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Erika Kirk Erupts Over Candace Owens Conspiracy Theories

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Image via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Erika Kirk, the CEO of Turning Point USA and widow of assassinated conservative activist Charlie Kirk, erupted on Wednesday over the conspiracy theories — many of them championed by former TPUSA activist Candace Owens — proliferating about her husband’s death.

During a one-on-one with Fox News host Harris Faulkner in the closing minutes of Wednesday’s episode of Outnumbered, Faulkner ripped into those profiting off conspiracy theories.

After Kirk implored the public to keep the site of her husband’s grave private for the sake of her family, Faulkner asked: “What are they—these conspiracy theorists—taking from you right now?”

Kirk replied:

Nothing. But I will tell you what they are doing. It reminds me so much of Chapter Six in the book of Nehemiah. He is building a wall, and the townspeople are at the base of that hill saying, “Nehemiah!” calling him all these names, saying all these things: “Come on down!” Every single time, he had the same message—four times in a row: “I cannot come down. I am busy building.” That is how I feel.

I do not have time to address the noise. My silence does not mean that I am complacent. My silence does not mean that somehow Turning Point USA—and the handpicked staff who loved my husband and whom my husband loved—are somehow in on it. We are busy building.

And you know what I thought? I thought these people are human. We are all grieving in our own way. They are trying to find the answer to something that happened that was so evil. They are trying so hard. And I get that. We’re doing the same. Anytime we hear a lead or anything at all, we send it to the authorities: Please dig into this. No rock will be left unturned. I want justice for my husband, for myself, for my family—more than anyone else out there.

So for me, you want to keep telling me to come down while we’re building—I don’t have time for that. But here’s my breaking point: Come after me, call me names—I don’t care. Call me what you want, go down that rabbit hole—whatever. But when you go after my family, my Turning Point USA family, my Charlie Kirk Show family—when you go after the people that I love—and you’re making hundreds and thousands of dollars every single episode attacking the people that I love because you claim they’re somehow in on this? No.

“You know, I have to say it: I’ve never seen you like this,” Faulkner observed.

“No,” Kirk responded. “This is righteous anger because this is not okay. It’s not healthy. This is a mind virus. Yes, I believe in our judicial system. I do. We have a hell of a team working on this—excuse my French. But this is not okay.”

“So you want to put these people back in the box where they’ve been creeping from?” Faulkner followed up.

“I don’t care what box you’re in,” Kirk said. “But just know that your words are very powerful—and we are human. My team are not machines and they’re not robots. They are human. We have more death threats on our team and our side than I have ever seen. I have kidnapping threats. You name it—we have it.

“And my poor team is exhausted. Every time they bring this back up, what are we supposed to do—relive that trauma all over again? They watched my husband get murdered. I have no idea how I would have reacted if I was there that day, and thank the good Lord that I did not have to see that happen. But my team—they’re rocked to the core. So why, every single day, do they have to be dragged through the mud, analyzed, hyperanalyzed?”

She later concluded the segment by saying she has seen the “impact” the conspiracy theories have had on “the people that I love.”

“And if people think that I was just going to wilt away—I’m not going to sit in a corner, cry, and be in the fetal position. This is a duty to my husband, and it’s an absolute honor, and I will never back down. And so my message to them is: stop. Stop!”

Earlier this month, Charlie Kirk Show producer Blake Neff announced that Kirk’s friends will be holding an event to refute Owens’s incendiary claims. Owens has turned down an invitation to attend it in person.

Owens has a reputation for spreading widely debunked conspiracy theories, including once staking her entire professional reputation on the claim that the First Lady of France, Brigitte Macron, is a man. Owens has also suggested that Israel was somehow connected to Charlie Kirk’s death.

