Crime

Home Crime

Musk Trolls Trump Over Epstein Case As Feud Escalates

0
UK Government, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Dรฉtente is over…

Elon Musk reignited his very public, and very messy, feud with President Donald Trump, announcing plans to launch a third major political party just hours after Trump signed the $3.3 trillion One Big Beautiful Bill Act into law.

But Musk didnโ€™t stop there.

By early Monday, the billionaire tech mogul was back to openly mocking the president following new reporting on the Department of Justiceโ€™s investigation into Jeffrey Epsteinโ€™s death.

On X, the platform he owns, Musk posted a meme titled โ€œThe Official Jeffrey Epstein Pedophile Arrest Counter.โ€ The image read โ€œ0,โ€ with Musk captioning it:

โ€œWhatโ€™s the time? Oh look, itโ€™s no-one-has-been-arrested-oโ€™clock again โ€ฆโ€

The DOJ and FBI concluded their joint probe into the disgraced financier’s 2019 death, reaffirming the official narrative that the child sex offender died by suicide and that thereโ€™s no evidence of a blackmail scheme or a so-called โ€œclient list.โ€ The two-page memo, first reported by Axios late Sunday, noted that no further arrests are expected.

According to the memo, surveillance footage revealed no unauthorized access to Epsteinโ€™s cell, aligning with the medical examinerโ€™s determination of suicide. The administration is also releasing footage showing no movement in Epsteinโ€™s section of the jail the night of his death.

But millions remain skeptical.

Dr. Michael Baden โ€” a former New York City chief medical examiner hired by Epsteinโ€™s brother โ€” disputes the ruling. Baden said several fractures in Epsteinโ€™s neck, including to the hyoid bone and thyroid cartilage, were โ€œextremely unusualโ€ in suicide cases and more consistent with homicide. He also said he had never seen injuries like Epsteinโ€™s in his 50 years of investigating prison deaths.

Despite that, the DOJ insists the matter is closed.

Musk himself added to the speculation last month, claiming in a now-deleted tweet that Trump was implicated in the Epstein files.

โ€œ[Trump] is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public,โ€ Musk wrote.

He followed with: โ€œMark this post for the future. The truth will come out.โ€

Trump has vigorously denied any involvement with Epstein’s nefarious activities, insisting, โ€œI was never on Epsteinโ€™s Plane, or at his โ€˜stupidโ€™ Island.โ€

Responding to Muskโ€™s Epstein files claim, the president reposted a statement from Epsteinโ€™s former lawyer David Schoen, who insisted Epstein had โ€œno information to hurt President Trump.โ€

While Trumpโ€™s name does appear in Epsteinโ€™s flight logs, no documented evidence of impropriety has emerged. Trump has acknowledged a past friendship with Epstein, which he says ended in the mid-2000s.

Unlike last monthโ€™s spat, Trump hit back immediately at his former ally.

In a post Sunday, the president called Muskโ€™s behavior โ€œoff the rails,โ€ accusing him of becoming a โ€œTRAIN WRECK over the past five weeks.โ€ He slammed third parties as agents of โ€œComplete and Total DISRUPTION & CHAOSโ€ and said the U.S. system isnโ€™t built to accommodate them.

โ€œWe have enough of that with the Radical Left Democrats, who have lost their confidence and their minds!โ€ Trump wrote.

Trump turned up the heat over the weekend, threatening to revoke Musk’s government contracts โ€” a bold strike at the heart of his rivalโ€™s wallet.

So far, Ghislaine Maxwell remains the only person convicted in connection with Epsteinโ€™s sex trafficking operation. She is currently serving a 20-year sentence.

Dan Bongino Returns To Fox News Following Time In Trump Admin

Dan Bongino is officially back at Fox News.

After nearly a year as deputy director of the FBI under President Donald Trump, Bongino has returned to Fox as a contributor, according to a Monday afternoon report from The New York Times media reporter Michael Grynbaum.

His comeback was announced during the Monday night episode of Sean Hannityโ€™s show at 9:00 p.m. ET.

Dan Bongino via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Grynbaum noted that Bongino has expressed regret at times about stepping away from his former life in media. Just weeks into the FBI role, he admitted on Fox & Friends that he missed what he left behind.

โ€œI gave up everything for this,โ€ Bongino said at the time.

