Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) appears to be at odds with himself over what constitutes acceptable behavior in the event of a government shutdown.
During a Sunday morning broadcast of &#8220;Meet the Press,&#8221; NBC host Kristen Welker asked Kaine about statements he&#8217;d made during a previous government shutdown in 2019 — and pressed him on the fact that he is taking a different — opposite — position just six years later.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NBC plays a clip of <a href="https://twitter.com/SenTimKaine?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenTimKaine</a> in 2019 saying he&#8217;d only discuss policy after the government is re-opened.
&#8220;By your own logic, should Democrats not vote to re-open the government first and negotiate later&#8230;?&#8221;<a href="https://twitter.com/SenTimKaine?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenTimKaine</a>: No it&#8217;s different now 🤡 <a href="https://t.co/CdwzHr04on">pic.twitter.com/CdwzHr04on</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1980017649007403177?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;You know, Senator, back in 2019, you made a similar argument during that shutdown that Republicans are making now,&#8221; Welker began. &#8220;Republicans at the time were asking for more funding for a border wall. You said, &#8216;Let&#8217;s reopen the government first.'&#8221;
Welker went on to play a clip of Kaine from 2019, in which he said, &#8220;We first should reopen government. Why punish people who are applying for food stamps because the president is having a temper tantrum? Open the government first &#8230;&#8221;
&#8220;So Senator, by your own logic, should Democrats not vote to re-open the government first and negotiate later?&#8221; Welker asked.
Join us now during our exclusive Deal of the Decade. Get everything for $7 a month. Not as fans. As fighters. Go to <a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DailyWire.com/Subscribe</a> to join now.
&#8220;Kristen, here&#8217;s what&#8217;s different now,&#8221; Kaine replied. &#8220;The president told Republicans to write this budget without any Democratic involvement.&#8221;
Kaine left out the fact that the Continuing Resolution currently on the table — which would at least temporarily reopen the government — is considered &#8220;clean,&#8221; meaning that it makes no changes from the previous spending levels.
Democrats have been holding out largely because they object to certain cuts made in the Big Beautiful Bill — most notably to provisions that would have allowed <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dems-peeved-that-media-sees-through-their-no-healthcare-for-illegals-lie">illegal immigrants</a> to get health care at taxpayer expense.
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It’s right there on paper.
Democrats are fighting for healthcare for illegal aliens, NOT the American people. <a href="https://t.co/HIRQyu9lZK">https://t.co/HIRQyu9lZK</a> <a href="https://t.co/qaj4KGzBIj">pic.twitter.com/qaj4KGzBIj</a>
— GOP (@GOP) <a href="https://twitter.com/GOP/status/1973800680055009462?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Kaine is not the only Democrat who&#8217;s been confronted with his own previous statements on government shutdowns either. &#8220;Face the Nation&#8221; host Margaret Brennan (CBS) pressed Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) about his previous comments — namely that government shutdowns should not be &#8220;used for hostage taking.&#8221;
&#8220;Aren&#8217;t you doing today exactly what you were criticizing then?&#8221; she asked.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
*plays clip from 2018 where <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisMurphyCT?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChrisMurphyCT</a> says government shutdowns should never be used for hostage-taking*
CBS: &#8220;Aren&#8217;t you doing today exactly what you were criticizing then&#8230;?&#8221;
Murphy: Erm, no.
(example number one million of <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisMurphyCT?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChrisMurphyCT</a> being a sleazy moron) <a href="https://t.co/ygJC4IdZyo">pic.twitter.com/ygJC4IdZyo</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1977397124326178971?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Senate Committee Hears Testimony In Virtual Hearing From Nation’s Leading Disease Experts On Covid-19

Tim Kaine Goes Head-To-Head With … Tim Kaine On Government Shutdown Ethics

Government Shutdown

Hillary Clinton

Media

Meet the Press

NBC News

Politics

Tim Kaine

Just over a week after President Trump brokered a deal that brought home the last of the hostages held by Hamas terrorists — and laid out a plan for lasting peace between Israel and Gaza — the latest reports indicate that Hamas militants have taken to publicly executing Palestinian civilians. So of course, CNN wanted to talk about — and to — former Rep. George Santos (R-NY).
For those who don&#8217;t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week&#8217;s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-commutes-sentence-of-former-gop-rep-george-santos">Trump announced</a> on Friday that he was commuting the remainder of the 7-year sentence that Santos was serving after he pled guilty to aggravated identity theft and wire-fraud charges in relation to his 2022 congressional campaign. Prior to that he&#8217;d been ousted by Congress after serving less than a year of his first term: Lawmakers <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/12/01/gop-rep-george-santos-faces-expulsion-vote-in-house.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voted</a> 311-114 to oust Santos in December 2023 after a GOP-led House Ethics Committee report accused Santos of stealing campaign donors’ money to spend on Botox, OnlyFans, and other items.
Trump swiped at Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) in the Truth Social post announcing the commutation, saying, &#8220;I started to think about George when the subject of Democrat Senator Richard “Da Nang Dick” Blumenthal came up again. As everyone remembers, “Da Nang” stated for almost twenty years that he was a proud Vietnam Veteran, having endured the worst of the War, watching the Wounded and Dead as he raced up the hills and down the valleys, blood streaming from his face &#8230; This is far worse than what George Santos did, and at least Santos had the Courage, Conviction, and Intelligence to ALWAYS VOTE REPUBLICAN!&#8221;
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So on Sunday, despite the continued bloodshed in Gaza and the ongoing Democrat-driven government shutdown, much of the conversation on CNN was focused squarely on Santos.
Anchor Dana Bash started with Senator Katie Britt (R-AL), asking whether she took issue with Trump&#8217;s decision to commute the sentence of the disgraced congressman.
&#8220;[Santos] did plead guilty to defrauding his donors and constituents of hundreds of thousands of dollars, money he will no longer be required to pay back because of this commutation. Is this acceptable to you?&#8221; Bash asked.
&#8220;Look, I will let Congressman Santos speak for himself,&#8221; Britt replied. &#8220;What I appreciate is President Trump&#8217;s commitment to the American people.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
BASH: “[Santos] did plead guilty to defrauding his donors and constituents of hundreds of thousands of dollars, money he will no longer be required to pay back because of this commutation. Is this acceptable to you?”
BRITT: “Look, I will let Congressman Santos speak for… <a href="https://t.co/3SvurPWDHk">pic.twitter.com/3SvurPWDHk</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1979939429633380426?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Bash then took the question to Santos directly, asking him whether he planned to make restitution.
&#8220;You were ordered by the court to pay $370,000 in restitution to the people you defrauded… Will you work to try to do that?&#8221; she asked.
&#8220;I can do my best to do whatever the law requires of me. So I don&#8217;t know what that is,&#8221; he replied. &#8220;If it&#8217;s required of me by the law, yes. If it&#8217;s not, then no.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
BASH: “You were ordered by the court to pay $370,000 in restitution to the people you defrauded… Will you work to try to do that?”
SANTOS: “I can do my best to do whatever the law requires of me. So I don&#8217;t know what that is… If it&#8217;s required of me by the law, yes. If it&#8217;s… <a href="https://t.co/EVBHKzKGTg">pic.twitter.com/EVBHKzKGTg</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1979942437411057676?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Bash then pivoted to note that some were critical of Trump&#8217;s decision to commute his sentence, and Santos pushed back, essentially arguing that there would be people criticizing Trump no matter what he did.
&#8220;I&#8217;m pretty confident if President Trump had pardoned Jesus Christ off the cross, he would have had critics,&#8221; Santos said.
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George Santos shrugs off criticism of Trump commuting his prison sentence: “I&#8217;m pretty confident if President Trump had pardoned Jesus Christ off the cross, he would have had critics.” <a href="https://t.co/YxjwjV5F6u">pic.twitter.com/YxjwjV5F6u</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1979943369892679734?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;I&#8217;m very grateful to President Trump, Dana, and I sit here quite literally, I don&#8217;t know how much more humbled I can get before people believe I&#8217;m humble or remorseful, but I can just do the best in my actions moving forward,&#8221; Santos added.
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George Santos responds to former Republican colleagues who say he shouldn’t have been freed from prison: “I&#8217;m very grateful to President Trump, Dana, and I sit here quite literally, I don&#8217;t know how much more humbled I can get before people believe I&#8217;m humble or remorseful, but I… <a href="https://t.co/1TyrdeeDXl">pic.twitter.com/1TyrdeeDXl</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1979943593436479708?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
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He went on to say that he&#8217;d already thought of a way that he could potentially begin to give back, saying, &#8220;I told this to the president, that I&#8217;d love to be involved with prison reform, and not in a partisan way, in real human ways, in a way that we effect it, that it helps society, it helps these individuals rebuild their lives and we have a better system with less incarcerated people … If I can be a part of helping that, I think that would be a great road to follow in the future.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Santos: “I told this to the president, that I&#8217;d love to be involved with prison reform, and not in a partisan way, in real human ways, in a way that we effect it, that it helps society, it helps these individuals rebuild their lives and we have a better system with less… <a href="https://t.co/6qXkS9c3z3">pic.twitter.com/6qXkS9c3z3</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1979943752346353792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
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And it didn&#8217;t end there: Santos was also the topic of a panel discussion to round out &#8220;State of the Union.&#8221;
Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) said she wasn&#8217;t in favor of Trump&#8217;s decision, but that she planned to withhold judgment and give Santos a chance to prove he&#8217;d changed.
&#8220;I will give him the benefit of the doubt, and I hope he is a changed person who&#8217;s going to focus on his second chance on doing good. I do not agree with the commutation. I think it was a wrong decision, primarily because this is somebody who stole millions of dollars from his donors. He defrauded the public and his voters … I wish him well. I hope he does good, and I hope he sticks to his word that he&#8217;s a renewed person.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
New York Republican Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis on Trump commuting George Santos’ prison sentence:
“I will give him the benefit of the doubt, and I hope he is a changed person who&#8217;s going to focus on his second chance on doing good. I do not agree with the commutation. I… <a href="https://t.co/I77ZfKoMw7">pic.twitter.com/I77ZfKoMw7</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1979948410368061661?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
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And then Paul Begala tried to make it about Trump &#8230;
&#8220;This is a story about a con man, a liar, a grifter, somebody, a felon, disgraced his high office, and also about George Santos,&#8221; he quipped.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Paul Begala: “This is a story about a con man, a liar, a grifter, somebody, a felon, disgraced his high office, and also about George Santos.”
GOP Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, Brad Todd, and Faiz Shakir join Dana Bash to react to President Trump’s controversial decision to commute… <a href="https://t.co/W7SQ50hJpp">pic.twitter.com/W7SQ50hJpp</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1979949001135763632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
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U.S. Congressman-elect George Santos

