The national chain Smoothie King has issued an official response to a viral video that appears to show a customer wearing pro-Trump apparel being refused service at one of its locations, saying the employees involved have been fired.
It all started when TikTok user @enl1986 posted a video that appeared to show two employees refusing to take an order from a man she identified as her husband, Jake. 
The stated reason for the refusal of service was that Jake was wearing a sweatshirt with Trump’s name on it.
The interaction reportedly occurred at a Smoothie King location in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
“As a brand, Smoothie King is committed to ensuring our stores are a place free of discrimination of any kind, where every guest and team member is treated with care and respect,” a <a href="https://x.com/SmoothieKing/status/2028689603314458713">statement</a> from the company said. “Following an investigation into an incident involving a guest who was refused service at a franchised location in Michigan yesterday, the franchise owner has taken immediate action and the two employees involved are no longer with the business.” 
The company added that both the franchise owner and corporate representatives had reached out to the guest multiple times to apologize and would continue to follow up. It also said the local owner will implement &#8220;mandatory retraining&#8221; for all employees.
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location in Michigan yesterday, the franchise owner has taken immediate action and the two employees involved are no longer with the business. Both the franchise owner and Smoothie King corporate have reached out to the guest several times to apologize and will continue to follow
— Smoothie King (@SmoothieKing) <a href="https://twitter.com/SmoothieKing/status/2028617911451930774?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2026</a></blockquote>
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In the video, the woman can be heard telling the employees, “We were just wanting a smoothie and you literally looked at us and I asked you if everything was OK and you said: ‘We don’t feel comfortable serving you’ because of my husband’s hoodie. That is discrimination.&#8221;
One of the employees responded, &#8220;OK, well, have a great day.&#8221; 
&#8220;That is illegal,&#8221; the woman replied. A second employee then chimed in, saying, &#8220;I said, &#8216;Trump discriminates [against] us.'&#8221;
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Woman claims Smoothie King in Michigan wouldn’t serve them because her husband was wearing a Trump hoodie
Any comment <a href="https://twitter.com/SmoothieKing?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SmoothieKing</a>?? <a href="https://t.co/ASmMBDE7gG">pic.twitter.com/ASmMBDE7gG</a>
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) <a href="https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/2028398745184817217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2026</a></blockquote>
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“That has nothing to do with us getting a smoothie,&#8221; the woman recording said. An employee responded, &#8220;OK, well, that’s who you support, though, that’s who you love.&#8221;
Later in the video, the woman recording added, &#8220;What’s embarrassing is that we’re American citizens and I wanted to get a smoothie.&#8221; 
At one point, an employee said the store had the &#8220;right to refuse service,” while the man accompanying her described the service refusal as a “crime.” 
The exchange quickly sparked debate on social media, with users divided over whether the employees had the right to refuse service.
“You can be denied service for any reason the retailer decides, it&#8217;s that simple, it doesn&#8217;t matter if the customer is wearing a Trump or Biden hat,” one user <a href="https://x.com/L0rdMoore/status/2028430837432119715">insisted</a>.
Others compared the situation to the infamous Masterpiece Cakeshop case, in which a Colorado bakery owner declined to create a wedding cake for a same-sex couple, a dispute that reached the Supreme Court.

Smoothie King

Smoothie King Refused To Serve Customer In Trump Hoodie, Employees Face Consequences

Business

Conservatives

Discrimination

Donald Trump

Michigan

Social Issues

Michigan Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib lashed out multiple times during President Donald Trump&#8217;s State of the Union address on Tuesday night, including in a moment when she appeared to shout &#8220;KKK&#8221; while most of the chamber was chanting &#8220;USA.&#8221; The camera caught the Michigan congresswoman on screen during the exchange.
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Is Rashida Tlaib chanting “KKK” while everyone else chants “USA”? Sure looks like it <a href="https://t.co/5nnp0or3Xn">pic.twitter.com/5nnp0or3Xn</a>
— Matthew Foldi (@MatthewFoldi) <a href="https://twitter.com/MatthewFoldi/status/2026497799055872466?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Republicans blasted Tlaib over the clip, with the National Republican Congressional Committee <a href="https://x.com/NRCC/status/2026505894771519709">stating</a>, &#8220;Everything you need to know about today&#8217;s Democrats. They cannot stand this country, they cannot stand its comeback, &amp; they cannot hide their contempt anymore.&#8221;
The Daily Wire reached out to Tlaib&#8217;s office for comment.
Tlaib, a Muslim whose district includes the highly-populated Muslim city of Dearborn, Michigan, wore a pin to the State of the Union that read &#8220;F*CK ICE.&#8221; She also wore a pair of watermelon earrings that apparently signify her solidarity with the &#8220;Palestinian cause&#8221; and another pin that read &#8220;Stand with survivors, release the Epstein Files.&#8221;
The Michigan congresswoman stood up alongside Minnesota leftist Rep. Ilhan Omar on other occasions during the speech to shout and wave fingers at Trump. Neither Omar nor Tlaib, however, stood when Trump asked members of Congress to get on their feet if they supported prioritizing Americans over illegal immigrants. They also did not stand when Trump highlighted the dozens of Israeli hostages who were rescued from Hamas captivity.
Tlaib mostly ignored the instructions from Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who urged Democrats to remain quiet or skip the State of the Union altogether.
“The two options that are in front of us in our House [are] to either attend with silent defiance or to not attend and send a message to Donald Trump in that fashion, which will include participation in a variety of different alternate programming that is going to take place in and around the Capitol complex,” Jeffries <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5748563-democrats-state-of-the-union-protests/">said</a> last week.
Dozens of Democrats boycotted the State of the Union and attended the &#8220;alternate programming&#8221; events, which were similar to political rallies where Democrats largely focused on bashing Trump&#8217;s immigration policies and tariffs. Tlaib and Omar opted to attend Trump&#8217;s speech and make a scene.
Texas Democrat Al Green made a similar decision and was booted from the chamber after holding up a large sign that read, &#8220;Black people aren&#8217;t apes,&#8221; a reference to a video that was shared by President Trump on Truth Social that briefly depicted former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama as gorillas. It was the second year in a row that Green was escorted out of the chamber during Trump&#8217;s speech to Congress.
During his address, Trump ripped Democrats multiple times, including calling them &#8220;crazy&#8221; for refusing to stand in support of protecting children from life-altering gender procedures.
“Who can believe that we&#8217;re even speaking about things like this?” Trump asked. “But surely we can all agree no state can be allowed to rip children from their parents&#8217; arms and transition them to a new gender against the parents, well, who would believe that were even talking about? We must ban it, and we must ban it immediately.”

