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Trump Eyes Chicago In Crime Crackdown Expansion

President Donald Trump announced Friday that he plans to expand his crime crackdown strategy to Chicago, calling the city โ€œa messโ€ and signaling more federal involvement in local law enforcement.

This move comes after the recent federal takeover of the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department and the deployment of federal agents โ€” including National Guard troops โ€” across Washington, D.C., as part of the administrationโ€™s ongoing law-and-order agenda.

“After we do this will go to another location, and we’ll make it safe, also. We’re going to make our country very safe,” Trump said to reporters while seated at the Resolute desk. “We’re going to make our cities very, very safe. Chicago’s a mess.”

Unsurprisingly, progressive Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson isnโ€™t on board. In recent weeks, he has fired back at Trumpโ€™s threats, touting a supposed drop in crime under his leadership. Johnson points to homicides being down more than 30% and shootings nearly 40% compared with last year.

He also warned that bringing in the National Guard would only make matters worse, calling it โ€œdestabilizing.โ€ Johnson pointed to the Trump administrationโ€™s record, arguing that its $158 million cut to violence prevention funding created upheaval in underserved communities.

Gov. JB Pritzker โ€” widely seen as a likely 2028 presidential contender โ€” also pushed back, accusing Trump of making personal attacks and defending Illinoisโ€™ progressive approach to criminal justice reform.

Fox News continues:

During his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump threatened toย federalize D.C.ย because of the city’s struggle to control crime. The Aug. 3 attempted carjacking and brutal beating of a former Department of Government Efficiency staffer brought the issue back to the spotlight, sparking national debate. The following week, on Aug. 11, Trump declared a crime emergency in D.C., sparking the federal takeover.

“The city governmentโ€™s failure to maintain public order and safety has had a dire impact on the federal governmentโ€™s ability to operate efficiently to address the nationโ€™s broader interests without fear of our workers being subjected to rampant violence,” Trump’sย executive orderย read.

On Friday, Trump declared on Truth Social that D.C. was “safe again” and that it would soon “be great again.” He also praised law enforcement personnel for “doing a fantastic job.”

Under the Posse Comitatus Act and the 10th Amendment, the president canโ€™t deploy federal or National Guard troops into a state without the governorโ€™s approval โ€” unless certain rare conditions are met. Without that consent, the move would almost certainly trigger a constitutional fight.

READ NEXT: Fed Chair Drops Bombshell โ€” Markets Respond Furiously

Former NFL Kicker Dragged Out Of City Council Meeting After Calling MAGA ‘A Nazi Movement’

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Arrest image via Pixabay

Former NFL punterย Chris Kluweย was removed from a California city council meeting by police after a self-described act of โ€œcivil disobedienceโ€ while attacking Donald Trump.

The reason for Kluweโ€™s protest revolved around a sign proposed for Huntington Beachโ€™s public library, which would have the words “Magical,” “Alluring,” “Galvanizing” and “Adventurous” next to each other. The words spell out MAGA.

“Through hope and change our nation has built back better to the golden era of Making America Great Again!” the signage reads.

Video captured Kluwe speaking at the City Council meeting, where he criticized the MAGA movement, which is typically associated withย President Donald Trumpโ€™s campaign message, “Make America Great Again.” He opined that it was “a Nazi movement.”

โ€œIโ€™m gonna take my time to say what MAGA has stood for these past three weeks,โ€ said Kluwe. โ€œMAGA stands for trying to erase trans people from existence. MAGA stands for resegregation and racism. MAGA stands for censorship and book bans. MAGA stands for firing air traffic controllers while planes are crashing. MAGA stands for firing the people overseeing our nuclear arsenal.โ€

โ€œMAGA stands for firing military veterans and those serving them at the VA, including canceling research on veteran suicide,โ€ the former punter added. โ€œMAGA stands for cutting funds for education, including for disabled children. MAGA is profoundly corrupt, unmistakenly anti-democracy, and most importantly, MAGA is explicitly a Nazi movement.โ€

Kluwe then slightly elevated his voice to say, โ€œYou may have replaced a swastika with a red hat, but that is what it is.

“I will now engage in the time-honored American tradition of peaceful civil disobedience,” Kluwe said at the end of his speech to the City Council before walking up to the front where the council members were sitting. 

Video posted by HB Protect on X showed police officers quickly arresting Kluwe, who was face down on the floor with a crowd cheering behind him for his actions. The City Council’s feed cut out before Kluwe was seen rushing the council members.

He was then carried out by three police officers, two of whom holding one arm each and the other carrying the former punterโ€™s legs. 

Kluwe was charged with disrupting an assembly. He told the Orange County Register he was released around four hours after his arrest. He said his belief was that the plaque was more “propaganda” than celebrating the library, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

Watch:

Kluwe, 43, played eight years in the NFL, all for the Minnesota Vikings, from 2005-12. 

