Author name: Robert Walsh

CBS News Chief Bari Weiss Reportedly Eyes Pro-Trump CNN Pundit Scott Jennings for New Role
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CBS News Chief Bari Weiss Reportedly Eyes Pro-Trump CNN Pundit Scott Jennings for New Role

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CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss is reportedly seeking to recruit conservative commentator and CNN contributor Scott Jennings as part of an effort to reshape the network’s on-air talent lineup, as reported by the New York Post.

According to a report from Semafor, Weiss and Jennings met last week at CBS headquarters in New York to discuss a potential move.

The reported outreach comes at a time of major transition for CBS News, which is undergoing staff changes and preparing for a new editorial direction under Weiss.

Scott Jennings speaks during the Republican Party of Kentucky 2019 Lincoln Dinner in downtown Lexington. LincolnDinner_Jennings

The New York Post reported Monday that John Dickerson, co-anchor of the CBS Evening News, will be leaving the network at the end of the year. Dickerson will continue anchoring alongside Maurice DuBois until his departure, as CBS braces for a round of layoffs affecting the news division.

Jennings, a former special assistant to President George W. Bush and longtime adviser to Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, has become a prominent conservative voice on CNN.

Known for his unapologetic defense of President Donald Trump during panel discussions, Jennings has built a loyal following among right-leaning viewers frustrated by CNN’s coverage.

As a contributor rather than a full-time employee, Jennings is free to explore opportunities with other outlets.

A source familiar with the situation told Semafor that the meeting with Weiss was informal. CNN declined to comment, and requests for comment sent to Jennings and CBS News were not immediately returned.

Interest in Jennings appears to be growing beyond television. Earlier this year, Los Angeles Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong reportedly contacted Jennings about joining his “LAT Next” media venture.

Weiss’s reported outreach to Jennings follows a series of moves suggesting that she intends to broaden CBS’s ideological range.

Just last week, the Status newsletter reported that Weiss had considered recruiting Fox News anchor Bret Baier, host of Special Report with Bret Baier, to anchor the CBS Evening News.

Baier remains under contract with Fox through 2028, and a network spokesperson declined to comment on the report.

Weiss, 41, joined CBS News earlier this year after Paramount’s Skydance division acquired her Free Press media venture for an estimated $150 million. Her mandate from the network’s leadership is to make CBS coverage more “balanced” and “fact-based,” according to internal sources.

Norah O’Donnell, who left CBS Evening News earlier this year, has met with Weiss about possibly returning to the anchor desk, The Post reported earlier this month.

Meanwhile, Gayle King’s future at CBS remains uncertain as her multimillion-dollar contract approaches its expiration next spring amid network cost-cutting.

Outrage Erupts as Ex-CNN Host Compares Trump’s Ballroom to 9/11 Terror Attack
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Outrage Erupts as Ex-CNN Host Compares Trump’s Ballroom to 9/11 Terror Attack

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Political commentator Tara Setmayer faced widespread criticism after comparing President Donald Trump’s White House renovation project to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Setmayer, a former CNN commentator, ABC News contributor, and GOP communications director on Capitol Hill, drew attention with a post on X showing aerial images of the East Wing demolition currently underway as part of Trump’s renovation plan.

In the post, Setmayer wrote, “[It] feels almost the same as when I saw the Pentagon damage on 9/11.”

Her comment quickly went viral, gaining more than six million views and sparking strong backlash from across the political spectrum.

Federalist editor in chief Mollie Hemingway responded on X, writing, “The left is unable to mentally distinguish between Islamic terrorism that kills thousands and … building improvements. Horrific break with reality we’re watching here.”

Other users also criticized the comparison as inappropriate.

One user replied, “I hate what he’s doing but it is not on the same level as 9/11… have to be wise with your messaging.”

Setmayer later responded to critics, writing, “This isn’t about messaging. This is how I feel and I won’t apologize for it.”

President Trump’s renovation plan includes the construction of a new ballroom on the East Wing side of the White House to accommodate official state events.

The project, announced in late July, involves privately funded construction paid for by President Trump and outside donors.

