gay people to run for office.
“If you have never thought about running for office, we need more gays in office, go run for office,” she said. “We need to have a bigger LGBTQ caucus.”

Trans flag

‘Please Contact Our Office’: Dem Lawmaker Tells Kids That She’ll Help Them Undergo Gender Procedures

Children

LGBT

Politics

Social Issues

TikTok

A judge in Traverse City, Michigan, raised the bond for mass stabbing suspect Bradford James Gille to $1 million on Wednesday, following public <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/michigan-judge-blasted-for-low-bond-in-walmart-terror-stabbing-case">outcry</a> over a previous judge&#8217;s decision to set the bond at $100,000.
At a bond review hearing on Wednesday, Judge Michael Stepka of the 86th District Court pointed to the seriousness of the charges and the risk that Gille would potentially skip future court dates to justify the increase, The Detroit News <a href="https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2025/07/30/walmart-stabbing-suspect-has-bond-increased-to-1-million/85447459007/">reported</a>. Stepka said that raising the bond &#8220;will assure the victims and the public in general that it&#8217;s unlikely Mr. Gille is going to get out.&#8221;
The day before Gille allegedly went on a stabbing rampage, wounding 11 people at a Traverse City Walmart last Saturday, authorities in Petoskey, Michigan — which is around 70 miles north of Traverse City — obtained a court order to place Gille in protective custody. The order was issued after Gille had multiple concerning encounters with Petoskey police, and authorities were actively searching for him when the mass stabbing took place.
The prosecution asked the judge during Wednesday&#8217;s hearing to completely revoke Gille&#8217;s bond, but Stepka said that Michigan&#8217;s Rules of Criminal Procedure require a defendant to be charged with murder or to have two previous convictions for violent felonies in the past 15 years for bond to be revoked, according to The Detroit News. Gille was charged with 11 counts of assault with intent to murder and terrorism. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Grand Traverse County Prosecutor Noelle R. Moeggenberg also argued for Gille&#8217;s bond to be revoked over a &#8220;gun gesture&#8221; that he allegedly made at a camera during his first court appearance earlier this week. Gille&#8217;s defense attorney, Janet Mistele, disputed Moeggenberg&#8217;s statement.
Mistele also said that neither Gille nor his family has the resources to secure his release under the $100,000 bond. Gille would have had to come up with $10,000 to secure release with a bail bondsman, but now he&#8217;ll have to post $100,000 to work out his release, which is extremely unlikely.
After Gille&#8217;s first court appearance in front of Magistrate Tammi Rodgers, the judge was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/michigan-judge-blasted-for-low-bond-in-walmart-terror-stabbing-case">criticized</a> for setting a $100,000 bond and telling him he could not visit any Walmart.
“Eligible for bond? This individual just went on a rampage, and by the grace of God didn’t end anyone’s life,” said Michigan state Senate Minority Leader and Republican gubernatorial candidate Aric Nesbitt. “Allowing him to be released into the community spits in the face of those who protect and serve, and only puts more people at risk.”
Gille has had multiple run-ins with law enforcement over the years. In 2017, he was found not guilty by reason of insanity after he was charged with dismembering and mutilating dead bodies he had dug up at a cemetery.

Walmart/Bradford James Gille mugshot

Judge Increases Bond For Walmart Stabbing Suspect After Public Outcry

Courts

Judge

Stabbing

U.S.

