WASHINGTON — As President Donald Trump&#8217;s White House game-planned how to message the Jeffrey Epstein files during the summer of 2025, Dan Bongino was growing increasingly frustrated and angry.
He understood the vast interest in Jeffrey Epstein online, and he had repeatedly sounded the alarm to Trump&#8217;s team that the outcry over the DOJ&#8217;s bungling of the Epstein files was gaining momentum, as Jonathan Swan and Maggie Haberman reported for their book “Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump.”
Back in July 2025, the president wasn&#8217;t yet interested in releasing the files. The DOJ had briefed him on the contents of what they had, noting that much of it included child sexual abuse material and that a lot of the raw records contained unverified and unsubstantiated information, including about the president and some of his friends. The White House viewed the conversation as toxic and unnecessary (the president would later call out Democrats&#8217; new fixation on the files as a &#8220;hoax&#8221;).
Trump&#8217;s advisors argued at the time that the president had weathered every possible media storm — and he could weather this Epstein one as well. Ultimately, the House and Senate would vote to pass the Epstein Files Transparency Act in November 2025, and Trump would sign it into law the same month. The files would be released in massive dumps in December and January.
But during the summer of 2025, Bongino repeatedly told the White House that Team Trump wasn&#8217;t grasping how big of a deal the Epstein drama was, telling White House advisors, according to The New York Times: “It’s not an online story. You don’t understand.”
Things came to a head when the DOJ and FBI put out a memo saying that they had concluded that there was no evidence Epstein had a client list. It also said that Epstein&#8217;s death was a suicide, that the Trump administration wouldn&#8217;t be releasing any more information about the Epstein case, and that no further investigation was warranted.
At the same time, they also released 11 hours of video footage from the Manhattan jail where Epstein was found dead. That surveillance video actually made matters worse, since it was missing a pivotal minute, from 11:58:58 to midnight on the night that Epstein died. That missing minute was later released, but it had only fueled angry speculation about a coverup.
Bongino was enraged by the memo and by the handling of the entire situation. He had argued to Patel that it would not at all align with their transparency promises, the NYT reports, and he pushed hard for the FBI seal to be left off the letter. While Patel reportedly agreed with Bongino on many points, he ultimately went along with what the DOJ and White House wanted.
In what Haberman and Swan described as a &#8220;volcanic mood,&#8221; Bongino shouted at Bondi in a Justice Department meeting with FBI staff.
“You f*cked this thing up from the start,” Bongino allegedly yelled at the former attorney general. “The way you’ve been talking about this — that dumb f*cking charade with the Epstein files, the ‘They’re on my desk’ nonsense, all the promises to the folks out there.”
<div id="attachment_1113617" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/why-dan-bongino-stormed-out-of-the-situation-room-over-the-epstein-files/pipe-bomb-suspect-charged-over-devices-found-before-jan-6-riot" rel="attachment wp-att-1113617"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1113617" class="wp-image-1113617 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/GettyImages-2249306758-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/GettyImages-2249306758-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/GettyImages-2249306758-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/GettyImages-2249306758-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/GettyImages-2249306758.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" /></a>Photographer: Alex Kent/Bloomberg via Getty Images</div>
Bongino and Patel were reportedly called into a Situation Room meeting with Susie Wiles, Pam Bondi, Todd Blanche, and Taylor Budowich two days later. Wiles immediately asked Bongino if he had leaked a story about Epstein and Trump to ABC News, the New York Times reports.
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“I’ll tell you what,” Bongino reportedly replied. “I’ll give you $100,000 cash right now. I’m not kidding. Walk out to West Exec, put that reporter on speaker and get him to admit I leaked it. A hundred thousand dollars.”
When Wiles started to tell Bongino that &#8220;we all got ourselves into this,&#8221; he allegedly cut her off, saying, “No, no, no, no, no. We didn’t get ourselves into anything. I warned you guys about this the whole time, and you ignored me. And exactly what I said was going to happen happened. And now you’re pretending I was in on this. I was never in on this.”
His response startled the rest of the group, particularly given that Wiles was the White House chief of staff. Wiles reportedly pressed forward, telling Bongino, “Going forward, we’re all in. We’re all going to agree to move forward. Are you in or not?”
He reportedly responded: “No, I’m not. This is not my plan. I’m not part of this going forward. Forget it. I’m out of here.”
And, in an even more shocking move, Bongino &#8220;stormed out of the Situation Room and onto West Executive Avenue, where he climbed into the back of Patel’s armored SUV and directed the driver to take him to FBI headquarters.&#8221;
MAGA world lit up with rumors that Bongino would resign. Sources close to Bongino at the time <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bondi-or-bongino-bongino-wont-remain-at-fbi-if-bondi-keeps-job-source-says">told Daily Wire</a> that he was threatening to leave the bureau if Bondi remained on the job, effectively issuing an ultimatum.
Patel also wanted Bondi gone, sources close to the FBI chief told The Daily Wire, saying that Patel would consider leaving the FBI if Bongino left.
“Blondie f*cked this whole thing up,” Bongino told a confidant, The New York Times reported. He was using a nickname for the attorney general coined by outspoken Bondi critic Laura Loomer. “She was the one on TV saying over and over they had all this stuff. There was never anything.&#8221;
&#8220;We were always clear about that,&#8221; Bongino emphasized, according to the Times. &#8220;But now everyone thinks we did something wrong. And I gave up everything.”
He stayed on until January 2026, when he resigned from the bureau and returned to hosting his &#8220;Dan Bongino Show.&#8221;
&#8220;Dan did a great job,&#8221; Trump told reporters, as news of Bongino&#8217;s departure broke. &#8220;I think he wants to go back to his show.&#8221;
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Former Attorney General Pam Bondi had made things difficult for Patel and Bongino when she promised in a February 2025 Fox News interview that the Epstein list was &#8220;sitting&#8221; on her &#8220;desk right now to review.&#8221;
Her possibly greater misstep occurred during a White House briefing with influencers on the president&#8217;s agenda, according to the NYT. During that briefing, Bondi and her team walked into the Roosevelt Room carrying boxes and handed out binders to the influencers that she described as &#8220;The Epstein files.&#8221;
Swan and Haberman write that &#8220;the blood pressure of other officials in the room skyrocketed&#8221; — they did not know what was in the binders, and the binders hadn&#8217;t been vetted by the White House.
The president was about to meet with Prime Minister Keir Starmer before the press, and the news might possibly blindside him.
&#8220;One official, opening the binder, began flipping through pages to see if Trump’s name was mentioned anywhere,&#8221; they wrote. &#8220;A few pages in, right in the middle of the page, there it was.&#8221;
The binders didn&#8217;t actually contain anything meaningfully new, but after the influencers took photos in front of the White House holding them, word spread like wildfire on social media. Not only did the influencers feel duped by the lack of substance in the binders, but many of Trump&#8217;s supporters were seething on social media over what they saw as Bondi playing showman with the files without releasing anything meaningful.
The Epstein files, which will have all been released as of July 2026, include many mentions of Trump&#8217;s name but have not been found to include substantiated allegations against the president.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NEW: Photo obtained by <a href="https://x.com/realDailyWire?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDailyWire</a> shows Bill Clinton and Jeffrey Epstein together. To my knowledge, this photo hasn’t been reported.
Massive trove of Epstein files are expected to be released tomorrow. <a href="https://t.co/OvFFbUQlXq">pic.twitter.com/OvFFbUQlXq</a>
— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) <a href="https://x.com/MaryMargOlohan/status/2001876204299960657?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
The DOJ noted that the batch released in January contained numerous “sensationalist” claims submitted right before the 2020 election, in an apparent attempt to stop Trump from winning the presidential election. Many of those claims don&#8217;t even include callback numbers, such as one graphic claim that the president raped a 13-year-old girl.
“Just as President Trump has said, he’s been totally exonerated on anything relating to Epstein,&#8221; White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told The Daily Wire on Wednesday.
&#8220;And by releasing thousands of pages of documents, cooperating with the House Oversight Committee’s subpoena request, signing the Epstein Files Transparency Act, and calling for more investigations into Epstein’s Democrat friends, President Trump has done more for Epstein’s victims than anyone before him,&#8221; she added.

