The suspect in a shooting that killed two students and wounded nine others at Brown University, as well as a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was found dead in a storage unit in Salem, New Hampshire, on Thursday night, according to The Associated Press.
A massive manhunt had been underway for the gunman, who has not yet been identified, since Saturday, when he opened fire at Brown University. Authorities later connected the shooter to the killing of MIT professor Nuno Loureiro, 47, who taught in the engineering and physics departments.
On Thursday, a license plate reader identified a car connected to the suspect in Salem, New Hampshire, according to reports. Police soon swarmed the area and began searching for the suspect.
Some high-profile allies of President Donald Trump were called out on Thursday for "casting aspersions" about several right-wing figures during an event dubbed the "Super Bowl" for young Republicans.
Ben Shapiro, editor emeritus at The Daily Wire, spoke on Thursday during Day One of Turning Point USA's AmericaFirst Conference in Phoenix, Arizona. During his speech, he called out Steve Bannon, Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens, and other right-wing media figures for spreading conspiracy theories about slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who founded TPUSA, and his wife, Erika, the organization's current CEO.
"If Candace Owens decides to spend every day since the murder of Charlie Kirk casting aspersion at TPUSA, and the people who work at TPUSA ... and yes, at Erika Kirk ... to spew absolutely baseless trash implicating everyone from French intelligence to Mossad to members of TPUSA in a coverup of Charlie's murder, then we people who have a microphone, have a moral obligation to call that out by name," Shapiro said.
"Erika Kirk and others should never have been put in a position to defend against such specious and evil attacks, particularly in a time of mourning," he continued. "And the people who refuse to condemn Candace's truly vicious attacks, some of whom are speaking here, and are guilty of cowardice!"
Owens hit back at the callout with a conspiracy-laden post on X.
"Every time Ben speaks I feel more certain Israel is involved in 9/10z," she wrote. "He’s just way too invested in Charlie’s murder. He never liked Charlie and he’s now suddenly pretending he had a duty to defend his legacy. Ben only cares about Israel’s interests. So Israel is involved."
Of Bannon, Shapiro blasted, "When Steve Bannon, for example, accuses his foreign-policy opponents of loyalty to a foreign country, he is not actually making an argument based in evidence, he's simply maligning people he disagrees with — which is indeed par for the course from a man who was a PR flack for Jeffrey Epstein."
"Check the record," he added.
"The people who refused to condemn Candace’s truly vicious attacks – and some of them are speaking here tonight – are guilty of cowardice."@benshapiropic.twitter.com/YOmLVLz02V — Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) December 19, 2025
A renowned historian on Thursday accused President Donald Trump's administration of attempting to install a "Nazi worldview" in America.
Heather Cox Richardson, historian and author of the Substack "Letters from an American," discussed how the Trump administration differs from previous presidential administrations in a new interview on Zeteo News with journalist John Harwood. The interview occurred at a time when Trump's rhetoric had become increasingly dark around topics like immigration and citizenship.
"It is worth looking at two ways to look at human society," Richardson said. "One is that some people are better than others and have the right to rule, and the other is that we are all created equal and have the right to be treated equally before the law."
"Both of those strands have run through American history," she continued. "So, if you are looking at the strand that Donald Trump is trying to put in place now, and in addition to Trump, I would say people like Stephen Miller ... Russel Vought ... the author of Project 2025. There's a whole bunch of players in Trump's inner circle: Kristi Noem ... her advisor, Corey Lewandowski, who are trying to put in place what I would call a Nazi worldview."
"They are taking that idea that some people are better than others ... they are trying to turn that strand into something that really harks back to Nazi Germany," she continued.
Heather Cox Richardson on How the Trump Administration is Pursuing ‘A Nazi Worldview’ by Mehdi Hasan
The renowned historian joins John Harwood to discuss where the current administration lands in the US’s century-old battle between equality and racism.
Erika Kirk's scheduled speech at her company's grand annual meeting on Thursday was overshadowed by what she called a "fun technical difficulty."
Kirk spoke on day one of Turning Point USA's AmericaFest Conference in Phoenix, Arizona, on Thursday, an event she called the organization's "Super Bowl." Her dramatic entrance followed an emotional video about her late husband, conservative activist and TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk. Still, as she began talking, it soon became apparent that something went wrong.
