President Donald Trump has filed a $5 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC over its deceptive editing of a speech delivered by Trump on Jan. 6, 2021.
The lawsuit was filed in a federal court in Miami. In the 46-page filing, Trumpโs team argues the edit gave the โmistaken impressionโ he called for violence on that day.
โThis instance of doctoringโin the form of distortion of meaning and splicing of entirely unrelated word sequencesโis part of the BBCโs longstanding pattern of manipulating President Trumpโs speeches and presenting content in a misleading manner in order to defame him, including fabricating calls for violence that he never made,โ the lawsuit states.
โThe BBC, faced with overwhelming and justifiable outrage on both sides of the Atlantic, has publicly admitted its staggering breach of journalistic ethics, and apologized, but has made no showing of actual remorse for its wrongdoing nor meaningful institutional changes to prevent future journalistic abuses,โ it continues.
The footage used in the broadcasterโs Panorama documentary spliced together two separate clips, creating the impression Trump told supporters: โWeโre going to walk down to the Capitolโฆ and Iโll be there with you. And we fight. We fight like hell.โ
The two clips are separated by 55 minutes in Trumpโs original speech, and the documentary also left out Trumpโs explicit calls for supporters to protest โpeacefully and patriotically.โ
Speaking in Washington DC, the president accused the broadcaster of โputting terrible words in my mouth that I didnโt sayโ and claimed the BBC โmay have used AIโ in its investigative Panorama show. He later added: โThey actually have me speaking with words that I never said, and they got caughtโฆ Letโs call [it] fake news.โ
In a statement to The New York Times, Trumpโs legal team said: โThe formerly respected and now disgraced BBC defamed President Trump by intentionally, maliciously and deceptively doctoring his speech in a brazen attempt to interfere in the 2024 presidential election.โ
The fallout has already triggered resignations at the top of the BBC, including director generalย Tim Davieย and BBC News CEOย Deborah Turness.
The BBC later issued an apology to Trump for his portrayal in the documentary:
โ[W]e accept that our edit unintentionally created the impression that we were showing a single continuous section of the speech, rather than excerpts from different points in the speech, and that this gave the mistaken impression that President Trump had made a direct call for violent action,โ the statement said.
โThe BBC would like to apologize to President Trump for that error of judgement. This programme was not scheduled to be re-broadcast and will not be broadcast again in this form on any BBC platforms,โ it added.
Trumpโs latest lawsuit follows a string of high-profile legal battles against U.S.-based media outlets, includingย The New York Timesย andย Wall Street Journal.
By Kevin Payravi - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=179718533
Nobel Peace Prize winner Marรญa Corina Machado, one of Venezuelaโs most prominent pro-democracy leaders, is strongly backing President Donald Trumpโs hard-line approach toward Nicolรกs Maduroโs authoritarian regime. In a new interview that aired Sunday on CBSโs Face the Nation, Machado said Trumpโs strategy has given hope to millions of Venezuelans suffering under socialist rule.
Asked whether she supports increased U.S. sanctions on Venezuelan officials and further U.S. seizures of illicit oil shipments, Machado was unequivocal.
โLook, I absolutely support President Trumpโs strategy, and we, the Venezuelan people, are very grateful to him and to his administration, because I believe he is a champion of freedom in this hemisphere,โ Machado told host Margaret Brennan.
Speaking from Oslo, where she accepted the Nobel Peace Prize after spending nearly a year in hiding, Machado noted that she had dedicated part of the award to Trump.
โI think that he finally has put Venezuela in where it should be, in terms of a priority for the United Statesโ national security.โ
Machado argued that Maduroโs regime is far more dangerous than a conventional dictatorship.
โThis is a very complex criminal structure that has turned Venezuela into a safe haven of international crime and terrorist activities, starting with Russia, Iran, Cuba, Hezbollah, Hamas, the Colombian guerrilla [groups], [and] the drug cartels operating freely and directed in partnership with Maduro and his regime.โ
Machado has long been one of Maduroโs most effective opposition figures. After she overwhelmingly won the opposition primary in 2023, the regime barred her from running, then orchestrated an election that independent experts later declared โmathematically and statistically impossible.โ Despite that, Maduro claimed victory and refused to relinquish power. Machado endorsed a stand-in candidate but remained the movementโs central figureโuntil she was forced into hiding for her safety.
