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    Report: Letitia James Prosecutor Says He Was Told To Target Trump Allies

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    1
    Alec Perkins from Hoboken, USA, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

    New York Attorney General Letitia James is facing a stunning accusation from inside her own office.

    Assistant Attorney General Daniel Wiesenfeld claimed he was instructed “to find and pursue crimes committed by specific individuals and organizations affiliated with Donald Trump,” according to an agency-wide email obtained by the Times Union.

    The Friday email reportedly landed in the inboxes of more than 2,000 employees before abruptly vanishing from the office’s computer servers.

    Wiesenfeld, a prosecutor in the office’s Investor Protection Bureau, specifically accused bureau chief Shamiso Maswoswe of directing him to target Trump, his Truth Social platform and Hewlett Packard without a credible underlying reason.

    The reference to Hewlett Packard apparently involved Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s $14 billion acquisition of Juniper Networks, a deal James’ office has opposed despite its approval by the Justice Department.

    Wiesenfeld accused the attorney general’s office of spending taxpayer money pursuing politically convenient enemies while failing to act aggressively against nonprofit homeless-shelter fraud and antisemitic crimes near synagogues.

    He also urged his colleagues to prosecute known crimes and identify those responsible instead of “targeting individuals and then finding crimes,” the Times Union reported.

    The email was quickly followed by another agency-wide message from James’ general counsel, Kumiki Gibson, describing the controversy as an “internal” matter and assuring employees that no one was in danger.

    James’ office then placed Wiesenfeld on administrative leave with full pay.

    “This is a personnel matter,” a spokesperson told the Daily Caller, adding that the office protects New Yorkers regardless of their political beliefs and “strongly reject[s] any assertion to the contrary.”

    Wiesenfeld is no fringe employee. A former Brooklyn assistant district attorney, he recently worked on one of James’ major cases: an April lawsuit accusing Coinbase and Gemini of operating illegal prediction-market gambling platforms in New York, according to the attorney general’s office.

    The allegations are especially explosive given James’ history with Trump. During her 2018 campaign, the Democrat pledged to investigate and prosecute Trump over his New York business dealings.

    Her office later secured a civil fraud judgment against Trump, his sons and his company. An appeals court upheld the fraud finding in 2025 but eliminated the enormous financial penalty after determining it was excessive, Courthouse News Service reported.

    New York Republican Party Chairman Ed Cox accused James of turning her office into a “political hit squad,” according to the New York Post.

    Even Melissa DeRosa, a former top aide to Democratic ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo, condemned the alleged conduct, arguing that politicized prosecutions are “wrong when either side does it.”

    Longstanding Ground Zero Rule Upends Trump’s 9/11 Plans

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    2
    David B. Gleason from Chicago, IL, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    A rule that has kept politics out of Ground Zero’s Sept. 11 ceremony for more than a decade reportedly helped send President Donald Trump’s anniversary plans in a different direction.

    Trump is now expected to deliver remarks at the Pentagon on the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks rather than travel to the World Trade Center memorial in Manhattan, according to multiple reports.

    The native New Yorker had shown interest in appearing at Ground Zero, but people briefed on the planning told CNN that the president wanted to deliver a speech.

    That presented a problem.

    Politicians have not been permitted to speak during the Manhattan commemoration since 2012. The restriction is intended to keep the solemn ceremony nonpartisan and focused on victims and their families.

    Instead, Trump is expected to appear at the Pentagon, where presidents may deliver formal remarks. Vice President JD Vance will attend the Ground Zero ceremony in his place.

    A White House official told NewsNation that Vance is “still traveling to NYC” and that the Trump administration will be represented at all three sites attacked on Sept. 11, 2001.

    White House spokesperson Anna Kelly also pushed back against any suggestion that Trump’s absence from Manhattan would diminish his connection to the anniversary.

    “As a proud New Yorker, President Trump has spoken about his own experiences watching the horrific events,” Kelly said.

