Leftist civil rights leaders and race hustlers condemned the guilty verdict in Karmelo Anthony’s trial, claiming it was unjust and racist.
Anthony was convicted of murder on Tuesday after just two and a half hours of deliberations over the fatal stabbing of Austin Metcalf at a track meet in Frisco, Texas, in April 2025. While Anthony&#8217;s family peddled claims that he was targeted for his race and that Metcalf provoked him, video evidence shows that Anthony refused requests that he leave the track team&#8217;s tent before he stabbed Metcalf.
Despite the evidence and the quick verdict, some black leftists claimed the outcome was racially motivated. 
Dominique Alexander, a Dallas-based civil rights leader, political activist, and founder of the Next Generation Action Network, <a href="https://x.com/JayTC53/status/2064438950589354412">said</a>, “Black America should be very upset about what went on today.” He called the verdict “flawed” and &#8220;unjust.&#8221; 
The case’s result tells people that “black lives do not matter in the criminal justice system,” according to Alexander. It shows racism in law, Alexander said, demonstrating that black people will “be afforded the same laws as anybody else.” He added that he is not “playing the race card,” but presenting the fact that black people have suffered from these laws for 400 years.
A <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DZYM6qEBiZ6/?igsh=MTk3NTdtOXVyb2g1aA%3D%3D">post</a> shared on Instagram by Dr. Umar Johnson, a motivational speaker and author who has dubbed himself &#8220;prince of Pan-Africanism,&#8221; compared the Anthony case to the infamous Dred Scott decision of 1857, claiming that Anthony was “lynched by an all-white jury.” The post shared by Johnson also claimed that &#8220;black people aren’t allowed to defend themselves” and that there is “no justice!” 
<div id="attachment_1113393" style="width: 586px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1113393" class="wp-image-1113393 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Untitled-design-2026-06-10T123751.432-576x576.jpg" alt="" width="576" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Untitled-design-2026-06-10T123751.432-576x576.jpg 576w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Untitled-design-2026-06-10T123751.432-300x300.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Untitled-design-2026-06-10T123751.432-150x150.jpg 150w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Untitled-design-2026-06-10T123751.432-768x768.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Untitled-design-2026-06-10T123751.432.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 576px) 100vw, 576px" />Instagram — Dr. Umar Johnson</div>
<a href="https://x.com/AttorneyCrump/status/2064443533365264462">Ben Crump</a>, a prominent American civil rights attorney, said the case presents “hard questions about fairness, justice, and whose actions earn the benefit of understanding.”
&#8220;Those questions are not new, and we owe it to every family touched by this to keep asking them,&#8221; Crump added.
Civil rights attorney and CNN contributor Areva Martin also <a href="https://x.com/ArevaMartin/status/2064457541699178591">said</a> that Anthony’s verdict “raises questions.”
&#8220;This case is far from over. We should expect an appeal, including challenges related to the exclusion of Black jurors,&#8221; Martin added. &#8220;Faith in our courts requires more than a conviction or an acquittal. It requires confidence that every defendant was afforded a fair trial.&#8221;
Martin said that the reason this verdict will be difficult for the “African American community” to accept is due to the exclusion of “all of the black potential jurors.” Multiple black witnesses, however, said that Anthony was in the wrong and spoke highly of Metcalf. Martin also argued that Anthony pulled out the knife because he was “fearful of his life” and believed he would be injured, despite the fact that Metcalf said he would not fight Anthony.
Not everyone in the black community is upset by the verdict. Judge Glenda Hatchett, the prominent American attorney, author, and television personality, said in a <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reels/DZYXUqhTSSh/">video</a> on Instagram that she did not find a “basis for self-defense.” The testimony did not show &#8220;his life was in danger” or that it “justified the fatal stabbing,” according to Hatchett.
Coming from a “mother’s heart,” Hatchett said that parents must teach their children how to “think clearly” in these situations.
“He was not supposed to be in the tent,” Hatchett said. “He was asked to leave the tent. Why not just leave the tent?”

ANTHONY TRIAL DAY 7_2026_0609

Leftist Race Hustlers Enraged After Karmelo Anthony Verdict: ‘Lynched By An All-White Jury’

