Pictures of bikini-clad women have been known to cause strain in marriages. But could skimpy swimsuits trigger a threat to the United States&#8217; and Great Britain&#8217;s “special relationship?&#8221;
In recent weeks, young women have been targeted on X by individuals using Grok’s AI technology to manipulate their image without their consent. I, myself, was a victim in this scandal: an anonymous user replied to a perfectly normal post I had written about puberty blockers and instructed X’s AI to generate a sexualized deepfake of me: “put her in a micro-bikini, on her knees, knees out, tongue out.”
I have never taken, shared, or consented to anything remotely like that. The ability of a stranger to weaponize my face and turn it into public pornography is a profound violation. It strips you of your dignity, your identity, and your sense of personal control in a way few things can.
So, I reported it. And X acted: fast. The comment was removed, the image was deleted, and the account responsible was, as far as I can tell, permanently suspended. Soon after, X restricted Grok’s image-generation features for non-subscribers, effectively shutting down the anonymous abuse that had driven most of this trend. Within days, the phenomenon had largely disappeared.
It was a negative experience, but it was handled. The platform corrected course. We moved on.
Or at least, most of us did. The British government did not.
Instead, Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s administration has chosen to escalate the incident into something far bigger: floating the possibility of <a href="https://www.bigissue.com/news/social-justice/uk-x-ban-grok-ai-elon-musk/">banning X entirely</a> in the United Kingdom. This has triggered an extraordinary diplomatic row with the United States, whose State Department has now openly warned Britain that such a move could provoke retaliation.
State Department spokesmen have <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/us-state-department-threaten-uk-probe-elon-musk-x-grok/">made clear</a> that Washington would view such a ban as an unjustified attack on freedom of speech, behavior more typical of an authoritarian state than a Western democracy. Some American officials have even hinted at travel restrictions or legal pressure against British officials involved in enforcement.
That kind of terse language is almost unheard of between Britain and America. But it didn’t come out of nowhere. Tensions have been building over the last few years as the United Kingdom persistently flouts respect for free expression. Mothers are <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp3nn60wyr6o">jailed</a> for months on end for long-since deleted tweets. Christians are <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/politics/2025/02/14/adam-smith-connor-abortion-campaigner-jd-vance/">convicted</a> for praying silently near abortion facilities. The examples are racking up at an extraordinary pace.
The recent government targeting of X is ostensibly meant to prevent women and children from porn-related crime. But if ministers were genuinely driven by concern for female dignity and child safety, X would be nowhere near the top of their list.
Pornhub, one of the largest pornography platforms in the world, has a documented history of hosting child sexual abuse material, rape videos, and non-consensual content. In 2025, American regulators <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2025/09/ftc-takes-action-against-operators-pornhub-other-pornographic-sites-deceiving-users-about-efforts">concluded</a> that Pornhub&#8217;s parent company had misled the public about safeguards and failed to prevent the re-uploading of illegal material.
And yet Pornhub remains accessible in Britain. No threats or bans from the government. Just quiet assurances about age verification and “compliance.”
The same is true of other AI platforms. Gemini, ChatGPT, and countless image-generation tools have all faced cases where non-consensual deepfakes were produced. None have been threatened with national expulsion. None have been treated as existential threats to public safety.
So, why X?
X is not primarily a sexual platform. It is a political one. It hosts journalists, dissidents, activists, and cultural critics. It is messy, chaotic, and often offensive — but it is also one of the last major spaces where unfiltered political disagreement still happens at scale.
That is why this fight has become transatlantic. The United States understands something the British government seems either unable or unwilling to admit: a wholesale ban on X would be a gross attempt to control and shut down public conversation, including views the government simply dislike.
If Starmer truly believes in protecting the vulnerable, his government should be relentlessly targeting the platforms that profit from sexual abuse and exploitation. Until that happens, the sudden ferocity directed at X will remain impossible to read as anything other than ideological.
And now, thanks to America’s spotlight, the world is watching.
* * *
Lois McLatchie Miller (@LoisMcLatch) is a writer and commentator from Great Britain.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Deep fake hoax and manipulation news titles on screen in hand 3d illustration

Someone Made AI Porn Of Me. Could That Kill America’s Relationship With Britain?

I Was Targeted By An AI Deepfake. Now My Country Wants To Ban X.