    The president will honor the victims, their families and the first responders who “put their lives on the line,” she added.

    Trump attended the Pentagon observance last year with First Lady Melania Trump. During his remarks, he praised the courage Americans displayed in New York, Virginia and Pennsylvania and declared that the country would “never yield.”

    The official White House account of the ceremony said Trump also participated in a wreath-laying and renewed America’s promise never to forget the 2,977 lives lost.

    Meanwhile, the 25th-anniversary ceremony at Ground Zero will remain centered on the families. Relatives will read aloud the names of 2,983 people killed in the 2001 attacks and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

    Six moments of silence will mark the attacks and collapse of the towers, the strike on the Pentagon and the crash of Flight 93. A seventh will honor those who later died from 9/11-related illnesses.

    Trump’s decision also simplifies a packed travel schedule. The president is expected to leave for Ireland on Sept. 12 to attend the Irish Open at his golf course in Doonbeg.

    The location may have changed, but the White House’s message has not: Trump intends to use the historic anniversary to remember the victims and honor the Americans who ran toward danger when the country was under attack.

    Trump’s Secret Service Rocked By Suspected Betrayal From Within

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    3

    President Donald Trump’s protective agency is confronting a suspected betrayal from within—just weeks after details of one of its most sensitive security operations spilled into public view.

    Three senior Secret Service employees, including communications chief Anthony Guglielmi, were escorted from the agency’s Washington headquarters on Monday and placed on administrative leave, according to RealClearPolitics.

    The officials reportedly had their security clearances suspended, lost access to their government devices and were designated “do not admit,” barring them from Secret Service facilities while investigators examine how classified or sensitive information may have reached the media.

    All three worked in the agency’s communications office and were non-law-enforcement personnel—not field agents.

    RealClearPolitics reported that the Secret Service’s Office of Professional Responsibility is leading the investigation. One source told the outlet that the FBI and CIA are also participating, suggesting the case could extend far beyond a routine personnel dispute.

    The Secret Service has confirmed the suspensions but has not disclosed what the employees are accused of doing.

    “Three non-law enforcement personnel at the U.S. Secret Service have been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation into potential misconduct,” an agency spokesperson told CBS News.

    The agency said its “zero-fail mission” requires employees to maintain an unwavering commitment to honesty, courage and professionalism.

    Placing employees on leave and temporarily revoking their access is standard during an internal investigation and does not prove wrongdoing. The Secret Service has also not publicly connected the three officials to any particular disclosure.

    However, the investigation comes as the Trump administration hunts for the source of leaks involving a clandestine maneuver used to protect the president from an alleged Iranian assassination plot.

    After attending the NATO summit in Ankara on July 8, Trump publicly boarded an older Air Force One while reporters and numerous administration officials watched. Behind the aircraft, however, a catering truck was being used as part of an elaborate escape plan.

    Trump was secretly moved off Air Force One and taken to a nearby Air Force C-32A. He then flew to the United Kingdom aboard the smaller aircraft while reporters and members of his staff continued on the original plane, believing the president was traveling with them.

    The operation was reportedly ordered after U.S. intelligence detected a credible Iranian plot to fire a missile at Trump’s aircraft.

    Trump later confirmed that the military and Secret Service “wanted me to go in a different flight.”

    “Any consequential president has a lot of threats,” he told reporters.

    Several Trump administration officials were reportedly furious when details of the operation became public, warning that exposing classified protective tactics could make it harder to safeguard presidents during future emergencies. FBI Director Kash Patel helped establish an earlier investigation into the disclosure, according to RealClearPolitics.

    The agency is also investigating a separate suspected leak involving Vice President JD Vance’s protective detail.

    In July, an agent was placed on leave after allegedly disclosing operational information about Vance’s travel, including a planned Marine Corps helicopter trip involving the vice president’s son.

    At the time, it was Guglielmi who announced that investigation.

    “Any conduct that potentially threatens the safety of a protectee will not be tolerated,” Guglielmi said in a Secret Service statement reported by CBS News.

