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Tag: jd vance

  • California man arrested for allegedly making online death threats against JD Vance during Disneyland visit

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    A California man has been arrested on a federal criminal complaint alleging that he made online death threats against Vice President JD Vance during his visit to Disneyland Resort in Anaheim in July.

    Marco Antonio Aguayo, 22, of Anaheim, was taken into custody Friday after he allegedly made multiple threatening comments on Disney’s official Instagram account referencing pipe bombs, imminent bloodshed and violent action against “corrupt politicians” on July 12, the same day Vance and his family were visiting and staying at the resort.

    Aguayo is charged with threatening the president and successors to the presidency, according to a criminal complaint filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

    He is expected to make his initial appearance Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana.

    SECRET SERVICE AWARE OF UMASS LOWELL-FUNDED RADIO DJ’S DIRECTIVE TO ‘KILL JD VANCE’

    Vice President JD Vance was visiting Disneyland in California when the alleged threats were posted on social media. (Bonnie Cash/UPI/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

    “This case is a horrific reminder of the dangers public officials face from deranged criminals who would do them harm,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a Department of Justice news release announcing Aguayo’s arrest. “I am grateful that my friend Vice President Vance and his family are safe, applaud the police work that led to the arrest, and will ensure my prosecutors deliver swift justice.”

    Just before 6:15 p.m. on July 12, an Instagram account posted a public comment on the Disney page saying, “Pipe bombs have been placed in preparation for J.D. Vance’s arrival,” according to an affidavit by a U.S. Secret Service Special Agent.

    A subsequent comment said, “It’s time for us to rise up and you will be a witness to it,” and a third comment added, “Good luck finding all of them on time there will be bloodshed tonight and we will bathe in the blood of corrupt politicians,” according to the affidavit.

    Disneyland Hotel sign

    General views of the Disneyland Hotel at the Disneyland Resort on November 25, 2023 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)

    SUSPECT IN VANCE HOME VANDALISM HAS HAD MULTIPLE RUN-INS WITH THE LAW, DEMANDED TO BE CALLED JULIA

    Investigators traced the Instagram account allegedly used to post the threats to Aguayo’s email address, phone numbers, IP addresses and home in Anaheim, using records from Meta, Google and other sources.

    While questioning Aguayo at his home, investigators said he initially claimed his account had been hacked, but later admitted to making the posts as a “joke,” with the intention of deleting them.

    A photo of the Disneyland castle

    Guests at Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., where Vice President JD Vance visited with this family in July. (Jeff Gritchen/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images)

    Aguayo consented to searches of his phone, bedroom and laptop, where investigators confirmed he was logged into the account that made the posts, according to the affidavit.

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    “We will not tolerate criminal threats against public officials,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said in the release. “We are grateful the Vice President and his family remained safe during their visit. Let this case be a warning to anyone who thinks they can make anonymous online threats. We will find you and bring you to justice.”

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  • Vance, Rubio meet with Greenland and Denmark’s foreign ministers

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    Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other White House officials met Wednesday with Danish and Greenlandic foreign ministers amid the Trump administration’s ongoing threats to take over Greenland

    The meeting came one day after Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said at a news conference, “If we have to choose between the United States and Denmark here and now, we choose Denmark.”

    President Trump has repeatedly said he wants to acquire Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, citing national security reasons. He repeated that again on Wednesday morning, saying “it is vital for the Golden Dome that we are building” and that “NATO should be leading the way for us to get it.”

    “IF WE DON’T, RUSSIA OR CHINA WILL, AND THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!” Mr. Trump said in a post on Truth Social. 

    “NATO becomes far more formidable and effective with Greenland in the hands of the UNITED STATES,” he said. “Anything less than that is unacceptable.”

    On Tuesday, Mr. Trump told reporters that if Greenland’s premier said the territory wanted to stay part of Denmark, “that’s their problem.”

    “I disagree with him,” Mr. Trump said. “I don’t know who he is, don’t know anything about him, but that’s going to be a big problem for him.” 

    Leaders of both Denmark and Greenland have stated Greenland is “not for sale,” which has led Trump officials to say that the administration is considering all options, including military force. 

    “I’d love to make a deal with them. It’s easier,” Mr. Trump said Sunday. “But one way or the other, we’re going to have Greenland.” Rubio has downplayed the possibility of military force to acquire Greenland.

    Vance visited Greenland last year. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Tuesday that the Trump administration is applying “completely unacceptable pressure from our closest ally.” 

    Frederiksen said earlier this month that an American military move to seize control of Greenland would amount to the end of the NATO military alliance. Denmark is a NATO member, and NATO’s Article 5 states that if a NATO ally suffers an armed attack, all members will consider it an attack on them as well and do what they need to aid the attacked nation.

    Tensions were high ahead of the meeting, as was concern about a further fracturing of the relationship with the U.S. NATO ally, sources familiar with the situation told CBS News. The Danish government expected to present an offer for enhanced cooperation with the U.S. and access in Greenland in terms of military presence and NATO presence, the sources said.

    The Danes wanted clarity on what the U.S. is pressing for beyond that offer, and whether a financial plus-up is being demanded, the sources said. They wanted to know if Mr. Trump’s intent is to have control or political ownership, which concerns them, given the clear objection of the Greenlandic government to either. Greenlandic officials have been clear that they want the island to belong to Denmark.

    A European official from a nearby country said there is some concern that Denmark may be miscalculating by demanding this meeting with the U.S. because it could formalize and potentially harden positions around what could otherwise be rhetorical pressure by Mr. Trump.

    On Wednesday, Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky took to the Senate floor to voice his disapproval of intervening in Greenland’s affairs and to emphasize the importance of maintaining a united NATO alliance. 

    “Unless and until the President can demonstrate otherwise, then the proposition at hand today is very straightforward: incinerating the hard-won trust of loyal allies in exchange for no meaningful change in U.S. access to the Arctic,” McConnell said. “That’s allies – plural. Because this is about more than Greenland. It’s about more than America’s relationship with its highly capable Nordic allies. It’s about whether the United States intends to face a constellation of strategic adversaries with capable friends … or commit an unprecedented act of strategic self-harm and go it alone.”

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  • Trump issues stern warning to NATO ahead of Vance’s high-stakes Greenland meeting

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    President Donald Trump sent a warning to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) ahead of Vice President JD Vance’s high-stakes meeting with Danish and Greenlandic officials.

    “The United States needs Greenland for the purpose of national security,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Wednesday. He added that the acquisition was “vital for the Golden Dome that we are building.” The “Golden Dome” is a cutting-edge missile defense system meant to intercept threats targeting the American homeland, similar to the Iron Dome used in Israel.

    “NATO should be leading the way for us to get it. IF WE DON’T, RUSSIA OR CHINA WILL, AND THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN! Militarily, without the vast power of the United States, much of which I built during my first term, and am now bringing to a new and even higher level, NATO would not be an effective force or deterrent — not even close! They know that, and so do I. NATO becomes far more formidable and effective with Greenland in the hands of the UNITED STATES. Anything less than that is unacceptable,” Trump added.

    JOHNSON: ‘NO BOOTS ON THE GROUND’ FOR TRUMP’S GREENLAND ACQUISITION PLANS AMID MILITARY SPECULATION

    President Donald Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte attend the start of a NATO leaders summit in The Hague, Netherlands, on June 25, 2025.  (Ludovic Marin/Pool via Reuters)

    Trump and his administration’s push for the U.S. to acquire Greenland has caused tension with NATO allies who assert that the semiautonomous Danish territory should determine its own future. 

    The post comes ahead of Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s meeting with the Danish and Greenlandic foreign ministers at the White House on Wednesday morning. 

    Vance and Rubio will be meeting with Denmark’s foreign minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and his Greenlandic counterpart Vivian Motzfeldt.

