Democrat gubernatorial candidate Mikie Sherrill said she would push for New Jersey classrooms to mandate LGBTQ curriculum with no parental opt-out if she were to become governor.
Sherrill made the comments during a primary debate in May, but the controversial remarks have resurfaced in the days leading up to the New Jersey gubernatorial election between Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciattarelli on November 4.
“I believe that parents have the right to oversee their children’s education,” Sherrill said. “I would push an LGBTQ education into our schools. Parents have a right to opt out of a lot of things, but this is not an area where they should be opting out, because this is an area of understanding the background of people throughout our nation.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Mikie Sherrill says children should have to learn LGBT curriculum and parents should not be able to opt-out their children.
This is deranged. Sherrill wants to push gender ideology onto your kids.
Vote Jack Ciattarelli.<a href="https://t.co/pUdvIRzOpe">pic.twitter.com/pUdvIRzOpe</a>
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) <a href="https://twitter.com/Bubblebathgirl/status/1983398182341226801?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
Notably, Sherrill has also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/top-nj-political-arm-backing-dem-gov-candidate-hosts-woke-drag-event-for-teachers">refused to condemn</a> the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) for its promotion of woke drag culture inside the classroom for state public school educators. The story was first covered by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/top-nj-political-arm-backing-dem-gov-candidate-hosts-woke-drag-event-for-teachers">The Daily Wire</a> on Monday.
The NJEA is behind one of the <a href="https://elec.nj.gov/pdffiles/elec_tronic/elec_tronic_2025/elec_tronic_issue183_042025.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">top-spending</a> political groups in the state and strongly endorsed Sherrill last month. In the days following the election, the NJEA is set to host an event to celebrate “the vibrant world of drag” for public school teachers.
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The event, called “<a href="https://njeaconvention.njea.org/njea-consortium/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Drag is not a Crime: The Past, Present, and Future of Drag</a>,” is part of the NJEA Consortium <a href="https://learning.njea.org/consortium/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">program</a>, an initiative to boost diversity, equity, and inclusion, with a focus on minority communities in K-12 classrooms across New Jersey.
The Ciattarelli campaign, however, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/top-nj-political-arm-backing-dem-gov-candidate-hosts-woke-drag-event-for-teachers">told</a> The Daily Wire that the NJEA and Sherrill don’t care about education and teachers. “Drag might not be a crime, but looking the other way while 80% of third graders in some of New Jersey’s schools can’t read at grade level should be,” a campaign strategist for Ciattarelli said.
“The NJEA and far-left politicians like Mikie Sherrill could care less about education or teachers,” the statement continued. “The NJEA’s core mission is preserving political power, pushing an extreme ‘woke’ agenda on young children, and propping up out-of-touch politicians like Mikie Sherrill who vote against parental rights.”
“When Jack Ciattarelli is Governor, parents are back in charge and the NJEA is in timeout,” the strategist added.
Ciattarelli responded to the report on X, too, posting, &#8220;I’m all about live and let live, but why are drag queens a featured event at a public school teacher’s conference and what does it have to do with educating our children?! This is Mikie Sherrill’s NJ, not mine.&#8221;
&#8220;When I’m Governor, we’re getting back to the basics in our public school curriculum, leaving all this other subject matter to the kitchen table where it belongs &#8211; where parents can decide if and when to discuss with their children,&#8221; he added. &#8220;It’s time!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
New Jersey’s <a href="https://twitter.com/Jack4NJ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Jack4NJ</a> reacts to our <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDailyWire</a> story from Monday, on <a href="https://twitter.com/MikieSherrill?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MikieSherrill</a>’s largest donor the NJEA hosting a DRAG event for teachers two days after the election.
The election is in less than a week.
Read it here: <a href="https://t.co/NtZOxgDigX">https://t.co/NtZOxgDigX</a> <a href="https://t.co/2p0oYbbEVW">pic.twitter.com/2p0oYbbEVW</a>
— Brent Scher (@BrentScher) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrentScher/status/1983724711021551989?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
The race between Sherrill and Ciattarelli has only tightened in the days leading up the election, with some polls showing a statistical tie.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/top-nj-political-arm-backing-dem-gov-candidate-hosts-woke-drag-event-for-teachers">NJ’s Top Teacher Union, A Massive Donor To Mikie Sherrill, Set To Host Woke Drag Event For Teachers</a>

Screenshot 2025-10-30 at 2.59.44 PM

Dem Gov Candidate Mikie Sherrill Says She’d Mandate LGBTQ Content In NJ Classrooms

Democratic Party

Elections

LGBTQ

New Jersey

Politics

The New Jersey gubernatorial race is in its closing days, and Republican activist Scott Presler is optimistic that the state could go red.
Republican Jack Ciattarelli is running against Democratic Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill in the race to succeed outgoing Democratic Governor Phil Murphy. Presler, who rose to national attention for his efforts to flip Pennsylvania for President Donald Trump in 2024, is deploying a “21-county strategy,” trying to boost turnout in heavily-Republican districts and Democrat strongholds alike.
“This is an economic election,&#8221; Presler told The Daily Wire. &#8220;The voters of New Jersey are being crushed by property taxes. They’re being crushed by electricity taxes.&#8221;
Presler noted that, while much of this cycle&#8217;s focus has been on the Virginia gubernatorial election and New York City mayoral race, New Jersey has come into focus in the waning days of the campaign as Americans realize a Republican may take the governor&#8217;s mansion.
&#8220;Democrats are finally realizing Jack is poised to become the next governor,&#8221; Presler said. &#8220;I think the thing that is different as well is the national attention New Jersey is getting that it really wasn’t getting months ago when were were banging on every door and shouting to people, New Jersey is 100% in play.&#8221;
“I think other people are really starting to pick up on that and realize Jack has a real shot at winning this November, so there’s a lot more national attention than there was.&#8221;
A recent poll shows Sherrill is up by just one point, and it’s considered a statistical tie, <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/new-poll-shows-jack-ciattarelli-mikie-sherrill-statistically-tied-10947620">Newsweek</a> reported.
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In 2021, Murphy won re-election with just over 51% of the vote. Ciattarelli won 48% of the vote that year.
Presler has high hopes for Ciattarelli. But he&#8217;s already looking at the next race — and thinks New Jersey could be the start of a nationwide trend.
&#8220;I am looking at this race really in a nationwide kind of scale,&#8221; he said. &#8220;When we flip the New Jersey governorship from blue to red, it’s going to give other blue states permission to elect Republican governors.&#8221;
Presler mentioned Oregon, where former Republican gubernatorial nominee Christine Drazan just announced a new bid for the state&#8217;s top job. But that&#8217;s not all.
“I’m looking at Oregon. I’m looking at Washington State. I’m looking at New Mexico,&#8221; Presler said. &#8220;Even New England.&#8221;

