Crime

Home Crime

Tucker Carlson Claims Trump Shut Down Butler Probe After Bongino ‘Confession’

6
Tucker Carlson via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Former Fox News star Tucker Carlson is pushing a fresh conspiracy theory about the attempted assassination of President Trump โ€” claiming the president himself ordered federal investigators to back off the probe into the July 2024 shooting in Butler, Pa.

Carlson made the explosive allegation during an appearance on Thursday on entrepreneur Mario Nawfalโ€™s show, where he recounted what he described as a series of conversations with former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino and FBI Director Kash Patel regarding lingering questions surrounding the attack.

The claim was quickly shot down by Bongino, who publicly denied Carlsonโ€™s account on Friday and blasted the former cable news host as a โ€œnepo baby.โ€

โ€œI know that, about Butler, I know that Trump shut down the investigation into Butler. That is a fact,โ€ Carlson told Nawfal. โ€œDan Bongino told me that when he worked at the FBI.โ€

Carlson alleged Bongino became visibly rattled after Carlson confronted him about social media posts purportedly written by gunman Thomas Crooks that Carlson claims the FBI falsely said did not exist.

โ€œDan Bongino himself was terrified when I spoke to him in December,โ€ Carlson said.

The conservative commentator claimed he had โ€œaccidentally came into possessionโ€ of social media posts allegedly authored by Crooks in the months and years before the shooting. Carlson said he contacted both Patel and Bongino seeking answers about why the FBI had allegedly concealed their existence.

โ€œAnd Dan Bongino became hysterical with me on the phone,โ€ Carlson claimed. โ€œIโ€™ve known Dan a long time for many years and always gotten along with him.โ€

โ€œHe was clearly terrified. I didnโ€™t get it at first, but he was hysterical,โ€ Carlson continued. โ€œAnd ultimately, after a long series of text exchanges, which I still have, and phone conversations, he said, โ€˜Look, take it up with Trump. Heโ€™s the one who shut down the investigation.โ€™โ€

Carlson said the alleged exchange occurred during the second week of December and left him questioning why Trump would halt an investigation into an attempt on his own life.

โ€œThat was the moment and I realized, โ€˜Oh wow, thereโ€™s no good explanation for shutting down an investigation into your own attempted murder,โ€™โ€ Carlson said.

Watch:

Crooks, 20, opened fire during a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024, grazing Trumpโ€™s ear, killing rally attendee Corey Comperatore and seriously wounding two others before Secret Service snipers fatally shot him.

Authorities have said Crooks acted alone and have found no evidence linking him to a broader plot. However, the absence of a clear manifesto or publicly known motive has fueled persistent conspiracy theories online.

Carlson, once one of Trumpโ€™s most influential media allies, has increasingly broken with the president in recent months. He has repeatedly criticized Trump over the administrationโ€™s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files and U.S. involvement in the conflict between Israel and Iran.

Earlier this year, Carlson suggested Trumpโ€™s worldview changed after the Butler shooting.

โ€œHe spent his campaign in the 2024 race arguing against regime change war, attacking people in favor of it โ€” and then he launched it,โ€ Carlson said on his own show. โ€œAnd not just launched it, but became this kind of enthusiastic tool of the government of Israel.โ€

Bongino forcefully rejected Carlsonโ€™s latest allegations Friday morning in a post on X, denying he ever told Carlson that Trump shut down the Butler investigation.

The former FBI official also took a personal swipe at Carlson, dismissing the claims and mocking the commentator as a โ€œnepo baby.โ€

Authorities Arrest Suspect After Making Threats Against Trump

8

The threats won’t stop…

Aย Pennsylvaniaย woman was arrested earlier this week after allegedly making threats against former Presidentย Donald Trumpย before a scheduled rally at Penn State University.

