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Attempted Trump Assassination Suspect Sentenced In Court

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On Wednesday, Ryan Routh was sentenced to life in prison plus seven years over his attempt to assassinate Donald Trump on a Florida golf course.

Prosecutors argued that Routh, 60, should get a life sentence after a jury last yearย convicted him on five countsย for allegedly plotting โ€œpainstakingly to kill President Trump, and [taking] significant steps toward making that happen.โ€ย 

โ€œRouthโ€™s crimes undeniably warrant a life sentence — he took steps over the course of months to assassinate a major presidential candidate, demonstrated the will to kill anybody in the way, and has since expressed neither regret nor remorse to his victims,โ€ prosecutors argued in a court filing. 

During the September trial, a jury quickly found Routh guilty on five felony counts, including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate and assaulting a federal officer.ย 

Routh allegedly hid in the bushes of the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach and pointed a military-grade SKS rifle towards Trump and a Secret Service agent. 

โ€œRouthโ€™s crimes of conviction reflect careful plotting, extensive premeditation, and a cowardly disregard for human life,โ€ prosecutors wrote. โ€œRouthโ€™s motive for his crimes was unconscionable โ€“ preventing the American people from electing the candidate of their choice for President. Routhโ€™s gloss on his crimes has always been that anything he may have done was justified by events in Ukraine or American domestic politics.โ€

Since his conviction, Routh was appointed an attorney and has requested a 27-year sentence that would allow him to โ€œexperience freedom again as opposed to dying in prison.โ€ His lawyer argued that Routh could not have a fair trial because he represented himself, even though Routh made that decision after repeated warnings about the potential consequences.ย 

Routh represented himself at trial and attempted to argue that he never intended to harm Trump or the Secret Service agent, claiming his actions were a form of protest

Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump-appointed judge, dismissed the criminal case against the president in 2024ย related to his handling of classified documents.ย Routh unsuccessfully attempted to have Cannon removed from the case by arguing her appointment by Trump is a conflict of interest.

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

Smartmatic Execs Accused Of Bribery Scheme Tied To $300M LA Voting Contract

Federal prosecutors in Miami say top Smartmatic executives funneled money from a $300 million Los Angeles County voting contract into an illegal slush fund.

According to the Justice Department, Smartmatic co-founder Roger Alejandro Piรฑate Martinez and two others used shell companies and fake invoices to siphon off cash from the taxpayer-funded deal. That money allegedly ended up in bribes paid to government officials in Venezuela and the Philippines.

Joe DePaolo of Mediaite offers further insights:

Smartmatic isย suing Fox News for $2.7 billionย โ€” alleging the network defamed them by promoting Presidentย Donald Trumpโ€™sย false claims of a stolen election in the days and weeks after the 2020 vote.

The new filing is part of a corruption case in Florida against the three Smartmatic executives for allegedly operating a bribery and money-laundering scheme in which they are accused of paying off an election official in the Philippines to help secure $182 million in contracts. The DOJ also claims the executives carried a similar plot with a Venezuelan official โ€” whom the executives gave a home with a pool in 2019, according to prosecutors.

The DOJ hasn’t charged Smartmatic as a company, nor has it accused any L.A. County officials of wrongdoing. Still, the department is clearly using the L.A. contract to establish a pattern of corrupt practices tied to the voting tech firm.

DePaolo continues:

Notably, the original case against the Smartmatic executives was brought in August 2024, during the final months of the Biden administration.

Inย a statement provided to theย Los Angeles Times, Smartmatic spokespersonย Samira Sabaย said the DOJโ€™s filing contained misrepresentations that were โ€œuntethered from reality.โ€

The DOJโ€™s latest move builds on earlier charges against the same executives. Federal prosecutors had previously accused Piรฑate of laundering money through a similar slush fund to bribe election officials in the Philippines during the 2016 elections.

To be clear, no one is alleging votes were tampered with or election results altered. The charges focus strictly on financial corruption โ€” kickbacks, shell firms, and international bribery.

READ NEXT: Former Trump Ally Issues Fiery Response To Shock Report

Trump Orders Reopening Of Alcatraz Prison

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hidden FBI Files On Trump-Russia Probe Discovered In Secret Room, Patel Says

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I, Aude, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Thousands of documents turned over to…

WASHINGTON โ€” FBI Director Kash Patel has reportedly uncovered a cache of sensitive documents tied to the origins of the now-discredited Trumpโ€“Russia investigation, according to sources with direct knowledge of the discovery.

