U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is trying to rev up support to host an IndyCar race on the National Mall in August as part of the country&#8217;s celebration of 250 years. The only problem? Democrats are trying to pump the brakes on the idea.
Fast cars and freedom sound like an all-American good time. Several backseat-driving Democrats, however, think it&#8217;s &#8220;absurd&#8221; for Congress to give the green light to an IndyCar race in D.C. when lawmakers won’t even extend health care subsidies, Punchbowl News <a href="https://punchbowl.news/archive/12326-am/">reported</a>.
The race needs Congress to pass a bill for the event because, currently, there’s a ban on advertising on the Capitol grounds. And what do race cars have all over? Ads.
A United States Department of Transportation spokesperson emphasized what the event would mean to commemorate America250.
&#8220;The Grand Prix is an unprecedented opportunity to celebrate our nation&#8217;s proud racing pedigree, showcase the beauty of the National Mall, and generate millions in critical tourism revenue for the Capital. The Trump Administration is determined to make D.C. great again, and this race is another example of that commitment. We&#8217;ll keep working with our partners in Congress to outline the positive impacts it will have on the District and correct the record.&#8221;
The America250 celebration is already set to have a much-anticipated live UFC event on the White House Lawn, the MLB All-Star Game in Philadelphia, and the Patriot Games in Washington, D.C.
The proposed race would start at the Supreme Court and then do an entire lap around the National Mall, including the Lincoln Memorial. “Pit Row” would be set up by the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
The IndyCar Grand Prix idea has been floated to the aides of Speaker Mike Johnson, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
A bipartisan prix is worrisome to the Democrats, who seem to only know how to white-knuckle the steering wheel. They argue it puts a strain on the U.S. Capitol Police and the surrounding roads. Democrats also think Republicans haven&#8217;t been helpful to them, according to Punchbowl News. They aren&#8217;t too keen on this race because so far the GOP has refused to hang a plaque honoring the victims of the January 6 Capitol riot, an aide told the outlet.
IndyCar told The Daily Wire that new events are something the organization welcomes.
“We continue to work on new events for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. Major East Coast markets &#8211; like Washington D.C. and several other large metro destinations &#8211; are priorities for us,&#8221; a spokesperson said.
IndyCar has races scheduled for August already, but none in Washington, D.C. Per the league&#8217;s schedule, Secretary Duffy&#8217;s target date of August 21 is open. Still, it seems there might be a few pit stops before this event gets to the finish line.

Illustration by Daily Wire staff

An IndyCar Race Around The Capital Would Be As American As It Gets. Democrats Are The Roadblock.

An IndyCar Race Around D.C. Sounds Awesome But Democrats Are The Roadblock

INDYCAR

News

Sports

Washington D.C.