    Homes in Nuuk, Greenland

    Houses in Nuuk, Greenland, Jan. 13, 2026. (Marko Djurica/Reuters)

    WHITE HOUSE SAYS ‘RANGE OF OPTIONS,’ INCLUDING US MILITARY, ON TABLE AS TRUMP RENEWS PUSH TO ACQUIRE GREENLAND

    In a follow-up post on Truth Social on Wednesday morning, Trump shared a report by Just The News stating that the Danish Defense Intelligence Service (DDIS) issued a warning regarding Russian and Chinese military ambitions toward and expansion around Greenland in a recent assessment.

    “NATO: Tell Denmark to get them out of here, NOW! Two dogsleds won’t do it! Only the USA can!!!” Trump wrote. “Danish intel warned last year about Russian and Chinese military goals toward Greenland and Arctic.” 

    “In recent years, the United States has significantly increased its security policy focus on the Arctic, while Russia continues its military build-up, and China continues to develop its capacity to operate both submarines and surface vessels in the region,” DDIS reportedly said in its Intelligence Outlook 2025. The DDIS noted that, “Neither the war in Ukraine nor the increased US focus on Greenland and the Arctic has altered Russia’s long-term interests and objectives in the region.”

    A slogan baseball cap displayed in a Greenland town reflects opposition to U.S. influence

    A “Make America Go Away” baseball cap, distributed for free by Danish artist Jens Martin Skibsted, is arranged in Sisimiut, Greenland, on March 30, 2025. (Juliette Pavy/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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    Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen told a news conference in Copenhagen on Tuesday that “if we have to choose between the United States and Denmark here and now, we choose Denmark. We choose NATO. We choose the Kingdom of Denmark. We choose the EU,” the AP reported.

    Trump later responded to Nielsen, saying “I disagree with him. I don’t know who he is. I don’t know anything about him. But, that’s going to be a big problem for him,” according to the AP.

    Vance’s office and the Embassy of Denmark in the U.S. did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.

    The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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  • Protests against ICE planned across the US after shootings in Minneapolis and Portland, Oregon

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    Protesters against immigration enforcement actions took to the streets in cities and towns across the country on Saturday after a federal officer shot and killed a woman in Minneapolis and another shot and wounded two people in Portland, Oregon.Video above: Protesters and counterprotesters clash in Minneapolis day after ICE shootingThe demonstrations come as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security pushes forward in the Twin Cities with what it calls its biggest-ever immigration enforcement operation. President Donald Trump’s administration has said both shootings were acts of self-defense against drivers who “weaponized” their vehicles to attack officers. Steven Eubanks, 51, said he felt compelled to get out of his comfort zone and attend a Saturday protest in Durham, North Carolina, because of what he called the “horrifying” killing in Minneapolis.”We can’t allow it,” Eubanks said. “We have to stand up.”Video below: Protests intensify after ICE shooting of Renee GoodIndivisible, a social movement organization that formed to resist the Trump administration, said hundreds of protests were scheduled in Texas, Kansas, New Mexico, Ohio, Florida and other states. Many were dubbed “ICE Out for Good” using the acronym for the federal agency Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Indivisible and its local chapters organized protests in all 50 states last year.In Minneapolis, a coalition of migrant rights groups called for a demonstration at Powderhorn Park, a large green space about half a mile from the residential neighborhood where 37-year-old Renee Good was shot on Wednesday. They said the rally and march would celebrate Good’s life and call for an “end to deadly terror on our streets.”Protests held in the neighborhood have so far been largely peaceful, in contrast to the violence that hit Minneapolis in the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd in 2020. Near the airport, some confrontations erupted on Thursday and Friday between smaller groups of protesters and officers guarding the federal building used as a base for the Twin Cities crackdown. On Friday night, a protest outside a Minneapolis hotel that attracted about 1,000 people turned violent as people threw ice, snow and rocks at officers, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said during a news conference Saturday. One officer suffered minor injuries after being struck with a piece of ice, O’Hara said. Twenty-nine people were cited and released, he said.Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey stressed that while most protests have been peaceful, those who cause damage to property or put others in danger will be arrested.The Trump administration has been surging thousands of federal officers to Minnesota under a sweeping new crackdown tied in part to allegations of fraud involving Somali residents. More than 2,000 officers were taking part. Some officers moved in after abruptly pulling out of Louisiana, where they were part of another operation that started last month and was expected to last until February. Associated Press writer Allen Breed contributed to this report from Durham, North Carolina.

    Protesters against immigration enforcement actions took to the streets in cities and towns across the country on Saturday after a federal officer shot and killed a woman in Minneapolis and another shot and wounded two people in Portland, Oregon.

    Video above: Protesters and counterprotesters clash in Minneapolis day after ICE shooting

    The demonstrations come as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security pushes forward in the Twin Cities with what it calls its biggest-ever immigration enforcement operation. President Donald Trump’s administration has said both shootings were acts of self-defense against drivers who “weaponized” their vehicles to attack officers.

    Steven Eubanks, 51, said he felt compelled to get out of his comfort zone and attend a Saturday protest in Durham, North Carolina, because of what he called the “horrifying” killing in Minneapolis.

    “We can’t allow it,” Eubanks said. “We have to stand up.”

    Video below: Protests intensify after ICE shooting of Renee Good

    Indivisible, a social movement organization that formed to resist the Trump administration, said hundreds of protests were scheduled in Texas, Kansas, New Mexico, Ohio, Florida and other states. Many were dubbed “ICE Out for Good” using the acronym for the federal agency Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Indivisible and its local chapters organized protests in all 50 states last year.

    In Minneapolis, a coalition of migrant rights groups called for a demonstration at Powderhorn Park, a large green space about half a mile from the residential neighborhood where 37-year-old Renee Good was shot on Wednesday. They said the rally and march would celebrate Good’s life and call for an “end to deadly terror on our streets.”

    Protests held in the neighborhood have so far been largely peaceful, in contrast to the violence that hit Minneapolis in the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd in 2020. Near the airport, some confrontations erupted on Thursday and Friday between smaller groups of protesters and officers guarding the federal building used as a base for the Twin Cities crackdown.

    NurPhoto

    In St. Paul, Minnesota, Gov. Tim Walz and First Lady Gwen Walz join a moment of silence with clergy and demonstrators at the Minnesota State Capitol during a vigil urging accountability and compassion after an ICE agent shot and killed a woman this week.

    On Friday night, a protest outside a Minneapolis hotel that attracted about 1,000 people turned violent as people threw ice, snow and rocks at officers, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said during a news conference Saturday. One officer suffered minor injuries after being struck with a piece of ice, O’Hara said. Twenty-nine people were cited and released, he said.

    Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey stressed that while most protests have been peaceful, those who cause damage to property or put others in danger will be arrested.

    The Trump administration has been surging thousands of federal officers to Minnesota under a sweeping new crackdown tied in part to allegations of fraud involving Somali residents. More than 2,000 officers were taking part.

    Some officers moved in after abruptly pulling out of Louisiana, where they were part of another operation that started last month and was expected to last until February.

    Associated Press writer Allen Breed contributed to this report from Durham, North Carolina.

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  • Graphic: New video shows confrontation between ICE officer, Renee Good before fatal shooting

