The following is an edited transcript excerpt from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1914-is-elon-musk-finally-becoming-christian?elementPosition=8&amp;row=6&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel">The Michael Knowles Show.</a>
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The Democrats have admitted what their strategy is for the midterm elections and Republicans need to pay attention because it’s a pretty scary one.
Abigail Spanberger, Virginia’s new governor, is the personification of the Democrats’ strategy for the 2026 midterm elections and for the 2028 presidential election. Spanberger ran as a “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/in-virginia-the-mask-comes-off-the-moderate-democrat?author=Jenny+Beth+Martin&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=In+Virginia%2C+The+Mask+Comes+Off+The+%E2%80%98Moderate%E2%80%99+Democrat">moderate</a>” for governor of Virginia. Now, five seconds later, she&#8217;s coming out decrying President Trump&#8217;s immigration policy as &#8220;horrifying,&#8221; saying:
<blockquote>In what we&#8217;ve seen recently, the really, I think, horrifying thing is that now, under the new administration or the Trump administration, where every cross into the United States is considered a criminal act.</blockquote>
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That is an amazing statement from a governor — of any party.
That’s not a specific policy of the Trump administration. That is a matter of federal law passed by Congress. It has been federal law for many decades now. It&#8217;s there in the meaning of the word illegal. When an illegal alien does the thing that distinguishes him as an illegal alien, that is, in fact, illegal — not just because President Trump says so, but because federal law says so.
So, when she says she is horrified by President Trump actually applying the law, she&#8217;s admitting she&#8217;s horrified by the law.
How did Spanberger get elected? She ran as a moderate.
So, are the Democrats going to moderate their policies, or are they just going to lie to get through the elections?
Here&#8217;s what Andy Beshear, governor of Kentucky, has to say:
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Media’s current ‘moderate’ darling Andy Beshear points to Spanberger’s campaign as evidence that Democrats can win running to the center.
What Andy fails to mention is that since she was elected, Spanberger has been full throttle on every far-left agenda item imaginable. <a href="https://t.co/J3k6xKC0pB">https://t.co/J3k6xKC0pB</a> <a href="https://t.co/tBg7LRdqtm">pic.twitter.com/tBg7LRdqtm</a>
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) <a href="https://twitter.com/WesternLensman/status/2023141792103981151?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 15, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Credit: @WesternLensman/X.com
<blockquote>Jake Tapper: How do you respond to a Democratic voter who might say, “I like you. I like your track record in a red state or red commonwealth, but you&#8217;re too soft-spoken?”
Gov. Beshear: “Well, first, yes, that message is working. Look at Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill, who ran great campaigns in races that should have been structurally difficult, and they both won by double digits. They are the DGA, and our candidates are winning everywhere. For me, I believe that the American people want stability, that Donald Trump is exhausting. Many Americans feel like the pendulum swung too far during the Biden administration and has swung way too far during the Trump administration, and what they want is an America where they can wake up every morning and not be worried about its future.”</blockquote>
America wants stability. In other words, moderation. 
The pendulum swung not only too far under the Trump administration, but he says probably the pendulum swung a little too far under the Biden administration. 
The Left went a little too far Left. In other words, we need moderation.
Moderation, moderation, moderation.
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1914-is-elon-musk-finally-becoming-christian?elementPosition=8&amp;row=6&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel">WATCH: The Michael Knowles Show on DailyWire+</a></h3>
Who do we look to? We look at Abigail Spanberger in Virginia. And what did Spanberger do? She ran as a moderate and then, we don&#8217;t need to speculate on what she will do — we now know what she did the minute she got into office — she pulled ICE cooperation from her state.
The minute she gets into office, she says Virginia will no longer cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. 
The minute she gets into office, she says we&#8217;re going to reduce the mandatory minimums for certain heinous, violent crimes.
The minute she gets into office, she backs a constitutional right to late-term abortion — not first-trimester abortion, which is evil in itself, but third-trimester abortion. She then doubles down on the radical LGBT agenda and supports voting rights for felons.
Abigail Spanberger, in office, is as Left as any left-wing politician in the country. The only thing that distinguishes her, the only reason Andy Beshear pointed to her, is because she lied and ran as a moderate. And that&#8217;s what they&#8217;re going to do in the midterms.
So it&#8217;s up to us — Conservatives, normal people, centrists, Republicans — to expose that lie and really push them.
For example, when they say, “Actually, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton deported more people than Donald Trump,” we say, “Oh, so you&#8217;re saying deportations are good? You want to deport more people?” They will quickly backtrack and say, “Well, I … I &#8230; I never meant …”
The contrivance that the Democrats are trying to put forward is that we&#8217;re all just kind of moderate. The goal is to sound like Andy Beshear and Abigail Spanberger on the campaign trail.
The chief strategy for Democrats heading into ’26 and then into ’28 is to hide all of it by running as moderates.

