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Lindell Says He’s Ready To Spend ‘Upwards of $1M’ On Recount After 11-Point Loss

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    Missvain, CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

    Mike Lindell is prepared to put a seven-figure sum behind his refusal to walk away from Minnesota’s Republican gubernatorial primary.

    The MyPillow founder told NBC News that he intends to personally finance a statewide hand recount after losing the Aug. 11 contest to Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth by nearly 11 percentage points.

    Minnesota officials estimated the recount itself would cost approximately $825,000. Lindell, however, said his bill could climb “upwards of $1 million” after adding the cost of his investigative team and other expenses, according to Mediaite.

    The state’s reported results show Demuth receiving 179,683 votes, or 43.44 percent, compared with Lindell’s 134,282 votes, or 32.47 percent. That left Lindell 45,401 votes behind.

    Demuth’s margin was roughly 44 times wider than the 0.25-percent threshold at which a candidate in a statewide race can seek a publicly funded recount.

    Because the race was nowhere near that threshold, Lindell must cover the expense himself. In an Aug. 18 letter, Secretary of State General Counsel Lauren Bethke reportedly instructed him to submit a formal request and provide a bond, cash or surety for the estimated $825,000 cost by Monday, Aug. 24.

    The secretary of state’s office had not received that request as of Wednesday. Lindell told NBC News that he plans to “personally go in there myself” on Monday to deliver the necessary paperwork.

    He also intends to send representatives to recount locations across Minnesota. Under the state’s recount procedures, candidates and their representatives may observe the process and challenge decisions about voter intent, although only trained election officials may handle the ballots. Recounts are also open to the public and the media.

    Lindell argues that his campaign discovered irregularities in election-night reporting data, though he has not publicly released evidence demonstrating that the reported result was wrong. CBS Minnesota reported that election officials have made no formal finding of fraud or irregularities in the primary.

    The distinction between a recount and the broader “audit” Lindell has promoted could prove important.

    Minnesota law limits a recount to determining how many valid votes were cast in the race. The process allows officials to inspect and manually count the paper ballots, but it is not an open-ended forensic investigation of tabulators, software or election-night reporting systems.

    For Lindell, however, the effort appears to be about more than reversing one election result.

    “Even if this recount and audit does not overturn my election for governor of Minnesota, I believe this is the gateway to getting rid of these electronic voting machines,” Lindell said in a statement announcing the effort.

    Lindell, a longtime ally of President Donald Trump, refused to concede on election night while a large number of ballots remained outstanding. Trump had endorsed Lindell and made a final social media appeal for Minnesota Republicans to support him hours before the polls closed.

    Once the remaining ballots were counted, however, Lindell’s deficit grew rather than disappeared. The State Canvassing Board subsequently certified Demuth as the winner.

    The recount fight follows years of legal battles stemming from Lindell’s claims about voting technology and the 2020 presidential election. He reached a settlement last month in a defamation lawsuit brought by Liberty Vote, formerly Dominion Voting Systems, that had sought $1.3 billion.

    In separate litigation involving Smartmatic, a federal judge held Lindell in civil contempt in March for failing to pay $56,369 in sanctions imposed over frivolous counterclaims. The judge ordered an additional penalty of $500 per day if Lindell failed to pay the original amount by April 7, according to a court order reviewed by Mediaite.

    Meanwhile, Demuth is moving ahead with her general-election campaign against Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar. She told CBS Minnesota that she remains “laser focused on connecting with voters” and advancing an agenda centered on taxes, education, government fraud and the state’s business climate.

    Minnesota law specifies that a candidate-funded primary recount cannot delay delivery of the nomination to the winner. That means Lindell’s million-dollar gamble will not stop Demuth from campaigning for November—even as officials prepare for the possibility of counting more than 400,000 Republican ballots by hand.

    ‘Not in the Running’: Alina Habba Blasts Press Secretary Buzz as Scott Jennings Surges

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    By Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America - Karoline Leavitt, CC BY-SA 2.0,

    Alina Habba just blew up the White House press secretary sweepstakes.

    The longtime Trump ally and former personal attorney publicly rejected speculation that she could replace outgoing press secretary Karoline Leavitt, insisting that she is not chasing another job in the administration.

    “Flattered by the Kalshi odds, but I’m not in the running for any job,” Habba wrote Wednesday on X, according to Fox News Digital.

    Habba also took a swipe at the unnamed sources driving the chatter, saying she would like them to tell her if she was getting a new post before declaring: “Fake news remains the undefeated champ.”

    The denial landed with immediate force. Habba had been sitting atop the Kalshi prediction market with a 35% chance of getting the job, Fox News reported. After her post, CNN conservative commentator Scott Jennings moved ahead of her in the betting.

    But those odds measure traders’ expectations—not the White House’s intentions. President Donald Trump has not publicly identified a favorite, and the administration has not announced a successor.

