Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sparked new outrage after posting a meme on X that appeared to mock growing accusations—raised by both Republicans and Democrats—that he may have committed war crimes. As Trump publicly distanced himself from Hegseth following his “kill them all” directive, which allegedly led to survivors of a suspected drug-boat attack being fired upon as they clung to their vessel, Hegseth reposted an image of children’s book character Franklin the Turtle shooting from a helicopter, adding: “For your Christmas wish list…” Critics across the political spectrum condemned the post, calling Hegseth “sick,” “pathetic,” and unfit to lead the Pentagon. Some warned the meme could be used against him in a future trial, while others noted the apparent copyright issues behind misusing the Franklin character. The incident intensified scrutiny around Hegseth’s conduct and the administration’s handling of the alleged attack.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem faced an uncomfortable and revealing exchange on Sunday after attempting to blame last week’s deadly shooting of two National Guard members on the Biden administration—only to be confronted with the fact that the suspect’s asylum was actually approved under former President Donald Trump’s second administration.
The incident at the center of the discussion occurred last Wednesday, when two West Virginia National Guard members deployed to Washington, D.C., as part of Trump’s crime-focused security mission were shot in what officials described as a targeted attack near the White House. One of the soldiers, 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom, later died of her injuries, while the second, 24-year-old Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, remains hospitalized in critical condition.
Authorities have identified the suspected shooter as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who arrived in the United States following the 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Lakanwal had reportedly worked with the CIA on counterterrorism operations while overseas, a detail that has added complexity to the early coverage of the case. Questions have since emerged over how he entered the country, how he was vetted, and which administration was ultimately responsible for approving his asylum request.
During an appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press, Secretary Noem swiftly placed blame on President Biden, arguing that his administration had allowed dangerous individuals into the country without adequate background checks. “The vetting process happens when the person comes into the country, and Joe Biden completely did not vet any of those individuals, did not vet this individual!” Noem said, asserting that the shooting was the predictable result of what she characterized as failed immigration policy.
But moderator Kristen Welker quickly challenged Noem’s account, noting a key fact that undermined her claim: Lakanwal’s asylum request was approved this April, during the Trump administration—not under Biden.
“His asylum was approved in April of this year on the Trump administration's watch, so just to be very clear, was there a vetting process in place to approve that asylum request?” Welker asked.
The correction appeared to catch Noem off guard. Her response—“Yeah, the vetting process all happened under Joe Biden's administration”—sidestepped the timeline entirely. Welker pressed her again, reiterating that whatever vetting did or did not occur when Lakanwal arrived in the United States, his asylum determination was still granted during Trump’s second term. That distinction is significant in terms of administrative responsibility, especially because asylum approval involves its own independent process, separate from the screening that happens when a migrant first enters the country.
“But was he vetted when he was granted asylum—are you saying he wasn’t vetted when he was granted asylum?” Welker asked, attempting to pin down a clear answer.
Noem did not directly respond. Instead, she repeated her original accusation, insisting that the Biden administration had “abandoned” rigorous vetting, while declining to explain how that claim aligned with the fact that the decision point she was citing occurred under Trump. “Vetting is—vetting is—vetting is happening when they come into the country, and that was completely abandoned under Joe Biden's administration,” she repeated, appearing increasingly flustered.
The exchange underscored a recurring challenge for Republican officials attempting to tie high-profile crimes to immigration policies: the timeline and administrative details do not always align with the political narrative. In this case, Noem’s attempt to place sole responsibility on the Biden administration was undercut in real time by the documented record regarding when and how the suspect’s asylum was adjudicated. Welker’s questioning exposed a glaring gap between Noem’s claims and the available facts, leaving Noem struggling to reconcile her statements with the timeline presented on air.
President Trump announced yesterday that West Virginia National Guard soldier Sarah Beckstrom, 20, had died from the injuries she sustained in a targeted shooting near the White House. In remarks captured on video, Trump blamed the previous administration for allowing the suspected gunman into the country, calling them “such a bad administration,” and described Beckstrom as a “highly respected” young service member with a “magnificent” record. Her father told the New York Times she was unlikely to recover, saying, “She has a mortal wound.”
A second Guardsman, Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, remains in critical condition and is “fighting for his life,” Trump said. Both soldiers were part of a West Virginia National Guard deployment sent to Washington as part of Trump’s crime-fighting mission in the capital. Investigators are examining the actions and possible motive of the suspect, 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who was wounded by a third Guard member at the scene and remains hospitalized.
President Donald Trump ignited a backlash inside his own MAGA base after launching a blistering attack on Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene following her surprise resignation announcement. In a post on Truth Social, Trump mocked Greene’s “plummeting poll numbers,” accused her of going “BAD,” and blamed her ties to Rep. Tom Massie for her downfall.
But instead of rallying behind him, Trump’s most loyal supporters revolted. MAGA commenters blasted the president for turning on one of his fiercest allies, accusing him of acting petty, vindictive, “middle school,” and “disloyal.” Many demanded he explain what Greene truly did wrong, while others questioned why he targets MTG but remains friendly with Republicans like Lindsey Graham.
Some longtime Trump loyalists said this was the first time they felt “ashamed” of him, warning that his treatment of Greene raises concerns about how he views his own supporters. The episode revealed rare open dissent inside the MAGA movement and raised questions about Trump’s ability to manage internal fractures as he begins his second term.
