The Justice Department (DOJ) says it has thwarted an Iranian plot to kill President-elect Donald Trump in the leadup to the election.
A criminal complaint filed in federal court in New York alleges that an unnamed official in Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard instructed a contact to put together a plan to surveil and ultimately kill President-elect Trump.
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Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) will not be attending President-elect Trump’s inauguration on Monday, her spokesperson confirmed to The Hill.
Pelosi’s spokesperson did not share a reason for the former Democrat leader skipping the Monday event. The former Speaker attended Trump’s first inauguration in 2017.
Senior leaders of both parties typically attend presidential inaugurations, though Trump skipped President Biden’s inaugural event in 2021.
Former first lady Michelle Obama also won’t be attending Trump’s second inauguration, though former President Obama will attend
News of Pelosi not attending was first reported by ABC News.
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On Monday, Nebraska Congressman Don Bacon announced he will not seek re-election.
“After 30 years in the Air Force and 10 years in Congress, it’s time to spend my future with the love of my life, our four kids, and our wonderful grandchildren. Thank you, Nebraska!” Bacon announced Monday.
Bacon’s announcement comes as Congress works overtime to pass President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” by their self-imposed July 4 deadline. Through the reconciliation process, the megabill seeks to deliver on the president’s key campaign promises, including tax cuts, immigration reform and energy production.
Bacon has represented Nebraska’s second congressional district since 2017. He won re-election in 2024 by less than two percentage points.
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) announced Sunday he would also not seek re-election next year. Like Bacon, Tillis has been willing to buck Trump and the Republican Party on key issues, including the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Tillis was one of just two Republicans who voted against a procedural vote on the bill in the Senate this weekend.
A new poll from the Manhattan Institute has delivered a political shockwave through Albany and beyond — showing Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), a rising conservative star and staunch ally of former President Donald Trump, narrowly leading incumbent Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul in a hypothetical 2026 matchup.
According to the survey, Stefanik holds a one-point advantage over Hochul among registered voters, 43% to 42%. The poll, which included an electorate heavily weighted toward registered Democrats, marks the first time in decades that a Republican candidate has outpolled a sitting Democratic governor in New York.
The findings suggest that Stefanik’s appeal extends beyond the GOP base, particularly among independents and suburban voters who have grown increasingly frustrated with the state’s high taxes, rising cost of living, and public safety concerns. The congresswoman also leads Hochul’s primary challenger, Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado, by six points (43%-37%) in a separate matchup included in the survey.
A recent internal poll from a Stefanik-connected political action committee (PAC) painted a similar picture of growing competitiveness in deep-blue New York. That poll showed Hochul ahead by five points (48%-43%) before respondents were presented with additional context — including Hochul’s controversial endorsement of Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, a far-left “Democratic Socialist” who is considered a frontrunner in this year’s New York City mayoral contest. When voters were informed of that endorsement, Stefanik’s support edged ahead, 46.4% to 45.9%.
Political observers note that Stefanik’s early lead, even before a formal campaign launch, reflects a shifting political environment in New York. Years of Democratic dominance in Albany have coincided with record outmigration, skyrocketing taxes, and a steady decline in public confidence in state leadership.
The congresswoman, who represents New York’s 21st Congressional District and serves as House Republican Conference Chair, has been among the GOP’s most prominent figures in recent years. A vocal critic of the Biden administration, Stefanik has also been instrumental in recruiting female Republican candidates and raising the party’s national profile.
Her campaign released a statement on the Manhattan Institute poll, emphasizing the significance of the results:
“In a heavily Democrat-leaning state, an independent poll that is heavily weighted towards registered Democrat voters shows Republican Elise Stefanik leading Democrat Governor Kathy Hochul in a head-to-head match-up,” the statement read.
“This marks the first time in decades that any potential Republican gubernatorial candidate—and in this case, the likely nominee—is polling ahead of a Democrat incumbent governor, even before any official announcement.”
