As early voting rolls along, Virginia Democrats are nervous about their ludicrous gerrymander of the Commonwealth. But they have help from the state election board thanks to a recommendation that prevents voters from even seeing the bizarrely drawn map before they cast their ballots.
According to documents provided to the Daily Wire thanks to a freedom of information act request, a “Redistricting Webinar FAQ,” provided by the General Registrars and Elections Office staff recommends that the proposed map not even be publicly posted by Virginia&#8217;s 133 localities:

<div id="attachment_1065357" style="width: 792px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1065357" class="wp-image-1065357 size-full" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/virginia-election.jpg" alt="Screenshot: Redistricting Webinar FAQ/Virginia Dept. of Elections." width="782" height="147" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/virginia-election.jpg 782w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/virginia-election-300x56.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/virginia-election-768x144.jpg 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 782px) 100vw, 782px" />Screenshot: Redistricting Webinar FAQ/Virginia Dept. of Elections.</div>
Among the Congress-critters benefiting from the new map is longtime Democrat Rep. Don Beyer, who stands to see a dramatically redrawn district — more than half of voters in it are new to him — and admitted this week that the map looks “unfair.”
“It’s not a done deal by any means,” Beyer told <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/not-done-deal-democrats-start-sweat-virginias-redistricting-referendum-rcna263726">NBC News</a>. “We have to effectively make the case that even though this seems unfair in Virginia, it’s totally fair for America, for those of us who believe that taking back the House is the most significant thing we can do to stop Donald Trump.”
“It’s unfair, sure, but Trump” has been the Democrats’ argument for the absurdly redrawn districts, designed to turn a 6-5 majority delegation into a 10-1 blue slate. The fact that voters will be unable to see how ridiculous it is that five Democratic reps could live in Northern Virginia while representing most of the state is one of the best things they have going for them. They&#8217;re counting on voters to stay ignorant of the truth.

Virginia Marked on Map

Democrat Admits To ‘Unfair’ Map — While Keeping Voters In The Dark

Top Democrat Admits Virginia Gerrymander Is 'Unfair', But Don’t You Dare Let Voters See The Map

Congress

Democrats

Elections

gerrymandering

U.S. House of Representatives

Virginia

Virginia&#8217;s most popular Republican is AWOL on the most ludicrous redistricting in the nation.
The Commonwealth of Virginia now stands exactly a month away from an April 21st vote that would approve the most partisan Democrat gerrymander in the nation, and Republicans are nowhere to be found.
Governor Abigail Spanberger (&#8220;Moderate&#8221; &#8211; The Wall Street Journal) rubber stamped the 10-1 redistricting attempt by octogenarian radical leftist Louise Lucas — who actually runs the Richmond legislature — sending a bizarrely shaped map to Virginia voters which amounts to a blatant power grab, allowing for five Democrat majority seats all based within a stone&#8217;s throw of Washington, D.C. to govern the entire state. With zero acknowledgement that Virginia&#8217;s electorate had a Republican governor just months ago, and a 6-5 Democrat majority in the current Congressional representation, it&#8217;s an obscene approach to destroying local representation that short-circuits districts approved by a bipartisan commission on a decade-long basis.
The question on the minds of conservative Virginians through all of this is clear: Where is Glenn Youngkin?
Youngkin, the most popular Republican politician in Virginia, criticized this attempt in its early days. But when Virginians tune in to March Madness, they aren&#8217;t seeing a single ad featuring the former governor. Instead, they&#8217;re barraged with Democrat ads featuring Donald Trump and decrying the current map (where they already have a majority) as racist, unfair, and corrupt.
The deluge is unending, and funded primarily from out of state Democratic entities.
The amount in question is upwards of <a href="https://x.com/apublictrust/status/2031813155807019222">$22 million</a> in ad spending — closer to $30 million according to some consultants — and one of its biggest funders is, you guessed it, George Soros to the tune of <a href="https://x.com/MSchmidtRVA/status/2034295507833454607">$5 million</a>.
By comparison, the Virginia Republican-aligned pushback in defense of the current map is essentially nonexistent. There is no major ad campaign pointing out the false narrative Democrats are advancing. With Youngkin apparently unwilling to expend significant political capital fighting this effort, only former Attorney General Jason Miyares has stepped into the breach — and unlike the former governor, he lacks the donor class connections to bring major resources to the fight.
What&#8217;s particularly maddening for conservatives in the Commonwealth is that even Democrats admit the April referendum is a close-run thing, well within the margin despite their recent sweep of the Old Dominion&#8217;s top three jobs. With a winnable situation sitting right in front of them, though, Republicans seem to be throwing up their hands — or hoping that the Virginia Courts will bail them out and render the map unacceptable. But this question won&#8217;t even be heard <a href="https://wtop.com/virginia/2026/03/virginias-redistricting-referendum-still-sparking-fierce-partisan-debate/">until after the vote</a>.
Glenn Youngkin seems to have a mindset that having had a successful four-year tenure as governor, his time engaged in partisan politics is at a comfortable lull. He&#8217;s happy to wait a couple of years and just run for president if he&#8217;s in the mood. But if this blatantly partisan Democrat redistricting wins in April, Republicans — and not just those in Virginia — should absolutely blame him for the loss, and for the ludicrously skewed gerrymander that will end up with five Democrat Congressmen representing most of the state while comfortably living within driving distance of the best country clubs in Northern Virginia.