Spin Cycle: Let’s Talk About … Santos?

Spin Cycle: Let's Talk About ... Santos?

ABC News

CBS News

Donald Trump

George Santos

Prison

NBC News cut 7% of its workforce ahead of the split that will separate NBC from sister network MSNBC, soon to be known only as &#8220;MSNOW.&#8221;
According to a <a href="https://www.thewrap.com/nbc-news-layoffs-number-versant-split/">report</a> from The Wrap, the terminations hit the dedicated teams &#8220;covering issues affecting black, Asian American, Latino and LGBTQ+ groups&#8221; hardest. Some 150 employees were reportedly laid off.
As The Wrap reported, the verticals that feature coverage about those issues (NBC BLK, NBC Asian America, NBC Latino, and NBC OUT) will still exist — and new stories will still be pursued and reported on — but the coverage will be spread out across the newsroom rather than provided by teams dedicated to those specific beats.
The cuts represent about 7% of the 2,000 staffers at the NBC News newsroom, and about 2% of the broader company that also includes several local stations owned by NBC outright in addition to Telemundo. A <a href="https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/nbc-news-layoffs-100-to-150-jobs-1236553614/">report</a> from Variety noted that the cuts could simply result in changing roles, as those who are being terminated will still have the option to apply for more than 100 different open positions across the news division.
The coming NBC split will also see its parent company, Comcast, spinning off other networks from the main news division — networks such as CNBC and USA Network will all fall under the same brand, Versant.
Other reports have also suggested that a similar fate — and a hefty round of layoffs — could be looming in the not-too-distant future for CBS News as well.
The Washington Free Beacon <a href="https://freebeacon.com/media/the-scythe-draws-near-cnns-overpaid-talent-brace-for-deep-cuts-amid-corporate-shakeup/">noted</a> over the summer that whether or not CNN faces more layoffs in the near future, it&#8217;s likely that some of the highest-paid personalities on the network could face pay cuts in the future. Among those mentioned most frequently were Anderson Cooper ($18 million annually), Jake Tapper ($7.5 million annually), and several others. Gayle King, who earns $13-15 million annually at CBS, was also mentioned as one who could potentially see her pay reduced.