A Michigan district court judge was criticized on Monday after setting a $100,000 bond for the man charged with terrorism in a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/walmart-mass-stabbing-suspect-identified-charged-with-terrorism">stabbing attack</a> at a Traverse City, Michigan, Walmart over the weekend.
In a video arraignment for suspect James Bradford Gille, Magistrate Tammi Rodgers said Gille has been charged with &#8220;heinous&#8221; crimes, which include 11 counts of assault with intent to murder. Grand Traverse County Prosecutor Noelle Moeggenberg requested that Rodgers set a significant bond due to the seriousness of the charges and Gille&#8217;s history of mental illness and previous run-ins with law enforcement, West Michigan ABC affiliate, WZZM 13 <a href="https://www.wzzm13.com/article/news/crime/traverse-city-walmart-stabbing-suspect-arraigned/69-4f3e4b38-b1b5-4286-925b-ad2b65180e83">reported</a>.
The judge set the bond at $100,000, adding that if he&#8217;s able to post bond, he would be barred from using alcohol or any non-prescribed drugs. She also barred him from possessing any weapons or using &#8220;any object as a weapon&#8221; and said he could not visit any Walmart.
Gille is accused of going on a stabbing rampage near the checkout line at Walmart on Saturday, wounding 11 people before he was stopped by bystanders, including Marine <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9UJ7g2ETCA">Derrick Perry</a>, who held him at gunpoint in the parking lot until police arrived.
&#8220;He was wild-eyed, and he did not look like he was in his right mind. And he was saying, &#8216;They told me to do it. They told me to do it,&#8221; Perry said during an interview with &#8220;Good Morning America.&#8221;
The $100,000 bond means that Gille only has to come up with $10,000 on his own, but it appears unlikely that he has that money or that he&#8217;ll find a bail bondsman willing to work with him, independent journalist Dave Bondy <a href="https://x.com/DaveBondyTV/status/1949966995971022936">reported</a>.
During his arraignment, Gille was asked by the judge if he had money in his bank account, seeking to determine if he could afford his own legal counsel.
&#8220;Not to give you,&#8221; the suspect replied, according to <a href="https://www.wzzm13.com/article/news/crime/traverse-city-walmart-stabbing-suspect-arraigned/69-4f3e4b38-b1b5-4286-925b-ad2b65180e83">WZZM 13</a>.
Gille was also asked how to pronounce his name and told the judge, &#8220;Yeah, I don&#8217;t want to talk to you.&#8221;
Gille pleaded not guilty and requested a court-appointed attorney. His next court appearance is scheduled for August 12.
&#8220;Eligible for bond? This individual just went on a rampage, and by the grace of God didn’t end anyone’s life,&#8221; said Michigan state Senate Minority Leader and Republican gubernatorial candidate Aric Nesbitt. &#8220;Allowing him to be released into the community spits in the face of those who protect and serve, and only puts more people at risk.&#8221;
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Eligible for bond? This individual just went on a rampage, and by the grace of God didn’t end anyone’s life. 
Allowing him to be released into the community spits in the face of those who protect and serve, and only puts more people at risk. <a href="https://t.co/CK6c2KGykS">pic.twitter.com/CK6c2KGykS</a>
&mdash; Senator Aric Nesbitt (@SenAricNesbitt) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenAricNesbitt/status/1949934995268575725?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;They just want him to promise not to go back to Wal-Mart or do drugs. What in the world are they thinking?&#8221; Nesbitt <a href="https://x.com/aricnesbitt/status/1949936195573620961">added</a>.
Others on social media also sounded off on the low bond.
&#8220;He is facing terrorism and 11 counts of assault with intent to murder charges. Does that sound like public safety to you?&#8221; <a href="https://x.com/BreannaMorello/status/1949969352796635247">asked</a> independent journalist Breanna Morello.
Gille lives in Afton, Michigan, around 90 miles northeast of Traverse City, and has a history of mental illness. In 2017, Gille was found not guilty by reason of insanity after he was charged with dismembering and mutilating dead bodies he had dug up from a cemetery, the Detroit Free Press <a href="https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2025/07/28/bradford-james-gille-alton-michigan-traverse-city-stabbing/85404184007/">reported</a>.

Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s Office

Michigan Judge Blasted For Low Bond In Walmart Terror Stabbing Case

Michigan Judge Slammed for Low Bond in Walmart Terror Stabbing Case

Court

domestic terrorism

The man charged with wounding 11 people in a mass stabbing attack at a Traverse City, Michigan, Walmart, on Saturday afternoon was identified by authorities as 42-year-old Bradford James Gille.
Gille, a resident of Afton, Michigan — which is around 90 miles northeast of Traverse City — was charged with one count of terrorism and 11 counts of assault with intent to murder, Up North Live <a href="https://upnorthlive.com/news/local/sheriff-seeks-terrorism-charges-for-man-after-walmart-stabbing-traverse-11-munson-grand-garfield-victims">reported</a>. During a press conference on Sunday, Grand Traverse County Sheriff Mike Shea said that Gille has a history of assault incidents and controlled substance violations.
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42-year-old Bradford James Gille has been charged with terrorism following Walmart mass-stabbing in Traverse City. <a href="https://t.co/FUj60xl3bl">pic.twitter.com/FUj60xl3bl</a>
&mdash; Senator Aric Nesbitt (@SenAricNesbitt) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenAricNesbitt/status/1949553786327859556?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The sheriff <a href="https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2025/07/27/walmart-stabbing-traverse-city-bystanders-video-suspect/85395345007/">said</a> that bystanders who stepped in to stop the attack &#8220;were absolutely instrumental in preventing further injuries [or] potential casualties.&#8221; Video posted by Up North Live showed a group of bystanders gathered around the suspect in the parking lot after the attack, with one man holding a gun up to the suspect, yelling at him to &#8220;drop the knife.&#8221;
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Bystanders confront suspect after 11 stabbed at Traverse City Walmart" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tBIeEFQ3TYE?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>
According to some reports, the good guy with the gun was identified as Derick Perry, who witnesses saw charging after the attacker and holding him until law enforcement arrived just a few minutes later.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🚨Hero Alert🚨 Derrick Perry and many others yet to be named answered the bell when called upon while shopping at TC Walmart. We’re offering these heroes free Iron Pig for life. These folks were the real first responders the other day. Amazing courage, and outstanding restraint.… <a href="https://t.co/eeh1IEqEvu">pic.twitter.com/eeh1IEqEvu</a>
&mdash; Iron Pig Smokehouse (@ironpigsmoke) <a href="https://twitter.com/ironpigsmoke/status/1949547637905981928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Another man, 39-year-old Matt Kolakowski, told <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/27/us/traverse-city-walmart-stabbing-michigan-wwk-hnk">CNN</a> that he was with his brother and 13-year-old daughter at Walmart when the attacker started his rampage. Kolakowski, a Marine, said his instincts kicked in and he jumped into action.
“I thought to myself, ‘Well, I don’t got no weapon, so what am I going to do?’ So, I just grabbed an empty grocery cart and just took off after him as hard as I could,” he said.
Kolakowski said he saw the attacker stab one man in the shoulder and a woman in the back as they were running from the store.
“He was screaming something about him being a soldier, and that everybody in Walmart were bad people,” Kolakowski said of the suspect. “His eyes were just bulging out of his head.”
Sheriff Shea said that Gille used a 3.5-inch &#8220;folding knife,&#8221; stabbing people near the checkout line at random. Only the ages and sexes of the victims have been released. Six men and five women were wounded in the attack, with the oldest victim being an 84-year-old woman and the youngest being a 29-year-old woman. One of the victims was a Walmart employee.
Four of the victims remain in serious condition and seven are in fair condition, Munson Healthcare said on Sunday, according to <a href="https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2025/07/27/walmart-stabbing-traverse-city-bystanders-video-suspect/85395345007/">The Detroit Free Press</a>. The Sunday update from the hospital is a positive development after six victims were described as being in critical condition and five were in serious condition after the attack.