Governor Hochul, who ascended to office following Andrew Cuomo’s resignation in 2021 and narrowly won a full term in 2022, has faced mounting criticism from both moderates and progressives. Her handling of public safety issues, including the state’s controversial bail reform laws, has sparked voter backlash.
Hochul’s endorsement of Mamdani — who has backed “Defund the Police” initiatives and higher taxes on businesses and homeowners — has only deepened the perception among many New Yorkers that the governor is out of touch with working families.
Stefanik’s campaign didn’t hesitate to highlight those divisions:
“In a decision that she will come to regret, Kathy Hochul lives up to her title as the Worst Governor in America when she chose to bend the knee and put New Yorkers LAST by desperately endorsing the Defund the Police, tax-hiking, raging Antisemite Socialist Zohran Mamdani who will destroy New York,” the statement continued.
Once a Republican stronghold, New York has not elected a GOP governor since George Pataki’s reelection in 2002. However, growing dissatisfaction with Democratic leadership — coupled with rising crime, energy costs, and the mass exodus of middle-class families to more affordable states — has given Republicans renewed optimism.
Recent statewide results show signs of shifting momentum. In 2022, Republican candidate Lee Zeldin came within six points of defeating Hochul, the closest gubernatorial race in two decades. Analysts believe Stefanik, with her higher national profile and disciplined messaging, could expand on that performance, particularly if economic and public safety concerns remain front of mind for voters.
Stefanik has not officially declared her candidacy, though speculation has intensified in recent months. Her allies say she is actively exploring the race, laying the groundwork for what could become one of the most closely watched gubernatorial contests in the nation.
Political strategists note that a Stefanik-Hochul matchup would offer New Yorkers a stark choice between two sharply contrasting visions: Hochul’s continuation of progressive, high-tax governance, and Stefanik’s promise of “commonsense conservative leadership” focused on affordability, safety, and economic revival.
As the congresswoman’s statement concluded:
“New Yorkers of all political parties are hungry for new commonsense leadership after decades of Hochul’s failed single-party Democrat rule. Elise Stefanik and the people of New York can and will win this righteous fight to Save New York.”
Donald Trump Jr. has once again found himself in the spotlight, this time for his fiery response to a Mediaite reporter’s question about his potential 2028 presidential run. In a tense exchange, Trump Jr. asked the reporter, “Are you f**king retarded?” after being asked whether he was considering a run for the White House in the upcoming election.
The controversy stemmed from a Mediaite article titled “Donald Trump Jr. Considering a Run for President in 2028,” which cited three anonymous “high-level sources” who claimed that Trump Jr. was seriously weighing a presidential bid. Despite Trump Jr.’s strong denial of the claim, Mediaite proceeded with the headline and included his rebuttal much later in the article.
“I accurately predicted that my buddy JD would be an instant power player in national GOP politics, so your theory is that I worked my ass off to help get him the VP nomination because I want to run for president in 2028? Are you f**king retarded?” Trump Jr. responded, according to Mediaite. “I’m actually glad you’re printing this though because at least now the rest of the press corps will see how sh**ty your ‘sources’ are and how easily you’re played by them. Congrats, moron,” he added, emphasizing his frustration with the claims.
His reaction gained traction political circles, with many mocking Mediaite for running the story despite Trump Jr.’s strong dismissal. Republican strategist Andrew Surabian quickly weighed in on Twitter, claiming that many reporters in Washington, D.C., were sending him the story to mock Mediaite’s handling of the situation. “Every reporter in DC I know is sending me the story mocking Mediaite for running it. Total clowns,” Surabian tweeted on Friday.
Trump Jr. remains the only named source in the Mediaite story, with the outlet running his direct denial much later in the article after his sharp rebuke. The situation highlights the ongoing tension between politicians and the media, especially when it comes to high-profile figures like Trump Jr. who are often the subject of speculation.
The incident also highlights a broader trend in modern journalism, particularly with regard to Donald Trump and his family. Starting with his initial presidential run, many media outlets have been accused of loosening or outright abandoning traditional journalistic standards in their coverage of Trump and his associates. This has often included sensationalized headlines, reliance on anonymous sources, and the prioritization of clickbait over factual reporting.