Artificial Intelligence

Deepfake

England

Great Britain

Keir Starmer

Pornhub

Pornography

Social Media

Twitter

Women

Secretary of State Marco Rubio responded after dozens of memes flooded X with potential new jobs or responsibilities that President Donald Trump might ask him to take on.
&#8220;I do not normally respond to online rumors but feel the need to do so at this moment,&#8221; Rubio said in his own <a href="https://x.com/marcorubio/status/2009297348799942872">X post</a>. &#8220;I will not be a candidate for the currently vacant HC and GM positions with the Miami Dolphins. While you never know what the future may bring right now my focus must remain on global events and also the precious archives of the United States of America. Thank you.&#8221;
Rubio, who is currently the acting National Security Adviser in addition to holding the top post at the United States Department of State, was responding to memes suggesting he&#8217;d be put in charge of everything from the state of Minnesota to the nation of Venezuela.
One post suggested Trump would ask Rubio to cover his shift at McDonald&#8217;s, referencing the president&#8217;s wildly successful 2024 campaign stop.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Rubio after learning that he has to cover Trump&#8217;s shift at McDonald&#8217;s. <a href="https://t.co/Pj3tcpPWDH">pic.twitter.com/Pj3tcpPWDH</a>
— Make America Meme Again (@meme4USA) <a href="https://twitter.com/meme4USA/status/2008582071032443200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
After an interaction between the Department of Homeland Security and a Hampton Inn refusing service to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents — an interaction that quickly caused Hilton Hotels to cut ties with the franchise in question — several memes suggested Rubio would be tapped to <a href="https://x.com/JRand1685/status/2008266721598337123">run the hotel chain</a>.
&#8220;What shall we do with a Russian tanker, What shall we do with a Russian tanker, What shall we do with a Russian tanker, Early in the morning?” another post read, showing Rubio in pirate garb with a parrot on his shoulder.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🎶 “What shall we do with a Russian tanker, 
What shall we do with a Russian tanker, 
What shall we do with a Russian tanker, 
Early in the morning?” 🎶 <a href="https://t.co/nAY0AUZnbi">https://t.co/nAY0AUZnbi</a> <a href="https://t.co/3uZkftPGbK">pic.twitter.com/3uZkftPGbK</a>
— Benedict Spence (@BenedictSpence) <a href="https://twitter.com/BenedictSpence/status/2008938070079586484?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
A &#8220;Lord of the Rings&#8221; themed post put Rubio in the place of Frodo Baggins, tasking him with returning the One Ring to the fiery pit of Mordor.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“The ring must be taken deep into Mordor and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came. One of you must do this.” <a href="https://t.co/RjMyefa4pF">pic.twitter.com/RjMyefa4pF</a>
— Elwë Singollo ❄️🧝🏻‍♀️ (@Strangeland_Elf) <a href="https://twitter.com/Strangeland_Elf/status/2008433894438416761?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Trump&#8217;s about to disclose aliens and he&#8217;s sending Rubio to negotiate,&#8221; another posted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
My contribution &#8211; Trump&#8217;s about to disclose aliens 👽 and he&#8217;s sending Rubio to negotiate. <a href="https://t.co/PiFBhwg5FL">pic.twitter.com/PiFBhwg5FL</a>
— Rizwan Virk (@Rizstanford) <a href="https://twitter.com/Rizstanford/status/2008760930340126861?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
And more &#8230;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Rubio realizing he has to be the Governor of Minnesota. <a href="https://t.co/HPQ3uJ2u90">pic.twitter.com/HPQ3uJ2u90</a>
— Kyle Tibbitts (@KyleTibbitts) <a href="https://twitter.com/KyleTibbitts/status/2008346505455767937?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Rubio realizing he’s going to be president of Venezuela, governor of Cuba, and the Shah of Iran. <a href="https://t.co/wh5S2gpIi9">pic.twitter.com/wh5S2gpIi9</a>
— Antonio García Martínez (agm.eth) (@antoniogm) <a href="https://twitter.com/antoniogm/status/2007398586246672723?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Would you consider being OC with the <a href="https://twitter.com/Lions?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Lions</a> ??? We need someone with the huevos to match Dan Campbell!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OnePride?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OnePride</a> <a href="https://t.co/cAUey7MGnF">https://t.co/cAUey7MGnF</a>
— Rep. Bill Huizenga (@RepHuizenga) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepHuizenga/status/2009363082586505696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Rubio Leaves Open Possibility of Becoming Miami&#8217;s Next QB <a href="https://t.co/DRuVKNCDbl">https://t.co/DRuVKNCDbl</a>
— Ari Fleischer (@AriFleischer) <a href="https://twitter.com/AriFleischer/status/2009338320330031231?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
So you’re saying there’s a chance. <a href="https://t.co/S1aPEVkecV">https://t.co/S1aPEVkecV</a> <a href="https://t.co/1Qq8jzQsS9">pic.twitter.com/1Qq8jzQsS9</a>
— Tim Murtaugh (@TimMurtaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/TimMurtaugh/status/2009303945814925672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Can you coach the <a href="https://twitter.com/AtlantaFalcons?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AtlantaFalcons</a>? <a href="https://t.co/hZl6btWxAW">https://t.co/hZl6btWxAW</a>
— House Judiciary GOP 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 (@JudiciaryGOP) <a href="https://twitter.com/JudiciaryGOP/status/2009312710316769648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Fox News anchor John Roberts <a href="https://x.com/johnrobertsFox/status/2009306580102029570">responded</a> to Rubio, noting that he&#8217;d only ruled out jobs with the Miami Dolphins and suggesting he might be entertaining any number of others.
&#8220;You will note that he did not dispel rumors that he is a candidate for: Ravens head coach, President of Venezuela, Shah of Iran, President of Cuba, Prime Minister of Greenland, Governor of Minnesota,  CEO of Hilton Hotels,&#8221; Roberts posted. &#8220;Ruling out a job with the Dolphins doesn&#8217;t end the speculation &#8230;&#8221;
&#8220;I think we should probably make Rubio president in 2028 just to limit his power,&#8221; Abby Libby <a href="https://x.com/abbythelibb_/status/2008726373825990863">posted</a> in response to the memes.

President Trump Hosts Philippines President Marcos At White House

Rubio Responds After X Memes Give Him Dozens Of New Jobs

Marco Rubio

Memes

Politics

President Donald Trump posted a Christmas message to everyone — &#8220;including the Radical Left Scum&#8221; — on Christmas Eve, touting a number of things that his administration has changed in just the first year of his second term in office.
Trump posted the message first on his Truth Social platform, and he laid out a few things he&#8217;d been critical of during former President Joe Biden&#8217;s time in office, explaining what he&#8217;d already done to usher in major changes.
&#8220;Merry Christmas to all, including the Radical Left Scum that is doing everything possible to destroy our Country, but are failing badly,&#8221; Trump began, immediately pivoting to attack Biden&#8217;s policies. &#8220;We no longer have Open Borders, Men in Women’s Sports, Transgender for Everyone, or Weak Law Enforcement.&#8221;
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Trump followed that with a series of positive changes that he attributed to his own policies: &#8220;What we do have is a Record Stock Market and 401K’s, Lowest Crime numbers in decades, No Inflation, and yesterday, a 4.3 GDP, two points better than expected.&#8221;
&#8220;Tariffs have given us Trillions of Dollars in Growth and Prosperity, and the strongest National Security we have ever had,&#8221; the president continued. &#8220;We are respected again, perhaps like never before. God Bless America!!! President DJT.&#8221;
The tone set by the White House Christmas message just hours later was much more subdued, featuring a simple photo of President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
MERRY CHRISTMAS! <a href="https://t.co/YJ9YYEf19v">pic.twitter.com/YJ9YYEf19v</a>
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/2004189679105773873?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Department of Homeland Security posted a video, set to &#8220;Hark, the Herald Angels Sing.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Rejoice America, Christ is born! <a href="https://t.co/tZgLyTxkVn">pic.twitter.com/tZgLyTxkVn</a>
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) <a href="https://twitter.com/DHSgov/status/2004208041605128250?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Christmas night, 1776… The world slept while Washington crossed the Delaware. We carry his legacy,&#8221; the War Department said, sharing an image of then-General George Washington crossing the Delaware River.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Christmas night, 1776…
The world slept while Washington crossed the Delaware.
We carry his legacy. <a href="https://t.co/eFRDAwfewO">https://t.co/eFRDAwfewO</a> <a href="https://t.co/ePUt394Qdj">pic.twitter.com/ePUt394Qdj</a>
— DOW Rapid Response (@DOWResponse) <a href="https://twitter.com/DOWResponse/status/2004235843448504500?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Merry Christmas to all. Today we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. May His light bring peace, hope, and joy to you and your families,&#8221; War Secretary Pete Hegseth added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Merry Christmas to all. Today we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
May His light bring peace, hope, and joy to you and your families. <a href="https://t.co/lycKvYq9eS">pic.twitter.com/lycKvYq9eS</a>
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecWar/status/2004182968286564502?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

