Appeals Court Tosses Ridiculous Ruling That Kept Money Flowing to Planned Parenthood

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AP Photo/Jim Salter, File

A federal appeals court ruled Thursday in what is becoming a rarity that a federal law superseded a random judge’s whim. At issue was the provision in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 that placed a moratorium on all federal payments to Planned Parenthood of America and its affiliates, so long as it provides abortion services anywhere. This places PPA in the uncomfortable position of giving up two of its favorite activities: killing babies and siphoning federal cash.

It is what has become a commonplace act among rogue judges at the district court level; a Judge Indira Talwani of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts imposed a temporary restraining order on that provision. What was notable was that Judge Talwani required the Executive Branch to violate federal law without ruling on the constitutionality of the law itself.


BACKGROUND:

New: Judge Stops Congress From Defunding Planned Parenthood, Outrage and Confusion Follow – RedState

Things Just Got Even Crazier With the Judge Who Blocked Congress From Defunding Planned Parenthood – RedState

This Is How It’s Done: Trump Admin. Files Motion to Vacate That Wild Planned Parenthood TRO – RedState


The administration appealed to the First Circuit. At first, it looked grim because the three-judge panel was composed of all Biden appointees.

Surprisingly, the panel found Judge Talwani’s ruling so bizarre that even they couldn’t support it.

The unanimous vote by Judges Gustavo A. Gelpí, Lara E. Montecalvo and Seth R. Aframe — all appointed by President Joseph R. Biden Jr. — will now allow federal Medicaid reimbursements for those other services to be withheld.

The judges’ two-page order offered no reasoning or indication of their views on the legal merits of the case, and federal dollars may only be withheld briefly.

But the pause nonetheless amounted to a significant financial setback for Planned Parenthood, which has relied heavily on government reimbursements for medical services. In past years, more than 40 percent of its revenue has come from government reimbursements and grants disbursed by the Department of Health and Human Services.

My assessment is that the ” two-page order offered no reasoning or indication of their views on the legal merits of the case” was a polite way not to say “you/ve got to be sh***ing me!”

Naturally, the infanticide business was not happy. Planned Parenthood Federation of America President and CEO Alexis McGill Johnson said in a statement.

“Patients who rely on the essential health care that Planned Parenthood health centers provide, can’t plan for their futures, decide where they go for care, or control their lives, bodies, and futures — all because the Trump administration and its backers want to attack Planned Parenthood and shut down health centers.

As Planned Parenthood doesn’t provide any service, other than abortion, that isn’t readily available elsewhere, none of this statement is true.

With a little bit of luck, this will be a major blow to the abortion industry. Without government dollars to fund both PPA’s abortion business and lobbying arm, it will be reduced to insignificance. If it does pull back from the abortion business, it offers nothing that can’t be found elsewhere. Because the other services it provides are merely loss-leaders that pull young women into its abortion services, it is hard to see how it survives in its current form.

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New: Secret Service Director Denounces ‘Distractions’ in Statement

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AP Photo/Andrew Harnik

The Director of the United States Secret Service (USSS), Sean Curran, has issued a statement to all USSS personnel announcing a “zero tolerance for distractions” decree in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s murder – and an unacceptable statement by one USSS employee. The statement was released to X in a post by RealClearPolitics National Political Correspondent Susan Crabtree.

The decree issued by Director Curran reads:

“To the Men and Women of the Secret Service, 

I’m writing to remind all employees that we swear an oath to those we protect to conduct ourselves with the highest standards of conduct on and off duty.

When our actions draw public attention for the wrong reasons, we fall short of that duty and compromise the trust essential to fulfill our mission.

Let me be clear, politically motivated attacks in our nation are increasing—seemingly every day. The men and women of the Secret Service must be focused on being the solution, not adding to the problem.  We must operate every day without bias towards political affiliation. We owe it to ourselves and those we are sworn to protect.

Any distractions, otherwise, will not be tolerated.”

This comes on the tail of a number of embarrassing incidents, also detailed by Susan Crabtree in her X post.

Curran’s email missive to all agency employees, obtained by @RCPolitics, comes in the wake of at least one recent security breach, in which a Glock got through screening at Trump’s golf course in Virginia over Labor Day weekend, and a string of embarrassing incidents, including an agent Wednesday posting on social media that Kirk deserved to be assassinated because of “karma.”  