Paul J. Gavenonis, 74, a registered Democrat and resident of Spring Township, reportedly made alarming comments while purchasing a parking pass at the universityโ€™s transportation office. According to witnesses, Gavenonis, who identifies as transgender, expressed hostility toward Trump, stating,ย โ€œI hate Donald Trump. Iโ€™d like to shoot that guy,โ€ย while making a gesture that resembled cocking a gun.

The remarks prompted the transportation office staff to alert authorities. According to The Daily Wire, Gavenonis also allegedly referenced climbing a building in the area but expressed concern over being spotted by students if carrying a firearm.

During her interrogation, Gavenonis reportedly said, โ€œFrankly, I hope someone would get him.โ€ After her arrest, she admitted to having a rifle at home.

Gavenonis was charged with making terroristic threats and disorderly conduct.

District Judge Steven Lachma denied Gavenonis bail, citing the seriousness of the allegations and potential security concerns.

Gavenonisโ€™ arrest follows two assassination attempts against Trump in the last few months of the 2024 campaign, as The Daily Wire reported.

In September, the former president was targeted in an apparent assassination attempt, when a 58-year-old man hid out for 12 hours near Trumpโ€™s golf course in Florida, allegedly to take a shot at him.

The assassination attempt came just two months after Trump was on stage at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13 when a gunman opened fire, hitting him in the ear, killing one Trump supporter, and injuring two others at the rally.

Gavenonisโ€™ preliminary hearing is set for Wednesday, Oct. 30.

Article Published With The Permission of American Liberty News

Trump Orders Reopening Of Alcatraz Prison

By kevinmcgill from Den Bosch, Netherlands - KAM_8466, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31689361

On Sunday, President Trumpย said that he wants to reopen the Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, theย historic prison offshoreย from San Francisco that closed more than 60 years ago.

โ€œFor too long, America has been plagued by vicious, violent, and repeat Criminal Offenders, the dregs of society, who will never contribute anything other than Misery and Suffering. When we were a more serious Nation, in times past, we did not hesitate to lock up the most dangerous criminals, and keep them far away from anyone they could harm,โ€ Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

โ€œThatโ€™s the way itโ€™s supposed to be. No longer will we tolerate these Serial Offenders who spread filth, bloodshed, and mayhem on our streets. That is why, today, I am directing the Bureau of Prisons, together with the Department of Justice, FBI, and Homeland Security, to reopen a substantially enlarged and rebuilt ALCATRAZ, to house Americaโ€™s most ruthless and violent Offenders,โ€ he added.

The island, which sits less than 2 miles offshore, was first developed in the mid-19th century, with the original structures including a lighthouse.

Notableย figures includingย Al Caponeย and George โ€œMachine Gunโ€ Kelly were once held at Alcatraz, whichย was a federal prison fromย 1934-63.ย 

โ€œBoth the institution and the men confined within its walls reflect our society during this era,โ€ the National Park Service adds on a web page about the prison, which was also known as The Rock and gave that name to a popular Michael Bay action film set on the island.

In his Sunday post, Trump said Alcatrazโ€™s โ€œreopeningโ€ is going to โ€œserve as a symbol of Law, Order, and JUSTICE.โ€

The Bureau of Prisons notes on its website that โ€œUSP [United States Penitentiary] Alcatraz closed after 29 years of operationโ€ due to soaring costs.

โ€œAn estimated $3-5 million was needed just for restoration and maintenance work to keep the prison open. That figure did not include daily operating costs โ€” Alcatraz was nearly three times more expensive to operate than any other Federal prison,โ€ the bureau says.

The move comes as the Trump administration has also sought to revitalize Guantanamo Bay and use it to house illegal migrants.

The plan has faced roadblocks, however, with a federal court issuing a temporary restraining order blocking theย Trump administrationย from sending three Venezuelan immigrants held in New Mexico to the Guantรกnamo Bay, Cuba, detention camp.