First Appearance Back Focuses on High-Profile Disappearance

Bonginoโ€™s first major appearance after returning centered on the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of NBC Today co-host Savannah Guthrie.

Speaking on Hannity Monday night, Bongino outlined three troubling possibilities in the case, emphasizing that investigators are still operating with very limited evidence.

โ€œThe first [possibility] would be, obviously, it’s a kidnapping. That was an intended kidnapping for a ransom paymentโ€ฆโ€ he said.

He then explained a second scenario โ€” that the situation may have spiraled out of another crime entirely.

โ€œThe second possibility would be this was just a crime that went awry. Someone was at the house, maybe it was a burglary, maybe something went bad, and you’ve got some bad actors committing another crime unrelated โ€” in other words, requesting a ransom for something you didn’t do just to take advantage of a situation like this.โ€

Bonginoโ€™s third possibility raised an even more unsettling idea: that the disappearance may not involve a kidnapping at all.

The third possibility, he said, is that Guthrieโ€™s disappearance could have resulted from a medical emergency or another non-criminal event that was later misunderstood or misrepresented.

Bongino Highlights Lack of Evidence

Bongino pointed to the complete absence of digital and forensic indicators โ€” no DNA, no license plate hits, no cellphone activity, and no surveillance leads โ€” as a major reason investigators are struggling.

He explained that when authorities cannot locate someone within the first few days, it can suggest either extremely sophisticated perpetrators or something else entirely.

โ€œThe story youโ€™ve been told, or you may have believed may not be the story,โ€ he said.

While Bongino declined to push one theory more strongly than the others, he emphasized that the lack of proof-of-life communication is unusual for legitimate ransom kidnappings.

He also referenced commentary from veteran FBI Special Agent Lance Leising, noting that real ransom cases typically involve rapid contact and early confirmation that the victim is alive โ€” patterns missing here.

Multi-Agency Search Continues

Nancy Guthrie vanished from her Arizona home earlier this month, triggering a multi-agency investigation that now includes the FBI.

As the search intensified, Savannah Guthrie issued an emotional public plea, describing the situation as an โ€œhour of desperation.โ€

Authorities are also investigating an alleged ransom note tied to the disappearance, though the deadline referenced in the note passed Monday night without proof of life or resolution.

Back to Media โ€” and Still on Rumble

Bongino will continue hosting his podcast on Rumble, which he recently rebooted after leaving the FBI in December.

Fox News anchor Laura Ingraham said at the time she wasnโ€™t surprised by Bonginoโ€™s departure, noting that he โ€œloved his lucrative media lifeโ€ and wanted to โ€œget back to it.โ€

President Trump joined Bonginoโ€™s first show back on Rumble.

The president made headlines during his appearance when he saidย Republicansย should โ€œnationalizeโ€ the voting processย in order to block โ€œcrookedโ€ Democrat-led states from allowing illegal immigrants to vote.

โ€œThese people were brought to our country to vote, and they vote illegally,โ€ Trump said. โ€œAnd itโ€™s amazing the Republicans arenโ€™t tougher on it. The Republicans should say, โ€˜We want to take over, we should take over the voting in at least 15 places.โ€™โ€

The White House initially sought to soften Trumpโ€™s remarks, but the president doubled down on Tuesday, arguing that federal intervention could be warranted if states fail to administer elections fairly.

โ€œIf states canโ€™t count the votes legally and honestly, then somebody else should take over,โ€ Trump said. โ€œThe federal government should get involved.โ€

Trump framed his argument as a response to what he described as โ€œcorruptionโ€ at the state and local level, particularly in more than a dozen states he has criticized in recent months.

In response, Sen. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) said he plans to introduce a Senate resolution on Monday denouncing any effort by a president to โ€œnationalizeโ€ or โ€œtake overโ€ state-run election systems ahead of the 2026 midterms.

State Prosecutors Hint At Possible New Charges After Trump Commutes Santos Sentence

1
Arrest image via Pixabay

Former New York Republican congressman George Santos walked free on Friday after President Donald Trump commuted his federal sentence โ€” but the move may not end his legal ordeal. A local prosecutor on Long Island appeared to signal that state-level charges could be used to sidestep the presidentโ€™s act of clemency.

Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said on the social platform X that her office had been โ€œat the forefrontโ€ of the effort to โ€œbring Santos to justice.โ€ Donnellyโ€™s jurisdiction includes part of the district Santos once represented in Congress.

