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Kushner and Witkoff Reveal Trump’s Bold Plan to Disarm Hamas in Gaza
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Kushner and Witkoff Reveal Trump’s Bold Plan to Disarm Hamas in Gaza

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President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and U.S. special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff offered new details Sunday on the administration’s multi-phase plan to disarm Hamas and establish stable leadership in Gaza following months of conflict.

Speaking on CBS’s “60 Minutes,” Kushner and Witkoff explained how they developed the 20-point peace framework and outlined their next steps ahead of a scheduled trip to Israel on Monday.

The pair are key architects behind the Trump-led Israel-Hamas peace initiative, which aims to end Hamas’ military influence and rebuild the devastated region.

Kushner warned that the situation remains fragile and that Hamas could attempt to “try to reconstitute and take back their positions” amid the ongoing power vacuum.

“The success or failure of this will be if Israel and this international mechanism is able to create a viable alternative. If they are successful, Hamas will fail, and Gaza will not be a threat to Israel in the future,” Kushner said.

In recent days, Israel reported that Hamas militants fired on Israeli troops in Rafah, violating the cease-fire agreement.

The terror group has also carried out public executions of Palestinians accused of cooperating with Israel, heightening tensions across Gaza.

Hamas leaders have refused to agree to disarmament, posing a major challenge to the peace plan’s implementation.

To counter Hamas’ influence, Witkoff said the Trump administration is organizing a “weapons buy-back program” designed to incentivize militants to surrender their arms.

The goal, he said, is to prevent Hamas from regaining control of the Palestinian enclave and to create conditions for a transitional government.

Kushner added that efforts are underway to establish an interim governing body that would report directly to the Trump-chaired “Board of Peace,” a new international oversight committee that has yet to be formally created.

The board is expected to include “qualified Palestinians and international experts,” according to the plan.

When asked about Gaza’s long-term political future, Kushner said it remains “too early to tell” whether a democratic system could emerge, emphasizing that the immediate goal is to “make it functional” during the rebuilding phase.

He added that transparency will be central to the administration’s reconstruction strategy.

“You can’t replace a corrupt government with another corrupt government,” Kushner said.

“The reason why — again, and this is an impossible thing to do, but Steve and I and President Trump are always aiming to try and accomplish impossible but rational things. So the goal here is to set up a transparent, good government. This can be very, very difficult to do, but we’re in the very early phases of trying to accomplish that.”

Witkoff estimated the cost of rebuilding Gaza could exceed $50 billion, noting that financial backing is expected from Middle Eastern and European governments.

“You’ll see European participation and so forth. I think the beginning of this plan is how to get it going. And that’s what me and Jared work on all the time. The money raising, we think, is the easy part. We think that happens relatively quickly. But it’s the master plan, and we’re working with a group of people who have been working on master plans for the last two years,” Witkoff said.

Elements of the peace deal are already being implemented, including the recovery of Israeli hostages and the return of the remains of victims.

However, recent violence by Hamas has raised concerns about the durability of the cease-fire. Israel temporarily halted humanitarian aid deliveries Sunday and conducted airstrikes in response to Hamas attacks that killed several IDF soldiers over the weekend.

The Israeli military later stated that aid deliveries would resume Monday.

The U.S. State Department also issued a warning that Hamas was planning an attack “against Palestinian civilians.”

President Trump pledged “to go in and kill” members of the terrorist organization if any civilian lives were taken.

Asked whether American troops might be deployed to disarm Hamas, Witkoff called it “highly unlikely.”

Kushner followed by saying a firm “no,” clarifying that military intervention “was not the intent.”

Officials said the administration will take “appropriate measures” to safeguard civilians and maintain the cease-fire should new attacks occur.

Houston Family Challenges Mayor’s Dismissal of Bayou Deaths as ‘Gaslighting’ Amid Serial Killer Fears
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Houston Family Challenges Mayor’s Dismissal of Bayou Deaths as ‘Gaslighting’ Amid Serial Killer Fears

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The family of 22-year-old Kenneth Cutting Jr. is demanding answers from Houston city leaders after his body was found in Buffalo Bayou in June, one of several recovered from the city’s waterways this year, as reported by Fox News.

Officials have downplayed talk of a possible serial killer, but relatives say Mayor John Whitmire’s explanations don’t add up.

