The terrorist who opened fire in a Virginia classroom on Thursday had been released early from federal custody and later enrolled in classes at Old Dominion University, developments that may have been made possible by Democrat policies.
<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/15/us/mohamed-bailor-jalloh-old-dominion">Mohamed Bailor Jalloh</a> was initially sentenced in 2017 to 11 years in federal prison and five years of supervised release. He was released in December 2024 after completing a substance abuse program that could qualify inmates for reduced sentences under a provision of the 1994 crime bill signed by then-President Bill Clinton. A Trump administration policy change in 2025 later barred inmates convicted of terrorism-related crimes from qualifying for such early release.
Jalloh&#8217;s release came just eight years after he told investigators that he had considered a Fort Hood-style attack on American military personnel.
Less than two years after he was released, he walked into a Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) classroom, shooting and killing a decorated service member and ROTC instructor, Lt. Col. Brandon Shah, before students subdued him.
Another law that may have cleared a path for Jalloh, <a href="https://www.progress-index.com/story/news/2021/06/03/virginia-governor-removes-criminal-record-checkbox-college-apps/7527473002/">signed in 2021</a> by then-Governor Ralph Northam (D-VA), bars colleges from asking prospective students about their criminal histories on applications — and may help explain how Jalloh, 36, was able to enroll in online classes at Old Dominion despite his 2016 guilty plea to attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization (ISIS).
Former Attorney General Jason Miyares drew attention to the issue with an <a href="https://x.com/JasonMiyaresVA/status/2033160143395836335">X post</a>, referencing what he called a &#8220;social justice&#8221; law signed by Northam.
The Common Application, which many Virginia universities use, removed its criminal history question by 2019, and Northam later signed legislation in 2021 prohibiting public universities from asking applicants about criminal records.
The U.S. Department of Education, under former President Joe Biden, urged the rest of the nation to move in the same direction as recently as 2023. A report titled &#8220;<a href="https://www.highereddive.com/news/education-department-ban-box-incarcerated-students/649091/">Beyond the Box 2023</a>&#8221; advised universities to stop asking prospective students to provide their criminal histories, stating that there was not enough evidence to prove that previous crimes were indicative of on-campus behavior.
“The use of criminal justice information is very different from the traditional information reviewed in a college application,” the report stated. “Properly trained admissions staff are key to ensuring that a criminal record does not unfairly bias the admission decision and that formerly incarcerated applicants are treated with dignity.”
Jalloh was released from federal custody in December 2024, re‑enrolled at ODU in summer 2025, and was taking <a href="https://www.pilotonline.com/2026/03/13/jalloh-was-student/">online classes</a> at the university at the time of the shooting. Authorities have not said whether he used a student ID to access the building where the shooting occurred.

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How Democrat Policies Helped The ODU Terrorist Pull Off His Attack

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Speaking to MSNBC’s Jonathan Capehart, former Virginia Democrat Governor Ralph Northam — who has <a href="https://www.pilotonline.com/government/virginia/article_67fdd682-2662-11e9-a7d1-c7ed70e09b50.html">admitted</a> he was one of the two people shown in the 1984 yearbook at Eastern Virginia Medical School where one was wearing blackface and one a Ku Klux Klan robe and hood — insisted that the reason GOP Governor Glenn Youngkin won the gubernatorial race in 2021 was that Republicans used “Critical Race Theory” as a “dog whistle.”
A “dog whistle,” according to <a href="applewebdata://BDC08A49-2441-48AD-A58F-7DDAD617F784/v">Merriam-Webster</a>, is “an expression or statement that has a secondary meaning intended to be understood only by a particular group of people.” Many Democrats have accused Republicans over the years of using phrases that were racist but coded as “dog-whistles.”
In an interview taped last week before Youngkin&#8217;s inauguration on Saturday, Capehart asked Northam, “You leave office on January 15. You’re leaving office – last I saw, the state had a budget surplus, the unemployment rate is below the national average. So why is it, do you think, that Virginia voters opted to go with someone who’s your complete political opposite to run the state?’
First Northam deflected by boasting: “Jonathan, I think what we’ve proven over the last four years is that we can have a very progressive commonwealth, a state that embraces diversity, a state that takes care of its workers. A state that’s welcoming and inclusive and at the same time have a robust economy. As you said, our surplus is $2.6 billion. For the last three years, Virginia has been named the number one state in the country in which to do business. And I really don’t think we’ve talked about what we’ve done as Democrats enough over the last four years.”
Then he argued, “The election was nationalized; there was a lot of emphasis on the previous president and I think we should have done a better job talking about our accomplishments.”
“I hear what you’re saying on that Governor, but to your point of saying that under your government you embraced diversity, and yet a lot of the coverage of that campaign was about local school board meetings and centered around ‘Critical Race Theory’ and whether it was being taught in Virginia schools,” Capehart posited. “And that’s what Governor-elect Youngkin ran on and possibly won on. So what does that say about the Commonwealth?”
“Well, a couple things,” Northam replied. “It says One, a Critical Race Theory is nothing more than a dog whistle. We don’t teach Critical Race Theory. It’s not a part of our curriculum in K-12 schools. What it also says, and perhaps more importantly, is that anger and fear are very strong emotions, and I think their campaign was a lot based on that, was out there provoking fear and anger in people, and they responded to it. And the rest is history.”
“But that’s not a good direction for Virginia to go in; it’s not a good direction for this country to go in,” he pontificated. “I think we have to start with the facts. We may be able to disagree, but let’s at least deal with facts and go from there. But Critical Race Theory is a dog-whistle, and it’s not being taught in our schools.”
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Republican Virginia Lieutenant Governor Winsome Sears, who was also sworn into office on Saturday, <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/let-me-back-up-winsome-sears-directly-challenges-dana-bash-claim-that-crt-is-not-in-virginia-curriculum/">confronted</a> CNN’s Dana Bash in November after the news anchor insisted CRT was not taught in public schools.
&#8220;Let&#8217;s talk about education more broadly. You opposed Critical Race Theory taught in schools which I should say is not part of Virginia’s curriculum,&#8221; Bash said. &#8220;You did say though that the good and the bad of American history should be taught, and that — we should also tell viewers you’re a former vice president of the Virginia Board of Education. Explain how you think race should be taught in Virginia public schools.&#8221;
&#8220;Well, let me back up. I beg to differ that CRT is not taught,&#8221; <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/republican-winsome-sears-voters-are-tired-of-politicians-who-wont-let-the-wounds-of-the-past-heal/">Sears</a> responded.
&#8220;I didn’t say that. I just said it’s not in the curriculum, just to be clear,&#8221; Bash pressed.
&#8220;No, no, no, no, it is part of the curriculum, it is weaved in and out of the curriculum,&#8221; Sears continued, arguing that the principles of CRT had been woven into the standard curriculum over time. &#8220;In fact, in 2015, former governor, who was just defeated, McAuliffe, his state Board of Education had information on how to teach it, so it’s weaved in. So you know, it’s semantics, but it’s weaved in.&#8221;
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Fmr VA Gov Northam, Of ‘Blackface’ Fame, Says GOP Won Using CRT As ‘Dog-Whistle’

