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Bush-Era Attorney General Endorses Harris

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Image via Gage Skidmore Flickr

A surprising betrayal…

Former Attorney General to President George W. Bush, Alberto Gonzales is turning his back on Donald Trump.

In the same op-ed, Gonzales called former President Donald Trump “perhaps the most serious threat to the rule of law in a generation.” Gonzales wrote:

The American presidency is the most powerful position in the world. Of course, our constitution and laws, as well as institutions such as Congress and our courts, act as guardrails to that power. The law provides the certainty of accountability and fundamental fairness. Yet it is the president’s integrity, honesty and respect for our institutions that may be the most important and reliable check on abuses of power.

As the United States approaches a critical election, I can’t sit quietly as Donald Trump — perhaps the most serious threat to the rule of law in a generation — eyes a return to the White House. For that reason, though I’m a Republican, I’ve decided to support Kamala Harris for president.

The Republican AG also officially endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president.

In his endorsement, Gonzales defended her from critics who have raised concerns as to why she hasn’t accomplished more as Vice President, pointing the finger at Congress:

Trump and his surrogates will blame her for the economic policies of the Biden administration, as well as the border crisis. Based on my experience, however, a vice president truly has little to no influence on economic policy. A vice president may provide input, but it is the president who is the ultimate decision-maker. That is part of the job of being the president. Further, Congress has as much, if not more, power to affect our economy through legislation. It is as much their failure as Biden’s that child care, housing, gasoline and groceries cost too much. And as for the border, Trump and his supporters in Congress assumed partial responsibility for the tough border situation when they killed bipartisan legislation in order to help Trump’s election chances.

Ultimately, Gonzales wrote that he had more faith in Harris to carry out the duties as Commander in Chief:

Harris, meanwhile, has sworn fidelity to the rule of law as a former local prosecutor and state attorney general. Her record in law enforcement shows a clear commitment to pursuing justice. While I may disagree with some of her policies, I am hopeful she will be open to dissenting views and will act always in a manner respectful of the power of all three branches of government.

In his closing, he added that Harris was “the best suited, able and committed to unite us in a manner consistent with the rule of law.”

Inside The White House Correspondents’ Dinner Suspect’s ‘Manifesto’

The man accused of opening fire outside the White House Correspondents’ Dinner left behind a detailed “manifesto” describing his intent to target members of the Trump administration, “prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest,” according to a copy obtained by CBS News.

Cole Allen, 31, allegedly sent the writing to family members before the attack. In it, he stated that while law enforcement, hotel employees, and guests were not his intended targets, he was willing to harm them if necessary to reach administration officials. “I really hope it doesn’t come to that,” he wrote.

Authorities say Allen charged a security checkpoint outside the Washington Hilton on Saturday night armed with a shotgun, a handgun, and knives. President Donald Trump and other officials were quickly escorted from the event, which was later canceled. A Secret Service agent who was shot during the incident, while wearing a bulletproof vest, has since been released from the hospital.

The suspect’s brother reportedly alerted police in Connecticut after receiving the email, prompting law enforcement to intervene. Investigators later recovered additional writings from Allen’s home in Torrance, California, and his hotel room at the Hilton.

A chilling and ironic tone

Throughout the message, Allen adopted a matter-of-fact tone, at times veering into irony.

“Hello everybody!” he began. “So I may have given a lot of people a surprise today.”

He apologized to his parents “for saying I had an interview without specifying it was for ‘Most Wanted,’” and to colleagues and students for claiming he had a personal emergency. He suggested that by the time the email was read, he might already require medical attention, referring to potential injuries as “self-inflicted status.”

Declared targets — with one exception

Allen wrote that he chose to act because he did not want the administration’s alleged “crimes” to “coat [his] hands.” While he did not explicitly name Trump or the event, he described a plan to target officials in descending order of rank.

He made one notable exception: “not including Mr. Patel,” he wrote, referencing the FBI director, who was also in attendance.