The 30-year-old man suspected of planting pipe bombs outside the Democratic and Republican Party headquarters in Washington, D.C., on the night before the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot will remain in jail as his case moves forward, a federal judge ruled on Friday.
Brian Cole Jr. was arrested last month and charged with two federal counts related to transporting and attempting to detonate explosive devices. Cole&#8217;s lawyers argued for the federal government to put him under house arrest as he awaits his trial, revealing that he has been diagnosed with autism and obsessive-compulsive disorder and arguing that he poses no threat to society, the New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/12/30/us-news/dc-pipe-bomb-suspect-brian-cole-jr-is-autistic-and-has-ocd-lawyers-reveal-in-bid-against-pre-trial-detention/">reported</a>.
Prosecutors said that releasing Cole would &#8220;return him to precisely the same circumstances … [as] in the fall of 2020 … when the defendant was planning his crimes and learning about the historical use of pipe bombs.&#8221; U.S. District Court Judge Matthew Sharbaugh sided with the prosecution and ordered Cole to be held without bail, according to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us-judge-orders-man-accused-planting-pipe-bombs-washington-remain-custody-2026-01-02/">Reuters</a>.
&#8220;Although home incarceration and a GPS monitor would provide some check against Mr. Cole’s ability to carry out any menacing or dangerous conduct in the community, the Court is simply not satisfied these conditions rise to the necessary level for the reasons explained,&#8221; Sharbaugh <a href="https://cbsaustin.com/news/nation-world/dc-pipe-bomb-suspect-will-remain-locked-up-ahead-of-trial-brian-cole-prosecution-defense-january-six-donald-trump-detained-jail">wrote</a> in his ruling. &#8220;This is particularly true based on the severity of the potential danger Mr. Cole is alleged to pose, given his alleged persistent acquisition and retention of so-called &#8216;bombmaking parts,&#8217; and given his reported penchant and capacity to create explosive devices and deploy them in public settings.&#8221;
The Department of Justice said that Cole wiped his cellphone 943 times after allegedly planting the bombs until just before his arrest. Cole&#8217;s lawyers, however, argued that he often wiped his phone because of his OCD, not to hide any incriminating evidence, the Post reported. His defense team added that Cole has no history of violence.
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Cole, of Woodbridge, Virginia, was tracked down by federal authorities nearly five years after the pipe bombs were discovered. Investigators combed through thousands of purchases, cellphone data, and license plates before tying Cole to the crime. Federal investigators said that Cole <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/d-c-pipe-bomb-suspect-shed-light-on-his-motive-in-interviews-with-investigators-doj-says">confessed</a> to planting the bombs and expressed support for President Donald Trump. Cole allegedly told authorities in a videotaped confession that he wanted someone to “speak up” about the 2020 election being stolen, adding that people felt “that their votes are like just being thrown away.&#8221;
However, questions remain around the timing of Cole&#8217;s alleged plot to plant the pipe bombs in response to the 2020 election, as charging documents state that Cole purchased the materials for the bombs as early as May 2019, long before the controversy over the 2020 election erupted.
Cole allegedly set the bombs to detonate one hour after he set them, but they never went off. Cole said that he was “pretty relieved” when he learned that the bombs did not detonate, according to the Justice Department.
“Indeed, the defendant admitted that he set both devices to detonate 60 minutes after he placed them,” the DOJ stated. “His failure to accomplish his objectives does not mitigate the profoundly dangerous nature of his crimes.”
FBI Director Kash Patel has pointed to Cole&#8217;s arrest as an example of the bureau&#8217;s failures under the Biden administration, arguing that the pipe bomb case went unsolved for nearly five years due to &#8220;either sheer incompetence or complete intentional negligence.&#8221;
Cole faces up to 30 years in prison.

Brian Cole Jr.

Federal Judge Orders Suspect In Jan 6 Pipe Bomb Case To Stay Behind Bars

Courts

Crime

January 6

Judge

U.S.

The 30-year-old man accused of planting pipe bombs outside of the Democratic and Republican Party headquarters in Washington, D.C., on the night of January 5, 2021, told investigators that he wanted someone to &#8220;speak up&#8221; about the 2020 election being stolen, according to the Department of Justice.
Prosecutors said on Sunday that Brian Cole Jr. gave a &#8220;detailed confession&#8221; about planting the pipe bombs and revealed that he didn&#8217;t &#8220;like either party at this point,&#8221; according to a DOJ memo, The Hill <a href="https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5665154-capitol-riot-pipe-bombs-suspect-confession-justice-department/">reported</a>. Cole allegedly said that he was not a political person, but after Joe Biden&#8217;s win over President Donald Trump in 2020, he began following the news more closely, especially on YouTube and Reddit. Cole said that he believed &#8220;something was wrong&#8221; with the 2020 election and people felt &#8220;that their votes are like just being thrown away,&#8221; and someone needed to &#8220;speak up,&#8221; prosecutors said.
Federal prosecutors argued that Cole should remain detained as the case proceeds. Cole allegedly told investigators that he had no intention of killing or injuring anyone with the pipe bombs, which is why he said he placed them at night. Cole said that he was &#8220;pretty relieved&#8221; when he learned that the bombs never went off after he set them to detonate one hour after he placed them, according to the DOJ. Prosecutors, however, argued that Cole&#8217;s alleged actions put people at risk regardless of whether he intended to harm anyone.
“Indeed, the defendant admitted that he set both devices to detonate 60 minutes after he placed them,” the DOJ memo stated. “His failure to accomplish his objectives does not mitigate the profoundly dangerous nature of his crimes.”
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He allegedly confessed to investigators shortly after his arrest and expressed support for Trump, as was previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/d-c-pipe-bomb-suspect-reportedly-confesses-to-investigators">reported</a>. However, questions remain about whether Cole allegedly planted the bombs in response to Trump&#8217;s 2020 election loss, as the charging documents state that he purchased the materials for the bombs as early as May 2019, long before the controversy surrounding the 2020 election erupted. Cole has also expressed anarchist views, according to some reports.
The Daily Wire reported earlier this month that Cole was employed by a bail bonds company run by his father, which worked to free illegal immigrants from ICE facilities and sued the Trump administration’s Department of Homeland Security.
Cole, of Woodbridge, Virginia, was arrested earlier this month after investigators reviewed thousands of purchases, cell phone data, and license plates.