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    A Minnesota prosecutor on Friday called on the public to share with investigators any recordings and evidence connected to the fatal shooting of Renee Good as a new video emerged showing the final moments of her encounter with an immigration officer.Warning: The video above may be graphic to some viewers. Viewer discretion is advised.The Minneapolis killing and a separate shooting in Portland, Oregon, a day later by the Border Patrol have set off protests in multiple cities and denunciations of immigration enforcement tactics by the U.S. government. The Trump administration has defended the officer who shot Good in her car, saying he was protecting himself and fellow agents.The reaction to the shooting has largely been focused on witness cellphone video of the encounter. A new, 47-second video that was published online by a Minnesota-based conservative news site, Alpha News, and later reposted on social media by the Department of Homeland Security shows the shooting from the perspective of ICE officer Jonathan Ross, who fired the shots.Video below: Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey holds press conference FridaySirens blaring in the background, he approaches Good’s vehicle in the middle of the road while apparently filming on his cellphone. At the same time, Good’s wife also was recording the encounter and can be seen walking around the vehicle and approaching the officer. A series of exchanges occurred:”That’s fine, I’m not mad at you,” Good says as the officer passes by her door. She has one hand on the steering wheel and the other outside the open driver side window.”U.S. citizen, former f—ing veteran,” says her wife, standing outside the passenger side of the SUV holding up her phone. “You wanna come at us, you wanna come at us, I say go get yourself some lunch big boy.”Other officers at the scene are approaching the driver’s side of the car at about the same time and one says: “Get out of the car, get out of the f—ing car.” Good reverses briefly, then turns the steering wheel toward the passenger side as she drives ahead and Ross opens fire.The camera becomes unsteady and points toward the sky and then returns to the street view showing Good’s SUV careening away.”F—— b—,” someone at the scene says.A crashing sound is heard as Good’s vehicle smashes into others parked on the street.Federal agencies have encouraged officers to document encounters in which people may attempt to interfere with enforcement actions, but policing experts have cautioned that recording on a handheld device can complicate already volatile situations by occupying an officer’s hands and narrowing focus at moments when rapid decision-making is required.Under an ICE policy directive, officers and agents are expected to activate body-worn cameras at the start of enforcement activities and to record throughout interactions, and footage must be kept for review in serious incidents such as deaths or use-of-force cases. The Department of Homeland Security has not responded to questions about whether the officer who opened fire or any of the others who were on the scene were wearing body cameras.Homeland Security says video shows self-defenseVice President JD Vance and Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in posts on X that the new video backs their contention that the officer fired in self-defense.“Many of you have been told this law enforcement officer wasn’t hit by a car, wasn’t being harassed, and murdered an innocent woman,” Vance said. “The reality is that his life was endangered and he fired in self defense.”Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has said any self-defense argument is “garbage.”Policing experts said the video didn’t change their thoughts on the use-of-force but did raise additional questions about the officer’s training.“Now that we can see he’s holding a gun in one hand and a cellphone in the other filming, I want to see the officer training that permits that,” said Geoff Alpert, a criminology professor at the University of South Carolina.The video demonstrates that the officers didn’t perceive Good to be a threat, said John P. Gross, a professor at the University of Wisconsin Law School who has written extensively about officers shooting at moving vehicles.“If you are an officer who views this woman as a threat, you don’t have one hand on a cellphone. You don’t walk around this supposed weapon, casually filming,” Gross said. Attempts to reach Ross at phone numbers and email addresses associated with him were not successful. Prosecutor asks for video and evidenceMeanwhile, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said that although her office has collaborated effectively with the FBI in past cases, she is concerned by the Trump administration’s decision to bar state and local agencies from playing any role in the investigation into Good’s killing.She also said the officer who shot Good in the head does not have complete legal immunity, as Vice President JD Vance declared.Video above: VP Vance addresses, answers questions on ICE shooting in Minneapolis”We do have jurisdiction to make this decision with what happened in this case,” Moriarty said at a news conference. “It does not matter that it was a federal law enforcement agent.”Moriarty said her office would post a link for the public to submit footage of the shooting, even though she acknowledged that she wasn’t sure what legal outcome submissions might produce.Good’s wife, Becca Good, released a statement to Minnesota Public Radio on Friday saying, “kindness radiated out of her.””On Wednesday, January 7th, we stopped to support our neighbors. We had whistles. They had guns,” Becca Good said.”I am now left to raise our son and to continue teaching him, as Renee believed, that there are people building a better world for him,” she wrote.The reaction to Good’s shooting was immediate in the city where police killed George Floyd in 2020, with hundreds of protesters converging on the shooting scene and the school district canceling classes for the rest of the week as a precaution and offering an online option through Feb. 12.On Friday, protesters were outside a federal facility serving as a hub for the immigration crackdown that began Tuesday in Minneapolis and St. Paul. That evening, hundreds protested outside a hotel in downtown Minneapolis, banging on pots and drums and carrying signs that said, “ICE Out” and “Don’t Shoot.”Video below: Minnesota law enforcement blocked from federal investigation into deadly ICE shooting Shooting in PortlandThe Portland shooting happened outside a hospital Thursday. A federal border officer shot and wounded a man and woman in a vehicle, identified by the Department of Homeland Security as Venezuela nationals Luis David Nico Moncada and Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras. Police said they were in stable condition Friday after surgery, with DHS saying Nico Moncada was taken into FBI custodyDHS defended the actions of its officers in Portland, saying the shooting occurred after the driver with alleged gang ties tried to “weaponize” his vehicle to hit them. It said no officers were injured.Portland Police Chief Bob Day confirmed that the two people shot had “some nexus” to Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang. Day said they came to the attention of police during an investigation of a July shooting believed to have been carried out by gang members, but they were not identified as suspects.The chief said any gang affiliation did not necessarily justify the shooting by U.S. Border Patrol. The Oregon Department of Justice said it would investigate.The biggest crackdown yetThe Minneapolis shooting happened on the second day of the immigration crackdown in the Twin Cities, which Homeland Security said is the biggest immigration enforcement operation ever. More than 2,000 officers are taking part and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said they have made more than 1,500 arrests.The government is also shifting immigration officers to Minneapolis from sweeps in Louisiana, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press. This represents a pivot, as the Louisiana crackdown that began in December had been expected to last into February.Good’s death — at least the fifth tied to immigration sweeps since President Donald Trump took office — has resonated far beyond Minneapolis, with protests planned for this weekend, according to Indivisible, a group formed to resist the Trump administration.A deadly encounter seen from multiple anglesNoem, Trump and others in his administration have repeatedly characterized the Minneapolis shooting as an act of self-defense and cast Good as a villain, suggesting she used her vehicle as a weapon to attack the officer who shot her.Several bystanders captured video of Good’s killing, which happened in a neighborhood south of downtown. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said any self-defense argument is “garbage.”The federal agent who fatally shot Good is an Iraq War veteran who has served for nearly two decades in the Border Patrol and ICE, according to records obtained by AP.Noem has not publicly named him, but a Homeland Security spokesperson said her description of his injuries last summer refers to an incident in Bloomington, Minnesota, in which court documents identify him as Ross.Ross got his arm stuck in the window of a vehicle whose driver was fleeing arrest on an immigration violation. Ross was dragged and fired his Taser. A jury found the driver guilty of assault. ___Associated Press reporters Steve Karnowski and Mark Vancleave in Minneapolis; Ed White in Detroit; Valerie Gonzalez in Brownsville, Texas; Graham Lee Brewer in Norman, Oklahoma; Michael Biesecker in Washington; Jim Mustian and Safiyah Riddle in New York; Ryan Foley in Iowa City, Iowa; and Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed.

    A Minnesota prosecutor on Friday called on the public to share with investigators any recordings and evidence connected to the fatal shooting of Renee Good as a new video emerged showing the final moments of her encounter with an immigration officer.

    Warning: The video above may be graphic to some viewers. Viewer discretion is advised.

    The Minneapolis killing and a separate shooting in Portland, Oregon, a day later by the Border Patrol have set off protests in multiple cities and denunciations of immigration enforcement tactics by the U.S. government. The Trump administration has defended the officer who shot Good in her car, saying he was protecting himself and fellow agents.

    The reaction to the shooting has largely been focused on witness cellphone video of the encounter. A new, 47-second video that was published online by a Minnesota-based conservative news site, Alpha News, and later reposted on social media by the Department of Homeland Security shows the shooting from the perspective of ICE officer Jonathan Ross, who fired the shots.

    Video below: Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey holds press conference Friday

    Sirens blaring in the background, he approaches Good’s vehicle in the middle of the road while apparently filming on his cellphone. At the same time, Good’s wife also was recording the encounter and can be seen walking around the vehicle and approaching the officer. A series of exchanges occurred:

    “That’s fine, I’m not mad at you,” Good says as the officer passes by her door. She has one hand on the steering wheel and the other outside the open driver side window.

    “U.S. citizen, former f—ing veteran,” says her wife, standing outside the passenger side of the SUV holding up her phone. “You wanna come at us, you wanna come at us, I say go get yourself some lunch big boy.”