US-POLITICS-TRUMP-CABINET

Trump Sends Christmas Wishes To Everyone — ‘Including The Radical Left Scum’

Trump Sends Christmas Wishes To Everyone — 'Including The Radical Left Scum'

Christmas

Donald Trump

General

The State Department sanctioned five European figures in the &#8220;global censorship-industrial complex&#8221; on Tuesday, barring them from entering the United States.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the move is in response to European &#8220;ideologues&#8221; who have sought to clamp down on Americans&#8217; free speech. He added that the list could be expanded to other European leaders if they continue their censorship actions.
&#8220;For far too long, ideologues in Europe have led organized efforts to coerce American platforms to punish American viewpoints they oppose. The Trump Administration will no longer tolerate these egregious acts of extraterritorial censorship,&#8221; Rubio <a href="https://x.com/SecRubio/status/2003547575580815814">said</a>. &#8220;Today, @StateDept will take steps to bar leading figures of the global censorship-industrial complex from entering the United States. We stand ready and willing to expand this list if others do not reverse course.&#8221;
The sanctions do not include financial penalties, but the five individuals targeted have had their U.S. visas denied. They are European Union Commissioner Thierry Breton, a Frenchman; Imran Ahmed, a British chief executive of the Center for Countering Digital Hate; British businesswoman Clare Melford, who leads the Global Disinformation Index; and Josephine Ballon and Anna-Lena von Hodenberg, who both lead the German group HateAid.
Breton helped create the European Commission&#8217;s Digital Services Act, which establishes regulations requiring social media companies to prevent what the European Union deems illegal content and misinformation. The Digital Services Act was recently used to punish Elon Musk&#8217;s X, a move condemned by the Trump administration.
Ahmed&#8217;s Center for Countering Digital Hate has been accused of colluding with the Biden administration and social media companies to censor Americans, especially during the COVID pandemic. The Biden administration referred to the British nonprofit&#8217;s &#8220;disinformation dozen&#8221; list, which called out 12 accounts on Facebook that it accused of producing 65% of anti-vaccine &#8220;misinformation&#8221; on the platform, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/16/us/politics/biden-facebook-social-media-covid.html">reported</a>. One of those 12 accounts belonged to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is now President Donald Trump&#8217;s Health and Human Services secretary, <a href="https://x.com/UnderSecPD/status/2003567950541058394">according</a> to Under Secretary of State Sarah B. Rogers.
The Global Disinformation Index, led by Melford, was funded through a program used by the Biden administration to target &#8220;misinformation&#8221; until Rubio shuttered it earlier this year. It placed American media outlets on a “Dynamic Exclusion List” that was distributed to advertisers and named mainstream publications like the New York Post, Reason Magazine, The Daily Wire, and the Federalist as &#8220;risky,&#8221; The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/state-department-shutters-misinformation-censorship-agency-salts-the-earth">reported</a>. The Daily Wire has an active lawsuit against the State Department, alleging that it suppressed conservative media outlets on social media under former President Joe Biden.
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Ballon and Hodenberg&#8217;s HateAid is considered a &#8220;trusted&#8221; censor under the Digital Services Act and has routinely targeted Right-wing voices, according to the State Department. Earlier this year, Ballon was interviewed on &#8220;<a href="https://x.com/60Minutes/status/1891284163845628348">60 Minutes</a>&#8221; and said, &#8220;Free speech needs boundaries … Without boundaries, a very small group of people can rely on endless freedom to say anything that they want, while everyone else is scared and intimidated.&#8221;
French President Emmanuel Macron <a href="https://x.com/EmmanuelMacron/status/2003781877165879782">condemned</a> the United States over the travel bans, saying, &#8220;These measures amount to intimidation and coercion aimed at undermining European digital sovereignty.&#8221;
Trump and Rubio have recently called out Europe over its social media censorship and its targeting of American social media companies. Rubio <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rubio-issues-stark-warning-about-europes-free-speech-erosion-and-how-it-could-affect-americans">told</a> The Daily Wire last week that he is “concerned” that “freedom of expression” is “eroding” in Europe.
“Are we going to live in a world where some American puts up a social media post and then gets to some airport somewhere and is arrested? We’re also concerned about the impact that some of their policies are having on our social media platforms,” he said.
Trump, meanwhile, issued a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/europe-has-to-be-very-careful-trump-issues-stern-warning-after-eu-fines-elon-musks-x">warning</a> to Europe after the European Commission fined X earlier this month.
“Look, Europe has to be very careful,” Trump said. “They’re doing a lot of things. … Europe is going in some bad directions. It’s very bad for the people.”

