Is this coincidence or coordination?

That’s the question many Americans are now asking after longtime Obama strategist David Axelrod was spotted meeting with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican just days before the Chicago-born pontiff ramped up his criticism of President Donald Trump and U.S. policy.

David Axelrod, the chief strategist behind Barack Obama’s two presidential campaigns and a key player in the Obama White House, was spotted at the Vatican last week meeting with the newly installed “American” Pope Leo XIV, the first U.S.-born pontiff in history and a Chicago native with deep ties to the same political circles that produced Obama.

According to CBS News:

Pope Leo XIV on Thursday met with David Axelrod, a longtime Democratic strategist and former senior advisor to former President Barack Obama.

The meeting has many wondering if the pope might soon have a formal meeting with Obama himself.

Leo was born in Chicago and raised in south suburban Dolton. While Axelrod was born in New York, like Obama, he attended the University of Chicago, and after working as a reporter at the Chicago Tribune in the 1980s, he later helped Obama get elected president in 2008.

While the Vatican did not provide any details on Axelrod’s meeting with Leo on Thursday, six weeks ago, Obama made it clear he’d like to meet his hometown pope.

“Being president, or even being an ex-president, I can kind of meet everybody. So, I’ve met a lot of folks. The person who I have not yet met, and that I’m looking forward to meeting – and I hope I get an opportunity sometime in the future – is the new pope, who’s from Chicago, and a White Sox fan,” Obama said on Bryan Tyler Cohen’s podcast in February.

Then, almost immediately, Pope Leo XIV and a trio of cardinals began hammering President Trump and his America First policies in unusually aggressive terms.

Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton weighed in on X, blasting the optics of the appearance and the glaring double standard of three cardinals.

“America kills about 1,000,000 unborn human beings a year through abortion and yet three leading cardinals go on 60 Minutes to promote left-wing talking points on Trump, the illegal immigration invasion, etc.”

Commentator Mike Cernovich also warned that the media push appears coordinated and strategic, aimed squarely at reshaping Catholic voting behavior ahead of the midterms.

“The Catholic vote swung big for Trump in 2024… So the issue now, of course, is what can be done to bring the Catholics back to the Democrats. So you have an op coming on multiple fronts.”

Cernovich pointed to what he described as a contradiction in messaging from Church leadership:

“The Pope plays this game where he goes, well, of course a country can have a border… But then the bishops are on 60 Minutes going, these mass deportations are inhumane. Well, how can you have a border if you don’t have deportations?”

He continued, questioning the selectivity of moral outrage:

“Where’s the Pope’s moral authority when it comes to condemning official Democrat policies on abortion? You’re not seeing it. You’re seeing an op.”

Cernovich also criticized what he sees as a broader pattern of political alignment:

“Understand that we’re being attacked by false doctrine… You have to take the straight narrow path right in between that.”

On a recent segment on CNN, Hal Lambert, former director at Credit Suisse and manager at JP Morgan, laid it out crystal clear:

“100% political. Okay. This is all about trying to hurt President Trump’s Catholic vote during the midterms and Republicans during the midterms. If you look at what— play out the dots here. David Axelrod goes and visits Pope Leo last week… David Axelrod goes and visits Pope Leo last week. They’re talking about Obama going to visit Pope Leo. Pope Leo’s from Chicago. All of a sudden, now Pope Leo is out attacking Trump and the policies of the United States and Israel.”

Lambert continued:

“You have 3 cardinals come out today attacking the immigration policy. This is all about trying to get the Catholic vote against Trump… Axelrod is chief strategist for Obama. The pope is saying he’s not political? Why is he meeting with the chief strategist for both Obama’s campaign and in the White House?”

When challenged by a skeptical Abby Phillip, Lambert fired back without hesitation, pointing out the glaring double standard on foreign policy:

“Let me ask you this. Why Pope Leo been— when Iran killed 30,000-plus of their own citizens, he didn’t call out the Iranian regime at all. He said we need to stop violence. That was very milquetoast. That wasn’t calling out the Iranian regime. And yet he’s calling out the United States and Israel. Why is that?”

Exactly. Why the selective outrage?

WATCH:

HAL LAMBERT JUST CALLED IT OUT

“David Axelrod goes and visits Pope Leo…all of a sudden, now Pope Leo is out attacking Trump and the policies of the United States and Israel.”

“Axelrod is the chief strategist for Obama. The Pope was saying he’s not political. Why is he… pic.twitter.com/AQ4vwcoLty

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) April 14, 2026

Catholic voters handed Trump historic margins in 2024. The globalist left knows it. They also know that if they can peel away even a portion of that support by weaponizing the “American Pope,” they can flip key districts and slow down Trump’s America First agenda.

The post The Unholy Alliance? — Hal Lambert Raises Alarming Questions After Obama Strategist David Axelrod Spotted at Vatican as ‘American’ Pope Leo XIV Launches Attacks on President Trump appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

A man allegedly linked to “white supremacist movements” has now pleaded guilty to a disturbing series of crimes, including firebombing a nonprofit using a napalm-style device and attempting to assist the foreign terrorist organization Hezbollah.

28-year-old Regan Darby Prater of Tullahoma, Tennessee, stood before a federal judge in Knoxville and copped to one count of arson and one count of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.

According to the Department of Justice, Prater admitted he drove from his home to the Highlander Research and Education Center in New Market, Tennessee.

According to the press release:

“Regan Darby Prater, 28, currently of Tullahoma, Tennessee, entered a guilty plea to one count of arson and one count of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. Prater pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville. Sentencing has been set before U.S. District Judge Thomas A. Varlan for Sept. 9, in Knoxville.

Prater faces up to 20 years in federal prison, along with related fines, restitution, and a term of supervised release to be served after he is released from custody. As part of his agreement, Prater waived indictment by a Federal Grand Jury and agreed to plead guilty to the aforementioned charges.

Court documents establish that Prater used a so-called “sparkler bomb,” i.e., a napalm-based incendiary device ignited by a common sparkler, to destroy facilities maintained by the Highlander Center, a school for grassroots leaders and social movements in New Market, Tennessee. As part of his guilty plea, Prater admitted that he drove from his home in Tullahoma to the Highlander Center, ignited the sparkler bomb, and destroyed a building, ultimately causing over $1.2 million in damage.

Before he detonated the bomb, Prater spray-painted the symbol of the Iron Guard, a 1930s-era paramilitary arm of the Romanian Nazi Party, in the Highlander Center parking lot. This same symbol was engraved on the rifle used in the terrorist attacks in Christchurch, New Zealand, just two weeks prior to the arson. Prater acknowledged that he committed the arson at the Highland Center due to his white-supremacist ideology and as a response to the Highlander Center’s faith-based educational priorities and its association with the Civil Rights Movement.

Separately, Prater also admitted that, in 2019, he attempted to provide material support to Hizballah, also known as “Hezbollah,” which the United States has recognized as a Foreign Terrorist Organization since 1997. Specifically, Prater obtained a document purporting to contain personally identifiable information of over 35,000 individuals purportedly affiliated with the government of Israel. He then provided that document to an individual he believed to be associated with Hizballah, stating, among other things: “Start the hunt.””

The post Man Pleads Guilty to Firebombing Nonprofit with Napalm Device – ALSO Tried to Hand Hezbollah a Hit List of 35,000 Israelis Saying “Start the Hunt” appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

The 30-year-old creep caught on camera terrorizing a California family, screaming “Where’s your daughter?!” while kicking down their door and ripping off their doorbell, has now been hit with additional felony charges for “annoying or molesting a child under 18.”

Jason Thomas Nichols became an internet sensation for all the wrong reasons after a chilling home invasion in Fairfield, California.

Doorbell footage showed Nichols pacing outside a family’s home, demanding to know “Where’s your daughter?” while threatening violence and attempting to force entry.

At one point, the suspect bizarrely claimed to be “Harry Dresden,” a fictional wizard detective before escalating into outright terror.

Moments later, he forced entry through a sliding glass door, with a woman and child inside, triggering a violent confrontation with the homeowner, who rushed back and defended his family.

WATCH:

Scary encounter captured on Ring camera as man demands, “Where is your daughter?” … I’m trying to learn more about the situation and if any arrests were made. pic.twitter.com/vabWa9PqUc

— Robbie Harvey (@therobbieharvey) April 10, 2026

KTVU reported:

The video depicts a resident of the 1700 block of Burbank Court using a shovel to battle the intruder on Tuesday before police arrived.

Police praised “the actions of the homeowner, who worked to protect his family while officers were responding to the scene.”

A man later identified as 30-year-old Jason Nichols attempted to break into the residence occupied by a woman and child by kicking the front door, police said. When that failed, he gained entry through a sliding glass door.

“The homeowner’s husband, who was away at the time, observed the suspect through a home security camera and immediately returned to the residence,” police said.

As the suspect entered the home, the homeowner “armed himself with a shovel, and confronted Nichols,” police said.

“A physical altercation ensued, during which both the homeowner and Nichols sustained head injuries,” police added.

According to Fairfield Police, the new charges stem from a disturbing April 5, 2026, encounter – just two days before the viral home invasion on April 7.

A witness contacted police on April 12 to report an incident involving Jason Thomas Nichols and the witness’s child.

Fairfield, CA Police Department wrote on Facebook:

Update Regarding April 7, 2026 Incident – Fairfield Police Department Statement

On April 12, 2026, a witness contacted the Fairfield Police Department to provide information regarding an encounter involving 30-year-old Jason Nichols and the witness’s child on April 5, 2026. Based on the investigation, officers determined there was probable cause to arrest Nichols for additional crimes. While Nichols remained in custody for the previous incident, he was additionally booked for one count of 647.6 PC, annoying or molesting a child under 18.

Fairfield Police detectives are actively investigating this incident. Due to the sensitive nature of this case and the involvement of a minor, no further information will be provided. The Fairfield Police Department remains dedicated to ensuring the safety of our community and supporting those affected by these crimes.

His total bail has now skyrocketed to $60,000.

The post Husband RUSHES Back After Watching Sick Home Invasion on Camera — Suspect SLAPPED with New Child Molestation Charges Just Days After Targeting Another Kid appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Vice President JD Vance, a man who converted to Catholicism as an adult and has repeatedly proven himself one of the most devout and principled Catholic voices in American public life, just delivered a stinging message to Pope Leo XIV: Stick to matters of morality and leave American public policy to the President of the United States.

As previously reported, Trump blasted the Pope as “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy,” particularly over the Vatican’s criticism of U.S. actions abroad, including the Iran conflict.

Pope Leo has doubled down, condemning war and warning against using religious messaging to justify violence, insisting he will “continue to speak loudly” for peace.

Vance, speaking on Fox News with Brett Baier, didn’t mince words as the radical left and their Vatican allies continue their latest meltdown over President Trump’s America First agenda.

Bret Baier:
Do you think that when the president says it’s hurting him very badly—going catering to the radical left—that it’s hurting the Catholic Church? Do you agree with the president there?

JD Vance:
Well, look, I think the president has the prerogative to set American foreign policy. He’s got the prerogative to set American immigration policy. He has to look out for the interests of the United States of America. And that inevitably means that when the Vatican comments on issues of public policy, sometimes there’s going to be agreement—of course—and sometimes there’s going to be disagreement.

I think that’s a reasonable thing, Bret. Again, I don’t think that it’s particularly newsworthy, but I certainly think that in some cases it would be best for the Vatican to stick to matters of morality—to stick to matters of, you know, what’s going on in the Catholic Church—and let the president of the United States stick to dictating American public policy.

But when they’re in conflict, they’re in conflict. I don’t worry about it too much, Bret. I think it’s a natural thing. I’m sure it’ll happen in the future, and it’s not that big of a deal that it happened in the past.

WATCH:

Fox News’ Bret Baier: “Do you think that when the president says it’s ‘hurting him very badly,’ ‘catering to the radical left’ is hurting the Catholic Church?’ Do you agree with the president there?”

Vice President JD Vance: “I think in some cases it would be best for the… pic.twitter.com/jhNrWO5fEa

— RedWave Press (@RedWavePress) April 13, 2026

Vance also addressed the media firestorm surrounding Trump’s viral AI-generated image. Vance dismissed the outrage as media-driven hysteria.

WATCH:

JUST NOW — JD VANCE on Trump’s deleted post after religious backlash: “He doesn’t send everything through a communications professional.”

“The president was posting a joke and of course he took it down because he recognized that a lot of people weren’t understanding his humor… pic.twitter.com/oFiRV6ry1d

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) April 13, 2026

The post JD Vance, Who Converted to Catholicism as an Adult FIRES BACK at Pope Leo — Tells Vatican to “Stick to Morality” as He Defends Trump appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Disgraced California Rep. Eric Swalwell was caught on video looking completely bleary-eyed and wearing nothing but a robe while partying with a rotating crew of young “yacht girls” during a luxury blowout off the coast of St. Tropez.

