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    Blackface Incident Threatens To Upend House Race

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    6

    Could this upend the whole race?

    A recently unearthed photo of an incumbent Republican congressman in blackface as part of a Halloween costume years ago could be enough to shift the needle to Democrats in a close House race in New York. Lawler is facing off against Rep. Mondaire Jones.

    Rep. Michael Lawler (R-N.Y.) who is white, is pictured dressed like pop sensation Michael Jackson, complete with bronzer to darken his face in an October 2006 photo reported by the New York Times.

    Lawler does not dispute the photo’s authenticity and has issued an apology to anyone who has taken offense, though he said it was not his intention to dress in blackface:

    “As has been well-documented – most recently by the Daily Beast – I was a so-called ‘Super Fan’ of Michael Jackson, so much so that I was mentioned by name in his biography for my outspoken support of him and the Jackson Family.  I loved Michael’s music, was awed by him as a performer, and by his impact on pop culture,” Lawler said in a statement. “One of my greatest memories is attending his concert at Madison Square Garden before his untimely death.  

    “When attempting to imitate Michael’s legendary dance moves at a college Halloween party eighteen years ago, the ugly practice of black face was the furthest thing from my mind. Let me be clear, this is not that. Rather, my costume was intended as the sincerest form of flattery, a genuine homage to one of my childhood idols since I was a little kid trying to moonwalk through my mom’s kitchen.  

    “I am a student of history and for anyone who takes offense to the photo, I am sorry.  All you can do is live and learn, and I appreciate everyone’s grace along the way,” he said. 

    The race is one of 22 toss-up contests that may well determine which party controls the House of Representatives next year, according to Fox News’ Power Rankings.  

    AOC Campaign Office Vandalized With Anti-Israel Message

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    4

    Police responded after a campaign office for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was vandalized with a painted anti-Israel slogan in New York City.

    The slogan, written in red paint, read “AOC funds genocide in Gaza.” The vandals had also spread the paint all over the entrance to the campaign office before police arrived at roughly 1 a.m. Monday.

    The incident came just days after Ocasio-Cortez voted against legislation from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) that would have cut funding for the Israeli Defense Forces.

    The lawmaker, who has been vocally critical of Israel’s war in Gaza, said she voted against the bill because it only cut funding for the defensive “Iron Dome” and did nothing to cut off the “actual bombs killing Palestinians.”

    Greene’s legislation would have cut off roughly $500 million in funding for Israel. Her proposed amendment, which failed on Thursday, came after Israeli Defense Forces bombed the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza.

    “Israel bombed the Catholic Church in Gaza, and that entire population is being wiped out as they continue their aggressive war in Gaza,” Greene said.

    Voting alongside Greene on the amendment were Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) members of the progressive so-called “squad” to which Ocasio-Cortez also belongs.

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    Democrats Prepare Hegseth Investigations If They Win Congress

    By
    Patrick Houck
    -
    1
    By Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America - Pete Hegseth, CC BY-SA 2.0

    Democratic lawmakers are considering hearings, subpoenas, and renewed impeachment proceedings involving Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, but their ability to act would depend on winning at least one chamber in November.

    Congressional Democrats are preparing an aggressive campaign of investigations into Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth if they win control of Congress in November, according to a new report detailing plans for hearings, document demands, and possible subpoenas.

    The proposed inquiries would reportedly examine the war with Iran, allegations involving civilian casualties and the laws of armed conflict, Pentagon contracts, the removal of senior military officers, internal leak investigations, and Hegseth’s handling of sensitive operational information.

    Some House Democrats have already moved beyond oversight demands. In April, a group of lawmakers introduced six articles of impeachment against Hegseth, although the effort has little chance of advancing while Republicans control the chamber.

    The discussions remain contingent plans, not scheduled proceedings. Democrats would need to capture the House, the Senate, or both in the Nov. 3 elections before they could control committee agendas and pursue the full range of investigative actions under consideration.

    Hearings and subpoenas under consideration

    Democrats are considering a “blitz” of public hearings and inquiries if they gain congressional power, according to Politico reporting.

    Winning the House would allow Democrats to select committee chairmen, schedule hearings, demand documents, and issue subpoenas, subject to House and committee rules. Committees could call Hegseth and other Pentagon officials to testify about military operations, personnel decisions, procurement, and the department’s compliance with congressional oversight requests.

    Control of the Senate would provide separate investigative authority through committees including Armed Services, Intelligence, and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Senators would also oversee Pentagon nominations and could use confirmation proceedings to press administration officials for information.

