President-elect Donald Trump’s former adviser Steve Bannon is not afraid to publicly go to battle against billionaire businessman Elon Musk, calling him “truly evil” during a recent interview.
In an interview with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, as highlighted by Mediaite, Bannon sharply criticized Musk, who was tapped by Trump to co-lead the βDepartment of Government Efficiency.β
βI will haveΒ Elon MuskΒ run out of here by Inauguration Day,β Bannon said. βHe is a truly evil guy, a very bad guy. I made it my personal thing to take this guy down.β
Trump is set to take office for the second time next Monday. Muskβs influence in the next administration remains unclear but he has been tapped to help lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) which is tasked with cutting wasteful government spending.
Bannon criticized Musk over the continuedΒ debate over H-1B visas. Musk is supportive of the work program that allows the U.S. to attract international talent. Trumpβs base, however, is not supportive of the program, fueling a fight over the topic.
Musk himself was once an H-1B visa holder, as he is from South Africa.
βThis thing of the H-1B visas, itβs about the entire immigration system is gamed by the tech overlords, they use it to their advantage, the people are furious,β Bannon said.
He slammed Muskβs heritage, calling South Africans the most racist people on Earth.
βHe should go back to South Africa,β Bannon said. βWhy do we have South Africans, the most racist people on Earth, white South Africans, we have them making any comments at all on what goes on in the United States?β
Bannon continued to pile on the criticism, saying Musk has a maturity of a βlittle boyβ and only has an interest in increasing his wealth.
Mike Lindell is no longer merely the most famous Republican running for governor of Minnesota. The MyPillow founder is beginning to pull away from the pack.
A new KSTP/SurveyUSA poll found Lindell leading the Republican primary with 35 percent supportβan eight-point jump since June and a nine-point advantage over his closest rival.
Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth climbed four points to 26 percent, while Kendall Qualls, who secured the state Republican Partyβs endorsement in May, fell six points to 11 percent.
The survey of 478 Republican voters was conducted from July 15 through July 20 and carried a margin of error of plus or minus 5.4 percentage points.
Lindellβs gains stretched across several important voting blocs. According to KSTP-TV, his support among Republican women climbed nine points, while his backing among voters 65 and older surged by 17 points.
The latest results mark a clear acceleration for Lindell. A June KSTP/SurveyUSA survey placed him at 27 percent, followed by Demuth at 22 percent and Qualls at 17 percent.
At the time, Carleton College political analyst Steven Schier said Lindellβs national profile would make him competitive but warned that he would need additional money to preserve his advantage.
Instead, Lindell has widened his lead just weeks before the Aug. 11 primaryβand he is doing it despite the state party establishment lining up behind someone else.
Qualls secured the Minnesota Republican Party endorsement after a chaotic 10-ballot convention marked by lengthy delays and problems with its electronic voting system. But that endorsement has not translated into momentum among the broader Republican electorate.
Lindell received another, far more powerful endorsement on the first day of the new pollβs surveying period: President Donald Trumpβs.
Trump threw his βcomplete and total endorsementβ behind his longtime ally in a July 15 Truth Social post, calling Lindell βone of Americaβs greatest and most hard working Patriots.β (RELATED: Trump Endorses Mike Lindell In Minnesota Governorβs Race)
βMike will be SPECTACULAR!!!β Trump wrote, adding that Lindell would βMAKE MINNESOTA GREAT AGAIN.β
Lindell welcomed the endorsement and made it clear that his campaign was not a publicity exercise.
βI wanted everyone in Minnesota to know Iβm serious,β Lindell told KSTP-TV. βIβm running this campaign. Iβm 100% all in.β
The primary winner is expected to face Democrat Sen. Amy Klobuchar in November for the seat being vacated by Gov. Tim Walz.
Walz abandoned his bid for a third term in January as Minnesota faced mounting scrutiny over fraud involving government-funded social-service programs. In his withdrawal statement, Walz acknowledged that the state had a serious problem and declared that βthe buck stops with me,β while insisting his administration was taking action.
