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.
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=christmas&amp;utm_content=christmassale25">Christmas Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a>
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

U.S.

Washington D.C.

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.
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible c-link--underline" href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=christmas&amp;utm_content=christmassale25" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=christmas&amp;utm_content=christmassale25" data-sk="tooltip_parent">Christmas Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a> 
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

National Guard

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.”
<a class="c-link" href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=christmas&amp;utm_content=christmassale25" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=christmas&amp;utm_content=christmassale25" data-sk="tooltip_parent">Christmas Sale &#8211; Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a>
“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

Crime

Jeanine Pirro

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.
50% off DailyWire+ annual memberships will not return for another year, so don’t miss this deal! Join now at <a class="c-link" href="http://dailywire.com/cyberweek" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="http://DailyWire.com/cyberweek" data-sk="tooltip_parent">DailyWire.com/cyberweek</a>.
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.
50% off DailyWire+ annual memberships will not return for another year, so don’t miss this deal! Join now at <a href="http://dailywire.com/cyberweek?_gl=1*7670ud*_gcl_au*ODYzMTA0ODkuMTc2Mzk5NjQ4MA..*_ga*OTE4NjY2Mzk0LjE3NjM5OTY0ODA.*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*czE3NjQ4NjcxMDIkbzQ5JGcxJHQxNzY0ODY4MzI3JGo2MCRsMCRoMA.." target="_blank" rel="noopener">DailyWire.com/cyberweek</a>.
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.

Brian Cole Jr.

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

January 6

Terrorism

The Biden administration “barely vetted” the Afghan migrant accused of shooting two National Guardsmen in Washington, D.C. last week, a Homeland Security official revealed Tuesday.
The alleged shooter, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, didn’t undergo multiple standard background checks after he arrived in the United States in 2021 as part of the Biden administration’s “Operation Allies Welcome” program that brought over 77,000 individuals from the war-torn nation following the botched withdrawal of American troops, Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News host John Roberts.
The Biden administration allowed Lakanwal into the U.S. because of his past work with federal agencies operating in Afghanistan, including the CIA, Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/national-guardsmen-shooting-suspect-worked-with-the-cia-agency-head-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed</a> last week. He received asylum in April, <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rahmanullah-lakanwal-mental-health-case-worker-emails/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to CBS News.
“We saw with this terrorist here, he was barely vetted, there was no biometric vetting, there was no criminal background check, cyber background check, financial background check. Really, they took some people and they just took them at their word, that&#8217;s a huge problem,” McLaughlin said.
“And it really can&#8217;t be overstated what the Biden administration did to this country in putting it in danger. So, I would say absolutely the vetting process is an issue, but these countries of origin too,” McLaughlin added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
The damage that the Biden administration did to this country cannot be overstated.
President Trump and Secretary Noem are putting an end to the reckless policies that allowed millions of illegal aliens and foreigners into our country unvetted. The vetting process will now… <a href="https://t.co/wRC6hi377D">pic.twitter.com/wRC6hi377D</a>
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) <a href="https://twitter.com/DHSgov/status/1995956782712455534?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
<div class="p-rich_text_section">
50% off DailyWire+ annual memberships will not return for another year, so don’t miss this deal! Join now at <a class="c-link" href="http://dailywire.com/cyberweek" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="http://DailyWire.com/cyberweek" data-sk="tooltip_parent">DailyWire.com/cyberweek</a>.
President Donald Trump was quick to turn off immigration pipelines following the recent attack.
</div>
The federal government halted asylum decisions and stopped issuing <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/state-department-orders-posts-to-refuse-visas-to-afghan-nationals?author=Mary+Margaret+Olohan&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=State+Department+Takes+Action+On+Afghan+Nationals+Following+Trump+Pledge" target="_blank" rel="noopener">visas</a> to Afghans. On Tuesday, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services issued new guidance to pause the processing of all immigration applications for individuals from 19 “high risk countries.”
The targets of the halt include Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela, countries that were subject to travel <a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-06-10/pdf/2025-10669.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">restrictions</a> enacted in June.

Job Biden Speaks At Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) In San Diego

Biden Admin ‘Barely Vetted’ Afghan Terror Suspect Accused Of Shooting National Guard Troops In D.C.