    A Sudden Vacancy at the Podium

    Leavitt, 28, is scheduled to leave the White House at the end of August after recently returning from maternity leave. She said the demands of the job made it impossible to be the mother she wanted to be to her two young children, calling her departure a “bittersweet decision.”

    Trump said Leavitt would remain one of his top outside advisers and continue working with Republicans ahead of the November midterm elections.

    Her exit creates a difficult opening at one of the most visible—and punishing—jobs in Washington. Leavitt became the youngest White House press secretary in history when she took the podium at 27 and quickly emerged as one of Trump’s most aggressive defenders.

    Trump senior political adviser James Blair told Fox News that Leavitt would be a “really hard act to follow” and warned that her successor would operate under a “microscope” as the fight for Congress intensifies.

    Why Habba Looked Like a Contender

    Habba’s name made sense on paper. She became nationally known while defending Trump through his civil and criminal legal battles, then served as a high-profile campaign surrogate during his 2024 run.

    She later worked as a counselor to the president and served as New Jersey’s interim U.S. attorney before moving into her current role as senior adviser to the attorney general for U.S. attorneys.

    She had also been floated for the press secretary job after Trump’s 2024 victory. At the time, Habba said she was flattered but believed her talents belonged elsewhere. Her latest denial was even sharper: She said she was not in the running for any job.

    Scott Jennings Moves Into the Spotlight

    With Habba batting down the story, the focus is now shifting to Jennings—a combative Trump defender who regularly spars with liberal panelists on CNN.

    Jennings has not offered the same clean rejection. When CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins asked whether he had heard from the White House, he joked that taking the job would mean, “I would get to see you every day.” Collins immediately noted that his answer was “not a no,” according to People’s account of the CNN exchange.

    Jennings later called Leavitt one of the best press secretaries in decades but stopped short of confirming any talks.

    The former George W. Bush aide has also advised longtime Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell and worked on multiple presidential campaigns. Trump has praised Jennings publicly and promoted his recent book, Fox News reported.

    The Daily Beast has cited unnamed sources describing Jennings as a leading contender. A later report from the outlet said he met with White House chief of staff Susie Wiles about the role before Leavitt announced her departure, while also reporting that Trump has indicated a preference for a woman. Neither claim has been confirmed publicly by the White House.

    The Rest of Trump’s Shortlist—If There Is One

    White House principal deputy press secretary Anna Kelly is the clearest internal contender. She already sits directly beneath Leavitt in the press operation and handled television appearances during Leavitt’s maternity leave.

    Other names floated in Fox News and TIME include White House communications director Steven Cheung, former Trump communications official Taylor Budowich, conservative podcaster and former administration spokeswoman Katie Miller, former DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin and Breitbart Washington bureau chief Matthew Boyle.

    There may not be an immediate winner at all. The Independent, citing an unnamed White House official, reported that the administration could rely on a rotating cast of senior officials instead of quickly installing a permanent replacement. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Vice President JD Vance and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent took turns briefing reporters during Leavitt’s maternity leave.

    Former Trump press secretary Sean Spicer told Fox News the eventual choice would need a “strong existing relationship” with Trump—a reminder that résumés and betting markets matter less than presidential trust.

    Habba says she was never in the race. Jennings is not closing the door. And with the midterms approaching, Trump now has to decide who gets the next turn at the most combative podium in politics.

    ‘Donald Trump Avenue’ Unveiled Near US Consulate

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    President Donald Trump gestures to the crowd after delivering remarks at the House GOP Member Retreat, Tuesday, January 6, 2026, at the Donald J. Trump- John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok)

    President Donald Trump is celebrating an unusual international honor after a major road in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad was officially renamed Donald Trump Avenue.

    The road, which runs alongside the U.S. Consulate in Hyderabad’s Financial District, was dedicated during the Freedom 250 celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of American independence. U.S. Ambassador to India Sergio Gor joined Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka to unveil the ceremonial plaque at Tuesday’s event.

    Trump highlighted the honor in a Truth Social post.

    “The new Donald Trump Avenue in Hyderabad, India — The first U.S. President to ever be honored in this way. Thank you!”

    The newly named avenue sits in Hyderabad’s booming technology corridor, near offices of major American companies including Google, Microsoft, and Amazon, and adjacent to the U.S. Consulate.

    The road renaming stems from an initiative announced by Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, who has proposed naming prominent roads after leading global corporations and international figures as part of a broader effort to promote Hyderabad as a global hub for technology, investment, and innovation. The state has also announced plans for a nearby Google Street.

    Speaking during the ceremony, Ambassador Gor said Hyderabad has become one of the strongest examples of growing U.S.-India cooperation.

    “Nowhere is the high-speed trajectory of our partnership more evident than in Hyderabad. From HITEC City to aerospace and defense, this region represents progress that is defining our bilateral momentum.”

    Gor also praised the Telangana government for the designation.