โ€œI am proud of the work my office has done, and the conviction achieved in partnership with the U.S. Attorneyโ€™s office,โ€ Donnelly said. โ€œWhile the office cannot comment on ongoing investigations, suffice it to say that I remain focused on prosecuting political corruption wherever it exists regardless of political affiliation.โ€

Her statement โ€” vague but pointed โ€” has fueled speculation that prosecutors could seek state charges mirroring the federal case, a move critics say would effectively undermine Trumpโ€™s commutation and keep Santos entangled in the court system despite his early release.

A spokesperson for the Nassau County D.A.โ€™s office declined to elaborate when asked whether an investigation was ongoing.

Trumpโ€™s Message: โ€œUnequal Justiceโ€ and Political Targeting

Announcing the commutation on Truth Social, President Trump praised Santosโ€™s โ€œCourage, Conviction, and Intelligence to ALWAYS VOTE REPUBLICAN,โ€ suggesting the former lawmakerโ€™s punishment was disproportionate.

โ€œGeorge Santos was somewhat of a โ€˜rogue,โ€™ but there are many rogues throughout our Country that arenโ€™t forced to serve seven years in prison,โ€ Trump wrote.

Santos had served just 84 days of a seven-year sentence after pleading guilty last summer to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Prosecutors had accused him of multiple financial and campaign-related offenses โ€” including money laundering and falsifying records โ€” but supporters argue that he faced harsher treatment because of his party affiliation and outspoken loyalty to Trump.

Possible State Move Seen as Political

Republicans are already warning that a state prosecution would represent another example of โ€œlawfareโ€ โ€” the use of legal mechanisms to target political opponents.

Santos himself, who had initially said he wouldnโ€™t seek clemency before later telling interviewer Piers Morgan heโ€™d accept โ€œwhatever the president is willing to give me,โ€ has yet to comment on Donnellyโ€™s remarks.

For now, the former congressman is free โ€” but the signals from Nassau County suggest that the battle between Trumpโ€™s justice reform message and New Yorkโ€™s prosecutors may be far from over.

Denver Mayor Could Face Removal, Jail Time Over Deportation Stance

Trump at the border wall via Wikimedia Commons

Democrat Denver Mayor Mike Johnston recently said he wasย prepared to break with President-elect Donald Trump’s deportation plans and Republicans are warning he will absolutely suffer the consequences.

Johnston said during a recent interview that he was prepared to protest against anything he believes is “illegal or immoral or un-American” in the city โ€“ including the use of military force.

During a Sunday morning interview on Face The Nation, Paul told anchor Margaret Brennan that Johnstonโ€™s plan is a โ€œform of insurrectionโ€ that could see him removed from office.

BRENNAN: The stated Trump plan is to use the military or military assets, deputize the National Guard, and have them act as immigration agents. Do you believe that is lawful?

PAUL: You know, Iโ€™m 100% supportive of going after the 15,000 murderers, the 13,000 sexual assault perpetrators, rapist, all of these people. Letโ€™s send them on their way to prison or back home to another prison. So I would say all points bulletin all in. But you donโ€™t do it with the army because itโ€™s illegal. And weโ€™ve weโ€™ve had a distrust of putting the army into our streets because the police have a difficult job. But the police understand the Fourth Amendment. They have to go to judges. They have to get warrants. It has to be specific. And so Iโ€™m for removing these people. But I would do it through the normal process of domestic policing.

Now, I would say that the mayor of Denver, if heโ€™s going to resist federal law, which thereโ€™s a long standing, standing history of the supremacy of federal law, heโ€™s going to resist that. It will go all the way to the Supreme Court. And I would suspect that he would be removed from office. I donโ€™t know whether or not that would be a criminal prosecution for someone resisting federal law. But he will lose. And people need to realize that what he is offering is a form of insurrection where the states resist the federal government. Most people objected to that and rejected that long ago. So I think the mayor of Denver is on the wrong side of history and really, I think will face legal ramifications if he doesnโ€™t obey the federal law.

The president-elect’s pick to be the next border czar responded that he’s willing to put the Denver Mayor in jail for outright flouting Trump’s policies.