    Executive branch officials can assert privileges, challenge congressional demands, negotiate the scope of requests, or fight them in court. Such disputes can continue for months or years, limiting the immediate effect of an investigation.

    Existing impeachment articles outline Democrats’ case

    Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.) introduced articles of impeachment against Hegseth in April with support from several other House Democrats.

    According to the seven-page resolution, the articles accuse Hegseth of:

    • Participating in an unauthorized war against Iran and recklessly endangering U.S. service members;
    • Violating the law of armed conflict and permitting attacks that caused civilian casualties;
    • Mishandling sensitive military information;
    • Obstructing congressional oversight;
    • Abusing his authority and politicizing the military; and
    • Engaging in conduct the sponsors contend brought disrepute upon the United States and its armed forces.

    The Pentagon dismissed the effort when the articles were introduced.

    “This is just another Democrat trying to make headlines as the Department of War decisively and overwhelmingly achieved the Presidents’ objectives in Iran,” Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson said.

    “Secretary Hegseth will continue to protect the homeland and project peace through strength,” Wilson added. “This is just another charade in an attempt to distract the American people from the major successes we have had here at the Department of War.”

    Iran and Pentagon leadership take center stage

    The Iran war would likely become one of the largest components of any Democratic-led investigation.

    The impeachment resolution cites a Feb. 28 bombing of a girls’ school in Iran that killed 168 people. A preliminary U.S. assessment reportedly concluded that American forces were “likely” responsible but did not intentionally target the school and may have struck it by mistake. Any congressional investigation would be expected to examine targeting procedures, intelligence assessments, command decisions, and the administration’s legal justification for military operations.

    Democrats also want to examine allegations involving other military strikes and determine whether U.S. forces complied with the law of armed conflict. The Pentagon has disputed accusations that its operations deliberately targeted civilians.

    Personnel decisions present another point of conflict. Democrats have criticized Hegseth over the removal of senior officers and what they describe as the politicization of military leadership. The administration has defended personnel changes as necessary to restore accountability, readiness, and a focus on combat effectiveness.

    Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.) recently said lawmakers had not received a briefing on a Pentagon investigation into leaks concerning U.S. weapons stockpiles. Crow, a member of both the House Armed Services and Intelligence committees, accused Hegseth of creating “an environment of fear.”

    “Certainly, stopping leaks and protecting classified information is really important, and I would always support that,” Crow said. “The problem is the broader context that Pete Hegseth has created here.”

    Pentagon officials said the investigation did not subject every senior military leader to polygraph examinations and that no one failed the tests.

    Impeachment would face a much higher barrier

    A Democratic House could revive the existing articles, introduce new charges, or conduct hearings before deciding whether to proceed. Impeachment requires only a majority vote in the House.

    Removing Hegseth from office would be far more difficult. The Senate would have to hold a trial, and conviction requires a two-thirds vote of senators present. Unless Democrats won an overwhelming Senate majority, removal would require substantial Republican support.

    Only two Cabinet officials have been impeached. Secretary of War William Belknap was impeached in 1876 but acquitted by the Senate. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas was impeached by the Republican-controlled House in 2024, but the Democratic-controlled Senate dismissed the charges without conducting a full trial.

    For that reason, hearings and subpoenas are substantially more plausible than Hegseth’s removal. Democratic control of even one chamber could subject the Pentagon to sustained public scrutiny, but impeachment would remain only the first step in a much more demanding constitutional process.

    The November elections will determine whether the plans move from private discussions and minority-party demands to formal congressional investigations. Until then, Democrats can request records and introduce resolutions, but Republicans retain control over whether the House and Senate put Hegseth under the level of scrutiny his critics are promising.

    READ NEXT: Iran Quietly Restarts Ballistic Missile Production Underground

    Republican Warns Stephen Miller Will Cost GOP Midterms

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    1

    Florida state Sen. Ileana Garcia (R), a longtime supporter of former President Trump and co-founder of Latinas for Trump, is publicly criticizing the tone and tactics surrounding the administration’s latest immigration crackdown—warning that internal divisions and inflammatory rhetoric could cost Republicans in the midterms.

    “I do think that he will lose the midterms because of Stephen Miller,” Garcia told The New York Times in an interview published Tuesday, referring to Trump’s White House deputy chief of staff and one of the architects of the administration’s hard-line immigration strategy.

