WATCH: Dems and Republicans clash on House floor following moment of silence for Charlie Kirk
A moment of silence for Charlie Kirk on the House floor Wednesday devolved into a shouting match after a Republican representative demanded a prayer be said out loud for the conservative who was shot earlier in the day. As lawmakers stood silently in a mostly filled House of Representatives chamber during a moment of silence for the conservative who was shot and killed at Utah Valley University during an on-campus event Wednesday, Colorado Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert demanded a spoken prayer. “Please rise for a moment of prayer for Charlie Kirk and his family,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said. Lawmakers obliged for several seconds, before returning to regular order. However, once that started to happen, Boebert spoke up. CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION SPARKS BIPARTISAN UPROAR OVER POLITICAL VIOLENCE AS UTAH MANHUNT UNDERWAY “Silent prayers get silent results,” Boebert said. She could also be heard asking for a prayer to be said “out loud.” The Colorado Republican’s comments resulted in shouts from Democrats. Some reportedly began shouting back about how Republicans had ignored a school shooting that happened Wednesday as well, according to the New York Times. Meanwhile, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., stood up and began shouting back. “You all caused this,” she said. CHARLIE KIRK KILLED WHILE LAUNCHING TURNING POINT USA CAMPUS TOUR Speaker Johnson attempted to quell the crowd multiple times, banging his gavel and asking for order. Eventually, he said: “We will join for prayer right after this, OK?” Kirk was shot in the neck while speaking to a sizable crowd at Utah Value University, located in Orem, Utah, from underneath a tent in the middle of the school’s outdoor quad. Kirk was transported to a local hospital, but was later pronounced dead. He was at the university for an event as part of Turning Point USA’s “American Comeback Tour” that launched this spring. Kirk was the founder of Turning Point USA, established in 2012. The political nonprofit built its name by engaging youth people on university campuses about politics. Kirk frequently went around the country to campuses to speak at events.
President Trump orders White House flags at half-staff in honor of Charlie Kirk
American flags outside the White House were seen at half-staff on Wednesday evening after President Donald Trump ordered them to be lowered in honor of Charlie Kirk. Kirk, a 31-year-old husband, father, conservative activist and Turning Point USA founder, was fatally shot in the neck while speaking during an event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday. On his Truth Social, Trump posted, “In honor of Charlie Kirk, a truly Great American Patriot, I am ordering all American Flags throughout the United States lowered to Half Mast until Sunday evening at 6 P.M.” Images taken by Fox News Digital on Wednesday showed the massive American flags installed on either side of the White House at Trump’s direction were at half-staff. SADNESS AND SHOCK AT WHITE HOUSE AFTER CHARLIE KIRK’S SHOOTING DEATH Trump issued an official proclamation on Wednesday, writing, “As a mark of respect for the memory of Charlie Kirk, by the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, September 14, 2025.” In the proclamation, he also directed that flags at all U.S. embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations also lower their flags to half-staff in Kirk’s honor. Earlier on Wednesday, Trump announced that Kirk had passed as a result of the shooting on Truth Social, writing, “The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead.” SHOT THAT KILLED CHARLIE KIRK MAY HAVE COME FROM ROOF: UTAH OFFICIAL “No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!” wrote Trump. The U.S. Department of Agriculture also posted footage of an American flag outside its headquarters at half-staff in honor of Kirk. American flags were also seen at half-staff in Orem, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City and home to Utah Valley University. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican, also ordered that U.S. and Utah state flags be lowered on all state facilities “in recognition of the tragic passing of Charlie Kirk.” CHARLIE KIRK’S ASSASSINATION LATEST CASE OF CONSERVATIVES BEING TARGETED FOR MURDER Cox also invited all private citizens, businesses, and other organizations to join in honoring Kirk by lowering their flags. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican, also announced on X that he ordered all flags in Oklahoma to half-staff to “honor the extraordinary life and legacy of Charlie Kirk.” “Charlie’s memory, that of a tireless champion for freedom, shall never die,” wrote Stitt.