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&#8220;Morning Joe&#8221; host Joe Scarborough laid into Democratic Virginia Governor Ralph Northam during his Monday morning broadcast on MSNBC, criticizing him both for his slow response to the hundreds of drivers who were stranded due to snow and ice on I-95 and for his comments blaming out-of-state drivers for the mess.
&#8220;So the roads are now clear, but questions remain as to why it took so long for help to arrive,&#8221; co-host <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/mika-brzezinski-if-you-want-to-follow-the-science-then-there-are-times-you-still-need-to-wear-a-mask/">Mika Brzezinski</a> began, noting that the problem stretched far beyond just the traffic at a dead stop on the highway. She noted that many had been desperately searching for gas or a hotel room somewhere only to be met with power outages and gas station closures.
&#8220;It was impossible. Apocalyptic was the word that was used,&#8221; she added.
&#8220;The question is, what the hell was outgoing Virginia Governor Ralph Northam doing?&#8221; Scarborough asked, noting that <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/ralph-northam-invokes-january-6th-to-explain-slow-response-to-freezing-stranded-drivers/">Northam</a> had held a press conference on the chaotic scene and had laid the blame at the feet of the drivers on the road.
&#8220;I can certainly understand that many drivers may have been from out of state and so missed the clear and consistent messaging from VDOT and emergency responders to stay off the roads during the winter storm,&#8221; Northam said in his press conference, audio of which Scarborough played on air before giving his response.
&#8220;I really don’t have any words for the stupidity in that statement. I-95 brings people. It’s the artery, the main artery that takes people from Florida all the way up to Maine. People travel I-95,&#8221; Scarborough said. &#8220;They’re not used to bumpkins being too stupid to prepare the roads before the snow starts. They’re not used to bumpkins being too stupid to plow the roads in a timely manner. But that’s exactly what happened with Ralph Northam. Then he blamed the drivers for just a hellish, hellish landscape out there.&#8221;
&#8220;I had to read that twice when I saw that yesterday from Governor Northam,&#8221; co-host Willie Geist agreed. &#8220;It&#8217;s I-95, it&#8217;s not some back road through rural Virginia. There are going to be cars on that road, whatever warning may have been. And the question at that point it, when you look at these pictures, is, &#8216;What are you doing to help people?&#8217; — Not blaming them for being there in the first place.&#8221;
Geist went on to note that Senator <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/hundreds-stranded-more-than-27-hours-including-senator-tim-kaine-after-winter-storm-wreaks-havoc-on-i-95/">Tim Kaine</a> (D-VA) had been among those who were stuck on the highway for over 24 hours. &#8220;He said, &#8216;I&#8217;m one of the lucky ones. I was healthy, I had a bag of popcorn.&#8217; But there were people, as we talked about yesterday with young kids and pets and people who are diabetic in their cars who didn&#8217;t have their medication. Blaming the drivers and people sitting there making desperate please for help going into two days strikes me as not a great move on your last couple days heading out of office.&#8221;
According to a report from the <a href="https://www.virginiamercury.com/2022/01/04/nightmare-on-95-virginia-officials-apologize-to-stranded-motorists-defend-storm-prep/">Virginia Mercury</a>, &#8220;The affected portion of road wasn’t pre-treated to prevent ice and snow buildup, according to VDOT engineer Marcie Parker, because the storm began as rain before turning to sleet and snow. &#8216;If we pre-treat, the rain just washes it away,&#8217; Parker said. &#8216;So we’re really just wasting product and wasting money and interrupting the traffic flow.'&#8221;
Parker went on to say that when the weather changed, the snow fell so rapidly — more than two inches per hour in some areas — it was simply more than the road crews could keep up with, especially with so many vehicles already on the road.