Virginia Gubernatorial Candidate Winsome Earle-Sears Closing Campaign Rally

Yes, Virginia, There Is A Glenn Youngkin — He’s Just Not Around To Fight Gerrymanders

Yes, Virginia, There Is A Glenn Youngkin — He's Just Not Around To Fight Gerrymanders

Glenn Youngkin

Leftists

Voting

Republicans are at risk of losing up to four congressional seats in Virginia under a proposed redistricting amendment set for a statewide vote in an April 21 special election.
The measure, backed by Democrats, would redraw the state&#8217;s congressional map mid-decade. Critics say the proposal could result in a 10-1 Democratic advantage until after the 2030 census.
Currently, Virginia&#8217;s delegation is 6-5 in favor of Democrats.
The group &#8220;Virginians For Fair Elections,” which supports the amendment, has raised more than $22 million, compared to roughly $495,000 raised by the opposition group, &#8220;Virginians for Fair Maps,&#8221; according to <a href="https://wset.com/news/local/early-voting-underway-in-virginia-as-redistricting-groups-report-22m-vs-495k-raised-virginians-for-fair-elections-virginians-for-fair-maps-march-2026" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC 13 News</a>.
Former Attorney General Jason Miyares, who’s leading the charge against the redistricting proposal, argued that voters are pushing back despite the funding gap.
“We&#8217;re seeing a groundswell of support,” he said during a series of campaign stops throughout the state. Miyares described the proposal as a &#8220;power grab by left-wing politicians&#8221; that would diminish representation for Republican-leaning areas.
Miyares also pointed to recent Democratic wins in statewide races as a potential motivator for Republican voters. The Democratic slate replaced Republicans in the top statewide offices in November, with Jay Jones defeating Miyares for attorney general and Abigail Spanberger defeating Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears for governor.
“It is a message from Democratic politicians to Republicans: drop dead. This is the single most gerrymandered map in the entire country,” Miyares added, noting that “48% of Virginians voted for a Republican to represent them in Congress, and this would leave them with 9% representation.”
On the flip side, those advocating for the constitutional amendment said this is about countering President Donald Trump’s agenda, such as redistricting efforts he has encouraged in states like Texas.
“Across the country, Trump and MAGA-controlled legislatures are taking unprecedented steps to redraw congressional maps — without voter approval — to rig upcoming elections,” the Virginians for Fair Elections website states.
The group argues that without action, Virginia risks losing influence in Washington as other states adjust their maps.
Gov. Spanberger, who’s supporting the amendment, described the situation as an “extraordinary moment” where temporary redistricting is necessary.
“First, it&#8217;s temporary. Second, it&#8217;s directly in response to what other states decide to do. Third, and most importantly for me, it preserves Virginia&#8217;s fair redistricting process into the future,” she said.
As for Miyares, he’s not impressed with the high level of spending in the race from proponents.
“It&#8217;s not like all this California money cares about Virginians or care about voices of rural Virginians in Congress,” he said.
Control of the House of Representatives could hinge on outcomes like Virginia&#8217;s. Republicans currently hold a narrow 218-214 majority, with three vacant seats.