The agent, Anthony Pough, has since been placed on administrative leave and is expected to be fired, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.

News of Pough’s inappropriate social media post came a day after far-left protesters confronted Trump in a restaurant and yelled epithets at him for at least 30 seconds before the Secret Service agents escorted them out.

“Expected to be fired,” we can hope, ends up being realized. “Dismissed in disgrace and with prejudice” would be more satisfying. This person should never work in law enforcement at any level ever again. If the only job he can find is a night clerk at a 7-11 in downtown Baltimore, that would be very satisfying. 


Read More: New: Secret Service Agent Came Within 5 Feet of Would-Be Trump Assassin

New: Secret Service Let Glock Through Security at Trump’s Virginia Golf Course a Week Before Routh Trial


The Secret Service is tasked, as we all know, with guarding the President of the United States, along with the First Family and other high-ranking elected officials. That’s probably the most intensive and the most important law enforcement job in the country. They can’t afford screw-ups; would-be attackers, as we saw during the 2024 campaign, can keep messing up, but the USSS has to fail only once, and they have a dead principal.

So when we see events like the restaurant event noted above, it’s concerning.

Director Curran is right to clamp down on unacceptable, and frankly loathsome, comments like that made by Anthony Pough. This kind of partisanship, in an agency tasked with guarding the President, presents a horrifying risk. It’s going to take more than a letter, though, more than a sternly worded statement. Anthony Pough should be dismissed as soon as possible – and in the other cases, the USSS may want to (and presumably are) take a long, hard look at their protocols and training.

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Nolte: They Are Hunting Us — 15 Violent Political Attacks on Conservatives

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Eva Marie Uzcategui/Getty Images

Ginned up by a corporate media eager to dehumanize us into something that demands killing (Nazis, fascists, etc.), the violent and often deadly attacks on conservatives just keep coming. I’m sure I missed some, but here’s as comprehensive a list as I could come up with.

September 2025: Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk Assassinated in Utah

Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was fatally shot during a speaking event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday in an apparent political assassination.

April 2025: Turning Point USA Students Assaulted at UC Davis

A group of conservative students were assaulted and had their equipment destroyed when masked protesters attacked them before an event on a California university campus.

April 2025: Arson Attack on New Mexico GOP Headquarters

The suspect behind an arson attack on the headquarters building of the New Mexico Republican Party and the firebombing of a New Mexico Tesla dealership has been revealed to be an Antifa supporter.

Jamison Wagner, 40, was charged in connection with a February 9 arson attack at the Tesla Albuquerque Showroom, and a March 30 arson attack at the New Mexico GOP headquarters office, which left the entryway to the building destroyed, according to a press release from the Department of Justice (DOJ).

September 2024: Second Assassination Attempt on Trump

Former President Donald Trump recounted on Monday night the harrowing moments when a Secret Service agent engaged his alleged would-be assassin at Trump International Golf Club West Palm Beach.

July 2024: President Trump Shot in the Head

Former President Donald Trump released a statement following the shooting that occurred at his rally in Pennsylvania, writing on Truth Social that he was “shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear.”

April 2023: Swimming Star Riley Gaines Assaulted by Transgender Mob at Turning Point USA Event

Former NCAA women’s swimming star Riley Gaines was reportedly “ambushed” and “hit by a man wearing a dress” at San Francisco State University after giving a speech about saving women’s sports during a Turning Point USA and Leadership Institute event on the campus. Gaines’ agent said, “Instead of a thoughtful discussion tonight at SFSU, Riley was violently accosted, shouted at, physically assaulted, and barricaded in a room by protestors.”

June 2022: Assassination Attempt on Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh

The man who allegedly planned the assassination attempt on Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh over the leaked overturn of Roe v. Wade has pleaded not guilty in federal court.

June 2022: 23 Pro-Life Organizations Vandalized, Firebombed by Pro-Abortion Activists in Recent Weeks

The attacks follow a leaked Supreme Court decision that revealed Roe v. Wade may be overturned this month. If overturned, abortion would no longer be protected by the federal government but would still be legal in many states.

May 2020: Rioters Assault Breitbart Reporter, Another Journalist Outside White House

Violent protesters outside the White House forced at least two journalists, including a reporter for Breitbart News, to flee their coverage assignments in one of the many incidents of violent unrest sweeping across the nation.