According to a report from New York Post’s Page Six, the video shows Swalwell aboard a luxury yacht surrounded by a group of young women, described by sources as a rotating cast of mostly British and American guests, during what insiders called a “hush-hush” getaway.

The video was shared on Instagram by Nik Richie, CEO of Warrior Network Agency, a full-service public relations and marketing firm based in Newport Beach, California.

Sources familiar with the trip told the news outlet that the week-long excursion was alcohol-fueled and chaotic, with jet skiing, partying, and a constant flow of guests cycling on and off the vessel.

The yacht, reportedly a 200-foot luxury vessel chartered in the French Riviera, hosted a small group of men alongside numerous young women, many of whom allegedly did not know each other prior to arriving.

The attendees were allegedly told to keep Swalwell’s presence quiet.

Page Six reported:

Sources tell us that in early September 2022, two of Swalwell’s pals jetted by private plane from Las Vegas to the French Riviera town where they chartered the 200 ft Arience yacht, and called Swalwell to come join them.

We’re told the now-former Congressman arrived by commercial flight and joined them by tender on the stunning luxury craft.

We’re told there were some four or five men on the boat, including Swalwell, and a group of beautiful young women.

According to our source, one of the women, a Brit believed to be in her late teens, appeared to be romantically involved with one of the men in the group. But the five or six other women, a mix of Brits and Americans who were a little older (apparently in their 20s), seemed otherwise unacquainted both with the group or with each other.

“The people on the boat were told to keep it hush-hush about Swalwell being on the trip,” said a source familiar with the week-long excursion around the French Riviera. “They were told everything stays on the boat.”

[…]

“It didn’t seem like a politician,” said a source familiar with the antics aboard, “More like president of a frat house.”

We’re told some of the women seemed to be shipped back to shore, never to return, while others arrived to “replace them.”

WATCH:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Nik Richie (@nikrichie)

The post SHOCK VIDEO Surfaces of “Bleary-Eyed” Eric Swalwell Spotted in Robe Partying on Luxury St. Tropez Yacht Packed with Young Women appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Bombshell new details have emerged that could finally send the serial scandal-plagued congressman straight to prison.

As The Gateway Pundit has been reporting for days, Martin Shkreli and Jack Posobiec dropped the bombshell videos exposing Swalwell’s bizarre hotel room antics with an alleged sex worker.

Luna herself has already filed a motion to expel the disgraced congressman from the House.

On Monday, Luna wrote on X that more “disgusting” information about Eric Swalwell is expected to be released within the next 24 hours. She also issued a warning to Swalwell regarding the person who recorded the video.

“I am being told there will be more disgusting stuff coming out on Swallwell in the next 24 hours. For the members of Congress who are concerned about optics on expelling Swalwell, I think after the information drops you will be thinking otherwise. Eric, why dont you tell us a little about who was filming the video of the female sex worker.”

I am being told there will be more disgusting stuff coming out on Swallwell in the next 24 hours. For the members of Congress who are concerned about optics on expelling Swalwell, I think after the information drops you will be thinking otherwise.

Eric, why dont you tell us a…

— Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (@RepLuna) April 13, 2026

Following this threat, Swalwell resigned from Congress and suspended his gubernatorial bid amid the avalanche of allegations, but the hits just keep on coming.

During an appearance with Fox News host Jesse Watters, Luna claimed that new forensic evidence and witness accounts suggest the now-viral hotel room video allegedly involving Swalwell is not only authentic, but may involve an underage individual behind the camera.

Anna Paulina Luna:
So what I will say is that many people on the Hill knew about this. Many reporters have come forward—even in talking to me—saying that they had heard stories about this. But I do think that he has serious criminal problems on his hands, and I do think that he might end up in jail, Jesse.

And if I could just share with you for a moment—not only did I receive forensic reporting showing that that infamous video of him in the hotel room was indeed him, and that it was not AI-generated—but I’m also being told that: A) more stuff is going to be dropping in the next 24 hours; and B) potentially, the individual who recorded that video in that hotel room, Jesse, was a female—and she was underage.

Jesse Watters:
Oh, just so the audience is aware, there’s a video that’s circulating. Fox hasn’t confirmed it yet. It appears to show Swalwell on a bed, maybe another guy, making out with a girl. That’s it—that’s all we know.

But if what you’re saying is true—and we don’t know—but if that’s true, that is very, very, very bad news.

WATCH:

Based on a forensic report I’ve seen, Eric Swalwell could be facing jail soon. He did the right thing by resigning but his troubles aren’t over yet. pic.twitter.com/1TgwscDG4k

— Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (@RepLuna) April 14, 2026

The post Rep. Anna Paulina Luna Drops EXPLOSIVE Allegation on Jesse Watters — Claims the Individual Who Filmed Eric Swalwell Kissing Alleged Sex Worker Was UNDERAGE appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Iran’s radical Muslim President Masoud Pezeshkian has rushed to praise and defend Pope Leo XIV after the Chicago-born pontiff launched yet another attack on President Donald Trump for standing up to the bloodthirsty Iranian regime.

As The Gateway Pundit reported, Trump delivered a blistering takedown of Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born pontiff, slamming the Vatican leader as weak on crime, disastrous on foreign policy, and far too cozy with the radical left.

Trump also noted that he recently hosted the Pope’s brother, Louis, at the White House, a man who actually understands the MAGA movement.

When asked by the Associated Press about Trump’s post, Pope Leo XIV refused to back down. He stated that he is sharing the message of the Gospel and suggested that Trump had no clue of its meaning.

“I’m sorry to hear that (from Trump)…I do not look at my role as being political or a politician. I don’t want to get into a debate with him; I don’t think the message of the Gospel is to be used in the way some people are doing,” Pope Leo told reporters.

“And I will continue to speak loudly against war and to promote peace, dialogue, and multilateral relationships among states.

“Too many people are suffering in the world today. Too many innocent people are being killed, and someone has to stand up and say there’s a better way.”

Critics, however, note that the pope has remained silent on atrocities committed by the Islamic regime.

Now, the leader of a terrorist-sponsoring, nuclear-obsessed Islamic theocracy, one that executes women for defying hijab laws, has killed tens of thousands of its own citizens for protesting, bankrolls Hamas, Hezbollah, and other proxies, and routinely chants “Death to America,” is now sending “glory by Allah” to the Pope for bashing Trump’s America First foreign policy.

Pezeshkian took to X on Monday to publicly condemn President Trump’s fiery response to Pope Leo’s meddling:

“His Holiness Pope Leo XIV (@Pontifex), I condemn the insult to Your Excellency on behalf of the great nation of Iran, and declare that the desecration of Jesus, the prophet of peace and brotherhood, is not acceptable to any free person. I wish you glory by Allah.”

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV (@Pontifex), I condemn the insult to Your Excellency on behalf of the great nation of Iran, and declare that the desecration of Jesus, the prophet of peace and brotherhood, is not acceptable to any free person. I wish you glory by Allah.

— Masoud Pezeshkian (@drpezeshkian) April 13, 2026

This is the same regime that has driven thousands of Christians out of Iran, persecuting them, imprisoning them, denying them the ability to worship freely, and in some cases subjecting them to torture or death. Now that same regime wants to posture as a defender of Christianity and weigh in on Church matters?

As we’ve reported here at The Gateway Pundit, this isn’t the first time the new Pope has waded into U.S. politics to undermine Trump.

From migration to the Iran conflict, Leo XIV has shown himself to be far more interested in left-wing globalist talking points than in the traditional defense of Western civilization and Christianity.

The post You Can’t Make This Up: Iran’s Radical Muslim President Praises Pope Leo XIV for Attacking Trump — “Glory by Allah” as Radical Islam and the Far-Left Vatican Team Up Against America First appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

The radical Left in Sacramento has finally done it.

In a move straight out of a totalitarian playbook, the California Assembly Judiciary Committee voted 11-2 on Monday to advance AB 2624, the so-called “Stop Nick Shirley Act,” a disgusting Democrat power grab designed to make it illegal for brave citizen journalists like Nick Shirley to expose the rampant fraud bleeding American taxpayers dry in immigrant service centers.

This is nothing less than an all-out assault on the First Amendment by the radical left in the People’s Republic of California.

The bill, authored by far-left Assemblywoman Mia Bonta (wife of Attorney General Rob Bonta), would slap investigative reporters with massive civil sanctions starting at $4,000 minimum if a fraudster from one of these “immigrant service centers” decides they don’t want to be caught on camera committing their scams.

The crook can then run to court for an injunction banning the journalist from filming or exposing them on camera for up to four years.

And if the journalist refuses to take down the original video? Triple the damages, $12,000, just for telling the truth!

In the worst cases, if the journalist is accused of “doxxing” or creating an “imminent threat” by simply reporting the facts, they could face criminal charges and $10,000 fines.

The bill classifies legitimate investigative journalism as “harassment” when it targets these so-called “immigrant service centers” you know, the fake Somali daycares and Los Angeles hospice operations that Nick Shirley has been courageously exposing.

What a disgrace! This is Democrats in action: protecting fraud artists over the American people.

California State Assemblymember Carl DeMaio is among those raising urgent concerns about the legislation, warning that AB 2624 (Bonta) represents a dangerous escalation in government efforts to control investigative reporting.

CA State Assemblymember Carl DeMaio is slamming state Democrats for voting to advance a controversial new law (AB 2624) to silence citizen journalists and shield taxpayer-funded organizations from public scrutiny.

DeMaio has gone as far as dubbing AB 2624 the “Stop Nick Shirley Act” for the chilling effect it will have on free speech.

AB 2624 comes as independent journalists like Nick Shirley have used viral videos to expose fraud and abuse in government-funded programs using on-the-ground footage and firsthand documentation.

AB 2624 claims to be about protecting immigrant organizations from “threats of violence,” when in fact the legislation would apply to any left-wing group that claims to provide any services to legal or illegal immigrants. For example, under AB 2624 entities like the Somali “Learing” Daycare centers would all be covered if they operated inside California.

During a recent Assembly committee hearing, DeMaio directly confronted the bill’s author, Mia Bonta, over language that would allow individuals affiliated with certain organizations to demand the removal of video recordings — even if taken in public — and even impose costly financial penalties against those who publish the videos online.

DeMaio warned the bill would be used to block investigative reporting and intimidate journalists, watchdog groups, and members of the public documenting wrongdoing.

Assemblymember Carl DeMaio’s Full Statement on AB 2624:

“California Democrats are trying to intimidate citizen watchdog journalists and protect waste and fraud happening in far-Left-wing NGOs. AB 2624 can only be described as the ‘Stop Nick Shirley Act’ — a bill designed to silence citizen journalists exposing fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars.

Instead of fixing the fraud problems being uncovered, Sacramento politicians are trying to shut down the people exposing them.

AB 2624 would allow activists and taxpayer-funded organizations to demand the removal of video evidence — even if it captures misconduct in plain view — and threatens journalists with massive financial penalties.

That’s not about public safety — it’s about protecting powerful interests.

If this bill becomes law, the message is clear to every journalist in California: expose corruption and you will be punished. AB 2624 is an unconstitutional direct attack on transparency and the First Amendment – and it needs to be defeated.”

Nick Shirley blew the lid off over $110 million in Somali daycare fraud in Minnesota back in December 2025, empty facilities billing taxpayers while kids were nowhere to be found.

He faced death threats and doxxing for his work, which we reported on extensively. Then in March 2026, Shirley dropped another bombshell: $170 million in similar fraud in California daycares and hospices, with ghost operations registered to empty lots and strip malls.

The post What are They Hiding? — Radical California Democrats Pass ‘Stop Nick Shirley Act’ to Criminalize Investigative Journalism and Shield Massive Immigrant Services Fraud from Scrutiny appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Three progressive American Cardinals, Blase Cupich of Chicago, Robert McElroy of San Diego, and Joseph Tobin of Newark, crashed CBS’s failing Sunday night propaganda hour “60 Minutes” to publicly flog President Donald Trump for daring to criticize the newly elected Pope Leo XIV.

This was a coordinated election-year hit job designed to fracture President Trump’s exploding Catholic voter base just months before the critical 2026 midterms.

Pope Leo XIV has already waded into U.S. politics by slamming President Trump’s decisive military action against Iran and his record-setting mass deportation operation that is finally securing our southern border.

On national television, Cupich, McElroy, and Tobin, seized the moment like seasoned Democrat operatives. They didn’t defend Catholic teaching.