CLIFTON, VA – JUNE 17: Yolanda Hutcherson surveys Northern Virg

Your Voice In Congress Could Shift – And This Vote Could Decide It

2026 election

Politics

Redistricting

A 19-year-old illegal immigrant is accused of groping multiple girls while attending a high school in Virginia — and the Trump administration is now pressuring sanctuary officials in the state against releasing the alleged predator.
Roughly a dozen girls reported that Israel Christopher Flores-Ortiz of El Salvador put his hands between their legs, groped their private areas, and moved his hands to their butts in the school&#8217;s hallways, <a href="https://wjla.com/news/local/illegal-immigrant-student-groping-girls-fairfax-county-high-school-assault-battery-crime" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to ABC 7. He has since been charged with nine counts of assault and battery.
“There&#8217;s a group of about 12 individuals that have reported this assault,” one mother told ABC7. “It was all perpetrated by a single individual who is a stranger to the girls. He just sneakily walked up behind them and put his hand in between their legs. It was not just a butt smack or a butt grab. It was a groping of a private area. It had been occurring for several months.”
Flores-Ortiz, an adult, is a junior at Fairfax High School, according to ABC 7. He crossed the border in 2024 and was subsequently released into the United States.
“This 19-year-old criminal illegal alien should NOT have been attending a Virginia high school and allowed to prey on innocent teenage girls. He now faces nine counts of assault and battery. This is yet another example of the Biden Administration’s failed open border policies,” Homeland Security Deputy Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement Monday.
“We are calling on Fairfax County sanctuary politicians to NOT release this predator from jail back into our communities to assault more teenage women. Unfortunately, Governor Abigail Spanberger ended cooperation with ICE and is siding with criminal illegal aliens over American citizens.”
Spanberger&#8217;s office didn&#8217;t respond to a request for comment.
The Fairfax County Sheriff&#8217;s Office told The Daily Wire they don&#8217;t &#8220;obstruct or prevent ICE from acting on their civil detainers,&#8221; but didn&#8217;t say whether they&#8217;d notify federal immigration officers of any future release.
&#8220;While it is still too early in the process to know the outcome of his case, ICE has been notified of Ortiz’s location at the ADC [Adult Detention Center], and they are able to execute their detainer by responding to the ADC and taking Ortiz into custody if and when he is ordered released,&#8221; the sheriff&#8217;s office said.
Meanwhile, parents from the school have expressed outrage with what they describe as a cover-up of the gropings. The parents also said the school system told them they would allow the illegal immigrant to return to school upon his release.
“They have attempted to sweep it under the rug,” one mother told ABC7.
“They sent out a letter last night,&#8221; the mother said, adding, “But it was a completely sanitized letter.”
The school didn&#8217;t notify the parents of the gropings until two weeks after they were reported, ABC7 reported.
“After we demanded it, multiple parents demanded that there be a letter before we got it,” another mother said.
“The girls have experienced harassment and bullying from peers at school, including people that they once thought were their friends, and the letter that they sent out, referencing it only as buttocks touching, just adds fuel to rumors that they were just attention seeking,” one mother told ABC 7.
In a statement to ABC 7, Fairfax County Public Schools declined &#8220;to comment on specifics due to federal and state privacy laws,&#8221; adding &#8220;we prioritize student and staff safety and we fully investigate any time someone shares that an incident has occurred at school, or that they do not feel safe at school.&#8221;
&#8220;We are grateful to our law enforcement partners who continue to work swiftly and thoroughly when there are safety concerns in our schools. The safety of all FCPS students and staff remains a top priority,&#8221; the school system said.

Untitled design – 2026-03-17T141907.282

Feds Call Out Sanctuary Policies After Illegal Immigrant Accused Of Groping Multiple Girls

Feds Call Out Sanctuary Virginia After Illegal Immigrant Adult Groped Multiple Girls While At School

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Sanctuary Cities

US-NEWS-CMP-OLD-DOMINION-SHOOTING-GUNMAN-2-VP

I Looked Into Why Terrorists Are Being Let Into Our Country. It’s Worse Than You Think.

I Looked Into Why Terrorists Are Being Let Into Our Country. It's Worse Than You Think.

ISIS

Matt Walsh

Murder

Old Dominion University

Opinion

Radical Islamic Terror

ROTC

The terrorist who opened fire in a Virginia classroom on Thursday had been released early from federal custody and later enrolled in classes at Old Dominion University, developments that may have been made possible by Democrat policies.
<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/15/us/mohamed-bailor-jalloh-old-dominion">Mohamed Bailor Jalloh</a> was initially sentenced in 2017 to 11 years in federal prison and five years of supervised release. He was released in December 2024 after completing a substance abuse program that could qualify inmates for reduced sentences under a provision of the 1994 crime bill signed by then-President Bill Clinton. A Trump administration policy change in 2025 later barred inmates convicted of terrorism-related crimes from qualifying for such early release.
Jalloh&#8217;s release came just eight years after he told investigators that he had considered a Fort Hood-style attack on American military personnel.
Less than two years after he was released, he walked into a Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) classroom, shooting and killing a decorated service member and ROTC instructor, Lt. Col. Brandon Shah, before students subdued him.
Another law that may have cleared a path for Jalloh, <a href="https://www.progress-index.com/story/news/2021/06/03/virginia-governor-removes-criminal-record-checkbox-college-apps/7527473002/">signed in 2021</a> by then-Governor Ralph Northam (D-VA), bars colleges from asking prospective students about their criminal histories on applications — and may help explain how Jalloh, 36, was able to enroll in online classes at Old Dominion despite his 2016 guilty plea to attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization (ISIS).
Former Attorney General Jason Miyares drew attention to the issue with an <a href="https://x.com/JasonMiyaresVA/status/2033160143395836335">X post</a>, referencing what he called a &#8220;social justice&#8221; law signed by Northam.
The Common Application, which many Virginia universities use, removed its criminal history question by 2019, and Northam later signed legislation in 2021 prohibiting public universities from asking applicants about criminal records.
The U.S. Department of Education, under former President Joe Biden, urged the rest of the nation to move in the same direction as recently as 2023. A report titled &#8220;<a href="https://www.highereddive.com/news/education-department-ban-box-incarcerated-students/649091/">Beyond the Box 2023</a>&#8221; advised universities to stop asking prospective students to provide their criminal histories, stating that there was not enough evidence to prove that previous crimes were indicative of on-campus behavior.
“The use of criminal justice information is very different from the traditional information reviewed in a college application,” the report stated. “Properly trained admissions staff are key to ensuring that a criminal record does not unfairly bias the admission decision and that formerly incarcerated applicants are treated with dignity.”
Jalloh was released from federal custody in December 2024, re‑enrolled at ODU in summer 2025, and was taking <a href="https://www.pilotonline.com/2026/03/13/jalloh-was-student/">online classes</a> at the university at the time of the shooting. Authorities have not said whether he used a student ID to access the building where the shooting occurred.

