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Leading GOP Candidate In Georgia Governor’s Race Sues Trump-Backed Opponent

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Billionaire health care executive Rick Jackson filed a defamation lawsuit Monday against Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, his Republican primary opponent in the state’s 2026 gubernatorial race.

The lawsuit, filed in Fulton County Superior Court, alleges that Jones made three separate defamatory statements about Jackson on social media over the past week. Jackson’s campaign confirmed the filing Monday morning.

“Burt Jones is learning real fast that the days of him doing and saying anything for his own benefit are coming to an end,” Jackson campaign spokesman Dave Abrams said in a statement provided to the Daily Caller News Foundation on Monday. “Rick Jackson is holding self-serving politician Burt Jones accountable for his words and his actions.”

In the complaint, Jackson argues that Jones has resorted to personal attacks rather than campaigning on his own record.

“Rather than standing on his record, fighting like an honest man, and earning the trust and support of Georgians, Burt Jones is resorting to what he knows best: cheap and dirty politics,” the complaint states.

Jones’ campaign dismissed the lawsuit and defended the remarks.

“Rick Jackson’s thin skin is showing,” Kayla Lott, a spokesperson for Jones’ campaign, told the DCNF in a statement Monday. “Why is Rick so embarrassed to have received a billion dollars in state contracts, helped Planned Parenthood recruit, and staff a pediatric doctor’s office that serves ‘transgender patients.’ He should be proud Georgia knows how his company made its money.”

The dispute centers on a March 5 post by Jones on X, where he claimed Jackson “made his fortune recruiting for Planned Parenthood, helping doctors perform transgender procedures on minors, and pocketed over $1 billion in state contracts on the backs of Georgia taxpayers,” adding “Georgia’s not for sale.”

The lawsuit escalates an already contentious Republican primary race.

After launching his campaign relatively late on Feb. 3, Jackson has spent nearly $16 million on advertising—almost six times the amount spent by Jones—according to NBC News, citing data from AdImpact.

Recent polling suggests Jackson currently leads the GOP field. A JMC Analytics and Polling survey of likely Republican primary voters released Monday found 37% support Jackson, while 22% backed Jones.

A Quantus Insights poll conducted in February found Jackson leading with 32.6% support among likely GOP primary voters, compared to 16.9% for Jones.

However, an Emerson College poll released March 5 showed a tighter race. The survey found 21% of voters supporting Jones and 20% backing Jackson.

The poll also found Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger—known for clashing with Trump over the 2020 presidential election—receiving 11% support, followed by Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr at 6%, while 38% of respondents remained undecided.

Among voters who said President Donald Trump’s endorsement makes them more likely to support a candidate, Jones led with 31% support compared to Jackson’s 21%, according to the Emerson poll.

Under Georgia law, if no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote in the May 19 Republican primary, the top two finishers will advance to a runoff election scheduled for June 16.

The defamation lawsuit marks the second legal clash between the candidates this year. In February, Jackson and his campaign committee filed a separate lawsuit against Jones challenging a state campaign finance law that Jackson argued gives Jones an unfair advantage in the primary, CBS News reported.

Republican Senator Calls For Stephen Miller To Be Removed From Trump Inner Circle

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President Donald Trump signs Executive Orders, Thursday, April 17, 2025, in the Oval Office. (Official White House Photo by Molly Riley)

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said Sunday that White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller should be removed from President Donald Trump’s inner circle, arguing the longtime adviser wields too much influence over administration policy and has contributed to repeated controversies.

Speaking on CNN’s State of the Union, Tillis told host Jake Tapper that Miller has had an “outsized influence” on the administration and is “out of his depth” in his current role.

When asked directly whether Miller should be relieved of his duties, Tillis replied, “Oh, of course I do.”

“Not only does Stephen really want to just paint a picture. He’s not worried about substance. He’s more worried about form,” Tillis said. “But I also think that he has an outsized influence over the operations of the Cabinet. And I believe we have got qualified Cabinet members there that sometimes are doing less than what they want to because of his direction and his outsized influence.”

Miller, one of Trump’s closest advisers since the president’s first campaign, has long been a key architect of the administration’s hardline immigration policies. He currently serves as deputy chief of staff and has played a central role shaping the White House’s approach to border enforcement and deportation initiatives.

Tillis’s remarks come amid broader scrutiny of the administration’s immigration enforcement strategy and leadership at the Department of Homeland Security. The criticism follows a series of controversies, including the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis earlier this year.

