Even before he raised his right hand to take the Oath of Office for the second time, Donald Trump was warring with legacy media outlets over who would control the narrative. That battle played out all year long in headlines, press rooms, and on the Sunday morning political talk shows.
The Spin Cycle was there all year long, capturing the moments Democrats and the legacy media worked overtime to spin the narrative against President Trump and his administration. 
So, as 2025 comes to a close, let&#8217;s look back at five times that happened.
<h4>Inauguration Day:</h4>
The Sunday shows aired just hours before Trump was officially sworn in, and already a question hung in the air: was a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/spin-cycle-today-the-world-either-ends-or-it-begins-again">second Trump presidency</a> a new beginning or the beginning of the end?
ABC News host Jonathan Karl opened &#8220;This Week&#8221; with this statement: &#8220;We come on the air this morning on the precipice of a historic moment, one that feels more like the beginning of a new era than a new presidency.&#8221;
He balanced that almost optimistic sentiment, however, by pausing to note that Trump would swear the oath in &#8220;the very building that was attacked by rioters shortly before the last inauguration.&#8221;
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“We come on the air this morning on the precipice of a historic moment, one that feels more like the beginning of a new era than a new presidency.” <a href="https://twitter.com/jonkarl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JonKarl</a> has the latest on Donald Trump’s return to Washington: <a href="https://t.co/DK1VYkzLWF">https://t.co/DK1VYkzLWF</a> <a href="https://t.co/CyrF40EIEz">pic.twitter.com/CyrF40EIEz</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1880981125557891496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Of course, several Democrats voiced concerns over policy changes Trump promised to make, from tariffs to mass deportations, saying that they expected more bad than good to come out of the president&#8217;s second term. But on &#8220;Face the Nation,&#8221; a CBS News poll suggested that the public took a different view than the Democrats.
&#8220;There is majority optimism in the country about the next four years with Donald Trump as president,&#8221; Anthony Salvanto explained, showing a graphic of the poll results that said 60% were optimistic about Trump&#8217;s second term.
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A majority of Americans say they are optimistic about Donald Trump&#8217;s second term, a CBS News poll finds one day before the president-elect&#8217;s inauguration, with high expectations for the economy after he returns to office.<a href="https://twitter.com/SalvantoCBS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SalvantoCBS</a> breaks down what we&#8217;re seeing: <a href="https://t.co/wXABLCOVNc">pic.twitter.com/wXABLCOVNc</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1881039442477232421?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
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<h4>DOGE Musk Be Stopped!</h4>
By February, nearly all of the new Trump administration hit the ground running — save for a few nominations <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/adam-schiff-complains-bondi-isnt-doing-the-job-his-party-is-blocking-her-from-getting">held up</a> in the Senate. That group included billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, with Trump&#8217;s full support, spearheading efforts to streamline the federal government via the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
ABC News anchor Martha Raddatz <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/spin-cycle-this-sudden-move-toward-government-accountability-doge-musk-be-stopped">dove in headfirst</a>, playing up the &#8220;chaos and confusion&#8221; caused by DOGE&#8217;s efforts, emphasizing details such as how much &#8220;access&#8221; to sensitive information DOGE employees must have in order to complete their tasks.
Raddatz had help from Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT), who claimed, &#8220;I think this is the most serious constitutional crisis the country has faced, certainly, since Watergate. The president is attempting to seize control of power and for corrupt purposes.&#8221;
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“I think this is the most serious constitutional crisis the country has faced, certainly, since Watergate,” Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy tells <a href="https://twitter.com/MarthaRaddatz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MarthaRaddatz</a>.
“The president is attempting to seize control of power and for corrupt purposes.” <a href="https://t.co/XbLNUK9FRE">https://t.co/XbLNUK9FRE</a> <a href="https://t.co/mzJMn0uscV">pic.twitter.com/mzJMn0uscV</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1888596549212443075?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Murphy did not, however, endeavor to explain what was corrupt about suggesting that the American people should not be forced to fork over tax dollars to fund Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in Central and South America or build electric cars for Vietnam — just a few of the wasteful items uncovered by DOGE employees.
The Connecticut Democrat even suggested that &#8220;full-scale&#8221; opposition to Musk and DOGE was not only reasonable but necessary: &#8220;You cannot just rely on the court system when the challenge to the Constitution and the billionaire takeover is so acute and so urgent.&#8221;
The New Yorker’s Susan Glasser also weighed in, asking, “How is it possible that one unelected billionaire, the richest man in the world, can unilaterally do that without any process?”
To date, according to the DOGE website, the department has uncovered some $214 billion in savings, which amounts to more than $1,200 per taxpayer.
<h4 class="css-12aqo6z e1a9f8qs0">Beat The Press</h4>
In May, President Trump sat down for an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/spin-cycle-trump-takes-on-nbc-anchor-in-combative-meet-the-press-interview">interview</a> with NBC’s Kristen Welker, moderator of &#8220;Meet the Press,&#8221; and he routinely pushed back on the framing of her questions.
Welker asked about the economy, pressing Trump to say whether or not Americans were still living in the Biden economy or in his — and he threaded the needle carefully, noting that some policies would give noticeable effects more quickly than others.
&#8220;I think certain aspects of it are. Costs are. I was able to get down the costs, but even that, it takes a while to get them down but we got them down good. … We lost $5-6 billion a day [on trade] with Biden — $5-6 billion. And I’ve got that down to a great number right now in a record time.&#8221;
True to form, NBC published a piece on the interview stating that Trump had claimed ownership of the &#8220;good parts&#8221; of the economy while blaming Biden for the bad.
Welker pressed Trump on whether or not he believed everyone in the United States — whether citizen or not — was entitled to due process and the right to plead their case before a judge, and Trump’s reply was simple: “I don’t know, I’m not a lawyer.”
&#8220;We have thousands of people … some of the worst, most dangerous on earth — and I was elected to get them the hell out of here and the courts are holding me from doing it,” Trump added.
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &#8220;We have thousands of people &#8230; some of the worst, most dangerous on earth — and I was elected to get them the hell out of here and the courts are holding me from doing it.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/uNJESyWas1">pic.twitter.com/uNJESyWas1</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1919022289397452899?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
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<h4>They Really Can’t Help It, Can They?</h4>
In September, the murder of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk on a Utah college campus prompted President Trump to issue one of the first public statements mourning his friend. He later took the stage at Kirk’s memorial, expressing sorrow and anger before a crowd of thousands.
Charlie’s widow, Erika, also spoke at the memorial service, where she said she had forgiven the man responsible for murdering her husband and leaving her two children without their father: “That young man, that young man. On the cross, our Savior said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ That man, that young man, I forgive him. I forgive him because it was what Christ did, and is what Charlie would do.&#8221;
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Erika Kirk forgives the man who murdered her husband:
&#8220;My husband Charlie&#8230;he wanted to save young men just like the one who took his life&#8230;that young man&#8230;
I forgive him.
I forgive him because it was what Christ did and is what Charlie would do.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/Pd1yGRMRVw">pic.twitter.com/Pd1yGRMRVw</a>
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1969893178393206823?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On MSNBC (Now MS NOW), Ayman Mohideen praised Erika Kirk — but he used her speech to attack President Trump for taking a different route.
&#8220;There is that disconnect between the grief that a mother who is just going to bury her husband, the father of her children, and a president who’s talking about the politics of this moment,” Mohideen complained. &#8220;And I think that’s what my takeaway was from that speech, you know, the opportunity for the president to try to heal and bring the country, as many had hoped he would, and not doing it in the way that many people would expect a president to do.&#8221;
On CNN, former Democratic National Committee comms director Xochitl Hinojosa gave essentially the same assessment: &#8220;I think in times like this, especially when there is political violence, you need the president, regardless of who it is, to bring the country together. And that has not happened. This was an opportunity for Trump to do that. He did not take that opportunity. The person who really did that was Erika Kirk.&#8221;
<h4>Jay Who? Sunday Shows Ignore Virginia AG Scandal</h4>
When a text scandal plagued Attorney General-elect Jay Jones (D-VA) in October, legacy media outlets all but ignored it — a move that likely aided him in coasting past incumbent and Trump-ally Attorney General Jason Miyares (R-VA) in November.
After the scandal broke, the topic was only discussed on NBC&#8217;s &#8220;Meet the Press&#8221; — and even then, it was not the show&#8217;s host who made it a topic of discussion. Marc Short, who served as Former Vice President Mike Pence’s chief of staff, brought it up.
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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.”
Kristen Welker prompted Neera Tanden, who worked in the Biden White House, to then weigh in, and she almost immediately pivoted to suggest that Trump was worse.
“I mean, I absolutely think people should criticize that, 100%,” Tanden said. &#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.’”
Short mentioned the Jones scandal in light of so many Democrats engaged in a public meltdown over a few memes featuring House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) with a fake mustache and a sombrero.
Vice President JD Vance also pushed back on efforts to scuttle the story, 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;

