Thor Brødreskift / Nordiske Mediedager, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Newly released Epstein files include private messages from 2018 between Steve Bannon and Jeffrey Epstein, revealing previously undisclosed political discussions involving President Donald Trump.
According to reporting based on the documents, Bannon described Trump in late 2018 as “beyond borderline” and referenced the 25th Amendment, the constitutional mechanism for removing a president who is unable to perform the duties of the office.
Bannon has come under fire from a wide variety of critics — including conservatives — in recent days over his his relationship with Epstein.
Documents released by the Department of Justice revealed that on the very day Epstein was arrested on charges of sex trafficking in July 2019, he was texting with Bannon about the aforementioned documentary.
A few months before that, Bannon advised Epstein: “First we need to push back on the lies ; then crush the pedo/trafficking narrative ; then rebuild your image as a philanthropist.”
Another text exchange between the two men, dated Dec. 31, 2018, is under intense scrutiny.
The conversation reads:
EPSTEIN: Hell of. Year. Next will be biblicl
BANNON: We either own 2019 or it will surely own us
EPSTEIN: Im back in the f and b biz only
BANNON: F and B director
EPSTEIN: No it does not stand for fck and blw
EPSTEIN: Spoke to my dems. This weekend. Boy are emotions running high
BANNON: Going to blow him up right our of the box– WH has zero plan to punch back– Fort Apache with no cavalry enroute
EPSTEIN: And no soldiers in the fort. He really is borderline. Not sure what he may do.
BANNON: I think it’s beyond borderline — 25 amendment
The communications also reference handling critical coverage following the Miami Herald’s 2018 investigative series on Epstein, which is widely credited with prompting renewed federal scrutiny and Epstein’s eventual 2019 arrest.
The documents do not allege criminal conduct related to the exchanges.
Deputies in Los Angeles stopped what could have turned into a far more dangerous situation near a Trump-owned golf course.
Authorities arrested a 36-year-old Arizona man after he was spotted running through traffic near Trump National Golf Course in Rancho Palos Verdes while armed with multiple weapons, including a loaded rifle painted to resemble a toy.
According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the suspect — identified as Sean Steiner of Glendale, Arizona — had been seen earlier hiking in the area with a duffel bag, step stool, and rifle before entering traffic along Palos Verdes Drive South around 5 p.m. on March 29.
When deputies arrived, they found the rifle had been painted green and purple and marked with the phrases “HA HA HA HA” and “Why so serious?” — a reference to the Joker character from Batman. The tip had also been painted orange, “resembling a toy gun,” according to authorities.
What may have looked theatrical was anything but harmless.
“Not only was the rifle loaded with a round in the chamber and a full magazine inserted… he admitted he had just fired one of the pistols near the landslide area to ‘get some anger out,’” the sheriff’s Lomita Station said in a statement.
Deputies also discovered two loaded handguns, high-capacity magazines, and additional ammunition. Steiner was wearing a ballistic vest capable of stopping rifle rounds.
“Let that sink in,” authorities wrote. “An armed individual, firing a weapon, walking through traffic and trails… in a populated area.”
Sean Steiner, right, is accused of multiple firearm-related felonies after Los Angeles deputies say they arrested him near a Trump-owned golf course with a semiautomatic rifle painted to look like a toy. He is also accused of firing a handgun in the brush nearby before running into traffic. (Lomita Sheriff’s Station via Fox News)
The situation underscores how quickly a volatile scenario can escalate — and how critical early reporting can be. Officials credited witnesses who called in the suspicious behavior before anyone was injured, emphasizing the importance of the public safety mantra: “if you see something, say something.”
Steiner now faces multiple felony firearm charges. He was booked March 29 and released on bond April 1.
While investigators say Steiner had little prior criminal history beyond minor offenses, the incident raises broader concerns about armed individuals near high-profile locations — particularly those associated with President Donald Trump.
It also echoes another alarming case: Ryan Routh, who was previously arrested after allegedly hiding in bushes near a Trump golf course while armed. That case, like this one, highlighted the persistent security risks surrounding prominent political figures and the critical role of vigilant law enforcement.
By Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America - Pete Hegseth, CC BY-SA 2.0
On Wednesday morning, the White House confirmed drone activity from Mexican drug cartels caused the sudden closure of U.S. airspace over El Paso, Texas.
In a statement to Newsweek the White House said: “Mexican cartel drones breached US airspace. The Department of War took action to disable the drones.