The White House has said the new addition will allow future administrations to host large-scale functions without the use of temporary outdoor facilities.

Chelsea Clinton, writing in USA Today, criticized the project in an op-ed titled “Wrecking the People’s House,” accusing the president of “erasing history for vanity.”

The Washington Post also featured a front-page story Friday morning headlined, “The East Wing Is Now Only a Memory,” which described the removal of portions of the structure as “symbolic of a presidency defined by disruption.”

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the project during Thursday’s press briefing, saying the construction followed a long tradition of White House renovations that have taken place under multiple administrations.

“We’ve been keeping you apprised of this project. We’ve shown you the renderings. And if you look at the renderings, it’s very clear the East Wing was going to be modernized,” Leavitt said.

“The president wants to do right by the people’s house. And so, that’s exactly what he’s doing. It’s going to be much more stable, strong, secure, and more beautiful than ever once it’s complete.”

The White House has stated that no taxpayer funds are being used for the ballroom’s construction.

The new facility is expected to be approximately 90,000 square feet and host up to 650 guests, according to prior statements from the administration.

While many Democrats and left-leaning commentators criticized the project, not all reactions were negative.

Activist Shaun King, a frequent critic of Trump, expressed support for the addition.

“I actually think it’s a great idea to build a big ballroom on the White House grounds. It’s virtually impossible to hold events of any size there and they are always wasting millions on tents and heaters and chairs and lights and everything else,” King wrote on X.

“Stop acting like you have some emotional attachment to the East Wing. You don’t.”

The White House renovation is part of a larger modernization plan that began earlier this year and includes structural updates, new security systems, and restorations to preserve historical integrity.

The ballroom is scheduled for completion in 2026.

Portland Chaos: Antifa Fights Conservatives, Police Make Zero Arrests
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Portland Chaos: Antifa Fights Conservatives, Police Make Zero Arrests

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A violent confrontation erupted early Saturday morning outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Portland, Oregon, between Antifa-aligned protesters and conservative activists.

The fight occurred as the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals extended a pause on the federal government’s plan to deploy National Guard troops to the state, leaving federal agents and local police to manage continued unrest in the city.

According to eyewitness accounts and video footage posted online, individuals dressed in black bloc confronted a group of conservative demonstrators gathered near the ICE facility.

Among them was a man draped in a “Make America Great Again” flag.

A heated verbal exchange between the groups escalated when one of the masked individuals struck a conservative protester, leading to a larger brawl in which multiple punches were thrown.

Several conservative activists were heard shouting “F**k Antifa” as the fight intensified.

Federal agents stationed on the roof of the ICE building fired rubber bullets and deployed smoke grenades to break up the altercation and disperse the crowd.

The confrontation took place shortly after midnight.

The Portland Police Bureau (PPB) said it activated its Incident Command Team at approximately 11 p.m. Friday night to monitor the protest, but no arrests were made.

“PPB members did not observe any person or property crimes that warranted interdiction,” the bureau said in a statement.

“No arrests were made. To date, the total number of arrests related to nightly protests in the South Waterfront is 55.”

The latest clash came as the Ninth Circuit issued a Friday order keeping in place a lower court’s temporary restraining order blocking President Donald Trump’s plan to send federal troops to Portland.

The order extends the pause until at least Tuesday, allowing the court additional time to review the case.

“This decision gives the court time to fully consider the serious constitutional questions at stake,” Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield said in a statement.

“It also ensures there won’t be a federal deployment while that process plays out — an important step in protecting Oregonians’ rights and keeping our communities safe.”

Portland has experienced ongoing nightly unrest since June, when Antifa activists began targeting the ICE facility and federal property.

The protests have frequently turned violent, with clashes between demonstrators and federal officers.

According to the FBI, more than 120 individuals have been arrested in connection with attacks on government buildings and law enforcement in Portland, though the violence has continued as local police often decline to intervene.

Earlier this month, President Trump hosted a roundtable at the White House with independent journalists to discuss Antifa’s nationwide activities and escalating attacks against law enforcement.

