Prisoner in court

An Update On The Shocking Crime That Democrats Don’t Want You To Know About

An Update On The Shocking Crime That Democrats Don't Want You To Know About

Criminal Justice

Florida

Kentucky

Matt Walsh

Murder

Opinion

Prison

Violent Crime

White House

California’s current crime conundrum can be told as a story with (at least) three parts. Voters passed 2014’s <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/California_Proposition_47,_Reduced_Penalties_for_Some_Crimes_Initiative_(2014)">Proposition 47</a>, 2016’s <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/California_Proposition_57,_Parole_for_Non-Violent_Criminals_and_Juvenile_Court_Trial_Requirements_(2016)">Proposition 57</a>, and finally 2024’s <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/California_Proposition_36,_Drug_and_Theft_Crime_Penalties_and_Treatment-Mandated_Felonies_Initiative_(2024)">Proposition 36</a>.
In the first two, voters went along with progressive policies — sold using feel-good language — that created more homelessness, crime, and human misery. In the third, though, voters overwhelmingly rejected the failures caused by these earlier policies.
But now, California Governor Gavin Newsom and his state-level legislative allies are trying to undermine voters calling for more criminal accountability — including time in prison for those who break the law — by <a href="https://www.latimes.com/politics/newsletter/2025-06-02/newsom-insults-california-voters-by-not-funding-proposition-36">refusing</a> to adequately fund Prop. 36’s proposals.
For those unfamiliar, Prop. 47 downgraded most types of theft under $950 from felonies to misdemeanors and made it impossible to charge most simple possession cases as felonies rather than misdemeanors.
Combined with the fact that California’s <a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Rogue-Prosecutors/Zack-Smith/9781637586532">rogue prosecutors</a> in cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Oakland — just to name a few — refused to prosecute most misdemeanor offenses, lawlessness flourished.
Amid this front-end problem, California voters approved Prop. 57 in 2016. Voters were told this proposal was designed to allow “nonviolent” offenders who had been rehabilitated to be released from prison early.
Sounds good. Right?
Here’s the problem: The California legislature had previously <a href="https://archive.ph/0n9SO">redefined</a> “nonviolent” offenses to include <a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=667.5.&amp;lawCode=PEN">crimes like</a> assault with a deadly weapon, soliciting murder, intimidating a witness, resisting arrest that causes harm to a police officer, elder or child abuse, arson with injury, human trafficking, certain types of manslaughter, rape of an unconscious person (though this has since changed), sex trafficking, and trafficking of children.
Most people would agree that those are not “nonviolent” crimes. And yet, because the California legislature had declared it so, those who committed these heinous offenses began to be released under Prop. 57’s regime.
Sensing that something wasn’t quite right, and that these soft-on-crime policies were hurting their communities rather than helping them, Californians took action.
Not only did they vote out of office the rogue district attorneys in <a href="https://www.heritage.org/crime-and-justice/commentary/recall-chesa-boudin-san-francisco-shows-rogue-prosecutor-movement">San Francisco</a>, <a href="https://www.dailysignal.com/2024/11/06/rogue-prosecutor-george-gascon-loses-reelection-as-la-county-district-attorney/">Los Angeles</a>, and <a href="https://www.law360.com/articles/1811708">Oakland</a>, but they also passed — with almost 70% of the vote — Prop. 36, which rolled back many of Prop. 47’s soft-on-crime policies.
Under Prop. 36, repeat shoplifters can now be charged with a felony punishable by up to three years in state prison. Those convicted of certain drug-dealing offenses must serve their sentences in state prison rather than county jail. (This matters because in 2011, the California legislature passed <a href="https://www.crimeandconsequences.com/crimblog/2019/06/violence-surging-in-ca-jails.html">AB 109</a>, which allows those who commit many types of crimes to serve their sentences in a county jail instead of a state prison. With jail overcrowding posing a real issue, many served far less time than they were supposed to.)
Those accused of certain drug possession offenses or who have multiple past convictions for drug crimes can be charged with a “treatment-mandated felony” — meaning that if a person completes a drug rehab program, his or her charges will be dismissed. If not, that person can face up to three years in state prison. Finally, Prop. 36 requires courts to warn those who come before them that if they provide illegal drugs to someone, they could be charged with murder if that person overdoses and dies as a result.
Governor Gavin Newsom opposed Prop. 36 and vigorously campaigned against it. Now that California voters have rejected his soft-on-crime policies, he’s pitching a temper tantrum and is actively opposing funding many of Prop. 36’s proposals.
In May 2025, Newsom <a href="https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article306495616.html">said,</a> “There were a lot of supervisors in the counties that promoted it &#8230; So, this is their opportunity to step up. Fund it!”
One state senator reacted, <a href="https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article306495616.html">saying,</a> “He is being absolutely recalcitrant because the voters didn’t vote the way he wanted them to and the way he told them to . . . He’s taking his football and going home.”
After <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/sacramento/news/no-funding-allocated-for-prop-36-newsom-may-revise/">dragging his feet</a> for the first half of 2025, Newsom finally offered some funding for Prop. 36’s proposals. But <a href="https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article312272421.html">critics argue</a> that this money was already allocated and not enough to carry out the reforms in Prop. 36.
Newsom’s recalcitrance is unfortunate. Not only is he subverting the will of the voters, he’s also pushing back against commonsense policies designed to control California’s crime problem.
Californians know there needs to be accountability when someone breaks the law. They voted for it. And now Newsom and the California legislature need to fund it.
* * *
Zack Smith is a Senior Legal Fellow and Manager, Supreme Court and Appellate Advocacy Program, The Heritage Foundation.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
<h3><a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=fall40&amp;utm_content=fallsale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial">Get 40% off new DailyWire+ annual memberships with code FALL40 at checkout!</a></h3>