Allen added that he would avoid targeting Secret Service, Capitol Police, or National Guard personnel unless necessary. “I hope they are wearing body armor,” he wrote.

He also detailed tactical decisions, claiming, “In order to minimize casualties, I will also be using buckshot rather than slugs (less penetration through walls).”

Anticipating criticism

The manifesto included a section addressing hypothetical objections to his actions, along with rebuttals.

“As a half-black, half-white person, you shouldn’t be the one doing this,” he wrote as a potential criticism. “Rebuttal: I don’t see anyone else picking up the slack.”

He also referenced his Christian faith, writing that some might argue he should “turn the other cheek.”

“Rebuttal,” he continued, “Turning the other cheek is for when you yourself are oppressed.”

Allen then described various unnamed individuals experiencing hardship, in some cases attributing their struggles to the administration.

“I don’t expect forgiveness, but if I could have seen any other way to get this close, I would have taken it,” he added.

Criticism of security

In a postscript, Allen sharply criticized security measures at the event.

“PS… what the hell is the Secret Service doing? … No damn security. Not in transport. Not in the hotel. Not in the event,” he wrote.

He claimed that if he had been a foreign agent, he could have brought in heavier weaponry without detection. Officials note that while the Washington Hilton hosted the event, it remained an operational hotel with public access, and only specific areas were secured.

Family warnings and prior behavior

Allen’s sister reportedly told investigators that he frequently used “radical” rhetoric and had previously discussed doing “something” to address what he saw as problems in society and government.

She also revealed her brother was a regular visitor to the shooting range, was a member of a group called “The Wide Awakes” and had previously attended a “No Kings” rally in California. 

Political reaction and unanswered questions

The motive behind the attack remains under investigation.

Former President Barack Obama emphasized the lack of confirmed details while condemning political violence broadly.

“Although we don’t yet have the details about the motives behind last night’s shooting… it’s incumbent upon all of us to reject the idea that violence has any place in our democracy,” Obama wrote. He also praised the Secret Service, calling their work “a sobering reminder of the courage and sacrifice” they show.

During a “60 Minutes” interview, Trump reacted angrily after host Norah O’Donnell read excerpts from the alleged manifesto.

“You read that crap from some sick person? I got associated with all stuff that has nothing to do with me,” Trump said, adding, “You should be ashamed of yourself… You’re a disgrace.”

More than 2,500 people had gathered for the annual dinner, which celebrates the First Amendment. Trump, who has typically declined to attend during his presidency, had made a historic appearance this year and has since said he hopes to reschedule the event within 30 days.

The Full Manifesto

To read Allen’s full 1,052-word manifesto as published by The New York Post, with minor edits to improve profanity, see below:

Hello everybody!

So I may have given a lot of people a surprise today. Let me start off by apologizing to everyone whose trust I abused.

I apologize to my parents for saying I had an interview without specifying it was for “Most Wanted.”

I apologize to my colleagues and students for saying I had a personal emergency (by the time anyone reads this, I probably most certainly DO need to go to the ER, but can hardly call that not a self-inflicted status.)

I apologize to all of the people I traveled next to, all the workers who handled my luggage, and all the other non-targeted people at the hotel who I put in danger simply by being near.

I apologize to everyone who was abused and/or murdered before this, to all those who suffered before I was able to attempt this, to all who may still suffer after, regardless of my success or failure.

I don’t expect forgiveness, but if I could have seen any other way to get this close, I would have taken it. Again, my sincere apologies.

On to why I did any of this:

I am a citizen of the United States of America.

What my representatives do reflects on me.

And I am no longer willing to permit a pedophile, rapist, and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes.

(Well, to be completely honest, I was no longer willing a long time ago, but this is the first real opportunity I’ve had to do something about it.)

While I’m discussing this, I’ll also go over my expected rules of engagement (probably in a terrible format, but I’m not military so too bad.)