Vivendi Universal Entertainment Auction Drags On

DEI-Focused Teams Hit Hardest In Mass NBC News Layoffs

NBC Lays Off 7% Of Workforce Ahead Of MSNBC Split, DEI-Focused Teams Hardest Hit

Legacy Media

MSNBC

President Donald Trump left for Israel on Sunday to celebrate the deal he&#8217;d brokered just days earlier between Israel and Hamas, the terrorist group responsible for the brutal massacre on October 7, 2023. In the days since the agreement was reached, the litmus test has been a simple one: who is willing to give Trump credit for the work he&#8217;s done — and who isn&#8217;t?
For those who don&#8217;t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week&#8217;s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
While there were some on both sides of the political aisle who were willing to acknowledge Trump&#8217;s role in securing a deal to bring the hostages home and ultimately end the war entirely, others tried to qualify his success — or even omit him from the conversation.
Vice President JD Vance, of course, was firmly in Trump&#8217;s corner as he made the rounds on the Sunday morning shows. On ABC&#8217;s &#8220;This Week,&#8221; he spoke with anchor George Stephanopoulos about phase one of the deal and the return of the last remaining hostages held in Gaza.
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Vice President JD Vance confirmed to <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ThisWeekABC</a> anchor George Stephanopoulos that Hamas has said they are holding 20 living hostages, and that those hostages are expected to be released in the next 24 hours. <a href="https://t.co/UfEwC9T1VW">https://t.co/UfEwC9T1VW</a> <a href="https://t.co/m2YM0mFINZ">pic.twitter.com/m2YM0mFINZ</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1977374051581530562?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Vance took a similar tone with &#8220;Face the Nation&#8221; host Margaret Brennan on CBS, telling her, &#8220;The president is actually traveling to the Middle East, likely this evening, in order to meet them and greet them in person. It&#8217;s a big day for their families, but I think more importantly, it&#8217;s a big day for the entire world.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Vice President JD Vance says he is “very confident” the Israeli hostages will be released by Monday’s deadline.
“The president is actually traveling to the Middle East, likely this evening, in order to meet them and greet them in person. It&#8217;s a big day for their families, but I… <a href="https://t.co/GHr02lZ1z6">pic.twitter.com/GHr02lZ1z6</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1977386745722245598?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty also spoke to Brennan and expressed confidence in Trump&#8217;s deal. &#8220;We are very hopeful that the first phase will be completed in all honesty,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We are in full contact with the Palestinians, with Hamas, because it’s all about, of course, releasing the hostages and for Israel, releasing some of the Palestinian detainees.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty says Egypt is “confident the first phase of the Trump peace plan will be implemented,” telling <a href="https://twitter.com/margbrennan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@margbrennan</a> “we are very hopeful that the first phase will be completed in all honesty” from Israel and Hamas.
“We are in full contact with… <a href="https://t.co/J1ncn5MvTq">pic.twitter.com/J1ncn5MvTq</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1977400339612483731?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Senator Chris Murphy, however, couldn&#8217;t bring himself to directly credit Trump with the win — even when asked point blank by Brennan whether the deal marked something upon which he could agree with the president.
&#8220;I congratulate the negotiators on getting this done. There&#8217;s no politics about this moment,&#8221; he said. &#8220;But you watch those devastating images of what Gaza looks like today, and it&#8217;s both heartbreaking and infuriating that this deal has been on the table for over a year. So again, this will be a good week, but as you have reported, there are big issues to come. Israel is not fully pulling out of Gaza. There is no clear path forward on what the security and governance force is going to look like inside that country.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
In reaction to the first phase of the peace deal between Israel and Hamas, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) says “I congratulate the negotiators on getting this done. There&#8217;s no politics about this moment.”
“But you watch those devastating images of what Gaza looks like today, and it&#8217;s… <a href="https://t.co/Yz2SjimNgv">pic.twitter.com/Yz2SjimNgv</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1977408024877707484?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
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CNN anchor Dana Bash also asked her guests whether Trump deserved some credit for securing the deal. Senator <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/he-worked-this-out-senate-dem-admits-trump-deserves-a-lot-of-credit-for-gaza-deal">Mark Kelly</a> (D-AZ) told her that Trump &#8220;should get a lot of credit&#8221; for making it happen.
&#8220;I think he should get a lot of credit. I mean, this was his deal,” Kelly replied. “He worked this out. He sent [Middle East Envoy] Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner over to negotiate this. And so far, it’s gone well. Hopefully, the hostages get released here — might not be within 24 hours — but certainly, I think, by Monday. And that’s progress. And now we’re going to have to see what happens next.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Sen. Mark Kelly on ceasefire deal in Gaza: I think Trump &#8220;should get a lot of credit.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/iFopebsXTI">pic.twitter.com/iFopebsXTI</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1977373195628941468?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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Former President Joe Biden&#8217;s National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan was also quick to agree that Trump had earned credit by securing the ceasefire. Bash recalled Kelly&#8217;s interview and asked Sullivan whether he agreed that Trump should be lauded for getting the deal across the finish line. &#8220;Of course he does,&#8221; Sullivan said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Former Biden National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan on whether Trump deserves credit for ceasefire deal in Gaza: &#8220;Of course he does.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/enthxBCStL">pic.twitter.com/enthxBCStL</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1977380978344538545?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
CNN guest Jamal Simmons attempted to split the baby, qualifying Trump&#8217;s success: &#8220;The problem that we see is, on one side is Donald Trump solving or doing a great job in bringing people together around the world around some of these peace issues, while at the same time dividing people at home.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“The problem that we see is, on one side is Donald Trump solving or doing a great job in bringing people together around the world around some of these peace issues, while at the same time dividing people at home.”
Jamal Simmons, Scott Jennings, Nayyera Haq, and Rebeccah… <a href="https://t.co/TfVoGrgFyO">pic.twitter.com/TfVoGrgFyO</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1977392744906502336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Even former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/obama-snubs-trump-over-israel-hamas-peace-deal">Barack Obama</a> took some heat for praising the deal without even acknowledging who had brought it about.

TOPSHOT-US-ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-TRUMP-NETANYAHU-CONFLICT-DIPLOMACY

Spin Cycle: The Gaza Litmus Test — And Who Is Passing It

Benjamin Netanyahu

Fox News Sunday

Hostages

Israel

Legacy media outlets appear to have absolutely zero curiosity when it comes to the text-message scandal building around Jay Jones — the current Democratic nominee for state attorney general in Virginia — as evidenced by the glaring lack of coverage they gave it on the Sunday morning political talk shows.
For those who don&#8217;t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week&#8217;s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
This week, what was most notable about media coverage across the networks was not where the spin was so mush as where it wasn&#8217;t. Less than 48 hours had passed since the texts — sent by Jones in 2022 and containing overt statements advocating for the assassination of a political opponent — went viral, and in that time, not one national Democrat had publicly condemned Jones or called for him to step out of the race. Despite all that, not one host of one show — &#8220;This Week&#8221; on ABC, &#8220;Face the Nation&#8221; on CBS, &#8220;Meet the Press&#8221; on NBC, or &#8220;State of the Union&#8221; on CNN — raised the question with their guests.
The topic did come up once — on &#8220;Meet the Press&#8221; — but it was one of the guests who mentioned it during a panel discussion. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-biden-adviser-blows-off-despicable-jay-jones-texts-a-private-conversation">Marc Short</a>, who served as former Vice President Mike Pence&#8217;s chief of staff, mentioned Jones in the context of the many Democrats who had spent days in a public group meltdown over a few memes featuring House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) with a fake mustache and a sombrero.
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BONKERS. Neera Tanden excuses Virginia Democrat AG candidate Jay Jones calling for the assassination of a Republican leader and his kids as just merely just a “private conversation.”
Utterly disgraceful. 🤡🤡🤡🤡 
<a href="https://t.co/N5KEyFZHPU">pic.twitter.com/N5KEyFZHPU</a>
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) <a href="https://twitter.com/SteveGuest/status/1974871008147616176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
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“Can we stop with the pearl-clutching about the mean tweets and the sombrero tweets?” he asked. “This week it came to light that a Democrat candidate for attorney general in the state of Virginia called for the assassination of a political opponent, called for the assassination of that political opponent’s family, and there’s not one national Democrat calling for him to step aside — not one! It’s disgraceful.”
Host Kristen Welker conceded that the text scandal was likely to become a bigger story — but gave no insight as to why, if she believed that to be true, she had not raised the question herself. She then pivoted to Neera Tanden, who worked in former President Joe Biden&#8217;s White House, to address the situation.
&#8220;I mean, I absolutely think people should criticize that, 100%,” Tanden began, but then almost immediately attempted to turn the argument back on President Donald Trump. &#8220;I think it was a private conversation he had, but still awful and disgusting … it should be condemned, but then we should condemn that, but then you should condemn when the president calls the Democratic Party the ‘party of satan.&#8217;”
After some cross talk from both Short and Tanden, Short once again stressed his original point: that not one national Democrat had come out to condemn Jones or call for his resignation.
&#8220;The fact that not one Democrat has stood up when he called for a political assassination in this moment of political violence is crazy,&#8221; he said.
Jones had sent the texts in question three years earlier, in 2022, calling for former state House Speaker Todd Gilbert (R-VA) to be murdered. “Three people, two bullets. Gilbert, Hitler and Pol Pot. Gilbert gets two bullets to the head,” Jones texted to Del. Carrie Coyner (R) at the time. “Spoiler: put Gilbert in the crew with the two worst people you know and he receives both bullets every time.”
In other messages, he&#8217;d also claimed that Gilbert would not change his political positions unless he and his wife had to watch one of their children die — and that he&#8217;d attend the funerals of Republican lawmakers in order to &#8220;piss on their graves.&#8221;
Vice President JD Vance also noted the lack of Democrats distancing themselves from Jones and his vile text messages, saying, &#8220;The Democrat candidate for AG in Virginia has been fantasizing about murdering his political opponents in private messages. I&#8217;m sure the people hyperventilating about sombrero memes will join me in calling for this very deranged person to drop out of the race.&#8221;
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The Democrat candidate for AG in Virginia has been fantasizing about murdering his political opponents in private messages. I&#8217;m sure the people hyperventilating about sombrero memes will join me in calling for this very deranged person to drop out of the race. <a href="https://t.co/ZapsWc9VFG">https://t.co/ZapsWc9VFG</a>
— JD Vance (@JDVance) <a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance/status/1974549343744205204?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/not-funny-trump-trashes-jay-jones-over-sick-and-demented-texts-advocating-political-violence">President Trump</a> also called for Jones to exit the race &#8220;immediately,&#8221; endorsing his opponent Attorney General Jason Miyares (R-VA) and adding, &#8220;It has just come out that the Radical Left Lunatic, Jay Jones, who is running against Jason Miyares, the GREAT Attorney General in Virginia, made SICK and DEMENTED jokes, if they were jokes at all, which were not funny, and that he wrote down and sent around to people, concerning the murdering of a Republican Legislator, his wife, and their children.&#8221;
And in the state of Virginia, the situation is even worse — in addition to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/virginia-dems-say-candidate-who-fantasized-about-murdering-gop-leader-is-better-than-republicans">not condemning Jones</a>, a number have either remained entirely silent on the issue or have come out and said that no matter what he&#8217;d said in the past, the current race was too important to allow a Republican to win.
<a href="https://x.com/jaaavis/status/1974237981268381718?s=46" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Louise Lucas</a>, president pro tempore of the Virginia Senate and a marijuana dispensary co-owner, said in a statement, “There is no place for political violence or violent rhetoric in our public discourse, and Jay must take accountability for his actions. But we will not allow this moment to overshadow the stakes of this election. … The choice before us is far bigger than this mistake.”

Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) campaigns as the Democratic nominee in the Virginia’s governor’s race.

Spin Cycle: Jay Who? Sunday Shows Black Out Dem Scandal Rocking Virginia

Democrats

Political Violence

As a government shutdown looms in the very near future, the topic at the forefront of discussions across the Sunday morning political talk shows was funding the government: who is holding the most leverage, who — if anyone — is willing to budge, and what will happen if they can&#8217;t come to an agreement?
For those who don&#8217;t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week&#8217;s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
After previously canceling a meeting with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) — and declaring their demands for a potential deal to be &#8220;ridiculous,&#8221; Trump has reportedly agreed to a rescheduled meeting to discuss plans to avoid a shutdown. Republicans and Democrats alike addressed what such a deal might look like — and thus far, a consensus it is not.
Jeffries, for example, told ABC News host Martha Raddatz on &#8220;This Week&#8221; that he was willing to sit down with anyone who was interested in finding a path forward to funding the government.
&#8220;We&#8217;ve made clear that we&#8217;re ready, willing, and able to sit down with anyone at any time and at any place in order to make sure that we can actually fund the government,&#8221; he said.
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“We&#8217;ve made clear that we&#8217;re ready, willing, and able to sit down with anyone at any time and at any place in order to make sure that we can actually fund the government,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries tells <a href="https://twitter.com/MarthaRaddatz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MarthaRaddatz</a>. <a href="https://t.co/CyT5lxgzMc">https://t.co/CyT5lxgzMc</a> <a href="https://t.co/tWvRtrkObC">pic.twitter.com/tWvRtrkObC</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1972304860528722211?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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But in the same interview, he badmouthed the people he claimed to be ready to work with, saying they&#8217;d &#8220;behaved not as a separate and co-equal branch of government and a check and balance on an out-of-control executive branch, but as a consistent rubber stamp for Donald Trump&#8217;s extreme agenda.&#8221;
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Republicans have “behaved not as a separate and co-equal branch of government and a check and balance on an out-of-control executive branch, but as a consistent rubber stamp for Donald Trump&#8217;s extreme agenda,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries says. <a href="https://t.co/OKY7B0xDem">https://t.co/OKY7B0xDem</a> <a href="https://t.co/FrrprqmxbC">pic.twitter.com/FrrprqmxbC</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1972305063549800536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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And then he flipped back, saying once again that he wanted to work with the Republicans he&#8217;d just referred to as &#8220;rubber stamps&#8221; for an &#8220;extreme agenda.&#8221;
&#8220;We want to find a bipartisan path forward and reach a spending agreement with our Republican colleagues that actually meets the needs of the American people, but that also addresses the Republican health care crisis,&#8221; he said.
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“We want to find a bipartisan path forward and reach a spending agreement with our Republican colleagues that actually meets the needs of the American people, but that also addresses the Republican health care crisis,” Rep. Hakeem Jeffries says. <a href="https://t.co/OKY7B0xDem">https://t.co/OKY7B0xDem</a> <a href="https://t.co/IOdlC4TrET">pic.twitter.com/IOdlC4TrET</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1972305251743973649?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) made it clear that he believed Republicans — who hold a slim majority — had the advantage and did not plan to make unnecessary concessions.
&#8220;I’m glad that President Trump is showing leadership in meeting with all leaders … But ultimately, those Democrats have to make a decision,&#8221; he told Raddatz, adding that he still believed there was time for them to reach a deal.
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House Majority Leader Steve Scalise says “there’s still time” to fund the government and avoid a shutdown.
“I’m glad that President Trump is showing leadership in meeting with all leaders … But ultimately, those Democrats have to make a decision.” <a href="https://t.co/VVmgI0y1x3">https://t.co/VVmgI0y1x3</a> <a href="https://t.co/0hmyU6JT1Y">pic.twitter.com/0hmyU6JT1Y</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1972314405963510038?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On CBS, &#8220;Face the Nation&#8221; opened with a statement from President Trump — who said that unless Democrats are willing to move on several key issues, the government is likely to shut down.
&#8220;I just don’t know how we are going to solve this issue,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NEW THIS MORNING: President Trump tells <a href="https://twitter.com/costareports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@costareports</a> the government is likely to shut down this week unless top Democrats address his concerns on immigration and health care, and says both parties are now at a stalemate.
“I just don’t know how we are going to solve this issue,”… <a href="https://t.co/VdLXd7Qxl0">pic.twitter.com/VdLXd7Qxl0</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1972313362793943395?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On NBC&#8217;s &#8220;Meet the Press,&#8221; Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) made it clear that Republicans did not plan to give an inch — and that Democrats were just going to have to come around.
&#8220;The choice remains the same: Democrats can either vote for a clean, short-term, nonpartisan CR that prioritizes the American people, or they can choose a completely avoidable shutdown that prioritizes politics above all else,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The choice remains the same: Democrats can either vote for a clean, short-term, nonpartisan CR that prioritizes the American people, or they can choose a completely avoidable shutdown that prioritizes politics above all else. <a href="https://t.co/ESOndRHAO9">pic.twitter.com/ESOndRHAO9</a>
— Leader John Thune (@LeaderJohnThune) <a href="https://twitter.com/LeaderJohnThune/status/1972326146139467887?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Schumer, who has apparently learned his lesson after he worked with Republicans to avert the last potential government shutdown, also appeared on the NBC Sunday morning show and insisted that Republicans were &#8220;feeling the heat&#8221; and would soon give in to Democrats&#8217; demands.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Republican Senators, Representatives, and even Donald Trump are feeling the heat to do something about the horrible health care crisis they’ve created. <a href="https://t.co/20SG3sKiX1">pic.twitter.com/20SG3sKiX1</a>
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenSchumer/status/1972349160717205796?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) joined host Jake Tapper on CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union,&#8221; where he called on members of his party to &#8220;hold the line.&#8221;
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Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen calls on his party to “hold the line” in government funding fight. <a href="https://t.co/0nn9wg5v7w">pic.twitter.com/0nn9wg5v7w</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1972311184863813768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Van Hollen, who made a name for himself when he left his own constituents twisting in the wind while he flew to El Salvador to advocate for a deported MS-13 gang member, then snarked at President Trump and suggested he&#8217;d previously refused to meet with congressional leaders because he was too busy golfing.
&#8220;It&#8217;s good to see the president finally get off the golf course and decide to talk,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen on Trump’s meeting with Democratic leaders ahead of shutdown deadline: “It&#8217;s good to see the president finally get off the golf course and decide to talk.” <a href="https://t.co/gjjckTkaZa">pic.twitter.com/gjjckTkaZa</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1972311038612643938?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Trump explained days earlier that he&#8217;d <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/do-the-right-thing-trump-axes-meeting-with-radical-dems-calls-for-realistic-terms">called off a planned meeting</a> because the demands put forth by the Democrats at the time had been unrealistic.