State Department Bans Five Europeans From Entering U.S. After They Helped Censor Americans

Europe

European Union

Free Speech

State Department

Trump Administration

The Department of Justice failed to foolproof some of the redactions made to the Epstein files, leading to some unredacted versions of documents appearing online.
Some people have <a href="https://x.com/flyosity/status/2003487819587821613">discovered</a> that the redactions, which the Justice Department says have been made to protect victims, can be undone or worked around through Photoshop or by simply copying and pasting the text to a new document. Unredacted versions of some documents began to appear online after the department released a fresh tranche of an estimated 30,000 more pages.
In one redacted file, the blacked-out portion pertains to how the late financier Jeffrey Epstein and his associates allegedly obtained young victims for sexual abuse, according to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/23/epstein-unredacted-files-social-media">The Guardian</a>.
“Between September 2015 and June 2019, Indyke signed (FAC) for over $400,000 made payable to young female models and actresses, including a former Russian model who received over $380,000 through monthly payments of $8,333 made over a period of more than three and a half years until the middle of 2019,” says one redacted portion from a civil case in the Virgin Islands.
Other sections from the civil case detail how Epstein himself paid off or threatened victims to keep them from speaking to authorities.
“Defendants also attempted to conceal their criminal sex trafficking and abuse, conduct by paying large sums of money to participant-witnesses, including by paying for their attorneys’ fees and case costs in litigation related to this conduct,” one file says.
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“Epstein also threatened harm to victims and helped release damaging stories about them to damage their credibility when they tried to go public with their stories of being trafficked and sexually abused. Epstein also instructed one or more Epstein Enterprise participant-witnesses to destroy evidence relevant to ongoing court proceedings involving Defendants’ criminal sex trafficking and abuse conduct,” it continues.
The Justice Department announced its latest batch of Epstein file releases on Tuesday. The release of the files, mandated under the Epstein Files Transparency Act passed last month, has sparked more controversy as the records have revealed photos of famous acquaintances of Epstein, such as former president Bill Clinton, around the disgraced financier.
President Donald Trump has also appeared at times in the files. The president has long maintained innocence in Epstein’s schemes, and none of the files released have suggested that Trump was involved in alleged misconduct.

US-POLITICS-JUSTICE-EPSTEIN

The DOJ Tried To Redact The Epstein Docs. TikTok Found A Workaround.

Crime

Department of Justice

Jeffrey Epstein

TikTok

U.S.

America has a basic moral rule that used to be understood without explanation: when someone dies, especially violently, you put down the rhetorical knives.
You don’t dance on graves, and you don’t treat a coffin like a political prop.
This rule is not about pretending we agree with the dead. It is not about suspending our convictions. It’s about preserving the last thin strand of decency that keeps politics from becoming blood sport.
In 2025, America learned again what happens when that strand snaps.
When Charlie Kirk was assassinated at Utah Valley University on September 10, the country did not just witness a murder, we witnessed a national test. Would we respond like a serious people, or like a civilization that has forgotten the difference between a political opponent and an enemy?
We all saw what followed. Social media was filled with people eager to prove they had no soul left to guard. Some didn’t simply mourn differently. They mocked. They rationalized. They insinuated that Kirk somehow “deserved it.” One of the most grotesque examples came from longtime left-wing commentator Keith Olbermann, who wrote that someone should “burn in hell… alongside Charlie Kirk,” a post that quickly spread before being deleted.
That moment felt clarifying — and damning. For years, conservatives have argued that parts of the modern Left have normalized a kind of moral vandalism: that if you label someone “dangerous,” you can justify anything done to them. That if you call someone “literally Hitler,” the next step is always implied. The reaction to Kirk’s murder made that argument impossible to ignore.
But something else happened, too.
In the immediate aftermath, many conservatives made a conscious choice to be better. They mourned a young father and husband. They prayed for his family. They condemned the violence without qualification. They insisted that assassination can never be a political tool.
Even voices on the Left noticed the contrast. Bill Maher, hardly a conservative, criticized the ghoulish reactions from his own side and condemned those who mocked or justified the killing. He warned about what happens when tribalism makes basic humanity optional. That acknowledgment mattered, not because it redeemed anyone, but because it underscored something essential: this was no longer a Left-Right debate. It was a human one.
Then, this week, the country faced the test again.
Director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were found murdered in a horrifying family tragedy, with their son arrested in connection with the killings. Reiner spent years as one of Donald Trump’s most relentless critics. Conservatives have no shortage of reasons to oppose his politics, his activism, or his rhetoric. But this was not a policy dispute. It was a tragedy.
And once again, conservatives initially rose to the moment.
Prominent right-of-center voices expressed sympathy and restraint. Ben Shapiro wrote that, regardless of political differences, “The murder of Rob Reiner and his wife is horrific, and their family deserves prayers and privacy.” Speaker Mike Johnson called it “a heartbreaking loss” and urged Americans to “lower the temperature and remember our shared humanity.” Even figures known for sharp rhetoric paused, recognizing that death demands humility, not point-scoring.
In that moment, conservatives were proving something — to the country and to ourselves. We were showing that our condemnation of the Left’s reaction to Charlie Kirk was not merely tribal outrage. We were passing our own test.
And then Donald Trump logged on.
Trump took to <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115724141568860081">Truth Social</a> to frame Rob Reiner’s murder through the lens of “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” writing that Reiner “spent his life consumed by hatred” and implying that his death was somehow a reflection of that obsession.
It was not restraint. It was not leadership. It was mockery dressed up as commentary — and it detonated the moral high ground conservatives had just earned.
This is why the Reiner tragedy is not just another cycle of outrage. It’s a verdict.
Conservatives can argue, correctly, that the Left’s reaction to Charlie Kirk’s assassination exposed something deeply broken. But if we insist we are better, we have to prove it when it costs us something — when the deceased is someone we disagree with, someone who attacked our side, someone who spent years calling our leaders names.
This is the leadership test. And Trump failed it.
Some will dismiss this as overblown. It was just a post, they’ll say. Just Trump being Trump. Just rhetoric. But that defense collapses under scrutiny. Rhetoric is not incidental to leadership; it is central to it. Leaders do not merely reflect the temperature, they set it. When the most powerful voice on the Right treats murder as an opportunity for mockery, he licenses the very sickness conservatives claim to oppose.
The Right cannot be a movement that condemns grave-dancing only when the dead wear our jersey. We cannot demand dignity for our slain and deny it to others. That is not strength, it is tribal weakness. It is not principle, it is reflex.
After Charlie Kirk’s assassination, conservatives promised the country we would not become what we despise. In the immediate aftermath of the Reiner murders, many conservatives honored that promise. Our most influential leader did not.
There is still time to recover what has been lost, but it will require making some adult decisions:
That we will treat death with dignity, not like content.
That we will make room for grief even when we disagree.
That we will reserve our sharpest words for arguments, not funerals.
And that we will demand more from our leaders because if they cannot pass the decency test when blood is on the ground, they become unfit to lecture the country about moral decline.
* * *
Gates Garcia is the host of the YouTube show and podcast “We The People.” Follow him on Instagram and X @GatesGarciaFL.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Premiere of “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues” – Arrivals