Supreme Court rejects South Carolina’s bid to enforce transgender bathroom ban
The Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to take up an application from South Carolina seeking to enforce its ban on students using public school bathrooms that match their gender identity. The brief, unsigned order represents a small setback for the state in its bid to tighten policies related to transgender people. However, a lawsuit on the matter will still proceed in the lower courts. Three Republican-appointed justices, Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch, would have granted South Carolina’s request. The order from the high court comes after a federal appeals court had temporarily enjoined the state from enforcing its law while the case plays out. The state wanted the Supreme Court to lift that injunction temporarily. SUPREME COURT TO REVIEW STATE BANS ON TRANSGENDER ATHLETES’ PARTICIPATION IN SCHOOL SPORTS The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit had granted the injunction at the request of a ninth-grader who wanted to use the boys’ bathroom, which didn’t correspond to the student’s sex. Attorneys for the student, identified as John Doe in the lawsuit, argued to the high court that an emergency pause on the Fourth Circuit’s order was not warranted given the lawsuit centered on only one student. No other students have taken issue with John Doe using the boys’ restroom, the attorneys noted. “Indeed, no student has ever complained about sharing boys’ restrooms with John, who has dressed and presented as a boy since he was a young child,” the attorneys wrote. SCOTUS RULES ON STATE BAN ON GENDER TRANSITION ‘TREATMENTS’ FOR MINORS IN LANDMARK CASE The Supreme Court did not weigh in on the merits of the case, giving little insight into how the court will continue to approach a contentious cultural issue. Its order comes after the high court upheld a ban in Tennessee in June on certain transgender medical treatments for minors and as the justices prepare to hear arguments this upcoming term on transgender participation in school sports. South Carolina lawyers referenced the latter appeal, which is poised to be a closely watched case this term, in asking the justices to allow its ban to take effect. “This case implicates a question fraught with emotions and differing perspectives,” the state lawyers wrote. “That is all the more reason to defer to state lawmakers pending appeal. The decision was the South Carolina legislature’s to make.”
Jury seated in trial of man accused of Trump assassination attempt
The jury has been seated for the high-profile federal trial of Ryan Routh, the North Carolina man accused of attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump at his West Palm Beach golf club last September, when Trump was a leading candidate in the 2024 election. After three days of jury selection that began Monday, 12 jurors and four alternates were chosen. The panel includes six white women, four white men, one Black woman and one Black man. The alternates are two white women and two white men. Opening statements are set for Thursday morning in Fort Pierce, Florida, where prosecutors are expected to launch their case immediately. JURY SELECTION STILL UNDERWAY IN RYAN ROUTH TRIAL, MORE THAN 70 JURORS REMOVED Three groups of 60 potential jurors went through the selection process, where prosecutors and Routh — who is representing himself — asked potential jurors questions to assess if they could fairly participate in the trial. During Wednesday’s session, Routh said he wanted to raise an objection due to the prosecution eliminating two potential jurors who were Black. “I want to raise that we have a racist situation,” Routh said. But the prosecution said that one of the potential jurors was Haitian and would face language barriers, and that they had no knowledge the other was Black. On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon eliminated a potential juror for the trial because the woman asserted, “I am MAGA.” According to Cannon, the statement showed “self-declared bias.” Another woman was eliminated as a potential juror for saying she “only follows God’s law” on a questionnaire. During Monday’s session, Routh’s questions for potential jurors included their views on the war in Gaza, their position on the U.S. potentially acquiring Greenland as the president has floated, and how they would act if they were driving and spotted a turtle in the middle of the road. In response, Cannon labeled them “politically charged,” and said that they were unnecessary for jury selection. Prosecutors claim that Routh sought to kill Trump for weeks, and staked out a spot in shrubbery on Sept. 15, 2024 when a Secret Service agent detected him pointing a rifle at Trump while the then-presidential candidate played golf at his West Palm Beach country club. Routh aimed his rifle at the agent, but abandoned his weapon at the scene after the Secret Service agents opened fire. JURY POOL SHRINKS AS RYAN ROUTH TRIAL UNFOLDS IN FLORIDA ON DAY 2 Routh was later apprehended by the Martin County, Florida, Sheriff’s Office on the I-95 interstate in a black Nissan Xterra. Routh faces federal charges