Kirk, who founded the pro-Trump student group Turning Point USA, was shot and killed at a Utah university in September, and his alleged assassin is currently awaiting trial on murder charges. Neff called Owens’s claims “either lies or they are innuendos thrown around with a total, reckless disregard for the truth,” and added, “I would say we have suffered more harassment from these people than we have from Antifa supporters who overtly celebrate Charlie’s murder.”

He concluded by saying Turning Point will host a live stream to further debunk Owens’s conspiracies and invited her to participate.

“We wanted to use this segment at the top of this hour to say something important, something very important. For the past two and a half months, there is a topic that has flooded our Freedom inbox. It has been nonstop on social media, but which we have almost totally avoided on this show. You probably already know what I’m talking about, which shows just how ubiquitous it has been,” Neff began.

Read his full statement below:

Ever since Charlie’s murder, Candace Owens has leveled a flood of allegations against people at Turning Point USA, people at Turning Point Action, and people who work for this show. She has made them against some of Charlie’s closest friends and against some of his most dedicated employees. She has suggested that Michael McCoy, Charlie’s chief of staff, knew Charlie would be murdered, was happy that he died, and stayed silent because he was told he would be the next Charlie.

She has suggested Michael is not his real name. It is—I have seen his birth certificate myself. She has called it suspicious that Mikey’s wife, who works at Turning Point, helped plan the campus tour event where Charlie was murdered, which she didn’t, by the way. She doesn’t work on campus events.

Candace has suggested the Utah Valley University event was unusual and its details suggested a quote “inside job.” She has claimed that foreign aircraft have followed Erica Kirk around the country and that Turning Point has lied about this happening. She has accused us of lying about Charlie wanting Erica to take over for him if he died. She has suggested Charlie’s security team intentionally denied him first aid after the shooting to ensure that he died. She has raised suspicions about the head of our technical team because he took an SD card out of a camera. She has spread absurd claims that Tyler Boyer, who we just had on the show, sexually abuses male interns. She has suggested that TPUSA Faith-affiliated pastors, like theologian Frank Turek, who we’ll have on in a moment, and Pastor Rob McCoy, are part of a military quote “infiltration” of Turning Point, either because they are veterans or because they have family members who are.

Even if not everyone has been named specifically, though, Candace has effectively tarred everyone here with complicity in Charlie’s death by repeatedly saying he was, quote, “betrayed by,” quote, “everyone.” She has said Charlie’s murder, quote, “had to be approved by Charlie’s friends,” and then suggested those friends might have her murdered too for quote “knowing the truth.” She has made claims of financial impropriety and fraud at Turning Point, adding up into the millions of dollars, which again is not true. Charlie made sure the organization was audited by a third party every year. He personally reviewed and signed off on every expense report and literally every single bill paid by the organization down to a single United States dollar. We have never missed a 990 deadline.

Candace has made other, stranger allegations involving French paratroopers in maroon shirts, Egyptian Air Force planes flying out of Provo, Utah, and potential underground assassins traveling through unseen tunnels. At one point in early November, she started wildly throwing suspicion on members of Utah Valley’s soccer team for wearing hoodies. I could go on. There is always something new coming up, and none of it ever pans out. Because from the start, there has been nothing there.

The attacks and allegations from Candace are either lies or they are innuendos thrown around with a total, reckless disregard for the truth, so that Candace can manipulate and string along an audience of people who don’t realize they are being played. Instead of being able to grieve properly after one of the most heinous murders in American history, a murder many of us had to witness, my friends have had to endure harassment from people who have gotten whipped up by what Candace is saying. I would say we have suffered more harassment from these people than we have from Antifa supporters who overtly celebrate Charlie’s murder. And just like a lot of those Antifa members, many of these people take delight in how gross and unpleasant they can be. What our friends have had to endure is not funny and it’s not insignificant. It is evil. I have seen it.