Fraud and government accountability have since become central issues in the race. Lindell has proposed halting payments to providers flagged as high-risk, expanding audits and data analysis, strengthening protections for whistleblowers and cooperating with federal investigators.
Republican voters now appear increasingly willing to entrust that fight to the outspoken businessman.
Early voting for Minnesotaβs primary began June 26, according to the Minnesota Secretary of Stateβs Office. With less than three weeks remaining before Election Day, Lindell has transformed his celebrity and close relationship with Trump into a commandingβthough not yet insurmountableβlead.
A local Democrat Party chairΒ in North CarolinaΒ resigned after he was arrested for allegedly ripping out and stealing roadside signs supporting former President Donald Trump.Β
Lowell Simon, the now former chair of the Moore County Democrat Party, who is also running for North Carolina House in November, was charged with two counts of misdemeanor larceny of political signs.Β
The Moore CountyΒ Democratic PartyΒ announced in a Facebook post on Monday that 68-year-old Simon had resigned as chair “following recent allegations and arrest related to the theft of political signs.”Β
The Moore County Sheriff’s Office said a deputy working in the West End area observed Simon removing campaign signs from the roadside along Seven Lakes Drive at approximately 5:25 p.m. Thursday.
“The deputy, who was responding to an unrelated call at the time, later followed up at Simonβs residence, where the signs were found in his vehicle,” according to the office. “Simon admitted to removing the signs, which were then recovered and returned to their original owner.”
A warrant for Simon’s arrest was issued Saturday. He was released “under a written promise to appear in court,” according to the sheriff’s office, and his first court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 30.
“While we appreciate the hard work and dedication he has shown to the Democratic Party and the community, the Moore County Democratic Party cannot and will not condone the tampering of political signs or any other illegal activity,” the local party wrote on Facebook. “Mr. Simon has offered an apology for his actions, as well as his resignation, both of which have been accepted by the MCDP.”
“My worse angels got the better of me and I removed the signs,” Simon said. “I shouldn’t have done that. I didn’t do it in the stealth of night or anything. I did it when it was five o’clock in the afternoon.”
“We believe in the importance of freedom of expression and speech, and hope that local law enforcement will continue to enforce such laws that protect those freedoms fairly and without bias across party lines,” the local party added. “As we move forward, our focus will remain on electing Democrats up and down the ballot in this critical election. Together, we are committed to promoting the values of justice, fairness, and freedom that our Party holds dear, and we look forward to building a better future for all in Moore County.”
National Republican Congressional Committee ChairmanΒ Richard HudsonΒ warned congressional lawmakers to avoid in-person town halls and predicted that protests are only going to get worse.
The remarks came after PresidentΒ Donald TrumpΒ took to Truth Social to accuseΒ βpaid troublemakersβΒ and Democrats of manufacturing the scenes of discontent at GOP events across the country. In a post on Truth Social,
Paid βtroublemakersβ are attending Republican Town Hall Meetings. It is all part of the game for the Democrats, but just like our big LANDSLIDE ELECTION, itβs not going to work for them!
According toΒ Wall Street JournalΒ Congress reporterΒ Olivia Beavers, Hudson called for the full attention of all present at the closed GOP House meeting on Tuesday before warning that protests would be getting worse and that no one should be doing in-person town halls for the time being.
Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) reportedly stood up and shared that protestors had been picketing outside of her house and were harassing her children.
Hudson went on to claim that Democratic activists were βhijackingβ the town hall events and βdrowning outβ local constituents, another source told Punchbowl Newsβ Jake Sherman. He added that Democrats would be attending the events just to get a βviral clipβ of Republican lawmakers being challenged.
Hudson reportedly recommended that Republicans do virtual town halls or tele-town halls instead, rationalizing that this was a more efficient way of reaching constituents.
