The United States carried out a &#8220;large-scale&#8221; military strike on Venezuela early Saturday morning, capturing President Nicolás Maduro.
President Donald Trump confirmed that the dictator and his wife have been flown out of the country.
&#8220;The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the country,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;This operation was done in conjunction with  U.S. Law Enforcement. Details to follow. There will be a News Conference today at Mar-a-Lago. Thank you for your attention to this matter!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
STATEMENT FROM PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP <a href="https://t.co/nHDqtsqRFh">pic.twitter.com/nHDqtsqRFh</a>
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) <a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec/status/2007382016321364308?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2026</a></blockquote>
Maduro and his wife are in American custody, but at this time their location is unknown. Leaders in Venezuela are demanding &#8220;proof of life&#8221; of their leader.
Utah Senator Mike Lee <a href="https://x.com/BasedMikeLee/status/2007395531023352319?s=20">said</a> he spoke with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said Maduro will stand trial in the United States. Rubio told Lee he doesn&#8217;t anticipate any further action in Venezuela with Maduro in U.S. custody.
At least seven explosions could be heard in Venezuela&#8217;s capital city of Caracas, according to the Associated Press.
Venezuelan officials released a statement on the attacks that read &#8220;the civilian and military localities of the city of Caracas, capital of the Republic, and the states of Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira&#8221; were hit in the attack.
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau praised Trump&#8217;s actions.
&#8220;A new dawn for Venezuela,&#8221; Landau said. &#8220;The tyrant is gone. He will now, finally, face justice for his crimes.&#8221;
Attorney General Pam Bondi said Maduro and his wife face a number of charges related to possession and importation of drugs and weapons.
&#8220;They will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts,&#8221; Bondi said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been indicted in the Southern District of New York. Nicolas Maduro has been charged with Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy, Cocaine Importation Conspiracy, Possession of Machineguns and Destructive Devices, and Conspiracy to Possess…
— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) <a href="https://twitter.com/AGPamBondi/status/2007428087143686611?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2026</a></blockquote>
The airstrikes in Venezuela come after the United States seized two oil tankers off the coast of Venezuela, and amid deadly strikes on boats that the Trump administration claimed were carrying drugs heading to the United States.
Maduro said Thursday he was ready for talks with the United States to reach an agreement on countering drug trafficking in the region, Fox News reported.
“The U.S. government knows, because we’ve told many of their spokespeople, that if they want to seriously discuss an agreement to combat drug trafficking, we’re ready,” Maduro said.
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/maduro-says-hes-ready-to-make-deal-with-trump-amid-escalating-u-s-pressure">Maduro Says He’s Ready To Make Deal With Trump Amid Escalating U.S. Pressure</a>
President Trump will hold a press conference at 11:00 a.m. at Mar-a-Lago to give more details on the airstrikes and Maduro&#8217;s capture.

Maduro and Trump

United States Carries Out Military Strikes On Venezuela, Captures President Nicolás Maduro

Breaking News

Donald Trump

News

Nicolas Maduro

Venezuela

Lane Kiffin has mastered passive income, continuing to profit from his former team&#8217;s postseason success just over a month after leaving Ole Miss to become head coach at LSU.
When Kiffin stepped down on November 30 to take the LSU gig, his contract included guarantees ensuring he would still benefit financially if the Rebels went on a College Football Playoff run, according to <a href="https://frontofficesports.com/lane-kiffin-earns-500k-bonus-from-ole-miss-win-over-georgia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Front Office Sports</a>.
Under the deal, LSU agreed to pay Kiffin $150,000 after Ole Miss made the College Football Playoff. That increased to $250,000 after Ole Miss beat Tulane in the first round, matching the payout Ole Miss had promised.
But wait, there&#8217;s more. After Ole Miss upset Georgia in the quarterfinals, Kiffin&#8217;s bonus grew to $500,000, per the outlet.
If the Rebels advance to the national championship game, LSU will owe him $750,000, and if they shock the world and win it all, Kiffin would receive $1 million from LSU within 30 days, the report said. The bonuses are not cumulative. Instead, each postseason win increases Kiffin&#8217;s total bonus to the next tier.
Not bad for not calling a single play for Ole Miss in the postseason.
Considering those numbers, it&#8217;s no surprise that Kiffin is still publicly supporting his former team. After Ole Miss&#8217;s win over Georgia at the Sugar Bowl on New Year&#8217;s Day, he posted photos of his family, appearing to count down to a potentially even bigger payday, <a href="https://x.com/Lane_Kiffin/status/2006955341963993373?s=20">saying</a>: &#8220;What a great finish!!! So much fun!! Only two more to go.&#8221;
<a class="c-link" href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=christmas&amp;utm_content=christmassale25" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=christmas&amp;utm_content=christmassale25" data-sk="tooltip_parent">Christmas Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a>
Kiffin said he wanted to attend the Sugar Bowl, but did not, to the relief of many of his former players, who view the entire situation as their former coach trolling them.
&#8220;That&#8217;s all he&#8217;s trying to do. That&#8217;s all he&#8217;s been trying to do is steal our shine,&#8221; Ole Miss senior defensive tackle Zxavian Harris told <a href="https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/47479549/ole-miss-cfp-staff-uncertain-kiffin-plots-lsu-transfer-portal-period">ESPN</a>. &#8220;He was trying to be a troll. We&#8217;re going to troll him. We got something for him.&#8221;
Ole Miss&#8217;s postseason run continues next weekend in the Fiesta Bowl, with a trip to the National Championship on the line.
It remains unclear how many Ole Miss assistant coaches joining Kiffin&#8217;s LSU staff will remain with the Rebels through the semifinal on January 8 against the Miami Hurricanes. ESPN reports that offensive coordinator Charlie Weiss Jr. is expected to coach in the Fiesta Bowl, while three other assistants are expected in Baton Rouge this weekend.
That scenario is pending, but Ole Miss&#8217;s postseason run has already proven profitable for Kiffin.