For months, we have received hundreds, thousands, I suspect, of emails and calls asking us to respond. People have wanted us to invite Candace on the show. But for a long time, our approach was to say nothing. We did that for several reasons. First, we thought that her prevarications were so absurd that nobody would believe them. We shouldn’t have to answer questions about secret tunnels or Egyptian Air Force planes. That sort of thing is just—it’s beneath contempt to respond to. Lastly, we didn’t respond because Charlie always viewed Candace as a friend, and we were holding out hope that she would return that friendship and stop what she was doing.

But a week from now it’s going to be three months since Charlie’s murder. Candace has not changed her behavior. She has continued to spread falsehoods about Charlie’s friends, and she continues to concoct new ones about new people. She’s using these falsehoods to enrich herself while dividing the conservative movement at an absolutely critical time for this country. And far too often, we here have heard from ordinary people, people who loved Charlie and who Charlie loved so much in return. These people have expressed the worry that we are staying silent out of cowardice or as some sort of tacit admission that some of the attacks are true. Neither is the case. Our silence has never been, and it will never be, equal to complacency or approval.

Still, we decided Charlie would not allow this to go on. Charlie was not a coward. Charlie was a fighter. Charlie would not allow someone to spread lies about the people closest to him with impunity. And he would feel ashamed if other people were stepping up to defend his friends while he never did so himself. Candace has mentioned several times that the ball is in our court.

So here’s what is going to happen. In the near future, there will be a livestream here in Phoenix where we address in a clear and comprehensive way the claims and accusations, the false accusations that have been made against Charlie’s family, friends, and the people here at Turning Point. We plan to walk through everything carefully and thoroughly. If Candace is available, we would sincerely welcome her participation in that livestream at our studio here in Phoenix. At this point, we believe the ball is back in her court.

Our motivation for doing this is not out of any obligation to Candace. It is about honoring Charlie. We feel a deep responsibility to protect his legacy, his work, and the truth. I feel that. I owe Charlie everything in my life. I feel it immensely. And that is why we feel compelled to speak clearly and openly now. We’ll have more on this in the near future.

Trump Reportedly Promised ‘Sweeping Changes’ at CNN If Paramount Takes Over Warner Bros.

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David Ellison is reportedly already talking about what he’d do to CNN—before he even owns the company.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the Paramount Skydance CEO told Trump administration officials during a recent Washington visit that he’d make “sweeping changes” at CNN if he manages to buy Warner Bros. Discovery, the network’s parent. The subtext isn’t subtle: CNN is a longtime Trump target, and Trump has told confidants he wants new ownership and programming changes, the Journal reported.

Ellison’s comments come amid a fast-moving takeover scramble involving Warner Bros. Discovery. After the company accepted an offer from Netflix, Ellison said Paramount would pursue a hostile bid directly to shareholders.

“WBD shareholders deserve an opportunity to consider our superior all-cash offer for their shares in the entire company,” Ellison said in a statement announcing the move. He argued that the competing proposal would leave shareholders exposed to uncertainty around the company’s linear cable networks business and face a more difficult regulatory path.

Ellison’s father, Oracle co-founder and Trump ally Larry Ellison, called President Donald Trump after the announcement that Warner Bros. had accepted the Netflix deal to argue that “the transaction would hurt competition,” according to The Wall Street Journal.

“Trump has told people close to him that he wants new ownership of CNN as well as changes to CNN programming,” added the Journal story.

Trump, for his part, has never been shy about where he thinks CNN belongs on the media food chain. Earlier this year, he dismissed the network as “scum” in remarks on the White House lawn.

Democrat Drafts Articles Of Impeachment Against HHS Sec. RFK Jr.

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Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

On Wednesday, a House Democrat announced she is drafting articles of impeachment against Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) announced the move on Wednesday, arguing Kennedy has failed in his role. Stevens had previously vowed to file the articles in September.

“Today, I formally introduced articles of impeachment against Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. RFK Jr. has turned his back on science and the safety of the American people. Michiganders cannot take another day of his chaos,” she wrote in a statement posted on social media.