Administration officials (not including Mr. Patel): they are targets, prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest

Secret Service: they are targets only if necessary, and to be incapacitated non-lethally if possible (aka, I hope they’re wearing body armor because center mass with shotguns messes up people who *aren’t*

Hotel Security: not targets if at all possible (aka unless they shoot at me)

Capitol Police: same as Hotel Security

National Guard: same as Hotel Security

Hotel Employees: not targets at all

Guests: not targets at all

In order to minimize casualties I will also be using buckshot rather than slugs (less penetration through walls)

I would still go through most everyone here to get to the targets if it were absolutely necessary (on the basis that most people *chose* to attend a speech by a pedophile, rapist, and traitor, and are thus complicit) but I really hope it doesn’t come to that.

Rebuttals to objections:

Objection 1: As a Christian, you should turn the other cheek.

Rebuttal: Turning the other cheek is for when you yourself are oppressed. I’m not the person raped in a detention camp. I’m not the fisherman executed without trial. I’m not a schoolkid blown up or a child starved or a teenage girl abused by the many criminals in this administration.

Turning the other cheek when *someone else* is oppressed is not Christian behavior; it is complicity in the oppressor’s crimes.

Objection 2: This is not a convenient time for you to do this.

Rebuttal: I need whoever thinks this way to take a couple minutes and realize that the world isn’t about them. Do you think that when I see someone raped or murdered or abused, I should walk on by because it would be “inconvenient” for people who aren’t the victim?

This was the best timing and chance of success I could come up with.

Objection 3: You didn’t get them all.

Rebuttal: Gotta start somewhere.

Objection 4: As a half-black, half-white person, you shouldn’t be the one doing this.

Rebuttal: I don’t see anyone else picking up the slack

Objection 5: Yield unto Caesar what is Caesar’s.

Rebuttal: The United States of America are ruled by the law, not by any one or several people. In so far as representatives and judges do not follow the law, no one is required to yield them anything so unlawfully ordered.

I would also like to extend my appreciation to a great many people since I will not be likely to be able to talk with them again (unless the Secret Service is *astoundingly* incompetent.)

Thank you to my family, both personal and church, for your love over these 31 years.

Thank you to my friends, for your companionship over many years.

Thank you to my colleagues over many jobs, for your positivity and professionalism.

Thank you to my students for your enthusiasm and love of learning.

Thank you to the many acquaintances I’ve met, in person and online, for short interactions and long-term relationships, for your perspectives and inspiration.

Thank you all for everything.

Sincerely,

Cole “coldForce” “Friendly Federal Assassin” Allen

PS: Ok now that all the sappy stuff is done, what the hell is the Secret Service doing? Sorry, gonna rant a bit here and drop the formal tone.

Like, I expected security cameras at every bend, bugged hotel rooms, armed agents every 10 feet, metal detectors out the wazoo.

What I got (who knows, maybe they’re pranking me!) is nothing.

No damn security.

Not in transport.

Not in the hotel.

Not in the event.

Like, the one thing that I immediately noticed walking into the hotel is the sense of arrogance.

I walk in with multiple weapons and not a single person there considers the possibility that I could be a threat.

The security at the event is all outside, focused on protestors and current arrivals, because apparently no one thought about what happens if someone checks in the day before.

Like, this level of incompetence is insane, and I very sincerely hope it’s corrected by the time this country gets actually competent leadership again.

Like, if I was an Iranian agent, instead of an American citizen, I could have brought a damn Ma Deuce in here and no one would have noticed s**t.

Actually insane.

Oh and if anyone is curious is how doing something like feels: it’s awful. I want to throw up; I want to cry for all the things I wanted to do and never will, for all the people whose trust this betrays; I experience rage thinking about everything this administration has done.

Can’t really recommend it! Stay in school, kids.