Attendees included reporters from The Post Millennial, Human Events, and Turning Point USA’s Frontlines. Following the meeting, several journalists traveled to Portland to document the ongoing protests.

Independent reporter Katie Daviscourt of The Post Millennial was assaulted while covering a demonstration near the ICE facility, and journalist Nick Sortor was detained overnight after being attacked by agitators during a separate confrontation.

During the roundtable, President Trump reiterated his administration’s classification of Antifa as a terrorist organization.

“These are not peaceful protests,” he said.

“These are organized groups targeting law enforcement and government institutions.”

Although left-leaning activists and politicians have disputed the classification, citing Antifa’s decentralized structure, federal officials have maintained that the group operates through independent cells that coordinate actions across multiple cities.

The Department of Justice has warned that individuals or organizations involved in efforts to identify or target federal agents, including ICE officers, could face prosecution for endangering law enforcement personnel.

As of Saturday, federal agents continued to secure the Portland ICE facility following the latest outbreak of violence.

The court’s upcoming decision on the National Guard deployment is expected to determine whether federal troops will return to Oregon to reinforce local and federal law enforcement efforts.

Radical Roots: Zohran Mamdani’s Father Claims U.S. Inspired Nazi Atrocities
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Radical Roots: Zohran Mamdani’s Father Claims U.S. Inspired Nazi Atrocities

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New York State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani’s father, Columbia University professor Mahmood Mamdani, has drawn controversy for asserting that the Nazis took direct inspiration from the United States’ “history of genocide, ethnic cleansing, official racism and concentration camps,” as reported by The New York Post.

Mahmood Mamdani, 79, made the claim in his 2020 book Neither Settler Nor Native: The Making and Unmaking of Permanent Minorities, which he dedicated to his son, Zohran, 34.

The elder Mamdani wrote that “The Allies who prosecuted individual Nazis at Nuremberg were invested in ignoring Nazism’s political roots, for these roots were also America’s,” adding, “The United States is the outcome of a history of genocide, ethnic cleansing, official racism and concentration camps (known as Indian reservations).”

The book’s acknowledgments include a message to his son: “And Zohran, our son, who understands that the time has come to go out and join those impatient to change the world.”

Zohran Mamdani, now serving in the New York State Assembly, has credited his parents as strong influences on his worldview. During his time at Bowdoin College in Maine, he founded a chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine, a group known for its anti-Israel activism.

He entered state politics as a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, bringing with him a record of outspoken opposition to Israel and capitalism.

Mahmood Mamdani’s academic writings often reflect similar ideological views. In Neither Settler Nor Native, he argues that “Zionist settlers in Israel forcibly exiled and concentrated non-Jews, an ongoing process.”

He also supports the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement targeting Israel. His Columbia University colleagues, including Lila Abu-Lughod and Brinkley Messick, who were acknowledged in his book, have also endorsed sanctions against Israel.

Born in India and raised in Kampala, Uganda, Mahmood Mamdani studied at American universities before helping to found the Uganda-Korea Friendship Society in 1981, an organization with ties to North Korea.

In the early 1980s, he visited Pyongyang and later wrote of the “immense mobilization of the population” he observed there.

His wife, filmmaker Mira Nair, also maintains a history of opposition to Israel.

In 2013, she declined an invitation to attend the Haifa International Festival to screen her film The Reluctant Fundamentalist, writing, “I will go to Israel when occupation is gone… when the state does not privilege one religion over another… when apartheid is over.”

The $15 million film was funded entirely by the Doha Film Institute in Qatar.

Nair founded the Maisha Film Lab in 2004 in Kampala to support local filmmakers. The school receives funding from Qatar and the Open Society Institute (OSI) Development Fund, a nonprofit run by George Soros. Soros’ Open Society Foundations also financed portions of Mahmood Mamdani’s academic work.

Between 2020 and 2023, Soros’ organization granted $620,000 to Makerere University in Uganda, where Mamdani oversaw the Makerere Institute for Social Research. The largest single grant, $450,000, was designated for the “decolonization of knowledge in Africa and in the African academy.”

