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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.

Trump Mulls Deploying National Guard To DC

President Donald J. Trump is presented with a 10th Combat Aviation Brigade challenge coin following an air assault and gun rain demonstration at Fort Drum, New York, on August 13. The demonstration was part of President Trump's visit to the 10th Mountain Division (LI) to sign the National Defense Authorization Act of 2019, which increases the Army's authorized active-duty end strength by 4,000 enabling us to field critical capabilities in support of the National Defense Strategy. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Thomas Scaggs) 180813-A-TZ475-010

Presidentย Donald Trumpย is seriously considering deploying up to 1,000 National Guard troops to Washington D.C., a U.S. official confirmed to Fox News.

The troops would likely be pulled from the DC National Guard, although the decision about sending National Guard troops is not final, the official said. 

Federal agents have deployed to DC streets in recent days, including officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, according to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

Trump said on social media on Sunday that the news conference on crime and “beautification” will “not only involve ending the Crime, Murder, and Death in our Nationโ€™s Capital, but will also be about Cleanliness and the General Physical Renovation and Condition of our once beautiful and well maintained Capital.”

“Washington, D.C. will be LIBERATED today!,” Trump wrote on TRUTH Social. “Crime, Savagery, Filth, and Scum will DISAPPEAR. I will, MAKE OUR CAPITAL GREAT AGAIN! The days of ruthlessly killing, or hurting, innocent people, are OVER! I quickly fixed the Border (ZERO ILLEGALS in last 3 months!), D.C. is next!!!” 

Trump describedย D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowserย โ€“ who publicly clashed with Trump during the George Floyd riots in 2020 โ€“ “a good person who has tried, but she has been given many chances, and the Crime Numbers get worse, and the City only gets dirtier and less attractive.”ย 

“The American Public is not going to put up with it any longer,” the president wrote. “Just like I took care of the Border, where you had ZERO Illegals coming across last month, from millions the year before, I will take care of our cherished Capital, and we will make it, truly, GREAT AGAIN! Before the tents, squalor, filth, and Crime, it was the most beautiful Capital in the World. It will soon be that again. Thank you for your attention to this matter โ€” See you tomorrow at 10 A.M.!” 

The president has reignited his warnings about a federal government takeover of Washington, and said he may even deploy the National Guard over recent crime. 

Bowser told MSNBC on Sunday that “it is always the president’s prerogative toย use federal law enforcementย of the National Guard.”ย 

On Sunday, police instituted a juvenile curfew in the popular Navy Yard neighborhood, after a stolen gun was discharged during a large gathering of young people late on Saturday. The incident came even as the White House had deployed a surge of federal law enforcement officers in the city over the weekend. 

Trump also said the homeless population would have to move “immediately,” posting photos of encampments and trash on the streets. 

“There will be no โ€˜MR. NICE GUY,โ€™” Trump posted. “We want our Capital BACK.”

Last week, Trump teased taking federal control of D.C. after former Department of Government Efficiency employeeย Edward “Big Balls” Coristineย was brutally beaten during an attempted carjacking by teenage suspects.ย 

Iranian Hackers Threaten to Leak 100GB of Stolen Trump Team Emails

A stunning escalation…

An Iran-linked hacker group is claiming to be in possession of a trove of stolen emails from Presidentย Donald Trumpโ€™sย inner circle is threatening to publish the material in what U.S. officials describe as a politically motivated โ€œsmear campaign.โ€

The group, operating under the alias โ€œRobert,โ€ said it has over 100 gigabytes of emails from key Trump allies, including White House chief of staffย Susie Wiles, longtime confidantย Roger Stone, Trump attorneyย Lindsey Halligan, and even adult film actressย Stormy Daniels.

Reuters broke the story Tuesday after direct communication with the hackers, who hinted at potentially selling the material, though the group offered no specifics.

The threat comes just days after Trump abruptly reversed a tentative effort to ease sanctions on Iran, following Supreme Leader Ayatollahย Ali Khameneiโ€™sย downplayingย of U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. A top Iranian cleric hasย issued a fatwaย against Trump and Israeli Prime Ministerย Benjamin Netanyahu, calling the pair โ€œenemies of God.โ€ (RELATED: Iranian Grand Ayatollah Issues Fatwa Targeting Trump)

Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi, a leading Shiite cleric in Iran with authority to issue legal rulings under Islamic law, has issued a fatwa โ€” an Islamic legal decree โ€” escalating regional tensions and offering religious justification for violence against Western and Israeli leaders.

