Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, is raising concerns about what he claims could be an effort by President Donald Trump and his allies to influence the 2026 midterm elections.
Speaking with reporters on Capitol Hill Thursday, Warner suggested that Trump’s recent comments about Republicans needing to “take over” elections from the states could signal broader plans to challenge state-run election systems.
“It appears there may be a coordinated effort to try to interfere in the ‘26 midterms,” Warner said. He added that he is concerned, “They may even start to interfere in the primaries.”
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Trump and many Republicans have argued for years that election administration should be strengthened through tighter oversight and more uniform standards, particularly after disputes over voting procedures in 2020. Democrats, however, have increasingly framed these efforts as threats to democracy.
Warner Criticizes Tulsi Gabbard’s Role in Georgia Investigation
Warner also expressed anger over Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard’s reported involvement in a federal raid in Fulton County, Georgia, where officials seized ballots and voter information as part of an investigation.
While details surrounding the raid remain unclear, Warner compared the situation to Watergate-era abuses of power — an analogy Democrats have frequently used in recent years when criticizing Trump.
In a clip posted to social media, Warner said:
“The Nixon era is back. What do I mean? Richard Nixon is most infamously known for Watergate, where he intervened in a domestic political effort under the guise of the Watergate break-in. He knew what was going on before the fact. Well, it appears the same is true.”
Trump is reviving Nixon-style scandals… and I’m worried our elections are at risk of interference because of it. pic.twitter.com/BLsnYe1FqF
Warner claimed testimony suggested Gabbard traveled to Atlanta because Trump personally asked her to.
“It appears the same is true. We got testimony yesterday that Tulsi Gabbard was down in Atlanta for that crazy raid on the voting machines because Trump asked her to go.”
Warner then questioned how Trump would have known about the investigation ahead of time:
“Well, how the hell did Trump know there was about to be a warrant issued in a lame criminal investigation before the act took place? How did he let Gabbard know to go there?”
He also criticized reports that Trump spoke directly with FBI agents involved in the case:
“This is not how American justice should work. When, when, when will any of my Republican colleagues find a spine?”
Democrats Claim Raid May Have Been Improper
In another clip posted Wednesday, Warner suggested the FBI raid itself may have been unlawful, pointing to leadership changes under FBI Director Kash Patel.
“We have seen Kash Patel basically decimate the leadership of the FBI to the point that that raid… the FBI agent in charge of that office got fired because I don’t believe he felt this was legal.”
Warner also argued that Gabbard, as DNI, should not have been involved in what he called a “domestic criminal investigation.”
“The director of national intelligence, who showed up at that domestic criminal investigation where she had no right to be there…”
He continued by questioning whether anyone in the administration attempted to stop Trump from contacting agents directly:
“I know Trump doesn’t know the law, but wasn’t there anybody in the White House Counsel that said, ‘Mr. President, you shouldn’t be talking to FBI agents…’”
Warner concluded with a sharp personal attack on Gabbard:
“This is a guy that’s being enhanced by a rogue DNI who’s way over her skis in terms of knowledge or competency.”
How far is this administration willing to go to attack our free, fair, and settled elections? pic.twitter.com/LECRngoven
Warner’s comments come as Democrats increasingly warn of authoritarianism and election manipulation, themes expected to dominate campaign messaging heading into 2026.
Republicans, meanwhile, have argued that ensuring election integrity — including investigating irregularities and enforcing stricter standards — is a legitimate government responsibility, not “interference.”
A federal judge on Monday swatted down an effort by accused White House Correspondents’ Dinner gunman Cole Allen to force Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro off the case, ruling that neither official has a conflict of interest despite attending the event that erupted in gunfire.
U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden rejected Allen’s argument that Blanche and Pirro should be disqualified because they were present at the April 25 White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner and later acknowledged they could have been among the victims had the alleged attacker made it inside the ballroom.
“In line with longstanding precedent, the Court finds that neither the officials’ dinner attendance nor their statements after the fact demonstrate a conflict of interest,” McFadden wrote in an 18-page opinion. “Nor does Pirro’s friendship with the President.”
Allen’s attorneys had argued that Blanche and Pirro were potential victims and witnesses, creating at least the appearance of a conflict. They also pointed to Pirro’s longstanding relationship with President Trump and her public comments identifying Trump as one of the alleged targets.
McFadden wasn’t buying it.
Citing Allen’s own writings, the judge noted that the suspect allegedly intended to target “administration officials” broadly rather than any specific individual.