Mahmood Mamdani’s most recent book, Slow Poison: Idi Amin, Yoweri Museveni, and the Making of the Ugandan State, released last week, continues his criticism of capitalism. He faults Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni for “embracing international capitalism” after nearly four decades in power.

Neither Mahmood nor Zohran Mamdani has publicly commented on the growing scrutiny surrounding their family’s history of radical activism and anti-Israel sentiment.

New Jersey Dem Mikie Sherrill Faces Renewed Scrutiny Over Ethics Complaint, Military Academy Scandal
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New Jersey Dem Mikie Sherrill Faces Renewed Scrutiny Over Ethics Complaint, Military Academy Scandal

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Democrat Mikie Sherrill, the nominee for New Jersey governor, is facing renewed attention over a past congressional ethics complaint tied to false accusations she made against Republican lawmakers in the aftermath of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

The controversy comes as she continues to battle questions about her involvement in a Naval Academy cheating scandal that has followed her throughout her political career.

In January 2021, then-Rep. Sherrill and 33 other Democratic members of Congress signed a letter to the U.S. Capitol Police and the Sergeants at Arms for both chambers, urging investigations into several Republican lawmakers who had given tours of the Capitol complex on Jan. 5, 2021, the day before the riot.

Sherrill and her colleagues suggested that those tours were “suspicious” and could have been part of “reconnaissance” efforts for participants in the following day’s events.

Among those accused was Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA), who had led a small group of constituents through House office buildings.

The Jan. 6 Committee, controlled by Democrats, opened an investigation into whether Loudermilk had assisted rioters. However, the U.S. Capitol Police later reviewed surveillance footage and concluded that there was no evidence of wrongdoing.

“There is no evidence that Representative Loudermilk entered the U.S. Capitol with this group on January 5, 2021,” the Capitol Police wrote in a statement.

“We train our officers on being alert for people conducting surveillance or reconnaissance, and we do not consider any of the activities we observed as suspicious.”

The footage confirmed Loudermilk’s account that the group consisted of family friends and other visitors.

“Rep. Sherrill made false accusations, without evidence of any wrongdoing, with apparently no thought of the threats to the safety of myself, my family, and others,” Loudermilk said in a statement to Just the News.

“The truth prevailed, which it always does, and the real damage at the end of the day was to her own credibility.”

The false claims prompted Loudermilk and several colleagues to file an ethics complaint against Sherrill and the Democrats who signed her letter.

The complaint accused them of making “false, spurious, and unsubstantiated” allegations that launched an unfounded investigation and fueled public hostility against the Republican members involved.

“The Sherrill letter is not a petty political spat between Republican Members and Rep. Sherrill and her Democratic colleagues,” Loudermilk wrote in his filing. “In fact, the Sherrill letter is a public allegation of a crime.”

Loudermilk revealed that the allegations led to multiple death threats against him and his family. He also said some of the visitors from his tour group faced questioning from federal agents and struggled professionally as a result of being linked to the controversy.

Despite multiple reviews, neither the Capitol Police nor the Jan. 6 Committee found evidence of misconduct by Loudermilk or anyone associated with his tour.

The Capitol Police’s findings directly contradicted the assertions made by Sherrill and the Jan. 6 Committee, which had claimed Loudermilk’s tour could have provided “unusually detailed knowledge of the layout of the Capitol Complex” to potential rioters.

Those claims have since been widely discredited.

Sherrill’s campaign did not respond to requests for comment regarding the ethics complaint or the Capitol Police findings.

The controversy adds to a string of political challenges for Sherrill as she campaigns for governor of New Jersey. Recent polling indicates a tightening race between Sherrill and Republican candidate Jack Ciattarelli, with Ciattarelli closing the gap in the traditionally Democrat-leaning state.

Sherrill is also contending with renewed attention over her time at the U.S. Naval Academy, where a cheating scandal erupted in her graduating class.

While she did not participate in the commencement ceremony that year, Sherrill has claimed that she was disciplined not for cheating but for refusing to report classmates who had violated the academy’s honor code.

Her explanation, however, has shifted over time, leading critics to question her account.