When Death Comes, Rhetoric Matters

assassination

Charlie Kirk

Death

Murder

Rob Reiner

U.S. Politics

Australia will soon become the first nation to ban children under 16 from creating accounts on many social media platforms, but the law is already facing criticism as some platforms will be excluded.
Beginning on Wednesday, December 10, Australia will require social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube, to take &#8220;reasonable steps&#8221; to block children under 16 years old from creating accounts. Any platform that fails to restrict children under 16 from gaining access could face civil penalties of up to $49.5 million, according to the government&#8217;s <a href="https://www.esafety.gov.au/newsroom/media-releases/platforms-on-notice-to-comply-with-social-media-minimum-age">eSafety Commissioner</a>.
&#8220;We haven&#8217;t really seen a plan like this be put into action,&#8221; said Jessica Melugin, the director of the Center for Technology &amp; Innovation at the Competitive Enterprise Institute. &#8220;So I think the world is certainly watching.&#8221;
Along with Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube, the Australian government also lists Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, and X as &#8220;age-restricted&#8221; social media platforms. Numerous social media platforms, however, will not be affected by the law, including messaging platforms and gaming apps such as Discord, Roblox, and Steam. Australia&#8217;s decision to keep those platforms off its age-restricted list has raised more questions about whether the law will keep children away from online harm.
&#8220;It is a little bit of a red flag. I don&#8217;t agree with doing it this way at all, but it does make it harder for the government to make its case when you have gaming apps and AI chatbots exempted,&#8221; said Melugin. &#8220;It seems like a strange line to draw.&#8221;
The Australian government says the new law is popular with parents and would reduce the number of risks that children are exposed to online, the BBC <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwyp9d3ddqyo">reported</a>.
&#8220;Delaying children’s access to social media accounts gives them valuable time to learn and grow, free of the powerful, unseen forces of harmful and deceptive design features such as opaque algorithms and endless scroll,&#8221; said Australian eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman. &#8220;This important normative change will be invaluable to parents and young people alike – creating friction or a check in the online ecosystem that previously did not exist.&#8221;
To support its move, the Australian government cited a <a href="https://www.esafety.gov.au/research/the-online-experiences-of-children-in-australia/snapshot-content-associated-with-harm">study</a> that it commissioned earlier this year, which found that more than 70% of children between 10-15 who use social media are exposed to harmful content. The government says that harmful online content includes &#8220;sexist, misogynistic or hateful content, content depicting dangerous online challenges or fight videos, or content that encourages unhealthy eating or exercise habits.&#8221;
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The first-of-its-kind law is already receiving some strong pushback.
Melugin told The Daily Wire that she has some major concerns about the new law.
&#8220;We live in a digital world. That&#8217;s how you are going to maybe find your partner one day. It&#8217;s probably how you&#8217;re going to find a job one day, maybe how you promote yourself or your business, maybe how you keep in touch with friends and pursue your interests,&#8221; Melugin said.
She added that the law could create a &#8220;false sense of security&#8221; for parents, who she argues would take a step back from monitoring their children&#8217;s social media. &#8220;They think, &#8216;Well, the government has now stepped in with its magic wand and silver bullet and now everything is safe,&#8217; which certainly won&#8217;t be the case,&#8221; Melugin added.
Melugin argued that the best way to keep children safe online is for parents to keep having conversations with their kids on &#8220;how to keep yourself safe online, how to avoid making mistakes online.&#8221;
Australia&#8217;s exclusions for Roblox, Discord, Steam, and other platforms have also come under scrutiny. Roblox, an online gaming platform marketed toward children, has been criticized for <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2024-roblox-pedophile-problem/">allowing</a> adults to use the platform alongside children, and even the Australian government has acknowledged that Roblox has given pedophiles an open door to &#8220;groom children.&#8221;
Roblox was also sued by Texas last month, with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton calling the children&#8217;s gaming platform “a habitual destination for child predators.”
An Australian government official told The Daily Wire that &#8220;gaming and messaging services were excluded under the legislative rules.&#8221; The official also directed The Daily Wire to a press release from September, showing that Roblox <a href="https://www.esafety.gov.au/newsroom/media-releases/roblox-commits-to-lift-game-to-protect-kids-from-online-grooming-under-australias-world-leading-online-safety-codes-and-standards">committed</a> to introduce new safety measures for its site in response to concerns raised by the Australian government.
“We know that when it comes to platforms that are popular with children, they also become popular with adult predators seeking to prey on them. Roblox is no exception and has become a popular target for pedophiles seeking to groom children,&#8221; Inman said at the time. “We’ve been engaging with Roblox on this issue for several months to make it clear to the platform that under Australian law they are required to take meaningful action to prioritize the protection of children.&#8221;
Discord has also faced scrutiny for allowing child sex predators, extremists, and terrorists who <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/security/discord-messages-server-dhs-terror-extremist-charlie-kirk-fbi-patel-rcna232377">target</a> children.
Some of the social media giants affected by Australia&#8217;s new law have blasted the government&#8217;s strategy. Meta argues that families, not the government, should &#8220;decide which apps teens can access.&#8221;
“To comply with Australia’s Social Media Minimum Age Law, teens under 16 will begin losing access to Facebook, Instagram, and Threads next month. While we’re committed to meeting our legal obligations, we’ve consistently raised concerns about this law,&#8221; a Meta spokesman told The Daily Wire. &#8220;Experts, youth groups, and many parents agree that blanket bans are not the solution—they isolate teens from online communities and information, while providing inconsistent protection across the many apps they use. There’s a better way: legislation that empowers parents to approve app downloads and verify age allows families—not the government—to decide which apps teens can access.&#8221;
Meta believes its &#8220;teen accounts,&#8221; which were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ig-introduces-teen-accounts-with-built-in-privacy-settings-to-better-support-parents">introduced</a> last year, are effective at keeping children safe online by putting parents in control and limiting who can contact children on social media.
Australia&#8217;s new law is already facing a legal challenge brought on behalf of two 15-year-old Australians who argue that the law robs them of their right to free speech, according to the BBC.
&#8220;We shouldn&#8217;t be silenced. It&#8217;s like Orwell&#8217;s book 1984, and that scares me,&#8221; said 15-year-old Macy Neyland.
Noah Jones, the other 15-year-old pushing back against the law, added, &#8220;We are the true digital natives and we want to remain educated, robust, and savvy in our digital world. &#8230; They should protect kids with safeguards, not silence.&#8221;
The Daily Wire reached out to the prime minister&#8217;s office for comment.
Following Australia&#8217;s move to ban some social media for kids, Malaysia introduced a similar ban. In the United States, Utah passed a law last year requiring social media platforms to verify a user&#8217;s age and obtain parental consent. Parts of the Utah law, however, have been temporarily <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/utah-law-restricting-youth-social-media-use-blocked-by-judge-2024-09-11/">blocked</a> by a federal judge.