Lawyers for the trio said in a legal filing that the detainees โ€œfit the profile of those the administration has prioritized for detention in Guantรกnamo, i.e. Venezuelan men detained in the El Paso area with (false) charges of connections with the Tren de Aragua gang.โ€

Congressional Investigators Issue Subpoena To Pam Bondi Over Epstein Files

0

The House Committee on Oversight and Accountability has issued a subpoena to Attorney General Pam Bondi, demanding she testify before lawmakers regarding the investigation of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The subpoena intensifies the growing conflict between Congress and the Justice Department over transparency and accountability.

Lawmakers say Bondiโ€™s testimony is necessary to comprehensively review files related to the deceased sex trafficker. The resolution to subpoena Bondi was introduced by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) and passed in a bipartisan 24-19 vote.

The Hill continues:

All Democrats present for the committee hearing voted in favor, with Mace and GOP Reps. Lauren Boebert (Colo.), Tim Burchett (Tenn.), Michael Cloud (Texas) and Scott Perry (Pa.) joining their colleagues from across the aisle. 

The subpoena of Bondi would bring the highest-level sitting official before the House panel as it pushes ahead with its review of the files related to deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. 

Bondi has faced steady criticism over her handling of the files throughout her tenure as attorney general, cries that have only grown louder as the Justice Department has been accused of failing to release all the files and faced questions about how it has handled redactions.

The Justice Department did not immediately respond to request for comment.

Questions Over Missing Records

The demand comes after a CBS News report on Tuesday stating that the Justice Department had started removing documents:

After removing tens of thousands of files, the Department of Justice currently makes public about 2.7 million pages of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, a CBS News analysis found, a number below the Departmentโ€™s initial claim of 3 million, and a total that continues to fluctuate.

The Justice Department initially said that its release, made in response to a law passed by Congress compelling the agency to disclose nearly all files related to Epstein, comprised more than 3 million pages. Combined with previously released materials, the Department put the total at 3.5 million pages.

And now, in part in response to widespread criticism and concern from survivors and their attorneys that the files contain nearly 100 survivorsโ€™ personal information and photos, the DOJ has scrambled to remove documents. A CBS News analysis found that as of late February, the Justice Department has taken down more than 47,000 files comprising about 65,500 pages. Links to those files now return a “page not found” error on the departmentโ€™s website.

Some of those removed documents contained explicit images or survivor information โ€” including one document with unredacted photos of 21 survivors along with most of their birthdates. But the reasons for other filesโ€™ removal is unclear, such as a call log with all names redacted and images of Epsteinโ€™s jail bunk where investigators say he hanged himself. The Justice Department appears to be putting some removed files back up.

Bondi Faces Questions

Bondi has already faced intense questioning from lawmakers during recent oversight hearings about the departmentโ€™s handling of the Epstein document releases.

During those hearings, members of Congress pressed the attorney general about:

  • Extensive redactions
  • Missing records
  • Whether additional investigations tied to Epstein could still occur

Epstein, a financier with connections to powerful political and business figures, was arrested in 2019 on federal sex trafficking charges involving underage girls.

He died in federal custody later that year while awaiting trial.

His associate Ghislaine Maxwell was later convicted of sex trafficking and is currently serving a federal prison sentence.

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

READ NEXT: Top Newspaperโ€™s Admission Sends Shockwaves Through Gun Rights Community

Former Congressman Madison Cawthorn Arrested

0

Former Congressman Madison Cawthorn was briefly arrested this week in Cape Coral, Florida โ€” yet the setback may not slow what many believe is a mounting effort to reenter national politics.

Authorities took Cawthorn into custody on a warrant stemming from an August 19 citation for driving without a valid license in Naples. He was released shortly thereafter on a $2,000 bond and is expected to appear in court to resolve the matter. Supporters have dismissed the incident as a minor technicality, unlikely to derail his ambitions.