Rosie O’Donnell Snaps After Trump Renews Threat to Revoke Her US Citizenship

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By David Shankbone - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3937757

Hollywood liberal Rosie O’Donnell is once again taking aim at President Donald Trump after he renewed his call to revoke her U.S. citizenship.

O’Donnell, who left the country in March to settle in Ireland, addressed Trump’s comments Thursday on her Substack. She insisted that the Constitution protects her from such action.

“He can’t do that because it’s against the Constitution, and even the Supreme Court has not given him the right to do that … he’s not allowed to do that, the only way you’re allowed to take away someone’s citizenship is if they renounce it themselves, and I will never renounce my American citizenship,” O’Donnell said. “I am a very proud citizen of the United States.”

The comedian added that she is working toward Irish citizenship and hopes to enjoy dual status.

“I am also getting my citizenship here so I can have dual citizenship in Ireland and the United States because I enjoy living here. It’s very peaceful. I love the politics of the country. I love the people and their generous hearts and spirit. And it’s been very good for my daughter. But I still want to maintain my citizenship in the United States. My children are there. I will be there visiting and go to see them. And I have the freedom to do that, as does every American citizen.”

President Trump had reignited the feud Wednesday, writing on Truth Social:

“As previously mentioned, we are giving serious thought to taking away Rosie O’Donnell’s Citizenship. She is not a Great American and is, in my opinion, incapable of being so!”

O’Donnell, for her part, accused Trump of using her as a distraction from unrelated scandals.

She also lashed out at Trump personally, continuing her years-long pattern of hostility:

“The president of the USA has always hated the fact that I see him for who he is — a criminal con man sexual abusing liar out to harm our nation to serve himself,” she wrote. “This is why I moved to Ireland — he is a dangerous old soulless man with dementia who lacks empathy compassion and basic humanity.”

This is not the first time the two have sparred. Their public back-and-forth dates back nearly two decades, with O’Donnell regularly launching harsh attacks at Trump and his supporters.

Back in March, when O’Donnell first announced her move abroad, Trump responded pointedly on Truth Social:

“Because of the fact that Rosie O’Donnell is not in the best interests of our Great Country, I am giving serious consideration to taking away her Citizenship. She is a Threat to Humanity, and should remain in the wonderful Country of Ireland, if they want her. GOD BLESS AMERICA!”

A president is not allowed to strip the citizenship of someone born in the United States under the Constitution. O’Donnell, who was born in New York, has her citizenship protected by the 14th Amendment.

Former Senator Laments Anti-Trump Congressman’s Primary Loss

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

Former Utah Sen. and one-time Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney is mourning the political demise of Sen. Bill Cassidy — calling the Louisiana Republican’s stunning primary loss “a loss for the country.”

Cassidy became the first elected Republican senator in more than a decade to lose a renomination bid after getting knocked out of Louisiana’s GOP primary Saturday, ending a political career that had been dogged for years by one vote that many conservatives never forgot: his decision to convict President Donald Trump following the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

“The Senate to now lose an exceptionally brilliant and creative mind, an MD who chairs healthcare, and a person of character,” Romney wrote Sunday on X. “Bill Cassidy’s departure is a loss for the country.”

But Trump had a very different reaction.

The president wasted little time celebrating Cassidy’s downfall on Truth Social, taking a victory lap after years of public feuding with the Louisiana senator.

“His disloyalty to the man who got him elected is now a part of a legend, and it’s nice to see that his political career is OVER!” Trump wrote.

Cassidy’s defeat had long been viewed as a looming possibility in Republican circles. Trump-backed Rep. Julia Letlow and Louisiana Treasurer John Fleming finished ahead of Cassidy in Saturday’s contest and now advance to a June runoff after neither candidate secured a majority.

Sen. John Kennedy suggested nobody should be shocked by the outcome.

“Unless you’re your god’s perfect idiot, the result was predictable,” Kennedy said on Fox News. “Ground control to Major Tom. The polls have shown for well over a year that Sen. Cassidy was in trouble.”