    Now Guglielmi—who has led the agency’s communications operation since 2022—is among those sidelined while investigators determine whether another internal line was crossed.

    His attorney, Gregg Bernstein, pushed back against any implication of wrongdoing.

    “Anthony Guglielmi is a professional of deep integrity whose decades-long public record advocating for local, state and federal agencies speaks for itself,” Bernstein told CBS News, adding that Guglielmi is cooperating fully.

    The turmoil presents another major test for Secret Service Director Sean Curran, the longtime member of Trump’s detail who helped shield him during the 2024 assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania.

    Curran was personally selected by Trump to rebuild an agency battered by security failures, communication breakdowns and internal distrust. Six agents were previously disciplined over the Butler debacle, while a government review released by Sen. Chuck Grassley found that senior officials failed to share critical threat intelligence with personnel responsible for securing the rally.

    The current investigation strikes at an even more fundamental question: Can the president trust the people given access to his most sensitive security information?

    There is currently no proof that Guglielmi or the other two employees leaked Trump’s movements. But the decision to pull their clearances, cut off their devices and bar them from Secret Service facilities shows how seriously the agency is treating the possibility that its latest threat came from inside its own walls.

    Trump-Backed Republican Draws Impeachment-First Challenger

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    3
    President Donald J. Trump hosts a Rose Garden Club dinner in honor of Police Week in the White House Rose Garden, Monday, May 11, 2026. (Official White House Photo by Molly Riley)

    Oklahoma Democrats have chosen a political newcomer who is already plotting President Donald Trump’s removal from office.

    N’Kiyla Jasmine Thomas, a nurse making her first run for elected office, defeated attorney and nonprofit executive Jim Priest in Tuesday’s Democratic Senate runoff. Thomas captured approximately 61% of the vote, according to KOSU’s report on unofficial results.

    The victory sends Thomas into a November showdown with Republican Rep. Kevin Hern—and puts her explosive promise to target Trump squarely in the spotlight.

    In a July interview with KOSU, Thomas was asked how she would work with a president whom Hern has fiercely supported.

    Her answer left little room for compromise.

    Thomas vowed that “within my first 100 days” she would work to “impeach, remove and convict” Trump. She added that opponents would have to “pry that pen out of my cold, dead hands.”

    She later doubled down, making clear that removing Trump—not finding common ground with his administration—would be her objective.

    There is one constitutional hitch: A senator cannot impeach a president.

    The House of Representatives holds the sole power to approve articles of impeachment. The Senate conducts the resulting trial and requires a two-thirds vote of members present to convict and remove a president, according to the Senate’s official explanation of the process.

    Thomas, a Chickasaw Nation citizen and nurse from Ardmore, identifies as a democratic socialist, according to KOSU. Her platform also calls for higher teacher pay, expanded access to government-backed health insurance, abortion protections and broader federal civil-rights legislation.

    But it was her impeachment pledge that quickly became the campaign’s defining sound bite after Fox News Digital highlighted the remarks following her runoff victory.

    Thomas’ win capped her second upset of the campaign. She entered the five-candidate June primary with no previous political experience but finished first with approximately 45% of the vote, forcing the runoff against Priest.

    November will be an entirely different ballgame.

    Oklahoma has not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1990. Trump carried the state by nearly 35 percentage points in 2024, while Hern cruised through the June Republican primary with nearly 70% of the vote.

    Thomas will also enter the general election facing a staggering financial disadvantage.

    Her campaign reported approximately $57,000 in total receipts through Aug. 5 and had less than $500 in cash on hand, according to Federal Election Commission records. Hern’s campaign reported nearly $10 million in receipts through June and finished the period with roughly $2.5 million available, FEC filings show.

    Hern, a former McDonald’s franchise owner who has represented Oklahoma’s 1st Congressional District since 2018, also carries Trump’s endorsement.

    “Oklahomans love President Trump and the America First Agenda,” Hern told Fox News Digital after Thomas’ victory.

