FBI phone extractions, DNA testimony headline Day 7 of Ryan Routh trial
Jurors in the federal trial of Ryan Routh — accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump at his West Palm Beach golf club in 2024 — heard new evidence Tuesday from FBI digital and DNA specialists, including alleged text messages blasting Trump and lab results tying Routh’s DNA to key items. Routh’s witness list also narrowed. Before jurors entered, Routh, who is representing himself in the trial, told the court, “As far as I’m concerned, we’re going to exclude my son,” confirming he will not call Oran Routh, who is in separate federal custody, as a witness. Judge Aileen Cannon noted he could not revisit that decision later. Judge Cannon cut off both prosecutors and Routh multiple times Tuesday, at one point asking, “How much longer is this going to take?” She also reminded Routh to stop interrupting. When he complained, “I don’t have hot water and can’t shower … I won’t shower for a month,” Cannon told him there were “proper administrative procedures … not piecemeal, as you have grown accustomed to.” TRUMP TRIAL CONTINUES WITH MORE FBI TESTIMONY AFTER RIFLE CALLED ‘PREPARED TO FIRE’ FBI Digital forensic examiner Jerry Llanes testified Tuesday for U.S. prosecutors that a Samsung phone recovered from Routh’s black Nissan Xterra had WhatsApp messages that included a Feb. 3, 2024, exchange with a contact saved as “Chinese hero to fight.” “I know it’s very different… I think Kennedy was killed from a hill… Certainly not an easy task. If I can help, just let me know what to do,” Routh wrote. In another chain with someone listed as “Ben,” Routh texted: “What do you think of Trump?” Ben replied: “Not a fan.” “I hate him,” Routh responded. “Shan’t get elected again.” And in a WhatsApp thread with “Captain Talk Recruiting,” Routh said: “I think Trump will be a big problem for Ukraine … For sure, what an idiot. He needs to go away. He cancelled the [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action] for Iran. What an idiot. I hate him.” FLASHLIGHT, RIFLE, BACKPACKS: PROSECUTORS OUTLINE RYAN ROUTH’S ALLEGED SNIPER SETUP From another device, Llanes described images showing flight searches from Miami to Mexico and Bogotá, Colombia, and a photo that “appears to be a rifle tied to a tree.” FBI DNA examiner Kara Gregor additionally testified that Routh’s DNA was strongly linked to the rifle grip, a reddish-brown bag, a zip tie, a bungee cord and a glove. On the rifle, she said the DNA evidence was “250 centillion times more likely if the contributors were Routh and two unknown individuals than if the contributors were three unknown individuals.” JURY SEATED IN TRIAL OF MAN ACCUSED OF TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT Routh challenged her on cross-examination with sarcasm: “Did you test a Colt .45 case? A golf tee? A blue flashlight? How about a Sunny D?” Gregor responded that many of those items were not tested, or she could not recall. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The trial, moving quickly due to Routh’s quick cross examinations, continues Wednesday with more forensic experts expected. U.S. prosecutors are expected to wrap up presenting their case by Friday and Routh will bring his witnesses to the stand next week.