President Trump Delivers Remarks In North Carolina

Spin Cycle: Five Times The Legacy Media, Trump Battled For Narrative Control In 2025

ABC News

CBS News

Donald Trump

Legacy Media

Media

NBC News

Politics

Legacy media hosts spent a good part of Sunday morning discussing the hundreds of thousands of pages of photos and documents — all related to the late convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein — that were released to the public on Friday.
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.
Nearly all of them were concerned that too much information had been redacted, and some were also complaining that the document dump — despite its volume — did not account for the remainder of the information that had been covered under the Epstein Transparency Act.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) — who can be counted among the majority of Democrats who exhibited zero interest in releasing the Epstein files when his party had control of the House, the Senate, and the White House — joined ABC News anchor Jonathan Karl on &#8220;This Week&#8221; to complain about the fact that not everything was released on Friday.
&#8220;I think there needs to be a full and complete explanation and then a full and complete investigation as to why the document production has fallen short of what the law clearly required,&#8221; he said.
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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries reacts to the partial release of the Epstein files: “I think there needs to be a full and complete explanation and then a full and complete investigation as to why the document production has fallen short of what the law clearly required.” <a href="https://t.co/edYpn3KR1k">pic.twitter.com/edYpn3KR1k</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/2002753628575015170?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) suggested that it was a mistake to release any of the files if they were not going to release everything at once: &#8220;Any kind of indication that there&#8217;s not a full reveal on this will just plague them for months and months more. So my suggestion would be, give up all the information, release it.&#8221;
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Sen. Paul calls the partial release of the Epstein files “a big mistake” for the administration: “Any kind of indication that there&#8217;s not a full reveal on this will just plague them for months and months more. So my suggestion would be, give up all the information, release it.” <a href="https://t.co/ezw1nuZJ40">pic.twitter.com/ezw1nuZJ40</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/2002766554379800837?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On CBS News, &#8220;Face the Nation&#8221; guest Reps. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Thomas Massie (R-KY) claimed that the Justice Department was &#8220;flouting the letter and the spirit of the law&#8221; with the Friday document dump because it was incomplete and because it was so heavily redacted.
&#8220;I won’t be satisfied until the survivors are satisfied,&#8221; Massie said.
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The Department of Justice is “flouting the spirit and the letter of the law” with its initial release of thousands of new records related to Jeffrey Epstein that include heavily-redacted pages, says Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY). He tells @margbrennnan the Trump administration’s… <a href="https://t.co/05MgVtIqrf">pic.twitter.com/05MgVtIqrf</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/2002811224153633040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;They sent a six-page memo to Congress and they cited pre-existing laws as reasons that they weren&#8217;t going to follow our law,&#8221; Massie added, claiming that he knew of a number of men accused of sex crimes related to Epstein whose names were not included in the released documents, and was unsure as to whether they&#8217;d ever be released.
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Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) says he has been told of at least 20 men accused of sex crimes known to the FBI related to Jeffrey Epstein, but tells <a href="https://twitter.com/margbrennan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@margbrennan</a> he didn’t see the names in the files the Justice Department has released so far and isn’t optimistic they’ll ever be… <a href="https://t.co/xInQWaxKOD">pic.twitter.com/xInQWaxKOD</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/2002812237052801150?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Khanna suggested that Congress could hold Attorney General Pam Bondi in contempt over the release, adding, &#8220;I believe we’re going to get bipartisan support in holding her accountable and a committee of Congress should determine whether these redactions are justified or not.&#8221;
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Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Ro Khanna (D-CA) say they’ll take action against the Trump administration for its partial release of the Epstein files, including using Congress’ inherent contempt powers against Attorney General Pam Bondi.
“I believe we’re going to get bipartisan… <a href="https://t.co/0kBoVdCA9V">pic.twitter.com/0kBoVdCA9V</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/2002812622324785652?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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One of the storylines a number of them fixated on came from early reports that suggested a number of the redactions were made to protect not just victims but people who were considered to be politically connected. This narrative picked up steam quickly as it was revealed that a handful of the photos that were released in Friday were quickly pulled down — a move that Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said was made out of concern that some of the women in the photos might need to have their identities redacted.
Of course, the fact that one of the photos appeared to include President Donald Trump quickly became media fodder as well, and host Margaret Brennan asked Khanna about that directly.
&#8220;I am less concerned about that photo,&#8221; Khanna said of the Trump photo. &#8220;I don&#8217;t know the facts. My concern is the major documents that we know are out there that haven&#8217;t been released.&#8221;
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When asked about 15 images being pulled down from the Justice Department&#8217;s Epstein files website, including a photo of a drawer with a picture of President Trump, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) says, “I am less concerned about that photo.”
“I don&#8217;t know the facts. My concern is the major… <a href="https://t.co/P3ivwYLeRu">pic.twitter.com/P3ivwYLeRu</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/2002813144784134144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On &#8220;Meet the Press,&#8221; NBC anchor Kristen Welker asked Deputy AG Todd Blanch directly about the Trump photo — and asked whether any of the redactions had been done because of potential embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity.&#8221;
Blanche&#8217;s reply was simple: &#8220;Absolutely, positively not.&#8221;
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NBC: Has anything in the Epstein Files been redacted on that basis of &#8217;embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity&#8217;?
Todd Blanche: &#8220;Absolutely, positively not.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/bwGtieJJgC">pic.twitter.com/bwGtieJJgC</a>
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) <a href="https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/2002749527623876652?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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And on CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union,&#8221; Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) — who also showed no interest in releasing the Epstein files until President Trump won reelection — said that he was ready to pull out all the stops in his effort to ensure the Trump administration was held accountable for failing to issue a full and complete release.
&#8220;Everything is on the table,&#8221; he said.
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Rep. Jamie Raskin: &#8220;Everything is on the table&#8221; to force DOJ to release all Epstein files <a href="https://t.co/cIYBzVrZjm">pic.twitter.com/cIYBzVrZjm</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/2002775268793241749?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Patrick McMullan Archives

