A Jewish man was assaulted near a Kosher restaurant in New York City on Monday, video obtained by The Daily Wire shows.
Rami Glikstein, 58, was walking by Mr. Broadway Kosher restaurant in midtown Manhattan when an African American man tore off his yarmulke, throwing it to the ground and stomping and spitting on it before punching him in the face and pushing him to the ground.
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WATCH: A Jewish man was attacked in broad daylight in midtown Manhattan. His yarmulke was ripped off and thrown in the street before he was punched in the face.
The NYPD told the Daily Wire it’s been reported and is being investigated by the hate crimes task force. <a href="https://t.co/1B8pgLpC2S">pic.twitter.com/1B8pgLpC2S</a>
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1983608725178077422?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Glikstein was treated and later released from Mount Sinai hospital for his injuries. Police are expected to arrest the attacker in the next few hours, The Daily Wire has learned.
This attack comes days before the city’s mayoral election. The frontrunner in that race, socialist Zohran Mamdani, has a complicated relationship with the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dont-know-how-hes-still-in-office-new-york-congresswoman-slams-zohran-mamdani">New York Police Department</a> and New York’s Jewish population. Mamdani has supported defunding the police and has come under fire for his criticism of Israel and Hamas sympathies.
Critics say that electing Mamdani could cause a spike in crime and antisemitic incidents. The Mamdani campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding Rami Glikstein’s attack.
“Seeing someone punched for wearing a yarmulke makes my blood boil, and in New York, you should be able to walk in your faith without fear,&#8221; Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa told The Daily Wire. &#8220;Hate has no place in this city, and I will stand against it every day by empowering the NYPD to hunt down these attackers, protecting our communities, and ensuring bias crimes are prosecuted to the fullest.”
The video shows the man stopping Glikstein, who appears to walk off. The man follows him, tearing off his yarmulke, throwing it to the ground and stomping and spitting on it before assaulting him. 
The man walks onto the crowded Manhattan street before turning back around. As Glickstein picks up his yarmulke, the man comes back to punch him in the face and knock him to the ground onto the road.
Another man from the street emerges into the frame and comes to the victim’s assistance, standing between the attacker and Glikstein. More bystanders enter the frame to support Glickstein as the attacker appears to get into another altercation with bystanders.
At the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mamdani-and-cuomo-square-off-on-gaza-free-housing-and-more-in-nyc-mayoral-debate?author=Brecca+Stoll&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=10&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Mamdani+And+Cuomo+Square+Off+On+Gaza%2C+Free+Housing%2C+And+More+In+NYC+Mayoral+Debate">first NYC Mayor debate</a>, moderators pressed Mamdani on his refusal to condemn the slogan “globalize the intifada.” Mamdani also released a rap praising men convicted of funneling money to Hamas.
Mamdani addressed the moderators’ concerns, explaining he has had many conversations with Jewish New Yorkers and now understands their reservations as well as past experiences with hate. 
However, one Jewish New Yorker remains unconvinced. 
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Do we want to live in a NYC where our politicians with their actions and inactions inspire violent hate crimes? <a href="https://t.co/eKlJCkYbTT">https://t.co/eKlJCkYbTT</a>
— Bill Ackman (@BillAckman) <a href="https://twitter.com/BillAckman/status/1983583335797362840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Bill Ackman, CEO of Pershing Square, retweeted a video of Rami Glikstein’s attack on X, with the comment, “Do we want to live in a NYC where our politicians with their actions and inactions inspire hate crimes?” 
This is a developing story, please refresh this page for updates.

New York City Mayoral Candidates Campaign Ahead Of Primary Election

WATCH: Antisemitic Attack Shocks New York City Days Before Mayoral Election

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Authorities have arrested the man accused of threatening to kill Babylon Bee founder Seth Dillon.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the development on X, <a href="https://x.com/AGJamesUthmeier/status/1980421106524672425">stating</a>: “Last week, our Office of Statewide Prosecution was notified of multiple death threats made to Jewish conservative media members who live in Florida.”
Following the notification, prosecutors secured an arrest warrant, which law enforcement then executed. The suspect, now in custody, faces “charges of extortion, written threats to kill, and unlawful use of a two-way communication device.”
User &#8220;zionistarescum,&#8221; who authorities now identify as 28-year-old Nicholas Ray, allegedly posted a disturbing message directly threatening Dillon.
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You live in Houston, right? I&#8217;ve been in touch with law enforcement and they have some questions. <a href="https://t.co/ApcZ0BV8Rf">pic.twitter.com/ApcZ0BV8Rf</a>
— Seth Dillon (@SethDillon) <a href="https://twitter.com/SethDillon/status/1977570925156692359?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The Daily Wire reviewed Ray’s alleged account and uncovered disturbing posts criticizing Israel and President Trump, as well as Republican lawmakers.
Ray’s arrest comes at a time plagued by a troubling surge in political violence. On Monday, Dillon published an article with the Free Press urging both sides, Right and Left, to take an introspective look at the ideology and policies they promote.
Dillon launched his satirical news site in 2016 in an effort to “<a href="https://www.heritage.org/press/heritage-foundation-awards-babylon-bee-ceo-seth-dillon-the-2025-salvatori-prize-american">speak truth through humor</a>.”
The outlet grew into a major force with 2.2 million followers on Instagram and more than 5 million on X.
However, the company’s rise brought conflict. Before Elon Musk purchased Twitter in 2022, the company <a href="https://babylonbee.com/news/twitter-has-shut-down-the-bee">suspended</a> Dillon’s account over a post poking fun at USA Today’s “Woman of the Year.”
Join us now during our exclusive Deal of the Decade. Get everything for $7 a month. Not as fans. As fighters. Go to <a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DailyWire.com/Subscribe</a> to join now.
Elon Musk reinstated the account seven months later when he assumed ownership of Twitter and rebranded it as X.
Most recently, the Babylon Bee found itself in court arguing over a bill signed by Gavin Newsom limiting the use of “deep fake images.”
After the court sided with the Babylon Bee, their attorney commented, “The court was right to rein in California’s blatant censorship. We can’t trust the government to decide what is true in our online political debates.”
Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO) <a href="https://www.schmitt.senate.gov/media/press-releases/senator-schmitt-to-chair-judiciary-subcommittee-hearing-on-politically-violent-attacks/">announced</a> on Tuesday that he will host a hearing on politically violent attacks to address the disturbing upward trend. This summer alone saw the murder of two Democratic Minnesota lawmakers and the assassination of Turning Point Founder Charlie Kirk.
Schmitt stated, &#8220;The rise of political violence on the left is deeply disturbing and antithetical to American values, disturbs the free exercise of our constitutional rights, and is a threat to our constitutional order.&#8221;