Brian Cole Jr. / Instagram

D.C. Pipe Bomb Suspect Shed Light On His Motive In Interviews With Investigators, DOJ Says

Department of Justice

The FBI officially closed the J. Edgar Hoover Building office in Washington, D.C., on Friday.
Director Kash Patel announced the move after reports over the summer that headquarters would now be relocated to the Ronald Reagan Building.
“After more than 20 years of failed attempts, we finalized a plan to permanently close the FBI’s Hoover headquarters and move the workforce into a safe, modern facility. Working directly with President Trump and Congress, we accomplished what no one else could,” Patel posted to X on Friday.
He also said a plan for a $5 billion, newly built headquarters was scrapped.
“Instead, we selected the already-existing Reagan Building, saving billions and allowing the transition to begin immediately with required safety and infrastructure upgrades already underway. Once complete, most of the HQ FBI workforce will move in, and the rest are continuing in our ongoing push to put more manpower in the field, where they will remain,” he continued, adding that the Hoover Building “will be shut down permanently.”
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In July, General Services Administration Public Buildings Service Commissioner Michael Peters said in a press release for the FBI that the decision to instead move to the Ronald Reagan building, which is only down the block from the Hoover building, would also cut costs on upkeep for the facility.
“This move not only provides a world-class location for the FBI’s public servants, but it also saves Americans billions of dollars on new construction and avoids more than $300 million in deferred maintenance costs at the J. Edgar Hoover facility,” Peters stated in July. “We are proud to partner with Director Patel to drive efficiency and improve the quality of space for a productive workforce in service to national security and taxpayers.”
The closure announcement comes amid other reports about the possible teardown of different federal buildings in the city, such as the Liberty Loan Building, Robert C. Weaver Federal Building, Wilbur J. Cohen Federal Building, and the GSA Regional Office Building, according to the <a href="https://komonews.com/news/nation-world/controversy-over-new-arc-plans-as-ex-gsa-worker-claims-historic-buildings-at-risk-donald-trump-arc-de-triomphe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National News Desk</a>. However, the outlet reported that GSA Associate Administrator for Strategic Communications Marianne Copenhaver denied the accusations as “a manufactured narrative built on speculation.”
At the White House, Trump’s decision to demolish the East Wing and build a ballroom has earned both intense praise and criticism since it was announced in October.

Justice Department Announces Federal Enforcement Action Against International Criminal Organization

