During a Tuesday visit to New Hampshire, President Joe Biden put this foot in his mouth once again.
During the campaign stop for Kamala Harris, the President called for his predecessor to be “politically” locked up while arguing a second Trump administration poses a threat to democracy.
The president was in Concord for an official event to highlight his administration’s efforts to lower health care costs and prescription drug prices. Minutes later, speaking at a political gathering at the New Hampshire Democratic Party headquarters, Biden was reiterating his longstanding argument that GOP nominee former President Trump, if re-elected, would be a threat to the nation’s democracy.
“Our democracy is at stake,” he said. “Think about it. Think about what would happen if Donald Trump wins this election.”
Biden then said “I know this sounds bizarre. It sounds like if I said this five years ago, you’d lock me up. We got to lock him up.”
But the president appeared to instantly catch himself, adding “politically lock him up. Lock him out. That’s what we have to do.”
“Lock her up” was a regular chant by Trump supporters during the former president’s 2016 campaign, as he criticized Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton as being corrupt.
Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed in a statement that “Joe Biden just admitted the truth: he and Kamala’s plan all along has been to politically persecute their opponent President Trump because they can’t beat him fair and square. The Harris-Biden Admin is the real threat to democracy. We call on Kamala Harris to condemn Joe Biden’s disgraceful remark.”
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.
An Iran-linked hacker group is claiming to be in possession of a trove of stolen emails from President Donald Trump’s inner circle is threatening to publish the material in what U.S. officials describe as a politically motivated “smear campaign.”
The group, operating under the alias “Robert,” said it has over 100 gigabytes of emails from key Trump allies, including White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, longtime confidant Roger Stone, Trump attorney Lindsey Halligan, and even adult film actress 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 Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s downplaying of U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. A top Iranian cleric has issued a fatwa against Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling the pair “enemies of God.” (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 — an Islamic legal decree — escalating regional tensions and offering religious justification for violence against Western and Israeli leaders.
As Newsweek rightly notes, the development highlights the Islamic Republic’s ongoing use of religious decrees as political tools — 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.
“This so-called cyber ‘attack’ is nothing more than digital propaganda,” said Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) spokesperson Marci McCarthy. She described the effort as a “calculated smear campaign” designed to “damage President Trump and discredit honorable public servants.”
— Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (@CISAgov) July 1, 2025
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.
FBI agents arrested a Georgia man after making numerous death threats against Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard.
Aliakbar Mohammad Amin, of Lilburn, Ga., was charged on Friday with “transmitting interstate threats to injure” Gabbard and her family, according to the DOJ press release.
“Threatening to harm public officials is a criminal act that cannot be excused as political discourse,” acting U.S. Attorney Richard Moultrie, Jr. said in a statement. “Our Office, in coordination with our law enforcement partners, will vigorously prosecute individuals who commit these acts of violence.”
Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
Prosecutors allege Amin sent text messages between March 29 and April 1 that contained threats against Gabbard and her husband, including, “You and your family are going to die soon,” and “I will personally do the job if necessary.”
“The home you two own . . . is a legitimate target and will be hit at a time and place of our choosing,” Amin wrote in another text, according to the DOJ.
Other texts allegedly included, “Prepare to die, you, Tulsi, and everyone you hold dear. America will burn,” and “Death to America means death to America literally, Tulsi is living on borrowed time.”
Federal agents later found a firearm at Amin’s house while executing a search warrant, the DOJ said.
“The FBI sees all threatening communications as a serious federal offense. We will employ every investigative tool and resource available to identify those responsible and ensure they are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Paul Brown, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office, said in a statement.
“Let this arrest serve as a clear warning: if you engage in this kind of criminal behavior, you will be caught and you will go to prison,” Brown added.
Gabbard thanked the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service and local law enforcement on Friday after the FBI announced the arrest.
“Thank you @FBI, @USMarshalsHQ, and local law enforcement for your service and dedication in apprehending this radicalized, dangerous criminal who repeatedly threatened the lives of me, my family, and @realDonaldTrump. Thank you for your tireless work every day keeping the American people safe,” she wrote in a post on X.
Thank you @FBI, @USMarshalsHQ, and local law enforcement for your service and dedication in apprehending this radicalized, dangerous criminal who repeatedly threatened the lives of me, my family, and @realDonaldTrump. Thank you for your tireless work every day keeping the… https://t.co/BGAZni9BAN
Threats against political officials have been on the rise, during the 2024 campaign cycle Donald Trump survived multiple assassination attempts.
A recent study by the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) has revealed a concerning trend: a significant portion of left-leaning Americans believe that political violence, including assassination, is justifiable against figures such as President Donald Trump and the de facto head of the Department of Government Efficiency, Elon Musk. The study surveyed over 1,200 U.S. adults and found that 38% of respondents felt that assassinating Trump would be at least “somewhat justified,” with this figure rising to 55% among those identifying as left-leaning. Similarly, 31% of overall participants, and 48% of left-leaning individuals, expressed some level of justification for assassinating Musk.
