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Loomer Ally Files Police Report After Intense Run-In With Crockett

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Texas Democrat Jasmine Crockett is under growing fire after allegedly assaulting a conservative commentator in the halls of Congress.

The confrontation took place Tuesday when Charles Downs, an activist affiliated with Laura Loomerโ€™s media outlet, questioned Crockett over her escalating rhetoric against Tesla and Elon Musk. Video footage shows Crockett grabbing Downsโ€™ phone, an act that has sparked allegations of assault and renewed criticism of her behavior under pressure.

Downs reportedly tried to ask the congresswoman if she condemns violence ahead of the planned 500 “Tesla Takedown” protests on Saturday.

The clash came just days after Crockett expressed support for the โ€œTesla Takedownโ€ movement, a left-wing protest effort targeting Tesla dealerships nationwide. Her rhetoric has raised eyebrows on the rightโ€”especially as tensions surrounding Musk have escalated into real-world violence.

Newsweek has more details on Tuesday’s confrontation, which led to a police report being filed against an individual some Republicans now call the Democratic Party’s “unquestioned leader.”

Crockett’s garnered plenty of her party’s spotlight since President Donald Trump took office in January, speaking publicly and openly about Trump, Elon Musk and other Republican lawmakers and their policies.

She’s been a staunch defender of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), and was critical of her Republican counterparts who were either downplaying the impact of DOGE-inspired budget cuts or skipping town halls with constituents.

Crockett originally ignores the questions while having a walking back-and-forth with Republican Representative Tim Burchett of Tennessee. Audio is muffled but some of the conversation includes mentions of “horse manure.”

Near the end of the 30-second recording, Downs asks once more and Crockett moves toward him and grab his phone, distorting the video. The video has been viewed on X over 1.7 million times.

Previous video that went viral showed Crockett telling supporters that March 29 is her birthday, and “all she wants” on her birthday is for Musk “to be taken down.” Her remarks were rebuked by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, who warned Crockett on Sunday to “tread carefully.”

On Monday, the Austin Police Department Bomb Squad responded to a Tesla dealership where multiple incendiary devices were discovered. Authorities say the incident is part of a broader campaign of politically motivated vandalism targeting Tesla facilities across the country.

The FBI and ATF have since launched a joint task force to investigate what federal officials are now calling acts of domestic terrorism. President Donald Trump has condemned the attacks, warning that those responsible could face the full weight of federal prosecution.

Meanwhile, Crockett is also catching heat for another remarkโ€”this time mocking Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who is paralyzed from the waist down, by calling him โ€œGovernor Hot Wheels.โ€ Abbott has used a wheelchair since a tragic accident in his 20s.

As criticism mounts, Crockettโ€™s conduct is reigniting national debate over political discourse, decorum and how public officials respond to dissentโ€”especially when the cameras are rolling.

Article Published With The Permission of American Liberty News

Tucker Carlson Claims Trump Shut Down Butler Probe After Bongino ‘Confession’

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Tucker Carlson via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Former Fox News star Tucker Carlson is pushing a fresh conspiracy theory about the attempted assassination of President Trump โ€” claiming the president himself ordered federal investigators to back off the probe into the July 2024 shooting in Butler, Pa.

Carlson made the explosive allegation during an appearance on Thursday on entrepreneur Mario Nawfalโ€™s show, where he recounted what he described as a series of conversations with former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino and FBI Director Kash Patel regarding lingering questions surrounding the attack.

The claim was quickly shot down by Bongino, who publicly denied Carlsonโ€™s account on Friday and blasted the former cable news host as a โ€œnepo baby.โ€

โ€œI know that, about Butler, I know that Trump shut down the investigation into Butler. That is a fact,โ€ Carlson told Nawfal. โ€œDan Bongino told me that when he worked at the FBI.โ€

Carlson alleged Bongino became visibly rattled after Carlson confronted him about social media posts purportedly written by gunman Thomas Crooks that Carlson claims the FBI falsely said did not exist.

โ€œDan Bongino himself was terrified when I spoke to him in December,โ€ Carlson said.