California Gov. Newsom Leads Democratic Redistricting Plan In The State

California’s Crime Crisis: Voters Took Action, Newsom Took His Football And Went Home

California

Crime

Democrats

Felony

Gavin Newsom

Los Angeles

Oakland

Sacramento

San Francisco

shoplifting

Voters

MixCollage-07-Oct-2025-02-38-PM-9301

The Case Of The Child Killer Released From Prison Just Got Even More Insane

Leftists

Liberals

Prisons

Serial Killers

MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-02-09-PM-257

Everyone Needs To See This Viral Testimony From This Grieving Father

Fathers

North Carolina

South Carolina

More than 70% of Americans believe that violent crime in U.S. cities is &#8220;unacceptably high,&#8221; but nearly half of Democrats say that violent crime &#8220;isn&#8217;t that much of a problem,&#8221; according to a poll conducted earlier this month by NPR and Ipsos.
The <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/26158921-npr-law-enforcement-topline-9232025/">poll&#8217;s findings</a> show yet another example of the Left&#8217;s disconnect from broader society as many Democrats brush off concerns about crime rates in American cities. While 71% of Americans agreed that &#8220;the level of crime and violence in American cities is unacceptably high,&#8221; including 93% of Republicans and 68% of independents, only 54% of Democrats said the same. Forty-five percent of Democrats, meanwhile, said that crime and violence in U.S. cities isn&#8217;t a big problem, according to the NPR/Ipsos poll.
The plurality (49%) of Democrats polled believe that crime has increased in the United States in the past year while only 18% of Democrats said that crime has decreased. Those findings are similar to what Republicans said, but many Democrats believe there is less of a crime problem when asked about major cities in their state.
Just 31% of Democrats said that crime has increased in major cities in their state since last year compared to 47% of Republicans who said the same. The NPR/Ipsos poll interviewed 323 Republicans, 289 Democrats, and 298 independents.
Democratic lawmakers have strongly opposed the Trump administration&#8217;s tactics for rooting out violent crime in American cities. Since President Donald Trump deployed National Guard troops and federal agents to crack down on crime in Washington, D.C., Democrats at the federal, state, and local levels have condemned the administration&#8217;s efforts.
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=fall40&amp;utm_content=fallsale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial">Get 40% off new DailyWire+ annual memberships with code FALL40 at checkout</a>
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt pointed to the NPR/Ipsos poll on Monday, blasting Democrats for their &#8220;out of touch&#8221; stance on addressing violent crime.
&#8220;While President Trump is doing everything in his power to restore law and order in America – Democrats are doubling down on their failed soft-on-crime approach,&#8221; Leavitt wrote. &#8220;Democrats are completely out of touch with the concerns of the American people.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
While President Trump is doing everything in his power to restore law and order in America – Democrats are doubling down on their failed soft-on-crime approach.
Democrats are completely out of touch with the concerns of the American people. <a href="https://t.co/iNpw8NPXjL">pic.twitter.com/iNpw8NPXjL</a>
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) <a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec/status/1972693620013621429?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Trump moved to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-announces-next-deeply-troubled-american-city-national-guard-will-clean-up?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Announces+Next+%E2%80%98Deeply+Troubled%E2%80%99+American+City+National+Guard+Will+Clean+Up">send</a> in the National Guard to Memphis, which is the most violent city in the United States, according to the most recent FBI crime data. The president also vowed to send National Guard troops to Chicago and Portland. In the weeks following Trump&#8217;s law enforcement surge and National Guard deployment in D.C., the Metropolitan Police Department reported a decrease in violent crime and property crime, with crime decreasing in all seven of the capital&#8217;s police districts, CNN <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-announces-next-deeply-troubled-american-city-national-guard-will-clean-up?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Announces+Next+%E2%80%98Deeply+Troubled%E2%80%99+American+City+National+Guard+Will+Clean+Up">reported</a>.
The White House said that thousands of arrests had been made in the first month of Trump&#8217;s D.C. crime crackdown, including arrests of illegal immigrants and gang members. Still, 74% of Democrats strongly oppose deploying the National Guard to a major city in their state to address violent crime, while only 3% of Democrats said they would strongly support such efforts.
Earlier this month, Trump called out Democrats for allowing violent crime to get out of control in some cities.
“Almost every city that’s in trouble is run by Democrats,” Trump told “Fox &amp; Friends” on September 12. “Cashless bail is a disaster.”