Nicholas Ray

Man Who Threatened To Kill Babylon Bee’s Seth Dillon Arrested

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Crime

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Conservative commentator Benny Johnson pressed Democrats about mainstreaming political violence after the Department of Justice arrested and charged a man for sending Johnson communication fantasizing about the conservative&#8217;s assassination.
The threatening communication was sent to Johnson&#8217;s home, where he lives with his wife and four young children. The incident occurred just days after the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, 31. Johnson founded TPUSA Productions back in 2018 and was close friends with Kirk.
Alongside Attorney General Pam Bondi, Johnson spoke at a press conference on Friday. He said the man who threatened him, who&#8217;s been identified as a California man named George Russell Isbell Jr., wanted him dead because Johnson is a white, male, Christian Trump supporter.
&#8220;They described in great detail how I&#8217;d be killed in an open field, just like Charlie. How much blood would come out of my head and neck when it was blown off,&#8221; Johnson said. &#8220;This individual described orphaning my children and widowing my wife, with great joy.&#8221;
&#8220;You might want to say, &#8216;another left-wing radical, another extremist,'&#8221; Johnson continued. &#8220;And to that, I&#8217;d like to direct your attention to the state of Virginia, where Democrats have nominated and are about to vote for the chief law enforcement officer in that state, a man who has done the exact same thing. An individual who is calling for the assassination, by bullets, of Republicans that he disagrees with, the killing of their children, the slaughtering of, as he says, &#8216;little fascists.&#8217; Are my four innocent, beautiful, little children &#8216;little fascists&#8217;?&#8221;
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As reported by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/read-them-virginia-dem-sent-shocking-texts-about-killing-gop-leader-pissing-on-graves">The Daily Wire</a>, Democrat Virginia attorney general candidate Jay Jones, in recently uncovered text messages, fantasized about murdering a state GOP leader with “two bullets to the head,&#8221; the death of the Republican&#8217;s children, and “piss[ing]” on the graves of other state Republicans.
Nearly all Democrats have refused to call on Jones to step down from the race.
&#8220;Violence has been mainstreamed by the Democratic Party,&#8221; Johnson said. &#8220;It is not &#8216;extremist,&#8217; it is mainstream. And we need a moment of reckoning, here. This has to stop. This cycle must end. Is any Democrat courageous enough to disavow violence?&#8221;
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🚨 JUST IN: Benny Johnson says the leftist man who wanted to KILL HIM explicitly said why &#8211; and now Democrats are nominating a candidate in Virginia who wants to do the SAME THING
&#8220;I am a white, cis, Christian Trump supporter. They described I&#8217;d be killed in an open field, how… <a href="https://t.co/834aqXu10S">pic.twitter.com/834aqXu10S</a>
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1976677311966511358?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
Johnson&#8217; wife, Kate Johnson, asked if Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom (CA) would disavow the man who sent the threatening letter to her home, as the suspect resides in California.
<div class="css-175oi2r r-xoduu5">&#8220;[Hey [Gavin Newsom] &#8211; the man who threatened to kill my husband, [Benny Johnson], and harm my 4 small children is a resident of your state,&#8221; she wrote. &#8220;Are you going to disavow him? Or is this ok with you [Gavin Newsom]?&#8221;</div>
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Hey <a href="https://twitter.com/CAgovernor?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CAgovernor</a> &#8211; the man who threatened to kill my husband, <a href="https://twitter.com/bennyjohnson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@bennyjohnson</a>, and harm my 4 small children is a resident of your state. Are you going to disavow him?
Or is this ok with you <a href="https://twitter.com/GavinNewsom?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GavinNewsom</a> ?
— Nursekate (@Nursekatejohn) <a href="https://twitter.com/Nursekatejohn/status/1976844726977679865?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
Bondi noted at the presser that Johnson &#8220;is a well-known media personality carrying a message very similar to Charlie&#8217;s, grounded largely in faith and love of country.&#8221;
&#8220;Just days after Charlie&#8217;s assassination, Benny received a letter at his home, where he and Kate are raising their beautiful, beautiful young family,&#8221; she continued. &#8220;The author of this letter made it very clear that he hated Benny because of his views and he wanted him dead. This was a coward hiding behind a keyboard who thought he could get away with this.&#8221;
According to the DOJ, the letter sent to Johnson was mailed around September 18, eight days after Kirk was assassinated. The letter said Johnson needed “to be exterminated&#8221; and referenced Kirk.
“Maybe someone will blow your head off!!! We can hope!&#8221; the letter said. &#8220;Planning any public engagements? Love to see your head explode and your blood stain the concrete red. What a sight!”
Isbell is facing up to five years in prison.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/read-them-virginia-dem-sent-shocking-texts-about-killing-gop-leader-pissing-on-graves">READ THEM: Virginia Dem Sent Shocking Texts About Killing GOP Leader, ‘Piss[ing]’ On Graves</a>