Now, speaking publicly for the first time in months, Machado is calling for increased international pressure.
โWe want every legal action through law enforcement โฆ not only from the United States, also from other Caribbean, Latin American and European countries that further block the illegal activities of the regime.โ
Her argument is straightforward:
โWe need to increase the cost of staying in power by force. Once you arrive to that point in which the cost of staying in power is higher than the cost of leaving power, the regime will fall apart. And itโs the moment where we advance into a negotiated transition.โ
Additional Context: Trump and the Nobel Peace Prize
Machadoโs praise comes as Trump has repeatedly been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, particularly for:
The Abraham Accords, which normalized relations between Israel and several Arab nationsโan achievement some foreign-policy experts called one of the most important diplomatic breakthroughs in decades.
His diplomatic efforts in reducing tensions with North Korea, which earned him multiple nominations from European lawmakers.
His support for democracy movements in Latin America, including Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua.
Erika Kirk announced that she will meet privately with commentator Candace Owens, marking the first direct conversation between the two since a period of public disagreement and discussion following her late husbandโs death.
In a brief statement posted Sunday on X, Kirk said both women have agreed to pause all public commentary until after their meeting.
โCandace Owens and I are meeting for a private, in-person discussion on Monday, December 15,โ Erika said.
โ@RealCandaceO and I have agreed that public discussions, livestreams, and tweets are on hold until after this meeting. I look forward to a productive conversation. Thank you,โ she added.
The planned meeting reflects a joint effort to move beyond weeks of escalating tension and online conspiracy theories by creating space for a more personal and thoughtful exchange.
Image via Gage Skidmore Flickr
During a recent CBS town hall, Erika spoke candidly about the emotional toll of the speculation surrounding her husbandโs passing. When asked what she would say to those spreading unfounded claims, she responded, โStop. Thatโs it. Thatโs all I have to say. Stop.โ
She also addressed the issue during a Dec. 10 appearance on Outnumbered, saying, โWhen you go after my family, my Turning Point USA family, my Charlie Kirk Show family, when you go after the people that I love, and you’re making hundreds and thousands of dollars every single episode going after the people that I love because somehow theyโre in on this, no.โ
Despite their earlier collaboration and personal friendship, the relationship between Kirk and Owens has deteriorated sharply in recent months. Their decision to meet privately signals a mutual desire to communicate directly, clear up misunderstandings, and reduce further speculation.
Since the tragic death of her husband, Charlie Kirk, in September, Erika has focused publicly on preserving his legacy while navigating the intense scrutiny surrounding the circumstances of his passing.
Earlier this month, Charlie Kirk Show producer Blake Neff announced that Kirkโs friends will be holding an event to refute Owensโs incendiary claims. Owens has turned down an invitation to attend it in person.
Owens has a reputation for spreading widely debunked conspiracy theories, including once staking her entire professional reputation on the claim that the First Lady of France, Brigitte Macron, is a man. Owens has also suggested that Israel was somehow connected to Charlie Kirkโs death.
Kirk, who founded the pro-Trump student group Turning Point USA, was shot and killed at a Utah university in September, and his alleged assassin is currently awaiting trial on murder charges. Neff called Owensโs claims โeither lies or they are innuendos thrown around with a total, reckless disregard for the truth,โ and added, โI would say we have suffered more harassment from these people than we have from Antifa supporters who overtly celebrate Charlieโs murder.โ
He concluded by saying Turning Point will host a live stream to further debunk Owensโs conspiracies and invited her to participate.
โWe wanted to use this segment at the top of this hour to say something important, something very important. For the past two and a half months, there is a topic that has flooded our Freedom inbox. It has been nonstop on social media, but which we have almost totally avoided on this show. You probably already know what Iโm talking about, which shows just how ubiquitous it has been,โ Neff began.
Read his full statement below:
Ever since Charlieโs murder, Candace Owens has leveled a flood of allegations against people at Turning Point USA, people at Turning Point Action, and people who work for this show. She has made them against some of Charlieโs closest friends and against some of his most dedicated employees. She has suggested that Michael McCoy, Charlieโs chief of staff, knew Charlie would be murdered, was happy that he died, and stayed silent because he was told he would be the next Charlie.