“The FAA and DOW have determined there is no threat to commercial travel.”
A Trump administration official told Fox News that the initial lockdown came in response to “Mexican cartel drones” that breached U.S. airspace. The FAA had announced Wednesday morning that all flights to and from El Paso were being grounded, including commercial, cargo and general aviation. The restriction was initially set to be effective from February 10 at 11:30 p.m. MST to February 20 at 11:30 p.m. MST.
“Mexican cartel drones breached US airspace. The Department of War took action to disable the drones. The FAA and DOW have determined there is no threat to commercial travel,” the official told Fox News.
Restrictions set earlier by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have been lifted and authorities say there remains no threat to commercial air travel.
“The temporary closure of airspace over El Paso has been lifted. There is no threat to commercial aviation. All flights will resume as normal,” the FAA said on its X account.
BREAKING: Mexican cartel drones breach US airspace, are disabled by War Department, Trump administration official tells Fox News pic.twitter.com/AHVwiPRQLh
Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is calling for President Donald Trump to be recognized on the world stage after his decisive leadership brought unprecedented safety to the nation’s capital.
On Monday, Johnson said Trump deserves the Nobel Peace Prize following 11 straight days without a single reported murder in Washington, D.C. — a stunning turnaround after Trump took charge of the city’s police force.
“There are MANY reasons why President Trump deserves the Nobel Peace Prize – but 11 straight days with ZERO murders in Washington, D.C. might top the list,” Johnson posted on social media. “SAFER streets. STRONGER communities. AMERICA IS BACK!”
Trump Delivers Where Democrats Failed
The numbers come from the Metropolitan Police Department’s own preliminary data: from August 14 through August 24, not one homicide was reported in the city.
This sharp decline follows Trump’s August 11 takeover of D.C.’s police department, a bold move to re-establish law and order in a city long plagued by violent crime under Democrat leadership. Since Trump stepped in, only two killings have been reported — one on August 11, and another on August 13.
Critics may try to downplay the results, noting there was a 16-day stretch earlier this year without a murder, but it’s clear that Trump’s hands-on leadership and “law and order” agenda have already had a direct impact on restoring peace and safety to America’s capital.
A President Who Gets Results
President Trump has never hidden his desire to win the Nobel Peace Prize — and many argue he has already earned it for his historic Middle East peace agreements, his refusal to drag America into new foreign wars, and now, for bringing real results to America’s streets.
Even world leaders agree. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, recognizing Trump’s unmatched record of delivering peace and stability.
The Bottom Line
While Democrats and the mainstream media remain silent, the facts are clear: Trump’s leadership is saving lives. Speaker Johnson’s call for Trump to receive the Nobel Peace Prize isn’t just political theater — it reflects the reality that Trump’s America First agenda delivers real safety, real security, and real peace.
Former FBI Director James Comey will no longer have to make an upcoming court appearance in North Carolina after a federal judge agreed to cancel the hearing tied to charges that he threatened President Donald Trump through a controversial social media post.
U.S. District Judge Louise Flanagan conditionally approved Comey’s request to waive the appearance after his attorneys argued he had already made an initial court appearance last week in Alexandria, Virginia.
Comey surrendered to authorities during that appearance, was formally read his rights, and did not enter a plea.
His legal team argued that federal criminal procedure rules provide “for an initial appearance in the singular,” making another hearing unnecessary. Prosecutors with the Department of Justice reportedly supported the request.
Judge Flanagan ruled that the North Carolina hearing would be canceled if Comey filed the required waiver by Friday. Otherwise, the hearing would proceed as scheduled.
The former FBI chief is facing two federal charges tied to a May 2025 Instagram post showing seashells arranged to read “86 47” — a message prosecutors say amounted to a threat against Trump’s life.
🇺🇸 Former FBI Director James Comey has been indicted on two felony charges over his controversial “86 47” Instagram post.
His response:
“I’M STILL INNOCENT. I’M STILL NOT AFRAID.”
Bold words from a guy now facing serious legal heat. The “86 47” post was widely seen as a veiled… pic.twitter.com/NUBLcsWKt9
According to prosecutors, the phrase “86” is widely understood as slang for eliminating or getting rid of someone, while “47” refers to Trump, the 47th president.
The charging document alleges:
“On or about May 15, 2025, in the Eastern District of North Carolina, the defendant, JAMES BRIEN COMEY JR, did knowingly and willfully make a threat to take the life of, and to inflict bodily harm upon, the President of the United States, in that he publicly posted a photograph on the internet social media site Instagram which depicted seashells arranged in a pattern making out ‘86 47,’ which a reasonable recipient who is familiar with the circumstances would interpret as a serious expression of an intent to do harm to the President of the United States.”