Spin Cycle: Will They Or Won’t They (Shut Everything Down)?

Spin Cycle: Will They Or Won't They (Shut Everything Down)?

Charles Schumer

Chris Van Hollen

Hakeem Jeffries

John Thune

Steve Scalise

The tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk has further exposed media bias, with outlets like MSNBC, CNN, and ABC labeling him “divisive” or “controversial” while downplaying leftist rhetoric that may have fueled violence. <a href="https://newsbusters.org/blogs/cnsnews/craig-bannister/2025/09/12/charlie-kirks-murder-cheered-online-liberal-teachers">Posts by liberal school teachers cheering</a> Kirk’s death and comments from Democrat politicians like Jasmine Crockett and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker inciting unrest reveal a double standard. This tragedy may finally force the elite legacy media to confront the effect their far-left bias has had on America. Even before Kirk’s assassination, President Trump was pushing broadcasters to restore balance to heal the political divide, improve network viewership, and ensure the airwaves serve all Americans, aligning with the law and fostering fair discourse.
When Donald Trump descended the escalator in the summer of 2015, he put on center stage the fight that the Media Research Center (MRC) has been engaged in for nearly 40 years. While MRC may be the incumbent in this battle against media bias, the president deserves enormous credit for helping to identify and root out media malfeasance.
President Trump and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr are addressing the longstanding issue of media bias by enforcing the legal obligations of broadcast networks like ABC, CBS, and NBC, which use public airwaves rent-free. These networks must meet a “public interest test” to serve all Americans, not just select political groups. Recent actions, including Trump’s lawsuits against CBS and ABC for deceptive editing and defamation, highlight a commitment to rooting out bias.
Legacy media are undoubtedly biased and purpose-driven. Take ABC’s David Muir, who was still allowed to host a presidential debate after MRC research found his nightly newscast had <a href="https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/rich-noyes/2024/09/09/100-abc-debate-moderator-david-muir-hosts-most-pro-harris-left-wing">100% positive coverage of Kamala Harris</a> and <a href="https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/rich-noyes/2025/04/28/tv-news-assaults-2nd-trump-admin-92-negative-coverage">92% negative coverage of Donald Trump</a>. From routine <a href="https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/bill-dagostino/2025/09/02/why-cant-cbs-stop-deceptively-editing-interviews-politicians">deceptive</a> editing in their interviews with Trump – and his cabinet officials – to initially refusing to mention the brutal Charlotte stabbing, only to eventually <a href="https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/jorge-bonilla/2025/09/08/nbc-trumpwashes-their-coverage-brutal-charlotte-stabbing">report</a> the tragedy through the lens of it being right-wing hysteria and fuel for Trump’s tough-on-crime approach. The media have earned the colossal decline of their collective reputation.
The public is now keenly aware of the media’s deficiencies, with <a href="https://news.gallup.com/opinion/gallup/657239/five-key-insights-americans-views-news-media.aspx">69% </a>of people saying they have very little to no trust in the media, the worst result for the media since Gallup started assessing public confidence in it.
Some would argue, and most conservatives would agree, that these broadcasters and their cable news counterparts have a right to anchor themselves in whatever political persuasion favors their interests, so long as they are honest with their audience. While it would, at best, lack journalistic integrity for a major cable network like MSNow (formerly MSNBC) or CNN to show blatant favoritism in how they interview a Supreme Court justice, it would still easily pass legal muster. However, when traditional network broadcasters like CBS engage in <a href="https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/jorge-bonilla/2025/09/07/tale-two-interviews-cbss-norah-odonnell-fawned-over-justice#">the same behavior</a>, it’s a completely different story.
That is because the airwaves used by ABC, CBS, and NBC are owned by the American public. It will surprise many to learn that these broadcasters use our airwaves rent-free. This might sound like a terrible deal for taxpayers, but that is why broadcasters are required to meet a “public interest test,” ensuring that the whole public is served. Not just Democrats. Not just liberals. Not just left-wing agitators.
Carr is taking action to hold broadcasters accountable to the law which requires them to act in the interest of all Americans. Perhaps ironically, by requiring broadcasters to serve a much larger audience, Carr is probably saving these networks from their plummeting ratings and their declining revenues. Moreover, by reducing other regulatory burdens placed on them by the Biden administration, like the onerous DEI and ESG requirements, Carr is helping their bottom lines in more ways than one.
It’s no secret that traditional <a href="https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2025-05-11/network-evening-newscasts-still-matter-but-face-stiff-winds-of-change#:~:text=View%20All-,The%20network%20evening%20news%20is%20in%20flux:%20Why%20an%20American,With%20David%20Muir%E2%80%9D%20on%20ABC.&amp;text=Network%20evening%20newscasts%20are%20down,younger%2C%20digital%2Dsavvy%20viewers.">broadcast media is</a> in financial trouble. Without question, this is due to the fact that their current business model focuses on the fastest shrinking segment of America: liberals.
That might or might not work for a niche channel, like MSNow, but it is a guaranteed losing proposition for broadcast news.
By getting these networks to live up to their legal obligations, President Trump and Chairman Carr are helping all Americans become better informed while simultaneously helping the networks increase their <a href="https://allaboutcookies.org/cord-cutters-streaming-survey#:~:text=Rising%20cable%20costs%20and%20the,to%20move%20away%20from%20cable." target="_blank" rel="noopener">sagging viewership and revenue.</a> 
Their recent actions represent the first serious attempt in modern history to restore lawfulness, fairness, and order to the political discourse in America’s media. It is something we need more of.
* * *
Dan Schneider is the Vice President of the Media Research Center.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

CNN headquarters building.