October 2018: Two Minnesota Republican Candidates Assaulted

Two Republican candidates running for office in Minnesota were reportedly assaulted in two incidents on the campaign trail this weekend. Police are currently investigating the assaults on the candidates, who are both running campaigns for the Minnesota State House, after they each said during the weekend that they were attacked.

September 2018: GOP Headquarters Hit with Arson Attack in Laramie, WY

A man was charged by federal prosecutors for an alleged act of arson at the Republican headquarters in downtown Laramie, Wyoming.

November 2017: Sen. Rand Paul Attacked By Neighbor

Police arrested Paul’s long-time neighbor, 59-year-old retired doctor Rene Boucher, and charged him with fourth-degree assault after he allegedly blindsided the senator, who was reportedly mowing his lawn.

In an update, Paul tweeted that a “final report indicates six broken ribs & new X-ray shows a pleural effusion [buildup of fluid around the lungs]”

June 2017: Leftist Terrorist Shoots Up GOP Congressional Baseball Practice

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) revealed a shocking detail the establishment media covered up about James Hodgkinson, the left-winger who attempted a mass murder at a Republican congressional baseball practice: according to Paul, the man who almost killed Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) and wounded four others was shouting, “This is for health care!”

December 2016: MILO Video Producer Attacked by Communist Student Protesters At UWM

Matt Perdie, video producer for MILO’s “Dangerous Faggot Tour” was attacked at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee by communist student protesters.

August 2012: Family Research Council Hit with Terror Attack

A source told FoxNews.com that the suspect “made statements regarding their policies, and then opened fire with a gun striking a security guard.” The gunman may also have been carrying a bag from Chick-fil-A, a restaurant that has been attacked by those on the left because of its owner’s stance against gay marriage, which has been all over the news in recent weeks.

Suppose you count all 23 attacks on pro-life centers. In that case, it adds up to 37 attacks — all of it ginned up by a corporate media that gives their violent followers little choice but to attack and murder those described as fascists, Nazis, rapists, threats-to-democracy, and white supremacists.

If cheering on the violence against us, harassment, and verbal threats were added to this list, we’d run out of internet.

John Nolte’s first and last novel, Borrowed Time, is winning five-star raves from everyday readers. You can read an excerpt here and an in-depth review here. Also available in hardcover and on Kindle and Audiobook

WATCH — VILE: Leftist Chants ‘We Got Charlie in the Neck!’ in Wake of Turning Point USA Founder’s Assassination

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Bethany Baker/The Salt Lake Tribune/Getty Images

A leftist celebrated the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk in a video that is making the rounds online.

The clip posted early Thursday shows a young man with a megaphone standing near a roadway while chanting, “We got Charlie in the neck!” while others at the scene clapped. He then appeared to shout, “Who’s up next?” to which people at the scene seemed to reply, “DHS!”

An Instagram profile called The Yarn pointed to what was reportedly the man’s TikTok account with the name @vik.melter.

A video on the TikTok profile shows a young man saying he is “out here once again with protesters in Los Angeles. Protesters have chained the DHS and ICE” inside a fence. The clip then showed protesters tossing trash over the fence and calling the officers on the other side “stupid motherfuckers.”

Kirk was fatally shot on Wednesday during a speaking event at Utah Valley University in what is being called a political assassination, per Breitbart News.

In the months before his tragic death, Kirk sounded the alarm on the growing “assassination culture” on the left, revealing that “forty-eight percent of liberals say it would be at least somewhat justified to murder Elon Musk. Fifty-five percent said the same about Donald Trump,” citing a report from the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI).

Breitbart News reported, “The conservative activist went on to call the phenomenon a ‘natural outgrowth of left-wing protest culture tolerating violence and mayhem for years on end.’”

Not long after his assassination, leftists took to social media to mock Kirk for opposing gun control, the outlet said.

Despite the horrific and dark reactions to his assassination from the left, Kirk’s pastor and friend, Rob McCoy, said his belief in Jesus Christ allowed him to live courageously.

He stated, “Charlie did not die however but instead he has begun to truly live. His life was secured eternally by His Savior Jesus Christ. This truth allowed Charlie to face every threat with courage because he didn’t fear death. All evil knows is death and they derive power from death. Charlie lived for life and will be remembered for this.”