Spin Cycle: The Epstein And [Redacted] Files

Alan Dershowitz

Ghislaine Maxwell

Jeffrey Epstein

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche pushed back on claims that any information had been redacted from the most recently-released trove of Epstein documents in order to protect certain politically-connected people — particularly President Donald Trump.
NBC anchor Kristen Welker posed the question directly during Blanche&#8217;s Sunday morning appearance on &#8220;Meet the Press,&#8221; asking whether anything in the massive trove of documents — released on Friday pursuant to the Epstein Transparency Act — had been redacted because of &#8220;embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity.&#8221;
WATCH:
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NBC: Has anything in the Epstein Files been redacted on that basis of &#8217;embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity&#8217;?<a href="https://twitter.com/DAGToddBlanche?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DAGToddBlanche</a>: &#8220;Absolutely, positively not.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/DT93hLwUcd">pic.twitter.com/DT93hLwUcd</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2002746994062692601?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Absolutely, positively not,&#8221; Blanche declared, adding that the only redactions made had been to protect known and potential victims, some of which only became known after some of the photos in the most recent batch were made public.
WATCH:
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/DAGToddBlanche?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DAGToddBlanche</a>: &#8220;The absurdity of us pulling down a photo — a single photo — because President Trump was in it is laughable, and the fact that everybody is trying to act like that&#8217;s the case is a reflection of their true motivation.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/9u7ZjgL4m7">pic.twitter.com/9u7ZjgL4m7</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2002748383073583449?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Welker asked then about a number of photos that were pulled down from the Justice Department website after the release on Friday, specifically referencing one that appeared to show a desk with a drawer open to reveal several photos — some of which featured President Trump — and asking why those photos had been removed.
Blanche once again stated that concerns were raised — after the photos were made public — about the women in the photos and whether or not their identities should have been protected. He went on to note that photos were not being redacted simply because Trump was in them — especially considering the fact that so many photos already existed of Trump in Epstein&#8217;s circles and no one was trying to hide those.
&#8220;The absurdity of us pulling down a photo — a single photo — because President Trump was in it is laughable, and the fact that everybody is trying to act like that&#8217;s the case is a reflection of their true motivation,&#8221; he said.

Justice Department Announces Federal Enforcement Action Against International Criminal Organization

Deputy AG Rejects Claims DOJ Redacted Epstein Docs To Protect Donald Trump

Department of Justice

Kristen Welker

The world reeled on Sunday with news of one deadly shooting at Rhode Island&#8217;s Brown University and another at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia — and somehow, Democrats tied both to President Donald Trump and American firearm policies.
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.
The two attacks, based on multiple reports, could not be more different aside from the method used to carry them out.
At Brown University, a masked gunman barged into a classroom where students were reviewing for an economics exam and opened fire, killing two and wounding several others. Initial reports stated that the suspect &#8220;shouted something&#8221; but it was not clear what. The suspect fled the scene, but local authorities and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fbis-patel-promises-all-out-24-7-campaign-to-deliver-justice-after-brown-university-shooting">FBI Director Kash Patel</a> announced that a &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/officials-detain-person-of-interest-in-deadly-brown-university-shooting">person of interest</a>&#8221; was apprehended within a matter of hours.
On the other side of the world, in Australia, at least two suspects opened fire on a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney&#8217;s Bondi Beach. They killed at least 15 and wounded others. One of the shooters was briefly interrupted when a civilian charged him, wrestled his firearm away, and then held him at gunpoint. He eventually was able to run to where he&#8217;d stashed another firearm, and immediately started shooting again.
In an interview with Ali Velshi that aired on MS NOW (formerly MSNBC), Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) addressed both shootings.
WATCH:
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Ilhan Omar asked about shoot*ngs at Brown and in Australia on MSNOW:
&#8220;It is a tragedy that this has become a normal occurrence not just in the United States&#8230;&#8221;
“…but now seeing it in Australia, who&#8217;s worked really hard to create gun prevention laws to prevent the kind of… <a href="https://t.co/oatZmnVUX5">pic.twitter.com/oatZmnVUX5</a>
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) <a href="https://twitter.com/WesternLensman/status/2000291864029839661?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;This is yet another bad day for America,&#8221; Velshi prompted.
&#8220;Yeah, we are still recovering from the shooting at Annunciation church,&#8221; Omar began, referencing a school shooting that had taken place just weeks earlier in her home state. &#8220;It is a tragedy that this has become a normal occurrence, not just in the United States but now seeing it in Australia who&#8217;s worked really hard to create gun prevention laws to prevent the kind of tragedy that took place today.&#8221;
Omar made no mention of the fact that the shooting in Australia had taken place in spite of that nation enacting the kind of restrictive gun laws that she and others within the Democratic Party would be only too happy to foist on the American people. She also gave no attention to the obvious motive in the Bondi Beach shooting, in which Australian Jews were targeted while celebrating Hanukkah together.
On CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union,&#8221; Senator <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senate-dem-wastes-no-time-blames-brown-shooting-on-donald-trump">Chris Murphy</a> (D-CT) laid the blame for the Brown University shooting at President Trump&#8217;s feet, claiming that he&#8217;d been engaging in an active &#8220;campaign&#8221; to promote more and more violence.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
In the wake of the Brown University shooting, Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy tells Dana Bash that President Trump &#8220;has been engaged in a pretty deliberate campaign to try to make violence more likely in this country.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/FSSbCqWrRo">pic.twitter.com/FSSbCqWrRo</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/2000272611067019336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;It’s not shocking, because over the last year, President Trump has been engaged in a dizzying campaign to increase violence in this country,” Murphy began, clearly insinuating that the Trump administration was encouraging violence.
“He’s restoring gun rights to felons and to people who have lost their ability to buy guns, he eliminated the White House Office of Gun Violence Protection, and he has stopped funding mental health grants and community anti-gun violence grants that Republicans and Democrats supported in that 2022 bill,” Murphy continued.
“He has been engaged in a pretty deliberate campaign to try to make violence more likely, and I think you’re unfortunately going to see the results of that on the streets of America,&#8221; he said.
Murphy was referencing a rule proposed by Trump&#8217;s Justice Department in July – a rule that would allow certain people with criminal records to have their Second Amendment rights restored, but only after they were evaluated to ensure that they did not actually pose a risk to others.
CNN anchor Dana Bash pressed Murphy on that assertion, saying, “That’s a pretty big statement, he’s in a campaign to make violence more likely?”
&#8220;Of course! I mean, he’s knowingly restoring gun rights to dangerous people. He is cutting off grants that have bipartisan support to try to interrupt violence in our cities, or to try to get necessary mental health resources to families and children in need,” Murphy claimed. “The evidence tells you that when you stop funding mental health, when you stop funding community anti-gun violence programs, when you give gun rights back to dangerous people, you are going to have increase in violence. That is knowable and that is foreseeable.&#8221;
On NBC&#8217;s &#8220;Meet the Press,&#8221; Senator Raphael Warnock — who also supports restrictive gun laws — weighed in on the Brown University shooting and suggested that it had occurred because legislators had not done enough to limit access to firearms.
WATCH:
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Any nation that tolerates violence like this year after year, decade after decade is broken and in need of moral repair. <a href="https://t.co/5q2d0rCZmG">pic.twitter.com/5q2d0rCZmG</a>
— Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (@SenatorWarnock) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenatorWarnock/status/2000288654241988745?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;We have to pray not only with our lips but with our actions,&#8221; Warnock told anchor Kristen Welker. &#8220;Any nation that tolerates this kind of violence year after year, decade after decade, in random places, on our college and school campuses, without doing all that we can to stop it is broken and in need of moral repair.&#8221;
Just hours earlier, Warnock made a similar comment in a post on X, saying, &#8220;Saddened by the tragic news of the shooting at Brown University. May God give peace to the parents and families of the victims, strength and courage to our country to do all we can to stem the awful scourge of gun violence.&#8221;