“Allen did intend to harm administration officials. He did not, however, name particular targets,” McFadden wrote.
“Nothing suggests that Allen knew that either Blanche or Pirro would attend the dinner. The focus on the administration at large, rather than particular individuals, dilutes the potential biasing effect.”
The judge further ruled that neither Blanche nor Pirro qualifies as a victim under the law and that both are unlikely to serve as trial witnesses. Their continued involvement in prosecutorial decisions, he said, does not threaten Allen’s right to a fair trial.
McFadden also dismissed claims that Pirro’s friendship with Trump — and Trump’s pardon of her ex-husband during his first term — created a disqualifying conflict.
“Presidents routinely select high-ranking Justice Department officials from among their friends and supporters,” the judge wrote.
“Pirro’s relationship with Trump is hardly an aberration. And the Court sees no reason, on this record, that she cannot fulfill her duties because of that friendship.”
Allen, a 31-year-old California tutor and computer engineer, has pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from the shocking attack that sent the Washington Hilton into chaos and prompted the evacuation of President Trump, Vice President JD Vance and other top administration officials.
Federal prosecutors allege Allen traveled from California to Washington armed with a shotgun, handgun and multiple knives, checked into the hotel hosting the annual media gala, and then attempted to breach security while targeting Trump administration officials. Authorities say he fired a shotgun at a Secret Service officer near a security checkpoint before being tackled and arrested. The wounded agent survived because of a bulletproof vest.
According to court filings, Allen allegedly emailed relatives a manifesto shortly before the attack outlining his grievances against the administration and indicating his intent to carry out violence against senior government officials. Prosecutors have charged him with attempted assassination of the president, assaulting a federal officer and multiple firearms offenses. If convicted on the most serious count, he could face life in prison.
The failed bid to remove Blanche and Pirro marks another setback for Allen’s defense team as the high-profile prosecution moves toward trial.
Meanwhile, the White House Correspondents’ Association has announced plans to hold a rescheduled version of the dinner in July with significantly enhanced security measures.
A suspect accused of breaking into a Donald Trump campaign office outside of Washington, D.C. has been arrested, according to reports.
Toby Shane Kessler, 39, was detained on Saturday by the University of California, San Francisco Police Department for squatting in a campus dorm, the Loudoun County sheriff’s office said in a release on Thursday.
Kessler was allegedly behind the break-in at a Trump campaign office in Ashburn, Va., in August. He broke in through the back door of the office and spent a “brief” period of time there before exiting, according to the Loudoun County sheriff’s office.
The office is also used as the Virginia 10th District Republican Committee’s headquarters.
The sheriff’s office said that Kessler faces burglary charges, though law enforcement did not say if he took anything from the office.
“It is rare to have the office of any political campaign or party broken into,” Sheriff Mike Chapman said at the time the incident took place. “We are determined to identify the suspect, investigate why it happened, and determine what may have been taken as well as what may have been left behind.”
In mid-August, the Loudoun County sheriff’s office said Kessler has a “history of criminal behavior and appears to have been in the Washington metropolitan area at least since 2018.”
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 Piñate 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.
Smartmatic is suing Fox News for $2.7 billion — alleging the network defamed them by promoting President Donald Trump’s 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 — 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.
The DOJ’s latest move builds on earlier charges against the same executives. Federal prosecutors had previously accused Piñate 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 — kickbacks, shell firms, and international bribery.
Suspect Mohamed Sabry Soliman is now facing murder, assault and other charges following what the FBI called a “targeted terror attack” in Boulder, Colorado, over the weekend.
The violence Sunday against a pro-Israel group advocating for Hamas to release Israeli hostages left eight people, ages 52 to 88, with injuries, including one in critical condition, according to the FBI. Police responded to the area after receiving reports of a man with a weapon setting people on fire.
Soliman was charged with murder in the first degree – deliberation with intent; murder in the first degree – extreme indifference; crimes against at-risk adults/elderly; 1st degree assault – non-family; 1st degree assault – heat of passion; criminal attempt to commit class one and class two felonies; and use of explosives or incendiary devices during felony.
The suspect in the firebombing attack targeting a pro-Israel demonstration in Colorado is believed to be an illegal alien from Egpyt who overstayed his visa after it expired.
Several people were injured Sunday afternoon at a Boulder, Colorado, rally in support of the Israelis taken hostage by Hamas terrorists after a man set people on fire while yelling “free Palestine” and “end zionist.” Police arrived at the scene and found that victims had “injuries consistent with burns and other injuries.”