Australia’s Novel Social Media Ban For Kids Sparks Debate As Some Platforms Get A Free Pass

Australia

Children

Instagram

Social Issues

World

YouTube

The European Union fined Elon Musk&#8217;s X $140 million on Friday as the bloc targets American social media companies under its expansive internet accountability regulations.
The European Commission, which is the European Union&#8217;s executive branch, <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_25_2934">accused</a> Elon Musk&#8217;s company of deceiving its users, failing to meet advertising transparency requirements, and failing to give researchers access to the platform&#8217;s data. The commission argues that X violated its Digital Services Act, regulations put into place in 2022 that are designed to clamp down on what it views as illegal content and misinformation on social media.
Before the fine was officially announced, Vice President JD Vance ripped the European Union for planning to impose the penalties against X.
&#8220;Rumors swirling that the EU commission will fine X hundreds of millions of dollars for not engaging in censorship. The EU should be supporting free speech not attacking American companies over garbage,&#8221; Vance <a href="https://x.com/JDVance/status/1996701953372704921">wrote</a>.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio <a href="https://x.com/SecRubio/status/1996974377003319667">added</a>, &#8220;The European Commission’s $140 million fine isn’t just an attack on @X, it’s an attack on all American tech platforms and the American people by foreign governments. The days of censoring Americans online are over.&#8221;
The European Commission&#8217;s top complaint against X on Friday is that the social media company allows any user to &#8220;obtain the ‘verified&#8217; status without the company meaningfully verifying who is behind the account, making it difficult for users to judge the authenticity of accounts and content they engage with.&#8221; The commission said that the Digital Services Act does not require platforms to verify users, but added that the regulation &#8220;clearly prohibits online platforms from falsely claiming that users have been verified, when no such verification took place.&#8221;
&#8220;Deceiving users with blue checkmarks, obscuring information on ads and shutting out researchers have no place online in the EU,&#8221; said Henna Virkkunen, the executive vice president for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy.&#8221; DSA protects users. The DSA gives researchers the way to uncover potential threats. The DSA restores trust in the online environment. With the DSA’s first non-compliance decision, we are holding X responsible for undermining users’ rights and evading accountability.&#8221;
Musk also responded to the commission&#8217;s complaint, writing on X that his goal with X&#8217;s verification system &#8220;was to democratize verification, rather than have it be controlled by a group of biased elites!&#8221;
The European Union&#8217;s move against X was condemned by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, with FCC Chair Brendan Carr saying that Europe is &#8220;taxing Americans.&#8221;
&#8220;Once again, Europe is fining a successful U.S. tech company for being a successful U.S. tech company,&#8221; Carr <a href="https://x.com/BrendanCarrFCC/status/1996945925822939407">said</a>. &#8220;Europe is taxing Americans to subsidize a continent held back by Europe’s own suffocating regulations.&#8221;
Conservatives have argued that the Digital Services Act is a way for Europe to clamp down on free speech, even for Americans.
“The DSA can impact anyone, can impact content creators and influencers and preachers and political dissidents and any kind of content online can be regulated by the DSA through its architecture,” Dr. Adina Portaru, a senior counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom International, told <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/europe-union-ignored-free-speech-concerns-plows-ahead-with-global-censorship-regime">The Daily Wire</a> earlier this year.
X was given 60 days to inform the European Commission of how it plans to address the issues laid out by the bloc. The social media platform has 90 days to submit an &#8220;action plan&#8221; to the commission, and the Board of Digital Services will then have one month to issue its opinion and another month to release its final decision.

E.U./X/JD Vance

‘Engaging In Censorship’: European Union Hits Elon Musk’s X With Massive Fine, Draws White House Ire

'Engaging In Censorship': European Union Hits Elon Musk's X With Massive Fine, Draws White House Ire