From Conservative Trailblazer to Political Lightning Rod

Cawthorn burst onto the national stage in 2020 as one of the youngest Republicans ever elected to Congress, winning his North Carolina seat at just 25 years old. He quickly became a symbol of youthful conservative energy and unapologetic defiance of the Washington establishment.

But his meteoric rise ran into turbulence during his lone term. In early 2022, he alleged that some D.C. elites had invited him to a cocaine-fueled โ€œorgy,โ€ a claim that drew sharp criticism from GOP leadership. Weeks later, police body camera footage showed him being pulled over while driving a car he mistakenly believed he owned, and he was also cited for bringing a firearm through airport security โ€” his second such incident in less than a year.

Republican leadership, once supportive, gradually distanced themselves. The controversies overshadowed his legislative work and contributed to his loss in the 2022 Republican primary.


Florida Could Offer a Second Act

Now, Cawthorn may be plotting a political revival โ€” this time from Floridaโ€™s 19th Congressional District, where Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) is expected to step down to run for governor. Axios recently reported that Cawthorn has been exploring a run to fill the soon-to-be-open seat, potentially offering him a clean slate and new political base in one of the countryโ€™s most Republican-leaning regions.

If he enters the race, Cawthorn could return to Washington older, more seasoned, and still armed with the anti-establishment instincts that made him a grassroots favorite. For many conservatives, his resilience โ€” and willingness to challenge entrenched power โ€” could be the very qualities the GOP needs in its next generation of leadership. for the second time in nine months.

Republican Congressman Calls For Swift Investigation Following Disturbing Office Discovery

3

Rep. Dave Taylor (R-Ohio) is calling for a full investigation after a disturbing image surfaced showing what appeared to be an altered American flag โ€” twisted into a swastika โ€” displayed behind one of his staffers during a virtual meeting.

The image, first reported by Politico and amplified on social media by an Ohio blogger, quickly drew outrage. But Taylorโ€™s office says it may not be what it appears.

โ€œI am aware of an image that appears to depict a vile and deeply inappropriate symbol near an employee in my office,โ€ Taylor said in a statement. โ€œThe content of that image does not reflect the values or standards of this office, my staff, or myself, and I condemn it in the strongest terms.โ€

Taylor emphasized that he acted immediately, directing Capitol Police to investigate what he described as a potentially malicious act.

โ€œUpon learning of this matter, I immediately directed a thorough investigation alongside Capitol Police, which remains ongoing,โ€ the statement continued.

A spokesperson for the congressman suggested the image might have been the result of โ€œfoul play or vandalism,โ€ not any endorsement of the offensive imagery by his staff. The photo appeared to show Angelo โ€œAJโ€ Elia, a legislative correspondent who joined Taylorโ€™s office in January, sitting at his cubicle with the doctored flag visible behind him.

Elia โ€” who recently earned a masterโ€™s degree in legislative affairs from George Washington University โ€” has not commented publicly. Taylorโ€™s office has not said whether any personnel actions have been taken while the investigation proceeds.

The controversy comes amid renewed scrutiny of conservative youth organizations after Politico reported on leaked Telegram messages allegedly showing racist and anti-Semitic comments from some Young Republican leaders. The timing of the leak, combined with the sudden surfacing of the photo from Taylorโ€™s office, has raised questions among some Republicans about whether politically motivated actors are attempting to smear conservatives ahead of the 2024 election cycle.

The image was first posted on X (formerly Twitter) by Ohio blogger DJ Byrnes, who claimed a friend had a Zoom meeting with Taylorโ€™s office and noticed the symbol. โ€œA friend in DC had a Zoom call with Congressman Dave Taylorโ€™s office today โ€ฆ Taylorโ€™s legislative correspondent, Angelo Elia, had what can only be described as an American swastika flag prominently displayed in his background,โ€ Byrnes wrote Wednesday.