Cutting vanished after a night out in downtown Houston on June 28, 2024. Surveillance footage showed him leaving Pete’s Dueling Piano Bar around 11:45 p.m., borrowing a stranger’s phone to call his own lost one, and then walking away while shouting at one of his companions.

JHVEPhoto – Shutterstock.com

His father said Cutting later rejoined the group, which was driving east on Interstate 10 — the opposite direction from their home in Katy.

According to the family, his roommates told them he became agitated and demanded to get out of the car in a rough part of Houston. Days later, on July 1, police recovered his body about a mile and a half upstream from where he was last seen. He was identified through fingerprints.

The autopsy, performed by Dr. Edward Kilbane, listed both the cause and manner of death as undetermined. The report found no external injuries and no drugs or alcohol in Cutting’s system.

“This 22-year-old male, whose decomposing remains were recovered from a bayou, showed no apparent traumatic injuries, no serious natural disease and no commonly abused drugs in his tissues,” Kilbane wrote.

Cutting’s father, Kenneth Cutting Sr., said his son “didn’t fall into the bayou and drown,” adding that he was a capable swimmer. “Something happened to my son,” he told Fox News Digital.

The case has drawn attention amid a growing number of similar incidents. At least 16 bodies have been pulled from Houston’s bayous in 2025, according to police data.

Mayor Whitmire dismissed speculation of a serial killer during a news briefing last month, describing the deaths as “not a new phenomenon” and attributing many to “drugs, alcohol and homelessness.”

“Unfortunately the homeless, when they pass, often end up in the bayou,” Whitmire said.

Cutting’s cousin, Lauren Freeman, called the mayor’s remarks “gaslighting” and said they fail to explain the consistent pattern of young, otherwise healthy individuals found dead in similar conditions.

“All them people didn’t commit suicide or fall into the bayou accidentally and drown,” said Cutting Sr. “It’s ridiculous. There’s been so many of ’em in the last three years.”

Freeman also cited the case of 20-year-old University of Houston student Jade McKissic, who disappeared after leaving a bar on September 11 and was later found dead in Brays Bayou. Like Cutting, McKissic’s autopsy revealed no external injuries and no drugs.

Retired NYPD sergeant and Penn State professor Joseph Giacalone, who has followed the Houston cases, said each incident requires independent investigation.

“It may be a domestic issue, it also could be a suicide, but the homeless people have nothing to do with it,” he said. “So it was a reckless statement at best.”

The Cutting family continues to press for answers. “Maybe somebody from that bar that night heard or saw something that they would like to come forward with now,” Giacalone added. “You treat it like a homicide until proven otherwise.”

Florida Mom at Center of Disney Cruise Investigation After Daughter’s Fall
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Florida Mom at Center of Disney Cruise Investigation After Daughter’s Fall

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Florida authorities have released new details surrounding the June 29 incident aboard the Disney Dream cruise ship, where a 5-year-old girl fell 50 feet into the ocean after being told by her mother to pose for a photo in front of an open porthole, as reported by The New York Post.

According to a report from the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, the child lost her balance and fell into the water at approximately 11:29 a.m. while the ship was returning to Florida from the Bahamas. Her father jumped into the ocean roughly 45 seconds later in an effort to save her.

Initial reports circulating online suggested that the father had lifted his daughter onto the railing before she slipped. However, police investigators confirmed that surveillance footage and witness statements indicated it was the girl’s mother who encouraged her to climb onto the railing to take a picture.

The report said the mother “offered for her daughter to take a picture in the porthole” and believed there was glass covering the opening.

“[The mom] assumed the porthole had a window or plexiglass, and she thought that [her daughter] would be caught by the glass, but instead, she kept falling,” the document stated.

Investigators found that the mother had taken several photos of her daughter in similar poses during the trip. “She provided me with a picture of [the girl] laying in a porthole with a window on it,” one deputy noted.

The mother reportedly captured multiple images during the accident sequence that, when viewed in succession, showed the child climbing up before falling backward into the water.

Detective Christopher Favitta, who examined the scene, rejected the mother’s later claim that Disney Cruise Line was responsible, writing that “upon looking at the window myself, as a prudent person, I immediately saw that the window was open to the air, and did not have a covering.”

He added, “This act, facilitated by [the mother], placed the child in a life-threatening situation.”

The father, who was walking about 10 feet ahead at the time, turned to see his daughter in the ocean and immediately ran to find help before jumping into the water.

Following the mayday call, ship personnel launched a rescue boat within three minutes, and both the father and daughter were pulled from the water by 11:50 a.m.