In the case of Donald Trump Jr., Mediaite’s story—despite his firm denial—was a prime example of how some outlets have increasingly blurred the lines between speculation and reporting. Critics argue that the aggressive nature of the media’s coverage of the Trump family has led to a growing mistrust of the press, with outlets prioritizing controversy, intrigue and partisan agendas over responsible, balanced journalism. As the Trump dynasty continues to dominate American politics, the way the media handles their coverage remains a contentious issue, with many wondering if the standards that once governed political reporting will ever fully be restored.
Article Published With The Permission of American Liberty News
Republican Celeste Maloy beat state Sen. Kathleen Riebe, a self-described moderate, to win Utah’s special election Tuesday night.
Maloy, a pro-Trump candidate, filled the last remaining seat in the U.S. House of Representatives with her victory in Utah’s 2nd congressional district.
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As a candidate, Maloy touted her roots growing up in rural southern Utah, of which the district covers a vast portion, and has leaned into her support of former President Donald Trump, arguing the numerous ongoing prosecutions against him are politically motivated.
“It’s exciting that we’re going to have somebody come out of this primary that represents rural and southern Utah. I think it’s time for that, and everybody’s ready for it,” Maloy said following her primary win.
However, Riebe has argued the race is a pickup opportunity for Democrats, and has leaned on her experience as a school teacher while making the case that people in the district “are ready for a change.”
In an interview with Deseret News in August, Riebe expressed concern over the nation’s rising debt, and vowed to join the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition if elected.
“Coming to a very rational decision and having very moderate ideas, I think that is what serves us best,” she told the outlet.
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On Monday, the Trump administration paused all aid to Ukraine, including weapons in transit or in Poland, until Ukrainian leaders show more appreciation for U.S. support and a commitment to peace.
“President Trump has been clear that he is focused on peace,” a White House official told Fox News. “We need our partners to be committed to that goal as well. We are pausing and reviewing our aid to ensure that it is contributing to a solution.”
A senior Trump administration official also told Fox News that military aid will remain on hold until Ukrainian leaders show a commitment to good faith peace negotiations.
“This is not permanent termination of aid, it’s a pause,” the official emphasized. “The orders are going out right now.”
Zelenskyy’s meeting with Trump and Vice President JD Vance last week erupted into a shouting match that was seen worldwide. The Ukrainian president traveled to the United States to meet with Trump after the commander-in-chief said a peace negotiation to end the war between Ukraine and Russia is in its final stages.
Zelenskyy was apparently presented with a minerals for security agreement by the Trump administration prior to the press event, but the deal included no security guarantees to protect Ukraine from another Russian invasion.
Minutes after reporters in the Oval Office asked their first questions, an aggressive spat unfolded between the heads of state.
The Biden administration gave billions in military aid to Ukraine to fend off Russian forces amid its three-year war following Moscow’s invasion of its neighbor.
When asked Monday about the status of the rare-earth minerals deal, Trump told reporters that he would disclose where the deal stands when he addresses a joint session of Congress Tuesday in a speech akin to the annual State of the Union. He added that he would like to see the Ukrainian leader express more gratitude for U.S. support during the war in order to rekindle peace negotiations.
“I just think he should be more appreciative because this country has stuck with him through thick and thin,” Trump said. “We’ve given them much more than Europe, and Europe should have given more than us because, as you know, that’s right there, that’s the border.”
Later on Monday, President Trump spurred extreme reactions from senior advisers such as Elon Musk after responding to Zelenskyy’s comments signaling the end to Ukraine’s conflict with Russia is still “very, very far away.”
“This is the worst statement that could have been made by Zelenskyy, and America will not put up with it for much longer!” wrote Trump on Truth Social. “It is what I was saying, this guy doesn’t want there to be Peace as long as he has America’s backing and, Europe, in the meeting they had with Zelenskyy, stated flatly that they cannot do the job without the U.S. – Probably not a great statement to have been made in terms of a show of strength against Russia. What are they thinking?”