    Garcia, who has consistently supported strong border enforcement and backed Trump’s efforts to regain control of the southern border, stressed that her concern is not with securing the border itself, but with how the policy is being communicated and executed. She placed particular blame on Miller for what she described as unnecessarily aggressive rhetoric that risks alienating persuadable voters—including Hispanic Republicans who favor border security but reject what they see as dehumanizing language.

    The comments follow a volatile weekend in Minneapolis, where federal agents shot and killed 37-year-old Alex Pretti during a protest tied to the administration’s immigration actions. The incident came just weeks after another fatal shooting involving federal authorities in the same city, when ICE officers shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Good earlier this month.

    Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Pretti “attacked” federal law enforcement officers, while Miller went further, describing Pretti as “a would-be assassin” who “tried to murder federal law enforcement.”

    White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt later sought to distance President Trump from Miller’s remarks, telling reporters Monday that she had not heard the president “characterize Mr. Pretti in that way” and emphasizing that the incident remains under investigation.

    Garcia pushed back sharply on Miller’s framing in a post Monday on X.

    “Distorting, politicizing, slandering – justifying what happened to Alex Pretti contradicts the American values the administration campaigned on. He was neither a domestic terrorist nor an assassin,” Garcia wrote.

    “Allowing individuals like Stephen Miller, among others, who represent the government and make hard-line decisions, to make such comments will have long-term consequences. … This is not what I voted for!” she added.

    Garcia’s criticism carries weight within Republican circles. She helped rally Latina voters for Trump during his 2016 campaign and later served in the Department of Homeland Security during his first term. While she has consistently supported deportations of criminal illegal immigrants and stronger border controls, she has previously warned against what she called “inhumane” tactics used to meet deportation quotas, arguing that they undermine public trust and conservative messaging on law and order.

    Her remarks highlight a broader debate within the GOP as Republicans campaign on border security ahead of November’s high-stakes midterms. While voters continue to rank immigration and public safety among their top concerns, some party leaders are increasingly wary that overheated rhetoric—especially following deadly confrontations—could distract from Republicans’ core argument: restoring order at the border, enforcing the law, and keeping communities safe.

    As fallout from the Minnesota shootings continues, political observers warn that how Republicans handle immigration enforcement—and how they talk about it—may prove just as important as the policies themselves in determining control of Congress this fall.

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    Republican Issues Impeachment Warning Over Trump’s Greenland Proposal

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    2
    The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    A Republican Congressman signaled he would move to impeach President Donald Trump if he follows through on his threat to invade Greenland and take it by force.

    In an interview with the Omaha World-Herald, Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) said he personally would “lean toward” voting to impeach the president if he were to follow through on threats to take over Greenland.

    “I’ll be candid with you. There’s so many Republicans mad about this,” Bacon told the paper. “If he went through with the threats, I think it would be the end of his presidency.”

    Bacon, a swing state Congressman who is known to split from his Republican colleagues, has become even more outspoken against Trump since announcing he is leaving Congress at the end of the current term.

    “It’s about whether the United States intends to face a constellation of strategic adversaries with capable friends — or commit an unprecedented act of strategic self-harm and go it alone,” McConnell said. He added that, “following through on this provocation would be more disastrous for the President’s legacy than withdrawing from Afghanistan was for his predecessor.”

    On Wednesday in the Oval Office, Trump snapped at a reporter who confronted him about a potential invasion.

    “It sounds like you would potentially acquire Greenland by force,” the reporter said.

    “No, you’re saying that. I didn’t say it,” Trump said. “You’re telling me that that’s what I’m going to do — you don’t know what I’m going to do.”

    Watch:

    In a speech on the Senate floor Wednesday, former Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) warned that President Trump’s talk of seizing Greenland by force threatens to “incinerate” the nation’s long-standing ties with NATO allies.

    McConnell declared that burning the treaty organization that formed after World War II to contain Soviet aggression would be an “unprecedented act of strategic self-harm.”

    “Unless and until the president can demonstrate otherwise, then the proposition at hand today is very straightforward: incinerating the hard-won trust of loyal allies in exchange for no meaningful change in U.S. access to the Arctic,” McConnell said on the Senate floor, delivering one of the strongest statements criticizing the Trump administration’s talk about potentially seizing Greenland by force.

    He warned that following through on the “ill-advised threats” from the administration would “shatter the trust of allies.”

    “Following through on this provocation would be more disastrous for the President’s legacy than withdrawing from Afghanistan was for his predecessor,” he said.