“Secretary Kennedy remains focused on the work of improving Americans’ health and lowering costs, not on partisan political stunts,” Nixon said.

By Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America – Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., CC BY-SA 2.0,

The move comes just days after Stevens’ fellow Democrat, Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.) filed articles of impeachment against War Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Thanedar cited reports that Hegseth issued orders to “kill everybody” onboard a small vessel that was allegedly involved in drug trafficking.

“Pete Hegseth has been using the United States military to extrajudicially assassinate people without evidence of any crime,” said Thanedar. “Former military attorneys have come out and asserted that his conduct constitutes war crimes. We cannot allow his reprehensible conduct to continue, which is why I have filed these articles to impeach him.” 

He added, “And if both parties, if Republicans are willing to look at this for the merit of this case and not just their loyalty to President Trump, this can be done.”

Thanedar pointed first to Hegseth’s use of the encrypted messaging app Signal to discuss a pending strike on Houthi targets in Yemen. A Pentagon inspector general report made public this week faulted Hegseth for using an unapproved channel to share sensitive strike-related information and warned the practice could have endangered U.S. personnel if intercepted.

The Signal thread drew additional scrutiny after The Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg was inadvertently included in the chat, alongside senior administration officials. Investigators said that exposure of operational details—such as timing and other strike specifics—could have put U.S. forces at risk.

Thanedar also cited reporting around a separate episode involving a Sept. 2 strike on an alleged drug-smuggling boat in the Caribbean. According to that reporting, Hegseth ordered military leaders to “kill everybody,” and a follow-up strike occurred even after survivors were seen in the water—raising questions about targeting decisions and command accountability.

This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

Suspects Charged In Plot To Kill Top Noem Deputy

Police image via Pixabay free images

Two brothers from Absecon, New Jersey, were arrested Tuesday and charged in connection with alleged online threats targeting Tricia McLaughlin, the Department of Homeland Security’s Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs and a top public-facing spokesperson for Secretary Kristi Noem, authorities said.

Ricardo Antonio Roman-Flores and Emilio Roman-Flores, who are twins, were taken into custody after investigators alleged they posted violent statements on X about McLaughlin and federal immigration officers, including an alleged call to “Shoot ICE on sight,” according to the account of the case shared by law enforcement officials.

Investigators allege one brother responded to McLaughlin with: “[The Second] Amendment is in place for moments like this. Shoot ICE on sight,” followed by: “We Americans should find you, tar you, feather you, and hang you as we did to anyone serving tyrants before the Revolutionary War.” A second, partially redacted post attributed to the other brother reportedly read: “Shoot ICE on sight.”

Prosecutors say the threats went further—allegedly escalating to talk of torturing and killing McLaughlin “in a medieval fashion.” McLaughlin has been front-and-center defending DHS enforcement actions on TV and online, and she’s repeatedly framed threats against officers as downstream of increasingly incendiary politics around immigration.

The charge sheet, as described, splits like this:

  • Emilio: unlawful possession of an assault weapon, possession of prohibited weapons, conspiracy, terroristic threats, criminal coercion and cyber harassment.
  • Ricardo: one count of conspiracy—terroristic threats.

ICE Director Todd Lyons said the arrests came within three days of the alleged posts and warned that threats against federal officials will be prosecuted. “We will find you, we will arrest you, and we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law. We are not afraid of you,” Lyons told Fox News Digital. He added: “If you threaten our law enforcement or DHS officials, we will hunt you down, and you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

DHS is trying to make a broader point: this isn’t just one ugly thread online—it’s part of a threat environment they say has intensified alongside the administration’s border crackdown. In a DHS release dated Oct. 30, 2025, the department claimed ICE personnel have faced an “8,000% increase in death threats,” citing harassment and threats aimed at officers and their families.

The issue has also surfaced in recent disputes over whether public-facing tools that track immigration enforcement activity endanger federal officers. In a Reuters report published Monday, a developer sued the Trump administration after an app that let users share locations of immigration agents was removed from Apple’s store; the administration cited safety concerns for federal officers, while the developer argued the app relied on public observations.