They didn’t talk about the 70 million aborted babies since Roe. They didn’t mention the flood of fentanyl killing American families thanks to open borders. Instead, they lectured the President and, by extension, every Catholic who supports him.

WATCH:

“I hate Trump and I LOVE open borders” -D.C. Cardinal McElroy

This is a FULL TDS meltdown from a man as his Church cashes BILLIONS from trafficking illegals through Catholic Charities.

Shame on him. pic.twitter.com/9HgJEY50Uz

— Liz Churchill (@liz_churchill10) April 13, 2026

Robert Barron, Bishop of the Diocese of Winona–Rochester and a member of President Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission, also issued a statement criticizing the president:

“The statements made by President Trump on Truth Social regarding the Pope were entirely inappropriate and disrespectful. They don’t contribute at all to a constructive conversation. It is the Pope’s prerogative to articulate Catholic doctrine and the principles that govern the moral life.

In regard to the concrete application of those principles, people of good will can and do disagree. I would warmly recommend that serious Catholics within the Trump administration–Secretary Rubio, Vice President Vance, Ambassador Brian Burch, and others–might meet with Vatican officials so that a real dialogue can take place. This is far preferable to the statements on social media.

I am very grateful for the many ways that the Trump administration has reached out to Catholics and other people of faith. It has been a high honor to serve on the Religious Liberty Commission. No President in my lifetime has shown a greater dedication to defending our first liberty. All that said, I think the President owes the Pope an apology.”

The statements made by President Trump on Truth Social regarding the Pope were entirely inappropriate and disrespectful. They don’t contribute at all to a constructive conversation. It is the Pope’s prerogative to articulate Catholic doctrine and the principles that govern the…

— Bishop Robert Barron (@BishopBarron) April 13, 2026

Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton weighed in on X, blasting the optics of the appearance and the glaring double standard:

“America kills about 1,000,000 unborn human beings a year through abortion and yet three leading cardinals go on 60 Minutes to promote left-wing talking points on Trump, the illegal immigration invasion, etc.”

Commentator Mike Cernovich also warned that the media push appears coordinated and strategic—aimed squarely at reshaping Catholic voting behavior ahead of the midterms.

“The Catholic vote swung big for Trump in 2024… So the issue now, of course, is what can be done to bring the Catholics back to the Democrats. So you have an op coming on multiple fronts.”

Cernovich pointed to what he described as a contradiction in messaging from Church leadership:

“The Pope plays this game where he goes, well, of course a country can have a border… But then the bishops are on 60 Minutes going, these mass deportations are inhumane. Well, how can you have a border if you don’t have deportations?”

He continued, questioning the selectivity of moral outrage:

“Where’s the Pope’s moral authority when it comes to condemning official Democrat policies on abortion? You’re not seeing it. You’re seeing an op.”

Cernovich also criticized what he sees as a broader pattern of political alignment:

“Understand that we’re being attacked by false doctrine… You have to take the straight narrow path right in between that.”

WATCH:

The Pope and Bishops work with Bari Weiss and Obama-era Democrat operatives / 60 Minutes to undermine Trump’s domestic policy on immigration. pic.twitter.com/NMNK0hGzSM

— Cernovich (@Cernovich) April 13, 2026

The post Three American Cardinals Use 60 Minutes to Pile On President Trump Over Pope Leo XIV Spat — Desperate Play to Shatter Trump’s Catholic Base Before 2026 Midterms appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

President Donald Trump is once again taking heat from the media and even some allies after posting an AI-generated image that critics rushed to label “blasphemous.”

The controversy erupted after Trump shared an image on Truth Social depicting himself in flowing robes, appearing to heal a man, imagery that many in the media immediately framed as “Christ-like.”

The since-deleted image was shared on Orthodox Easter Sunday right after Trump torched the weak-on-crime, America-bashing Pope Leo XIV for criticizing U.S. and Israeli policy in Iran.

Riley Gaines, a vocal supporter of Trump wrote on X:

“Why? Seriously, I cannot understand why he’d post this. Is he looking for a response? Does he actually think this? Either way, two things are true. 1) a little humility would serve him well 2) God shall not be mocked”

Why? Seriously, I cannot understand why he’d post this. Is he looking for a response? Does he actually think this?

Either way, two things are true.

1) a little humility would serve him well
2) God shall not be mocked https://t.co/GViHqWeDEr

— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) April 13, 2026

When asked by reporters about the post and the backlash, Trump responded:

Reporter:
Mr. President, did you post that picture of yourself depicted as Jesus Christ?

Trump:
Well, it wasn’t depicted—it was me. I did post it, and I thought it was me as a doctor and had to do with the Red Cross, as a Red Cross worker there, which we support. And only the fake news could come up with that one. So I had—I just heard about it, and I said, “How did they come up with that?” It’s supposed to be me as a doctor making people better. And I do make people better—I make people a lot better.

WATCH:

JUST IN: President Trump responds to backlash over an image he posted which seemed to depict him as Jesus

“It’s supposed to be me as a doctor making people better, and I do make people better. I make people a lot better!” pic.twitter.com/x526mPp2ME

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) April 13, 2026

The post Trump RESPONDS to Backlash After Posting a Christ-Like Image: “I Thought It Was Me as a Doctor” appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Lefty casino and timeshare mogul Stephen Cloobeck, who once called Swalwell his “little brother” and poured over $1 million into his flailing campaign for California governor, has dramatically cut all ties and kicked the serial liar out of his luxurious $26 million Beverly Hills mansion.

Cloobeck is now demanding every penny of his cash back after explosive new allegations that Swalwell sexually assaulted multiple women, including a former staffer who claims the Democrat raped her while she was too drunk to consent, the New York Post reported.

The Gateway Pundit reported last month that Swalwell has been missing votes in Congress while running for California governor, spending his time hanging out at a multimillion-dollar Beverly Hills mansion owned by one of his top campaign donors.

Swalwell has visited the lavish 9,700-square-foot estate on Roxbury Drive on at least 10 different days since September.

The property, owned by Las Vegas timeshare mogul Stephen Cloobeck, features six bedrooms, seven bathrooms, a tennis court, double gates, and luxury artwork that Swalwell has used as a backdrop for social media videos and TV interviews.

Congressional records show Swalwell missed House floor votes on at least three days when he posted content from the mansion.

Swalwell missed more votes in 2025 than any other active member of Congress, more than even the late Rep. Raúl Grijalva, who died in March.

Cloobeck has been a major backer of Swalwell’s gubernatorial campaign. He contributed $1 million to a supporting committee, provided resources from his own short-lived 2025 governor bid, and previously spent $31,000 on a trip flying Swalwell to Nice, France, according to congressional gift reports. Cloobeck has publicly referred to Swalwell as his “Little Brother” and confirmed the use of his home for campaign work, saying of one televised hit, “That’s my backdrop. Mi casa, su casa.”

The visits occurred during key moments in Swalwell’s campaign, including the October government shutdown, his November campaign rollout, a December campaign stop, and multiple days in January.

Now, according to an explosive New York Post report, Cloobeck confronted the congressman and told him to get the hell out.

The billionaire is done with the entire corrupt Democrat Party, stating, “F— the Democratic Party… I’m a libertarian now.”

He added, “I’m going to change my god d— party affiliation, because I cannot stand this Democratic Party at all… I am done. Finito.”

Billionaire kicks Eric Swalwell out of his mansion and wants $1M back after heinous sex allegations https://t.co/Aw0yLVZB4T pic.twitter.com/TJTR6fjfdI

— New York Post (@nypost) April 13, 2026

This comes just hours before Swalwell was forced to suspend his pathetic bid for California governor amid a growing pile of sexual misconduct claims from at least four women.

Read more:

BREAKING: Swalwell Drops Out of California Governor’s Race Amid Allegations of Sexual Assault

The post Lefty Billionaire Boots Disgraced Swalwell from His $26 Million Beverly Hills Mansion and Demands $1 Million Back After Heinous Sex Assault and Rape Allegations — Then Changes Political Party: “F— the Democratic Party… I Am Done. Finito.” appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Far-left California Democrat Rep. Ro Khanna got absolutely torched in a live, unscripted showdown on Jubilee Media’s “Surrounded” series, where one fed-up voter shredded his selective outrage over Epstein files and exposed the deadly hypocrisy of Democrat open borders policies that have unleashed thousands of criminal aliens onto California streets.

Khanna, the co-author of the bipartisan Epstein Files Transparency Act alongside Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), showed up to debate 20 citizen critics about elite sex trafficking and accountability for the ultra-wealthy.

But the conversation took a sharp, reality-based turn when everyday American Marien, a sharp Black woman fed up with the two-tiered system, called him out on the real threat to children and families: the radical Democrat policies Khanna and his party have championed for years.

During the debate, Khanna tried to play the “populist” card, attacking wealthy individuals named in the Epstein files. But Marien wasn’t having it.

She pushed back, reminding the Congressman that in the United States, we actually have something called “due process,” something the left wants to strip away from their political enemies while granting total immunity to illegal invaders.

The exchange got heated when Marien pointed out the elephant in the room: The Democrat-led invasion at our southern border.

“As a regular everyday American citizen I feel that I am more likely to be harmed by democratic policies such as open borders… In your state something like 4,600 or so illegal migrants that had criminal records were re-released from jail.

So when we’re talking about harming Americans, when we’re talking about children potentially being harmed, when we’re looking into child trafficking, we have to acknowledge that illegal migration is the biggest funnel for child trafficking. So when we’re worried about Epstein with a couple of people and you guys turn a blind eye to tens of thousands of children being harmed by your policy, that’s a problem.”

Khanna tried to squirm, claiming “I am pro secure borders” and whining about ICE raids on “undocumented folks” who “may be paying taxes.” Marien wasn’t having it:

Marien: No one in California can say that they’re for a secure border.

Khanna: Well, that’s a policy I’ve been pushing for. But let me say this: instead of having ICE raids in places like Minneapolis, killing Americans like Alex Pretti and Renée Good, and doing raids on undocumented folks here who may be paying taxes and running a restaurant, how about we focus on the border to stop terrorists, gangs, and sex trafficking?

Marien: So if you are worried about sex trafficking, why is your focus on the rich people who are committing significantly fewer sex trafficking crimes? Not saying that they’re innocent, but your anger toward this seems very skewed and hypocritical.

Khanna: Because they feel above the law that they use.

Marien: And so do these migrants who get right back out of jail when you guys let them out. They are above the law. They are at a tier that gets to walk free whenever they want.

WATCH:

The post Fed-Up Voter DESTROYS Far-Left Ro Khanna Over California’s Pro-Criminal Border Policies: “I feel that I am more likely to be harmed by Democratic policies” appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

The post BREAKING: Bloomberg, Nadler, and the Radical NYC Machine Demand a Coronation: Lucian Wintrich is Giving Them the Fight of Their Lives appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

President Donald Trump just delivered a blistering, no-holds-barred takedown of Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born pontiff, exposing the Vatican leader as weak on crime, disastrous on foreign policy, and far too cozy with the Radical Left.

In a blistering Truth Social post Sunday night, the 47th President torched the Chicago-born pontiff for his repeated far-left jabs at America First policies, calling him “WEAK on Crime” and “terrible for Foreign Policy.”

He called out the Pope’s dangerous foreign policy, which seems to prioritize the “civilization” of a terror-sponsoring regime in Iran over the safety of the American people.

Trump also pointed out the stark contrast between the Pope and his own family.

Trump noted that he recently hosted the Pope’s brother, Louis, at the White House, a man who actually understands the MAGA movement.

Trump wrote on Truth Social:

“Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy. He talks about “fear” of the Trump Administration, but doesn’t mention the FEAR that the Catholic Church, and all other Christian Organizations, had during COVID when they were arresting priests, ministers, and everybody else, for holding Church Services, even when going outside, and being ten and even twenty feet apart.

I like his brother Louis much better than I like him, because Louis is all MAGA. He gets it, and Leo doesn’t!

I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon. I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s terrible that America attacked Venezuela, a Country that was sending massive amounts of Drugs into the United States and, even worse, emptying their prisons, including murderers, drug dealers, and killers, into our Country.

And I don’t want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I’m doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do, setting Record Low Numbers in Crime, and creating the Greatest Stock Market in History. Leo should be thankful because, as everyone knows, he was a shocking surprise.

He wasn’t on any list to be Pope, and was only put there by the Church because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump.

If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican. Unfortunately, Leo’s Weak on Crime, Weak on Nuclear Weapons, does not sit well with me, nor does the fact that he meets with Obama Sympathizers like David Axelrod, a LOSER from the Left, who is one of those who wanted churchgoers and clerics to be arrested.

Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician. It’s hurting him very badly and, more importantly, it’s hurting the Catholic Church!”