As Newsweek rightly notes, the development highlights the Islamic Republicโ€™s ongoing use of religious decrees as political tools โ€” a strategy Iran has long used to project power beyond its borders.

While a fatwa is not legally enforceable, it can influence judicial decisions in countries with Sharia-based legal systems.

Khosro K. Isfahani, senior research analyst at the National Union for Democracy in Iran wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that the fatwa issued by Shirazi against Trump was similar to the murder fatwa issued against the author Salman Rushdie for his novel The Satanic Verses which led to a number of assassination attempts.

โ€œThis so-called cyber โ€˜attackโ€™ is nothing more than digital propaganda,โ€ said Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) spokespersonย Marci McCarthy. She described the effort as a โ€œcalculated smear campaignโ€ designed to โ€œdamage President Trump and discredit honorable public servants.โ€

According to Mediaite, the hackers claim the breach was triggered by recent U.S. involvement in the 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran, a war Trump claimed credit for ending via a negotiated ceasefire. Despite claiming to have halted new attacks, the group says it resumed operations in response to that military intervention.

Federal prosecutors have already linked the hacker group to Iran.

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.

Retired 4-Star Navy Admiral Found Guilty In Bribery Case

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A retired four-star admiral who once served as the Navyโ€™s second-highest ranking officer, was convicted of bribery and other conspiracy charges on Monday. The conviction marks the most senior member of the U.S. military ever convicted of committing a federal crime while on active duty.

Following a five-day trial, retired four-star Adm. Robert Burke, 62, was found guilty on Monday of a scheme to direct lucrative contracts to the training company Next Jump in exchange for a $500,000-a-year job after leaving the Navy, according to a news release from the Department of Justice. 

Burke is facing up to 30 years in prison for his role in the scheme to direct contracts potentially worth millions of dollars to a New York City-based company that offered training programs to the Navy.

Burke, who served aboard attack and ballistic missile submarines, rose through the ranks to eventually become chief of naval personnel in 2016 followed by vice chief of naval operations in June 2019. He then took command of U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa and Allied Joint Forces Command in June 2020 before retiring in summer 2022.

Yongchul “Charlie” Kim and Meghan Messenger, co-CEOs of Next Jump, allegedly participated in the scheme to get a government contract in exchange for offering Burke a position with the company.

Kim and Messenger were each charged with bribery and conspiracy to commit bribery, according to the caseโ€™s unsealed indictment. They face trial in August, which is when Burke will be sentenced. 

Kim and Messenger, via their company Next Jump, provided a workforce training pilot program to a small component of the Navy from August 2018 through July 2019. However, the deal appeared to go downhill and the Navy terminated a contract with the company in late 2019 and directed it not to contact Burke.

The Hill reports:

But in summer 2021, Messenger and Kim met with Burke in Washington, D.C., to reestablish their companyโ€™s business relationship with the Navy. While at the meeting, the two โ€œagreed that Burke would use his position as a Navy Admiral to steer a contractโ€ to their firm โ€” as well as influence other Navy officers to award another contract to the company โ€” in exchange for his future employment there, according to the Justice Department. 

Burke in December 2021 then ordered his staff to award a $355,000 contract to Next Jump to train personnel under Burkeโ€™s command in Italy and Spain, which the company performed in January 2022. 

In October 2022, Burke began working at Next Jump with an annual salary of $500,000 and a grant of $100,000 in stock options. 

Burke was accused of making several false and misleading statements to the Navy to conceal the scheme, such as implying that his discussions to join Next Jump began months after the contract was awarded.

“When you abuse your position and betray the public trust to line your own pockets, it undermines the confidence in the government you represent,” U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro wrote in a post on X following the conviction. 

Capitol Police Arrest Democrat House Staffer

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Police image via Pixabay free images

On Monday, capitol police arrested a Congressional staffer for Rep.ย Joe Morelleโ€™sย (D-NY) office.

The staffer was identified in a statement as 38-year oldย Michael Hopkins and he was arrested for allegedly carrying ammunition, including a high-capacity magazine, into the Cannon House Office Building.

Chad Pergram, senior congressional correspondent for Fox News.ย posted a statement from Capitol police to X,ย formally Twitter:

At approximately 8:45 a.m., a House staffer entered the Cannon House Office Building and put his bag through screening. USCP officers noticed what appeared to be ammunition on the x-ray screen. After a hand search of the bag, officers found four ammunition magazines and eleven rounds of ammunition. The staffer told the officers that he forgot the ammunition was in the bag. 38-year-old Michael Hopkins was arrested, and he is facing charges for unlawful possession of ammunition, including one charge for possession of a high-capacity magazine.