Abigail Spanberger Is Sworn In As First Female Virginia Governor

Democrats Reveal Their 2026 Strategy

2026 Midterms

2028 presidential election

abigial spanberger

Andy Beshear

Democrats

Leftists

Michael Knowles

Opinion

U.S. Politics

Virginia

The FBI believed a Virginia state senator accepted money in exchange for using his position on the Senate Judiciary Committee to seek pardons for criminals, newly unsealed documents obtained by The Daily Wire said.
Joe Morrissey is a disbarred attorney who once successfully ran for office from a jail cell, where he was serving time for having sex with an underage girl who worked as his secretary. He was pardoned by Gov. Ralph Northam (D) just before Northam left office in 2022.
The <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/27172525-joe-morrissey-affidavit/">FBI search warrant</a>, which was unsealed last month after two years had passed, alleged that Morrissey was charging money from criminals to seek pardons from Northam as well.
&#8220;Senator Morrissey offers services to inmates and defendants through his business, Premier Jury Consulting Services, LLC,” the June 2023 search warrant says. “Senator Morrissey has pamphlets for Premier Jury Consulting Services, LLC at numerous jail facilities throughout the greater Richmond area. The pamphlet has a photograph of Senator Morrissey with the caption &#8216;Senator Joe Morrissey.'&#8221;
The consulting business listed the same address as his Senate office, and advertised to potential customers that &#8220;Joe Morrissey is currently a Virginia State Senator having served in the Virginia General Assembly since 2008 when he was first elected to the House of Delegates. Senator Morrissey currently serves on the prestigious Senate Judiciary Committee.&#8221;
The pamphlet contained a list of &#8220;success stories/testimonials&#8221; from people who were &#8220;pardoned, paroled, or released early from incarceration.&#8221;
In February 2023, the Virginia State Police told the FBI it had evidence that Morrissey &#8220;accepted a $15,000 payment from the father of a Virginia inmate in exchange for getting the Virginia Governor to pardon the inmate.&#8221;
The father told the police that he knew Morrissey as an elected official, and that Morrissey told him he would get a pardon for his son from Gov. Northam in exchange for $30,000.
&#8220;Witness 1 said he was unable to pay that amount and Senator Morrissey agreed to get the Governor to pardon Inmate 1 in exchange for $15,000,&#8221; the <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/27172525-joe-morrissey-affidavit/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FBI affidavit said</a>.
The father met with Morrissey and an attorney in Morrissey&#8217;s office, and the attorney told him the son had no chance of being pardoned because he had stabbed a law enforcement officer. &#8220;Senator Morrissey met with Witness 1 privately in his office without Attorney 1. Senator Morrissey reassured Witness 1 he could get the pardon for his son and that they would listen to him because he was a State Senator,&#8221; it continued.
In October 2020, the father wrote a $15,000 check to Premier Jury Consultants, in addition to $1,500 he had already paid, receiving a receipt for &#8220;Payment of: Jury Consulting/Legal Research.&#8221;
Morrissey&#8217;s Senate aides then handled further correspondence with the father, according to emails reviewed by the FBI. The aides used a Gmail account senatorjoemorrissey@gmail.com, but signed the emails using their names and signature blocks with their titles, such as, &#8220;Legislative Assistant, Office of Senator Joseph D. Morrissey.&#8221;
On March 1, 2021, Morrissey wrote to the father, &#8220;The good news is that the [General Assembly] Session is officially over today.&#8221;
The next day, he sent a copy of a Petition for Conditional Pardon that he said he had &#8220;hand delivered to Clark Mercer, Chief of Staff to Governor Northam. Further, I spoke with Mr. Mercer today and I am going to personally sit down with him and go over your case with him.&#8221;
Later that month, Morrissey sent a letter on his Senate stationery to Mercer and Secretary of the Commonwealth Kelly Thomasson that said it was a &#8220;follow up to my recent visit to your office wherein I provided you with a Petition for Conditional Pardon.&#8221;
On May 3, 2021, he sent a letter on Senate stationery to the inmate, letting him know that on April 28, &#8220;I met with Clark Mercer, Governor Ralph Northam&#8217;s Chief of Staff regarding 12 inmates whom I whole-heartedly support the release of and you were on [sic] of them.&#8221;
The father asked how to make arrangements for the inmate to come home. In April 2022, the father noted it had been a year since the meeting, and a legislative assistant replied saying &#8220;I  spoke to [the inmate] today.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_1045173" style="width: 1732px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1045173" class="size-full wp-image-1045173" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-1258278819.jpg" alt="" width="1722" height="1149" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-1258278819.jpg 1722w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-1258278819-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-1258278819-863x576.jpg 863w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-1258278819-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-1258278819-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-1258278819-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 1722px) 100vw, 1722px" />Virginia State Sen. Joe Morrissey (D), left, poses for a photo with a supporter on May 11, 2023. (Photo by Gregory S. Schneider/The Washington Post via Getty Images)</div>
The FBI asked the court for permission to obtain data in the Gmail account from Google, saying, &#8220;It appears Senator Morrissey engaged in bribery when he corruptly solicited $30,000 from Witness 1&#8230; Official Senate correspondence refers to official acts Senator Morrissey took regarding the pardon.&#8221;
The <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.vaed.539173/gov.uscourts.vaed.539173.3.0_1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">search warrant</a> was granted, but Morrissey was never charged. The allegations have not previously been reported. Morrissey did not return a request for comment from The Daily Wire.
The affidavit does not say that Northam agreed to grant any pardons sought by Morrissey. Northam pardoned more than 1,200 people–including, in January 2022, Morrissey himself on his conviction for <a href="https://www.wtvr.com/news/local-news/northam-pardons-morrissey" target="_blank" rel="noopener">contributing to the delinquency</a> of a minor.
Prosecutors had accused Morrissey of having sex with a 17-year-old receptionist at his law firm in 2013 and of possessing child pornography — a photo of the girl he shared with a friend. Morrissey denied the relationship, but when she turned 18, the girl was pregnant, and Morrissey married her.
Morrissey took a plea deal that downgraded the charges to a misdemeanor and was sentenced to six months in jail. The judge allowed him out during the day to run for office for the House of Delegates while returning to his jail cell at night, and in January 2015, he was in jail when he learned that he had won re-election.
He was nonetheless <a href="https://www.nbcwashington.com/local/dc-wtop-former-del-morrissey-accused-of-presenting-knowingly-false-defense/115798/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">disbarred</a> as a lawyer for a &#8220;fraud perpetrated on the court&#8221; by claiming the photo had been placed on his phone by a hacker.
Morrissey later received a promotion to the state Senate, where he occupied an influential role due to his Joe Manchin-like role as a centrist Democrat in a narrowly-divided chamber.
In the end, it was that centrism–not his sexual abuse of a minor–that crossed the line for Democrats. He was defeated in the June 2023 primary by a black female who criticized Morrissey&#8217;s opposition to abortion.
Around that time, his wife filed for <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/richmond/2023/01/18/joe-morrissey-myrna-public-divorce" target="_blank" rel="noopener">divorce</a>, saying he had sex with her while she was a minor and cheated on her repeatedly.
In the early 1990s, Morrissey served as Richmond&#8217;s prosecutor, during which time he spent five days in jail for <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/after-indictment-morrissey-again-fighting-for-his-political-life/2014/07/05/269294f4-02b7-11e4-b8ff-89afd3fad6bd_story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">punching</a> a defense attorney. He was indicted on bribery charges in 1993, but acquitted.
Virginia&#8217;s burgeoning reputation for rough-and-tumble politics has been on display as Democrats proposed amending the state&#8217;s constitution to gerrymander the state to include 10 Democrat and one Republican districts. They plan to put it on the ballot with <a href="https://www.elections.virginia.gov/election-law/proposed-amendment-for-april-2026-special-election/">biased language</a> that asks: &#8220;Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended to allow the General Assembly to temporarily adopt new congressional districts to restore fairness in the upcoming elections?&#8221;
&nbsp;

Richmond mayoral candidate Joe Morrissey is a controversial figure who has been in the news for his politics as well as personal problems including a sex scandal involving his now-wife.

FBI Probe Into Scandal-Plagued Democrat Uncovers Explosive Allegations

A Maryland man is facing attempted murder charges after authorities say he attempted to kill Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought at his home in Northern Virginia.
Arlington County Police arrested Colin Demarco, 26, on January 22. Demarco said that he feared a “fascist takeover” of the country under the Trump administration and that he was writing a manifesto and instructions on topics such as “Body Disposal Guide,” according to court documents reviewed by <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/maryland-man-russell-vought-attempted-murder-charges/">CBS News</a>.
Charging documents say that Demarco planned to kill someone with the initials “R.V.” who “has served as a presidential appointee.” A source familiar with the case later confirmed to CBS News that Vought was the intended target.
“We are grateful for the work of law enforcement in keeping Director Vought and his family safe,” the Office of Management and Budget said in a statement.
Demarco visited Vought’s home last year. He was caught on the director’s Ring doorbell camera on August 10, according to <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/maryland-man-facing-attempted-murder-charges-showing-omb-director-russ-rcna257693">NBC News</a>.
Demarco has been charged with attempted murder, carrying a firearm without a permit, and unlawfully wearing a mask.
The alleged attack on Vought comes amid a series of high-profile politically motivated attacks in recent years. On January 27, a man rushed Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar as she was speaking at a town hall and sprayed her with apple cider vinegar. Prosecutors later <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/doj-charges-man-in-apple-cider-vinegar-attack-on-ilhan-omar">charged</a> Anthony Kazmierczak with a single count alleging he “forcibly assaulted, opposed, impeded, intimidated and interfered” with the congresswoman.
In September, Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was fatally shot during a college campus event in Utah. Some of the bullet casings from the murder weapon were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ammunition-from-charlie-kirk-assassination-was-engraved-with-transgender-and-anti-fascist-ideology">inscribed</a> with politically-tinged messages, such as “Hey Fascist! Catch” and lyrics from the Italian anti-fascist anthem “Bella Ciao.”
President Donald Trump narrowly survived two assassination attempts during the 2024 campaign. During an attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, a bullet grazed the president’s ear. The shots meant for Trump killed one person in the audience, former fire chief Corey Comperatore.
Vought is the architect of key parts of Trump’s deregulatory and cost-cutting agenda. One of his key successes was designing Schedule F, a new classification that eases the process of reducing the size of the federal workforce.
The OMB director has been the target of numerous death threats and now has a security detail from the U.S. Marshals Service, according to CBS.