Trump speaks with reporters about Marjorie Taylor Greene's sudden resignation. Courtesy of C-SPAN
Trump comments on the White House construction while taking questions from reporters. He mentions that the Military is involved to ensure everything is "absolutely beautiful." CSPAN
The U.S. Supreme Court’s growing “arrogance” toward lower courts is now slowing some of President Donald Trump’s key initiatives, according to legal analysts Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern. After an appeals court refused to lift an injunction blocking Trump’s plan to deploy the National Guard in Chicago, the Slate writers said judges across the political spectrum — including Trump appointees — are uniting to push back against a high court that has dismissed their fact-finding and legal reasoning. “They’re not just fact-checking,” Stern said. “They’re reality-checking.”
Legal experts say Supreme Court's 'arrogance' is backfiring on Trump's agendaLegal experts say Supreme Court's 'arrogance' is backfiring on Trump's agenda
MSNBC’s Ken Dilanian erupted Wednesday over Attorney General Pam Bondi’s refusal to answer Senate questions about border czar Tom Homan allegedly accepting a $50,000 bribe caught on FBI video. Dilanian, who co-authored the original report on Homan’s recorded cash handoff, blasted Bondi for stonewalling Democrats and dodging accountability by deflecting questions with personal attacks. “There’s no reason she can’t say what happened to the money,” Dilanian fumed, calling her silence “obvious” and “infuriating.”
Watch the video below
MSNBC reporter slams attorney general for dodging questions on $50K bribe scandal
President Donald Trump boasted Tuesday that his deal with Pfizer would slash drug prices by “300% or more,” a mathematically impossible claim. The agreement, according to CNBC, trades a three-year suspension of tariffs for the pharmaceutical giant’s pledge to build U.S. manufacturing plants, with Trump hyping the announcement as “one of the biggest things that we’ll do.”
Before heading off for a day at the Ryder Cup, Donald Trump unleashed a string of angry Truth Social posts aimed at former FBI Director James Comey, who was indicted Thursday by newly appointed U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan on federal charges. Trump, who has long sought Comey’s prosecution, used the news to revive his claim that the former FBI chief lied to Congress—calling it a “very simple, but IMPORTANT” lie that couldn’t be explained away.
Trump also preemptively attacked the legal process by blasting U.S. District Judge Michael Nachmanoff, appointed by President Joe Biden, who was assigned to oversee the case. Labeling Comey a “dirty cop” and “destroyer of lives,” Trump insisted his onetime nemesis must now “pay a very big price.” The tirade capped off with Trump in all-caps rage branding Comey a “DIRTY COP” as he sought to rally his supporters before a day of golf.
Watch below to hear Trump's comments on the indictment.
President Donald Trump on Thursday blamed the “radical left” for a deadly Dallas ICE shooting the day before, and warned of possible retaliation from his supporters. Speaking alongside Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Trump claimed the right is “a lot tougher than the left” and suggested things could “go back on them.” Notably absent from his remarks was any mention of the ICE detainees killed and wounded in the attack.
At a campaign-style event in Concord, North Carolina, Vice President JD Vance leaned into familiar GOP attacks on Democrats as “soft on crime,” pointing to the killing of Iryna Zarutska on Charlotte’s light rail and the recent assassination of Charlie Kirk. Framed by armored vehicles and local police, Vance sought to project toughness — but his message was overshadowed by breaking news of a deadly shooting at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Dallas, where one detainee was killed and two critically injured.
The ICE shooting, quickly politicized by Donald Trump and FBI Director Kash Patel as an act of left-wing extremism, underscored how the administration is using violence to amplify its hardline immigration agenda. Vance cast Democrats as enablers of “violent radicals” and suggested local officials were failing to keep communities safe, though he stopped short of threatening federal intervention in Charlotte as the White House has in other cities. He also repeated baseless claims that Kirk’s killing was orchestrated by a far-left network.
North Carolina’s upcoming Senate race loomed over the event, with Trump and Vance pinning blame for Zarutska’s death on former Democratic governor Roy Cooper, now a candidate. Republicans Michael Whatley and local lawmakers echoed those attacks, invoking Black Lives Matter protests and racial equity initiatives to argue Democrats coddle criminals. By the end of the rally, GOP speakers escalated the rhetoric into a culture-war battle cry, casting the violence as part of a broader “war” against Western civilization itself.
Watch the video below for JD Vance's response to Raw Story investigative reporter Jordan Green's question.
Raw Story reporter presses Vance on GOP role as ICE shooting news breaksJD Vance speaks in Concord, NC
At Charlie Kirk’s memorial service in Glendale, Arizona, President Donald Trump praised the slain conservative activist for uniting the MAGA movement and for his approach to debate—but also drew a sharp contrast between them. Trump told mourners he disagreed with Kirk’s willingness to wish his political opponents well, recounting a story in which Kirk said he wanted to “lead them into the great way of life in our country.”
“That's where I disagreed with Charlie,” Trump said. “I hate my opponent and I don't want the best for them.” Trump added that perhaps Kirk’s widow, Erika, could persuade him otherwise, but insisted, “Right now I can’t stand my opponent.”
The remarks underscored both Trump’s admiration for Kirk’s influence and his own refusal to temper hostility toward political rivals.
President Trump at Charlie Kirk Memorial Service: "He did not hate his opponents. He wanted the best for them. That's where I disagreed with Charlie. I hate my opponent and I don't want the best for them. I'm sorry. I am sorry Erika."