Trump Defends Justices Alito, Thomas From Calls To Resign From Supreme Court

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Duncan Lock, Dflock, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Not so fast…

President Donald Trump called on Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas to rebuke demands to step down from critics, calling the justices “fantastic.”

Trump made the remark to Politico this week as the outlet reported that some members of the Republican Party are hoping the court’s two oldest conservatives consider stepping down before the midterm elections. Their decisions to step down from the bench would enable Trump to nominate conservatives to take their place while the Republican Party is still guaranteed control of the Senate.

“I hope they stay,” Trump said, adding, “‘Cause I think they’re fantastic.”

Alito, 75, has no plans to retire from the Supreme Court anytime soon, a source close with close knowledge of the justice told The Wall Street Journal in November 2024 after Trump was elected.

“Despite what some people may think, this is a man who has never thought about this job from a political perspective,” a person close to Alito said to the newspaper.

“The idea that he’s going to retire for political considerations is not consistent with who he is,” this person added. 

Alito was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2006 by President George W. Bush.

Thomas is 77 years old. He was appointed to the court by President George H.W. Bush in 1991.

Sonia Sotomayor, appointed by President Obama in 2009, is 71. 

In 2022, Thomas faced widespread calls to step down from the bench or be impeached because he would not recuse himself from cases related to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

Investigators on the Jan. 6 select committee revealed that the justice’s wife, Ginni Thomas, sent text messages to then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows urging him to challenge Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss.


“Clarence Thomas should resign,” Ocasio-Cortez said at the time. “If not, his failure to disclose income from right-wing organizations, recuse himself from matters involving his wife, and his vote to block the Jan. 6th commission from key information must be investigated and could serve as grounds for impeachment.”

Democrats took no action against Thomas. 

ProPublica investigation also found that Thomas’ close friendship with real estate developer Harlan Crow allowed him to accompany the Texas billionaire on luxury vacations on his private jet and yacht, as well as enjoy free stays on Crow’s vast vacation property, among other perks. He reportedly failed to disclose the vast majority of Crow’s gifts.

The ProPublica report prompted several Democratic lawmakers to demand that a strict code of ethics be imposed on the Supreme Court by Congress.

During his first term, Trump had Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett confirmed to the Supreme Court, along with over 200 federal judges.

Watch Politico’s full interview with Trump below:

Report: Trump Allegedly Committed Same ‘Mortgage Fraud’ As Letitia James

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    The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    A new ProPublica report argues that President Donald Trump once signed mortgage paperwork similar to the “dual primary residence” claims his administration has highlighted in a legal fight against New York Attorney General Letitia James—an accusation Democrats say is being used as political warfare, and Republicans say is a long-overdue crackdown on fraud and special treatment.

    According to ProPublica’s review of mortgage records, Trump obtained two mortgages in Palm Beach, Florida, weeks apart in the early 1990s, with each loan document stating the property would be his principal residence. ProPublica reports the two homes sat next to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate and were later marketed as rentals—raising questions, at least in ProPublica’s telling, about whether the “principal residence” language reflected his intent at the time.

    A White House spokesperson disputed the insinuation of wrongdoing, telling ProPublica that the mortgages were from the same lender and that there was “no defraudation.”

    What ProPublica Says the Records Show

    ProPublica’s account centers on two adjacent properties on Woodbridge Road near Mar-a-Lago. The outlet reports that Trump signed one mortgage describing a “Bermuda style” house as his principal residence, then obtained a second mortgage for a neighboring property roughly seven weeks later, also attesting it would be his principal residence.

    ProPublica further claims that Trump “does not appear to have ever lived” in either home and that the properties were treated as investment rentals, citing contemporaneous reporting and an interview with a longtime real estate agent connected to the listings.