    Other officers at the scene are approaching the driver’s side of the car at about the same time and one says: “Get out of the car, get out of the f—ing car.” Good reverses briefly, then turns the steering wheel toward the passenger side as she drives ahead and Ross opens fire.

    The camera becomes unsteady and points toward the sky and then returns to the street view showing Good’s SUV careening away.

    “F—— b—,” someone at the scene says.

    A crashing sound is heard as Good’s vehicle smashes into others parked on the street.

    Federal agencies have encouraged officers to document encounters in which people may attempt to interfere with enforcement actions, but policing experts have cautioned that recording on a handheld device can complicate already volatile situations by occupying an officer’s hands and narrowing focus at moments when rapid decision-making is required.

    Under an ICE policy directive, officers and agents are expected to activate body-worn cameras at the start of enforcement activities and to record throughout interactions, and footage must be kept for review in serious incidents such as deaths or use-of-force cases. The Department of Homeland Security has not responded to questions about whether the officer who opened fire or any of the others who were on the scene were wearing body cameras.

    Homeland Security says video shows self-defense

    Vice President JD Vance and Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in posts on X that the new video backs their contention that the officer fired in self-defense.

    “Many of you have been told this law enforcement officer wasn’t hit by a car, wasn’t being harassed, and murdered an innocent woman,” Vance said. “The reality is that his life was endangered and he fired in self defense.”

    Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has said any self-defense argument is “garbage.”

    Policing experts said the video didn’t change their thoughts on the use-of-force but did raise additional questions about the officer’s training.

    “Now that we can see he’s holding a gun in one hand and a cellphone in the other filming, I want to see the officer training that permits that,” said Geoff Alpert, a criminology professor at the University of South Carolina.

    The video demonstrates that the officers didn’t perceive Good to be a threat, said John P. Gross, a professor at the University of Wisconsin Law School who has written extensively about officers shooting at moving vehicles.

    “If you are an officer who views this woman as a threat, you don’t have one hand on a cellphone. You don’t walk around this supposed weapon, casually filming,” Gross said.

    Attempts to reach Ross at phone numbers and email addresses associated with him were not successful.

    Prosecutor asks for video and evidence

    Meanwhile, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said that although her office has collaborated effectively with the FBI in past cases, she is concerned by the Trump administration’s decision to bar state and local agencies from playing any role in the investigation into Good’s killing.

    She also said the officer who shot Good in the head does not have complete legal immunity, as Vice President JD Vance declared.

    Video above: VP Vance addresses, answers questions on ICE shooting in Minneapolis

    “We do have jurisdiction to make this decision with what happened in this case,” Moriarty said at a news conference. “It does not matter that it was a federal law enforcement agent.”

    Moriarty said her office would post a link for the public to submit footage of the shooting, even though she acknowledged that she wasn’t sure what legal outcome submissions might produce.

    Good’s wife, Becca Good, released a statement to Minnesota Public Radio on Friday saying, “kindness radiated out of her.”

    “On Wednesday, January 7th, we stopped to support our neighbors. We had whistles. They had guns,” Becca Good said.

    “I am now left to raise our son and to continue teaching him, as Renee believed, that there are people building a better world for him,” she wrote.

    The reaction to Good’s shooting was immediate in the city where police killed George Floyd in 2020, with hundreds of protesters converging on the shooting scene and the school district canceling classes for the rest of the week as a precaution and offering an online option through Feb. 12.

    On Friday, protesters were outside a federal facility serving as a hub for the immigration crackdown that began Tuesday in Minneapolis and St. Paul. That evening, hundreds protested outside a hotel in downtown Minneapolis, banging on pots and drums and carrying signs that said, “ICE Out” and “Don’t Shoot.”

    Video below: Minnesota law enforcement blocked from federal investigation into deadly ICE shooting

    Shooting in Portland

    The Portland shooting happened outside a hospital Thursday. A federal border officer shot and wounded a man and woman in a vehicle, identified by the Department of Homeland Security as Venezuela nationals Luis David Nico Moncada and Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras. Police said they were in stable condition Friday after surgery, with DHS saying Nico Moncada was taken into FBI custody

    DHS defended the actions of its officers in Portland, saying the shooting occurred after the driver with alleged gang ties tried to “weaponize” his vehicle to hit them. It said no officers were injured.

    Portland Police Chief Bob Day confirmed that the two people shot had “some nexus” to Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang. Day said they came to the attention of police during an investigation of a July shooting believed to have been carried out by gang members, but they were not identified as suspects.

    The chief said any gang affiliation did not necessarily justify the shooting by U.S. Border Patrol. The Oregon Department of Justice said it would investigate.

    The biggest crackdown yet

    The Minneapolis shooting happened on the second day of the immigration crackdown in the Twin Cities, which Homeland Security said is the biggest immigration enforcement operation ever. More than 2,000 officers are taking part and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said they have made more than 1,500 arrests.

    The government is also shifting immigration officers to Minneapolis from sweeps in Louisiana, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press. This represents a pivot, as the Louisiana crackdown that began in December had been expected to last into February.

    Good’s death — at least the fifth tied to immigration sweeps since President Donald Trump took office — has resonated far beyond Minneapolis, with protests planned for this weekend, according to Indivisible, a group formed to resist the Trump administration.

    A deadly encounter seen from multiple angles

    Noem, Trump and others in his administration have repeatedly characterized the Minneapolis shooting as an act of self-defense and cast Good as a villain, suggesting she used her vehicle as a weapon to attack the officer who shot her.

    Several bystanders captured video of Good’s killing, which happened in a neighborhood south of downtown. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said any self-defense argument is “garbage.”

    The federal agent who fatally shot Good is an Iraq War veteran who has served for nearly two decades in the Border Patrol and ICE, according to records obtained by AP.

    Noem has not publicly named him, but a Homeland Security spokesperson said her description of his injuries last summer refers to an incident in Bloomington, Minnesota, in which court documents identify him as Ross.

    Ross got his arm stuck in the window of a vehicle whose driver was fleeing arrest on an immigration violation. Ross was dragged and fired his Taser. A jury found the driver guilty of assault.

    ___

    Associated Press reporters Steve Karnowski and Mark Vancleave in Minneapolis; Ed White in Detroit; Valerie Gonzalez in Brownsville, Texas; Graham Lee Brewer in Norman, Oklahoma; Michael Biesecker in Washington; Jim Mustian and Safiyah Riddle in New York; Ryan Foley in Iowa City, Iowa; and Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed.

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  • Trump Reportedly Prepared to ‘Strike 1st’ Against JD Vance’s ‘Betrayal’ Amid Rumors the VP Could Run For President—’JD Should Be Very Careful’

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    Donald Trump & JD Vance’s Relationship Amid Presidential Run Rumors






























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  • Secret Service: Man arrested, accused of breaking windows at VP JD Vance’s Ohio home

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    A man has been taken into custody by police after officers and Secret Service agents responded to the Cincinnati home of Vice President JD Vance overnight.William DeFoor, 26, has been charged with criminal damaging/endangering, obstructing official business and criminal trespass, all misdemeanors, as well as one count of vandalism, a fifth-degree felony, according to a police report.Cincinnati Police say DeFoor is accused of being seen by a Secret Service agent and on security footage walking onto the property without permission and damaging four windows, as well as a vehicle. Sister station WLWT’s cameras captured what appears to be damage to the windows of the home. Officers were on scene for several hours, going in and out of the house. The Secret Service said the incident happened shortly after midnight early Monday morning. The Secret Service is coordinating with CPD and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Vance had been in Cincinnati for the last week. He left Sunday afternoon. This is a developing story and will be updated when we learn more.

    A man has been taken into custody by police after officers and Secret Service agents responded to the Cincinnati home of Vice President JD Vance overnight.

    William DeFoor, 26, has been charged with criminal damaging/endangering, obstructing official business and criminal trespass, all misdemeanors, as well as one count of vandalism, a fifth-degree felony, according to a police report.

    Cincinnati Police say DeFoor is accused of being seen by a Secret Service agent and on security footage walking onto the property without permission and damaging four windows, as well as a vehicle.