P0120021CK-1111: President Joe Biden delivers his inaugural address Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021, during the 59th Presidential Inauguration at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)
One down…
Over the weekend, a popular Democrat governor widely believed to be a top 2028 presidential contender officially took his name out of the running.
Maryland Gov.Β Wes MooreΒ (D) on Sunday said he is βnot running for presidentβ in β28 β knocking out one of theΒ top contendersΒ to lead the Democratic ticket, three years before the election.
Moore, while appearing on NBCβsΒ Meet the Press,Β was asked by hostΒ Kristen WelkerΒ if he plans on serving a full term if he wins reelection as governor next year. He told Welker he does plan on serving the full four-year term β leading her to clarify that means he is removing himself from the β28 field.
βDo you rule out a run for president, governor?β Welker asked him.
βYeah, Iβm not running for president,β Moore responded.
She responded: βYou rule it out?β
Moore then told her βYes, Iβm not running for president.β
At that point, Welker asked him once again to clarify his intentions, asking if he βcompletelyβ ruled it out.
Here is what Moore said:
βIβm so excited about what weβre doing. That weβve gone from 43rd in the country in unemployment to now one of the lowest unemployment rates. Weβve had amongst the fastest drops in violent crime anywhere in the United States of America. Our population is growing. Maryland is moving, and so Iβm really excited about going back in front of the people of my state and asking for another term.β
Watch:
π¨ NEW: Wes Moore just ruled out a run for President in 2028 as the Democrat field gets smaller pic.twitter.com/3hDQLFBZHp
Last month, Kalshi betting market put Moore at 6% odds to be the partyβs nominee β which came in fourth behind California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) at 20%, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) at 15%, and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg (D) at 10%. The president site Polymarket also had Moore as a top five contender.
In 2024, the Maryland Governor faced controversy after falsely claiming to be a Bronze Star recipient on a 2006 White House fellowship application.Β
Moore, who was 27 years old when he applied for the White House position, blamed his Army superiors for the inclusion of the falsehood on the application and said he never corrected the mistake because he was eager to βbegin the next phaseβ of his life, in a statement released after theΒ New York TimesΒ reported on the embellishment.Β
βThese are the facts,β the Maryland governor wrote in his lengthy statement. βWhile serving overseas with the Army, I was encouraged to fill out an application for the White House Fellowship by my deputy brigade commander. In fact, he helped me edit it before I sent it in. At the time, he had recommended me for the Bronze Star. He told me to include the Bronze Star award on my application after confirming with two other senior-level officers that they had also signed off on the commendation.β
Moore noted that his deputy brigade commander βfelt comfortable with instructing me to include the awardβ on the application because he was under the impression that the medal for heroic or meritorious service had already been βapproved by his senior leadership.β
βIn the military, there is an understanding that if a senior officer tells you that an action is approved, you can trust that as a fact. That is why it was part of the application, plain and simple,β the governor explained.
βTowards the end of my deployment, I was disappointed to learn that I hadnβt received the Bronze Star. But I was ready to begin the next phase of my life,β Moore continued.
Moore deployed to Afghanistan as a lieutenant with the 82nd Airborne Division in 2005, according to hisΒ official governorβs biography.Β
Moore was ultimately awarded the Bronze Star in December 2024 for his deployment to Afghanistan.
A Democrat Senator isn’t ready to give up his presidential aspiration quite yet.
West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin signaled that his interest in potentially launching his own presidential campaign has not been deterred by President Biden’s reported re-election plans.
While speaking with Semafor’s Steve Clemmons, Sen. Manchin declined to rule out a bid for higher office.Β
βI donβt know what the next chapter will be, I donβt know [where] the future lies, I really donβt,β Manchin said when asked if he would run for president next year during a question-and-answer session hosted by Clemons. Β
βI can tell you one thing: I feel, like most Americans, weβve got to come together. Americans want to be united, they want to be together and right now weβre going further apart,β he said.
He predicted that voters are going to be looking for βsomebodyβ to bring the country together but didnβt say whether he would be the politician to do that as the next president.