President Trump Delivers The State Of The Union Address

WATCH: Rashida Tlaib Appears To Chant ‘KKK’ During Trump’s SOTU

Democrats

House Democrats

Ku Klux Klan (KKK)

Rashida Tlaib

In Michigan, late winter and early spring are unpredictable. It’s a time of year when the state could get buried under a foot of snow at the beginning of a week and then reach 60 degrees with sunshine by the weekend.
This year, Michigan&#8217;s unpredictable late winter season will also serve as an important gauge in a wide-open 2026 midterm Senate election. For the first time in the state’s history, the governor&#8217;s race and the U.S. Senate contest will both take place without an incumbent running in either election, thanks to the retirement of Democratic Senator Gary Peters. While the primary elections and the warm Michigan summer are still months away, the Michigan Senate race is already heating up.
The 2026 Senate election in Michigan could also serve as a bellwether for other important races across the country as the GOP looks to hold onto control in the upper chamber. Michigan remains a political paradox as a state that returned Trump to the White House in 2024 while simultaneously electing a Democrat to the Senate. In 2026, it once again remains a pure toss-up.
Recent elections have been brutal for Michigan Republican Senate candidates. The party hasn’t won a Senate race in the state since 1994 — when star athletes Isaiah Thomas and Barry Sanders were still playing in Detroit.
<h3>Strong Start For Republicans</h3>
Republicans are hoping for a breakthrough in this year’s Senate election with former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, a familiar name on the ballot in Michigan. Rogers ran for an open Senate seat in 2024, but despite voters pushing Trump over the edge in Michigan, Rogers lost to Democrat Elissa Slotkin by just over 20,000 votes.
Asked if there is any lingering trepidation from the 2024 election loss, Rogers told The Daily Wire that he&#8217;s confident he has &#8220;enough votes in the bank to win this election.&#8221;
&#8220;We had over 100,000 people walk into the polls in 2024, vote for Donald Trump, and turn around and leave, didn&#8217;t vote for any other Republican,&#8221; Rogers said. &#8220;Here&#8217;s the good news: I got more Republican votes than any other statewide candidate for a state of Michigan office in the history of the state by 300,000 votes. So I have enough votes in the bank to win this election. We&#8217;ve just got to get people ginned up to get there.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_816855" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-816855" class="wp-image-816855 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/GettyImages-2166165020-1-864x576.jpg" alt="US Senate candidate Mike Rogers (R-MI) speaks before Republican Vice Presidential Nominee, Senator JD Vance to delivers remarks at Cordes, Inc. in Byron Center, Michigan, on August 14, 2024." width="864" height="576" />Mike Rogers (JEFF KOWALSKY/AFP via Getty Images)</div>
This year, Rogers once again boasts an endorsement from Trump, which came much earlier in the race than in 2024, marking him as the clear favorite to win the GOP primary. With the primary all but secure, Rogers is busy building a general election war chest as a crowded field of Democrats vie for the nomination. That&#8217;s a welcome development for the Rogers campaign, which fell far behind the Democrats in fundraising in 2024.
Rogers told The Daily Wire that he believes his campaign represents Republicans’ best chance to pick up a Senate seat in the 2026 midterms.
“Having President Trump’s endorsement early, having the Senate leadership support early, having our ground game organized early, all of that has made a tremendous difference,” he said. “And the result of that is that we’ve led in the last four current polls, which tells you in a state like Michigan, getting out a little bit early like this and having better ground game, better organization, better funding is really, really significant.”
Rogers said that after decades of Democratic control of both U.S. Senate seats in Michigan, residents are ready for “change.”
“People are fired up about this race, and they’re excited for change,” he said. “And why not have a voice of reason finally, after 30 years, representing somebody who actually started working on a factory floor and is now a candidate for Senate.”
As he gears up for a general election battle, Rogers is fine-tuning his messaging on the economy and the housing market, issues that President Trump has also focused on in recent months. Earlier this month, Rogers unveiled a plan to help Americans “unlock homeownership.” The Republican Senate candidate proposed expanding 529 savings plans to cover first-time home down payments and deferring student loan payments while saving for a down payment.
“The Democrats will find everything to be against. They don&#8217;t stand for much of anything for how to fix a problem,” Rogers said. “They know that I&#8217;ve fixed problems, and I&#8217;m going to fix problems when I become their next United States senator. That&#8217;s what people are fired up about.”
The Daily Wire asked Rogers about Americans&#8217; ongoing economic frustrations one year after Trump, who was largely elected on promises to fix those economic issues, was sworn in. Rogers said the Trump administration and Republicans are trying to fix &#8220;four years of really bad Democrat policies&#8221; under the Biden administration. The GOP Senate candidate specifically called out how former President Joe Biden&#8217;s policies affected Michigan autoworkers.
&#8220;They damn near put out of business two great American car companies with all these EV mandates. Even the Ford CEO came out and said it was the EV mandates that was the cause of the increase of cost for these cars,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Democrats have had years to do this damage. The Republicans and Donald Trump have had about a year to undo as much of that as possible.&#8221;
<h3>A Big Question Mark For Democrats</h3>
Three Democratic candidates are in a close primary race for the chance to face Rogers and maintain the Democratic Party’s dominance in Michigan Senate elections.
U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, state Senate leader Mallory McMorrow, and former health care director Dr. Abdul El-Sayed are at the top of the field in a crowded race. While Republicans are already focusing on the general election, the door remains wide open for Democrats. According to the most recent <a href="https://emersoncollegepolling.com/michigan-2026-poll-crowded-democratic-senate-primary-remains-wide-open/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">polling</a> from Emerson College, McMorrow leads the field at 22%, with Stevens coming in at 17% and El-Sayed standing at 16%. Nearly 40% of voters polled, however, remained undecided.
Each of the Democratic candidates is struggling to maintain momentum and has been hurt by recent controversies. A <a href="https://x.com/townhallcom/status/2001727745919680652?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2001727745919680652%7Ctwgr%5E8a533198239aecff6fa22f4f663189c37d2763b6%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailywire.com%2Fnews%2Fdem-senate-hopeful-says-shed-throw-beer-at-conservative-justices-lacks-self-control">video</a> published by conservative outlet Townhall in December shows McMorrow suggesting to supporters that she would <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dem-senate-hopeful-says-shed-throw-beer-at-conservative-justices-lacks-self-control">throw beer</a> at conservative Supreme Court Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh if she saw them in public.
“I talked to somebody yesterday who said they saw her with Brett Kavanaugh at a tailgate last weekend. I was like, ‘I would not be able to control myself,&#8217;” McMorrow said. “That would be bad — there would be beers thrown in people’s faces.”
<div id="attachment_983569" style="width: 875px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-983569" class="wp-image-983569 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2166823388-865x576.jpg" alt="CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, UNITED STATES - AUGUST 19: State Senator Mallory McMorrow, a Democrat from Michigan speaks during the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, United States on August 19, 2024." width="865" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2166823388-865x576.jpg 865w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2166823388-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2166823388-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2166823388.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 865px) 100vw, 865px" />State Sen. Mallory McMorrow (Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images)</div>
Stevens was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-dem-files-articles-of-impeachment-against-rfk-jr-and-even-her-own-party-is-trashing-her">criticized</a> by some Democratic leaders late last year after she filed articles of impeachment against Health and Human Services Director Robert F. Kennedy Jr. According to The New York Times, some of Stevens Democratic colleagues viewed the move as a political stunt.
Stevens shot back, arguing that she’s “not one for political theater” and that she was “standing up for the health and safety of the people I represent.”
<div id="attachment_98743" style="width: 711px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-98743" class="wp-image-98743 size-full" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/03/Haley-Stevens.jpg" alt="Freshman Congresswoman Haley Stevens (D-MI), center, celebrates after being sworn in by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi for the 116th Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington DC on Thursday January 3, 2019. (Photo by Melina Mara/The Washington Post via Getty Images)" width="701" height="407" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/03/Haley-Stevens.jpg 701w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/03/Haley-Stevens-300x174.jpg 300w" sizes=" (max-width: 701px) 100vw, 701px" />Rep. Haley Stevens (Melina Mara/The Washington Post via Getty Images)</div>
In October, El-Sayed sent a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dem-senate-candidate-accuses-israel-of-invading-gaza-in-oct-7-fundraising-email">fundraising email</a> on the anniversary of Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, but in the email, El-Sayed made no mention of the terror group’s atrocities and blamed Israel for launching “a ground invasion of Gaza.” After the email was sent, the Democratic candidate said that it was pushed out by mistake, and he released a separate statement on the anniversary of October 7 condemning Hamas for the “heinous attack,” but also accusing Israel of committing “genocide.”
El-Sayed, who was endorsed by democratic socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/im-not-a-socialist-michigans-mamdani-has-the-lefts-new-playbook-but-doesnt-want-the-new-label">told</a> The Daily Wire last week that the email had been approved to go out, but was supposed to be sent on a different day.
“It went out, and I very quickly reached out to leaders in the Jewish community to apologize for having stepped on their grief,” he said, adding, “The message in the email is something I stand by.”
<div id="attachment_983129" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-983129" class="wp-image-983129 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-1206289728-864x576.jpg" alt="Dr. Abdul El-Sayed speaks during a coronavirus public health roundtable with Senator Bernie Sanders, an Independent from Vermont and 2020 presidential candidate, not pictured, in Romulus, Michigan, U.S., on Monday, March 9, 2020. Sanders said any eventual vaccine for the deadly novel coronavirus should be made available free of charge once developed and approved for use." width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-1206289728-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-1206289728-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-1206289728-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-1206289728.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Dr. Abdul El-Sayed (Erin Kirkland/Bloomberg via Getty Images)</div>
The top Democratic candidates are already beating up on each other, and there are still months to go in the bitter primary battle before Michigan’s August 4 primary. In a forum hosted by the United Auto Workers in Detroit last week, the Democratic candidates clashed over multiple issues, including how far to the Left Michigan voters would be willing to go.
McMorrow, who is leading in early polls, suggested that El-Sayed — who is the farthest to the Left of the three Democrats — is focusing on “rhetoric” over delivering results, while arguing that Stevens is “too beholden to corporate interests.” During the forum, Stevens, who is viewed as most in line with the Democratic establishment and is endorsed by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, focused her attacks on Trump and Rogers, NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/democrats-vying-michigan-senate-seat-clash-corporate-money-first-forum-rcna258221">reported</a>.
El-Sayed, meanwhile, ran to the Left of both McMorrow and Stevens, calling for “Medicare for all” and for Immigration and Customs Enforcement to be “abolished,” stances he also discussed in a 20-minute phone conversation with <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/im-not-a-socialist-michigans-mamdani-has-the-lefts-new-playbook-but-doesnt-want-the-new-label" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Wire</a> last week.
The Daily Wire reached out to the campaigns of McMorrow and Stevens, requesting interviews, but they have not responded.
The race could ultimately come down to how well Republicans can maintain their focus on the general election and whether Rogers can maintain his fundraising advantage, as the Democrats battle it out for the nomination.
A lot can change in these political campaigns in a short amount of time — just like Michigan&#8217;s weather in late February.