Untitled design (3Illustration by Daily Wire staff

It Pays To Be Lane Kiffin, LSU Coach Still Raking In Cash Off Former Team’s Success

College Football

Lane Kiffin

Sports

At a ceremony in Arizona on the eve of Turning Point USA’s 2025 America Fest, a crowd cheered as Erika Kirk announced that the organization’s headquarters would be renamed the “Buckman Campus.”
Nelda and Karl Buckman donated $10 million to TPUSA this past summer, the largest gift in the organization’s history. Before he was assassinated in September, founder Charlie Kirk told the Buckmans he would rename the campus he built in recognition of their generosity.
&#8220;You know what I loved about Charlie was he wasn&#8217;t afraid to ask,&#8221; Nelda Buckman told The Daily Wire. &#8220;I know that it&#8217;s well invested, and I know that it&#8217;s gonna be well used. I just am so excited to have that opportunity.&#8221;
Buckman said she and her husband were waiting for the sale of their company to close before making the multimillion-dollar donation. She said she&#8217;s thankful it happened this summer, so Kirk received the money before he was murdered.
&#8220;We were able to give it in June, so he knew,&#8221; Nelda said. &#8220;It&#8217;s a joy to be able to do it, really and truly.&#8221;
Charlie&#8217;s relationship with the Buckmans goes back years.
&#8220;The thing about Charlie that was fascinating to me is I would get text messages, and I would think, &#8216;Oh, how neat, he&#8217;s got a great intern sending me a Bible verse.&#8217; Then I found out, no, that was Charlie. Sometimes I would send him a verse back or maybe something funny, but I always thought it was very interesting that Charlie was not too busy to reach out to the people he cared about.&#8221;
Now the philanthropist is spending more time with Erika. They talk TPUSA, expanding the high school division called Club America, but what Nelda says they really enjoy bonding over is motherhood.
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/charlie-kirk-gave-his-team-an-impossible-task-now-theyre-fighting-to-make-it-a-reality?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Lynden+Blake&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Charlie+Kirk+Gave+His+Team+An+Impossible+Task.+Now+They%E2%80%99re+Fighting+To+Make+It+A+Reality.">Charlie Kirk Gave His Team An Impossible Task. Now They’re Fighting To Make It A Reality</a>
&#8220;Erika and I talked about womanhood and what our culture has been teaching our young women and what we want to teach our young women.&#8221;
The two met privately in Florida ahead of America Fest and the dedication ceremony, where Nelda said she offered Erika personal support and spoke with her about the challenges of navigating her new reality as a single mother, leading the organization, and carrying forward her late husband’s legacy.
&#8220;We&#8217;ve met several times before, but this was just, just different,&#8221; Nelda said. &#8220;She shared where she&#8217;s putting her boundaries.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_1021817" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1021817" class="size-large wp-image-1021817" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Untitled-design-48-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Untitled-design-48-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Untitled-design-48-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Untitled-design-48-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Untitled-design-48.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Credit: Josh Thifault</div>
At the December 17 dedication ceremony, three months after Kirk was fatally shot, Nelda and Erika embraced onstage. Nelda later said she noticed a change in Erika’s eyes, shaped by what she described as the unimaginable experience she had endured.
&#8220;The most beautiful thing to me was seeing her soft eyes again,&#8221; Nelda said.
Buckman noted that Erika has had to be fierce in the face of tragedy, attributing her ability to protect her family and company to her maternal instincts.
&#8220;We as mamas and we as women sometimes have to have those fierce moments, and to be criticized for it is the [saddest] thing.&#8221;
Erika has kept TPUSA going. The college tour continues, and AmFest was the biggest to date. She has promised exponential growth for the organization in honor of Charlie.
&#8220;One of the things that Erika said at the investors meeting in Palm Beach was &#8216;We&#8217;re gonna stay on the path that Charlie had us going on, but we will elevate,&#8217; and I just thought that was such a beautiful way to put it. We&#8217;ll elevate, and we will grow,&#8221; Nelda said.
To say the $10 million donation will help TPUSA grow is an understatement. The Buckmans placed no restrictions or conditions on the gift, saying they simply wanted to see an organization that keeps faith at the center of every decision continue to thrive.
&#8220;We didn&#8217;t put any strings attached to it. It&#8217;s a gift.&#8221;

Credit: Josh Thifault

Turning Point USA Begins New Year With Renamed Headquarters Following $10 Million Gift