    “With our interim trade agreement and Mission India on track to bring over $20 billion of new investment to the United States, we are proving that America First does not mean America alone. We are deeply grateful to the Government of Telangana for the generous tribute of naming Donald Trump Avenue, a gesture that reflects the kind of strong, respectful partnership President Trump has championed for America.”

    Deputy Chief Minister Vikramarka said Hyderabad has become an important bridge between the United States and India, pointing to the region’s growing cooperation in technology, artificial intelligence, aerospace, life sciences, and advanced manufacturing.

    The tribute, however, has also generated political controversy inside India.

    Telangana is governed by the center-left Indian National Congress party, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) controls India’s national government. BJP leaders criticized the decision, arguing it conflicted with criticism some Congress leaders have directed at Trump in recent years.

    India’s Communist Party also objected to the renaming, calling the move “outrageous” and urging officials to reverse the decision, according to Reuters.

    Supporters, meanwhile, say the avenue is intended less as a political endorsement than as a symbol of Hyderabad’s expanding relationship with the United States.

    Transgender Plotter Gets 6 Years After Vowing to Kill Scott Bessent

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    Two miniature vodka bottles, strips of gray cloth, a folding knife—and a plan to kill one of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees.

    That is what federal authorities said Riley Jane English brought to Washington before abandoning an assassination plot against Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and surrendering to police.

    English, a biological male who identifies as a transgender woman, was sentenced Tuesday to 73 months—six years and one month—in federal prison.

    The sentence was two years below the bottom of the recommended range and four years shorter than the 121-month term sought by federal prosecutors.

    Federal records identify the defendant as Ryan Michael English, while defense filings use the name Riley Jane English.

    English pleaded guilty March 26 to one count of unlawful receipt, possession or transfer of a firearm and one count of carrying a firearm, dangerous weapon, explosive or incendiary device on Capitol grounds.

    U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, also imposed three years of supervised release.

    “The offense is very serious,” Contreras said at the sentencing, according to Fox News.

    But the judge concluded that the federal sentencing range of 97 to 121 months was too severe.

    Contreras noted that no one was injured, the makeshift firebombs probably would not have ignited and English surrendered before getting close to Bessent. The judge called the plan “basically impossible to succeed.”

    The probation department had recommended a five-year prison term. English has already spent roughly 20 months in custody and will receive credit for that time.

    English’s bizarre path to the Capitol began in South Deerfield, Massachusetts, on Jan. 26, 2025.

    According to Roll Call, English traveled without a cellphone and used a road atlas for navigation. The original plans reportedly included killing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth or House Speaker Mike Johnson and possibly burning down the conservative Heritage Foundation.

    The target changed after English stopped at a library in Chevy Chase, Maryland, and learned that Bessent was facing a Senate confirmation vote.

    A clip of Bessent discussing the federal minimum wage allegedly pushed English over the edge.

    “He said it with a smile on his face and that got under my skin,” English later told investigators, according to court records cited by Fox News.

    English reportedly went to Capitol Hill planning to throw the Molotov cocktails at Bessent’s feet or stab the Treasury nominee if an opportunity emerged.

    But the plan began unraveling almost immediately.

    The security presence was far greater than English expected. There were also concerns that bystanders, including people who had nothing to do with the intended targets, could be injured.

    At approximately 3:12 p.m. on Jan. 27, English approached a Capitol Police officer near the building’s South Door.

    “I’d like to turn myself in,” English said.

    Officers searched English and recovered a folding knife, a green lighter and two improvised incendiary devices from the defendant’s jacket.

    The devices were made from 50-milliliter Absolut vodka bottles. Each had a strip of gray cloth attached to the top and soaked in alcohol-based hand sanitizer, according to the Justice Department.

    Police later searched English’s car, parked near Independence Avenue, and found a 750-milliliter bottle of 100-proof vodka and a gray sweatshirt with fabric cut from its sleeves.

    When investigators asked English to explain the intended target, the answer was unmistakable.

    “I was going to kill Scott Bessent,” English said.

    Investigators also found a handwritten note referring to “nazis” killing “my sisters” and apologizing for “lying and plotting.”

    English told investigators that the plot had been influenced in part by Luigi Mangione, the suspect accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. But English also said Mangione’s imprisonment prompted second thoughts about throwing away a life for a brief act of vengeance.

    At sentencing, English apologized for causing fear and blamed an unstable mental state.

    “I never wanted to hurt anyone,” English told Contreras, according to Fox News.

    The judge said English’s physical and mental-health problems had been worsened by drug use but noted the defendant’s progress toward sobriety while in custody.

    English’s attorneys asked that the defendant be sent to a women’s federal prison. Contreras said he would forward that request to the Bureau of Prisons, which will ultimately determine where English serves the sentence.

    U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro responded to the sentence by warning that threats against government officials would bring serious consequences.