The child was evaluated by the ship’s medical staff and later transported with her father to Broward Health Medical Center. The girl escaped without injury, while her father received treatment for an undisclosed medical issue.

Authorities initially praised the father for his quick response and later issued a public clarification after false rumors suggested he was to blame.

Detective Favitta recommended criminal charges against the mother, but the Broward County State Attorney’s Office declined prosecution.

“While the defendant’s conduct is arguably negligent and irresponsible, it does not rise to the egregious level of conduct necessary to establish criminal culpable negligence,” Assistant State Attorney Melissa Kelly stated in a September 16 email.

The investigation has since been closed, with officials labeling the event an avoidable accident.

Golf Icon Takes Swipe at Biden and ‘No Kings’ Protesters with Viral Tweet
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Golf Icon Takes Swipe at Biden and ‘No Kings’ Protesters with Viral Tweet

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Professional golfer Phil Mickelson weighed in on the “No Kings” protests that took place nationwide on Saturday, taking a swipe at both the demonstrators and Joe Biden in a message shared on X.

Mickelson, 55, used his account on the platform to comment on the wave of anti-Trump protests held across multiple cities, which organizers said were intended to oppose what they described as authoritarianism.

The six-time major champion, who has publicly supported President Donald Trump in the past, used the occasion to mock both the protesters and Biden’s handling of executive authority.

“On this special day as we all gather to fight against blanket auto pen pardons and executive orders, lawlessness, and stealing citizen’s resources for illegal non citizens, I believe it has worked!! That is no longer happening so great job everyone,” Mickelson wrote.

The message appeared to reference the controversy surrounding Biden’s reported use of an autopen to authorize pardons and sign executive actions while in office.

Biden’s reliance on the device drew criticism from lawmakers and commentators who said it reflected a lack of engagement in presidential duties.

Mickelson’s post also came after Biden’s departure from the 2024 presidential race, which ended amid declining approval ratings and growing discontent within his own party.

His decision to withdraw from contention left Kamala Harris to lead the Democratic ticket through the final months of the election cycle.

Mickelson, who joined LIV Golf after a long career on the PGA Tour, has been outspoken about national and political issues in recent years.

His post on Saturday drew attention from both golf fans and political commentators who noted that it came during widespread demonstrations under the banner “No Kings.”

According to reports from Breitbart News and other outlets, the protests featured groups of anti-Trump demonstrators dressed in costumes and carrying signs with slogans opposing the current administration.

Protesters were seen wearing inflatable frog, cat, and dinosaur costumes while chanting against what they described as “authoritarian rule.”

The gatherings took place in several major U.S. cities, including Washington, D.C., New York, and Los Angeles.

The “No Kings” demonstrations, coordinated by left-leaning groups, were promoted online as a statement against “executive overreach.”

The events occurred during the ongoing partial government shutdown that began October 1, after the Senate failed to pass a funding resolution.

Mickelson’s message quickly went viral among conservative commentators who praised the golfer’s willingness to speak publicly on political issues.

The post also sparked pushback from critics who accused him of mocking legitimate protest activity.

The veteran golfer did not issue a follow-up statement, and his representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

However, Mickelson’s public support for President Trump has been consistent.

He previously praised Trump’s approach to business and sports infrastructure, including the President’s role in developing golf resorts and hosting professional tournaments.

The “No Kings” protests were among several nationwide events organized in recent weeks by groups critical of Trump’s administration and Republican leadership in Congress.

Mickelson, a 45-time PGA Tour winner and one of golf’s most recognizable figures, remains active in LIV Golf competition and has frequently used his platform to discuss both the sport and national issues.

Police Investigate Prince Andrew After Email About Virginia Giuffre Emerges
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Police Investigate Prince Andrew After Email About Virginia Giuffre Emerges

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London’s Metropolitan Police have launched an investigation into allegations that Prince Andrew asked a protection officer to gather damaging information about Virginia Giuffre, the woman who accused him of sexual abuse connected to Jeffrey Epstein, as reported by The New York Post.

A spokesperson for The Met confirmed to The Times of London that authorities are “aware of media reporting and are actively looking into the claims made.”

The allegations surfaced after reports that the prince, now stripped of his royal title as Duke of York, sent an email in 2011 to Queen Elizabeth II’s deputy press secretary, the late Ed Perkins.