The documents were allegedly found inside a concealed room at FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C., stored in multiple “burn bags” โ€” containers typically used for the destruction of classified materials. The material is now under active review, with portions slated for declassification and eventual release to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA). (RELATED: Trump Issues Ultimatum To GOP Leader โ€” Abolish This Rule Or Else)

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

Among the most consequential items is a classified annex to former Special Counsel John Durhamโ€™s final report โ€” a document that had previously been withheld from public and congressional view. Sources say the annex contains the raw intelligence Durham reviewed and includes information gathered before the FBI formally launched its โ€œCrossfire Hurricaneโ€ probe into alleged ties between Donald Trumpโ€™s 2016 campaign and Russia.

The annex reportedly outlines internal warnings about efforts within the federal government to elevate unsubstantiated claims of collusion โ€” with some of the intelligence suggesting the narrative was intended to politically benefit the Clinton campaign.

Per Fox News Digital:

A source familiar with the contents of the classified annex told Fox News Digital that while it may not have been exactly clear in the moment what the intelligence collection meant, with the benefit of hindsight, it predicted the FBIโ€™s next move “with alarming specificity.”

“Ultimately, the release of the classified annex will lend more credibility to the assertion that there was a coordinated plan inside the U.S. government to help the Clinton campaign stir up controversy connecting Trump to Russia,” the source, who was granted anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence matters that have not yet been made public, told Fox News Digital.

Not Stated, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

“Mere days after this intelligence was collected, the FBI launched Crossfire Hurricane,” the source said. “Itโ€™s really hard to see how Brennan, Clapper and Comey are going to be able to explain this away.”

Sources told Fox News Digital that Patel and his team discovered a previously undisclosed sensitive compartmented information facility (SCIF) in the FBI headquarters.

Patel, who previously served as a top national security official during Trumpโ€™s presidency, is now overseeing the review of the trove, which reportedly consists of thousands of pages and digital records. Some of the documents are believed to directly relate to early surveillance activities and internal deliberations within the FBI in 2016. (RELATED: [WATCH] FBIโ€™s Latest Target Isnโ€™t Who Youโ€™d Expectโ€ฆ)

The declassification process is being coordinated with top national security officials, including CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and NSA Director Gen. William Hartman.

Former FBI Directors James Comey and Christopher Wray have yet to respond to request for comment as of this article’s publication.

Grassley Expected to Lead Congressional Oversight

U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Grassley, who has long pressed for transparency surrounding the Durham probe, is expected to spearhead efforts to bring the annex and related documents before Congress.

The development has reignited conservative concerns about politicization within federal agencies and the weaponization of national security tools for partisan purposes.

As the annex moves toward declassification, key questions remain: How did this material remain hidden for so long? Who knew of its existence? And what political or legal consequences could follow its release?

Man Who Falsely Claimed To shoot Charlie Kirk Sentenced To Prison

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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.

Nancy Mace Attacked Amid Fight To Protect Womenโ€™s Rights

Congresswoman Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) revealed that she was physically attacked Tuesday evening on Capitol grounds, an alarming incident that underscores the contentious debate surrounding her efforts to protect womenโ€™s spaces.

โ€œI was physically accosted tonight on Capitol grounds over my fight to protect women,โ€ Mace announced on X. โ€œCapitol police have arrested him.โ€ The U.S. Capitol Police confirmed the arrest of 33-year-old James McIntyre of Illinois, who now faces charges of assaulting a government official.

The assault occurred just before 6 p.m. inside the Rayburn House Office Building, a federal government office on Capitol Hill. Capitol Police and Threat Assessment Section agents quickly apprehended McIntyre, who had entered the building after passing through routine security checks.

While the police statement did not explicitly name Mace, her public account of the attack has reignited focus on her uncompromising legislative push. Mace has introduced a bill aimed at barring transgender women from using womenโ€™s restrooms and locker rooms on Capitol Hill, arguing itโ€™s a necessary safeguard for biological womenโ€™s safety and privacy.

โ€œAll the violence and threats keep proving our point,โ€ Mace declared. โ€œWomen deserve to be safe. Your threats will not stop my fight for women!โ€

Battling Backlash and Violence

Maceโ€™s advocacy has drawn fierce opposition from LGBTQ+ groups, who argue her legislation is discriminatory. Despite this, Mace remains steadfast, framing the debate as one about safeguarding womenโ€™s rights.

Her resolve is deeply personal. โ€œLook, I am a rape survivor, a survivor of sexual violence and abuse,โ€ Mace shared in a recent interview with NewsNation. โ€œI know how vulnerable women and girls are in private spaces. At the end of the day, the question is: do women have rights or not?โ€

Mace also highlighted concerns about the Capitolโ€™s shared spaces, noting her discomfort with the potential presence of biological men in womenโ€™s locker rooms and restrooms. โ€œIf Iโ€™m in the womenโ€™s gym in D.C., changing clothes, and a man shows up with his genitalia in the room, thatโ€™s not okay. This is about protecting privacy and safety.โ€

Speakerโ€™s Support Amid Controversy

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) recently affirmed Maceโ€™s position, announcing that biological men would no longer be permitted in womenโ€™s bathrooms and locker rooms on Capitol grounds. โ€œWomen deserve womenโ€™s-only spaces,โ€ Johnson stated, providing legislative backing to Maceโ€™s campaign.