Left-Wing Media Bias Under Scrutiny Following Coverage Of Kirk Assassination

Federal Trade Commission

Media Research Center

The knives are out, and they&#8217;re all aimed at Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as a series of shake-ups have upended the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and a top vaccine recommendation committee.
For those who don&#8217;t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week&#8217;s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
On ABC News&#8217; &#8220;This Week,&#8221; Kennedy was the focus of a roundtable discussion involving former Governor Chris Christie (R-NJ), former Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Donna Brazile, former White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, and USA Today Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page.
Christie unloaded on Secretary Kennedy, calling him a &#8220;foolish man&#8221; and claimed that President Donald Trump had only selected him to prove that he could do whatever he wanted and get away with it.
&#8220;Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a foolish man, full of foolish and vapid ideas. And that was on display again this week in front of Congress,&#8221; Christie complained, referring to a Senate Finance Committee hearing that took place late in the week. &#8220;This wholly unqualified man [is] in charge of 25% of all government spending &#8230; the president&#8217;s smart enough to know, RFK Jr. doesn&#8217;t belong in that job. But after he won, he wanted to show everybody, &#8216;I can do whatever I want to do because this Senate will be compliant no matter what I do. And I&#8217;ll put the greatest vaccine and public health denier of the last 20 years in charge of public health in America.&#8217; It&#8217;s a human middle finger to everybody who opposed him.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 JUST IN: Chris Christie goes BERSERK on Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and warns RFK is a grave danger to American health.
&#8220;Robert F Kennedy Jr. is a foolish man, full of foolish and vapid ideas. And that was on display again this week in front of Congress.&#8221;
&#8220;This wholly unqualified… <a href="https://t.co/eDi5xxHuAE">pic.twitter.com/eDi5xxHuAE</a>
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1964703297618731224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On CBS News&#8217; &#8220;Face the Nation,&#8221; host Margaret Brennan brought in physician and Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS) to discuss Kennedy, the recent committee hearing, and the fact that several prominent Republicans had been equally hard on the secretary.
Marshall defended Kennedy, however, explaining that he had brought in for a very specific purpose: to bring about change.
&#8220;Look, President Trump picked Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be a disrupter to the CDC, and that’s exactly what he’s doing. He’s focused on making the CDC more transparent, to make it more trustworthy right now. Right now, Americans don’t trust the CDC. So, he is literally turning that place upside down,&#8221; Marshall said.
&#8220;I respect what my colleagues are saying. But this whole issue … in that meeting was about vaccines. In my humble opinion not every person needs every vaccine. And I don’t think there are many children out there who need 76 jabs by the time they’re old enough to vote,&#8221; Marshall continued, arguing that vaccines were wonderful things that had saved millions of lives but that they should be a choice rather than something that was forced on every child and every parent.
&#8220;But before you label me a non-vaxxer person, look, I’ve raised money for polio vaccinations. The MMR is a great vaccine, it’s saved thousands of lives. Vaccines, overall, have saved hundreds of millions of lives but not every person needs every vaccine and we just want to empower parents and the doctors to make great decisions,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“President Trump chose Robert F. Kennedy Jr. To be a disruptor to the CDC and that’s exactly what he’s doing,” Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) says after Kennedy faced heated questions during testimony to Congress over CDC turmoil and his leadership of HHS.
“Right now, Americans… <a href="https://t.co/oxPPK2RMHA">pic.twitter.com/oxPPK2RMHA</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1964726146450313724?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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A newly-engaged Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) took things a step further when he joined host Kristen Welker on NBC&#8217;s &#8220;Meet the Press.&#8221; Kennedy, he said, should immediately resign his post for failing to &#8220;protect Americans&#8217; health.&#8221; But that was not enough for the New Jersey Democrat, who then claimed that Trump&#8217;s entire cabinet should follow suit.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
In an exclusive interview with Meet the Press, Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) says he believes HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as well as President Trump’s entire Cabinet, should step down for not “protecting Americans’ health.” <a href="https://t.co/qCLXC7iKxP">https://t.co/qCLXC7iKxP</a> <a href="https://t.co/UYlYulx0h5">pic.twitter.com/UYlYulx0h5</a>
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) <a href="https://twitter.com/MeetThePress/status/1964690162597675314?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Kennedy himself gave some context in the aftermath of the contentious hearing, saying on Fox News&#8217; &#8220;Big Weekend Show&#8221; that it was, in fact, his job to shake things up because that was the only way to restore trust in institutions like the CDC.
&#8220;My job is to FIRE the people who were responsible for masking our children with no science, for social distancing orders with no science,&#8221; he said.
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RFK Jr: “My job is to FIRE the people who were responsible for masking our children with no science, for social distancing orders with no science.” <a href="https://t.co/K3KAefMrSG">pic.twitter.com/K3KAefMrSG</a>
— Holden Culotta (@Holden_Culotta) <a href="https://twitter.com/Holden_Culotta/status/1964693266944995534?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On &#8220;Fox &amp; Friends: Weekend,&#8221; Kennedy explained why he&#8217;d had no choice but to fire the former CDC vaccine chief.
&#8220;We tried to get the vaccine safety data language — the data that supposedly the CDC tries to use to make good decisions on whether vaccines are hurting people and whether there are side effects. For seven months, he stonewalled us so that we could not get that data!&#8221; Kennedy said. &#8220;He&#8217;s also the individual that runs the VAERS system, which is the surveillance system for injuries that captures, according to CDC&#8217;s own study, fewer than 1% of vaccine injuries. This is malpractice.&#8221;
&#8220;These people are the people who ordered our children to walk around in masks. They&#8217;re the people who closed our schools. They&#8217;re the people who imposed social distancing with no science, shut down our businesses, and they need to go,&#8221; he added. &#8220;We need new blood, and we need new people who are committed to public health and integrity and gold standard science.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 BREAKING: Secretary RFK Jr. reveals that he fired the CDC vaccine chief because for 7 MONTHS Kennedy was BLOCKED from getting vaccine safety data.
This person also STONEWALLED money going to Texas to help with measles&#8230;he was a full-on TRAITOR, holy crap!
&#8220;I gave the order,… <a href="https://t.co/dCWdKE2TZ7">pic.twitter.com/dCWdKE2TZ7</a>
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1964688908857250278?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr Testifies At Senate Finance Hearing

Spin Cycle: The Knives Are Out For RFK Jr.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