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Why Dan Bongino Stormed Out Of The Situation Room Over The Epstein Files

Dan Bongino

Epstein Files

Jeffrey Epstein

kash patel

Pam Bondi

White House

Former Attorney General Pam Bondi was reportedly diagnosed with thyroid cancer shortly after her departure from the Department of Justice earlier this year.
Axios <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/05/27/pam-bondi-white-house-ai">reported</a> that Bondi, 60, has already undergone treatment and is now recovering. Few details about the diagnosis or treatment have been publicly released and Bondi has not personally commented on the reports surrounding her health.
The revelation stunned many in Washington and conservative media circles, especially as the former attorney general has remained closely tied to President Donald Trump following her DOJ exit. Trump is reportedly planning to tap Bondi for a new artificial intelligence advisory role inside the administration.
After the news broke, social media quickly filled with prayers and messages of support from Trump allies, conservative commentators, and longtime supporters.
Former White House official Katie Miller wrote on X that Bondi had been “quietly kicking cancer’s ass the last few weeks,” while praising her personally.
Bondi became one of the most recognizable faces inside Trump’s Justice Department and remained a fierce public defender of the administration throughout her time in office.
Following her removal last month, she vowed to continue fighting for Trump and his agenda.
Before joining the Trump administration, Bondi served as Florida attorney general and built a national profile as a tough-on-crime prosecutor and outspoken conservative legal figure.
She later became one of Trump’s most visible defenders during several major legal and political battles tied to the White House.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, most thyroid cancers are considered highly treatable when caught early, with survival rates remaining extremely high for many patients.
Bondi is not the only major figure in Trump’s orbit currently battling cancer, as White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles continues undergoing treatment for breast cancer.

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Pam Bondi’s Private Health Struggle After DOJ Exit