The pastor added, “My heart is broken for his family; His wife Erika and his two precious children. Evil has not prevailed and it will not win.”

President Trump Speaks at Pentagon on 9/11, Will Honor Charlie Kirk With Presidential Medal of Freedom

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AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson

On the commemoration of the 24th Anniversary of 9/11, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth introduced President Donald Trump to the dais at the Pentagon. Trump opened his remarks with condolences and news surrounding the Wednesday assassination of Charlie Kirk, the co-founder and CEO of TPUSA.


Read MoreJD Vance Cancels 9/11 Plans, Rushes to Be With Charlie Kirk’s Family

The Things I Can Do


Trump began:

Before we begin, let me express the horror and grief so many Americans at the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk have felt. Charlie was a giant of his generation, a champion of liberty, and an inspiration to millions and millions of people. Our prayers are with his wonderful wife Erika and his beautiful children, fantastic people they are. We miss him greatly, yet I have no doubt that Charlie’s voice and the courage he put into the hearts of countless people, especially young people, will live on. 

I am pleased to announce that I will soon be awarding Charlie Kirk posthumously the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The date of the ceremony will be announced and I can only guarantee you one thing: that we will have a very big crowd, very, very big. 

President Trump moved into his 9/11 remarks, connecting the incredible thread from the groundbreaking for the Pentagon building on September 11, 1941, to that fateful day when American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon on September 11, 2001.

Thank you, my fellow Americans. 84 years ago this morning, the banks of the Potomac were filled the clamor of construction workers who broke ground on the building now known as the Pentagon, on September 11, 1941. At the time it was the biggest building ever built. From that moment forward, this structure stood as a monument to American strength, power, and cherished American freedom. Exactly six decades later on September 11, 2001, those same walls built with the sweat, muscle, blood of our parents and grandparents were marred by flame and shaken by terror as our country came face-to-face with pure evil. On that fateful day, savage monsters attacked the very symbols of our civilization. Yet here in Virginia, and in New York, and in the skies over Pennsylvania, Americans did not hesitate. They stood on their feet and they showed the world that we will never yield, we will never bend, we will never give up, and our great American flag will never ever fail. That terrible morning 24 years ago, time itself stood still. The laughter of school children fell silent. The rush of our traffic came to an absolute halt. And for 2,977 innocent souls and their family the entire world came crashing down so suddenly.

Trump paid homage to the love and heroic acts of some of the men and women who lost their lives that day.

In a quarter of a century since those acts of mass murder, 9/11 families have felt the weight of missed birthdays and empty bedrooms, journals left unfinished and dreams left unfulfilled. To every member that still feels a void every day of your lives, the First Lady and I unite with you in sorrow. And today, as one nation, we renew our sacred vow that we will never forget September 11, 2001. 

Amid the horror of that morning, some used cell phone and office lines whispered their final words to those who mattered most. They whispered indeed. At 8:59 a.m. aboard United Flight 175, Brian Sweeney called his wife Julie. He told her, “Do good, go have good times, I totally love you. I’ll see you again. I’ll meet you up there.” Four minutes later, his plane hit the South Tower of the World Trade Center.

At 9:12 a.m., aboard American Airlines Flight 77, Renee May called her mom. Just the day before, Renee had learned she was seven weeks pregnant, but she never got the chance to share the news. She simply said, “I love you mom.” Twenty five minutes later, Renee’s plane struck the Pentagon. So violent a strike it was.

At 9:53 a.m., aboard United Flight 93, Elizabeth Wainio called her stepmom. “They’re getting ready to break into the cockpit. What do I do? I love you so much, they’re going to break in.” Ten minutes later Flight 93 ended in the hallowed field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. At 10:25 a.m., Tom McGinnis was trapped on the 92nd floor of the North Tower when he told his his wife, “there are people jumping from the floors above us. If we get out of here, it will be a total miracle. I love you darling, take care of Kaitlyn.” Beautiful daughter. Three minutes later, the Tower fell.

Out of the ash we witnessed the awesome power of that incredible love. We’ve seen it rise again. Out of the wreckage we watched unbelievable courage suddenly take form. And out of the darkness we saw the timeless truth of American character shine for the world to see. In America we take blows, but we never buckle. We bleed, but we do not bow. And we defy the fear, endure the flames, and emerge from the crucible of every hardship, stronger, prouder and greater than ever before.