Spin Cycle: Dems Make Shootings Worldwide About Trump, American Policy

antisemitism

Australia

Gun Violence

Terrorism

Democrats and and their media surrogates have made it abundantly clear that they&#8217;re not going to let go of their chosen narrative surrounding War Secretary Pete Hegseth, Admiral Mitch Bradley, and how many strikes are necessary to neutralize the threat posed by Venezuelan narco-terrorists.
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 story that should have been on life-support by Sunday morning — published eight days earlier by The Washington Post — somehow still had legs. The initial story cited anonymous sources and described the scene that played out after SEAL Team 6 struck a boat that intelligence had identified as part of a drug-running operation.
According to the WaPo report, Hegseth issued a clear order: &#8220;Kill them all.&#8221; When the first strike left two survivors, the story alleged, a second order was given and another strike followed — this one taking out the remaining individuals on the scene.
What followed was a mad scramble for Democrats and media to take up the torch for those two survivors and give them the most sympathetic makeover possible. They were helpless, Democrats claimed, clinging to the wreckage of their boat and just hoping against hope that they might survive. Targeting unarmed survivors, they claimed, was nothing short of a war crime.
Over the following days, however, new reports added dimension to the story. ABC News anchor Martha Raddatz — who had helped sell the &#8220;helpless survivor&#8221; narrative just days earlier with &#8220;This Week&#8221; host Jonathan Karl — reported that the boat had apparently been disabled but not destroyed by the first strike. In addition, she cited sources who&#8217;d said the operators were in contact with the Judge Advocate General&#8217;s office in real time — and that because they&#8217;d believed the survivors were attempting to contact someone for help and salvage their illicit cargo, they were deemed lawful enemy combatants.
Still, the hosts of the Sunday morning shows brought in a whole new slate of guests, most of whom continued to hawk the war crimes narrative in any market where they believed it would fly.
On &#8220;This Week,&#8221; Rep. Adam Smith raised the question of land strikes in Venezuela, complaining that President Donald Trump&#8217;s administration — the War Department in particular — had not kept him and others in Congress in the loop.
&#8220;They have not kept us informed on this, they did not inform us of these strikes,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Rep. Adam Smith tells George Stephanopoulos that he has not been briefed on the possibility of land strikes in Venezuela. Referring to the Department of Defense, he said: “They have not kept us informed on this, they did not inform us of these strikes.” <a href="https://t.co/K7SoJZoCdk">pic.twitter.com/K7SoJZoCdk</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1997701054511632452?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Smith also called for the public release of video from the strike in question, claiming that President Donald Trump was trying to avoid doing so.
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Rep. Adam Smith calls for the release of the videos shown to lawmakers of U.S. strikes against one suspected drug boat on Sept. 2. <a href="https://t.co/AtDV1HPtg3">pic.twitter.com/AtDV1HPtg3</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1997698092397645930?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Following the release of the Inspector General&#8217;s report — regarding Hegseth&#8217;s use of the Signal messaging app to share information about a strike on Houthi terrorists — Smith also suggested that the War Secretary wasn&#8217;t taking the right approach: &#8220;It&#8217;s perfectly okay to look back at past actions and say, ‘Yeah, I didn&#8217;t do that right.'&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Rep. Adam Smith criticizes Sec. Hegseth’s response to the inspector general&#8217;s report on the alleged release of sensitive information on the Signal messaging app.
“It&#8217;s perfectly okay to look back at past actions and say, ‘Yeah, I didn&#8217;t do that right.’” <a href="https://t.co/eIjxnABn3b">pic.twitter.com/eIjxnABn3b</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1997682715890700594?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On CBS News, Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT) constructed what was supposed to look like a thought experiment, behind which he hid an attack on Admiral Bradley&#8217;s character.
&#8220;Anyone who has ever worked with Admiral Bradley will tell you that he has a storied career and that he is a man of deep, deep integrity. And frankly, I have no reason to doubt that,” Himes said before pivoting to wonder aloud whether Bradley might compromise that integrity under pressure. “What happens when an apparently good man like Admiral Bradley is placed in a context where he knows that if he countermands an order that he is perhaps uncomfortable with, it is very likely that he will be fired? It’s interesting to think about how a good man in that context maybe does something that if he weren’t in that context he might not do.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
On the alleged Venezuelan drug boat strikes, <a href="https://twitter.com/margbrennan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@margbrennan</a> asked Rep. <a href="https://twitter.com/jahimes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jahimes</a> (D-CT) if he has confidence in Admiral Bradley.
“Anyone who has ever worked with Admiral Bradley will tell you that he has a storied career and that he is a man of deep, deep integrity. And frankly, I… <a href="https://t.co/Lv7AhPQYa1">pic.twitter.com/Lv7AhPQYa1</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1997761860200771693?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Himes also claimed that the people on the boats were likely low-level drug runners, meaning that the cartel bosses were not necessarily feeling the sting.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Rep. <a href="https://twitter.com/jahimes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jahimes</a> (D-CT) tells <a href="https://twitter.com/margbrennan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@margbrennan</a> he does not believe all the identities of those on the alleged Venezuelan drug boats are known. He says the U.S. strikes are hitting low-level operatives, not high-ranking cartel leaders, leaving the top figures in comfortable villas while… <a href="https://t.co/fec6gEQjI5">pic.twitter.com/fec6gEQjI5</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1997763814524096587?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO) used back on &#8220;This Week,&#8221; however.
Democrats &#8220;have such X-ray vision and clairvoyance that they know the intentions of narco-terrorists on boats, yet were so blind to see that they had a President for four years that was operating as a vegetable&#8230; Forgive me if I&#8217;m a little skeptical,&#8221; he declared.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/SenEricSchmitt?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenEricSchmitt</a>: Democrats &#8220;have such X-ray vision and clairvoyance that they know the intentions of narco-terrorists on boats, yet were so blind to see that they had a President for four years that was operating as a vegetable&#8230; Forgive me if I&#8217;m a little skeptical.&#8221; 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/fgyMRbrnel">pic.twitter.com/fgyMRbrnel</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1997687852566737239?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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President Trump And Pete Hegseth Address U.S. Senior Military Leaders At Quantico