Cancer

Department of Justice

Trump Administration

WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice launched a fraud enforcement division on Tuesday, as the Trump administration continues its crackdown on malicious actors taking advantage of public medical and housing programs.
“The American people deserve an end to the crisis of fraud,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a press conference, which was his first time taking questions from reporters since Pam Bondi was pulled from the position.
During the press conference, Blanche told The Daily Wire that every United States Attorney’s Office will have a minimum of one prosecutor dedicated to tackling fraud investigations, and “in many states, more than one.” The DOJ will also be “building up the division” in Washington. The division will be led by Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald.
“Every single federal agency is involved in this,” he said, noting that many cases come from inspectors general.
The announcement of the division comes as Vice President JD Vance was recently appointed to lead the “Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-trump-fraud-task-force-taps-lead-hunter-biden-prosecutor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Wire</a> reported last month that Hunter Biden prosecutor Scott Brady, who is the special counsel at the Department of Health and Human Services, will be the executive director of the task force.
“The attorneys and staff who join this new division, you will have the entire department&#8217;s support as you work to protect the financial integrity of our entire government and the tax system that supports it,” Blanche added, noting the creation of the National Fraud Detection Center.
“We will spare no resources in giving you the tools that you need to bring strong cases and do justice. The new division will bring together data and investigators from across the entire government so that you can track down even the most sophisticated fraudsters and hold them accountable,” he continued.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
There be will at least one fraud division prosecutor at every U.S. attorney’s office, but “‘many more” at others, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told me at today’s presser ⬇️ <a href="https://t.co/qmoHzcRAbS">https://t.co/qmoHzcRAbS</a>
— Cameron Arcand (@cameron_arcand) <a href="https://twitter.com/cameron_arcand/status/2041584269143757147?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Blanche highlighted numerous recent fraud cases, including eight individuals charged in California last week in a $50 million hospice fraud scheme. Other states, like Minnesota, have come into the national focus over court cases surrounding Medicaid, including fake autism treatment schemes.
“The Southern California region is a high-risk environment for hospice-related and many other forms of health care fraud,” Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, said in a statement last week regarding the <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/8-arrested-health-care-fraud-takedown-including-owners-hospices-billed-taxpayers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hospice case</a>. “The United States loses hundreds of billions of dollars annually to healthcare fraud at the expense of all American taxpayers, whose benefits decrease as premiums, co-payments and taxes grow. Our aim is to reverse that trend with ‘Operation Never Say Die’ and others like it.”

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche Holds News Conference At Justice Department

‘Crisis Of Fraud’: DOJ Unveils New Crackdown Unit To Hunt Down Billions In Government Abuse

California

Fraud

justice department

Minnesota

Todd Blanche

Jennifer Siebel Newsom, wife of Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) and self-described &#8220;First Partner of California,&#8221; offered a bizarre defense of former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and former Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Newsom, in a recent video, claimed that the two women — both recently removed from cabinet-level positions in President Donald Trump&#8217;s administration — were victims of &#8220;the Patriarchy&#8221; and proof positive that the war on women was raging ever onward.
WATCH:
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&#8220;Trust me, I&#8217;m not a fan of Pam Bondi nor Kristi Noem,&#8221; Newsom began, adding, &#8220;But I need to call out that it&#8217;s no surprise to me that the first two prominent people pushed out of this administration were women.&#8221;
&#8220;Let me explain. The conservative women that Trump handpicks, who align themselves with an agenda that controls women, restricting our rights, limiting our autonomy, and pushing us back into the straitjacket of femininity that is only in service of men, that&#8217;s a familiar pattern here,&#8221; Newsom claimed. &#8220;Women are brought in and packaged Mar-a-Lago-style and lifted up, as long as they commit to whole-heartedly serve the interests of the patriarch at the top.&#8221;
Newsom went on to argue that those positions only appeared to hold power &#8220;or proximity to power&#8221; and failed to provide any kind of real authority or security: &#8220;There’s no secure place inside this handpicked patriarchal body that systemically disrespects, devalues, and discriminates against women and girls.&#8221;
California&#8217;s &#8220;first partner&#8221; pivoted to attack Noem and Bondi — and other women aligned with the Trump administration — as &#8220;complicit&#8221; in devaluing other women and warned that they would always be the &#8220;first to go&#8221; when it mattered.
&#8220;Your power is only temporary,&#8221; she claimed, adding, &#8220;And ultimately, they will come for you.&#8221;
Newsom made no mention of the fact that Trump was responsible for hiring the first woman to manage a winning presidential campaign (Kellyanne Conway), the first working mother to serve as White House Press Secretary (Sarah Huckabee Sanders), and the first woman to serve as White House Chief of Staff (Susie Wiles). She also failed to acknowledge that it was actually a man — Green Beret veteran Mike Waltz, now serving as U.S. Ambassador to the UN — who was the first high-ranking official to be ousted from his role as national security adviser.

California Governor Gavin Newsom Interview On The Circuit

Gavin Newsom’s Wife Offers Bizarre Defense Of Kristi Noem, Pam Bondi

Gavin Newsom's Wife Offers Bizarre Defense Of Kristi Noem, Pam Bondi

General

Jennifer Newsom

Kristi Noem

Patriarchy

Politics

Sexism

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump will promote Harmeet Dhillon to one of the top slots in the Department of Justice, The Daily Wire can first report, a next step in the shake-up that began with the ousting of Pam Bondi as attorney general.
The president plans to nominate Dhillon to be associate attorney general, a move up from her position as the head of the DOJ&#8217;s Civil Rights Division, a source familiar said on Saturday evening. Stanley Woodward, who held the leadership position, resigned from the department earlier on Saturday, the source said.
The move marks a major move up the Justice Department ranks for Dhillon, who was sworn in as Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division in April 2025.
The news comes amid reshuffling of top DOJ officials following the president&#8217;s decision to remove Bondi. Trump met Bondi before his Wednesday evening speech and told her that she was being replaced, The Daily Wire reported earlier this week.
Todd Blanche is serving as the acting attorney general, and could remain in that role for quite some time, a source familiar with the president&#8217;s thinking shared on Saturday, noting that the president has no plans to nominate anyone else right at this time.
Trump has been said to be ruminating over appointing Lee Zeldin to the role, and conservatives close to the president have floated the likes of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Utah Sen. Mike Lee, and Dhillon herself.
<div id="attachment_1072435" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-donald-trump-to-promote-harmeet-dhillon-to-high-profile-doj-position/president-trump-swears-in-dhs-secretary-mullin" rel="attachment wp-att-1072435"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1072435" class="wp-image-1072435 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2267723046-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2267723046-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2267723046-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2267723046-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2267723046.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" /></a>Pam Bondi, US attorney general, during a swearing-in ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, March 24, 2026. Photographer: Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images</div>
The president made the decision to remove Bondi in part because he was frustrated with the lack of criminal prosecutions of Democrats who committed lawfare against him, a second federal source shared.
Another federal source familiar with the Bondi firing pushed back on this characterization, telling The Daily Wire: &#8220;Attorney General Bondi’s outside enemies knew that she had no lack of zeal or skill in prosecuting cases of weaponization. They just stood to benefit from a changing of the guard.”
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Daily Wire.
Prior to the time at the Justice Department, Dhillon made a name for herself in the conservative movement through her work at her legal firm, Dhillon Law Group, where she represented Americans like pro-life undercover journalist David Daleiden and detransitioner Chloe Cole in free speech and civil rights cases. She was also a major force in Republican  campaign and election law.
&#8220;Among her many notable cases, Ms. Dhillon brought legal challenges against the University of California, Berkeley over its free speech policy, against an Antifa organization for an assault on a conservative journalist, against several states for their restrictive responses to Covid-19, and against various large tech companies for a host of civil rights issues,&#8221; her DOJ bio states.