Last year, we were a dead country. Now we have the hottest country anywhere in the world. 

Trump beautifully dovetailed from the ashes of what appeared to be the destruction of our country to the acts of heroic love and sacrifice that saved lives and birthed living heroes.

In New York there were heroes like Chuck Costello, a 46-year-old elevator mechanic and a member of the Knights of Columbus. He selflessly ran into the World Trade Center to free people, trapped in the elevators. His body was not found until the following January, deep under the debris. While going through his belongings, Chuck’s widow Mary, a phenomenal woman, discovered a personal prayer written in his own words: “Help me to light the way for those in the dark. And when I enter the darkness, let me not panic, but patiently wait to remember the light.” Beautiful words. When the time came, Chuck ran boldly into the darkness of Hell on earth, and now he shines in the light of Heaven above. We remember him this morning. That day we learned that the American heroic spirit was all around us. We saw it in the police officers, the great firefighters, the service members, here at the Pentagon, and in the hearts of every American who answered history’s call.

One such hero was Army Sergeant First Class Steve Workman, who was on the edge of the impact zone. When this incredible Pentagon was hit, he was right there. After leading hundreds of people through escape routes, Steve turned back and plunged into the inferno itself. Pushing through the debris, he came upon a severely burned Navy lieutenant, the only survivor from the Navy Command Center. Only one. The wounded lieutenant looked into Steve’s soul and said, “Don’t let me die.” Steve replied, “I won’t. I’ve got you. Just hang on.” He wheeled the lieutenant out of the wreckage on the back of maintenance cart, before getting in the ambulance and taking him to Walter Reed Hospital. That man Steve saved, Lieutenant Kevin Schaeffer, went on to join the elite team of CIA operatives who located Osama bin Laden. Steve, you’re an American hero. We appreciate it, we appreciate what you’ve gone through. Please stand. 

[Applause] 

Please stand.

[More Applause] 

Oh, good looking man, you’re a good looking guy. You remember that day. Thank you, very much Steve.

That was something, that was something.

Between the somber incident of an American patriot like Charlie Kirk being gunned down for his beliefs and the somber remembrances of what we lost on September 11, 2001, Trump reminded the nation that we are Americans who will always fight to defend our freedoms.

In the years that followed, America’s warriors avenged our fallen and sent an unmistakable message to every enemy around the world: If you attack the United States of America we will hunt you down and we will find you. Go all over this sometimes magnificent earth. We will crush you without mercy and we will triumph without question. That’s why we named the former “Department of Defense,” “The Department of War.” It will be different. We won the First World War, we won the Second World War, we won everything before that and in between. And then, we decided to change the name. Well, now we have it back where we all want it. Everybody wanted it, everybody is so happy to have it back.

You will fail, and America will “win, win, win.” The enemy will always fail. Twenty-four years have passed since that Tuesday morning in September, and an entire generation of Americans have come of age in a totally different world. While they cannot remember the agony of that day, they are carrying on the legacy of those who lost. 

Trump rounded out his tributes to 9/11 heroes with a powerful story of love, courage, and legacy passed to the next generation.

Around 8:30 a.m. on the morning of the attacks, Army Lieutenant Colonel Kip Taylor sent an email to his friends and family, describing the joys of fatherhood and his excitement for the upcoming birth of his unborn son. He wrote, “After you have kids, there are days that you just get going and you say, ‘Hi honey, I’m home.’ What we do until that moment pales in comparison.” But just that little statement: “Hi, honey.” So American, so beautiful. But that’s really the point of it all, isn’t it? An hour after he sent that email, Flight 77 flew into Colonel Taylor’s Pentagon office and claimed the life of a very proud father and a true patriot. Six weeks later, on October 25, 2001, Colonel Taylor’s son Luke was born. Luke then tragically lost his mom to cancer when he was just two years old, leaving him to be raised by his father’s brother. As a young boy, Luke asked his uncle about the folded flag on the bookshelf. And when he learned about his dad’s decades of devotion to the Army and the horrors of September 11, that’s when he learned. Luke carried that memory with him, joined the ROTC as a college freshman. He graduated just last year, and I’m pleased to say he is with us today as a second lieutenant and doing very well, he’s rising quickly in the infantry, preparing for Army Ranger School. He’s the spitting image of his dad, they say. Luke says that every time he puts on a uniform he feels connected to his father and to our country. But it was a father he never knew. Luke, your parents are together in Heaven, and they could not be prouder of the man that they have produced. They produced you, those two great people produced you. Luke, please stand.