    Watch:

    He pointed to polling showing that just 17 percent of Americans think trying to take control of Greenland is a good idea and that 68 percent of Americans view the NATO alliance favorably.

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    Trump-Backed President-Elect Levels Stunning Coup Accusation At Colombia’s Leader

    By
    Patrick Houck
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    1
    Abelardo de la Espriella, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Colombia’s President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella suspended the presidential transition Tuesday and accused outgoing President Gustavo Petro of planning a coup to remain in power after Petro refused to recognize the results of the country’s election.

    Petro claims progressive Sen. Iván Cepeda actually won the popular vote in Colombia’s June 21 presidential runoff, despite official results showing de la Espriella prevailing by less than 1 percentage point.

    The certified tally gave de la Espriella 49.66% of the vote to Cepeda’s 48.70%.

    Petro alleges the result was manipulated through algorithms operated from California by Israeli private intelligence companies. He has not released evidence establishing that those companies altered the vote count or that the officially reported results were fraudulent.

    International election observers have likewise reported no evidence of irregularities that would have changed the outcome.

    De la Espriella alleges plan to ‘cling to power’

    De la Espriella, a conservative lawyer and businessman endorsed by President Donald Trump, responded in a video posted to social media.

    He accused Petro and Cepeda of attempting to “cling to power at all costs” through what he called a “coup d’état.”

    The president-elect called on Colombia’s armed forces to uphold the Constitution and disobey any unlawful orders from Petro. He also urged the international community to monitor the transfer of power and called on his supporters to “resist” until his scheduled inauguration Aug. 7.

    Transition process breaks down

    De la Espriella announced that he was suspending the formal transition process, known in Colombia as the “empalme,” during which the outgoing government provides information needed by the incoming administration.

    Petro’s government then halted its side of the handover.

    Finance Minister Germán Ávila, who is overseeing the transition for Petro’s administration, ordered his team to suspend its work in response. Ávila said the outgoing government had “nothing to hide” and criticized statements made by members of de la Espriella’s transition team.

    The breakdown followed days of increasingly hostile accusations between the outgoing president and his successor.

    Election observers defend vote count

    International observers have not supported Petro’s claims that the runoff was fraudulent.

    A European Union observer mission praised the transparency and efficiency of Colombia’s vote-counting process. The Carter Center described the system used to manage the results as reliable, transparent, and fully traceable.

    De la Espriella was formally declared the winner after defeating Cepeda, who had campaigned on continuing many of Petro’s policies.

    The result represented a major political setback for Petro, whose government has struggled with security concerns and a largely unsuccessful effort to negotiate peace agreements with several armed groups.

    Incoming government moves ahead

    Despite suspending cooperation with Petro’s administration, de la Espriella continued preparing to take office.

    He announced six additional Cabinet appointments Tuesday, adding to previously named choices for the defense, interior, finance, and environment ministries.

    The dispute has raised concerns about whether Colombia’s traditionally peaceful transfer of presidential power will proceed normally.

    For now, Petro remains scheduled to leave office and de la Espriella is set to be inaugurated Aug. 7.

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    Trump Rival Eric Swalwell Suspends Campaign

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    3
    Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) announced Sunday that he is suspending his campaign for governor of California, just over 48 hours after multiple reports surfaced alleging sexual assault and misconduct involving a former aide and other women.

    “I am suspending my campaign for Governor,” Swalwell wrote in a post on the social platform X. “To my family, staff, friends, and supporters, I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past. I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made — but that’s my fight, not a campaign’s.”

    The San Francisco Chronicle first reported Friday that Swalwell allegedly sexually assaulted a former aide in 2019 and 2024, incidents in which the woman was said to be too intoxicated to give consent. CNN later reported that four women had accused Swalwell of sexual misconduct, including one who alleged rape.

    Swalwell forcefully denied the claims.

    “They are absolutely false. They did not happen,” Swalwell said in a video posted on X on Friday. “They have never happened, and I will fight them with everything that I have. They also come on the eve of an election where I have been the frontrunner candidate for governor in California.”

    His attorney has also sent cease-and-desist letters to several of the accusers, according to CNN.

    Despite those denials, political support for Swalwell unraveled rapidly. Within hours of the initial reports, his campaign co-chairs — Reps. Adam Gray (D-Calif.) and Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.) — publicly urged him to exit the race. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), a longtime power broker in California politics, also called for him to drop out and said the allegations should be “appropriately investigated with full transparency and accountability.”