    Mortgage-law experts quoted by ProPublica reportedly described “dual primary” claims as often legal and rarely prosecuted, but noted that the controversy is sharpened by the administration’s own rhetoric and referrals around similar allegations against Trump critics.

    The Bigger Political Fight: How “Mortgage Fraud” Became a Weaponized Buzzword

    The reason this story has legs isn’t a 1990s paperwork dispute. It’s that “dual primary residence” has become a political cudgel—one the Trump administration’s allies say is about restoring integrity, and one opponents say is about punishing enemies.

    In 2025, Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte has been one of the most visible voices pushing referrals when public figures appear to claim more than one primary residence on mortgage documents. In ProPublica’s earlier reporting on the broader “dual primary” push, the outlet described a pattern of public accusations and referrals aimed at prominent Trump antagonists, including Sen. Adam Schiff, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook.

    Pulte has argued that claiming two primary residences is “not appropriate” and should be referred for criminal investigation—language that has helped set the tone for the administration’s broader posture.

    What the James case was about

    James was charged federally in connection with a 2020 home purchase in Norfolk, Virginia. Prosecutors alleged she secured favorable loan terms by signing a “second home rider” and then renting the home out—conduct they argued was inconsistent with the loan terms. James denied wrongdoing and characterized the case as political retaliation.

    FactCheck.org, reviewing the indictment and public reporting at the time, noted that legal experts questioned why federal prosecutors would pursue a case they viewed as relatively minor compared with typical federal priorities—fueling claims that politics was driving the prosecution.

    Why the charges were dismissed

    In a major setback for prosecutors, a federal judge dismissed the earlier case on procedural grounds tied to the appointment of the U.S. attorney who presented the case. Prosecutors then returned to a grand jury seeking a new indictment—but the grand jury declined to indict, another rare and significant obstacle.

    The controversy included scrutiny of Lindsey Halligan—described as a Trump ally and former White House aide—who presented the case after being installed in the role amid political pressure, with the judge ruling the appointment mechanism improper.

    Supporters of the administration argue the broader point remains: elected officials should not receive favorable terms by misrepresenting occupancy intentions. Critics counter that the pattern of targets, the public pressure campaign, and the procedural problems reinforce fears of selective enforcement.

    Even ProPublica’s critics concede a practical reality: mortgages from the mid-1990s are unlikely to be actionable today. The political impact, however, is immediate: if the administration is setting a low bar for referrals based on paperwork language, the same standard—fairly or not—can be turned back on the president.

    Read the ProPublica story here.

    Alina Habba Resigns As Top New Jersey Prosecutor

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    A key Trump appointee has handed in her resignation…

    On Monday, Alina Habba announced she is stepping down from her role as top prosecutor in New Jersey after an appellate court found that Attorney General Pam Bondi had improperly appointed her as U.S. attorney.

    Bondi also announced Habba would serve as the attorney general’s senior adviser, while three Department of Justice officials would take on additional jobs overseeing various activities in the New Jersey court district in the wake of Habba’s exit.

    Habba served as President Donald Trump’s personal defense lawyer before the president installed her this year as the temporary head of the New Jersey office.

    Once Habba’s term expired, the administration took a series of unconventional steps to attempt to reinstate her, however a three-judge panel found last week that federal vacancy laws did not permit Trump and the DOJ to sidestep the Senate confirmation process to keep Habba in charge.

    Fox News reports that the DOJ plans to delegate the U.S. attorney responsibilities in New Jersey to three separate officials, Philip Lamparello, Jordan Fox and Ari Fontecchio.

    “I have full confidence in each of these exceptional attorneys and look forward to our continued collaboration as we make New Jersey and America safe again,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement.

    This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

    Tucker Carlson Reveals Plans To Purchase Home In Qatar

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    Tucker Carlson via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    DOHA, Qatar — Tucker Carlson told an audience at the Doha Forum on Sunday that he plans to buy real estate in Qatar on Monday, framing the move as a statement of personal independence after months of criticism from fellow conservatives over his foreign-policy views and his media business relationships.