Russell Vought

Maryland Man Attempted To Murder A Top Trump Budget Official, Prosecutors Say

Crime

Maryland

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

U.S.

The Democratic effort to redraw Virginia’s congressional map is unraveling beneath the weight of internal party infighting, as leaders in Richmond miss their own deadlines and spar over which factions and politicians stand to benefit.
A disagreement between Democrats in the Virginia Senate and House of Delegates has stalled plans to release a new congressional map, despite both chambers agreeing in principle on an aggressively gerrymandered split that awards 10 seats to Democrats and only one to Republicans. Party leaders passed a self-imposed January 30 deadline to unveil a proposal, and a scheduled negotiating session this week was abruptly canceled.
The breakdown comes as Democrats insist that redistricting remains urgent following a judge’s order to block the effort. Party leaders have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/virginia-democrats-ask-court-to-reverse-ban-on-redistricting-plan?author=Drew+Berkemeyer&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=7&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Virginia+Democrats+Ask+Court+To+Reverse+Ban+On+Redistricting+Plan">publicly vowed</a> to fight the ruling, but behind the scenes, lawmakers appear divided over who gets what turf. At the center of the dispute is which side of the party stands to gain from the new map proposal.
House of Delegates Democrats favor a proposal drafted by the National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NDRC) that targets four Republican-held seats and creates a new district anchored in Northern Virginia. Senate Democrats, however, have balked at that plan, arguing the new seat appears designed to favor a specific House member with close ties to leadership.
The Senate’s alternative map would carve out new Democratic-leaning districts in Loudoun County and the Richmond area, a move critics say would conveniently position two sitting state senators for congressional runs. That proposal also risks forcing top Democratic recruits into the same district, creating a costly and avoidable primary fight.
Virginia is a key battleground in the Democrats’ push to retake the U.S. House, with national party leaders eyeing a three-to-four-seat pickup through redistricting alone. But Democrats hold only a razor-thin majority in the state Senate, meaning a single defection could sink any proposal.
Republicans have been quick to note that the Democratic redistricting push is driven by self-interest rather than necessity. The Republican Party of Virginia accused Democrats of missing their own deadline and devolving into internal squabbles over who gets to run in the districts they are trying to redraw.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
MORE PROOF that Democrats’ gerrymandering power grab is just about selfish ambition and nothing more.
They said we’d see the maps by Jan. 30. Nearly a week later and guess what &#8211; NO MAPS!
Now we have confirmed that the very people looking to blow up our maps and give themselves… <a href="https://t.co/3duj8VSv99">pic.twitter.com/3duj8VSv99</a>
— Virginia GOP (@VA_GOP) <a href="https://twitter.com/VA_GOP/status/2018692379562426566?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Virginia House Speaker Don Scott (D-VA) has remained in contact with U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) throughout the process, while Virginia Senate leaders have separately expressed deep concerns about the NDRC-backed map. For now, both chambers say they’re working toward a compromise, though no new deadline for a plan has been announced.
For a party arguing that redistricting is both urgent and necessary, the continued lack of a unified proposal raises questions about whether Democrats can translate that urgency into action. With competing maps, missed deadlines, and unresolved disputes between the House and Senate, the process appears increasingly shaped by internal dynamics rather than a shared strategy, complicating efforts to reshape the map as midterm deadlines tighten.

Richmond Virginia State Capitol

Virginia Democrats Feud With Each Other Over Redistricting Plans

Virginia Democrats Fight Over Gerrymandering Spoils

gerrymandering

Redistricting

Virginia Democrats

WASHINGTON—The War Department is monitoring efforts by Virginia Democrats to potentially cripple the Virginia Military Institute, The Daily Wire can first report.
Cadets at VMI, the nation&#8217;s first state-sponsored and supported military college, have grown increasingly anxious about the fate of their institution since Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger entered office and <a href="https://virginiabusiness.com/spanberger-names-27-new-university-board-members/">appointed</a> former Democratic Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam to VMI&#8217;s Board of Visitors.
Northam <a href="https://www.schev.edu/Home/Components/News/News/154/">had ordered an audit</a> into alleged racism and sexism at VMI in 2021, amid the Democrat-led wave of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion measures in universities across the nation — measures supported by then-President Joe Biden and his administration.
Now, Virginia Democrats suggest that the military institution is still rife with racism, sexism, and cultural barriers. They proposed two measures taking aim at the school: their proposed House Bill 1377 establishes a task force evaluating whether VMI should still be funded by the state, and House Bill 1374 would end VMI&#8217;s Board of Visitors and give the state full oversight of the institution.
Revoking VMI&#8217;s state funding would likely lead to the school&#8217;s demise.
Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell told The Daily Wire on Tuesday that the War Department &#8220;reserves the right to take extraordinary measures to protect the integrity of VMI.&#8221;
&#8220;Our commitment to the cadets and midshipmen currently training there remains steadfast,&#8221; he said.
Some state representatives who support the measures, like Democrat Michael Feggans of Virginia Beach, point to VMI&#8217;s roots in the Civil War, arguing that the institution has buildings on campus named for Confederate military figures.
“For VMI to flourish into the future, it must be allowed to move unfettered by the ghosts of the past, ghosts rooted in efforts to keep this country divided,&#8221; Feggans <a href="https://www.progress-index.com/story/news/local/2026/02/02/parade-of-speakers-ask-house-panel-to-block-vsu-taking-over-vmi/88476161007/">said during a Monday subcommittee meeting</a> on the matter.
Democrat state Rep. Dan Helmer of Fairfax, frustrated that VMI did not renew the contract of VMI&#8217;s first black superintendent, <a href="https://virginiamercury.com/2026/01/27/bills-targeting-vmi-governance-gain-traction-in-general-assembly/">told one local outlet</a>: &#8220;For those of us, like me, who care deeply about service and care deeply about producing leaders of character, we need to ensure that VMI has turned the page.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_1037751" style="width: 875px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/?attachment_id=1037751" rel="attachment wp-att-1037751"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1037751" class="wp-image-1037751 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2256250118-865x576.jpg" alt="" width="865" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2256250118-865x576.jpg 865w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2256250118-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2256250118-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2256250118.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 865px) 100vw, 865px" /></a>Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger watches the Corps. of Cadets from the Virginia Military Institute (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)</div>
Parnell shared with The Daily Wire on Tuesday that the Pentagon is specifically monitoring Virginia House Bill 1374 &#8220;with significant concern.&#8221;
&#8220;For generations, the unique military environment at VMI has made the institute a vital source of commissioned officers for the Armed Forces,&#8221; he said. &#8220;The stability of this proven leadership pipeline is a matter of direct national security interest and any action that could disrupt the ecosystem requires our full attention.&#8221;
Emphasizing the Trump administration&#8217;s commitment to the cadets and midshipmen training at VMI, Parnell promised that the War Department has the right to take the &#8220;extraordinary measures&#8221; to protect the institution.
&#8220;We urge the Virginia General Assembly to consider the broader implications of this bill on military readiness, as well as the federal government&#8217;s long-standing investment in this critical institution,&#8221; he said.
Parnell&#8217;s words will come as a relief to cadets and their families who have watched the developments of the last few weeks with concern.
Michael Ferrara, a VMI student, told Fox News in late January that he chose the school because he wanted to serve his country. He and his fellow cadets are proud of the long legacy of accomplished fighters that have emerged from VMI: &#8220;We&#8217;ve had approximately 300 generals and flag officers coming from the Virginia Military Institute. We&#8217;ve had seven Medal of Honor recipients, 11 Rhodes Scholars, one Nobel Prize winner.&#8221;
Ferrara and his roommate, Devin Auzenne, brushed aside allegations that VMI is not inclusive enough.
&#8220;My two roommates, they look nothing like me, come from completely different places, worship different gods,&#8221; said Auzenne. &#8220;My roommates &#8230; these are the people who I can call my brothers, my family, my friends, and anytime I ever need them, they&#8217;ll always be here for me. I can say VMI is the most inclusive environment that I have ever been a part of.&#8221;