Court

Karmelo Anthony

Murder

Race

trial

A Collin County, Texas, jury on Tuesday found Karmelo Anthony, 19, guilty of murdering 17-year-old high school athlete Austin Metcalf.
Anthony, who was 17 years old at the time of the murder, was tried as an adult and is facing five years to life in prison for the first-degree murder conviction. Anthony broke down in tears when the verdict was read and was visibly shaking.
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Credit: Wired in Live
</div>
CBS reporter J.D. Miles reported just before the verdict that more than two dozen deputies were outside the courtroom and a crowd outside the courthouse was gathering and chanting &#8220;Free Karmelo.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Tense scene in and around Collin County Courthouse. More than 2 dozen deputies outside the courtroom alone. Outside a crowd is gathering with chants of &#8220;Free Karmelo&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/Jy0e6jRNhl">pic.twitter.com/Jy0e6jRNhl</a>
— J.D. Miles (@jdmiles11) <a href="https://x.com/jdmiles11/status/2064424313713770967?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 9, 2026</a></blockquote>
Anthony, who is black, fatally stabbed Metcalf, who was white, at a track event in April 2025 in Frisco, Texas. The case quickly garnered national attention, both due to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/family-of-karmelo-anthony-hosted-the-most-disgusting-press-conference-ive-ever-seen?author=Matt+Walsh&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Family+Of+Karmelo+Anthony+Hosted+The+Most+Disgusting+Press+Conference+I’ve+Ever+Seen">a narrative peddled by the Anthony family</a> and the glaring lack of coverage from the legacy media, which routinely highlights and escalates white-on-black incidents.
<div id="attachment_1112269" style="width: 904px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1112269" class="wp-image-1112269 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Screenshot-894x576.jpeg" alt="" width="894" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Screenshot-894x576.jpeg 894w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Screenshot-300x193.jpeg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Screenshot-768x495.jpeg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Screenshot-1536x990.jpeg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Screenshot.jpeg 1694w" sizes=" (max-width: 894px) 100vw, 894px" />GoFundMe: Austin Metcalf Family</div>
The high-profile trial started on June 1 with jury selection and wrapped in a matter of nine days. Video footage and witness testimony — even from defense witnesses — generally indicated that Anthony provoked the situation with Metcalf and deadly force was not needed, contradicting the self-defense argument from Anthony&#8217;s team.
Notably, Anthony did not take the stand during the trial.
The race narrative advanced by the Anthony family was also quickly dispelled during witness testimony. For example, a number of teen witnesses called to the stand by the state were black; they all said Anthony was in the wrong and spoke highly of Metcalf as a person and friend.
In an emotional moment, a male witness who knew both Anthony and the slain teen broke down crying about the murder, saying of Austin, “That was my brother, that was my brother that got stabbed.” <a href="https://x.com/SarahisCensored">Investigative journalist Sarah Fields</a>, who was in the courtroom, said the teen was asked directly if this case was about race. He responded, “No, Austin was a leader and he protected us.”
Video evidence also showed that Anthony was never surrounded by a mob, but was confronted by Metcalf alone. Metcalf explicitly told Anthony he wasn&#8217;t going to fight him, according to witness testimony.
Supporters of Anthony have been outside the courthouse since the trial started. They have made racial remarks and denigrated Metcalf. In seeming anticipation of any protest over the verdict, authorities secured the area early Tuesday morning.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 NOW: It’s 2:15am here outside the Collin County, TX courthouse where Karmelo Anthony’s trial is being held
And sheriff’s deputies have this placed LOCKED DOWN
I spoke with a couple deputies, and they’ve assured me they are READY to combat any sort of rioting that follows the… <a href="https://t.co/GTwoWnWcdN">pic.twitter.com/GTwoWnWcdN</a>
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) <a href="https://x.com/nicksortor/status/2064244936967377386?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 9, 2026</a></blockquote>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/family-of-karmelo-anthony-hosted-the-most-disgusting-press-conference-ive-ever-seen?author=Matt+Walsh&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Family+Of+Karmelo+Anthony+Hosted+The+Most+Disgusting+Press+Conference+I’ve+Ever+Seen">Family Of Karmelo Anthony Hosted The Most Disgusting Press Conference I’ve Ever Seen</a>