This data suggests a troubling normalization of violent political rhetoric within certain segments of the population. The NCRI report highlights that this shift has been particularly pronounced following the December 2024 assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, allegedly by Luigi Mangione. Mangione’s actions have been glamorized in various online communities, leading to a proliferation of memes and discussions that endorse political violence.
FBI Director Kash Patel reportedly shut down efforts by Joe Kent, head of the National Counterterrorism Center and a close ally of Tulsi Gabbard, to investigate whether a foreign power was behind the assassination of conservative leader Charlie Kirk.
Kent Pushes to Expose Possible Foreign Ties
According to The New York Times, Kent began reviewing FBI case files to determine if Kirk’s alleged killer, Tyler Robinson, received outside help. Robinson, 22, has been charged with fatally shooting Kirk with a sniper rifle while the Turning Point USA founder was addressing students at Utah Valley University on September 10.
Kent’s investigation raised alarms at the FBI. Patel reportedly believed Kent was overstepping his authority by digging into an active bureau investigation — even though Kent’s mandate at the Counterterrorism Center includes monitoring potential foreign threats to national security.
White House Tensions Boil Over
When Patel learned Kent had accessed internal FBI materials, he demanded a high-level White House meeting. The tense roundtable brought together Patel, Kent, Gabbard, Vice President JD Vance, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and senior DOJ officials.
Kent defended his actions, saying a lower-level FBI official had granted him access. Supporters of Kent argue he was doing his duty to ensure foreign adversaries weren’t behind the killing of one of the conservative movement’s most prominent voices.
However, Patel and other officials worried the probe could complicate the prosecution, possibly giving Robinson’s defense attorneys an opening to claim there were multiple suspects or motives at play.
Jurisdictional Turf War
The standoff reflects ongoing turf battles between the FBI and the Counterterrorism Center, particularly over how intelligence is shared during active criminal cases. Despite the controversy, Kent’s team reportedly collected intelligence from other agencies about potential foreign funding or coordination, including possible links to left-wing extremist groups like Antifa.
So far, it’s unclear whether either agency is still investigating possible foreign involvement in the attack.
Is FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino circling the drain? His former Fox News colleague says so.
On Sunday, former Fox News host Tucker Carlson essentially hosted a funeral for Bongino’s career and credibility after the former Fox contributor reportedly threatened to resign over Attorney General Pam Bondi’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
On Culture Apothecary, host Alex Clark asked Carlson to weigh in on the feud.
“Well, as we’re recording this, Dan Bongino is threatening to resign if Pam Bondi does not resign as AG. What does that tell us, in your opinion?” she inquired.
“Well, it tells us that Dan Bongino got shafted, completely shafted. And I’m saying this as a friend of his, and someone who respects and likes him, but also just as an observer, I’m an informed observer of it,” replied Carlson. “So Pam Bondi, who’s, by the way, I don’t hate Pam Bondi, she’s a totally nice person. If he was here, you would enjoy-, I don’t know if you know her, but she’s a very nice person. I’m not against Pam Bondi in the slightest. But the fact is she got on television on Fox News and started saying stuff like, ‘I’ve got the client list on my desk!’ And actually, no, you don’t. And, ‘I’ve got thousands of videos of Epstein having sex with kids.’ Well, actually, no, you don’t. Most of the material was commercial porn taken off his computer. Like, that’s just not true. Why did she say that? Probably because she’s insecure and she’s trying to please the audience, I would expect.”
“Do you think Dan is upset because his integrity is being questioned now over her mistake?” followed up Clark.
“Of course! Oh my gosh! So you’re Dan, and you’re a media figure, and you’ve got one of the biggest podcasts in the country, and you’re making tons of money, and you’re having a great time — which he was. You just built this brand new studio in Florida, you work with your wife who you really like, which he does, and you get the call saying, ‘You be deputy FBI director,’ and you’re like, ‘I love Donald Trump, I love this country. I will cut my pay into a 10th of what it was, and I will leave my house and move to D.C.,’ which is a kind of prison sentence itself,” answered Carlson. “‘And I will do this because I love the president, I love the country,’ and you’re there a few months, and all of a sudden everybody thinks you’re covering up Epstein’s crimes, and it kind of wrecks Dan’s career. Like he can’t go back-, it’s gonna be very hard at this point, I mean, things may change, but as of today, pretty hard for Dan to go back to his podcast audience and be like, ‘I’m telling you the truth,’ when they all think that he’s covering up for Epstein.”
“Who did that? Pam Bondi did that,” he added, before going on to say he “feel[s]” for Bongino.