🇺🇸 Trump unloaded on Comey over the “86 47” seashell post.
He says “86” is straight mob talk for “kill him,” so “86 47” means kill President Trump.
Comey has fiercely denied the accusations and claimed the prosecution is politically motivated.
When the image was first posted, Comey later said he believed the shells represented a “political message” and claimed he did not realize the numbers could be interpreted as encouraging violence. He eventually deleted the post.
The longtime Trump rival responded to the indictment in a video statement, insisting he has done nothing wrong.
“But nothing has changed with me. I’m still innocent, I’m still not afraid, and I still believe in the independent federal judiciary, so let’s go,” Comey said.
“But it’s really important that all of us remember that this is not who we are as a country, this is not how the Department of Justice is supposed to be.”
The charges — threatening the president and transmitting a threat in interstate commerce — each carry a maximum possible prison sentence of five years. Prosecutors would need to prove Comey “knowingly and willfully” threatened to “take the life of” Trump.
The case marks yet another chapter in the bitter feud between Trump and the former FBI director, whom Trump fired in 2017 during the early stages of the Russia investigation led by former Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
It is also the second criminal case Comey has faced since Trump returned to the White House.
Comey was previously charged with false statements and obstruction tied to his 2020 congressional testimony about FBI leaks. That case was ultimately dismissed after a court found the prosecutor’s appointment unlawful, though the Trump administration has appealed the decision.
A California man allegedly filmed federal agents as they mapped out security for President Donald Trump’s visit to his Los Angeles-area golf club — then returned two days later with hollow-point ammunition in his pocket and a loaded pistol in his pickup truck, authorities said.
Jeanine John Taele, 38, of Downey, was arrested Sunday at Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles in Rancho Palos Verdes, setting off a search that authorities say uncovered an illegally modified rifle, body armor, high-capacity magazines, radio devices and notebooks filled with “concerning statements” at his home.
Jeanine John Taele, 38, of Downey, who was arrested at Trump National Golf Course Los Angeles in Rancho Palos Verdes, is charged in a federal criminal complaint with possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle, a felony carrying a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in… pic.twitter.com/oY3ISp8n6x
— F.A. United States Attorney Bill Essayli (@USAttyEssayli) August 5, 2026
Now he is staring down cases in two court systems.
According to an affidavit filed with the federal complaint, agents were conducting a security assessment at the golf club on Friday, July 31, ahead of Trump’s Aug. 4 visit when they spotted Taele walking across the grounds.
He was wearing an earpiece, taking photographs and recording video of the agents’ security-planning work, prosecutors alleged. He eventually left in a vehicle.
But Taele allegedly returned Sunday while federal agents were still working at the club. Staff recognized him and alerted the agents, authorities said.
Taele then approached the agents and claimed he was employed by the State Department and assigned to a security detail at the property, according to the federal affidavit. He also acknowledged that a loaded firearm was inside his pickup in the club parking lot.
Agents called the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. When deputies arrived, they learned Taele was already wanted in connection with a robbery investigation in El Segundo, prosecutors said.
During a search, deputies allegedly found a 16-round magazine loaded with hollow-point ammunition in Taele’s pants pocket.
Inside his truck, authorities said they found a loaded 9mm pistol, another magazine packed with hollow-point rounds, binoculars and a badge bearing the words “security protection agent.”
The Search That Deepened the Mystery
The arrest quickly widened into a federal security investigation.
Detectives assigned to the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force obtained a warrant and searched Taele’s Downey home Monday because of what the Sheriff’s Department called the incident’s potential security implications.
Authorities said the search turned up an illegally modified AR-platform rifle, a 1911 .45-caliber pistol, an AR upper receiver, body armor, high-capacity magazines, bulk rifle and pistol ammunition, an earpiece and two radio signal devices.
Investigators also seized multiple notebooks containing what they described only as “concerning statements.” Officials have not disclosed what was written in them.
“We are thankful he was apprehended before the President’s visit,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said in announcing the federal charge. He said investigators were still working to determine Taele’s motive.
FBI Los Angeles chief Patrick Grandy said the alleged conduct raised serious red flags and left “no room for error” given the previous attempts on Trump’s life.