Suspect Arrested After Ramming Car Into White House Barricade

1

A man was arrested Tuesday night after driving his vehicle into a security gate at the White House complex, the United States Secret Service (USSS) announced. According to the agency, at approximately 10:37 p.m. on October 21, the individual drove his vehicle into the Secret Service vehicle gate located at 17th and E Streets NW in Washington.

Arrest image via Pixabay

Uniformed Division officers of the Secret Service immediately arrested the driver. The vehicle was assessed in coordination with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and was โ€œdeemed safe.โ€

The agency said the investigation into the cause of the collision is ongoing, and no motive has yet been publicly identified.

While officials noted there was no known breach of the core residence or threat to the Presidentโ€™s safety at the time, the incident raises fresh questions about security.

Since President Trump returned to office for his second term, the nation has witnessed a number of alarming incidentsโ€”some narrowly averted, some still under investigation. Two recent events in particular stand out:

1. The hunting-stand incident near Air Force One
Over the weekend, the Secret Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) launched a federal probe after agents discovered a โ€œhunting standโ€ positioned in a tree with a direct line of sight toward where Air Force One touches down at Palmโ€ฏBeachโ€ฏInternationalโ€ฏAirport in Florida, ahead of President Trumpโ€™s arrival at his estate in Mar-a-Lago.

While officials stressed that no individuals, ammunition or explosives were found at the site, the discovery of an elevated platform within view of the presidential aircraft sparked serious concern. It comes on the heels of past assassination attempts targeting the Republican President.

2. The July-and-September 2024 assassination attempts
On July 13, 2024, while President Trump was speaking at a campaign rally near Butler, Pennsylvania, a gunman climbed onto a rooftop and fired multiple shots; one grazed Trumpโ€™s ear and a spectator was killed.

Then on September 15, 2024, at the Trumpโ€ฏInternationalโ€ฏGolfโ€ฏClub,โ€ฏWestโ€ฏPalmโ€ฏBeach in Florida, 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh was spotted hiding in shrubbery with a rifle aimed at Trump. Secret Service agents intervened and arrested him later that day.

Mike Lindell Appears To Be Served Lawsuit During Live Interview

3
Mike Lindell via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Mike Lindell, the MyPillow CEO and a prominent Trump ally, appeared to be served with legal papers during a live interview at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Thursday, in an interruption that quickly drew attention online.

Lindell was speaking on camera with Michael Casey, a correspondent for Oโ€™Keefe Media Group, at the event in Grapevine, Texas, when a woman stepped into frame holding documents. In footage shared by Casey, the woman approached Lindell mid-interview and said: โ€œHi, sorry to interrupt. I have this for you. Youโ€™ve been served.โ€

Casey described the woman as a โ€œderanged leftist,โ€ though her identity and the nature of the documents have not been independently confirmed.

Lindell attempted to continue the interview, repeatedly asking the woman to move out of the shot. โ€œWeโ€™re on TV here, please. Weโ€™re on TV, please. OK, weโ€™re on TV,โ€ he said, gesturing for her to step aside.

Watch:

As Casey pressed the woman about what she was delivering, Lindell added: โ€œIโ€™m not accepting it.โ€ The woman insisted the papers had been served regardless. Lindell briefly took the documents before tossing them off camera behind him and continuing the interview.

It remains unclear whether the incident involved a legitimate legal filing or was a staged disruption. No details about the alleged lawsuit were immediately available.

Lindell has been a close ally of former President Donald Trump and one of his most vocal supporters since the 2020 election. He has repeatedly promoted Trumpโ€™s false claims that the election was stolen, using his platform, LindellTV, to amplify those assertions. Trump has publicly praised Lindell in the past, often highlighting his loyalty and willingness to fund efforts challenging the election results.

That alignment has also placed Lindell at the center of multiple legal battles. He has faced defamation lawsuits from voting technology companies over his election claims, and earlier this week, he lost a bid to overturn a related defamation verdict.