Spin Cycle: Media, Democrats Still Mad At Pete Hegseth For Doing His Job

Military

Pete Hegseth

The Washington Post ran with an anonymously-sourced <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/11/28/hegseth-kill-them-all-survivors-boat-strike/">hit piece</a> claiming that War Secretary Pete Hegseth had ordered Seal Team 6, when executing a strike against narco-terrorists in the Caribbean, to &#8220;kill them all&#8221; — and legacy media outlets fell all over themselves platforming guests who would question whether or not such an order, if given, was legal.
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.
Once the story began circulating on Saturday, Hegseth <a href="https://x.com/SecWar/status/1994552598142038358">addressed it directly</a>, saying, &#8220;As usual, the fake news is delivering more fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory reporting to discredit our incredible warriors fighting to protect the homeland.&#8221;
&#8220;As we’ve said from the beginning, and in every statement, these highly effective strikes are specifically intended to be &#8216;lethal, kinetic strikes.&#8217; The declared intent is to stop lethal drugs, destroy narco-boats, and kill the narco-terrorists who are poisoning the American people,&#8221; Hegseth continued. &#8220;Every trafficker we kill is affiliated with a Designated Terrorist Organization.&#8221;
The focus across media outlets was on what happened after the initial missile strike: operators watched a live feed that showed two survivors clinging to the wreckage of the boat. Then, according to The Washington Post&#8217;s report, a second strike was carried out in order to comply with the directive to &#8220;kill them all&#8221; — and the legality of that second strike in particular was where they focused the majority of the attention.
On ABC&#8217;s &#8220;This Week,&#8221; host <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/abc-personalities-run-with-wapo-hit-piece-on-hegseth-ignore-war-secs-response">Jonathan Karl</a> brought in global affairs correspondent Martha Raddatz to discuss the issue, and she questioned whether the second strike, reportedly carried out when the two survivors were not known to be an &#8220;imminent threat&#8221; might stand in violation of the &#8220;rules of war.&#8221;
&#8220;Did those two men clinging to the side of the boat pose an imminent threat?” she asked, and she wondered aloud whether the order to strike a second time had been given with the knowledge that survivors were hanging on for dear life, and whether the lawyers had been consulted about the legality of such a strike.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“Did those two men clinging to the side of the boat pose an imminent threat?”<a href="https://twitter.com/MarthaRaddatz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MarthaRaddatz</a> weighs in on the Washington Post reporting of a military strike that allegedly targeted two survivors in the Caribbean. <a href="https://t.co/qh5zs8hdWr">https://t.co/qh5zs8hdWr</a> <a href="https://t.co/alnukF1hlq">pic.twitter.com/alnukF1hlq</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1995139913990255102?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Karl then set up Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) with the framing of the second strike as a &#8220;war crime.&#8221; Van Hollen agreed that it would certainly be a &#8220;war crime,&#8221; but only if one accepted the Trump administration&#8217;s assertion that the United States was, in fact, at war with the cartels.
&#8220;But it could be worse than that. If that theory is wrong, then it&#8217;s plain murder,&#8221; he said. &#8220;But even if you accept their legal theory, then it is a war crime.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“I do believe that the Secretary of Defense should be held accountable for giving those kind of orders.”
Sen. Van Hollen comments on the Washington Post reporting of a military strike that allegedly targeted two survivors in the Caribbean. <a href="https://t.co/CeUj71b7jA">https://t.co/CeUj71b7jA</a> <a href="https://t.co/eqaL76Vd4o">pic.twitter.com/eqaL76Vd4o</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1995153144502767839?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) took the same position as Raddatz, arguing that he could not see how two men hanging onto wreckage in the water amounted to an &#8220;imminent threat.&#8221;
&#8220;It&#8217;s hard to believe that two people on a raft trying to survive would pose an imminent threat,&#8221; he said, but argued that he didn&#8217;t believe Hegseth would give an order to kill survivors after an initial strike.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Rep. Don Bacon on the Washington Post reporting of a military strike that allegedly targeted two survivors in the Caribbean: “It&#8217;s hard to believe that two people on a raft trying to survive would pose an imminent threat.” <a href="https://t.co/Nh3a5IomlB">https://t.co/Nh3a5IomlB</a> <a href="https://t.co/NmxgtniEnp">pic.twitter.com/NmxgtniEnp</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1995159073562509713?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On CBS&#8217;s &#8220;Face the Nation,&#8221; Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) argued that he was unsure of the legality of any of the strikes against narco-terrorists. &#8220;It’s time for Congress to rein in a president who is deciding to wage war on his own say so, which is not what the Constitution allows,&#8221; he said.
He also argued that a second strike &#8220;rises to the level of a war crime if it&#8217;s true.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) says the “shoddy” legal rationale the Trump administration provided Congress for its military strikes on alleged drug boats “was not at all persuasive that these are legal actions.”
“It’s time for Congress to rein in a president who is deciding to wage war… <a href="https://t.co/KrMKfTNhYb">pic.twitter.com/KrMKfTNhYb</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1995179682661081112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union,&#8221; Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) claimed that he would have disregarded the order to carry out the second strike.
&#8220;I&#8217;m a guy who — I have sunk two ships &#8230; during the first Gulf War,&#8221; Kelly said. &#8220;I never in that situation questioned whether those strikes were legal. We were given an order to do this, it was a time of war.&#8221;
Kelly went on to say that he, like Kaine, questioned the legality of the strikes from the start.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
BASH: You mentioned that you were a captain in the Navy. If you received that order, would you have carried it out? 
KELLY: No. No. <a href="https://t.co/CngXyLvL1f">pic.twitter.com/CngXyLvL1f</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1995155167302353331?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
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A second strike on top of that — particularly when the men in the water supposedly posed no immediate threat — would rise to the level of a &#8220;war crime,&#8221; Kelly said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Sen. Mark Kelly: U.S. military carrying out second strike on a suspected drug vessel killing unarmed survivors &#8220;seems to&#8221; constitute a war crime. <a href="https://t.co/eTJl19bVxm">pic.twitter.com/eTJl19bVxm</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1995155407535260011?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On Fox News&#8217; &#8220;Big Weekend Show,&#8221; however, Marine Corps veteran Joey Jones pushed back and argued that an “imminent threat” does not always have to come in the form of guns pointed at American citizens.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 Joey Jones just ended the left with one quote:
“Spare me the tears over terrorists when you don’t cry over Americans who’ve died from them. Spare me the tears over terrorists when you didn’t have anything to say when President Obama droned American citizens.”
🔥🔥🔥 <a href="https://t.co/6ISsgZkWzD">pic.twitter.com/6ISsgZkWzD</a>
— Gina Milan (@ginamilan_) <a href="https://twitter.com/ginamilan_/status/1994905288915521570?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Jones noted that if the survivors were able to radio others in their drug trafficking network, that could be just as grave a threat — and could also quickly result in men with guns showing up to defend them.