DOD Secretary Hegseth And Chairman Of The Joint Chiefs Caine Brief On Iran Strike

Trump Admin Says It Will Fight Virginia Dems To Save Historic Military College

abigail spanberger

Department of War

Pete Hegseth

Abigail Spanberger’s inauguration as the Old Dominion’s 75th governor on January 17 and the subsequent unveiling of her legislative agenda shared by her Democrat colleagues in the legislature have once again proven a very important point: You cannot take Democrats at their word when they claim to be moderate. Once they win, they will drop the mask.
During last year’s campaign for governor, Virginians were told again and again that Spanberger was a <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-political-scene/abigail-spanberger-thinks-that-democrats-need-to-listen-more?utm_source=chatgpt.com">moderate</a>, a <a href="https://www.thetimes.com/us/american-politics/article/the-new-democrat-divide-socialist-mamdani-v-security-moms-kn38qjgfk?utm_source=chatgpt.com">pragmatist</a>, a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/democrats-spanberger-sherrill-virginia-new-jersey-trump-5869ac164d05f00f4ca07d7919e3960b">bipartisan problem-solver</a> who would govern from the center and resist the ideological excesses of today’s Democrat Party.
The New Yorker ran <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-political-scene/abigail-spanberger-thinks-that-democrats-need-to-listen-more?utm_source=chatgpt.com">an article</a> just two days before election day titled: 
<blockquote>Abigail Spanberger Thinks That Democrats Need to Listen More: The front-runner for Virginia governor has long made the case for moderation.</blockquote>
In an interview with The Times of London, a liberal pundit <a href="https://www.thetimes.com/us/american-politics/article/the-new-democrat-divide-socialist-mamdani-v-security-moms-kn38qjgfk?utm_source=chatgpt.com">said this</a> about Spanberger:
<blockquote>“The last word you would use [about] Spanberger is populist,” says Colin Mortimer, founder and director of the Centre for New Liberalism. “She is a pragmatic, grounded, moderate Democrat who is hyper-focused on delivering results for Virginia.</blockquote>
Voters were assured that campaign slogans about “working across the aisle” and choosing “<a href="https://www.facebook.com/reel/791441170380360">pragmatism over partisanship</a>” meant something real, as Spanberger herself emphasized on the campaign trail and on election night.
Now that the election is over and governing has begun, Virginians can see the truth clearly: Spanberger’s promises of moderation should be thrown into the trash, where they belong.
The <a href="https://x.com/greg_price11/status/2013350008733487510">legislative agenda</a> now being advanced by <a href="https://vahousedems.org/2025/11/17/virginia-house-democratic-caucus-announce-first-bills-and-legislation-for-2026-session/">Democrats in the General Assembly</a> is not by any means a moderate agenda. It is not a centrist agenda. It is not a pragmatic agenda. It is a radical leftist agenda, clearly aligned with priorities laid out by Democrat leadership in Richmond.
<div id="attachment_1037217" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1037217" class="size-large wp-image-1037217" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2256776000-864x576.jpg" alt="RICHMOND, VIRGINIA - JANUARY 17: Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger speaks after being sworn into office at the Virginia State Capitol January 17, 2026 in Richmond, Virginia. Spanberger is the first woman elected to the Commonwealth of Virginia’s highest office. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2256776000-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2256776000-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2256776000-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2256776000.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Win McNamee/Getty Images</div>
Even though outgoing governor, Republican Glenn Youngkin, left the new governor with a <a href="https://wydaily.com/latest/2025/07/31/virginia-closes-budget-year-with-a-nearly-2-7b-surplus/">$2.7 billion budget surplus</a>, Virginia’s Democrats want new and higher taxes on income, investments, landscaping equipment, food deliveries, and hotel stays.
Spanberger’s <a href="https://www.governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/news-releases/2026/january-releases/name-1111414-en.html">agenda</a> also includes new restrictions on free speech near abortion clinics, taxpayer-funded education for illegal aliens, eliminating mandatory minimum sentences, lowering the criminal penalties for robbery, and potentially eliminating Virginia’s right-to-work protections.
Spanberger also wants to change the way elections are administered in Virginia. She wants to <a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/session-details/20261/committee-information/S08/dockets/20933">extend</a> the time absentee ballots can be received and counted after Election Day, extend the deadline for ballot curing, ban the hand counting of machine-readable paper ballots, allow people to cast votes electronically, and <a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB965">add Virginia</a> to the National Popular Vote Compact, which destroys the Founders’ vision for the Electoral College.
This is not a bait-and-switch in theory; it is bait-and-switch in practice.
That should not surprise anyone who has been paying attention to how modern Democrats govern. It should matter to voters, however, who were explicitly told that this governor would be different.
The agenda now being pushed through the General Assembly reflects the same ideological commitments we have seen from Democrats nationwide: more government, more mandates, more power centralized in Richmond, and less deference to parents, taxpayers, and local communities. It reflects a belief that government knows best, and that, once the election is over, dissenting voices should be ignored.
This is the fundamental problem with the “moderate Democrat” brand. It exists entirely as a campaign tactic. Once power is secured, the mask comes off, the talking points fade, and the base demands results. And when the leftist base of today’s Democrat Party demands results, it demands policies that are anything but moderate – a reality <a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/5694763-progressive-populism-democratic-party/">even acknowledged by</a> some of the Democrat Party’s best strategic thinkers.
Virginia voters were told they were electing a governor who would check the excesses of her party. Instead, they are watching a governor who appears ready to sign off on those excesses.
To be clear, this is not about one bill or one issue. It is about an overall governing philosophy. Taken as a whole, the legislative package being rapidly advanced by Democrats in Richmond represents a sharp turn to the radical Left – on spending, on regulation, on social policy, and on the role of government in everyday life.
This is not what Virginians were promised.
Elections have consequences, and governors are entitled to advance their priorities. But voters are also entitled to honesty. If a candidate intends to govern as a reliable partner of radical leftist lawmakers, voters deserve to know that before Election Day, not the morning after the inaugural ball.
We should all take note and remember that when it comes to Democrat governance, moderation is just a campaign costume, discarded the moment the votes are counted.
* * *
Jenny Beth Martin is Honorary Chairman of Tea Party Patriots Action and host of <a href="https://jennybethshow.com/">The Jenny Beth Show</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