According to The New York Post, Sherrill’s statements about the incident have varied, with new details emerging at odds with earlier descriptions. Though no formal record has confirmed wrongdoing, the controversy continues to overshadow her political campaign.

Between the resurfaced ethics complaint and ongoing questions surrounding her military past, Sherrill faces growing scrutiny as voters weigh issues of integrity and accountability heading into the November election.

Pollsters note that her handling of both controversies could prove decisive in a race that is shaping up to be one of the most competitive gubernatorial contests in the country.

Chicago Democrat Under Fire for Putting a ‘Target on ICE Agents’ Backs
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Chicago Democrat Under Fire for Putting a ‘Target on ICE Agents’ Backs

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Illinois State Representative Margaret Croke is facing criticism after sending an email that listed detailed information about vehicles believed to belong to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents operating in Chicago.

The email, distributed Friday under the subject line “Updated List of ICE Vehicles Seen Today,” included the make, model, color, and partial license plate numbers of several vehicles allegedly linked to ICE personnel in the area.

In the message, Croke urged recipients to report what she described as “suspicious activity” to local hotlines.

She wrote that ICE operations are “unlawful and undemocratic” and provided resources for individuals in the country illegally to contact attorneys and social service organizations.

The email also encouraged residents to “record and share” information about potential ICE vehicles in order to “protect someone from either being picked up off the street or unnecessarily and forcibly handled.”

Critics quickly denounced the move, arguing it endangered federal agents and obstructed lawful immigration enforcement.

The popular X account Libs of TikTok posted screenshots of the email, accusing Croke of “putting a target on agents’ backs” and assisting illegal aliens in avoiding arrest.

“She’s putting a target on agents’ backs and helping illegals evade arrest. This is absolutely disgraceful. CHARGE HER,” the account wrote in a post tagging the Department of Homeland Security and ICE.

Federal law prohibits disclosing personally identifying information of law enforcement officers engaged in undercover or sensitive operations.

Several former federal prosecutors and law enforcement officials have expressed concern that Croke’s email could violate those statutes.

While Croke’s office has not issued a formal statement, legal experts said such disclosures could interfere with federal operations and expose agents to potential harm.

The Department of Homeland Security has not commented publicly on whether it plans to investigate the incident.

This controversy follows similar actions in Chicago led by former Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who recently announced the creation of a nonprofit called “The ICE Accountability Project.”

The organization, according to Lightfoot, is intended to document and publicize the actions of federal immigration agents in so-called sanctuary jurisdictions.

Lightfoot, a former federal prosecutor, has defended her initiative as a transparency effort.

She said it was designed to ensure public oversight of federal immigration enforcement, which she has criticized as overly aggressive.

However, Attorney General Pam Bondi said on Fox News that Lightfoot’s actions could violate federal law protecting the identities of agents.

“She will be getting a letter from us tomorrow to preserve anything she has done as well, to make sure that she’s not violating the law. It appears she is,” Bondi said.

“You cannot disclose the identity of a federal agent — where they live, anything that could harm them.”

Bondi’s office has not yet commented on whether similar legal concerns apply to Croke’s email, but she confirmed that such disclosures are being closely reviewed by federal authorities.

According to law enforcement data, incidents of threats and assaults on federal officers have sharply increased in recent years.

Officials say these attacks have grown particularly frequent in areas with “sanctuary city” policies, which limit cooperation between local police and federal immigration authorities.

Federal sources have not confirmed whether any of the vehicles listed in Croke’s email were actually connected to ICE agents.

An internal Department of Homeland Security review is expected to determine if operational security was compromised.

Trump Confirms Planned Visit to Gaza, Says Respect for President Key to Peace
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Trump Confirms Planned Visit to Gaza, Says Respect for President Key to Peace

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President Donald Trump announced that he plans to visit the Gaza Strip following the recent peace deal between Israel and Hamas, telling Time magazine that respect for the President of the United States is “the most important factor” in ensuring long-term peace in the Middle East, as reported by the New York Post.

“The most important thing,” Trump said in the interview published Thursday:

“They have to respect the president of the United States. The Middle East has to understand that.”