The conservative commentator claimed he had โ€œaccidentally came into possessionโ€ of social media posts allegedly authored by Crooks in the months and years before the shooting. Carlson said he contacted both Patel and Bongino seeking answers about why the FBI had allegedly concealed their existence.

โ€œAnd Dan Bongino became hysterical with me on the phone,โ€ Carlson claimed. โ€œIโ€™ve known Dan a long time for many years and always gotten along with him.โ€

โ€œHe was clearly terrified. I didnโ€™t get it at first, but he was hysterical,โ€ Carlson continued. โ€œAnd ultimately, after a long series of text exchanges, which I still have, and phone conversations, he said, โ€˜Look, take it up with Trump. Heโ€™s the one who shut down the investigation.โ€™โ€

Carlson said the alleged exchange occurred during the second week of December and left him questioning why Trump would halt an investigation into an attempt on his own life.

โ€œThat was the moment and I realized, โ€˜Oh wow, thereโ€™s no good explanation for shutting down an investigation into your own attempted murder,โ€™โ€ Carlson said.

Watch:

Crooks, 20, opened fire during a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024, grazing Trumpโ€™s ear, killing rally attendee Corey Comperatore and seriously wounding two others before Secret Service snipers fatally shot him.

Authorities have said Crooks acted alone and have found no evidence linking him to a broader plot. However, the absence of a clear manifesto or publicly known motive has fueled persistent conspiracy theories online.

Carlson, once one of Trumpโ€™s most influential media allies, has increasingly broken with the president in recent months. He has repeatedly criticized Trump over the administrationโ€™s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files and U.S. involvement in the conflict between Israel and Iran.

Earlier this year, Carlson suggested Trumpโ€™s worldview changed after the Butler shooting.

โ€œHe spent his campaign in the 2024 race arguing against regime change war, attacking people in favor of it โ€” and then he launched it,โ€ Carlson said on his own show. โ€œAnd not just launched it, but became this kind of enthusiastic tool of the government of Israel.โ€

Bongino forcefully rejected Carlsonโ€™s latest allegations Friday morning in a post on X, denying he ever told Carlson that Trump shut down the Butler investigation.

The former FBI official also took a personal swipe at Carlson, dismissing the claims and mocking the commentator as a โ€œnepo baby.โ€

Man Indicted In Arizona Tesla Dealership Fire

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An Arizona man could face multiple decades in prison and more than $1 million in fines for allegedly torching a Tesla Cybertruck in Arizona.

Ian William Moses, 35, of Mesa, was indicted this week on five felony counts ofย malicious damageย to property used in interstate commerce. Authorities have alleged that Moses used gasoline and a starter log to try to set the dealership and three Tesla vehicles on fire on April 28, amid a wave of retaliation against tech billionaire and Tesla CEOย Elon Muskโ€™sย involvement in the Trump administration.

The Department of Justice, in a news release announcing the federal juryโ€™s indictment of Moses, shared photos of a burned-out Cybertruck that exploded during the attack.

According to local media reports, the suspect spray-painted graffiti on the side of the building that misspelled the word โ€œTHIEF.โ€

Mesa Police arrested Moses less than a mile away from the Tesla dealership shortly after the fire started, and he was wearing the same clothes as the person seen in surveillance footage pouring gasoline on the building. Officers also allegedly found a hand-drawn map in Mosesโ€™s pocket that had the letter โ€œTโ€ marking the dealershipโ€™s location.

โ€œThere is nothing American about burning down someone elseโ€™s business because you disagree with them politically,โ€ Timothy Courchaine, the interim federal prosecutor for Arizona, said in a statement. โ€œThese ongoing attacks against Tesla are not protests, they are acts of violence that have no place in Arizona or anywhere else. If someone targets Tesla with violence, they will be found and confronted with the full force of the law.โ€

If convicted, each count carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

Attorney Generalย Pam Bondiย said in a statement on Mosesโ€™s indictment that there would be โ€œno negotiatingโ€ on the charges.