US-POLITICS-CONVENTION-ELECTION

‘New Jersey Is 100% In Play’: Scott Presler On The Cycle’s Most Interesting Election

2025 elections

Jack Ciattarelli

mikie sherrill

President Donald Trump emphasized his support for Virginia gubernatorial nominee Winsome Earle-Sears and other Republicans on the ballot in a fast-approaching election day.
“I think the Republican candidate is very good, and I think she should win because the Democrat candidate’s a disaster,” Trump said Sunday on Air Force One regarding Earle-Sears, Virginia&#8217;s Lieutenant Governor and the Republican candidate facing off against former Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat.
Before Sunday, Trump had not explicitly endorsed Earle-Sears, who is in a tight race against Spanberger to succeed incumbent Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin. Youngkin, who is term-limited, defeated former Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe in 2021.
“Thank you for your kind words of support, President Trump. And you&#8217;re right—Abigail would be a disaster for Virginia,” Earle-Sears posted to X on Monday morning.
“I haven’t been too much involved in Virginia,&#8221; Trump said on Sunday. &#8220;I love the state. I did very well in the state, but I will tell you, I think the Republican candidate is excellent and I think the Democrat candidate is a disaster. I mean, I watched her in the debate, she couldn’t answer the most basic question.
Trump went on to say that &#8220;the big thing with that race and also the race in New Jersey is going to be energy.&#8221;
“Both of the Democrats are going to drive the energy prices through the roof,” he continued.
That&#8217;s a reference to Spanberger and Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill, who is facing off against Republican Jack Ciattarelli to succeed New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, a Democrat.
Energy policy, particularly utility costs, has emerged as a hot topic in both states, largely due to policy debates over energy as well as the rise in data centers, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/data-centers-utility-costs-sleeper-issue-jersey-virginia-elections-rcna235401" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBC News</a> reported. <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/5557619-electricity-prices-power-bills-new-jersey-governor-race-2026-midterms/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Hill</a> reported that the rise in electricity costs for New Jerseyans has left both candidates discussing the issue.
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Virginia and New Jersey have the only two gubernatorial races in 2025. Both states go to the polls on November 4. Trump endorsed Ciattarelli, a businessman and former New Jersey state representative, during the primary in May.
“Jack Ciattarelli is a terrific America First Candidate running to be the next Governor of a State that I love, NEW JERSEY!” the president posted to Truth Social at the time.
“Jack, who after getting to know and understand MAGA, has gone ALL IN, and is now 100% (PLUS!). He is strongly supported by the most Highly Respected Leaders in New Jersey and, as your next Governor, Jack Ciattarelli will work closely with me and the Trump Administration to advance our America First Agenda,” he continued. 
Ciattarelli is up against Rep. Mikie Sherrill in the gubernatorial race, as Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy is termed out. Murphy and Ciattarelli ran against each other in 2021, in which Murphy won with just over 51% of the vote compared with the Republican’s 48%.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris won both New Jersey and Virginia during the 2024 election, but Trump won just over 46% of the vote in both states.

Glenn Youngkin Campaign Holds Election Night Event

Trump Boosts Winsome Earle-Sears, New Jersey Republicans As Election Day Nears

abigial spanberger

viriginia

Winsome Sears

It has never been said “So goes New Jersey, so goes the nation.” But next month’s gubernatorial election here between Democrat Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill and Republican former State Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli may indeed be a bellwether regarding how the midterms will play out next year.
This is an interesting state. If not solidly blue, it has certainly pitched its tents in the blue camp more often than not. The last ostensible Republican to sit in the governor’s residence of Drumthwacket was the rather pathetic and Trump-deranged Chris Christie — who has since made a career currying favor with left-wing media as their token “Republican.”
Next month voters in the Garden State will have a clear choice as there are genuine challenges facing whoever wins the race.
First off, it is an expensive proposition to both live and run a business in New Jersey. The median price of a single-family home here is $580,000, up 3.5% year-on-year and over 60% in five years. Property taxes on these homes can run you north of $13,000/year. Although this is a strain on finances, in the past we could at least turn to excellent schools as a demonstration of getting a bang for our buck. I personally put two kids through the entire public school system where I live from K-12 and was more than satisfied with the quality of their education (a few spasms of wokeness along the way notwithstanding). But in the past ten years New Jersey has tumbled from having the overall second-highest rated public schools in the country to twelfth. So, what then are we getting for shelling out property taxes — which for many homeowners here is tantamount to a second mortgage — that seem to go up 2% per year like clockwork?
Utility bills are another point of contention. In 2020 the average New Jersey household (median is harder to locate) paid a little over $91/month. As of mid-2025 the number has risen to $162/month. A 78% increase. Increased demand certainly has played a part as data centers, particularly for AI, have a voracious appetite for electricity … this at the same time Democrats have been trying to push consumers into EVs and using electricity as opposed to fossil fuels. Indeed, New Jersey has aggressive clean energy and decarbonization goals. While those are meant to reduce emissions in the long run, in the short run they can introduce costs — e.g. retiring fossil plants, investing in transmission upgrades, subsidies or mandates for renewables, and constraints on new fossil generation. 
 
The New Jersey Democrat Party&#8217;s platform supports &#8220;reducing fossil fuel dependence, expanding renewable energy, and protecting residents from its impacts.&#8221; Our current governor, Phil Murphy, has proposed a &#8220;100% clean energy goal&#8221; and has pushed &#8220;renewable energy&#8221; legislation.
<div id="attachment_988403" style="width: 778px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-988403" class="wp-image-988403 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2213896301-768x576.jpg" alt="RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - MAY 10: Jack Ciattarelli and Matt Servitto attend 2025 Paisan Con at The Williams Center on May 10, 2025 in Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Bobby Bank/Getty Images)" width="768" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2213896301-768x576.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2213896301-300x225.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2213896301.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" />RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY &#8211; MAY 10: Jack Ciattarelli and Matt Servitto attend 2025 Paisan Con at The Williams Center on May 10, 2025 in Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Bobby Bank/Getty Images)</div>
New Jersey also has among the highest individual income tax rates in the nation. At 10.8% for the states’ highest earners, it is only superseded by California, Hawaii, and New York. Ciattarelli proposes lowering the top-tier income tax rate to 5% as well as capping property taxes at a percentage of a home’s assessed value. He has also pledged to lower business taxes from 11.5% to 5% and make the first $100,000 in small business income tax-exempt. Businesses are leaving. And, to be frank, but for personal reasons keeping me here, I’d have moved my fund out of this state to more business-friendly environs (not coincidentally red states) years ago. I am not the only one. Of course, it will cost you 2% to leave the state if you sell your home … they get you coming and going here.
Then there are the costs of auto insurance, third highest in the country, and healthcare, which run 15%-20% over the national average. It goes on and on &#8230; and the middle class continues to get squeezed. 
 