Walmart Mass Stabbing Suspect Identified, Charged With Terrorism

attack

Terrorism

Walmart

At least 11 people were wounded in a mass stabbing at a Traverse City, Michigan, Walmart on Saturday afternoon. One suspect is in custody.
The Grand Traverse County Sheriff&#8217;s Office said that 11 people were rushed to the Munson Medical Center in Traverse City, and three people went into emergency surgery, Up North Live ABC <a href="https://upnorthlive.com/news/local/active-incident-at-walmart-in-traverse-city-people-being-asked-to-avoid-area">reported</a>. Officials said that the attacker used a &#8220;folding knife&#8221; and appeared to stab people at random.
According to independent journalist Dave Bondy, one witness said they saw someone pull a gun on the attacker, but no shots were fired. &#8220;It is not clear if that action prompted the suspect to stop the stabbing spree,&#8221; Bondy <a href="https://davebondy.substack.com/p/suspect-in-custody-following-mass?r=m9vqj&amp;utm_medium=ios&amp;triedRedirect=true">reported</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
This is the first picture from the scene at the mass stabbing in Traverse City, Michigan. I am getting word that more than five people having been stabbed at a Walmart in the northern Michigan town. Photo from Justin James. <a href="https://t.co/wNoRdqh6Zf">pic.twitter.com/wNoRdqh6Zf</a>
&mdash; Dave Bondy (@DaveBondyTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/DaveBondyTV/status/1949225452545146899?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The identity of the attacker remains unclear. Grand Traverse County Sheriff Michael Shea said that the suspect is a Michigan resident, but did not go into any more detail.
&#8220;Be vigilant, know that no area is immune to this type of activity, unfortunately,&#8221; Shea added.
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino <a href="https://x.com/FBIDDBongino/status/1949247754087301437">posted</a> on X that &#8220;FBI personnel are responding to provide any necessary support to the Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s Office in their investigation of the attacks at the Walmart.&#8221;
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer <a href="https://x.com/GovWhitmer/status/1949249020284772829">said</a> that she is &#8220;monitoring the situation closely.&#8221;
<div class="css-175oi2r">
<div class="css-175oi2r r-1s2bzr4">
<div id="id__rrftkqaubk" class="css-146c3p1 r-bcqeeo r-1ttztb7 r-qvutc0 r-37j5jr r-1inkyih r-16dba41 r-bnwqim r-135wba7" dir="auto" lang="en" data-testid="tweetText">&#8220;I’m in touch with law enforcement about the horrible news out of Traverse City,&#8221; Whitmer added. &#8220;Our thoughts are with the victims and the community reeling from this brutal act of violence. I am grateful to the first responders for their swift response to apprehend the suspect.&#8221;</div>
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</div>
Traverse City is a popular tourist destination in northwest Michigan, sitting alongside Lake Michigan. Traverse City is known for its annual cherry festival and is nicknamed the &#8220;cherry capital of the world.&#8221; Its population as of 2023 was just over 15,000.
Munson Medical Center released a statement confirming that 11 people were being treated at the hospital.
&#8220;Munson Healthcare is aware of the tragic incident that occurred earlier today at the Walmart in Traverse City,&#8221; the hospital said in a statement. &#8220;Our thoughts are with all those affected by this event, and we are grateful to the first responders and law enforcement for their swift action.&#8221;
This is a developing story; refresh the page for updates.

More Than 10 People Wounded In Michigan Walmart Attack

Crime

Police

President Donald Trump made endorsements for two critical Senate seats on Thursday in high-profile races that are expected to draw a lot of attention. 
In a Truth Social post, Trump told his followers to support Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley in representing North Carolina in the U.S. Senate. While Whatley hasn’t officially announced a campaign, it is widely expected that he will jump into the race in the coming days. 
“Mike would make an unbelievable Senator from North Carolina. He is fantastic at everything he does, and he was certainly great at the RNC where, in the Presidential Election, we won every Swing State, the Popular Vote, and the Electoral College by a landslide! But I have a mission for my friends in North Carolina, and that is to get Michael Whatley to run for the U.S. Senate. He is STRONG on the Border, stopping Crime, supporting our Military/Veterans, cutting Taxes, and saving our always under siege Second Amendment,” Trump posted. 
“I need him in Washington, and I need him representing YOU!” Trump added. “So, should Michael Whatley run for the Senate, please let this notification represent my Complete and Total Endorsement. HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!”
The North Carolina seat became open after GOP Senator Thom Tillis announced he would not seek re-election after he opposed Trump’s signature spending package and the president threatened to support a primary challenger. Lara Trump, the president’s daughter-in-law and a Fox News host, had been floated as a potential candidate for the seat, but she <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lara-trump-steps-aside-clearing-path-for-rnc-chairmans-senate-bid" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> on Thursday that she would not launch a campaign. 
On the Democratic side, former Governor Roy Cooper is expected to launch a campaign on Monday, aiming to flip the seat. 
Trump also endorsed former Florida Republican Party chair and state Senator Joe Gruter to head up the RNC if Whatley runs for U.S. Senate. 
Former Congressman Mike Rogers also earned Trump’s backing in Michigan’s U.S. Senate race. Rogers narrowly lost a previous Senate election in 2024 to Elise Slotkin, but is running again after Democrat Sen. Gary Peters announced his upcoming retirement. Trump praised Rogers as an “America First Patriot.”
“From the U.S. Army to Congress, Mike has served our Nation with distinction, and will bring that same Fighting Spirit to the U.S. Senate,” Trump said on Truth Social. “As your next Senator, Mike will work tirelessly to Grow our Economy, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Promote MADE IN THE U.S.A., Unleash American Energy DOMINANCE by keeping the price of Gasoline, Oil, and all forms of Energy VERY LOW (CHEAP!), Help Secure our now VERY Secure (Record Setting!) Southern Border, Support our Incredible Military/Veterans, and Defend our always under siege Second Amendment.”
Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-MI), who had been considering a Senate run, announced Thursday that he would not enter the race. Huizenga, who reportedly spoke to Trump last week, did receive the president’s endorsement for his congressional seat. He is up for re-election in November 2026.