โ€œIf you engage in domestic terrorism, this Department of Justice will find you, follow the facts, and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law,โ€ Bondi said.

Hunter Biden Issues Blistering Response To $1 Billion Lawsuit Threat

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First Lady Melania Trump participates in the Senate Spouses Luncheon at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., Wednesday, May 21,2025. (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks)

Things are about to get ugly…

First Lady Melania Trump is threatening to sue former President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter, for $1 billion over “defamatoryโ€ claims linking her toย late financier and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

Melaniaโ€™s attorneyย Alejandro Brito demanded that Biden “immediately retract the false, defamatory, disparaging and inflammatory statements made about Mrs. Trump,” which were contained in a video interview with Channel 5 with Andrew Callaghan and posted to Youtube in early August.ย 

Read the full letter:

“Failure to comply will leave Mrs. Trump with no choice but to pursue any and all legal rights and remedies available to her to recover the overwhelming financial and reputational harm that you have caused her to suffer,” Brito wrote.

In the video interview, titled “Hunter Biden Returns” video earlier in August, the former first son claimed “Epstein introduced Melania to Trump. The connections are, like, so wide and deep.” 

Biden also claimed that “Jeffrey Epstein introduced Melania, and thatโ€™s how Melania and the first lady and the President met.”

“If you do not comply with the above by August 7, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. EST, Mrs. Trump will be left with no alternative but to enforce her legal and equitable rights, all of which are expressly reserved and are not waived, including by filing legal action for over $1 Billion Dollars in damages,” Brito wrote. “You are on notice.”

A source close to the matter told Fox News that Biden did not comply with the requests by the set deadline.ย 

After Fox News published the piece, however, Melania Trump got Bidenโ€™s reply addressing the attorneyโ€™s letter when Callaghan posted a further interview with him to YouTube on Thursday.

Callaghan, holding up a copy at the interviewโ€™s opening, declared: โ€œThe day of presidential litigation has arrived!โ€

โ€œWeโ€™re here, maybe, to give you the platform to apologize to the first lady for your statements that you made about her possible connection to Jeffrey Epstein,โ€ the host said to Biden.

โ€œF*ck that! Thatโ€™s not going to happen,โ€ Biden laughed.

Defending his comments as citation, Biden continued:

First of all is that, what I said was what I have heard and seen reported and written, primarily from Michael Wolff but also dating back all the way to 2019 when theย New York Timesย โ€“ I thinkย Annie Carneyย and andย Maggie Habermanย โ€“ reported that sources said that Jeffrey Epstein claimed to be the person to introduce Donald Trump to Melania at that time.

Biden added that he would not bow down to pressure or lawsuit threats: โ€œI also think theyโ€™re bullies and they think that a billion dollars is going to scare me.โ€

I have this to say to them: If they want to sit down for a deposition and clarify the the nature of the relationship between Jeffrey Epstein, if the president and the First Lady want to do that and all of the known associates around them at the time of whatever time that they met, Iโ€™m more than happy to provide them the platform to be able to do it.

The letter comes after the Daily Beast pulled the article detailing allegations by journalist Wolff that Melania Trump was introduced to her husband Donald Trump via a modeling agent connected to Epstein, after a challenge from the first ladyโ€™s lawyers.

“Editorโ€™s Note. After this story was published, The Beast received a letter from First Lady Melania Trumpโ€™s attorney challenging the headline and framing of the article. After reviewing the matter, the Beast has taken down the article and apologizes for any confusion or misunderstanding,” The Daily Beast posted in place of the article. The url for the article appears to have been amended to remove the original headline and now reads: thedailybeast.com/epstein-this-story-has-been-removed.

It also comes after famed Democrat strategist James Carville apologized to the first lady after repeating the same claim.ย 

Carville opened his latest episode of theย Politics War Room podcastย with a legal note.ย 

“In last week’s podcast episode, we spoke with Judd Legum,” he said. “After the episode, we received a letter from Melania Trump’s lawyer. He took issue with our title of one of those YouTube videos from that episode and a couple of comments I made about the first lady. We took a look at what they complained about, and we took down the video and edited out those comments from the episode. I also take back these statements and apologize.”