US-POLITICS-SHOOTING-KIRK

Benny Johnson Unleashes On Dems After DOJ Arrests Man Threatening His Assassination

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Seattle-based independent journalist Brandi Kruse declared on Wednesday that she is &#8220;living proof&#8221; that it&#8217;s possible to recover from Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS) — and that she&#8217;s been &#8220;happier,&#8221; &#8220;healthier,&#8221; and even &#8220;more successful&#8221; since she did so.
Kruse joined President Donald Trump and a number of other guests for the White House&#8217;s roundtable discussion on Antifa and the Trump administration&#8217;s efforts to classify the militant organization as a domestic terror group, and she explained that her own experiences with Antifa in Seattle had ultimately led to her recovery from TDS.
WATCH:
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🚨 MUST-SEE: <a href="https://twitter.com/BrandiKruse?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BrandiKruse</a> testimony at the Antifa Roundtable was straight fire 🔥
She admits to past Trump Derangement Syndrome, rips MSM, and calls out Antifa as terrorists. Watch every second! <a href="https://t.co/Vzz7qS98p5">pic.twitter.com/Vzz7qS98p5</a>
— Alec Lace (@AlecLace) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlecLace/status/1976022954904522813?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;I was told by probably a dozen people not to tell you this,&#8221; she said to Trump. &#8220;I&#8217;m going to tell it to you anyway because it&#8217;s relevant to what we&#8217;re talking about. I&#8217;m living proof that you can recover from TDS.&#8221;
&#8220;I had strong ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome’ for probably eight years,&#8221; she admitted, and Trump began to smile. &#8220;It&#8217;s the — this is one of the reasons I recovered from it. And by the way, it&#8217;s much better to not have TDS. I&#8217;m happier, I&#8217;m healthier, more successful, I even think I got a little more attractive after I got rid of my Trump Derangement Syndrome.&#8221;
Laughs came from all around the table at that last comment, and then Kruse pivoted to address the media outlets in the room and the reason she was there: &#8220;Frankly, I could not care any less what any of you have to say about this meeting. Could not care any less. We&#8217;re not here for you. I&#8217;m not here to convince any of you that Antifa is a real thing, because if you have not come to that conclusion by now, you are never going to come to that conclusion because you don&#8217;t want to see it.&#8221;
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She went on to predict that they&#8217;d go out and report that the meeting was little more than &#8220;a bunch of right-wing, conservative influencers&#8221; who were chasing clout and social media followers.
&#8220;I was one of you,&#8221; she reminded them, noting that she&#8217;d been a television reporter on a mainstream media network, and she&#8217;d still been roughed up by Antifa rioters.
&#8220;When I saw, after all those years, that the media wouldn&#8217;t be honest about what was happening, that Democratic politicians wouldn&#8217;t be honest about what was happening, I thought, well, gosh, if they&#8217;re not being honest about that, maybe they&#8217;re not being honest about President Trump either. And it opened my mind to just looking at things as they were — and now I find you quite funny, actually,&#8221; she concluded, prompting more laughs from around the room.

President Trump Holds Roundtable Discussion At The White House On Antifa

Seattle Reporter Says She’s ‘Living Proof’ Recovery From Trump Derangement Syndrome Is Possible