FBI Shuts Down Old Headquarters In Move That Could Save Taxpayers Billions

General

kash patel

Trump Administration

The Afghan national accused of killing one National Guard soldier and injuring another in a Thanksgiving week attack in Washington, D.C., could now face the death penalty after prosecutors moved the case to federal court.
The Justice Department announced Tuesday that it has filed a <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/media/1421951/dl?inline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">criminal complaint</a> against 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, charging him with two federal firearms offenses: transporting or shipping a stolen firearm in interstate commerce and transporting or receiving firearms in interstate or foreign commerce with intent to commit a crime. Lakanwal is also charged with first-degree premeditated murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and assault with intent to kill while armed.
The federal charges bring the case to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia from the D.C. Superior Court. Lakanwal is accused of gunning down U.S. Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, both members of the West Virginia National Guard, while they patrolled the streets of the nation&#8217;s capital. Beckstrom died from her wounds just a day after the attack, while Wolfe was critically injured and still in recovery, but expected to survive. 
“The transfer of this case from Superior Court to District Court ensures that we can undertake the serious, deliberate, and weighty analysis required to determine if the death penalty is appropriate here,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro. “Sarah Beckstrom was just 20 years old when she was killed and her parents are now forced to endure the holiday season without their daughter. Andrew Wolfe, by the grace of God, survived but has a long road ahead in his recovery.”
The federal complaint filed Tuesday says that Lakanwal “purposely and with deliberate and premeditated malice, killed Beckstrom by shooting her in the head with a firearm. Your affiant also asserts that, by shooting Wolfe in the head with a firearm, LAKANWAL assaulted Wolfe with intent to kill him.”
Lakanwal, who was shot during the attack, pleaded not guilty to the D.C. charges earlier this month. 
According to the complaint, the weapon used in the shooting was a stolen .357 Smith &amp; Wesson revolver. Prosecutors say on October 15, Lakanwal sent photos of an AR-15 and a pistol to an unnamed individual in Washington, where he lived, along with the message, “find this stuff for me.”
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“I’m doing [Lyft] an[d] Uber so I will need one of them[.]” Lakanwal allegedly said. The unidentified person replied by saying, “I wish I could help brother but the laws here are to[o] strict[.]”
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The criminal complaint states that Lakanwal had not provided a Lyft ride since May, and that a family member told investigators his Uber account had been banned.
The unidentified individual later supplied Lakanwal with the revolver, which had been stolen from a Seattle home in May 2023, according to the complaint. The person who furnished the weapon told investigators he believed Lakanwal wanted it “for personal protection while working as a rideshare driver.”
After obtaining the firearm, Lakanwal is alleged to have purchased ammunition the following day. Two hours later, Lakanwal searched “Washington, D.C.” and “The White House” in Google Maps, according to the complaint.

President Trump Orders Hundreds More National Guard Troops to D.C. After Shooting Of Guardsmen

Trump Wants Death Penalty For Afghanistan Man Charged In Deadly National Guard Shooting

Afghanistan

Jeanine Pirro

National Guard

The Kennedy Center board voted unanimously Thursday to rename the Washington, D.C., performing arts venue The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center For The Performing Arts, The Daily Wire has learned.
Trump had teased the possibility of renaming the center, which he has made a focal point of his second administration. It is unclear how or when the renaming will become official. Earlier attempts have been made to rename the center. In July 2025, Missouri GOP Rep. Bob Onder introduced the &#8220;Make Entertainment Great Again&#8221; Act, which proposed renaming the entire complex the Donald J. Trump Center for the Performing Arts. Later that month, the House Appropriations Committee approved an amendment to rename the center’s main Opera House after First Lady Melania Trump.
“The Kennedy Center Board of Trustees voted unanimously today to name the institution The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts. The unanimous vote recognizes that the current Chairman saved the institution from financial ruin and physical destruction. The new Trump Kennedy Center reflects the unequivocal bipartisan support for America’s cultural center for generations to come,” Roma Daravi, Vice President of Public Relations, stated.
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President Kennedy&#8217;s grandson, Jack Schlossberg, <a href="https://people.com/jack-schlossberg-slams-effort-rename-kennedy-center-theater-after-melania-trump-11778364">objected</a> to the name change, citing a 1983 <a href="https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title20/chapter3/subchapter5&amp;edition=prelim">federal statute</a> that prohibits additional memorials or plaques in the public areas of the Kennedy Center. The statue stated, &#8220;There is established in the Smithsonian Institution a bureau, which shall be directed by a board to be known as the Trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (hereafter in this subchapter referred to as the &#8216;Board&#8217;), whose duty it shall be to maintain and administer the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and site thereof as the National Center for the Performing Arts, a living memorial to John Fitzgerald Kennedy &#8230; the Board shall assure that after December 2, 1983, no additional memorials or plaques in the nature of memorials shall be designated or installed in the public areas of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.&#8221;
&#8220;Plain reading of the statute makes clear — YOU CAN&#8217;T DO THAT,&#8221; Schlossberg, 32, wrote on Instagram. &#8220;Law prohibits renaming Kennedy Center.&#8221;
In early 2025, President Trump ousted the Board of Trustees and named himself Chairman of the Board and appointed Richard Grenell as interim executive director. Trump wrote, &#8220;NO MORE DRAG SHOWS, OR OTHER ANTI-AMERICAN PROPAGANDA.”
Grenell stated, &#8220;Corporations don&#8217;t want to fund an all-lesbian cast of Othello.&#8221;