WASHINGTON – February 22, 2025: President Donald Trump arrives at the White House South Lawn on Marine One after his visit to CPAC.

He continued, “And they do. If you go to Qatar, if you go to Saudi Arabia, if you go to UAE, who are the three big ones, in that sense, they all respect the president, and if they’re not going to respect the president — it’s almost the president more so than the country. You understand that? If they don’t respect the president, and if the president doesn’t know what he’s doing, it could break apart. If they do respect the president, it’s going to be long-term beautiful peace.”

President Trump, who helped broker the cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas earlier this month, said he expects Saudi Arabia to officially join the Abraham Accords by the end of the year.

“They had a problem,” Trump said of Saudi Arabia.

“They had a Gaza problem and they had an Iran problem. Now they don’t have those two problems.”

The cease-fire, reached on October 10, included the release of the last 20 living Israeli hostages and the return of over two dozen sets of remains. Trump did not give a timeline for his visit to Gaza but made clear that his administration would not tolerate any violations of the agreement by Hamas.

“Nobody would mind if we went in and took [Hamas] to task” if they backtracked, Trump said.

Trump noted that securing the deal required convincing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to approve. “Bibi, you can’t fight the world,” Trump recalled telling Netanyahu.

“You can fight individual battles, but the world’s against you. And Israel is a very small place compared to the world.”

He also criticized Israel’s September 9 bombing that targeted Hamas political leaders in Qatar. “That was terrible,” Trump said, calling it “a tactical mistake.”

Still, he added, “It was so out of joint that it sort of got everybody to do what they have to do. If you took that away, we might not be talking about this subject right now.”

Trump emphasized that Israel will not be permitted to annex the West Bank. “It won’t happen because I gave my word to the Arab countries,” he warned. “Israel would lose all of its support from the United States if that happened.”

He also said he has a personal rapport with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who attended the Egypt peace summit earlier this month. Abbas, 89, has led the Palestinian Authority since 2005.

Reflecting on the negotiations, Trump said Netanyahu had been eager to continue military operations until he intervened. “I stopped him, because he would have just kept going,” Trump said.

“It could have gone on for years. It would have gone on for years. And I stopped him, and everybody came together when I stopped, it was amazing.”

Kaitlan Collins Shuts Down Amy Klobuchar’s False Claim on Trump’s ‘Vacation’ Travel Plans
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Kaitlan Collins Shuts Down Amy Klobuchar’s False Claim on Trump’s ‘Vacation’ Travel Plans

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CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins corrected Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota on Tuesday after the senator criticized President Donald Trump for traveling abroad during the ongoing government shutdown, suggesting the trip was unnecessary.

The exchange took place during Collins’ program The Source as the two discussed the budget impasse that began on Oct. 1 when Senate Democrats, led by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, blocked a bipartisan funding bill.

Nearly three weeks later, the shutdown remains unresolved after Democrats voted down another bipartisan measure on Monday evening, marking the eleventh failed attempt to reopen the government.

President Trump is scheduled to leave at the end of the week for a previously planned trip to Asia aimed at easing trade tensions, including a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to PBS.

During the CNN segment, Collins asked Klobuchar whether Democrats would consider agreeing to temporary health care subsidy provisions in order to pass a funding bill and reopen the government.

Klobuchar responded by criticizing the President’s travel plans.

“The president needs to meet with the leaders in Congress,” Klobuchar said.

“[Senate Minority] Leader [Chuck] Schumer, [House Minority] Leader [Hakeem] Jeffries asked to meet again before he [Trump] flies off to yet another part of the world. He’s been willing to negotiate in the Mideast. He’s been willing to negotiate in Asia, but he’s not willing to walk down the block and meet with the leaders of Congress.”

Klobuchar added, “So, I think what has changed since the beginning of this is the American people are starting to see the bills.”

“Donald Trump refuses to negotiate, and gets on his plane and flies away,” the senator continued.

At that point, Collins interjected. “Well, he’s going on a trip — a long-planned trip to Asia. It’s not just like a vacation,” she said, clarifying that the President’s travel was part of official diplomatic business.