Gov. Murphy, a Goldman Sachs alumnus, need not worry about these matters of course. But these are issues that New Jersey residents feel every day, every time the latest utility bill or property tax assessment comes in the mail. Issues that Sherrill especially, pitching for the incumbent party, must address. (Her most sensible policy proposal I have seen is an idea to combine school districts to reduce redundant costs. But she needs more.) Yet, when pressed directly in two separate debates whether she plans to raise taxes, she could not give a straight answer.
And that is part of Sherrill’s problem. She seems unable to answer questions in a manner akin to Kamala Harris, master chef at the word salad bar. In a May 4 interview with CBS New York’s Marcia Kramer, the congresswoman was asked what law she’d like to enact on day one if she became governor. The way Sherrill looked at Kramer you would have thought the woman asked her to tell the world her social security number and ATM pin code. “I would love — that’s a really good question, ‘cause there’s so many that are coming to mind right now.” After stalling for about 18 seconds, she finally offered a meek pitch for a federal block grant program to help the state with “key programs” including ones in the “health care area”. (A less friendly interviewer might have followed up by informing the congresswoman that she would have no control over such grants as governor.)
Sherrill is pushing the “girl boss” motif, leaning on her experience as a Naval aviator to offer a veneer of toughness to resist those who have driven out some of the state’s most valuable taxpayers and businesses. But the last time the GOP held a majority in either chamber of the New Jersey Legislature was 35 years ago. New Jersey is a Democrat-controlled state. So, what policies do we need her to defend us against? Her own party’s?
<div id="attachment_988401" style="width: 877px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-988401" class="wp-image-988401 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2240039071-867x576.jpg" alt="CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY - OCTOBER 11: New Jersey Democratic gubernatorial nominee Mikie Sherrill tours the USS Battleship New Jersey as part of a campaign stop on October 11, 2025 in Camden, New Jersey. Sherrill is set to square off against Republican nominee Jack Ciattarelli on November 4 for the position as New Jersey's 57th governor. (Photo by Matthew Hatcher/Getty Images)" width="867" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2240039071-867x576.jpg 867w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2240039071-300x199.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2240039071-768x510.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2240039071.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 867px) 100vw, 867px" />CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY &#8211; OCTOBER 11: New Jersey Democratic gubernatorial nominee Mikie Sherrill tours the USS Battleship New Jersey. (Photo by Matthew Hatcher/Getty Images)</div>
And this stain of de facto incumbency is about more than just party. Sherrill appears to be a graduate of the Nancy Pelosi School of Investing. Estimates vary, but her net worth, now roughly $10 million, grew significantly after she was elected to Congress. Ciattarelli has pounced on that, accusing her publicly of insider trading; she did indeed trade defense stocks while sitting on the House Armed Services Committee. Sherrill’s response to this accusation should be of little comfort to a DNC wishing to put behind them Hillary’s smug deflection of questions about wiping her private server clean (“you mean with a cloth?”) or Kamala’s “I haven’t been to Europe” debacle. Said Sherrill, “It’s not as if I go sit on the House Armed Services Committee and suddenly, I’m trading Boeing or something.” She was, in fact, fined for a reporting violation (not insider trading). Sherrill appears to be, to put it bluntly, another self-enriching DC “swamp” creature.
With that said, Ciattarelli certainly has some hurdles before him. He is running as a Republican in a state that has not voted Republican for President since 1988. Nor does New Jersey tend to vote for a GOP governor if there is also a Republican in the White House. But he also has some things in his favor. Locally, Murphy is finishing his second term, and not since 1965 has New Jersey given Democrats three gubernatorial terms in a row.
Sherrill has been trying to tap into the undercurrent of TDS I often see manifested in otherwise rational and intelligent people here by linking him to Trump. But how effective is that in 2025? As Ciattarelli has said: “The president has nothing to do with high property taxes or energy prices.” New Jerseyans may accept that. In 2016 and 2020 Donald Trump received 41% of the vote here. Last November that number climbed to 46%. And given the double-whammy of Trump’s successes so far — closing the border, ending wars, record-high stock markets, clamping down on urban crime, etc. — as well as the Democrat Party literally polling the lowest in a generation, it is no wonder that Democrats are looking to the New Jersey race with considerable disquiet.
Another, if anecdotal, bit of encouragement for Ciattarelli is that in my three decades in the Garden State I&#8217;ve noticed New Jerseyans are able to separate local and national politics. As one example from my own town, we had an off-year election in 2023 for four of the eight Town Council seats. Prior to then the make-up was seven Democrats and one Republican. After the election it was three Democrats, five Republicans. A GOP sweep. And this is in a zip code that nevertheless went 68% for Harris just a year later.
As with past elections, Democrats may be too reliant on optimistic polls, which consistently show Sherrill ahead. Even so, there are ominous signs in the numbers. The latest from Quinnipiac puts her at just 50% to Ciattarelli’s 44%. But as I have discussed with fellow conservatives in my town, no pollster ever calls us … or if they do we tend to not engage. It should be noted that a Rutgers-Eagleton poll in October 2024, less than a month before the election, showed Trump could expect just 35% of the Garden State to pull his lever. The actual result was, as stated, 11 points higher.
Barring a Sherrill blow-out, New Jersey is a “no-lose” scenario for the GOP. If Sherrill squeaks to a narrow win, well, it’s a blue state anyway. But if Ciattarelli somehow gets the nod, that would be a harbinger of bad things to come for the Democrats in the midterms. Who knows? For Ciattarelli, who has run for governor twice before, maybe third time’s the charm?
* * *
Brad Schaeffer is a commodities fund manager, author, and columnist whose articles have appeared on the pages of The Wall Street Journal, NY Post, NY Daily News, The Daily Wire, National Review, The Hill, The Federalist, Zerohedge, and other outlets. He is the author of three <a href="https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B07MQJBJSD?ccs_id=55112527-86f6-4c89-b82e-a96d6869abed">books</a>. You can also follow him on <a href="https://bradschaeffer.substack.com/">Substack</a> and <a href="https://x.com/bschaeffer123">X</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
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Mikie Sherrill Campaigns For Governor Of New Jersey Ahead Of November’s Election

Could New Jersey Be A Bellwether Of GOP Fortunes? 