How Democrat Policies Helped The ODU Terrorist Pull Off His Attack

Donald Trump

Islamists

Joe Biden

Ralph Northam

terrorist attack

Last Thursday morning, an ISIS-supporting Islamic terrorist walked into a classroom at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, confirmed he had found the ROTC class, then shouted “Allahu Akbar” and opened fire. Lt. Col. Brandon Shah was murdered. Two other cadets were injured. The attacker — Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, a former Army National Guardsman and now radicalized jihadi terrorist — was previously convicted of providing material support to ISIS. When he walked into that gun-free zone, he criminally intended to kill American soldiers-in-training on our own soil.
Let&#8217;s call this act for what it is: an act of domestic, Islamic terrorism from a naturalized, radicalized jihadi whom President Biden’s DOJ should have already denaturalized and deported upon his felony conviction of “providing material support to ISIS” a.k.a. treason. They failed, and another American hero is dead.
Remarkably, Lt. Col. Brandon Shah’s cadets — the ones he trained to defend America — notched their first confirmed kill of an enemy combatant when they rushed the attacker and neutralized him. FBI Special Agent in Charge Dominique Evans <a href="https://northernvirginiamag.com/news/2026/03/13/old-dominion-university-shooter-was-a-former-national-guard-member-from-sterling/">confirmed</a> that ROTC students neutralized the attacker. &#8220;If not for them,&#8221; Evans said, &#8220;I&#8217;m not sure what else he may have done.&#8221; I know what else he would have done — continued killing students until a good guy with a gun showed up and put a hole in the bad guy with a gun.
Mr. President, these are our people. Future officers in the Army you command. Our soldiers, unarmed by university policy, were sitting ducks in a classroom when an Islamic jihadist walked in and opened fire on our military, in our country. Under fire, the unarmed cadets took action against the enemy. In an active shooting, the FBI says to Run. Hide. Fight. These cadets skipped those first two options and chose to fight — and then went Old Testament on him. Talk about winning one for the Gipper.
Lt. Col. Shah was a combat aviator with two Bronze Star Medals and an Air Medal with Valor who returned to his alma mater to build our next generation of Army officers. He was exceptional at it. The proof is in what his cadets did when the moment arrived. No one ordered them to move. No one had time to. They did exactly what Lt. Col. Shah trained them to do: they acted. They moved toward the threat, absorbed the chaos, neutralized him, and stopped the killing — all within ten minutes of the first 911 phone call reporting the shooting. They showed us what true bravery looks like against radical Islamic terrorist threats in America.
I am asking you, as a Virginia legislator and as an American, to award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to the Old Dominion University ROTC cadets who stopped Mohamed Bailor Jalloh — and to honor Lt. Col. Brandon Shah posthumously with every distinction a grateful nation can offer a fallen officer. Let the country see, without ambiguity, who its heroes are: those who stand up and fight to take down terrorism, both foreign and domestic.
We live in a moment deeply confused about courage. The institutions that produce people like these cadets are under constant pressure to apologize for their existence. This is our moment to say “no” — we will not apologize for our pride and patriotism for our country and Commonwealth. These young men and women did not ask to be tested on March 12, but a terrorist walked into their classroom and made that choice for them. They responded heroically, the way every American soldier is trained to respond — with discipline, with ferocity, and without pause.
Lt. Col. Shah taught his cadets that American soldiers move toward the threat, not away. When called upon to neutralize a present enemy threat, these cadets proved they were ready to make the ultimate sacrifice for our country. They are worthy of your Medal of Freedom. Lt. Col. Shah is worthy of distinguished honors befitting an officer of his rank and merit. I ask that you please honor each of them with such distinctions.
* * *
Del. Wren Williams represents Virginia’s 47th House District (Patrick County and surrounding area). He is an attorney and a member of the House Republican Caucus.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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Why President Trump Should Give The Old Dominion Cadets The Medal Of Freedom