Celebrities Visit SiriusXM – August 2, 2017

‘I Really Don’t Have Any Words For The Stupidity’: Joe Scarborough Flames Gov. Northam For Blaming ‘Hellish’ I-95 Scene On Out-Of-State Drivers

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Democratic Virginia Governor Ralph Northam invoked the January 6th riot on Capitol Hill when he was asked Tuesday why it took so long to deploy the National Guard in an effort to assist stranded and freezing motorists caught in the snow and ice on I-95 in his state.
Mike Valerio, who covers the White House, justice, and election security for CBS affiliate WUSA9, tweeted, &#8220;4PM UPDATE &#8211; Virginia Gov. Northam just described the response to the January 6th Insurrection, saying it took a long time to deploy the National Guard, as a way of illustrating why his office says the Guard could not be deployed to I-95 on such short notice.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
4PM UPDATE &#8211; Virginia Gov. Northam just described the response to the January 6th Insurrection, saying it took a long time to deploy the National Guard, as a way of illustrating why his office says the Guard could not be deployed to I-95 on such short notice <a href="https://twitter.com/wusa9?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WUSA9</a>
— Mike Valerio (@MikevWUSA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MikevWUSA/status/1478473633467191301?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/MikevWUSA/status/1478473078372024320">Valerio added</a>, &#8220;4PM UPDATE &#8211; Virginia <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/va-gov-ralph-northam-sending-national-guard-state-troopers-to-d-c/">Gov. Northam</a> says still, no injuries on I-95, as thousands are trapped. Says State Troopers are walking up and down offering food, medicine, to people in need.&#8221;
Reuters foreign policy correspondent <a href="https://twitter.com/idreesali114/status/1478451985791791107">Idrees Ali</a> appeared to contradict Northam&#8217;s claim, however, noting that the disastrous road conditions had come up at Tuesday&#8217;s Pentagon briefing — and no one there had been asked for help.
&#8220;The situation on the I-95 is so bad, that it is (rightly) being asked about at the Pentagon briefing and whether the military has offered to help the situation. Pentagon says no request have been made for them to help,&#8221; Ali said.
&#8220;Best I can tell, there have been thousands of VA motorists trapped in freezing conditions for 26+ hours, some of them surely children, seniors and people in need of food, medicine, water, etc. and Ralph Northam&#8230;sent a tweet about it 7 hours ago,&#8221; Rory Cooper added.
<a href="https://twitter.com/GovernorVA/status/1478354927026061317">Northam&#8217;s statement</a>, which he tweeted early Tuesday, said as follows:
<blockquote>My team has been working throughout the night alongside @VSPPIO, @VaDOT, and @VDEM to respond to the situation on I-95. State and local emergency personnel are continuing to clear downed trees, assist disabled vehicles, and re-route drivers.
An emergency message is going to all stranded drivers connecting them to support, and the state is working with localities to open warming shelters as needed. While sunlight is expected to help @VaDOT clear the road, all Virginians should continue to avoid 1-95.</blockquote>
Among those <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/blizzard-strands-senator-tim-kaine-hundreds-of-drivers-more-than-19-hours-on-highway-in-northern-virginia/">stranded</a> — for over 27 hours — was Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), who was on his way to his office at the Capitol when he got stuck on the road.
&#8220;I started my normal 2 hour drive to DC at 1pm yesterday. 19 hours later, I’m still not near the Capitol. My office is in touch with @VaDOT to see how we can help other Virginians in this situation. Please stay safe everyone,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/timkaine/status/1478357477158756352">Kaine tweeted</a> Tuesday morning, later following with an update saying that he had been on the road for 27 hours.
Upon his arrival at the Capitol, Kaine shared his relief — and a photo — in another tweet.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Ok after 27 hours on the road from Richmond to DC, very happy to be back in the Capitol and working on voting rights legislation this afternoon. <a href="https://t.co/6XE45ZQUvq">pic.twitter.com/6XE45ZQUvq</a>
— Tim Kaine (@timkaine) <a href="https://twitter.com/timkaine/status/1478476547552169987?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Transportation Sec. Buttigieg Makes Rail Announcement With Virginia Governor And Amtrak Executives

Ralph Northam Invokes January 6th To Explain Slow Response To Freezing, Stranded Drivers