President Trump Attends Pentagon Ceremony On 24th Anniversary Of 9/11

Spin Cycle: WaPo Hit Piece Targets Pete Hegseth, And Legacy Outlets Fall In Line

narco-terrorism

Several elected Democrats got together to make a video last week in which they openly encouraged members of the United States military to take matters into their own hands and subvert their Commander in Chief – but the real problem, as far as legacy media outlets are concerned, is that President Donald Trump didn&#8217;t take it quietly.
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.
The media personalities and members of Congress who appeared across Sunday morning&#8217;s political talk shows spent the majority of their time discussing Trump&#8217;s reaction to a video that featured Democrats — who had previously served in either the military or the intelligence community — wanting current service members that they could, and should, disobey any order from Trump that was &#8220;unlawful.&#8221; And although the video was light on specifics, it was heavy on the obvious insinuation that Trump either had or would issue such an order.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrats-urge-military-to-disobey-orders-from-trump-admin-trigger-accusations-of-insurrection">Trump&#8217;s response</a> to the video was entirely predictable: he <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115582703277798715">lashed out</a> via his Truth Social platform, and the Democrats highlighted his reaction as proof that he might do exactly as they&#8217;d warned.
<blockquote>This is really bad, and Dangerous to our Country. Their words cannot be allowed to stand. SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR FROM TRAITORS!!! LOCK THEM UP??? SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!</blockquote>
Sens. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ), along with Reps. Chris Deluzio (D-PA), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), Maggie Goodlander (D-NH), and Jason Crow (D-CO), appeared in the video — and several of them made the rounds on Sunday morning to talk about Trump&#8217;s reaction.
On ABC&#8217;s &#8220;This Week,&#8221; host Martha Raddatz began with the fact that Slotkin had been on the receiving end of death threats — and she immediately interpreted that as a reaction to Trump&#8217;s social media posts rather than to Slotkin&#8217;s participation in a video that, by multiple accounts, actively encouraged insurrection.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Sen. Elissa Slotkin, who appeared in a video telling veterans and national security specialists to “refuse illegal orders,” responds to President Trump’s social media posts accusing her and others of “seditious behavior, punishable by death.” <a href="https://t.co/66zaLl3hl4">https://t.co/66zaLl3hl4</a> <a href="https://t.co/Evo4BpF5cE">pic.twitter.com/Evo4BpF5cE</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1992601694731993358?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
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When pressed, Slotkin did ultimately concede that Trump had not given an illegal order that she knew of — yet — but she maintained the warning was justified because the Trump administration&#8217;s actions against narco-terrorists had involved some degree of &#8220;legal gymnastics.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Sen. Slotkin tells Martha Raddatz that she is “not aware” of illegal orders made, but says that “there are some legal gymnastics that are going on” in the Trump administration’s recent moves in the Caribbean and Venezuela. <a href="https://t.co/0rBn756p75">https://t.co/0rBn756p75</a> <a href="https://t.co/eJMELd3Cx9">pic.twitter.com/eJMELd3Cx9</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1992606362124136570?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Raddatz pointed to a concern voiced by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who argued that making the video had been unwise: &#8220;You owe that to the men and women of the military to be specific about what you&#8217;re talking about &#8230; What theses senators and House members did was unnerving, and it was unconscionable to suggest that the President of the United States is issuing unlawful orders without giving an example.&#8221;
&#8220;It makes me incredibly nervous that we&#8217;re about to see people in law enforcement … get nervous, get stressed, shoot at American civilians,&#8221; Slotkin pushed back.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Sen. Slotkin says her “primary concern” is military use within the United States: “It makes me incredibly nervous that we&#8217;re about to see people in law enforcement … get nervous, get stressed, shoot at American civilians.” <a href="https://t.co/MFiqhccKmQ">https://t.co/MFiqhccKmQ</a> <a href="https://t.co/5UVWurZgi5">pic.twitter.com/5UVWurZgi5</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1992606620132499524?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO), an Army Ranger veteran, also got death threats and blamed President Trump on the CBS News Sunday morning staple &#8220;Face the Nation&#8221;: &#8220;It’s very disturbing stuff. When you have the President of the United States threatening to execute and to hang and to arrest using this rhetoric, people listen to it.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Rep. Jason Crow says he is taking “seriously” the “very disturbing” death and bomb threats he, his family, and his office have received in the wake of President Trump’s rhetoric over the video to U.S. troops some Democratic lawmakers released.
“It’s very disturbing stuff. When… <a href="https://t.co/u42HpdcVTq">pic.twitter.com/u42HpdcVTq</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1992644625698279426?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Crow defended the video by suggesting that even if an illegal order were to be issued, members of the military might not be ready to defy the Commander in Chief if Democrats did not take decisive action to groom them ahead of time.
&#8220;If we wait until the moment that he gives a manifestly unlawful order to a young soldier, then we have failed them. We have to start that conversation now and get people thinking about the distinction, which is what we did,&#8221; he explained.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“These, unfortunately, are some of Trump&#8217;s core supporters who are rallying behind the president, and they know better,” Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO) says of the video released by House Republicans countering the one released by Democratic lawmakers telling U.S. troops they can refuse… <a href="https://t.co/N5y49Ky3BO">pic.twitter.com/N5y49Ky3BO</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1992646525437333857?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) ignored the weight of his words — and the words of the others on the video — and claimed that Trump&#8217;s words attacking them carried such &#8220;weight&#8221; that he should hold his tongue.
&#8220;His words carry tremendous weight, more so than anybody else in the country, and he should know that,&#8221; Kelly said, also suggesting that Trump&#8217;s reaction to the video was the main concern.
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Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) says President Trump’s rhetoric in response to the Democratic lawmakers’ video to U.S. troops is “very serious,” arguing the president should “understand what political violence is.”
“His words carry tremendous weight, more so than anybody else in the… <a href="https://t.co/X3AVXTVvex">pic.twitter.com/X3AVXTVvex</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1992647577641066902?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) also pointed the finger at Trump, saying his words were, &#8220;reckless, inappropriate, irresponsible.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Republican Sen. Rand Paul condemns President Trump’s social media rhetoric over the Democratic lawmakers’ video to U.S. troops, calling it “reckless, inappropriate, irresponsible.”
“It’s not something that is helping the country heal wounds. I think it stirs things up, and… <a href="https://t.co/iGN6rs70rU">pic.twitter.com/iGN6rs70rU</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1992655240638677141?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On NBC&#8217;s &#8220;Meet the Press,&#8221; Kristen Welker pressed Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) — who was not a part of the video — on whether or not she knew of a specific &#8220;illegal&#8221; order.
Klobuchar&#8217;s reply was vague: &#8220;If [a National Guard] commander were to tell [troops], hey, go out on the streets and do this and that, that&#8217;s not following the order that is in law. So I just use that example.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Welker: &#8220;Do you know what the specific illegal acts are that your Democratic colleagues were referring to?&#8221;
Klobuchar: &#8220;If [a National Guard] commander were to tell [troops], hey, go out on the streets and do this and that, that&#8217;s not following the order that is in law. So I… <a href="https://t.co/viCkHoAxMJ">https://t.co/viCkHoAxMJ</a> <a href="https://t.co/Qht2S09sNg">pic.twitter.com/Qht2S09sNg</a>
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) <a href="https://twitter.com/WesternLensman/status/1992703489378586890?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Spin Cycle: Democrats Calling For An Insurrection Wasn’t A Problem Until Trump Didn’t Like It

