Presumptuous Politics

New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill said Tuesday that she will defy a Department of Justice request to provide information regarding noncitizens listed on the state's voter rolls.

Sherrill, a Democrat, revealed July 21 that a review found a software error at the state Motor Vehicle Commission led to 6,600 noncitizens being registered to vote in New Jersey from 2023 to 2024, with roughly 400 of them improperly casting ballots.

That same day, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, who leads DOJ's Civil Rights Division, sent Sherrill a letter requesting, within five business days, information on the 6,600 individuals, including their full names, dates of birth, nationalities, home addresses, and registration dates and locations.

Dhillon also requested information on the 400 who voted, including when and where they voted and, if by mail, whether the ballots included the required certification and signature under state law.

"Today, I informed @AAGDhillon that New Jersey will not provide the personal information of thousands of New Jersey residents," Sherrill wrote on X. "The request had no legal basis, and I will always protect New Jerseyans' personally identifiable information."

Dhillon wrote on X that Sherrill's decision does nothing to protect law-abiding New Jersey voters.

"NJ has a legal duty to keep ineligible voters off its rolls, & our request is grounded in that legal authority. DOJ will get this information through all legal means!" Dhillon wrote.

In a separate statement, Sherrill said the state Division of Elections has started a process to remove more than 4,500 people who were registered through the software error. The remaining registrations will be referred to county election officials for further review to ensure that any lawfully registered voters are not disenfranchised.

"As I said last week, this is what accountable government looks like," Sherrill said. "We inherited a problem.

"We didn't hide it. We didn't deny it. We're investigating it. And we're going to fix it, the right way.

"That approach stands in stark contrast to how MAGA Republicans have responded to this issue. From the moment I made this public and launched the investigation, Donald Trump and his followers have moved to weaponize the issue to advance their voter suppression schemes. And they are trying to target the individuals affected, who were registered through no fault of their own. I won't let them do either."

The Trump administration has alleged that the true number of noncitizens on the state's voter rolls is higher than New Jersey has disclosed. On July 16, Department of Homeland Security officials said they had found 35,152 noncitizens registered to vote in New Jersey.

Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., who chairs the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Oversight, said Monday that he plans to hold a hearing on the matter, likely when Congress returns from its August recess. He said subpoenaing state records is possible.

Van Drew, along with 18 other House Republicans, on Friday sent a letter to Sherrill, giving her an Aug. 21 deadline to respond to a detailed list of questions about how the error occurred and what the state plans to do going forward.

"When the state uncovers a failure of this magnitude, it cannot simply acknowledge the problem and move on," Van Drew said in a news release. "Our elections depend on accurate voter rolls and safeguards that actually work.

"This right here is exactly why we should require ID to vote in our elections. We need answers about how this happened, why it was not caught sooner, whether more ineligible registrations remain, and what is being done right now to secure our voter rolls."

Michael Katz ✉

Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.

The Find Out phase continues for the Anti-ICE protesters who wreaked havoc, damaged property, and endangered law enforcement in Downtown Los Angeles last June. In 2025, at the height of the Anti-ICE protests, five brain trusts joined together to throw rocks, debris, and lit fireworks (which are illegal in L.A. County) over the 101 Freeway overpass in Downtown L.A., while the California Highway Patrol (CHP) was holding point on the freeway below. One can only imagine the havoc this would create, not to mention the potential for injury and death.

As testimony from the prosecutor's sentencing memorandum detailed:

"This civil disorder stood apart in its magnitude,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “A sergeant in the California Highway Patrol with nearly three decades in law enforcement wrote a statement about how this incident stood apart and the impact it had on him and his son. His experience underscores how violent this incident became and the deep toll it took on all law enforcement present.” 

On Tuesday, one miscreant's Find Out moment arrived. Ismael Vega was sentenced to three years and one month in federal prison, and ordered to pay a hefty amount in restitution.

From a Central District of California Release No. 26-125, sent via email:

A man from the Westlake neighborhood of Los Angeles has been sentenced to 37 months in federal prison for throwing rocks and ignited debris at California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers trapped underneath a downtown Los Angeles freeway overpass – with a CHP vehicle set ablaze during a violent anti-immigration law enforcement protest last year, the Justice Department announced today. Ismael Vega, 42, was sentenced on Monday by United States District Judge John F. Walter, who also ordered him to pay $253,415 in restitution. Vega pleaded guilty on April 29 to one count of obstructing, impeding, and interfering with law enforcement during a civil disorder.