US-POLITICS-TECHNOLOGY-AI

Trump Endorses Two ‘America First’ Candidates In Battle For Senate Control

Donald Trump

Elections

Michael Whatley

North Carolina

Republican National Committee (RNC)

Thom Tillis

U.S. Senate

Regents of the University of Michigan — who serve unpaid — now have 24-hour security because of threats and harassment from pro-Hamas factions.
UM Regents Jordan Acker, Mark Bernstein, and Sarah Hubbard told <a href="https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-859787">The Detroit News</a> that the university assigned them around-the-clock security after their residences were vandalized with pro-Hamas, anti-Israel messages.
“Since Nov. 17, 2023, our regents and executive officers have been subjected to extensive and targeted criminal acts, including vandalism of private residences and businesses,” University spokeswoman Colleen Mastony stated. “These incidents, detailed in a press release, underscore the unacceptable level of threats and harassment directed at our institution’s leaders and their families.”
“We have taken prudent steps to support our regents and executive officers and will continue to rely on our public safety team to continuously assess risk, consult with external law enforcement partners, and allocate resources commensurate with those assessments,” she added.
<a class="c-link" href="https://get.dailywire.com/freedom/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=freedom&amp;utm_content=freedomeditorial" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/freedom/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=freedom&amp;utm_content=freedomeditorial" data-sk="tooltip_parent">JULY 4 SALE: Get Six Months Of DW+ Free</a>
“The three regents said they continue to get threats via email and social media, as recently as June 9,” The Detroit News reported, noting that in May 2024, activists erected tents on Regent Hubbard&#8217;s front lawn and left on her doorstep &#8220;scenes of genocide in Palestine.&#8221; Her Instagram account was tagged with the message, “Regents, respond to our demands by the end of your board meeting this Thursday.”
Last December, vandals targeted Regent Acker’s home. Acker, who has three young children, said he has been getting death threats as recently as June 9. Reacting to a jar of urine being thrown through one of his home’s windows, he said, &#8220;Any time your family is being attacked for who you are and for what you believe, I think that&#8217;s a pretty scary moment as an elected official, but it&#8217;s unfortunately the world that we live in these days.&#8221;
“It&#8217;s been really hard on them. It&#8217;s been really hard on my wife. It&#8217;s been really, really hard on my kids, especially my 10-year-old, who was woken up by the glass breaking,” Acker added.
The homes of former President Santa Ono and the university&#8217;s chief investment officer, Erik Lundberg, were vandalized last October. “In March, someone spray-painted ‘Free Palestine’ on the side of UM Provost Laurie McCauley&#8217;s Ann Arbor home,” The Detroit News noted.
“This is something that the university has decided, it&#8217;s important to provide this support to their leadership. So it&#8217;s the regents and it&#8217;s also a number of other leaders at the university that have experienced these threats,” Hubbard said. “I feel that I can have this civil debate with people who have a different opinion than I do, and so it&#8217;s too bad that it has ramped up to this point where we&#8217;re concerned for our safety. It&#8217;s not a concern I have every moment of every day, but it&#8217;s certainly something I worry about because we see it going beyond the vandalism in so many areas around the country and in the world, and we don&#8217;t want to suffer that same result.&#8221;