Spin Cycle: Democrats Calling For An Insurrection Wasn't A Problem Until Trump Didn't Like It

Democrats

insurrection

A handful of Republicans have broken with President Donald Trump on whether or not to release files related to the late convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein — so naturally, they were the ones who got most of the airtime on Sunday morning&#8217;s 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.
Two of the loudest Republican voices with regard to releasing the files, a move largely opposed by the White House, are Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) — and as an added bonus, Trump had trashed both in insult-riddled social media posts just one day earlier. Massie appeared on ABC&#8217;s &#8220;This Week&#8221; to discuss the situation, and Greene sat down with &#8220;State of the Union&#8221; anchor Dana Bash on CNN. The remaining airtime was largely filled with Democrats who, despite having zero interest in releasing the files when former President Joe Biden was in office, have been flooding the zone with demands that they be made public immediately.
On &#8220;This Week,&#8221; even the framing of the story was presented as an attack on President Trump. His call for Epstein&#8217;s ties to former President Bill Clinton were portrayed as a deflection at best and political retribution at worst — and Attorney General Pam Bondi was painted as an obedient lapdog rather than a public official doing her job. The only people whose comments on the issue were presented were Democrats or Republicans who viewed that investigation as politically motivated.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The release of thousands of documents from Jeffrey Epstein&#8217;s estate is sparking questions about the sex offender’s relationship with President Trump. <a href="https://twitter.com/marykbruce?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@marykbruce</a> reports on the president’s response and pushback from longtime ally, Rep. Taylor Greene. <a href="https://t.co/g76EssDMR5">https://t.co/g76EssDMR5</a> <a href="https://t.co/9egecaZObI">pic.twitter.com/9egecaZObI</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1990065870609993949?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Massie joined host Jonathan Karl to discuss whether or not the issue would even get a vote in the Senate, and Massie suggested that absent a vote called by Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), senators could potentially force a vote by attaching the matter as an amendment to an unrelated bill.
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“I just hope John Thune will do the right thing.”
After championing a House vote, Rep. Thomas Massie tells <a href="https://twitter.com/jonkarl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jonkarl</a> there are “other ways” the release of the Epstein files can be brought up for a vote in the Senate. <a href="https://t.co/DVClWBcAj0">https://t.co/DVClWBcAj0</a> <a href="https://t.co/V3uM3PvQwK">pic.twitter.com/V3uM3PvQwK</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1990069136223805484?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Massie went on to say that he didn&#8217;t expect to see Donald Trump implicated by the release of the files, but that he would not be surprised to learn that the president was protecting people who might be. &#8220;I’ve never said these documents will implicate Donald Trump. I think he’s trying to protect a bunch of rich and powerful friends,&#8221; he said.
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Rep. Massie says that he expects a “deluge” of House Republicans will vote to compel the release of the Epstein files: “I’ve never said these documents will implicate Donald Trump. I think he’s trying to protect a bunch of rich and powerful friends.” <a href="https://t.co/DVClWBcAj0">https://t.co/DVClWBcAj0</a> <a href="https://t.co/fPhMYOYabf">pic.twitter.com/fPhMYOYabf</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1990069219791085663?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) took the opposite approach, telling Karl that he absolutely expected to see Trump &#8220;seriously implicated&#8221; when the files were released. &#8220;This is most likely the biggest corruption scandal in the history of the country,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“This is most likely the biggest corruption scandal in the history of the country.”
Sen. Murphy says that he believes President Trump is “seriously implicated” in the Epstein files, as the WH said that Epstein&#8217;s emails &#8220;prove absolutely nothing.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/jFXObPLHp1">https://t.co/jFXObPLHp1</a> <a href="https://t.co/JYCnKHSjwj">pic.twitter.com/JYCnKHSjwj</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1990078895178027281?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On CBS News, &#8220;Face the Nation&#8221; host Margaret Brennan spoke with Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) – and he argued that the House should just vote to release the files and &#8220;get it over with.&#8221;
&#8220;Let’s rip the Band-Aid off and get it done. And I wish the president realized that. The more the White House pushes back on this, it just looks bad,&#8221; he said, arguing that Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) — who has opposed voting to release the files — &#8220;realizes the train has left the station on this.&#8221;
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On the push to release the Epstein files, Republican Rep. Don Bacon says he thinks Speaker Johnson “realizes the train has left the station on this.”
“Let’s rip the Band-Aid off and get it done. And I wish the president realized that. The more the White House pushes back on… <a href="https://t.co/z4wr1N2zqf">pic.twitter.com/z4wr1N2zqf</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1990106814684254382?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On NBC&#8217;s &#8220;Meet the Press,&#8221; Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) told host Kristen Welker that it was past time to release the files. He was far less concerned with having them made public just one year ago when Donald Trump was not the president.
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/kwelkernbc?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kwelkernbc</a>. The Epstein class needs to go.<a href="https://twitter.com/RepThomasMassie?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepThomasMassie</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/mtgreenee?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mtgreenee</a> are standing on Tuesday with survivors.
The vote is standing with forgotten Americans or the Epstein class. <a href="https://t.co/NNVhiRfhGw">pic.twitter.com/NNVhiRfhGw</a>
— Ro Khanna (@RoKhanna) <a href="https://twitter.com/RoKhanna/status/1990089764653985976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
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And on CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union,&#8221; Greene told anchor Dana Bash that her support for releasing the files was what had led to Trump&#8217;s very public attacks on her — up to his Saturday Truth Social posts withdrawing his endorsement of her and threatening to support a primary against her.
&#8220;Unfortunately, it has all come down to the Epstein files, and that is shocking,&#8221; she said. &#8220;I have no idea what&#8217;s in the files. I can&#8217;t even guess. But that is the question everyone is asking, is, why fight this so hard?&#8221;
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Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene on why Trump is severing ties with her:
&#8220;Unfortunately, it has all come down to the Epstein files, and that is shocking&#8230; I have no idea what&#8217;s in the files. I can&#8217;t even guess. But that is the question everyone is asking, is, why fight this so… <a href="https://t.co/lpepWLaBJO">pic.twitter.com/lpepWLaBJO</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1990096353788133671?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Despite the accusations made against Trump — primarily by Democrats — the people closest to Epstein have all claimed that Trump would not be implicated in any wrongdoing related to his relationship with Epstein. Convicted trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell and late victim Virginia Giuffre both said under oath that Trump was not involved in anything illegal with regard to Epstein. In addition, Harvard professor emeritus — and Epstein&#8217;s former attorney — Alan Dershowitz has also denied Trump&#8217;s involvement in anything illegal.