Chicago

Nearly Half Of Dem Voters Believe Violent Crime In U.S. Cities ‘Isn’t That Much Of A Problem’

Karoline Leavitt

Poll

Trump Administration

U.S.

A 40-year-old man was killed in a crash in Chicago on his way to work last week after a group of robbers sped away from a smash-and-grab heist at a Louis Vuitton store on Michigan Avenue. One of the seven suspects charged in connection with the crimes was a community “peacekeeper” and posed for a photo with Illinois Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker just one week before the storefront raid.
Kellen McMiller, 35, is now facing a list of charges that include murder, burglary, and felony theft, Fox 32 Chicago <a href="https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/louis-vuitton-crash-chicago-father-dies">reported</a>. McMiller, who recently posed with Pritzker while wearing his “peacekeeper” uniform, also has outstanding warrants in four states, including Illinois, Florida, Indiana, and Wisconsin, CWB Chicago <a href="https://cwbchicago.com/2025/09/days-before-fatal-mag-mile-crash-and-grab-accused-man-posed-with-governor-at-peacekeeper-event.html">reported</a>. Fox 32 also reported that McMiller was a “peacekeeper,” an individual involved in violence-prevention work, and had “at least four fugitive warrants, according to authorities.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Peak Illinois and left-wing “criminal justice reform.” Dude was wanted in FOUR STATES &amp; ended up posing for a photo with Pritzker as a non-police “peacekeeper.” Days later, the perp allegedly participated in a fatal smash-and-grab robbery in Chicago. <a href="https://t.co/4EFAdM4iBE">https://t.co/4EFAdM4iBE</a> <a href="https://t.co/VVNOSZ8avg">pic.twitter.com/VVNOSZ8avg</a>
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) <a href="https://twitter.com/guypbenson/status/1968653655130751167?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Footage of the crime reportedly showed the suspects backing a pickup truck through the store windows. The suspects then stole around $700,000 in merchandise, according to court records. Dejuan Wingard, the 30-year-old man who was allegedly behind the wheel of the getaway car, was driving nearly 100 miles per hour when he crashed into the vehicle that 40-year-old Mark Arceta was driving.
Pritzker met with “peacekeepers” in the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago two weeks ago as he continues to rail against the Trump administration’s desires to send in federal agents and National Guard troops to address violent crime in the city. Pritzker claimed that the “peacekeepers” are “doing the hard work” of preventing violent crime, adding that “troops on the ground” would hinder that effort.
“In Englewood today to meet with Peacekeepers who are working to create safer communities,” Pritzker <a href="https://www.facebook.com/reel/1378083797214524">wrote</a> on Facebook. “It’s folks like these that we need more of doing the hard work of community violence prevention, not troops on the ground to undermine efforts fighting crime.”
Chicago’s “<a href="https://omb.illinois.gov/public/gata/csfa/Program.aspx?CSFA=3013">Peacekeepers Program</a>,” which began under the Office of Firearm Violence in 2018, aims to rely on “the influence of community residents” to prevent violent crime and partner with “young men and women who live in neighborhoods that are at a high risk for violence.” Pritzker and Chicago Democratic Mayor Brandon Johnson have <a href="https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_7ede080d-de0f-42d9-9736-905e57762504.html">called</a> for federal funding to go toward “violence interruption programs” while arguing that President Donald Trump’s push to send in the National Guard to clean up Chicago is a dangerous power grab.
“I would love it if he would restore funding for police, would restore funding for violence interruption programs, which we are the best in the country at, I might add,” Pritzker said earlier this month.
A <a href="https://gov-pritzker-newsroom.prezly.com/icymi-governor-pritzker-meets-with-community-members-amid-heightened-concern-of-trumps-federal-deployment-plans">press release</a> issued by the governor’s office on September 5 showed McMiller posing with Pritzker, but the photo was quickly <a href="https://cwbchicago.com/2025/09/days-before-fatal-mag-mile-crash-and-grab-accused-man-posed-with-governor-at-peacekeeper-event.html">removed</a> after reports of McMiller’s suspected involvement in the smash-and-grab robbery and the fatal crash that followed, according to CWB Chicago.