Why President Trump Should Give The ODU Cadets The Medal Of Freedom

Medal of Honor

Republicans

Shooting

Trump Administration

Update, March 14: The ground stop has been lifted at the affected airports, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy <a href="https://x.com/SecDuffy/status/2032619927387914503">said</a>. Firefighters traced the smell to an overheated circuit breaker, and determined that there was no threat to workers.
WASHINGTON—Planes have been grounded at all three Washington, D.C.-area airports after a strong chemical smell forced workers to evacuate the region’s air traffic control center.
Flights were abruptly grounded at Reagan National, Dulles, and Baltimore-Washington International Airports late Friday, and inbound flights were diverted, causing major delays at one of the nation’s largest air travel hubs. It is unclear what caused the smell, or how long the airports will remain locked down. Flights were also grounded at Richmond International Airport.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨BREAKING🚨 GROUND STOP CURRENTLY AT THE FOLLOWING AIRPORTS:
⚠️ Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) 
⚠️ Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) 
⚠️ Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI)⁰⚠️ Richmond International Airport (RIC)<a href="https://twitter.com/FAANews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FAANews</a> is working to…
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecDuffy/status/2032582233920307569?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 
The FAA said the smell caused employees at the Potomac Consolidated Terminal RADAR Approach ​Control (TRACON) in Warrenton, Virginia, to evacuate the building, causing the delays. The agency is relocating controllers to a nearby facility, where they may begin diverting incoming flights due to congestion, Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/flights-halted-dc-airports-after-chemical-smell-2026-03-13/">reported</a>.
&#8220;The FAA has temporarily stopped traffic at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI) because of a strong chemical smell at the Potomac TRACON that is impacting some air traffic controllers,&#8221; the agency said in a statement.
The D.C.-area airports will likely continue to experience delays even after operations resume.
Friday&#8217;s shutdown is the latest incident to put stress on the nation&#8217;s airports. Over 300 <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mounting-frustration-as-senate-dems-dig-in-on-dhs-shutdown?author=Cameron+Arcand&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=8&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Hundreds+Of+TSA+Workers+Quit+As+Dems+Dig+In+On+Shutdown">TSA agents have quit</a> amid the ongoing partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, which directly affects their pay. Even more are expected to begin calling out of work beginning Friday, the first day agents missed a paycheck since the shutdown began.
“Democrats, regrettably, have chosen to punish the American people with long TSA lines and withholding paychecks from workers who help protect our country,” the White House told The Daily Wire Friday afternoon, adding that the Trump administration remains “interested in continuing conversations with Democrats about ways to end this shutdown.”
This is a developing story, please refresh this page for more updates

Airport

Chemical Smell Suddenly Grounds Flights At Several Major Airports

Airlines

airport

Sean Duffy

Washington D.C.