    Sister station WLWT’s cameras captured what appears to be damage to the windows of the home. Officers were on scene for several hours, going in and out of the house.

    Hearst Owned

    WLWT’s cameras captured what appears to be damage to the windows of the home. Officers were on scene in the East Walnut Hills area for several hours, going in and out of the house.

    The Secret Service said the incident happened shortly after midnight early Monday morning. The Secret Service is coordinating with CPD and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

    Vance had been in Cincinnati for the last week. He left Sunday afternoon.

    This is a developing story and will be updated when we learn more.

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  • Man detained at JD Vance’s Ohio home after allegedly breaking windows, Secret Service says

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    A man was detained by Secret Service personnel at Vice President JD Vance’s Cincinnati home after allegedly causing property damage, including breaking windows on the exterior of a personal residence, the Secret Service said early Monday.

    “Shortly after midnight on Monday, January 5, the man was physically detained by Secret Service agents assigned to the Vice President’s home,” the Secret Service said in a statement. “The residence was unoccupied at the time of the incident, and the Vice President and his family were not in Ohio.”

    The Secret Service said the agency is coordinating with the Cincinnati Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office about possible charges. 

    The vice president’s office has not yet responded to request for comment. 

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  • Man who broke windows at Vance’s Ohio home is detained, the Secret Service says

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    By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER and KATHY McCORMACK, Associated Press

    CINCINNATI (AP) — A man who broke windows at Vice President JD Vance’s Ohio home and caused other property damage was detained early Monday, the U.S. Secret Service said.

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    Associated Press

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  • Police respond to Ohio home of VP JD Vance as part of hours-long investigation

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    Police respond to Ohio home of VP JD Vance as part of hours-long investigation

    PEOPLE LINE UP TO WATCH THE HISTORIC ARRAIGNMENT. THIS IS WLWT NEWS 5 LEADING THE WAY WITH BREAKING NEWS. LET’S GET RIGHT TO THAT BREAKING NEWS. WE ARE STILL WORKING TO GET ANSWERS AFTER CINCINNATI POLICE AND THE U.S. SECRET SERVICE RESPONDED TO THE HOME OF JD VANCE OVERNIGHT. THEY WERE THERE IN EAST WALNUT HILLS FOR SEVERAL HOURS. WLWT NEWS FIVE’S NICOLE APONTE LIVE FOR US THERE THIS MORNING. NICOLE, WHAT CAN YOU TELL US? KELLY, WE’RE IN THE VICINITY OF WHERE JD VANCE HOME IS IN EAST WALNUT HILLS. THERE IS STILL VERY LIMITED INFORMATION RIGHT NOW, BUT WE DO KNOW THAT CINCINNATI POLICE AND SECRET SERVICE AGENTS RESPONDED TO VANCE’S HOME OVERNIGHT. IN THIS VIDEO, RIGHT HERE, OUR PHOTOGRAPHER CAPTURED WHAT APPEARS TO BE DAMAGE TO THE WINDOWS. OFFICERS WERE ON SCENE IN THE AREA FOR SEVERAL HOURS, GOING IN AND OUT OF THIS HOME, BUT POLICE HERE COULD ONLY TELL US THEY, QUOTE, HAVE A SUSPECT. IT’S NOT CLEAR IF THAT PERSON IS IN CUSTODY, WHAT THEY’RE CHARGED WITH, OR IF THEY’RE CONNECTED TO THIS INVESTIGATION. VICE PRESIDENT VANCE WAS IN CINCINNATI FOR THE LAST WEEK AND LEFT YESTERDAY AFTERNOON. WE’VE SPOKEN WITH SECRET SERVICE AGENTS HERE ON THE SCENE. THEY TELL US THAT THERE SHOULD BE A STATEMENT MADE LATER THIS MORNING. MEANTIME, WE’LL STILL MONITOR THE SITUATION HERE IN EAST WALNUT HILLS AND BRING YOU THESE UPDATES AS THE

    Police respond to Ohio home of VP JD Vance as part of hours-long investigation

    Updated: 3:28 AM PST Jan 5, 2026

    Editorial Standards

    Police and Secret Service agents responded to the Cincinnati home of Vice President JD Vance overnight.Sister station WLWT’s cameras captured what appears to be damage to the windows of the home. Officers were on scene for several hours, going in and out of the house.Cincinnati police there could say only that they “have a suspect.”It’s not clear if that person is in custody or what they’re charged with.WLWT has spoken with Secret Service agents who say a statement will likely be made later Monday morning.Vance had been in Cincinnati for the last week. He left Sunday afternoon. This is a developing story and will be updated when we learn more.

    Police and Secret Service agents responded to the Cincinnati home of Vice President JD Vance overnight.

    Sister station WLWT’s cameras captured what appears to be damage to the windows of the home. Officers were on scene for several hours, going in and out of the house.

    WLWT's cameras captured what appears to be damage to the windows of the home. Officers were on scene in the East Walnut Hills area for several hours, going in and out of the house.

    Hearst Owned

    WLWT’s cameras captured what appears to be damage to the windows of the home. Officers were on scene in the East Walnut Hills area for several hours, going in and out of the house.

    Cincinnati police there could say only that they “have a suspect.”

    It’s not clear if that person is in custody or what they’re charged with.

    WLWT has spoken with Secret Service agents who say a statement will likely be made later Monday morning.

    Vance had been in Cincinnati for the last week. He left Sunday afternoon.

    This is a developing story and will be updated when we learn more.

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  • Nicki Minaj praises ‘handsome’ Donald Trump at Turning Point USA event – National | Globalnews.ca

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    Rapper Nicki Minaj made an unexpected appearance at Turning Point USA’S AmericaFest convention, where she was interviewed by Erika Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk.

    The Super Bass rapper and Kirk, 37, walked out hand in hand before sitting down for a conversation in Phoenix to close the first-ever AmericaFest convention on Sunday.


    CEO and Chair of the Board of Turning Point USA Erika Kirk (L) and US rapper Nicki Minaj arrive on stage during Turning Point’s annual AmericaFest conference in Phoenix, Arizona on December 21, 2025.

    Olivier Touron / AFP via Getty Images

    The four-day conference brought together media personalities, conservative activists and leaders from the Republican party.

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    During her time at the event, Minaj, 43, praised U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, calling them “role models” for young men.

    “This administration is full of people with heart and soul, and they make me proud of them. Our vice-president, he makes me … well, I love both of them,” Minaj said. “Both of them have a very uncanny ability to be someone that you relate to.”

    “Dear young men, you have amazing role models, like our handsome, dashing president. And you have amazing role models like the assassin, JD Vance, our vice-president,” Minaj said to the crowd.


    She quickly realized what word she used to praise Vance’s political skills — “assassin” — and went silent as she covered her mouth with her hand while the crowd murmured.

    “If the internet wants to clip it, who cares? I love this woman,” said Erika Kirk, who became a widow when Charlie Kirk was assassinated in September. “Trust me, there’s nothing new under the sun that I have not heard.”

    “I love you,” Minaj said to Kirk.

    Minaj also mocked California Gov. Gavin Newsom, referring to him as “Newscum,” a nicknamed Trump gave him.

    When Kirk asked Minaj to give advice to young men, Minaj said, “Don’t be Newscum.”

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    “For boys: boys, be boys… There’s nothing wrong with being a boy. How about that? How powerful is that? How profound is that? Boys will be boys, and there’s nothing wrong with that,” she said.

    “No matter how you look, we should be trying to instill into them to be proud of how they look,” Minaj continued. “I don’t need someone with blond hair and blue eyes to downplay their beauty because I know my beauty.”

    She went on to criticize messaging that makes any group feel like they are not good enough. “I don’t want it done to any girls. I want all the little girls in the world to know that you are unique, you are beautiful,” Minaj added.

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    The Grammy-nominated rapper’s recent alignment with the Make America Great Again movement has caught some interest because of her past criticism of Trump, including in 2018 when she condemned Trump’s zero-tolerance immigration policy and described herself as an “illegal immigrant.”

    On Sunday, Minaj told the audience: “It’s OK to change your mind.”