A spokesman for Pritzker&#8217;s office told The Daily Wire, “The Governor meets hundreds of people in communities every week and is often asked to take photos. We were extremely troubled to learn that this individual was arrested for his alleged involvement in this serious crime, and we expect them to be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.&#8221;
&#8220;The Governor will keep doing everything in his power to fight crime, keep our neighborhoods safe, and support community violence intervention, which have been proven to work,&#8221; the spokesman added. &#8220;For example, the Peacekeepers Program has a strong track record reducing violent crime by 41% over the past two years and providing community members with a path towards rehabilitation.”
Arceta, killed in the smash-and-grab, never met his baby boy, who was born the day after his death, Fox 32 reported. At least three of the other suspects in the crime have been arrested multiple times in the past. Darius Bowdry, a 30-year-old man accused in the smash-and-grab, has been arrested 12 times as an adult in Chicago. Alton Jackson, 37, was released on parole in May after he was sentenced to two years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. It’s the fifth time Jackson has been arrested as an adult in Chicago.
Trump, who has hinted for weeks that National Guard troops would be deployed to Chicago, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-targets-memphis-crime-with-strategy-proven-in-washington-d-c">said</a> on Monday that Chicago is “probably” the next city on his list after he signed a memo directing a crackdown on crime in Memphis, Tennessee.
This article has been updated to included comment from Pritzker&#8217;s office.

JB Pritzker

Pritzker’s ‘Peacekeeper’ Tied To Fatal Smash-And-Grab Getaway

Donald Trump

Illinois

J.B. Pritzker

Politics

Three police officers and the suspect who opened fire on them are dead after a shooting that took place on Wednesday afternoon in North Codorus Township, York County, Pennsylvania. Two other officers remain in critical condition but are considered stable.
According to multiple reports, the suspect was the subject of a stalking and trespass charge that was filed earlier in the day in York County, and police were going to make an arrest when the shooter — who has not yet been identified — instead opened fire.
Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner, Col. Christopher Paris, confirmed during a news conference on Wednesday afternoon that three of the Northern York Regional Police Department officers involved had been killed and their attacker had died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Paris also announced that an investigation was still ongoing.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
BREAKING: Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner confirms *THREE* police officers from the Northern York Regional Police Dept are dead after a shooting in Codorus Township, near Spring Grove in York County. Two more injured.
Attacker is dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. <a href="https://t.co/IohF3u4fDG">pic.twitter.com/IohF3u4fDG</a>
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) <a href="https://twitter.com/CurtisHouck/status/1968442077198385346?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a statement following the tragic shooting, saying via X, &#8220;The @FBI and @ATFHQ are on the scene supporting local law enforcement following the shooting of multiple police officers in York County, Pennsylvania.
Violence against law enforcement is a scourge on our society and never acceptable. Pray for the officers involved.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The <a href="https://twitter.com/FBI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FBI</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/ATFHQ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ATFHQ</a> are on the scene supporting local law enforcement following the shooting of multiple police officers in York County, Pennsylvania.
Violence against law enforcement is a scourge on our society and never acceptable. Pray for the officers involved.
— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) <a href="https://twitter.com/AGPamBondi/status/1968430529033773295?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Governor Josh Shapiro (D-PA) also commented on the shooting, praising law enforcement officers for the work they do every day — and also pointed out that their families serve with them.
&#8220;It’s an extraordinary thing what these law enforcement families do. They support the individual who puts on the uniform and runs toward danger. They’re there for them when they leave in the morning, and they pray throughout the day that they will come home at night,&#8221; he said.

