Daniel Hampton

Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy on Friday scolded Republicans over a series of positions he deemed incompatible with conservative ideology — and MAGA fans were not happy.

In a post on X, Ramaswamy outlined what he characterized as core values for the conservative movement.

"It’s a time for choosing in the conservative movement," he wrote.

Ramaswamy said those who support trans athletes competing in sports consistent with their gender identity, advocate for affirmative action policies, or promote hatred toward any racial or ethnic groups lack "have no place in this movement."

He also rejected admiration for historical authoritarian figures, specifically naming Hitler and Stalin.

"If you believe in normalizing hate towards whites, blacks, Indians, or Jews, you have no place in this movement. If you believe Hitler was cool, you have no place in this movement. If you believe Stalin should be admired, you have no place in this movement. If you call Usha Vance a 'jeet,' you have no place in this movement."

He concluded, "And if you don’t have the guts to say these things without stuttering, then you have no place as a leader in this movement."

MAGA fans melted down that Ramaswamy was scolding conservatives about their own movement.

X user Ollie Arogundade, who describes himself as an American Christian nationalist, blasted Ramaswamy.

"You know nothing about this country or how culture works. White men established this nation because White culture from White genetics is based in philosophy, innovation, and exploration," said Arogundade. If you honestly think we can replace the all white people in this country with Indians who do not represent philosophy, innovation, and exploration as we all see with the current state of India, then you’re simply a fool, Vivek."

He added: "You and the rest of your tech bros can f--- right off, and I’ll personally ensure you guys lose any attempted race in 2028."

Fellow X user Matt DeCata railed, "Racial quotas in terms of immigration are a good and neccesary thing. And we should absolutely kick Vivek out of the 'consvertive movement' rather then compromise on that."

Philip Funderburg, a Republican insurance agent running for governor, raged on X, "I believe you don’t have Good Moral Character. Deporting @VivekGRamaswamy 2027@VivekGRamaswamy 2027! Make Ohio Great Again Funderburg for Governor 2026."

Ben Frank mocked Ramaswamy on X, "'Let me tell you what an American is' - Vivek Ramaswamy."

Nicholas J Stelzner simply wrote on X, "Deport him."

And Noah Wall wrote on X, "Interesting campaign strategynteresting campaign strategy for Ohio statewide office."

The Kennedy Center is reportedly in turmoil following the Trump-led board's controversial decision to rebrand the storied arts institution as The Trump Kennedy Center.

Notus reported Friday that the move ignited a firestorm among performers in addition to sparking concerns about the legality of the rename.

Musician Kristy Lee, who was scheduled to perform Jan. 14 on the Millennium Stage, told the outlet she was "in the process of canceling her scheduled performance."

And her decision reflected broader outrage within the arts community.

“I feel really badly for performers, not just for performers but for the people who work there,” one person scheduled to perform at the center told Notus, who was granted anonymity due to fears of retribution. “Kennedy Center is supposed to be a memorial, focusing on being nonpartisan. A place where people, it doesn’t matter what party they believe in, should be performing and experiencing the arts together regardless of what their party is. And it has not become that.”

The performer added: “It’s no longer a focus on the arts, and it’s very sad. And I know a lot of the people that I perform with are very sad.”

Another artist who said they planned to keep their performance date told the outlet: “Reality show personality and con artist aren’t the type of artist the center showcases.”

And yet another said Trump's name was a "stain" on the center.

Signage was installed on Friday, displaying "The Donald J. Trump and" above the original Kennedy Center nameplate.

Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, has said the move reflected “the unbelievable work President Trump has done over the last year in saving the building.”

The Justice Department's incomplete release of the Jeffrey Epstein files on Friday — failing to meet a legally mandated deadline — ignited fury among representatives for his victims.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche fessed up that the administration would perform a staggered rollout, indicating to Fox News that additional documents would trickle out over the next couple of weeks. However, the move sidestepped the Friday deadline set by Congress under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which required the release of all investigative records unless they compromise active investigations, national security, or identify trafficking survivors.

Spencer Kuvin, who represents multiple Epstein survivors, blasted the partial disclosure as a predictable outcome.

“Unfortunately, the Department of Justice has dragged its feet regarding these documents for the last 18 years so the victims don’t expect much by way of openness or honesty,” Kuvin said, according to The Guardian. “These young women have been lied to and repeatedly denied justice by system that was meant to protect them. The public need to demand more and continue to require accountability.”

Gloria Allred, an attorney for more than 20 survivors, raised sharp questions about what the Trump administration is withholding.

"There was resistance by this administration to releasing the Epstein files," she told CNN. "The question is, is there a cover-up? What are they hiding? What is in there that perhaps some powerful people would not like revealed? … Survivors are fighting to have the release of all the files [because] they want accountability. If there are rich, powerful, famous men who engaged in or assisted in or conspired to sex traffic underage girls, they want to know who those people are. They want to know what the evidence against them was.”