This comes just days after The Gateway Pundit reported Pope Leo XIV rushing to condemn President Trump’s iron-fisted Iran warning as “truly unacceptable.”

The far-left pontiff blasted Trump’s ultimatum to the bloodthirsty Iranian regime, siding with the mullahs over American strength.

Read more:

Pope Leo XIV BLASTS Trump’s Iran Warning as ‘UNACCEPTABLE’ (VIDEO)

The post President Trump TORCHES “Weak-on-Crime” Pope Leo XIV in Epic Takedown — Calls Out Vatican’s Radical Leftist Turn appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Guest post by Enrique Tarrio and Zachary Rehl

The government just filed its response to Zach’s Rule 33 motion for a new trial. They didn’t deny a single thing Jeremy Bertino said in his recantation.

They didn’t challenge the sworn affidavit or the two lawyer-led video depositions. They basically admitted their star witness flipped and admitted he lied under oath.

Instead, they are fighting tooth and nail to agree with Merrick Garland and Joe Biden.

This is the same DOJ that is supposed to be working for President Trump. We are the ones who got Bertino to admit he lied.

Enrique got him under oath in two depositions and on a live podcast. The government’s entire seditious conspiracy case against the Proud Boys hinged on Bertino.

He was their star witness. Without him, the narrative collapses.

And now he’s on record saying the feds coerced him — especially FBI Special Agent Nicole Miller, who is still employed by the FBI — threatened him with 25 years, and forced him to lie to tie everything back to Trump and the “planned conspiracy” they needed for the hoax.

Bertino says Miller lied to him to get the testimony they wanted.

The government knows this. They don’t dispute it.

Yet they are still fighting tooth and nail in court to defend the exact position Merrick Garland and Joe Biden took — that nothing was wrong with what was done to us.

I said it during the trial and I’ll say it again: the Biden DOJ’s whole plan was to tie Trump directly to the Proud Boys to push the hoax and eventually charge him with seditious conspiracy to keep him off the ballot.

Now, with midterms approaching and Democrats already talking impeachment again, they’re going to resurrect January 6th.

You can bet on it. So why are the same prosecutors who ran this case still employed?

Why is Jocelyn Ballantine — the lead prosecutor on the Proud Boys case — still at the DOJ and still signing off on filings that fight the very evidence that destroys the narrative she helped build?

Why did Jeanine Pirro sign this response? We shouldn’t have to fight Jeanine Pirro for the truth that everybody already knows.

The President has said publicly that what was done to us was wrong. He commuted our sentences and fully pardoned Enrique.

He knows these cases were a farce. Yet his own DOJ is still counter-signaling him.

They are defending the Biden regime’s actions in open court. They are protecting the same machine that tried to take Trump off the ballot and that is still persecuting his most loyal supporters.

Would the President himself have given this same pushback if the corrupt Biden regime had falsely convicted him?

We doubt it. So why the double standard now? This is extremely disappointing.

We don’t want to be mad at Jeanine Pirro. But tell us how we’re not supposed to be.

How are we supposed to continue trusting this new DOJ when it’s acting exactly like the old one?

Zach has been fighting this as a pro se litigant for months.

We’ve filed motion after motion trying to get the Bertino recantation and the coercion on the record.

The government has fought us every step of the way — in the district court and in the appeals court.

They raided Bertino’s home at predawn, found guns that belonged to his girlfriend, bent the rules to pin “possession” on him even though he wasn’t even in the city on January 6th, and then blackmailed him into lying on the stand.

Now he’s recanted all of it, and the DOJ is still defending the Biden-era position.

Some of us are disabled veterans who are being denied disability benefits, healthcare, and retirement payments because these lingering felony convictions from the seditious conspiracy hoax still stand.

The persecution isn’t just the felonies on our records. It’s the ongoing denial of the basic benefits we earned serving this country.

It’s time to move on from January 6th. The only real way to do that is full pardons or dismissals with prejudice.

Clearly the DOJ doesn’t want to move on, and there are probably reasons behind it that don’t look good for the President.

Some of us are tired of playing this political game and being used as pawns against President Trump.

We want justice for what happened to all of us. We want this to end.

We want to get back to our regular lives without having to constantly fight our own government. John Adams is rolling in his grave.

The President knows these cases were a farce. His own words have made that clear.

So why is his DOJ still protecting the hoax? Why are they still employing the same prosecutors who tried to tie him to it?

Why are they forcing us to keep fighting for the truth in court when the truth is already out there for everyone to see?

We are not asking for special treatment. We are asking for basic fairness.

We are asking that the Department of Justice under President Trump stop acting like the Department of Justice under Biden.

If this doesn’t get resolved soon, Jeanine Pirro and others like her will be on the receiving end of the weaponization if the Democrats are allowed to steal another election.

They are playing with fire. We want accountability. We want the underlying convictions addressed. We want the weaponization exposed and fixed.

Pardons and commutations were a start, but they are not the end.

The ball is in the DOJ’s court.

The evidence is undisputed. The recantation is on record. The coercion is documented.

The only question left is whether this administration is going to stand with the truth or keep protecting the same corrupt system that tried to destroy us and the President.

We are watching. The J6 community is watching. And the American people are watching.

It’s time to choose a side.

The post Trump’s DOJ Is Still Fighting Us — And It’s Time to Call It What It Is appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

President Donald Trump announced that the United States will begin a full naval blockade of Iranian ports, effective today, April 13, at 10:00 A.M. Eastern Time.

Trump made the announcement directly to the American people on Truth Social:

“The United States to Blockade Ships Entering or Exiting Iranian Ports on April 13 at 10:00 A.M. ET. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DJT”

As The Gateway Pundit reported on Sunday, President Trump had already ordered the U.S. Navy to BLOCK “any and all ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz effective immediately” after Iran defied his nuclear demands and continued their terrorist extortion racket on the world’s energy supply.

President Trump made the announcement via Truth Social:

“So, there you have it, the meeting went well, most points were agreed to, but the only point that really mattered, NUCLEAR, was not.

Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz.

At some point, we will reach an “ALL BEING ALLOWED TO GO IN, ALL BEING ALLOWED TO GO OUT” basis, but Iran has not allowed that to happen by merely saying, “There may be a mine out there somewhere,” that nobody knows about but them.

THIS IS WORLD EXTORTION, and Leaders of Countries, especially the United States of America, will never be extorted. I have also instructed our Navy to seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran. No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas.

We will also begin destroying the mines the Iranians laid in the Straits. Any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be BLOWN TO HELL! Iran knows, better than anyone, how to END this situation which has already devastated their Country.

Their Navy is gone, their Air Force is gone, their Anti Aircraft and Radar are useless, Khamenei, and most of their “Leaders,” are dead, all because of their Nuclear ambition.

The Blockade will begin shortly. Other Countries will be involved with this Blockade. Iran will not be allowed to profit off this Illegal Act of EXTORTION. They want money and, more importantly, they want Nuclear.

Additionally and, at an appropriate moment, we are fully “LOCKED AND LOADED,” and our Military will finish up the little that is left of Iran!”

CENTCOM confirmed it: Starting at 10 a.m. ET today, U.S. forces will implement a full blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports and coastal areas, including every single Iranian port on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.

The blockade will be enforced impartially against vessels of all nations. Freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz to non-Iranian ports will continue, but the terror regime’s ports are now effectively shut down.

“U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces will begin implementing a blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports on April 13 at 10 a.m. ET, in accordance with the President’s proclamation.

The blockade will be enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman. CENTCOM forces will not impede freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports.

Additional information will be provided to commercial mariners through a formal notice prior to the start of the blockade. All mariners are advised to monitor Notice to Mariners broadcasts and contact U.S. naval forces on bridge-to-bridge channel 16 when operating in the Gulf of Oman and Strait of Hormuz approaches.”

This decisive move comes after high-stakes negotiations in Islamabad collapsed, with Vice President JD Vance confirming no agreement was reached after marathon talks with Iranian officials.

The post IT’S HAPPENING: Full U.S. Blockade of Ships Entering or Exiting Strait of Hormuz Will Begin Today at 10:00 A.M. ET appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

When the Founders designed the Constitution, they did something extraordinary.

They did not create a government based on a single stream of political power.

They created a system of balanced sources of authority, carefully structured so that no temporary political passion could easily overwhelm the rights of the people.

The House of Representatives was designed to reflect the will of the people directly.

The President was chosen by the Electoral College, ensuring that national leadership reflected both popular support and the union’s federal character.

And the Senate — critically — was designed to represent the states as sovereign political entities within the federal system.

Originally, United States Senators were chosen by state legislatures.

This was not a procedural technicality.

It was one of the Constitution’s central structural protections of liberty.

The Founders understood that political power must be divided not only among branches of government, but among different sources of consent.

The people would have their voice.

But the states — as political communities with their own interests, laws, and traditions — would have their voice as well.

The Senate was designed to ensure that the federal government remained a government of limited and delegated powers, not an engine of national consolidation.

James Madison explained the purpose clearly:

“The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous and indefinite.” — Federalist No. 45

The Senate was a structural mechanism for preserving that balance.

And then, in 1913, the 17th Amendment changed everything.

The 17th Amendment Removed a Structural Protection Against Federal Overreach

The 17th Amendment shifted the selection of Senators from state legislatures to direct popular election.

On its surface, the change sounded democratic.

But structurally, it removed one of the Constitution’s most important checks on centralized power.

Before the 17th Amendment:

• Senators answered to state legislatures
• States had direct representation inside the federal government
• Federal expansion could be resisted institutionally
• State sovereignty had a permanent seat at the table

After the 17th Amendment:

• Senators became national politicians
• Campaign funding and media influence grew dominant
• Senators became more responsive to national party pressures than to their states as sovereign entities
• The states lost their direct structural defense inside the federal government

The change did not merely alter a voting method. It altered the architecture of power.

And over time, that architectural change has produced predictable results.

What Followed: Expansion of Federal Power Into State Domains

Without Senators accountable to state legislatures, the federal government gradually expanded its reach into areas traditionally governed by the states.

Among the commonly cited results:

1. Expansion of federal regulation into state responsibilities
   Education standards, land use, environmental regulation, healthcare mandates, and labor rules increasingly originate in Washington rather than in state capitols.
2. Growth of unfunded federal mandates
   Congress increasingly imposes requirements on states while leaving state taxpayers responsible for the cost.
3. Increased dependence on federal funding
   Federal grants often come with conditions that influence state policy decisions, shifting practical control toward Washington.
4. Centralization of policymaking authority
   Policy decisions affecting local communities are increasingly made by distant federal agencies rather than elected state officials.
5. Weakening of federalism as a structural protection of liberty
   When states lose institutional influence inside the federal government, the balance of power shifts toward national consolidation.

---

The Founders did not design a system in which all major political decisions would flow through Washington.

They designed a system in which states would remain meaningful centers of political authority.

The 17th Amendment weakened that design.  And Washington grew.

The Founders Understood the Danger of Consolidated Power

Alexander Hamilton warned:

“Power over a man’s subsistence amounts to a power over his will.”  — Federalist No. 79

When political authority concentrates in a single national structure, citizens lose the protection that comes from multiple competing centers of power.

Federalism was never merely a technical arrangement.

It was a protection for liberty.

As George Mason warned:

“The powers of the general government being defined… the State governments retain all rights not expressly surrendered.”

The 17th Amendment blurred that boundary.

The Solution: Restore Structural Balance Through Constitutional Repair

The Constitution provides a lawful method for structural repair.

Article V allows the states to propose amendments through a Convention of States. This method totally bypasses Washington, D.C.

The Convention of States (https:\\conventionofstates.com) movement has gained significant traction across the country, with 20 states already passing resolutions calling for a convention to restore constitutional limits on federal power.

Among the reforms widely discussed:

• Term limits for members of Congress
• Fiscal restraints on federal spending
• Limits on federal regulatory authority
• Reassertion of state sovereignty
• Repeal of the 17th Amendment
• Authority for states to recall U.S. Senators who no longer represent their state’s interests

These reforms aim not at partisan advantage, but at restoring the constitutional balance that protects self-government.

A Senator who knows that his or her position depends upon the confidence of the state legislature — or can be recalled by the state — is far more likely to defend the constitutional role of the state within the federal system.

Structural incentives shape political behavior.

The Founders understood this. They designed accordingly.

Restoring Federalism Strengthens Self-Government

The issue is not whether citizens should vote.

Citizens already elect governors, legislators, attorneys general, and many other state officials.

The issue is whether the states, as sovereign political communities, retain a meaningful role in shaping federal policy.

Without structural protections for federalism, political power naturally centralizes.

When power centralizes, accountability weakens.

When accountability weakens, self-government erodes.