In that message, Andrew reportedly stated he had provided Giuffre’s personal information — including her date of birth and Social Security number — to an on-duty personal protection officer for investigation.

According to The Times, the communication occurred roughly a decade after Giuffre claimed she was forced to have sex with Andrew during his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The email exchange also took place shortly before the release of a 2001 photo showing the prince with his arm around a then-17-year-old Giuffre, with Epstein’s associate Ghislaine Maxwell appearing in the background.

It remains unclear whether the officer carried out the request, but legal experts cited by The Times said the alleged action could represent “a breach of [Giuffre’s] right to privacy” and could carry “legal implications” for the prince.

Giuffre’s family disputed the claim that she had any criminal record, telling the Daily Mail that the emails reveal “the lengths to which those implicated try to discredit and defame survivors.” The family added, “The truth will surface and there will be no shadows in which they can hide.”

Giuffre, known as one of Epstein’s most prominent victims, died by suicide in April at age 41 after years of publicly accusing Prince Andrew of sexual assault when she was a minor.

She had filed a civil lawsuit against Andrew in 2021, and the case was settled in 2022 for a reported $12 million. At the time, Andrew denied the allegations, but Queen Elizabeth removed his military honors amid the fallout.

On Friday, Andrew announced he would no longer use his titles of Duke of York or Knight of the Order of the Garter.

“I have decided, as I always have, to put my duty to my family and country first,” he said in a statement, noting that the decision was made after discussions with King Charles III and other family members.

The move came as royal aides reportedly sought to prevent Andrew’s ongoing controversies from overshadowing King Charles and Queen Camilla’s upcoming state visit to the Vatican — a historic event marking the first joint prayer between a British monarch and the pope since the Reformation.

Trump Cuts All U.S. Foreign Aid to Colombia After President Petro Attacks Anti-Drug Strikes
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Trump Cuts All U.S. Foreign Aid to Colombia After President Petro Attacks Anti-Drug Strikes

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President Donald Trump announced Sunday that the United States would immediately end foreign aid to Colombia following remarks by Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who accused the U.S. of committing “murder” during a recent military strike on a suspected drug-trafficking vessel.

Trump made the announcement in a Truth Social post, saying that the Colombian government had engaged in what he called “a long term rip off of America.”

The decision follows escalating tensions between Washington and Bogotá over U.S. military operations targeting narcotics networks in the Caribbean and South America.

“President Gustavo Petro, of Colombia, is an illegal drug leader strongly encouraging the massive production of drugs, in big and small fields, all over Colombia,” Trump wrote.

“It has become the biggest business in Colombia, by far, and Petro does nothing to stop it, despite large scale payments and subsidies from the USA that are nothing more than a long term rip off of America. AS OF TODAY, THESE PAYMENTS, OR ANY OTHER FORM OF PAYMENT, OR SUBSIDIES, WILL NO LONGER BE MADE TO COLOMBIA.”

Trump continued, “The purpose of this drug production is the sale of massive amounts of product into the United States, causing death, destruction, and havoc. Petro, a low rated and very unpopular leader, with a fresh mouth toward America, better close up these killing fields immediately, or the United States will close them up for him, and it won’t be done nicely. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

The exchange came one day after Petro posted a statement on X criticizing the United States for conducting air and sea strikes on suspected narcotics traffickers.

In his post, Petro accused the U.S. of carrying out “murders” against Colombians after American intelligence identified a vessel believed to be transporting drugs northward.

On Sunday, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth released a video showing the U.S. military strike that destroyed a boat with three suspected drug traffickers aboard.

According to Hegseth, intelligence linked the men to the National Liberation Army (Ejército de Liberación Nacional, or ELN), a Marxist guerrilla and narcotics organization that has operated in Colombia for decades.

Hegseth said the strike was part of a continuing effort to target drug-smuggling routes and dismantle cartel-linked maritime networks in the Western Hemisphere.

The Trump administration has carried out a series of military actions against narcotics traffickers since early September.

On September 2, U.S. forces intercepted and sank a vessel carrying 11 members of the Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua (TdA).

That operation was the first in what defense officials described as a new campaign aimed at curbing transnational drug networks and blocking their entry points into the United States.

The aggressive counter-narcotics strategy has faced pushback from Democrats and some members of the Senate, including Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, who raised concerns about the scope of military engagement.

However, the Senate voted on October 8 to block an attempt to halt the strikes, allowing the operations to continue under the President’s directive.