Elon Musk

JD Vance

Pete Hegseth is going to war — but not with the Venezuelans.
No, the Secretary of War is locked in a battle with Canadian publisher Kids Can Press. Over a meme.
On Sunday, Hegseth posted a fake book cover showing Franklin, a cartoon turtle, shooting rocket-propelled grenades at narco-terrorists from the landing skid of a military helicopter.
&#8220;For your Christmas wish list,&#8221; Hegseth wrote along with the book, titled &#8220;Franklin Targets Narco Terrorists,&#8221; which is billed as &#8220;A Classic Franklin Story.&#8221; The cover image features Franklin seated in the open bay door of a helicopter, aiming an RPG launcher at narco-terrorists in their boats in the water below.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
For your Christmas wish list… <a href="https://t.co/pLXzg20SaL">pic.twitter.com/pLXzg20SaL</a>
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) <a href="https://twitter.com/PeteHegseth/status/1995291042346852861?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Less than 24 hours later, Kids Can Press issued a statement in response, condemning Hegseth&#8217;s use of the &#8220;beloved&#8221; character.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://t.co/uYUF68eDyI">pic.twitter.com/uYUF68eDyI</a>
— kidscanpress (@KidsCanPress) <a href="https://twitter.com/KidsCanPress/status/1995629217506312197?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Franklin the Turtle is a beloved Canadian icon who has inspired generations of children and stands for kindness, empathy, and inclusivity,&#8221; the post read. &#8220;We strongly condemn any denigrating, violent, or unauthorized use of Franklin&#8217;s name or image, which directly contradicts these values.&#8221;
The statement marks the first time Kids Can Press has posted on X since a mid-January announcement declaring a shift to posting more on other platforms like Bluesky.
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The most recent thing in the publisher&#8217;s timeline was a <a href="https://x.com/FoldKids/status/1975253649220903410">repost</a> advertising a workshop for kids called &#8220;An Indigenous History Lesson on Fascism&#8221; and featuring Gord Hill, the author of &#8220;The Revised &amp; Expanded ANTIFA Comic Book.&#8221;
In addition to triggering Kids Can Press, Hegseth also got a rise out of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).
&#8220;I have never seen someone so unserious, so childish, and so obviously insecure serving as Secretary of Defense as Pete Hegseth. The man is a national embarrassment,&#8221; the senator <a href="https://x.com/SenSchumer/status/1995632033843085429">posted</a>.
Former &#8220;Meet the Press&#8221; host <a href="https://x.com/chucktodd/status/1995563637126418845">Chuck Todd</a> was also clearly upset by the meme, saying Hegseth was &#8220;literally mocking the U.S. Constitution and the U.S. Congress and humiliating and embarrassing America worldwide with this childish tantrum.&#8221;

NATO Defense Ministers Meeting in Brussels

Woke Canadian Publisher Whines About Pete Hegseth’s Franklin The Turtle Meme

Woke Canadian Publisher Whines About Pete Hegseth's Franklin The Turtle Meme

Canada

Children's Books

Military

narco-terrorism

Pete Hegseth

President Donald Trump laid into a radical left congressional candidate from Tennessee on Sunday, blasting Democrat Aftyn Behn as &#8220;a woman who hates Christianity, will take away your guns, wants Open Borders, Transgender for everybody, men in women’s sports, and openly disdains Country music.&#8221;
Trump delivered the verbal smackdown in a <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115640171509477265">Truth Social post</a> — in which he also threw his full support behind her opponent, Republican Matt Van Epps — over a viral audio clip in which she&#8217;d declared her hatred for Nashville, bachelorettes, and even country music. His post comes just ahead of the special election in Tennessee&#8217;s 7th Congressional District on Tuesday.
&#8220;I am asking all America First Patriots in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District, who haven’t voted yet, to please GET OUT AND VOTE on Election Day, Tuesday, December 2nd, for a phenomenal Candidate, Matt Van Epps,&#8221; Trump&#8217;s post began. &#8220;Matt is fighting against a woman who hates Christianity, will take away your guns, wants Open Borders, Transgender for everybody, men in women’s sports, and openly disdains Country music. She said all of these things precisely, and without question — IT’S ON TAPE!&#8221;
Trump warned voters that they needed to get to the polls, adding, &#8220;Do not take this Race for granted. The Radical Left Democrats are spending a fortune to beat one of the best Candidates we’ve ever had, Matt Van Epps! You can win this Election for Matt. GET OUT AND VOTE FOR MATT VAN EPPS, who has my Complete and Total Endorsement — HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!&#8221;
Behn raised eyebrows with her <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/embattled-tennessee-dem-aftyn-behn-offers-proof-she-doesnt-hate-nashville">anti-Nashville</a> rant: &#8220;‘I hate the city, I hate the Tennessee bachelorettes, I hate pedal taverns, I hate country music, I hate all the things that make Nashville … I hate it.&#8221;
She tried to do a little damage control after the audio clip went viral, claiming on the &#8220;Breaking Points&#8221; podcast that she could not possibly hate country music.
&#8220;So, I’m going to say something I haven’t said,” Behn told the hosts. “And I think it’s funny, I hope my parents don’t kill me, but I do not hate country music. I was conceived after a George Strait concert, so … I feel personally attacked.&#8221;
Behn also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tennessee-dem-candidate-aftyn-behn-i-dont-want-children-i-want-power">made headlines</a> with another audio clip of herself describing a recurring dream in which she stood up in a crowded cafeteria full of women and shouted, &#8220;I don&#8217;t want children, I want power!&#8221;

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Meets With Donald Trump At The White House

Trump Mocks Tennessee Radical Aftyn Behn Over Nashville Hate: ‘IT’S ON TAPE’

Trump Mocks Tennessee Radical Aftyn Behn Over Nashville Hate: 'IT'S ON TAPE'

