Crime

Home Crime Page 6

Former Congressman Madison Cawthorn Arrested

0

Former Congressman Madison Cawthorn was briefly arrested this week in Cape Coral, Florida โ€” yet the setback may not slow what many believe is a mounting effort to reenter national politics.

Authorities took Cawthorn into custody on a warrant stemming from an August 19 citation for driving without a valid license in Naples. He was released shortly thereafter on a $2,000 bond and is expected to appear in court to resolve the matter. Supporters have dismissed the incident as a minor technicality, unlikely to derail his ambitions.


From Conservative Trailblazer to Political Lightning Rod

Cawthorn burst onto the national stage in 2020 as one of the youngest Republicans ever elected to Congress, winning his North Carolina seat at just 25 years old. He quickly became a symbol of youthful conservative energy and unapologetic defiance of the Washington establishment.

But his meteoric rise ran into turbulence during his lone term. In early 2022, he alleged that some D.C. elites had invited him to a cocaine-fueled โ€œorgy,โ€ a claim that drew sharp criticism from GOP leadership. Weeks later, police body camera footage showed him being pulled over while driving a car he mistakenly believed he owned, and he was also cited for bringing a firearm through airport security โ€” his second such incident in less than a year.

Republican leadership, once supportive, gradually distanced themselves. The controversies overshadowed his legislative work and contributed to his loss in the 2022 Republican primary.


Florida Could Offer a Second Act

Now, Cawthorn may be plotting a political revival โ€” this time from Floridaโ€™s 19th Congressional District, where Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) is expected to step down to run for governor. Axios recently reported that Cawthorn has been exploring a run to fill the soon-to-be-open seat, potentially offering him a clean slate and new political base in one of the countryโ€™s most Republican-leaning regions.

If he enters the race, Cawthorn could return to Washington older, more seasoned, and still armed with the anti-establishment instincts that made him a grassroots favorite. For many conservatives, his resilience โ€” and willingness to challenge entrenched power โ€” could be the very qualities the GOP needs in its next generation of leadership. for the second time in nine months.

Florida Reporter Suspended After Texting MAGA Congressman After Kirk Shooting

1

No room for this behavior…

A reporter with a popular Florida political website was immediately suspended after attempting to capitalize on the shooting of political activist Charlie Kirk.

The 31-year-old Turning Point USA founder was speaking at an event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday when theย shootingย occurred. Video taken by students attending his speech shows Kirk appearing to have been shot in the neck after the sound of a single gunshot was heard. Kirk was later pronounced dead after being rushed to a nearby hospital in critical condition.

Kirk was a popular figure in conservative media circles and a prominent supporter of Presidentย Donald Trump, encouraging the young voters in his organization to vote for Trump during his presidential campaigns and speaking at theย Republican National Conventionย in Milwaukee last year.

News of the shootingย stunnedย politicians and commentators on both sides of the aisle, who offered prayers for his family and condemnations of political violence.

Wednesday afternoon, after news of the shooting had spread but before it was known that Kirk had died,ย A.G. Gancarski, a reporter with theย Florida Politicsย website, texted Rep.ย Randy Fineย (R-FL), a Republicanย electedย to Congress earlier this year in a special election.

According to a screenshot posted by Fine, Gancarski asked him โ€œif Charlie Kirk getting shot affects your position on campus carry?โ€

โ€œIf gun control had been in play could the tragedy have been avoided?โ€ Gancarski added.

โ€œI learned that Charlie Kirk was shot 23 minutes ago. I am repulsed that you would even think to ask a political question when all anyone should be doing is praying for his survival,โ€ Fine wrote back. โ€œNever contact me again.โ€

Fine shared a screenshot of the texts on social media along with a caption that read, โ€œYou donโ€™t hate the media enough.โ€

Less than an hour later,ย Peter Schorsch, the founder and publisher of Florida Politics, posted that he had โ€œimmediately suspended [Gancarski] from his position with [Florida Politics].โ€

Schorsch then noted that he had โ€œurged [Gancarski] to go dark on social media for the time being while we address this situation,โ€ and invited anyone with comments or questions to email him. Gancarskiโ€™s account on X has been set to private and is no longer publicly viewable.