"The enemy has thrown a lot of curveballs at us today, and this week, and the past three months," Erika Kirk began. "One of them is the fact that my entire speech has been wiped."
She held up her black iPad, showing a blank screen.
"Because my iPad won't even turn on," she continued. "That's a fun technical difficulty that we can figure out. So, we're just going to wing it."
Erika Kirk is the current CEO of TPUSA, and she was appointed leader shortly after her husband was assassinated at a Utah university event. Her speech comes as she fights with other MAGA influencers like Candace Owens and Tucker Carlson about conspiracy theories surrounding Charlie Kirk's killing.
President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he is hosting a rally at the Rocky Mount Events Center in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, on Friday, just two days after he gave a national address that received harsh reviews.
"I’ll be in North Carolina tomorrow at the wonderful Rocky Mount Events Center. So much to discuss," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "See you there. Doors open at 6 P.M. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"
The announcement came less than 24 hours after Trump gave an 18-minute address that some Republican insiders called "abysmal."
The address was supposed to be about how the Trump administration is combating the rising cost of living, which is the top issue for many voters ahead of the 2026 midterms, according to public polling.
Instead of addressing affordability, a word Trump has described as a "Democrat scam," Trump ranted about illegal immigration and blamed President Joe Biden for the state of the economy.
FBI Director Kash Patel has said some genuinely strange stuff in the past, but some of his most "baffling" work occurred during a recent podcast interview, according to one columnist.
Patel and his girlfriend, 27-year-old country music singer Alexis Wilkins, appeared on "The Katie Miller Podcast" on Wednesday, a show hosted by the wife of President Donald Trump's deputy chief of staff, Stephen Miller. During the interview, Miller tossed Patel several softball questions about criticism he's received to help him "dress down the haters and losers," Luke Winkie, a staff writer for Slate, argued in a new column.
However, there was a moment where Patel offered something "genuinely baffling" to the audience, Winkie argued.
"If there is one theme throughout the dialogue, it is Patel laying the blame for all of his grievances at the feet of the fourth estate," Winkie wrote. "In that sense, he’s following a well-worn track laid out by Trump. But Patel’s demeanor is genuinely baffling."
"My favorite of these swipes is when Miller asks Patel when he might get engaged to Wilkins," he continued. "He retorts by saying that he won’t 'let the media determine the speed in which this relationship moves.' What? What are you talking about, man?"
"I implore every boyfriend reading this to give that line a shot the next time the topic of marriage comes up: 'The New York Times doesn’t control me!!' Let me know how it goes," he added.
Republican Party insiders on Thursday offered the press a starkly different assessment of President Donald Trump's primetime address to the nation than they gave the president, according to a new report.
Politico reported on Thursday that people close to the president told him that he did "great" after the cameras stopped rolling on Wednesday night. However, once he left the room, they were "far less ebullient about the president’s attempt to improve his dismal numbers on the economy," according to the report.
“It’s the right idea to talk about the economy more, but the execution was abysmal,” one Republican operative who served in the first Trump administration told the outlet. “He’s a very effective salesman when his heart is in it or when he’s on the attack. But the ‘I feel your pain’ speech — he just doesn’t have that club in his bag.”
An official with the Republican National Committee told Politico that "it’s hard to imagine any members waking up today and saying, ‘Oh, now I feel better.’"
Trump's address to the nation came at a time when public polling showed just 36% of Americans supported his economic policies, the lowest mark of his second term. Meanwhile, Democrats are winning elections across the country by focusing on "affordability," a word Trump has described as a "Democrat scam."
“In politics, the ‘look-back’ is never as effective as the ‘look-forward’,” Kevin Madden, a veteran GOP communications strategist, told Politico. “Voters will always provide more breathing room if you establish credibility by acknowledging the challenge, and the challenge right now that they’re feeling from higher prices is real. You have to acknowledge that, first, if you’re ever going to gain their support for the policy plan to address it and make it better in the future.”
President Donald Trump delivered a forceful insult to the military on Wednesday during his address to the nation, and a new column argued that the insult will be measured in "empty billets and early graves."