    He called Thomas “wildly out of touch with the values of Oklahomans” and accused Democrats of focusing on partisan attacks while Republicans work to advance Trump’s agenda.

    Thomas has already proven she should not be underestimated in a Democratic primary. But defeating a Trump-endorsed Republican in one of America’s reddest states—and assembling the congressional votes needed to carry out her impeachment promise—would require an upset on an entirely different scale.

    Trump Scores Major Supreme Court Win In Mail-In Ballot Fight

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    2
    Duncan Lock, Dflock, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

    President Donald Trump scored a major legal victory Monday as the Supreme Court cleared the way for his administration to advance new mail-in ballot safeguards ahead of November’s midterm elections.

    In a 6-3 decision divided along ideological lines, the justices lifted an injunction that had prevented the administration from implementing key portions of Trump’s election integrity executive order in 23 states and the District of Columbia.

    The ruling reverses a significant lower-court setback for Trump, who has repeatedly called for tighter controls on mail-in voting and stronger citizenship verification requirements.

    At the center of the dispute is Trump’s March 31 executive order, titled “Ensuring Citizenship Verification and Integrity in Federal Elections.”

    The order directs the Department of Homeland Security, working with the Social Security Administration, to compile state-specific lists of confirmed U.S. citizens who will be eligible by age to vote in upcoming federal elections.

    It also orders the Justice Department to prioritize investigations and, when appropriate, prosecute election officials or others accused of distributing federal ballots to ineligible voters.

    A third provision directed the U.S. Postal Service to establish new standards for federal ballots sent through the mail. Those standards include uniquely serialized barcodes, approved envelope designs and a federal portal through which election officials would submit information about voters receiving mail ballots.

    Democratic officials from 23 states and Washington, D.C., sued, arguing that Trump was attempting to seize authority the Constitution gives to states and Congress.

    U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani agreed and blocked the administration from implementing portions of the order. The First Circuit Court of Appeals subsequently refused to pause her ruling, prompting the Trump administration to take the fight to the Supreme Court.

    The high court’s conservative majority concluded that the states had sued too soon because the executive order itself only directed federal agencies to begin taking action.

    The order “imposes no obligations on the States,” the court said in its unsigned ruling, meaning the states had not demonstrated the concrete injury necessary to establish standing.

    The majority similarly rejected arguments that Trump’s order immediately interfered with state voter-registration systems.

    “This internal directive does not regulate the States’ voter registration processes,” the court wrote. “Nor does it impinge on the States’ authority ‘to create and enforce a legal code’ for elections.”

    The ruling gives the administration a powerful procedural victory, but it does not settle whether every part of Trump’s order is ultimately constitutional.

    “The Court’s disposition of this application does not mean that any measure taken by the Government to implement the Order will necessarily be lawful,” the majority cautioned. “On that score, time will tell.”

    The practical impact before November also remains uncertain. The Postal Service has finalized a rule establishing its new ballot-mail standards, but the agency said it would not enforce those changes for the 2026 election while two court injunctions remained in place.

    Monday’s ruling lifts one of those injunctions. A separate order issued in League of Women Voters of Massachusetts v. Trump still stands, meaning the administration may need additional relief before the Postal Service can fully implement its plan.

    The Postal Service said it intends to move quickly if that remaining barrier is removed, according to the agency’s final rule scheduled for publication in the Federal Register.

    Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented.

    Jackson accused the majority of injecting “chaos and uncertainty” into the midterm elections by forcing states to wait before challenging federal actions that could alter their voting procedures.

    For Trump, however, Monday’s decision removes a major obstacle at a critical moment. With control of Congress hanging in the balance, the administration can now continue building its citizenship-verification system and pressing ahead with its wider election integrity agenda while the remaining courtroom battles play out.

    Stand with President Trump against fraud, waste & abuse – he can’t beat the machine without YOU.