including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, as well as assaulting a federal officer and various gun violations. The charges carry a potential life sentence if the jury finds him guilty. Meanwhile, Routh has maintained he’s innocent and pleaded not guilty to all federal charges, in addition to state charges of terrorism and attempted murder. Routh was previously convicted of felonies in North Carolina in 2002 and 2010. RYAN ROUTH TRIAL OPENS WITH BIZARRE JURY QUESTIONS AND WITNESS DRAMA The court has allocated four weeks for Routh’s trial, although it is expected to wrap up sooner. Fox News’ Jamie Joseph, Olivianna Calmes, Jake Gibson, Heather Lacey and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Charlie Kirk’s assassination latest case of conservatives being targeted for murder
The horrific assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk Wednesday is the latest entry in a grim and growing tally of conservative figures and institutions being targeted for violence, vandalism and murder. The fatal shooting follows a lengthy recent history of conservatives and Republicans facing violence, a Fox News Digital review of the last four years found, including two assassination attempts against President Donald Trump in a roughly two-month span in 2024. Kirk was speaking at Utah Valley University as part of his “American Comeback Tour” when shots rang out and he collapsed on stage. He was rushed to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The 31-year-old husband and father was a staunch ally of President Donald Trump’s, and toured the nation promoting right-of-center ideology to youths, most notably on college campuses. He founded his conservative group more than a dozen years ago. CHARLIE KIRK, TURNING POINT USA FOUNDER, DEAD AT 31 AFTER UTAH CAMPUS SHOOTING Conservatives and pro-life nonprofits have been targeted with shootings, arson, and vandalism in just the past four years. Trump himself has faced two assassination attempts, including on July 13, 2024, when he was shot in the ear while joining a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The shooting rocked the election cycle as Trump rose, bleeding and defiant, and urged the crowd to “Fight, fight, fight.” The assassination attempt came just two days before the Republican National Convention was set to kick off in Milwaukee. Trump appeared at the convention while wearing a bandage on his ear, and noted how he “had God on my side” during the attempt. The motive of the would-be assassin, 20-year-old Thomas Crooks, who was killed by a Secret Service sniper, remains unclear. The FBI has pointed to a complex web of personal grievances, mental health issues and a desire for notoriety as leading to the act, Fox News Digital previously reported. RYAN ROUTH TRIAL OPENS WITH BIZARRE JURY QUESTIONS AND WITNESS DRAMA Just weeks later on Sept. 15, 2024, Trump was rushed off of his golf course in Florida when shots rang out. The suspect in that assassination attempt case, Ryan Routh, posted prolifically about Trump, the 2024 election and politics in the lead up to the attempt, Fox News Digital previously reported. Routh is going on trial Thursday over the case, and described the president as an “insecure ego idiot-mad fool” in court documents in September, the New York Post reported. RILEY GAINES ‘AMBUSHED AND PHYSICALLY HIT’ AFTER SAVING WOMEN’S SPORTS SPEECH AT SAN FRANCISCO STATE Attacks on conservatives have unfolded at the grassroots level, as well, including this year when the New Mexico Republican Party’s headquarters faced an arson attack. The attack destroyed the entrance to the headquarters, while graffiti reading “ICE=KKK” scrawled on the building. The suspect in that case, who also allegedly attacked a Tesla Albuquerque Showroom, was hit with federal charges as Attorney General Pam Bondi pointed to the incident as a disturbing case of political violence. TPUSA chapters around the nation have also faced other incidents of violence this year, including when a group of students with Turning Point USA at UC Davis were attacked by masked individuals in April, Fox Digital reported at the time. The conservative group was in the midst of hosting a “Prove me Wrong” event with a guest speaker when protesters destroyed camera gear, a tent, event signage, flipped tables, and assaulted group staff, TPUSA said at the time. PRO-LIFE NY LEADERS SLAM HOCHUL, AG JAMES FOR ‘MISERABLY’ FAILING STATE AT REOPENING OF ‘FIREBOMBED’ OFFICE Looking back at 2023, former NCAA swimmer and conservative political activist Riley Gaines was also attacked and barricaded in a room at San Francisco State University following a speech to students promoting a ban on biological males from playing in women’s sports. The event was part of a Turning Point USA and Leadership Institute forum on campus. DATA SHOW THERE HAVE BEEN 22 TIMES MORE ATTACKS ON PRO-LIFERS THAN PRO-CHOICE GROUPS SINCE SUPREME COURT LEAK Churches and pro-life groups have also faced dozens upon dozens of attacks beginning in 2022 in response to the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, which effectively ended the recognition of abortion as a constitutional right. The attacks included