He added that Trump’s endorsement of Letlow “was sort of the icing on the cake.”

Meanwhile, Sen. Lindsey Graham framed Cassidy’s loss as a warning shot to Republicans who break with Trump.

“There’s no room in this party to destroy his agenda or to destroy him and his family as a Republican,” Graham said during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

“If you align with Democrats to drive him out of office, like Cassidy did, you’re going to lose.”

Cassidy, however, used his concession speech to fire off what appeared to be a parting shot at Trump and the election challenges that followed 2020.

“When you participate in democracy, sometimes it doesn’t turn out the way you want it to,” Cassidy told supporters. “You don’t pout, you don’t whine. You don’t claim the election was stolen. You don’t manufacture some excuse.”

For Romney, Cassidy’s exit marks the fading influence of one of the GOP’s shrinking anti-Trump bloc.

The relationship between Romney and Trump has been icy for nearly a decade. Romney sharply criticized Trump during the 2016 presidential race, briefly joined his orbit after the election during a highly publicized meeting over a possible Cabinet role, then became one of Trump’s fiercest Republican critics in the Senate.

Romney ultimately became the only Republican senator to vote to convict Trump during both impeachment proceedings — first over Ukraine and later over Jan. 6 — putting him on a collision course with Trump and many Republican voters.

Cassidy joined Romney in the second impeachment vote, one of seven Republican senators who voted to convict. Now, a few years later, Republican voters in Louisiana appeared to deliver their own verdict.

NYC Mayoral Candidate Kicks Off Anti-Trump Tour

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By Bingjiefu He - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0,

New York City’s Socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani is officially launching his “Five Boroughs Against Trump” tour in the Big Apple.

Mamdani kicked off his anti-Trump tour alongside Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) in Manhattan on Monday morning. He reportedly plans to visit Brooklyn on Tuesday, Staten Island on Wednesday, the Bronx on Thursday and Queens on Friday, Fox News has confirmed

The 33-year-old self-described socialist’s tour is a rejection of the Trump administration’s sweeping second-term agenda and his so-called “authoritarian” attack on working New Yorkers, specifically, immigration and health care reform. 

“There is no borough that will be free from Trump’s cruelty,” Mamdani said on Monday. “We will feel the pain of this legislation, whether we are in Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens or Staten Island, and we will shine a light this week and every week on the costs of this vision that is coming out of Washington, D.C.”

Donald Trump is waging a full-scale assault on American democracy, dismantling our institutions, attacking our universities and our scientific research base, using government power to serve himself and his donors, and targeting New York City because New Yorkers have always seen him for what he is – a narcissistic, wannabe dictator,” Nadler said during the event on Monday.

Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and incumbent Mayor Eric Adams are also running as an independents, and CEO of the Guardian Angels, Curtis Sliwa, is the Republican nominee. 

“Comrade Mamdani is the American people’s worst nightmare,” White House spokeswoman, Abigail Jackson, told Fox News Digital. “His communist policies will crater our economy, increase crime, crowd out Americans with free health care for illegal immigrants, and defund the brave men and women of law enforcement who keep us safe.”

The White House added that “Mamdani’s idea of ‘immigration reform’ is no borders and amnesty for all the violent criminal illegal aliens that Joe Biden released into our country. The American people have repeatedly rejected this Communist agenda and the more Mamdani shares his radical policies, the more the American people will recoil.” 

The New York Times reported last week that Trump recently spoke on the phone with Cuomo and has been speaking with associates about which candidate has the best chance to beat Mamdani in November. Meanwhile, Mamdani has described how his administration would be Trump’s “worst nightmare.”

“We see far too many parallels between Donald Trump and Andrew Cuomo, far too many stories that make clear that both administrations have been characterized by corruption, by a sense of impunity, by an inability of an executive to understand that no means no, a prioritization of the interests of billionaires over working people, and an agenda that is driven by little else beyond the retention and accumulation of power,” Mamdani said Monday. 