    An unsigned letter from members of Swalwell’s congressional office and campaign described the allegations as “abhorrent, beneath the dignity of those serving in public office and betrays the trust of all Californians,” according to Politico.

    Calls for his resignation from Congress have also grown, spanning both parties.

    Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) said she plans to file a motion to expel Swalwell from the House. Expulsion would require a two-thirds vote, meaning significant Democratic support would be necessary. Some Democrats have already indicated they would back such a move if Swalwell does not step down.

    Separate investigations may further complicate his situation. The Department of Homeland Security said Sunday it is probing allegations that Swalwell illegally employed a nanny, while Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office confirmed it is reviewing the sexual assault claims.

    Before the allegations emerged, Swalwell had been widely viewed as a leading contender in the Democratic gubernatorial primary. He had secured endorsements from major groups, including the California Teachers Association and the California Medical Association — both of which have since rescinded their support.

    “CTA’s democratically elected board has voted unanimously to rescind our endorsement of Representative Eric Swalwell in his campaign for Governor of California. We withdraw all support,” the California Teachers Association wrote on X.

    The race is now far more uncertain. Democratic strategists say candidates such as billionaire Tom Steyer and former Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) could gain traction as voters reassess their options ahead of the June 2 primary.

    Swalwell’s political downfall marks a dramatic turn for a congressman who rose to national prominence as one of former President Donald Trump’s most outspoken critics. A frequent presence on cable news, Swalwell served as an impeachment manager during Trump’s first Senate trial and was a vocal advocate for investigations into Trump’s conduct and associates.

    The two have traded barbs for years, with Trump repeatedly targeting Swalwell in speeches and on social media, often mocking him personally and politically. Swalwell, in turn, built a national profile by positioning himself as a leading Democratic counterweight to Trump, including during his brief and unsuccessful 2020 presidential campaign.

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    Ben Shapiro Points to Trump as Reason GOP is Losing Midterms Momentum

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    15
    Ben Shapiro via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    Conservative pundit and co-editor of The Daily Wire Ben Shapiro says former President Donald Trump is the reason Republicans are losing steam as they get closer to the November midterms finish line.

    In a series of tweets, Shapiro said the Republican Party based its midterms strategy on a “miscalculation.”

    “In fact, the entirety of American politics is based on dueling versions of the same false mythology: the Mythology of the Emerging Democratic Minority Majority (MEDMM),” Shapiro said on Twitter.

    With less than 80 days until the midterm elections, Republicans are laser-focused on winning back the House from Democrats. However, even Mr. Shapiro noted that while Republicans remain poised to win back the House of Representatives it’s looking like it will happen with slimmer margins than previously predicted.

    Last week’s Fox News power rankings predicted Republicans to win between 220 and 248 seats in the House, for a majority of between two and 30 seats. That’s less bullish on the GOP than the network’s July projection, which foresaw between 225 and 255 Republican House seats in the new Congress.

    Shapiro concluded by warning that Republicans are playing exactly into Democrats’ hands.

    Pete Buttigieg Signals Openness to 2028 Run

    By
    Seijah Drake
    -
    4
    By NCDOTcommunications - https://www.flickr.com/photos/39320593@N03/53833141855/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=149981273

    Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is offering unusually candid reflections on President Joe Biden’s failed 2024 reelection campaign, acknowledging that the decision to run for a second term may have harmed the Democratic Party — while carefully laying the groundwork for a potential 2028 presidential bid.

    Speaking to reporters after a veterans-focused town hall in Cedar Rapids on Tuesday night, Buttigieg said “maybe” Biden’s 2024 candidacy was a mistake, adding that “with the benefit of hindsight, I think most people would agree that that’s the case.”

    The remarks came amid renewed scrutiny over Biden’s final year in office, spurred in part by revelations from the new book Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again, which alleges that White House aides masked signs of cognitive decline in the then-president. Biden dropped out of the 2024 race in July after a widely criticized debate performance against now-President Donald Trump, a moment that triggered a wave of Democratic defections and calls for him to step aside.

    He was replaced by then-Vice President Kamala Harris, who went on to lose the general election to Trump in November.

    While offering a subtle critique, Buttigieg also defended his former boss’s capabilities during key moments in 2024, citing the administration’s response to the Baltimore bridge collapse.

    “Every time I needed something from him from the West Wing, I got it,” Buttigieg said. “The same president the world saw addressing that [collapse] was the president I was in the Oval with, insisting that we do a good job, do right by Baltimore.”