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Top Democrat officials in Virginia have rallied around Attorney General candidate Jay Jones, declining to call for him to drop out of the race despite texts expressing his violent fantasies about murdering Republicans.
<a href="https://x.com/jaaavis/status/1974237981268381718?s=46" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Louise Lucas</a>, president pro tempore of the Virginia Senate and a marijuana dispensary co-owner, said in a statement, &#8220;There is no place for political violence or violent rhetoric in our public discourse, and Jay must take accountability for his actions. But we will not allow this moment to overshadow the stakes of this election. &#8230; The choice before us is far bigger than this mistake.&#8221;
&#8220;Jay Jones has demonstrated the character, compassion, and vision that the Office of Attorney General deserves. Jason Miyares, by contrast, has proven himself to be nothing more than Donald Trump&#8217;s pro-bono attorney, pushing dangerous, partisan agendas &#8230; our rights, our democracy, and our future are on the line.&#8221; The statement was co-authored by Sen. Mamie Locke, a political science professor and head of the Senate Democrats&#8217; political arm.
Jones&#8217; text messages, first reported by National Review, were sent in 2021 to a Republican lawmaker after the then-Republican leader of the state house, Todd Gilbert, said kind words about a Democrat who had died, which infuriated Jones, who seemed to feel that the deceased Democrat was insufficiently liberal if he had respectful relationships with Republicans.
“Three people, two bullets. Gilbert, Hitler and Pol Pot. Gilbert gets two bullets to the head,” Jones <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/read-them-virginia-dem-sent-shocking-texts-about-killing-gop-leader-pissing-on-graves" target="_blank" rel="noopener">texted</a> to Del. Carrie Coyner (R). “Spoiler: put Gilbert in the crew with the two worst people you know and he receives both bullets every time.”
He hoped for the death of Gilbert&#8217;s children as a way of impacting the state&#8217;s politics, saying, &#8220;Only when people feel pain personally do they move on policy.&#8221;
He added: &#8220;Do I think Todd and Jennifer are evil? And that they&#8217;re breeding little fascists? Yes.&#8221;
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When Democrats took control of the House of Delegates, Gilbert was replaced as speaker by Don Scott, a convicted crack dealer. In recent days, Scott defended Jones on criticism that he was arrested for driving 116 miles an hour and performed his court-ordered community service by volunteering for his own PAC, and attempted to tie a Republican candidate to &#8220;Nazis.&#8221;
The two Democrats running for Virginia&#8217;s top slots alongside Jones condemned his violent rhetoric without rescinding their endorsements or saying he should drop out of the race.
<div id="attachment_981127" style="width: 584px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-981127" class="size-full wp-image-981127" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-04-at-9.33.40-AM.png" alt="" width="574" height="1030" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-04-at-9.33.40-AM.png 574w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-04-at-9.33.40-AM-167x300.png 167w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-04-at-9.33.40-AM-321x576.png 321w" sizes=" (max-width: 574px) 100vw, 574px" />Credit: Fox News</div>
<div id="attachment_981171" style="width: 1356px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-981171" class="size-full wp-image-981171" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-04-at-12.41.42-PM.png" alt="" width="1346" height="1210" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-04-at-12.41.42-PM.png 1346w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-04-at-12.41.42-PM-300x270.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-04-at-12.41.42-PM-641x576.png 641w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-04-at-12.41.42-PM-768x690.png 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1346px) 100vw, 1346px" />Credit: National Review</div>
<div id="attachment_981169" style="width: 1342px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-981169" class="size-full wp-image-981169" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-04-at-12.41.33-PM.png" alt="" width="1332" height="1494" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-04-at-12.41.33-PM.png 1332w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-04-at-12.41.33-PM-267x300.png 267w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-04-at-12.41.33-PM-514x576.png 514w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-04-at-12.41.33-PM-768x861.png 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1332px) 100vw, 1332px" />Credit: National Review</div>
Ghazala Hashmi, the Democrat candidate for lieutenant governor, said, &#8220;I have been very clear that political violence has no place in our country, and I condemn it at every turn. Jay must take accountability for the pain that his words have caused. We must demand better of our leaders and of each other.&#8221;
In Virginia last week alone, one man was <a href="https://www.fauquiernow.com/news/loudoun-man-arrested-in-death-threat-against-local-del-higgins/article_877db319-6e27-4984-aa63-77122912311e.html">arrested</a> for allegedly threatening Republican state delegate Geary Higgins by writing “I will shoot u @ yer next public rally. Then send you memes with the photos. I know where your f*in kids are,” while another man was charged with writing that he <a href="https://www.progress-index.com/story/news/local/2025/09/26/va-delegate-remains-defiant-in-face-of-death-threat-says-its-political/86374505007/?tbref=hp">planned to kill</a> Republican Del. Kim Taylor. Taylor said Democrat gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger&#8217;s exhortation to supporters to &#8220;let rage fuel you&#8221; could have contributed to that.
John Reid, the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor, told The Daily Wire in an interview that if violence has no place in politics, then Jones must withdraw from the race.
&#8220;The Democrats have a violence problem. They talk about it nonstop. They have enough followers in their party who are willing to act on it that they should show some self-restraint,&#8221; he said. &#8220;When you see the pattern of Democrat leaders who are constantly fanning the flames and then acting like they don&#8217;t understand why people are taking them up on killing &#8216;Nazis&#8217; and killing &#8216;fascists&#8217; or attacking fantasy &#8216;white supremacists.'&#8221;
He said he&#8217;s begun wearing a bulletproof vest. &#8220;As a candidate for lieutenant governor of Virginia, that&#8217;s crazy to me.&#8221;
Spanberger, the Democrat nominee for governor, said, &#8220;I made clear to Jay that he must fully take responsibility for his words &#8230; as the next Governor of our Commonwealth, I will always condemn violent language in our politics.&#8221;
Yet Jones did not fully take responsibility: Jones acknowledged that the texts were real, but his would-be apology blamed his Republican opponent and, inexplicably, Donald Trump, saying it was a &#8220;smear&#8221; to call attention to the accurate story.
“Like all people, I’ve sent text messages that I regret, and I believe that violent rhetoric has no place in our politics,” Jones <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/virginia-ag-candidate-once-referenced-putting-two-bullets-head-gop-leader-texts-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Fox. “Let’s be clear about what is happening in the attorney general race right now: Jason Miyares is dropping smears through Trump-controlled media organizations to assault my character and rescue his desperate campaign.”
Miyares, the Republican incumbent attorney general and Jones&#8217; opponent in next month&#8217;s election, <a href="https://x.com/SchneiderG/status/1974548230131331275" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, &#8220;I don&#8217;t accept his apology.&#8221;
John Reid asked, &#8220;What kind of narcissism do you have to try to make yourself a victim when you said this?&#8221; Of Spanberger and Hashmi, he added, &#8220;They think that they&#8217;ll chastise him with one or two lines on X and that will make this go away. I think this is much more serious than a slip of the tongue when you look at the pattern of violence over the last year years and when Abigail Spanberger says, &#8216;let your rage fuel you.'&#8221; That, he said, &#8220;implies uncontrollable anger and hostility.&#8221;
He noted that Democrats called for Democrat Governor Ralph Northam to resign when decades-old pictures that were offensive to black people surfaced, but have not done the same when Jones said he would &#8220;piss on [the] graves&#8221; of dead Republicans.
&#8220;Democrats have demonized Republicans to such an extent that they are simply running on hatred of the other side,&#8221; with Spanberger refusing to tell Virginians where she stands on prominent issues like transgenders in locker rooms, and Hashmi refusing to debate Reid, he said.
&#8220;That&#8217;s one reason I have put out policy positions every week, unlike the other candidates. I just think people should cast a vote not just based on how bad your opponent is, but what your ideas are. I&#8217;m trying to bring that old fashioned positive mindset back to the campaign. But the Democrats can&#8217;t help themselves but bring up ludicrous statements, like you&#8217;re a Nazi or a white supremacist, at the same time that their people are actually advocating violence. And they&#8217;ve got to be held accountable for that,&#8221; he said.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fairfax-prosecutor-broke-law-by-treating-illegals-more-favorably-ag-alleges?author=Luke+Rosiak&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Dem+Prosecutor+Broke+Law+By+Treating+Illegals+More+Favorably+Than+Americans%2C+Virginia+AG+Says">Dem Prosecutor Broke Law By Treating Illegals More Favorably Than Americans, Virginia AG Says</a>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/transgender-man-who-planned-to-assassinate-brett-kavanaugh-gets-off-easy-will-serve-just-8-years?author=Luke+Rosiak&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Transgender+Man+Who+Planned+To+Assassinate+Brett+Kavanaugh+Will+Serve+Just+8+Years">Transgender Man Who Planned To Assassinate Brett Kavanaugh Will Serve Just 8 Years</a>