Bondi ‘hate speech’ remarks spark torrent of criticism from conservatives
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi faced a torrent of criticism online Tuesday after she suggested in two separate interviews that the Justice Department would “absolutely target” hate speech in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s shooting death — sparking intense backlash from Republicans and other conservatives and prompting her to further clarify her remarks. Bondi attempted to bridge the divide between her remarks and what she called hate speech that leads to threats in a lengthy social media post Tuesday. “Hate speech that crosses the line into threats of violence is NOT protected by the First Amendment,” Bondi said, citing three U.S. laws that criminalize threats of direct violence, such as threats of kidnapping or injury. “It’s a crime.” FOLLOWING KIRK’S ASSASSINATION, LAWMAKERS REACT TO LETHAL POLITICAL CLIMATE: ‘VIOLENT WORDS PRECEDE VIOLENT ACTIONS’ “For far too long, we’ve watched the radical left normalize threats, call for assassinations, and cheer on political violence. That era is over,” she said, adding that “free speech protects ideas, debate, even dissent but it does NOT and will NEVER protect violence.” Bondi’s remarks, made during a “The Katie Miller Podcast” interview and in an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity during conversations about the fatal shooting of Kirk, prompted backlash across the aisle, though it was conservative voices who were the loudest. Many noted that Kirk, the Turning Point USA founder and subject of the interviews, was himself a vociferous defender of free speech protections under the First Amendment, which protects most forms of speech in the U.S., including offensive and hateful speech. Many also appeared to view the new statement as insufficient cover for Bondi’s previous remarks. “This isn’t a correction or a retraction or a retreat; it’s a post hoc attempt to bend the term ‘hate speech’ to mean something that it never has,” Charles C.W. Cooke, a senior editor at the National Review, said on social media. Nearly 24 hours after Bondi’s remarks, the criticism has continued — nearly all of it from Republicans and other notable conservative voices. Bondi came under fire for the two interviews Monday, neither of which distinguished the type of speech that threatened imminent violence from hate speech. “There’s free speech and then there’s hate speech,” Bondi said Monday in an interview with former Trump administration aide and podcast host Katie Miller. .”We will absolutely target you, go after you, if you are targeting anyone with hate speech,” Bondi said. In a separate interview on Fox News, Bondi reiterated a similar sentiment, suggesting that the government could prosecute Office Depot after an employee reportedly refused to print posters with Kirk’s face on them. She said further that the department was “looking at” the Office Depot case in question. “Businesses cannot discriminate,” Bondi said on Fox News. “If you want to go in and print posters with Charlie’s pictures on them for a vigil, you have to let them do that. We can prosecute you for that.” “I have Harmeet Dhillon right now in our Civil Rights unit looking at that immediately, that Office Depot had done that,” she said of the Office Depot employee in question. “We’re looking it up,” she said. Most of the criticism that poured in Tuesday was from Republicans, who noted that Bondi’s remarks are a flagrant violation of free speech protections guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution. They are also, some noted, directly at odds with the views famously espoused by Kirk. GOP ERUPT ON DEM RUNNING FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL IN RED STATE OVER PROFANITY-LACED CHARLIE KIRK POST “Hate speech” is a hopelessly subjective term, and even if it weren’t, there is no hate-speech exception to the First Amendment,” said Ed Whelan, a conservative legal expert who formerly clerked for the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. “I’m sorry, but this is the sort of leftwing progressivism that conservatives, including Charlie Kirk, abhorred,” Erick Erickson said on X. “We stand with Jack Philips, not against him.” Asked by ABC News’s Jon Karl to respond to Bondi’s remarks on Tuesday, Trump declined to clarify, and instead floated the idea of going after Karl’s outlet, albeit in a joking tone. “We’ll probably go after people like you, because you treat me so unfairly,” Trump said.
Fani Willis permanently removed from prosecuting Trump election interference case after losing appeal
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has been permanently sidelined from prosecuting President Donald Trump’s election interference case in Georgia after she lost an appeal at the state’s highest court. The Georgia Court of Appeals in December ruled that Willis and her office could not continue to prosecute the case, citing an “appearance of impropriety” stemming from her romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade. Willis appealed to the Georgia Supreme Court in January, but on Tuesday the high court declined in a 4-3 decision to take up the case. One judge didn’t participate and another was disqualified. MAURENE COMEY SUES DOJ FOR ‘UNLAWFUL’ FIRING, DEMANDS REINSTATEMENT Steve Sadow, Trump’s attorney in the Georgia case, welcomed the decision. “Willis’ misconduct during the