However, the release offered vindication for Maria Farmer, an early whistleblower who reported Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell to the FBI in 1996. The files confirmed her decades-old complaint in the newly disclosed materials. Through attorney Jennifer Freeman, Farmer expressed bittersweet emotions.

Thank you for believing me. I feel redeemed. This is one of the best days of my life. Of course, it’s mixed with the fact that I’m devastated about all the other girls … who were harmed because the FBI didn’t do their job … I’m shedding tears of joy for myself, but also tears of sorrow for all the victims.”

The Trump administration was dealt a rare Supreme Court shadow docket loss on Friday in a case that challenges a Justice Department policy that restricts immigration judges from speaking publicly about immigration issues without prior approval.

Josh Gerstein, senior legal affairs reporter at Politico, shared the shadow docket ruling on X in a case that stems from a lawsuit the National Association of Immigration Judges filed against the Director of the Executive Office for Immigration Review. The immigration judges challenged review policies that limit what immigration judges can publicly say about issues related to their official duties.

NAIJ had said the rule violates the First Amendment. The EOIR chief asked the Supreme Court to halt a lower court's mandate that sent the case back to the district court, arguing that Supreme Court precedent already makes clear that the Civil Service Reform Act channels these disputes out of the district court.

But on Friday, the Supreme Court denied the Trump administration's request, so the lower court's remand order stayed in effect as the underlying jurisdictional and First Amendment issues continue to be litigated.

Gerstein noted it was a "rare" shadow docket loss for the Trump administration, but added on X, "Court tempers blow by inviting DOJ to come back if discovery is approved."

"At this stage, the Government has not demonstrated that it will suffer irreparable harm without a stay," the shadow docket ruling said.

As of October, Trump secured victories in 20 shadow docket rulings out of 23 decisions involving his administration this year.

A Wisconsin county judge has been convicted of a felony charge following a four-day trial on allegations that she helped an undocumented immigrant evade arrest.

Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan was convicted late Thursday of felony obstruction of proceedings before a U.S. agency stemming from an April incident at the county courthouse, All Rise News reported. She was acquitted on a misdemeanor count of unlawful concealment of an individual subject to arrest.

Authorities said she helped an undocumented immigrant evade agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement by directing him and his attorney through a private courtroom exit while agents waited in the hallway.

Dugan's attorney, Jason Luczak, appeared to warn jurors earlier in the day that the decision to prosecute the judge could be traced to President Donald Trump.

"Make no mistake: This went all the way up to the top,” Luczak said, according to Adam Klasfeld of All Rise News. “This went all the way up the government."

"Finding Dugan guilty following 'an unprecedented trial' would 'green-light prosecutions' of judges, sending a 'chilling effect' that will harm access to justice in the United States, Luczak said," according to Klasfeld.

"They're trying to make an example of Hannah Dugan,” Luczak said. “They're trying to besmirch her reputation, her honest reputation."

The Wall Street Journal's conservative editorial board chided President Donald Trump on Thursday as dismal new economic figures prove America is seeing no promised "golden age."

Trump "assured Americans" during his frenzied Wednesday night address that "happier times will be here again," the board noted, but his own Labor Department had other ideas.

"The Labor Department’s inflation report on Thursday provided a glimpse of sunshine, though it also underscored why many Americans feel glum: Paychecks are barely keeping pace with rising costs," the editorial said.

On a positive note, the department reported a 2.7% increase in consumer prices over the last year, with monthly prices rising only 0.2% between September and November, suggesting disinflation may be resuming after a summer surge. Additionally, housing costs and rents have grown more slowly, air fares are down 5.4% year-over-year, and hotels are down 5.7%. To boot, egg prices dropped 13.2%.

But that's not the whole story, the board wrote. Americans are still facing significant price increases for electricity (6.9%), household items (4.6%), medical care (3.3%), and food (2.6%). Real average hourly earnings also increased just 0.8% over the last year — down from 1.4% a year ago.

"This is why it’s crucial to get inflation down further and faster if Republicans want voters to feel better before the midterm elections," the Journal warned.

While Trump gambles that his tax bill will provide relief, the board repeated its criticism of his key foreign policy initiative.

His "tariff barrage is creating uncertainty and adding costs for businesses," the board railed. "Deporting foreign workers without a criminal record is also hampering businesses."

Those policies are making it hard to build new homes and factories, as well as pipelines and power plants.

" JD Vance says restricting immigration will raise wages for American workers, but there’s little evidence this is happening. Deporting bus boys and hotel workers won’t make Americans feel richer. Nor will Mr. Trump telling voters they’ve never had it so good. Americans will start to feel better when they get a raise that isn’t washed away by inflation," the board concluded.