First Assistant United States District Attorney Bill Essayli took to X to applaud the sentencing.

Ismael Vega, 42, of Westlake, was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison for violently attacking CHP officers during an anti-immigration law enforcement riot in downtown Los Angeles last year. On June 8, 2025, Vega threw rocks and dropped burning debris from the Main Street 101 Freeway overpass in DTLA onto a CHP vehicle as officers were trapped below, setting the vehicle ablaze and creating a substantial risk of death or serious injury. Vega pleaded guilty on April 29 to obstructing and interfering with law enforcement and has been ordered to pay $253,415 in restitution. This incident stood out during a time of enormous violence against law enforcement. Those who attack our brave officers protecting public safety will face federal prison time for their crimes. Let this be a warning to others who think they can act without consequences.

As RedState reported, several arrests were made in July 2025, in connection with the raid at the Glass House Farms cannabis facility in Santa Barbara, including anti-ICE protesters who assaulted ICE agents. However, in April, a federal jury acquitted Jonathan Caravello, a professor at California State University, Channel Islands, who was charged with assault in that incident. The evidence compiled by the FBI, with a heavy lift from CHP and the Los Angeles Police Department, against Vega ensured an airtight prosecution. Vega saved taxpayers the money by pleading guilty, and his long sentence is justice being served. 

According to his plea agreement, during the evening of June 8, 2025, two days after violence erupted against federal agents enforcing U.S. immigration laws, Vega was part of a large group of protesters on the Main Street overpass above U.S. Highway 101 in downtown Los Angeles. These protesters picked up debris – including cardboard and vegetation – and fireworks, lit them on fire and dropped them over the freeway overpass’s railing, aiming for a nearby CHP vehicle, which was within feet of CHP officers trapped underneath the overpass. Vega admitted in his plea agreement that he knew the officers were under the freeway overpass and that the objects thrown and burning debris dropped onto a vehicle created a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury to the officers.

Vega did not just throw dangerous objects and then hide his hands. The plea agreement outlined that at multiple times Vega worked to aid his fellow protesters in lighting debris around the freeway on fire, and then personally set a large piece of cardboard ablaze, and waited until a CHP vehicle was in line with the overpass before he released it onto the hood of the car. Vega's fellow brain trustee and co-defendant, Yachua Mauricio Flores, then poured accelerant onto the car in order to increase the flames.

Vega was next to co-defendant Flores and used his hands to motion towards and gesture at the flames. Vega also picked up and threw multiple rocks at law enforcement officers as these officers attempted to clear the overpass. He further admitted that he knowingly engaged in that behavior intending that it obstruct, impede, and interfere with the law enforcement officers and their duties.

Vega's buddy Flores is scheduled to be sentenced on August 3, and faces a maximum of five years in federal prison. The lead defendant and alleged instigator, Adam Charles Palermo, is scheduled to be sentenced on December 14, where he faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison.

These bad actors must be held as object lessons, because this type of education is sorely needed.  

“Rogue judges” have been a major impediment to President Donald Trump’s agenda throughout his second term.

These activist judges have injected themselves into matters of public policy time and time again, flouting the separation of powers and, in some cases, the rule of law.

One of the ringleaders of this three-ring circus in the judiciary branch has been Judge Jeb Boasberg.

Those familiar with the secretive FISA court know the role he had in the “Russia hoax,” and particularly, his secretive court’s reauthorization of two illegal surveillance warrants against former Trump staffer Carter Page.

Boasberg was the tip of the spear in a number of January 6 cases. More recently, he has mysteriously reappeared over and over again in high-profile immigration cases, such as the legal imbroglio over deporting Venezuelan illegal aliens.

Now, Missouri Senator Eric Schmitt has a new act named after this judicial menace (and sadly, no, it is not called the “Judge Bozo Act.")

Schmitt is calling it the BOASBERG Act. It stands for the Blocking Overt Attempts at Shopping By Enforcing Randomization Guidelines Act.

"Judge Boasberg is the poster child for a rogue judge and exposed serious loopholes in our judicial system," Schmitt said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "Randomly assigning cases among judges ensures the American people can have confidence in the impartiality of our courts."

Schmitt’s bill would provide stronger measures against rogue judges who abuse the federal case selection process and give courts 120 days after enactment to implement them.