investigation and prosecution of President Trump was egregious and she deserved nothing less than disqualification,” Sadow said in a statement. “This proper decision should bring an end to the wrongful political, lawfare persecutions of the president.” Jeff Clarke, a former Justice Department official who is one of 19 defendants indicted under the state’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, said the case now moves to the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia, which will choose a replacement. “Praise the Lord for progress in this case. It never should have been brought in the first place,” he said. Willis said she disagreed with the decision but would make the case file and evidence available to the Prosecuting Attorneys Council for use in the litigation. “While I disagree with the decision of the Georgia Court of Appeals and the Georgia Supreme Court’s divided decision not to review it, I respect the legal process and the courts,” Willis said, per Fox Atlanta. VANCE, BONDI, PATEL TO HUDDLE AT VP RESIDENCE FOR MEETING AMID EPSTEIN FALLOUT The council’s executive director, Pete Skandalakis, said Tuesday he will begin searching for a new prosecutor to replace Willis but didn’t know how long that might take. He said once a new prosecutor is appointed it will be “up to him or her what to do with the case.” That person could continue on the track Willis had taken, pursue only some charges, or dismiss the case altogether. Finding a prosecutor willing to handle it could be difficult, given its complexity and the resources required. Even if a new prosecutor tries to follow Willis’ path, it seems unlikely Trump could be prosecuted now that he is the sitting president. But 14 other defendants still face charges. Willis’ indictment accused Trump of pressuring officials to overturn the 2020 vote in Georgia, organizing “fake electors” and harassing election workers. A Fulton County grand jury indicted Trump and 18 others in August 2023, and Trump surrendered at the Fulton County Jail on Aug. 24. That’s when the now-famous mugshot was taken — the first ever for a U.S. president. The pair eventually acknowledged the relationship but argued it had no impact on the prosecution. Wade later resigned, but the controversy persisted and the Court of Appeals ruled Willis and her entire office had to be disqualified due to the appearance of impropriety. Ashleigh Merchant, who exposed Willis’ romantic relationship with Wade as defense attorney for Trump co-defendant Michael Roman, said: “We hope this will finally close this chapter.” The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Years of campus attacks on conservative activists resurface after Charlie Kirk’s murder
Attacks on conservative activists on college campuses have made waves for years, and are resurfacing following the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk on Wednesday at Utah Valley University. On Feb. 21, 2019, at the University of California, Berkeley, an individual tabling for TPUSA to recruit students for a new chapter was punched, resulting in a black eye, Business Insider reported. “Yesterday, UCPD sent out a notice and request for information related to a reprehensible incident that occurred on Sproul Plaza earlier this week. According to the police, an unknown, unidentified assailant attacked a Berkeley student engaged in political advocacy,” the university said in a statement at the time. ANTI-TRUMP VOICES PRAISE CHARLIE KIRK’S LEGACY AFTER ASSASSINATION, SAY HE WAS DOING POLITICS ‘THE RIGHT WAY’ The University of Texas at Dallas TPUSA’s chapter president, Paige Neumann, was assaulted while tabling at the school. On video, the individual can be seen striking Neumann with a metal bike lock. “The attacker (pictured below) struck Paige in the head with a metal bike lock, hitting her with enough force to shatter her phone. Grace’s phone was also destroyed,” TPUSA posted at the time. VIDEO SHOWS MOMENTS BEFORE ASSASSINATION OF TURNING POINT USA FOUNDER CHARLIE KIRK In April, left-wing protesters caused chaos at a TPUSA “Prove Me Wrong” event with Brandon Tatum at University of California, Davis, in which protesters assaulted staff and tore apart equipment, Kirk wrote at the time. “While our people were under attack, police stood aside and did nothing,” he stated. “Our team is understandably shaken up, but they assure me they will not back down.” The university said the event was ultimately able to go on despite the havoc created. CHARLIE KIRK PAINTED AS ‘CONTROVERSIAL,’ ‘PROVOCATIVE’ IN MEDIA’S ASSASSINATION COVERAGE “The UC Davis Police Department took one report of an assault,” the university said in a statement. “No one requested medical aid. The event with the guest speaker took place on schedule and was completed without further incident. The university protected the free speech rights of the campus community throughout the event.” Kirk’s assassination sent off shock waves in the political world, as there is currently a manhunt underway for the suspect who shot him in the neck. Vigils were held around the country on Wednesday night, as President Donald Trump plans to award Kirk a posthumous Medal of Freedom. He leaves behind his wife, Erika Kirk, and two young children. A large celebration of life service is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 21, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, which the president is planning to attend.