Another X userย postedย a screenshot of a tweet Gancarski had purportedly sent to Fine before deleting it and locking down his account. In the screenshot, Gancarski replied to Fine that it was a โ€œvalid questionโ€ because Fine โ€œran a bill that would have allowed โ€˜campus carry’โ€ as a state senator, but had left the legislature by the time of theย April 17 shootingย at Florida State University.

โ€œI stand by the question,โ€ Gancarski wrote. โ€œTragedy is ultimately what tests policy positions.โ€

Mediaite and other outlats have not yet confirmed the authenticity of this screenshot, but it does accurately display Gancarskiโ€™s username on X and most recent profile photo. Mediaite reached out to Schorsch for comment but did not receive a reply.

Screenshot via Mediaite

Report: Pro-Trump Conservative Charlie Kirk Shot

0
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.

Happening Today: Jury Selection Begins In Trump Assassination Attempt Case

0

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.

Republican Lawmaker Gets Into Physical Altercation Outside US Capitol

2
Ted Eytan from Washington, DC, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Things were heated on Capitol Hill this week…

Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) was caught in a run-in outside the Capitol on Thursday with a protester who challenged him over his stance on Israelโ€™s campaign against Hamas in Gaza.

The Republican reportedly shoved the man, who he later claimed had intentionally โ€œbumpedโ€ into him after being approached near the Longworth House Office Building, according to Politico.

The incident occurred shortly after lawmakers wrapped up their final votes of the week.

Burchettโ€™s spokesperson Will Garrett defended the congressmanโ€™s reaction in a comment to Politico, saying the protester had crossed a line.

โ€œEveryone has a right to their opinion, and they can say all of the filthy stuff they want. But they donโ€™t have the right to bump the congressman,โ€ Burchett spokesperson Will Garrett said in a statement to The Hill

Capitol Police briefly detained and questioned the protester, though the department has not commented publicly.

Burchett, meanwhile, dismissed the confrontation with characteristic bite, telling reporters the activist โ€œhad bad breath.โ€

Last year, Burchett introduced a resolution to reject the United Nationsโ€™s decision to place the Israeli military on a list of childโ€™s rights abusers.

โ€œIsrael is our greatest ally in the Middle East and their leadership tries to protect life. Hamas, on the other hand, hides behind innocent civilians like a bunch of cowards. We need to make it clear to the United Nations that the United States completely supports Israelโ€™s efforts to wipe these terrorists off the map,โ€ Burchett said at the time. 

Woman Who Admitted Trump Death Threats To Secret Service Released By Judge

4

A woman arrested last month for allegedly making death threats againstย President Donald Trumpย has been released by a federal judge who has clashed with the Trump administration several times this year.

Federal Chief Judge James Boasberg ordered the release of 50-year-old Nathalie Rose Jones under electronic monitoring and instructed her to visit a psychiatrist in New York City once she obtains her personal belongings from a local police station.

Her release comes after U.S. Magistrate Judge Moxila Upadhyaya had ordered her held without bond, citing alarming conduct, including online posts proclaiming willingness to “disembowel” Trump and stage his arrest, and statements admitting she would kill him with a bladed weapon at “the compound.”

Jones took part in a “dignified arrest ceremony” for Trump at a protest in Washington, D.C., which circumnavigated the White House complex and was arrested following an investigation into her series of concerning Instagram and Facebook posts. 

In early August, Jones labeled Trump a terrorist, referred to his administration as a dictatorship, and stated that Trump had caused extreme and unnecessary loss of life in relation to the coronavirus

“I am willing to sacrificially kill this POTUS by disemboweling him and cutting out his trachea with Liz Cheney and all The Affirmation present,” an Aug. 6 post directed at the FBI states.

The next day, Jones voluntarily agreed to an interview with the Secret Service, during which she called Trump a “terrorist” and a “nazi,” authorities said. 

She said that if she had the opportunity, she would kill Trump at “the compound” if she had to and that she had a “bladed object,” which she said was the weapon she would use to “carry out her mission of killing” the president.