Biden Admin 'Barely Vetted' Afghan Terror Suspect Accused Of Shooting National Guard Troops In D.C.

Afghanistan

Joe Biden

The Afghan migrant accused of shooting two National Guard troops patrolling the streets of Washington, D.C., last week has pleaded not guilty.
Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, is accused of shooting West Virginia National Guardsmen, 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom and 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe. Beckstrom tragically died from her wounds just a day after the attack.
During a virtual hearing Tuesday, Lakanwal, who joined from a hospital bed where he&#8217;s being treated for gunshot wounds, pleaded not guilty to all charges against him, which include assault with intent to kill while armed; possession of a firearm; possession of a firearm during a crime of violence; and murder, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/suspect-dc-shooting-national-guard-members-charged-murder-pleads-not-g-rcna247014" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to NBC News.
It was also revealed in court documents that Lakanwal yelled &#8220;Allahu akbar!&#8221; as he carried out the brutal attack. Additionally, he was apparently restrained just as he tried to reload his gun.
A judge denied the suspect bond, according to NBC.
Both Beckstrom and Wolfe “were sworn in less than 24 hours before they were shot on the street in Washington,” United States Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro said during a press conference Thursday morning.
Beckstrom had volunteered to work during the Thanksgiving holiday to give her fellow soldiers time with their families before the shooting occurred.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
President Trump says he spoke with the parents of Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, who is still hospitalized and in serious condition:
&#8220;They said he didn’t have a chance. I will tell you, the one who said he is going to live is his mother. I spoke to his mother, &#8216;Sir, he is going to… <a href="https://t.co/sWqnw24nlp">pic.twitter.com/sWqnw24nlp</a>
— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaryMargOlohan/status/1995906785346265239?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
Wolfe “remains in serious condition,” but is showing signs of movement and awareness, Republican West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey said during a press conference Monday.
During a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, President Donald Trump said he spoke with Wolfe&#8217;s parents.
&#8220;They said he didn’t have a chance,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;I will tell you, the one who said he is going to live is his mother &#8230; &#8216;Sir, he is going to live.&#8217; I spoke to her very soon after this horrible event took place with this scum that is able to come into our country.&#8221;
&#8220;I spoke to his mother, &#8216;Sir, he’s going to be okay. I’m telling you.&#8217; No doctor thought that. Nobody thought that. He was hit bad places. She was so positive, it was incredible. And possibly right. &#8230; That would be amazing. If he lives, it would be amazing, a miracle, actually,&#8221; he recalled of the conversation.
50% off DailyWire+ annual memberships will not return for another year, so don’t miss this deal! Join now at <a class="c-link" href="http://dailywire.com/cyberweek" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="http://DailyWire.com/cyberweek" data-sk="tooltip_parent">DailyWire.com/cyberweek</a>.
Lakanwal came to the United States in 2021 as part of President Joe Biden’s “Operation Allies Welcome,” when roughly 77,000 Afghan nationals were ushered into the country during the botched withdrawal of American troops, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
The Afghan man received asylum in April, <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rahmanullah-lakanwal-mental-health-case-worker-emails/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to CBS News.
The Biden administration justified bringing Lakanwal to the U.S. over his work with U.S. government entities in Afghanistan, including the CIA, agency Director John Ratcliffe <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/national-guardsmen-shooting-suspect-worked-with-the-cia-agency-head-says">said</a> last week.
The Trump administration has responded to the attack by “halting” asylum decisions and stopping the issuance of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/state-department-orders-posts-to-refuse-visas-to-afghan-nationals?author=Mary+Margaret+Olohan&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=State+Department+Takes+Action+On+Afghan+Nationals+Following+Trump+Pledge" target="_blank" rel="noopener">visas</a> to Afghans.