“You are absolutely breaking the law,” Tom Homan, Trump’s “border czar” designate, told Fox News’ Sean Hannity. “All he has to do is look at Arizona v. U.S. and he would see he’s breaking the law. But, look, me and the Denver mayor, we agree on one thing. Heโ€™s willing to go to jail, Iโ€™m willing to put him in jail.”

Homan pointed to a statute that says it’s a “felony if you knowingly harbor and conceal an illegal alien from immigration authorities.”

Homan said they have to secure this country and save lives. 

“President Trump has been clear, we want to concentrate on public safety threats and national security threats. I find it hard to believe that any governor would say they donโ€™t want public safety threats removed from their neighborhoods,” he said.

Report: Melania Trump Statue In Slovenia Sawed Off, Stolen

By The White House - https://www.flickr.com/photos/202101414@N05/54426560683/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=163105965

Police in Slovenia are investigating the disappearance of a bronze statue of U.S.ย first lady Melania Trump.

Theย life-size sculptureย was unveiled in 2020 during Presidentย Donald Trumpโ€™sย first term in office near Sevnica in central Slovenia, where Melania Knavs was born in 1970. It replaced a wooden statue that had beenย set on fireย earlier that year.

According to Slovenian media reports, the bronze replica was sawed off at the ankles and removed.

The original wooden statue was torched in July 2020. The rustic figure was cut from the trunk of a linden tree, showing her in a pale blue dress like the one she wore at Trumpโ€™s presidential inauguration in 2017.

The replica bronze statue has no obvious resemblance to the first lady.

House Democrats Release Emails Linking Epstein and Trump in Ongoing Oversight Probe

7
By The White House - https://www.flickr.com/photos/202101414@N05/54581054338/, Public Domain,

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday released a new batch of emails connected to Jeffrey Epstein that reference President Donald Trump.

The correspondence, which includes messages between Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and author Michael Wolff, was reportedly obtained from Epsteinโ€™s estate as part of an ongoing congressional review of more than 23,000 documents.

By Ralph Alswang, White House photographer – https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/clinton-epstein-maxwell/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=143417695

In a 2011 email to Maxwell, Epstein wrote that Mr. Trump โ€œspent hours at my houseโ€ with one of Epsteinโ€™s alleged victims, whose name was redacted. โ€œI want you to realize that that dog that hasnโ€™t barked is Trump. [Victim 1] spent hours at my house with him, he has never once been mentioned,โ€ Epstein wrote. Maxwell responded, โ€œI have been thinking about thatโ€ฆโ€

Another message, dated January 31, 2019, appears to show Epstein corresponding with Wolff about Mr. Trump and Mar-a-Lago. โ€œTrump said he asked me to resign, never a member ever. of course he knew about the girls as he asked ghislaine to stop,โ€ Epstein wrote.

A third exchange between Epstein and Wolff, dated December 15, 2015, discusses how then-candidate Trump might respond to media questions about his connection to Epstein. Wolff wrote, โ€œI hear CNN planning to ask Trump tonight about his relationship with youโ€”either on air or in scrum afterwards.โ€ Epstein replied, โ€œif we were able to craft an answer for him, what do you think it should be?โ€ Wolff responded, โ€œI think you should let him hang himself. If he says he hasnโ€™t been on the plane or to the house, then that gives you a valuable PR and political currency… Of course, it is possible that, when asked, heโ€™ll say Jeffrey is a great guy and has gotten a raw deal and is a victim of political correctness, which is to be outlawed in a Trump regime.โ€

Mr. Trump announced his first presidential campaign in June 2015. Wolff later wrote Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, published in 2018.

Epstein and Mr. Trump were social acquaintances in New York and Florida from the late 1980s through the early 2000s. The President has said he cut ties with Epstein in 2004, long before Epsteinโ€™s 2019 arrest on federal sex trafficking charges. Mr. Trump has not been accused of wrongdoing.

Epstein died by suicide in a Manhattan federal jail in 2019 while awaiting trial. Maxwell was later convicted of conspiring in Epsteinโ€™s sex trafficking operation and is serving a 20-year sentence.

Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the top Democrat on the Oversight Committee, said in a statement that the Justice Department should release its full Epstein files โ€œimmediately.โ€

He added, โ€œThe more Donald Trump tries to cover up the Epstein files, the more we uncover. These latest emails and correspondence raise glaring questions about what else the White House is hiding and the nature of the relationship between Epstein and the President.โ€

The email release coincides with a broader congressional push for transparency in the Epstein case. Lawmakers are reviewing materials from Epsteinโ€™s estate and have sought information from former officials, including past attorneys general and FBI directors. The committee has also questioned Alex Acosta, the former U.S. attorney who oversaw Epsteinโ€™s controversial plea deal in Florida and later served as Labor Secretary under Mr. Trump. Acosta resigned in 2019 amid scrutiny over his handling of the Epstein case.

The House returned to session Wednesday for the first time since mid-September, with Democrats expected to advance a discharge petition to compel the Justice Department to make public its Epstein investigation files. A vote on the measure is not expected until next month.

Man Who Falsely Claimed To shoot Charlie Kirk Sentenced To Prison

0
Image via Pixabay

In a strikingly bizarre footnote to the tragic assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, a Utah man who falsely claimed responsibility for the fatal shooting has now been sentenced and faces up to 15 years in prison.

Seventy-one-year-old George Hodgson Zinn โ€” who dramatically approached law enforcement at Utah Valley University, yelling โ€œI shot him โ€” now shoot meโ€ moments after Kirk was gunned down โ€” has now pleaded no contest to obstruction of justice and guilty to two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, according to court records.

While Zinnโ€™s initial false confession drew headlines and confusion during the chaotic aftermath of the shooting โ€” leading some to believe he was the shooter โ€” investigators quickly ruled him out as a suspect in Kirkโ€™s assassination.

During questioning at a hospital after the incident, Zinn shocked authorities by admitting he had child sexual abuse material on his phone. A warrant later uncovered more than 20 images depicting abused minors, and prosecutors charged him accordingly.

In Salt Lake County district court, Zinn was sentenced to zero to five years for obstruction and one to 15 years for each exploitation count, with the judge ordering the terms to run concurrently. The exact amount of time he will serve will be decided by the Utah parole board.


Remembering Charlie Kirk: A Conservative Voice Silenced

The backdrop to this strange prosecution is one of the most shocking episodes of political violence in recent U.S. history. On Sept. 10, 2025, Charlie Kirk โ€” founder and executive director of the conservative youth advocacy group Turning Point USA and a leading voice in the MAGA movement โ€” was assassinated by a sniper while speaking at an outdoor event on the Utah Valley University campus.

Kirk, just 31 years old, had become one of the most recognizable young conservative figures in America. He built Turning Point USA from a student organization into a powerful grassroots force shaping Republican campaigns, energizing young voters, and challenging campus liberal orthodoxy across the country.

Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

His death prompted an outpouring of grief and outrage from Republican leaders and conservative grassroots activists, who saw the attack as not just a crime but part of a broader pattern of hostility toward conservatives. Thousands attended memorial events, and his legacy has become a rallying point in debates over political violence and free speech on college campuses and beyond.

The suspect in the shooting โ€” 22-year-old Tyler James Robinson โ€” was later arrested and charged with aggravated murder. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty, underscoring the gravity of the crime and the national attention still focused on the case.


What This Means Going Forward

Zinnโ€™s sentencing closes one strange chapter in the unfolding story of the Kirk assassination, but it also highlights the turmoil that followed one of the most prominent conservative leaders of his generation. A man who tried โ€” for reasons still unclear โ€” to throw law enforcement off the trail of the real shooter now faces prison time for his own criminal behavior.

Pennsylvania Man Charged For Allegedly Threatening To Kill Trump

2
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)

A 22-year-old Pennsylvania man is facing federal charges after allegedly making violent threats against President-elect Donald Trump just days before he was set to take office.

According to the U.S. Attorneyโ€™s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Jacob Buckley of Port Matilda posted several alarming threats on TikTok under the username โ€œJacob_buckleyโ€ on January 16. His posts included, โ€œIโ€™m going to kill Trumpโ€ and other comments targeting MAGA supporters.

He also wrote on the TikTok account,ย “Iโ€™m going to kill Trump,” and, “Bro we going into a literal oligarchy in 4 days and im going to kill Trump,” according to prosecutors.ย 

Federal prosecutors confirmed that Buckley was charged by criminal information for threatening Trump as the incoming President. The investigation was led by the U.S. Secret Service.

“The maximum penalty upon conviction on the Information is 5 yearsโ€™ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, a fine, and the imposition of a special assessment,” the office added.ย 

If convicted, Buckley could face up to five years in prison, along with fines and supervised release.