Conservatives

Democrats

Energy

governor

Liberals

Republicans

Taxes

U.S. Politics

A text scandal has hit a New Jersey school board race, culminating in two candidates running on a largely liberal platform dropping out of the race.
Conservative mother of three and Marlboro Township school board member Danielle Bellomo was revealed to be the target of school board candidate Scott Semaya, according to a snapped image of his phone. Semaya apparently texted about Bellomo&#8217;s &#8220;n*ps&#8221; being hard in a group text called &#8220;ThisB****NeedsToDie.&#8221;
&#8220;Bellomo must be cold — her nips could cut glass right n&#8211;&#8221; one message allegedly being typed by Semaya said.
Chad Hyett, the Marlboro school board vice president, was allegedly in the group chat, as well as the husband of a board member.
According to Bellomo, who <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/10/11/us-news/conservative-nj-mom-board-member-targeted-by-vile-message/">spoke</a> to the New York Post, those weren&#8217;t the only nasty messages shared about her. Some of the messages included “very specific actions that they want to do to me and what their intention is,&#8221; she said.
“These text messages are the first time I was able to see they don’t want me alive,” Bellomo added.
<div id="attachment_984695" style="width: 495px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-984695" class="wp-image-984695 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-11-at-6.09.34-PM-485x576.png" alt="" width="485" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-11-at-6.09.34-PM-485x576.png 485w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-11-at-6.09.34-PM-252x300.png 252w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-11-at-6.09.34-PM-768x913.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-11-at-6.09.34-PM.png 870w" sizes=" (max-width: 485px) 100vw, 485px" />Credit: New York Post</div>
Bellomo has shared images on Facebook of Semaya and Melissa Goldberg, another candidate, announcing the end of their campaigns. Goldberg does not appear to have been in the group message but was running on the same campaign slate, called Collaborators for Responsible Education (CORE), as Semaya.
Semaya cited &#8220;family circumstances&#8221; for suspending his campaign, while Goldberg pointed to too many &#8220;other responsibilities.&#8221;
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<div class="xdj266r x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs x126k92a">
&#8220;After what has been a grueling 18 months, I would like to share that Melissa Goldberg and Scott Semaya have dropped out of the election,&#8221; Bellomo posted to Facebook on October 8. &#8220;Hate has no place in Marlboro and the actions of Scott Semaya and the other men in that group chat should never be tolerated. I am happy that we have ended this cycle of hate.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_984701" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-984701" class="wp-image-984701 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-11-at-6.32.12-PM-1024x521.png" alt="" width="1024" height="521" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-11-at-6.32.12-PM-1024x521.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-11-at-6.32.12-PM-300x153.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-11-at-6.32.12-PM-768x391.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-11-at-6.32.12-PM.png 1328w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Facebook: Danielle Bellomo</div>
</div>
The following day, Marlboro Township&#8217;s Democrat Mayor Jonathan Horn denounced the text messages and implied that Semaya has no place on a school board. His statement can be read below:
<div class="xdj266r x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs x126k92a">
<blockquote>
I have been made aware of a series of text messages exchanged by Marlboro Board of Education members and BOE candidates. Let me be clear – the content of these messages is completely unacceptable and those responsible are clearly not equipped to hold public office.
</blockquote>
</div>
<blockquote>
Violence and threats of violence against public officials are seemingly becoming normalized. In only a few months’ time, we have witnessed an alarming escalation in this type of behavior to an extreme, culminating in the murder of Minnesota Representative Hortman and activist Charlie Kirk.
This must stop.
We can disagree with one another without resorting to hate, anger and violence, and I call upon all those in positions of responsibility, regardless of political affiliation to condemn this inexcusable and outrageous behavior.
</blockquote>
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I have spoken with the Marlboro Police Chief who has informed me that there is an active and ongoing investigation with respect to this matter.
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<div class="xdj266r x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs x126k92a">
&#8220;Mayor [Jonathan Hornik], thank you so much for this statement,&#8221; Bellomo <a href="https://www.facebook.com/danielle.bellomo.753179/posts/pfbid02LUYttcZ9FCc1VQfW4KPKwX8CCPLcGwBRUcDNipeaq1QtnFCDtB3vDfbV9SQ4W1XDl">said</a>, captioning the mayor&#8217;s statement. &#8220;This means more to me and my family than you know. Please join me in thanking our Mayor for denouncing hate, of any kind[,] in our town.&#8221;
</div>
The scandal comes on the heels of another text scandal involving Democrat Virginia attorney general candidate Jay Jones. Uncovered messages allegedly show Jones fantasizing about murdering a state GOP leader with “two bullets to the head,” the death of the Republican’s children, and “piss[ing]” on the graves of other state Republicans.
Additionally, last month, conservative activist and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, 31, was assassinated while speaking to students with dissenting views at Utah Valley University.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/benny-johnson-unleashes-on-dems-after-doj-arrests-man-threatening-his-assassination?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Benny+Johnson+Unleashes+On+Dems+After+DOJ+Arrests+Man+Threatening+His+Assassination">Benny Johnson Unleashes On Dems After DOJ Arrests Man Threatening His Assassination</a>

Danielle Bellomo

‘This B**** Needs To Die’: New Jersey School Board Candidate Threatens Conservative Rival

Jay Jones

School Board

U.S.