The Founders did not intend for the federal government to become the primary decision-maker for every major public question.

They designed a system in which authority would be divided, balanced, and restrained.  Because only then will We the People remain free and the true sovereigns of our nation.

The 17th Amendment altered that balance.

And the consequences have accumulated for more than a century.

Self-Government Requires Structural Integrity

Free societies do not survive by accident.

They survive when constitutional structures align incentives with accountability.

When those structures weaken, power flows toward concentration.

Restoring balance does not require revolution.

It requires repair.

The Constitution itself provides the means.

The Convention of States movement represents one path toward restoring the federal structure that protects liberty.

Repealing the 17th Amendment — or restoring the states’ ability to recall Senators — would reestablish one of the Founders’ most important safeguards against centralized political power.

The Founders built a system intended to preserve liberty across generations.

That system worked because it balanced power among competing institutions.

We can restore that balance. And we should.

Because self-government depends not only on voting —

But on maintaining the constitutional structures that prevent the consolidation of power, that shift of power away from the citizen and to a Washington elite.

The Founders did not assume the system would maintain itself automatically.

They assumed each generation would bear responsibility for preserving it.

Benjamin Franklin was asked what form of government had been created. He replied: “A republic, if you can keep it.”

Keeping it requires vigilance. Keeping it requires structural understanding. Keeping it requires the courage to repair what has been weakened.

The Constitution still provides the means. The question is whether we will act.

Steve Wolfer is a retired software designer and psychotherapist who has been a constitutional conservative and libertarian for over half a century.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of this publication.

The post The 17th Amendment Broke the Founders’ Balance of Power — And Washington Grew Far Beyond Its Constitutional Limits appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

The radical left just can’t help themselves, and now even their own family members are turning on them.

As The Gateway Pundit previously reported, conservative journalist and TPUSA Frontlines reporter Savanah Hernandez was viciously assaulted by a deranged far-left anti-ICE mob outside the Whipple ICE Facility in Minneapolis on Saturday during their unhinged “National F*ck ICE Day” meltdown.

The attackers weren’t random protesters. They were a family of radical extremists: Chris Ostroushko (the self-proclaimed “Minnesota Angry Man”), his wife DeYanna, and their daughter Paige Ostroushko (aka “MN Angry Daughter,” a University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point soccer player).

Video footage captured the entire cowardly assault: the family swarming Hernandez, blasting whistles in her ears, waving dildos in her face, screaming obscenities, punching her, and slamming her to the concrete simply because she was filming their public temper tantrum on a public street.

Hernandez wasn’t even conducting interviews, she was just doing her job as a journalist.

Hernandez has identified the family by name and is pressing charges. Law enforcement has confirmed charges are coming.

Hernandez wrote, “Paige, DeYanna and Chris Ostroushko. You’re not going to get away with this. I am going to do everything in my power to make sure you’re charged for the brutal attack you committed against me.”

Paige, DeYanna and Chris Ostroushko.

You’re not going to get away with this. I am going to do everything in my power to make sure you’re charged for the brutal attack you committed against me. pic.twitter.com/SvuaMTdl7z

— Savanah Hernandez (@Savsays) April 12, 2026

The man who shoved Savanah Hernandez to the concrete was identified as Chris Ostroushko, the self-proclaimed “Minnesota Angry Man.”

I’m waking up with a headache and stiff neck this morning due to how violently anti-ICE activist, Chris Ostroushko, shoved me down yesterday.

A second angle shows that he had to be held back by 5 men as he continued to charge at me.

I didn’t speak a word to him all day yet he… pic.twitter.com/LjDx1GMLnF

— Savanah Hernandez (@Savsays) April 12, 2026

But the real story gets even better, his daughter, Paige Ostroushko (who goes by “MN Angry Daughter” online).

When police moved in, Paige tried to resist arrest like the entitled radical she is. She was briefly detained but released.

Her boyfriend, however, wasn’t so lucky.

Paige’s boyfriend, 20-year-old Lorenzo Amadeo Garcia of St. Cloud, was arrested on probable cause for obstructing police. Garcia’s father was allegedly deported to Mexico.

Paige herself took to video to cry foul and rewrite history.

The woman who assaulted Savanah claims that Savanah assaulted her first. Uh, the entire thing was recorded including her assaulting Savanah and Savanah doing nothing. She was arrested and released. Hoping she will be charged and prosecuted. @Savsays pic.twitter.com/Hh0fJe9pzn

— C.K. Bouferrache aka Honeybadgermom (@Honeybadgermom) April 11, 2026

Now comes the stunning twist that exposes just how toxic this family’s far-left ideology has become.

In a powerful Facebook statement, another daughter and sister in the Ostroushko family, Desiree Ostroushko, has completely broken ranks and denounced the brutal attack on Savanah Hernandez. She wants the world to know she does NOT stand with her family’s violent leftist rage.

Here is her full statement:

“I need to be very clear about where I stand.

I do not align with my family’s actions in this situation at all. I don’t agree with what was done, I don’t support it, and I don’t stand behind it in any way. Violence is never acceptable to me, no matter the circumstances, opinions, or political beliefs involved.

What happened to Savanah was wrong. Plain and simple. Everyone has a right to speak, to express themselves, and to be heard without fear of being attacked. That’s something I will always stand on.

I also want to be honest if politics is going to turn into violence, hatred, or harming other people, I will remove myself completely. I will not be part of that, even if it means creating distance from my own family. My values matter, and I refuse to compromise them.

This isn’t easy to say, but it’s important. I believe in respect, accountability, and doing what’s right even when it’s uncomfortable or painful.

I stand for peace. I stand for people being able to use their voice safely. And I will always stand on that.

[…]

I also want to add this for clarity this isn’t new for me.

I haven’t aligned with them or their behavior in years. I’ve seen and experienced enough firsthand to know the kind of actions they’re capable of, and it’s exactly why I’ve chosen to distance myself.

What you’re seeing now is not a reflection of me, my values, or the life I’m building. I stand firmly against it, and I always have.”

Desiree said in a separate comment:

“I’m his second daughter and I’ve experienced firsthand how he’s publicly and personally put me down simply because I don’t align with their beliefs. That’s a big part of why l’ve chosen to distance myself from them. Watching situations like this unfold only reinforces that decision.

This behavior is not something I stand for it’s honestly disappointing and disturbing.”

The post Daughter of Far-Left Ostroushko Family That Brutally Assaulted TPUSA Journalist Savanah Hernandez Publicly Denounces Family’s Cowardly Attack – “Violence is Never Acceptable… I Do Not Align With My Family’s Actions At All” appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has referred the “Nannygate” scandal involving corrupt Rep. Eric Swalwell to the Department of Homeland Security for criminal investigation several years ago, but the case has come under renewed scrutiny following Joel Gilbert’s exposé at The Gateway Pundit.

Homeland Security posted the update on X:

USCIS has been collecting information on the allegations involving Congressman Eric Swalwell hiring of a Brazilian national as a nanny without lawful work authorization.

@USCIS has referred this matter to DHS law enforcement for investigation.

No one is above the law, including a member of Congress.

USCIS has been collecting information on the allegations involving Congressman Eric Swalwell hiring of a Brazilian national as a nanny without lawful work authorization.@USCIS has referred this matter to DHS law enforcement for investigation.

No one is above the law, including… https://t.co/yFE4DeI3aC

— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) April 12, 2026

The entire Nannygate scandal exploded thanks to the tireless work of Gateway Pundit contributor and investigative filmmaker Joel Gilbert, who filed detailed federal complaints with DHS and the FEC back on February 16, 2026.

In his bombshell TGP report published March 21, 2026, “Eric Swalwell ‘Nannygate’ Explodes: DHS and FEC Complaints Allege Illegal Alien Employment and Misuse of Campaign Funds for Childcare,” Gilbert laid out the damning evidence.

Read Gilbert’s report below:

On February 16, 2026, I filed two well-documented federal complaints against Congressman Eric Swalwell, one with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS/ICE), and another with the Federal Election Commission (FEC). Together, these filings raise serious questions about whether Swalwell engaged in illegal patterns of conduct that reflect his disregard for federal law and a potential abuse of campaign funds for personal benefit.

At issue are two distinct but closely related allegations: first, that Swalwell continued employing a foreign national nanny illegally for two years after her legal work authorization expired; and second, that he illegally used campaign funds to cover what appear to be ongoing personal childcare expenses totaling more than $300,000.

Taken together, these allegations suggest a sustained pattern in which legal requirements were well understood by Swalwell, and then ignored for personal gain. I published both complaints on SwalwellisDisqualified.com.

The DHS/ICE Complaint: Alleged Employment of an Unauthorized Worker

In 2022, Eric Swalwell and his wife employed a Brazilian national, Amanda Barbosa, as a live-in Au Pair under the J-1 visa program. Barbosa resided in the Swalwell household and provided full-time childcare for their three young children. In 2022, Barbosa was paid approximately $46,929.70 for her services by Swalwell’s campaign under “Childcare for Campaign Events”.

Critically, Barbosa’s J-1 visa, and thus her legal authorization to work, expired at the end of December 2022. The Swalwells were fully aware of this deadline. In fact, earlier in 2022, they attempted to secure permanent work authorization for Barbosa by filing a federal labor certification (ETA-9089), which required a formal job posting in The Washington Post. Their advertisement outlined a demanding, full-time nanny position which included:

• taking care of 3 kids & help satisfy kids’ physical, emotional, intellectual, & social needs
• assist w/care of dog, organize kids’ play activities, drive kids to appts & activities
• household cleaning &laundry, prep kids’ meals, Mon to Fri, 7A to 4P, Wknd work time

The Swalwell’s permanent work authorization application was denied by the Department of Labor.

As I document in my DHS complaint, rather than replacing Barbosa with a legally authorized worker when her J-1 Visa expired, the Swalwells appear to have continued employing her as a live-in nanny for two additional years in 2023 and 2024, despite the absence of any publicly available evidence of renewed work authorization. They curiously kept her “off the books” of the Swalwell campaign during this time.

In my DHS complaint, I present multiple categories of evidence that indicate Barbosa remained actively employed by the Swalwells in 2023 and 2024 after her J-1 visa expired, including:

• Social media activity – showing Barbosa regularly engaged in childcare, travel, and family events with the Swalwell household throughout 2023 and 2024
• Professional records – including Barbosa’s LinkedIn profile where she lists herself as a full-time childcare provider in the United States from 2021 to present
• Financial records – including campaign-related childcare payments to Barbosa in 2022 and then again in 2025 in Swalwell’s FEC filings

In the complaint, I ask federal authorities to investigate whether this conduct violated immigration laws, visa regulations, tax obligations, and labor laws, and for them to determine if it involved an illegal conspiracy between Swalwell and his wife Brittany.

The FEC Complaint: Campaign Funds for Personal Childcare

The second complaint, filed with the Federal Election Commission, addresses a separate but equally serious issue: whether Eric Swalwell illegally used campaign funds from donors to pay for his regular personal childcare expenses.

Federal election law is clear under 52 U.S.C. § 30114(b): campaign funds may not be converted to personal use. Campaign funds may only be used for expenses that arise directly from campaign activity and would not exist otherwise. Personal expenses, those that would exist regardless of candidacy, are strictly prohibited.

In 2022, Swalwell sought formal guidance from the FEC on whether he could use campaign funds to pay for childcare. The Commission’s response to Swalwell was explicit: such expenses are permissible only if they are tied to specific campaign events and are properly documented. As allege in my complaint, Swalwell disregarded that guidance and instead subsidized his candidate’s personal household expenses.

In my FEC complaint, I detail a five-year pattern of Swalwell childcare-related expenditures from 2021 through 2025 that appears to reflect regular ongoing household childcare rather than campaign-specific needs, with total childcare-related disbursements exceeding $300,000 over five years. These payments were recurring weekly, consistent in amounts, and structured like a payroll. Several red flags include:

• Lack of documentation by Swalwell to the FEC tying payments to specific campaign events
• Year-round, continuous childcare coverage
• Reimbursement structures suggesting personal expenses being funneled through the campaign
• Payroll tax reimbursements consistent with a full-time employment relationship

Abuse of Office for Personal Gain by Eric Swalwell

Taken together, my DHS and FEC complaints outline a consistent pattern:

1. Swalwell at first sought to comply with the law (labor authorization application, request for FEC advisory opinion)
2. Then the law said “no”, imposing clear limitations (denial of work authorization, denial of regular childcare expenses)
3. But Swalwell’s conduct continued anyway, in violation of the legal decisions and in blatant disregard of the law

Employing a foreign national without valid work authorization, if proven, would reflect a willingness by Swalwell to ignore immigration and labor laws that public officials are sworn to uphold. Despite being a former deputy district attorney, Eric Swalwell appears to have a problem with immigration law. In his campaign for governor of California, he vows to expel ICE, while working to defund DHS in congress.