A convicted ISIS terrorist walked into a gun-free school zone and murdered a United States Army officer. This was a targeted attack on an educator of our future military service members. But Soros-backed Commonwealth&#8217;s Attorney Ramin Fatehi just stood at a microphone and blamed lawmakers for gun violence.
Now, I sit on the Virginia House of Delegates Criminal Subcommittee of the Courts of Justice Committee. I have watched Fatehi advocate year after year for soft-on-crime policies that lead to tragedies just like this.
The real question is why was Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, a felon convicted of supporting ISIS, in possession of a firearm, especially in a gun free school zone? And why was Jalloh released 3 years early on an 11-year prison stint? These are the failures of soft-on-crime politicians more interested in policing federal ICE agents that protect their own citizens.
<div id="attachment_1058949" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1058949" class="size-large wp-image-1058949" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-3.57.15-PM-1024x447.png" alt="" width="1024" height="447" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-3.57.15-PM-1024x447.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-3.57.15-PM-300x131.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-3.57.15-PM-768x335.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-3.57.15-PM-1536x671.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-3.57.15-PM.png 1576w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Screenshot: LiveNOW from FOX on YouTube</div>
That failure raises a larger question about what Virginia’s lawmakers are doing right now in Richmond.
<h3>Strangling The Second Amendment</h3>
The 2026 Virginia General Assembly session ends this week. When the gavel falls, Governor Abigail Spanberger will have on her desk a stack of gun bills unlike anything this Commonwealth has ever produced — not a single sweeping law, but a coordinated layering of restrictions designed to strangle the Second Amendment from every direction at once. Which gun you can buy. Where you can carry it. Whether the industry that makes it can survive being sued into submission. How you pass it on when you&#8217;re gone.
No single bill tells the whole story. The story is the stack — and what that stack adds up to is the systematic dismantling of our Second Amendment rights in Virginia.
<div id="attachment_548003" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-548003" class="size-large wp-image-548003" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/GettyImages-1347535587-864x576.jpg" alt="Semi-automatic pistols for sale on display at a gun shop." width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/GettyImages-1347535587-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/GettyImages-1347535587-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/GettyImages-1347535587-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/GettyImages-1347535587-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/GettyImages-1347535587-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/GettyImages-1347535587-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/GettyImages-1347535587-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Zocha_K. Getty Images.</div>
<h3>What They Banned</h3>
Start with SB 749, the centerpiece. 
It criminalizes the import, sale, manufacture, purchase, and transfer of so-called &#8220;assault firearms&#8221; — semi-automatic centerfire rifles, pistols, and shotguns identified not by how they function, but by how they look. A folding stock. A pistol grip. A threaded barrel. Cosmetic features that have no bearing on rate of fire. The identical firearm with a wooden stock is legal. The one with a synthetic pistol grip is contraband after July 1. Firearms you already own before that date are grandfathered for possession — but you cannot sell them to another Virginian. You can sell to a dealer or transfer them out of state (but that’s a federal Class 5 Felony). And how does a family who wishes to move to Virginia with their firearms – are they not “importing” assault firearms? You can pass them by inheritance to family. Beyond that, your grandfathered rifle is a dead-end asset.
The magazine provision is worse.
SB 749 also bans the import, sale, transfer, or purchase of any magazine capable of holding more than 15 rounds. Possession of magazines you already own is not criminalized — but you cannot sell them or transfer them to any other Virginian under any circumstances. The only lawful exits for a grandfathered magazine are surrender to a federally licensed dealer or transfer out of state. Notably, while the bill creates an explicit inheritance exception for grandfathered firearms, it creates no parallel exception for grandfathered magazines. A son can inherit his father&#8217;s rifle under this bill. The 15+ round magazines that feed it are a different matter — there is no provision in the final enrolled text that permits passing them to an heir within Virginia. What you own today is frozen in place, and the law has made no arrangement for what happens to it when you are gone.
Background check data tells you what Virginians think about this: adjusted NICS checks in February 2026 jumped 55 percent over February 2025 as gun owners raced to the counters before the deadline.
<div id="attachment_65181" style="width: 973px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-65181" class="size-full wp-image-65181" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2019/11/Remington.jpg" alt="STOKESDALE, NC - MARCH 26: A Remington 700 hunting rifle, a Remington 1100 shotgun and a Remington R1 Enhanced model 1911 pistol are seen for sale at Atlantic Outdoors gun shop on March 26, 2018 in Stokesdale, North Carolina. Founded in 1816, Remington is one of America's oldest gun and ammunition manufacturers which now has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection partially due to an estimated $950 million in debt." width="963" height="645" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2019/11/Remington.jpg 963w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2019/11/Remington-300x201.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2019/11/Remington-768x514.jpg 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 963px) 100vw, 963px" />Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images</div>
<h3>What They Banned You From Carrying</h3>
The ban on future purchases was not enough. SB 727 — passed both chambers and headed to the Governor — prohibits carrying these same broadly defined &#8220;assault firearms&#8221; on any public street, road, alley, sidewalk, right-of-way, or park. The bill strips concealed handgun permit holders of any exemption, even though those permit holders have carried legally for years without incident.
The practical effect in much of Virginia — in the rural Southwest, in the Shenandoah Valley, in communities where the nearest deputy might be thirty minutes away — is that the firearm most commonly chosen for home and property defense can no longer lawfully accompany you beyond your front door.
<h3>What They Did to the Industry</h3>
SB 27 and HB 21 gut the federal Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act at the state level. They create a Virginia cause of action against firearms manufacturers, distributors, and retailers based on a vague &#8220;responsible conduct&#8221; standard. There is no clear definition of what responsible conduct requires — which is the point. Ambiguity is the weapon. The goal is not to compensate real victims. It is to make the cost of doing business in Virginia high enough that manufacturers and dealers either comply with whatever standard the next attorney general invents or exit the market entirely. You cannot exercise a right the industry has been sued out of existence.
<h3>What They Did to Home Gunsmiths</h3>
HB 40 makes building, importing, selling, transferring, or possessing an unserialized firearm, including pieces of an unassembled build, a Class 5 felony — punishable by up to ten years in prison. The bill reaches unfinished frames and receivers. Home gunsmithing has a tradition in this country as old as the Republic itself. Under HB 40, it would now be a felony in Virginia.
<h3>The Layer They Almost Added</h3>
Several additional bills survived crossover before stalling or being amended in the final days. A permit-to-purchase scheme would have required Virginians to obtain a government-issued license from the State Police before buying a handgun. Who knows what kind of barriers they could create in the name of “safety.” A vehicle storage bill would have criminalized a firearm left in a car under vague standards. A public carry ban on the House side mirrored SB 727 with even broader definitions. An age prohibition would have barred adults under 21 from purchasing handguns or assault firearms entirely.
Some of these did not survive in their original form. Others will return. The direction of travel is not ambiguous. I’ve been here long enough to see them again and again from the relentless Left.
<div id="attachment_372227" style="width: 1000px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-372227" class="size-large wp-image-372227" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/04/Gun-Shop-990x576.jpg" alt="WASHINGTON, USA - MARCH 17: Weapons on display at a gun shop in Washington, DC, United States as gun and ammunition sales in the U.S. have skyrocketed as the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic spread across the country." width="990" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/04/Gun-Shop-990x576.jpg 990w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/04/Gun-Shop-300x175.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/04/Gun-Shop-768x447.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/04/Gun-Shop.jpg 1012w" sizes=" (max-width: 990px) 100vw, 990px" />Yasin Ozturk / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images</div>
<h3>What This Actually Is</h3>
Consider the cumulative picture. You cannot purchase the most popular class of semi-automatic firearms in America after July 1. Magazines over 15 rounds are contraband — you can keep what you have, but can barely use what is now monetarily valueless. You cannot carry these firearms publicly even with a concealed handgun permit. The dealer who sells them faces open-ended civil liability under a standard no one can define. The manufacturer who builds them faces the same. Home building is a felony. It is a complete dismantling of the firearms industry. Death by a thousand tiny, deceitful infringements on our constitutional rights.
At what point does regulation become intentionally burdensome to the detriment of an industry the controlling party despises? Take fossil fuels, for example. How many green energy policies can you put on a coal-fired power generation plant before it’s no longer economically feasible to continue operation? At what point does the layering of burden after burden, and infringement after infringement, become a weaponized strategy rather than a policy choice?
House Minority Leader Terry Kilgore warned on the floor that banning firearms in common use among millions of law-abiding Americans invites a constitutional reckoning. He is right. Gun rights organizations have already promised litigation the moment Spanberger signs the bill into law.
In the meantime, Virginians who did nothing wrong — they bought their rifles legally, they hold concealed handgun permits, they have never committed a crime in their lives — are watching their God-given constitutional rights be stripped away layer by layer by a majority that answers to Northern Virginia.
That is the arithmetic of 2025&#8217;s election results. Governor Spanberger is expected to sign. When she does, every Virginian in every competitive district — every community that believed a Democratic majority in the House, Senate, and the Governor’s Mansion would exercise any restraint — should ask a simple question: Is this what you voted for?
Sure, Democrats aren’t “coming for your guns.”
They’re just making sure they are rendered completely useless under the law.
* * *
Del. Wren Williams represents Virginia&#8217;s 47th House District (Patrick County and surrounding area). He is an attorney and a member of the House Republican Caucus.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Abigail Spanberger Sworn In As Virginia Governor