This case comes just weeks after another manโ€”37-year-old Carl Montague of Rhode Islandโ€”was charged for allegedly threatening to kill Trump and members of his incoming administration on Truth Social. Montagueโ€™s posts included violent threats aimed at Attorney General Pam Bondi and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller.

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 Securityโ€™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 โ€œShoot ICE on sight,โ€ according to the account of the case shared by law enforcement officials.

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

Prosecutors say the threats went furtherโ€”allegedly escalating to talk of torturing and killing McLaughlin โ€œin a medieval fashion.โ€ McLaughlin has been front-and-center defending DHS enforcement actions on TV and online, and sheโ€™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 conspiracyโ€”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. โ€œWe 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,โ€ Lyons told Fox News Digital. He added: โ€œIf 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.โ€

DHS is trying to make a broader point: this isnโ€™t just one ugly thread onlineโ€”itโ€™s part of a threat environment they say has intensified alongside the administrationโ€™s border crackdown. In a DHS release dated Oct. 30, 2025, the department claimed ICE personnel have faced an โ€œ8,000% increase in death threats,โ€ 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 Appleโ€™s store; the administration cited safety concerns for federal officers, while the developer argued the app relied on public observations.

Georgia Man Arrested Over Alleged Threats To Kill Tulsi Gabbard

1

FBI agents arrested a Georgia man after making numerous death threats against Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard.

Aliakbar Mohammad Amin, of Lilburn, Ga., was charged on Friday with โ€œtransmitting interstate threats to injureโ€ Gabbard and her family, according to the DOJ press release.

โ€œThreatening to harm public officials is a criminal act that cannot be excused as political discourse,โ€ acting U.S. Attorney Richard Moultrie, Jr. said in a statement. โ€œOur Office, in coordination with our law enforcement partners, will vigorously prosecute individuals who commit these acts of violence.โ€

Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Prosecutors allege Amin sent text messages between March 29 and April 1 that contained threats against Gabbard and her husband, including, โ€œYou and your family are going to die soon,โ€ and โ€œI will personally do the job if necessary.โ€

โ€œThe home you two own . . . is a legitimate target and will be hit at a time and place of our choosing,โ€ Amin wrote in another text, according to the DOJ.

Other texts allegedly included, โ€œPrepare to die, you, Tulsi, and everyone you hold dear. America will burn,โ€ and โ€œDeath to America means death to America literally, Tulsi is living on borrowed time.โ€

Federal agents later found a firearm at Aminโ€™s house while executing a search warrant, the DOJ said.

โ€œThe FBI sees all threatening communications as a serious federal offense. We will employ every investigative tool and resource available to identify those responsible and ensure they are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,โ€ Paul Brown, special agent in charge of the FBIโ€™s Atlanta Field Office, said in a statement.

โ€œLet this arrest serve as a clear warning: if you engage in this kind of criminal behavior, you will be caught and you will go to prison,โ€ Brown added.

Gabbard thanked the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service and local law enforcement on Friday after the FBI announced the arrest.

โ€œThank you @FBI, @USMarshalsHQ, and local law enforcement for your service and dedication in apprehending this radicalized, dangerous criminal who repeatedly threatened the lives of me, my family, and @realDonaldTrump. Thank you for your tireless work every day keeping the American people safe,โ€ she wrote in a post on X.

Threats against political officials have been on the rise, during the 2024 campaign cycle Donald Trump survived multiple assassination attempts.

A recent study by the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) has revealed a concerning trend: a significant portion of left-leaning Americans believe that political violence, including assassination, is justifiable against figures such as President Donald Trump and the de facto head of the Department of Government Efficiency, Elon Musk. The study surveyed over 1,200 U.S. adults and found that 38% of respondents felt that assassinating Trump would be at least “somewhat justified,” with this figure rising to 55% among those identifying as left-leaning. Similarly, 31% of overall participants, and 48% of left-leaning individuals, expressed some level of justification for assassinating Musk.

This data suggests a troubling normalization of violent political rhetoric within certain segments of the population. The NCRI report highlights that this shift has been particularly pronounced following the December 2024 assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, allegedly by Luigi Mangione. Mangione’s actions have been glamorized in various online communities, leading to a proliferation of memes and discussions that endorse political violence.

Screenshot via X [Credit: Elon Musk]