Charging documents to reveal next phase in Kirk assassination probe as suspect expected in court
PROVO, Utah – The Utah County Attorney’s Office told Fox News they are “optimistic” that charges will be filed on Tuesday against Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old Utah native who was arrested last week for the assassination of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk. Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray is planning a noon MDT press conference on Tuesday at the Utah County Health & Justice Building in Provo, Utah – about a 15-minute drive from Utah Valley University’s campus, where Kirk was killed less than one week ago. The press conference is scheduled as prosecutors approach the three-business-day deadline to issue formal charging documents against Robinson, who was arrested on Friday at his home in Washington, Utah, following a 33-hour manhunt after Kirk was killed Wednesday. If the attorney’s office meets the noon deadline, charges will be announced at the press conference and then Robinson will make his first court appearance at 3 p.m. MDT virtually from the Utah County Jail in Spanish Fork, Utah, where Robinson is being held under “special watch,” according to authorities. UTAH PROSECUTORS PREPARE POTENTIAL DEATH PENALTY CASE AGAINST CHARLIE KIRK SUSPECT TYLER JAMES ROBINSON If there is a delay announcing Robinson’s formal charges, the announcement would slide to Friday as the attorney’s office can extend the deadline up to three business days. DEATH PENALTY LOOMS FOR CHARLIE KIRK’S ACCUSED KILLER, BUT LEGAL BAR IS HIGH AS TRUMP, COX MOUNT PRESSURE The remote hearing will be livestreamed. The likely brief hearing is intended to inform Robinson of the charges against him and provide him with an attorney if he has not already retained one, Gray shared in a statement to Fox News. Robinson “was arrested and booked into the Utah County Jail early Friday morning on suspicion of committing three crimes related to the murder” of Kirk, Gray said. Those crimes include aggravated murder, obstruction of justice and a felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury. Gray has indicated Robinson’s formal charges will likely be consistent with his preliminary charges. Robinson is being held without bail. “Under Utah law, aggravated murder carries a penalty of either death, life in prison without the possibility of parole, or twenty-five years to life in prison with the possibility of parole. Obstruction of justice carries a penalty of one to fifteen years in prison. Felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury carries a penalty of five years to life in prison,” the attorney’s office shared in a statement. If the Utah County Attorney’s office meets the Tuesday deadline, charges will be listed on the “Criminal Information” document, which will trigger the formal start of the criminal case against Robinson. A possible delay would indicate his office requires additional time to prepare the charges, according to Gray. “Our ability to file charges depends on how quickly we can gather and carefully review mountains of evidence. We will be thorough and deliberate at every stage of this case,” he said. “My office’s mission is to protect our community by vigorously investigating and prosecuting crime, compassionately assisting crime victims, and seeking justice for all. We will spare no effort to achieve those ends in this, and every case,” Gray added. Attorney General Derek Brown told Fox News Digital on Friday that Robinson could face a combination of state and federal charges. President Donald Trump and Gov. Spencer Cox, R-Utah, have both called for the death penalty against Robinson, which is a possibility under Utah state law. The media frenzy had mostly dissipated on Utah Valley University’s campus on the evening of Monday, Sept. 15, 2025, as students and locals returned to campus to pay their respects to Kirk. As campus reopened for UVU students seeking mental health resources and employees returning to work, memorials filled the grass outside campus. Inside the UVU courtyard, an American flag now hangs where Kirk stood before his assassination less than a week ago. More tributes, including flowers, American flags and messages to Kirk have been placed inside the courtyard. Fox News’ Melissa Chrise contributed to this report.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz launches campaign for third term: ‘I’m staying in the fight’