a pro-life center that was “firebombed” in Buffalo, New York, in 2022, Catholic churches that were vandalized and set on fire, and pro-choice protesters interrupting church services and Catholic masses. The attacks followed a radical pro-choice group declaring in a public letter that it was “open season” on pro-lifers. In 2017, House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., was shot along with three others when James Hodgkinson, a deranged supporter of Bernie Sanders, sprayed an Alexandria, Virginia, baseball field with gunfire as Republican lawmakers practiced for the annual Congressional Baseball Game. Scalise nearly died, but recovered and remains in office. The fatal shooting of Kirk on Wednesday has not yet yielded a suspect, with the FBI and ATF on the ground and investigating, according to Bondi. Trump, as well as members of his Cabinet, have offered an outpouring of support to Kirk’s family following the tragedy. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead,” Trump said on Truth Social on Wednesday. “No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!” Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano, Stepheny Price, and Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.
Dozens of Democrats mutiny must-pass defense bill over GOP priorities
The House of Representatives passed its version of Congress’ annual defense bill on Wednesday evening, albeit along stunningly partisan lines. For decades, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) has seen support from a majority of Democrats and Republicans. That’s changed in recent years, however, and the trend appears to have continued with the fiscal year (FY) 2026 bill. The legislation passed 231-196 after a lengthy series of votes, with 17 Democrats voting in favor and 192 against. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and other top Democrats opposed the bill. Democratic lawmakers had spent hours beforehand railing against GOP-led amendments on mainly transgender issues, including several which were successfully voted into the bill. HOUSE MOVES TO EXPOSE EPSTEIN FILES, AUTHORIZES OVERSIGHT PROBE Multiple amendments by Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., for instance, placing limits on spaces that transgender service academy cadets can access, passed along mostly partisan lines. Another amendment by Rep. Jimmy Patronis, R-Fla., aimed at eliminating the preference for motor vehicles using electric or hybrid propulsion systems and related requirements of the Department of Defense, passed with mostly Republicans – although six Democrats joined in approving it as well. Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., introduced an amendment aimed at preventing pride flags or other ideological banners being displayed on military installations, which also passed along nearly partisan lines. Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, announced on Tuesday that he would vote against final passage of the bill if certain GOP-led amendments made it into the final piece. Smith also ripped Republicans for not allowing House-wide votes on solely Democrat-led amendments in the bill, all of which were filtered out when the House Rules Committee was considering the legislation earlier this week. “There are a number of problematic amendments included in the rule that focus on divisive topics rather than strengthening our national security. Should these amendments be adopted, I will vote against final passage of the bill,” Smith said in a statement. “For 65 years, the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act has been a testament to shared respect for the duty of Congress to provide for the common defense and to place the needs of America’s national security and national defense above politics. The rule undermines this long-standing tradition by failing to include meaningful amendments offered by Democrats to address critical issues.” Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-Calif., earlier spoke out against the amendments targeting transgender issues as well. “Many people in this body have received gender-affirming care. Filler is gender-affirming care. Boob jobs is gender-affirming care. Botox is gender-affirming care,” Jacobs said. RON KLAIN DODGES REPORTERS AFTER MARATHON GRILLING IN BIDEN COVER-UP PROBE It prompted an angry response from Mace, “That is ridiculous! You are absolutely ridiculous.” Four Republicans voted against the bill in addition to the dozens of Democrats, including Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., longtime skeptics of foreign aid funding in the NDAA. Democrats who voted in favor of the bill include Reps. Jared Golden, D-Maine, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., Don Davis, D-N.C., Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, and Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas. The NDAA is an annually passed bill that sets defense and national security policy goals for the U.S. The Senate is expected to consider its own version of the bill as well, after which the two chambers must compromise and consider them again before they get to President Donald Trump’s desk for a signature.