Michigan Senate Race

The Senate Race Democrats Have Controlled For Decades — Now It’s Wide Open

2026 Midterms

Republicans

U.S. Senate

Two officers with the Detroit Police Department were suspended without pay for 30 days on Thursday for calling Customs and Border Protection agents on two separate occasions that resulted in the agents taking suspects into federal custody.
A Detroit Police sergeant and officer were accused by Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison of breaking department policy when they called Border Patrol agents during traffic stops on December 16 and February 9, ABC&#8217;s Detroit affiliate WXYZ <a href="https://www.wxyz.com/news/dpd-officer-sergeant-could-be-fired-after-calling-cbp-on-traffic-stops">reported</a>. Bettison pushed to fire the officers, but the Board of Police Commissioners voted on Thursday to suspend the cops without pay. The officers were initially suspended with pay on February 12.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement <a href="https://x.com/ICEgov/status/2024856403232403816">responded</a> to the development and told the suspended officers in a post on X, &#8220;We have a place for you, patriots.&#8221; Under its message, ICE posted the link to where people can apply to work for the agency.
While Detroit has not officially declared itself a &#8220;sanctuary city&#8221; for illegal immigrants, it effectively acts as on as the police are prohibited from cooperating with federal immigration agents. During the incident earlier this month, Detroit Police sergeant Denise Wallet was called to assist an officer who was dealing with a person who could not speak English. According to Chief Bettison, the sergeant called Border Patrol to help with translation services instead of using the police department&#8217;s translation service line.
Wallet, who has been with the department for 27 years, sued the city after she was suspended. In a complaint, Wallet said that she contacted Border Patrol simply to identify the suspect, &#8220;not to enforce immigration law or to inquire into the subject’s immigration status,&#8221; Michigan Advance <a href="https://michiganadvance.com/2026/02/20/detroit-cop-who-called-border-patrol-sues-city-to-keep-her-job-says-she-did-not-violate-policy/#:~:text=Currently%2C%20Detroit%20Police%20Department's%20policy,for%20translation%20services%20during%20stops.">reported</a>. Wallet&#8217;s action was discovered by the police department during a bodycam audit, which showed the sergeant make &#8220;a verbal comment expressing her disagreement with the DPD policy regarding immigration and collaboration with the federal government.&#8221;
In the complaint, Wallet argues that the police department&#8217;s policy violates federal law, which states that &#8220;no state or local government entity or official may prohibit or restrict any government entity or official from sending to, or receiving from, federal immigration authorities information regarding the citizenship or immigration status of any individual.&#8221; Wallet also argues that her due process rights were violated since she was suspended without being given an opportunity to defend herself.
Leftist Michigan Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib praised Chief Bettison for punishing the police officers.
&#8220;Chief Bettison and I agree that we need to make sure that our community and our residents trust the people who are trying to keep us safe,&#8221; Tlaib said.
Michigan House Republican leader Matt Hall, however, said that the Detroit Police Department&#8217;s action could prompt the state House to review the department&#8217;s policies, saying that firing the officers would be &#8220;unacceptable,&#8221; The Detroit News <a href="https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2026/02/19/michigan-house-detroit-police-officers-being-fired-for-calling-border-agents-immigration-detention/88760280007/">reported</a>.
After the board voted on Thursday to suspend the officers without pay, Bettison said he would no longer pursue firing the officers.
&#8220;This incident should make it clear, however, that as Chief, I will continue to vigorously enforce DPD&#8217;s policies,&#8221; he added.
While Detroit has not seen the same surge in federal immigration operations that cities like Minneapolis and Chicago have experienced, ICE agents <a href="https://bridgemi.com/michigan-government/ice-in-michigan-more-arrests-detainees-and-protests/">routinely arrest</a> suspected illegal immigrants in the Motor City and surrounding area.