Following the protest in Washington, D.C on Aug. 16, Jones was interviewed again by the Secret Service, during which she admitted that she had made threats towards Trump during her interview the previous day. 

She was charged with threatening to kill, kidnap, or seriously hurt the president and sending messages across state lines that contained threats to kidnap or harm someone.

However, Jonesโ€™s lawyers argued their client was unarmed and had no real desire to follow through with the threats, appealed Upadhyayaโ€™s detention decision, and Boasberg overturned Upadhyayaโ€™s detention order.

U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C.,ย Jeanine Pirro, whose office pushed for the indictment, blasted the juryโ€™s refusal on Tuesday.

“A Washington D.C. grand jury refused to indict someone who threatened to kill the President of the United States. Her intent was clear, traveling through five states to do so,” Pirro told Fox News in an exclusive statement. 

“She even confirmed the same to the U.S. Secret Service. This is the essence of a politicized jury. The system here is broken on many levels. Instead of the outrage that should be engendered by a specific threat to kill the president, the grand jury in D.C. refuses to even let the judicial process begin. Justice should not depend on politics,” Pirro added.

Judge Boasbergโ€™s Background
Judge Boasberg, a Barack Obama appointee, has repeatedly clashed with the Trump administration. In March, he issued a restraining order halting deportations of Venezuelans under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, ordering planes to return to U.S. soil and demanding an investigation into compliance. He later threatened contempt proceedings, prompting appellate review and momentum that led to Supreme Court rulings affirming dueโ€‘process requirements. Trump publicly labeled Boasberg a โ€œRadical Left Lunaticโ€ and sought his impeachment. Additionally, Trumpโ€‘aligned officials, including AG Pam Bondi, filed a complaint over Boasbergโ€™s remarks warning of a constitutional crisis and criticizing the administrationโ€”remarks Bondi argued had no factual basis and undermined judicial impartiality. (RELATED: DOJ Files Complaint Against Judge Boasberg Over Anti-Trump Comments, Deportation Case Actions)

Recent Assassination Attempts Targeting Donald Trump

1. Butler, Pennsylvania Rally โ€” July 13, 2024

  • What happened: Former President Trump was addressed at a campaign rally near Butler, PA, when 20โ€‘yearโ€‘old Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire from a nearby rooftop with an ARโ€‘15โ€‘style rifle. Trump was grazed in the upper right ear; one attendee, firefighter Corey Comperatore, was killed, and two others critically injured. Secret Service counterโ€‘snipers neutralized Crooks seconds after he began firing.

Aftermath & investigations: A House task force released a report by December 2024. A Government Accountability Office audit (July 2025) found that the Secret Service failed to share vital threat intelligence internally, and suffered planning and communication breakdowns. Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley criticized entrenched mismanagement and cited funding under a recent bill to help rebuild the agency. Meanwhile, six Secret Service agents received suspensionsโ€”the longest up to 42 daysโ€”for their roles in the security failure. The agency has since overhauled protocols, including deploying drones and increasing law enforcement coordination.

2. West Palm Beach, Florida Golf Course โ€” September 15, 2024

  • What happened: While golfing at his Trump International Golf Club, Trump was threatened by 59-yearโ€‘old Ryan Wesley Routh. The suspect was seen aiming a rifle from shrubbery. A Secret Service agent intervened, no shots were fired at Trump, and Routh fled but was later detained.
  • Legal proceedings: Routh faces federal charges including attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate. He remains in custody, and a federal trial is scheduled to begin September 8, 2025.

READ NEXT: Trump Calls for RICO as the Answer to Sanctuary City Chaos

Trump Announces Plan To Seek Death Penalty For D.C. Murders

President Trump said Tuesday the federal government would seek the death penalty for murders committed in Washington, D.C.

“Anybody murders something in the capital, capital punishment,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting Tuesday. “Capital, capital punishment. If somebody kills somebody in the capital, Washington, D.C., we’re going to be seeking the death penalty. And that’s a very strong preventative.”

The District of Columbia hasn’t executed anyone since 1957, after Robert Carter was convicted of fatally shooting an off-duty police officer.