Steve Bannon Pleads Guilty To Defrauding MAGA Donors

2
Thor Brรธdreskift / Nordiske Mediedager, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Steve Bannon, the former chief strategist for the Trump White House, pleaded guilty to defrauding donors who thought they were giving money to help build a wall at the United Statesโ€™ southern border on Tuesday.

Bannonย had faced five felony counts and up to fifteen years in prison. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Bannon pled guilty to one count and received a three-year conditional discharge. He will face no jail time so long as he does not re-offend.

The longtime ally of Presidentย Donald Trumpย had previously faced federal charges pertaining to the same scheme. In an indictment unsealed in 2020, Bannon was accused of soliciting millions of dollars to build the wall and the funneling the money to himself and his associates.ย 

Audrey Strauss, the acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York at the time, said in a statement that Bannon and his co-conspirators had โ€œdefrauded hundreds of thousands of donors, capitalizing on their interest in funding a border wall to raise millions of dollars, under the false pretense that all of that money would be spent on construction.โ€

Bannon received a presidential pardon from Trump on Tuesday, January 19, 2021, the final full day of Trumpโ€™s first term in office. In 2022, the Manhattan district attorneyโ€™s office charged him over the same scheme.

Last month, Bannon openly declared war on billionaire businessman Elon Musk ahead of Trump’s second inauguration.

In an interview with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, as highlighted by Mediaite, Bannon sharply criticized Musk, who was tapped by Trump to co-lead the โ€œDepartment of Government Efficiency.โ€

โ€œI will have Elon Musk run out of here by Inauguration Day,โ€ Bannon said. โ€œHe is a truly evil guy, a very bad guy. I made it my personal thing to take this guy down.โ€

Trump Considers Labeling Tesla Vandals As Domestic Terrorists

2
Tesla

After a string of attacks targeting Elon Musk’s Tesla company, President Donald Trump is considering labeling the vandals as domestic terrorists.

On Wednesday, when a reporter asked Trump about the issue, saying,  โ€œSome say they should be labeled domestic terrorists,โ€ Trump responded. โ€œI will do that. Iโ€™ll do it. Iโ€™m gonna stop โ€˜em (if) we catch anybody doing it. Because theyโ€™re harming a great American company.โ€

President Trump lined Tesla vehicles up on the White House driveway as he was accompanied by Tesla CEO Elon Musk while purchasing the Tesla S.

โ€œLet me tell you, you do it to Tesla, and you do it to any company, weโ€™re going to catch you, and โ€ฆ youโ€™re going to go through hell,โ€ Trump added. โ€œWhite House spokesperson Harrison Fields said โ€œongoing and heinous acts of violence against Tesla by radical Leftist activists are nothing short of domestic terror,โ€ .

Although Trump stated he was not allowed to drive while he was president, he bought a Tesla S, saying he purchased it for his staff.

Earlier this month, authorities responded to multiple Tesla superchargers being set ablaze in Massachusetts. (RELATED: Trump Hater Accidentally Sets Himself On Fire While Trying To Destroy Tesla Station)

A total of seven chargers were damaged, police said. 

On Saturday, NBC News noted, โ€œThere have been at least a dozen [acts] of vandalism against Tesla vehicles, dealerships or charging stations in recent weeks, according to police and local reports.โ€ (RELATED: Woman In Custody After Explosives Discovered At Tesla Dealership)

The incidents come months after a Tesla cybertruck exploded in front of the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas.

U.S. Army soldier drove the Cybertruck, which he rented from Turo, outside of the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on Monday morning. Upon arriving, the vehicle was detonated by explosives in the car.

Investigators found fireworks, gasoline canisters and camping fuel in the remains of the vehicle. The soldier was believed to have fatally shot himself shortly before the explosion.

On the day of the attack, Musk commented on X that the individual โ€œpicked the wrong vehicle for a terrorist attackโ€ because the โ€œCybertruck actually contained the explosion and directed the blast upwards.โ€