    Tulsi Gabbard Shares Hopeful Update on Husband’s Rare Cancer Battle

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    0
    Tulsi Gabbard via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    Former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard shared an emotional but hopeful update on her husband’s battle with an extraordinarily rare form of bone cancer, revealing that doctors believe they successfully removed all cancerous tissue during surgery.

    In a three-minute video posted to X, Gabbard opened up about the grueling operation and difficult recovery her husband, Abraham Williams, has endured since being diagnosed with sacral chordoma earlier this year.

    “A few weeks after the surgery was done, the pathologist and the doctors said that they are confident that they were able to cut out all of the cancerous bone and tissue,” Gabbard said, according to Fox News.

    Nearly three months after the operation, Williams is now participating in what Gabbard described as a “very rigorous physical therapy program.”

    “He gets frustrated a lot because he wants to be able to make progress faster, and sometimes he’s pushed a little bit too far, but overall, Abraham is progressing very well,” she said.

    Still, Gabbard cautioned that the couple’s ordeal is far from finished.

    “The reality is that the battle isn’t over yet,” she said.

    Williams will require frequent MRI scans to monitor whether the cancer returns in the same location or spreads elsewhere.

    Sacral chordoma is a slow-growing cancer that forms near the base of the spine. According to the National Cancer Institute, approximately one in every million people worldwide is diagnosed with chordoma each year. Surgery is the preferred treatment when possible, but removing the entire tumor can be difficult because of its proximity to nerves, blood vessels and other critical tissue.

    Gabbard said Williams was given a choice between radiation and an invasive operation requiring surgeons to remove part of his sacrum and tailbone. The couple opted for surgery.

    The nearly eight-hour procedure was successful, but the immediate aftermath was harrowing.

    As Williams emerged from heavy anesthesia, his body reacted severely to the drugs. Gabbard recalled that he repeatedly insisted on trying to walk—with the assistance of nurses—even as he became sick.

    “He would take a few steps. He would throw up as he was trying to walk around, but he kept going,” she said.

    Williams also declined narcotic pain medication, forcing him to push through the intense postoperative pain with other forms of treatment, Gabbard said.

    The diagnosis prompted Gabbard to resign from President Donald Trump’s Cabinet in May so she could support her husband throughout his treatment. Her departure became effective June 30.

    “At this time, I must step away from public service to be by his side and fully support him through this battle,” Gabbard wrote in her resignation letter.

    In Thursday’s video, Gabbard thanked God, Williams’ medical team and the countless people who sent prayers and well wishes during the family’s ordeal.

    “We are so grateful to God for His unconditional love, for being our shelter, for being our peace and our strength,” she said.

    The deeply personal message ended with Williams stepping into view and wrapping his wife in a tight embrace.

    “Love you, darlin’,” he told her.

    “I love you,” Gabbard replied.

    Stand with President Trump against fraud, waste & abuse – he can’t beat the machine without YOU.

    Al Green Files New Articles Of Impeachment Against Trump

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    5
    President Donald J. Trump visits the El Arepazo Doral restaurant, Monday, March 9, 2026, in Miami, Florida. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok)

    A House Democrat is once again moving to impeach President Donald Trump, reviving a fight that has repeatedly failed to gain traction even within his own party.

    Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) introduced new articles of impeachment Monday accusing Trump of committing “high crimes and misdemeanors” over his administration’s immigration enforcement policies, according to The Hill.

    Green’s resolution takes particular aim at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), accusing Trump of operating the agencies as “vicious, quota-driven, unaccountable paramilitary police forces.”

    The resolution alleges the Trump administration has violated constitutional protections involving free speech, privacy, due process and equal protection through its immigration crackdown.

    Green has tried this before — repeatedly.

    Last year, the Texas Democrat introduced an article of impeachment accusing Trump of bypassing Congress when the U.S. launched strikes against Iranian nuclear sites. When Green forced the issue to the House floor, lawmakers overwhelmingly rejected the effort in a 344-79 vote, with most Democrats joining Republicans to shut it down, The Hill reported.