CBS News reported that previously, D.C. had mandatory death sentences for first-degree murders, a policy the Supreme Court later voided in the 1972 caseย Furman v. Georgiaย when it found that the death penalty was being applied in an unconstitutionally arbitrary manner. Four years later, the high courtย allowedย capital punishment to be reinstated with clearer sentencing guidelines. The D.C. City Council, however, abolished the death penalty in 1981.ย 

Washington went 12 days without a murder during the federal government’s crime crackdown, a streak broken early Tuesday with the killing of a 31-year-old man in Southeast D.C., according to the Metropolitan Police Department. 

Vice Presidentย JD Vance,ย a day earlier, said the capital typically averaged one murder every other day, before commending the president on saving 6-7 lives since deploying the National Guard

On his first day in office, the president signed an executive order directing the attorney general to seek the death penalty in cases involving the murder of a law enforcement officer or “a capital crime committed by an alien illegally present in this country.”

Speaker Johnson Says Trump Deserves Nobel Peace Prize For DC Police Takeover

2
Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is calling for President Donald Trump to be recognized on the world stage after his decisive leadership brought unprecedented safety to the nationโ€™s capital.

On Monday, Johnson said Trump deserves the Nobel Peace Prize following 11 straight days without a single reported murder in Washington, D.C. โ€” a stunning turnaround after Trump took charge of the cityโ€™s police force.

โ€œThere are MANY reasons why President Trump deserves the Nobel Peace Prize โ€“ but 11 straight days with ZERO murders in Washington, D.C. might top the list,โ€ Johnson posted on social media. โ€œSAFER streets. STRONGER communities. AMERICA IS BACK!โ€

Trump Delivers Where Democrats Failed

The numbers come from the Metropolitan Police Departmentโ€™s own preliminary data: from August 14 through August 24, not one homicide was reported in the city.

This sharp decline follows Trumpโ€™s August 11 takeover of D.C.โ€™s police department, a bold move to re-establish law and order in a city long plagued by violent crime under Democrat leadership. Since Trump stepped in, only two killings have been reported โ€” one on August 11, and another on August 13.

Critics may try to downplay the results, noting there was a 16-day stretch earlier this year without a murder, but itโ€™s clear that Trumpโ€™s hands-on leadership and โ€œlaw and orderโ€ agenda have already had a direct impact on restoring peace and safety to Americaโ€™s capital.

A President Who Gets Results

President Trump has never hidden his desire to win the Nobel Peace Prize โ€” and many argue he has already earned it for his historic Middle East peace agreements, his refusal to drag America into new foreign wars, and now, for bringing real results to Americaโ€™s streets.

Even world leaders agree. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, recognizing Trumpโ€™s unmatched record of delivering peace and stability.

The Bottom Line

While Democrats and the mainstream media remain silent, the facts are clear: Trumpโ€™s leadership is saving lives. Speaker Johnsonโ€™s call for Trump to receive the Nobel Peace Prize isnโ€™t just political theater โ€” it reflects the reality that Trumpโ€™s America First agenda delivers real safety, real security, and real peace.

Kilmar Abrego Garcia Taken Into Custody By ICE

1
Arrest image via Pixabay

Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the immigrant deported to El Salvador who became a political flashpoint for the Trump administrationโ€™s immigration crackdown, wasย detainedย again on Monday

Speaking to reporters outside the ICE Field Office in Baltimore after Abrego Garcia was detained, his lawyer, Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, said ICE officials had declined to tell them where they were detaining Abrego Garcia prior to his removal, or tell them why they were arresting him. 

“As of the last five minutes, Mr. Abrego Garcia has filed a new lawsuit in the federal district court for the District of Maryland challenging his confinement and challenging his deportation to Uganda, or to any other country unless and until he’s had a fair trialโ€” as in, an immigration court, as well as his full appeal rights,,” Sandoval-Moshenberg sad.

The habeas petition, filed in the U.S. District Court of Maryland, was assigned to U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis, who has presided since March over his civil case.

Abrego Garcia, who fled El Salvador as a teenager and lived in Maryland, addressed supporters before entering his appointment.