President Trump’s decision to cut foreign aid to Colombia marks a significant shift in U.S. policy toward one of its traditional allies in Latin America.

Colombia has received billions of dollars in U.S. assistance over the past two decades, primarily for counter-narcotics and security programs under initiatives such as Plan Colombia.

Trump also reminded the public that his administration took an aggressive approach to international drug enforcement from the outset.

Hours after taking office on January 20, 2025, he issued an executive order designating several major criminal networks—including Mexico’s drug cartels, Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua, and El Salvador’s MS-13—as foreign terrorist organizations.

Officials said the designation allowed U.S. forces broader authority to target cartel-linked operations abroad and to classify their activities as acts of terrorism under federal law.

Neither the Colombian government nor the U.S. Department of State issued an immediate response to Trump’s announcement Sunday.

The suspension of aid takes effect immediately, with future bilateral cooperation expected to be reviewed in the coming weeks.

Biden Mouthpiece Karine Jean Pierre Unloads on the Democratic Party
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Biden Mouthpiece Karine Jean Pierre Unloads on the Democratic Party

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Former White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said she left the Democratic Party and registered as an independent, citing frustration and disillusionment with how Democrats treated Joe Biden after his withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race.

The revelation comes from her upcoming memoir, Independent, which is scheduled for release later this year.

In excerpts obtained by Newsweek, Jean-Pierre described her reaction to the phone call in which then-President Biden informed his staff that he was ending his re-election campaign.

The decision came in July 2024, following weeks of pressure from within the Democratic Party after his debate performance against Republican nominee Donald Trump.

“Biden seemed to be totally at peace with his decision, but I was stunned, my feelings a blur,” Jean-Pierre wrote.

“I was angry and sad. I was enraged and heartbroken that this man had given more than 50 years of his life to serving the American people, and in the end he’d been treated poorly by members of his own party. It was horrible.”

Jean-Pierre, who served as White House Press Secretary from May 2022 until early 2025, said she had spent years defending Biden’s leadership and abilities from behind the briefing room podium.

She acknowledged that she never expected him to withdraw from the race and felt betrayed by how quickly party leaders moved to push him aside.

“The Democratic Party had defined my life, my career,” she wrote.

“Everything I’d done to make people’s lives better had been connected to it. The party was the vehicle that allowed me not just to have a front seat to history, working first on [Barack] Obama’s presidential campaign then in his administration, but also to make some history of my own as the first Black woman and openly queer person to ever be a White House press secretary. Never had I considered leaving the party until now.”

According to Jean-Pierre, the turning point came shortly after Biden’s announcement.

She recalled planning to make her first television appearance since his withdrawal on The View, the ABC daytime talk show.

During that time, she began to reconsider her relationship with the Democratic Party and what she described as its culture of political conformity.

“Now the cloud of unease hovering over me solidified into an idea about how I could possibly do something different,” Jean-Pierre wrote.

“How I could channel my disappointment into some kind of concrete action that would allow me to fight for what I believed in without giving blind loyalty to a party I felt no longer deserved it.”

In the book, she recounted the moment she decided to change her political registration.

“‘You know what? I’m going to become an independent. I don’t think I can stomach being in the Democratic Party anymore,’” she wrote.

Jean-Pierre accused party operatives and strategists of orchestrating what she called a “firing squad” against Biden in the final weeks of his campaign, saying Democrats turned on him despite his decades of public service.

She said that pressure from within his own party ultimately forced Biden to step aside.

Jean-Pierre publicly announced her decision to leave the Democratic Party in June, coinciding with the promotion of her memoir.

Before joining the Biden-Harris administration, she worked as a senior advisor for MoveOn.org, served in the Obama White House, and appeared as a political analyst on MSNBC.

She also played key roles in multiple Democratic presidential campaigns, including Barack Obama’s and Kamala Harris’s.

Her departure marks one of the highest-profile defections from the Democratic Party since Biden’s withdrawal.

In Independent, Jean-Pierre writes that her move is not about abandoning political engagement but about reclaiming her own values after what she viewed as a profound betrayal.

60 Minutes Staff Stunned Silent by Question from CBS New News Editor-In-Chief Bari Weiss
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60 Minutes Staff Stunned Silent by Question from CBS New News Editor-In-Chief Bari Weiss

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CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss reportedly stunned the 60 Minutes team during a private staff meeting by asking a question that left veteran journalists momentarily speechless.