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On Monday, a winter storm dumped as much as 14 inches of snow in some areas of Northern Virginia and the Washington, D.C., region leaving hundreds, if not thousands, of drivers completely at a standstill for nearly the last 24 hours on the I-95 highway. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) and NBC reporter Josh Lederman were stuck overnight and recounted their experience via Twitter and T.V. interviews from their car.
&#8220;I started my normal 2 hour drive to DC at 1pm yesterday. 19 hours later, I&#8217;m still not near the Capitol,&#8221; Kaine tweeted Tuesday morning.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I started my normal 2 hour drive to DC at 1pm yesterday. 19 hours later, I’m still not near the Capitol. My office is in touch with <a href="https://twitter.com/VaDOT?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VaDOT</a> to see how we can help other Virginians in this situation. Please stay safe everyone. <a href="https://t.co/Sz1b1hZJZ5">pic.twitter.com/Sz1b1hZJZ5</a>
— Tim Kaine (@timkaine) <a href="https://twitter.com/timkaine/status/1478357477158756352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2022</a></blockquote>
Lederman told MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” that his ordeal was a pretty “insane” and “dystopian” experience Tuesday morning.
“By 7:30 [PM], we were just at a standstill&#8230;meaning the thousands — I can see thousands of cars from where I am on the highway on I-95 — have been in their cars overnight without out food, without water, it’s been 26 degrees outside and nobody knows how long we’re going to be here or how we’re going to get out,&#8221; Lederman told MSNBC&#8217;s Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski:
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/JoshNBCNews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JoshNBCNews</a> joins us from his car on I-95, where he has been stuck overnight with his dog as a result of the winter weather. <a href="https://t.co/s2nN4uaqp6">pic.twitter.com/s2nN4uaqp6</a>
— Morning Joe (@Morning_Joe) <a href="https://twitter.com/Morning_Joe/status/1478323150211489793?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2022</a></blockquote>
Lederman also <a href="https://www.wtvr.com/news/local-news/tim-kaine-stuck-i95-nightmare">told</a> NBC’s “The Today Show” that many motorists were forced to shut off their cars to conserve gas:
<blockquote>&#8220;We started to see a lot of drivers turning their cars off to conserve gas, people running out of food and water, kids and pets holed up for so many hours, people letting their pets out of the car to try to walk them on the street. And in the meantime, no signs of any emergency vehicles that we could see,” Lederman said. &#8220;You really start to think if there was a medical emergency, someone that was out of gas and out of heat — you know it’s 26 degrees and there’s no way that anybody can get to you in this situation.”</blockquote>
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam (D) tweeted Tuesday morning that emergency crews had been working on the situation overnight and that an &#8220;emergency message is going to all stranded drivers connecting them to support, and the state is working with localities to open warming shelters as needed.&#8221;
He also urged drivers to stay off the road today. &#8220;While sunlight is expected to help <a class="css-4rbku5 css-18t94o4 css-901oao css-16my406 r-1cvl2hr r-1loqt21 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0" role="link" href="https://twitter.com/VaDOT">@VaDOT </a>clear the road, all Virginians should continue to avoid 1-95&#8243;:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
An emergency message is going to all stranded drivers connecting them to support, and the state is working with localities to open warming shelters as needed.
While sunlight is expected to help <a href="https://twitter.com/VaDOT?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VaDOT</a> clear the road, all Virginians should continue to avoid 1-95.
— Governor Ralph Northam (@GovernorVA) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovernorVA/status/1478355092654993410?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2022</a></blockquote>
This morning, crews were able to make some headway as motorists tweeted that they had begun moving again, albeit very slowly:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
8:41am &#8211; <a href="https://twitter.com/VaDOTFRED?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VaDOTFRED</a> FINALLY! 
After over 11 hours of not moving an inch, I-95 NB is crawling forward. Any movement is exciting at this point. <a href="https://t.co/bHwaIgzHkS">pic.twitter.com/bHwaIgzHkS</a>
— Susan Phalen (@SAPOTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/SAPOTUS/status/1478363897153347584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Blizzard Strands Senator Tim Kaine, Hundreds Of Drivers More Than 19 Hours On Highway In Northern Virginia

A Virginia wedding venue is suing Gov. Ralph Northam (D-VA) over what it says are discriminatory restrictions relating to the coronavirus pandemic.
WRIC <a href="https://www.wric.com/news/virginia-wedding-venues-say-updated-covid-restrictions-are-unfair-lawsuit-seeks-to-invalidate-them/amp/">reported</a> that Belle Garden Estates, a wedding venue in Franklin County, filed the lawsuit earlier this month, and while some COVID restrictions have been updated, an attorney representing the venue says that doesn’t change the need for the lawsuit.
“Wedding venues are being treated differently then [sic] other outdoor venues. The Governor today allowed outdoor entertainment venues such as baseball stadiums, raceways and concerts to have 30% occupancy with no cap. That means a 10,000 person baseball stadium could have as many as 3000 people, while wedding venues are restricted to 100. This is discriminatory. Why can a wedding venue not operate with up to 30% capacity? We are hopeful the Court will engage and enter an appropriate injunction against this unequal treatment,” attorney Tim Anderson said in a statement earlier this week.
Other wedding venues also told the outlet that Northam’s restrictions unfairly discriminate against them:
<blockquote>Kim Moody is the event director at The Estate at River Run in Goochland. She said the 22,000 square- foot space can safely accommodate many more people than will be allowed indoors come April. According to Moody, they proved it last summer, when coronavirus cases were similar to current rates and the cap on social gatherings was 250 people.
“It’s kind of a slap in the face to our industry,” Moody said. “You can have 5,000 people at a graduation commencement but you can’t have 55 at a wedding.”
The criticism comes as the wedding industry is facing immense financial hardship with minimal assistance from the government, according to Moody. She said they haven’t been able to qualify for Paycheck Protection Program loans or Rebuild Virginia small business grants.
“Everybody has drained every penny they have saved their entire careers to be able to survive this last year,” Moody said. “The next two-to-three weeks is make or break bankruptcy for many of the wedding professionals because they can’t just keep hemorrhaging money.”</blockquote>
Kelsey Leeper, manager of The Historic Post Office in Hampton, told the outlet that Northam’s increased capacity limit on social gatherings came too late for couples who had been planning their wedding for months. She said her venue has had 40 cancellations and more than 60 postponements. In April, the venue has just two events scheduled, when they previously had ever weekend booked.
“For those who have postponed because of the guest limit, the increase isn’t enough for them,” Leeper said. “People book this huge building with hopes of having 150 people so it’s really not feasible for them for the amount of money that they are spending to only have 50 people.”
Northam said when easing some of Virginia’s COVID restrictions that his administration was “focused on places where there is the least risk for spread such as outdoor venues.”