President Trump Participates In A Kennedy Center Board Meeting And Tour

Kennedy Center To Be Renamed After President Donald Trump

Donald Trump

Executive

John F. Kennedy (JFK)

Kennedy Center

Ric Grenell

A new bill from Republican Senator Tom Cotton would protect National Guard troops from “deranged individuals” who attack or spit on them while they are on duty.
Cotton’s bill would create a 15-foot buffer zone around any National Guard member performing official duties, his office told The Daily Wire. The intent would be to shield troops from people trying to intimidate, harass, touch, or spit on them.
“The brave Arkansans who serve in our National Guard should be protected from deranged individuals. My bill ensures that anyone who attempts to intimidate or harass a Guardsmen will face the full force of the law,” Cotton told The Daily Wire.
Cotton’s legislation comes as President Donald Trump has deployed National Guard troops to cities across the country from Memphis to Los Angeles to assist in federal operations.
The bill, known as the ‘‘National Guard Protective Zone Act,” would create a federal misdemeanor for those who enter the protective zone to intimidate, harass, or impede a troop. It would also create a felony for anyone who spits on or throws an object at a National Guard member while on duty. That would be punishable by up to five years in prison.
“Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit activity protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States that is conducted outside a posted protective zone,” the legislation reads.
Since being deployed to Washington, D.C., National Guard troops have faced protests and violence. Just before Thanksgiving, two National Guard troops were shot, with one dying while another was critically injured. The man suspected of shooting the troops was an Afghan refugee who entered the country under former President Joe Biden.
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In another high-profile incident, a man threw a subway sandwich at a Customs and Border Patrol officer during part of the Trump administration’s law enforcement surge to the nation’s capital.
On Wednesday, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals said the Trump administration could keep the National Guard deployed to the district while litigation plays out.
“Another important court victory for President Trump’s agenda: today, the D.C. Circuit unanimously issued a stay in favor of our National Guard deployment to Washington, DC,” Attorney General Pam Bondi <a href="https://x.com/AGPamBondi/status/2001375227465322966">said</a>. “Our federal surge in DC has saved countless lives, removed hundreds of illegal guns off the streets, and led to a dramatic drop in crime in our nation’s capital city.”

Senate Confirmation Held To Consider John Ratcliffe To Be CIA Director

National Guard Under Attack From ‘Deranged Individuals’ In U.S. Cities, Senator Says

Arkansas

Congress

Politics

Tom Cotton

United States Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro revealed that the Democrat-run D.C. police manipulated data to make the city seem safer than it was.
Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith, the top cop in the nation’s capital, said on Monday that she will step down at the end of the month, as her department faces continued pressure to address violent crime.
Smith has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/capitals-top-cop-quits-following-months-of-controversy-over-d-c-law-enforcement?utm_source=chatgpt.com">acknowledged</a> her final day will be on December 31. The Justice Department is also investigating the police department over allegations that it has been manipulating crime data to hide how dangerous the city has become under Democratic leadership.
“I think there was certainly an effort to misclassify, mischaracterize certain categories of crime,” Pirro <a href="https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/2001299446303199714">told</a> Dana Perino on FOX News Channels’ America’s Newsroom. “It was an attempt to make crime look lower than it was. The investigation that we conducted over a period of several months based upon the report of the deflation of numbers was very thorough &#8230; over 6,000 reports were looked at; over 50 witnesses.”
“And those witnesses were ranked and filed from the top down,” she stated. “The bottom line here is this: Now we’re in a situation with President Trump and the Attorney General, Pam Bondi, where every case is being looked at. Every case is being reviewed by my office. So if it appears that the arrest is lower than what the facts show, we’re going to upgrade that crime.”
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“You know, what’s amazing to me is that the U.S. attorney before me in the Biden administration did not go forward with more than 65% of the arrests,” she noted. “That means that even if police made arrests, they weren&#8217;t being prosecuted.”
“In my office, we go forward with over 90 percent of the arrests,” she asserted. “We review them. We look at them. We see if&#8230; the law and the evidence support the charging, and we go forward. And this really is a testament to the determination and the focus of the president in making sure that crime is down in our nation’s capital, because when crime is underreported, then police resources are not put in certain areas, and then as a result of that, people don’t think that they are being protected; they then don’t report crime.”
“Now, everything has changed,” she declared. “In the period since we had the surge, homicides are down 65% compared to the year before, carjackings are down 68%, and robberies are down 49%. We&#8217;re making a difference, but it is a focus on law and order, and it&#8217;s the federal partners coming in, and the people of the district deserve it.”
Zach Jewell contributed to this article.