She has suggested Michael is not his real name. It isโI have seen his birth certificate myself. She has called it suspicious that Mikeyโs wife, who works at Turning Point, helped plan the campus tour event where Charlie was murdered, which she didnโt, by the way. She doesnโt work on campus events.
Candace has suggested the Utah Valley University event was unusual and its details suggested a quote โinside job.โ She has claimed that foreign aircraft have followed Erica Kirk around the country and that Turning Point has lied about this happening. She has accused us of lying about Charlie wanting Erica to take over for him if he died. She has suggested Charlieโs security team intentionally denied him first aid after the shooting to ensure that he died. She has raised suspicions about the head of our technical team because he took an SD card out of a camera. She has spread absurd claims that Tyler Boyer, who we just had on the show, sexually abuses male interns. She has suggested that TPUSA Faith-affiliated pastors, like theologian Frank Turek, who weโll have on in a moment, and Pastor Rob McCoy, are part of a military quote โinfiltrationโ of Turning Point, either because they are veterans or because they have family members who are.
Even if not everyone has been named specifically, though, Candace has effectively tarred everyone here with complicity in Charlieโs death by repeatedly saying he was, quote, โbetrayed by,โ quote, โeveryone.โ She has said Charlieโs murder, quote, โhad to be approved by Charlieโs friends,โ and then suggested those friends might have her murdered too for quote โknowing the truth.โ She has made claims of financial impropriety and fraud at Turning Point, adding up into the millions of dollars, which again is not true. Charlie made sure the organization was audited by a third party every year. He personally reviewed and signed off on every expense report and literally every single bill paid by the organization down to a single United States dollar. We have never missed a 990 deadline.
Candace has made other, stranger allegations involving French paratroopers in maroon shirts, Egyptian Air Force planes flying out of Provo, Utah, and potential underground assassins traveling through unseen tunnels. At one point in early November, she started wildly throwing suspicion on members of Utah Valleyโs soccer team for wearing hoodies. I could go on. There is always something new coming up, and none of it ever pans out. Because from the start, there has been nothing there.
The attacks and allegations from Candace are either lies or they are innuendos thrown around with a total, reckless disregard for the truth, so that Candace can manipulate and string along an audience of people who donโt realize they are being played. Instead of being able to grieve properly after one of the most heinous murders in American history, a murder many of us had to witness, my friends have had to endure harassment from people who have gotten whipped up by what Candace is saying. I would say we have suffered more harassment from these people than we have from Antifa supporters who overtly celebrate Charlieโs murder. And just like a lot of those Antifa members, many of these people take delight in how gross and unpleasant they can be. What our friends have had to endure is not funny and itโs not insignificant. It is evil. I have seen it.
For months, we have received hundreds, thousands, I suspect, of emails and calls asking us to respond. People have wanted us to invite Candace on the show. But for a long time, our approach was to say nothing. We did that for several reasons. First, we thought that her prevarications were so absurd that nobody would believe them. We shouldnโt have to answer questions about secret tunnels or Egyptian Air Force planes. That sort of thing is justโitโs beneath contempt to respond to. Lastly, we didnโt respond because Charlie always viewed Candace as a friend, and we were holding out hope that she would return that friendship and stop what she was doing.
But a week from now itโs going to be three months since Charlieโs murder. Candace has not changed her behavior. She has continued to spread falsehoods about Charlieโs friends, and she continues to concoct new ones about new people. Sheโs using these falsehoods to enrich herself while dividing the conservative movement at an absolutely critical time for this country. And far too often, we here have heard from ordinary people, people who loved Charlie and who Charlie loved so much in return. These people have expressed the worry that we are staying silent out of cowardice or as some sort of tacit admission that some of the attacks are true. Neither is the case. Our silence has never been, and it will never be, equal to complacency or approval.
Still, we decided Charlie would not allow this to go on. Charlie was not a coward. Charlie was a fighter. Charlie would not allow someone to spread lies about the people closest to him with impunity. And he would feel ashamed if other people were stepping up to defend his friends while he never did so himself. Candace has mentioned several times that the ball is in our court.