The attorney for a Wisconsin county judge accused of helping an immigrant evade federal authorities issued a dire plea to jurors hearing the "unprecedented trial," urging them to act as a check on government "overreach" — and warning it goes "all the way to the top."

Hannah Dugan, a Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge, faces federal charges stemming from an April incident at the Milwaukee County Courthouse. She was indicted on two counts, including felony obstruction of proceedings before a U.S. agency and misdemeanor unlawful concealment of an individual subject to arrest. Authorities said she helped an undocumented immigrant evade agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement by directing him and his attorney through a private courtroom exit while agents waited in the hallway.

On Thursday, her attorney, Jason Luczak, appeared to warn jurors that the decision to prosecute the judge can be traced to President Donald Trump.

"Make no mistake: This went all the way up to the top,” Luczak said, according to Adam Klasfeld of All Rise News. “This went all the way up the government."

"Finding Dugan guilty following 'an unprecedented trial' would 'green-light prosecutions' of judges, sending a 'chilling effect' that will harm access to justice in the United States, Luczak said," according to Klasfeld.

"They're trying to make an example of Hannah Dugan,” Luczak said. “They're trying to besmirch her reputation, her honest reputation."

Prosecutors, however, warned jurors have a duty — just as the judge did.

"On this first day in this courtroom, you took an oath: Just like the defendant did,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Brown Watzka told jurors, arguing the judge broke her oath to uphold the law.

Closing arguments ended at 2 p.m. local time. Jurors began deliberations about a half-hour later.

President Donald Trump uncorked a falsehood-filled blitz during his Wednesday night address from the White House —in which he touted accomplishments and unveiled a new 1776-themed bid to help military families — but internet critics begged the MAGA leader to watch his decibels.

Trump's rapid-fire speech made dubious claims, including that he cut drug prices by up to 600 percent, and that gasoline has fallen to under $2.50 a gallon in much of the country.

But what made waves on the internet was how he delivered his factually questionable boasts — as critics asked why he appeared to be yelling.

CNN's John King noted Trump was "shouting at times. He seemed a little angry."

Journalist John Harwood chided on X, "shouting at a country that thinks he's doing a terrible job."

The Atlantic's David Frum wrote on X, "This speech reminds me of the Bass-o-matic commercial."

Andrew Feinberg, White House Correspondent for The Independent, questioned on X, "Why is he screaming?"

Atlantic staff writer Jonathan Chait chided on X, "My fellow Americans, tonight I am here to say the same things I've been saying every day, except faster and louder."

MAGA fans fumed this week at Republicans who attended a ceremony to install a new statue to replace a Confederate monument that hasn't been up since 2020.

Virginia unveiled a statue of civil rights activist Barbara Rose Johns at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, replacing a monument for Robert E. Lee in one of two spaces each state is designating to display historical figures.

The Daily Beast noted on Wednesday that the Lee statue was removed in 2020 following a request by then-Gov. Ralph Northam. It came amid a nationwide reckoning of Confederate memorials, and state lawmakers subsequently selected Johns to replace Lee. The Lee statue now sits in the Virginia Museum of History & Culture, displayed within an exhibit addressing efforts to "justify and glorify the Confederacy."

The swap didn't sit well with right-wing commenters, the Beast reported.

Matt Rinaldi, former Texas Republican chairman, called it a disgrace that Republicans participated in the unveiling of the new statue. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and House Speaker Mike Johnson joined several Republicans in attending the ceremony.

"Robert E. Lee was a greater American and more significant historical figure than whoever this is," he said, according to the report.

Adam Johnston of The Federalist also declared the tribute "disgraceful," while right-wing influencer Matt Walsh complained, "Nobody knows who ‘Barbara Rose Johns’ is. Robert E Lee was about a million times more historically significant. He was also a million times more honorable and courageous than all of the politicians applauding in this video."

The House voted Wednesday to pass a health care measure that sidesteps the impending expiration of enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies, effectively allowing them to disappear by year's end.

Speaker Mike Johnson's narrow victory — the House voted 216-211 — came amid significant turmoil within Republican ranks, as moderate members staged an open rebellion throughout the day, Politico reported.

However, the report noted the House bill faces certain death in the Senate and does little to resolve the deepening Republican divide on the expiring subsidies, which stand to send millions of Americans' premiums soaring. Party members plan continued negotiations into next year.

Research from KFF projects that average premium payments could surge by about $1,000 a year if enhanced credits lapse.

The legislation expands small business health plan options, targets pharmacy benefit managers, and establishes alternative subsidies for out-of-pocket costs, according to the report. Johnson ultimately refused to allow a floor amendment on extended credits. In response, four House Republicans joined Democrats on a discharge petition, forcing a January vote on a three-year subsidy extension.