Arizona

Turning Point USA

The day after the news broke that Patriots star receiver Stefon Diggs is facing strangulation and assault charges, another Patriots player was found to be facing similar accusations.
According to court documents, Christian Barmore is facing a misdemeanor charge of assault and battery on a household/family member. The charge comes pursuant to an incident on August 8, a report was filed December 16.
<a class="c-link" href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=christmas&amp;utm_content=christmassale25" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=christmas&amp;utm_content=christmassale25" data-sk="tooltip_parent">Christmas Sale &#8211; Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a>
According to charging documents obtained by ABC, a woman who was in a relationship with Barmore claims the defensive tackle was angry with her over the temperature in his bedroom. The woman alleged that she and Barmore had also argued over food.
She told police that Barmore grabbed her phone from her hands while she was trying to leave the house. The court documents also state that the woman was trying to open the door and scream for help, but said that &#8220;Christian grabbed her before she could and threw her to the floor.&#8221;
The woman said Barmore grabbed her by the shirt &#8220;in the area of the neck&#8221; while she tried to get up, but then let her go. Allegedly, this all played out in front of their two-year-old child.
WCVB in Boston reports the victim told police she had bruises and that she sent a photo to officers.
In a press conference on Wednesday, Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel <a href="https://x.com/Patriots/status/2006427724802384272?s=20">addressed</a> the allegations against Diggs and Barmore. Vrabel said he hasn&#8217;t heard of anything that would keep Diggs or Barmore from playing in Sunday&#8217;s regular season finale against the Dolphins.
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/stefon-diggs-facing-strangulation-assault-charge-from-december-incident-with-private-chef">Stefon Diggs Facing Strangulation, Assault Charge From December Incident With Private Chef</a>
During the press conference, the veteran coach took questions about the serious charges against both Diggs and Barmore. Vrabel said at the time that the situation was &#8220;not disappointing at all&#8221; because, thus far, everything is based solely upon allegations.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t think we have to jump to any sort of conclusions right now,&#8221; Vrabel said.
The Patriots released a statement regarding Barmore&#8217;s charges on Wednesday.
“The New England Patriots are aware of reports regarding a pending February arraignment involving Christian Barmore, which stems from an alleged domestic incident that occurred in August. The Patriots were made aware at the time of the incident and informed the NFL in a timely manner. The matter remains part of an ongoing legal process. We will respect that process, continue to monitor the situation closely, as we have over the past few months, and cooperate fully with the league. We will have no further comment at this time.”
Vrabel added more context to the statement during the presser, saying that it was not a surprise to the organization when the charges against Diggs and Barmore came to light this week.
Vrabel said that he was &#8220;confident that we will focus on the Dolphins and those two individuals will be able to handle the ongoing legal process.&#8221;
Barmore has been with the Patriots since 2021, after getting drafted in the second round out of Alabama. The tackle is set to be arraigned on February 3, five days before the Super Bowl.

Credit: Michael Owens/Getty Images

Second Patriots Player Charged With Assault, This Time Over A Thermostat

New England Patriots

The NBA and the national anthem have been embroiled in controversy for the better part of the last decade. In 2020, NBA players knelt during the anthem at the height of the BLM protests and riots.
In 2025, fans now claim LeBron James practiced his golf swing during the Star-Spangled Banner.
Before Sunday&#8217;s game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Sacramento Kings, James was caught on <a href="https://x.com/BrickCenter_/status/2005370011565556113?s=20">camera</a> swinging his hips and arms as the anthem played in the background.
Sports commentator Craig Carton and other fans felt James was practicing his golf swing during the anthem. Carton called out James&#8217; behavior during Monday&#8217;s episode of The Craig Carton Show.
“If you wanna disregard your coach, and disregard your teammates &#8230; do it on your own time. Don&#8217;t do it during my national anthem,&#8221; Carton said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
LEBRON DISRESPECTED THE NATIONAL ANTHEM!
“If you wanna disregard your coach, teammates, do it on your own time… he disrespects the national anthem… that’s a good time to work on my golf swing? While the anthem is being played?” — <a href="https://twitter.com/craigcartonlive?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@craigcartonlive</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBA</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Lakers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Lakers</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LeBronJames?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LeBronJames</a> <a href="https://t.co/sMZ66TITDA">pic.twitter.com/sMZ66TITDA</a>
— The Craig Carton Show (@CraigCartonShow) <a href="https://twitter.com/CraigCartonShow/status/2005744528746270911?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
Clearly, Carton was not happy with James not paying attention to the Star-Spangled Banner.
&#8220;Your guy, the self-appointed king, decides that’s a good time for me to work on my golf swing and disrespect the men and women of the military who gave their lives for this country. Let me get a couple air swings in while the anthem is being played because I don’t play good basketball anymore, I got to work on my golf game,” Carton said.
Sunday may have been the first time James&#8217; golf game crossed over with the anthem, but the 41-year-old has made headlines this season for his head seemingly being on the fairway instead of the basketball court.
<a class="c-link" href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=christmas&amp;utm_content=christmassale25" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=christmas&amp;utm_content=christmassale25" data-sk="tooltip_parent">Christmas Sale &#8211; Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a>
During a timeout in October, <a href="https://www.golfdigest.com/story/watch-lebron-james-get-swing-tips-from-austin-reaves-los-angeles-lakers-timeout?utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_campaign=golfdigest">James</a> was seen getting golf tips from a teammate instead of listening to what was happening inside the huddle.
Earlier in December, he was practicing his golf <a href="https://x.com/BrickCenter_/status/2000629260038644141?s=20">swing</a> during the Lakers game against the Phoenix Suns.
Those incidents were head scratchers, but Sunday&#8217;s antics had pushback.
It adds to the longstanding rocky road between sports and the national anthem.
In 2016, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick first kneeled for the anthem in protest. James supported Kaepernick&#8217;s actions for years, even kneeling multiple times during the anthem himself.
During Sunday&#8217;s game, it didn&#8217;t appear that James was protesting the anthem. Instead, the 23-year NBA veteran simply wasn&#8217;t standing at attention like most everyone else in the arena.
Appearing to work on a golf swing at any point during an NBA game is a concern for Lakers fans. Lakers coach JJ Redick said in a recent interview that his team simply doesn&#8217;t care enough. James&#8217; close friend, Dwayne Wade, said his former teammate isn&#8217;t too concerned about his coach&#8217;s comments.
“LeBron is on his golf simulator right now,” Wade said.
It&#8217;s clear that James, like many Americans, loves golf. Maybe the backlash from Sunday&#8217;s swinging is enough for the NBA legend to rethink what he does during the two minutes it takes to honor the United States.