View Of Beach Wedding

Virginia Wedding Venue Files Lawsuit Against Gov. Northam, Claiming Discrimination In COVID Restrictions

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam (D-VA) will send National Guard members and state troopers to neighboring Washington, D.C., where a group of Trump supporters has stormed the U.S. Capitol building and halted the day’s congressional proceedings.
Northam said he was sending troops at the request of Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser, and would send 200 Virginia state troopers along with the National Guard.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
My team and I are working closely with <a href="https://twitter.com/MayorBowser?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MayorBowser</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerPelosi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpeakerPelosi</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/SenSchumer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenSchumer</a> to respond to the situation in Washington, D.C.
Per the Mayor&#8217;s request, I am sending members of the Virginia National Guard along with 200 Virginia State Troopers.
— Ralph Northam (@GovernorVA) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovernorVA/status/1346916716614451207?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2021</a></blockquote>
White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said only minutes later that President Donald Trump had ordered the National Guard to respond to the developing situation in Washington, D.C. However, Defense Department and Trump administration officials reportedly told <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/06/us/politics/national-guard-capitol-army.html">The New York Times</a> it was Vice President Mike Pence who approved the deployment of the National Guard. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
At President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a>’s direction, the National Guard is on the way along with other federal protective services.
We reiterate President Trump’s call against violence and to remain peaceful.
— Kayleigh McEnany (@PressSec) <a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec/status/1346918582832168964?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2021</a></blockquote>
Washington Post reporter Dan Lamothe, citing a Department of Defense official, <a href="https://twitter.com/DanLamothe/status/1346919785397944327">reports</a> that the entire D.C. National Guard will be activated. The D.C. National Guard consists of about 1,100 people, of which 340 were already on duty at the day’s start, he reported.
The full force of the D.C. National Guard, however, will take several hours to respond, with Lamothe noting that many have other jobs or live in areas well outside the city.
This is a breaking news story, refresh the page for updates.

Congress Holds Joint Session To Ratify 2020 Presidential Election

VA Gov. Ralph Northam Sending National Guard, State Troopers To D.C.

Washington D.C.

A statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee was removed from the crypt of the U.S. Capitol early Monday morning at the request of Democratic Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam.
&#8220;Last night, Virginia removed its statue of Robert E. Lee from the U.S. Capitol,&#8221; Northam tweeted Monday. &#8220;This is an important step forward—it is past time we tell our story with images of perseverance, diversity, and inclusion.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Last night, Virginia removed its statue of Robert E. Lee from the U.S. Capitol. 
This is an important step forward—it is past time we tell our story with images of perseverance, diversity, and inclusion. <a href="https://t.co/zyR99ukiIz">pic.twitter.com/zyR99ukiIz</a>
&mdash; Governor Ralph Northam (@VAGovernor73) <a href="https://twitter.com/VAGovernor73/status/1341012240259031040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Since 1909, the Lee statue had joined one of former President George Washington as the two statues representing Virginia in the Capitol&#8217;s National Statuary Hall Collection.
A <a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+sum+HB1406">Commission for Historical Statues in the United States Capitol</a> established by Northam voted unanimously in July to recommend removing Lee&#8217;s statue. On Dec. 16, they recommended replacing it with civil rights icon Barbara Johns, which must ultimately be confirmed by the General Assembly.
“We should all be proud of this important step forward for our Commonwealth and our country,” Northam said in a <a href="https://www.governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/all-releases/2020/december/headline-890324-en.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">press release</a>. “The Confederacy is a symbol of Virginia’s racist and divisive history, and it is past time we tell our story with images of perseverance, diversity, and inclusion. I look forward to seeing a trailblazing young woman of color represent Virginia in the U.S. Capitol, where visitors will learn about Barbara Johns’ contributions to America and be empowered to create positive change in their communities just like she did.”
Lee&#8217;s likeness will be transported to the Virginia Museum of History and Culture in Richmond, the press release further explained.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) lauded the statue&#8217;s removal, saying in a statement:
<blockquote>The removal of the statue of Robert E. Lee and its forthcoming replacement by a tribute to Barbara Johns, a civil rights pioneer and pride of Virginia, is welcome news.  The halls of Congress are the very heart of our Democracy, and the statues within the Capitol should embody our highest ideals as Americans.
That is why, in my first term as House Speaker, under the leadership of Democrats in Congress, we relocated the Robert E. Lee statue out of a place of honor in National Statuary Hall, where a statue of Rosa Parks now proudly stands.  And it is why we have worked to remove other symbols of hate in the Capitol and across our country, including by passing legislation this summer to remove statues of Confederate officials and other representatives of bigotry from the Capitol and by beginning the process of renaming military bases and infrastructure named after Confederate leaders through this year’s National Defense Authorization Act.
The Congress will continue our work to rid the Capitol of homages to hate, as we fight to end the scourge of racism in our country.  There is no room for celebrating the bigotry of the Confederacy in the Capitol or any other place of honor in our country.</blockquote>
Earlier this month, a statue of Confederate Gen. Thomas J. &#8220;Stonewall&#8221; Jackson was <a href="https://www.vmi.edu/news/headlines/2020-2021/vmi-begins-to-relocate-the-stonewall-jackson-statue.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">removed</a> from the grounds of the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) in Lexington, Virginia, where he taught before the Civil War. The statue, which had been donated in 1912 by sculptor Sir Moses Ezekiel, a Civil War veteran as well as VMI&#8217;s first Jewish cadet, will be relocated to the New Market Battlefield State Historical Park.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/what-patriarchy-and-white-supremacist-culture-looks-like-aoc-blasts-statue-of-catholic-saint-in-capitol-who-ministered-to-lepers" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">‘What Patriarchy And White Supremacist Culture Looks Like’: AOC Blasts Statue Of Catholic Saint In Capitol Who Ministered To Lepers</a>