US-ISRAEL-PALESTINIAN-CONFLICT-PROTEST-EDUCATION

Pro-Hamas Activists Trigger 24/7 Security For University Of Michigan Regents

anti-Israel

antisemitism

Education

Hamas

Pro-Hamas

Security Detail

University of Michigan

Police identified the man who was shot and killed by a security guard after targeting CrossPointe Community Church in Wayne, Michigan, on Sunday.
Officials named Brian Anthony Browning, 31, from Romulus, Michigan, as the suspected gunman, The Detroit News <a href="https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/wayne-county/2025/06/23/police-id-suspected-gunman-fatally-shot-at-wayne-church/84315724007/">reported</a>. Browning was the son of a woman who is a member of the church, and he attended two or three services at CrossPointe in the past year. He might have been suffering from a mental health crisis, investigators said, adding that there is no evidence to suggest his alleged actions had any connection with the conflict in the Middle East.
Wayne Police said that the suspect was driving erratically outside the church building before exiting his vehicle and firing his AR-15 style rifle at the church. Browning was also armed with a semi-automatic handgun and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. He was reportedly struck by a Ford F-150 driven by a church deacon, giving the security team time to take out the shooter.
Authorities obtained a search warrant for Browning&#8217;s home in Romulus, which is just south of Wayne. At the residence, law enforcement found more rifles, handguns, and ammunition, according to The Detroit News. Browning had no criminal history or previous run-ins with Wayne Police.
Police said that the church&#8217;s security team acted quickly after the gunfire erupted, locking the doors to protect congregants and then engaging with the alleged shooter. One of the security guards was injured after getting shot in the leg. The wounded security guard is in stable condition after undergoing surgery, according to authorities.
&#8220;We are grateful for the heroic actions of the church&#8217;s staff members, who undoubtedly saved many lives and prevented a large-scale mass shooting,&#8221; said Wayne Police Chief Ryan Strong.
Around 150 people, many of them children, were in attendance for the Sunday morning service. CrossPointe was holding a special vacation Bible school service, a summer program many churches put on for young children, when the shooter opened fire.
A livestream video of the service showed the Christian worshipers ducking for cover after a security guard told them to evacuate as shots were fired outside the building.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
WATCH: People fleeing at Crosspointe Community Church in Wayne, Michigan after shooting. <a href="https://t.co/jJXi1GXeWR">pic.twitter.com/jJXi1GXeWR</a>
— AZ Intel (@AZ_Intel_) <a href="https://twitter.com/AZ_Intel_/status/1936828501694300423?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
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FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said on Sunday that the bureau&#8217;s &#8220;leadership and support teams are on the ground, at the scene, in Wayne, Michigan providing assistance and investigative support.&#8221;

Michigan Church Shooting

Police Identify Suspected Gunman In Michigan Church Shooting

Christians

Church

Shooting

A shooter was shot and killed by a security guard after opening fire at a church in Wayne, Michigan, while worshipers were gathered for a service on Sunday.
The assailant was stopped before he could make it inside CrossPointe Community Church when one of the church&#8217;s deacons hit him with his Ford F-150, giving the security guard time to shoot the attacker, according to Senior Pastor Bobby Kelly Jr., The Detroit News <a href="https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/wayne-county/2025/06/22/security-guard-kills-active-shooter-at-crosspointe-church-wayne-police-say/84307435007/">reported</a>. The security guard was also wounded in the shooting after taking a bullet to the leg, but no one else was injured.
There were around 150 people in attendance when the shooter targeted the church, which is located around 25 miles west of Detroit. A livestream video of the service showed the Christian worshipers, many of whom were children, ducking for cover after a security guard told them to evacuate as shots were fired outside the building. CrossPointe was holding a special vacation Bible school service, a summer program many churches put on for young children. While the shooter was stopped from making it inside the church, he fired multiple shots into the building.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
WATCH: People fleeing at Crosspointe Community Church in Wayne, Michigan after shooting. <a href="https://t.co/jJXi1GXeWR">pic.twitter.com/jJXi1GXeWR</a>
&mdash; AZ Intel (@AZ_Intel_) <a href="https://twitter.com/AZ_Intel_/status/1936828501694300423?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
According to Wayne Police Deputy Chief Finley Carter, the shooter was a 31-year-old man. Kelly said that the man did not appear to be a member of the church.
Local, state, and federal authorities are on the ground investigating the shooting. FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino <a href="https://x.com/FBIDDBongino/status/1936841401464947034">wrote</a> on X, &#8220;Our leadership and support teams are on the ground, at the scene, in Wayne, Michigan providing assistance and investigative support.&#8221;
Kelly said that the church started a security team around 10 years ago in response to threats to churches across the country, according to The Detroit News. The pastor added that before Sunday, CrossPointe had not received any threats of violence.
&#8220;We are sitting ducks to someone who wants to come and do harm,&#8221; he said.