Early Voting Begins In Virginia Gubernatorial Race

Virginia Dems Say ‘Our Democracy’ Depends On Voting For Candidate Who Fantasized About Assassination

Elections

Terrorism

Virginia

WASHINGTON—There is a Republican push for President Donald Trump&#8217;s administration to put an end to tax code provisions that make it more cost-effective for Americans to obtain transgender medical procedures and surgeries, The Daily Wire has learned.
The IRS currently designates so-called gender procedures as a &#8220;qualifying medical expense,&#8221; meaning patients can pay for these procedures with tax-advantaged Health Savings Accounts and subsidized Affordable Care Act insurance plans. In a letter first obtained by The Daily Wire, Missouri congressman Bob Onder is asking Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to take a look at changing what qualifies.
&#8220;Hardworking American taxpayers across the country are unknowingly made complicit in underwriting these costly, dangerous, and deadly medical procedures,&#8221; Onder writes, urging Bessent to &#8220;remove sex-trait altering drug regimens, procedures, and related providers from tax-advantaged qualified medical expenses.&#8221;
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&#8220;The tacit tolerance of a radical movement that has subjected thousands of American children to baseless medical treatments with grave consequences should be of serious concern to all of us,&#8221; Onder said. &#8220;We must ensure that this misguided acceptance does not result in Americans unknowingly and indirectly subsidizing the cost of these procedures.&#8221;
Bessent, who serves as acting commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, is able to define which procedures as qualified medical expenses, the letter notes. Gender-affirming care is now broadly considered a qualified expense, meaning patients can pay for everything from chest binders and hormone therapy to surgeries using tax-advantaged HSA and FSA accounts, or taxpayer-subsidized Obamacare insurance plans.
The push to change this comes as the Trump administration redoubles its efforts to combat radical gender ideology in the wake of a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/calls-to-investigate-trans-domestic-terrorism-escalate-after-devastating-school-shooting">string of deadly attacks</a> perpetrated by transgender-identifying assailants. Last week, the president told The Daily Wire that his administration is &#8220;very strongly&#8221; examining the pattern of transgender violence, and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt similarly told The Daily Wire that transgender violence is “definitely something worth looking into.&#8221;
&#8220;Anyone who denies that at this point is being willfully ignorant,&#8221; Leavitt said.
In his letter, Onder lays out five major mass shootings that have been &#8220;conducted by transgender individuals with proven political motivations&#8221; since 2018.
That would include <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-attempted-kavanaugh-assassin-identifies-as-transgender-woman-legal-filings-show?author=Mary+Margaret+Olohan&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=11&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=EXCLUSIVE%3A+Attempted+Kavanaugh+Assassin+Identifies+As+Transgender+Woman%2C+Legal+Filings+Show">Robin Westman</a>, a trans-identifying 23-year-old man who opened fire last month on Catholic schoolchildren while they were praying in Minneapolis. It also follows the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, whose accused killer, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, was living with a 22-year-old trans-identifying male named Lance Twiggs.
&#8220;As Congress and the Trump Administration consider advancing policy proposals aimed at addressing the underlying conditions that led to Mr. Kirk’s assassination, it would be a grave mistake not to acknowledge the role transgender ideology has played in inflicting harm on our nation’s children,&#8221; Onder wrote.
Onder further notes that advocates of transgender procedures are taking advantage of vulnerable young people, coaxing them into experimental medical procedures that often cause irreparable harm, and indoctrinating them into a radical ideology.
Citing a May <a href="https://opa.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/2025-05/gender-dysphoria-report.pdf">report</a> from the Department of Health and Human Services that found there is &#8220;minimal evidence to support the benefits of sex-trait altering procedures,&#8221; Onder argues that these procedures often lead to &#8220;severe health consequences&#8221; that &#8220;have sparked equally devastating societal consequences.&#8221;
&#8220;We are witnessing a disturbing rise in left-wing political violence with increasing rates of mental illness and political radicalization, which is incredibly concerning and warrants concerted examination,&#8221; he tells Bessent. &#8220;These &#8216;activists&#8217; are systematically exploiting the confusion of these vulnerable individuals, weaponizing their distress to target anyone they perceive as a political or ideological opponent.&#8221;
Onder is a member of the Republican Study Committee, the largest conservative caucus in Congress, which has led the charge against both <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-riley-gaines-to-join-republican-study-committee-members-lunch">transgender ideology</a> and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-republicans-call-for-an-end-to-violent-rhetoric-on-the-anniversary-of-butler-shooting">political violence.</a> In 2022, then-RSC Chairman Jim Banks introduced <a href="https://rsc-pfluger.house.gov/news/press-releases/reps-banks-lamalfa-sen-cotton-introduce-protecting-minors-medical-malpractice">legislation</a> that would protect minors from transgender procedures. The RSC — which counts among its members prominent lawmakers, including Reps. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Steve Scalise (R-LA), and Kat Cammack (R-FL) — has seen its efforts to fight gender ideology pay off under President Donald Trump.
Shortly after taking office in January, Trump signed an executive order declaring &#8220;federal funds shall not be used to promote gender ideology.&#8221; The Trump Justice Department is considering a ban on firearm purchases for individuals who identify as transgender, as The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-trump-doj-considering-gun-ban-for-transgenders?author=Mary+Margaret+Olohan&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=15&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+DOJ+Deliberates+Over+Gun+Ban+For+Transgenders">previously reported.</a> And in June, the Supreme Court upheld Tennessee&#8217;s ban on transgender procedures for minors, a decision RSC Chairman August Pfulger (R-Texas) hailed as &#8220;a huge win for parental rights and defeating the woke ideology of the Left.&#8221;
Other RSC members are expected to sign on to Onder&#8217;s letter in the coming days, sources with knowledge of the matter tell The Daily Wire.
&#8220;Children are the most vulnerable members of our country, and they deserve leaders who will protect them,&#8221; Onder writes. &#8220;This action alone will make a marked impact on the well-being of children nationwide, and will end this country’s moral retreat into the acceptance of a radical ideology that defies biological reality and puts our citizens at risk.&#8221;