President Donald Trump scolded NBC News White House Correspondent Yamiche Alcindor over a question about whether his administration really means to &#8220;go to war&#8221; with the city of Chicago.
Alcindor asked the question as Trump prepared to leave the White House to attend the finals of the U.S. Open, and was referring to a meme — posted Saturday on Trump&#8217;s Truth Social platform — that read, &#8220;&#8216;I love the smell of deportations in the morning&#8230;&#8217; Chicago about to find out why it&#8217;s called the Department of WAR.&#8221;
WATCH:
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> BODIES <a href="https://twitter.com/Yamiche?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Yamiche</a> for asking if we&#8217;re &#8220;going to war with Chicago&#8221;:
&#8220;You never listen. That&#8217;s why you&#8217;re second-rate. We&#8217;re not going to war. We&#8217;re going to clean up our cities&#8230; so they don&#8217;t kill five people every weekend. That&#8217;s not war. That&#8217;s common sense.&#8221; 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/SJluB8lbyX">pic.twitter.com/SJluB8lbyX</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1964735186987577460?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Are you trying to go to war with Chicago?&#8221; Alcindor asked.
&#8220;When you say that, darling, that’s fake news,&#8221; Trump pushed back.
Alcindor started to respond, but Trump kept talking.
“I don&#8217;t go to war with — listen. Be quiet, listen!” Trump said. “You don’t listen! You never listen. That’s why you’re second-rate. We’re not going to war, we’re gonna clean up our cities. We’re gonna clean them up, so they don’t kill five people every weekend. That’s not war, that’s common sense.”
Trump jabbed at reporters again — and the city of Chicago — laying out the murder statistics from just the last two weekends in the Windy City.
&#8220;You know how many people were killed in Chicago last weekend? Eight. You know how many people were killed in Chicago the week before? Seven&#8230; 74 people were wounded. You think there&#8217;s worse than that?&#8221;
WATCH:
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> goes off on the Fake News for downplaying crime in Chicago: &#8220;You know how many people were killed in Chicago last weekend? Eight. You know how many people were killed in Chicago the week before? Seven&#8230; 74 people were wounded. You think there&#8217;s worse than that?&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/xNLcKWncs4">pic.twitter.com/xNLcKWncs4</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1964728565762580773?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Trump has repeatedly said he&#8217;d send <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-declares-were-going-in-chicago-on-notice-as-national-guard-plans-imminent">National Guard</a> troops to several major cities — Chicago among them — in order to assist local law enforcement and help bring down soaring violent crime rates. That plan has been met with objections from Chicago Mayor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/chicago-alderman-blows-up-at-mayor-governor-over-tit-for-tat-with-trump-over-crime">Brandon Johnson</a> and Illinois Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jb-pritzker-tries-to-fact-check-trump-gets-his-backside-handed-to-him-by-grok-instead">JB Pritzker</a>, both of whom have claimed that Chicago is getting better.

President Trump Holds Cabinet Meeting

‘Be Quiet’: Trump Shushes Reporter Over Question About ‘Going To War’ With Chicago

'Be Quiet': Trump Shushes Reporter Over Question About 'Going To War' With Chicago

Chicago

National Guard

Violent Crime

Governor Wes Moore (D-MD) declared his intention to remain in his home state and seek reelection, telling NBC anchor Kristen Welker that he did not have it in mind to seek the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028.
Moore, who has been floated as a possible contender on numerous occasions, has recently been involved in a public exchange-of-words with President Donald Trump over violent crime rates in big cities like Baltimore — and once even dared the president to walk the streets in his state to prove that it was safe.
But despite rumblings within his party that he might be a top choice going into 2028, Moore said unequivocally on Sunday&#8217;s &#8220;Meet the Press&#8221; that he planned to seek reelection in Maryland — and that he intended to serve another full term as governor.
WATCH:
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Wes Moore: &#8220;I&#8217;m not running for president&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/j0JJ5AhRFH">pic.twitter.com/j0JJ5AhRFH</a>
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) <a href="https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1964698939656937519?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Before I let you go, you have not announced if you are running for reelection,&#8221; Welker prompted the Maryland governor. &#8220;If you do, do you commit to serve a full term?&#8221;
&#8220;Yes, I will be serving a full term,&#8221; Moore declared. &#8220;I&#8217;m excited about reelection, I&#8217;m excited about what I&#8217;m going to be able to do for the people of Maryland.&#8221;
&#8220;Do you rule out a run for president, Governor?&#8221; Welker pressed for a more definitive answer.
&#8220;Yeah, I&#8217;m not running for president,&#8221; he confirmed.
Welker appeared shocked by the declaration: &#8220;You rule it out?&#8221;
&#8220;Yes,&#8221; Moore was insistent. &#8220;I&#8217;m not running for president.&#8221;
&#8220;You completely rule it out?&#8221; she asked again.
&#8220;I&#8217;m so excited about what we&#8217;re doing,&#8221; Moore continued. &#8220;We&#8217;ve gone from 43rd in the country in unemployment to now one of the lowest unemployment rates. We&#8217;ve had amongst the fastest drops in violent crime anywhere in the United States of America. Our population is growing, Maryland is moving, and so I&#8217;m real excited about going back in front of the people of my state and asking for another term.&#8221;