On X, Musk shared Trump’s post and argued that “Zelensky wants a forever war, a never-ending graft meat grinder. This is evil.”
Right-wing social media personality Rogan O’Handley then shared Musk’s post along with a theory:
Zelensky knows if the war ends, his power ends
Elections will resume and he’ll lose
Then his adversary will investigate his money laundering and he’ll be sent to prison
Zelensky is sending innocent Ukrainians to die in his meat grinder so he can stay in power
Dictator
“True,” replied Musk. “As distasteful as it is, Zelensky should be offered some kind of amnesty in a neutral country in exchange for a peaceful transition back to democracy in Ukraine.”
President Trump vowed to “lead the charge” to oust Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie (R) after he revealed he will not support the GOP’s short-term government funding bill ahead of Friday’s shutdown deadline.
Trump began a Truth Social post late Monday night by thanking the House Freedom Caucus for backing the stopgap funding package and supporting Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) efforts to keep the government open, and then called on Massie to be primaried.
“Thank you to the House Freedom Caucus for just delivering a big blow to the Radical Left Democrats and their desire to raise Taxes and SHUT OUR COUNTRY DOWN! They hate America and all it stands for. That’s why they allowed MILLIONS of Criminals to invade our Nation. Sometimes it takes great courage to do the right thing. Congressman Thomas Massie, of beautiful Kentucky, is an automatic ‘NO’ vote on just about everything, despite the fact that he has always voted for Continuing Resolutions in the past. HE SHOULD BE PRIMARIED, and I will lead the charge against him,” Trump said.
The president then compared Massie to former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), who served on the committee investigating Jan. 6, 201 and was censured by the Republican National Committee. Trump endorsed Cheney’s primary challenger in the 2022 race.
“He’s just another GRANDSTANDER, who’s too much trouble, and not worth the fight. He reminds me of Liz Chaney before her historic, record breaking fall (loss!). The people of Kentucky won’t stand for it, just watch. DO I HAVE ANY TAKERS??? Anyway, thank you again to the House Freedom Caucus for your very important vote. We need to buy some time in order to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, GREATER THAN EVER BEFORE. Unite and Win!!!” Trump said.
Sen. Mike Lee responded to Trump’s attack against Massie by speaking out in support of the congressman.
“I have nothing but profound respect for @RepThomasMassie, who has worked harder than perhaps any member of Congress to bring federal spending under control,” Lee wrote on X. “He might vote differently on this matter than most, but if he does so he’ll have a really good reason,” the senator continued. “I’m a huge fan.”
While Massie has yet to directly respond to Trump’s comments he signaled the threats will have no impact on his re-election plans.
Massie and Trump have a rocky history…
In 2020, Trump called for the congressman to be booted from the GOP.
“Looks like a third rate Grandstander named @RepThomasMassie, a Congressman from, unfortunately, a truly GREAT State, Kentucky, wants to vote against the new Save Our Workers Bill in Congress. He just wants the publicity,” Trump declared in a March 2020 tweet.
“He can’t stop it, only delay, which is both dangerous,” Trump wrote in the post, before continuing his thought in another post, “& costly. Workers & small businesses need money now in order to survive. Virus wasn’t their fault. It is ‘HELL’ dealing with the Dems, had to give up some stupid things in order to get the “big picture” done. 90% GREAT! WIN BACK HOUSE, but throw Massie out of Republican Party!”
Months later, Massie sailed to a decisive Republican primary victory.
In 2022, Trump did a turnaround and endorsed Massie shortly before the congressman earned another GOP primary win.
In 2023, Massie endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for president before the Sunshine State politician even launched his presidential primary bid. In early 2024, DeSantis dropped out of the race and endorsed Trump.
Massie ultimately endorsed Trump less than two weeks before the general election.
While addressing the Congressional Black Caucus on Thursday, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) claimed that President Donald Trump as on the verge of starting a civil war.