The congresswoman, previously known for her socially moderate views, has drawn a definitive โ€œred lineโ€ in this debate. โ€œAt some point, we have to draw a line with this insanity,โ€ she stated firmly. โ€œThis is about protecting the rights and safety of women everywhere.โ€

As the dust settles on this latest chapter in Maceโ€™s fight, one thing remains clear: the debate over womenโ€™s spaces and privacy is far from over.

READ NEXT: Matt Gaetz Reveals Major Career Move โ€“ January Will Be Huge

Report: Pro-Trump Conservative Charlie Kirk Shot

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

Popular conservative activist Charlie Kirk was reportedly shot at an event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah on Wednesday.

Bystanders report seeing Kirk shot near his neck during a Q&A with students.

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

Bill Bar Calls On Prosecutors To Drop Cases Against Trump

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The United States Department of Justice, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Former Trump Attorney General Bill Barr encouraged prosecutors to drop pending charges against President-elect Trump.

โ€œThe American people have rendered their verdict on President Trump, and decisively chosen him to lead the country for the next four years,โ€ Barr said in an interview with Fox News, after the White House race was called for Trump.

โ€œThey did that with full knowledge of the claims against him by prosecutors around the country and I think Attorney General Garland and the state prosecutors should respect the peopleโ€™s decision and dismiss the cases against President Trump now,โ€ he added.

Trump was convicted in New York on 34 felony charges related to his hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels and still faces indictments in three other trials. His actions to block the peaceful transfer of power after his 2020 loss sparked federal charges as well as a case in Georgia, while the former president also faced federal counts for retaining classified documents at his Florida estate, before the case was indefinitely postponed by the judge.

Trump is set to face sentencing in the New York case later this month but has also sought to toss the case after the Supreme Court ruled that former presidents retain broad immunity after leaving office.

The Justice Department (DOJ) under a second Trump administration, is widely expected to move to drop both federal cases against the president-elect.

The Florida case was dismissed by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon on technical grounds involving Smith’s appointment.

The GOP presidential nominee has pledged to fire special counsel Jack Smith, who is overseeing the election interference cases, โ€œwithin two seconds.โ€

โ€œHeโ€™ll be one of the first things addressed,โ€ Trump said last month.

Barr added that Smith and the DOJ should drop the cases before Trump even takes office.

โ€œFurther maneuvering on these cases in the weeks ahead would serve no legitimate purpose and only distract the country and the incoming administration from the task at hand,โ€ he said.

โ€œThe public interest now demands that the country unite and focus on the challenges we face at home and abroad. Attorney General Garland and all the state prosecutors should do the right thing and help the country move forward by dismissing the cases,โ€ the former attorney general added.

Trump To Reportedly Pardon Hunter Binden-linked Businessman

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President Joe Biden hugs his family during the 59th Presidential Inauguration ceremony in Washington, Jan. 20, 2021. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris took the oath of office on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol. (DOD Photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Carlos M. Vazquez II)

Hunter Bidenโ€™s formerย business partner Devon Archerย is reportedly set to receive a pardon from President Donald Trump.

Archer met with Trump over the weekend at theย NCAA wrestling championshipsย in Philadelphia, where he said he received some “very encouraging words.”

“I had gotten word from my attorney earlier that the president was discussing this, and he had acknowledged that he was going to do it,” Archer said of the possible pardon Monday in an interview on “Jesse Watters Primetime.”

Trump told the New York Post Sunday that he would give Archer a “full pardon” because he was “screwed by the Bidens.”

“They destroyed him like they tried to destroy a lot of people,” Trump said, according to the outlet.

Archer, who served on the board of Ukrainianย energy company Burismaย with Hunter, told the House Oversight Committee in a closed-door hearing in 2023 about the influence of the Biden family “brand.”

He told investigators Hunter put his father โ€” then Vice President Joe Biden โ€” on speakerphone at business meetings between 10 and 20 times, although he noted “nothing of material was discussed.”

“You didn’t think you’d ever need this [pardon] because Joe Biden said he’d take care of you. Isn’t that what he said?” Watters asked. 

“Absolutely. Well, and so did Hunter. I mean, once a Biden, always a Biden.” Archer responded.

“I didn’t think โ€” first of all, I didn’t think I’d need this because I never did anything. I was a victim of financial fraud in which I invested a lot of money and was taken down [by] a whistleblower [who] was blowing the whistle on Hunter.”

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.