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As Transgender Violence Mounts, Republicans Push Trump To End Tax Advantage For Gender Procedures

House Republicans

Leftism

Obamacare

Scott Bessent

Transgender

In recent weeks, the American people have witnessed a troubling rise in violent crime, coordinated attacks on public safety, and brazen assaults on the rule of law.
These are not isolated incidents — they are the natural outgrowth of a radical ideology that seeks to undermine our institutions, erase our borders, and excuse lawlessness in the name of politics. At the forefront of defending our nation against open borders is Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), an agency too often demonized by the Left but indispensable to the safety and security of the American people.
The House Freedom Caucus stands unequivocally with the men and women of ICE. These officers are on the front lines every day — tracking down human traffickers, dismantling drug cartels, and removing violent offenders from our communities. While the radical Left caricatures ICE as unjust, ordinary Americans know the truth: ICE agents are often the last line of defense protecting law-abiding citizens from predators who exploit our once-porous border and weak enforcement policies.
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Unfortunately, the same voices in Washington who clamor to “abolish ICE” are the ones pushing policies that fuel the very chaos now destabilizing communities.
Sanctuary city mandates tie the hands of law enforcement, allowing dangerous criminals to slip back into neighborhoods. Open-border rhetoric invites record waves of illegal immigration, straining hospitals, schools, and public services, and a refusal to prosecute repeat offenders fosters a culture of repeat violence.
Together, these policies are not just misguided  — they are dangerous. They create fertile ground for extremism, criminal networks, and even terrorism to take root here at home.
America cannot afford to indulge in these ideological experiments. Our first duty as a nation is to protect our citizens. That begins with secure borders, strong enforcement, and unwavering support for the agencies tasked with carrying out that mission.
ICE is not the problem — it is part of the solution.
The House Freedom Caucus has consistently backed measures to give ICE the resources, authority, and cooperation it needs to succeed. We support programs like the 287(g) partnerships that allow local law enforcement to work directly with ICE to detain and remove criminal aliens before they reoffend. We have opposed reckless sanctuary policies that put ideology above safety, and we continue to push for stronger penalties against traffickers, gang members, and those who exploit our immigration system to carry out crimes.
The contrast could not be clearer: while the Left’s radical ideology excuses lawlessness and undermines those sworn to protect us, the Freedom Caucus stands firmly with ICE, law enforcement, and the American people.
ICE officers put their lives on the line daily. They deserve the support of Congress and the full weight of the federal government behind them, and they deserve a country willing to reject radical ideologies that put criminals ahead of citizens.
The path forward is simple: support ICE, enforce the law, and reject the destructive agenda that fuels lawlessness. The Freedom Caucus is proud to lead that fight. America’s safety, sovereignty, and future depend on it.
Reps. Ralph Norman (S.C), Keith Self (Texas), Mark Harris (N.C), and Sheri Biggs (S.C) are members of the House Freedom Caucus.
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The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
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Asylum Seeking Migrants Wait In Line For Immigration Customs Enforcement Appointments