Jury Reaches Verdict In Karmelo Anthony Murder Trial

Verdict Rendered In Karmelo Anthony Murder Trial 

Special Reporting

Texas

A number of devastating revelations against the defense team came to light this past week in the murder trial of Karmelo Anthony.
Anthony, who admitted to fatally stabbing 17-year-old student Austin Metcalf at a track meet in April 2025, is facing a first-degree murder charge and life in prison. The case has been tinged by race in the public, due to the glaring lack of mainstream media coverage and the narrative peddled by Anthony family advocates and supporters. Anthony is black and Metcalf is white.
<h3>Defense race narrative out the window </h3>
Though Anthony&#8217;s team has tried to make race a component of the murder — both inside and outside of the courtroom — witnesses have disrupted that narrative so far. A number of teen witnesses called to the stand by the state have been black, and they&#8217;ve all said Anthony was in the wrong, provoking the situation and not acting in self-defense. Though specific identities cannot be revealed because the witnesses are minors, Texas bureau chief for The Daily Mail, MaryAnn Martinez, posted on Friday that four out of the six teens who testified were black.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
We have now heard from six teens who were at the stadium the day Austin Metcalf was stabbed by Karmelo Anthony. Four out of the six are black . All have testified that Karmelo Anthony was asked to leave the Memorial HS team tent, provoked Austin Metcalf, and pulled a knife… <a href="https://t.co/5pQh7S83Zm">https://t.co/5pQh7S83Zm</a>
— MaryAnn Martinez (@MaryAnnreports) <a href="https://x.com/MaryAnnreports/status/2063012479127654848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 5, 2026</a></blockquote>
In an emotional moment, one witness who knew both Anthony and the slain teen broke down crying about the murder, saying of Austin, &#8220;That was my brother, that was my brother that got stabbed.&#8221; <a href="https://x.com/SarahisCensored">Investigative journalist Sarah Fields</a>, who was in the courtroom, said the teen was asked if this was about race, to which he responded, &#8220;No, Austin was a leader and he protected us.&#8221; Fields also noted while reporting the testimony, &#8220;A large majority of these witnesses are not white.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Part three of thread <a href="https://t.co/4AGJVlhM3p">pic.twitter.com/4AGJVlhM3p</a>
— Sarah Fields (@SarahisCensored) <a href="https://x.com/SarahisCensored/status/2063769220215718219?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 7, 2026</a></blockquote>
Martinez reported that one student, who is black, &#8220;wanted to attack Anthony&#8221; after the stabbing. &#8220;The teammate explained that he was on the football team with Austin and he considered him family,&#8221; Martinez said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
New state witness Vincent Cooper, a coach at Frisco ISD, is now testifying how he was assigned to manage Karmelo Anthony after the stabbing and stop him from leaving the football stadium. Later, Cooper was asked to calm down a teammate of Austin Metcalf (pictured below) who was… <a href="https://t.co/NwwwB003dZ">pic.twitter.com/NwwwB003dZ</a>
— MaryAnn Martinez (@MaryAnnreports) <a href="https://x.com/MaryAnnreports/status/2062651763853873567?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 4, 2026</a></blockquote>
Notably, the defense team unsuccessfully objected when the jury was selected since no one on the jury is black. Supporters of Anthony outside the courthouse have also made racial remarks and denigrated Metcalf.
<h3>Anthony provoked the encounter</h3>
The defense team is offering a self-defense narrative, saying that Anthony was under Metcalf&#8217;s school&#8217;s track tent to seek shelter from bad weather. Some witnesses, however, say Anthony was asked to leave up to 15 times by different people and refused. He insulted the school&#8217;s football team, called those under the tent &#8220;p*ssies,&#8221; and called Metcalf a &#8220;b*tch,&#8221; according to testimony.
Anthony threatened Metcalf, who told him, &#8220;I&#8217;m not going to fight you at a track meet, bro,&#8221; a witness said, according to Fields&#8217; reporting. Anthony fatally stabbed the teen after Metcalf softly pushed or shoved him.
Additionally, some witnesses said Anthony was not fully sheltered beneath the tent before the confrontation, suggesting he wasn&#8217;t merely seeking shelter from hard rain. Others also said heavy rainfall occurred after the stabbing.
<h3>Defense witness says Anthony was wrong</h3>
In another key moment for the prosecution, a witness who was called to testify by the defense team on Saturday plainly stated that Anthony was &#8220;in the wrong.&#8221; The following exchange, <a href="https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/karmelo-anthony-murder-trial-frisco-day-3/4032788/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">reported</a> by NBC DFW, is between a teenage defense witness and Bill Wirskye, the lead prosecutor:
<blockquote>&#8220;You didn&#8217;t expect for there to be a stabbing?&#8221; Wirskye asked.
&#8220;No, sir,&#8221; the witness answered.
[&#8230;]
&#8220;Who was in the wrong that morning?&#8221; Wirskye asked.
&#8220;I think Karmelo was in the wrong,&#8221; the witness answered.
&#8220;Karmelo provoked this, didn&#8217;t he?&#8221; Wirskye asked.
&#8220;Yes, sir,&#8221; the witness answered.</blockquote>
The defense will continue to call witnesses to the stand on Monday.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/race-narrative-kicked-into-overdrive-after-jury-selected-in-austin-metcalf-murder-trial">Race Narrative Kicked Into Overdrive After Jury Selected In Austin Metcalf Murder Trial</a>

Screenshot 2025-04-05 at 9.43.51 AM

3 Key Moments From The Karmelo Anthony Trial You Should Know

Former National Security Adviser John Bolton has agreed to plead guilty to a single felony count of illegally retaining sensitive national security information, dramatically narrowing a case that originally included 18 criminal charges.
According to multiple reports, Bolton is expected to formally enter the guilty plea during a June 26 hearing in federal court in Maryland. As part of the agreement, he has also agreed to pay a fine of approximately $2.25 million.
The Justice Department declined to comment on the agreement when contacted by The Daily Wire, referring inquiries to the court docket.
The plea deal significantly reduces Bolton&#8217;s legal exposure. Federal prosecutors originally <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/former-trump-adviser-john-bolton-plead-guilty-retaining-national-secur-rcna348479">charged</a> the former Trump administration official in October 2025 with eight counts of transmitting national defense information and ten counts of unlawfully retaining that information.
Under the agreement, Bolton will plead guilty to just one count of illegal retention of national security information. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, though reports indicate he could ultimately receive anything from probation to a prison sentence.
<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/former-trump-adviser-john-bolton-plead-guilty-retaining-national-secur-rcna348479">According to sources familiar</a> with the matter, the conduct underlying the plea centers on  diary-style entries Bolton maintained during his time as national security adviser. The information was allegedly contained in electronic diary entries that he shared with family members.
Importantly, the plea does not involve allegations that Bolton provided classified documents to foreign governments or publicly released classified materials. &#8220;There’s no allegation that he took home any classified documents, or that he leaked any documents or that he shared any documents with foreign adversaries,&#8221; one source familiar with the case told NBC News.
Reports also indicate Bolton is not pleading guilty to the transmission-related charges that were included in the original indictment. The agreement comes after prosecutors alleged Bolton improperly retained sensitive information from his time in the Trump administration and shared more than 1,000 pages of information through a personal email account with unauthorized recipients, widely reported to be family members.
Federal investigators later examined Bolton&#8217;s handling of the information after his personal email account was reportedly compromised by Iranian-linked hackers.
Bolton, who served as President Donald Trump&#8217;s national security adviser from April 2018 until September 2019, had previously pleaded not guilty and repeatedly defended his conduct.
A source close to Bolton told <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/former-trump-adviser-john-bolton-plead-guilty-retaining-national-secur-rcna348479">NBC News</a> that the former national security adviser agreed to the plea in part to avoid a trial that could require additional classified information to be disclosed in court. &#8220;This was a very difficult decision for him,&#8221; the source said. &#8220;Most importantly, he is doing what leaders do and taking responsibility.&#8221;
Following the June 26 hearing, a federal judge will have up to 90 days to determine Bolton&#8217;s sentence.