President Donald Trump unveiled the shocking new price tag of his glitzy ballroom makeover for the White House, new plans of which show how it has dramatically scaled up from its initial proposal.

The Daily Beast reported Wednesday that the two-story edifice will include sweeping staircases, residential quarters for guests, and a secure bridge connecting the new space to the presidential residence. On Tuesday, Trump "let it slip" that the project now carries a staggering price tag of $400 million, double the initial estimate.

Court filings released this week provided fresh details about the scope and scale of the now-significantly larger undertaking.

The National Park Service, which maintains the White House grounds, noted the ballroom would "dominate the eastern portion of the site, creating a visual imbalance with the more modestly scaled West Wing and Executive Mansion."

To boot, streets surrounding the complex would be closed through 2028, and the project has necessitated the removal of historic landscaping, including gardens associated with former first lady Jackie Kennedy and a magnolia planted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1942.

Beyond the primary 90,000-square-foot ballroom, the development encompasses a renovated colonnade with a second-floor component, an expanded public entrance featuring grand stairs, and interior spaces for administrative functions.

“The new building will be approximately 90,000 square feet and will be connected to the Executive Mansion through the East Colonnade. The East Colonnade will be renovated to include a secure second story that will provide direct access from the East Room to the State Ballroom, while maintaining existing ground-floor access to and from the main Executive Mansion,” the documents say.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation has sued the president, asserting that “No president is legally allowed to tear down portions of the White House without any review whatsoever—not President Trump, not President Biden, not anyone else."

However, a federal judge this week indicated he would likely allow the project to continue, but required the administration to present completed designs to oversight bodies within two weeks.

A former U.S. Army Reserve lieutenant colonel and Green Beret who has become a far-right political operative and activist recorded himself heckling former special counsel Jack Smith on Capitol Hill, following Smith and shouting derogatory names.

Ivan Raiklin, who previously billed himself as Donald Trump's “secretary of retribution” during the campaign, recorded himself hassling Jack Smith for targeting him with a subpoena.

"Jack Smith. Jacka-- Smith," Raiklin says for the camera. "Hey, Jack? Why did you come after me in your subpoenas?"

Raiklin said four subpoenas targeted Save America PAC, Save America Joint Fundraising Committee, MAGA PAC, and Trump MAGA. He claimed Smith wanted to find out of Trump campaign official Chris LaCivita and now Chief of Staff Susie Wiles had communicated with Raiklin

"Sir, you can hear me," Raiklin said, following Smith through the hallways as he ignored Raiklin. "Respond. Jack, why do you think many people out there call you Jacka-- Smith, sir? With all due respect. Sir!"

Raiklin continued shouting at Smith and shouting questions about his January 6th investigation.

"Why do you have to be so ignorant, just like Jamie Raskin, just like Bennie Thompson, just like the entire Pelosi Fedsurrection cover-up committee? Care to respond, Jack? I'm waiting Jack! And so is the rest of America! How about you respond, Jack? The hunters become the hunted, huh? Come on Jack!"

Raiklin previously fantasized about "live-streamed swatting raids" that round up politicians, government officials and journalists.

President Donald Trump's mystery speech planned for Wednesday night is already sparking backlash from furious fans of the CBS hit show "Survivor," who will have to wait a bit loinger to find out the winner of the show's 49th season.

Earlier Tuesday, Trump revealed that he would give a speech from the White House. After Fox News asked the White House to detail "what it's all about," Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump plans to address the nation at 9 p.m. Eastern.

"I hope your audience will tune in, and Americans across the country will tune in to hear from their president as well about the historic accomplishments that he has garnered for our country over the past year. If you look at the security of our border, if you look at stopping Joe Biden's inflation right in its tracks, bringing down gas prices to the lowest level in five years," she said.

Internet observers immediately homed in on the time, as the last-minute presidential address will interrupt CBS's three-hour season finale, the network confirmed to Entertainment Weekly.

CBS News will broadcast Trump's live speech from the White House, anchored by Norah O'Donnell with reporting from chief White House correspondent Nancy Cordes. To boot, the "Survivor" finale, which begins at 8 p.m. ET, will be forced to pause for the address and resume immediately afterward for viewers.

And fans were not happy.

That included Stephen Fishbach, a two-time Survivor contestant, who railed on X, "absolutely wild that Trump is trying to make #survivor 49 last even LONGER, surely this will be the last straw for his supporters."

Matt Rice, Washington correspondent for The New York Sun, warned on X, "Delaying the Survivor season finale for a nighttime address to the nation could actually result in Trump losing a few more points on his approval rating."

Austin Myers wrote on X, "Trump is a deranged man for scheduling a speech in the middle of the Survivor 49 finale."

"Survivor" fan beando chided on X, "If Trump is interrupting the Survivor finale just to talk about 'his accomplishments' republican's will lose another 2 points in 2026."