Detroit Police

Detroit Police Officers Punished For Cooperating With Border Patrol. ICE Tells Them To Apply For Jobs.

Border Patrol

Detroit

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

As Michigan Democrats enter the thick of a competitive Senate primary campaign, one candidate is trying to position himself as an outsider who wants to fix a broken system and take on the oligarchy.
Dr. Abdul El-Sayed is a Bernie Sanders-endorsed former public health director who has been <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/13/abdul-el-sayed-democrat-senate-candidate-michigan">compared</a> to New York City’s recently elected democratic socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani. He wants Medicare for all, believes big corporations are to blame for the problems in government and the economy, and insists that Immigration and Customs Enforcement must be abolished. 
But El-Sayed doesn’t want to be labeled a leftist or a democratic socialist. 
“I’m a scientist. I’m not a socialist,” El-Sayed told The Daily Wire during a 20-minute phone interview last week. “As a scientist, I&#8217;m interested in answering empirical problems. I&#8217;m interested in what works to solve a big problem.” 
“I don&#8217;t know what far-Left means, but I am the change agent, and I think the better way to analyze our politics right now is not Left and Right,” El-Sayed said. “I think those monikers are ill-suited for this time and, frankly, they&#8217;re a bit of a callback to a bygone era.”
El-Sayed is a Muslim running to represent a state with one of the highest Muslim populations in the United States. He is also running to represent a purple state that has voted to elect President Donald Trump twice. 
Asked how he felt about the increased scrutiny of Muslim immigrants in places like Michigan and Minnesota and the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, El-Sayed told The Daily Wire that he believes ICE should be abolished. He also argued that conservatives should support calls for ICE to be abolished. 
“It&#8217;s interesting that again we&#8217;ve allowed one narcissistic man to completely twist the idea of what being a conservative was supposed to be about,” he said. “Because when I talked to folks across the state — whether they&#8217;re self-described Democrats or Republicans or independents or none of the above — they&#8217;re always saying, ‘I just want our government to operate in a way that respects and empowers the Constitution.’&#8221; 
“Conservatives talk about small government, conservatives talk about protecting folks from tyranny. This is literally big government in support of tyranny,” El-Sayed said of Trump’s ICE deployment. “So I just think abolishing is a conservative position, don&#8217;t you?”
El-Sayed is clearly no fan of President Trump, and he told The Daily Wire that he believes Trump is the “worst symptom” of a broader “disease.” 
“The disease is the system that allows big corporations, billionaires, oligarchs to buy and sell access to politicians that lets them rig the system against us,” he added. “It&#8217;s the reason we get paid less for the work we do, and we have to pay more for the things we have to buy.” 
If that messaging sounds familiar, it’s because it echoes the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheTNHoller/videos/zohran-we-are-an-existential-threat-to-billionaires-who-think-their-money-can-bu/1898412347696567/">rhetoric</a> of far-Left politicians, including New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who <a href="https://www.facebook.com/OcasioCortez/posts/there-is-an-extreme-concentration-of-power-greed-and-corruption-is-taking-over-t/1234154698067114/">said</a> last year, &#8220;The oligarchs who installed Donald Trump in power have one mission: to make billionaires richer at the expense of the United States of America. It is their agenda to keep wages low and loot our public goods.&#8221;
Mamdani also used similar language on his way to winning New York City’s mayoral election last year. Speaking at a rally last October, Mamdani said that the leftist movement propelling his campaign is an “existential threat to billionaires who think their money can buy our democracy.” 
“We are an existential threat to a broken status quo that buries the voices of working people beneath corporations,” Mamdani added at the time. 
It also aligns with the messaging that democratic socialist Senator Bernie Sanders has used for decades. In his endorsement of El-Sayed last year, Sanders <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DOBjGD2AKE9/">said</a> that Congress “desperately needs right now … members with the guts to stand up to the oligarchs.” 
“Abdul certainly would be doing that, so I’m delighted to be supporting him,” Sanders added. 
While Mamdani, Sanders, and AOC fully adopted the democratic socialist moniker, El-Sayed told The Daily Wire that he’s a capitalist who believes the “biggest danger to capitalism is monopoly,” not “government regulation.” 
“We&#8217;re living in an era right now where monopolies and oligopolies are destroying the idea of a market itself,” El-Sayed said. “And so if we want capitalism to work, you actually have to have meaningful government involvement to protect markets from monopoly and oligopoly too big to fail.”
The democratic socialism of Mamdani, Sanders, and AOC propelled them into power in the liberal enclaves of New York and Vermont, but it likely won&#8217;t play well in Michigan, a blue-collar manufacturing hub that helped elect Trump in both 2016 and 2024. El-Sayed seems to be putting himself in a position to garner some of the momentum of the far-Left without explicitly identifying with the far-Left&#8217;s newfound fascination with socialism.
The Bernie Sanders-endorsed candidate is in a tightly contested race for the seat left open by retiring Sen. Gary Peters. The former health director faces state Senator Mallory McMorrow and U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, with recent <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/polls/michigan-us-senate-election-polls-2026.html">polling</a> showing El-Sayed sitting in third place, but not by much. The Daily Wire reached out to the campaigns for McMorrow and Stevens, requesting interviews, but they have not responded. 
El-Sayed has sought to separate himself from the other Democrats in the race by highlighting his refusal to accept campaign donations from corporations. He is also the candidate who has been the most critical of U.S. support for Israel, telling The Daily Wire, “Our tax dollars are being used to continue genocide.” 
His anti-Israel stance <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dem-senate-candidate-accuses-israel-of-invading-gaza-in-oct-7-fundraising-email">sparked controversy</a> last October when El-Sayed&#8217;s campaign sent a fundraising email on the anniversary of the October 7 attack on Israel that made no mention of Hamas’ atrocities and blamed Israel for launching “a ground invasion of Gaza.” After the email was sent on October 7, 2025, El-Sayed’s campaign said it went out by mistake. 
Asked by The Daily Wire this week how such a mistake could happen, El-Sayed said the email had been approved to go out, but was supposed to be sent on a different day. 
“It went out, and I very quickly reached out to leaders in the Jewish community to apologize for having stepped on their grief,” he said, adding, “The message in the email is something I stand by.” 
When asked about his faith, El-Sayed told The Daily Wire that he’s “proud” to be Muslim and also “really proud” of the U.S. Constitution. 
“One of the things I love about my constitution is that it protects my right to practice as I choose to practice or not practice at all,” he said. “The idea that anybody should be pointing at one religious group in the name of the Constitution and saying that those people are not fit to be here or not fit to serve seems to me to be inconsistent with what the Constitution actually guarantees.” 
El-Sayed condemned conservatives who he said attempt to “twist conservatism to be about a very particular kind of fascism.” 
“When people come at me because I&#8217;m Muslim, I always laugh,” he added. “I&#8217;m like, man, you think you know something about America and you know nothing at all.”