State Charges — And a Separate Robbery Case
Taele also faces three California weapons counts: receiving a large-capacity magazine, carrying a concealed firearm in a vehicle and possessing a short-barreled rifle or shotgun, TIME reported, citing the state complaint.
Prosecutors separately charged him with second-degree robbery over an alleged Nov. 4, 2025, incident that El Segundo police were investigating before his arrest at the golf club.
Taele pleaded not guilty Tuesday. A judge set his bail at $250,000, ordered him not to possess weapons, barred him from Trump National Golf Club and prohibited him from leaving California while the case is pending. His next state court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 26.
He was also expected to make his first appearance in federal court Wednesday on the rifle charge.
Authorities have not publicly accused Taele of plotting to attack Trump, and no motive has been announced. The Sheriff’s Department said it had identified no credible threat to the surrounding community, while the Secret Service, FBI, ATF and local investigators continued to examine the case.
The Secret Service said it investigates any conduct that could signal a threat or a directed interest in a protected person. The Trump Organization thanked local and federal authorities for their swift response.
Trump’s Tuesday evening Republican National Committee event at the golf club went forward. The president briefly addressed the arrest during an appearance on “Fox News @ Night.”
“The only thing I get a little solace from is, they say only consequential presidents,” Trump said. “And I am definitely consequential.”
The scare came two years after a gunman wounded Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and after Ryan Routh’s 2024 attempt to kill Trump at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida. Routh was sentenced to life in prison earlier this year.
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 — twisted into a swastika — 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 Taylor’s office says it may not be what it appears.
“I am aware of an image that appears to depict a vile and deeply inappropriate symbol near an employee in my office,” Taylor said in a statement. “The 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.”
Taylor emphasized that he acted immediately, directing Capitol Police to investigate what he described as a potentially malicious act.
“Upon learning of this matter, I immediately directed a thorough investigation alongside Capitol Police, which remains ongoing,” the statement continued.
A spokesperson for the congressman suggested the image might have been the result of “foul play or vandalism,” not any endorsement of the offensive imagery by his staff. The photo appeared to show Angelo “AJ” Elia, a legislative correspondent who joined Taylor’s office in January, sitting at his cubicle with the doctored flag visible behind him.
Elia — who recently earned a master’s degree in legislative affairs from George Washington University — has not commented publicly. Taylor’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 Taylor’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 Taylor’s office and noticed the symbol. “A friend in DC had a Zoom call with Congressman Dave Taylor’s office today … Taylor’s legislative correspondent, Angelo Elia, had what can only be described as an American swastika flag prominently displayed in his background,” Byrnes wrote Wednesday.
A friend in DC had a Zoom call with Congressman Dave Taylor’s office today…
Taylor’s legislative correspondent, Angelo Elia, had what can only be described as an American swastika flag prominently displayed in his background. pic.twitter.com/zFn3QowS0c
An Arizona man could face multiple decades in prison and more than $1 million in fines for allegedly torching a Tesla Cybertruck in Arizona.
Ian William Moses, 35, of Mesa, was indicted this week on five felony counts of malicious damage to property used in interstate commerce. Authorities have alleged that Moses used gasoline and a starter log to try to set the dealership and three Tesla vehicles on fire on April 28, amid a wave of retaliation against tech billionaire and Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s involvement in the Trump administration.
The Department of Justice, in a news release announcing the federal jury’s indictment of Moses, shared photos of a burned-out Cybertruck that exploded during the attack.
According to local media reports, the suspect spray-painted graffiti on the side of the building that misspelled the word “THIEF.”
Mesa Police arrested Moses less than a mile away from the Tesla dealership shortly after the fire started, and he was wearing the same clothes as the person seen in surveillance footage pouring gasoline on the building. Officers also allegedly found a hand-drawn map in Moses’s pocket that had the letter “T” marking the dealership’s location.
“There is nothing American about burning down someone else’s business because you disagree with them politically,” Timothy Courchaine, the interim federal prosecutor for Arizona, said in a statement. “These ongoing attacks against Tesla are not protests, they are acts of violence that have no place in Arizona or anywhere else. If someone targets Tesla with violence, they will be found and confronted with the full force of the law.”
If convicted, each count carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement on Moses’s indictment that there would be “no negotiating” on the charges.
“If you engage in domestic terrorism, this Department of Justice will find you, follow the facts, and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law,” Bondi said.
Another disturbing example of political intolerance turned violent this week in Florida, where a 72-year-old man wearing a Make America Great Again (MAGA) hat was allegedly attacked by a woman enraged over his support for President Donald J. Trump.