Michigan church shooting

TRAGEDY AVERTED: Shooter Targeting Michigan Church Taken Out By Security Guard

The University of Michigan said on Tuesday that it is &#8220;actively reviewing all relevant policies&#8221; after two Chinese nationals working with the school were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/alarming-pattern-another-chinese-national-arrested-for-smuggling-biological-materials-into-u-s">arrested</a> for smuggling potentially dangerous &#8220;biological materials&#8221; into the United States.
The university, which <a href="https://research.umich.edu/news-and-issues/research-annual-reports/fy24-research-annual-report/fy24-news-release/">boasts</a> of being one of the top public research schools in the world, has come under the microscope as two Chinese researchers doing PhD and post-doctoral work at U-M were charged by the Department of Justice this month after they were caught allegedly smuggling hazardous materials that could wipe out crops.
&#8220;Recently, several individuals have been accused of trying to transport materials across international borders in violation of federal laws and U-M policies, and of making false statements to law enforcement. The university takes these situations extremely seriously,&#8221; said Arthur Lupia, U-M&#8217;s interim Vice President for Research and Innovation. &#8220;That is why the university is: Fully cooperating with federal investigations about these matters; Actively reviewing all relevant policies; Reexamining internal protocols to determine how to improve training and provide additional guidance; and Ensuring that failure to comply with all laws, regulations, and policies will have consequences, up to termination.&#8221;
Earlier this week, a PhD student from Wuhan, China, was arrested at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport for attempting to smuggle “biological materials” into a U-M laboratory. Chengxuan Han told authorities that she had previously sent packages to the United States with biological material related to <a href="https://www.ars.usda.gov/news-events/news/research-news/2023/bioluminescence-may-shine-light-on-roundworm-secrets/#:~:text=Even%20though%20roundworms%20are%20nearly,crop%20losses%20worldwide%20each%20year." target="_blank" rel="noopener">roundworms</a>, a parasitic worm that can “pose major problems in corn, soybean, peanut and other crops,” according to the DOJ.
The arrest of Han marked the second time this month that a Chinese citizen with connections to the University of Michigan has been charged with smuggling potential biological threats into the country. Michigan scholar Yunqing Jian, along with her boyfriend, Zunyong Liu, were also charged by the federal government with attempting to smuggle a fungal plant into the country that could potentially cause &#8220;head blight,&#8221; a disease that can wipe out wheat, barley, corn, and rice crops.
U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. called the arrests &#8220;part of an alarming pattern that threatens our security.&#8221;
&#8220;The American taxpayer should not be underwriting a PRC-based smuggling operation at one of our crucial public institutions,” Gorgon added.
Last year, U-M <a href="https://research.umich.edu/news-and-issues/research-annual-reports/fy24-research-annual-report/fy24-news-release/">said</a> it spent $1.17 billion in &#8220;federally sponsored research expenditures,&#8221; adding that &#8220;Federal funding now accounts for 57% of the university’s total research volume.&#8221; Some of that funding has been <a href="https://www.freep.com/story/news/health/2025/06/08/trump-administration-federal-funding-cuts-michigan-public-health-agencies-university-research/84007389007/">affected</a> by President Trump ripping up numerous federal grants to universities across the country.
FBI Director Kash Patel addressed the arrest of Jian and Liu last week, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/feds-arrest-chinese-scholar-for-attempting-to-smuggle-pathogen-used-for-agroterrorism-into-u-s">saying</a> it “is a sobering reminder that the CCP is working around the clock to deploy operatives and researchers to infiltrate American institutions and target our food supply, which would have grave consequences… putting American lives and our economy at serious risk.”
The Trump administration has moved to &#8220;aggressively&#8221; <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rubio-promises-to-aggesively-target-students-tied-to-chinese-communist-party">revoke</a> the visas of Chinese students studying at American universities. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last month that the administration would start by focusing on revoking the visas of students with close ties to the Chinese Communist Party and those studying in &#8220;critical fields.&#8221;
Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-unveils-terms-of-done-trade-deal-with-china?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Trump+Unveils+Terms+Of+%E2%80%98Done%E2%80%99+Trade+Deal+With+China">announced</a> on Wednesday, however, that his administration is close to finalizing a trade deal with China that includes allowing Chinese nationals to use &#8220;our colleges and universities.&#8221;
In January, U-M ended its partnership with a Chinese university over national security concerns after five Chinese students were <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/02/us/5-chinese-nationals-charged-with-covering-up-midnight-visit-to-michigan-military-site">charged</a> with attempting to mislead investigators about a suspicious late-night trip they took to a Michigan military base in 2023.

University Policies Under Review After Chinese Researchers Charged With Smuggling Biohazards

China

Department of Justice

research

Trump Administration

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