A detail photo of police tape reading “police line do not cross” wrapped around a tree. At the scene of a shooting in Reading Monday evening 12/21/2015 at 11th street just South of Franklin. Police were also investigating a connected incident at the inter

Three Police Officers Dead After Shooting In Pennsylvania, Suspect Also Deceased

Ambush

Police

Shooting

ABC News reporter Matt Gutman described the texts sent from suspected assassin Tyler Robinson to his trans-identifying boyfriend — in which he appears to confess to murdering conservative commentator Charlie Kirk — as &#8220;very touching.&#8221;
Gutman was reporting on the text exchange, which was released on Tuesday by authorities, when he commented on the fact that despite confessing to murdering someone in front of hundreds of college students — and putting their lives in danger as well — Robinson seemed to really care about his partner.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/mattgutmanABC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mattgutmanABC</a> says he found the messages between Charlie Kirk&#8217;s killer and his trans boyfriend &#8220;very touching, in a way, that I think many of us didn’t expect.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/8H4E1dFD3K">pic.twitter.com/8H4E1dFD3K</a>
— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaryMargOlohan/status/1968038545387589896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Gutman began by saying that he wasn&#8217;t sure &#8220;if we have seen an alleged murder with such specific text messages about the alleged murder weapon — where it was hidden, how it was placed, what was on it — but also it was very touching, in a way, that I think many of us didn’t expect — a very intimate portrait into this relationship between the suspect’s roommate and the suspect himself, with him repeatedly calling his roommate, who is transitioning, calling him &#8216;my love.&#8217; And &#8216;I want to protect you, my love.'&#8221;
&#8220;So, it was this duality of someone who the attorney said not only jeopardized the life of Charlie Kirk and the crowd, but was doing it in front of children, which is one of the aggravating circumstances of this case,&#8221; Gutman continued. &#8220;And then, on the other hand, he was, you know, speaking so lovingly about his partner. So a very interesting and, as Pierre said, riveting press conference.&#8221;
Gutman continued in the same vein a short time later, adding, &#8220;It’s heartbreaking on so many levels, Kyra. Obviously, Charlie Kirk was murdered brutally in front of a crowd of thousands &#8230;[O]n the other hand, there is this duality of a very a portrait of a very human person, a very human experience from this entire family &#8230; the kid who had got a 34 out of 36 on the ACT, who had a 4.0.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
ABC’s Matt Gutman doubled down, ten minutes later after this on ABC News Live: “It’s heartbreaking on so many levels, Kyra. Obviously, Charlie Kirk was murdered brutally in front of a crowd of thousands&#8230;[O]n the other hand, there is this duality of a very a portrait of a very… <a href="https://t.co/0ykDhsg1Ko">pic.twitter.com/0ykDhsg1Ko</a>
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) <a href="https://twitter.com/CurtisHouck/status/1968045665541365867?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;I don’t think I’ve ever experienced a press conference in which we’ve read text messages that are A, so fulsome, so robust, so apparently, allegedly self-incriminating and yet, on the other hand, so touching — right — with the suspect reaching out to his roommate, who was allegedly his boyfriend, who we understand, you know, identified as male at birth, now identifies as female,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And the terminology he used, he was trying to protect him. He kept calling him ‘my love.’ ‘My reason for doing this is to protect you,’ you know, but also asking him to delete the messages and not speak to law enforcement. So there’s this, this heartbreaking duality that we’re seeing very tragically playing out here.&#8221;

ABC NEWS: ELECTION NIGHT 2024

ABC Reporter Describes Suspect’s Texts Confessing To Charlie Kirk Assassination As ‘Very Touching’

ABC Reporter Describes Suspect's Texts Confessing To Charlie Kirk Assassination As 'Very Touching'