John Bolton

Inside John Bolton’s Plea Deal: Former Trump Adviser Admits Guilt Over Classified Secrets

John Bolton Will Plead Guilty To Retaining National Security Secrets

Donald Trump

emails

Hacked

justice department

Maryland

National Security

The family of accused murderer Karmelo Anthony appears to be amping up allegations of racial bias after reports indicated Wednesday that no black jurors have been selected for Anthony&#8217;s trial.
Anthony, a 19-year-old black male, was charged with first-degree murder after he fatally stabbed high school student Austin Metcalf, who is white, at a track event in April 2025 in Frisco, Texas.
Anthony&#8217;s defense team challenged the prosecution striking potential black jurors from the jury pool, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJFT2uoOscI">according</a> to FOX 4. The judge denied the challenge, since jury selection was not based on race.
A spokesman for the Anthony family, Dominique Alexander, took to numerous social media platforms to complain about the jury selection. On X, he reposted a statement from Next Generation Action Network, an organization for which he serves as president. 
&#8220;The Next Generation Action Network is outraged by today’s jury selection process in the Karmelo Anthony trial,&#8221; the statement said. &#8220;The prosecution used its final strikes to remove the remaining qualified Black jurors from the jury pool, raising serious concerns about fairness and equal justice.&#8221;
&#8220;We respect the court, but we will not remain silent,&#8221; the statement continued. &#8220;NGAN will continue monitoring this case and informing the public every step of the way. Every person deserves a fair trial and confidence that justice is being administered without bias. We are calling on the court to ensure Mr. Anthony’s constitutional rights are fully protected. <a class="css-1jxf684 r-bcqeeo r-1ttztb7 r-qvutc0 r-poiln3 r-1loqt21" dir="ltr" role="link" href="https://x.com/hashtag/FairTrial?src=hashtag_click">#FairTrial</a> <a class="css-1jxf684 r-bcqeeo r-1ttztb7 r-qvutc0 r-poiln3 r-1loqt21" dir="ltr" role="link" href="https://x.com/hashtag/EqualJustice?src=hashtag_click">#EqualJustice</a> <a class="css-1jxf684 r-bcqeeo r-1ttztb7 r-qvutc0 r-poiln3 r-1loqt21" dir="ltr" role="link" href="https://x.com/hashtag/NGAN?src=hashtag_click">#NGAN</a>.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The Next Generation Action Network is outraged by today’s jury selection process in the Karmelo Anthony trial. The prosecution used its final strikes to remove the remaining qualified Black jurors from the jury pool, raising serious concerns about fairness and equal justice.
We…
— Next Generation Action Network (NGAN) (@NextGenAction) <a href="https://x.com/NextGenAction/status/2062297348789752311?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 3, 2026</a></blockquote>
Journalist Sarah Fields reported on Wednesday that no black jurors had been selected, and the jury will not be sequestered for the trial.
&#8220;The jury has been selected in the Karmelo Anthony trial,&#8221; she posted online. &#8220;Karmelo Anthony supporters are angry because there are no African Americans on the jury.&#8221;
&#8220;Also, up until now, we were under the impression that the jury would be sequestered. They were not,&#8221; Fields added. &#8220;This means jurors will return home each day rather than being isolated for the duration of the trial.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
BREAKING: The jury has been selected in the Karmelo Anthony trial.
Karmelo Anthony supporters are angry because there are no African Americans on the jury.
Also, up until now, we were under the impression that the jury would be sequestered.
They were not.
This means jurors…
— Sarah Fields (@SarahisCensored) <a href="https://x.com/SarahisCensored/status/2062300230922420554?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 3, 2026</a></blockquote>
About two weeks after Metcalf was killed, Alexander held a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/family-of-karmelo-anthony-hosted-the-most-disgusting-press-conference-ive-ever-seen">jarring press conference</a> on behalf of the Anthony family. He stoked racial tensions and scolded Jeff Metcalf, the father of the slain teen, for asking if he could pray with the Anthony family. Metcalf was removed from the presser.
As previously noted by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/family-of-karmelo-anthony-hosted-the-most-disgusting-press-conference-ive-ever-seen">The Daily Wire</a>, Alexander has a disturbing criminal history himself, including a conviction for child abuse involving his girlfriend&#8217;s 2-year-old son, who suffered a brain bleed. He was also indicted in 2019 on a felony family-violence charge involving allegations by a former girlfriend.
The killing of Metcalf has garnered national attention, including scrutiny of the coverage from legacy media, which routinely highlights and escalates white-on-black incidents. In this case, mainstream outlets were largely silent on the incident, seemingly because Anthony is black and Metcalf is white.
According to eyewitness accounts, the confrontation between Metcalf and Anthony began when Metcalf told Anthony to leave his team’s tented area during the track meet. It’s unclear if Metcalf touched Anthony at all before the stabbing. Witnesses told investigators that Anthony threatened Metcalf, pulled out a knife, stabbed him, and ran from the scene. Metcalf later died in his twin brother’s arms.
Anthony admitted to police that he stabbed Metcalf, reportedly telling officers, “I’m not alleged, I did it.”
The 19-year-old is being tried as an adult and is facing life behind bars.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/free-karmelo-supporters-of-austin-metcalfs-accused-killer-gather-outside-courthouse">‘Free’ Karmelo: Supporters Of Austin Metcalf’s Accused Killer Gather Outside Courthouse</a>