[Applause]

Thank you. You look good, Luke, you look good. They’re looking down at you, they’re very proud.

The president concluded his speech with a reminder: to honor the fallen, to revere our heroes, and to uphold the American values that will ensure the future of our country.

This morning, we recall the light of America’s best and bravest. And the love that they showed in their final moments. In their memory we make a solemn pledge and a noble promise: We will honor, always, our great heroes, and you are our heroes. But there is a group of people that don’t want to talk about our heroes, but we will always talk about our heroes. That’s the way our country is, and that’s the way the people feel.

We will defend the nation they served, the values they upheld and the freedom for which they died. We will support our troops, we will protect our families, and we will preserve the American way of life for every future generation. We will build taller, grow stronger, fight harder, and soar higher. And together we will go forward as one people with one heart, one fate, one flag, and one glorious destiny under Almighty God. May God bless the memories of those who died and the heroes who fought, and the soldiers who still stand watch. May God Bless the United States of America. Thank you very much, thank you. Thank you. 

President Trump’s full remarks are here:

Watch: Ilhan Omar Mocks Charlie Kirk, Says Supporters Are ‘Full of ****’

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AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib

Rep. Ilhan Omar added another mark to her record as one of the most hateful, depraved members of Congress on Thursday. While speaking to pro-Hamas journalist Mehdi Hasan, the Minnesota congresswoman mocked Charlie Kirk and appeared to offer justification for his assassination

Kirk was murdered while speaking on the campus of Utah Valley State on Wednesday, with a single bullet from a high-powered rifle hitting his neck. The conservative activist leaves behind a wife and two young children, and his killer is still on the run. 


                                                                      Related: Charlie Just Won


Further exposing her lack of common decency and humanity, Omar cast that aside and instead joined with Hasan to essentially argue that Kirk deserved what he got because of his “words and actions.” 

OMAR: What I do know for sure is that, you know, Charlie was someone who once said that, um, guns save lives after a school shooting. Charlie was someone who was willing to debate and downplay the death of George Floyd in the hands of Minneapolis police. 

HASAN: I think he called him a scumbag. 

OMAR: Right, have no regard, downplay slavery, and what black people have gone through in this country by saying Juneteenth should never exist, and I think there are a lot of people who are out there talking about him just wanting ot have a civil debate, and…

HASAN: It’s bull**** (laughs). It’s a complete rewriting of history. 

OMAR: Yeah, there is nothing more f-ed up than to completely pretend that his words and actions have not been recorded (laughs) and in existence for the last decade or so. 

In another part of the interview, Omar said people who speak well of Kirk are “full of ****.” For context, Zeteo is Hasan’s “news” outlet. 

I could go through this line by line and point out the inconsistencies. For example, George Floyd, no matter what one thinks about the circumstances of his death, was an objectively violent person who beat women and once held a gun to a pregnant woman’s head. Is calling him a “scumbag” really an offense so awful as to mention it in relation to assassination? Because that’s the implication from Omar and Hasan, and the mention of Juneteenth is even more absurd. None of what is mentioned actually paints Kirk as some kind of untenable “radical.” 

Yet, Omar and Hasan laugh and mock him throughout the interview, claiming he wasn’t actually a supporter of civil debate when that was quite literally his entire strategy. He would go to college campuses, set up an open mic, and invite people to discuss contentious topics like abortion, transgenderism, and foreign policy. He would allow his opponents to speak, and he would respond, not in anger, but with logical consistency. Whether one ultimately agreed with him or not isn’t the point. The point is that Omar and Hasan are lying when they minimize his murder by implying he somehow brought it on himself. 

The broader issue here, though, is revealed in Omar’s mention of “words and actions.” Words are not actions, and Kirk never committed violence against anyone. He never called for acts of violence against his political opponents. The left likes to make that conflation, though, because it offers them a way to justify the worst, most violent impulses of their supporters. If someone is a “fascist” who is a “threat to democracy,” then everything is on the table to stop that person. 