    “I have the utmost respect and admiration for our president,” the Starships rapper said. “I don’t know if he even knows this, but he’s given so many people hope.”

    Minaj said she was tired of being “pushed around,” and she said that speaking your mind with different ideas is controversial because “people are no longer using their minds.”

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    “I have something inside of me that’s stronger than what’s out there. So when you’ve had enough, you realize, ‘Wait a minute, why do I even care about these people and what they think? Who are they?’ They don’t even know who they are. So I’m not going to back down anymore. I’m not going to back down ever again,” Minaj said of her decision to support Trump.

    Kirk thanked Minaj for being “courageous,” despite the “backlash” she’s receiving from the entertainment industry for expressing support for Trump.

    “I didn’t notice,” Minaj said. “We don’t even think about them.” Kirk then said, “We don’t have time to. We’re too busy building, right?”

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    “We’re the cool kids. The other people, they’re the others that are still just disgruntled. They are angry with themselves,” Minaj said. “In a world that doesn’t want us to think, we will think.”


    CEO and Chair of the Board of Turning Point USA Erika Kirk (L) speaks with US rapper Nicki Minaj during Turning Point’s annual AmericaFest conference in Phoenix, Arizona on December 21, 2025.

    Olivier Touron / AFP via Getty Images

    In response to some of Minaj’s comments, Vance took to X, writing, “Nicki Minaj said something at Amfest that was really profound. I’m paraphrasing, but she said, ‘just because I want little black girls to think they’re beautiful doesn’t mean I need to put down little girls with blonde hair and blue eyes.’”

    “We all got wrapped up over the last few years in zero sum thinking. This was because the people who think they rule the world pit us against one another. @NickiMinaj rejects that. We all should,” he added.

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    Minaj made headlines last month when she spoke at a United Nations event organized by the U.S. after Trump’s allegations that Christians are persecuted in Nigeria.

    Minaj said that she wanted to shine a spotlight on “the deadly threat.”

    She thanked Trump for his leadership and for calling for urgent action “to defend Christians in Nigeria, to combat extremism and to bring a stop to violence against those who simply want to exercise their natural right to freedom of religion or belief.”


    Click to play video: 'Trump threatens military action in Nigeria, faces pushback'


    Trump threatens military action in Nigeria, faces pushback


    She spoke at a panel at the U.S. mission to the United Nations along with U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz and faith leaders. The event came after she replied to Trump’s social media post about Nigeria earlier in November, saying, “”No group should ever be persecuted for practicing their religion.”

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    Minaj vowed to keep standing up “in the face of injustice” for anyone anywhere who is being persecuted for their beliefs.

    “Sadly, this problem is not only a growing problem in Nigeria, but also in so many other countries around the world,” she said.

    Minaj said she wanted to make clear that protecting Christians in Nigeria wasn’t about taking sides or dividing people. “It is about uniting people,” she said, calling Nigeria “a beautiful nation with deep faith traditions” that she can’t wait to see.

    With files from The Associated Press

    Curator Recommendations

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  • Megyn Kelly Talks Ben Shapiro’s “Betrayal” and the MAGA Reckoning at AmericaFest

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    Megyn Kelly had no idea that Ben Shapiro planned to go after her. When he launched into a scathing broadside against what he called “charlatans” and “grifters” in the conservative movement on the first night of Turning Point’s annual conference last week, his pointed inclusion of Kelly shocked the commentator who has long considered Shapiro a friend.

    “I was flabbergasted,” she told me, soon after stepping off the same stage, where her searing response to Shapiro was rapturously received by the crowd. “I thought, ‘Who do you think you are?’”

    When more than 90,000 people gathered at a stadium in Arizona for Charlie Kirk’s funeral in September, speakers at the pyrotechnic-infused revival predicted a new dawn for conservative politics. The coalition, unified in its support for President Donald Trump and its horror at Kirk’s killing, was in harmony. “This is new territory for the Republican Party,” Turning Point COO Tyler Bowyer said at the time. “The fusion of Christ in our politics is changing the culture. It’s unifying everyone. This is our civil-rights movement.”

    Just a few months later, at Turning Point’s AmericaFest gathering in Phoenix, that unity collapsed into an internecine feud between rival factions vying to define Kirk’s legacy and steer the future of right-wing politics.

    Moments after Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, opened the conference with a speech calling her late husband a “peacemaker” and urging an end to the squabbling, Shapiro issued a blistering jeremiad that recalled William F. Buckley Jr.’s attempted excommunication of the far right. “The conservative movement is in serious danger,” Shapiro said, “from charlatans who claim to speak in the name of principle but actually traffic in conspiracism and dishonesty, who offer nothing but bile and despair.”

    He denounced Candace Owens—a podcaster he once employed at The Daily Wire, the media company he co-founded—who has emerged as the chief purveyor of conspiracy theories about Kirk’s murder. Her videos investigating the killing, infused with all the drama of a true-crime documentary, have been viewed millions of times.

    Shapiro extended his criticism to those he said have “refused to condemn Candace’s truly vicious attacks,” naming Megyn Kelly, Tucker Carlson, and Steve Bannon. A few hours later on the same stage, Carlson fired back. “To hear calls for like, de-platforming and denouncing people at a Charlie Kirk event, I’m like, what?” Carlson said, with an air of annoyed confusion. “I mean, this kind of was the whole point of Charlie Kirk’s public life, and I think that he died for it.”

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    Aidan McLaughlin

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  • Nicki Minaj Goes Radio Silent After Joking JD Vance Is An ‘Assassin’ To Widow Erika Kirk, VP Proceeds To Profoundly Praise Onika

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    • Minaj mistakenly calls Vance ‘the assassin’ at TPUSA event.
    • Vance responds by acknowledging Minaj’s unity message, no bad blood.
    • Minaj expresses admiration for Trump, says she’s ‘tired of being pushed around’.

    JD Vance is finally responding after Nicki Minaj made an awkward onstage flub at the TPUSA summit over the weekend — mistakenly calling him “the assassin” — and rather than firing back, the vice president opted for praise of his new MAGA mate.

    Source: Caylo Seals

    On Monday morning, Vance took to X and began by referencing Minaj’s remarks about empowering young Black girls without diminishing young blonde girls, signaling that he understood her broader point was centered on unity.

    He went on to reflect on how modern politics has fueled a “zero sum” mindset, blaming influential forces that benefit from sowing division. Vance even tagged Minaj directly, noting that she rejects that way of thinking — making it clear there’s no bad blood between the two.

    “Nicki Minaj said something at Amfest that was really profound. I’m paraphrasing, but she said, “just because I want little black girls to think they’re beautiful doesn’t mean I need to put down little girls with blonde hair and blue eyes,” he wrote. “We all got wrapped up over the last few years in zero sum thinking. This was because the people who think they rule the world pit us against one another. @NICKIMINAJ rejects that. We all should.”

    Minaj appeared at the Phoenix convention on Sunday, Dec. 21, closing out the event alongside Erika Kirk. The two walked onstage holding hands before sitting down for a wide-ranging discussion that touched on politics, faith, and other topics.

    The 43-year-old rapper raised eyebrows when she voiced her admiration for President Donald Trump and his administration. Addressing the audience, she said, “Dear young men, you have amazing role models, like our handsome, dashing president. And you have amazing role models like the assassin, JD Vance, our vice president.”

    Almost immediately, Minaj appeared to realize her mistake. She froze, went quiet for a noticeable moment, and covered her mouth with her hand in apparent shock.

    Erika, 37, handled the moment with ease, reassuring Minaj by saying, “Trust me, there’s nothing new under the sun that I have not heard.”

    After another pause, Minaj turned emotional and told her, “I love you.”

    Erika responded warmly, adding, “You have to laugh about it. Truly, I have been called every single thing. And you know what? God is so good.”

    Erika became CEO of Turning Point USA following the death of her husband, Charlie Kirk, who was shot and killed during a TPUSA event at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10. He was 31.

    For some, Minaj’s presence at a conservative gathering came as a surprise, but the artist has been increasingly open about her support for Trump and his administration in recent months.