Race Narrative Kicked Into Overdrive After Jury Selected In Austin Metcalf Murder Trial

Crime

A Utah judge ruled Friday that cameras, microphones, and still photographers will be allowed inside the courtroom for the murder trial of Tyler Robinson, the man accused of assassinating Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.
Fourth District Court Judge Tony Graf denied a request from the defense to ban all forms of electronic media coverage, instead requiring reporters to file requests at least two weeks prior to each scheduled proceeding.
Robinson, 23, has been charged with the September 10, 2025, killing and could face the death penalty if convicted.
The defense argued that allowing cameras would jeopardize Robinson&#8217;s “fair trial rights,” telling the judge that restrictions were necessary &#8220;to ensure Mr. Robinson’s rights to due process, to a fair and impartial jury, to counsel, to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures, and to be free from cruel and unusual punishment.&#8221;
At a hearing last month, the defense argued that media coverage in pre-trial hearings had already tainted the jury pool, pointing to several examples of pundits branding Robinson as a &#8220;monster&#8221; and fixating on items pulled from court filings, such as alleged post-shooting texts to his transgender-identifying roommate, rather than the substance of the proceedings.
The prosecution dismissed this argument, arguing that transparency strengthens public trust.
“Mischief lurks in the dark or in secret,” Deputy Utah County Attorney Chad Grunander said. “Conspiracy theories abound, and the antidote is the actual, real proceedings&#8230; Let’s shine a light on these proceedings, a bright light, so the public can have confidence in what happens in this courtroom.”
Utah courts have generally permitted cameras by default for a decade, and no criminal case in the state has been fully closed to cameras, according to the Salt Lake City Tribune.
Graf said the court has implemented several measures to address the defense&#8217;s concerns, including requiring cameras to remain at the back of the courtroom to avoid capturing sensitive materials or conversations.
He also pushed back the preliminary hearing for July 6 through July 10, rejecting the defense&#8217;s request for a six-month delay to sort through the &#8220;voluminous&#8221; discovery materials.

Tyler Robinson

Judge Rules On Cameras In Charlie Kirk Murder Trial

Charlie Kirk

Courts

A U.S. District Court judge on Wednesday pushed back Luigi Mangione&#8217;s federal trial one month despite the prosecution expressing concerns that any delay could add fuel to Mangione&#8217;s cult following.
Judge Margaret Garnett said the trial&#8217;s start date will move from the beginning of September to October due to “paramount issues” related to Mangione&#8217;s ability to participate in each part of the trial, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/01/nyregion/mangione-weinstein-trial-manhattan.html">reported</a>. Mangione is also facing a state trial in New York over the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, and the suspect&#8217;s defense team raised concerns that the beginning of the federal trial would overlap with the state trial, which is set to begin in June.
Mangione&#8217;s lawyers asked Garnett to move the federal trial&#8217;s start date to January 2027, but they&#8217;ll now have to accept the one-month delay. Mangione threw a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/luigi-mangione-erupts-in-courtroom-outburst-after-judge-sets-state-trial-date?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Luigi+Mangione+Erupts+In+Courtroom+Outburst+After+Judge+Sets+State+Trial+Date">tantrum</a> in state court in February after the judge set his trial date for June.
The prosecution likely isn&#8217;t too pleased with Garnett&#8217;s decision either. Assistant U.S. attorney Dominic Gentile argued before the judge that it was necessary for the federal trial to &#8220;proceed as the court has already scheduled&#8221; because of the concerning wave of support for Mangione. Gentile told the judge that just outside of the courtroom there was a crowd of demonstrators “who follow this defendant and believe what he did was right.”
Mangione has been lifted up as a type of vigilante hero by radical leftists who are incensed by the health insurance industry. Some of Mangione&#8217;s supporters, often donning hats and costumes of the Super Mario Nintendo character Luigi, have gathered outside of the courthouse in New York for each of his court appearances.
<div id="attachment_1070767" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1070767" class="wp-image-1070767 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2255405660-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2255405660-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2255405660-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2255405660-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2255405660.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Supporters of Luigi Mangione gather outside of Manhattan Federal Court on January 09, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)</div>
Thompson, a 50-year-old father and husband, was in New York City for UnitedHealthcare&#8217;s annual investor conference when he was gunned down from behind on December 4, 2024. After arresting Mangione, authorities found a diary on him that included passages raging against the health insurance industry and also contained a line about taking out &#8220;the CEO at the annual parasitic bean counter convention.&#8221;
Garnett said the state trial limits the options for the federal court, stating, &#8220;Whether we like it or not, we are at the will of the state case,&#8221; NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/luigi-mangiones-federal-trial-unitedhealthcare-ceo-killing-pushed-back-rcna266248">reported</a>.
&#8220;It’s the nature of dual prosecutions,&#8221; she added.
Earlier this year, Garnett threw out the federal murder charge that made Mangione eligible for the death penalty. Attorney General Pam Bondi had directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty. Mangione now only faces two stalking charges in the federal case. He faces a charge of second-degree murder in the state case.
Mangione has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Luigi Mangione

Luigi Mangione Doesn’t Get His Way And One Growing Problem Is Starting To Follow Him