Tillis previously criticized Miller and then–Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem after both officials suggested Good and Pretti were acting unlawfully before they were killed, assertions that drew backlash from lawmakers and civil liberties advocates. The North Carolina Republican has called for a thorough investigation into the incidents and greater accountability within DHS.

The comments also come as the administration undergoes leadership changes at the department. Trump recently removed Noem from her post as homeland security secretary following mounting criticism of her tenure and controversies surrounding immigration enforcement operations.

Tillis, who has announced he will not seek reelection, has been among the more vocal Republican critics of the administration’s handling of the Minneapolis incidents and broader immigration enforcement policies. On Sunday, he said the administration should rely more heavily on Cabinet officials rather than informal influence from White House advisers.

“He’s a big problem in this administration,” Tillis said of Miller. “He has been from the beginning.”

Trump Cuts Tucker Carlson Loose From Political Movement

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Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

President Donald Trump said Thursday that Tucker Carlson is no longer part of the MAGA movement, declaring in an interview that the former Fox News host “has lost his way.”

“Tucker has lost his way,” Trump told ABC News’ Jonathan Karl. “I knew that a long time ago, and he’s not MAGA. MAGA is saving our country. MAGA is making our country great again. MAGA is America first, and Tucker is none of those things. And Tucker is really not smart enough to understand that.”

Trump’s comments come after Carlson sharply criticized the administration over recent U.S. strikes on Iran. Carlson called the military action “absolutely disgusting and evil.” He has also criticized the Trump administration on other issues, including the Epstein files and the war in Ukraine.

In the same interview, Trump defended the Iran operation and described it as a success. The president gave multiple interviews Thursday in which he praised the strikes and insisted that Americans support the decision, saying people are “loving it,” despite polls suggesting a more divided public response.

“They are decimated for a 10-year period before they could build it back,” Trump said of Iran.

Carlson, meanwhile, warned that the decision to strike Iran could reshape Trump’s political movement. In an interview with Karl, he said the move would “shuffle the deck in a profound way” politically.

Trump previously dismissed Carlson’s criticism of the strikes, saying it had no impact on him. Carlson reportedly visited the White House multiple times last month to lobby against the attack.

Despite the public criticism, Carlson said he still supports Trump.

Speaking to Status reporter Oliver Darcy on Thursday, the former Fox News host expressed continued loyalty to the president even after Trump publicly distanced himself from him.

“There are times I get annoyed with Trump, right now definitely included,” Carlson said, adding, “but I’ll always love him no matter what he says about me.”

Paxton Offers Conditions For Potential Exit From Texas Senate Race 

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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) said Thursday he would consider dropping out of the closely watched Republican Senate primary against Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) if Senate Republicans meet several conditions, a statement that comes as President Donald Trump prepares to weigh in on the race.

Paxton said he would consider exiting the contest if Senate leadership agreed to eliminate the filibuster — the 60-vote threshold typically required to advance most legislation in the upper chamber — and pass a bill requiring voters to show proof of citizenship to register to vote.

The legislation, known as the SAVE America Act, has already passed the House but remains stalled in the Senate, where Republicans lack the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster.

Paxton framed his proposal as part of a broader effort to advance Trump’s agenda in Washington.

“John Cornyn is a coward who has refused to support abolishing the filibuster to pass this bill. Now, Fake News reporters and the establishment are trying to destroy me with misinformation,” Paxton wrote Thursday on the social media platform X.

“The truth is clear: No one has been more loyal to Donald Trump than me—fighting the stolen 2020 election, being in Mar-a-Lago when he announced his 2024 campaign, and standing with him in NY in the face of lawfare,” he added. “For the good of our country and for the good of passing President Trump’s agenda, I am determined to help him get this done.”

Paxton’s comments come a day after Trump said he plans to issue an endorsement in the Texas Senate runoff and urged whichever candidate he does not back to exit the race to unify the party.

In a lengthy post on Truth Social, Trump said the GOP must quickly coalesce around a nominee ahead of the general election.

“The Texas Republican Senate Primary has been very interesting to watch,” Trump wrote.

“The Texas Republican Senate Primary cannot, for the good of the Party, and our Country, itself, be allowed to go on any longer,” he continued. “IT MUST STOP NOW! We have an easy to beat, Radical Left Opponent, and we have to TOTALLY FOCUS on putting him away, quickly and decisively! Both John [Cornyn] and Ken [Paxton] ran great races, but not good enough. Now, this one, must be PERFECT!”