The Justice Department last week released a memo concluding there was no evidence suggesting the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender kept a “client list” to blackmail high-profile individuals. The memo also found no evidence to suggest foul play in Epstein’s death, which had previously been ruled a suicide.
The memo spurred fierce backlash from many Trump supporters, who had long called on the government to release material on Epstein that they argue would expose wrongdoing at the highest level of elite circles.
Dan Bongino, the Deputy Director of the FBI, reportedly threatened to leave the bureau if Attorney General Pam Bondi remains on the job due to her handling of the Epstein files, a source close to Bongino told The Daily Wire.
One source close to Bongino predicted to Axios, “He ain’t coming back.”
CNN reports that Trump — who has been desperate to move past the Epstein story — was furious at Bongino, as well as FBI Director Kash Patel. Vice President JD Vance reportedly tried to hammer out a peace between the administration’s top Justice Department officials. But CNN reports that Bongino is still very much hanging by a thread.
“It remains to be seen if Bongino ultimately resigns, which he told others he was considering,” the CNN report stated. “But sources say his relationship with the White House has become basically untenable. Even if he does not quit now, some inside the administration believe he will not stay in the job long-term.”
However, President Donald Trump said on Sunday he believes FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino is “in good shape” following a reported clash with Attorney General Pam Bondi.
“I spoke to him today,” Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews. “Dan Bongino, very good guy. I’ve known him a long time. I’ve done his show many, many times. And he sounded terrific actually. No, I think he’s in good shape.”
Watch: Discussion of the Epstein files begins around 14:14 in the video.
A convicted Jan. 6 rioter has now been found guilty of planning to kill federal agents who were investigating his role in the Capitol attack.
Edward Kelley, 35, was convicted Wednesday by a jury of conspiracy to murder federal employees, solicitation to commit a crime of violence and influencing a federal official by threat following a three-day trial per The Hill.
Federal prosecutors said Kelley developed a “kill list” of FBI agents and others who participated in the investigation into his conduct on Jan. 6, hatching a plan to murder them while awaiting trial in his Capitol attack case.
A defendant who pleaded guilty to his role in the scheme and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors testified that he and Kelley plotted attacks on the FBI field office in Knoxville, Tenn., using car bombs and explosives attached to drones, according to the Justice Department. They also discussed assassinating FBI employees in their homes or public places, like movie theatres.
Prosecutors showed a recording at trial of Kelley stating “every hit has to hurt.”
In his Capitol riot case, Kelley was convicted of 11 counts following a two-day bench trial, including obstructing law enforcement officers during a civil disorder; assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers; and engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or ground.
He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison at sentencing in May.
President Donald Trump is threatening to primary Indiana Republicans for declining to gerrymander the state and add GOP seats to Congress.
The president has repeatedly urged GOP-led states like Indiana to redistrict and give Republicans an advantage in the 2026 midterms.
Trump took to Truth Social Sunday to put “RINO Senators” on notice for “depriving” Republicans of a House majority.
“Very disappointed in Indiana State Senate Republicans, led by RINO Senators Rod Bray and Greg Goode, for not wanting to redistrict their State, allowing the United States Congress to perhaps gain two more Republican seats,” Trump wrote.
“The Democrats have done redistricting for years, often illegally, and all other appropriate Republican States have done it. Because of these two politically correct type ‘gentlemen,’ and a few others, they could be depriving Republicans of a Majority in the House, A VERY BIG DEAL!”
Trump took a shot at California’s Prop 50 redistricting measure that passed overwhelmingly and allows the state to redraw congressional districts in favor of Democrats. Prop 50 was proposed after Texas approved redistricting in favor of Republicans.
“California is trying to pick up five seats, and no one is complaining about that. It’s weak ‘Republicans’ that cause our Country such problems — It’s why we have crazy Policies and Ideas that are so bad for America,” Trump wrote, continuing:
Also, a friend of mine, Governor Mike Braun, perhaps, is not working the way he should to get the necessary Votes. Considering that Mike wouldn’t be Governor without me (Not even close!), is disappointing! Any Republican that votes against this important redistricting, potentially having an impact on America itself, should be PRIMARIED. Indiana is a State with strong, smart, and patriotic people. They want us to see our Country WIN, and want to, “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” Senators Bray, Goode, and the others to be released to the public later this afternoon, should DO THEIR JOB, AND DO IT NOW! If not, let’s get them out of office, ASAP.
The Indiana state lawmaker was the target of a “swatting” incident just hours later, according to local authorities.
Sheriff Derek Fell said deputies were dispatched around 5 p.m. on Sunday after Terre Haute police received an email “advising harm had been done to persons inside a home, located in southeastern Vigo County.” Officers struggled to make contact at first, Fell said, but eventually confirmed the residents, including the senator, were safe.
Goode and his family “were secure, safe, and unharmed,” Fell said, adding that an investigation showed the threat was a hoax, “also known as ‘swatting.’”