Virginia’s Gun Crackdown Ignores The Real Failure: Releasing An ISIS-Linked Felon

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Gun Laws

Gun Rights

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Second Amendment

A bomb threat affecting two libraries at the University of Virginia was cleared after a three-hour police investigation on Friday. The threat came just one day after an ISIS-supporting terrorist shot three people, killing one, across the state at Old Dominion University.
University of Virginia police <a href="https://x.com/UVAPolice/status/2032469083707342863">told</a> people to &#8220;avoid the area&#8221; at Shannon Library on the Charlottesville campus just before 10:50 a.m. over reports of a bomb threat. The university&#8217;s Department of Safety and Security later <a href="https://x.com/UVASafety/status/2032471777801043981">added</a> that authorities were &#8220;investigating evacuating both Clemmons and Shannon Libraries.&#8221; The libraries are across the street from each other.
University authorities <a href="https://x.com/UVASafety/status/2032512601624568026">said</a> at 1:42 p.m. ET that the threat was &#8220;cleared&#8221; and &#8220;no device&#8221; was found on campus.
&#8220;Shannon and Clemons Libraries are returning to normal operations. You may resume normal activity. No further updates,&#8221; the Department of Safety and Security said.
The bomb scare added to heightened fears in the United States following a suspected terrorist attack in New York City last week, where two men are accused of attempting to throw homemade bombs into a crowd of people and police officers outside Gracie Mansion.
On Thursday, terrorist Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, who was previously convicted of supporting ISIS, killed one person and wounded two more were wounded when he opened fire in an ROTC classroom at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. Norfolk is around 170 miles southeast of Charlottesville.
Lieutenant Colonel Brandon Shah, a decorated military here who was teaching the class, was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/decorated-military-hero-idd-as-victim-of-old-dominion-terrorist-attack?author=Jennie+Taer&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=10&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Decorated+Military+Hero+ID%E2%80%99d+As+Victim+Of+Old+Dominion+Terrorist+Attack">killed</a> after Jalloh shot him multiple times. The terrorist was killed by “a group of brave students who stepped in and subdued him,” according to FBI Director Kash Patel.
Shortly after the terrorist attack at Old Dominion, a man rammed his vehicle into a synagogue in West Bloomfield, Michigan, and opened fire. The attacker, Ayman Ghazali, was killed by security personnel in a shootout after ramming his vehicle, which was reportedly full of explosives, into Temple Israel, the largest Jewish Reform synagogue in the United States. One security guard was wounded in the attack, but no one else in the synagogue, which also houses a preschool, was injured.

Shannon Library

Bomb Threat Cleared At University Of Virginia Day After Old Dominion Terrorist Attack

Bomb Threat Forces Evacuations At University Of Virginia Day After Old Dominion Terrorist Attack