Saying that he’s “not done yet,” Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, the 2024 Democratic vice presidential nominee, on Tuesday launched a campaign for a third term as Minnesota governor. “We’ve made historic progress in our state, but we’re not done yet,” Walz wrote in a social media post. And taking a jab at President Donald Trump and his administration, Walz said in a campaign launch video that “I’ll never stop fighting to protect us from the chaos, corruption and cruelty coming out of Washington.” “I’ve seen how we help each other through the hard times,” Walz added. “And boy, we’ve seen terrible times this year. I’m heartbroken and angry about the beautiful people we lost to gun violence. But it’s in these moments we have to come together. We can’t lose hope because I’ve seen what we can do when we work together.” THE MOST VULNERABLE REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR IN 2026 LAUNCHES RE-ELECION BID Vice President Kamala Harris picked Walz as her running mate after she replaced President Joe Biden atop the Democrats’ national ticket last summer. Taking aim at Trump and his running mate, now-Vice President JD Vance, Walz criticized the GOP ticket as “just weird.” But Trump ended up sweeping all seven key battleground states in last year’s presidential election to win back the White House. TRUMP NOT ON BALLOT BUT FRONT-AND-CENTER IN 2025 ELECTIONS This year, Walz has kept up his verbal critiques of Trump as the governor has continued to build his national profile. But the 61-year-old governor was heavily criticized by Republicans after comparing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to Nazi Germany’s Gestapo. The governor was called out by congressional Republicans during a June hearing, but he refused to apologize. Walz, a former high school teacher and football coach, is often mentioned as a possible 2028 Democratic presidential candidate, but he told Axios this summer that he wouldn’t seek the White House if he ran for re-election as governor in 2026. His three months as Harris’ running mate put Walz under the glare of the national political spotlight, and brought new scrutiny about his record as governor, and before that as a congressman, and his handling of the violent protests following the 2020 murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. He was also criticized for exaggerating his rank during his years with the Minnesota National Guard, and was faulted for leaving the military to run for Congress ahead of his unit being deployed to the war in Iraq. Walz was first elected governor in 2018, winning by 11 percentage points. He won re-election in 2022 by an 8-point margin. But he’ll be bucking history as he runs again in 2026. No Minnesota governor has won a third consecutive term since the state switched to four-year terms six decades ago. “Governor Tim Walz has been a bold leader for Minnesota, and we’re thrilled that he is running again to continue delivering for families across his state. Governor Walz is fiercely dedicated to making life better in Minnesota, cutting taxes for the middle class, going after wasteful spending, and lowering the cost of prescription drugs,” Gov. Laura Kelly of Kansas, chair of the Democratic Governors Association, said in a statement. But Republican Governors Association communications director Courtney Alexander argued in a statement that “while Tim Walz is spending his time fundraising with the nation’s most liberal donors and pushing the disastrous policies of national Democrats, Minnesota is suffering. Minnesotans deserve a governor who will actually do the job, work for them, and take governing seriously. That’s not Tim Walz.” Former business executive and Army veteran Kendall Qualls and physician and former state Sen. Scott Jensen, the 2022 GOP gubernatorial nominee, are among the candidates running for the Republican nomination.
Ex-GOP official turned Democrat targets Trump in battleground state gubernatorial campaign launch
Former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, a Republican turned Democrat, says he will take on President Donald Trump if he wins election next year as governor in the key southeastern battleground state. Duncan on Tuesday denounced Trump as he declared his candidacy, joining an increasingly crowded field in the Democratic Party primary. “I will stand up to Trump and his yes men in our state while bringing down the costs of childcare, health care, and housing so every Georgia family is in the best position possible,” Duncan pledged as he launched his campaign. Duncan, a former healthcare executive and minor league baseball player, served in Georgia’s legislature for four years before running and winning election as lieutenant governor in 2018. He decided against seeking re-election in 2022. DUNCAN SAYS TRUMP’S ATTACKS JUSTIFY HIS SWITCH FROM THE GOP TO DEMOCRATS After leaving office, Duncan – who was a vocal GOP critic of Trump’s repeated efforts to reverse his razor-thin November 2020 election defeat in battleground Georgia to former President Joe Biden – worked towards what he said was “healing and rebuilding a Republican Party that is damaged but not destroyed.” Duncan endorsed Biden in the 2024 presidential race and later supported then-Vice President Kamala Harris after she replaced Biden at the top of the Democrats’ 2024 ticket. Duncan spoke in