During his speech on Wednesday, Trump announced that his administration is sending 1.45 million enlisted military members a $1,776 check that they're calling a "Warrior Dividend" before Christmas. Trump claimed that the dividend was funded by revenue from his tariffs. However, Politico later reported that the funds were moved from a federal account that helps servicemembers find affordable housing.
Alain Stephens, an investigative reporter for The Intercept, wrote in a new article on Thursday that the "Warrior Dividend" is just "another empty, Trump-branded PR exercise."
"That context matters. Trump’s sudden burst of generosity comes after years of deliberate harm to veterans, military families, and the institutions meant to support them," Stephens wrote. "Set against that record, the 'warrior dividend' isn’t gratitude — it’s the latest insult."
Stephens noted instances in Trump's past where he called veterans "losers" and "suckers," and his administration's efforts to dismantle the Department of Veterans Affairs.
"When you set aside Trump’s checks, this is how he really regards the military. Not just insult, but attrition," Stephens continued. "Not just cruelty, but vulnerability. An all-volunteer force depends on belief — that service will be rewarded with dignity, care, and reciprocity."
"When that belief collapses, the consequences are measured in empty billets and early graves," he added. "Trump doesn’t care if you served. And more young Americans, seeing the discarded generation before them, are quietly deciding they don’t want to be 'suckers,' either."
Donald Trump Jr.'s ex-girlfriend and conservative commentator cast serious doubt this week over his new engagement to a socialite.
Kimberly Guilfoyle — who was previously engaged to Trump Jr. and formerly married to California Gov. Gavin Newsom from 2001 to 2006 — reportedly is still processing the engagement news, according to People. Guilfoyle and Trump Jr. had a quiet ending to their engagement last year.
President Donald Trump on Monday announced that his son and namesake, Donald Trump Jr., was engaged to Bettina Anderson.
“Kimberly knows Don well and they’re still great friends, but she has major concerns when it comes to his relationship with Bettina,” an unnamed source told People. “The engagement was difficult for Kimberly to see and she felt it only added to her doubts about the relationship."
Guilfoyle and Trump Jr. have apparently remained friends since their breakup.
"She only wants the best for Don, but she isn’t convinced Bettina is well-suited for Don or that what they have is the real deal," the source told People. "Kimberly has a hard time seeing the headlines about their relationship because she doesn’t believe it’s built to last."
"She feels Bettina is more interested in the prestige and attention that comes with being connected to the Trump family and doesn’t think she’d be with Don if it weren’t for that," according to the source.
Kennedy Center board member and Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH) had some words Thursday for President Donald Trump and his administration over the venue's upcoming rebrand.
Beatty told CNN anchor Jake Tapper that the vote to rename the venue after President Donald Trump was "not unanimous" despite the Trump White House's claims to the contrary and called out the move.
"They have no regard for the rule of law. They are acting as what criminals do. And it's criminal that they are doing this," Beatty said.
"I served with Joe Kennedy when I first went on the board. He's absolutely right. They cannot independently, as a handful of self-appointed people who giggled and laughed, the whole board meeting was a mockery of professional boards," Beatty added.
She described the situation while the vote unfolded.
"There were 10 or 15 minutes where we could hear people laughing and singing jingle bells because they didn't know how to even operate the equipment," Beatty said. "The board meeting was held in someone's home, the home of the Wynns that were hosting it. I don't know if they were in their library, the kitchen, or where they were. Typically on a Zoom, you can see the table where the board members are. None of this happened. It was a farce. Just as most of the things that they have been doing, it was a dog and pony show."
Beatty was referring to Steve Wynn, the Las Vegas hotel and casino owner, and his wife Andrea Hissom, who sit on the board and were appointed by Trump.
The board president of The Kennedy Center lashed out at the niece of the center's namesake in a social media post on Thursday after she criticized President Donald Trump.
Maria Shriver, who's the niece of President John F. Kennedy, criticized the Kennedy Center's board for agreeing to rename it the Trump-Kennedy Center in a post on X. She said the decision was "beyond comprehension" and "beyond wild."
"It is beyond comprehension that this sitting president has sought to rename this great memorial dedicated to President Kennedy," Shriver's post reads in part. "It is beyond wild that he would think adding his name in front of President Kennedy’s name is acceptable. It is not."
Richard Grenell, a former Trump advisor who has served as the Kennedy Center's board president since February, responded to Shriver's comments.