Robert E. Lee statue in U.S. Capitol

Robert E. Lee Statue Removed From U.S. Capitol At Ralph Northam’s Request

Robert E. Lee

A group of 40 Christian churches, schools, businesses, and organizations signed a letter urging Democratic Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam and the Virginia General Assembly to back off recent legislation that demands that religious establishments violate their beliefs regarding sexuality and gender.
The &#8220;<a href="https://www.governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/all-releases/2020/april/headline-856051-en.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Virginia Values Act</a>,&#8221; which was enacted in July, requires even religious institutions to hire employees who do not necessarily share their convictions regarding homosexuality, marriage, and gender, as The Christian Post <a href="https://www.christianpost.com/news/faith-leaders-urge-gov-northam-not-to-enforce-new-law.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reported</a>. Those who violate the act potentially face fines of up to $100,000.
<a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+ful+HB1429E+pdf&amp;201+ful+HB1429E+pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">House Bill No. 1429</a>, also passed in July, amended the Virginia Code to mandate that even churches include sex change surgery in their health care plans.
Denise Harle, an attorney with Alliance Defending Freedom, who is representing the signatories of the letter, told The Christian Post: “Our clients offer spiritual guidance, education, pregnancy support, and athletic opportunities to their communities because of the religious values that motivate them.&#8221;
“But Virginia’s new law forces these ministries to abandon their convictions or pay crippling fines. Such government hostility has no place in a free society. Virginia ministries are committed to their faith, and they are asking that the state allow them to live and work according to their beliefs, as other Virginians are permitted to do,&#8221; Harle added.
The letter to Northam and the General Assembly <a href="http://www.adfmedia.org/files/2020CalvaryRoadLetter.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reads</a>:
<blockquote>We, the undersigned religious organizations and ministries, urge you to refuse to enforce the so-called Virginia Values Act in a way that would force Virginians of faith to violate their consciences. Applying this new law against faith-based entities is antithetical to the foundational belief in religious freedom that the Commonwealth was built upon.
Everyone should be free to live and work according to their beliefs without fear of unjust government punishment—regardless of whether those beliefs are religious. Our government should protect, not threaten, this freedom.
Each one of us operates as an organization with core beliefs that knit our staff and volunteers together. These same convictions drive us to serve our communities with a particular mission. We are proud to live by the words of Section 16 of the Virginia Constitution&#8217;s Declaration of Rights, which declares: “it is the mutual duty of all to practice Christian forbearance, love, and charity toward each other.”
The Act threatens to undermine the very mission that holds us together. It would force us to violate our central purpose by stripping us of our right to hire employees who agree with and live by our mission and core beliefs. That Act also prohibits us from using our facilities and ministering to the community in accordance with those beliefs. In doing so, it penalizes people of faith for trying to adhere to our own values.
The Commonwealth of Virginia should not be interfering with our ability to accomplish our charitable missions through shared religious beliefs—let alone targeting our views with hostility. The Virginia Constitution guarantees that such religious beliefs “can be directed only by reason and conviction, not by force.” But if the Commonwealth insists on forcing us to choose between bankruptcy and our beliefs, our communities will suffer as we shutter our doors.
Freedom will suffer, too, if the “Virginia Values Act” is used as a weapon against our organizations and our values. Tolerance and respect for good‐faith differences are essential in a diverse society. We urge you to extend the same freedom to us that all Virginians are entitled to.</blockquote>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/were-not-ready-pastor-andrew-brunson-predicts-worsening-religious-persecution-in-u-s-regardless-of-election-outcome">‘We’re Not Ready’: Pastor Andrew Brunson Predicts Worsening Religious Persecution In U.S. Regardless Of Election Outcome</a>

Christian Organizations In VA Urge Northam To Back Off Law Requiring Them To Hire LGBT Individuals