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

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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.

Happening Today: Jury Selection Begins In Trump Assassination Attempt Case

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Fort Pierce, Fla. โ€” Jury selection begins Monday in the federal trial of Ryan Routh, who prosecutors say plotted to assassinate former President Donald Trump at his West Palm Beach golf club in September 2024. The process is expected to conclude by Wednesday.

Prospective jurors are being questioned under oath in Fort Pierce to determine whether they can serve impartially. Routh, who is representing himself, will directly question jurors alongside federal prosecutors โ€” an unusual dynamic in the courtroom.

The case is being heard by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, who denied a motion from Routhโ€™s defense team seeking her recusal. A Trump appointee, Cannon was randomly assigned to the case.

Federal prosecutors allege Routh camped near Trumpโ€™s golf course for 12 hours with a rifle and aimed at a Secret Service agent before being forced to drop the weapon. Investigators later discovered a letter in which Routh expressed regret that he failed to kill Trump, as well as evidence he sought anti-aircraft weapons and surveillance of Trumpโ€™s flights weeks before his arrest.

Routh faces charges of attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer, and multiple gun violations โ€” crimes carrying potential life sentences. He has pleaded not guilty to both federal and related state charges.

A 12-member jury, plus alternates, will ultimately decide the case. Federal law requires a unanimous verdict for conviction.

Report: Trump Expected To Fire U.S. Attorney

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Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

President Donald Trump is expected to fire the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia after his office was unable to find incriminating evidence ofย mortgage fraudย against New York Attorney General Letitia James, according to sources.ย 

Federal prosecutors in Virginia had uncovered no clear evidence to prove that James had knowingly committed mortgage fraud when she purchased a home in the state in 2023, ABC Newsย first reportedย earlier this week, but Trump officials pushed U.S. Attorney Erik Siebert to nevertheless bring criminal charges against her, according to sources.

Alec Perkins from Hoboken, USA, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The president has reportedly been leaning on federal prosecutors to bring charges against James for alleged mortgage fraud. She has beenย accusedย of falsely claiming her house in Virginia as her primary residence despite being legally required to live in New York as an elected official there.

ABC News reported on Wednesday that Siebert, who is the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, was having difficulty finding enough evidence to sustain a conviction against James. On Thursday, the outlet said Trump is expected to fire the prosecutor.

โ€œAdministration officials have told Siebert of Trumpโ€™s intention to fire him, sources familiar with the matter said,โ€ ABC News stated. โ€œSiebertโ€™s last day on the job is expected to be Friday.โ€

Trump nominated Siebert for the job in May.

โ€œThe decision to fire Siebert could throw into crisis one of the most prominent U.S. attorneyโ€™s offices, which handles a bulk of the countryโ€™s espionage and terrorism cases, and heighten concerns about Trumpโ€™s alleged use of the DOJ to target his political adversaries,โ€ ABC News stated.

In May, the FBI opened an investigation into the notorious prosecutor. James has denied wrongdoing and called the investigation politically motivated, pointing to her officeโ€™s civil fraud case against Trump. That case ultimately resulted in a $354 million judgment against the president, which also bars his

During her 2018 campaign for attorney general, James publicly stated she intended to pursue legal action against Trump and investigate his business dealings in New York.

While campaigning, James vowed to shine a โ€œbright light into every cornerโ€ of Trumpโ€™s โ€œreal estate dealings.โ€ Her critics โ€” including Trump himself โ€” would later argue that her civil lawsuit against him was a political witch hunt.

In announcing the probe, US Attorney John A. Sarcone III took a swipe at Jamesโ€™s 2018 campaign rhetoric about investigating President Donald Trump.

The US attorney said James โ€œunethically ran around the state campaigning on getting Donald Trump,โ€ and essentially accused her of finding a criminal target without an alleged crime.

He added:

We stand prepared to act in the capacity that we need to when and if we are informed thereโ€™s a charge to be made. Unlike Letitia James, who unethically ran around the state campaigning on getting Donald Trumpโ€ฆ my office conducts itself in a manner that is proper and professional.

Former Congressman Madison Cawthorn Arrested

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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.

Wisconsin Teen Plotted To Kill Trump To Start ‘Political Revolution’

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Disturbing…

A 17-year-old Wisconsin teen accused of killing his mother and stepfather had also plotted to assassinate Presidentย Donald Trumpย to start a “political revolution,” according to court documents.

Nikita Casap, 17, had images and messages on his phone that referenced a “self-described manifesto regarding assassinating the president, making bombs, and terrorist attacks,” FOX6 Milwaukee reported, citing a search warrant filed with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.

Images of a three-page document titled “Accelerate the Collapse” called for the assassination of Trump, according to the report. 

Trump was specifically referenced in an excerpt from the document, which said “getting rid of the president and perhaps the vice president” is “guaranteed to bring in some chaos. โ€ฆ Point being this manifesto is specifically for the attack that targets Trump.”