a high-profile speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago last summer. THE MOST VULNERABLE REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR IN 2026 LAUNCHES RE-ELECION BID The Georgia Republican Party expelled him from the GOP earlier this year. Duncan, in a campaign launch video, spotlighted his clashes with Trump, saying he “never wavered in taking on Trump. So Georgia Republicans threw me out of their party. I was leaving anyway.” “Now I’m running for governor as a proud Democrat. To focus on what matters most to Georgians,” he added. Duncan joins a Democratic primary field that already includes former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, former DeKalb County CEO Mike Thurmond and former State Sen. Jason Esteves. In the Republican primary, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones landed Trump’s endorsement as he battles state Attorney General Chris Carr. TRUMP NOT ON BALLOT BUT FRONT-AND-CENTER IN 2025 ELECTIONS The winner of next year’s general election will succeed popular term-limited GOP Gov. Brian Kemp. After Duncan switched parties in August, Trump took to social media to call him “a total loser.” The president charged that Duncan was “never able to get anything done, all he ever did was complain. We didn’t want him in the Republican Party any longer, so I’m told he became a Democrat. Good riddance Geoff. You don’t even have a chance!!!” Asked about the criticisms, Duncan said in a Fox News Digital interview, “I think he’s making my case for me that the Republican Party no longer wants to love their neighbor. There’s nothing in that tweet or Truth Social post or whatever that shows any sort of attitude that I want to be a part of.” Duncan, taking aim at Trump, added, “I hope he figures out how to run this country better than he is now for the next couple of years. But I’m proud to not be a Republican, especially with him at the tip of the spear.”
Dave Portnoy speaks on whether Barstool Sports would fire employees for slandering Charlie Kirk
FIRST ON FOX: Barstool Sports founder and owner Dave Portnoy said that Barstool would determine whether they would fire an employee who slandered Charlie Kirk on a “case by case” basis, but did not rule out the possibility during an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital. Portnoy, who has been outspoken about Charlie Kirk’s assassination on social media, spoke with Fox at his third annual Pizza Fest event in New York City, making it clear Barstool has fired employees amid controversy before. “We did have someone in a Philly bar who said what I would say are insensitive comments, and we fired them right away,” Portnoy told Fox. “People are going to express whatever they want, it’s a free country.” VICE PRESIDENT JD VANCE SALUTES CHARLIE KIRK WHILE GUEST-HOSTING HIS SHOW “Those expressions can have repercussions,” Portnoy added. The founder of the Barstool was quick to condemn the assassination of Charlie Kirk last week, posting to X that “it doesn’t matter what your opinion is of Charlie or his politics. If you don’t view this as one of the darkest days in American history, then you are part of the problem.” Barstool would not be the first company to fire an employee as many across the country have already taken action against staff who mocked Kirk’s assassination. NJ DOCTOR RESIGNS AFTER NURSE SAID HE ‘CHEERED’ CHARLIE KIRK’S DEATH The Carolina Panthers fired a communications staffer, Charlie Rock, after he posted on social media appearing to question why people were mourning Charlie Kirk’s death. MSNBC fired one of the network’s political analysts, Matthew Dowd, who said “hateful thoughts lead to hateful words, which then lead to hateful actions” and that Kirk “is constantly sort of pushing this sort of hate speech or sort of aimed at certain groups.” Last Friday, Nasdaq fired an employee for posting on social media with “commentary that condones or celebrates violence.” CHARLIE KIRK’S ALLEGED ASSASSIN ‘TAKEN OVER’ BY LEFTIST IDEOLOGY WHILE FBI PROBES WIDER PLOT: BONGINO The federal government has also taken action against employees for public comments surrounding Kirk’s assassination. The Pentagon suspended Army Col. Scott Stephens for celebrating Kirk’s death after the officer published insensitive posts on Kirk, with one saying that “we can take comfort in the fact that Charlie was doing what he loved best — spreading hate, racism, homophobia, misogyny, and transphobia on college campuses.” The Department of Homeland Security placed FEMA data analyst Gavin Sylvia on administrative leave after the employee criticized President Donald Trump for ordering flags at half-mast for Kirk’s assassination, referring to Kirk as “the literal racist homophobe misogynist” on social media. Amid the firings, Portnoy said “it’s a case-by-case” but implied Barstool would consider it if comments were made that would justify administrative action.