    Green has been pushing to impeach Trump since his first administration, becoming the first Democrat to force impeachment articles onto the House floor during Trump’s first term.

    His latest effort comes with an added political wrinkle: Green is already on his way out of Congress. He lost the Democratic primary runoff for Texas’ 18th Congressional District to Rep. Christian Menefee in May.

    This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

    Iranian State TV Airs Chilling Barron Trump Kill Video, Touts Alleged $10M Bounty

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    1
    The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    Iranian state television aired a sinister propaganda video threatening Barron Trump, claiming the regime is tracking President Donald Trump’s youngest son and invoking an alleged $10 million reward for targeting him.

    The roughly three-minute segment aired on Iran’s Channel 3 under a title translated by Euronews as “Where and how should we kill Barron Trump?” The title appeared in blood-red lettering as the video displayed surveillance-style graphics and purported information about the 20-year-old’s movements, education and online activity.

    The broadcast claimed Barron is “fully monitored” and suggested its creators had identified accounts he uses for gaming and social media. It also displayed people and locations allegedly connected to him while depicting attempts to penetrate layers of Secret Service protection, according to Iran International.

    None of those operational claims has been independently verified. Iran International reported that the segment relied heavily on dramatized graphics and offered no evidence that anyone associated with Tehran had successfully reached Barron or breached his security.

    Still, the decision to broadcast an assassination fantasy involving the president’s son on state television marked a disturbing escalation in Iran’s threats against the Trump family.

    Toward the end of the segment, the narrator reportedly declared that “many would be willing” to accept a $10 million reward connected to targeting Barron.

    “This is just the beginning,” the video warned. “Barron Trump, wait for us.”

    The broadcast followed a similar propaganda campaign targeting first lady Melania Trump. In July, Iran’s IRGC-linked Tasnim News Agency circulated a video titled “How to Kill Melania Trump,” which purported to reveal her movements and security routes, Mediaite reported.

    Iranian media has also circulated material targeting Trump himself, including purported details about his motorcade routes and possible security vulnerabilities.

    Although Tehran’s latest video may be propaganda, Iran has previously been accused of moving beyond rhetoric and attempting to organize assassinations on American soil.

    In 2024, the Justice Department charged alleged IRGC asset Farhad Shakeri after authorities said the Iranian regime tasked him with developing a plan to assassinate Trump. Shakeri allegedly operated a network of criminal associates used to conduct surveillance and arrange attacks against targets inside the United States.

    The IRGC has publicly sought revenge for Trump’s 2020 drone strike that killed Iranian Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani, according to the Justice Department.

    Federal prosecutors separately charged an IRGC member in 2022 with attempting to pay $300,000 for the assassination of former Trump national security adviser John Bolton in Washington or Maryland.

    The danger surrounding Trump became especially visible last month when security officials secretly altered the president’s aircraft movements as he departed Turkey. CBS News reported that the extraordinary precautions followed intelligence concerning a credible threat from Iran and its proxies.

    The latest threat comes as the war with Iran continues and the Trump administration prepares another round of punishing economic measures against Tehran.

    Trump declared Monday that Iran was “completely collapsing,” while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described the coming sanctions campaign as an “economic D-Day” and “the single greatest financial offensive ever marshaled against an adversary.”

    Take the Voter Verification Questionnaire before the deadline and make sure your records are up to date!

    ‘Not in the Running’: Alina Habba Blasts Press Secretary Buzz as Scott Jennings Surges

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    1
    By Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America - Karoline Leavitt, CC BY-SA 2.0,

    Alina Habba just blew up the White House press secretary sweepstakes.

    The longtime Trump ally and former personal attorney publicly rejected speculation that she could replace outgoing press secretary Karoline Leavitt, insisting that she is not chasing another job in the administration.

    “Flattered by the Kalshi odds, but I’m not in the running for any job,” Habba wrote Wednesday on X, according to Fox News Digital.