The Republican primary advanced to a runoff earlier this week after neither Paxton nor Cornyn secured a majority of the vote. The runoff election is scheduled for May 26.

Cornyn has expressed some openness to changes to Senate filibuster rules but has warned that eliminating the 60-vote threshold could backfire if Democrats regain control of the chamber.

The incumbent senator has also supported the SAVE America Act, which would require voters to show proof of citizenship to register to vote and present photo identification at the polls.

Some Republicans have floated adopting a “talking filibuster,” which would require senators opposing a bill to hold the floor continuously to block passage. Under that proposal, legislation could ultimately pass with 51 votes once opponents stop speaking. However, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has expressed skepticism about implementing such a change.

Republican leadership has also reportedly urged Trump to endorse Cornyn in hopes of avoiding a prolonged and potentially divisive primary fight.

Trump-aligned Texas Congressman Loses Primary

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Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America,

Republican Congressman Dan Crenshaw of Texas lost his primary bid Tuesday night, marking a major upset and ending the four-term lawmaker’s run for a fifth term in Congress.

Crenshaw was defeated by Texas state Rep. Steve Toth, a staunch conservative who successfully rallied support from the party’s most hard-line voters in the Houston-area district. The loss makes Crenshaw one of the first Republican incumbents to be ousted in the 2026 election cycle and underscores ongoing ideological divisions within the GOP.

Although Crenshaw has voted consistently in support of former President Donald Trump’s policy agenda, he entered the race as the only House Republican in Texas on the ballot without Trump’s endorsement. Toth seized on that dynamic, presenting himself as the more reliable ally of the president and the conservative grassroots base.

The contest intensified when Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) publicly backed Toth’s campaign and appeared in a political advertisement promoting the challenger.

“You deserve an unwavering fighter, a Republican who walks the walk. That’s why I’m proud to endorse Steve Toth for Congress. Steve Toth has a strong record of standing up for limited government, faith and freedom, and fiscal responsibility. Washington needs a no-nonsense Texan like Steve Toth to secure our border, fight alongside Trump, and put money back in people’s pockets. Please join me in electing Steve Toth,” Cruz said in the ad, which was funded by the Alamo Freedom Fighters PAC.

Toth also sought to portray Crenshaw as out of step with the party’s conservative base. During the campaign, he criticized the congressman for refusing to repeat Trump’s claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen and for supporting a bipartisan immigration proposal negotiated toward the end of the Biden administration.

Crenshaw rejected the criticism and defended his conservative record in office.

“I’m out there defending Trump in places where Republicans are too scared to go,” Crenshaw told The New York Times during the campaign.

First elected in 2018, Crenshaw quickly became one of the Republican Party’s most recognizable figures. A former Navy SEAL who lost his right eye in Afghanistan, he built a national profile as a foreign-policy hawk and vocal advocate for military veterans. In Congress, he often supported aid to Ukraine in its war against Russia and backed tough sanctions against Venezuela’s socialist government.

Despite that record, Crenshaw’s relationship with segments of the conservative movement grew strained in recent years. His willingness to criticize some right-wing media personalities and his refusal to embrace claims that the 2020 election was fraudulent drew backlash from MAGA-aligned activists and commentators.

The congressman also faced personal controversy last year after an incident during a congressional delegation trip to Mexico. According to Punchbowl News, Crenshaw was having drinks with a group of Mexican officials when one official made a crude remark that made a woman present uncomfortable.

“During an August trip to Mexico, Crenshaw was having drinks with a group of Mexican officials,” reported Punchbowl’s Andrew Desiderio. “One Mexican official cracked a crude joke that made a woman present uncomfortable. Crenshaw toasted the remarks.”

The incident led to a tense meeting between Crenshaw, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), and House Intelligence Committee Chair Rick Crawford (R-AR). Crawford ultimately banned Crenshaw from international travel with the committee for three months, a rare disciplinary step. Crawford also sought to remove Crenshaw from the Intelligence Committee entirely, though leadership declined to do so. Instead, Johnson shut down Crenshaw’s proposed cartel task force within the committee.

Those controversies, combined with ideological attacks from the right, helped erode Crenshaw’s standing with Republican primary voters in the newly drawn district.

Leading Dem Frontrunner Reveals The One Republican ‘Scarier’ Than Trump

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Casa Rosada (Argentina Presidency of the Nation), CC BY 2.5 AR via Wikimedia Commons

In a recent interview with MSNBC’s Inside with Jen Psaki, Newsom described Vance as “dangerous,” arguing that the former Ohio senator poses a more calculated political threat than the president himself.