    Readers should note that the bridge’s reconstruction has yet to begin.

    Buttigieg was one of Biden’s earliest and most high-profile endorsers after dropping out of the 2020 Democratic primary, and later became a key member of the administration.

    Buttigieg’s Iowa visit — which included a town hall attended by 1,800 people, meetings with former 2020 campaign staffers, and a videographer from his political action group Win the Era — has fueled speculation about a White House run in 2028. His decision earlier this year not to pursue an open Senate seat in Michigan, where he now resides, added to the chatter.

    When asked if his trip signaled the start of a 2028 exploratory phase, Buttigieg offered a carefully measured response.

    “Right now, I’m not running for anything,” he said. “What’s exciting and compelling about an opportunity like this is to be campaigning for values and for ideas rather than a specific electoral campaign.”

    Still, when informed that many audience members said they would support him in 2028, Buttigieg responded with appreciation.

    “Of course, it means a lot to hear that people who supported me then continue to believe in what I have to say.”

    Though Iowa’s status in the Democratic primary calendar was downgraded for 2024, it remains a symbolic and strategic stop for presidential hopefuls. Buttigieg famously won the Iowa caucuses in 2020, edging out Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and building momentum that carried him into the top tier of Democratic contenders before ultimately endorsing Biden.

    The Democratic Party continues to grapple with the fallout of the 2024 loss. Biden’s decision to run again — despite growing concerns about his age and health — divided the party and is now seen by some as a major factor in the GOP’s return to power.

    With Vice President Harris having failed to secure victory in the general election and many long-time party leaders aging, figures like Buttigieg are increasingly in focus.

    As Buttigieg tests the waters in early states and maintains a national platform through veterans advocacy and public speaking, it’s unclear whether he’ll be able to emerge as a top potential contender for the next Democratic presidential nomination.

    Report: Trump Says He Will ‘Look At’ Pardon For Gretchen Whitmer Kidnapping Conspiracy

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    1
    Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer delivers remarks during a press briefing at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Mich., on April 29, 2025.​ The visit marked President Trump’s 100th day in office, during which he announced the basing of F-15EX Eagle II fighter jets at Selfridge—underscoring the installation’s growing strategic role. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by 2nd Lt. Paige Bodine)

    Speaking to reporters Wednesday from the Oval Office, President Donald J. Trump said he is open to reviewing the cases of those convicted in connection with the 2020 plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, calling the prosecutions potentially unjust and saying “a lot of people think they got railroaded.”

    “I’m going to look at it. I will take a look at it. It’s been brought to my attention,” Trump said in response to questions about possible pardons for the men convicted in the case.

    “I did watch the trial. It looked to me like somewhat of a railroad job, I’ll be honest with you. It looked to me like some people said some stupid things—you know, they were drinking—and I think they said stupid things.”

    The comments come as President Trump continues to highlight what he calls the Biden administration’s weaponization of federal law enforcement and the justice system—a message that resonates with many conservatives concerned about double standards in legal prosecutions.

    “A lot of people think they got railroaded,” Trump repeated. “And probably some people don’t. But I’ll take a look at it.”

    The case involved Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr., who were convicted in 2022 for what federal prosecutors described as a plot to kidnap Gov. Whitmer from her Michigan vacation home during the COVID lockdowns. The prosecution’s narrative focused on the pair’s frustration over pandemic mandates, which they said amounted to government overreach.

    Fox was sentenced to 16 years in prison, and Croft to 19 years, on multiple conspiracy charges, including a scheme to use a weapon of mass destruction. Prosecutors claimed they were part of a larger militia movement called the “Wolverine Watchmen.”

    However, even mainstream legal analysts and civil liberties watchdogs raised concerns at the time about the FBI’s heavy involvement in the case, including the use of over a dozen informants and undercover agents who appeared to guide, encourage, and escalate the planning efforts.

    Some defense attorneys went so far as to claim that the plot was manufactured by federal operatives, with one legal team calling it a “federal setup from day one.” In fact, three other men tried later in connection with the plot were acquitted on all charges in 2023, further fueling criticism that the entire case may have been an exercise in political theater during a heated election cycle.

    President Trump’s interest in revisiting the case follows his recent high-profile pardon of former Culpeper County Sheriff Scott Jenkins, a well-known Virginia conservative convicted in a controversial cash-for-badges case. Trump described Jenkins as a victim of a “corrupt and weaponized Biden DOJ,” echoing his belief that the justice system has been used selectively to punish his political allies.

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