National Guard Continue Patrolling Washington, DC After Shooting

Afghan Migrant Pleads Not Guilty In DC Shooting Of National Guard Soldiers

The White House released First Lady Melania Trump’s theme for the holiday season yesterday, and it inspired viewers to reflect on the debacle of 2023 and the major bullet our country dodged last November.
The first lady teamed up with her longtime designer and stylist Hervé Pierre to bring an elegant, traditional look to the White House, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/melania-transforms-white-house-for-christmas-with-ten-thousand-butterflies?author=Brecca+Stoll&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=11&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Melania+Transforms+White+House+For+Christmas+With+Ten+Thousand+Butterflies">reported</a>. This stands in stark contrast to the “woke clowns” that Jill Biden showcased while her husband was still in office in December 2023.
Melania Trump’s theme for 2025, “Home Is Where the Heart Is,” features 10,000 blue butterflies. Many social media users have juxtaposed the classy promo video just released by the White House with the frenetic, colorful chaos from Biden&#8217;s Christmas video two years ago.
“There’s no comparison between the Biden White House and the Trump White House Christmas,” one commenter <a href="https://x.com/Sassafrass_84/status/1995529566580855075">posted</a> on X. “Melania is pure class. Love my Flotus.”
“A return to elegance at the White House,” another <a href="https://x.com/T_Q_Gardner/status/1995559798100857262">said</a>.
“Flashback: Jill Biden made a mocked Christmas by featuring woke clowns in her Christmas decorations! Just announced: We&#8217;re so back!!!” another user <a href="https://x.com/Huberton/status/1995537729270988802?s=20">added</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
First Lady Melania Trump has released a video for this year’s Christmas at the White House: &#8220;Home is Where the Heart Is.&#8221;
Flashback: Jill Biden made a mocked Christmas by featuring woke clowns in her Christmas decorations!
Just announced: We&#8217;re so back!!! 🇺🇸✝️ <a href="https://t.co/U0pXkVX65Y">pic.twitter.com/U0pXkVX65Y</a>
— AJ Huber (@Huberton) <a href="https://twitter.com/Huberton/status/1995537729270988802?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;I love Melania Trump, and her impeccable taste! Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas,&#8221; another user <a href="https://x.com/MaryandBessie/status/1995531044846784612">gushed</a>.
50% off DailyWire+ annual memberships will not return for another year, so don’t miss this deal! Join now at <a class="c-link" href="http://dailywire.com/cyberweek" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="http://DailyWire.com/cyberweek" data-sk="tooltip_parent">DailyWire.com/cyberweek</a>.
At the time, Biden’s holiday decorations were dubbed “bizarre,” “freaky,” and “cringey.” The Dorrance Dance group website also encouraged support of organizations like Black Lives Matter and advocated for a group called “Showing Up For Racial Justice” that “moves white people to act as part of a multi-racial majority for justice,” as The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/white-house-blasted-for-bizarre-freaky-christmas-video">reported</a> at the time.
Some commenters pointed out that if Kamala Harris had won in 2024, the White House Christmas decor would more closely resemble 2023, in all likelihood.

White House Christmas

Melania Praised For ‘Impeccable’ White House Christmas Decorations After Biden’s ‘Woke Clowns’

Melania Trump Praised For 'Impeccable' White House Christmas Decorations After Biden's 'Woke Clowns'