This has to stop. People have to be able to disagree without going to these lengths to demonize each other. Certainly, you’d expect a national politician to contain herself for at least a few days following the assassination of someone she opposed. Not Omar, though. Her overwrought hubris is only matched by her faux sense of self-righteousness. This is a woman with a long history of antisemitism and who has excused the murderous rampage of Islamic terrorists. She’s continually derided the nation that let her in as a refugee and gave her a life she never could have dreamed of in Somalia, the country she still pledges public loyalty to. 

Her list of disgusting, hateful statements over just a few short years in the spotlight is too long to list. Yet, she believes she has the moral high ground to lecture a now-deceased Kirk and those who supported him? What an incredibly perverse viewpoint. 

Britain’s Ambassador to U.S. Sacked over Links to Jeffrey Epstein

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Simon Dawson/Bloomberg via Getty Images

British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer on Thursday sacked the U.K. ambassador to the United States, Lord Peter Mandelson, over his links to the convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty used a statement in the House of Commons to reveal Whitehall’s decision to dismiss the veteran left-wing Labour operative after the publication this week of emails Mandelson sent to Epstein.

“In light of the additional information in emails written by Peter Mandelson, the prime minister has asked the foreign secretary to withdraw him as ambassador,” the Foreign Office statement made clear.

Britain’s Labour Party leader Keir Starmer (L) has sacked the UK ambassador to the U.S. Peter Mandelson (R). The two are seen here as Starmer leaves the stage during the London Labour Regional Conference in central London on January 28, 2023. ( JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)

“The emails show that the depth and extent of Peter Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein is materially different from that known at the time of his appointment,” it added.

In the missives Mandelson, who had previously spent four years in Brussels as Britain’s European Commissioner, urged Epstein to “fight for early release” shortly before the latter was sentenced to 18 months in prison, as Breitbart News reported.

“I think the world of you,” Mandelson told him before he began his sentence for soliciting prostitution from a minor in June 2008.

Several lawmakers in the United Kingdom including the leader of the opposition and even lawmakers from Starmer’s own Labour party had called for his removal even after Mandelson had previously denied any problem with the relationship.

The emails were published after the Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released a 50th birthday album compiled in 2003 for Epstein, who at the time was a wealthy and well-connected financier.

In that album, Mandelson called Epstein “my best pal” in a handwritten note.

Follow Simon Kent on Twitter: Follow @SunSimonKent or e-mail to: skent@breitbart.com

Psaki: ‘A Lot’ of ‘Problematic’ Rhetoric Comes from ‘One Particular Side’, Trump’s Kirk Statement an ‘Escalation’

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Video Source: MSNBC

On Wednesday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “The Briefing,” host Jen Psaki stated that President Donald Trump’s response to Charlie Kirk’s assassination is an “escalation” and that “there’s a lot of rhetoric that is problematic. A lot of it is coming from one particular side and from one particular building.”

While discussing Trump’s video statement on the assassination with Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Psaki said, “[T]here was a line at the end that I think — I just wanted to raise and read. At the end of this four-minute video, he says, ‘For years, those on the radical left have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the world’s worst mass murderers and criminals. This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we’re seeing in our country today. And it must stop right now.’”

Psaki then stated, “And, obviously, there’s a lot of rhetoric that is problematic. A lot of it is coming from one particular side and from one particular building. But what can be done, I fear, when this is an escalation, already, in less than 24 hours of this shooting?”

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Trump Delivers Profound Words From the Oval After Assassination of Charlie Kirk—Was ‘Best of America’

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New York Yankees / X

As the nation roils in the aftermath of the horrific assassination of conservative icon and TPUSA co-founder Charlie Kirk, President Trump spoke movingly Wednesday night and talked about Kirk’s legacy, his beautiful family, his faith, and more during a four-plus-minute address from the Oval Office.

As many of us in conservative media—and doubtless many of you out there—struggle with our emotions, the president agreed that it was a moment that will live in infamy:

To my great fellow Americans, I am filled with grief and anger at the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk on a college campus in Utah. Charlie inspired millions, and, tonight, all who knew him and loved him, are united in shock and horror. Charlie was a patriot who devoted his life to the cause of open debate and the country that he loved so much in the United States of America.

Charlie Kirk was a fighter, the president said—a fighter for the dream that is America. Trump talked about how faith is so important during these trying times:

He fought for liberty, democracy, justice, and the American people. He’s a martyr for truth and freedom, and there’s never been anyone who was so respected by youth. Charlie was also a man of deep, deep faith, and we take comfort in the knowledge that he is now at peace with God and heaven.