New York

On Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in a small run-down courtroom in Adams County, Ohio, sat a man in an American flag suit, American flag sunglasses, a marijuana-shaped ring, and a legendary rap catalog. It was Afroman&#8217;s defamation trial and he was determined to win.
Afroman, real name Joseph Foreman, went from drinking Colt 45s and living his life to fighting what he calls &#8220;crooked cops&#8221; after he was sued by seven Adams County Sheriff&#8217;s deputies for defamation and humiliation. The deputies claimed Afroman defamed them and used their likeness for profit after the rapper dropped numerous viral songs about cops who raided his home.
The judge found the rapper not liable for defamation or invasion of privacy regarding his music videos and Afroman is still celebrating what he calls a &#8220;win for free speech.&#8221;
Afroman <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/fng-260323-afroman">told me</a> that responding to the cops with rap videos was the most American thing he could do.
&#8220;There&#8217;s one power I have, and I&#8217;m not giving it up,&#8221; Afroman told The Daily Wire, wearing the same American flag suit he wore in court. &#8220;I have the freedom of speech. So after they kick down my door, disconnect my cameras, steal my money &#8230; with my freedom of speech, I will address all of these issues.&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;m a classic American. I&#8217;m a soul brother. I walk with a stroll. I play soul music. You know, all of that is America,&#8221; Afroman said. &#8220;The fist that everybody throws up. That&#8217;s American. You know, rap music — It&#8217;s American, man.&#8221;
<iframe loading="lazy" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/audXVeEsDwo?si=ypbAIzOTHF5AOhhR" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
&#8220;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xxK5yyecRo">Lemon Pound Cake</a>&#8221; and &#8220;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bNy7XO-SCI&amp;list=RD0bNy7XO-SCI&amp;start_radio=1">Will You Help Me Repair My Door</a>&#8221; are two of the botched-raid inspired songs racking in millions of views on YouTube. The lyrics are catchy with verses detailing what Afroman saw on the footage of the raid from his surveillance cameras. The pre-chorus of &#8220;Lemon Pound Cake&#8221; details an officer caught on camera checking out the cake on Afroman&#8217;s counter.
Afroman said writing the songs was no different than writing his classic track.
&#8220;I&#8217;ve been writing about my pain for years, you know, &#8216;Because I Got High&#8217; wasn&#8217;t funny until I put it on paper. It kind of made it funny, you know what I&#8217;m saying?&#8221;
&#8220;Because I Got High&#8221; is Afroman&#8217;s most popular song and was even nominated for a Grammy in 2002, and now his lemon pound cake track is entertaining the internet. Afroman said the words to the viral soundtracks came easy to him once he sat down to write in the same kitchen that was raided.
&#8220;I like my kitchen. I never thought I&#8217;d like my kitchen because I used to hate washing dishes as a boy. So the kitchen was like my favorite and my worst. I loved it when it was time to eat, but I hated when it was time to clean up. You know?&#8221; Afroman said. &#8220;But I wrote it right here on my kitchen table.&#8221;
Don&#8217;t let Afroman&#8217;s outdated <a href="https://x.com/ogafroman?s=20">profile</a> on X fool you, right now it reads &#8220;2024 Presidential Candidate,&#8221; but he has fans asking about his intentions for 2028.
&#8220;If America needs me to be the president, I&#8217;ll be the president. If America needs me to be the vice president, I&#8217;ll be the vice president. If America just needs me to be a good citizen, I&#8217;ll be a good citizen,&#8221; Afroman said.
Afroman is from California but says he plans to stay in Ohio, despite the cop saga. How did Afroman end up in Ohio? He says it was all because of a woman.
&#8220;I try to be smart, but I have my, you know, side effects,&#8221; Afroman said. &#8220;I like big butts and I cannot lie.&#8221;
Under oath or from his kitchen on a podcast, Afroman doesn&#8217;t lie. His lyrics tell it like it is, and his lifestyle is unapologetic. His freedom of speech court win catapulted the singer back where he belongs — in the spotlight.
Since the trial wrapped, Afroman has nearly 28 million views on his videos related to the 2022 raid, and the rapper turned chess player, turned courtroom sensation, is grateful for every one of them.
&#8220;Don&#8217;t forget about your boy, Afro. I&#8217;m putting a record out here in a little bit, but I just like the good vibes it&#8217;s giving everybody right now.&#8221;