    “I have the utmost respect and admiration for our president,” she told Erika. “I don’t know if he even knows this, but he’s given so many people hope.”

    Explaining why she decided to back Trump, Minaj said she “just got tired of being pushed around.”

    “I have something inside of me that’s stronger than what’s out there. So when you’ve had enough, you realize, ‘Wait a minute, why do I even care about these people and what they think? Who are they?’ They don’t even know who they are. So I’m not going to back down anymore. I’m not going to back down ever again,” she continued.

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    Rebecah Jacobs

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  • After GOP fights about antisemitism, JD Vance rejects ‘purity tests’ and says there’s ‘more important work to do than canceling each other’ | Fortune

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    Vice President JD Vance said Sunday the conservative movement should be open to everyone as long as they “love America,” declining to condemn a streak of antisemitism that has divided the Republican Party and roiled the opening days of Turning Point USA’s annual convention.

    After a long weekend of debates about whether the movement should exclude figures such as bigoted podcaster Nick Fuentes, Vance came down firmly against “purity tests.”

    “I didn’t bring a list of conservatives to denounce or to de-platform,” Vance said during the convention’s closing speech.

    Turning Point leader Erika Kirk, who took the helm after the assassination of her husband, Charlie Kirk, has endorsed Vance as a potential successor to President Donald Trump, a helpful nod from an influential group with an army of volunteers.

    But the tension on display at the four-day gathering foreshadowed the treacherous political waters that Vance, or anyone else who seeks the next Republican presidential nomination, will need to navigate in the coming years. Top voices in the “Make America Great Again” movement are jockeying for influence as Republicans begin considering a future without Trump, and there is no clear path to holding his coalition together.

    Defining a post-Trump GOP

    The Republican Party’s identity has been intertwined with Trump for a decade, but he’s constitutionally ineligible to run for reelection despite his musings about serving a third term. Tucker Carlson said people are wondering, “who gets the machinery when the president exits the scene?”

    So far, it looks like settling that question will come with a lot of fighting among conservatives. The Turning Point conference featured arguments about antisemitism, Israel and environmental regulations, not to mention rivalries between leading commentators.

    Ben Shapiro, co-founder of the conservative media outlet Daily Wire, used his speech on the conference’s opening night to denounce “charlatans who claim to speak in the name of principle but actually traffic in conspiracism and dishonesty.”

    “These people are frauds and they are grifters and they do not deserve your time,” Shapiro said. He specifically called out Carlson for hosting Fuentes for a friendly interview on his podcast.

    Carlson brushed off the criticism when he took the stage barely an hour later, and he said the idea of a Republican “civil war” was “totally fake.”

    “There are people who are mad at JD Vance, and they’re stirring up a lot of this in order to make sure he doesn’t get the nomination,” he said. Carlson described Vance as “the one person” who subscribes to the “core idea of the Trump coalition,” which Carlson said was “America first.”

    Turning Point spokesperson Andrew Kolvet framed the discord as a healthy debate about the future of the movement, an uncomfortable but necessary process of finding consensus.

    “We’re not hive-minded commies,” he wrote on social media. “Let it play out.”

    If you love America, you’re welcome in the movement, Vance says

    Vance acknowledged the controversies that dominated the Turning Point conference, but he did not define any boundaries for the conservative movement besides patriotism.

    “We don’t care if you’re white or black, rich or poor, young or old, rural or urban, controversial or a little bit boring, or somewhere in between,” he said.

    Vance didn’t name anyone, but his comments came in the midst of an increasingly contentious debate over whether the right should give a platform to commentators espousing antisemitic views, particularly Fuentes, whose followers see themselves as working to preserve America’s white, Christian identity. Fuentes has a growing audience, as does top-rated podcaster Candace Owens, who routinely shares antisemitic conspiracy theories.

    “We have far more important work to do than canceling each other,” he said.

    Vance ticked off what he said were the accomplishments of the administration as it approaches the one-year mark, noting its efforts at the border and on the economy. He emphasized efforts to end diversity, equity and inclusion policies, drawing applause by saying they had been relegated to the “dustbin of history.”

    “In the United States of America, you don’t have to apologize for being white anymore,” he said.

    Vance also said the U.S. “always will be a Christian nation,” adding that “Christianity is America’s creed, the shared moral language from the Revolution to the Civil War and beyond.”

    Those comments resonated with Isaiah White-Diller, an 18 year-old from Yuma, Arizona, who said he would support Vance if he runs for president.

    “I have my right to be Christian here, I have my right to say whatever I want,” White-Diller said.

    Turning Point backs Vance for president

    Vance hasn’t disclosed his future plans, but Erika Kirk said Thursday that Turning Point wanted Vance “elected for 48 in the most resounding way possible.” The next president will be the 48th in U.S. history.

    Turning Point is a major force on the right, with a nationwide volunteer network that can be especially helpful in early primary states, when candidates rely on grassroots energy to build momentum. In a surprise appearance, rapper Nicki Minaj spoke effusively about Trump and Vance.

    Vance was close with Charlie Kirk, and they supported each other over the years. After Kirk’s assassination on a college campus in Utah, the vice president flew out on Air Force Two to collect Kirk’s remains and bring them home to Arizona. The vice president helped uniformed service members carry the casket to the plane.

    Emily Meck, 18, from Pine City, New York, said she appreciated Vance making space for a wide variety of views.

    “We are free-thinkers, we’re going to have these disagreements, we’re going to have our own thoughts,” Meck said.

    Trump has spoken highly of both Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as potential successors, even suggesting they could form a future Republican ticket. Rubio has said he would support Vance.

    Asked in August whether Vance was the “heir apparent,” Trump said “most likely.”

    “It’s too early, obviously, to talk about it, but certainly he’s doing a great job, and he would be probably favorite at this point,” he said.

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    Jonathan J. Cooper, Sejal Govindarao, The Associated Press

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  • ‘So the actual rate is higher?’: JD Vance says unemployment statistics undercount joblessness and accidentally proves the problem is worse | The Mary Sue

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    On December 16 in Pennsylvania, Vice President JD Vance tried to spin rising unemployment as a sign of economic strength. But unknowingly, he walked straight into an argument that admits joblessness may be worse than the headline number suggests.

    At a Uline warehouse in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley on Tuesday, JD Vance delivered the Trump administration’s familiar economic victory lap. He praised job creation, wage growth, and investment, and blamed Joe Biden for everything that went wrong before January. The VP even graded the current economy an “A+++” under Donald Trump, mimicking his words.

    Early in the speech, Vance touted headline-friendly figures to sell the message. He pointed to 61,000 jobs added in November and claimed private-sector wages were growing at 4.2%. He framed it as proof that Trump’s economic agenda was already delivering historic results. According to Vance, this was the fastest wage growth the country had seen “in many, many years,” because the administration “believes in you and fights for you.”

    But then came the press questions, something his speech writer couldn’t prepare him for. A reporter from WFMZ’s 69 News noted that while November saw job gains, October had lost 100,000 jobs. On top of it, the unemployment rate had climbed to 4.6%, the highest since the pandemic (via Reuters). He asked a straightforward question: How do income tax cuts help people who don’t have jobs? And how does the administration plan to inspire companies to hire?

    Vance dismissed the concern almost immediately, arguing that tax cuts always help because more disposable income is “good for everybody.” He waved away the October losses by claiming they were mostly government jobs. Firing bureaucrats and hiring “great Americans,” he said, was the point instead. However, he then tried to explain away the unemployment rate, and things went disastrously off the rails.

    Vance argued that the unemployment rate only counts people actively looking for work. If someone stopped searching years ago, they’re unemployed but not counted in the official statistics. Bizarrely enough, the rise in the unemployment rate to 4.6% wasn’t bad news at all, according to him. For him, it is evidence that discouraged workers were re-entering the labor force because wages were rising and opportunity was finally back under Trump.

    What you’re seeing, as wages go up and as more investment comes into our country, is that people who weren’t looking for work under Biden’s administration are getting out there and looking for work in the Trump administration. That’s exactly what we want. We want to get people off the sidelines and give them a good job with good pay.