According to authorities, Laura Garrett, 33, approached the elderly man at Northeast Park and Paw Place in Largo, Florida, and began interrogating him about his political views and why he supports President Trump. The man has not been publicly identified, but what followed was anything but a civil conversation.
Police say Garrett became physically aggressive, ultimately pouring the contents of a can over the man’s head and then striking him on the back of his head and shoulders with it. While Garrett later denied striking him, officers noted her conflicting statements and eyewitness evidence in the official arrest affidavit obtained by FOX 13 Tampa Bay.
After the assault, Garrett jumped a fence and fled the scene, leaving behind a shaken elderly victim whose only “offense” was expressing his support for a former U.S. president.
Police located Garrett shortly afterward, but her combative behavior didn’t stop there.
When officers attempted to arrest her, Garrett resisted and escalated the situation. According to the report, she intentionally dropped to the ground to avoid being handcuffed and later wrapped both legs around an officer, causing him to fall and suffer a bruised knee. That altercation resulted in a second battery charge—this time against a law enforcement officer.
Even after being restrained, Garrett continued to kick and struggle with police, making her arrest anything but routine.
She now faces multiple charges, including:
Battery on a person over 65 (a more serious offense under Florida law)
The White House during construction of the State Ballroom on 2026-01-14, Washington, DC
Philadelphia’s far-left district attorney is dreaming about demolishing President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom—and keeping a piece of the wreckage as a souvenir.
Larry Krasner made the stunning remarks Tuesday during Philadelphia’s annual slavery commemoration ceremony at the President’s House site near Independence Hall.
According to video obtained by NBC10 Philadelphia, Krasner predicted that Trump’s ballroom would be destroyed within the next 10 to 15 years.
“I’m gonna have a paperweight sitting on my desk,” Krasner said, according to the Washington Examiner. “You know what that paperweight is gonna be? It’s gonna be a piece of a ballroom after we all blow it up.”
Krasner later clarified that he envisioned the destruction taking place during an “official ceremony,” with pieces of the building sold as paperweights to reimburse taxpayers.
But the clarification did little to take the edge off the extraordinary image of an elected district attorney talking publicly about blowing up part of the White House complex.
Krasner also unleashed a personal tirade against Trump during the event, calling the president a “pain in the a–” and agreeing with an audience member who described Trump as “the devil.”
The progressive prosecutor accused Trump of embodying hatred and ignorance before turning his fury toward two of the president’s high-profile renovation projects.
“There will not be a ballroom,” Krasner declared. “There will not be a Kennedy Center renamed for a fool.”
The White House quickly fired back.
“Only people who suffer from a severe and incurable disease known as Trump Derangement Syndrome would find a problem with that,” White House spokesman Davis Ingle told Fox News Digital.
Ingle said Trump was carrying out long-overdue renovations designed to beautify and preserve the White House for future generations as the nation celebrates its 250th anniversary.
The Secret Service also took notice.
“The U.S. Secret Service investigates anything that can be perceived as a threat toward our protectees,” agency spokesman Nate Herring told Fox News Digital, while declining to discuss specific protective-intelligence matters.
Krasner’s outburst came amid an escalating fight over how American history is presented at the President’s House site, where George Washington lived while Philadelphia served as the nation’s capital.
Trump signed an executive order in March 2025 directing federal museums, parks and historical sites to eliminate what his administration considers divisive ideological narratives and instead emphasize America’s achievements and progress.
Acting under that order, the National Park Service removed interpretive panels and disabled video exhibits at the President’s House site in January. The displays focused heavily on the nine enslaved people Washington brought to the Philadelphia residence.
The city sued, and a federal judge initially ordered the displays restored. But the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals later vacated that injunction, concluding that the lower court lacked jurisdiction over several of Philadelphia’s claims.
Krasner insisted Tuesday that the slavery memorial and its educational materials would ultimately survive the Trump administration.
His ballroom prediction, however, targeted a project that is still moving rapidly toward completion.
The approximately $400 million, 90,000-square-foot addition is designed to accommodate roughly 1,000 guests and includes major security infrastructure beneath the building. Trump has argued that the facility will allow presidents to host large events without leaving the heavily protected White House grounds.
The ballroom is reportedly about 65% complete. Chief Justice John Roberts recently issued a temporary order allowing construction to continue while the Supreme Court considers the administration’s challenge to lower-court restrictions on the project.