Credit: Luke Hales/Getty Images

LeBron James Caught Practicing His ‘Golf Swing’ During National Anthem

LeBron James Takes Swing During National Anthem

LeBron James

National Anthem

The best female tennis player in the world just lost to a man who has been injured for years and is currently ranked close to the very bottom of the tennis ocean.
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka lost to No. 671 Nick Kyrgios in the &#8220;Battle of the Sexes&#8221; match over the weekend in Dubai, proving once again that men have a distinct biological advantage over women in sports.
The &#8220;Battle of the Sexes&#8221; match was a spinoff of the original 1973 battle between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs. King won that historic match, and launched her campaign for equal pay for female tennis players. The 2025 version didn&#8217;t have quite the same message.
Kyrgios had to face a smaller court than his female opponent in an attempt to level the playing field, but that didn&#8217;t matter. It was a 6-3, 6-3 win for Kyrgios and a flop for the fans.
&#8220;Congratulations to Aryna Sabalenka for embarrassing women&#8217;s tennis,&#8221; one fan <a href="https://x.com/poetryharreh/status/2005331007504076863?s=20">said</a>.
&#8220;A big L for the &#8216;men and women are the same&#8217; crowd,&#8221; another <a href="https://x.com/JohnLeFevre/status/2005373154722746516?s=20">added</a>.
Former NFL player and candidate for Arizona&#8217;s 1st Congressional district, Jay Feely, called the match &#8220;garbage.&#8221;
&#8220;Please don’t ever believe the absolute garbage coming from ignorant liberals that letting men compete with women isn’t unfair to the women,&#8221; Feely <a href="https://x.com/jayfeely/status/2005414687975129232?s=20">said</a>.
Sabalenka disagreed with the backlash, telling reporters she doesn&#8217;t understand how fans can find something negative with the match.
&#8220;He won this match, but I showed great tennis. It wasn&#8217;t like 6-0, 6-0; it was great. It was interesting to watch,&#8221; Sabalenka said.
Interesting for sure, especially after Sabalenka publicly denounced trans-identifying men competing in women&#8217;s sports just a few weeks ago.
&#8220;I have nothing to do against them, but I feel like they still got huge advantage over the woman, and I think it&#8217;s just not fair to a woman to basically face a [biological] man,&#8221; Sabalenka told Piers Morgan. &#8220;It is not fair like the woman has been working her whole life to reach her limit and then she has to face like a man, [who] is biologically much stronger. So for me I don&#8217;t agree with this kind of stuff in sport.&#8221;
<a class="c-link" href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=christmas&amp;utm_content=christmassale25" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=christmas&amp;utm_content=christmassale25" data-sk="tooltip_parent">Christmas Sale &#8211; Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a>
Sitting beside her for the interview, Kyrgios agreed. Still, the two defended their choice to compete against each other.
&#8220;I&#8217;m sure the next time we do it &#8230; it will be a cultural movement and a step in the right direction,&#8221; Kyrgios said.
So what did the four-time Grand Slam Champion, at the top of her game, prove by losing to a man who is past his glory days in the sport?
Critics say nothing. Sabalenka hinted post-match that it&#8217;s not the last time she will face a man on the tennis court.
“I feel like next time I play him, I already know the tactic. I know his strengths and weaknesses. I love revenge,” she boldly stated.

Credit: Photo by Christopher Pike/Getty Images

The World’s Best Women’s Tennis Player Just Lost To A Barely Ranked Man In A Battle Of The Sexes

World's Best Female Tennis Player Loses To Man Ranked No. 671 In Battle Of The Sexes Match

Tennis

A 104-year-old WWII Veteran absolutely crushed the National Anthem Saturday on a saxophone before the New York Islanders faced the New York Rangers in the rivalry hockey game, and the crowd went wild!
Staff Sergeant Dominick Critelli was helped onto the ice, where he performed a wonderful rendition of the anthem in a custom Islanders jersey, complete with the number 104.
His century-old lungs carried the anthem as if he were just 20 years old. Islanders and Rangers fans with hands over their hearts and pride in their eyes sang along with Critelli. It was a moving scene—a scene that, unfortunately, has become rare since the Colin Kaepernicks of the world tried to diminish the anthem.
It was nearly 10 years ago in 2016 when Kaepernick first sat out the anthem. Since then, the Star Spangled Banner has sadly often been a point of contention. But thanks to Critelli&#8217;s pipes, it seems as though America is back.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
104 year old World War 2 Veteran Dominick Critelli performed the National Anthem on the saxophone at tonight’s game! <a href="https://t.co/m0v0WT6L2Y">pic.twitter.com/m0v0WT6L2Y</a>
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) <a href="https://twitter.com/NYIslanders/status/2005107346662436870?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
“USA!” chants rang out following his pre-game performance. The Army Veteran gave a strong salute to the crowd following his last note.
<a class="c-link" href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=christmas&amp;utm_content=christmassale25" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=christmas&amp;utm_content=christmassale25" data-sk="tooltip_parent">Christmas Sale &#8211; Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a>
Critelli served as an aircraft mechanic with the 95th Infantry Division Headquarters Battery after immigrating to the United States from Italy. According to the <a href="https://www.nhl.com/news/wwii-veteran-us-national-anthem-new-york-islanders">National Hockey League</a>, Critelli spent 151 days in combat during WWII. He fought at Normandy and in the Battle of the Bulge. Critelli went behind enemy lines during the war to help isolated American troops who needed supplies. His service to our country earned Critelli the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with three Bronze Stars. As well as the American Theatre Medal, the WWII Victory Medal, and the Good Conduct Medal.
Critelli was honored last summer on the 80th Anniversary of D-Day by French President Emmanuel Macron, who <a href="https://x.com/NLintheUSA/status/1798794940891136143?s=20">awarded</a> Critelli the Legion of Honor, France&#8217;s highest military award.
The highly decorated serviceman&#8217;s performance Saturday in front of 17,000 hockey fans wasn&#8217;t his biggest audience he&#8217;s ever played for.
In an interview with The New York Post prior to Saturday&#8217;s game, Critelli said he’d once performed on the top of a rolling army tank for thousands after helping free the Netherlands from Nazi rule.
“I guess, it must have been 50,000, 60,000 people,” Critelli told The Post.
All these years later, the proud New Yorker can still put on a show.