    During an on-stage interview with Qatar’s prime minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Carlson addressed allegations that he and his media outlet, the Tucker Carlson Network, have benefited from Qatari-linked money. Carlson denied it — then announced his intended purchase.

    “I have been criticized as being a tool of Qatar, and I just want to say, which you already know, which is I have never taken anything from your country and don’t plan to,” Carlson said. “I am, however, tomorrow buying a place in Qatar.”

    He continued: “I like the city, I think it’s beautiful, but also to make a statement that I’m an American and a free man and I’ll be wherever I want to be.”

    Carlson’s remarks drew a brief round of applause from the crowd.

    Why it’s causing heartburn on the Right

    For many Republican voters — especially those who view Qatar primarily through the lens of Hamas, Iran, and Middle East conflict — the announcement landed like a political grenade. Some prominent conservatives have long labeled Qatar a bad actor because it maintains ties to Hamas and has hosted some Hamas leaders. Carlson raised that criticism directly, referencing Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) describing Qatar as a “terror state,” and asked the prime minister to respond.

    Al Thani defended Qatar’s posture by arguing it had been asked by the U.S. and Israel “more than a decade ago” to maintain channels to Hamas, claiming those channels were useful in negotiations. Carlson presented the exchange as a case for diplomacy and communication — but critics argue it blurs moral lines and underplays the danger of legitimizing terror-linked organizations.

    The Gaza exchange: what Qatar said on stage

    In the interview, Al Thani rejected the idea that Qatar should bankroll reconstruction in Gaza, saying:

    “We are not the ones who are going to write the check to rebuild what others destroyed.”

    He added: “When you are talking about Gaza, Israel flattened this land.”

    Those comments come as Qatar continues to present itself as a central player in negotiations surrounding Gaza, even as the region remains volatile.

    Doha Forum’s unusual mix of speakers

    Carlson wasn’t the only headline name in Doha. The forum featured a wide-ranging lineup that included Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump Jr., and Bill Gates, along with journalists from major outlets spanning left and right.

    Carlson’s growing fractures with the GOP — and the Nick Fuentes backlash

    Carlson’s Qatar appearance is also landing amid a broader tension between Carlson and parts of the Republican coalition. In recent months, he has drawn increasing criticism from elected Republicans and conservative institutions who say his platform has drifted from defending core U.S. interests and has instead amplified figures and arguments that divide the party.

    One flashpoint: Carlson’s recent interview with Nick Fuentes, a far-right influencer widely denounced for antisemitic rhetoric. The decision to give Fuentes a high-profile platform triggered condemnation from within the party — including House Speaker Mike Johnson, who reportedly called the interview a “big mistake” and described Fuentes as “vile.”

    That controversy has widened a fault line on the Right: between voters who want a harder line against antisemitism and extremist activism, and voices in the “populist” media sphere who argue they’re simply questioning establishment taboos. The dispute has spilled into open feuds among prominent conservatives — and Carlson’s Qatar announcement only added fuel.

    Democrat Senator Claims Uniformed Military Is Planning Coup Against Trump

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    President Donald J. Trump is presented with a 10th Combat Aviation Brigade challenge coin following an air assault and gun rain demonstration at Fort Drum, New York, on August 13. The demonstration was part of President Trump's visit to the 10th Mountain Division (LI) to sign the National Defense Authorization Act of 2019, which increases the Army's authorized active-duty end strength by 4,000 enabling us to field critical capabilities in support of the National Defense Strategy. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Thomas Scaggs) 180813-A-TZ475-010

    This week, Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) said that he believes the U.S. military could serve as a constraint on President Donald Trump’s administration, arguing that senior uniformed leaders remain primarily loyal to the Constitution rather than any individual political figure.