Trump Scores Legal Victory, Case Against Hillary Clinton Resuscitated – What’s Next?

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Hillary Clinton via Gage Skidmore Flickr

A federal appeals court on Friday granted former President Donald Trump more time to file a crucial document in his effort to revive his failed lawsuit against Hillary Clinton.

The lawsuit, originally filed in March 2022, accuses Clinton, the Democratic National Committee, former FBI Director James Comey and others of rigging the 2016 presidential election. Trump’s legal team claims the defendants engaged in a conspiracy to “discredit, delegitimize and defame” him during his first presidential campaign.

Trump’s request for additional time was aimed at resuscitating the racketeering (RICO) suit. His legal team also sought to expand their arguments in the case.

Law & Crime reports:

Now, in the waning days of his third bid for public office, the underlying lawsuit is long-since dead and gone – dismissed as “frivolous” and “hyperbole” by a district court in Florida in September 2022 – but remains on appellate life support in the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.

In a terse order, Trump-appointed U.S. Circuit Judge Kevin C. Newsom gave Trump an opportunity to stretch the process a bit further – and to opine about the issues at stake in the appeal at length.

“Appellants’ unopposed motion to exceed the word limitation in their consolidated reply brief and to enlarge the time to file that brief is GRANTED,” the judge’s order reads. “The consolidated reply brief, which may not exceed 10,000 words, is due by September 27, 2024.”

In late August, Trump asked Clinton’s counsel for consent in order to obtain the since-granted extension – citing “pressing hearings occurring in other cases.” The original deadline was Aug. 30. The original word limit, under court rules, was 6,500 words.

Trump’s lawyers replied a few days later with a detailed request for an extension, which the judge found persuasive.

“The interests of justice and judicial economy will be served by permitting this extension of time in the context of the multiple consolidated appeals,” Trump’s attorneys wrote. “Appellants’ counsel conferred with Appellees’ counsel regarding the relief sought in this motion and all Appellees oppose this extension request.”

Following the judge’s decision, Clinton reluctantly agreed to the extension without objection.

This article originally appeared on American Liberty News. It is republished with permission.

READ NEXT: Jaw-Dropping Revelation: GOP Sensation Takes Down CNN Competitor For Creepy Behavior!

Manhattan District Attorney Opposes Push To Dismiss Trump Conviction

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

Manhattan prosecutors on Tuesday said they will oppose President-elect Trump’s demand to dismiss his criminal hush money.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D) in the new letter said he won’t resist adjourning Trump’s sentencing next week so the judge can receive further briefing on the issue. 

“No current law establishes that a president’s temporary immunity from prosecution requires dismissal of a post-trial criminal proceeding that was initiated at a time when the defendant was not immune from criminal prosecution and that is based on unofficial conduct for which the defendant is also not immune,” Bragg wrote.  

“Rather, existing law suggests that the Court must balance competing constitutional interests and proceed ‘in a manner that preserves both the independence of the Executive and the integrity of the criminal justice system,’” he said. 

Bragg signed the filing himself – a departure from the office’s typical practice. 

Trump’s team celebrated the development.

“This is a total and definitive victory for President Trump and the American People who elected him in a landslide. The Manhattan DA has conceded that this Witch Hunt cannot continue,” Steven Cheung, Trump’s campaign spokesperson and incoming White House communications director, said in a statement. 

Judge Juan Merchan, who oversees the case, must decide whether to push back the Nov. 26 sentencing, toss Trump’s conviction altogether or move forward despite his election victory.   

Trump was convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records tied to a hush money payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels to conceal an alleged affair, which he denies, ahead of the 2016 presidential election. 

This is a breaking news story. Click refresh for the latest updates.

Trump Endorses Former Fox News Host In California Gubernatorial Race

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Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

President Donald Trump is throwing his support behind former Fox News host Steve Hilton in California’s 2026 gubernatorial race, issuing a forceful endorsement as Republicans look to compete in a state long dominated by Democrats.