President Donald Trump assembles his Cabinet as the government shutdown continues and a peace deal in Gaza takes shape, candidates in the New Jersey governor’s race clash, and wait times for emergency rooms have exploded nationwide.
It’s Friday, October 10, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">Trump Assembles Cabinet </h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-984045" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Trumps-Cabinet-Convenes-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Trumps-Cabinet-Convenes-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Trumps-Cabinet-Convenes-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Trumps-Cabinet-Convenes-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Trumps-Cabinet-Convenes-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Trumps-Cabinet-Convenes.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: President Trump assembled his Cabinet on Thursday as the government shutdown entered its ninth day, and as his Middle East peace proposal passed a major hurdle.
Columbus Day returns: At the top of Thursday’s meeting, Trump <a href="https://x.com/TrumpWarRoom/status/1976319459523690719">signed</a> an executive order to bring back Columbus Day on October 13. “Columbus Day, we’re back. We’re back, Italians,” the president said.
Middle East peace: According to the president, the rest of the hostages still alive in Gaza, 20 in all, should be returned to Israel on either Monday or Tuesday.
The hostage crisis has been a major focus of the administration, and of Israel, which has been plastered with posters of the hostages emblazoned with the call to “Bring Them Home Now” since the war began. Yellow ribbons to represent the hostages, dead and alive, are more common in Israel than kippahs.
That shows why Trump has been invited to speak in front of the Knesset. It’s a rare privilege. The last U.S. president to receive the honor was George Bush in 2008.
Shutdown: President Trump seems intent on hammering Democrats over the shutdown, not just rhetorically but with cuts to what the president calls “Democrat programs.”
“We&#8217;ll be making cuts that will be permanent, and we&#8217;re only gonna cut Democrat programs,” the president <a href="https://x.com/Breaking911/status/1976340087588913227">said</a> at Thursday’s meeting. “They wanted to do this, so they’ll get a little taste of their own medicine.”
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&nbsp;
<h2 style="text-align: center;">NJ Governor’s Race A Toss-Up</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-984047" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Gov-Candidate-Clash-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Gov-Candidate-Clash-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Gov-Candidate-Clash-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Gov-Candidate-Clash-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Gov-Candidate-Clash-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Gov-Candidate-Clash.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: Less than four weeks from Election Day, the New Jersey gubernatorial election is a toss-up, with Republican Jack Ciattarelli surging in the polls. Ciattarelli spoke to Morning Wire about his efforts to turn deep-blue New Jersey red this November. (The transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.)
Morning Wire: A lot of folks who maybe don&#8217;t follow state politics as closely hear that there is an exceedingly close race in New Jersey. And they might be surprised by that, thinking of the history of New Jersey as a more blue state. Four months ago, polls were showing you trailing by more than 20 points. This week, you are essentially tied in every poll that is coming out. What changed over the course of this election?
Ciattarelli: People want change across the state. They&#8217;re very frustrated with Phil Murphy&#8217;s failed policies – and they have failed us. The taxes, they&#8217;ve increased every single year he&#8217;s been in office. The exorbitant spending in our state government, I mean, our state budget&#8217;s gone from $36 billion to almost $60 billion, a 64% increase. Housing, we&#8217;ve got an overdevelopment crisis in our suburban communities, but yet an acute housing shortage in our urban areas. Public safety has gone, you know, we don&#8217;t have public safety in Jersey. Nonviolent crime has spiked because we don&#8217;t let our local police do their job. The break-ins, the car thefts, the flash mobs, public education – people aren&#8217;t happy with what&#8217;s going on there, and we&#8217;ve slipped from two to 12 on an actual report card. Your electricity bill is going through the roof. These are all things that people are really pissed off about, and when they&#8217;re pissed, they want change. 
Morning Wire: A lot of Republicans who have success at the state level in blue states take a more moderate approach. I’m thinking of the, you know, Charlie Bakers or Larry Hogans of the world, considered more moderate, keeping their distance from Donald Trump. You have not shied away from the president, it seems. He&#8217;s endorsed you. He said that you&#8217;re “all in on the MAGA movement.” And that is unique in a blue state. Walk us through that relationship with the president.
Ciattarelli: All my opponent wants to talk about is Trump because of her disdain for Trump. I mean, her whole campaign is based on a stack of lies about me, disdain for Trump, and she can fly a helicopter. Is that going to fix New Jersey? And by the way, what does Donald Trump have to do with our property taxes? What does he have to do with public safety in this state, public education, your monthly electric bill, overdevelopment in our suburban communities? He&#8217;s got nothing to do with that. The party that&#8217;s controlled Trenton for the last 25 years has everything to do with that. So listen, I think that you can be friends with the president and support his policies while making it clear that you&#8217;re all about fixing New Jersey. 
Morning Wire: If elected, what sort of approach would you take when it comes to working with federal agencies like ICE, DEA, ATF operating within your state? We&#8217;ve seen a number of attempts to handicap them. How would you approach those agencies?
Ciattarelli: Number one, there will be no sanctuary cities in New Jersey. When I&#8217;m governor, we will not be a sanctuary state. I&#8217;m reversing that policy on day one. I can do that by executive order. And I&#8217;m never going to tell a local mayor or police chief they can&#8217;t work in partnership with a federal agency to keep their community safe. If that&#8217;s what they want to do, that’s a local decision. And I would support it 100% whatever it is that the mayor and police chief decide to do to keep their community safe. But the other thing I have to do is get rid of cashless bail. Cashless bail in New Jersey has created a professional criminal who’s learned how to game the system. And you talk to your local cops, arrest, release, repeat is real. And it’s demoralizing to our local cops to have to arrest the same person over and over again. 
<h2 style="text-align: center;">ER Wait Times Explode</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-984049" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/ER-Delays-Spike-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/ER-Delays-Spike-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/ER-Delays-Spike-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/ER-Delays-Spike-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/ER-Delays-Spike-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/ER-Delays-Spike.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: For the last decade, emergency room wait times have continued to rise, threatening Americans’ overall health. ER wait times started to increase around 2012, spiked during the pandemic, and are now higher than ever.
A <a href="https://ihpi.umich.edu/news-events/news/wait-times-emergency-hospitalization-keep-getting-higher?utm_source=chatgpt.com">new study</a> published in the journal Health Affairs looked at data from 46 million emergency visits across all 50 states since 2017. It found a national increase in wait times, with the average being over four hours, and 5% of patients waiting more than 24 hours to get assistance. Notably, this doesn&#8217;t even factor in people leaving the ER before they get care, commonly referred to as the “abandonment” rate.
Why? The nursing shortage is certainly a factor. But according to <a href="https://paragoninstitute.org/author/niklas_kleinworth/?mab_v3=9924">Niklas Kleinworth from the Paragon Health Institute</a>, one of the major factors is that, since expansion under Obamacare, there is no financial incentive for many people to wait to see their physician when they can go to the ER and receive same-day care: 
“We&#8217;ve seen that a lot of the financial incentives for people to take care of themselves and go see their regular physician haven&#8217;t come to fruition,&#8221;  Kleinworth told Morning Wire. &#8220;And so now, people are going to the emergency room to get routine care instead.”
Another issue is the increased rate of rural hospital closings. Kleinworth said programs coming out of Washington actually “encourage consolidation” – and we’re seeing large urban hospitals buy up small rural hospitals to eat up incentives meant for rural areas.
The White House has also blamed long ER wait times on illegal aliens. 
&nbsp;

MRN_251010_V2

Morning Brief: Trump Summons Cabinet, NJ Governor’s Race Heats Up, & ER Wait Times Soar

Morning Brief: Trump Summons Cabinet, NJ Governor's Race Heats Up, & ER Wait Times Soar

Donald Trump

Government Shutdown

Hospitals

Israel

Morning Wire

Washington D.C.