Abdul El-Sayed

‘I’m Not A Socialist’: Michigan’s Mamdani Leans On The Left’s New Playbook But Rejects The Label

'I'm Not A Socialist': Michigan's Mamdani Has The Left's New Playbook But Doesn't Want The New Label

President Donald Trump tore into Canada again on Monday, threatening to prevent the opening of a bridge connecting Ontario to Michigan — a project finally nearing completion after almost eight years of construction.
Trump blasted Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney for holding trade talks with China as Canada continues to levy tariffs on U.S. products. The president said that Canada must treat &#8220;the United States with the Fairness and Respect that we deserve,&#8221; and until that happens, he will not allow the bridge to open.
&#8220;The Tariffs Canada charges us for our Dairy products have, for many years, been unacceptable, putting our Farmers at great financial risk. I will not allow this bridge to open until the United States is fully compensated for everything we have given them, and also, importantly, Canada treats the United States with the Fairness and Respect that we deserve,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116043090074364624">wrote</a> on Truth Social. &#8220;We will start negotiations, IMMEDIATELY.&#8221;
The bridge, which is named after Detroit Red Wings hockey legend Gordie Howe, would connect Windsor, Ontario, to the Motor City. The Canadian government paid for its construction and would jointly own the bridge with the state of Michigan, The Detroit News <a href="https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2026/02/09/trump-threatens-to-block-gordie-howe-international-bridge-from-opening-michigan-ontario-canada/88597688007/">reported</a>.
The Gordie Howe International Bridge is slated to open sometime this year, but Trump&#8217;s threat could throw a wrench in those plans. While the bridge would be partly owned by Michigan, Trump could prevent the bridge from being operational by declining to staff the port of entry with U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, however, promised Michigan&#8217;s Democratic senators last year that the crossing would be staffed.
Trump complained that Canada constructed the bridge &#8220;with virtually no U.S. content,&#8221; adding, &#8220;They own both the Canada and the United States side.&#8221; Trump also criticized former President Barack Obama for &#8220;stupidly&#8221; granting Canada a waiver &#8220;so they could get around the BUY AMERICAN Act, and not use any American products, including our Steel.&#8221;
Michigan Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who met with Trump in the Oval Office last year, wasn&#8217;t concerned with the bridge&#8217;s grand opening being pushed back because of Trump&#8217;s comments.
&#8220;It&#8217;s going to open one way or another, and the governor looks forward to attending the ribbon cutting,&#8221; a Whitmer spokeswoman said on Monday. The spokeswoman said the Gordie Howe Bridge is &#8220;a tremendous example of bipartisan and international cooperation.&#8221;
The bridge would allow people to cross the border by bike, on foot, or in a vehicle. There are currently two ways for vehicles to cross from Detroit into Windsor, or vice versa: through the Windsor Tunnel, which runs under the Detroit River, or across the Ambassador Bridge, a 96-year-old suspension bridge. The Gordie Howe International Bridge would help with traffic congestion at the U.S.-Canada border crossing while also providing a more direct connection between I-75 and Ontario&#8217;s Highway 401.
Last month, Canada and China reached a preliminary agreement on trade that would lower some tariffs, including on Chinese electric vehicles shipped to Canada. After Prime Minister Carney and Chinese President Xi Jinping held trade talks, Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115950424403894234">threatened</a> to increase U.S. tariffs on Canadian products to 100% if the two countries reached a deal. Trump also warned Carney against allowing China to use Canada as a &#8220;drop off port&#8221; to send its goods into the United States.
&#8220;China will eat Canada alive, completely devour it, including the destruction of their businesses, social fabric, and general way of life,&#8221; the president said. &#8220;If Canada makes a deal with China, it will immediately be hit with a 100% Tariff against all Canadian goods and products coming into the U.S.A.&#8221;
On Monday, Trump warned that if Canada agrees to a deal with China, &#8220;The first thing China will do is terminate ALL Ice Hockey being played in Canada, and permanently eliminate The Stanley Cup.&#8221;

Donald Trump/Gordie Howe International Bridge

Trump Rips Canada, Threatens To Shut Down Grand Opening Of Bridge Connecting Ontario To Michigan

Canada

China

trade

Michigan&#8217;s leftist Attorney General Dana Nessel filed a <a href="https://www.michigan.gov/ag/-/media/Project/Websites/AG/releases/2026/January/Michigan-Energy-Affordability-Complaint.pdf?rev=5fe0d3cf29174f30a7f4853ef1eb0c22&amp;hash=3242B297D226DCDD835DF7D328490E32">lawsuit</a> on behalf of Michigan residents on Friday, arguing that multiple oil companies violated antitrust laws and conspired to harm the renewable energy and electric vehicle markets.
The lawsuit <a href="https://www.michigan.gov/ag/news/press-releases/2026/01/23/attorney-general-nessel-files-lawsuit-against-fossil-fuel-defendants">alleges</a> that BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Shell, and the oil industry association, the American Petroleum Institute, acted &#8220;as a cartel&#8221; to go after renewable energy sources and &#8220;restrain the emergence of electric vehicles.&#8221; The alleged conspiracy has caused Michigan residents to &#8220;suffer artificially high home and transportation energy costs,&#8221; according to Nessel.
&#8220;Specifically, by suppressing innovation and investment in renewable energy, EVs, and EV infrastructure, Defendants have artificially reduced the output of electricity as a substitute for gasoline and other energy sources,&#8221; the lawsuit states. &#8220;This restraint not only eliminated competitive pressure that would have lowered prices, but also deprived Michigan consumers of meaningful choice, forcing them to buy primary and transportation energy products at supracompetitive prices and with additional costs in the form of negative externalities.&#8221;
Critics of the EV push have argued the opposite of what Michigan claims in the lawsuit, saying that in recent years, the federal government and some state governments have artificially propped up the EV market in an attempt to encourage Americans to give up gas-powered vehicles.
American automakers, such as Michigan-based Ford and General Motors, have recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ford-delays-production-of-new-electric-vehicles-by-years-as-consumers-sour-on-evs">dialed back</a> their investments in EV production due to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gms-ev-struggles-trigger-mass-layoffs-in-three-states">low demand</a> and high manufacturing costs. Last year, the EV market took a hit when President Donald Trump ended the Biden-era EV tax credit, which encouraged Americans to buy alternatives to gas- and diesel-fueled vehicles.
Nessel&#8217;s lawsuit accuses the oil companies of violating the Sherman Antitrust Act, the Clayton Antitrust Act, and the Michigan Antitrust Reform Act, which prohibit monopolies and anti-competitive practices. The state of Michigan is demanding a jury trial.
&#8220;Michigan is facing an energy affordability crisis as our home energy costs skyrocket and consumers are left without affordable options for transportation. Whether you own a home, a small business, or run a large corporation, rising energy and transportation costs harm everyone,&#8221; Nessel <a href="https://x.com/dananessel/status/2014782329961509273">said</a>.
The Daily Wire reached out to each of the oil companies accused by Michigan in the lawsuit.
Chevron counsel Theodore J. Boutrous Jr. said that courts have dismissed similar lawsuits in multiple states, adding that Michigan&#8217;s lawsuit &#8220;ignores the fact that Michigan is highly dependent on oil and gas to support the state’s automakers and workers,” The Detroit Free Press <a href="https://www.freep.com/story/money/business/michigan/2026/01/23/michigan-attorney-general-dana-nessel-lawsuit-conspiracy-oil-companies/88298387007/">reported</a>.
Ryan Meyers, general counsel for the American Petroleum Institute, added, &#8220;These baseless lawsuits are a coordinated campaign against an industry that powers everyday life, drives America’s economy, and is actively reducing emissions. We continue to believe that energy policy belongs in Congress, not a patchwork of courtrooms.”