In a brief statement, the senator said he and his family were “victims,” offering thanks to the sheriff and Terre Haute Police Chief Kevin Barrett for their “professionalism.”
The incident lands amid a tense and unusually public fight over redistricting in Indiana. GOP leaders froze the process on Friday when Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray refused to reconvene lawmakers to draw new maps favoring Republicans.
Earlier Sunday, Trump threatened to publish a list of GOP holdouts “later this afternoon,” though the promised names did not emerge.
President Donald Trump signs Executive Orders, Thursday, April 17, 2025, in the Oval Office. (Official White House Photo by Molly Riley)
President Donald J. Trump announced Thursday that he will “permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries” after two members of the West Virginia National Guard were shot in Washington, D.C., earlier this week. “I will permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries to allow the U.S. system to fully recover,” he wrote on his social-media platform.
Earlier on Thursday, the administration revealed plans to re-examine green cards issued to immigrants from 19 countries. The June memo lists these countries — including Afghanistan, Burma, Cuba, Somalia, Venezuela and others — as of concern.
The sharper policy response comes after the suspect in this week’s attack was identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national. He entered the U.S. in 2021 under the humanitarian resettlement program launched following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
The Washington, D.C. Shooting: What Happened
On Wednesday afternoon near the White House, Lakanwal allegedly ambushed two West Virginia National Guard members. The victims, 20-year-old Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and 24-year-old Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe, were shot during what prosecutors are calling a “brazen, targeted attack.”
Beckstrom died from her injuries late Thanksgiving Day, President Trump said. Wolfe remains in critical condition.
According to prosecutors, Lakanwal drove cross-country from Washington state for the sole purpose of carrying out the ambush. He allegedly fired 10–15 rounds from a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver, striking one Guardsman, then leaning over to shoot a second time, and then firing on the other. Authorities said the remaining National Guard member then returned fire, and Lakanwal was apprehended.
This horrific attack unfolded while hundreds of National Guard troops remain deployed across D.C., under Mr. Trump’s 2025 strategy to restore public safety in the capital.
Administration Response: Immigration Crackdown
In response to the ambush, President Trump not only called for a complete halt to migration from unspecified “Third World Countries,” but late Thursday the administration also announced an indefinite pause on Afghan immigration. Officials said they would conduct a sweeping review of green card approvals tied to the 19 countries flagged in June.
In his statement, Trump did not list which additional countries would be subject to the pause — though the 19-country list already includes several nations the administration deemed high risk.
Why This Matters — and What It Signals for National Security
Supporters of the president’s crackdown argue that the D.C. ambush underscores the danger of lax vetting under previous administrations. The suspect in this case reportedly worked in a CIA-backed unit during the U.S. war in Afghanistan, then obtained resettlement under a program from the prior administration.
By Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) - Director Provides Update on Orlando Shootings Investigation, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=49440123
Former FBI Director James Comey is expected to turn himself in today in the Eastern District of Virginia, according to sources familiar with the matter who spoke to ABC News.
The arrest warrant was issued by a grand jury in the Eastern District of North Carolina, though it remains unclear whether the Justice Department sought the warrant as part of the initial indictment.
The new charges stem from a controversial social media post Comey shared last year—one that President Donald Trump and members of his administration have claimed amounted to a threat against the president.
In a now-deleted Instagram post, Comey shared an image of seashells arranged to display the numbers “86 47,” alongside the caption: “Cool shell formation on my beach walk.”
The post quickly drew backlash from Trump allies, who pointed to the slang meaning of “86” as “to nix” or “get rid of,” arguing it could be interpreted as a veiled threat against Trump, the 47th president.
According to the three-page indictment, Comey faces one count of making threats against the president and successors, and one count of transmitting a threat in interstate commerce.
Prosecutors argue the post rises to the level of a criminal threat, writing that it constitutes a message that any “reasonable recipient who is familiar with the circumstances would interpret as a serious expression of an intent to do harm to the President of the United States.”
Legal experts note prosecutors may face a significant hurdle in court. The Supreme Court ruled in 2023 that proving a “true threat” requires demonstrating that the individual understood their statement would be perceived as threatening. The widespread use of the phrase “86 47” among critics of the Trump administration could complicate that argument and raise broader First Amendment questions.
The latest case comes after a separate indictment last year in which Comey was accused of lying to Congress and obstruction related to his 2020 testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee. That case was ultimately dismissed after a judge found issues with the legitimacy of the prosecutor who brought the charges.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche pushed back on suggestions that the case was politically driven.
“Of course not, absolutely, positively not,” Blanche said on “CBS Mornings” when asked whether President Trump directed him to pursue charges against Comey. “This is something that has been investigated for nearly a year now, and the results of that investigation is that a grand jury returned an indictment.”
Comey is expected to appear in federal court following his surrender.