The FBI said that six people were taken to the hospital with injuries, and that a witness said the suspect in the attack “used a makeshift flame thrower and threw an incendiary device into the crowd.”
As of Monday morning, there have been no fatalities confirmed by either the FBI or Boulder Police Department. Soliman was booked into the Boulder County Jail on Sunday evening and remains held on a $10 million bond.
Authorities are now investigating the firebombing attack against the pro-Israel demonstration as an act of ideologically motivated terrorism.
“We are investigating this incident as an act of terror, and targeted violence. All of the necessary assets will be dedicated to this investigation,” FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said in a statement online. “If you have any investigative tips please contact the FBI. And if you aided or abetted this attack, we will find you. You cannot hide.”
Our leadership team on the ground in Boulder will be updating you shortly on the attack in Boulder. This act of terror is being investigated as an act of ideologically motivated violence based on the early information, the evidence, and witness accounts. We will speak clearly on…
“This act of terror is being investigated as an act of ideologically motivated violence based on the early information, the evidence, and witness accounts,” Bongino added in a subsequent post.
Our leadership team on the ground in Boulder will be updating you shortly on the attack in Boulder. This act of terror is being investigated as an act of ideologically motivated violence based on the early information, the evidence, and witness accounts. We will speak clearly on…
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard added that her agency is investigating the case.
The @ODNIgov’s National Counterterrorism Center is working with the FBI and local law enforcement on the ground investigating the targeted terror attack against a weekly meeting of Jewish community members who had just gathered in Boulder, CO to raise awareness of the hostages… https://t.co/plMRta7ujs
“National Counterterrorism Center is working with the FBI and local law enforcement on the ground investigating the targeted terror attack against a weekly meeting of Jewish community members who had just gathered in Boulder, CO to raise awareness of the hostages kidnapped during Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7.”
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller slammed the Biden administration in a post calling for “suicidal migration” to be reversed after Soliman’s visa status was revealed.
A terror attack was committed in Boulder, Colorado by an illegal alien. He was granted a tourist visa by the Biden Administration and then he illegally overstayed that visa. In response, the Biden Administration gave him a work permit.
President Donald J. Trump participates in a roundtable discussion on immigration and border security at the U.S. Border Patrol Calexico Station Friday, April 5, 2019, in Calexico, Calif. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)
President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he would sign an executive order for the Pentagon to prepare Guantanamo Bay to detain 30,000 “criminal illegal aliens.”
David B. Gleason from Chicago, IL, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
“Today I’m also signing an executive order to instruct the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security to begin preparing the 30,000 person migrant facility at Guantanamo Bay,” Trump said. “Most people don’t even know about it.”
He said they need 30,000 beds to house the detainees, adding that putting them there will ensure they do not come back.
“It’s a tough place to get out of,” Trump added.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
By The White House - https://www.flickr.com/photos/202101414@N05/54426560683/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=163105965
Police in Slovenia are investigating the disappearance of a bronze statue of U.S. first lady Melania Trump.
The life-size sculpture was unveiled in 2020 during President Donald Trump’s first term in office near Sevnica in central Slovenia, where Melania Knavs was born in 1970. It replaced a wooden statue that had been set on fire earlier that year.
A new bronze statue of first lady Melania Trump was unveiled in Slovenia this week, after a wooden version of the memorial was burned in July. pic.twitter.com/0nVGXShV1E
According to Slovenian media reports, the bronze replica was sawed off at the ankles and removed.
The original wooden statue was torched in July 2020. The rustic figure was cut from the trunk of a linden tree, showing her in a pale blue dress like the one she wore at Trump’s presidential inauguration in 2017.
Sculpture of Melania Trump in her Slovenian hometown. The life-sized statue depicts Trump in the blue outfit she wore to her husband's presidential inauguration in 2017 and shows her raising her left hand in a waving gesture. pic.twitter.com/myKRTh3FMK
A statue depicting Melania Trump was removed from where it stood near the first lady's hometown in Slovenia after after it was set on fire and badly scorched on the 4th of July. https://t.co/LeIdgRpNj2pic.twitter.com/dUY97SGHKB
A retired four-star admiral who once served as the Navy’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 case’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.
But in summer 2021, Messenger and Kim met with Burke in Washington, D.C., to reestablish their company’s business relationship with the Navy. While at the meeting, the two “agreed that Burke would use his position as a Navy Admiral to steer a contract” to their firm — as well as influence other Navy officers to award another contract to the company — 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 Burke’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.