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University of Virginia

Lieutenant Colonel Brandon Shah was identified as the instructor killed by the terrorist shooter who opened fire at Old Dominion University in Virginia on Thursday.
Shah was fatally shot by terrorist Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, a former National Guard soldier who was previously convicted of supporting ISIS, according to multiple reports. Jalloh, who is a naturalized American citizen from Sierra Leone, stormed a classroom and asked if it was an ROTC class, <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/03/12/us-news/old-dominion-university-gunman-idd-as-former-national-guardsman-convicted-of-plotting-attack-to-support-islamic-state/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the New York Post.
After someone confirmed that it was an ROTC course, Jalloh shot the professor several times, the news outlet reported.
Shah was a decorated military hero who served the United States in major war zones.
Shah enlisted in the Army in 2003 as an Aviation Operations Specialist and later obtained the rank of sergeant, <a href="https://www.odu.edu/armyrotc/about/cadre/professor-chair" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the university. During his time enlisted, Shah served in the active-duty Army, Army Reserve, and Virginia Army National Guard.
He also deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and a rotation to Atlantic Resolve.
Since his Old Dominion commissioning, Shah earned his Army Aviation Senior Aviator wings after flying more than 1,200 hours in three different aircraft and completing over 600 combat flight hours, according to the school.
Shah last served as the Brigade S3 in the 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, Hunter Army Airfield, Savannah, Georgia. Before that, he served as the Squadron S3 in the 3-17 Air Cavalry Squadron overseeing modernization efforts for attack helicopters.
The university described Shah as &#8220;an advocate for minority and veteran business education and involvement&#8221; who &#8220;holds a variety of accolades including combat heroism awards and diversity and inclusion honors.&#8221;
&#8220;Brandon also volunteers his time to support the less fortunate,&#8221; his university profile reads.
His awards include the Senior Army Aviator Badge, Combat Action Badge, Parachutist Badge, and Air Assault Badge. He also received the Bronze Star (2 awards), Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (2 awards), Air Medal with Valor, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal (3 awards), Joint Service Achievement Medal, Army Achievement Medal (2 awards), and numerous campaign and unit awards.
Nearly a decade ago, Jalloh, 36, discussed plans to carry out a Fort Hood-style attack while communicating with a person he believed was an ISIS terrorist who was actually a government informant, <a href="https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/ex-national-guard-member-from-virginia-sentenced-to-11-years-for-terrorism-after-supporting-isis/35484/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to NBC4 Washington. Jalloh was sentenced to 11 years behind bars for providing material support to a terrorist organization and an additional five years of supervised release.
He was released early in December 2024, <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/03/12/us-news/old-dominion-university-gunman-idd-as-former-national-guardsman-convicted-of-plotting-attack-to-support-islamic-state/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the New York Post.
Jalloh was killed by &#8220;a group of brave students who stepped in and subdued him,&#8221; FBI Director Kash Patel said Thursday.
Shah died at the hospital, the New York Post reported. Two others were wounded in the shooting. The injured victims were later identified as &#8220;Army personnel,&#8221; Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said.
Hours before the university shooting, an attacker rammed a vehicle into a Michigan synagogue before opening fire on the building. No one was killed in the earlier attack.

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Decorated Military Hero ID’d As Victim Of Old Dominion Terrorist Attack

School Shooting

Terrorism

U.S.

The gunman who opened fire at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, on Thursday has been identified as Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, a former National Guard soldier who was previously convicted of supporting ISIS, according to multiple reports.
Jalloh, 36, discussed plans to carry out a Fort Hood-style attack with a government informant he believed was an ISIS terrorist, <a href="https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/ex-national-guard-member-from-virginia-sentenced-to-11-years-for-terrorism-after-supporting-isis/35484/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to NBC4 Washington. Jalloh was sentenced to 11 years behind bars and an additional five years of supervised release.
He was let out early in December 2024, <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/03/12/us-news/old-dominion-university-gunman-idd-as-former-national-guardsman-convicted-of-plotting-attack-to-support-islamic-state/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the New York Post.
Jalloh traveled to Africa with his father in 2015, where he met with an ISIS recruiter, according to NBC4. That same year, he went to Sierra Leone to stay with the group&#8217;s facilitator and planned to go to Libya to join the terrorist organization, but that never happened.
At one point, he ventured to Niger to join ISIS and even boarded a truck full of other terror recruits, but bailed out after 18 hours, according to NBC4.
Jalloh praised the gunman who killed five soldiers in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in July 2015, to the informant, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/former-army-national-guard-member-arrested-attempting-provide-material-support-isil" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Department of Justice. He also sent $500 to a man he believed was an ISIS member, who was actually an undercover FBI agent.
He pleaded guilty in October 2015 to attempting to provide material support to ISIS.
Jalloh, who is a naturalized American citizen from Sierra Leone, stormed into a classroom on Thursday and asked if it was an ROTC course, according to the New York Post. When someone confirmed that it was, he opened fire, shooting the professor several times.
The professor, a retired military officer, died at the hospital, according to the news outlet. One of the students heroically stabbed Jalloh to death to stop him from harming others.
FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed on X that one person is dead and two others were wounded in the shooting.
The shooter, he <a href="https://x.com/FBIDirectorKash/status/2032183663350214858">said</a>, &#8220;is now deceased thanks to a group of brave students who stepped in and subdued him – actions that undoubtedly saved lives along with the quick response of law enforcement.&#8221;
&#8220;The FBI is now investigating the shooting as an act of terrorism. Our Joint Terrorism Task Force is fully engaged, embedded with local authorities, and providing all resources necessary in the investigation,&#8221; Patel said.
Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll <a href="https://x.com/SecArmy/status/2032170679404024043" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the injured victims were &#8220;Army personnel.&#8221;
The shooting occurred hours before an attacker rammed a vehicle into a Michigan synagogue and opened fire on the building.

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Old Dominion University Gunman Identified As Ex-National Guardsman Turned ISIS Operative

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