In Virginia, The Mask Comes Off The ‘Moderate’ Democrat

In Virginia, The Mask Comes Off The 'Moderate' Democrat

Elections

Glenn Youngkin

governor

Liberals

Taxes

Voters

Redistricting efforts by Virginia Democrats hit a serious snag on Tuesday when Tazewell County Circuit Court Judge Jack Hurley ruled against a proposed constitutional amendment the Democratic-majority General Assembly approved last year.
The amendment — initially set to make its way to voters in April — would have redrawn the congressional map in the commonwealth to favor Democrats more heavily ahead of the 2026 election if Virginians passed it.
Hurley&#8217;s ruling argued, in part, that Democratic lawmakers &#8220;failed to comply with a state law requiring proposed constitutional amendments to be publicly posted and published ahead of the next election,&#8221; <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/virginia-judge-voids-redistricting-push-rules-lawmakers-overstepped-authority">according</a> to Fox News.
“Therefore, the Court FINDS that following the October 31, 2025 vote and passage of House Joint Resolution 6007 there HAS NOT BEEN an ensuing general election of the House of Delegates, and such ensuing general election CANNOT occur until 2027,” the ruling stated.
“Thus, the action of the General Assembly during its Regular Session 2026 CANNOT meet the second passage required of Article XII, Section 1 of the Virginia Constitution, which second passage must occur before the same can be submitted to the voters of Virginia for adoption,” Hurley&#8217;s ruling added.
Democrats in the General Assembly vow to continue the redistricting battle, as several other states, including Texas and California, have made mid-decade redistricting moves.
“We always knew this would be a fight— because this has never been about what’s easy. It’s about what’s right: leveling the playing field and protecting the right to vote,” House of Delegates Speaker Don Scott posted to X. “Today’s ruling won’t deter us. Republicans who can’t win at the ballot box are abusing the courts to sow confusion and block Virginians from voting. We will appeal immediately, and we expect to prevail. Voters—not politicians—will have the final say.”
A statement from Democratic leadership, including Senate President Pro Tempore Louise Lucas, also accused Republicans of “court-shopping,” as the ruling came from deeply Republican Tazewell County, according to <a href="https://x.com/TylerEnglander/status/2016264172095361324?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC 8 News</a>.
Republicans applauded the ruling, with some arguing that maps would limit representation for people in rural parts of the state.
“Today’s court ruling is a major win for fair representation for rural Virginians,” Delegate Tony Wilt posted to social media. “The Circuit Court found Democrats’ attempt to revive partisan gerrymandering wasn’t lawfully passed on multiple counts. This is an important step in stopping a partisan power grab.”
The race for the House of Representatives will likely continue to intensify nationwide in both the courts and on the campaign trail, as Republicans currently hold a narrow 218-213 majority, with four seats currently empty. Currently, the <a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/ratings/house-race-ratings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cook Political Report</a> has three Virginia seats it considers to be more competitive — the First Congressional District is rated &#8220;Lean Republican,&#8221; the Second Congressional District is rated a &#8220;toss-up,&#8221; and the Seventh District is rated &#8220;Lean Democrat.&#8221;

Top three Virginia Democrats embroiled in scandal

Virginia Court Rejects Redistricting Push By Democrats As 2026 Election Draws Closer

Congress

House of Representatives

Virginia Democrats have introduced legislation that would significantly raise income and investment taxes, putting the Commonwealth on track to become the highest-taxed state in the nation. These proposals, which include new top tax brackets and higher levies on investment income, would push Virginia’s effective income tax rate above California’s.
Democrats introduced the legislation shortly after consolidating power in Richmond, creating higher income tax brackets and expanding taxes on capital gains and other investment income. If lawmakers enact the bills, the changes would raise Virginia’s top effective income tax rate to roughly 13.8%, surpassing all other states.
Lawmakers backing the measures argue the tax hikes are necessary to fund public priorities and stabilize state finances. Virginia Delegate Kelly Convirs-Fowler (D-VA) said the proposals would require “millionaires [to] pay their fair share of taxes,” arguing the revenue would help “buffer” Virginians from broader economic pressures. Left-wing policy group The Commonwealth Institute, one of the many groups behind this proposed plan, said a “Fair Share tax” could raise more than $1 billion annually for education, housing, and other public services.
Democrats have positioned the tax proposals as part of a broader affordability agenda. Governor Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) has said her administration will prioritize lowering health care, housing, and energy costs. She campaigned on what she called an agenda to build a more “Affordable Virginia.”
Throughout her campaign, Spanberger emphasized cost relief as a central theme. Her campaign promised that an “Affordable Virginia Plan will lower costs, save Virginians money, and make it easier for people who work hard to get ahead.” She later pledged that her administration would “lower health care, energy, and housing costs in 2026.”
But critics argue the tax increases directly undermine those affordability promises.
Virginia Republicans remain skeptical of these promises, with State House Minority Leader Terry Kilgore (R-VA) pointing to the tax proposals as the leading edge of what he calls a slate of “bad bills.&#8221; The Republican Party of Virginia released an official statement saying, “Spanberger’s economic agenda would take Virginia down the same failed path as California and New York.&#8221;
The criticism quickly extended beyond Richmond. Conservative policy groups and Republican-aligned organizations warned the proposals would put Virginia at a competitive disadvantage nationally. “It’s always a bad time to raise taxes, but it would be particularly foolish for Governor Spanberger and the Democrats who now control Richmond to do so at this time of heightened state tax competition,” said Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform.
Other conservative groups echoed that warning. The Congressional Leadership Fund (CLF), a major fundraising organization aligned with House Republicans, said the proposed tax increases would raise costs statewide, discourage investment, and drive jobs and capital out of Virginia. “It’s about to get very, very expensive to live, work, and raise a family in Virginia,” the organization said.
The CLF also accused Democrats of moving quickly to raise taxes after campaigning on affordability, noting that “within 48 hours of taking power in Richmond, Virginia Democrats have introduced legislation creating new sales and retail taxes.” The group added that “Democrats campaign on affordability, but the minute they’re given power they rob hardworking families of their paycheck in the form of higher and new taxes.”
Although lawmakers have not officially adopted the plan, Democrats’ 64-36 control of the House of Delegates and 21-19 majority in the Senate make passage likely.
Still, as Democrats defend the tax hikes as a “fair share” contribution to fund affordability initiatives, the measures risk turning Virginia into a tax-hiking outlier and a liability for Democrats in the 2026 midterms, as voters increasingly see higher taxes as the party’s solution to affordability concerns.