    “My office will not tolerate attempts to intimidate or harm public officials,” Pirro said in the DOJ announcement.

    “The defendant is now a convicted felon,” she added, “and is headed where he belongs: prison.”

    Accused Kirk Assassin’s Shaky Aim Could Keep Death Penalty Alive, Prosecutors Say

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    The accused assassin of conservative activist Charlie Kirk may have hit his alleged target, but prosecutors say his history of misses could help keep the death penalty on the table.

    Tyler Robinson, 23, allegedly “seldom hit the bullseye and sometimes missed the target altogether” while practicing with the rifle authorities believe was used to kill Kirk, Utah prosecutors said in a court filing made public Tuesday.

    The claim strikes directly at the defense’s bid to knock out the aggravating factor that could make Robinson eligible for execution if he is convicted.

    Robinson’s attorneys argue that the fatal bullet traveled above the crowd at Utah Valley University rather than through it. Only one round was fired, Kirk was the only person struck and no bystanders were wounded, the defense noted.

    But prosecutors say that argument ignores the risk Robinson allegedly knew he was taking when he fired a high-powered rifle from the roof of the campus’s Losee Center toward a courtyard packed with thousands of people.

    Evidence recovered from Robinson’s southern Utah home allegedly included targets he had used to practice with his grandfather’s rifle, according to Fox News Digital and KSL’s coverage of the filing.

    Those targets, prosecutors contend, show Robinson knew he was capable of missing — and that a miss from the rooftop could have sent a bullet into the crowd or struck someone standing near Kirk.

    The state also pointed to evidence that the alleged gunman had to race across the roof, reassemble the rifle, get into position and fire within roughly one minute. He allegedly loaded four cartridges before taking the shot.

    Taken together, prosecutors say, Robinson’s hurried setup, extra ammunition and spotty practice record support a reasonable inference that he understood the danger to people other than Kirk.

    Several spectators were allegedly positioned between the rooftop and Kirk, while others were gathered close to the Turning Point USA founder onstage, prosecutors wrote.

    Robinson’s lawyers see the scene very differently.

    In a 41-page defense brief, they described an open-air shooting with a “clear line of sight.” They argued that the bullet struck its intended target, no second round was chambered and no one else was directly behind or beside Kirk in the bullet’s path.

    The defense maintains that the state has shown only that harm to a bystander was possible — not that Robinson knowingly created the high probability of another death required to sustain the aggravator.

    That distinction could decide whether Robinson faces a possible death sentence.

    Utah’s aggravated-murder statute allows prosecutors to rely on evidence that a defendant knowingly created a great risk of death to someone other than the person killed. Robinson’s lawyers want Judge Tony Graf Jr. to strike that aggravating circumstance before trial, which would remove capital punishment as a possible sentence.

    At this stage, however, prosecutors need only establish probable cause to send the charges to trial. They argue that Graf must draw reasonable inferences in the state’s favor rather than weigh competing interpretations as a jury would.

    Prosecutors went further in their latest filing, accusing Robinson’s attorneys of ignoring controlling case law and saying they had “violated their ethical duty of candor to the Court.”

    The state is also pressing a separate claim that Kirk was targeted because of his political expression. Prosecutors have cited an allegedly political message engraved on one of the cartridges, as well as messages Robinson allegedly sent about Kirk before surrendering.

    Robinson is accused of driving from southern Utah to Orem and fatally shooting Kirk in the neck as the 31-year-old activist answered questions during a Turning Point USA event on Sept. 10, 2025.

    Prosecutors allege that Robinson later admitted responsibility to several people and instructed his roommate to delete incriminating messages. He is charged with aggravated murder and six additional crimes but has not yet entered a plea.

    The two sides presented evidence during a weeklong preliminary hearing in July and have since traded written arguments over whether the case — and its potential death penalty — should proceed.

    Graf is scheduled to hear closing arguments on Sept. 1 before deciding whether Robinson will stand trial on all seven charges.

    For Robinson’s defense, the argument is that the fatal shot was precise enough to spare everyone else.

    For prosecutors, his battered practice targets tell the more dangerous story.

    Trump Names New Pick To Lead FDA

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    The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    President Donald Trump has selected Dr. Heidi Overton, a senior White House domestic policy adviser and physician, to lead the Food and Drug Administration as the agency confronts battles over vaccines, drug prices, food additives, and abortion medication.

    Trump announced the nomination Wednesday, describing Overton as a trusted problem-solver who would accelerate medical innovation, lower prescription costs, and advance Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” agenda.

    Overton currently serves as deputy director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, where she has helped formulate and promote several of the administration’s most consequential health initiatives.

    If confirmed by the Senate, she would succeed Dr. Marty Makary, who left the agency in May after a turbulent tenure marked by internal disputes and disagreements over the direction of federal health policy.

    Kyle Diamantas, who previously led the FDA’s Human Foods Program, is serving as acting commissioner.