    Habba also took a swipe at the unnamed sources driving the chatter, saying she would like them to tell her if she was getting a new post before declaring: “Fake news remains the undefeated champ.”

    The denial landed with immediate force. Habba had been sitting atop the Kalshi prediction market with a 35% chance of getting the job, Fox News reported. After her post, CNN conservative commentator Scott Jennings moved ahead of her in the betting.

    But those odds measure traders’ expectations—not the White House’s intentions. President Donald Trump has not publicly identified a favorite, and the administration has not announced a successor.

    A Sudden Vacancy at the Podium

    Leavitt, 28, is scheduled to leave the White House at the end of August after recently returning from maternity leave. She said the demands of the job made it impossible to be the mother she wanted to be to her two young children, calling her departure a “bittersweet decision.”

    Trump said Leavitt would remain one of his top outside advisers and continue working with Republicans ahead of the November midterm elections.

    Her exit creates a difficult opening at one of the most visible—and punishing—jobs in Washington. Leavitt became the youngest White House press secretary in history when she took the podium at 27 and quickly emerged as one of Trump’s most aggressive defenders.

    Trump senior political adviser James Blair told Fox News that Leavitt would be a “really hard act to follow” and warned that her successor would operate under a “microscope” as the fight for Congress intensifies.

    Why Habba Looked Like a Contender

    Habba’s name made sense on paper. She became nationally known while defending Trump through his civil and criminal legal battles, then served as a high-profile campaign surrogate during his 2024 run.

    She later worked as a counselor to the president and served as New Jersey’s interim U.S. attorney before moving into her current role as senior adviser to the attorney general for U.S. attorneys.

    She had also been floated for the press secretary job after Trump’s 2024 victory. At the time, Habba said she was flattered but believed her talents belonged elsewhere. Her latest denial was even sharper: She said she was not in the running for any job.

    Scott Jennings Moves Into the Spotlight

    With Habba batting down the story, the focus is now shifting to Jennings—a combative Trump defender who regularly spars with liberal panelists on CNN.

    Jennings has not offered the same clean rejection. When CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins asked whether he had heard from the White House, he joked that taking the job would mean, “I would get to see you every day.” Collins immediately noted that his answer was “not a no,” according to People’s account of the CNN exchange.

    Jennings later called Leavitt one of the best press secretaries in decades but stopped short of confirming any talks.

    The former George W. Bush aide has also advised longtime Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell and worked on multiple presidential campaigns. Trump has praised Jennings publicly and promoted his recent book, Fox News reported.

    The Daily Beast has cited unnamed sources describing Jennings as a leading contender. A later report from the outlet said he met with White House chief of staff Susie Wiles about the role before Leavitt announced her departure, while also reporting that Trump has indicated a preference for a woman. Neither claim has been confirmed publicly by the White House.

    The Rest of Trump’s Shortlist—If There Is One

    White House principal deputy press secretary Anna Kelly is the clearest internal contender. She already sits directly beneath Leavitt in the press operation and handled television appearances during Leavitt’s maternity leave.

    Other names floated in Fox News and TIME include White House communications director Steven Cheung, former Trump communications official Taylor Budowich, conservative podcaster and former administration spokeswoman Katie Miller, former DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin and Breitbart Washington bureau chief Matthew Boyle.

    There may not be an immediate winner at all. The Independent, citing an unnamed White House official, reported that the administration could rely on a rotating cast of senior officials instead of quickly installing a permanent replacement. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Vice President JD Vance and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent took turns briefing reporters during Leavitt’s maternity leave.

    Former Trump press secretary Sean Spicer told Fox News the eventual choice would need a “strong existing relationship” with Trump—a reminder that résumés and betting markets matter less than presidential trust.

    Habba says she was never in the race. Jennings is not closing the door. And with the midterms approaching, Trump now has to decide who gets the next turn at the most combative podium in politics.