Department of Justice 12/4/25

‘Make Crime Look Lower Than It Was’: Jeanine Pirro Accuses D.C. Police Of Manipulating Crime Data

The top cop in the nation&#8217;s capital said on Monday that she will step down at the end of the month, as her department faces continued pressure to address violent crime.
Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith said that her final day will be on December 31. Smith, who has served as the district&#8217;s police chief for less than three years, told <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2025/12/08/dc-police-chief-resigns-stepping-down-pamela-smith">Axios</a> that her decision to resign was not in response to President Donald Trump&#8217;s moves to clean up crime in D.C., but she did not give a specific reason for her abrupt departure.
&#8220;There comes a time when you just know it&#8217;s time,&#8221; she said.
The Metropolitan Police Department has been at the center of controversy over high crime rates in D.C., as the city&#8217;s homicide rate reached 27.3 per 100,000 residents in 2024, giving the U.S. capital the fourth-highest homicide rate of any city in the country.
The police department is also being investigated by the Justice Department over allegations that it has been manipulating crime data to hide how dangerous the city has become under Democratic leadership. Smith addressed those accusations on Monday, telling Axios that she would &#8220;never&#8221; order D.C. police to alter crime stats. A D.C. police commander was suspended and placed under investigation for allegedly altering the crime data, and Smith did not say if anyone else at the department is being investigated over the issue.
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As questions swirl around the Metropolitan Police Department&#8217;s crime reporting, D.C. officials, including Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser, are pointing at crime data to show that the city is at a 30-year low in violent crime and is not in a &#8220;crime emergency&#8221; as the Trump administration claims.
Trump ripped D.C. leaders over the reports of manipulated crime data and argued that violence in D.C. was &#8220;totally out of control.&#8221; The president then deployed federal law enforcement and National Guard troops to D.C., a move that infuriated Democrats on Capitol Hill and many district residents.
Smith has been criticized by leftist D.C. residents who believe that the Metropolitan Police Department is cooperating with ICE agents on immigration raids and arrests. Smith said on Monday that her department has not worked with ICE since Trump surged federal law enforcement agents to the city.
&#8220;We are not aligned with ICE. We do not, and have not since the crime emergency, worked alongside ICE,&#8221; Smith said. &#8220;[Social media] videos lend one aspect of what you see. If they show up, they show up. They&#8217;re federal officers.&#8221;
Smith has also been <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2025/08/22/dc-police-chief-trump-takeover/">slammed</a> by some of her own officers, who have questioned her leadership, especially during the Trump administration&#8217;s takeover of the department. After Trump declared a &#8220;crime emergency&#8221; and took over the Metropolitan Police Department in August, D.C. leaders sued the administration, and Trump officials worked out a deal to keep Smith at the helm of the department, but mandating that she cooperate with federal law enforcement agencies.

Pamela Smith

Capital’s Top Cop Quits Following Months Of Controversy Over D.C. Law Enforcement