βIβm not saying I have any aspirationsβ to run for the White House, he said, adding a caveat: βIβve been [in Washington] 12 years. I donβt like what I see; I donβt the direction weβre going and Iβm going to work and commit myself to try to get people who want to do the right thing to find the pathway forward, bringing the country back together.β
Manchin has recently criticized Democratic leaders for refusing to negotiate with SpeakerΒ Kevin McCarthyΒ (R-Calif.) over a package of fiscal reforms to attach to legislation raising the debt limit.
βItβs unreasonable for any senator, any congressperson representing the United States government to say, βIβm not going toΒ negotiate,ββ he told reporters on Capitol Hill. βIf you canβt communicateΒ andΒ you wonβt talk to each other, you got a problem.β Β Β
Capitol police have arrested a Massachusetts man who allegedly traveled to Washington, D.C. armed with Molotov cocktails and a knife to kill newly-confirmed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
Ryan Michael βReilyβ English, who turned himself in to U.S. Capitol Police at 3:12 p.m. ET Monday, said he traveled to Washington, D.C., initially planning to kill Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., a police affidavit revealed.
By Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America – Pete Hegseth, CC BY-SA 2.0
But English shifted his target to Bessent after stopping at a library in Chevy Chase, Maryland, and reading that the Senate was voting Monday on his nomination as President Donald Trumpβs Treasury chief, the document said.
CNBC reported English contemplated throwing the Molotov cocktails at Bessentβs feet, according to the affidavit, which was filed in Washington, D.C., federal court. And if he were able to get close enough, English said, he would have stabbed Bessent with a knife.
Bessentβs nomination was confirmed about three hours after Englishβs arrest. President Trumpβs Cabinet nominee received bipartisan backing and was confirmed Tuesday with a 77-22 vote.
English has been charged with unlawful receipt, possession or transfer of a firearm, as well as carrying a firearm, explosive or incendiary device on Capitol grounds.
The affidavit said English approached an officer at the south door of the Capitol and said, βIβd like to turn myself in.β English told the officer that he was carrying weapons, including two Molotov cocktails.
Two officers detained and searched English, finding two devices constructed of 50-milliliter vodka bottles with gray cloth affixed to their tops. They also found a folding knife and a lighter, according to the court documents.
He said he was at the Capitol to βkill Scott Bessent,β the affidavit said.
Police said they searched the vehicle and found a 750-milliliter bottle of 100-proof vodka and a gray sweatshirt with cloth cut off the sleeves.
Ted Eytan from Washington, DC, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
Before transporting English into custody, police said they found a receipt in his pocket with a note written on the back of a receipt:
βJudith dear god I am so sorry. You must understand I can feel myself dying slowly b/c of my heart. This is terrible but I cant do nothing while nazis kill my sisters,β the note read, according to the affidavit.
βI love you. This is awful. Im so sorry. I love u. Please stay alive and heal. you can. you are strong enough. [F—] them for pushing us so far. you dont deserve this. Im so sorry for lying and plotting and lying. Please survive [7 hearts],β it read.
In addition to his initial intention of killing Hegseth or Johnson, English told police he considered burning down the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.
English said that he surveilled the Capitol grounds and figured he would have to kill at least three police officers in order to get to Bessent. English βexpressed acceptance and content with the possibility of suicide by cop,β the affidavit said.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
Lawyers for former President Trump filed a motion on Thursday to dismiss charges related to the 2020 election brought against him by Special Counsel Jack Smith.
In their legal filing, the Trump team claims Smith was unlawfully appointed.
“President Donald J. Trump respectfully requests leave to file this proposed motion to dismiss the Superseding Indictment and for injunctive reliefβwhich is timely and, alternatively, supported by good causeβbased on violations of the Constitutionβs Appointments and Appropriations Clauses,” the filing states.