Charlie Kirk assassination sparks bipartisan uproar over political violence as Utah manhunt underway
Lawmakers bridged the partisan divide on Wednesday after news that conservative activist Charlie Kirk, 31, was killed from a gunshot wound. Prayers for Kirk’s recovery on social media swiftly turned into condolences to his family and a widespread condemnation of political violence from both Republicans and Democrats. CHARLIE KIRK, TURNING POINT USA FOUNDER, DEAD AT 31 AFTER UTAH CAMPUS SHOOTING “It’s devastating news,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said. “The idea that political violence has taken one of the strongest voices on the conservative side is a great heartbreak. Charlie was a close friend of mine and a confidant, and he will be sorely missed, and we need every political leader to decry the violence and to do it loudly. The problem is in the human heart, and it’s gotten out of hand.” “This is beyond terrible,” Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., said. “Charlie Kirk was a husband, father, and son. Violence is never the answer. Sydney and I are keeping the Kirk family in our prayers.” DEMS, GOP LAWMAKERS JOIN FORCES TO CONDEMN POLITICAL VIOLENCE AFTER CHARLIE KIRK SHOT Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., addressed Kirk’s death on the Senate floor and said that “political violence, which this attack seems to be, has no place in this country — none.” “I’m deeply disturbed about the threat of violence that has entered our political life, and I pray that we will remember that every person, no matter how vehement our disagreement with them, is a human being and a fellow American deserving of respect and protection,” he said. President Donald Trump confirmed the news on Truth Social and said, “No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie.” CHARLIE KIRK ROSE TO BECOME CONSERVATIVE POWERHOUSE, TRANSFORMATIVE CAMPUS FIGURE Kirk was shot during an event on his “American Comeback Tour” at Utah Valley University on Wednesday afternoon. The university initially said that a suspect was in custody but later announced that the person was released. Campus police on Wednesday afternoon asked students to call a hotline and be escorted off. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, called Kirk “an American patriot, an inspiration to countless young people to stand up and defend the timeless truths that make our country great.” “This murder was a cowardly act of violence, an attack on champions of freedom like Charlie, the students who gathered for civil debate, and all Americans who peacefully strive to save our nation,” he said. “The terrorists will not win,” he continued. “Charlie will. Please join me in praying for his wife Erika and their children. May justice be swift.” Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., urged, “We must collectively find a way forward during these polarized times.” His death follows a wave of high-profile political assassination attempts in an increasingly polarized political environment. Trump survived two separate assassination attempts within weeks of each other while running for re-election in 2024. Meanwhile, a gunman in Minnesota shot and killed state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, while critically injuring another state lawmaker, this past June.