Trump’s Iran ultimatum started a 60-day clock ticking for decisive June strikes, bomber commander reveals
When President Donald Trump drew a red line on Iran’s nuclear program, U.S. bombers immediately began preparing to enforce it, according to the general who commanded June’s strike mission. And, Maj. Gen. Jason Armagost told Fox News Digital, the operation proved decisive: “We reestablished deterrence, and all of our adversaries watched that.” In the spring, Trump wrote a letter to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei demanding “progress” in nuclear talks and offering a 60-day deadline. When he learned Trump gave the two-month ultimatum, Armagost, commander of the 8th Air Force and all bomber forces, immediately began setting a plan in motion to present the president with strike options. PENTAGON FLEXES US MILITARY’S DECOYS AND STRATEGIC DECEPTION THAT TOOK IRAN AND WORLD BY SURPRISE White House envoy Steve Witkoff met with Iranian representatives in Oman, but negotiations reportedly stalled out over Iranian demands for what they called a civil nuclear enrichment capacity. “Two months ago, I gave Iran a 60-day ultimatum to ‘make a deal.’ They should have done it! Today is day 61. I told them what to do, but they just couldn’t get there. Now they have, perhaps, a second chance!” Trump wrote after the strikes. “When I heard that [60-day warning], immediately in my head I said, OK, we’ve got 60 days… we knew we would be a military option at the expiration of that,” Armagost said. Mission planning was “far more expansive” than the single round of strikes that B-2 bomber crews ended up executing. “We’re building readiness to be ready to do numerous options that would support, potentially, a campaign, right? This was a strategic attack, but we look at all the time, at, OK, what is the next thing that has to happen? Or might we be asked to do?” Luckily, the Iranian nuclear sites were in remote areas, so planners did not have to account for civilian casualty rates. But still, they got to planning every detail, down to who would be in the facilities at the time of impact. Then, 14 B-2 pilots flying seven stealth bombers prepared for the 30-hour journey from Whiteman, Missouri, to Iran and back. They dropped 14 massive ordnance penetrators (MOPs) on Iran’s nuclear sites deep underground. “Global operations are hard,” said Armagost. “You go through different weather, you go through daylight cycles that are abnormal because you’re flying eastbound and then westbound… intellectually, it’s demanding.” Aerial refueling tankers made the marathon mission possible. Clouds, weather shifts and even the failure of a single refueling jet could have jeopardized the strike, Armagost said. But meticulous planning and backup tracks kept the B-2s airborne. “That’s really what makes us arguably a superpower,” he said. “Russia’s and China’s bomber forces are regional, not global.” The general said the public should not measure success simply by the precision of the strike, but by the deterrent effect it produced. A FULL BREAKDOWN OF OPERATION MIDNIGHT HAMMER, THE ‘LARGEST B-2 OPERATIONAL STRIKE IN US HISTORY’ “About 30 hours after the attack, there was a ceasefire,” Armagost said. “Clearly the Iranians saw that, and saw the path forward had changed dramatically. All of our adversaries watch that, and they will make different choices as a result.” Khamenei warned after the strikes: “Americans should expect greater damage and blows than ever before.” The regime struck a U.S. airbase in Qatar, al-Udeid, but damage was minimal and no one was injured. Israel and Iran agreed to a ceasefire days later on June 24. Armagost also acknowledged the strain on America’s bomber force. At the height of the Cold War, the U.S. had around 770 long-range bombers across 36 wings. Today, that number has dwindled to about 140 bombers in total. Now, the Air Force looks to the B-21, the next-generation stealth bomber and successor of the B-2. That plane is expected to be easier to update with new technologies and cost less than half the price: around $800 million instead of $2 billion. The Air Force plans to acquire around 100 B-21s, though discussions are underway if the service branch may need more. “It’s a national-level discussion,” said Armagost. “We have to decide as a country or with our partners and allies, what kind of ability we need to have to project force around the world facing multiple or multiple adversaries, who in some cases will, will, coordinate and act together to disrupt us.” Armagost compared Operation Midnight Hammer to another historic mission of the 509th Bomb Wing, which dropped bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki 80 years ago, killing 200,000 and ending a world war. “There’s about six weeks’ difference,” Armagost said. “Both were strategic attacks that changed history.” “Nobody wants to see Iran with nuclear weapons. This was about reestablishing deterrence against a regime that everyone knows would be destabilizing with that capability.”