Congress Must Stand With ICE Against The Threat Of Leftist Ideology

Congress

Freedom Caucus

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Fox News host Greg Gutfeld dismantled the &#8220;both sides&#8221; argument on political violence during a Wednesday broadcast of the panel discussion show &#8220;The Five,&#8221; arguing that the people who carry out violent acts are more often driven by leftist ideology.
Gutfeld was responding to fellow panelist Jessica Tarlov, who referenced a study that found a predominance of political violence had come from the Right, and he made it clear that he was not buying it.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 BREAKING: Greg Gutfeled NUKES FROM ORBIT Jessica Tarlov&#8217;s rant that political violence is &#8220;both sides.&#8221; HE JUST WENT OFF.
&#8220;Your rationalization of BOTH SIDES&#8230;you come and you say, &#8216;This is a mentally ill loner.&#8217; Well, who do you think does this stuff? It&#8217;s not Ben Affleck,… <a href="https://t.co/U5ssL3gBnt">pic.twitter.com/U5ssL3gBnt</a>
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1970961979352175002?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Your rationalization of both sides —&#8221; Gutfeld began, but Tarlov interrupted.
&#8220;I&#8217;m not rationalizing anything!&#8221; she protested.
&#8220;You have to understand,&#8221; Gutfeld pushed back. &#8220;Since Kirk&#8217;s death, there is no &#8216;both sides&#8217; anymore.&#8221;
&#8220;Why did the DOJ take down the study that showed how much right-wing extremism —&#8221; Tarlov said.
&#8220;What study was that? Which one? The one in The Economist that was sponsored by a group run by a guy in Antifa!? &#8230; You&#8217;re walking down a really bad alley right now,&#8221; Gutfeld said. He went on to argue that left-leaning media was doing some of the heavy lifting when it came to pushing people toward violent actions.
&#8220;You label someone a fascist or a racist or a Nazi. It makes you free to attack them. And that has been the ideology from the start,&#8221; Gutfeld continued.
Tarlov asked about President Donald Trump&#8217;s rhetoric, claiming that he was just as bad.
&#8220;The Left calls Trump a hate monger. They&#8217;ve called me a hate monger because I ridicule the Left. I ridicule protesters. I ridicule academia, Hollywood, the news media. I make fun of the view every day. I make fun of the UN. Guess what? No one acts on the things that I say because my side doesn&#8217;t do that!&#8221; Gutfeld added, going on to note that a lot of people involved in politically motivated violence might have some mental health issues, but that the ideology pushing them to act was more likely to be from the Left.
&#8220;You come and you say, &#8216;This is a mentally ill loner.&#8217; Well, who do you think does this stuff? It&#8217;s not Ben Affleck, it&#8217;s not Tom Brady. People who do this stuff are always that way. The question is, who points them in that direction?&#8221; Gutfeld asked. &#8220;Why pick ICE? Why pick Charlie Kirk? Why put bombs under Fox trucks? Why vandalize memorials? Why kill kids in Catholic schools?&#8221;
&#8220;Two things can be true. A person can be mentally ill, and you can be guiding him to that place in his life. That is how brainwashing works,&#8221; Gutfeld concluded.

Vivek Ramaswamy Visits “Gutfeld!”

Gutfeld Absolutely Destroys ‘Both Sides’ Argument On Political Violence

Gutfeld Absolutely Destroys 'Both Sides' Argument On Political Violence

Greg Gutfeld

Mental Health

Political Violence

Shooting At Annunciation School Church In Minneapolis Leaves Multiple Children Dead And Many Injured

Trans Shooter Murders Catholic Kids As The Trans Terrorism Epidemic Continues

Catholic

Minneapolis

Minnesota

Murder

Opinion

School Shooting

A trans-identifying gunman who attacked a Catholic school on Wednesday railed against Jews in multiple antisemitic journal entries.
The gunman, identified by authorities as 23-year-old “Robin Westman,” made numerous disturbing videos, journal entries, drawings, and other materials before carrying out the attack that killed two young children on Wednesday.
In part of his writings, Westman, who previously went by the name Robert before identifying as a woman, lashed out at Jews, according to <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/08/27/us-news/robin-westman-mused-about-slaughtering-filthy-zionist-jews-in-sick-journal-before-deadly-catholic-school-shooting/">The New York Post</a>, which published translations of some of Westman&#8217;s entries that were written using the Cyrillic alphabet.
“If I will carry out a racially motivated attack, it would be most likely against filthy Zionist jews,” Westman wrote.
“I hate those entitled, penny-sniffing k***s,” he wrote elsewhere, using an antisemitic slur.
Westman also wrote a number of antisemitic and hateful messages on his firearm and magazines, including phrases like “6 million wasn’t enough,” “Israel must fall, release the files,” and “Destroy HIAS,” which refers to a Jewish aid organization.
Westman <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/what-we-know-about-the-trans-identifying-gunman-who-slaughtered-catholic-school-children?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Mary+Margaret+Olohan&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=What+We+Know+About+The+Trans-Identifying+Gunman+Who+Slaughtered+Catholic+School+Children">attacked</a> Annunciation Catholic School’s church in Minneapolis on Wednesday morning as students attended mass, according to authorities. The gunman killed two students, ages 8 and 10, and wounded 17 others. Westman later turned his gun on himself, police said.
Westman’s weapons carried numerous other messages, such as “Where is your God?” “For the children,” “Kill Donald Trump,” and “Why so Queerious?”
FBI Director Kash Patel <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fbi-investigating-minneapolis-shooting-as-domestic-terrorism-hate-crime-against-catholics?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=FBI+Investigating+Minneapolis+Shooting+As+Domestic+Terrorism%2C+Hate+Crime+Against+Catholics">said</a> on Wednesday at the bureau is investigating the attack as an act of terrorism, which the bureau defines as “violent, criminal acts committed by individuals and/or groups to further ideological goals stemming from domestic influences, such as those of a political, religious, social, racial, or environmental nature.” 
Patel also said the FBI is investigating the attack as a “hate crime targeting Catholics.” The bureau <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/civil-rights/hate-crimes">defines</a> a hate crime as “a criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offender’s bias against race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity.”
Westman’s mother reportedly had worked at the school and church that Westman targeted, although it is unclear what position she held. The church in 2021 <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trans-identifying-shooters-mom-worked-at-catholic-school-and-church-where-he-opened-fire?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=6&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Trans-Identifying+Shooter%E2%80%99s+Mom+Worked+At+Catholic+School+And+Church+Where+He+Opened+Fire">celebrated</a> Westman’s mother’s fifth anniversary working for the parish.