The nation is praying for Charlie and his family, the president said:

Our prayers are with his wife, Erica, the two young, beloved children, and his entire family, who he loved more than anything in the world. We asked God to watch over them in this terrible hour of heartache and pain.


READ MORE: Rest in Peace, Charlie Kirk

New: President Trump Orders Flags to Half-Staff in Honor of Charlie Kirk


As we’ve reported, not all politicians showed their best side as the tragedy unfolded:


JB Pritzker Slithers to Top of List of Ghouls With Comments About Charlie Kirk, Jan. 6


Although Trump acknowledged that this was indeed a dark day, he ended with a message of hope and resilience:

An assassin tried to silence him with a bullet, but he failed, because together, we will ensure that his voice, his message, and his legacy will live on for countless generations succumb. Today, because of this heinous act, Charlie’s voice has become bigger and grander than ever before, and it’s not even close.

May God bless his memory, May God watch over his family, and may God bless the United States of America. Thank you.

This is one of those moments that will live on for decades, if not centuries. I am too young to remember JFK and RFK, but I do know that their assassinations shaped my parents’ lives and the country for generations that followed.

This feels to me like one of those seminal, historical moments, and where it will lead, nobody knows. Trump’s address, though, was what was needed on a dark night, indeed.

God Bless the late Charlie Kirk and his family, and God Bless the United States of America.

Update: FBI Provides News on Kirk Assassination, Including Details About the Weapon and Shooter

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AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade

On Thursday morning, the FBI held a press conference, providing some very notable updates on the person who assassinated Charlie Kirk a day earlier, including the finding of a high-powered rifle in a nearby wooded area. That comes after the conservative activist was gunned down while holding an outdoor event at a Utah college campus. 

According to the FBI, the shooter fired a single shot before jumping from the roof he was perched on. Investigators also recovered several impressions from the scene, including a palm print and footprint. Further, they shared that the killer is believed to be “college-aged.”

BOYLES: Good morning. My name is Robert Boyles, and I am the special agent in charge of the Salt Lake field office. Following yesterday’s tragic shooting of Charlie Kirk, FBI agents have been working around the clock in coordination with our law enforcement partners. We are and will continue to work non-stop until we find the person that has committed this heinous crime and find out why they did it. 

This morning, I can tell that we have recovered what we believe is the weapon that was used in yesterday’s shooting. It is a high-powered, bolt-action rifle. That rifle was recovered in a wooded area where the shooter had fled, though the FBI laboratory will be analyzing this weapon. Investigators have also collected a footwear impression, a palm print, and forearm imprints for analysis. 

Now, I understand there are a lot of questions about motive. I assure you that all leads, tips, and tips are being fully investigated. As of this morning, we have received more than 130 tips. We thank the community for that. The FBI has brought every resource to bear, and we will continue to do that throughout the course of this investigation.

Finding the weapon in the woods nearby is a big development. If a palm print was found at the shooter’s perch on the roof, indicating they weren’t wearing gloves, it’s likely there is more evidence to be collected off the gun itself. The ability to trace the weapon could also play a big role in helping to find the person who did this. 

That’s not all the authorities have, though. Another official took to the podium and said they have “high quality” video of the assassin, including from before and after the shooting. 

OFFICIAL: Through all that work last night, we were able to make a few breakthroughs. We were able to track the movements of the shooter, starting at 11:52 AM, the subject arrived on campus, shortly away from campus. We have tracked his movements onto the campus, through the stairwells, up to the roof, and across the roof to a shooting location. After the shooting, we were able to track his movements as he moved to the other side of the roof, jumped off the building, and fled off of the campus and into a neighborhood. 

The official went on to say that they aren’t going to release the footage yet because they believe they have the technology and information needed to go ahead and identify whoever it is. That decision was likely made so the killer isn’t tipped off to exactly how much of his face is known to authorities. With that said, it was also announced that they will release the footage if their current leads don’t pay off. 

As to a motive, there weren’t any details given at the presser, but one can assume they know more than they are releasing at this point. That again is likely to not tip off not just the shooter, but any organizations or entities he may have been coordinating with. Unlike the past administration, I fully expect the current FBI leadership to keep to their word and provide every detail about the shooter in due time.