So hereโs what is going to happen. In the near future, there will be a livestream here in Phoenix where we address in a clear and comprehensive way the claims and accusations, the false accusations that have been made against Charlieโs family, friends, and the people here at Turning Point. We plan to walk through everything carefully and thoroughly. If Candace is available, we would sincerely welcome her participation in that livestream at our studio here in Phoenix. At this point, we believe the ball is back in her court.
Our motivation for doing this is not out of any obligation to Candace. It is about honoring Charlie. We feel a deep responsibility to protect his legacy, his work, and the truth. I feel that. I owe Charlie everything in my life. I feel it immensely. And that is why we feel compelled to speak clearly and openly now. Weโll have more on this in the near future.
Federal law enforcement officials announced over the weekend that they successfully disrupted a credible terrorist threat, arresting four alleged members of a radical pro-Palestinian extremist group who were reportedly planning coordinated bombing attacks in Los Angeles on New Yearโs Eve.
According to the FBI, the suspects self-identified as part of a radical offshoot of the Turtle Island Liberation Front (TILF)โan extremist organization driven by a combination of pro-Palestinian, anti-law-enforcement, and anti-government ideology.
Federal agents say the group intended to deploy improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in a series of synchronized attacks targeting five separate locations across the Los Angeles area. Authorities believe the suspects were preparing to test explosive devices in Lucerne Valley when they were taken into custody. Each of the four has been charged with conspiracy and possession of a destructive device.
In a related development, the FBI announced Monday that a fifth individual believed to be connected to the same TILF extremist network was arrested in New Orleans in connection with a separate planned attack.
Social media accounts linked to TILF describe the groupโs mission as freeing what they call โTurtle Islandโโan Indigenous name used by some activists to refer to North Americaโfrom the โillegal American empire.โ One Instagram post attributed to the group declared: โFree Palestine. Free Hawaii. Free Puerto Rico.โ The post continued, โFreeing the world from American imperialism is the only way to a safe and peaceful future.โ
These arrests come amid a broader pattern of the FBI and other federal agencies disrupting terror plots across the country during President Donald Trumpโs second administration. In recent months, federal authorities have thwarted an alleged ISIS-inspired terror plot in Michigan that involved suspicious encrypted communications and preparations at gun ranges, leading to multiple arrests before a planned attack could take place.
Earlier this year, the FBI also intercepted another potential terror plot in Dearborn, Michigan, charging suspects with conspiracy to provide firearms and ammunition knowing they would be used to commit acts of federal terrorismโagain highlighting the agencyโs proactive work in identifying and stopping threats before they materialize.
These disruptions follow a national trend in which federal law enforcement has prioritized identifying and intercepting violent extremist plots before they can harm Americans. According to recent FBI press releases, multiple individuals have been charged or convicted this year for providing material support to foreign terrorist organizations like ISIS and attempting to aid violent extremist causes from within the United States.
Republican leaders have emphasized the importance of strong law enforcement and border security in preventing homegrown terrorism and protecting American communities. The arrests in Los Angeles and New Orleans underscore the ongoing threat from ideologically motivated violent extremists and the need for vigilant counterterrorism efforts.
As the nation enters the holiday season, federal officials say their work will continue to ensure that Americans can celebrate safely, free from the specter of coordinated terror attacks.
Watch:
BREAKING: The FBI announces they foiled a credible terror plot planned for New Year's Eve โ arresting 4 alleged members of a radical pro-Palestinian extremist group. | @AmericaNewsroompic.twitter.com/PPGrXGK4T1
The Pulitzer Prize Board escalated its legal battle with President Donald Trump on Thursday, filing a discovery request in Trumpโs 2022 defamation lawsuit and declaring it will “not be cowed by the president’s attempt to intimidate journalists or undermine the First Amendment.”
Trump sued the Board after it awarded the 2018 National Reporting Pulitzer Prize to The New York Times and The Washington Post for their coverage of allegations of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russiaโallegations Trump has long argued were baseless and politically motivated.
Pulitzer Board Pushes Discovery, Demands Proof of Harm
In its filing in Okeechobee County Circuit Court in Florida, the Pulitzer Board requested documentation supporting Trumpโs claims that the award caused him reputational or financial harm.