The Appointments Clause says, “Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the Supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States be appointed by the President subject to the advice and consent of the Senate, although Congress may vest the appointment of inferior officers in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.” Smith, however, was never confirmed by the Senate.
“The proposed motion establishes that this unjust case was dead on arrivalβ unconstitutional even before its inception,” the Trump filing states.
Trump lawyers argued that in November 2022, Attorney General Merick Garland “violated the Appointments Clause by naming private-citizen Smith to target President Trump, while President Trump was campaigning to take back the Oval Office from the Attorney Generalβs boss, without a statutory basis for doing so.”
Trump attorneys argue that Smith “was not appointed βby Law,'” and argue that he “has operated with a blank check by relying on an inapplicable permanent indefinite appropriation that was enacted in connection with a reauthorization of the Independent Counsel Act in 1987.”Β
“Smith was not appointed pursuant to that Act, which expired in 1999. The appropriation contemplates the possibility of appointment by some βother law,β but no βother lawβ authorized Smithβs appointment,” the attorneys continue. “The appropriation also requires that the prosecutor be “independent,” in the very particular, rigorous sense that attorneys appointed pursuant to the defunct Independent Counsel Act were meant to be independent.”
They added: “That is not true of Smithβs appointment, either.”
“For these reasons, Smith should have never been permitted to access these huge sums of money, and his use of this funding violated the Appropriations Clause,” the filing states. “Based on these violations of the Appointments and Appropriations Clauses, the Superseding Indictment should be dismissed with prejudice. In addition, an injunction against additional spending by Smith is necessary to prevent ongoing irreparable harm and to ensure complete relief for the Appropriations Clause violation.”
Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Smith has until Halloween, Oct. 31, to file his response.
First Lady Melania Trump participates in the Senate Spouses Luncheon at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., Wednesday, May 21,2025. (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks)
Things are about to get ugly…
First Lady Melania Trump is threatening to sue former President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter, for $1 billion over “defamatoryβ claims linking her toΒ late financier and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
Melaniaβs attorneyΒ Alejandro Brito demanded that Biden “immediately retract the false, defamatory, disparaging and inflammatory statements made about Mrs. Trump,” which were contained in a video interview with Channel 5 with Andrew Callaghan and posted to Youtube in early August.Β
Read the full letter:
“Failure to comply will leave Mrs. Trump with no choice but to pursue any and all legal rights and remedies available to her to recover the overwhelming financial and reputational harm that you have caused her to suffer,” Brito wrote.
In the video interview, titled “Hunter Biden Returns” video earlier in August, the former first son claimed “Epstein introduced Melania to Trump. The connections are, like, so wide and deep.”
Biden also claimed that “Jeffrey Epstein introduced Melania, and thatβs how Melania and the first lady and the President met.”
“If you do not comply with the above by August 7, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. EST, Mrs. Trump will be left with no alternative but to enforce her legal and equitable rights, all of which are expressly reserved and are not waived, including by filing legal action for over $1 Billion Dollars in damages,” Brito wrote. “You are on notice.”
A source close to the matter told Fox News that Biden did not comply with the requests by the set deadline.Β
After Fox News published the piece, however, Melania Trump got Bidenβs reply addressing the attorneyβs letter when Callaghan posted a further interview with him to YouTube on Thursday.
Callaghan, holding up a copy at the interviewβs opening, declared: βThe day of presidential litigation has arrived!β
βWeβre here, maybe, to give you the platform to apologize to the first lady for your statements that you made about her possible connection to Jeffrey Epstein,β the host said to Biden.
βF*ck that! Thatβs not going to happen,β Biden laughed.
Defending his comments as citation, Biden continued:
First of all is that, what I said was what I have heard and seen reported and written, primarily from Michael Wolff but also dating back all the way to 2019 when theΒ New York TimesΒ β I thinkΒ Annie CarneyΒ and andΒ Maggie HabermanΒ β reported that sources said that Jeffrey Epstein claimed to be the person to introduce Donald Trump to Melania at that time.