LGBTQ

Religion

Democratic Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam ignited controversy Thursday with remarks he made during a COVID-19 press conference about people who want to attend church this holiday season.
While announcing new crackdown measures aimed at reducing the spread of COVID-19, Northam said on the matter of gathering in a place of worship:
<blockquote>Now, I’d like to take a moment to talk about our faith communities. This is a holy time for multiple faith traditions. Tonight, as a matter of fact, is the first night of Hanukkah, Christmas is two weeks away. The holidays are typically times of joy and community. We gather together, we celebrate our faith, and we celebrate with family. But this year we need to think about what is truly the most important thing. Is it the worship or the building? For me, God is wherever you are. You don’t have to sit in the church pew for God to hear your prayers.
So I strongly call on our faith leaders to lead the way and set an example for their members. Worship with a mask on is still worship, worship outside or worship online is still worship. I can’t remind Virginians enough how serious this virus is and as I call on our faith leaders to set the example, I also hope that our local leaders across the commonwealth will do the same, many already have. We have seen so many people who didn’t fully realize how dangerous this disease was until they experienced it themselves.</blockquote>
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Heading into the holiday season, Virginia&#39;s Democrat Governor Ralph Northam ramps up his attacks on faith communities during his press conference on new coronavirus restrictions.
&quot;You don&#39;t have to sit in the Church pew&#8230;&quot; <a href="https://t.co/U6Uwv4k971">pic.twitter.com/U6Uwv4k971</a>
&mdash; Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) <a href="https://twitter.com/SteveGuest/status/1337133675104890887?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Northam&#8217;s remarks generated a wide range of responses online.
Commentator Mollie Hemingway: &#8220;What a theologically illiterate comment on the essential nature of corporate worship.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
What a theologically illiterate comment on the essential nature of corporate worship. <a href="https://t.co/iXFjxvGmWi">https://t.co/iXFjxvGmWi</a>
&mdash; Mollie (@MZHemingway) <a href="https://twitter.com/MZHemingway/status/1337175144461119491?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Former Trump campaign adviser Mercedes Schlapp: &#8220;Northam is clueless and unsympathetic. It is hard enough to deal with the pandemic and then have a governor who shows little respect and lack of understand for people of faith.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Northam is clueless and unsympathetic. It is hard enough to deal with the pandemic and then have a governor who shows little respect and lack of understand for people of faith. <a href="https://t.co/9wc6zFO47y">https://t.co/9wc6zFO47y</a>
&mdash; Mercedes Schlapp (@mercedesschlapp) <a href="https://twitter.com/mercedesschlapp/status/1337167330246348803?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Political strategist Arthur Schwartz: &#8220;Governor Blackface Klanrobes lectures his constituents on when and where they should pray.&#8221;
https://twitter.com/ArthurSchwartz/status/1337119145146638344
Journalist David Harsanyi: &#8220;Don&#8217;t Catholics, in particular, need to be in Church to receive etc? Jews, I know, need a minyan. What&#8217;s more important, though, is that it&#8217;s none of this guy&#8217;s business.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Don&#39;t Catholics, in particular, need to be in Church to receive etc? Jews, I know, need a minyan. What&#39;s more important, though, is that it&#39;s none of this guy&#39;s business. <a href="https://t.co/o0CaF7aiJS">https://t.co/o0CaF7aiJS</a>
&mdash; David Harsanyi (@davidharsanyi) <a href="https://twitter.com/davidharsanyi/status/1337117895877341185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Commentator Allie Beth Stuckey: &#8220;Governor Northam has no understanding of Christianity, and, thankfully, he has no authority over it either.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Governor Northam has no understanding of Christianity, and, thankfully, he has no authority over it either. <a href="https://t.co/5MoVmQ9v3T">https://t.co/5MoVmQ9v3T</a>
&mdash; Allie Beth Stuckey (@conservmillen) <a href="https://twitter.com/conservmillen/status/1337122895605231620?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Rand Paul adviser Doug Stafford: &#8220;And I don’t need the governor to tell me how to worship God, thank you.&#8221;
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And I don’t need the governor to tell me how to worship God, thank you <a href="https://t.co/v7EMIClpep">https://t.co/v7EMIClpep</a>
&mdash; Doug Stafford (@dougstafford) <a href="https://twitter.com/dougstafford/status/1337116945695600641?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Analyst Rebeccah Heinrichs: &#8220;Christians like me and my own fellow congregants have a deeply held belief that the church is the assembly of the faithful- the *assembly.* It’s not up to the government to tell me what church is. In fact, they can’t.&#8221;
https://twitter.com/RLHeinrichs/status/1337118702463033347
&nbsp;

Virginia Gov. Northam Announces Removal Of Confederate Statues

Northam Discourages Attending Church: ‘Don’t Have To Sit In Church Pew For God To Hear Your Prayers’