"The place was literally falling apart and you didn’t help - at all," Grenell said in a post of his own. "Where you been, Maria? You were completely silent while the building crumbled. Donald Trump had to step in and save it because you didn’t help. You should thank him."
Trump's efforts to remake the Kennedy Center in his image have drawn widespread criticism. Multiple Kennedy Center board members resigned after Trump appointed Grenell to lead the board in February. Several high-profile artists and musicians have also cancelled dates at the Kennedy Center in protest of Trump's actions.
The place was literally falling apart and you didn’t help - at all.
Where you been, Maria? You were completely silent while the building crumbled.
Donald Trump had to step in and save it because you didn’t help.
President Donald Trump is millions of tons short of meeting a key promise he made to American farmers before starting his trade war with China, according to one analyst.
In October, China agreed to end its boycott of American soybeans, which ended a months-long trade war between the two countries. As part of the deal, China agreed to buy 12 million metric tons of soybeans by the end of 2025. However, reporting from CNBC in early December showed that the country would likely miss its target.
Acclaimed author and business journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin discussed the issue with Ben Meiselas, podcast host and co-founder of the MeidasTouch Network, on Thursday.
"I repeatedly asked members of the administration about this over the last couple of weeks. The end of the year is basically here—we’re about 15 days away," Sorkin said. "I think we’ve sold about 300,000 metric tons. So how do you get from 300,000 to 12 million? The math just doesn’t add up."
"And you can never get a straight answer," Sorkin said. "Even in the past few weeks, they've said, 'Oh, well, it's not actually the end of the year. It's the growing season.'"
Soybeans have become a bit of a sore issue for the Trump administration. Earlier this year, Trump increased tariffs on imported goods from China, prompting the country to retaliate by halting its purchases of American soybeans. Soybeans are a popular and profitable item grown by many farmers across America, a demographic that overwhelmingly voted for Trump in 2024.
The pain of the trade war became so significant that the administration announced a $12 billion bailout program for American farmers in early December.
However, Sorkin suggested that the pain could continue.
"This could get extended out several months," he said.
Sorkin: The President said that China was going to buy 12 million metric tons of soybeans by the end of the year. I’ve repeatedly asked members of the administration: the end of the year is basically here—we’re about 15 days away. I think we’ve sold about 300,000 metric tons. So… pic.twitter.com/3uDjHVXIFZ — Acyn (@Acyn) December 18, 2025
Republicans were shocked by President Donald Trump's finger-pointing and have questioned what's next after his lackluster primetime speech.
White House insiders and GOP lawmakers were reacting to responses to Trump's speech, CNN senior White House correspondent Kristen Holmes told viewers Thursday.
"Look, they're all watching everything closely, and they've seen how it's been reviewed. I will say one thing. The White House worked together as a team, as they often do the inner circle to craft this speech. And they needed a speech in which President Trump would stay on message, that was short, that addressed the economy," Holmes said.
Trump blamed former President Joe Biden, a common move he's made in the past — something his team has begged him to stop doing — and tried to say the economy was better than before.
"Now, whether or not you think his message was true, we obviously know that there were numbers that were inflated or just plain wrong. Or if you think that he went off topic, airing his grievances, he did talk about the economy more than we've ever we've seen him in the last several months," Holmes said. "And that is what the White House was intending to do, to try and get the message across that he is aware that things are not in the place that they need to be, and that they are working on it as an administration."
That message did not land well, she said. And Republicans outside the White House had a different response to what the White House had aimed for, "which is try andalleviate people's fears."
Instead, it only ramped up people's worries, especially ahead of the midterms.
"Republicans came out of that speech more anxious that the messaging around the economy was not where it should be going into 2026, and that the party as a whole was not really solidified in that messaging about the economy, especially when it came to all of this blame on the previous administration," Holmes said.
Trump's former campaign advisers have claimed that the president has previously made gains in convincing people he has an understanding of improving the economy. But now things have changed.
"The other thing theysaid was that it was a loteasier to run when President Trump himself wasn't in power.When you are running againstsomething, you were saying, youcan change something," she added. "Now he isfacing the same exactcircumstances that President Biden was facing at the time,and handling it the exact sameway, which, of course, israising a lot of questions as towhere Republicans are going togo from here."