Dana Nessel

Michigan Dem AG Sues Oil Companies, Calls Them ‘A Cartel’ That Conspired To Stifle EV Market

Oil and Gas

President Donald Trump could be seen on video flipping the bird and saying the phrase &#8220;f*ck you&#8221; in the direction of a heckler during his Tuesday visit to the Ford F-150 plant in Dearborn, Michigan.
The president, in town for a speech at the Detroit Economic Club, toured the F-150 plant as well — and responded in the moment as someone in the crowd shouted at him, apparently accusing the president of &#8220;protecting&#8221; the late convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Entertainment site TMZ first reported the news, sharing video of the brief exchange that quickly made its way across social media.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EXCLUSIVE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EXCLUSIVE</a> 😳 President Trump was filmed flipping off a Ford worker who yelled &#8220;pedophile protector&#8221; at him. <a href="https://t.co/m5nLYtWxxT">https://t.co/m5nLYtWxxT</a> <a href="https://t.co/512zEYV6WC">pic.twitter.com/512zEYV6WC</a>
— TMZ (@TMZ) <a href="https://twitter.com/TMZ/status/2011193178263605453?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;It’s hard to make out the full sentence shouted at Trump, but it seems to have included the words ‘pedophile protector,'&#8221; the outlet reported. Trump could be seen turning to look at the person who had shouted at him before apparently saying, &#8220;f*ck you,&#8221; and flipping him a middle finger for good measure.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung addressed the video as it circulated, explaining, &#8220;A lunatic was wildly screaming expletives in a complete fit of rage, and the President gave an appropriate and unambiguous response.&#8221;
Throughout most of the president&#8217;s tour, the plant workers crowded around him as they shook his hand and posed for photos.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/OFqEPVD9LY">pic.twitter.com/OFqEPVD9LY</a>
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/2011174073091670360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
While he was at the Detroit automotive plant, Trump also sat for an interview with new &#8220;CBS Evening News&#8221; anchor Tony Dokoupil.
In that interview, among a number of other topics, Trump talked about what was going on in the auto industry – particularly since he&#8217;d put a stop to imminent electric vehicle mandates set in motion by former President Joe Biden&#8217;s administration.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &#8220;I want electric, and I want gasoline, and I want hybrids — I want everything. But you were going to be forced, under the mandate, to buy an electric car in a very short period of time. I didn&#8217;t want that, and I ended that.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/jTU4v6bMev">pic.twitter.com/jTU4v6bMev</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2011224265983738344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;I want electric, and I want gasoline, and I want hybrids — I want everything. But you were going to be forced, under the mandate, to buy an electric car in a very short period of time. I didn&#8217;t want that, and I ended that,&#8221; Trump explained.

US-VENEZUELA-POLITICS-CONFLICT-OIL

Trump Flips Off Auto Worker During Ford Plant Visit

Executive

Ford Motor Co.

Jeffrey Epstein

Politics

Michigan state Senator Mallory McMorrow, a Democrat who&#8217;s running for U.S. Senate in 2026, said in a video posted to social media on Thursday that she &#8220;would not be able to control&#8221; herself if she saw conservative Supreme Court Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh in public.
The undated video, posted on X by Townhall, shows McMorrow answering a question from someone about the conservative majority on the Supreme Court. McMorrow, a Notre Dame grad and one of the Democratic leaders in the Michigan Senate, said that it makes her &#8220;furious&#8221; that Coney Barrett also graduated from Notre Dame.
&#8220;I talked to somebody yesterday who said they saw her with Brett Kavanaugh at a tailgate last weekend. I was like, &#8216;I would not be able to control myself,'&#8221; McMorrow said. &#8220;That would be a bad— there would be beers thrown in people&#8217;s faces.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨WATCH: Democrat Candidate for Senate in Michigan Mallory McMorrow says that she would not be able to stop herself from hurling cans of beer at Amy Coney Barrett &amp; Brett Kavanaugh if she saw them in public.
Despicable! <a href="https://t.co/aQTsPBnvQC">pic.twitter.com/aQTsPBnvQC</a>
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) <a href="https://twitter.com/townhallcom/status/2001727745919680652?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Daily Wire reached out to McMorrow&#8217;s Senate office and her campaign team to ask about her comments, but they did not respond.
Conservative Supreme Court justices have been the target of intense criticism from Democratic leaders in recent years. In 2020, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/05/chuck-schumer-supreme-court-comments-121960">called out</a> Kavanaugh and Justice Neil Gorsuch by name and warned that they would &#8220;pay the price&#8221; if they voted to overturn Roe v. Wade.
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&#8220;You won’t know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions,&#8221; Schumer added at the time. The Democratic leader was rebuked by many of his colleagues and by Chief Justice John Roberts, who wrote, “Justices know that criticism comes with the territory, but threatening statements of this sort from the highest levels of government are not only inappropriate, they are dangerous.”
Then, in 2022, shortly after the court overturned Roe v. Wade, a trans-identifying male traveled to the home of Kavanaugh with plans to assassinate the conservative justice.
McMorrow is one of three Democrats who are seeking to replace retiring Democratic Senator Gary Peters. The 2026 election in Michigan will be one of the most closely watched contests in the country, as Republicans hope to capitalize on the open seat. McMorrow, 39, has served in the Michigan Senate since 2019 and became the Senate majority whip in 2023, where she has focused on advocating for abortion, especially after the Supreme Court&#8217;s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022.
Earlier this year, McMorrow rubbed shoulders with a radical leftist blogger who mocked Charlie Kirk after he was assassinated. In late September, McMorrow <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/michigan-democrat-teams-up-with-leftist-blogger-who-mocked-charlie-kirk-after-assassination">attended a fundraiser</a> alongside Rebecca Schoenkopf, who, a day after Kirk was killed, published an article titled “Second Amendment Comes for Charlie Kirk.”