Jeffrey Epstein/Donald Trump

Spin Cycle: The Epstein Files Ride Again

Democrats and media talking heads have voiced their opposition, on multiple occasions, to President Donald Trump&#8217;s efforts to prevent narco-terrorists — by whatever means necessary — from continuing to flood the United States with fentanyl and other drugs.
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.
The federal government has been shut down for nearly one full month — and although Democrats have done their best to reassure the public that the blame for that lies with Republicans, the fact remains that Democrats are the ones refusing to accept a clean continuing resolution that would reopen the government or even vote on a measure that would make sure military service members continue to receive pay.
And while some of the conversation on the Sunday morning talk shows was focused on the shutdown and how to bring it to an end, a lot was also focused on Trump&#8217;s efforts to take out drug runners before they were able to reach the United States.
On ABC&#8217;s &#8220;Meet the Press,&#8221; Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) said that recent strikes on boats that reportedly contained drugs and were headed toward the United States were, at best, &#8220;questionable.&#8221;
&#8220;The White House and the Department of Defense could not give us a logical explanation on how this is legal,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Sen. Mark Kelly tells <a href="https://twitter.com/MarthaRaddatz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MarthaRaddatz</a> that the U.S. military&#8217;s recent strike on an alleged Venezuelan drug boat is &#8220;questionable.&#8221;
&#8220;The White House and the Department of Defense could not give us a logical explanation on how this is legal.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/c5ou1EVNTV">https://t.co/c5ou1EVNTV</a> <a href="https://t.co/EVP53aCZfd">pic.twitter.com/EVP53aCZfd</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1982459545478709337?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) supported President Trump&#8217;s actions, telling host Margaret Brennan on CBS News&#8217; &#8220;Face the Nation&#8221; that he believed Trump was acting well within his authority to strike the boats carrying drugs and traffickers.
He went on to tell Brennan that he saw it as &#8220;a real possibility&#8221; that Trump would also authorize strikes on land in Venezuela in order to stop the flow of drugs into the United States. Graham said that he expected the president to brief Congress about his next moves, adding, &#8220;I support that idea. But I think he has all the authority he needs.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
U.S. land strikes on Venezuela are “a real possibility,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) says, telling <a href="https://twitter.com/margbrennan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@margbrennan</a> President Trump plans to brief Congress about potentially expanding the U.S. military operations “from the sea to the land.”
“I support that idea. But I think he has… <a href="https://t.co/q7iBG7D0H7">pic.twitter.com/q7iBG7D0H7</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1982479665525613037?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Graham also responded to criticisms of Trump from within the Republican Party — namely from Senators Rand Paul (R-KY) and James Lankford (R-OK) — telling Brennan, &#8220;Rand Paul, I just fundamentally disagree with. To the other senators, you deserve more information and you&#8217;re going to get more information. But there is no requirement for Congress to declare war before the commander-in-chief can use force.&#8221;
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Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is pushing back against criticism by Democrats and some Republicans, including Sens. Rand Paul and James Lankford, that the Trump administration is not providing enough information to Congress about its strikes on alleged drug boats off the coast of… <a href="https://t.co/KjrqzPW36x">pic.twitter.com/KjrqzPW36x</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1982480379844931876?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;It’s time for Maduro to go. I hope Maduro would leave peacefully, but I don&#8217;t think he&#8217;s going to stay around much longer,&#8221; Graham added. &#8220;The game is changing when it comes to drug traffickers and drug cartels. We&#8217;re going to use military force like we have in the past to protect our country &#8230; And if I were Maduro, I&#8217;d find a way to leave before heat goes down.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
On the U.S. potentially expanding its operations to on the ground inside Venezuela and whether that would include U.S. troops, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) says “It’s time for Maduro to go. I hope Maduro would leave peacefully, but I don&#8217;t think he&#8217;s going to stay around much… <a href="https://t.co/42tYbYWOrE">pic.twitter.com/42tYbYWOrE</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1982483129349861497?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On NBC&#8217;s &#8220;Meet the Press,&#8221; Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) referred to the targeted strikes as &#8220;sanctioned murder.&#8221; He told host Kristen Welker, &#8220;This is murder. It&#8217;s sanctioned murder that he is doing.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Sen. Ruben Gallego on the strikes on drug boats: &#8220;This is murder. It&#8217;s sanctioned murder that he is doing.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/n4i9WWj9RA">pic.twitter.com/n4i9WWj9RA</a>
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) <a href="https://twitter.com/TPostMillennial/status/1982549544182374444?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Gallego claimed that a declaration of war would be necessary if Trump planned to continue to target such boats.
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Trump is blasting Venezuelan ships out of the water to make himself feel tough.
Either send the Coast Guard onto these ships or come to Congress for a declaration of war. Plain and simple. <a href="https://t.co/7zZ5td7RLz">pic.twitter.com/7zZ5td7RLz</a>
— Senator Ruben Gallego (@SenRubenGallego) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenRubenGallego/status/1982497980725838112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Meanwhile, as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Welker on &#8220;Meet the Press,&#8221; Democrats&#8217; refusal to put an end to the shutdown are starting to cause real problems: &#8220;Chuck Schumer is trading off his polls. What&#8217;s different than when he passed a clean CR in the spring? It&#8217;s his polls &#8230; We&#8217;re starting to eat into muscle here &#8230; I don&#8217;t know what the purpose is. I&#8217;m not sure they do.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8220;Chuck Schumer is trading off his polls. What&#8217;s different than when he passed a clean CR in the spring? It&#8217;s his polls,&#8221; says <a href="https://twitter.com/SecScottBessent?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecScottBessent</a> on the Democrat Shutdown.
&#8220;We&#8217;re starting to eat into muscle here&#8230; I don&#8217;t know what the purpose is. I&#8217;m not sure they do.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/Bt0ej6d8yF">pic.twitter.com/Bt0ej6d8yF</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1982443342110613889?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Spin Cycle: The War On Trump’s War On Drugs

Spin Cycle: The War On Trump's War On Drugs

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:
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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.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
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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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;
Join us now during our exclusive Deal of the Decade. Get everything for $7 a month. Not as fans. As fighters. Go to <a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/" data-sk="tooltip_parent">DailyWire.com/Subscribe</a> to join now.
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.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
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>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#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.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
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?

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

MSNBC

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