At least two people are dead after heavy rains triggered widespread flooding in the New York City area and beyond, officials confirmed on Tuesday, after more than two inches of rain fell in one hour on Monday night, the second-wettest hour ever recorded in the city.
In Plainfield, New Jersey, about 30 miles away from New York City, flooding swept away a vehicle, killing two people inside.
Subway service was delayed on multiple lines Monday night at the height of the storm, CBS News <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/nyc-subway-station-flooding-service-alerts/">reported</a>. The downpour flooded multiple stations in Manhattan.
&#8220;The New York City sewer system, the storm water system, accommodates about an inch and a half to an inch and three quarters an hour,&#8221; Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chair and CEO Janno Lieber told CBS News. &#8220;Last night, in that one hour, we had well over 2 inches of rain. So what happens is the system backs up into the subway.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Intense rainfall over New York caused severe flooding in the city, sending water gushing into a subway train platform as authorities issued several flash flood warnings across the New York City metropolitan area <a href="https://t.co/so3YNCJWgg">pic.twitter.com/so3YNCJWgg</a>
— Reuters (@Reuters) <a href="https://twitter.com/Reuters/status/1945026799135576435?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The flooding left some riders stranded, while others navigated pools of water on still-functioning platforms. Subway lines restored service Monday night with delays.
New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency as multiple counties were under flash flood warnings. He attributed the storm damage to climate change, saying, &#8220;We New Jersey, we America, we the globe, are getting dragged by climate,&#8221; The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/07/15/nyregion/new-york-jersey-floods">reported</a>.
Rescue crews pulled drivers from stalled cars while roads shut down. Authorities launched boats into flooded streets after a river overflowed, <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/new-jersey-flash-flooding-rescues/">according</a> to CBS News.
Rafts, a giant truck, and a frontloader rescued people.
Conditions are expected to clear on Tuesday as the storm shifts southward.
The flooding comes after flash floods hit Texas, killing more than 130 people, ABC News <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/live-updates/texas-flooding-live-updates/?id=123729682">reported</a>. More than 100 people remain missing.

Phil Murphy declares state of emergency amid flooding, thunderstorms in New Jersey

WATCH: Torrential Rains Flood NYC Subways, 2 Dead in New Jersey

flooding

Floods

New York

Severe Weather

Subway

Two illegal aliens facing criminal charges were caught by the FBI days after breaking out of a privately held ICE detention facility in New Jersey. 
Joel Enrique Sandoval-Lopez of Honduras and Joan Sebastian Castaneda-Lozada of Colombia were apprehended on Sunday, three days after escaping from the Delaney Hall Detention Facility in Newark by breaking through a wall. The details of their captures were not released. Two fellow escapees, Franklin Norberto Bautista-Reyes and Andres Pineda-Mogollon, are still on the run. 
The FBI is currently offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to the capture of Bautista-Reyes and Pineda-Mogollon. Both men have been charged with escape from the custody of an institution or officer and have had previous criminal charges. 
Bautista-Reyes, an illegal immigrant from Honduras who illegally entered the country in 2021, was arrested last month by the Wayne Township Police Department for aggravated assault, attempt to cause bodily injury, terroristic threats, and possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes.
Pineda-Mogollon, an illegal immigrant from Colombia who overstayed his tourist visa in 2023, was arrested in April by the New York Police Department on charges of petit larceny and again in May by law enforcement in Union, New Jersey, for residential burglary, conspiracy to commit residential burglary, and possession of burglary tools.
The Department of Homeland Security said last week that the two men were public safety threats. 
The two men captured on Sunday also had criminal histories. 
Sandoval-Lopez, who illegally entered the country in 2019, was arrested by the Passaic Police Department for aggravated assault in February and was arrested in October 2024 for unlawful possession of a firearm. Castaneda-Lozada, who unlawfully entered the country in 2022, was arrested last month for burglary, theft, and conspiracy to commit burglary.
Delaney Hall, which is operated by GEO Group, has faced criticism from some Democrats and activists who say that those detained there are treated poorly. 
DHS has denied those allegations, saying on Friday that “there has been no widespread unrest” at the facility and that it “remains dedicated to providing high-quality services.”
Delaney Hall is the same facility where Newark Democratic Mayor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/newark-mayor-arrested-after-dem-reps-storm-new-jersey-ice-facility-charge-past-security-officers">Ras Baraka</a>, along with Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrat-indicted-over-ice-facility-clash-faces-up-to-17-years-in-prison">LaMonica McIver</a> (D-NJ), were arrested during altercations with law enforcement after they attempted to storm into the building last month. McIver was indicted on three counts of forcibly impeding and interfering with federal law enforcement officers and faces up to 17 years in prison.

MixCollage-16-Jun-2025-07-33-AM-7382

FBI Captures Two Illegals Who Escaped ICE Detention Facility, Two Still On The Run