Mallory McMorrow/Brett Kavanaugh/Amy Coney Barrett

Dem Senate Hopeful Says She’d Throw Beer At Conservative Justices, Lacks Self-Control

Amy Coney Barrett

Brett Kavanaugh

Elections

Supreme Court

The city council in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the home of the University of Michigan, voted unanimously earlier this week to remove hundreds of neighborhood crime watch signs, arguing that the crime watch program promotes &#8220;race-based hyper-vigilance.&#8221;
The Ann Arbor City Council voted 10-0 to direct city employees to begin removing all neighborhood crime watch signs by July 15 in an effort to become more &#8220;welcoming and inclusive,&#8221; according to <a href="https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2025/12/heres-why-neighborhood-crime-watch-signs-in-ann-arbor-are-going-away.html">MLive</a>. Neighborhood crime watch programs have been commonplace in American towns for decades, organizing residents to be on constant alert, and warning potential criminals that any suspicious activity will be reported to the police.
According to the all-Democrat Ann Arbor city council, however, the signs reinforce &#8220;race-based hyper-vigilance and suspicion particularly toward Black, Brown, and other marginalized residents and visitors.&#8221;
“These programs were often rooted in assumptions about who did and did not ‘belong’ in a neighborhood,&#8221; the city council stated, adding, “This dynamic encouraged informal surveillance practices that disproportionately targeted people of color and contributed to patterns of exclusion under the guise of public safety.”
Overall, the city&#8217;s crime rate has dropped in 2025 compared to last year, but in downtown Ann Arbor, authorities have seen a 9% <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0QhC2uTG-E">increase</a> in total crime in 2025 and an 11% jump in violent crime.
City officials said that the neighborhood watch programs in Ann Arbor are already defunct, arguing that removing the 600-plus signs throughout the city is the next logical step.
“The neighborhood watch signs that still stand across Ann Arbor really come from a different era,” said Councilwoman Jen Eyer. “They’ve become furniture, just part of the background. I drive past one every day entering my neighborhood and barely registered it until this issue was raised to me.”
But Eyer argued that a major reason for removing is that &#8220;evidence suggests that signs and practices rooted in constant vigilance can actually reinforce fear and erode neighborly trust, promoting a myth of safety rather than safety itself.&#8221;
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Councilwoman Cynthia Harrison criticized the &#8220;culture&#8221; of neighborhood watch programs, bringing up the case of Trayvon Martin, a black teenager who was shot and killed in Florida in 2012 by George Zimmerman, who was a volunteer for his neighborhood watch program.
“Many of us could not talk about this culture without remembering Trayvon Martin, a young black teenager walking through a neighborhood he had every right to be in, yet perceived as a threat simply for being there,” said Harrison.
Zimmerman confronted Martin and accused him of suspicious activity in the neighborhood before Martin attacked him. Following a trial that gained national attention, Zimmerman was acquitted by a Florida jury on all charges, including second-degree murder and manslaughter.
Harrison argued that Martin was killed because neighborhood watch programs focus on surveillance over building relationships, according to MLive.
“Neighborhood watch was built on an old idea that heterogeneous neighborhoods create danger,” she said. “Ann Arbor is built on the understanding that diversity creates strength.”
Ann Arbor and the surrounding Washtenaw County are one of the most liberal places in Michigan. Recently, the Trump administration accused Ann Arbor authorities of obstructing federal immigration operations. Ann Arbor leaders rejected the Trump administration&#8217;s labeling of Ann Arbor as a sanctuary city.
“While Ann Arbor is not a sanctuary city, we are proud to be an inclusive and welcoming city,” Mayor Pro Tem Travis Radina said earlier this year. “We know diversity is a strength and believe in protecting the constitutionally granted rights of all our residents.”
Washtenaw County also elected a new sheriff last year who wants to focus on &#8220;environmental justice.&#8221; In a phone interview with <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-sheriff-in-major-michigan-county-wants-to-fight-violent-crime-through-environmental-justice">The Daily Wire</a> earlier this year, Sheriff Alyshia Dyer, a Democrat, said that she wanted to drastically change the department&#8217;s outlook on environmental issues. She also discussed her plans to implement an “Environmental Crimes Unit” in her first term, which would focus on looking into “air pollution, water contamination, and hazardous waste management.”
“The sheriff’s office historically hasn’t been necessarily a strong champion in this work, but there’s no reason we can’t be,” Dyer added.

Ann Arbor

Liberal Michigan City Cites Racism In Decision To Remove Neighborhood Crime Watch Signs

Liberal Michigan City To Remove Neighborhood Crime Watch Signs, Argues Program Promotes Racism

Crime

Leftism

President Donald Trump sues the BBC for billions of dollars as the White House rebuffs a controversial exposé, newly declassified documents cast suspicion on the Mar-a-Lago raid, and the University of Michigan launches an investigation as the Sherrone Moore scandal deepens.
It’s Wednesday, December 17, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day. Today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below, and the video version can be <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/mrn-251217-member-exclusive?elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+Show+Episodes+Carousel">seen on The Daily Wire</a>:
<iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trump-sues-bbc-michigan-athletics-probed-12-17-25/id1576594336?i=1000741658046" height="175" frameborder="0" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Trump Vs. The BBC</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-1016197 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Trump-Battles-BBC-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Trump-Battles-BBC-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Trump-Battles-BBC-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Trump-Battles-BBC-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Trump-Battles-BBC-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Trump-Battles-BBC.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />
President Trump has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-files-5-billion-lawsuit-against-bbc-over-malicious-documentary">launched</a> a multi-billion dollar lawsuit against the BBC as he continues to clash with media outlets at home and abroad. This week, the president filed a 46-page lawsuit in a federal court in Miami, accusing the BBC of defamation and violation of Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act. He is looking for $10 billion from the broadcaster. The suit stems from a documentary the BBC released ahead of the 2024 election titled, “Trump: A Second Chance.” The film spliced together two quotes from Trump&#8217;s speech that were said about an hour apart, making it appear as if the president called for violence at the U.S. Capitol and leaving out Trump’s request to protest &#8220;peacefully and patriotically.&#8221; The lawsuit accused the BBC of “intentionally, maliciously and deceptively doctoring [Trump’s] speech in a brazen attempt to interfere in the 2024 presidential election.”
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Messages Reveal DOJ Pushed For Mar-a-Lago Raid Over FBI Objections</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-1016199 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Mar-A-Lago-Misgivings-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Mar-A-Lago-Misgivings-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Mar-A-Lago-Misgivings-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Mar-A-Lago-Misgivings-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Mar-A-Lago-Misgivings-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Mar-A-Lago-Misgivings.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />
The FBI did not believe it had the proper justification to raid Mar-a-Lago in August 2022, but the Biden Justice Department pushed for it anyway. Messages <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fbi-agents-worried-there-was-no-cause-to-raid-mar-a-lago-biden-doj-made-them-do-it-anyway?author=Virginia+Kruta&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=FBI+Agents+Worried+There+Was+No+Cause+To+Raid+Mar-a-Lago%3B+Biden+DOJ+Made+Them+Do+It+Anyway">released</a> by the FBI detail that agents involved in the investigation into classified documents kept at President Trump’s Florida home believed that search warrants obtained for the raid lacked proper predicate. FBI agents also discussed a combative relationship the Biden Justice Department had started with Trump’s legal team, and expressed concern about FBI agents standing in the crossfire between the DOJ and Trump’s team.
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">Michigan Probes Athletics Department After Moore Ouster</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-1016201 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Michigan-Scandal-Deepens-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Michigan-Scandal-Deepens-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Michigan-Scandal-Deepens-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Michigan-Scandal-Deepens-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Michigan-Scandal-Deepens-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Michigan-Scandal-Deepens.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />
The University of Michigan is looking into its athletics department following the firing of head football coach Sherrone Moore and his subsequent arrest. Moore was fired last week after an inappropriate relationship with a staffer was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/moore-comes-to-light-after-michigan-head-football-coach-arrested-following-surprise-firing">revealed</a>. Now, the University of Michigan has commissioned an investigation into the practices and culture of its entire athletics department. The investigation will be handled by the same Chicago-based law firm that opened an inquiry earlier this fall into Moore’s affair.