    A Physician With Deep White House Ties

    Overton is a board-certified physician in public health and general preventive medicine. She earned her medical degree from the University of New Mexico School of Medicine and a doctorate in clinical investigation from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

    She previously trained as a general surgery resident at Johns Hopkins and advocated for greater price and quality transparency in health care.

    During medical school, then-New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez appointed Overton to the University of New Mexico Board of Regents, where she held voting and fiduciary responsibility for the university and its health system.

    Overton first entered the Trump White House as a fellow in 2019, working in the Office of American Innovation and on the Domestic Policy Council. Between Trump’s terms, she served as chief policy officer at the America First Policy Institute and helped lead its Center for a Healthy America.

    Her biography from the conservative organization emphasizes her work on health-care transparency, fentanyl, public health and policies designed to give patients greater control over medical decisions.

    The appointment would place a committed administration loyalist at the head of an agency that regulates products representing roughly one-fifth of American consumer spending.

    Overton Helped Shape Trump’s Health Agenda

    Overton has appeared alongside Trump during major health policy announcements, including the administration’s efforts to negotiate “most favored nation” agreements with drug companies. The policy seeks to tie American prescription prices to the lower prices paid in other developed countries.

    She was also involved in Trump’s controversial effort to revise the childhood vaccination schedule and separate the combined measles, mumps and rubella vaccine into three individual shots.

    Major medical organizations have generally supported the combined MMR vaccine, which has been used for decades and reduces the number of clinical visits and injections required for full immunization. Critics fear that splitting the vaccine could create delays and lower vaccination rates.

    Overton’s role in the policy is likely to become a focus of her Senate confirmation hearing, particularly as lawmakers question how she would handle pressure from Kennedy and other administration figures skeptical of established federal vaccine recommendations.

    Trump praised Overton as a “rockstar” who would advance medical cures, innovation and lower drug prices.

    Kennedy also supports the nomination, giving Overton an important ally inside the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the FDA.

    Difficult Issues Await New Commissioner

    The next FDA commissioner will inherit an unusually difficult collection of unfinished projects.

    The agency continues to face pressure over its regulation of COVID-19 vaccines and other immunizations, including questions about which populations should receive updated shots and what evidence manufacturers must provide.

    Medication abortion will present another immediate test. Pro-life organizations want the FDA to impose tighter restrictions on mifepristone, including limits on prescriptions issued through telehealth and pills delivered through the mail.

    Overton has previously used the term “teleabortion” when discussing remote access to abortion medication, drawing concern from abortion-rights organizations that expect her to revisit the drug’s rules.

    The FDA must also determine how aggressively it will regulate ultraprocessed foods, chemical additives, and synthetic dyes. Those issues are central to Kennedy’s MAHA movement but can conflict with the deregulatory approach traditionally favored by Republican lawmakers and industry groups.

    Other pending questions involve flavored electronic cigarettes, peptide treatments, psychedelics, antidepressant warnings, and efforts to shorten the approval process for new drugs.

    Overton would therefore have to balance three competing forces: Trump’s desire for faster approvals and lower prices, Kennedy’s campaign against corporate influence in food and medicine, and Republican demands for reduced federal regulation.

    Management Experience Likely to Draw Scrutiny

    Overton’s supporters point to her medical education, policy background, and proximity to presidential decision-making. They argue that she understands Trump’s priorities and can coordinate more effectively with the White House than an outside nominee.

    Critics are expected to focus on her limited experience running an organization comparable to the FDA.

    The agency employs thousands of scientists, physicians, inspectors, lawyers, and regulatory specialists. It oversees prescription drugs, medical devices, vaccines, tobacco products, much of the nation’s food supply, and other consumer goods.

    Axios reported before her selection that some health policy observers worried Overton’s nomination could unsettle FDA career employees and pharmaceutical investors, while other potential candidates possessed more direct executive management experience.

    The criticism will likely feature prominently when she appears before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

    Makary, Overton’s predecessor and a former Johns Hopkins colleague, was confirmed in March 2025 by a 56-44 Senate vote. Overton will seek confirmation from a chamber still controlled by Republicans but divided over the administration’s vaccine policies.

    Her nomination signals that Trump wants the FDA led by someone already embedded in his White House rather than an agency insider or pharmaceutical executive.

    If the Senate agrees, Overton will take control of one of the federal government’s most powerful scientific agencies — and become responsible for turning the administration’s sprawling health agenda into enforceable policy.

    Ossoff Turns Trump Feud Nuclear—Is This His 2028 Audition?

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    Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff is no longer trading polite disagreements with President Donald Trump. He is going straight for the throat—and looking increasingly presidential while doing it.

    Appearing Tuesday alongside Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly and former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, Ossoff branded Trump a “draft-dodging, crook president” who had recklessly plunged the country into war.