“Vance, for whatever reason, scares me, almost more than Trump,” the Democratic governor said. “Talk about a guy who put a mask on and his face grew into it.”

Newsom accused both Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio of abandoning earlier criticisms of Trump after joining his administration. But he singled out the vice president as uniquely concerning.

“JD is a unique fraud and phony, and he’s a little more dangerous,” Newsom said.

A Warning Shot Toward 2028

The remarks amount to more than a passing critique. They reflect the early contours of what could become a defining political rivalry ahead of the 2028 presidential election.

Newsom is widely viewed as a leading Democratic contender should he enter the race. The two-term California governor has built a national profile as one of the party’s most visible counterweights to Trump-era Republicanism, frequently clashing with GOP governors and positioning California as a policy and cultural foil to red-state leadership.

At the same time, Vance has emerged as a potential heir to Trump’s political movement. As vice president, he has solidified his standing with the Republican base while cultivating relationships with conservative intellectuals and populist activists. Many analysts see him as a plausible frontrunner in a post-Trump GOP primary, particularly if he successfully fuses Trump-style populism with a more disciplined, ideologically coherent message.

Newsom’s comments suggest Democrats are already thinking beyond Trump himself and preparing for what they view as a more strategic successor.

Concerns About a Third Term and Election Security

During the interview, recorded a day after Trump’s State of the Union address, Newsom also expressed alarm over Trump’s public musings about seeking a third term — an idea that would face significant constitutional barriers.

The governor issued what he called a “code red” about the state of American democracy and election security, warning Democrats not to lose focus amid the daily churn of political controversy.

“My fear is we get so easily distracted and they’re so effective on the other side,” Newsom said. “We must continue to be mindful, laser-focused on what’s in front of us every single day until the job is done.”

His framing underscores a broader Democratic argument that the stakes of the next election cycle extend beyond standard partisan disagreements.

Newsom’s Evolving Political Strategy

Newsom’s sharpened rhetoric toward Vance also comes at a moment when the California governor has been experimenting with his own messaging style — at times attempting to adopt elements of Trump’s direct, combative approach.

In recent months, Newsom has leaned more heavily into punchy social media posts, culture-war skirmishes, and headline-grabbing soundbites aimed at energizing Democratic voters. He has sparred publicly with Republican governors, amplified confrontations over education and immigration policy, and positioned himself as a national foil to conservative leadership.

Some of those efforts, however, have drawn criticism from both Republicans and members of his own party. Detractors argue that mimicking Trump’s confrontational style risks undercutting Newsom’s attempts to present himself as a stabilizing alternative. In several instances, attempts at sharp-edged messaging have backfired, generating backlash for the California Governor.

A Glimpse of the Next Political Chapter

By identifying Vance — rather than Trump — as the Republican who most concerns him, Newsom may be signaling where he believes the long-term battle lies.

Trump remains the dominant force in Republican politics, but Vance represents a new generation of conservative leadership that blends populist rhetoric with ideological ambition. For Democrats preparing for 2028, the prospect of facing a candidate who inherits Trump’s base while refining its message could be a formidable test.

For now, both men are focused on their current roles — Newsom governing the nation’s largest state and Vance serving as vice president. But as early positioning for the next presidential cycle accelerates, Newsom’s warning suggests he sees the Republican field not as a one-man show, but as a movement with staying power.

And in that movement, he appears to believe JD Vance may be the most consequential figure of all.

Tucker Carlson’s Show Once Acted as ‘Effectively a Senior Adviser’ to Trump

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Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

At one point during Donald Trump’s presidency, Tucker Carlson’s Fox News program functioned as more than just a primetime show. According to a former Fox News producer quoted in Jason Zengerle’s new book, Hated By All the Right People: Tucker Carlson and the Unraveling of the Conservative Mind, the program was “effectively a senior adviser” to the president.

Zengerle reports that Carlson’s influence extended deep into the Trump White House. Alyssa Farah Griffin — now a co-host of The View who served in the Trump administration from 2017 to 2020 — said the show was considered required viewing for administration officials.

According to the book, Jared Kushner once rebuked her after she admitted missing part of an episode. “You can’t work in this White House and not watch Tucker Carlson,” Kushner told her.