Annunciation Catholic Church, School

‘Entitled, Penny-Sniffing K***s’: Minnesota Gunman Railed Against Jews In Journal

As a clinical psychologist, I help people find the words to express what they’re feeling. For most of my career, this was a straightforward process — mostly supporting clients with anxiety and relationship or career issues. But over the past few years, I’ve noticed a shift. More and more, clients arrive not just with anxiety — but with speech anxiety. They’re not afraid of public speaking. They’re afraid that voicing a viewpoint could harm others — or be interpreted as harm itself. 
 
We’re living in a cultural moment where phrases like “words are violence” have moved from the margins into the mainstream. The instinct behind the idea is understandable. It’s rooted in compassion and a desire to protect others from emotional pain. But as someone who works with people in distress, I can say this: equating speech with physical violence doesn’t foster safety. It fosters fragility — and avoidance of the very emotional tools we need to thrive. 
 
Yes, words can hurt. They can be cruel, dismissive, even traumatizing but to label words as violent collapses a crucial distinction. Physical violence is something we’re biologically wired to avoid at all costs. It triggers a primal response — fight, flight, freeze — that can be lifesaving, in the right context. But when we teach people to respond to challenging conversations as if they’re being physically attacked, we inadvertently hijack that same physiological stress response. We turn everyday discomfort into a perceived emergency. 
 
This distinction isn’t just philosophical — it’s embedded in clinical ethics. As a licensed psychologist, I’m legally required to break confidentiality if a client discloses an imminent threat of physical violence. But if a client tells me they plan to say something rude, offensive, or even hateful, I’m not only permitted to keep that information confidential — I’m obligated to do so. That’s because speech and violence are fundamentally different categories of concern. One may call for a conversation. The other may call for an intervention. Blurring that boundary in everyday life creates confusion, not clarity. 
 
This can lead to serious emotional fallout. Clients tell me they’ve ended friendships, distanced themselves from family, or left jobs because of political or social disagreements that they once would have handled with a spirited discussion. They often say they feel “unsafe” around people with differing views — not because of any actual threat, but because of what those views might represent. That interpretation leads not to empowerment, but to chronic anxiety. 
 
Over time, this kind of hypervigilance doesn’t just shape relationships, it reshapes the self. In therapy, I see people move through the classic defense mechanisms we’re trained to watch for: suppression, repression, and denial. Suppression is when you’re aware of a thought or feeling but actively push it down. Repression is when the mind buries those thoughts so deeply that you’re no longer even conscious of them. Denial occurs when a person distorts their view of reality to avoid an uncomfortable truth. 
 
When people feel they must stifle their thoughts or language to remain socially acceptable, suppression is often the first step. But if suppression becomes a habit, it can slide into repression — people lose access to parts of themselves. Eventually, they may engage in denial: reframing a difficult relationship or viewpoint not as a difference of opinion, but as a danger to be avoided. From a mental health standpoint, this is where we start to see symptoms escalate — more anxiety, more relational conflict, and a diminished capacity to process emotions with nuance. 
 
This dynamic also connects to a broader societal trend. In 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37792968/">declared loneliness</a> a public health epidemic. We are more digitally connected than ever — and yet we feel increasingly cut off. That’s partly because people are afraid to express themselves authentically. If you’re always editing what you say — or editing who you are — you’re not really connecting. You’re performing. And performance doesn’t build intimacy. 
 
The goal isn’t to dismiss emotional pain or encourage rudeness. Psychological abuse is real, and words can leave deep scars. But we must be careful not to overextend the concept of harm to the point where disagreement feels dangerous. When that happens, people don’t just walk away from conflict — they walk away from each other. 
 
We also risk missing the bigger picture: that open dialogue is one of the most effective tools we have for growth, both individually and socially. Research in conflict resolution shows that meaningful change often begins with conversation — not censorship. Even in extreme cases — such as hate group de-radicalization — studies repeatedly show that dialogue, not silence, is what moves people out of entrenched thinking. 
 
What we need now is a more balanced framework — one that acknowledges the emotional impact of speech without mistaking it for physical harm. We should be equipping people with emotional skills: the ability to tolerate discomfort, name their feelings, and respond with clarity instead of retreating in fear. These are the building blocks of psychological resilience and they’re far more protective than trying to sanitize the world of anything potentially upsetting. 
 
In my work, I’ve seen that when people stop fearing their own voices — and stop fearing others’ — they grow stronger. They communicate better. They form deeper, more authentic relationships. That doesn’t happen when we treat words like weapons. It happens when we remember what words are for: understanding, connection, and sometimes, respectful disagreement. 
 
Words can hurt. But they can also heal. Let’s not confuse one for the other — because when we do, we risk losing the ability to use language as the powerful, human tool it’s meant to be.
* * *
Dr. Chloe Carmichael is a clinical psychologist, USA Today bestselling author of &#8220;Nervous Energy,&#8221; and a visiting fellow at Independent Women. Her <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/151078490X/ref=cm_sw_r_as_gl_apa_gl_i_BPB78R7NVWK0ZVAJQ088?linkCode=ml1&amp;tag=ivba-20">upcoming book</a> &#8220;Can I Say That? Why Free Speech Matters and How to Use It Fearlessly&#8221; (Skyhorse, Nov. 2025) explores the mental health benefits of open dialogue and the costs of self-censorship.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Medium shot of businessman discussing project with colleague

Words Are Not Violence And Here’s Why That Matters

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Psychology

Woke Culture

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The Chilling Backstory Behind The Anti-White Mob Attack In Cincinnati

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