The law would institute a system of truly random case assignment, stop chief judges from tampering with case selection, mandate that courts reveal their assignment process, implement penalties for manipulating case selection, and order the random reassignment of a case if the Supreme Court intervenes.

As Senator Schmitt put it on X: “One year ago, the DOJ filed its judicial misconduct complaint against Judge Boasberg. Today, I'm filing the BOASBERG Act to permanently block rogue judges from hijacking cases. Impeach Judge Boasberg. Pass the BOASBERG Act.”

He added that his bill does three main things:

1. Randomize case assignments for federal district and appeals courts.  2. Implement transparency measures to verify randomized assignments are actually being followed.  3. Reassign a case away from a judge if SCOTUS overrules him in that case.

“This bill would put an end to rogue behavior like Judge Boasberg self-assigning cases to himself,” he continued.

“The Alien Enemies Act case was filed on March 15, 2025,” he noted. “Judge Boasberg was not the emergency on-call judge. Yet *somehow* the case was steered to him.”

Dr. Anthony Fauci was ‘America’s Doctor’ during the COVID pandemic. He’s now being exposed as an egotistical clown, which makes sense as the establishment press showered him with praise daily. When his science fiction was exposed, he said that people who attacked him were attacking science. That was the clue that something ugly was underneath, and now we have these diaries that paint this man as a psychopath. All bow before Lord God Fauci—nope. 

The medical expert community should be ashamed for, among other things, engaging in this political effort to influence the 2020 election. And what a waste: Trump was elected again in 2024. With Fauci pardoned by brain-dead Joe Biden, his testimony tomorrow morning should be interesting since he can't plead the Fifth so easily. 

Still, this journal entry, where he was briefed by the CIA about intercepted communications that might support the lab leak theory and then criticizes a CIA analyst for not understanding the science at his level, is truly disgusting. He’s a pretentious lefty in a lab coat, a Democrat with an MD, who spread nonsense while countless families suffered and many died alone. Bill Melugin has more:

NEW: Dr. Fauci writes in his diary that in June 2021, he received a (classified?) briefing from the CIA on the origins of COVID-19 while in a SCIF (Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility) at NIH, and reveals that the CIA told him they had intercepted Chinese communications… pic.twitter.com/YksypDt0cM— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) July 28, 2026

Dr. Fauci writes in his diary that in June 2021, he received a (classified?) briefing from the CIA on the origins of COVID-19 while in a SCIF (Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility) at NIH, and reveals that the CIA told him they had intercepted Chinese communications in Wuhan, including indications that the Chinese had transferred pangolin viruses from Beijing to Wuhan. Additionally, Fauci writes that the CIA had information from sources that the Chinese military had conducted unknown experiments in Wuhan, and that the CIA had information about a "super spreader" event in China in July 2020 in relation to "passage of a virus in a laboratory."

Fauci writes that the CIA briefer, who he names, was "almost pathetic in her naivety and obvious lack of appreciation of any of the science of what she was talking about."

This guy’s paper trail is a nightmare. 

The fireworks begin at 8:30 AM on Wednesday morning. 

Also, remember this nonsense, where Fauci bashed Republicans over the vaccine, then spoke to some black families, and they told him to get his COVID juices out of their faces.

We’ll discuss her bizarre press conference later this morning, but New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill wants to shift focus away from the thousands of illegal aliens found on the state’s voter rolls, where about 400 voted in past elections. Not surprising, and the actual number is probably higher. You know this, and if you watched President Trump’s primetime speech about our election system this month, you’d know it can’t be true. He said that over 270,000 noncitizens were caught on voter rolls in four states, thanks to the work of the Department of Homeland Security. New Jersey was one of them. Only 6,600 people—no way, Jose. 

Capt. Seth Keshel’s Substack explored the chaos. He pointed out a few things: first, although none of these stories are positive, they are just the tip of the iceberg. Second, he doesn’t think illegal immigrants are voting themselves because they prefer to stay out of sight, especially now. Third, there are other, more serious issues with fraud and discrepancies that aren’t being examined. Lastly, the reason we see illegals on New Jersey’s voter rolls is due to the Democrats’ Automatic Voter Registration efforts. In short, Sherrill is trying to hide the bigger problem. She was forced to attempt to get ahead of the PR disaster since this issue was likely to persist, especially as the USPS delays mailing out ballots until officials can check each state’s voter list. 