    The Georgia Democrat accused Trump of trying to imprison Kelly, a former Navy captain and astronaut whom Ossoff described as embodying “American heroism.” The comments marked the sharpest escalation yet in a feud that moved from foreign policy to deeply personal attacks in only a matter of days.

    It also raised an unavoidable question: Is Ossoff merely fighting for another Senate term—or quietly auditioning for the White House?

    Ossoff Takes the Gloves Off

    The clash began Sunday, when Ossoff delivered a blistering speech attacking Trump’s handling of the U.S.-Israel war with Iran.

    Ossoff accused the president of neglecting deployed service members, draining American military resources and focusing instead on golfing, stock trading and his White House ballroom.

    “He doesn’t want to do the job,” Ossoff said before claiming Trump would rather “build his ballroom and travel with Natalie”—an apparent reference to Natalie Harp, the president’s executive assistant.

    Harp’s inclusion made the attack intensely personal. She is one of Trump’s most trusted aides, frequently accompanying him and helping manage his social media output, according to CBS News.

    The White House erupted.

    When reporters asked Trump about Ossoff’s remarks, the president responded by calling the senator a “Pee-wee Herman look-alike.” White House communications director Steven Cheung piled on, describing Ossoff as a “radical, extremist Dumocrat,” while other administration officials launched their own attacks.

    Ossoff did not retreat. He escalated.

    During Tuesday’s appearance with Kelly and Giffords, he tied Trump’s war leadership to the president’s previous demand that Kelly and five other Democratic lawmakers be arrested over a video reminding military personnel that they must refuse unlawful orders.

    Trump called that video “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!” The episode drew widespread condemnation, while military-law experts noted that service members are obligated to reject illegal commands, according to The Associated Press.

    For Ossoff, the contrast was irresistible: a president who avoided military service attacking a former Navy combat pilot and astronaut.

    A Senate Campaign With a National Audience

    The substance matters. But so does the delivery.

    Ossoff’s speeches are increasingly built for national consumption: sharp lines, cinematic staging and short clips designed to explode across social media. His rallies have become what The Atlanta Journal-Constitution called “viral spectacles,” generating the kind of attention normally reserved for politicians with ambitions beyond the Senate.

    His message is also bigger than Georgia.

    Ossoff is not simply arguing that Republican challenger Mike Collins would be a bad senator. He is presenting himself as a national check on Trump—someone willing to confront the president over war, corruption, political intimidation and alleged self-dealing.

    That is exactly the kind of political identity a future presidential candidate needs.

    A White House campaign rarely begins with a formal announcement. It begins with a brand, a donor network and a proof of concept. Ossoff is building all three.

    He entered the general election with more than $42 million in cash after raising roughly $20 million during the second quarter. Nearly 90% of his campaign’s contributions during that period were $100 or less, the campaign told the AJC.

    That combination—a massive war chest and a broad small-dollar fundraising base—could be transferred quickly into a future national operation.

    Then there is Georgia itself.

    Ossoff is the only Democratic Senate incumbent running this year in a state Trump carried in 2024. Winning there requires more than exciting Democratic voters. It requires holding suburban swing voters and persuading at least some Republicans to split their tickets.

    Ossoff has already secured endorsements from former Republican Sen. Jeff Flake and two Republican Georgia mayors. Valdosta Mayor Scott James Matheson and Tifton Mayor Julie Smith cited Ossoff’s constituent service and work securing resources for their communities when they crossed party lines to endorse him, according to the AJC.

    If Ossoff can attack Trump this aggressively while winning decisively in a state Trump carried, Democrats searching for a post-Trump national strategy will notice.

    But Ossoff Says He Is Not Running

    There is one major complication in the 2028 theory: Ossoff has repeatedly denied it.

    “I have zero interest in running for president in 2028,” he said during an MS NOW interview this week, dismissing the speculation as “2028 fantasy football.”

    That denial should not be ignored. Ossoff has a difficult Senate election directly in front of him, and allowing presidential speculation to dominate could make him appear distracted or overly ambitious.

    It is also entirely possible that his escalating rhetoric has a simpler purpose. Ossoff wants to energize Democrats, define Collins as inseparable from Trump and turn his Senate election into a referendum on the president.

    Still, politicians can build national brands without actively planning presidential campaigns. Intentions also change—especially after a decisive victory, an explosion in fundraising or an unexpected opening in the party.

    Ossoff does not need to be secretly assembling a 2028 campaign for this moment to matter. His feud with Trump is demonstrating how he would operate on a national stage: confrontational, polished, media-savvy and willing to make the fight personal.

    The Bottom Line

    Ossoff’s immediate target is Mike Collins. But Trump has become his chosen opponent.

    That strategy could help the senator win reelection by turning Georgia’s race into a larger battle over the direction of the country. It could also leave Ossoff with something far more valuable after November: a national following, a battle-tested message and proof that he can compete in hostile political territory.

    Ossoff may genuinely have “zero interest” in 2028 today but he is running the kind of campaign that could make Democrats very interested in him tomorrow.