The Board insisted the president must meet the same legal standards as any plaintiff:
“Just like any other plaintiff, the President must articulate and prove his claims with evidence. This filing is a standard step in the discovery process to assess a claim of damages and test their validity. The Pulitzer Board will not be cowed by the president’s attempt to intimidate journalists or undermine the First Amendment,” the organization told Fox News Digital.
Trumpโs lawsuit argues that the Pulitzer-winning stories relied on a โdemonstrably false connectionโ between his campaign and Russia and that this flawed premise was the basis for awarding the prize.
Award Recognized Reporting Later Undermined by Federal Investigations
The Times and Post were honored for โdeeply sourced, relentlessly reported coverage in the public interest that dramatically furthered the nationโs understanding of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and its connections to the Trump campaign, the President-electโs transition team and his eventual administration.โ
However, Trumpโs complaint highlights several developments that have since cast doubt on the original reporting:
Special Counsel Robert Mueller failed to establish evidence of criminal collusion.
A Department of Justice Inspector General report identified significant misconduct and inaccuracies in the federal investigation into Trumpโs campaign.
These findings reinforced the belief among many conservatives that the Russia-collusion narrative was politically driven and amplified by a sympathetic media establishment.
Trump Team Predicts Victory
A spokesperson for Trumpโs legal team said the president remains confident:
“President Trump is committed to holding those who traffic in fake news, lies, and smears to account, and he will see this powerhouse lawsuit through to a winning conclusion. This case has always been about correcting the record, revealing the truth, and vindicating the president and his supporters against the lies told to the American people by the Democrats and their PR machine known as ‘legacy media.'”
Trump previously sought a full correction or retraction from the Pulitzer Board, along with the rescinding of the 2018 awards, but the Board has repeatedly refused.
Additional Context: Trump and the Nobel Peace Prize
While Trump now challenges the Pulitzer Board over media accountability, he has also pursued global recognition for his foreign policy accomplishmentsโparticularly through nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize.
In 2020, Trump received several nominations for brokering the Abraham Accords, historic peace agreements that normalized relations between Israel and multiple Arab nations.
He also received nominations for facilitating SerbiaโKosovo economic normalization, as well as for his administrationโs efforts in the North Korea diplomatic initiative.
Despite support from some foreign officials and conservative lawmakers, the Nobel Committee ultimately awarded the prize elsewhere, prompting many Republicans to argue that Trumpโs diplomatic breakthroughs were undervalued for political reasons.
Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) called on Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to resign Thursday during opening remarks at a House Homeland Security Committee hearing on โWorldwide Threats to the Homeland.โ
โYou have systematically dismantled the Department of Homeland Security, put your own interests above the department, and violated the law. You are making America less safe,โ Thompson said. โSo rather than sitting here and wasting your time and ours with more corruption, lies and lawlessness, I call on you to resign. Do a real service to the country and just resign. That is, if President Trump doesn’t fire you first.โ
As Noem began delivering her opening statement, several protesters opposed to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) interrupted the proceedings, shouting, โGet ICE off our streets,โ and, โStop terrorizing our community.โ Capitol Police escorted the protesters out and detained them outside the hearing room.
Noem, joined at the hearing by National Counterterrorism Center director Joe Kent and Michael Glasheen, operations director of the FBIโs National Security Branch, noted that one of her grandchildren in the audience was upset by Thompsonโs comments.
โI don’t think she agreed with him,โ Noem said jokingly.
She defended her departmentโs record, telling lawmakers, โDHS is eradicating transnational organized crime and the stopping of deadly drugs from continuing to be funneled into our communities. We’re ending illegal immigration, returning sanity back to our immigration system, and we’re defending against cyberattacks against our critical infrastructure.โ
Addressing global threats โ including those posed by domestic extremists and radical Islamic terrorism โ Noem said the United States should prepare for heightened risks as it readies major events in 2026, such as the World Cup and the nationโs 250th birthday.
โThese large-scale events will be potential targets for a range of bad actors, and they come with an increased level of risk. DHS is using every tool and authority we have to ensure the safety of U.S. citizens, and our visitors can enjoy next year’s events,โ she said.