Fox5 Washington reported that Hopkins โ€œhas been a guestโ€ฆseveral times over the years,โ€ as a Democratic strategist on their show The Hill, and posted video of the staffer on-air.

Morelleโ€™s office also released a statement, saying theyโ€™re fully cooperating with the investigation:

This morning, our office was informed that a member of our staff was arrested by Capitol Police. We are currently gathering more information regarding the circumstances of the arrest. Our office is fully committed to cooperating with the investigation. As Ranking Member of the Committee on House Administration, Congressman Morelle is devoted to ensuring a safe and secure workplace for all.

Jeanine Pirro Announces Additional Charges Against DC Teens Over DOGE Employeeย Attack

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

U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro announced Monday that two young men have been charged in connection with a violent summer attack on a federal staffer for the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Federal prosecutors have charged Lawrence Cotton-Powell, 19, and Anthony Taylor, 18, with robbery, assault, and carjacking for their alleged roles in the beating of DOGE employee Edward Coristine, known to colleagues as โ€œBig Balls,โ€ and another individual in early August.

According to Pirro, the pair had already been involved in another mugging โ€” of a victim named Ethan Levine โ€” shortly before the brutal assault on Coristine. Both suspects, she said, are repeat offenders who should never have been on the streets in the first place.

โ€œLawrence Cotton-Powell is 19 years of age. He is now charged with robbery, first-degree robbery for which he faces 15 years in prison. He also faces a charge of assault with intent to commit robbery, another 15 years, and robbery for Edward Coristine, 15 years, assault with intent to commit robbery, another 15 years, and attempted carjacking, five years,โ€ Pirro said.

Pirro didnโ€™t mince words when calling out judges who ignored her officeโ€™s repeated requests for jail time. Instead of protecting the public, the courts released Cotton-Powell on probation, giving him multiple chances to reoffend โ€” and, according to prosecutors, he did just that.

Watch:

This latest attack became a flashpoint for President Donald Trumpโ€™s crackdown on violent crime in Americaโ€™s cities. Following the assault, Trump ordered National Guard deployments to crime-plagued areas like Washington, D.C., and Memphis, Tennessee, while courts have blocked his efforts to extend the same law-and-order measures to other liberal-run cities like Seattle.

During an interview, Coristine said he was defending a woman when he was attacked by the group.

The charges against Cotton-Powell and Taylor follow outrage over two other teens โ€” a 15-year-old girl and boy โ€” who received only probation for their roles in the same attack. Both Pirro and Trump condemned the slap-on-the-wrist punishment. (RELATED: Police Apprehend Suspects Linked To DOGE Staffer Beating)

โ€œI think the judge should be ashamed of himself,โ€ said Trump.

Calling the outcome โ€œterrible,โ€ Trump and Pirro have urged lawmakers and local officials to enact tougher sentencing laws for youth offenders in D.C., arguing that the explosion of teen crime in the capital is the direct result of years of leniency and failed progressive policies.

Trump Issues Pardons To 5 Former NFL Stars

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On Thursday evening, President Trump issued pardons to five former NFL players.

White House pardon czar Alice Marie Johnson announced this week that several former professional football players have been granted presidential pardons, underscoring what the administration described as the power of redemption and second chances.

Among those granted clemency were Joe Klecko, Nate Newton, Jamal Lewis, Travis Henry and the late Billy Cannon.

โ€œAs football reminds us, excellence is built on grit, grace, and the courage to rise again. So is our nation,โ€ Johnson wrote in a post on X.

Johnson also said that Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones shared the news โ€œpersonallyโ€ with Newton, a three-time Super Bowl champion with the Cowboys during the teamโ€™s 1990s dynasty.

Klecko, a former New York Jets standout and Pro Football Hall of Famer, pleaded guilty to perjury after lying to a federal grand jury investigating an insurance fraud scheme.

Newton, a six-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro offensive lineman, pleaded guilty to a federal drug-trafficking charge in 2001 after authorities found $10,000 in cash in his pickup truck and 175 pounds of marijuana in a vehicle traveling with him.

Lewis, who won a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens and was named NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2003, pleaded guilty in 2000 to using a cellphone to attempt to facilitate a drug deal shortly after being selected with the No. 5 overall pick in the NFL draft.

Henry, a Pro Bowl running back who played for the Buffalo Bills, Tennessee Titans and Denver Broncos, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to traffic cocaine in connection with financing a drug ring that operated between Colorado and Montana.

Cannon, the 1959 Heisman Trophy winner at LSU who later starred for the Houston Oilers and Oakland Raiders, admitted in the mid-1980s to his role in a counterfeiting scheme. He died in 2018. His pardon was granted posthumously.