An aide to the first lady, Nick Clemens, toldย Fox Newsย in a statement, “First Lady Melania Trumpโ€™s attorneys are actively ensuring immediate retractions and apologies by those who spread malicious, defamatory falsehoods. The true account of how the First Lady met President Trump is in her best-selling book, โ€˜Melania.โ€™” ย 

Cuban Regime Finally Loses a Longtime Fugitive: Joanne โ€œAssataโ€ Shakur Dies in Havana

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Havana, Cuba โ€” On September 25, 2025, Cubaโ€™s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that Joanne Deborah Byron โ€” better known by her aliases Joanne Chesimard and Assata Shakur โ€” died in Havana at the age of 78 due to health complications and the rigors of old age.

This news brings to a close a decades-long saga in which a convicted murderer escaped justice, was shielded by a hostile foreign regime, and became a symbol for radical causes.


A Fugitiveโ€™s Origin: From Violent Crime to Escape to Cuba

In 1977, Chesimard was convicted on multiple serious charges including first-degree murder, armed robbery, and other felonies after a 1973 shootout on the New Jersey Turnpike that left State Trooper Werner Foerster dead.

She escaped prison in 1979, spent years underground, and resurfaced in 1984 under asylum in Cuba โ€” a regime that refused U.S. extradition requests.

For decades, the United States and New Jersey authorities pushed Cuba to hand her over. She carried the dubious distinction of being the first woman ever placed on the FBIโ€™s Most Wanted Terrorists list, with a $1 million reward for her capture.


A Death Without Accountability

Her passing in Havana presents a bitter irony: after decades of immunity facilitated by a foreign government, she dies free โ€” far from the prison cell where she was supposed to serve life in the U.S.

New Jersey officials immediately expressed outrage. They reiterated that justice was never fully served for Trooper Foersterโ€™s family.

Cubaโ€™s complicity in harboring Chesimard has long been roundly condemned by American leaders. Senator Marco Rubio recently denounced Havana for providing โ€œa safe haven for terrorists and criminals, including fugitives from the United States.โ€

What She Represented โ€” and What the U.S. Must Learn

For defenders of law and order, her story is a cautionary tale of diplomatic failure and ideological double standards.

  • Rule of Law Must Be Absolute: A convicted cop killer escaping and living with impunity is a stain on the integrity of the justice system.
  • Foreign Regimes Should Not Shield Criminals: Cubaโ€™s refusal to extradite Chesimard fashioned her into a political symbol, rather than merely a criminal. That sets a dangerous precedent.
  • Consistency in Foreign Policy Matters: If the U.S. does not forcefully demand accountability from regimes that shelter fugitives, it weakens its moral and strategic footing.

Now that she has died abroad, the question of bringing her remains home may arise. But more importantly, the memory of Trooper Foerster โ€” his sacrifice and service โ€” must remain central. And the mission remains: to hold foreign governments accountable when they interfere with American justice.

Report: Alleged Trump Bomber Charged

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Political threats are on the rise…

On Monday, A man pleaded not guilty after he allegedly drove past a security checkpoint and claimed to have an explosive device at a rally for former President Donald Trump in Michigan, last week.

Steven William Nauta was arrested after police say he drove around barricades set up for Trumpโ€™s rally and told police that he had a C4 explosive, WOOD TV 8 reported. According to a court document, Nauta โ€œheld up a bottle to police and stated that it was โ€˜C4โ€™ explosive and that it was the โ€˜real deal.’โ€ After being told to stop by officers, Nauta allegedly โ€œsped offโ€ before stopping and throwing bags of fertilizer on the ground.

The Daily Wire reports:

โ€œWhen (Nauta) finally stopped, he removed bags of fertilizer from his vehicle and threw them on the ground to make it appear that they were explosives while disobeying officersโ€™ commands,โ€ the court document states. The 65-year-old was eventually detained by police, and the man allegedly told officers that he intended to make them believe that he had explosives. Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker said there was no active bomb in Nautaโ€™s vehicle.