Her office’s line is that we caught the error, it’s under investigation, and we’re no longer going to discuss this, especially with the federal government. Why not? As long as Trump is president, this isn’t going away, lady:

If you recall, the President’s fifth and final point in his address outlining exploitation and known vulnerabilities of our extant elections system revealed that the Department of Homeland Security found over 278,000 non-citizens registered to vote in four states. Those states were California (the Democrat mother ship), Pennsylvania, Nevada, and, you guessed it, New Jersey. The investigation reviewed just a sliver of these states’ voter rolls, and with an exhaustive audit and a full review of the other 46 states’ rolls, how many non-citizens should we expect registered nationwide? Those four states account for 93 of 538 electoral college votes, or 17.3% of the national total. So - multiply the 278,000 times 6 and we are not far from 2 million non-citizens likely on the rolls. Therefore, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Sherrill ran an impromptu press conference to “disclose” the issue that confirms exactly what Trump briefed on… outing her state for having roughly 6,600 non-citizens on the rolls, and about 400 votes from that bunch (6.1% of those registered). […] Sherrill maintains she is launching her own investigation, which reminds me of the time one of my commanders served as the unit sexual harassment prevention officer despite constantly operating as close to that line as possible. There will be no accountability (if Sherrill can help it) because she’s hiding the real truth and we only see the tip of the iceberg. The 6,600 non-citizens make up roughly 0.1%, or one in one thousand, of the voter roll. Their 400 votes are not insignificant, especially if you recall the handful of votes separating two mayoral candidates in Sioux Falls in recent weeks, or the 280 measly ballots out of more than 2.5 million cast separating now-Congressman Abraham Hamadeh from Kris Mayes in Arizona’s 2022 Attorney General’s race fiasco…

[…] The 0.1% of the New Jersey voter roll that Sherrill volunteers is populated by non-citizens pales in comparison to what the DOJ or an independent auditor would find when identifying and quantifying these categories: […] Mikie Sherrill conducted a limited hangout of corruption hoping to appear responsible and cut off the Trump administration from spilling the beans. What she is doing is letting the tip of the iceberg be shown, while covering up mountains of corruption impacting the sovereign votes of the citizens of New Jersey. It is likely, when accounting for all forms of voter roll corruption, that hundreds of thousands of registrations should be invalidated in New Jersey, not just 6,600

The people running the DOJ aren’t going to accept Sherill’s ‘I’m not saying anything more, let’s move on’ attitude. Also, she mentioned her stance on the matter to Harmeet Dhillon. Lady, good luck. 

It's imperative that the Trump administration push on with their election integrity agenda, even if panicans, like John Thune and John Cornyn, don't want to do it.  

MIAMI, FLORIDA – APRIL 07: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis attends the Boom Belt: A Return to First Principles in Public Markets conference on April 7, 2026, in Miami, Florida.

Florida GOP Governor Ron DeSantis expressed deep skepticism regarding the federal SAVE America Act, stating there is “basically zero” chance the election integrity bill will pass the U.S. Senate before lawmakers depart for their scheduled August recess.

The statement highlights growing frustration among conservatives who have been pressing Senate leadership to take up the measure, which would require voters to present documentary proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections.

Despite passing the House of Representatives, the proposal faces formidable procedural hurdles in the upper chamber, where slim margins and unanimous Democrat opposition make achieving the 60-vote threshold for cloture close to impossible.

The legislative push has sparked sharp debate within the Republican conference, dividing party leaders over parliamentary strategy as the August deadline approaches.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has resisted calls from conservative members to delay or cancel the summer recess to force a vote, citing a “lack of necessary votes” to overcome a Democrat filibuster as well as practical timeline constraints for state election officials to implement new verification procedures ahead of the upcoming elections.

Meanwhile, senators such as Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) have actively demanded that leadership keep the Senate in session through the break to debate and vote on the bill, maintaining that securing federal voter rolls must remain the top legislative priority.

DeSantis’s commentary exemplifies a distinct contrast between state-level legislative action and federal gridlock.

Earlier this year, DeSantis signed Florida’s own version of the SAVE Act into law, making Florida one of several states to enact state-level proof-of-citizenship requirements and updated voter identification mandates. During his remarks, DeSantis pointed to Florida’s legislation as a model for federal action, while acknowledging that Washington’s procedural rules and partisan divide effectively block similar measures from advancing through the Senate in the near term.

Supporters of the SAVE America Act highlight that requiring citizenship verification is a common-sense measure essential to restoring public confidence and preventing non-citizens from voting.