Illustration by Daily Wire staff

Colt 45s And Crooked Cops: I Talked To Afroman About Winning The Internet

Afroman

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio will have another task added to his plate, but this one wasn&#8217;t ordered by President Donald Trump.
Rubio is expected to take the witness stand on Tuesday in the federal trial of a former Republican congressman who is accused of secretly lobbying on behalf of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro.
The trial of David Rivera began on Monday in Miami with prosecutors alleging that Rivera &#8220;offered access&#8221; to U.S. politicians without registering as a foreign lobbyist and was paid $20 million by a Venezuelan state-owned company to attempt to improve U.S.-Venezuela relations, Reuters reported. Rivera and his co-defendant, Esther Nuhfer, met with U.S. lawmakers, including Rubio, as they allegedly attempted to persuade politicians to hold off on economic sanctions on Venezuela.
&#8220;They sold their loyalty. They offered access, the defendants did, to United States politicians that they&#8217;ve spent decades establishing relationships with,&#8221; prosecutor Roger Cruz said during opening statements on Monday.
&#8220;The evidence will show that for $50 million these two defendants made a pact to secretly lobby for Nicolás Maduro, the communist director, and his second in command Delcy Rodríguez,&#8221; Cruz added, according to the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/rubio-rivera-miami-trial-venezuela-5993890ac0d3deece86f6ed900959a64">Associated Press</a>.
Rivera allegedly convinced then-Foreign Minister Delcy Rodríguez, who is now Venezuela&#8217;s acting leader, to award him a three-month $50 million contract in exchange for his lobbying. Rivera signed the contract in 2017, according to federal prosecutors. The allegations against Rivera stem from after he was in Congress, where he served just one term from 2011 to 2013. Rivera shared a home with Rubio in the early 2000s when they were both serving in the Florida legislature.
When Rubio takes the stand on Tuesday, he will become the first sitting Cabinet member to testify at a criminal trial since Labor Secretary Raymond Donovan testified during a mafia-related trial in 1983. The timing of the criminal trial is intriguing, given that Rubio is currently playing a major role in President Donald Trump&#8217;s Venezuela strategy following the capture of Maduro and the efforts to revitalize and oversee Venezuela&#8217;s oil industry.
Rubio&#8217;s testimony will likely focus on his 2017 meetings with Rivera when Rubio was serving in the U.S. Senate. During the first of those meetings, Rivera revealed details about working with Venezuelan media tycoon Raúl Gorrín, who supposedly held vast influence inside the Venezuelan regime and was working to convince Maduro to hold fair elections, according to an indictment unsealed in 2022. Gorrín has also been charged in the United States with bribing Venezuelan officials.
Rivera and Gorrín also communicated in a private group chat with others and used code names for Maduro, whom they called &#8220;bus driver,&#8221; and Rodríguez, whom they referred to as &#8220;the lady in red.&#8221; According to the indictment, Rivera texted Rubio two days after the meeting, writing, &#8220;Remember, U.S. should facilitate, not just support, a negotiated solution. No vengeance, reconciliation.&#8221;
Rivera, alongside Gorrín and others, met with Rubio a second time and allegedly said in a private group chat with Gorrín that Maduro would have to pay him for setting up the meeting with the U.S. senator. Rivera and Gorrín also asked Texas Republican Congressman Pete Sessions to set up a meeting between Rodríguez and Exxon Mobil.
The defense argues that Rivera and Nuhfer were not required to register as foreign lobbyists under U.S. law because they were focused on commercial issues, such as convincing Exxon to move back to Venezuela, not on political lobbying, the Associated Press reported. Rivera&#8217;s defense also claims that because he was hired for consulting by the American subsidiary of Venezuela&#8217;s state-owned oil company, he was not required to register as a foreign lobbyist.
Rivera’s defense attorney Ed Shohat told the jury on Monday, &#8220;Not one single policy of the U.S. was impacted by this case.&#8221;
The defense team wanted Maduro, who is awaiting his own trial in the United States, to testify, but the former dictator said he would exercise his Fifth Amendment right if called to testify. The defense team also sought to subpoena White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, who was working as a lobbyist for Gorrín&#8217;s network at the time, to testify in the trial, but that effort was shot down.

David Rivera/Marco Rubio

Rubio To Take The Stand In Bombshell Corruption Trial

Rubio To Testify In Trial Of Former Congressman Accused Of Secretly Lobbying For Venezuela