Casap was charged earlier this month in theย shooting deathsย of his mother, Tatiana Casap, and his stepfather, Donald Mayer. The couple were found severely decomposed in their home on Feb 28 โ€“ more than two weeks after prosecutors allege Casap killed them.ย 

During an interview with one of Casapโ€™s classmates, authorities learned that Casap told the female classmate he had been in contact with aย man from Russia, who they claim knew about the teenโ€™s scheme to take passports, a car and the family dog and flee to Ukraine, according to the report.

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]

Trump Files Motion To Halt Hush Money Case Sentencing

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

Time is running out…

On Monday, President-elect Donald Trump’s legal team filed a motion urging Judge Juan Merchan to hold off on sentencing him on Jan. 10 in his New York criminal conviction.

Last week, the New York judge announced sentencing wouldย move forward this Fridayย despite his imminent return to the White House

Trumpโ€™s attorneys told Merchan they are appealing his recent rulings upholding the juryโ€™s guilty verdict and argued the judge must pause the case in the meantime. 

โ€œBy virtue of President Trumpโ€™s filing of appellate proceedings raising his claims of Presidential immunity, all proceedings in this Court are automatically stayed by operation of federal constitutional law,โ€ Trumpโ€™s attorneys wrote in the new filing, which was made public Monday. 

โ€œIn the alternative, even if such a stay were discretionary, the Court should grant such a stay. The Court should vacate the sentencing hearing scheduled for January 10, 2025, and suspend all further deadlines in the case until President Trumpโ€™s immunity appeals are fully and finally resolved, which should result in a dismissal of this case, which should have never been brought in the first place,โ€ they continued. 

They asked Merchan to notify the parties by 2 p.m. EST Monday whether he will cancel the sentencing and said they would be filing two appeals Monday in state court. 

โ€œThe Supreme Courtโ€™s historic decision on Immunity, the state constitution of New York, and other established legal precedent mandate that this meritless hoax be immediately dismissed,โ€ Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung, who is set to become White House communications director, said in a statement.ย 

A New York jury found Trump guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records in connection with a hush money payment made to adult film performer Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election so she would keep an alleged affair secret.  

It is the only one of Trumpโ€™s criminal prosecutions to have reached trial.

Trumpโ€™s sentencing in New York comes after the judge rejected two of his attempts to dismiss the case.

In scheduling Fridayโ€™s sentencing, Merchan rejected a proposal to delay the proceeding until after Trumpโ€™s White House term, calling it โ€œless desirableโ€ and citing a need for finality in the case.

Secret Service Investigating Former FBI Director Over Alleged โ€˜Assassinationโ€™ Threat

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A former FBI official is being investigated over his alleged threats against President Trump.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretaryย Kristi Noemย accused former FBI Directorย James Comeyย of calling for President Trumpโ€™s โ€œassassination,โ€ saying federal law enforcement authorities are now investigating the โ€œthreat.โ€

โ€œDisgraced former FBI Director James Comey just called for the assassination of @POTUS Trump,โ€ Noem wrote on the social platform X on Thursday evening.

โ€œDHS and Secret Service is investigating this threat and will respond appropriately,โ€ she added.

Comey, a longtime critic of Trump’s, posted a photo earlier Thursday on Instagram of seashells on a beach arranged to form the numbers โ€œ8647.โ€ The post garnered significant blowback from much of Trumpโ€™s base, with many understanding the numbers to be a call for violence against the 47th president, Trump. Others suggested the โ€œ86โ€ could be calling for the president to be impeached or removed from office.

Image via Wikimedia Commons

Comey removed the photo Thursday evening and clarified in a new post that he did not intend to call for violence and didnโ€™t realize his message would be interpreted that way.

โ€œI posted earlier a picture of some shells I saw today on a beach walk, which I assumed were a political message,โ€ Comey wrote on Instagram.

โ€œI didnโ€™t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence,โ€ he continued. โ€œIt never occurred to me but I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down.โ€

In a statement to The Hill, a spokesperson for the Secret Service said the agency โ€œvigorously investigates anything that can be taken as a potential threat against our protectees.โ€

โ€œWe take this responsibility very seriously and we are aware of the social media posts in question,โ€ the spokesperson continued. โ€œBeyond that, we do not comment on protective intelligence matters.โ€

FBI Directorย Kash Patelย also weighed in on the matter in a post Thursday.

โ€œWe are aware of the recent social media post by former FBI Director James Comey, directed atย President Trump,โ€ Patel wrote on X.

โ€œWe are in communication with the Secret Service and Director Curran. Primary jurisdiction is with SS on these matters and we, the FBI, will provide all necessary support,โ€ he continued.

Pennsylvania Man Charged For Allegedly Threatening To Kill Trump

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

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.