According to The New York Times, Weiss asked the group, “Why does the country think you’re biased?” during a meeting at CBS headquarters.

The question, described by attendees as direct and unexpected, prompted what multiple sources called an awkward silence from the show’s reporters and producers.

Weiss, 41, who describes herself as a centrist and has made political neutrality central to her plans for CBS News, raised the question as part of a broader discussion about restoring public trust in mainstream media.

Three people familiar with the meeting told The Times that the exchange caught many of the network’s most established figures off guard.

Among those present were 60 Minutes correspondents Anderson Cooper and Lesley Stahl, both of whom were described as taken aback by the suggestion that their reporting may be perceived as partisan.

Cooper, who also anchors on CNN, and Stahl have long maintained that their work is fact-based and objective.

The meeting followed Weiss’s first two weeks as editor-in-chief, a position she officially assumed on October 6.

Her appointment marked a significant change in leadership at CBS News, coming amid efforts by parent company Paramount Skydance to rebrand and stabilize the network after a turbulent year.

Weiss previously worked as an opinion editor at The New York Times before resigning in 2020, citing what she called an “illiberal environment.”

She later co-founded The Free Press, an independent media outlet that Paramount Skydance is now in the process of acquiring.

Her hiring by Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison, the son of billionaire and Trump ally Larry Ellison, drew attention both inside and outside the network.

An insider told the Daily Mail that Weiss had been “informally consulting” for CBS before her official start date.

In her new role, Weiss has pledged to refocus CBS News toward what she calls “the American mainstream,” saying that much of the public has been “ill-served” by politically polarized media coverage.

CBS News has faced repeated criticism over its editorial direction in recent years, particularly in the wake of controversies involving 60 Minutes.

In October 2024, former President Donald Trump filed a lawsuit against the network, alleging that a segment featuring then–Vice President Kamala Harris was deceptively edited.

Paramount settled the case for $16 million, which sources said helped clear the way for the federal approval of an $8 billion merger between Skydance Media and Paramount in August 2025.

The network also faced backlash earlier this year over its coverage of the Israel-Gaza conflict.

Lesley Stahl was widely criticized for an April interview with former Hamas hostage Keith Siegel, in which she asked whether his captors had starved him “on purpose or if they just did not have any food to hand out.”

Siegel, who was held for 484 days, replied, “No, I think they starved me, and they would often eat in front of me and not offer me food.”

The interview drew condemnation from media critics and members of Congress, who accused Stahl of showing undue sympathy toward Hamas.

In the weeks following the controversy, 60 Minutes executive producer Bill Owens and CBS News CEO Wendy McMahon both resigned amid reported disagreements over the network’s editorial direction.

Despite his long-standing disputes with CBS, President Donald Trump recently told CNN he believes Weiss and Ellison will steer the network toward greater balance.

“CBS has great potential,” Trump said.

As Weiss begins restructuring CBS News, her pointed question to the 60 Minutes team has fueled renewed debate within the network about how to address perceptions of political bias while retaining journalistic credibility.

Speaker Johnson Exposes the Ridiculous ‘No Kings’ Narrative in Under a Minute
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Speaker Johnson Exposes the Ridiculous ‘No Kings’ Narrative in Under a Minute

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House Speaker Mike Johnson dismissed the nationwide “No Kings” protests held Saturday as a “stunt,” arguing that the very existence of the demonstrations disproved claims that President Donald Trump governs like a monarch.

Johnson made the remarks Sunday on ABC News’s This Week during an interview with host Jonathan Karl.

The coordinated protests, organized by anti-Trump groups across multiple cities, drew participants including attorney George Conway, who was seen wearing a shirt identifying himself as a member of Antifa.

Demonstrators held signs and chanted slogans criticizing President Trump and his administration, framing the rallies as a stand against authoritarianism.

Karl questioned Johnson about his previous characterization of the protests as “hate America” rallies, a description the speaker used during an October 10 interview on Fox and Friends.

At that time, Johnson predicted the demonstrations would include “the pro-Hamas wing and the, you know, the Antifa people.”

“Start with the ‘No Kings’ rallies. You called these ‘Hate America’ rallies. What do you mean?” Karl asked.

“That collection of folks that I listed were part of it,” Johnson said.