National-Conservative-Convention-in-Washington

EXCLUSIVE: Donald Trump To Promote Harmeet Dhillon To High-Profile DOJ Position

Donald Trump

Harmeet Dhillon

Supporters of Attorney General Ken Paxton (R-TX) were divided by the news of Attorney General Pam Bondi&#8217;s ouster over whether Paxton should be considered for the national job or should remain in the fight to replace John Cornyn.
Paxton is currently in a heated Republican runoff with incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, with President Donald Trump yet to issue an endorsement ahead of the May 26 contest. If Paxton were to be tapped for a national position and drop out of the race, it would effectively clear the field for Cornyn and set the general election matchup against Democrat James Talarico.
The Daily Wire could not confirm whether Paxton is actually being considered. Other names circulating in Republican circles include EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, DOJ Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Harmeet Dhillon, Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, and Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO).
Turning Point USA spokesman Andrew Kolvet also floated Paxton&#8217;s name, alongside others like Zeldin, Dhillon, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro, and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought.
Kolvet said the next individual has &#8220;to be ruthless and smart and impossible to distract or slow down.&#8221; The spokesman for the conservative group said that he&#8217;s been told that former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), who was Trump&#8217;s withdrawn pick for the role last year, is not &#8220;pursuing&#8221; the job.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
With Bondi departing, I have a few people in mind to be the next AG, who&#8217;s your pick?
• Harmeet Dhillon 
• Lee Zeldin 
• Ken Paxton 
• Jeanine Pirro 
• Ron DeSantis 
• Russ Vought (but he&#8217;s great at OMB)
Has to be ruthless and smart and impossible to distract or slow down.…
— Andrew Kolvet (@AndrewKolvet) <a href="https://twitter.com/AndrewKolvet/status/2039774655524004294?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2026</a></blockquote>
Online speculation intensified following posts from conservative commentators and political observers, many of whom <a href="https://x.com/RedEaglePatriot/status/2039776422366003312?s=20">argued</a> Paxton would have a greater impact as attorney general than as a U.S. senator.
“Bondi is OUT,” conservative influencer <a href="https://x.com/RedEaglePatriot/status/2039776422366003312?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">“Red Eagle Politics”</a> posted to X on Thursday. “Ken Paxton should be our next AG. He can make a massive impact in that role, whereas in the Senate he would just be one vote out of 100.&#8221;
The prediction market <a href="https://kalshi.com/markets/kxnextag/next-ag/kxnextag-29" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kalshi</a> gives Paxton roughly a 4% chance of becoming Trump’s nominee, compared to 57% for Zeldin and 31% for interim Attorney General Todd Blanche.
One X post from Daily Wire reporter Mary Margaret Olohan listed several names being discussed:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
People close to the White House are throwing around a lot of names for the next attorney general. Here’s a few of the names I’ve had mentioned to me today:
&#8211; Mike Lee 
&#8211; Harmeet Dhillon 
&#8211; Ashley Moody 
&#8211; Lee Zeldin 
&#8211; Eric Schmitt
— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaryMargOlohan/status/2039786402221584593?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2026</a></blockquote>
Others pointed out that the brutal nature of the primary, which has highlighted Paxton&#8217;s past personal and professional controversies, could complicate the potential confirmation process.
“I think there’s a non-zero chance Trump tries to replace Pam Bondi with Texas’s Ken Paxton and rams the vote through an otherwise hesitant Senate by promising that since Cornyn would then become the TX Senate nominee, odds to keep the chamber go up,” Michigan State University policy professor <a href="https://x.com/joshcowenMI/status/2039780397727309982?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Josh Cowen</a> wrote on X.
Some conservatives pushed back on the Paxton buzz, <a href="https://x.com/ImFiredUp2/status/2039799088888053842?s=20">saying</a> he should remain in the Senate race to challenge Cornyn.
“Watch for the horse trading to put Ken Paxton up for AG thus making Cornyn the senator from Texas again,” conservative commentator <a href="https://x.com/ImFiredUp2/status/2039799088888053842?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chad Caton</a> wrote. “THIS CANT HAPPEN. We must rid ourselves of the power and influence that John Cornyn wields. Ken Paxton must be the next Senator from Texas.”
Democrats also suggested that Paxton could be the pick to take on the top law enforcement role in the Trump administration.
“Depending on how low he wants to go, I figure he goes with Ken Paxton to replace Bondi. Who is scummier than him? Plus he clears the field in Texas for Cornyn,” Democratic activist <a href="https://x.com/PaulJacobsMedia/status/2039751328604262871?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Paul Jacobs</a> posted to X.
“My prediction: with Pam Bondi out, Ken Paxton is next up. Yes, Texas’ scandal-ridden AG who’s currently tripping his way through a primary runoff against John Cornyn,” former liberal political strategist <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sheajordansmith" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shea Jordan Smith</a> wrote on Facebook. “They’d much rather send Cornyn into a general election than take a chance on Paxton, who’s radioactive enough to turn a winnable race into a problem… especially with James Talarico on the other side.”
The Daily Wire reached out to the Paxton campaign for comment. The Cornyn campaign declined to comment.
When asked about Bondi&#8217;s status, the White House pointed to a Truth Social <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/2039754354471686643?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a> from Trump praising her for doing &#8220;a tremendous job overseeing a massive crackdown in Crime across our country.&#8221;