    Speaking during an appearance on “MS NOW” Wednesday morning, Warner previewed questions he said he plans to ask U.S. Navy Adm. Frank M. Bradley when Bradley testifies Thursday before the Senate Intelligence Committee. Warner serves as the committee’s vice chair.

    Warner said his questions will focus in part on concerns surrounding Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the administration’s recent military actions, including strikes in the Caribbean. Warner said he trusts Bradley, but raised doubts about Hegseth’s public statements.

    “Remember, this is an administration that has treated the uniformed military with unprecedented disrespect when they were all brought to get a pep rally in front of Hegseth and Trump,” Warner said. “This is an administration that’s fired uniform generals from the head of the NSA, the head of the Defense Intelligence Agency.”

    He added: “And I think in many ways, the uniformed military may help save us from this president and his lame people like Hegseth, because I think their commitment is to the Constitution and obviously not to Trump. And I expect Bradley to adhere to that.”

    Warner’s comments follow similar remarks from other Democrats who have suggested service members could resist unlawful directives. Earlier this year, six Democratic lawmakers urged members of the military to resist “illegal” orders.

    Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) made a related argument in an interview last month with Don Lemon, saying he has spoken with service members who view their oath as a safeguard.

    “What gives me hope, and I talk to service members all the time. They tell me that I don’t appreciate enough and the public doesn’t appreciate enough that while Congress is not a check on the president anymore, and the judiciary at the Supreme Court is hardly a check, military members have told me, ‘We can be a check,’” Swalwell said.

    He continued: “They’re essentially saying, ‘We’re not going to betray our oath to the Constitution because this guy tells us to.’ While it’s not codified that way — they’re not a branch of government on their own— their honor and integrity might just save us.”

    Former President Barack Obama also addressed the issue Monday, saying he has seen signs of “resistance” within the military to what he described as politicization, while adding he does not believe that politicization has fully taken hold.

    “I would not expect the politicization of the Justice Department or our military,” Obama said. “And I don’t think that’s happened. I think there’s been resistance, particularly in the military, to that, but the degree to which that has been encouraged, you know, that used to be something that I would lecture other countries not to do.”

    Trump Signs Law Delivering First Medal Of Honor Pension Increase In 25 Years

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      President Donald Trump participates in a welcome ceremony with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Al Saud at the Royal Court Palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 13, 2025. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok)

      President Trump has signed the Medal of Honor Act, a bipartisan measure that delivers the first pension increase for Medal of Honor recipients in a quarter-century. The law lifts annual compensation from $16,880 to $67,500, a major boost aimed at honoring the 61 living Americans who earned the nation’s highest award for valor.

      A Rare Moment of Unanimous Support

      The bill, led by Rep. Troy Nehls and Sen. Ted Cruz, cleared the Senate unanimously last month. Lawmakers from both parties backed the increase, calling it a long-overdue adjustment for service members who put everything on the line in combat.

      What the New Law Does

      • Raises the annual Medal of Honor pension to $67,500
      • Quadruples current yearly compensation
      • Applies to all living recipients
      • Marks the first update to Medal of Honor pensions in 25 years

      Why It Matters

      Supporters say the upgrade brings the benefit in line with the significance of the medal itself. Medal of Honor recipients have long carried symbolic weight in American culture, yet their compensation has not kept pace with inflation or the modern cost of living.

      After the bill passed, Sen. Ted Cruz’s office put out a statement saying: “Medal of Honor recipients are often not retired from the U.S. military and often receive no compensation for the costs of their public engagements. Through these appearances, they share stories of heroism that inspire Americans, strengthen national pride, and support military recruiting and retention. Increasing their monthly pensions is essential to easing the financial burden on their families and ensuring they can continue representing the best of our nation’s values.”

      Looking Ahead

      With the new law in place, recipients will see the higher rate take effect immediately. For veterans groups, this represents a major win and a signal that Congress and the White House can still unite behind issues tied to military service and national honor.