Presidential Pardons and Clemency

Under Article II of the U.S. Constitution, the president has broad authority to grant pardons and commutations for federal offenses. The power has long been used by presidents of both parties to extend mercy, correct perceived injustices, and offer individuals a second chance after they have served their sentences.

President Donald Trump made use of that authority throughout his first term, often highlighting cases he believed reflected excessive sentencing or personal rehabilitation. His clemency decisions ranged from high-profile political figures to criminal justice reform cases, including Alice Marie Johnson herself. Johnson, who had been serving a life sentence for a nonviolent drug offense, was granted clemency by Trump in 2018 after serving more than two decades in prison. Her case became a symbol for advocates of criminal justice reform and second chances.

Since then, Johnson has played a visible role in clemency advocacy, working with the administration to review cases and elevate stories of individuals seeking pardons.

Trump DEA Nominee Withdraws From Consideration

By Petty Officer 2nd Class Robert Simpson - https://www.dvidshub.net/image/1011806/coast-guard-cutter-dependable-drug-bust, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=127998859

Another one bites the dust…

President-elect Trumpโ€™sย choice to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced on Tuesday he is withdrawing from consideration.

Floridaโ€™s Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronisterย said in a post on Xย Tuesday evening that he would instead tend to his current duties overseeing an area of the Sunshine State that includes Tampa Bay.

โ€œOver the past several days, as the gravity of this very important responsibility set in, Iโ€™ve concluded that I must respectfully withdraw from consideration,โ€ Chronister said.

โ€œThere is more work to be done for the citizens of Hillsborough County and a lot of initiatives I am committed to fulfilling,โ€ Chronister continued. โ€œI sincerely appreciate the nomination, outpouring of support by the American people, and look forward to continuing my service as Sheriff of Hillsborough County.โ€

Trumpย just announcedย Chronister as his choice to lead the DEA in a Truth Social post on Saturday, tapping the local sheriff to take charge of the agency tasked with seizing illegal substances ranging from fentanyl to other opioids.

โ€œI am pleased to nominate Sheriff Chad Chronister for Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA),โ€ Trump wrote.

โ€œFor over 32 years, Sheriff Chad Chronister has served the Hillsborough County Sheriffโ€™s Office, and received countless commendations and awards for keeping his community SAFE,โ€ Trump added.

Chronister marks the second nominee to withdraw from consideration after former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew from consideration to be the next U.S. attorney general.

Trump Pardons Ex-MLB Star Darryl Strawberry

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President Donald Trump has officially pardoned former Major League Baseball star Darryl Strawberry, a move celebrated by supporters as another example of Trumpโ€™s commitment to second chances, redemption, and faith-driven transformation.

Strawberry, who became one of the most electrifying sluggers of the 1980s and 1990s, played a key role in leading the New York Mets to their 1986 World Series title and later joined the New York Yankees dynasty, winning championships in 1996, 1998, and 1999. Yet, behind the fame and success, Strawberry struggled with addiction and multiple run-ins with the law, leading to three separate suspensions from Major League Baseball.

A White House official confirmed to the Associated Press that the pardon recognizes Strawberryโ€™s โ€œfaith in Christianityโ€ and a decade-long commitment to sobriety. Since leaving the game, Strawberry has become a symbol of recovery and spiritual renewal. He now leads a faith-based ministry and a recovery center, helping others overcome the same challenges that nearly derailed his own life.

โ€œPresident Trump believes in forgiveness and the power of personal transformation,โ€ the official noted. โ€œDarryl Strawberry represents both โ€” a man who fell, got back up, and chose to make his life a testimony of hope.โ€

A Broader Effort on Clemency and Reform

This latest pardon comes amid a renewed focus by Trump on criminal justice reform and clemency for deserving Americans, particularly those who have demonstrated genuine rehabilitation and contributions to their communities.

In recent months, Trump has issued a series of pardons to figures who, in his view, were either wronged by the system or have since proven their reform. These include non-violent offenders, military veterans, and public figures who have turned their lives around through faith and service.

Strawberryโ€™s Story Resonates Beyond Baseball

Darryl Strawberryโ€™s transformation has become a beacon for those battling addiction and despair. His ministry work reaches into prisons, rehab centers, and churches nationwide, where he often speaks about faith, responsibility, and redemption.

Now, with his record officially cleared by the President, Strawberryโ€™s story stands as a powerful reminder that America remains a nation of second chances โ€” and that faith and perseverance can lead anyone from struggle to triumph.

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