Crime

Department of Homeland Security

illegal alien

Illegal Immigation

illegal immigrants

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Four suspected illegal immigrants, referred to as &#8220;public safety threats,&#8221; escaped from federal authorities at a building used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Newark, New Jersey, as chaotic scenes erupted outside the facility on Thursday.
The escapees, identified as two Honduran and two Colombian nationals by the Department of Homeland Security, broke through a wall and escaped from the Delaney Hall detention center, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-detention-center-newark-new-jersey-delaney-hall-cf1e9043626136c46b5b67aeda2e9183">reported</a>. Detainees being held inside Delaney Hall reportedly became enraged over delayed meals, and protesters showed up at the detention center, pushing against the gates and attempting to block vehicles from passing through.
Delaney Hall is the same facility where Newark Democratic Mayor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/newark-mayor-arrested-after-dem-reps-storm-new-jersey-ice-facility-charge-past-security-officers">Ras Baraka</a>, along with Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrat-indicted-over-ice-facility-clash-faces-up-to-17-years-in-prison">LaMonica McIver</a> (D-NJ), were arrested during altercations with law enforcement after they attempted to storm into the building last month.
An attorney representing one of the suspected illegal immigrants being detained at Delaney Hall told the AP that the situation became violent on Thursday after meals for the detainees arrived hours later than normal.
“Apparently the guards lost control of them,” the attorney, Mustafa Cetin, said. “And they started to, you know, create a disturbance.”
On Friday, the DHS <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/news/2025/06/13/law-enforcement-offers-10000-reward-information-leading-arrest-4-dangerous-criminal">said</a> it is offering $10,000 for information leading to the apprehension of the escapees, identified as Franklin Norberto Bautista-Reyes and Joel Enrique Sandoval-Lopez — both Honduran men — and Colombian men Joan Sebastian Castaneda-Lozada and Andres Pineda-Mogollon. Homeland Security added that it has brought in &#8220;additional law enforcement partners&#8221; as they continue to search for the escapees.
DHS pushed back against reports claiming that an &#8220;uprising&#8221; was taking place at the detention facility.
&#8220;On June 12, four criminal illegal aliens breached security at Delaney Hall. Contrary to current reporting, there has been no widespread unrest at the Delaney Hall Detention facility,&#8221; Homeland Security <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/news/2025/06/13/law-enforcement-offers-10000-reward-information-leading-arrest-4-dangerous-criminal">said</a> in a statement. &#8220;This privately held facility remains dedicated to providing high-quality services, including include around-the-clock access to medical care, in-person and virtual legal and family visitation, general and legal library access, translation services, dietician-approved meals, religious and specialty diets, recreational amenities, and opportunities to practice their religious beliefs.&#8221;
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/gift/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=wisepops&amp;utm_campaign=dad&amp;utm_content=fathersdaygiftpopups" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gift Dad an All Access Membership. Use code DAD40 at checkout to save 40%!</a>
Bautista-Reyes was arrested by the Wayne Township, New Jersey, Police Department in May on charges of aggravated assault, attempt to cause bodily injury, terroristic threats, and possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes. He crossed the border illegally in 2021, according to the DHS. Sandoval-Lopez, who entered the United States illegally in 2019, was arrested by the New Jersey Passaic Police Department last October for unlawful possession of a handgun. He was arrested again in February for aggravated assault.
Castaneda-Lozada, who has been living in the country illegally since 2022, was arrested in May by the New Jersey Hammonton Police Department for burglary, theft, and conspiracy to commit burglary. Pineda-Mogollon, who the DHS says overstayed a tourist visa after entering the country in 2023, was nabbed by the New York City Police Department in April for petit larceny. He was arrested again in May by the Union, New Jersey, Police Department for residential burglary, conspiracy to commit residential burglary, and possession of burglary tools.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
SCOOP: The <a href="https://twitter.com/nypost?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nypost</a> can report that these are the four ICE detainees who escaped from the Delaney Hall detention center in Newark yesterday. A $10,000 reward is being offered to anyone who can help track them down.
Franklin Norberto Bautista-Reyes An illegal alien from Honduras… <a href="https://t.co/u6MNhmVaNs">pic.twitter.com/u6MNhmVaNs</a>
&mdash; Jennie Taer 🎗️ (@JennieSTaer) <a href="https://twitter.com/JennieSTaer/status/1933586157066973686?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Delaney Hall, which is operated by the GEO Group, a private company, has been the center of protests since last month, as Democrats and activists <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/four-detainees-newark-ice-facility-are-missing-senior-officials-say-rcna212893">claim</a> that detainees at the 1,000-bed facility are subject to poor treatment. Democrats, such as Mayor Baraka, have attempted to gain entry to the facility, arguing that it “lacks sufficient oversight of every basic detail — including local zoning laws and fundamental constitutional rights.&#8221;

Delaney Hall protests

Multiple Illegal Immigrants Escape Custody As Protesters Surround ICE Detention Facility

Illegal Immigration

Protests

Trump Administration

A federal grand jury indicted Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-NJ) in connection to last month&#8217;s scuffle outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in Newark, New Jersey, interim U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Alina Habba announced on Tuesday.
In a <a href="https://x.com/USAttyHabba/status/1932572573713514913" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a> on X, Habba revealed that the three-count indictment charges McIver with &#8220;forcibly impeding and interfering with federal law enforcement officers.&#8221;
McIver said she will be entering a plea of not guilty.
&#8220;The facts of this case will prove I was simply doing my job and will expose these proceedings for what they are: a brazen attempt at political intimidation,&#8221; McIver said in a <a href="https://x.com/RepLaMonica/status/1932575526595489938" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>. &#8220;This indictment is not more justified than the original charges, and is an effort by Trump&#8217;s administration to dodge accountability for the chaos ICE caused and scare me out of doing the work I was elected to do. But it won&#8217;t work — I will not be intimidated.&#8221;
On May 9, McIver and other Democrats from New Jersey demanded they be allowed to conduct &#8220;oversight&#8221; of the ICE detention facility at Delaney Hall. A confrontation between them and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents ensued, as shown in ICE body-cam <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrats-claim-ice-agents-roughed-them-up-body-cam-footage-says-otherwise" target="_blank" rel="noopener">footage</a>.
According to a Department of Justice <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/pr/congresswoman-charged-forcibly-impeding-and-interfering-federal-officers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a>, the indictment says McIver forcibly impeded and interfered with federal officers amid their efforts to arrest the mayor of Newark, who had entered a secured area.
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&#8220;Someone in the crowd yelled &#8216;circle the mayor,'&#8221; the DOJ said. &#8220;McIver then faced the Mayor and placed her arms around him in an effort to prevent HSI from completing the arrest. During her continued attempts to thwart the arrest, McIver slammed her forearm into the body of one law enforcement officer and also reached out and tried to restrain that officer by forcibly grabbing him. McIver also used each of her forearms to forcibly strike a second officer.&#8221;
McIver, initially <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/feds-charge-new-jersey-democrat-over-clash-with-agents-at-ice-facility" target="_blank" rel="noopener">charged</a> a few weeks ago, faces up to 17 years in prison if convicted.
&#8220;As I have stated in the past, it is my Constitutional obligation as the Chief Federal Law Enforcement Officer for New Jersey to ensure that our federal partners are protected when executing their duties,&#8221; Habba declared in her post on X. &#8220;While people are free to express their views for or against particular policies, they must not do so in a manner that endangers law enforcement and the communities those officers serve.&#8221;
Habba added: &#8220;Today’s decision by the grand jury is the next step in a process that my Office will pursue to a just end.&#8221;

Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-NJ)