Credit: Steven Ryan/NHLI via Getty Images

104-Year-Old WWII Veteran Brings House Down With National Anthem

New York

New York Islanders

Veterans

WWII

Rep. Elise Stefanik, who was seen as a formidable challenger to incumbent New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, abruptly suspended her gubernatorial campaign Friday and is taking a step back from politics.
&#8220;While spending precious time with my family this Christmas season, I have made the decision to suspend my campaign for Governor and will not seek re-election to Congress,&#8221; Stefanik <a href="https://x.com/EliseStefanik/status/2002121519342793163?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">wrote</a> on X.
Stefanik&#8217;s choice stems from the unexpected entry of Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman into the Republican primary for governor, a move Stefanik says would inevitably lead to a costly and ultimately unnecessary primary battle.
Blakeman jumped into the primary despite a phone call from President Trump warning him against challenging Stefanik, whom the president endorsed emphatically earlier this year.
&#8220;[W]hile we would have overwhelmingly won this primary, it is not an effective use of our time or your generous resources to spend the first half of next year in an unnecessary and protracted Republican primary, especially in a challenging state like New York,&#8221; Stefanik said.
With her congressional term ending in 2027, Stefanik hopes to focus her attention on motherhood and other personal goals.
<a class="c-link" href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=christmas&amp;utm_content=christmassale25" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=christmas&amp;utm_content=christmassale25" data-sk="tooltip_parent">Christmas Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a>
&#8220;And while many know me as Congresswoman, my most important title is Mom. I believe that being a parent is life&#8217;s greatest gift and greatest responsibility,&#8221; Stefanik said. &#8220;I have thought deeply about this and I know that as a mother, I will feel profound regret if I don&#8217;t further focus on my young son&#8217;s safety, growth, and happiness &#8211; particularly at his tender age.&#8221;
The Harvard grad was once considered a rising star in the Republican Party and even a potential running mate for President Trump in 2024, but Stefanik has had a challenging year.
Stefanik gave up her leadership position and her spot on the House Intel committee earlier this year to accept the position of U.N. ambassador — only for the offer to be rescinded after Trump feared losing her House seat in the ensuing special election, eating into the Republicans&#8217; razor-thin House majority.
&#8220;I am incredibly grateful to the people of New York&#8217;s 21st District for entrusting me to represent you in the United States Congress. Thank you to my dedicated staff over the past decade. I am proud of the significant results that we successfully delivered for the hardworking families in our district and across America,&#8221; Stefanik concluded. &#8220;It has been a tremendous professional honor to serve as your Congresswoman over the past eleven years.&#8221;

Elise Stefanik

ELECTION SHOCK: Elise Stefanik Drops Out Of New York Governor’s Race

2026 Midterms

Kathy Hochul

Police are investigating a potential connection between the Saturday shooting at Brown University and the Monday killing of an MIT professor in his home, based on information that has emerged in the last 24 hours.
Multiple people familiar with the investigation told <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/12/18/us-news/investigators-probing-ties-between-brown-university-and-mit-professor-shootings-days-into-separate-manhunts/?utm_campaign=nypost&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_social_post_id=626977137&amp;utm_social_handle_id=17469289&amp;utm_source=twitter">several</a> <a href="https://www.wpri.com/target-12/police-probe-potential-ties-between-brown-university-attack-and-mit-professor-slaying/">outlets</a> that federal, state, and local authorities are now examining evidence that the two crimes, which took place less than 50 miles apart, may be linked, marking a significant shift in both stalled investigations.
The violence began Saturday afternoon when an unidentified gunman killed two Brown University students — Ella Cook and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov — and injured nine others after opening fire inside Brown’s Barus &amp; Holley engineering building.
48 hours later, an assailant shot MIT professor Nuno Loureiro multiple times inside his Brookline, Massachusetts, home.
Authorities have yet to identify suspects in either case, and initially stated in a Tuesday press briefing that there “seems to be no connection” between the two shootings.
Providence police and the FBI have steadily released images and video depicting two persons of interest walking the streets around Brown University before and after the shooting, asking the public for any information to identify them.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
ENHANCED VIDEO: We are releasing an enhanced video of the person of interest in the Brown University incident. Footage was captured on the East Side of Providence on Saturday afternoon before the incident.
Please share widely and contact the official tip line if you have… <a href="https://t.co/mewBSflOiO">pic.twitter.com/mewBSflOiO</a>
— Providence Police (@ProvidenceRIPD) <a href="https://twitter.com/ProvidenceRIPD/status/2001035754898653196?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Surveillance footage from Brown University captured the alleged shooting suspect — wearing a dark jacket, mask, and hat — walking around campus for hours before the attack around 4 p.m. Saturday. Multiple law enforcement agencies have expanded their search for video evidence, releasing a new map that widens the area of interest around the university.
A second person of interest was identified on Wednesday, depicted wearing a blue jacket and green hood, carrying a white satchel in the area of the shooting.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
ENHANCED PHOTO: Investigators are asking for the public’s help in identifying and speaking to the individual shown in this photo who was in proximity of the person of interest.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the tip line at 401-272-3121. <a href="https://t.co/D1reRPCdZV">pic.twitter.com/D1reRPCdZV</a>
— Providence Police (@ProvidenceRIPD) <a href="https://twitter.com/ProvidenceRIPD/status/2001390136857178172?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Authorities urge anyone with information about either incident to contact law enforcement immediately at 401-272-3121.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BREAKING?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BREAKING</a>: The FBI and <a href="https://twitter.com/ProvidenceRIPD?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ProvidenceRIPD</a> are releasing new images of a person of interest in the mass shooting at Brown University on 12/13/25. The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FBI?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FBI</a> is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest, and conviction of the individual.… <a href="https://t.co/OhpnsN9fds">pic.twitter.com/OhpnsN9fds</a>
— FBI Boston (@FBIBoston) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBIBoston/status/2000690371072794682?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Nuno Loureiro/Ella Cook