ABC News

assassination

Charlie Kirk

Media

President Donald Trump announced on Friday morning that the National Guard will be deployed to crime-ridden Memphis, a Democrat-run city in deep-red Tennessee.
&#8220;We&#8217;re going to Memphis. I&#8217;m just announcing that now,&#8221; Trump told &#8220;Fox &amp; Friends&#8221; during an interview in the studio. &#8220;National Guard and anybody else we need, and by the way, we&#8217;re bringing the military too if we need it.&#8221;
Trump has recently suggested that multiple cities — such as Chicago, Baltimore, and New Orleans — could be next on his list for a federal intervention to combat violent crime. His decision to deploy troops to Memphis means that the president will be working with a friendly state government. Tennessee Republican Governor Bill Lee <a href="https://www.wsmv.com/2025/09/10/gov-lee-activates-new-thp-surge-combat-crime-memphis-alongside-fbis-operation-viper/">said</a> on Wednesday that he is collaborating with the Trump administration on a plan to address crime in Memphis.
&#8220;For months, I have been in constant communication with the Trump Administration to develop a strategic plan to combat crime in Memphis, leveraging the full extent of both federal and state resources,&#8221; Lee said. &#8220;This multi-phased approach includes Operation Viper — an ongoing FBI mission with a dedicated task force of federal, state, and local law enforcement that has already made hundreds of arrests targeting the most violent offenders. Additionally, I have activated a new Tennessee Highway Patrol surge to support the Memphis Police Department that will include 50 more troopers, bringing our THP presence in Shelby County to record levels.&#8221;
Recently released FBI data on violent crime rates in 2024 showed that Memphis is the most violent city in the United States, NBC&#8217;s Nashville affiliate, WSMV 4, <a href="https://www.wsmv.com/2025/09/05/this-tennessee-city-has-highest-violent-crime-rate-country-see-where-your-home-ranks/">reported</a> last week. Last year, Memphis saw 2,501 instances of violent crime for every 100,000 people. The violent crime rate in Memphis was far higher than that of other most violent cities in America. The next highest on the list was Oakland, California, with 1,925 violent crimes reported for every 100,000 people, and Detroit was No. 3 with 1,781 violent crimes per 100,000 people.
Trump has praised the work of the National Guard and federal law enforcement agents in Washington, D.C., after he sent them into the nation&#8217;s capital and directed the Metropolitan Police Department to crack down on violent crime. The president said he wants to address violent crime in cities across the United States.
&#8220;Almost every city that&#8217;s in trouble is run by Democrats,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1966479556388200614">told</a> &#8220;Fox &amp; Friends&#8221; on Friday morning. &#8220;Cashless bail is a disaster.&#8221;
Trump&#8217;s recent moves to deploy the National Guard to D.C. and Los Angeles have been blasted by Democrats, who claim that the president&#8217;s efforts to address violent crime in the U.S. are a power grab. Earlier this month, a federal judge ruled that Trump broke the law when he deployed the National Guard and Marines to Los Angeles during violent anti-ICE protests in June.

Trump Announces Next ‘Deeply Troubled’ American City National Guard Will Clean Up