Klobuchar then attempted to speak over Collins, insisting that the President could still meet with Democrats before his departure.

Collins replied that she had personally asked Trump about that earlier in the day.

“But I asked him that today and I said, would you meet [with Democrats] before you go to Asia,” Collins said.

“Because obviously he’ll be gone for several days. But he basically said I’ll meet with them [Democrats] if they reopen the government.”

Collins then asked Klobuchar whether Democrats planned to allow a vote to reopen the government before Friday.

“I don’t know what he’s [Trump is] going to do,” Klobuchar said.

“He’s not here and clearly the rubber stampers that behind closed doors say to us, ‘We really need to do something about these [health care] premiums. We know it, we understand it, but they’re waiting for his orders.’ And so that’s what’s happening right now.”

Klobuchar’s comments echoed the broader Democratic stance that President Trump should personally engage with congressional leaders before any funding deal is reached.

The White House, however, has maintained that the President will not negotiate with Democrats until they vote to reopen the government.

The shutdown began after Senate Democrats rejected a bipartisan bill to fund the government through December, with Schumer and nearly all Democrats voting against the measure.

Since then, multiple bipartisan efforts to pass temporary funding have failed.

Despite the political gridlock, CNN senior data analyst Harry Enten noted Monday that the ongoing shutdown has not significantly affected public support for President Trump.

“His net approval rating is actually up a point in terms of his popular support,” Enten said during the network’s coverage.

President Trump’s upcoming Asia trip is expected to include discussions with regional allies and a meeting with Xi Jinping focused on trade, economic cooperation, and regional security.

The White House has not indicated any change to the President’s travel schedule in light of the ongoing shutdown.

Sen. Ted Cruz and Rep. Marlin Stutzman Introduce Bill to Protect Persecuted Christians in Nigeria
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Sen. Ted Cruz and Rep. Marlin Stutzman Introduce Bill to Protect Persecuted Christians in Nigeria

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Republican Rep. Marlin Stutzman of Indiana and Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas have introduced legislation aimed at protecting Christians in Nigeria, where thousands have been killed in a surge of jihadist violence.

Stutzman introduced the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act on Tuesday in the U.S. House of Representatives as a companion to Cruz’s Senate bill, according to Blaze News.

The legislation is a response to what lawmakers have described as the “rapidly deteriorating” conditions for Christians in Nigeria, who continue to face widespread abductions, targeted attacks, and mass killings by jihadist groups.

The measure seeks to hold Nigerian officials accountable for enabling or participating in religious persecution.

According to the bill’s text obtained by Blaze News, it would impose targeted sanctions on government officials who either facilitate violence against religious minorities or enforce Sharia law within the country.

The legislation would also formally designate Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act and ensure that Boko Haram and ISIS-West Africa remain classified as “entities of particular concern.”

These designations would maintain strict U.S. sanctions and enhance reporting requirements on the Nigerian government’s handling of religious freedom violations.

“It is the responsibility of the United States to protect religious freedom worldwide,” Stutzman told Blaze News.

“Implementing Sharia law and condoning the murder of innocent people is barbaric.”

He added, “We must use the targeted tools we have at our disposal to combat religious violence in all its forms. I am proud to partner with Senator Cruz to introduce this important legislation, which will create real consequences for those responsible for violence and save the lives of thousands of Christians who are facing persecution.”

According to human rights groups and church organizations, the violence against Nigerian Christians has reached critical levels.

Since Boko Haram launched its insurgency in 2009, over 125,000 Christians have been killed.

In 2025 alone, jihadist groups have reportedly murdered more than 7,000 Christians, abducted at least 7,800 others, and destroyed an estimated 100 churches each month.

Sen. Cruz echoed Stutzman’s call for action, emphasizing the importance of imposing consequences on officials who have failed to stop the violence or have actively supported it.

“Nigerian Christians are being targeted and executed for their faith by Islamist terrorist groups, and are being forced to submit to Sharia law and blasphemy laws across Nigeria,” Cruz said in a statement.

“It is long past time to impose real costs on the Nigerian officials who facilitate these activities, and my Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act uses new and existing tools to do exactly that,” Cruz said.