Police Investigating Potential Connection Between Brown University, MIT Shootings

Brown University

Investigation

Murder

Shooting

This past August in Aspen, Colorado, Charlie Kirk set his team an impossible goal. 
Kirk was convinced high school was the most important outreach point, according to Josh Thifault, who spearheads the Club America initiative for Turning Point USA. It’s when young Americans decide what values they want to build their life on. By the time many reach college, where TPUSA has a massive footprint, it’s already too late.
At the Colorado meeting for TPUSA leadership, Kirk told Thifault and his team that they weren’t close to where they needed to be. They had 1,200 Club America chapters. Kirk said that number needed to be 20,000. 
That was the last conversation Thifault had with his longtime friend and boss. Since Kirk’s assassination weeks later on September 10, Thifault has made it his mission to get the 20,000 Club America chapters, honoring his friend’s final request.
Thifault says there has already been a surge of requests to start Club America chapters, taking the number from 1,200 to 3,000. He now thinks the “almost impossible goal” can be a reality.
“God has given us an opportunity to achieve Charlie&#8217;s almost impossible goal,” Thifault tells The Daily Wire. “His ways are not our ways, but it is our responsibility to see this through.” 
The response to Kirk’s political assassination has been described as a political revival on the Right, with a surge of interest in the organization. It sold out tickets for its flagship convention this weekend, America Fest, cutting off registration weeks ago because the massive convention center hit capacity.
Thifault says TPUSA has grown into more than just a conservative organization.
“We&#8217;re watching Turning Point evolve from being more than just a conservative politically-themed organization,” Thifault says. “I&#8217;m watching our students care more and more about faith, I&#8217;m watching our students care more about the social aspects of our value system. They have a lot of questions about getting married, a lot of questions about having kids.”
Thifault is capitalizing on TPUSA’s growing reach by working directly with states to put Club America chapters in every high school. The longtime TPUSA executive has secured partnerships with Florida, Tennessee, and Texas. 
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis invited 150 TPUSA students to the Governor’s Mansion in Tallahassee after announcing the partnership. Texas Governor Greg Abbott held a large-scale press conference in Austin, where his Lieutenant Governor, Dan Patrick, announced a $1 million donation to the Club America and TPUSA expansion in the Lone Star State. In Tennessee, Senator Marsha Blackburn and Riley Gaines fired up the crowd of students on-site at the State Capitol to stand up for their values.
“I watched these state leaders one by one catch that vision that Charlie instilled in us before he died,” Thifault says. “It’s very important for the people in charge of the state to catch that vision. They&#8217;re not just doing it to honor Charlie, they’re doing it because they understand the way that changes the social fabric of their state.”
In Thifault’s speech at the Nashville event with Blackburn and Gaines, he predicted that it would have a permanent political impact on the state.
“You cannot fundamentally change the fabric of a nation unless the heart of the nation turns back to God, and that starts in you,” Thifault <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tennessee-and-turning-point-usa-team-up-to-start-chapters-at-every-high-school?author=Lynden+Blake&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Tennessee+And+Turning+Point+USA+Team+Up+To+Start+Chapters+At+Every+High+School">said</a> at the event. “We will look back on this day and say Tennessee was permanently a conservative state for 50 years, 100 years, because of the courage of our state leaders today.”
READ MORE: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tennessee-and-turning-point-usa-team-up-to-start-chapters-at-every-high-school?author=Lynden+Blake&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Tennessee+And+Turning+Point+USA+Team+Up+To+Start+Chapters+At+Every+High+School">Tennessee And Turning Point USA Team Up To Start Chapters At Every High School</a>
The partnerships ensure that Club America chapters can be formed at any school, no matter what administrators think about it. Thifault says every conservative governor in the nation should follow suit.
“I&#8217;m calling on every conservative governor in the nation to do an event like this with us and make promises, and create a culture where a leftist teacher or administrator is scared to trample on the First Amendment rights of a 15-year-old.”
&nbsp;
<div id="attachment_1016681" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1016681" class="wp-image-1016681 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Untitled-design-36-1-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Untitled-design-36-1-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Untitled-design-36-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Untitled-design-36-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Untitled-design-36-1.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Photo by Aaron E. Martinez/The Austin American-Statesman via Getty Images</div>
Thifault has spent the last three months calling lawmakers, scheduling meetings with governors to make Kirk’s goal of 20,000 Club America chapters a reality. 
“It&#8217;s just a lot of clipboard and tennis shoes-style activism right now.”
The boots-on-the-ground work Thifault is doing reminds him of his early days with Kirk, when they worked together a decade ago to get TPUSA off the ground. 
“Charlie was working 100 to 120 hours a week, he would be so busy that he wouldn’t have time to eat,” Thifault recalled. “He would get enough calories to stay alive by drinking a morning latte.” 
&nbsp;
<div id="attachment_1016691" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1016691" class="size-large wp-image-1016691" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Untitled-design-38-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Untitled-design-38-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Untitled-design-38-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Untitled-design-38-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Untitled-design-38.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Credit: Josh Thifault</div>
&nbsp;
Thifault says the surge to 3,000 chapters doesn’t even represent how much momentum is behind the initiative.
“The demand is even greater than the growth. In the weeks following Charlie’s passing, we had 135,000 people reach out, saying they wanted to start or join chapters.”
Thifault says TPUSA has been ready to respond to the demand because of Erika Kirk’s leadership. Erika took over for her husband as the leader of TPUSA and immediately went to work on doubling the infrastructure of the organization in 2026.
“She&#8217;s very passionate about this,” Thifault said. “I am thrilled not just with that, but also with her focus on the spiritual — which you&#8217;ve seen in a lot of her speeches. The reason why we&#8217;re able to grow this quickly is because Erika has continued the visions Charlie put in place.”
Erika has been praised for how quickly she stepped into the leadership role while still grieving her husband’s death. Thifault said Charlie left specific instructions on how he wanted his company to move forward in case something happened to him. 
“It was because Charlie explicitly left wishes that she take over with the goal of continuing the set vision for the organization,” Thifault says. “He was keenly aware that something could happen to him, and he wanted the train to keep going in the same direction.”
The fall tour, the biggest convention ever, and rapid expansion are all things Thifault said are because of Erika’s commitment to Charlie’s mission. 
“I cannot overstate the importance of that,” Thifault said.
TPUSA has come a long way from its first end-of-year conference in 2015, which Thifault attended. It was about 100 students, in a room with no windows, eager to hear Charlie Kirk’s message. 
Ten years later, there are 30,000 people in a convention center. It’s the first conference without Kirk, but his message lives on — build a movement rooted in faith, freedom, and love of country, and bring it to the next generation.
“What&#8217;s the best thing spiritually and culturally and politically for the nation? When a student is a teenager, show them the truth and let them build their lives on it,” Thifault said. 
He said that’s possible through Club America.
“The most efficient thing we can do as a society is to make sure that before students even become adults, they’re building their lives on the way, the truth, and the light.”