“We congratulate them on a violent-free, free speech exercise. The irony of the message is clear for everyone. If President Trump was a king, the government would be open right now. If President Trump was a king, they would not have been able to engage in that free speech exercise on the Mall which was open because President Trump hasn’t closed it. In the last shutdown, 2013, President Obama closed the National Mall, the national parks, didn’t allow people to engage in all this. They needed a stunt. They needed a show.”

The speaker’s comments came amid the ongoing partial government shutdown that began at 12:01 a.m. on October 1, after the Senate failed to pass a continuing resolution to fund federal agencies.

The measure fell short of the 60 votes required to overcome a Democratic filibuster.

The House had approved a short-term funding bill on September 19.

President Trump and congressional Republicans have accused Democratic lawmakers of using the shutdown to delay or obstruct government operations rather than negotiate a long-term funding agreement.

The protests also occurred less than a month after President Trump announced that Antifa had been formally designated a domestic terrorist organization.

The announcement, made on September 17 via Truth Social, followed the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk during a campus event at Utah Valley University earlier that month.

Antifa-linked violence has been documented in several U.S. cities over recent years.

In Portland, Oregon, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility has repeatedly been targeted by rioters opposing the agency’s enforcement operations against illegal immigrants.

Federal officials said Antifa members assaulted conservative journalists and attempted to use high-powered lasers to disable federal aircraft during previous riots.

The organization was also involved in widespread unrest following the death of George Floyd in May 2020 and participated in the violent demonstrations that took place in Portland in January 2021.

In June 2019, journalist Andy Ngo was beaten by Antifa members while covering protests in the same city.

During his ABC interview, Johnson contrasted the current environment under President Trump with actions taken by former President Barack Obama during a previous government shutdown.

Johnson noted that public spaces, including the National Mall, remained open this time, allowing demonstrators to exercise their First Amendment rights.

Trump Hits Back on Shumer Shutdown:: ‘They’re Lunatics, They’ve Gone Crazy’
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Trump Hits Back on Shumer Shutdown:: ‘They’re Lunatics, They’ve Gone Crazy’

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President Donald Trump criticized Democratic lawmakers on Fox News Thursday morning, accusing them of prolonging the federal government shutdown due to what he described as “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”

The shutdown, now in its 19th day, has become one of the longest in modern history.

“We have a deal. We just want an extension,” President Trump said during the interview.

“And the reason we want an extension is because you can’t make a deal with these people. They’re lunatics. They’re gone crazy. They’re crazed people. Trump derangement syndrome. There really is that disease. At first, I found it to be amusing. Now, I find there really is — they want $1.5 trillion for health care for illegal aliens. If we do that, it will jeopardize the health care of the citizens of our country. So we’re not going to do that.”

President Trump went on to argue that the ongoing government closure is being used by Democrats as a political tool rather than a policy disagreement.

He also noted that his administration still retains authority over spending decisions during a shutdown, suggesting that Democrats miscalculated the situation.

“They’re referring to me as a king. I’m not a king,” Trump said.

“They made one mistake. They didn’t realize that [the Schumer Shutdown] gives me the right to cut programs… giveaways, welfare programs, etc., and we’re doing that. We’re cutting them permanently.”

According to Townhall, the Trump administration has announced that it will pause $11 billion in federal projects as part of budgetary adjustments during the ongoing funding lapse.

The partial shutdown, which began on October 1, marks the third-longest government closure since 1981.

Negotiations between the White House and congressional Democrats remain stalled, with both sides accusing the other of political obstruction.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has declined to advance measures that would temporarily reopen the government without broader concessions on funding priorities.

According to Republican leaders, Schumer has refused at least ten separate opportunities to end the shutdown since it began.

The deadlock has halted pay for thousands of federal employees and raised concerns about the continued operation of certain programs.

Officials have warned that if the standoff persists, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program—relied upon by an estimated 42 million Americans—could face distribution delays in the coming weeks.

President Trump said he remains open to negotiations but emphasized that his administration will not agree to policies that he believes endanger American citizens’ benefits.

“They want $1.5 trillion for health care for illegal aliens,” he reiterated during the Fox News interview.

“If we do that, it will jeopardize the health care of the citizens of our country.”

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., urged Democrats to end the impasse and support legislation to fund essential government services. Johnson said the ongoing closure is needlessly harming American workers and families while Democratic leaders focus on political messaging.

While the White House has maintained that it continues to seek a workable resolution, officials confirmed that the administration will continue exercising spending discretion in the meantime.

The duration of the shutdown remains uncertain as both parties show no signs of backing down ahead of the next legislative session.


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