Campaign contributions meanwhile are donated for political purposes, not to finance a candidate’s private household expenses. If Swalwell used campaign funds to maintain a full-time nanny or subsidize routine childcare, it would represent a fundamental breach of trust.

These allegations come at a pivotal moment. Eric Swalwell is a candidate for governor of California, a role that demands not only policy leadership but also credibility, integrity, and respect for the law. In a statewide campaign, issues of honesty and transparency, respect for the law, misuse of donor funds, and personal accountability are central.

At its core, my complaints amount to a test of whether the rule of law applies equally to those who seek to govern. The allegations I detail, if substantiated, would demonstrate a sustained pattern of conduct by Swalwell in which his legal obligations were acknowledged, clarified, and then ignored. These are not technical violations.

They relate to judgment and integrity. It appears Eric Swalwell has neither. He should withdraw from the governor’s race while these investigations are ongoing.

The post USCIS Confirms It Referred Corrupt Dem Rep. Eric Swalwell’s ‘Nannygate’ Scandal to DHS for Criminal Investigation, as First Reported by The Gateway Pundit’s Joel Gilbert appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

In the wake of President Trump’s decisive second-term victory, the Democratic Party finds itself in full retreat mode. The old playbook, full of shoving Woke extremism, drag queen story hours, and open borders down America’s throat, backfired spectacularly.

So now they’re trying a new tactic: pretending to be one of us. No more rainbow flags and “defund the police” chants in public.

Instead, they’re courting centrists, independents, and – most brazenly – the very heart of the MAGA base: churchgoing white Christians, Baptists, Evangelicals, and everyday folks who still believe in the God of the Bible.

Nowhere is this deception more obvious than in the 2026 Texas U.S. Senate race. Texas hasn’t sent a Democrat to statewide office since 1994, yet the party is all-in on James Talarico, their freshly minted nominee for the Class II seat currently held by Sen. John Cornyn.

Talarico, a 36-year-old state representative and Presbyterian seminarian, is being sold as a “man of deep faith” – a Lord-begging, Scripture-quoting Texan who supposedly shares the values of Sunday-morning pew-sitters across the Lone Star State. Don’t buy it. This is classic wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing territory, straight out of Matthew 7:15.

Talarico doesn’t hide his church membership. He’s been at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian in Austin since he was a toddler, and he frames every policy through a distorted Christian lens.

“Love thy neighbor” becomes his justification for open borders and taxpayer-funded abortion. He preaches that Jesus was a “feminist” and twists the Annunciation story to claim Mary’s consent somehow endorses abortion rights.

He’s called God “non-binary,” insisted trans kids are “God’s children,” and defended access to abortion for transgender minors. His home church flies rainbow flags, pushes reproductive “justice,” and has a long track record of ordaining gay clergy and sheltering illegal immigrants.

This is not the Christianity that built Texas or America. Baptists and Evangelicals – the most populous faith groups in the country – overwhelmingly reject these positions.

They believe life begins at conception, marriage is between one man and one woman, and biological sex is not a social construct.

Talarico’s brand of faith is mainline Presbyterian progressivism: heavy on social justice rhetoric, light on actual biblical orthodoxy.

He rails against “Christian nationalism” while hijacking Jesus’ words to bless every item on the Democratic wish list – from gender ideology to wealth redistribution.

The broader Democratic strategy is clear. After years of alienating religious voters, party operatives have decided to “faith-wash” their agenda.

They’re flooding church-adjacent spaces with talk of compassion and neighborly love while quietly advancing policies that shred the family, redefine human dignity, and mock traditional morality.

In Texas, this isn’t subtle. Talarico’s viral clips quote Scripture to defend LGBTQ+ causes and abortion access – exactly the issues ordinary believers see as direct assaults on God’s design. It’s lip service wrapped in a seminarian’s collar.

Make no mistake: this is a trap. Democrats aren’t converting to traditional values – they’re co-opting the language of faith to peel off just enough church voters to flip a red state purple.

They know Texas remains a GOP stronghold. They know the Christian base decides elections here. So they’re donning the sheep’s clothing, hoping believers won’t notice the ravenous policy wolf underneath.

Texas Christians have seen this movie before. Progressive “faith leaders” have spent decades whitewashing tombs – beautiful on the outside, full of dead men’s bones inside (Matthew 23:27). T

alarico’s campaign is the latest chapter: a Trojan horse rolled straight into the sanctuary, promising “higher values” while delivering the same radical agenda that lost them the White House.

The 2026 Senate race is still months away, but the warning lights are flashing. Real faith doesn’t bend Scripture to fit the latest Woke fad. Real American Christian heritage – forged by Baptists, Evangelicals, and generations of believers – defends life, family, and liberty without apology. Don’t let the Democrats’ new church tour fool you. They aren’t coming to pray with you. They’re coming to convert you – to their side.

Texas voters, keep your eyes open. The wolves are in the flock, and they’re wearing clerical collars this time.

Mike Robertson is a U.S. domestic and foreign policy analyst and commentator, with more than 30 years of law enforcement experience in some of the toughest neighborhoods. You may follow him on X at @Mike_for_MAGA and Reddit.

The post Faith Facade: Democrat Talarico Targets Texas Believers appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

A 14-year-old kid has now qualified to appear on the general election ballot for Governor of Vermont this November.

Dean Roy, a freshman at Stowe High School who also works part-time at his parents’ pizza shop and served as a legislative page at the Vermont Statehouse last year, has become the first teenager under 18 to qualify for the state’s general election ballot for governor.

He did it by founding his own third-party outfit called the Freedom and Unity Party.

“I know it sounds crazy, a 14-year-old running for governor,” Roy said in a video posted to Instagram. “But honestly, look at the people in charge right now. They’ve been doing this forever and things still aren’t working.”

During an appearance on Fox & Friends Weekend this morning, Roy laid out a no-nonsense platform.

“Yeah, so the platform that I’m running on mainly focuses on housing, energy, healthcare, and education.

For housing, it mainly revolves around deregulating with regard to Act 250 and increasing taxes on short-term rentals, which are a very prominent problem in Vermont.

For energy, it’s nuclear power. If we were to reopen a nuclear power plant, we would secure energy independence.

And for education and healthcare, it’s auditing those systems, which are very inefficient in Vermont, and making sure that we get them to be efficient once again—and that they’re at a standard where Vermonters can both afford them and lower their tax bill.”

WATCH:

A 14-year-old kid is running for Governor of Vermont and will appear on the general election ballot.

Dean Roy: “The platform I’m running on mainly focuses on housing, energy, healthcare, and education.”
⁰“For housing, it’s mainly involving deregulating… For energy, it’s… pic.twitter.com/HgrEVl4itd

— RedWave Press (@RedWavePress) April 12, 2026

People reported:

Roy’s platform focuses on affordability and smaller government in Vermont. He promises to lower taxes for families and small businesses, implement housing reform and reject incumbent Vermont Gov. Phil Scott’s EV mandate, a policy to slash greenhouse emissions by requiring that 35% of vehicles delivered to car dealers in Vermont be zero emission; Scott paused the mandate in May.

Roy also promises “no new restrictions of any kind on guns, construction, or farming” in his platform, and emphasizes his focus on residents’ “personal freedoms.”

[…]

Roy said in an interview with the Stowe Reporter in July that isn’t expecting to beat out Gov. Scott in the election, and understands critics who say he’s not old enough to run the state. Still, he’s running his campaign as a way to launch his career in politics and introduce himself to voters.

While speaking to ABC News, Roy said if he did win, he would not drop out of school, but would enroll in online studies, saying, “It’d be hard, but I can do it.”

His friend, Charlie Bass, is also running for Lieutenant Governor of the State of Vermont.

Vermont’s constitution has no minimum age requirement for governor – only a four-year residency rule that Roy easily meets. Most states demand you be 30 or older. While the establishment wrings its hands and questions if a 14-year-old is “ready,” Roy is proving that real leadership isn’t about age, it’s about results. The current crop of politicians sure hasn’t delivered any.

The post 14-Year-Old Kid Runs for Governor of Vermont and Will Appear on the General Election Ballot (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

President Donald Trump just dropped the hammer on the Iranian terror regime, and he’s doing it the exact same way he crushed Venezuela’s socialist dictatorship.

During an interview on Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo this morning, President Trump confirmed the United States is launching a complete and total blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

Bartiromo asked the President point-blank about the developing operation:

“Mr. President, you’re saying that we will begin the process of blockading any and all ships trying to enter or leave the Strait of Hormuz. And at some point, we will reach an all being allowed to go in and all being allowed to go out basis. So tell us what you’re trying to accomplish with this blockade, sir.”

Trump made it crystal clear, it’s ALL IN and ALL OUT or nothing at all.

Pres. Trump:
All out—yep. It’s called “all in and all out.” There’ll be a time when we’ll have them all come in and all come out, but it won’t be a percentage. It won’t be a friend of yours, like a country that’s your ally or a country that’s your friend. It’s all or nothing. And that’ll be—that won’t be in too long a distance.

No, we’re just bringing the ships up. We got a lot of ships, so we’re bringing them up. We think that numerous countries are going to be helping us with this also, but we’re putting on a complete blockade.

We’re not going to let Iran make money on selling oil to people that they like and not people that they don’t like, or whatever it is. It’s going to be all or none, and that’s the way it is.

And it’ll be—you saw what we did with Venezuela. It’ll be something very similar to that, but at a higher level.

WATCH:

IT’S OFFICIAL: President Trump confirms he’s going FULL VENEZUELA on the Strait of Hormuz and Iran

There it is!!

“It’s going to be all or none. And that’s the way it is. You saw what we did with Venezuela. It’ll be something very similar to that, but at a higher level.”… pic.twitter.com/GUjtzXsAD8

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) April 12, 2026

As The Gateway Pundit reported earlier today, President Trump has already ordered the U.S. Navy to BLOCK any and all ships trying to enter or leave the Strait of Hormuz effective immediately after Iran defied his nuclear demands and continued its terrorist extortion racket.

Read more:

President Trump Orders U.S. Navy to BLOCK ‘Any and All Ships Trying to Enter, or Leave, the Strait of Hormuz Effective Immediately’ After Iran Defies Nuclear Demands

The post President Trump Confirms He’s Going FULL VENEZUELA on the Strait of Hormuz and Iran: “All in and All Out” appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

President Donald Trump has taken decisive action in the escalating standoff with Iran, ordering the U.S. Navy to immediately begin blockading the Strait of Hormuz, one of the most critical oil chokepoints in the world.

The decisive move comes after the radical Iranian terror regime once again defied America’s clear nuclear demands and refused to fully comply with ceasefire terms following devastating U.S. strikes that have already crippled their military capabilities.

President Trump made the announcement via Truth Social on Sunday:

“So, there you have it, the meeting went well, most points were agreed to, but the only point that really mattered, NUCLEAR, was not.

Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz.

At some point, we will reach an “ALL BEING ALLOWED TO GO IN, ALL BEING ALLOWED TO GO OUT” basis, but Iran has not allowed that to happen by merely saying, “There may be a mine out there somewhere,” that nobody knows about but them.

THIS IS WORLD EXTORTION, and Leaders of Countries, especially the United States of America, will never be extorted. I have also instructed our Navy to seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran. No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas.

We will also begin destroying the mines the Iranians laid in the Straits. Any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be BLOWN TO HELL! Iran knows, better than anyone, how to END this situation which has already devastated their Country.

Their Navy is gone, their Air Force is gone, their Anti Aircraft and Radar are useless, Khamenei, and most of their “Leaders,” are dead, all because of their Nuclear ambition.

The Blockade will begin shortly. Other Countries will be involved with this Blockade. Iran will not be allowed to profit off this Illegal Act of EXTORTION. They want money and, more importantly, they want Nuclear.

Additionally and, at an appropriate moment, we are fully “LOCKED AND LOADED,” and our Military will finish up the little that is left of Iran!”

Vice President JD Vance and U.S. negotiators spent over 21 hours in talks with Iranian officials before walking away without a deal.

“We’ve been at it now for 21 hours, and we’ve had a number of substantive discussions with the Iranians. That’s the good news,” Vance said. “The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement. And I think that’s bad news for Iran much more than it’s bad news for the United States of America.”

The vice president added, “So we go back to the United States having not come to an agreement.”

Vance, who led the U.S. delegation alongside special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, made it clear that the U.S. laid out its non-negotiable positions on Iran’s nuclear program, ballistic missiles, support for terrorist proxies, and full compliance regarding the Strait of Hormuz.