2025 elections

Aftyn Behn

Elections

Executive

Tennessee

President Donald Trump was busy on Sunday night sharing numerous social media posts — many from anonymous accounts — that accused six Democratic lawmakers of sedition over their calls for military members to disobey &#8220;illegal orders.&#8221;
After two Democratic senators and four representatives appeared in a video <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrats-urge-military-to-disobey-orders-from-trump-admin-trigger-accusations-of-insurrection">urging</a> military members to refuse unlawful orders, Trump suggested that their action could be viewed as &#8220;SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!&#8221; Trump later clarified that he was not calling for the Democrats to face the death penalty, saying, “In the old days, if you said a thing like that, that was punishable by death.”
Trump, however, appears to believe that the Democrats should be punished in some form. On Sunday night, he shared an AI-generated video depicting the six Democrats in <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115601863709910309">prison</a>. In another <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115601898049338376">post</a> shared by Trump, an anonymous social media user argues that the Democrats&#8217; plea is the &#8220;literal definition of sedition and they literally put it on video!!!!&#8221;
The president also <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115601867440120506">shared</a> multiple posts that argued that the Democrats are guilty of violating <a href="https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title18-section2387&amp;num=0&amp;edition=prelim">18 USC 2387</a>, which makes it a crime to &#8220;interfere with, impair, or influence the loyalty, morale, or discipline of the military or naval forces of the United States.&#8221; Those who violate the U.S. code face up to ten years in prison. Trump shared yet another post that <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115601883571083274">called</a> for bypassing the &#8220;corrupted&#8221; justice system by holding military tribunals.
The video that caused an uproar and resulted in accusations of treason was made by Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-PA), Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), Rep. Maggie Goodlander (D-NH), and Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO). In the video, the Democrats accuse the Trump administration of &#8220;pitting our uniformed military and intelligence community professionals against American citizens.&#8221;
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“Our laws are clear: You can refuse illegal orders,” they said in the video, adding, “You can refuse illegal orders. You must refuse illegal orders. No one has to carry out orders that violate the law or our Constitution.”
Another <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115601862810818001">post</a> shared by Trump on Sunday night suggests that Slotkin is using her training and knowledge from working at the CIA to &#8220;invoke a rebellion.&#8221; Slotkin, who worked for the CIA and the then-Defense Department in the early 2000s, defended the Democrats&#8217; video, arguing that it is lawful to disobey illegal orders and that the Founding Fathers wanted &#8220;to ensure our military upholds its oath to the Constitution — not a king.&#8221;
On Sunday, Slotkin was asked by &#8220;This Week&#8221; host Martha Raddatz on ABC whether any of Trump&#8217;s orders have been unlawful.
&#8220;To my knowledge, I am not aware of things that are illegal, but certainly, there are some legal gymnastics going on with these Caribbean strikes and everything related to Venezuela,&#8221; Slotkin <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/week-transcript-11-23-25-sen-elissa-slotkin/story?id=127763059">said</a>.
She added that she is also concerned about &#8220;the use of U.S. military on American shores &#8230; in our cities and in our streets.&#8221;
Another post <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115600871102876776">shared</a> by Trump came from one social media user, who stated, &#8220;Get all of those traitorous sons of b*tches for sedition at the very least. Those pompous traitorous communities should be impeached and prosecuted.&#8221;

Trump Amplifies Claims That Dem Lawmakers Committed Sedition Against America

Congress

Democrats

U.S. Military

Meta shut down internal research into the mental health effects of Facebook and Instagram after finding causal evidence that its products harmed users’ mental health, according to unredacted filings in a class action by U.S. school districts against Meta and other social media platforms.
In a 2020 research project code-named “Project Mercury,” Meta scientists worked with survey firm Nielsen to gauge the effect of “deactivating” Facebook and Instagram, according to Meta documents obtained via discovery. To the company’s disappointment, “people who stopped using Facebook for a week reported lower feelings of depression, anxiety, loneliness and social comparison,” internal documents said.
Rather than publishing those findings or pursuing additional research, the filing states, Meta called off further work and internally declared that the negative study findings were tainted by the “existing media narrative” around the company.
Privately, however, staff assured Nick Clegg, Meta’s then-head of global public policy, that the conclusions of the research were valid.
“The Nielsen study does show causal impact on social comparison,” (unhappy face emoji), an unnamed staff researcher allegedly wrote. Another staffer worried that keeping quiet about negative findings would be akin to the tobacco industry “doing research and knowing cigs were bad and then keeping that info to themselves.”
Despite Meta’s own work documenting a causal link between its products and negative mental health effects, the filing alleges, Meta told Congress that it had no ability to quantify whether its products were harmful to teenage girls.
In a statement Saturday, Meta spokesman Andy Stone said the study was stopped because its methodology was flawed and that it worked diligently to improve the safety of its products.
“The full record will show that for over a decade, we have listened to parents, researched issues that matter most, and made real changes to protect teens,” he said.
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The allegation of Meta burying evidence of social media harms is just one of many in a late Friday filing by Motley Rice, a law firm suing Meta, Google, TikTok and Snapchat on behalf of school districts around the country. Broadly, the plaintiffs argue the companies have intentionally hidden the internally recognized risks of their products from users, parents and teachers.
TikTok, Google and Snapchat did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Allegations against Meta and its rivals include tacitly encouraging children below the age of 13 to use their platforms, failing to address child sexual abuse content and seeking to expand the use of social media products by teenagers while they were at school. The plaintiffs also allege that the platforms attempted to pay child-focused organizations to defend the safety of their products in public.
In one instance, TikTok sponsored the National PTA and then internally boasted about its ability to influence the child-focused organization. Per the filing, TikTok officials said the PTA would “do whatever we want going forward in the fall… (t)hey’ll announce things publicly(,), (t)heir CEO will do press statements for us.”
By and large, however, the allegations against the other social media platforms are less detailed than those against Meta. The internal documents cited by the plaintiffs allege:
1. Meta intentionally designed its youth safety features to be ineffective and rarely used, and blocked testing of safety features that it feared might be harmful to growth. 2. Meta required users to be caught 17 times attempting to traffic people for sex before it would remove them from its platform, which a document described as “a very, very, very high strike threshold.&#8221; 3. Meta recognized that optimizing its products to increase teen engagement resulted in serving them more harmful content, but did so anyway. 4. Meta stalled internal efforts to prevent child predators from contacting minors for years due to growth concerns, and pressured safety staff to circulate arguments justifying its decision not to act. 5. In a text message in 2021, Mark Zuckerberg said that he wouldn’t say that child safety was his top concern “when I have a number of other areas I’m more focused on like building the metaverse.” Zuckerberg also shot down or ignored requests by Clegg to better fund child safety work.
Meta’s Stone disputed these allegations, saying the company’s teen safety measures are effective and that the company’s current policy is to remove accounts as soon as they are flagged for sex trafficking.
He said the suit misrepresents its efforts to build safety features for teens and parents, and called its safety work “broadly effective.”
&#8220;We strongly disagree with these allegations, which rely on cherry-picked quotes and misinformed opinions,” Stone said.
The underlying Meta documents cited in the filing are not public, and Meta is opposing their unsealing.
A hearing regarding the filing is set for January 26 in Northern California District Court.
(Reporting by Jeff Horwitz in San Francisco; Editing by Nick Zieminski)

FILE PHOTO: Illustration shows Meta logo

Meta Buried ‘Causal’ Evidence Of Social Media Harm, U.S. Court Filings Allege

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