Executive

Memphis

National Guard

Tennessee

Governor Spencer Cox (R-UT) vowed to seek the death penalty in the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk — and called on members of the public to aid in the manhunt that has already gone on for more than 24 hours.
The call came during a press conference that took place late Thursday evening — a press conference that was initially scheduled for earlier in the day, but was delayed at the last minute due to &#8220;rapid developments&#8221; in the case. &#8220;Due to the rapid developments in our investigation, we will suspend this,&#8221; the Utah Department of Public Safety announced via email.
The press conference began about twenty minutes later than the scheduled start time of 7:30 p.m. local time, and officials shared video of the suspect as he ran from his perch and ultimately climbed over the edge of the roof of the building, hanging from the side before jumping to the ground.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨BREAKING: Officials release new footage of Charlie Kirk&#8217;s assassin during tonight&#8217;s press conference: <a href="https://t.co/ugqmG9Vuao">pic.twitter.com/ugqmG9Vuao</a>
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1966320915651666263?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
They called on members of the public to look at identifiable items of clothing on the suspect to hopefully assist officials as they try to find the individual responsible for Kirk&#8217;s murder. They also announced that they had already interviewed more than 200 people and had received thousands of tips from the public, more than they had seen in any case since the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 BREAKING: 7,000 LEADS have been received by the FBI to help find the kiIIer of Charlie Kirk
FBI and Utah DPS have already conducted over **200** interviews
ALL resources are being utilized, and NO expense is being spared.
CHARLIE&#8217;S KlLLER WILL BE FOUND! <a href="https://t.co/N38N7Lc6ei">pic.twitter.com/N38N7Lc6ei</a>
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) <a href="https://twitter.com/nicksortor/status/1966321375158956505?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
DPS asked for digital tips and videos from anyone who might have footage from the Wednesday event, and vowed to capture the person responsible. Governor Spencer Cox (R-UT) also promised that the state planned to seek the death penalty once the suspect was apprehended and tried.
Investigators began the manhunt within moments of the fatal shooting that took place on Wednesday during a campus event at Utah Valley University, and photos of a &#8220;person of interest&#8221; in the case were released to the public on Thursday afternoon. The photos showed a male figure wearing an American flag t-shirt, sunglasses, and a hat — and authorities said they believed he&#8217;d &#8220;blended in well with a college institution&#8221; and was likely around the same age as some of those present for Kirk&#8217;s event.
The FBI offered a reward of $100,000 to anyone who could provide information that led to the shooter&#8217;s arrest.
&#8220;The shooting is believed to be a targeted attack. The shooter is believed to have fired from the roof of a building down to the location of the public event in the student courtyard,&#8221; the Utah Department of Public Safety said in a statement prior to the press conference. &#8220;Any additional clarifications cannot be provided to protect the integrity of our investigation.&#8221;

FILES-US-POLITICS-SHOOTING-KIRK

Governor Vows To Seek Death Penalty In Kirk Assassination, Calls On Public To Aid In Manhunt

FBI Seeks Help Following Charlie Kirk's Assassination

Political Violence

The hosts of ABC&#8217;s &#8220;The View&#8221; on Wednesday discussed the horrific stabbing that took place on a light-rail train in Charlotte, North Carolina, in late August, and quickly concluded that President Donald Trump was actually to blame for it.
Cohost Whoopi Goldberg kicked off the discussion by noting the seriousness of the situation. &#8220;Look, a young woman is dead,&#8221; she said before criticizing those who would bring politics into the conversation. &#8220;A man who should have been behind bars was loose and out &#8230; he was a schizophrenic man. His mother begged them to take him and put him away. So stop politicizing this! This is not political! This has to do with how we take care of our sick Americans when they are in need.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Joy Behar blames Trump and Republicans for Iryna Zaruska&#8217;s murder: 
&#8220;But that&#8217;s why it is political. That&#8217;s why it is exactly why it is a political situation because in the first 40 days of the Trump administration, this one, they terminated 128 grants from the National Institute… <a href="https://t.co/mhlkPER2QD">pic.twitter.com/mhlkPER2QD</a>
— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) <a href="https://twitter.com/NickFondacaro/status/1965800590711181647?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Cohost Joy Behar responded by immediately politicizing the tragedy, claiming, &#8220;That&#8217;s why it is exactly why it is a political situation because in the first 40 days of the Trump administration, this one, they terminated 128 grants from the National Institute of Mental Health. In May they cut $1 billion in federal grants for mental health services.&#8221;
Cohost Alyssa Farah Griffin, billed as the lone Republican on the panel despite a 2024 vote for Kamala Harris, tried to dial back the politics slightly. &#8220;I don&#8217;t think most Americans hear a tragedy and see that video footage and think is this the Democrat or Republicans fault? They think what went wrong and what could the solution be?&#8221;
She then identified bail reform as a problem, but failed to connect it to the Democratic policies that it so often accompanies.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Sara Haines calls for &#8220;something between prison and walking free that keeps everyone safe.&#8221; 
Adding: &#8220;If you refuse medical treatment and are this sort of risk you should never be out and about when the red flags were raised.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/2wEAyhEu0g">pic.twitter.com/2wEAyhEu0g</a>
— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) <a href="https://twitter.com/NickFondacaro/status/1965802000269881484?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Sara Haines made the case for a sort of halfway house, but was not clear on how to make sure the people who should be kept off the streets could be made to go there.
Saying that what was truly needed was &#8220;something between prison and walking free that keeps everyone safe,&#8221; she added, &#8220;If you refuse medical treatment and are this sort of risk you should never be out and about when the red flags were raised.&#8221;
&#8220;We need to take care of people that are mentally ill,&#8221; Sunny Hostin declared. &#8220;It is a pandemic at this point. It is a pandemic at this point.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Whoopi demands &#8220;stop trying to place blood on people&#8217;s hands&#8221; by pointing out the failing of Democratic crime politics. 
She chides Republicans for pointing fingers at Democrats because the right is really to blame: 
&#8220;Every time you blame somebody for this it makes people say,… <a href="https://t.co/hpC9l6Ubc7">pic.twitter.com/hpC9l6Ubc7</a>
— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) <a href="https://twitter.com/NickFondacaro/status/1965804342713155880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Goldberg wrapped up the conversation by once again scolding Republicans for calling out the Democratic policies that have encouraged crime in nearly every major city nationwide. Instead, she blamed Republicans: &#8220;Every time you blame somebody for this it makes people say, &#8216;well, you let it happen because you made these cuts &#8230; you got to be a help and not a hindrance!'&#8221;
The murder took place on August 22, when 14-time repeat offender Decarlos Johnson Jr. — who was reportedly aboard the train without a ticket — stood up and stabbed 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee who had been sitting quietly in front of him and looking at her phone. While she bled out in her seat, Johnson stood up and walked to the door, calmly removing his sweatshirt as her blood dripped onto the floor.
Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, after giving <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/charlotte-mayor-uses-brutal-train-murder-to-lecture-about-mental-health-resources" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lip service</a> to the victim and her family, went on a lengthy rant about the state of mental health care and resources in North Carolina. She failed to mention that Johnson had already seen 14 court cases in Mecklenburg County alone and had been released on his own recognizance at his last court appearance. She also did not mention that the Charlotte District Attorney&#8217;s Office was under-resourced, with only 85 active prosecutors and a backlog of three hundred homicide cases.