Christmas

General

Jill Biden

Melania Trump

White House

Americans unwrapped an early present this morning when the White House unveiled its highly anticipated 2025 Christmas theme: Home Is Where The Heart Is. First Lady Melania Trump enlisted her longtime designer and stylist, Hervé Pierre, to bring the holiday spirit to the People’s House with elegance and flair.
True to the “Trump 2.0” motto of transformation, the 2025 display features 10,000 blue butterflies in the Red Room and halls of the White House. “The striking color combination coupled with the butterflies&#8217; symbolic meaning of transformation and renewal capture the essence of Christmas,” Trump said in a statement from her office.
Staying true to tradition, the first lady selected wreaths with red bows for the White House windows and oversaw the installation of 50 Christmas trees, 700 feet of garland, and 25,000 feet of ribbon to transform the historic residence for the holiday season.
Melania Trump said her inspiration came from the joys, challenges, and frequent motion derived from motherhood and business. “The constant movement has taught me that home is not merely a physical space; rather, it is the warmth and comfort I carry within, regardless of my surroundings.” She added that the display reflects the idea that “wherever we are, we can create a home filled with grace, radiance, and endless possibilities.”
That sentiment is especially embodied in the Blue Room, where the official White House Christmas tree honors Gold Star families. The 18-foot Concolor Fir from Sidney, Michigan, is adorned with gold stars and ornaments representing the official bird and official flower of every U.S. state and territory, paying tribute to “the resilience, bravery, and sacrifice of military personnel and their families.”
Hinting at a future celebration, the East Room showcases trees with bases marked with “America 250.” The trees are donned with decorations in America’s red, white, and blue to “accentuate the upcoming 250th anniversary of the Nation.” National symbols including eagles, the Great Seal, roses, and oak cover the tree. The room includes two Presidential Portraits made up of puzzle pieces, offering visiting families “the chance to be challenged … and use their imagination together.”
Christmas 2025 marks Melania Trump’s fifth time decorating the White House, a tradition that dates back to Jacqueline Kennedy. Known for her elegant style, Melania has drawn parallels to the iconic first lady. Vanity Fair dubbed her “<a href="https://people.com/politics/melania-trump-vanity-fair-mexico-next-jackie-kennedy/">the new Jackie Kennedy</a>” in 2017.
Kennedy <a href="https://www.whitehousehistory.org/photos/jacqueline-kennedy-refines-the-season-photo-2">started the tradition</a> of selecting a theme for the official White House Christmas tree in 1961, when she adorned the tree with ornamental toys, birds, and angels modeled after Petr Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker” ballet. In the North Entrance, she decorated the Christmas tree with ornaments made by disabled or senior citizen craftspeople in the United States.
Trump hopes that as Americans explore the historic residence this holiday season, the 2025 decorations will serve as a reminder that “the strength of our Nation is found in its people—in our shared values, valued traditions, and the steadfast belief that home is where the heart is.”

Screenshot 2025-12-01 at 2.53.04 PM

Melania Transforms White House For Christmas With Ten Thousand Butterflies

The Afghan national suspected of shooting two National Guard troops, seriously wounding one and killing another, will be charged with first-degree murder, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said Friday.
Pirro said during an <a href="https://x.com/FoxNews/status/1994400786063741313">interview</a> on “Fox and Friends” that 29-year-old <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/afghan-national-in-custody-for-national-guard-attack-was-in-country-illegally?author=Cameron+Arcand&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Afghan+National+In+Custody+For+National+Guard+Attack+Was+In+Country+Illegally">Rahmanullah Lakanwal</a> will face the upgraded charge after National Guard Specialist Sarah Beckstrom of the West Virginia National Guard died after she was shot on Wednesday. Lakanwal is accused of shooting both Beckstrom and U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe with a handgun while they patrolled the streets of Washington, D.C. 
“There are certainly many more charges to come, but we are upgrading the initial charges of assault to murder in the first degree,” Pirro said. “It is a premeditated murder. There was an ambush with a gun toward people who didn&#8217;t know what was coming.”
Pirro added that the investigation into how the deadly shooting was still ongoing. 
Right now, DailyWire+ annual memberships are fifty percent off during our Black Friday sale. Join now at <a href="http://dailywire.com/blackfriday" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dailywire.com/blackfriday</a>.
“And we are hoping that the more information we can get and the more investigation that is going on, 24/7… the more we will find out about what actually happened in terms of this individual, even being in this country and being in a position to ambush and shoot down an innocent young woman who was doing her duty to the people of this country.”
President Donald Trump announced Thursday that Beckstrom had died of her injuries.
“She’s no longer with us, she’s looking down on us right now,” Trump said. “Her parents are with her. This just happened. She was savagely attacked, she’s dead, not with us. Incredible person. Outstanding in every single way, in every department. Just horrible.”
Pirro said Friday that there was “hope” about Wolfe’s condition but that he was “still in critical condition.”
“We are doing everything we can to assist his family and to make sure that they have everything they need during this difficult time for them,” Pirro told “Fox and Friends.” “We are all praying for Andrew Wolfe.”
Lakanwal entered the United States in 2021 as part of President Joe Biden’s “Operation Allies Welcome,” which — as The Daily Wire previously reported — allowed roughly 77,000 Afghan nationals into the country. Trump said on Thursday that he would “permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries to allow the U.S. system to fully recover” and “terminate all of the millions of Biden illegal admissions.”

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

Charges Upgraded Against Afghan Shooting Suspect After National Guard Soldier Dies

Menu