Biden added that he would not bow down to pressure or lawsuit threats: βI also think theyβre bullies and they think that a billion dollars is going to scare me.β
I have this to say to them: If they want to sit down for a deposition and clarify the the nature of the relationship between Jeffrey Epstein, if the president and the First Lady want to do that and all of the known associates around them at the time of whatever time that they met, Iβm more than happy to provide them the platform to be able to do it.
The letter comes after the Daily Beast pulled the article detailing allegations by journalist Wolff that Melania Trump was introduced to her husband Donald Trump via a modeling agent connected to Epstein, after a challenge from the first ladyβs lawyers.
“Editorβs Note. After this story was published, The Beast received a letter from First Lady Melania Trumpβs attorney challenging the headline and framing of the article. After reviewing the matter, the Beast has taken down the article and apologizes for any confusion or misunderstanding,” The Daily Beast posted in place of the article. The url for the article appears to have been amended to remove the original headline and now reads: thedailybeast.com/epstein-this-story-has-been-removed.
It also comes after famed Democrat strategist James Carville apologized to the first lady after repeating the same claim.Β
“In last week’s podcast episode, we spoke with Judd Legum,” he said. “After the episode, we received a letter from Melania Trump’s lawyer. He took issue with our title of one of those YouTube videos from that episode and a couple of comments I made about the first lady. We took a look at what they complained about, and we took down the video and edited out those comments from the episode. I also take back these statements and apologize.”
An aide to the first lady, Nick Clemens, toldΒ Fox NewsΒ in a statement, “First Lady Melania Trumpβs attorneys are actively ensuring immediate retractions and apologies by those who spread malicious, defamatory falsehoods. The true account of how the First Lady met President Trump is in her best-selling book, βMelania.β” Β
The New York Times’ Maggie Haberman reports that Donald Trump Jr. said, “I just spoke to my father on the phone, and he is in great spirits.”
UPDATE: 8:15 pm
Two sources briefed The New York Times that a rally attendee was killed in the assassination attempt.
UPDATE: 7:36 pm
New video footage from the Butler Farm Show grounds shows the body of the attempted assassin on the roof of building approximately 400 feet from where President Trump was speaking. Gunfire from Secret Service agents killed him. The suspect’s identity remains unknown.
The shooter on the roof fired at Trump from outside the security perimeter, using the elevated position for a clear line of sight.
The Shooter at the Trump Rally in Pennsylvania can be seen Dead on the Roof of a nearby Building, after being Killed by U.S. Secret Service Agents. pic.twitter.com/6eUpiqfCeL
A witness on a nearby building informed a BBC reporter that he had seen the shooter crawling onto the roof with a rifle and had tried to warn law enforcement for “two or three minutes” prior to the shooting.
this BBC interview with a guy outside the security perimeter who claims he saw the shooter before he fired is absolutely wild pic.twitter.com/vJpKZTxSAe
The Secret Service has confirmed that former President Donald Trump is safe and under protective measures following the shooting at today’s rally. A spokesperson stated that Trump is “fine” and described the incident as a “heinous act.” However, specific details about what transpired at the event remain scant.
The suspect has been “neutralized,” according to law enforcement sources.
A retired two-star general standing behind the president was shot, too…
Former President Donald Trump defiantly raised his fist following an apparent assassination attempt at today’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Moments after the first shot rang out, Trump reached toward his ear and blood streaked across his face.
The shots came as Trump began discussing immigration in his stump speech. Bystanders said the sound resembled that of a small-caliber weapon.
Secret Service agents quickly whisked Trump off the stage, but not before he signaled to the crowd and appeared to shout the word “fight” multiple times.
Billionaire Elon Musk voiced his support for Trump following the attack. βI fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery,β Musk said.
The entrepreneur made a substantial donation to a pro-Trump super PAC backing the Republican nominee in swing states, according to a report from Bloomberg on Friday. The exact amount of the donation was not disclosed.