    What Vance essentially admitted without realizing is that the 4.6% unemployment rate excludes a large group of jobless people who have given up looking for work. If discouraged workers are now looking again and still can’t find jobs, that doesn’t mean unemployment is improving. It means previously invisible joblessness is becoming visible.

    In other words, if his explanation is true, then the real problem is bigger than 4.6%. Rising unemployment isn’t automatically a positive signal. Sometimes it reflects people re-entering the labor force, yes. But it can also mean hiring isn’t keeping up with demand, that wages aren’t enough to absorb new entrants. Vance skipped that part entirely and treated a higher rate as proof of success.

    Have a tip we should know? [email protected]

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    Kopal

    Staff Writer

    Kopal primarily covers politics for The Mary Sue. Off the clock, she switches to DND mode and escapes to the mountains.

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    Kopal

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  • Erika Kirk endorses JD Vance for president

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    During her opening remarks at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest conference, Erika Kirk,  CEO of the influential conservative organization, endorsed Vice President JD Vance for president in 2028.

    “We are going to get my husband’s friend, JD Vance, elected 48 in the most resounding way possible,” the widow of Charlie Kirk, the slain co-founder of Turning Point USA, said as the crowd erupted in applause.

    Turning Point USA CEO Erika Kirk, widow of late right-wing political activist Charlie Kirk, speaks at the organization’s annual AmericaFest conference in Phoenix on Dec. 18, 2025.

    Olivier Touron / AFP via Getty Images


    Vance has not publicly indicated whether he intends to run for president but is widely expected to make a decision after the 2026 midterm elections. Still , an early endorsement from a powerful conservative group that helped galvanize young voters in 2024 for the Trump-Vance ticket underscores his growing stature within the movement and would carry significant influence in a future GOP presidential primary field.

    The vice president is scheduled to address the annual conference of thousands of conservatives on Sunday.

    Turning Point USA’s annual youth conference is being held in Phoenix.

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  • No reaction from Trump yet to explosive Vanity Fair interview with Chief of Staff Susie Wiles

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    A new Vanity Fair piece highlighting President Trump’s inner circle includes a shockingly candid interview with White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. One of the things Wiles said in the interview was that Mr. Trump has an “alcoholic’s personality.” CBS News White House reporter Olivia Rinaldi has more.

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  • Usha Vance Gives Telling Comment About Relationship With Melania Amid ‘Tough’ Personal Rumors: ‘We’re Different People’

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    Usha Vance & Melania Trump’s Relationship Amid JD Divorce Rumors






























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    Lizzie Lanuza

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  • JD Vance Addresses Claims He Had a ‘Loud Fight’ in Public With His Wife Days After Denying Divorce Rumors

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    Every public relationship, whether it is in the celebrity space or the political space, goes through divorce rumors. The Obamas have to respond to them pretty often, and so do Harry and Meghan and even Prince William and Kate Middleton. The same thing has happened to Vice-President JD Vance and his wife, Usha, who have been plagued by rumors of marriage problems ever since Usha was caught without her wedding ring during a public event.

    Now, Vance is addressing those head-on. The vice president took to X to repost a viral photo of himself at a restaurant in conversation with his wife, Usha. The picture had led people to speculate that the two were in the middle of a fight.

    Related: Here are the celebrities who support Donald Trump

    The photo, posted by a Facebook user, was captioned, “Looks like things are not so good in Republicanistan. Usha is a liberal. Always has been. Apparently they were having an argument loud enough to quiet the restaurant. Why is he wearing a tee shirt?” The snap was then shared on X, with the added caption,  “JD and Usha (allegedly) spotted having a loud argument at a restaurant recently.”

    Vance responded with a joke, “I always wear an undershirt when I go out in public to have a fight loudly with my wife.”

    Rumors about their relationship started when Usha Vance was seen without her ring on during a visit to Camp Lejeune in Richlands, North Carolina, alongside first lady Melania Trump. Then, Vance was seen sans ring once again as the two visited a holiday volunteer event at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.

    After the speculation started, a spokesperson for the second lady released a statement to People explaining that Usha Vance is “a mother of three young children, who does a lot of dishes, gives lots of baths, and forgets her ring sometimes.” Usha and JD Vance married in 2014 and have three kids together: sons Ewan, 8, Vivek, 5, and daughter Mirabel, 3.

    The vice president recently commented on the rumors during an interview with NBC News on December 5, saying. “I think that we kind of get a kick out of it,” and adding, “With anything in life, you take the good with the bad. You accept that there are some sacrifices and there are some very good things that come along with it, too. But our marriage is as strong as it’s ever been, and I think Usha’s really taken to it, and it’s been kind of cool to see how she’s developed and evolved in this new role.”

    And when he was asked if the divorce speculation has been “tough,” Vance responded, “It’s funny. I actually don’t think that it’s tough.” He went on to explain the moment Usha Vance was seen without her rings as her forgetting them after showering.

    “She was like, ‘Oh, if I don’t go back and get them, there’s going to be some ridiculous psycho who talks about it on social media,’” Vance said. “And I was like, let them. It’s not even worth the trip to run back upstairs. So we actually have a little bit of fun with it. And we thought that whole viral social media cycle was kind of funny.” He continued, “There are certainly ways in which it’s difficult on the family. I’m not going to pretend that it isn’t. But it’s the sacrifice that we signed up for.”

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    Lizzie Lanuza

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  • Nicki Minaj Fully Leans Into MAGA Mischief As Barbz Become Belligerent Over Onika’s Budding Bond With JD Vance

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    • Nicki Minaj praises Trump and Vance, while Cardi B criticizes them.
    • Minaj thanks Trump for addressing persecution of Christians in Nigeria.
    • Minaj declares herself part of Trump’s MAGA supporters.

    Nicki Minaj’s X account has turned into a White House fan account.

    Source: MEGA /Tasos Katopodis

    While Nicki hasn’t explicitly stated that she’s team Donald Trump, she has become increasingly open about her support for him and his Vice President, JD Vance.

    In a since-deleted tweet, the rapper posted a GIF of Chucky from the Child’s Play series alongside the caption, “Vance > Rants.” Fans aren’t exactly sure what the tweet was referring to, or why it was deleted, but before it was deleted, Vance reposted it with some commentary of his own.

    “Nicki > Cardi,” Vance wrote, referencing the ongoing beef between the rappers.

    While Minaj has warmed up to the administration in recent weeks, Cardi B has been vocal about her dislike of Trump for a long time now. Nicki even spoke in front of members of the United Nations to discuss the alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria, thanking Trump in her speech.

    “I would like to thank President Donald Trump for prioritizing this issue, and for his leadership on the global stage, and calling for urgent action to defend Christians in Nigeria to combat extremism, and to bring a stop to violence against those who simply want to exercise their natural right to freedom of belief,” she said at the time. “We don’t have to share the same beliefs in order to respect each other. We’re way beyond thinking or expecting or assuming the next person sitting next to you will have the same beliefs. We’re beyond that. That’s ridiculous.”

    After Minaj’s speech, she seemingly declared herself as a part of Trump’s MAGA supporters, tweeting: “United Nations was a MAGA Flex. Trump on da text. Yall should be afraid of what I’m gon do next,” she wrote, in a post that also took thinly-veiled shots at Jay-Z.

    Since then, it’s been a full-on love fest between Minaj and the administration, with Nicki reposting several tweets about Trump– including one that alleged his wife, Melania, underwent a kidney surgery in 2018. The post claimed that the president postponed meetings to be with his wife, and sent her a “beautiful” letter.

    In other tweets, Nicki shared a video of Trump and Elon Musk dancing happily, over which she wrote, “Mood.”

    She also tweeted about Vance being “smarter than a computer.”

    “Nothing brings me joy like the Vance memes & knowing he leaned into it like a boss,” Nicki began in a tweet praising the VP. “Top Tier Comedy Character = 100 But make no mistake, Vance is an assassin. Don’t debate him. On anything. Quick as a computer. Maybe quicker. He’s the best blend I’ve ever seen of us&them.”

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    Rebecah Jacobs

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