The Daily Mail highlighted those revelations this week, along with another detail from Zengerle’s account: Trump was reportedly frustrated when he could not reach Carlson directly.

“Tucker was the hot girl that didn’t want to f*ck him,” a former White House official said in the book.

The same official added that Carlson’s reluctance to be easily accessible “intrigued” Trump and made him more “alluring,” as The Daily Mail described it.

Carlson’s prominence at the time was reflected in his ratings. Tucker Carlson Tonight set a cable news record in October 2020, averaging 5.36 million viewers. The program routinely drew more than 4 million viewers per month before Carlson’s departure from Fox News in April 2023.

Fox News experienced a ratings decline immediately following Carlson’s exit, but the network later regained its footing and maintained its position as the top-rated cable news channel. Mediaite reported Wednesday that Fox News averaged 34% more primetime viewers in February than CNN and MSNBC combined, crediting much of that performance to Carlson’s replacement, Jesse Watters.

The relationship between Trump and Carlson appears to have evolved since Trump returned to the White House last year. Carlson has been seen visiting the White House several times. However, tensions may remain. According to Free Press reporter Eli Lake, Trump “has privately urged the popular podcast host to end his battle with prominent pro-Israel MAGA influencers,” believing the dispute could harm Republican prospects in the 2026 midterm elections.

Trump’s Hockey Team Surprise Sends Shockwaves To Independent Voter Approval Rating

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President Donald Trump’s introduction of the gold medal-winning U.S. men’s Olympic hockey team during Tuesday night’s State of the Union address sparked largely positive bipartisan reactions, with Independent voters showing particularly strong approval.

According to Lee Carter of the polling group maslansky+partners, Independent voters responded most enthusiastically when the team entered the House Chamber wearing their gold medals and USA sweatshirts, greeted by thunderous chants of “U-S-A.”

“The USA hockey team and military recognition moments were widely noticed,” Carter said. “Visual, patriotic moments landed more consistently than policy-heavy segments.”

Real-time dial testing conducted by the polling group showed the sharpest spike among Independent voters during the team’s entrance. Republican voters, who were already energized by the speech, showed additional gains in approval during the moment. Even Democratic voters—who overall were the least enthusiastic throughout the address—registered a modest uptick in reaction.

Participants in the polling offered enthusiastic feedback, with comments such as, “What a great moment!” and, “Love it!” Even some critics acknowledged, “They deserve recognition,” and, “It’s a nice moment.”

The president had invited the team to attend the State of the Union after their thrilling 2-1 overtime victory against Canada in the Winter Olympics gold medal game.

During the address, President Trump introduced the team to loud cheers from members of Congress and the audience, who once again broke into chants of “USA! USA! USA!”

“Our country is winning again. In fact, we’re winning so much that we really don’t know what to do about it. People are asking me, ‘Please, please, please, Mr. President, we are winning too much. We can’t take it anymore. We’re not used to winning in our country. Until you came along, we were just always losing, but now we’re winning too much.’ And I say, ‘No, no, no, you’re going to win again. You are going to win big, you’re gonna win bigger than ever.’ And to prove that point, to prove that point, here with us tonight is a group of winners who just made the entire nation proud,” Trump said, adding:

The men’s gold medal Olympic hockey team — come on in!

After extended applause inside the chamber, Trump remarked, “That’s the first time I’ve ever seen them get up. And actually, not all of them did get up, but they beat a fantastic Canadian team in overtime, as everybody saw, as did the American women, who will soon be coming to the White House.”

The president also announced that he would honor goaltender Connor Hellebuyck with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. After praising the team’s collective performance, Trump described asking players to vote on whether their goaltender deserved the nation’s highest civilian honor.

“But I have to say that, and I told them this, and we took a vote of the team. I said, ‘Anybody votes no, I’m not doing it.’ So they stood there, and they weren’t about to say no because I’ve never seen a goaltender play as well as goalie Connor Hellebuyck,” said Trump.

He continued:

Think of it– 46 shots on goal. And I asked him, “The one shot, the one where you put your stick in the back and it hit the neck of your stick and bounced off, you practice that or was that a little lucky?” He refused to answer that question, but I just want to tell you that the members of this great hockey squad will be very happy to hear, based on their vote and my vote– and in this case, my vote was more important– that I will soon be presenting Connor with our highest civilian honor, which we will be given and which has been given to many athletes over the years. But when I say many, not too many, like 12. It’s called the highest civilian honor in our country. The Presidential Medal of Freedom. Great athletes have gotten that very great, the best. And I thought he deserved it. And I did take a vote. Every single one of them. I said, “I’m not giving it if anybody goes no.” And every single one of them rapidly put up their hand. So I want to thank you all. What a special job you did. What special champions you are. Thank you very much.