After Running On Affordability, Virginia Dems Push For Nation’s Highest Income Tax

Economy

Politics

At least 14 states have declared a state of emergency as they brace for snow, record cold, and potentially crippling ice from a winter storm that will stretch from New Mexico to Maine.
Around 172 million people are in the storm&#8217;s path this weekend, with the ice being the biggest threat. Up to an inch of ice is possible in some spots in the Southeast, which is enough to down trees and power lines, potentially knocking out power for days. Some cities, such as New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C., could see up to a foot or more of snow, while Minneapolis and Chicago face extreme cold. A polar vortex is expected to bring in frigid Arctic air to around 35 states following the major storm.
States that have declared a state of emergency ahead of the storm include Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is also preparing to respond to the storm, setting up staging areas in multiple locations, ABC News <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/live-updates/winter-storm-live-updates-tracking-dangerous-ice-snow/?id=129469173">reported</a>. In Louisiana, FEMA is preparing 250,000 meals, 400,000 liters of water, and 30 generators at Camp Minden near Shreveport.
Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders <a href="https://x.com/arkansasguard/status/2014734071088206232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2014734071088206232%7Ctwgr%5E8379399732f31524804ffc98aa29501a8f40a1f5%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fiframe.nbcnews.com%2FvDYMbArB%3F_showcaption%3Dfalseapp%3D1">ordered</a> 168 National Guard troops to active duty on Friday to support state police &#8220;until weather conditions improve.&#8221;
&#8220;Winter weather is headed our way as early as this evening. Stock up on essentials now, stay inside, and follow local and state guidance,&#8221; Sanders said on Friday morning.
In the South, where ice remains the biggest risk, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency <a href="https://x.com/TennesseeEMA/status/2014660446154821724">urged</a> residents to finalize their plans &#8220;and get home or to a safe place&#8221; by Friday night. In Texas, officials have warned residents to prepare for a &#8220;long-duration freeze&#8221; that will likely affect the state Saturday night through Monday night. Public buses and light rail trains will be completely shut down on Saturday afternoon in Austin, where the city&#8217;s mayor urged residents to stay indoors.
&#8220;Travel will become difficult, especially on bridges, overpasses, and untreated roadways,&#8221; <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/weather/winter-weather/live-blog/winter-storm-snow-ice-weather-cold-live-updates-rcna255524/rcrd97174?canonicalCard=true">said</a> National Weather Service meteorologist Jason Runyon.
The storm will <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/weather/winter-weather/live-blog/winter-storm-snow-ice-weather-cold-live-updates-rcna255524/rcrd97153?canonicalCard=true">move</a> across Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas on Friday night before ice and snow are expected to reach the Carolinas and Virginia by Saturday and into Sunday. The National Weather Service warned that heavy snow can also &#8220;bring multi-day Power Outages, block emergency routes, and cause Communication Loss from downed lines.&#8221; Cold temperatures are expected to persist throughout the first half of next week, potentially prolonging power outages and travel difficulties in many states that are ill-equipped to clear roads.

Winter Storm

Over A Dozen States Declare Emergencies As Americans Brace For Massive Winter Storm

Over A Dozen States Declare Emergencies As Americans Brace For Massive Winter Storm, Frigid Temps