๐จ JUST IN: Americans are now demanding the RESIGNATION of Rep. Bennie Thompson (D) after he claimed the unvetted Afghan SH00TING our National Guard in the head was only an โaccident.โ
Rumors had circulated in recent days that President Donald Trump was considering replacing Noem as head of DHS. Trump dismissed the speculation on Wednesday, telling reporters that Noem has been โfantastic.โ
Noem also addressed the rumors in an interview with Fox News ahead of the hearing.
โOh, that’s absolutely not true,โ she said. โPresident Trump and I are doing wonderfully. I’m so proud to work for him, and I’m going to continue to serve at his pleasure.โ
On Wednesday, a House Democrat announced she is drafting articles of impeachment against Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) announced the move on Wednesday, arguing Kennedy has failed in his role. Stevens had previously vowed to file the articles in September.
“Today, I formally introduced articles of impeachment against Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. RFK Jr. has turned his back on science and the safety of the American people. Michiganders cannot take another day of his chaos,” she wrote in a statement posted on social media.
“Secretary Kennedy remains focused on the work of improving Americansโ health and lowering costs, not on partisan political stunts,” Nixon said.
By Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America – Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., CC BY-SA 2.0,
The move comes just days after Stevens’ fellow Democrat, Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.) filed articles of impeachment against War Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Thanedar cited reports that Hegseth issued orders to “kill everybody” onboard a small vessel that was allegedly involved in drug trafficking.
“Pete Hegseth has been using the United States military to extrajudicially assassinate people without evidence of any crime,” said Thanedar. “Former military attorneys have come out and asserted that his conduct constitutes war crimes. We cannot allow his reprehensible conduct to continue, which is why I have filed these articles to impeach him.”ย
He added, โAnd if both parties, if Republicans are willing to look at this for the merit of this case and not just their loyalty to President Trump, this can be done.โ
Thanedar pointed first to Hegsethโs use of the encrypted messaging app Signal to discuss a pending strike on Houthi targets in Yemen. A Pentagon inspector general report made public this week faulted Hegseth for using an unapproved channel to share sensitive strike-related information and warned the practice could have endangered U.S. personnel if intercepted.
The Signal thread drew additional scrutiny after The Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg was inadvertently included in the chat, alongside senior administration officials. Investigators said that exposure of operational detailsโsuch as timing and other strike specificsโcould have put U.S. forces at risk.
Thanedar also cited reporting around a separate episode involving a Sept. 2 strike on an alleged drug-smuggling boat in the Caribbean. According to that reporting, Hegseth ordered military leaders to โkill everybody,โ and a follow-up strike occurred even after survivors were seen in the waterโraising questions about targeting decisions and command accountability.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
Two brothers from Absecon, New Jersey, were arrested Tuesday and charged in connection with alleged online threats targeting Tricia McLaughlin, the Department of Homeland Securityโs Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs and a top public-facing spokesperson for Secretary Kristi Noem, authorities said.
Ricardo Antonio Roman-Flores and Emilio Roman-Flores, who are twins, were taken into custody after investigators alleged they posted violent statements on X about McLaughlin and federal immigration officers, including an alleged call to โShoot ICE on sight,โ according to the account of the case shared by law enforcement officials.
Investigators allege one brother responded to McLaughlin with: โ[The Second] Amendment is in place for moments like this. Shoot ICE on sight,โ followed by: โWe Americans should find you, tar you, feather you, and hang you as we did to anyone serving tyrants before the Revolutionary War.โ A second, partially redacted post attributed to the other brother reportedly read: โShoot ICE on sight.โ
Prosecutors say the threats went furtherโallegedly escalating to talk of torturing and killing McLaughlin โin a medieval fashion.โ McLaughlin has been front-and-center defending DHS enforcement actions on TV and online, and sheโs repeatedly framed threats against officers as downstream of increasingly incendiary politics around immigration.
The charge sheet, as described, splits like this:
Emilio: unlawful possession of an assault weapon, possession of prohibited weapons, conspiracy, terroristic threats, criminal coercion and cyber harassment.
Ricardo: one count of conspiracyโterroristic threats.
ICE Director Todd Lyons said the arrests came within three days of the alleged posts and warned that threats against federal officials will be prosecuted. โWe will find you, we will arrest you, and we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law. We are not afraid of you,โ Lyons told Fox News Digital. He added: โIf you threaten our law enforcement or DHS officials, we will hunt you down, and you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.โ
FOX NEWS ALERT: Two New Jersey brothers have been arrested and charged with threatening to torture, hang, and kiII DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin.