Charlie Kirk shooting leads to outpouring from Utah officials, 2025 noms on both sides
After conservative Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at Utah Valley University, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox called for the public to pray for the 31-year-old father of two and his family. “We need your prayers for Charlie,” Cox, a Republican, said Wednesday. Sen. John Curtis, R-Utah, said separately that his office is working to gather information on the attack. “We are praying for his safety and the well-being of everyone impacted,” Curtis said. CHARLIE KIRK CONFIDENT CONSERVATIVES ARE WINNING OVER YOUNG AMERICANS AFTER WATCHING DEMS’ GEN Z SUMMIT “I am grateful for the swift response of law enforcement and first responders working to secure the campus.” Curtis’ counterpart Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, added, “This is a good time to pray.” House GOP Vice Chair Blake Moore, R-Utah, added that his office is also following the harrowing events. “My team and I are tracking the tragic shooting at Utah Valley University and seeking more information as it’s made available,” Moore said. “We are praying for Charlie Kirk, his family, the students, and all those impacted.” Rep. Burgess Owens, R-Utah, called the situation “horrific,” adding, “we will not tolerate this in Utah.” The former New York Jet was echoed by Rep. Mike Kennedy, who represents the city of Orem where Utah Valley University sits. CHARLIE KIRK NAMES JD VANCE AS GUIDING LIGHT FOR YOUNG CONSERVATIVES, BUT SAYS GOP MUST DELIVER ON PROMISES “I’m devastated to learn Charlie Kirk was shot during an event at UVU,” Kennedy said in a statement. “We condemn this senseless act of violence. Praying for Charlie and all those affected. My team and I are monitoring the situation for updates.” Rep. Celeste Maloy, the Beehive State’s other remaining congresswoman, asked for prayers and said the situation does “not reflect who we are in Utah.” On the East Coast, where two key gubernatorial elections will be held in just over a month, candidates on both sides spoke out against political violence and said Kirk and his family deserve the nation’s thoughts. “Please keep Charlie Kirk in your prayers,” said Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears. “He’s a husband, a young father, and someone who cares deeply about our country. Praying for him and his family,” said the retired Marine — who is running for governor. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Her opponent, former Rep. Abigail Spanberger said she and her husband Adam are praying for Kirk’s family. “Political violence of any kind is unacceptable,” the former Democratic congresswoman said. To the north, New Jersey Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli said there must be “zero tolerance for political violence and harsh punishment for the perpetrators of it.” “Pray for Charlie Kirk and his young family,” Ciattarelli said. Opponent Mikie Sherrill, currently a Democratic congresswoman, called the shooting “appalling.” “I’m praying for him and his family. Political violence is dangerous, un-American, and has no place in our democracy,” she said. “My thoughts are with Charlie Kirk, his loved ones, and the community at Utah Valley University. The perpetrator of this abhorrent act should be brought to justice,” Sherill said on X.
Self-representation ‘almost always a mistake,’ expert warns as Trump trial begins
Ryan Routh – accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump when he was a major candidate in the 2024 election at his Florida golf club last year – has chosen to represent himself in court, a decision one legal expert says could prove disastrous. Cully Simson, a former prosecutor, defense attorney and judge, told Fox News Digital that while the Constitution guarantees the right to self-representation, it’s “almost always a mistake.” “It really makes no sense for somebody to defend themselves, especially in a serious case,” he said. “They have the right to do it, but it’s not prudent.” RYAN ROUTH TRIAL OPENS WITH BIZARRE JURY QUESTIONS AND WITNESS DRAMA Self-representation creates risks and an unusual courtroom dynamic where the judge and prosecutor “have to pull their punches” to protect the record, and essentially “protect the defendant from himself.” A seasoned defense attorney knows how to put prosecutors to the test, forcing them to prove every element of the case and carefully laying the groundwork for potential appeals. When a defendant represents himself, Simson said, that kind of strategy is completely missing. “And so what ends up happening is the judge and the prosecutor has to play, in a weird way, a defensive role, in addition to the role of the judge being a neutral and impartial arbiter of the law, and the prosecutor just be the person who advocates on behalf of the government. You have to essentially protect the defendant from himself, and that is so much more difficult,” he said. RYAN ROUTH TRIAL: JURY SELECTION BEGINS IN TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT CASE Simson said defense attorneys typically “push the envelope” and force the government to object, but when someone is representing themselves, lawyers hold back “because he’s not going to be smart enough or educated enough to object.” This can sometimes create an atmosphere where a “right to a fair trial” can become skewed – and it’s something law students study, too. “That’s that sophisticated point that law students talk about, and lawyers talk about. If you had a public defender or a private defense counsel who wasn’t very good and made a number of mistakes during the trial, if the guy’s convicted, one of the first things on appeal is you’ll claim ineffective assistance of counsel,” Simson said. “You can’t claim ineffective assistance of counsel when you represent yourself.” When asked if there were any pros to self-representation in a federal trial, Simson said, “I guess one pro would be to conduct his defense exactly how he wanted to.” “For example, in the Long Island shooter case, no criminal defense attorney was going to let that nut job act out in court and be the wacko he was,” he said. TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT SUSPECT RYAN ROUTH CAN REPRESENT HIMSELF AT TRIAL, FEDERAL JUDGE RULES As in the notorious 1993 Long Island Rail Road case, convicted killer Colin Ferguson chose to represent himself and even took the witness stand to question his own victims. Routh has pleaded not guilty to federal charges of attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate and assaulting a federal officer. Prosecutors say he was armed with an AK-style rifle when Secret Service agents stopped him near Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach in September 2024. The trial is expected to last several weeks, but Trump-appointed Judge Aileen Cannon urged both sides to keep proceedings efficient. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Opening statements are tentatively scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 11, if the panel is seated on time.
After Qatar attack, Israel ambassador to US says ‘we’ll get them next time’
Israeli diplomat Yechiel Leiter says countries criticising Israel over launching air strikes on Doha will ‘get over it’. Published On 10 Sep 202510 Sep 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Washington, DC – Hours after United States President Donald Trump promised that Israel would not attack Qatar again, the Israeli ambassador to the US suggested that his country could repeat its attempt to kill Hamas officials within the Gulf country. Speaking to Fox News late on Tuesday, Yechiel Leiter said if Hamas leaders had survived the Doha bombardment, Israel would target them again. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list “If we didn’t get them this time, we’ll get them the next time,” the Israeli envoy said. Israel launched air attacks in Doha targeting a Hamas delegation that was meeting to discuss Trump’s Gaza ceasefire proposal on Tuesday. But Hamas said its top leaders – including its Gaza chief Khalil al-Hayya – survived the assassination attempt, which killed six people, including a Qatari security officer. Countries across the world, including some of Israel’s Western allies, condemned the attack. The Israeli air raids appear to have violated several provisions of international law, including the United Nations Charter’s prohibition on aggression against sovereign states. Qatar described the strikes as “state terrorism” and called for a regional response against the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani accused Netanyahu of undermining regional stability and peace in pursuit of “narcissistic delusions” and personal gains. “Working to violate the sovereignty of nations without any care must not be overlooked and must be confronted by all means,” he said. Advertisement Trump, a staunch supporter of Israel, also expressed misgivings with the attack, but stopped short of publicly condemning it. “Unilaterally bombing inside Qatar, a Sovereign Nation and close Ally of the United States, that is working very hard and bravely taking risks with us to broker Peace, does not advance Israel or America’s goals,” he wrote in a social media post. Qatar is a major non-NATO ally of the US, and it has helped mediate several international agreements involving Washington. The Gulf country also hosts one of the largest US military bases in the region. The US president added on Tuesday that he spoke to Qatar’s emir and prime minister and “assured them that such a thing will not happen again on their soil”. But Leiter dismissed the US and international concerns, saying that Israel – which attacked at least five Arab countries over the past month – is changing the region “for the better” and working to “defeat Islamic extremism”. “Right now, we may be subject to a little bit of criticism. They’ll get over it,” he said. Israel receives billions of dollars in US military aid annually. Adblock test (Why?)