“I have known and respected Steve Hilton, who is running for Governor of California, for many years,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post announcing his backing.

He is a truly fine man, one who has watched as this once great State has gone to Hell. Gavin Newscum and the Democrats have done an absolutely horrendous job. People are fleeing, crime is increasing, and Taxes are the highest of any State in the Country, maybe the World. Steve can turn it around, before it is too late, and, as President, I will help him to do so! With Federal help, and a Great Governor, like Steve Hilton, California can be better than ever before! Steve Hilton has my COMPLETE & TOTAL ENDORSEMENT. He will be a GREAT Governor and, importantly, WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!!! President DONALD J. TRUMP.

Hilton is one of more than a dozen Republicans vying for their party’s nomination in the race to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. A former adviser to British Prime Minister David Cameron, Hilton later became a prominent conservative media figure in the U.S., hosting The Next Revolution on Fox News from 2017 to 2023.

His candidacy has also drawn support from high-profile conservative figures, including former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and actor Jon Voight, helping to elevate his profile in an already crowded GOP field.

On the Democratic side, the race is shaping up to be equally competitive — and potentially fragmented. Declared candidates include Rep. Eric Swalwell, former Rep. Katie Porter, and billionaire donor Tom Steyer, with the possibility of additional entrants. Because California uses a “top-two” primary system — where all candidates compete on the same ballot regardless of party and the top two vote-getters advance to the general election — a crowded Democratic field could split the vote.

That dynamic has, in past elections, created an opening for Republicans to consolidate support behind a single candidate and potentially secure a spot in the general election, even in a heavily blue state. If Democratic voters divide their support among multiple well-funded contenders, it raises the possibility — however narrow — of an unexpected general election matchup.

Hilton, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in London, has leaned into his outsider profile and policy background. In addition to his media career, he has been active in policy circles and previously called for investigations into alleged voter fraud following the 2020 presidential election.

Trump’s endorsement gives Hilton an early boost in the Republican primary and signals where the former president’s political influence may shape the race. It also aligns Hilton closely with Trump’s broader message on crime, taxes, and governance — themes Republicans hope will resonate with voters frustrated by California’s high cost of living and quality-of-life concerns.

The 2026 election will determine who replaces Newsom, who cannot seek another term due to term limits. While Democrats remain favored in statewide contests, the structure of the primary — combined with a divided field — could make this race more competitive than usual, particularly if one Republican emerges as a clear standard-bearer.

Candace Owens Gets Swift Backlash After Unveiling New Project Targeting Erika Kirk

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Image via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Candace Owens announced Monday that her show will return to the air on Wednesday with a new “investigative series” targeting Erika Kirk, the widow of slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk — and the backlash was immediate.

The teaser trailer, which Owens shared on X, opens with news coverage of Charlie Kirk’s assassination before pivoting sharply to its apparent target: his widow. The trailer splices together clips of Erika Kirk with critical commentary about her, references to “Zionists” and Israel, and even an implication that the Turning Point USA CEO was somehow connected to a Romanian human trafficking scandal.

The series is titled “Bride of Charlie,” and its promotional banner depicts Erika wearing a crown — imagery that many critics have described as taunting and grotesque given the circumstances.

Owens, who has promoted a range of conspiracy theories about her former colleague’s death, initially claimed she would stop discussing the matter if Erika asked her to. Over time, however, her commentary shifted. What began as insinuation evolved into increasingly direct suggestions that the widow herself may have played a role in betraying her husband.

In the hours after Owens publicized the project, social media filled with condemnation from across the political spectrum.

“Everyday, there’s some new line being crossed by this lunatic that makes me wonder whether certain people will finally speak up,” mused RedState’s Bonchie. “They won’t, though. Not even this will be enough, and it’s probably time to start asking why they are so invested in Owens.”