Police

WASHINGTON—In a town where access is everything, if you want to be influential, you have to go to all the right events.
It’s why people lined up for hours in the freezing cold to get into last year’s Inaugural Balls. It’s why, as we speak, congressional staffers and think tank flaks are jockeying to get invites to all the swankiest Christmas parties. And it’s why a couple of legacy media outlets are reportedly spinning their wheels to get invited to this Sunday’s Kennedy Center Honors.
The Associated Press and New York Times “are scrambling and begging” for press credentials just days before the event, Kennedy Center Vice President of Public Relations Roma Daravi wrote on X this week.
“The date didn’t sneak up on anyone,” she added. “They knew it was coming. They just didn’t bother.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The <a href="https://twitter.com/AP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@AP</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/nytimes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@nytimes</a> are scrambling and begging for <a href="https://twitter.com/kencen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@kencen</a> Honors press credentials at the last minute. 3 days before the show…
It’s the 48th Honors. The date didn’t sneak up on anyone. They knew it was coming. They just didn’t bother.
— Roma Daravi (@romadaravi) <a href="https://twitter.com/romadaravi/status/1996616392494268638?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">December 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
This year’s class of honorees includes Michael Crawford, the Tony Award-winning singer who originated the titular role of the Phantom of the Opera on Broadway; disco legend Gloria Gaynor and country music star George Strait; “Rocky” star Sylvester Stallone; and the band KISS.
The Kennedy Center Honors are always a star-studded affair, and this year is no exception. Expected guests include Tommy Hilfiger, Kurt Russell, and Garth Brooks, The Daily Caller <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2025/12/04/tommy-hilfiger-kurt-russell-garth-brooks-sylvster-stallone-kennedy-center-honors/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> this week. Inside-the-Beltway VIPs include House Speaker Mike Johnson, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
President Donald Trump will host this year’s honors in lieu of a celebrity master of ceremonies. First Lady Melania Trump is also expected to be in attendance.
This year also marks the debut of new medals for honorees, <a href="https://www.kennedy-center.org/news-room/press-release-landing-page/48th-kc-honors-medallion/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">designed exclusively</a> for the Kennedy Center by Tiffany &amp; Co.
This year’s honors, which will air on CBS on December 23, come at a pivotal time for the Kennedy Center. Trump has made overhauling the cultural institution a priority in his second term, as The Daily Wire has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-kennedy-center-is-40-million-in-debt-will-make-major-cuts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">chronicled extensively</a>. Trump and Kennedy Center Director Richard Grenell have pushed to rectify the Kennedy Center’s financial situation and revamp its offerings.
The Trump administration’s reform efforts have made the Kennedy Center a political flashpoint. Recently, Democrat Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (RI) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kennedy-center-board-of-trustees-president-pushes-back-after-senator-attacked-center-with-outrageous-claims" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a> that the Center was “being looted to the tune of millions of dollars in foregone revenue, cancelled programming, unpaid use of its facilities, and wasteful spending on luxury restaurants and hotels — an unprecedented pattern of self-dealing, favoritism, and waste.”
“The press and the Senator should be ashamed of the lies they print and reprint — we want a cultural center for all Americans but they push lies to sow division amongst Americans for their selfish moment in a headline,” Daravi said in response to Whitehouse’s allegations.
Sources close to the matter tell The Daily Wire that the Times and the AP claim they missed the email inviting them to apply for press credentials. While neither outlet responded to a request for comment, Daravi addressed the missed email claims, saying simply, “They’ve had 48 years to prepare.”
Full disclosure: The Daily Wire will be in attendance at the 48th Kennedy Center Honors. We didn’t miss the email.

The Kennedy Center Honors Are So Hot, Even The New York Times Is Clamoring To Get In