U.S. Supreme Court Hears Expedited Challenges Over Texas Abortion Ban

Paxton Supporters Push Trump To Make Him AG — Others Say No Way

Attorney General

John Cornyn

Ken Paxton

Senate

Texas

President Donald Trump is replacing Pam Bondi as Attorney General of the United States, bringing an end to her highly scrutinized tenure, the White House confirmed to The Daily Wire on Thursday.
The president made the decision in part because he was frustrated with the lack of criminal prosecutions of Democrats who committed lawfare against him, a federal source shared. Trump met Bondi before his evening speech last night and told her that she was being replaced, a second source with knowledge of the meeting told The Daily Wire.
Trump also met with EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin on Tuesday, the source said. Zeldin has been rumored to be under consideration to lead the Justice Department.
The president praised Bondi in a post on Truth Social following reports of her ouster and said she would be &#8220;transitioning to a much needed and important new job in the private sector.&#8221; Trump said that Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche will serve as acting attorney general.
&#8220;Pam Bondi is a Great American Patriot and a loyal friend, who faithfully served as my Attorney General over the past year. Pam did a tremendous job overseeing a massive crackdown in Crime across our Country, with Murders plummeting to their lowest level since 1900,&#8221; Trump wrote. &#8220;We love Pam, and she will be transitioning to a much needed and important new job in the private sector, to be announced at a date in the near future, and our Deputy Attorney General, and a very talented and respected Legal Mind, Todd Blanche, will step in to serve as Acting Attorney General. Thank you for your attention to this matter!&#8221;
Bondi <a href="https://x.com/AGPamBondi/status/2039780681874841925">said</a> she is &#8220;eternally grateful&#8221; for Trump&#8217;s decision to appoint her attorney general, adding that she in the role for the next month.
&#8220;Leading President Trump’s historic and highly successful efforts to make America safer and more secure has been the honor of a lifetime, and easily the most consequential first year of the Department of Justice in American history,&#8221; Bondi added. &#8220;Since February 2025, we have secured the lowest murder rate in 125 years, secured first-ever terrorism convictions against members of Antifa, shattered domestic and transnational gangs across the country, taken custody of more than 90 key cartel figures, and won 24 favorable rulings at the Supreme Court.&#8221;
It is unclear how much support Zeldin would have if Trump were to choose him for the position, in part due to what some perceive as his lack of prosecutorial or senior DOJ experience. DOJ sources predicted to The Daily Wire that senior officials at the Justice Department would be reluctant to stay if “someone that unqualified were appointed as attorney general.”
Bondi, who was touted by Trump as being “tough on violent criminals” and “an America First fighter” when she was nominated, was criticized frequently for her role in the Epstein investigation and the Justice Department’s struggle to prosecute some of Trump’s political enemies.
Shortly after taking over as attorney general in early February of 2025, Bondi was criticized for the Justice Department’s handling of the investigation into pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. In late February 2025, Bondi said the supposed client list belonging to Epstein was sitting on her desk, but after the FBI concluded a review of the Epstein files, the Justice Department said it found no evidence that a client list existed.
Last October, Trump posted what appeared to be intended as a private message to Bondi on Truth Social. In the message, Trump expressed frustration that &#8220;nothing is being done&#8221; to prosecute Democrats, such as former FBI Director James Comey, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and California Sen. Adam Schiff.
&#8220;They’re all guilty as hell, but nothing is going to be done,&#8221; Trump wrote, adding, &#8220;We can&#8217;t delay any longer, it&#8217;s killing our reputation and credibility.&#8221;
Comey, James, and Schiff have all faced investigations since Trump got back into office last year, but so far, the Justice Department has not made any progress on its cases against the Democrats. Indictments against Comey and James were dismissed last November over issues with how the prosecutor in the case was appointed.