The timing of Owens’ blistering attack is especially striking. It comes just as the criminal case against Tyler Robinson — the man accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk at a Sept. 10 event at Utah Valley University — reaches a critical juncture.

On Tuesday morning at 10:30 a.m. local time, Judge Tony Graf is scheduled to rule during a WebEx hearing on whether to disqualify state prosecutors over an alleged conflict of interest. Robinson is expected to listen from jail.

The defense has argued that a conflict exists because one of the prosecutors’ children was present at the university event where Kirk was killed. According to Robinson’s attorney, Richard Novak, that connection could compromise the integrity of the prosecution — particularly in a case where the state is seeking the death penalty.

There have already been two hearings on the issue.

During a Feb. 3 proceeding, Novak questioned Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray in an effort to determine when prosecutors decided to pursue capital punishment — a decision that was publicly announced shortly after Robinson’s arrest. An unnamed senior prosecutor, identified only as “Prosecutor A,” also testified about the office’s internal handling of the case and its decision to disclose the child’s presence to the defense.

The prosecutor said there was no recollection of a specific conversation with Gray about how to proceed given the child’s presence, though it was acknowledged that Gray routinely consults senior prosecutors in death penalty cases. The testimony also revealed that Gray expressed early on that he intended to seek the death penalty and wanted that decision announced at the same time charges were filed — earlier than is typical, as such notices often follow a preliminary hearing.

For its part, the state maintains there is no conflict of interest. Prosecutors have argued in court filings that thousands of people witnessed the shooting and that the child in question did not have a direct line of sight to the alleged gunman. Even if a conflict were found, the state contends, it would not justify disqualifying the entire prosecutorial team.

As the court weighs a decision that could significantly alter the course of the trial, Owens’ decision to launch a provocative series targeting the victim’s widow has only deepened the sense of outrage surrounding an already tragic case.

Veteran Announces Bid For Gaetz Congressional Seat

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Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Fighter pilot and decorated combat veteran Jeff Witt announced Monday he is entering the race to fill former Rep. Matt Gaetz’s seat representing Florida’s 1st congressional district.

Witt is currently serving as a policy advisor on the Trump-Vance Presidential Transition Team. 

“I have served my country in uniform for 14 years, and my dedication to service extends to the community in which my family and I live,” Witt told Fox News Digital. “I am excited to meet voters from all across the district in this campaign, and prove to them that they can trust me to be a leader in Congress who represents them with conviction, hard work, and integrity.” 

Witt told Fox News Digital that he will “fight to get inflation under control, secure our borders, and strengthen our military.” 

“I will listen to the needs of my constituents, and I will work on their behalf to make Florida’s 1st District the finest place in America for veterans, businesses, and families,” he said. 

Witt attended Harvard University for his undergraduate studies and was a Harvard football quarterback. He also received his Master of Business Administration from Harvard University. 

A 2024 Club for Growth fellow, Witt has already been endorsed by top former Trump administration officials, including former Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert Wilkie. 

“Jeff Witt is a patriot and a staunch supporter of President Trump and his America First agenda,” Wilkie told Fox News Digital. “As the former Secretary of Veterans Affairs under President Trump, I know that Jeff’s mission will always be to put warriors first. I am honored to give Jeff my full endorsement.” 

Wilkie told Fox News Digital that Witt “stands for the right things—family and freedom.”  

Gaetz had represented Florida’s 1st congressional district from January 2017 until earlier this month, when he resigned from his post upon receiving the nomination for attorney general.

President-elect Donald Trump also urged Florida state Sen. Randy Fine to run for Congress, pledging to endorse the Sunshine State lawmaker if he opts to throw his hat into the ring.

“I am hearing that America First Patriot Randy Fine is considering launching his Campaign for Congress in Florida’s 6th Congressional District!” Trump said in a Truth Social post. 

“Should he decide to enter this Race, Randy Fine has my Complete and Total Endorsement. RUN, RANDY, RUN!” Trump urged.