When you abuse your position and betray the public trust to line your own pockets, it undermines the confidence in the government you represent. Our office, with our law enforcement partners, will root out corruption – be it bribes or illegal contracts – and hold accountable the… https://t.co/Qp3iJC0hI5
Will the threats of political violence come to an end?
FBI agents in Michigan have arrested two individuals charged with making violent threats, including one man suspected of hinting at an assassination plot targeting President-elect Donald Trump. The charges, revealed on Tuesday, come just days before the 2024 presidential election and underscore an increase in threats against public officials across the country.
One of the defendants allegedly called Trump a “piece of s—” and threatened to shoot up conservative Christians if Trump wins; the other allegedly called Harris a “f —— communist piece of s—” and threatened violence on an unnamed PAC involved in the presidential campaign, telling the group, “I’m your worst f—— nightmare.”
According to criminal documents filed in federal court, here are the two Michigan men who landed on the FBI’s radar in recent months over threatening comments targeting both campaigns, candidates and their supporters:
The most recent arrest involves Isaac Sissel, 25, a transient Ann Arbor man who allegedly threatened to shoot conservative Christians with an AR-15 should Trump win the election. The FBI arrested him Tuesday, but said it did not find any weapons on him when agents found him in a Travelodge motel room on Monday in Canton Township, according to the criminal complaint.
In an FBI affidavit on file in court, Sissel is described as a transient individual with no known home address who claimed to have hidden out on the University of Michigan campus and slept near a rehab clinic.
According to court documents, one of the suspects allegedly sent a message threatening violence should Trump secure an election victory. The message, cited by The Detroit News, reportedly contained plans to attack “conservative Christian filth” and referenced a stolen AR-15 rifle. The individual claimed to have hollow-point bullets and a chemical irritant, suggesting that the planned attack’s execution and the concealment of weapons would complicate FBI intervention.
This case highlights the FBI’s intensified response to rising security risks in a polarized political climate, where threats against public figures have become an acute concern for federal and local authorities.
Article Published With The Permission of American Liberty News.
Republicans on the House Oversight Committee are facing an internal divide over a sensitive and politically risky question: whether Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted associate of Jeffrey Epstein, should be considered for a presidential pardon in exchange for cooperation with investigators.
The discussion has largely taken place behind closed doors, but it reflects a broader tension between uncovering new information and maintaining public confidence in the justice system.
Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) acknowledged the split, noting that some Republicans believe Maxwell could provide valuable testimony about Epstein’s network if offered clemency. Still, Comer made clear he is not among them.
He warned that a pardon “looks bad” politically and ethically
He emphasized Maxwell’s central role in the underlying crimes
He argued that granting leniency could undermine trust in the investigation
Comer summed up his position bluntly, describing Maxwell as one of the most culpable figures in the case.
Democrats Firmly Opposed
Democrats on the committee are unified in rejecting any potential deal.
Ranking Member Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) strongly criticized the idea, arguing that offering clemency to Maxwell would be offensive to victims and damaging to the integrity of the investigation.
Key concerns raised by Democrats include:
The impact on survivors of Epstein’s abuse
The credibility of any testimony obtained through a pardon
The risk of public perception shifting toward a “cover-up”
Garcia warned that even considering such an arrangement could erode confidence in the process and send the wrong signal about accountability.
Maxwell’s Leverage and Conditions
Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year sentence for her role in Epstein’s trafficking operation. So far, she has declined to cooperate with congressional investigators under existing conditions.
Her legal team, however, has signaled a willingness to engage if circumstances change.
According to her attorney:
Maxwell would be willing to testify “fully and honestly”
Any cooperation would be contingent on clemency
She is positioned as a key source of information about Epstein’s network
Her attorney has also claimed that Maxwell could shed light on the involvement, or lack thereof, of high-profile figures, including former presidents. Those assertions have not eased skepticism among lawmakers.
The Political and Legal Stakes
President Donald Trump has not ruled out the possibility of granting clemency, leaving the issue open and politically charged.
The debate highlights a difficult tradeoff:
Potential benefit: New details about Epstein’s network and associates
Potential cost: Perceived erosion of justice and accountability
For many lawmakers, the question is not just what Maxwell might reveal, but whether the price of that information is too high.
Why This Matters
At its core, the disagreement reflects a broader challenge facing investigators and policymakers:
How far should the government go to obtain critical information?
Can justice and transparency be balanced in a case with this level of public scrutiny?
There is no clear consensus, and the path forward remains uncertain.
What are your thoughts? Should a pardon be considered if it leads to new information about Epstein’s network? Share your perspective in the comments below.