“I’m worried that Trump is on the edge of creating a civil war,” she claimed. “He alluded to it more than once. He alluded to the fact that if he did not get reelected, that there could be a civil war.”
She claimed that this idea placed a major responsibility on Democrats to “live and do, like Doctor Martin Luther King told us to do.”
“He taught us to organize and to protest, but he taught us nonviolence,” she said. “He taught us nonviolence. That was the center. That was the core of his message. And we live with that all the time. No matter how upset we can get, no matter how angry we can get. We live with what we’ve been taught.”
Waters claimed that Trump was putting people “in a position where hungry people are going to be on the street, where nonprofits who were waiting for their checks are not going to get them, where seniors waiting for their Social Security check will not get it – where poor families with children will not get what they believe the government has agreed to do.”
“And so when that happens, what does Trump expect? Oh, I believe he expects violence,” she claimed. “I believe he expects confrontation. I believe he’s working toward a civil war.”
CNN is in hot water after an interview with a Mexican drug cartel member took an unexpected turn.
The interview, aired Saturday, featured CNN correspondent Isobel Yeung questioning a heavily disguised cartel member in an undisclosed hideout in Mexico, according to the New York Post.
Trump designated the Mexico-based Sinaloa Cartel as a Foreign Terrorist Organization in a January 20 executive order, with the State Department writing that the cartel is “one of the largest producers and traffickers of fentanyl and other illicit drugs to the United States.”
“According to the Trump administration, you are a terrorist. … What do you make of that?” Yeung asked.
The masked gangster, wearing sunglasses and latex gloves to conceal his identity, initially responded, “Well, the situation is ugly, but we have to eat.”
When asked what he would say directly to Trump, the cartel member didn’t take the bait.
“My respect. According to him, he’s looking out for his people,” the gangster stated, adding, “But the problem is the consumers are in the United States. If there weren’t any consumers, we would stop.”
Social media immediately mocked CNN’s apparent attempt to elicit anti-Trump commentary from a member of a violent drug trafficking organization.
“CNN tried to create a scandal and accidentally gave Trump a campaign ad. You can’t script this kind of desperation,” one user remarked.
“Unbelievably, CNN gives Sinaloa cartel member a chance to throw a pity party about being labeled a terrorist, but the cartel member tells them President Trump is just rightly ‘looking after his people,’” another social media user pointed out.
Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) suggested, “Let them [CNN] live under the rule of foreign terrorist drug traffickers for a few months. And then tell us how they feel.”
On Monday night’s edition of Fox News Channel’s Hannity, Leavitt firmly joined the backlash camp when host Sean Hannity asked for her response to the interview, calling it “despicable”:
HANNITY: Karoline, what did you and the administration make of the Sinaloa cartel gang member interviewed on CNN? Why would they care what he thinks?
LEAVITT: Well, it was fascinating to me, Sean. I was actually scrolling on Instagram when I came across this interview and it stopped me in my tracks, not just because they sat down with a member of a Mexican cartel that is now designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the United States government, but because of the nature of the questions of this notorious foreign terrorist. It — it was a softball interview, giving a platform to a notorious drug cartel that has killed American citizens. I thought it was quite despicable. But, again, this is just another reason why the — the trust in the legacy media is at an all-time low amongst the American public.
Over the weekend, President Trump hit back at Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum after she rejected his offer to send U.S. troops to Mexico to help fight against cartels.
While addressing reporters on Air Force One, Trump said he proposed the idea of sending American troops to deal with the Mexican cartels facilitating drug trafficking, and criticized Sheinbaum for refusing his offer.
“She’s so afraid of the cartels she can’t walk … And I think she’s a lovely woman. The president of Mexico is a lovely woman, but she is so afraid of the cartels that she can’t even think straight,” Trump said.
Sheinbaum said she told Trump at the time that Mexico would “never accept” a U.S. military presence.
“No, President Trump, our territory is inalienable, sovereignty is inalienable,” Sheinbaum claimed to have said. “We can collaborate. We can work together, but with you in your territory and us in ours. We can share information, but we will never accept the presence of the United States Army on our territory.”