Credit: Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Charlie Kirk Gave His Team An Impossible Task. Now They’re Fighting To Make It A Reality.

AMFEST

Florida

Tennessee

Texas

NASHVILLE—Nearly 100 students, bright-eyed and hungry for change, gathered at the Tennessee State Capitol Building Friday morning, some having driven all night to make it to the event.
There, in a room full of young conservatives, a group of Tennessee officials, including Senator Marsha Blackburn (R), announced a partnership with Turning Point USA. Soon, every high school in the state will have a chapter of Club America, TPUSA&#8217;s high school affiliate.
Club America, like all of TPUSA, aims to advance the mission of the group&#8217;s late founder, Charlie Kirk: make being a conservative cool.
&#8220;The founding of the country, the Constitution, capitalism,&#8221; TPUSA Senior Director Josh Thifault told The Daily Wire. &#8220;The branding is meant to feel like it&#8217;s something that everybody wants to be part of because I mean, who doesn&#8217;t want to be part of Club America? We wanted to create a presentation to high schools that would be very tough to say no to.&#8221;
Blackburn was joined by women&#8217;s sports activist Riley Gaines and Tennessee Senator Jack Johnson for the announcement. The Volunteer State joins Texas and Florida, which have also taken steps to launch Club America chapters throughout their states.
One of the last in-depth conversations Thifault had with Kirk before the latter was assassinated in September was about expanding Club America. Thifault said with Republican states fully backing the mission, TPUSA can get to Kirk&#8217;s goal of 20,000 chapters.
&#8220;I&#8217;m very thankful for all the commitments that Tennessee made,&#8221; he said Friday. &#8220;There&#8217;s a lot of wonderful people who worked a lot to make this happen. Also, I have to give special credit to Riley Gaines because she&#8217;s the one who, as soon as it became pretty clear we were working something out, shouted it from the rooftops.&#8221;
Gaines spent nearly an hour after the partnership was announced taking pictures with the students who traveled to Nashville for the event. The former Kentucky swimmer and new mom challenged the students to bring five friends to a Club America event and keep the movement growing.
&#8220;I think we&#8217;ve now understood that Tennessee, especially with the recent congressional race here in this district, is not immune,&#8221; Gaines said. &#8220;I think so many of us almost develop a sense of complacency because we think it can&#8217;t happen to me. Nobody is immune to the cultural chaos that is plaguing this nation and even plaguing this state.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_1014301" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1014301" class="size-large wp-image-1014301" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Untitled-design-31-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Untitled-design-31-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Untitled-design-31-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Untitled-design-31-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Untitled-design-31.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Credit: Anna Katherine White</div>
One of the students who drove hours to be at the State Capitol on Friday was Riley Belt. The junior out of Providence Christian in Johnson City said Tennessee&#8217;s partnership with TPUSA makes her excited for her peers.
&#8220;Our generation is definitely a turning point,&#8221; Belt said. &#8220;We just want to be able to help teach kids like us how to help change our nation and lead us back to conservative values and back to Christ. That&#8217;s what it&#8217;s all about.&#8221;
Since Kirk&#8217;s assassination, Club America chapters in Tennessee have grown from 30 to 104. Belt helped start her school&#8217;s chapter in November. Because of the pact formed Friday, that number is only expected to grow.
&#8220;One person can&#8217;t do it on their own, but we&#8217;re surrounded by people who also share these values and want to make America what Charlie wanted it to be,&#8221; Belt said. &#8220;That&#8217;s what we&#8217;re fighting for.&#8221;