    Rubio Hits ICC President With Sanctions as Trump Escalates Sovereignty Fight

    (Miami - Flórida, 09/03/2020) Presidente da República Jair Bolsonaro durante encontro com o Senador Marco Rubio..Foto: Alan Santos/PR

    Secretary of State Marco Rubio imposed sanctions Tuesday on the president of the International Criminal Court and one of its senior trial lawyers, escalating the Trump administration’s campaign against the Hague-based tribunal.

    The new designations target ICC President Tomoko Akane, a Japanese judge, and Abdoulaye Seye, a Senegalese senior trial lawyer.

    “These individuals have directly engaged in efforts by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute officials whose government has not consented to ICC jurisdiction,” Rubio said, according to CNN.

    The sanctions generally block any property or financial interests the two officials have within the United States or under the control of U.S. citizens. Americans are also prohibited from conducting most transactions with them, effectively cutting Akane and Seye off from the U.S. financial system.

    Rubio described the ICC as a corrupt, politically driven institution that has exceeded its authority. He said the sanctions were part of the administration’s “unwavering mission to protect Americans from this sham of a court.”

    The United States is not a party to the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC. Israel is also not a member and does not recognize the court’s jurisdiction.

    The ICC nevertheless maintains that it can prosecute alleged crimes committed on the territory of member states, even when the accused comes from a country that has not joined the court. That jurisdictional dispute lies at the heart of Washington’s confrontation with the tribunal.

    Trump Laid the Groundwork

    President Donald Trump did not immediately issue a separate public statement on Tuesday’s sanctions. However, the White House established the administration’s position in a February 2025 executive order authorizing penalties against ICC personnel.

    In that order, Trump accused the court of taking “illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel.”

    Trump said the ICC had endangered American service members and officials while abusing its authority against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant in November 2024 over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity connected to the war in Gaza. Both Israel and the United States have rejected the accusations and the court’s authority.

    Trump’s executive order declared the ICC’s efforts against protected American and allied officials an extraordinary threat to U.S. national security and foreign policy.

    Washington has also fought the court over its past investigation into the conduct of U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

    A Campaign to Dismantle the Court

    The latest sanctions are part of a broader State Department-led campaign to weaken the ICC’s ability to operate.

    Rubio announced that effort in July, promising to use sanctions, visa restrictions, diplomatic pressure and other government powers to dismantle the court “brick by brick” if necessary.

    The administration is also pressuring other countries to withdraw their funding and participation. Nations that cooperate with American law enforcement, host U.S. forces or rely on Washington’s security support have been urged to reject the ICC’s authority over American personnel.

    Rubio said Tuesday that the administration is prepared to take additional action until the court is no longer capable of threatening American sovereignty. The State Department has described the effort as a whole-of-government response.

    The administration has already sanctioned multiple ICC prosecutors and judges. Prosecutor Karim Khan was among the first officials targeted after pursuing the warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant.

    According to The Guardian, Seye has also been linked to investigations involving Israeli settlement funding and the distribution of weapons to settlers in the West Bank, although Rubio’s announcement did not identify the specific actions that led to Tuesday’s designation.

    Court Fight Moves to U.S. Soil

    The sanctions campaign is now facing several legal challenges inside the United States.

    Three ICC judges sued the Trump administration in New York in June, arguing that the penalties imposed against them were unlawful. Human rights organizations have filed separate lawsuits claiming the sanctions interfere with their ability to document alleged crimes and assist international investigations.

    Two advocacy groups said the restrictions had produced a “chilling effect” on their work. Four additional organizations filed another lawsuit last week, arguing that the administration was unlawfully obstructing their international justice work.

    The ICC had not issued a public response to the new designations as of Tuesday afternoon.

    ABC Files First Amendment Lawsuit Against Trump’s FCC

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    President Donald Trump answers questions from members of the media aboard Air Force One en route to Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, for a rally on the economy, Tuesday, December 9, 2025. (Official White House Photo by Molly Riley)

    ABC is taking President Donald Trump’s Federal Communications Commission to court, accusing the powerful broadcast regulator of using its licensing authority to punish speech the administration does not like.

    In a First Amendment lawsuit filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, ABC alleged that the administration has carried out a politically motivated campaign against the network through the FCC.

    “Acting through the Federal Communications Commission, the Administration has waged a retaliatory campaign against ABC for a single reason: it disapproves of what ABC broadcasts,” the lawsuit states, according to Mediaite and Deadline.

    The network said the attacks have escalated from public criticism of its journalism and programming to “express demands” that ABC be stripped of broadcast licenses because of its speech.

    At the center of the case is an unusual FCC order requiring eight ABC-owned local stations to apply for license renewals years ahead of schedule. The stations serve New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Houston, San Francisco, Raleigh-Durham and Fresno. Their licenses were not otherwise set to expire until between 2028 and 2031.