“We’ve made very clear what our red lines are, what things we’re willing to accommodate them on, and what things we’re not willing to accommodate them on, and we’ve made that as clear as we possibly could,” Vance said. “Iran may have chosen not to accept our terms.”

In a follow-up Truth Social statement, President Trump ripped into the Iranian regime for a deliberate betrayal of its promise to reopen the Strait of Hormuz:

“Iran promised to open the Strait of Hormuz, and they knowingly failed to do so. This caused anxiety, dislocation, and pain to many people and Countries throughout the World.

They say they put mines in the water, even though all of their Navy, and most of their “mine droppers,” have been completely blown up.

They may have done so, but what ship owner would want to take the chance? There is great dishonor and permanent harm to the reputation of Iran, and what’s left of their “Leaders,” but we are beyond all of that.

As they promised, they better begin the process of getting this INTERNATIONAL WATERWAY OPEN AND FAST! Every Law in the book is being violated by them.

I have been fully debriefed by Vice President JD Vance, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner, on the meeting that took place in Islamabad through the kind and very competent leadership of Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, of Pakistan.

They are very extraordinary men, and continuously thank me for saving 30 to 50 million lives in what would have been a horrendous War with India. I always appreciate hearing that — The amount of Humanity spoken of is incomprehensible.

The meeting with Iran began early in the morning, and lasted throughout the night — Close to 20 hours. I could go into great detail, and talk about much that has been gotten but, there is only one thing that matters — IRAN IS UNWILLING TO GIVE UP ITS NUCLEAR AMBITIONS!

In many ways, the points that were agreed to are better than us continuing our Military Operations to conclusion, but all of those points don’t matter compared to allowing Nuclear Power to be in the hands of such volatile, difficult, unpredictable people.

My three Representatives, as all of this time went by, became, not surprisingly, very friendly and respectful of Iran’s Representatives, Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, Abbas Araghchi, and Ali Bagheri, but that doesn’t matter because they were very unyielding as to the single most important issue and, as I have always said, right from the beginning, and many years ago, IRAN WILL NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON!”

The post President Trump Orders U.S. Navy to BLOCK ‘Any and All Ships Trying to Enter, or Leave, the Strait of Hormuz Effective Immediately’ After Iran Defies Nuclear Demands appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

The radical left just can’t help themselves.

As The Gateway Pundit previously reported, Saturday turned into a nightmare for conservative journalist Savanah Hernandez when a deranged mob of anti-ICE protesters physically assaulted her outside the Whipple ICE Facility in Minneapolis.

Hernandez was simply standing on a public street filming the protesters’ unhinged “F*CK ICE” meltdown.

“I was just brutally assaulted by multiple people outside of the Whipple ICE facility in Minneapolis,” Hernandez wrote on X.

“Multiple people swung on me and a grown man pushed me to the ground. My glasses are broken. ANTIFA still alive and well. I’m talking with police about pressing charges.”

I was just brutally assaulted by multiple people outside of the Whipple ICE facility in Minneapolis.

Multiple people swung on me and a grown man pushed me to the ground. My glasses are broken. ANTIFA still alive and well.

I’m talking with police about pressing charges.

— Savanah Hernandez (@Savsays) April 11, 2026

In a follow-up post, Hernandez wrote:

“I just finished scrubbing through the footage from my POV. Again, my intention today was to not even conduct interviews because I know how INSANE the left can be. For simply standing and filming BROLL for TPUSA I was assaulted, chased off of a public street and beaten.”

I just finished scrubbing through the footage from my POV. Again, my intention today was to not even conduct interviews because I know how INSANE the left can be.

For simply standing and filming BROLL for TPUSA I was assaulted, chased off of a public street and beaten.…

— Savanah Hernandez (@Savsays) April 11, 2026

Video footage captured by Hernandez herself shows the mob swarming her, blasting whistles in her face, waving sex toys as some sick form of “protest,” screaming obscenities, and then escalating to outright violence, shoving her, swinging on her, and throwing her to the ground.

“Here was the lead up to the assault on me today. As you can see these people come up to me multiple times, put dildos in my face, body check me, punch me and push me down. The radical left-wing is one of the most violent safety threats in America.”

WATCH:

MORE: Footage taken by our reporter @Savsays shows the interaction just before far-left ‘F**K ICE’ protesters attacked her while she was covering their demonstration.@TPUSA https://t.co/YQZjm13upB pic.twitter.com/02ai4ckNdQ

— FRONTLINES TPUSA (@FrontlinesTPUSA) April 11, 2026

Here’s another angle:

NEW VIDEO: Excellent footage of UNPROVOKED VIOLENT ASSAULT of Savanah Hernandez (@Savsays) by (IG: @mnangrydaughter) and her father, (IG: @mnangryman).

What is the proper punishment for this politically… pic.twitter.com/Q43ddoxinP

— Publius (@OcrazioCornPop) April 12, 2026

Some in the crowd were even heard chanting “We are ANTIFA,” openly embracing their domestic terrorist roots while attacking a journalist for the unforgivable crime of recording their activities.

This is now the second time I have been mobbed and assaulted for filming a protest on U.S. streets.

Today these Minneapolis protesters were chanting that they were “ANTIFA” and proved it, by mobbing and beating me for reporting on a public protest: pic.twitter.com/EOhyg9AFME

— Savanah Hernandez (@Savsays) April 11, 2026

One assailant, later identified by law enforcement, lunged forward and delivered a vicious punch to her face, knocking her off balance.

Here’s another angle:

Here’s another angle.@Savsays is attacked by three women on camera.

The attack was unprovoked. pic.twitter.com/S43qxEcK2C

— Breanna Morello (@BreannaMorello) April 11, 2026

Minneapolis police have now identified at least three primary suspects in the assault.

“This is the man who just threw me to the ground outside of the Whipple ICE facility as I was walking out to leave. I had multiple women also swinging on me simply because they found out I worked for TPUSA. I wasn’t even interviewing people today,” Hernandez wrote.

This is the man who just threw me to the ground outside of the Whipple ICE facility as I was walking out to leave.

I had multiple women also swinging on me simply because they found out I worked for TPUSA.

I wasn’t even interviewing people today. https://t.co/TSDwMmRet1

— Savanah Hernandez (@Savsays) April 11, 2026

According to Hernandez, the situation became even more disturbing as she later identified the attackers:

“Found out that the 3 people that attacked me today are a family that states they’re Ukrainian-Iranian.

After the daughter assaulted me, the mom came up and attacked me stating “you f*cking hit my daughter?”

The man who violently pushed me to the ground then screamed “don’t touch my f*cking daughter”.

Prior to their assault, all three had come up to me and were calling me a “b*tch”, screaming in my face, putting dildos in my face, blowing whistles in my ears and then assaulted me as I was trying to leave.”

This is the video where you can hear the mom and dad of the girl who attacked me stating that was their daughter.

I have a longer piece coming out shortly showing the whole family harassing me, for simply being present, prior to this: https://t.co/3kcy5MpYsm

— Savanah Hernandez (@Savsays) April 11, 2026

In a follow-up post, Hernandez wrote, “Paige, DeYanna and Chris Ostroushko. You’re not going to get away with this. I am going to do everything in my power to make sure you’re charged for the brutal attack you committed against me.”

Paige, DeYanna and Chris Ostroushko.

You’re not going to get away with this. I am going to do everything in my power to make sure you’re charged for the brutal attack you committed against me. pic.twitter.com/SvuaMTdl7z

— Savanah Hernandez (@Savsays) April 12, 2026

The man who shoved Savannah Hernandez to the concrete was identified as Chris Ostroushko, the self-proclaimed “Minnesota Angry Man.”

But the real story gets even better: his daughter, Paige Ostroushko (who goes by “MN Angry Daughter” online).

When police moved in, Paige tried to resist arrest like the entitled radical she is. She was briefly detained but released.

A social media post from the man who shoved down @Savsays shows his daughter getting detained by police after in the incident.

A song with lyrics “F*ck the police” plays in the background.

The man identified as Chris Ostroushko

Daughter identified as Paige Ostroushko pic.twitter.com/kDk6piF3n2

— Thomas Stevenson (@RealTStevenson) April 11, 2026

WATCH:

One of the far-left, anti-ICE extremists recorded violently pursuing and attacking @Savsays outside the Whipple federal building in Minneapolis tried to resist arrest and had her agitators post misleading propaganda online. https://t.co/RvmgsZi8Lu pic.twitter.com/I5ZVJJu1Zz

— Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) April 11, 2026

Her boyfriend, however, wasn’t so lucky.

Paige’s boyfriend, 20-year-old Lorenzo Amadeo Garcia of St. Cloud, was arrested on probable cause for obstructing police. Garcia’s father was allegedly deported to Mexico.

Paige herself took to video to cry foul and rewrite history. Here’s what the “MN Angry Daughter” had to say (transcript):

“This is MN Angry Daughter, also known as Paige Ostroushko, and I was the girl that literally just got f*king assaulted by a f*king piece of shit Turning Point bitch. And first of all, her f*king ID is expired. 2023 is when it expired. And second of all, I got released.

They’re gonna, they’re gonna like do investigation and all that for video, but I need everybody to send their video that they got of her assaulting me first.

And then second of all, my boyfriend that was protecting me Lorenzo Garcia, the one that was talking about his dad.

Yeah, they f*king took him for protecting me. I need everybody to get the word out to go to Hennepin County Jail and help him get out because he was assaulted and unlawfully arrested for no reason for protecting his girlfriend. Please send videos. Please, please get the word out.”

WATCH:

The woman who assaulted Savanah claims that Savanah assaulted her first. Uh, the entire thing was recorded including her assaulting Savanah and Savanah doing nothing. She was arrested and released. Hoping she will be charged and prosecuted. @Savsays pic.twitter.com/Hh0fJe9pzn

— C.K. Bouferrache aka Honeybadgermom (@Honeybadgermom) April 11, 2026

The post UPDATE: Far-Left Anti-ICE Extremist Now PLAYS VICTIM After Brutal Assault on TPUSA Reporter Savanah Hernandez — Boyfriend Also ARRESTED and In Custody appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Conservative activist and Human Events editor Jack Posobiec has released an additional video showing what appears to be Swalwell in bed with an alleged sex worker.

Posobiec announced on X that he obtained the new footage, which was taken moments after the initial shocking video first circulated online earlier today courtesy of “Pharma Bro” Martin Shkreli.

Posobiec also revealed he received a digital forensics report attesting to the veracity of both videos.

As The Gateway Pundit previously reported, Shkreli dropped the bombshell initial video showing Swalwell getting intimate with the woman described as a sex worker and NOT his wife.

The disgraced Democrat has a long history of sleazy behavior, including his notorious relationship with Chinese spy Fang Fang, which we have covered extensively at The Gateway Pundit for years.

The video captures Swalwell in a compromising situation that directly contradicts the image the sleazebag Democrat has tried to project while running for California governor.

Shkreli publicly reached out to Swalwell’s campaign on X Saturday, stating he had received the video and was giving them a chance to comment before releasing it to the public.

i need to speak to someone from the @ericswalwell campaign. ive received a video of him being intimate with a woman who does not appear to be his wife and would like a comment before posting.

— Martin Shkreli (@MartinShkreli) April 11, 2026

Twenty minutes later, Shkreli posted the video of Swalwell getting intimate with an alleged sex worker.

He wrote:

“Here is the @ericswalwell video. my source says it was taken in his home and the woman is a sex worker.”

Watch the video HERE.

According to Posobiec’s forensic analysis shared on X, the new video confirms Swalwell, the same congressman who spent years lecturing America about “decency” while pushing impeachment against President Trump, is seen in bed with a woman described by multiple sources as a sex worker, not his wife.

The footage shows the married California Democrat in an intimate setting with the woman and another man, groping and engaging in behavior that would end any Republican’s career in a heartbeat.

Watch the video HERE.

Just days ago, The Gateway Pundit broke the story of a bombshell accusation from a former Swalwell staffer who claimed the congressman sexually assaulted her – twice – while she was too intoxicated to consent.

The woman described waking up naked and bruised in his hotel bed after one incident in 2019 and another horrifying encounter in 2024 where she repeatedly said “no” as Swalwell allegedly forced himself on her.

CNN followed up with reports of three additional women accusing Swalwell of sexual misconduct, including unsolicited explicit messages and unwanted advances.

Team Swalwell tried the usual Democrat damage control, but the walls are closing in fast.

Statement from senior staff of California’s 14th Congressional District and Eric Swalwell for Governor 2026:

“As leaders of teams working for Eric Swalwell, we’re horrified by the recent reporting in the San Francisco Chronicle and by CNN.

We stand with our former colleague, and the other women who have come forward. We believe you should stand with them, too.