WHOOPI GOLDBERG, SARA HAINES, JOY BEHAR, SUNNY HOSTIN, ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN

‘The View’ Tries To Pin Horrific Train Murder On President Trump

'The View' Hosts Know Exactly Who's To Blame For Horrific Train Murder: TRUMP!

The View

Ten North Carolina Republican Reps., led by Rep. Tim Moore (R-NC), called on Tuesday for the removal of Magistrate Judge Teresa Stokes, who released 14-time offender Decarlos Johnson Jr. before he murdered Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska.
Moore shared a letter, signed by nine of his colleagues, in which he called on Chief Judge Roy Wiggins to begin “formal removal proceedings” against Stokes, saying that her decision to release Johnson — based solely on his written promise to return for his next court date — had been, at best, “reckless.”
“Despite his history of violent and unstable behavior, Magistrate Stokes released Brown without requiring bond or imposing any meaningful conditions to safeguard the public,” the letter read.
“This reckless decision had devastating consequences,” the letter continued, referencing Zarutska’s murder. “Ms. Zarutska’s murder was not only a profound personal tragedy but also a direct result of a failure of judicial responsibility. Magistrate Stokes displayed a willful failure to perform the duties of her office and engaged in conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice.”
Moore added a brief caption to the letter, which he posted to X: “Today, I led a letter calling for the removal of Magistrate Judge Teresa Stokes, who released a 14-time offender who went on to murder Iryna Zarutska in Charlotte. This tragedy was preventable. There must be accountability. North Carolinians deserve better.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Today, I led a letter calling for the removal of Magistrate Judge Teresa Stokes, who released a 14-time offender who went on to murder Iryna Zarutska in Charlotte.
This tragedy was preventable. There must be accountability. North Carolinians deserve better. <a href="https://t.co/yqEGa873KJ">pic.twitter.com/yqEGa873KJ</a>
— Congressman Tim Moore (@RepTimMooreNC) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepTimMooreNC/status/1965417942763688346?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Johnson, who was also reportedly struggling with mental health issues, sat behind Zarutska on a light-rail train in Charlotte — and while she sat quietly looking at her phone, he stood up and stabbed her at least once in the neck. He then walked calmly to the door, removing his sweatshirt as her blood dripped on the floor. She collapsed in her seat and bled out.

MixCollage-08-Sep-2025-02-31-PM-2293

GOP Reps Move To Oust Judge Who Freed 14-Time Offender Before Brutal Train Murder

Decarlos Brown Jr.

Iryna Zarutska

Menu