Associated Press

New York Times

The Kennedy Center

The man arrested for allegedly planting pipe bombs at the Republican and Democratic Party headquarters in Washington, D.C., in the hours before the January 6 Capitol riot confessed to the act on Thursday, according to multiple reports.
Brian Cole Jr., who the FBI arrested on Thursday morning, told investigators during interviews on Thursday afternoon that he planted the bombs, according to the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-pipe-bomb-justice-department-a2d4fca7c41b03c7215f99ec0f3c0252">Associated Press</a> and <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/12/05/us-news/dc-pipe-bomb-suspect-admits-to-planting-devices-outside-dnc-rnc-sources/?utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=nypost&amp;utm_social_post_id=615598904&amp;utm_social_handle_id=17469289">The New York Post</a>, which cited sources familiar with the matter. Cole, a 30-year-old living in Woodbridge, Virginia, has been charged with transporting explosives across state lines with intent to kill, injure, and cause damage, and attempted malicious destruction by means of explosive materials. He is set to be arraigned in a D.C. federal court on Friday afternoon.
During his interviews with investigators, Cole also expressed support for President Donald Trump and indicated that he believed the 2020 election was stolen from Trump, the Associated Press reported. Whether Cole allegedly planted pipe bombs in response to Trump losing the 2020 election to former President Joe Biden, however, remains in question. According to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/d-c-pipe-bomber-charging-papers-unsealed-in-d-c-court?author=Luke+Rosiak&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=D.C.+Pipe+Bomber+Charging+Papers+Unsealed+In+D.C.+Court">charging documents</a>, Cole began purchasing supplies for the pipe bombs in May 2019, long before the controversy surrounding the 2020 election erupted.
The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/alleged-d-c-pipe-bomber-sued-trump-dhs-over-illegal-immigration-asked-biden-doj-to-address-racism">reported</a> on Thursday that Cole worked for a bail bonds company run by his father that worked to free illegal immigrants from ICE facilities and sued the Trump administration’s Department of Homeland Security. Cole&#8217;s exact political leanings or potential motivations remain cloudy, as some reports have also stated that the suspect holds anarchist views.
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Federal authorities have not yet revealed what they believe to be the suspect&#8217;s motive. The FBI declined to comment on the ongoing investigation.
The FBI zeroed in on Cole after nearly five years of investigation into the case by analyzing thousands of purchases, cell phone data, and license plates. Data from Cole’s cell phone provider showed that he was near the RNC and DNC on January 5, 2021, between 7:39 p.m. and 8:24 p.m., according to the charging documents. Cole&#8217;s 2017 Nissan Sentra with Virginia plates was also allegedly captured by a license plate reader on I-395 South near the Capitol at 7:34 p.m. on that same night.

D.C. Pipe Bomb Suspect Reportedly Confesses To Investigators

Charging documents for the suspected Washington, D.C., pipe bomber <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.287327/gov.uscourts.dcd.287327.1.1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">were unsealed</a> in court on Thursday as the Justice Department announced the arrest of Brian Cole Jr.
According to an FBI affidavit, Cole is 30 years old, 5 feet 6 inches tall, works as a bail bondsman, and lives with his mother in Woodbridge, Virginia. The feds say that Cole used credit cards to purchase bomb-making equipment from Virginia stores.
He bought six pipes, 12 black end caps, and electrical wires from numerous different Home Depots between May 2019 and November 2020. He also purchased steel wool, which was packed inside the pipe bombs, from the national chain. Cole purchased five nine-volt battery connectors from Micro Center, some using cash, and bought kitchen timers from Walmart, according to the charging documents. He also bought tools like protective gloves and disinfectant wipes on November 24, 2020.
The pipe bomber investigation dragged on for nearly five years, and many Americans doubted that the federal government would ever find the culprit. The FBI offered the public a $500,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person who planted bombs at the Republican and Democratic Party headquarters on the eve of the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said at a press conference Thursday afternoon that federal investigators closed in on Cole through &#8220;internal work&#8221; and &#8220;not a public tip.&#8221;
&#8220;You are not going to walk into our capital city, put down two explosive devices, and get away. We would track him to the end of the earth. We didn&#8217;t have to track him that far, he wound up being in Woodbridge, Virginia,&#8221; Bongino said.
Data from Cole&#8217;s cell phone provider showed that he was near the RNC and DNC on January 5, 2021, between 7:39 p.m. and 8:24 p.m. Data from the cell phone company provided in February 2021 contained an error that was corrected two months later, the filing said.
Cole drives a 2017 Nissan Sentra with Virginia plates, and it was captured by a license plate reader on I-395 South near the Capitol at 7:34 p.m. Three weeks before the bombs were placed, on December 14, 2020, Cole bought food from a restaurant in the area.
Attorney General Pam Bondi ripped the Biden administration for failing to solve the case for four years, saying, &#8220;The total lack of movement undermined trust in law enforcement.&#8221;
&#8220;It languished for four years until Kash Patel and Dan Bongino came to the FBI. There was no new tip, no new witness, the information had been sitting at the FBI for four years,&#8221; Bondi added.

RNC/DNC pipe bomb suspect

Charging Docs Reveal How FBI Zeroed In On Suspected D.C. Pipe Bomber

Terrorism

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