GettyImages-2240007939

Bondi Breaks Silence On Timeline For Her Departure As Attorney General

Executive

The Justice Department launched a probe Thursday into multiple women’s prisons across California and Maine, where transgender-identifying men have been accused of rape and making other sexual advances toward female inmates. 
The investigation from the Justice Department will look at whether the states violated the constitutional rights of the imprisoned women with their policies of allowing men to be placed in women&#8217;s prisons. One of the prisons under scrutiny is the Central California Women’s Facility in Madera County, where a man who served time at the facility was charged with raping a female inmate. 
“Keeping men out of women’s prisons is not only common sense – it’s a matter of safety and constitutional rights,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi. “The Trump Administration will not stand by if governors are facilitating the abuse of biological women under the guise of inclusion.”
At the Maine Correctional Center in Windham, a 27-year-old man named Andrew Balcer, <a href="https://apps1.web.maine.gov/cgi-bin/online/correctionssearch/detail.pl?mdoc_number1=156589">serving</a> 40 years for murdering his parents, is currently housed at the women’s unit. State <a href="https://apps1.web.maine.gov/cgi-bin/online/correctionssearch/detail.pl?mdoc_number1=156589">records</a> list him as “female” and standing 6’1’’ tall and 310 pounds. The man has been accused of forcibly kissing incarcerated women and offering to impregnate them, <a href="https://www.sunjournal.com/2026/03/04/women-say-they-are-being-harassed-by-transgender-inmate-at-maine-prison/">according</a> to the Sun Journal. 
<div id="attachment_1067567" style="width: 431px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1067567" class="wp-image-1067567 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-27-at-9.52.34-AM-421x576.png" alt="" width="421" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-27-at-9.52.34-AM-421x576.png 421w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-27-at-9.52.34-AM-219x300.png 219w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-27-at-9.52.34-AM.png 578w" sizes=" (max-width: 421px) 100vw, 421px" />Maine Government.</div>
In a case out of Madera County, California, a 53-year-old man named Tremaine Carroll was charged with rape after he was placed at the Central California Women’s Facility. A fellow inmate was found to be pregnant, and two other women also accused him of rape.
&#8220;After his first cellmate became pregnant and was moved to Los Angeles, two other cellmates of his had complained that he had raped them, so we have filed rape charges against this inmate,&#8221; <a href="https://abc7chicago.com/post/pronoun-use-center-rape-case-involving-former-chowchilla-central-california-womens-facility-prisoner-tremaine-carroll/15696730/">said</a> District Attorney Sally Moreno in December 2024.
The case is still working its way through the court system, but court officials have mandated that female pronouns be used for Carroll. Court records indicate that Tremaine has had a number of different lawyers and is in the process of getting a new lawyer appointed by the county from an outside legal firm.  
Thanks to a law sponsored by far-Left state Senator Scott Wiener and <a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200SB132">signed</a> by Governor Gavin Newsom, at least 45 males who identify as transgender have been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/california-dems-vote-to-keep-male-sex-offenders-in-female-prisons">transferred</a> into female prisons since the law was implemented in September 2020. Last year, state Democrats rejected a proposal to keep male sex criminals out of female prisons. 
“California’s Transgender Respect, Agency, and Dignity Act has provided none of these qualities to the female inmates of state prisons who have been forced to share space with biological men who are violent felons,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli of the Central District of California. “Our Constitution protects women from having their civil rights violated by harmful state legislation wrapped in the language of ‘equity’ and ‘progress.’”
The California Institution for Women in San Bernardino County is also being scrutinized.  
&#8220;Despite the Department of Justice&#8217;s claims, this is yet another politically motivated, predetermined investigation designed to target states that stand up to the Trump Administration and its abuses,&#8221; <a href="https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/justice-department-investigates-prison-housing-policies-maine-california/97-f2623a63-f421-4c62-a899-17b138fb2d8b">said</a> Democratic Maine Governor Janet Mills. 
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said her office will ensure that women are protected from male inmates. 
“Under my leadership, the Civil Rights Division will not allow women incarcerated in jails or prisons to be subject to unconstitutional risks of harm from male inmates,” she said. “These investigations will uncover whether the dangerous national trend of housing men in women’s prisons has resulted in violations of women’s constitutional rights.”

MixCollage-27-Mar-2026-10-32-AM-6603

DOJ Demands Answers After Women Housed With Hulking Transgender Murderer

DOJ Takes Action As Female Prisoners Housed With Transgender Murderer

Maine

Transgender

WASHINGTON—The Department of Justice has charged two &#8220;alleged ISIS-inspired terrorists&#8221; who authorities say attempted to bomb a New York City protest, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on Monday.
Defendants Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, are charged with five counts, including knowingly attempting to provide &#8220;material support or resources&#8221; to ISIS, a foreign terrorist organization; use of a weapon of mass destruction (an explosive device); transportation of explosive materials, interstate transportation and receipt of explosives &#8220;with the knowledge and intent that it would be used to kill, injure, and intimidate;&#8221; and unlawful possession of destructive devices.
&#8220;We will not allow ISIS’s poisonous, anti-American ideology to threaten this nation,&#8221; Bondi said in a statement on Monday. &#8220;Our law enforcement officers will remain vigilant.&#8221;
The two alleged terrorists are accused of attempting to detonate explosive devices near Gracie Mansion in Manhattan during a protest in the area, according to the unsealed DOJ complaint. Gracie Mansion is the official residence of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The protest was &#8220;Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City, Stop New York City Public Muslim Prayer,&#8221; and there was also a counterprotest called &#8220;Run Nazis Out of New York City.&#8221;
&#8220;Preliminary results of testing of one of the devices indicates that it contained a quantity of triacetone triperoxide (TATP), a highly volatile explosive material used in multiple terrorist attacks over the last decade,&#8221; the complaint states.
After the New York City Police Department arrested them, both Balat and Kayumi made statements &#8220;referring to ISIS,&#8221; authorities said.
<div id="attachment_1056151" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/doj-charges-two-isis-inspired-terrorists-who-attempted-to-bomb-nyc-protest/us-politics-new-york" rel="attachment wp-att-1056151"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1056151" class="wp-image-1056151 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-2265146814-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-2265146814-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-2265146814-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-2265146814-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-2265146814.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" /></a>New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks alongside New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch (L) during a news conference at Gracie Mansion in New York City on March 9, 2026. (Photo by Leonardo MUNOZ / AFP via Getty Images)</div>
&#8220;For example,&#8221; the complaint says, &#8220;as Kayumi was being placed inside an NYPD vehicle to be transported, an individual from the surrounding crowd yelled to Kayumi and asked, in substance and in part, why he had done this. Kayumi responded, in part and as captured on NYPD body-worn camera footage, &#8216;ISIS.'&#8221;
Both Balat and Kayumi also discussed ISIS in recorded post-arrest statements that they made after they received their Miranda rights, the complaint says. Balat wrote on a piece of paper that he had &#8220;pledged allegiance to the Islamic State,&#8221; and Kayumi said that he was affiliated with ISIS, watched ISIS propaganda on his phone, and was partly inspired to &#8220;carry out his actions that day by ISIS.&#8221;
Balat also said they wanted to carry out an even bigger attack than the Boston Marathon, which he said caused only &#8220;three deaths.&#8221;
Around 12:15 pm on Sunday, Balat ignited and threw an explosive device toward the area where the protesters were gathered, according to the complaint. Pictures show the alleged terrorist holding the device. Immediately after he allegedly threw it, he ran to another location down the block where he &#8220;received a second item.&#8221; After he allegedly ignited it, he dropped the device near several police officers, ran away from them, and jumped over a barricade before he was tackled and arrested by the NYPD. His cohort, Kayumi, was also arrested at the scene.
When Balat was arrested, he had a Turkish government identification card on his person that identified him as &#8220;Emir Balat&#8221; as well as a Pennsylvania driver&#8217;s license with his photograph and name. Authorities identified Kayumi through Border Patrol facial-recognition databases, the complaint states.
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.