COVID

Democratic Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam tightened statewide COVID-19 restrictions effective Monday, which included capping both indoor and outdoor gatherings at 25 people.
“COVID-19 is surging across the country, and while cases are not rising in Virginia as rapidly as in some other states, I do not intend to wait until they are. We are acting now to prevent this health crisis from getting worse,” Northam said in a <a href="https://www.governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/all-releases/2020/november/headline-861342-en.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">statement</a> Friday. “Everyone is tired of this pandemic and restrictions on our lives. I’m tired, and I know you are tired too. But as we saw earlier this year, these mitigation measures work. I am confident that we can come together as one Commonwealth to get this virus under control and save lives.”
Virginia is seeing an average of approximately 1,500 new COVID-19 cases per day, which exceeds its former peak of around 1,200 per day in May. As the governor&#8217;s statement explained, positivity rates remain at 5% and hospitalizations have increased 35% in the past month.
&#8220;We are seeing #COVID19 surge around the country—cases are rising much faster in other states than in Virginia, but we cannot afford to wait to take action. So today we are taking important steps to prevent this health crisis from getting worse,&#8221; Northam said further in a tweet, which went on to list some of the restrictions, which includes cutting off alcohol sales at 10 p.m. and expanded mask-wearing.
Churches are also subject to the governor&#8217;s executive order, which mandates that &#8220;churches must mark seating and common areas where attendees can congregate in six-foot increments to follow physical distancing guidelines between those who aren’t family members,&#8221; according to <a href="https://www.wsls.com/news/virginia/2020/11/14/virginias-7-requirements-for-churches-as-new-coronavirus-restrictions-start/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">NBC 10 News</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
New mitigation measures will go into effect at midnight on Sunday, November 15 and include: 1️⃣ 25-person limit on indoor and outdoor gatherings, down from 250 2️⃣ expanded mask requirement, including children aged 5+ 3️⃣ 10 p.m. on-site alcohol curfew 4️⃣ increased enforcement
&mdash; Governor Ralph Northam (@VAGovernor73) <a href="https://twitter.com/VAGovernor73/status/1327352601495605251?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2020</a></blockquote>
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As the governor&#8217;s statement explained:
&#8220;The following measures will take effect at midnight on Sunday, November 15:
<ul>
<li>Reduction in public and private gatherings: All public and private in-person gatherings must be limited to 25 individuals, down from the current cap of 250 people. This includes outdoor and indoor settings.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Expansion of mask mandate: All Virginians aged five and over are required to wear face coverings in indoor public spaces. This expands the current mask mandate, which has been in place in Virginia since May 29 and requires all individuals aged 10 and over to wear face coverings in indoor public settings.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Strengthened enforcement within essential retail businesses: All essential retail businesses, including grocery stores and pharmacies, must adhere to statewide guidelines for physical distancing, wearing face coverings, and enhanced cleaning. While certain essential retail businesses have been required to adhere to these regulations as a best practice, violations will now be enforceable through the Virginia Department of Health as a Class One misdemeanor.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>On-site alcohol curfew: The on-site sale, consumption, and possession of alcohol is prohibited after 10:00 p.m. in any restaurant, dining establishment, food court, brewery, microbrewery, distillery, winery, or tasting room. All restaurants, dining establishments, food courts, breweries, microbreweries, distilleries, wineries, and tasting rooms must close by midnight. Virginia law does not distinguish between restaurants and bars, however, under current restrictions, individuals that choose to consume alcohol prior to 10:00 p.m. must be served as in a restaurant and remain seated at tables six feet apart.&#8221;</li>
</ul>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-virginia-democrat-governor-ralph-northam-to-declare-emergency-banning-all-guns-from-state-capitol-grounds" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Virginia Democrat Governor Ralph Northam To Declare Emergency Banning All Guns From State Capitol Grounds For Upcoming Protests</a>

VA Governor Northam Holds Press Conference To Address Racist Yearbook Photo

Northam Tightens Virginia COVID-19 Restrictions Again, Capping Gatherings At 25

Gov. Ralph Northam (D-VA), along with other top state officials, have called for an investigation into alleged racism at Virginia Military Institute.
The Hill <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/521790-governor-orders-investigation-into-racism-at-virginia-military-institute">reported</a> that Northam and others sent <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/context/letter-from-virginia-gov-ralph-northam/db652d21-6c0e-4392-abd3-56ea90b4bd9e/?itid=lk_inline_manual_4">a letter</a> to VMI’s Board of Visitors announcing an “independent, third-party review” of the college after <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/northam-calls-for-vmi-investigation-after-black-cadets-describe-relentless-racism/2020/10/19/6fcb21a8-1229-11eb-ba42-ec6a580836ed_story.html">reports</a> of racism surfaced in The Washington Post. Among the allegations are “structural racism,” an accusation that a professor described her family’s history as Ku Klux Klan members in positive terms, and alleged threats of lynching.
“Black cadets at VMI have long faced repeated instances of racism on campus, including horrifying new revelations of threats about lynching, vicious attacks on social media, and even a professor who spoke fondly of her family’s history in the Ku Klux Klan—to say nothing of inconsistent application of the Institute’s Honor Code,” the officials wrote in the letter. “This culture is unacceptable for any Virginia institution in the 21st century, especially one funded by taxpayers,” the letter continues. “Virginians expect all universities—and particularly public universities established by the General Assembly—to be welcoming and inclusive, and to eschew outdated traditions that glamorize a history rooted in rebellion against the United States.”
Northam graduated from VMI in 1981. In addition to him, Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax (D-VA) and Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring (D) also signed the letter.
As The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-kkk-blackface-photo-emerges-virginia-ryan-saavedra">reported</a>, medical school yearbook photos show Northam in either blackface or wearing a KKK robe. The photos were added to his personal yearbook page. Northam initially apologized for the photos but a day later claimed he was not in them and didn’t know how they made it onto his page, which he was responsible for. But as Northam was insisting he wasn’t in the widely circulated blackface photo, he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/disaster-ralph-northam-denies-hes-racist-photo-ryan-saavedra">admitted</a> to wearing blackface on another occasion.
“Yesterday I took responsibility for content that appeared on my page in the Eastern Virginia Medical School yearbook that was clearly racist and offensive. I am not and will not excuse the content of the photo,” Northam said at a February 2, 2019 press conference. “It was offensive, racist, and despicable. When my staff showed me the photo in question yesterday, I was seeing it for the first time.”
“My belief that I did not wear that costume or attend that party stems in part from my clear memory of other mistakes I made in the same period of my life,” Northam said during the same press conference. “That same year, I did participate in a dance contest in San Antonio in which I darkened my face as part of a Michael Jackson costume.”
Calls for the governor&#8217;s resignation poured in from fellow Democrats until sexual assault allegations surfaced against his immediate successor, Lt. Gov. Fairfax, and the next in line, Attorney General Herring, admitted to also wearing blackface decades ago. Once it was discovered that the next in line to become governor of Virginia was a Republican, Democrats stopped demanding Northam resign.

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