Wes Moore

Blue State Governor And Rumored 2028 Contender Rules Out Presidential Run

Rumored Contender Rules Out 2028 Presidential Run

Vice President JD Vance treated &#8220;Meet the Press&#8221; anchor Kristen Welker to a whirlwind trip around the globe during an interview that went to air during Sunday morning&#8217;s broadcast — and he addressed everything from President Donald Trump&#8217;s domestic policy to the administration&#8217;s dealings with communist China and Russia.
For those who don&#8217;t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week&#8217;s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
Vance sat down for a full interview with Welker, who questioned him about the recent negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
&#8220;The Russians have made significant concessions to President Trump for the first time in three and a half years of this conflict,&#8221; Vance said, adding, &#8220;We&#8217;re trying to negotiate as much as we can with both the Russians and Ukrainians to find a middle ground to stop the killing.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8220;The Russians have made significant concessions to President Trump for the first time in three and a half years of this conflict,&#8221; says <a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a>.
&#8220;We&#8217;re trying to negotiate as much as we can with both the Russians and Ukrainians to find a middle ground to stop the killing.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/b487LlfIyx">pic.twitter.com/b487LlfIyx</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1959608502009184631?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Vance gave some details on the concessions made by Russia, and went on to explain that Trump&#8217;s goal — rather than trying to deconstruct all the reasons the war started — was to &#8220;focus on the nit-picky details of now&#8221; and get to where they could stop the fighting.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a>: &#8220;[<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>] is not trying to focus on every nit-picky detail of how this thing started&#8230; He&#8217;s trying to focus on the nit-picky details of now — of what do the parties disagree on, what do they agree on, and how do you build a foundation from one side of that ledger to the… <a href="https://t.co/9C2aXYtFHM">pic.twitter.com/9C2aXYtFHM</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1959609236175864214?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Welker immediately challenged him on the Trump administration&#8217;s position with regard to China. Noting that China was one of the world&#8217;s biggest consumers of Russian oil, she pressed Vance on why the United States was not putting China under heavier sanctions.
&#8220;China&#8217;s actually the largest buyer of Russian oil,&#8221; she said. &#8220;Why no sanctions on China?&#8221;
&#8220;Well, obviously, we have a 54% tariff on the PRC right now, so we&#8217;ve already applied pretty hefty sanctions on the Chinese,&#8221; Vance shot back. &#8220;And we&#8217;ve had a number of conversations at all levels over the government to try to encourage the Chinese to be better partners and bring this war to a close.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NBC: &#8220;Why no sanctions on China?&#8221;
.<a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a>: &#8220;Obviously, we have a 54% tariff on the PRC right now, so we&#8217;ve already applied pretty hefty sanctions on the Chinese&#8230;&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/IUeug9nkkU">pic.twitter.com/IUeug9nkkU</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1959611584226967880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Welker continued to press, asking, &#8220;Where exactly is the pressure on Russia to do anything if you&#8217;re not right now imposing new sanctions?&#8221;
&#8220;The President has applied more economic pressure to the Russians to stop this war than Biden did in three years,&#8221; Vance replied. &#8220;This is how negotiation works.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a>: &#8220;The President has applied more economic pressure to the Russians to stop this war than Biden did in three years&#8230; This is how negotiation works.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/89lsaNlz8u">pic.twitter.com/89lsaNlz8u</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1959611642599104891?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;This is how wars ultimately get settled,&#8221; Vance continued. &#8220;They all end with some kind of negotiation &#8230; He&#8217;s not going to force these parties to walk through the door. All he can do is open the door and ask them to negotiate in good faith.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a>: &#8220;This is how wars ultimately get settled&#8230; They all end with some kind of negotiation&#8230; He&#8217;s not going to force these parties to walk through the door. All he can do is open the door and ask them to negotiate in good faith.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/OcFx8ZCYGq">pic.twitter.com/OcFx8ZCYGq</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1959612590490804407?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Despite hearing it directly from President Donald Trump in recent weeks, Welker asked Vance to &#8220;guarantee&#8221; that there would not be American &#8220;boots on the ground&#8221; if it came to defending Ukraine in a more direct fashion.
&#8220;The President has been very clear. There are not going to be [American] boots on the ground in Ukraine,&#8221; Vance replied.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a>: &#8220;The President has been very clear. There are not going to be [American] boots on the ground in Ukraine.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/21LqlibKcU">pic.twitter.com/21LqlibKcU</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1959612715816604149?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;We don&#8217;t control what Russia does. If we did, the war would&#8217;ve been over seven months ago,&#8221; Vance continued. &#8220;What we do believe, though, is that &#8230; the President of the United States has a lot of cards left to play to apply pressure.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a>: &#8220;We don&#8217;t control what Russia does. If we did, the war would&#8217;ve been over seven months ago. What we do believe, though, is that&#8230; the President of the United States has a lot of cards left to play to apply pressure.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/qOvXQB9NEQ">pic.twitter.com/qOvXQB9NEQ</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1959613859490091462?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On the domestic front, Welker pressed Vance to defend Texas Republicans and their newly-drawn Congressional map — one that is likely to afford Republicans as many as five additional seats in the 2026 midterms. Vance pushed right back, arguing that Democrats had been gerrymandering their states to unfair advantage for decades and saying that Republicans only meant to tip the scales back into balance.
&#8220;All we&#8217;re doing, frankly, is trying to make the situation a little bit more fair,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Democrats have gerrymandered their states really aggressively. We think there are opportunities to push back against that, and that&#8217;s really all we&#8217;re doing.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8220;All we&#8217;re doing, frankly, is trying to make the situation a little bit more fair,&#8221; says <a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a> on redistricting.
&#8220;Democrats have gerrymandered their states really aggressively. We think there are opportunities to push back against that, and that&#8217;s really all we&#8217;re doing.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/q06A8CkniT">pic.twitter.com/q06A8CkniT</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1959614788557836519?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;We&#8217;re literally losing representatives for American citizens in order to give congressional representation to illegal aliens,&#8221; Vance added, explaining that illegal aliens were being counted in the census for the purposes of congressional apportionment, meaning that &#8220;they end up getting congressional representation that ought, by right, go to American citizens.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8220;We&#8217;re literally losing representatives for American citizens in order to give congressional representation to illegal aliens,&#8221; says <a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a>.
&#8220;Republicans are trying to balance out the scales a little bit for basic fairness and for the integrity of our democracy.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/uxxDXQJege">pic.twitter.com/uxxDXQJege</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1959618633765896314?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a> on illegal aliens in the Census: &#8220;They do go in the congressional apportionment. That&#8217;s why California has so many more seats is because they count illegal aliens&#8230; They end up getting congressional representation that ought, by right, go to American citizens.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/Lfu3kYaM6N">pic.twitter.com/Lfu3kYaM6N</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1959619304350945548?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
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And when it came to the deployment of the National Guard and the crackdown on crime in the nation&#8217;s capital, Vance once again laid out the reasoning in straightforward fashion. &#8220;Allowing vagrants and armed robberies to take over your city — that&#8217;s a policy choice. What President Trump is showing that if you just empower local law enforcement to arrest and prosecute the bad guys, we can take back American streets,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a>: &#8220;Allowing vagrants and armed robberies to take over your city — that&#8217;s a policy choice. What President Trump is showing that if you just empower local law enforcement to arrest and prosecute the bad guys, we can take back American streets.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/upsNXlZDui">pic.twitter.com/upsNXlZDui</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1959621293847753130?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Watch the full interview below:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
WATCH IN FULL: <a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JDVance</a>&#8216;s interview on <a href="https://twitter.com/MeetThePress?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MeetThePress</a> <a href="https://t.co/s7s0eCZXAG">pic.twitter.com/s7s0eCZXAG</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1959708596356239868?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
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UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy Hosts Bilateral Talks With US Vice President JD Vance At Chevening House

Spin Cycle: JD Vance Goes Around The World In 20 Minutes With ‘Meet the Press’

Spin Cycle: JD Vance Goes Around The World In 20 Minutes With 'Meet the Press'

Communist China

JD Vance

Kristen Welker

Russia

Ukraine-Russia War

Vice President JD Vance delivered a primer to NBC News anchor Kristen Welker during Sunday morning&#8217;s broadcast of &#8220;Meet the Press,&#8221; explaining why so many Republican-controlled states were moving to draw new congressional maps ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The move, he said, was a response to decades of Democratic gerrymandering.
Vance pointed to a few key states where because illegal aliens were counted for the purposes of apportionment, those illegal aliens were getting congressional representation at the expense of legal American citizens — and he argued that what Republicans were doing was simply making an effort to balance the scales.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8220;All we&#8217;re doing, frankly, is trying to make the situation a little bit more fair,&#8221; says <a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a> on redistricting.
&#8220;Democrats have gerrymandered their states really aggressively. We think there are opportunities to push back against that, and that&#8217;s really all we&#8217;re doing.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/q06A8CkniT">pic.twitter.com/q06A8CkniT</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1959614788557836519?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;All we&#8217;re doing, frankly, is trying to make the situation a little bit more fair,&#8221; Vance said of the efforts that began with the newly-passed map in Texas.
&#8220;Democrats have gerrymandered their states really aggressively. We think there are opportunities to push back against that, and that&#8217;s really all we&#8217;re doing,&#8221; he added, noting that Democrats in states like Massachusetts, Illinois, and California had been tipping the congressional maps over the last two decades.
Vance went on to point out that part of that imbalance was the result of illegal aliens being counted in the official census — which is used to apportion representation.
&#8220;We&#8217;re literally losing representatives for American citizens in order to give congressional representation to illegal aliens,&#8221; he said, adding, &#8220;Republicans are trying to balance out the scales a little bit for basic fairness and for the integrity of our democracy.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8220;We&#8217;re literally losing representatives for American citizens in order to give congressional representation to illegal aliens,&#8221; says <a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a>.
&#8220;Republicans are trying to balance out the scales a little bit for basic fairness and for the integrity of our democracy.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/uxxDXQJege">pic.twitter.com/uxxDXQJege</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1959618633765896314?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Welker pushed back then, saying that &#8220;of course&#8221; illegal aliens were not allowed to vote.
&#8220;They&#8217;re not eligible to vote,&#8221; Vance agreed. &#8220;But they do go in the congressional apportionment. That&#8217;s why California has so many more seats is because they count illegal aliens &#8230; They end up getting congressional representation that ought, by right, go to American citizens.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a> on illegal aliens in the Census: &#8220;They do go in the congressional apportionment. That&#8217;s why California has so many more seats is because they count illegal aliens&#8230; They end up getting congressional representation that ought, by right, go to American citizens.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/Lfu3kYaM6N">pic.twitter.com/Lfu3kYaM6N</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1959619304350945548?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
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President Donald Trump has repeatedly said that he would put an end to illegal aliens being counted in the census.

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Illegal Immigration

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