Marco Rubio

Venezuela

Hockey Canada Sexual Assault Trial Verdict To Be Delivered

Feminist Rape Hoax Obliterates Lives Of Canadian Hockey Stars

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Matt Walsh

Opinion

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This month, America commemorates the 100th anniversary of a landmark cultural event that taught us about the dangers of censorship. July of 1925 witnessed the “Scopes Monkey Trial,” where a Dayton, Tennessee, public school teacher was put on trial for violating a state law that prohibited teaching human evolution.
The teaching of scientific ideas should never be banned, much less criminalized. We like to think of censorship as something from the dark ages of the past, before our modern enlightened era vanquished intellectual intolerance. But 100 years after Scopes, we have what the late Supreme Court Justice Scalia once called “Scopes-in-reverse,” where scientists and scholars face reprisals if they challenge neo-Darwinian evolution.
For about 20 years I’ve been collecting examples of academic speech codes that prevent faculty from discussing scientific alternatives to Darwin. For example:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Back in 2005, Cornell’s interim president devoted a State of the University Address <a href="https://president.cornell.edu/the-presidency/archives/rawlings/20051021-state-of-the-university-address/">to denounce</a> &#8220;intelligent design (ID),&#8221; arguing that it has no place in science classrooms. &#8220;The answer is that intelligent design is not valid as science, that is, it has no ability to develop new knowledge through hypothesis testing&#8230;&#8221;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Also in 2005, the president of the University of Idaho instituted a campus-wide <a href="https://evolutionnews.org/2008/10/banned_book_week_and_intellige_2/">speech-code</a>, where “evolution” was “the only curriculum that is appropriate” for science classes. This was done in retaliation against biology professor Scott Minnich, who had just testified in favor of intelligent design at the Kitzmiller v. Dover trial — a case which ultimately banned ID from public schools in Dover, PA.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Jerry Coyne, a University of Chicago evolutionary biologist and atheist blogger, <a href="https://evolutionnews.org/2011/03/jerry_coyne/">once wrote</a> that “adherence to ID…should be absolute grounds for not hiring a science professor.” In 2013, Coyne attacked Eric Hedin, a physics professor at Ball State University (BSU), for briefly teaching about ID in an honors seminar. BSU’s president then caved, and issued a speech code declaring that “intelligent design is not appropriate content for science courses.”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">In 2020, two Norwegian scientists published <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022519320302071">a paper</a> in Journal of Theoretical Biology citing the work of leading ID theorists and arguing for “a Design Science.” Facing pressure, the journal’s editors then issued <a href="https://retractionwatch.com/2020/10/15/editors-say-they-wont-retract-intelligent-design-paper-despite-subject-being-not-in-any-way-a-suitable-topic-for-their-journal/">a disclaimer</a> addressing no substantive arguments in the paper but implementing another speech code, announcing: “intelligent design is not in any way a suitable topic for the Journal of Theoretical Biology.”</li>
</ul>
Perhaps the most ironic recent example of evolutionary censorship will take place this month at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee, not far down the road from Dayton, as it celebrates a “<a href="https://www.vanderbilt.edu/evolution/scopes-symposium/">Scopes ‘Monkey’ Trial Centennial Symposium</a>.” Co-organized by <a href="https://www.vanderbilt.edu/evolution/">Vanderbilt’s Evolutionary Studies Institute</a> and the National Center for Science Education, the symposium includes many credible speakers from science, philosophy, and law. Intelligent design is on the schedule, and there is an entire session devoted to the Kitzmiller v. Dover case. Yet exactly zero pro-ID scientists or scholars are slated for the symposium.
In February, and again in May, I emailed the organizers of the Scopes Symposium, offering to provide names of credible pro-ID scientists who would be open to participating in their event. No one even replied.
The irony is palpable: a symposium that is supposed to be remembering the dangers of censorship regarding evolution is itself practicing censorship regarding evolution.
An even worse irony is that Vanderbilt’s website hosts an official <a href="https://www.vanderbilt.edu/dialogue-vanderbilt/free-expression/">“Dialogue Vanderbilt” / “Commitment to Free Expression”</a> page which boasts of the university’s supposed commitment to “bringing together people of differing viewpoints for a common purpose.” The page continues:
<blockquote>Transformative education, pathbreaking research and the timeless search for truth all require a wide variety of viewpoints, the uninhibited exchange of ideas, the persistent challenging of conventional wisdom, and courageous and vigorous debate.
A university that dutifully transmits canonical knowledge, but is not at the same time alive with diverse perspectives, probing critique and the practice of query and argument, is a university in name only.</blockquote>
The page then lauds the importance of “institutional neutrality,” quoting former Vanderbilt Chancellor Alexander Heard stating: “A university&#8217;s obligation is not to protect students from ideas, but rather to expose them to ideas, and to help make them capable of handling and, hopefully, having ideas.”
The one-sided Scopes Symposium completely rejects these ideals, aiming to “protect” students from non-Darwinian viewpoints — directly violating the Chancellor Heard’s warning. By Vanderbilt’s own standards, apparently it is “a university in name only.”
A century ago, religious fundamentalists excluded evolution from education. Yet today, evolution advocates do the same to intelligent design. Vanderbilt’s Scopes symposium is just the latest reminder that in our modern era of “Scopes-in-reverse,” the power dynamic has shifted 180 degrees, but the problem of censorship still remains.
* * *
Casey Luskin holds a PhD in Geology from the University of Johannesburg and a law degree from the University of San Diego. He is Associate Director of the Center for Science and Culture at Discovery Institute and co-author of the book &#8220;Science and Human Origins.&#8221;
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

William Jennings Bryan At Scopes Trial

A Century After The Scopes Trial, Censorship Still Thrives In Evolution Debate

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Charles Darwin

Debate

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Vanderbilt University

Music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs will head back to court in the fall as a federal judge has set a date for his sentencing. The rapper’s defense attorneys originally petitioned for expedited sentencing, but have since agreed to the original proposed date.
Court documents confirmed that the 55-year-old rap artist will face sentencing on October 3 after being found guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. Combs was acquitted of the more serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering.
The Bad Boy Records founder’s attorney submitted a petition to have his client released on a $1 million bond, but that was turned down and Combs will remain incarcerated until the sentencing date. People <a href="https://people.com/diddy-sentencing-oct-3-11761014">noted</a> that the rapper will likely be credited for time served for the amount of time he spends behind bars.
The outlet further noted that the government is seeking to sentence Combs to between 51 and 63 months in jail. The defense is seeking a 21 to 27 month sentence. If he had been convicted of all charges, the rapper could have been facing life in prison.
The federal investigation into Combs gained national attention earlier this year when raids on his Los Angeles and Miami properties yielded large amounts of electronic devices, reportedly containing potential evidence connected to the charges. Prosecutors alleged that Combs orchestrated a network of parties and events where women were trafficked and abused. Meanwhile, the rapper claimed that his sexual exploits were unorthodox but fully consensual.
Beyond the courtroom, the fallout has already impacted Combs’ vast business empire. This has led to speculation about whether his music legacy can survive the scandal.
The upcoming sentencing hearing is expected to draw intense media coverage as observers watch to see whether one of the entertainment world’s biggest moguls will ultimately face significant prison time or be let off easy. Many critics are already furious that Combs was acquitted of the more serious charges. 
After the verdict was delivered, Combs appeared to celebrate the jury’s decision that acquitted him on the most serious charges. He raised his hands in a prayer motion and then hugged one of his defense attorneys, Teny Geragos.
His lawyer also said Diddy received a standing ovation from fellow inmates following the conclusion of the trial.

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