Arkansas

New York

North Carolina

South Carolina

Tennessee

Texas

Winter storm

If you need a preview of what the country will look like if Democrats ever take back control of the federal government, let&#8217;s review the events that have taken place in Virginia over the past few days — a state now led by a CIA officer and sociopath named Abigail Spanberger.
Since taking complete control of the state, Democrats have raced to eliminate penalties for a series of crimes, from illegal migration to robbery to DUI, for the benefit of the non-white population that commits most of them. In fact, DUIs will no longer carry mandatory prison time in the state, and Spanberger has issued an executive order ending police cooperation with ICE. So that&#8217;s a real win-win for Virginia&#8217;s illegal alien community. 
Democrats have also moved to formalize anti-white discrimination in government contracting. They&#8217;re planning to raise taxes on basically everything — including sports facilities, dry cleaning, landscaping, home repairs, and digital services. They&#8217;re adding a new 20-cent tax to every single Amazon delivery and installing surveillance cameras across the state to generate more revenue by fining motorists. They&#8217;re also dramatically raising income taxes on wealthy individuals, who are mostly white, in order to fund free education for illegal aliens. They&#8217;ve commenced a new &#8220;Home-based Child Care Provider Start-Up Grants&#8221; program, so that more taxpayer money can be funneled to their own Somali &#8220;lear-ing centers.&#8221; They took one look at Minneapolis and decided, &#8220;We want that in our state.&#8221; 
Here&#8217;s a quote from just <a href="https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1082201.PDF">one of the bills</a> that Virginia Democrats have just introduced, to give you an idea.
<blockquote>The Small SWaM Business Procurement Enhancement Program (the Program) is hereby established to facilitate the participation of small SWaM businesses in state procurement. The goal of the Program shall be the achievement of a 42 percent small SWaM business utilization rate.</blockquote>
The bill continues:
<blockquote>The Program shall include a small SWaM business set-aside for the purchase of goods, services, and construction by executive branch agencies and covered institutions. Purchases up to $100,000 shall be set aside for award to small SWaM businesses.</blockquote>
You might be wondering, what&#8217;s a &#8220;SWaM?&#8221; And what&#8217;s a &#8220;Small SWaM?&#8221; Well, if you go back and look at the definitions, here&#8217;s what the bill tells you.
&#8216;Small SWaM business&#8217; means a small business &#8220;certified by the Department as being small, any subcategory of small, small women-owned, small minority-owned, or small service disabled veteran-owned.&#8221; 
Meanwhile, &#8220;SWaM means small, women-owned, or minority-owned or related to a small, women-owned, or minority-owned business.&#8221;
So this is one of those cases where they&#8217;ve clearly messed up the acronym. They&#8217;re talking about &#8220;Small Small minority owned businesses.&#8221; That&#8217;s what a &#8220;Small SWAM&#8221; is, if you spell it out. It&#8217;s not merely a &#8220;small minority-owned business.&#8221; It&#8217;s a &#8220;small small business,&#8221; whatever that means. No one ever accused Marxists of being intelligent.
But the intent of the bill is clear: The state of Virginia wants more taxpayer money to flow to minorities — not because those minorities are the best candidates, but because they&#8217;re not white. If you&#8217;re a white guy who runs a large business, then you&#8217;re going to be shut out of contracts under $100,000. A &#8220;minority owned&#8221; business will take that contract from you — unless, of course, you want to hire them as a &#8220;subcontractor.&#8221; If you pay the racial equity fee, you can get the job.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1721-democrats-are-doubling-down-on-their-anti-white-agenda-here-s-the-proof?elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowHeadline=Recent+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-976065" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Matt-watch-now-1-1024x171.jpg" alt="DailyWire+" width="1024" height="171" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Matt-watch-now-1-1024x171.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Matt-watch-now-1-300x50.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Matt-watch-now-1-768x128.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Matt-watch-now-1-1536x256.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Matt-watch-now-1.jpg 1800w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
These are policies that, as contractors already know, are the norm in many cases. It&#8217;s already standard in federal contracting, thanks to the Civil Rights era. And now Virginia wants to drastically expand this kind of discrimination.
It&#8217;s obviously bad policy that&#8217;s eventually going to lead to some very obvious, potentially catastrophic outcomes. And therefore, just to make sure they never lose power again, Virginia Democrats have also introduced legislation that would make it illegal to count machine-readable ballots by hand, as well as legislation that makes it much easier to obtain and submit absentee ballots without identifying yourself, along with legislation that allows people who are &#8220;incapacitated&#8221; — to the point that they need a conservatorship — to cast ballots. In other words, they&#8217;re enabling voter fraud on a massive scale. There are dozens more bills like this. The account &#8220;NOVA Campaigns&#8221; has cataloged many of them.
If you lived in Virginia as recently as 2018 or so, all of this would&#8217;ve seemed hard to imagine. Democrats in the state were considered to be relatively moderate, all things considered. They certainly weren&#8217;t anywhere near as far-Left as, say, California. But that changed when every moderate in the Virginia state house was primaried in 2019, and in the state senate a few years later. The party is now under the complete control of California Marxists. And now that they&#8217;ve assumed power, they aren&#8217;t wasting any time transforming the entire state.
Leftists continue to destroy the American entertainment industry with terrible writing and communist messaging, as we recently covered, pushing DEI and so on. But at the same time, no one takes these shows seriously anymore. They&#8217;ve become parodies of themselves. Look all over the internet, and you won&#8217;t find a single serious video praising the new &#8220;Star Trek&#8221; show, for example. All of the comments on the show&#8217;s YouTube premiere are negative, and very few people watched it. And that&#8217;s one of many, many indicators that wokeness, to a large degree, has peaked. Axios just asked two dozen prominent Democrats whether men can become women, and virtually all of them ducked the question. The party is moving away from the fringe, deranged messaging that cost them the last election.
But in turn, they&#8217;re replacing wokeness with something much more deeply rooted, more insidious, and potentially much more harmful. And the state of Virginia is Exhibit A for what they&#8217;re planning. Democrats have decided to go all-in on anti-white hatred, which every institution in this country has deliberately fostered for at least 60 years. It&#8217;s not going away any time soon. As the Left moves away from transgenderism and some of the other excesses of the LGBT movement, they will double and triple down on the racial narrative. That narrative has proven far more enduring and far more effective.
And we know this is a much broader, party-wide strategy based on how top Democrats are talking now. Michelle Obama, for instance, just stated that buying clothes from white designers and white-owned companies is wrong.
You need to start practicing wardrobe equity, apparently.
Watch:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Michelle Obama says she is mindful to try to avoid white-owned brands and others also should be <a href="https://t.co/5MqY5gaxUv">pic.twitter.com/5MqY5gaxUv</a>
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) <a href="https://twitter.com/EndWokeness/status/2013356579802767412?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Credit: @EndWokeness/X.com
The women all nod, as if it&#8217;s a completely normal thing to say. You&#8217;re not allowed to avoid &#8220;black-owned&#8221; businesses. If you&#8217;re an Uber driver and you try to avoid high-crime areas because you don&#8217;t want to get carjacked and shot, your account will be suspended for racism. But if any other race wants to openly discriminate against whites, the Democrat Party will support them, wholeheartedly.
Yes, Democrats have been talking like this for a very long time. But unlike traditional wokeness, they&#8217;re doubling down on the rhetoric. Everywhere they seize power, they&#8217;re implementing an anti-white platform.
That&#8217;s why Zohran Mamdani just appointed Afua Atta-Mensah to be the chief equity officer of New York City. The New York Young Republicans&#8217; club has found several posts in which this woman openly attacks white people, which of course, is the entire reason Mamdani hired her.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-1031487 aligncenter" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/G_Czx5MWQAAapRi.jpeg" alt="" width="680" height="272" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/G_Czx5MWQAAapRi.jpeg 680w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/G_Czx5MWQAAapRi-300x120.jpeg 300w" sizes=" (max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /></div>
Credit: @AfuaAttaMensah/X.com
In this post, for example, someone posted his thoughts on the television show &#8220;Succession.&#8221; And Mamdani&#8217;s new equity director responds by saying, &#8220;Tax them to the white meat.&#8221; Yes, &#8220;tax them to the white meat.&#8221;
This woman also frequently talks about her &#8220;comrades,&#8221; and how they&#8217;re going to dismantle white supremacy and so on.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-1031485 aligncenter" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/now-deleted-tweets-mayor-zohran-119176979.webp" alt="" width="1024" height="368" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/now-deleted-tweets-mayor-zohran-119176979.webp 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/now-deleted-tweets-mayor-zohran-119176979-300x108.webp 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/now-deleted-tweets-mayor-zohran-119176979-768x276.webp 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
Credit: @AfuaAttaMensah/X.com
She also reposted and endorsed a message stating, “There’s NO moderate way to black liberation.”
And guess what? None of this is scandalous in the Mamdani administration, because they all think this way. That&#8217;s why his platform called for raising taxes on &#8220;richer and whiter neighborhoods.” And as Cea Weaver, Mamdani&#8217;s Director of Tenants, put it, they&#8217;re going to &#8220;impoverish the white middle class.&#8221; They&#8217;re going to declare that homeownership is a &#8220;weapon of white supremacy.&#8221; Mamdani himself has confirmed all of this. 
Watch: 
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Zohran Mamdani was given multiple chances to walk back his language that he wanted to tax Whiter neighborhoods at a higher rate but he refused to walk it back. He wants higher taxes for affluent Whites. As I’ve said, he’s a communist.<a href="https://t.co/yvsnHavzaS">pic.twitter.com/yvsnHavzaS</a>
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) <a href="https://twitter.com/robbystarbuck/status/1978463560729612600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Credit: @robbystarbuck/X.com
It&#8217;s reminiscent of the defenses we saw concerning those South African &#8220;kill the Boer&#8221; chants. Remember how the New York Times ran cover for that?
&#8220;What exactly did you mean when you said, &#8220;Kill the White Farmer?”
“Oh, that&#8217;s just a common expression. It doesn&#8217;t mean anything.&#8221;
Actually, when you come out and say that you&#8217;re going to raise taxes on whites, to their &#8220;white meat,&#8221; everyone understands exactly what you&#8217;re doing. The Left has committed to full-on racial warfare.
And they&#8217;re going to win, using this strategy, unless the Republican Party stops playing the same game in reverse. A big part of the reason why Republicans lost the governor&#8217;s race in Virginia is that they selected an anti-Trump candidate from Jamaica, and patted themselves on the back for their commitment to &#8220;diversity.&#8221; She spent most of the campaign talking about being an immigrant who won in a black district, and about how she can win more of the black vote.
Watch:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Winsome Sears For Lieutenant Governor" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DKSP5u3pRbc?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Credit: Winsome Sears/YouTube.com
If Republicans insist on running political campaigns on the Left&#8217;s terms, they will lose every time. And the reason this is a losing strategy is that the Left doesn&#8217;t actually care about the demographics of their candidate. Or at least, that&#8217;s not their primary concern, or even close to it. Instead, the Left is principally concerned with selecting candidates who will ruthlessly and efficiently disenfranchise, bankrupt, incarcerate, and ultimately destroy white conservative men. 
That&#8217;s why they elected Joe Biden, who allowed FBI SWAT teams to arrest (and in some cases, kill) conservatives who offended the Left on the internet. It&#8217;s why they rallied around Abigail Spanberger, an extraordinarily dull and uncharismatic white woman. She promised to rig all of the government contracts against white men, to let the illegal aliens out of prison to take jobs from white men, to make it easier to rob white men, and so on. And now she&#8217;s delivering on those promises, along with every Democrat in Virginia.
Left unchecked, this anti-white fervor will lead to cases like this one, out of Ontario, Canada. A 19-year-old woman who left her 14-month-old toddler unattended in a full bathtub, resulting in the child&#8217;s death, just received a mere 3-year prison sentence.
That&#8217;s because, according to the judge, there was &#8220;systemic racism identified in the community&#8221; that &#8220;explain the woman&#8217;s conduct in this case.&#8221; Yes, &#8220;systemic racism&#8221; explains why the woman left her toddler alone in a full bathtub for 5 to 10 minutes, without any kind of bathing chair or support whatsoever, even though he couldn&#8217;t walk — and even though she had been warned by the government, on two occasions, to never leave her child unattended. Race, in effect, now excuses murder in Canada.
The logic used in this case, of course, justifies reduced sentences for any homicide — including acts of violence committed by black criminals against whites, which are extremely common. In fact, 84% of interracial crimes involving black and white people are black-on-white crimes. In places like Canada — and Virginia, and New York, and Minneapolis, and every other jurisdiction controlled by Leftists — those anti-white crimes will soon be excused, if they aren&#8217;t being excused already.
We cannot allow this to continue. But Democrats will continue racking up wins like this unless we start fielding candidates who will recognize what the Left is doing, call it out openly, and pledge to defend white men from the onslaught of racial discrimination that they will face if and when Democrats regain power. We have mostly defeated the trans agenda, which would have had civilization-ending consequences if we had failed. Now we have to confront the Left&#8217;s anti-white agenda — which, as the rise of Democrats across the country demonstrates, will be a much harder campaign to vanquish.