MRN_251217_V1

Morning Brief: Trump Sues BBC, More Revelations On Mar-a-Lago Raid, And Michigan’s Sweeping Athletics Probe

Morning Brief: Trump Sues BBC, FBI Objected To MAL Raid, And UM’s Sweeping Probe After Moore Ouster

Department of Justice

Joe Biden

Morning Wire

University of Michigan

The Michigan Republican-controlled House used a little-known provision in state law to cut $645 million in government funding, including slashing multiple left-wing causes, last week.
The cuts were a major move for Republicans who are up against a Democrat-controlled state Senate and a Democratic governor that have pushed for bigger state budgets and a more expansive state government. Republican House Speaker Matt Hall told The Daily Wire that the cuts came after Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer asked for an extension on $2.7 billion that had been earmarked under a previous budget, but had not been spent by the end of the fiscal year.
&#8220;We had the opportunity using this law to cut more spending before Whitmer was able to put it into her slush funds,&#8221; Hall said.
The State Budget Office, which is controlled by Whitmer, sent letters to the House and Senate budget committees, requesting an extension on the $2.7 billion in funding that was not used, Bridge Michigan <a href="https://bridgemi.com/michigan-government/michigan-house-cancels-645m-in-state-spending-without-senate-ok/">reported</a>. The GOP-controlled House budget committee opposed many of the programs in the Whitmer administration&#8217;s funding request and decided to send $645 million back to the state&#8217;s general fund.
Hall accused Whitmer and Democrats of requesting &#8220;a lot more money than they need&#8221; for the budget extension, adding, &#8220;And then they keep the money and they work-project it into their slush fund, so they have it for years.&#8221;
The <a href="https://wwmt.com/news/local/645-million-programs-cut-michigan-house-republicans-work-projects-appropriations-money-politics-wwmt">biggest cut</a> was $159 million to Whitmer&#8217;s Make It in Michigan Competitiveness Fund. The fund, which Whitmer created with the approval of the state legislature in 2024, matches federal grants with the state&#8217;s job creation goals. Another target of the Republican cuts was the Community Enhancement Grants, which were denied nearly $103 million. Some of the money from the grants has gone toward a festival in Detroit to celebrate diversity, according to WWMT <a href="https://wwmt.com/news/local/645-million-programs-cut-michigan-house-republicans-work-projects-appropriations-money-politics-wwmt">News Channel 3</a>. The Community Enhancement Grants were combined under one line item, meaning Republicans had to cut all of them to slash funding for the grants that promoted diversity, equity, and inclusion goals.
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Other priorities that were among the Republican cuts included over $1.2 million for a program aimed at stocking public bathrooms with feminine hygiene products. Hall told The Daily Wire that the program also requires boys&#8217; bathrooms to be stocked with tampons. Republicans also slashed funding for some of Whitmer&#8217;s green energy projects, such as her goal to build electric vehicle chargers along the coast of Lake Michigan.
Another department that took a hit from the cuts was the Office of Global Michigan, which housed a program that Whitmer used to make government handouts <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/michigan-republicans-sound-alarm-on-state-program-potentially-giving-illegal-immigrants-up-to-500-per-month-in-rental-assistance">available to illegal immigrants</a>. The Office of Global Michigan, which lost around $1.3 million in the cuts, is also riddled with diversity, equity, and inclusion goals.
Michigan Democrats blasted Republicans over the cuts, calling them &#8220;cruel&#8221; and &#8220;disgusting.&#8221; Democrats specifically called out cuts to the RxKids program, which helps some parents pay for their children&#8217;s prescriptions. Democrats also blasted Republicans for making cuts to &#8220;Wigs for Kids,&#8221; which provides wigs and other services for children going through cancer treatments. Democratic state Rep. Will Snyder said the GOP cuts were one of the most “unprecedented displays of cruelty that I’ve ever seen during my time here in Lansing,” according to <a href="https://michiganadvance.com/2025/12/11/michigan-dems-say-645m-work-project-cuts-are-cruel-gops-rylee-linting-also-calls-foul/">Michigan Advance</a>.
“This budget instrument was never intended for this purpose, and using it with such haste and scale proves the dangerous nature of crossing pre-existing and long standing-lines, even if (it was) potentially legally permissible,” Snyder said. “We are just now beginning to understand the full scope of these disgusting actions.”
“There’s a special place in hell for someone willing to yank money away from moms and babies 15 days before Christmas,” said Senate Democratic Majority Leader Winnie Brinks. “I hope Matt Hall takes this holiday season to look within himself and reevaluate what exactly he’s doing here.”
Democratic leaders also suggested that they could pursue legal action to prevent the massive cuts.
Hall brushed off the criticism from Democrats, arguing that the state could still use some of the other government funding in its &#8220;slush fund&#8221; to put toward charities, such as Wigs for Kids.
&#8220;We can reappropriate funds that have a good purpose. We can come back through a supplemental budget, and we can put it back to use,&#8221; Hall said. &#8220;But I think the Whitmer administration should come in and they should explain to us where every one of these dollars is going. Something they wouldn&#8217;t do when they were trying to prevent us from making the cuts.&#8221;

Michigan State Capitol

Michigan Republicans Slash Funding For Leftist Causes With Massive Government Spending Cuts

Michigan Republicans Slash Funding For Leftist Priorities With Massive Government Spending Cuts

Gretchen Whitmer

spending

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