Twin brothers Ricardo Antonio Roman-Flores and Emilio Roman-Flores from Absecon, New Jersey,โฆ pic.twitter.com/78dl6SVmZr
DHS is trying to make a broader point: this isnโt just one ugly thread onlineโitโs part of a threat environment they say has intensified alongside the administrationโs border crackdown. In a DHS release dated Oct. 30, 2025, the department claimed ICE personnel have faced an โ8,000% increase in death threats,โ citing harassment and threats aimed at officers and their families.
The issue has also surfaced in recent disputes over whether public-facing tools that track immigration enforcement activity endanger federal officers. In a Reuters report published Monday, a developer sued the Trump administration after an app that let users share locations of immigration agents was removed from Appleโs store; the administration cited safety concerns for federal officers, while the developer argued the app relied on public observations.
Duncan Lock, Dflock, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Not so fast…
President Donald Trump called on Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas to rebuke demands to step down from critics, calling the justices “fantastic.”
Trumpย made the remark to Politicoย this week as the outlet reported that some members of the Republican Party are hoping the court’s two oldest conservatives consider stepping down before the midterm elections. Their decisions to step down from the bench would enable Trump to nominate conservatives to take their place while the Republican Party is still guaranteed control of the Senate.
“I hope they stay,” Trump said, adding, “‘Cause I think theyโre fantastic.”
Alito, 75, has no plans to retire from the Supreme Court anytime soon, a source close with close knowledge of the justice toldย The Wall Street Journalย in November 2024 after Trump was elected.
“Despite what some people may think, this is a man who has never thought about this job from a political perspective,” a person close to Alito said to the newspaper.
“The idea that heโs going to retire for political considerations is not consistent with who he is,” this person added.
Alito was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2006 by Presidentย George W. Bush.
Thomas is 77 years old. He was appointed to the court by President George H.W. Bush in 1991.
Sonia Sotomayor, appointed by President Obama in 2009, is 71.
In 2022, Thomasย faced widespread calls to step down from the bench or be impeachedย because he would not recuse himself from cases related to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
Investigators on the Jan. 6 select committee revealed that the justice’s wife, Ginni Thomas, sent text messages to then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows urging him to challenge Donald Trump’sย 2020 election loss.
“Clarence Thomas should resign,” Ocasio-Cortez said at the time. “If not, his failure to disclose income from right-wing organizations, recuse himself from matters involving his wife, and his vote to block the Jan. 6th commission from key information must be investigated and could serve as grounds for impeachment.”
Democrats took no action against Thomas.ย
Aย ProPublicaย investigation also found that Thomasโ close friendship with real estate developer Harlan Crow allowed him to accompany the Texas billionaire on luxury vacations on his private jet and yacht, as well as enjoy free stays on Crowโs vast vacation property, among other perks. He reportedly failed to disclose the vast majority of Crowโs gifts.
The ProPublica report prompted several Democratic lawmakers to demand that a strict code of ethics be imposed on the Supreme Court by Congress.
During his first term, Trump had Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett confirmed to the Supreme Court, along with over 200 federal judges.
A key Trump appointee has handed in her resignation…
On Monday, Alina Habba announced she is stepping down from her role as top prosecutor in New Jersey after an appellate court found that Attorney General Pam Bondi had improperly appointed her asย U.S. attorney.
Bondi also announced Habba would serve as the attorney general’s senior adviser, while three Department of Justice officials would take on additional jobs overseeing various activities in the New Jersey court district in the wake of Habba’s exit.
Habba served as President Donald Trump’s personal defense lawyer before the president installed her this year as the temporary head of the New Jersey office.
Once Habba’s term expired, the administration took a series of unconventional steps to attempt to reinstate her, however a three-judge panel found last week that federal vacancy laws did not permit Trump and the DOJ to sidestep the Senate confirmation process to keep Habba in charge.
Fox News reports that the DOJ plans to delegate the U.S. attorney responsibilities in New Jersey to three separate officials, Philip Lamparello, Jordan Fox and Ari Fontecchio.
“I have full confidence in each of these exceptional attorneys and look forward to our continued collaboration as we make New Jersey and America safe again,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.