The behavior detailed in these reports is abhorrent, beneath the dignity of those serving in public office and betrays the trust of all Californians.

We also understand that we lead teams who need guidance and stability now, more than ever.

We are focused on supporting our colleagues during this challenging time.

Any decision of staff members to remain in their roles in the interim should not be viewed as support for Eric Swalwell. We recognize that not everyone – in particular our junior staff – can immediately forfeit their income and benefits without significant personal risk or consequence.

Our responsibility now is to them.

We, more than he, understand that we have obligations to the people we lead and to the constituents of California’s 14th Congressional District. Those of us that remain on staff do so for the sole purpose of ensuring that as many of those obligations are fulfilled as possible.”

Swalwell’s congressional & campaign senior staff are out with a new stmt

“We’re horrified by the recent reporting in the San Francisco Chronicle and by CNN”

“The behavior detailed in these reports is abhorrent, beneath the dignity of those serving in public office and betrays… pic.twitter.com/Ho9NqkQqin

— Brennan Leach (@brennanleach) April 11, 2026

The Gateway Pundit has not independently verified the videos at this time. Swalwell’s campaign team has not responded to The Gateway Pundit’s inquiry.

The post Jack Posobiec Drops Additional Video of Eric Swalwell in Bed with Alleged Sex Worker appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt (R) has confirmed that hundreds of non-citizens were found registered to vote, and in some cases casting ballots, in the Keystone State.

The revelation comes on top of a much larger pool of 11,198 voters who were previously flagged for eligibility concerns, triggering renewed scrutiny over how such discrepancies were allowed to persist in a critical swing state.

According to Spotlight PA, Schmidt’s own investigation as former Philadelphia City Commissioner uncovered a disastrous PennDOT motor-voter glitch that let 168 non-citizens in Philly register through the automatic system (required by federal law but botched beyond belief), plus another 52 registered by other shady means. These non-citizens didn’t just sit on the rolls, they cast a total of 227 votes across multiple elections!

And that’s just Philadelphia. Statewide, back in 2018, officials sent confirmation letters to 11,198 voters flagged as potential non-citizens after matching driver’s license data with immigration records.

Some were removed, but the state still admits they don’t have an exact count of how many illegals slipped through. This scandal traces back to the mid-1990s, meaning generations of non-citizens have been diluting the votes of real American citizens in the Keystone State!

Despite this, Schmidt has stopped short of embracing what many Americans see as very real and growing threats—particularly when it comes to noncitizen voting. Instead, he continues to emphasize a so-called “balance” between election security and voter access.

“I’ve always heard my whole life, even though I grew up in Western Pennsylvania, about concerns about voter fraud and voting irregularities in Philadelphia elections,” Schmidt told Votebeat and Spotlight PA in a recent interview. “So I wanted to be able to sort out fact from fiction.”

As The Gateway Pundit has repeatedly documented, Pennsylvania’s election system has been a disaster for years.

We’ve covered the non-citizen motor-voter fiasco since at least 2017-2018, when Schmidt himself testified about potentially tens of thousands of matches between non-citizen driver’s licenses and voter registrations.

Public Interest Legal Foundation lawsuits and analyses pointed to over 100,000 potential non-citizen registrations at one point. Yet Democrats in Harrisburg , under Gov. Josh Shapiro, continue to drag their feet.

Schmidt’s own office has resisted turning over full voter data to the Trump DOJ for citizenship verification, hiding behind “privacy” excuses even as the feds push for SAVE database checks.

This is a reminder that the DOJ is suing Pennsylvania for its voter rolls

b/c Secretary Al Schmidt refuses to turn them over.

Meanwhile, the picture below is an actively registered illegal alien

who voted in the last 5 presidential elections.

iLlEgAl aLiEnS cAnT vOtE pic.twitter.com/H36He9XhNm

— ThePersistence (@ScottPresler) March 7, 2026

Why the resistance if there’s “nothing to see here,” Mr. Secretary? One illegal vote is one too many in a state decided by mere thousands in recent cycles!

BREAKING

Secretary Al Schmidt discovered hundreds of non-citizens on the Pennsylvania voter rolls.

This is in addition to another 11,198 voters that were flagged.

So, yes, we have incontrovertible PROOF that illegal aliens are voting in PA.

Did he send to US Attorneys? pic.twitter.com/k2HE14VEpd

— ThePersistence (@ScottPresler) April 11, 2026

The post Pennsylvania Sec. Al Schmidt Uncovers Hundreds of Non-Citizens on Voter Rolls in Addition to Another 11,000 Previously Flagged appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Just when you thought the radical left couldn’t get any more unhinged, a bombshell 2019 police report has surfaced exposing the true character of Dr. Amy Acton, the Democrat now running for Ohio governor.

It can be recalled that former Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton announced a run for governor last year to replace term-limited Gov. Mike DeWine (R).  She is the first Democrat to enter the 2026 race.

In a statement announcing her candidacy, Acton shared, “I’m a doctor, not a politician.”

“I solve problems by bringing people together regardless of party to find solutions. So unlike most of our leaders, I know the answer to moving our state forward isn’t giving politicians more power, it’s giving people more freedom.”

She added, “Today, I filed papers to run for Governor because I refuse to look away from Ohioans who are struggling while self-serving politicians and special interests take our state in the wrong direction. It’s time to give power back to the people and our communities. It’s time for a change.”

Despite her claim to embrace freedom, many Ohioans remember Acton’s tenure as Health Director, and freedom was not a priority for her then.

In the early days of COVID, Acton was the first state official to inspire panic by using the debunked Imperial College of London computer model claiming millions would die from the virus.

She urged lockdowns and restrictions on freedom across the board.

While Acton was busy as then-Governor Mike DeWine’s Health Director pushing the debunked Imperial College model that terrified the nation into economic suicide, she was apparently having her own private meltdown at home in Bexley, Ohio.

According to NBC News, citing newly uncovered Bexley Police report from August 2019, officers responded to a “domestic dispute” at Acton’s residence after she “became upset” because she felt her husband was “antagonizing her.”

What did this “public health expert” do next? She ripped a mirror off the wall and shattered the glass. Classy.

The report states Acton admitted to officers she had been drinking and had taken an “unknown amount of prescription drugs.” She was reportedly about to hop in her car and drive off, while intoxicated, until her husband (who also admitted to drinking) talked her out of it.

A medic was called to the scene and recommended she be taken to the hospital. Acton refused.

More from NBC News:

Her campaign on Friday disputed and sought to clarify several elements of the police report. Acton and her husband had returned home from dinner, where she had one drink, according to the campaign’s written response for this article. During a “verbal disagreement regarding her long work hours,” Acton “bumped into a wall hanging which fell,” the campaign said. She then went to bed and was asleep when police arrived, according to the campaign.

Officers were dispatched to the home at 9:45 p.m., according to the police report, which does not indicate how they were alerted to the incident.

Acton’s campaign said that she was not “intoxicated” at any point during the evening and that the prescription medications referenced in the police report were ones that she had taken regularly for years.

The campaign also disputed that there was any reason for Acton to go to a hospital, asserting that any “harm, injury, or impairment” would have been noted in the police report.

[…]

The 2019 incident at Acton’s home has, until now, not been reported publicly. It also was not something widely known, if it was known at all, inside the DeWine administration. The governor, according to his spokesperson, was not happy to learn of the matter for the first time from NBC News.

Reacting to the report, Trump Jr. blasted Acton in a post on X, writing:

“Leftwing psychopath @amyactonoh shouldn’t be running for Governor in Ohio, she should be seeking help.”

Leftwing psychopath @amyactonoh shouldn’t be running for Governor in Ohio, she should be seeking help. https://t.co/G8BDrQXeMu

— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) April 11, 2026

The post BOMBSHELL REPORT RESURFACES: Police Responded to ‘Domestic Dispute’ at Ohio Democrat Gubernatorial Candidate Amy Acton’s Home — Alcohol, Prescription Drugs, and Property Damage Detailed in Incident appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

In yet another devastating blow to the already-imploding campaign of far-left California Rep. Eric Swalwell, American former pharmaceutical executive and hedge fund manager dubbed “Pharma Bro” Martin Shkreli has obtained explosive video footage showing the married Democrat congressman getting intimate with a mystery woman who is clearly not his wife.

The video captures Swalwell in a compromising situation that directly contradicts the image the sleazebag Democrat has tried to project while running for California governor.

Shkreli publicly reached out to Swalwell’s campaign on X (formerly Twitter) Saturday, stating he had received the video and was giving them a chance to comment before releasing it to the public.

i need to speak to someone from the @ericswalwell campaign. ive received a video of him being intimate with a woman who does not appear to be his wife and would like a comment before posting.

— Martin Shkreli (@MartinShkreli) April 11, 2026

Twenty minutes later, Shkreli posted the video of Swalwell getting intimate with an alleged sex worker.

He wrote:

“Here is the @ericswalwell video. my source says it was taken in his home and the woman is a sex worker.”

Watch the video HERE.

This latest scandal comes as Swalwell’s once-promising bid for governor is in free-fall following multiple accusations of sexual misconduct, including a bombshell claim from a former staffer who says the congressman raped her twice while she was too intoxicated to consent.

As The Gateway Pundit has been reporting for days, Swalwell’s California governor campaign has completely imploded after the San Francisco Chronicle published the former aide’s devastating allegations.

Additional women have since come forward accusing the Democrat of sexual harassment and misconduct, including sending unsolicited explicit images.

High-profile Democrats like Adam Schiff and Nancy Pelosi have abandoned ship, withdrawing their endorsements and calling on Swalwell to drop out of the race entirely. Multiple campaign staffers have already resigned in disgust.

In a desperate damage-control video released Friday night, a visibly rattled Swalwell denied the sexual assault claims but admitted to “mistakes in judgement in my past” and issued a groveling apology to his wife for putting her through the public humiliation.

This is the same Eric Swalwell who spent years cozying up to a Chinese Communist Party spy named Fang Fang — a honeypot operative who infiltrated his campaign and, according to multiple reports, had an intimate relationship with the congressman.

The Gateway Pundit has reached out to Swalwell’s campaign for comments.

The post BREAKING: “Pharma Bro” Martin Shkreli Obtains SHOCKING Video of Rep. Eric Swalwell Getting Intimate with Mystery Woman Who Is NOT His Wife appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has delivered a powerful blow against radical Islamists and their enablers by terminating the lawful permanent resident status of family members tied to one of the most despicable figures from the 1979 Iranian Hostage Crisis.

Masoumeh Ebtekar, better known as the hate-filled “Screaming Mary,” was the shrill spokeswoman for the Islamic terrorists who stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and held 52 innocent American hostages for a brutal 444 days.

Those brave Americans endured beatings, starvation, mock executions, and endless psychological torture while this regime propagandist screamed anti-American venom to the world.

Yet under the disastrous Obama-Biden regime, her son Seyed Eissa Hashemi, Maryam Tahmasebi, and their son were handed visas in 2014 and then awarded the “extraordinary privilege” of lawful permanent resident status in June 2016 through the ridiculous Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, the same lottery scam that has flooded America with unvetted risks from hostile nations.

While American families struggled under Obama’s failed policies, reports show Hashemi was living large in upscale Agoura Hills, California, teaching psychology and organizational leadership at a private college, all while his family remained deeply tied to the anti-American Iranian regime.

No more.

This week, Secretary Rubio terminated their green cards. Today, Seyed Eissa Hashemi, Maryam Tahmasebi, and their son are in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) pending their removal from our country.

Here is Secretary Rubio’s powerful statement in full:

Masoumeh Ebtekar – also known as “Screaming Mary” – was the spokeswoman for the Islamic terrorists who stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979 and held 52 Americans hostage for 444 days – subjecting them to beatings, starvation, and mock executions.

In 2014, the Obama Administration granted visas to her son and his family to enter the United States. In June 2016, the Obama Administration gave them lawful permanent resident status via the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program.

This week, I terminated their lawful permanent resident status and today, Seyed Eissa Hashemi, Maryam Tahmasebi, and their son are now in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement pending their removal from our country.

Her family should never have been allowed to benefit from the extraordinary privilege of living in our country.

America can never become home for anti-American terrorists or their families – and under the Trump Administration, it never will.

Masoumeh Ebtekar – also known as “Screaming Mary” – was the spokeswoman for the Islamic terrorists who stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979 and held 52 Americans hostage for 444 days – subjecting them to beatings, starvation, and mock executions.

In 2014, the Obama…

— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) April 11, 2026

The post Secretary Marco Rubio TERMINATES Legal Status of Family Members Linked to Infamous 1979 Iranian Hostage-Taker Propagandist ‘Screaming Mary’ appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.