The moment stood out as one of the evening’s most unifying highlights.

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.

Hollywood Actor Robert De Niro Calls For ‘Vietnam-Style’ Protests Against Trump

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By David Wilson - https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidwilson1949/6056934707/in/photolist-5coszA-aeenEK-2CqzzK-8QZ5mo, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=98841262

Actor Robert De Niro said during a Monday interview that he believes President Donald Trump would “never leave” office voluntarily and argued that it would be up to the public to remove him.

Speaking on MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace’s podcast, The Best People, De Niro dismissed the suggestion that Trump’s term would simply end in three years.

“I wonder what it is about people’s inability to see beyond the next three — he’s gone in three years,” Wallace said.

“Well, he will never leave. We have to make him leave. You see, he jokes now about nationalizing the elections — he’s not joking. We’ve seen enough already. And everybody’s worried about it, but he means it,” De Niro replied.

When Wallace again asked whether he believed Trump would leave in three years, De Niro doubled down.

“He ain’t leaving. No, no way. Let’s not kid ourselves. He will not leave. It’s up to us to get rid of him,” the actor continued.

De Niro also suggested that Trump might not respect midterm election results and called for widespread public demonstrations.

“You start hearing it all over now,” the actor said. “It’s up to you. Damn right, it’s about the people. The people got — like Vietnam. You got to get out there and protest. The ‘No Kings’ coming. It’s got to be not 7, 8, 9 million. It’s got to be way, way more than that.”

Longstanding Critic of Trump

De Niro has been one of Trump’s most outspoken celebrity critics for nearly a decade, frequently using award show appearances, interviews, and public events to denounce the president in blunt and often profane terms. He has previously endorsed Democratic candidates and supported legal efforts against Trump, framing his activism as a defense of democratic institutions.

In an earlier appearance on MSNBC in October, De Niro praised several Democratic leaders who have challenged Trump’s policies in court and in Congress.

“There’s something,” De Niro said. “I like Hakeem Jeffries. I like… Chuck Schumer, Adam Schiff, they’re all great, strong. I like what Letitia James is doing. She’s fighting back. She’s saying, ‘f— you!’”

After an audible reaction from host Jonathan Capehart, De Niro continued, “I’m sorry. This is where we are. It’s what she’s saying. ‘This is it. I will not be taken down by this person. I am not afraid of him.’ And God bless her for that. And that’s how other people have to be.”

What “Vietnam-Style” Protests Could Mean Today

De Niro’s reference to Vietnam evokes the mass anti-war demonstrations of the late 1960s and early 1970s, when millions of Americans participated in marches, campus protests, and large-scale rallies in Washington, D.C., and other major cities. Those protests included peaceful demonstrations, acts of civil disobedience, and, at times, clashes with law enforcement.

In today’s political climate, a “Vietnam-style” protest movement would likely unfold across multiple fronts: coordinated national marches, sustained demonstrations in major cities, social media-driven organizing, and pressure campaigns aimed at lawmakers. Modern protest movements often rely on digital mobilization, viral messaging, and coalition-building across activist groups.

At the same time, the U.S. Constitution sets fixed presidential term limits under the 22nd Amendment, and presidential elections are administered by the states under established federal and state laws. Any removal of a sitting president outside of an election would require constitutional processes, such as impeachment by the House of Representatives and conviction by the Senate.

De Niro’s comments reflect a broader concern among some Trump critics that he will not actually exit the White House following the conclusion of his second term.

President Trump has frequently teased liberal meltdowns by joking he plans to pursue a third term in office.

Shortly after returning to office, Trump again referred to another term at a rally in Las Vegas on Jan. 25.

“It will be the greatest honor of my life to serve, not once but twice — or three times or four times,” Mr. Trump quipped to applause from the crowd, before adding that “no, it will be to serve twice.”

Then on Jan. 27, President Trump joked to Republican lawmakers about a third term. Speaking before the House GOP conference in Florida, Mr. Trump touted the money he’d raised for another race that he said “I assume I can’t use for myself.”

“But I’m not 100% sure because, I don’t know,” the president continued, to laughter from House Republicans. “I think I’m not allowed to run again. I’m not sure. Am I allowed to run again?”