Democrat Indicted Over ICE Facility Clash, Faces Up To 17 Years In Prison

Alina Habba

Congress

Department of Justice

House Democrats

An event at Princeton University on April 7 featuring the former Prime Minister of Israel, Naftali Bennett, was disrupted and later forced to end by anti-Israel student-activists, who, while masked, then targeted the attendees with antisemitic verbal attacks as they left the event. But Princeton has still not punished the student-activists.
“First came chants about ‘genocide,’” The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/opinion/princeton-naftali-bennett-protest-israel-hamas-christopher-eisgruber-1a8f203e?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=ASWzDAirg9z9ydWMIOEDmp4dTLRiKljtvi6ACet8f06hhiKLAQW6YzDarXYT3fXV0bE%3D&amp;gaa_ts=6837034c&amp;gaa_sig=lWHn6lI0Qgoi7Z6neLaf8m0i3ZbqF0FaEmSQCqINz3w4lpqJ8Hx76uykVzZQ5shmHbqtO_ZFexclffWQA25jkQ%3D%3D">reported</a>. “Then the hall’s fire alarm was triggered. ‘Outside the building, about 200 pro-Palestine protesters chanted, screamed and banged on drums,’ the Daily Princetonian said. Two students wrote&#8230;to President Christopher Eisgruber that people in the crowd yelled ‘go back to Europe,’ and that agitators aimed ‘triangle imagery at Jewish students, in reference to the Hamas symbol used to target Western enemies.’”
Christopher L. Eisgruber <a href="https://paw.princeton.edu/article/princeton-opens-investigation-after-protesters-disrupt-event-former-israeli-prime-minister">stated</a> that he was “appalled at reports of antisemitic language directed by demonstrators at members of our community after” the event, and added that &#8220;the University is investigating and will pursue disciplinary measures as appropriate, to the extent any members of the Princeton University community are implicated.”
Princeton wrote in a letter to Danielle Shapiro, a May graduate who serves on the board of Princetonians for Free Speech (PFS), that no students would be punished. Shapiro <a href="https://www.khq.com/princeton-fails-to-enforce-its-rules-on-free-speech-antisemitism/article_aced6d66-0e1a-5f7b-a522-feedb65c5e9c.html">noted</a>, “The university says it cannot punish people who were shouting antisemitic slurs because it cannot identify them since it was dark and they were wearing masks. Yet the university says nothing about implementing a policy banning masks in certain situations, even though I specifically requested it do so and even though many universities are doing so, including the entire University of California system.”
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“We searched carefully and could find no public announcement, no press release, nor anything on the University’s website about the investigation’s results,” Princetonians for Free Speech <a href="https://princetoniansforfreespeech.org/blogs/news/princeton-declines-to-punish-students-who-disrupted-event-and-shouted-antisemitic-slurs-in-violation-of-rules">stated</a>. “The only mention of it we can find anywhere is a short story in the Princeton Alumni Weekly on May 21. It appears that on that date, <a href="https://paw.princeton.edu/sites/default/files/2025-05/Statement%20About%20Bennett%20Investigation%20May%2021.pdf">Princeton sent an email summary of the report to PAW</a>, and possibly to a few others. But this was, as Ms. Shapiro notes in her article, after she had indicated to Princeton officials that she might make the letter public. Is Princeton trying to hide this report and, with the end of the school year, duck the entire issue?”
“The May 21 statement underplays what happened, as is shown on videos,” PFS pointed out. “For example, the statement adds gratuitously: ‘Several witnesses expressed their view that the individuals who made the antisemitic remarks outside the venue were likely unaffiliated with the University.; Really? First, they were not ‘remarks;’ they were screaming insults of the vilest kind. Second, this is total speculation, not fact, and probably from people who had a self-interest in leaving that impression. We do not know because the report does not say who they were. The University says it cannot identify anyone because it was dark and protesters were wearing masks, and yet cites this speculation. How could the ‘witnesses’ know?”

Princeton, Ivy League

Princeton Won’t Punish Antisemitic Students Who Disrupted Event, Hurled Verbal Attacks At Jews

antisemitism

Education

Princeton University

Newark’s Democratic mayor, Ras Baraka, filed a lawsuit Tuesday against interim U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba after she charged him with trespassing at a federal immigration facility last month.
Baraka claims that Habba and Homeland Security Investigations supervising agent Ricky Patel, who was the lead officer in charge of arresting the mayor last month, violated his Fourth Amendment rights against “false arrest and malicious prosecution.” Baraka’s suit also accuses Habba of defamation.
Habba charged Baraka with trespassing at a federal immigration facility during an altercation on May 9, but later dropped the charge.
Habba “acted as a political operative, outside of any function intimately related to the judicial process, and in her individual personal capacity,” the <a href="https://mcusercontent.com/4a79b9be775bc92174318c05e/files/25bd88da-35a4-79cb-2804-b61dafa9349a/filedcomplaint.6_3_25.pdf">lawsuit</a> says. Patel “in this matter acted outside the scope of his employment and in his individual capacity.”
Baraka is one of six Democrats running in the primary to be the next governor of New Jersey. Baraka is <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/newark-mayor-ras-barakas-arrest-shake-new-jerseys-democratic-primary-g-rcna206273">campaigning</a> as an action-oriented progressive in the crowded primary. The super PAC supporting his candidacy, One New Jersey United, has already begun funding ads highlighting his May 9 arrest.
The lawsuit’s filing coincides with the first day of early voting ahead of the June 10 primary for the New Jersey governor’s race.
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The mayor arrived at Delaney Hall, used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement to house illegal immigrants, at the invitation of Democratic congressmen who wanted to inspect the facility as part of their congressional oversight authority. Baraka stood outside the facility while the assembled crowd began to call for him to be let inside, according to the lawsuit.
Baraka was later invited inside the gate of Delaney Hall by a guard who wanted to “calm the crowd,” the suit says. Patel later approached Baraka and directed him to leave. Baraka did not initially follow the order, but stayed to argue with Patel.
After finally leaving the property, Baraka was arrested and handcuffed “in an effort to effect maximum humiliation,” the lawsuit says.
On Monday night, Habba dismissed Baraka’s expected lawsuit in a post on X.
“‘Shocking’ leak from Mayor Baraka’s team: He is planning to sue the Feds,” Habba <a href="https://x.com/AlinaHabba/status/1929728392649114062">wrote</a>. “My advice to the mayor &#8211; feel free to join me in prioritizing violent crime and public safety. Far better use of time for the great citizens of New Jersey.”

Ras Baraka

Newark Mayor Sues Trump DA Over ‘False Arrest’ After ICE Facility Flap

Courts

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

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