“I urge my colleagues to advance this critical legislation expeditiously.”

Boko Haram, which began its insurgency in northeastern Nigeria, has been responsible for thousands of killings, kidnappings, and attacks on churches and villages.

The group, along with its splinter faction ISIS-West Africa, continues to carry out large-scale assaults targeting Christian communities.

Both Cruz and Stutzman have said the bill is intended not only to address the crisis in Nigeria but to reaffirm the United States’ commitment to protecting religious liberty worldwide.

The legislation will now move to committee review in both chambers of Congress.

If passed, it would direct the U.S. State Department to apply sanctions and diplomatic measures against Nigerian officials complicit in religious persecution, as well as expand reporting and monitoring of human rights violations in the region.

Karine Jean-Pierre Admits She Never Believed Kamala Harris Could Win Presidency
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Karine Jean-Pierre Admits She Never Believed Kamala Harris Could Win Presidency

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Former White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre revealed in her new memoir that she never thought Kamala Harris could win the presidency, saying the country “just wasn’t there yet,” as reported by Fox News.

In her book Independent, Jean-Pierre writes that she was not surprised by the outcome of the 2024 election, which saw President Donald Trump reelected.

oct 7 2024 Washington DC The House Press Press Briefing By Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre Spoke to the media

“When I woke up, it was over. Harris had lost. I received calls from friends who were distraught or numb with disbelief. But I wasn’t surprised by the outcome,” she wrote.

“The truth was, I never really believed Harris could win. I’d been in the body of a Black woman all my life. I’d stood at the podium in the White House briefing room, traveled in my chocolate skin through rural towns, and all my experiences of blistering stares and racist assumptions left me unable to see this country electing a president who looked like me.”

Jean-Pierre’s memoir also outlines her decision to leave the Democratic Party, accusing party leadership of betraying former President Joe Biden.

“It was deeply disturbing that after shoving Biden aside in a disgraceful display, the party’s elders couldn’t summon enough know-how to help an intelligent, accomplished attorney like Harris defeat an ignorant former reality TV star,” she wrote.

“The party had to redefine its mission, and figure out a way to move forward without publicly tearing apart our standard bearers or leaving their successors dangling in the wind.”

She described feeling pessimistic about Harris’s chances due to what she called the sexism and double standards she encountered during her own time in the administration.

Oct 29, 2024; Washington, DC, USA; Democratic Presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris delivers a campaign speech at the Ellipse in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024. The location is the site where Donald Trump encouraged his supporters to fight like hell on Jan. 6, 2021 before rioters attacked the U.S. Capitol as Congress was convening to certify Joe Biden’s victory.. Mandatory Credit: Megan Smith-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“Harris and so many others had fought and hoped so hard. I wanted to believe. I wanted to believe. But in the end, I was proven right. The United States just wasn’t there yet,” she wrote.

“Once again, and this time not because of an electoral artifact embedded in the Constitution, we had elected Trump.”

Jean-Pierre also said Harris deserved the opportunity to run without interference.

“Bypassing Harris would have also been disrespectful to Black women overall, the ride-or-die foot soldiers of the Democratic Party who’d long done the work but too often got bypassed or overlooked once the campaigns that needed their votes and labor were in the rearview mirror,” she wrote.

VALHALLA, NY, USA – MAY 10, 2023: President Joe Biden delivers remarks about the debt limit on May 10, 2023 at SUNY Westchester Community College in Valhalla, New York, United States.

Biden, who appeared on The View following the election, said he believed sexism and racism contributed to Harris’s defeat. “I wasn’t surprised, not because I didn’t think the vice president was the most qualified person to be president. She is,” Biden said.

“I was surprised because they went the route of, the sexist route, the whole route. I mean, this is a woman, she’s this, she’s that. I mean, it really, I’ve never seen quite as successful and a consistent campaign undercutting the notion that a woman couldn’t lead the country, and a woman of mixed race.”

Harris has since written her own memoir about the 2024 campaign, insisting on her book tour that President Trump “does not have a mandate” and describing the election as the “closest” of this century.


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