    Transgender Plotter Gets 6 Years After Vowing to Kill Scott Bessent

    By
    admin
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    2

    Two miniature vodka bottles, strips of gray cloth, a folding knife—and a plan to kill one of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees.

    That is what federal authorities said Riley Jane English brought to Washington before abandoning an assassination plot against Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and surrendering to police.

    English, a biological male who identifies as a transgender woman, was sentenced Tuesday to 73 months—six years and one month—in federal prison.

    The sentence was two years below the bottom of the recommended range and four years shorter than the 121-month term sought by federal prosecutors.

    Federal records identify the defendant as Ryan Michael English, while defense filings use the name Riley Jane English.

    English pleaded guilty March 26 to one count of unlawful receipt, possession or transfer of a firearm and one count of carrying a firearm, dangerous weapon, explosive or incendiary device on Capitol grounds.

    U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, also imposed three years of supervised release.

    “The offense is very serious,” Contreras said at the sentencing, according to Fox News.

    But the judge concluded that the federal sentencing range of 97 to 121 months was too severe.

    Contreras noted that no one was injured, the makeshift firebombs probably would not have ignited and English surrendered before getting close to Bessent. The judge called the plan “basically impossible to succeed.”

    The probation department had recommended a five-year prison term. English has already spent roughly 20 months in custody and will receive credit for that time.

    English’s bizarre path to the Capitol began in South Deerfield, Massachusetts, on Jan. 26, 2025.

    According to Roll Call, English traveled without a cellphone and used a road atlas for navigation. The original plans reportedly included killing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth or House Speaker Mike Johnson and possibly burning down the conservative Heritage Foundation.

    The target changed after English stopped at a library in Chevy Chase, Maryland, and learned that Bessent was facing a Senate confirmation vote.

    A clip of Bessent discussing the federal minimum wage allegedly pushed English over the edge.

    “He said it with a smile on his face and that got under my skin,” English later told investigators, according to court records cited by Fox News.

    English reportedly went to Capitol Hill planning to throw the Molotov cocktails at Bessent’s feet or stab the Treasury nominee if an opportunity emerged.

    But the plan began unraveling almost immediately.

    The security presence was far greater than English expected. There were also concerns that bystanders, including people who had nothing to do with the intended targets, could be injured.

    At approximately 3:12 p.m. on Jan. 27, English approached a Capitol Police officer near the building’s South Door.

    “I’d like to turn myself in,” English said.

    Officers searched English and recovered a folding knife, a green lighter and two improvised incendiary devices from the defendant’s jacket.

    The devices were made from 50-milliliter Absolut vodka bottles. Each had a strip of gray cloth attached to the top and soaked in alcohol-based hand sanitizer, according to the Justice Department.

    Police later searched English’s car, parked near Independence Avenue, and found a 750-milliliter bottle of 100-proof vodka and a gray sweatshirt with fabric cut from its sleeves.

    When investigators asked English to explain the intended target, the answer was unmistakable.

    “I was going to kill Scott Bessent,” English said.

    Investigators also found a handwritten note referring to “nazis” killing “my sisters” and apologizing for “lying and plotting.”

    English told investigators that the plot had been influenced in part by Luigi Mangione, the suspect accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. But English also said Mangione’s imprisonment prompted second thoughts about throwing away a life for a brief act of vengeance.

    At sentencing, English apologized for causing fear and blamed an unstable mental state.

    “I never wanted to hurt anyone,” English told Contreras, according to Fox News.

    The judge said English’s physical and mental-health problems had been worsened by drug use but noted the defendant’s progress toward sobriety while in custody.

    English’s attorneys asked that the defendant be sent to a women’s federal prison. Contreras said he would forward that request to the Bureau of Prisons, which will ultimately determine where English serves the sentence.

    U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro responded to the sentence by warning that threats against government officials would bring serious consequences.

    “My office will not tolerate attempts to intimidate or harm public officials,” Pirro said in the DOJ announcement.

    “The defendant is now a convicted felon,” she added, “and is headed where he belongs: prison.”

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