DOJ Charges Two ‘ISIS-Inspired Terrorists’ Who Attempted To Bomb NYC Protest

ISIS

Islam

Islamic Jihad

Five Republicans joined all Democrats in attendance on the GOP-led House Oversight Committee in passing a motion to subpoena U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to testify on the administration&#8217;s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation.
Wednesday&#8217;s vote means Bondi could soon be in front of the same committee that grilled former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton over their ties to Epstein last week. The motion was proposed by Republican Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina and supported by Reps. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), Tim Burchett (R-TN), Michael Cloud (R-TX), and Scott Perry (R-PA), along with every Democrat who was present for a 24-19 vote.
&#8220;AG Bondi will testify about missing Epstein evidence. The videos, the audio, the documents the DOJ is hiding,&#8221; Mace <a href="https://x.com/RepNancyMace/status/2029305372813533324">said</a>. &#8220;The American people deserve transparency. Survivors deserve justice. We&#8217;re delivering both. Accountability is coming.&#8221;
It would not be the first time for Bondi to testify under oath about her handling of the Epstein case. The attorney general faced numerous questions from Democrats and Republican Rep. Thomas Massie during a House Judiciary Committee hearing last month. Bondi blasted Democrats&#8217; focus on the Epstein case as a &#8220;circus.&#8221;
Bondi has faced intense scrutiny since she suggested last year that Epstein&#8217;s so-called client list was sitting on her desk, but later clarified that she was referring to a file on the Epstein case, not an actual client list. When the Justice Department closed its investigation into Epstein in July, it said that it found no evidence of a client list.
The Justice Department has also been criticized for its messy rollout of the millions of documents and tens of thousands of images related to the Epstein case. After the final file dump in late January, the Justice Department scrambled to remove unredacted nude images of young women. Other files had to be removed because they revealed personal information of people, which should have been redacted, including full names and addresses.
After the final Epstein document dump in January, the Justice Department took down more than 47,000 files, which made up around 65,000 total pages, as it worked to redact sensitive information. While those files contain some of the sensitive photos and information that should have been redacted, it&#8217;s unclear why most of the 65,000 pages continue to be held by the Trump administration. Mace accused the Justice Department of hiding the missing 65,000 pages.
“We’re gonna be talking about real, substantive issues, like the 65,000 documents that are being hidden by the DOJ right now,” Mace <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/04/pam-bondi-subpoena-epstien-00812960">said</a> after voting to subpoena Bondi.
Robert Garcia, the ranking Democrat on the Oversight Committee, <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5767681-pam-bondi-subpoena-epstein-files-oversight/">said</a> before the vote, &#8220;Look, the American public has significant questions about the DOJ and the process for releasing of the files. … I think it’s important that [Bondi] is in front of our committee, she can directly answer questions about the release of the files, about transparency, about ensuring that victims and survivors are protected.&#8221;
After the Clintons were deposed last week, Democrats called for the committee to subpoena President Donald Trump, arguing that the Republican effort to grill the Clintons &#8220;set a new precedent.&#8221;
While Trump has not been accused of any wrongdoing related to Epstein&#8217;s crimes, the Epstein case has been a thorn in his administration&#8217;s side for most of his second term. On Tuesday, Trump&#8217;s Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick agreed to testify before the Oversight Committee on his ties to Epstein.
Former President Clinton <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/in-unexpected-turn-bill-clinton-defends-trump-during-epstein-deposition?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Clinton+Interrupts+His+Own+Exit+To+Volunteer+A+Defense+Of+Trump">told</a> lawmakers under oath last week that he has &#8220;no information that [Trump] did anything wrong&#8221; in relation to Epstein&#8217;s sex crimes.
&#8220;The president never &#8230; said anything to me to make me think he was involved with anything with regard to Epstein either,&#8221; Clinton said. “He just didn’t. He just said, ‘We were friends, and then we had a falling out over a land deal or a property deal.'&#8221;