Nautaโ€™s virtual court appearance from a jail cell was a bizarre scene as the man took his shirt off at one point and made profane hand gestures, according to WOOD TV 8. Nauta was charged with one felony count each of a false report or threat of terrorism, possession of bombs with unlawful intent, third-degree fleeing a police officer, and resulting, resisting or obstructing a police officer.

Kent County, Michigan, District Court Judge Nicholas Christensen set the manโ€™s bond at $1 million, and Nauta replied, โ€œWell, your honor, given my situation, I think Iโ€™m better off just staying in here. Very cruel world out there. Probably a lot better off here.โ€

The judge told Nauta, โ€œItโ€™s not lost on this court here today that your alleged actions were directed to stopping or hindering a fundamental aspect of this countryโ€™s democratic process: a political rally.โ€

The Michigan manโ€™s alleged bomb threat came just two weeks after Secret Service agents apprehended an alleged suspect with a gun near Trump’s golf course. Ryan Routh pleaded not guilty in court on Monday.

The Republican nominee said on Monday that he has requested more Secret Service agents, but alleged that Democrats are โ€œnot giving us the proper number of people within Secret Service that are necessary for Security.โ€

โ€œWe need more Secret Service, and we need them NOW,โ€ Trump wrote. โ€œIt is ELECTION INTERFERENCE that we have to turn away thousands of people from arenas and venues because it is not being provided to us.โ€

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.

Man Arrested After Theatening To Bomb White House and Kill Trump, Marco Rubio, Pam Bondi

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)

Federal agents hauled in a Florida man accused of unleashing a string of violent online threats against President Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and former Attorney General Pam Bondi โ€” including chilling posts about bombing the White House and using a gun against the commander in chief.

Nathaniel Sanders II, 32, appeared in federal court Monday after prosecutors say he spent months posting alarming threats on social media targeting top officials, according to the U.S. Attorneyโ€™s Office for the Southern District of Florida.

The feds say Sanders repeatedly threatened to kill Trump, Rubio and Bondi in posts shared between January and April.

One of the most disturbing messages allegedly posted to X read: โ€œImma bomb the (expletive) White House.โ€

In another alleged video posted to Instagram, Sanders invoked first lady Melania Trump while talking about owning a firearm.

โ€œI don’t know what to do Melania, like, all I got is a gun. It’s the only thing I can use now is a gun,โ€ Sanders allegedly said, according to the criminal complaint.

Rubio was also allegedly targeted in a separate video.

โ€œLike when I get my hands on him, I’m gonna hurt him. Simple as that,โ€ Sanders allegedly said.

Federal prosecutors didnโ€™t mince words about the seriousness of the threats.

โ€œThreats against public officials are not political speech,โ€ U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiรฑones said in a statement.

โ€œThey are serious federal crimes that endanger public safety and the rule of law. The complaint alleges that this defendant repeatedly threatened to assassinate the President of the United States and other senior officials,โ€ he added.

โ€œThose allegations will now be tested in court. Our Office will continue working with the U.S. Secret Service and our law enforcement partners to investigate threats, protect public officials, and ensure that those who violate federal law are held accountable.โ€

Sanders has been charged with threatening the president of the United States and transmitting threats in interstate commerce. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison.

The investigation involved the U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Capitol Police, U.S. Diplomatic Security Service and the Miami Beach Police Department.

โ€œMaking threats against the President of the United States is a federal crime, and we treat it with the seriousness it deserves every time,โ€ said Michael Townsend, special agent in charge of the Secret Serviceโ€™s Miami Field Office.

โ€œIt does not matter where the threat is made or what platform is used, our agents will identify you, investigate you, and work alongside our federal and local partners to bring charges when appropriate,โ€ Townsend added. โ€œWe remain relentless in our mission to protect the President and to act swiftly against anyone who puts others at risk.โ€

A Secret Service spokesperson told Fox News Digital that Sandersโ€™ arrest stemmed from a โ€œprotective intelligence investigationโ€ designed to identify dangerous threats before suspects can act on them.

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.

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.