GOP erupts on Dem running for attorney general in red state over profanity-laced Charlie Kirk post
A Democrat running to be the top law enforcement official in the state of Ohio is facing backlash for a series of social media posts disparaging Charlie Kirk in the days after the conservative activist was assassinated. “F*** Charlie Kirk,” Elliot Forhan, Ohio Democratic candidate for attorney general and former state representative, posted on Facebook on Monday, days after Kirk was gunned down while speaking to a large gathering of students at a Utah university. “Charlie Kirk was a champion of tyranny, not democracy,” Forhan said in another post. “We should not pretend otherwise.” In another Facebook entry, Forhan shared an article with the headline, “Charlie Kirk was a champion of tyranny, not democracy. We should not pretend otherwise.” TOP UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATOR CALLS CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION ‘FAIR’ DUE TO STANCE ON GUNS: ‘NO PRAYERS’ Forhan’s social media posts have prompted significant pushback, both on the internet and from Republicans in the state, with many calling on him to withdraw from the race. “No public servant should say that about any human being, much less somebody who was just assassinated,” Ohio’s current attorney general, Republican Dave Yost, told Fox News Digital. “He just proved himself to be a petulant and undisciplined child, ill-suited to public office.” Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, a Republican, told Fox News Digital that Forhan’s posts are “probably demented publicity designed to get attention” and “score cheap political points.” LaRose added that “this kind of rhetoric” is becoming more “mainstream” in today’s Democratic Party. YOUNG PEOPLE RESTORE CHARLIE KIRK MEMORIAL MURAL WITH BIBLE VERSES AFTER VANDALS DEFACE TRIBUTE “But this kind of rhetoric is becoming all too mainstream in the Democratic Party, and this is coming from a person seeking to become their nominee for a top statewide office,” LaRose continued. “This guy was literally the target of a law enforcement investigation that called his behavior ‘a credible risk of escalating to violence or violent conduct.’ He should be watched carefully and denounced aggressively. Elliot Forhan and people like him are quickly becoming the face of the Democratic Party.” Fox News Digital also spoke to Ohio attorney and Republican National Committee (RNC) surrogate Mehek Cooke, who said Forhan “must immediately withdraw” from the attorney general race. “Ohio’s top law enforcement officer must serve as a guardian and defender of justice, not a cheerleader for violence,” Cooke said. “A man who celebrates murder cannot lecture anyone on equality, fairness, or justice, let alone serve Ohioans. This is moral rot that we won’t tolerate.” “Violence is wrong,” Forhan said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “That was my very first statement when I learned that Charlie Kirk was murdered. My thoughts and prayers were and still are with his family and loved ones. Glorifying Kirk and his movement of bigotry and violence is also wrong, yet many public figures and even NFL teams are engaging in it. People are being fired from their jobs and terrorized by the Trump administration for repeating Charlie Kirk’s own words.” Forhan continued, “The Vice President himself is targeting Americans from the host chair of Kirk’s podcast. I expressed anger over the whitewashing of Kirk’s legacy of bigotry and hate. That is my First Amendment right.” Forhan said that he has been “targeted” by conservative social media influencers online. “I’ve received now thousands of vile comments, texts, emails, and voicemails,” Forhan said. “I stand together with the people whom Charlie Kirk targeted and whom the Trump administration and other Republicans are targeting today.” Forhan also told Fox News Digital that Yost should resign from office and LaRose should drop out of the race for state auditor for “glorifying the racism and bigotry” of Kirk. In the wake of Kirk’s death, numerous individuals both in government and the private sector have been publicly called out on social media for posting comments mocking or celebrating the death of the conservative activist. The White House is seeking additional security funds from Congress for the executive and judicial branches as it navigates the aftermath of the assassination, Fox News Digital reported this week.