    ABC is seeking a temporary restraining order as well as preliminary and permanent injunctions to stop the accelerated review, The Wall Street Journal reported. The FCC did not immediately comment on the new lawsuit, according to the Journal.

    FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has rejected claims that the review is punishment for ABC’s programming. He has said it stems from a previously opened investigation into Disney’s diversity, equity and inclusion practices and whether the company complied with federal employment rules.

    ABC argues that explanation is a pretext.

    The legal showdown follows months of escalating pressure on the network. In February, Carr confirmed that the FCC had begun enforcement proceedings involving The View and the federal equal-time rule after the program featured political candidates. Carr questioned whether the daytime show qualifies for the rule’s exemption for bona fide news programs.

    Then in April, the FCC ordered the eight ABC stations into early renewal proceedings one day after Trump and first lady Melania Trump called for late-night host Jimmy Kimmel to be fired over an “expectant widow” joke. Carr denied that the timing was retaliatory, saying the action was tied to the agency’s DEI investigation and Disney’s response to document requests, The Guardian reported.

    The dispute intensified again in July. After ABC declined to preempt its prime-time schedule for a Trump address, Carr said that editorial decision would factor into the FCC’s license review, The Desk reported. Democratic FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez responded that broadcasters—not the government—decide what news and speeches to carry.

    ABC accused the agency of “attempted censorship” in a July filing and warned that the stakes extend far beyond one network.

    “The retaliation against ABC is a signal to every media company in the country: accommodate the Administration’s view of what news coverage should look like or pay the price,” the network wrote, according to Mediaite.

    The network says its stations easily meet the legal standard for renewal and notes that they have held their licenses for decades while providing local journalism and emergency coverage. ABC also said more than 150,000 comments were filed in the FCC proceeding, with over 95% supporting renewal, TheWrap reported.

    A bipartisan group of former FCC chairs, commissioners and senior officials has also urged the agency to end the early review, describing it as unprecedented and warning that it could chill broadcasters nationwide. Conservative organizations, including the Media Research Center and the Center for American Rights, have pushed in the opposite direction, asking the FCC to deny the renewals over alleged bias and discrimination.

    Mystery Impostor Slips Into UK Prime Minister’s Messages

    White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles delivers remarks during the Memorial Service for Charlie Kirk at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, Sunday, September 21, 2025.(Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok)

    Britain’s new prime minister thought he had a direct line to President Donald Trump’s inner circle. Instead, he was messaging a mystery impostor.

    Prime Minister Andy Burnham exchanged a handful of messages with someone posing as White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, according to a bombshell Politico report citing four officials.

    Burnham eventually smelled a rat and cut off the contact. But by then, at least some of the exchange had taken place after he entered 10 Downing Street on July 20—turning an apparent digital con into a security headache spanning two governments.

    One person briefed on the communications insisted that only a “few messages” were exchanged and that they were “of no significance.”

    British officials were not quite relaxed enough to let the matter drop.

    The British Embassy in Washington raised the incident directly with the White House, two officials told Politico. Downing Street offered only a stone wall in response to questions: “We do not comment on national security matters.”

    CBS News reported that the BBC independently confirmed the exchange and said it was limited to written messages. Burnham and the impostor never spoke by phone, according to that account.

    The White House also pushed back on the most alarming theory circulating in London.

    “This incident had nothing to do with the Chief of Staff’s devices being hacked,” a White House official told CBS News.

    That distinction matters because Wiles’ identity has already been hijacked once in a sprawling Washington impersonation scheme.

    In May 2025, senators, governors, business executives and other prominent figures received texts and calls from someone claiming to be Trump’s powerful gatekeeper. Wiles told associates that her personal phone had been hacked, and CBS News reported that one or more unknown people used contacts from the device to target senior officials.

    The messages came from unfamiliar numbers, and some recipients were asked to shift the conversation to Telegram. The FBI launched an investigation.

    The earlier scheme grew stranger as it unfolded. As Mediaite reported, citing The Wall Street Journal, one lawmaker was asked to prepare a list of people Trump should pardon. In another case, the impersonator requested a cash transfer. Targets also noticed broken grammar and oddly formal language that did not sound like Wiles.

    The fake-Wiles operation was not an isolated stunt. An impostor later used artificial intelligence to mimic Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s voice and writing style while contacting foreign ministers and American officials.

    The FBI warned in December that malicious actors have been impersonating senior state, White House, Cabinet and congressional figures since at least 2023. The schemes often begin with a text, quickly jump to an encrypted app and then turn toward sensitive information, authentication codes, introductions or money, according to the bureau’s public alert.

    Burnham took office less than a month ago after replacing Keir Starmer. An official government biography says he returned to Parliament in June and became Labour leader on July 16 before entering Downing Street four days later.

    Who contacted him, how the impostor reached him and what the pair discussed remain unknown.