โ€œMy name is Kilmar Abrego Garcia, and I want you to remember this, remember that I am free and I was able to be reunited with my family,โ€ he said. โ€œThis was a miracle. Thank you to God and thank you to the community. I want to thank each and every one of you who marched, lift your voices, never stop praying, and continue to fight in my name.โ€

Abrego Garcia’s legal fight for months has dominated U.S. headlines, after he was deported by theย Trump administrationย to El Salvador in violation of a 2019 court order. He faces a possible second deportation, this time to Uganda.

Shortly before his arrival Monday morning, immigration advocates, faith leaders, and other community members massed outside the field office at sunrise for a vigil, organized by two immigration advocacy groups.

The Trump administration returned him to the U.S. months after sending him to El Salvador, under orders from a federal judge and from the Supreme Court.

He was arrested upon return to the U.S. on human smuggling charges stemming from a 2022 traffic stop in Tennesee. He remained in federal detention until Friday, when he was released from U.S. custody and ordered to return to Maryland, where a judge said he could remain under electronic surveillance and under ICE supervision while awaiting trial.

ICE officials notified Abrego Garcia’s attorneys shortly after his release on Friday that they planned to deport him to Uganda.

The notice, sent by ICE’s Office of the Principal Legal Adviser, said it was intended to “serve as notice that DHS may remove your client, Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, to Uganda no earlier than 72 hours from now (absent weekends).”

Trump’s border czar Tom Homan told Fox News in an interview Sunday night that Abrego Garcia was “absolutely” going to be deported from the U.S, and said Uganda is “on the table” as the third country of removal.ย 

“We have an agreement with them. It’s on a table, absolutely,” Homan said in an interview on “The Big Weekend Show” Sunday evening.

“He is absolutely going to be deported,” Homan reiterated. 

For now, he said, Abrego Garcia “can enjoy the little time he has with his family. And for the person who says we’re not going to separate family, his family can go with him, because he’s leaving.”

Trump Administration Moves To Deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia – To Uganda

Gage Skidmore Flickr

New court filings reveal that the Trump administration is threatening to deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Uganda โ€” a move his attorneys describe as coercive. Abrego, a Salvadoran man mistakenly deported to El Salvador earlier this year, declined a plea deal tied to human smuggling charges. In response, prosecutors withdrew an offer that would have allowed him to enter Costa Rica โ€” a safe, Spanish-speaking country where he’d face no detention after serving time โ€” and instead pursued deportation to Uganda.

His attorneys argue immigration authorities are essentially offering a forced choice: accept guilt and a path to Costa Rica, or refuse and risk being sent to Uganda, where his safety โ€” and legal protections โ€” are uncertain at best.

As The Hill reports:

Federal prosecutors on Thursday offered Abrego Garcia the option to โ€œlive freelyโ€ with refugee or residency status in Costa Rica after serving prison time forย federal human smuggling chargesย in exchange for a guilty plea, per his lawyers in the Saturday filings.

Abrego Garcia, who wasย mistakenly deportedย to a notorious prison in his native El Salvador, declined the offer on Fridayย to instead returnย to his family in Maryland. He had been imprisoned in a Tennessee jail.

After his return to Maryland, Abrego Garciaโ€™s attorneys were notified later in the day that he must report to an Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) field office in Baltimore on Monday โ€” and that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) intends to deport him to Uganda.

โ€œThe only thing that happened between Thursdayโ€”Costa Ricaโ€”and Fridayโ€”Ugandaโ€” was Mr. Abregoโ€™s exercise of his legal entitlement to release under the Bail Reform Act and the Fifth Amendmentโ€ฆ,โ€ Abrego Garciaโ€™s defense team wrote.

Saturday’s revelations mark a significant escalation, as Uganda recently entered into a U.S. agreement to accept third-country deporteesโ€” but explicitly excluding individuals with criminal records or unaccompanied minors. Abregoโ€™s legal team contends that his criminal charges make such deportation both inappropriate and potentially dangerous.

READ NEXT: Dem Forced To Eat Words After Defending Alleged Criminal