Bondi Released Massive Epstein Document Trove — Democrats Still Aren’t Happy

Nancy Mace

Luigi Mangione, the man who is accused of gunning down former UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, will not face the death penalty after prosecutors decided not to appeal a Manhattan judge’s ruling.
The Department of Justice said in a <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/luigi-mangione-death-penalty-federal-prosecutors/">letter</a> Friday that it “will not seek interlocutory review” of the judge’s decision.
Last month, U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett dismissed two of the four charges against Mangione, including use of a firearm to commit murder, which made him eligible for the death penalty.
Garnett said she dismissed the charges “solely to preclude the death penalty as an available punishment when the jury determines if the Defendant caused Brian Thompson’s death,” The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/federal-judge-says-prosecutors-cant-pursue-death-penalty-against-luigi-mangione">reported</a> at the time.
The federal charge against Mangione that made him eligible for the death penalty accused him of “using a firearm to commit murder in furtherance of a crime of violence.”
In her ruling, Garnett said the stalking offense did not constitute a “crime of violence,” and prosecutors would need to show Mangione killed Thompson while committing another “crime of violence,” NBC <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/luigi-mangione-death-penalty-rcna261080">reported</a>.
Mangione still faces two counts of interstate stalking. If convicted, he would face a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole.
Mangione has pleaded not guilty to all federal and state charges.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi previously directed prosecutors to seek the death penalty last year after Mangione was arrested for the murder of Thompson.
“Luigi Mangione’s murder of Brian Thompson — an innocent man and father of two young children — was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America,” Bondi said at the time.
Thompson was gunned down from behind in Midtown Manhattan on December 4, 2024, as he was walking to a hotel during his company’s annual investor conference. Mangione’s fingerprints allegedly matched those found on shell casings at the murder scene.
Mangione was arrested at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, following a five-day manhunt, and police found a firearm, suppressor, and what appeared to be a manifesto in the man’s backpack.
Opening arguments for the trial are scheduled to begin in October, with jury selection set for September 8.
In addition to the federal charges, Mangione faces nine counts, including second-degree murder, in a separate state case scheduled to begin June 8, NBC reported.

Luigi Mangione

DOJ Drops Fight For Death Penalty In Luigi Mangione Assassination Case

Courts

Crime

Murder

U.S.

Authorities arrested more than two dozen additional people for their alleged participation in an anti-ICE mob that stormed a Minnesota church service last month. 
Attorney General Pam Bondi said that 26 more people had been arrested over the incident at Cities Church in St. Paul on January 18, where dozens of people showed up and screamed at congregants during a Sunday morning worship service over accusations that one of the pastors on staff worked for ICE. The protest was streamed live by former CNN host Don Lemon, who claimed he was engaging in independent journalism. 
Multiple left-wing activists have already been arrested over the protest. A judge on Friday unsealed an indictment charging 30 additional people with conspiracy against the right of religious freedom at a place of worship. They were also charged with attempting to interfere with congregants exercising their First Amendment rights. 
“At my direction, federal agents have already arrested 25 of them, with more to come throughout the day,” Bondi said on X. “YOU CANNOT ATTACK A HOUSE OF WORSHIP. If you do so, you cannot hide from us — we will find you, arrest you, and prosecute you. This Department of Justice STANDS for Christians and all Americans of faith.”
Those charged included Aziza Mohammed Aboud, Max Richard Adamson, Michael Walker Beute, Ezra Chaim Pye Blumenfeld, Shane Ryan Bollman, Kelly Ann Carey, Monique Cassandra Cullars-Doty, Tiffany Lynn Dunlap, Andrew Jared Edwards, Rachel Rose Goligoski, Amelia Cristin Hansa, Ariel Hauptman, Krista Erin Hogan, Heather Danae Lewis, Danielle Andrea Matthias, Catie Anne Michaelson, Eric Ryan Michaelson, David Anthony Okar, Jarmel James Perry, Cheryl Ann Persigehl, Emmar Monike Pineda-Moreno, Spencer Michael Rodriguez-Bocanegra, Katherine Elizabeth Shaw, Satara Diann Strong Allen, Charles Lee Swenson, Robyn Elise Swenson, Thomas Matthew Tier, Lee Elizabeth Wiedeman Tuggle, John Donald Vergin, and Mark David Weinfurter.
The indictment alleges that two of the defendants, Chauntyll Louisa Allen and Satara Diann Strong Allen, “conducted reconnaissance” around the church on January 17, took video of the area, and made preparations for the next day’s takeover. 
The indictment says that another defendant, Nekima Levy Armstrong, &#8220;interrupted the service with loud declarations about the church harboring a “Director of ICE” and indicating that the time for Judgement had come, and other defendants joined in by yelling and blowing whistles in a takeover attack on the Church, all of which quickly caused the situation in the Church to become chaotic, menacing, and traumatizing to Church members.” 
Another defendant, William Scott Kelly, told young kids at the church that their parents were Nazis, according to the indictment. “Do you know your parents are Nazis? They’re going to burn in hell,” he said, prosecutors allege. 
The indictment said that Lemon, who was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/don-lemon-arrested-by-feds-for-role-in-minneapolis-church-protest">arrested</a> last month over his participation, positioned himself in front of one of the church’s exit doors and “physically obstructed” congregants from leaving to ask them questions about immigration policy.

Don Lemon, Nekima Levy-Armstrong

Bondi Charges Dozens In Church Takeover And Signals What Comes Next

Dozens More Arrested For Storming Minnesota Church: 'You Cannot Attack A House Of Worship'

Don Lemon

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

St. Paul

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