Democrats Are Doubling Down On Their Anti-White Agenda. Here’s The Proof.

Democrats Are Doubling Down On Their Anti-White Agenda. Here's The Proof.

Matt Walsh

New York City

Zohran Mamdani

From tax hikes and lax election laws to leaf blower bans and Second Amendment infringements, Virginia Democrats have wasted no time implementing their radical agenda upon returning to power.
With newly inaugurated Governor Abigail Spanberger at the helm, Virginia Democrats also control both chambers of the state legislature, meaning many items off their leftist wish lists could actually become law.
At the top of the agenda — and dominating the headlines — seems to be implementing some kind of wealth tax. Lawmakers have already introduced several competing bills that would create new tax brackets with steeper rates for high earners. One bill would nearly double the state income tax rate for Virginians who make over a million dollars a year.
As one prominent Virginia politics X account <a href="https://x.com/NoVA_Campaigns/status/2013073149265347033">noted</a>, these tax hikes could devastate family farms, small businesses, and sole proprietor companies, whose business profits can be taxed as part of their personal income tax returns.
Virginians can also expect to take a hit through a proposed investment income tax, which would levy a 3.8% tax on all income from investments, trusts, and estates beginning in tax year 2027.
Residents of the state will also likely face additional &#8220;sales and use&#8221; taxes, including one proposal to apply state sales tax rates to everything from gym memberships to home repairs and more.
At least two proposed tax bills seem designed to infringe upon Virginians&#8217; Second Amendment rights: one would levy an 11% tax on all firearms and ammunition, and another would implement a flat $500 tax on all firearm suppressors. Other bills would ban &#8220;assault weapons&#8221; and certain magazines, while one would ban the discharge of firearms — even on private property — unless the property in question measures at least five acres.
But taxes are just the tip of the iceberg. The Virginia legislature is also considering a number of bills that would make it difficult to root out voter fraud or increase transparency and election integrity.
One such bill would remove the deadline for receipt of all absentee ballots, and extend the deadline for curing ballots from noon on the third day after the election to one full week after Election Day. Another includes a provision that would allow absentee ballots to be &#8220;received, marked, and cast electronically through the internet.&#8221;
Other proposals would bar election officials from double-checking &#8220;machine-readable&#8221; ballots with a hand count and make it far more difficult for voters to challenge the legality of another voter&#8217;s registration.
In addition to the tax- and election-related bills, Democrats have bills teed up to make the state softer on crime and illegal immigrants while throwing the book at legal residents who only want to exercise their First Amendment rights or do a little bit of yard work.
One bill would <a href="https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1086561.PDF">eliminate mandatory minimum sentences</a> for certain offenses, including but not limited to illegal sales of cigarettes and alcohol, &#8220;certain conduct punishable as involuntary manslaughter,&#8221; and violations of certain provisions of protective orders.
Two bills would help protect illegal immigrants in Virginia — one by barring officials from arresting illegal aliens in courthouses and another by fining employers who pay illegal aliens less than the established minimum wage. The latter bill does not fine businesses for employing illegal aliens.
The First Amendment is not safe either, as SB 137 would make it a crime to approach within eight feet of another person who is standing within 40 feet of an abortion clinic — even if both parties are still standing on public property.
A number of other bills have been proposed to promote a more &#8220;woke&#8221; Virginia, with one stripping tax-exempt status from any organization with ties to &#8220;Confederate&#8221; heritage. Another bill would officially change Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples&#8217; Day, while yet another would ban gas-powered leaf blowers.
It&#8217;s unclear which of these bills will pass and whether or not Spanberger — who ran as a moderate — will sign them. But if these early days of Democratic rule are any indication, Richmond is about to get a whole lot bluer.

Virginia Gubernatorial Candidate Abigail Spanberger Speaks At An Everytown For Gun Safety Rally

Virginia Democrats Get Right To Work Implementing Their Radical Leftist Agenda

Virginia Legislature Churns Out List Of New Bills Straight Out Of Every Democrat's Fever Dream

Democrat

Second Amendment

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Virginia Democrats are once again tinkering with criminal law, this time under the soothing language of “conforming,” but the substance of <a href="https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB244">HB 244</a> tells a far more troubling story.
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Introduced earlier this month by Democratic delegate Vivian Watts and now sitting in the House Courts of Justice Committee, HB 244 purports to update statutory references to robbery so they align with the tiered robbery system enacted in 2021. But buried inside the bureaucratic phrasing is a sweeping reworking of how robbery is treated across sentencing, parole, and early release laws — changes that consistently tilt in one direction: lighter consequences for criminals.
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The bill narrows the definition of “acts of violence” to include only the two highest degrees of robbery, excluding the lower degrees from that category. It alters how robbery offenses are scored under sentencing guidelines, potentially reducing recommended prison time. It also expands eligibility for enhanced earned sentence credits and conditional release — including retroactive application — for offenders convicted of the lesser degrees of robbery, even allowing early release for those deemed terminally ill.
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Perhaps most striking, HB 244 weakens Virginia’s three-strikes law. Under the bill, mandatory life sentences would apply only to the two highest degrees of robbery, and parole eligibility could be restored if even one of the three qualifying convictions involved a lower-degree robbery. In plain English, repeat offenders once locked away for life could now see a path back onto the streets.
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Supporters frame the bill as a technical fix that preserves robbery as a predicate offense and keeps higher-degree robberies classified as violent crimes. But critics see a familiar pattern: leftist criminal justice reform that sounds compassionate on paper and proves disastrous in reality.
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That concern is not hypothetical. As <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2025/07/03/sentencing-law-democrats-activists-explosion-repeat-offenders-virginia/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">reported</a> by The Daily Caller in July 2025, nearly half of inmates released early under Virginia’s Democrat-backed Enhanced Earned Sentence Credits program were arrested again within a year. Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares blasted the law, urging legislators to “fix” a system that prioritizes offender leniency over public safety.
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At a press conference, victims’ families delivered a grim rebuke to reform activists. Angela Tyler-Tann, whose son was murdered by an offender released early despite a lengthy criminal record, put it plainly: “People’s lives are not video games that can be paused or restarted. My son’s death is final.”
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HB 244 has not yet reached the House floor, but it fits squarely into a pattern Virginia voters are increasingly questioning — reforms that gamble with public safety and ask ordinary citizens to bear the cost when the experiment fails.
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Welcome to Virginia!

Virginia Democrats Move To Soften Robbery Laws

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