Illustration by Daily Wire staff

Tennessee And Turning Point USA Team Up To Start Chapters At Every High School

Marsha Blackburn

Riley Gaines

Social Issues

U.S.

Two countries that criminalize homosexuality have asked to be left out of a soccer match that is being branded as a celebration of homosexuality.
Egypt and Iran, who are scheduled to play in Seattle on June 26, the same day that Seattle is holding its &#8220;Pride Match,&#8221; said that they want no part of the LGBT celebration. This should come as a shock to no one. While the pride theme was determined before last weekend&#8217;s team draw that put Egypt and Iran on the June 26 slot, backlash was to be expected.
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/world-cup-teams-back-down-on-rainbow-armbands-after-fifa-threats">World Cup Teams Back Down On Rainbow Armbands After FIFA Threats</a>
In a <a href="https://www.efa.com.eg/ar/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D8%AE%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1/%D8%B1%D8%B3%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%A7-%D8%A7%D8%AA%D8%AD%D8%A7%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%83%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D9%8A%D8%B1%D9%81%D8%B6-%D8%A5%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%A9-%D8%A3%D9%86%D8%B4%D8%B7%D8%A9-%D8%AF%D8%B9%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%AB%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%AE%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%85%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A9-%D9%85%D8%B5%D8%B1-%D9%88%D8%A5%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A8%D9%83%D8%A3%D8%B3-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85/">letter sent to FIFA</a>, the Egyptian Football Association requested that there be no activities glorifying homosexuality during the match with Iran. Egypt references FIFA&#8217;s policies requiring FIFA competitions to avoid anything that brings conflict between fans from different backgrounds.
&#8220;The Egyptian Federation categorically rejects these calls and demands that FIFA not hold any events or performances related to supporting (homosexuality) inside the stadium on match day.&#8221;
The Egyptian Football Association said that it &#8220;rejects such activities&#8221; such as promoting homosexuality during the soccer match that &#8220;directly contradict the cultural, religious and social values ​​in the region, especially in Arab and Islamic societies.&#8221;
Iran made a similar statement.
President of Iran&#8217;s Football Federation, Mehdi Taj, spoke to state media and denounced the decision to use pride branding for the match.
&#8220;Both Egypt and we have objected, because this is an unreasonable and illogical move that essentially signals support for a particular group, and we must definitely address this point.&#8221;
Taj said Iran would bring up the issue at a FIFA Council meeting next week in Qatar, another country that will start their quest for the World Cup in Seattle.
Egypt, Iran, and Qatar have laws against homosexuality.
In Egypt, if someone is caught engaging in homosexual activity, it’s punishable with up to three years in prison, and they may be forced to pay a hefty fine, according to Human Rights Watch. In Iran, capital punishment remains the maximum penalty for homosexuality under the law.
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/2026-world-cup-to-host-pride-match-featuring-two-countries-that-criminalize-being-gay">2026 World Cup To Host ‘Pride Match’ Featuring Two Countries That Criminalize Being Gay</a>
Seattle&#8217;s Pride Match Advisory Committee is organizing the &#8220;Pride Match&#8221; that is still set to go on despite the two countries&#8217; requests during the city&#8217;s Pride weekend. This committee isn&#8217;t associated with FIFA or endorsed by it.
Hana Tedesse, Vice President of Communications for Seattle FIFA World Cup 26™ , which is directly associated with the soccer tournament, told The Daily Wire SeattleFWC26 isn&#8217;t backing down.
&#8220;SeattleFWC26 is moving forward as planned with our community programming outside the stadium during Pride weekend and throughout the tournament, partnering with LGBTQ+ leaders, artists, and business owners to elevate existing Pride celebrations across Washington,&#8221; Tedesse said.
<a class="c-link" href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=christmas&amp;utm_content=christmassale25" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=christmas&amp;utm_content=christmassale25" data-sk="tooltip_parent">Christmas Sale &#8211; Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a>
SeattleFWC26 called inclusion Seattle’s “greatest strength.”
&#8220;As the local organizing committee, our role is to prepare our city to host the matches and manage the city experience outside of Seattle Stadium,&#8221; Tedesse said. &#8220;Football has a unique power to unite people across borders, cultures, and beliefs. The Pacific Northwest is home to one of the nation’s largest Iranian-American communities, a thriving Egyptian diaspora, and rich communities representing all nations we’re hosting in Seattle.”
During the 2022 World Cup, FIFA threatened sanctions for European countries that wanted to wear pride-themed LGBT bands — the countries ultimately decided against it.
The &#8220;Pride Match&#8221; is scheduled for June 26 at Seattle&#8217;s Lumen Field. The Daily Wire has reached out to FIFA to comment on Egypt&#8217;s and Iran&#8217;s request to take pride out of play.

Menu