Opponents, including Senate Democrats and far-left “voting rights” groups, argue that illegal voting by non-citizens and illegal aliens is already rare under current laws and argue that requiring physical citizenship documents — such as passports or birth certificates — disproportionately disenfranchises millions of eligible American citizens, particularly naturalized citizens, married women, people of color (POC) and rural residents.

Hollywood actor James Woods has publicly blasted what he calls “rigged” elections — including the 2020 presidential vote and recent local contests — and has loudly demanded passage of the SAVE Act as a cure-all. Whether you agree with Woods or roll your eyes at celebrity outrage, his anger taps into a real and growing public worry: Americans want fair, transparent elections they can trust. That is a basic ask, not a political stunt.

Hollywood Takes Aim — And It’s Not Just Noise

When a recognizable name like James Woods screams about a “rigged” election, the media reflex is to mock. That’s predictable. But mocking won’t fix what voters see: confusing rules, inconsistent audits, and opaque ballot handling. Woods called out both the 2020 presidential vote and specific local races — even poking at the strange headlines around a Spencer Pratt-related contest. Fans of transparency should not care who raises the alarm. The question is whether our systems answer it.

What the SAVE Act Promises — And Why It Resonates

Proponents of the SAVE Act say it would shore up basic safeguards: secure paper ballots, stronger chain-of-custody rules, uniform signature checks, and routine, independent audits. That is common-sense stuff. Voters want to know who counted the ballots, how machines were set up, and that audits actually match the totals. Call it election integrity, call it accountability — it’s something both parties used to say they wanted.

Reality Check: Fixes, Not Conspiracies

Now, let’s be honest. Accusations of widespread fraud deserve careful proof. A healthy republic relies on facts, not fevered claims. But demanding stronger rules is not the same as endorsing conspiracy theories. Conservatives should push for reforms that make elections easy to participate in and hard to manipulate. Improved voter ID, transparent audits, and chain-of-custody laws are reasonable reforms that reduce doubt and quiet the crocodile tears from pundits who thrive on chaos.

Wrap-Up: Demand Action, Not Excuses

It’s not often you hear the NATO secretary general give Moscow a blunt, on‑camera reality check — and then turn around and heap praise on an American president for pushing a peace plan. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte did both on Fox & Friends, and the message was clear: Europe needs to wake up, get its factories humming, and stop pretending this is somebody else’s fight.

Rutte puts Russia on notice

“They are not winning this,” Rutte told viewers, and that line wasn’t small talk. Saying it on a U.S. morning show was deliberate: NATO wanted Kyiv reassured and Moscow warned in public, where words can shape calculations as much as weapons can. This is classic deterrence — loud, visible, and aimed at keeping the fighting from spreading.

Raise the shield: spending and industrial muscle

Rutte used the appearance to push the hard stuff — cash and production. NATO’s institutional line now is blunt: “Allies have agreed to invest 5% of GDP in defence,” and the point is to move beyond hollow promises to real factories, stockpiles, and supply chains. For Americans that matters: if our European partners actually pony up and rebuild industry, U.S. taxpayers won’t forever be writing the blank checks that keep the alliance afloat.

On Trump and the peace push

Rutte didn’t skimp on praise for President Donald Trump either: “This is a president really pushing peace worldwide,” he said, crediting Trump with driving a U.S.-backed plan that’s reopened talks. Call it unusual camaraderie, call it politics — the substance matters more than the optics. If talks hold, lives are saved; if they don’t, the alliance still needs to be ready for a longer fight.

A simple question for leaders — and voters

An Iran-linked media outlet has published an AI-generated video that appears to threaten first lady Melania Trump and her son, Barron Trump, by outlining possible ways they could be targeted.

The Daily Mail reported that the video was published Monday by the Tasnim News Agency, which has ties to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The video highlights locations in New York City where Melania Trump has been reported to shop and describes potential ways attackers could gather information about her movements.

"Melania's obsession with fashion has become her biggest weakness," a narrator says in the video, according to closed captions reviewed by the Daily Mail.

It specifically mentions luxury department stores Bergdorf Goodman and Saks Fifth Avenue, claiming they are locations the first lady visits.

"These places could be suitable for operations by global freedom fighters," the narrator says, according to the report.

The video also describes alleged warning signs that could indicate a planned visit, including changes to street conditions and security preparations.

It further outlines possible attack scenarios, including attempts to gather information through people connected to the first lady's staff and local facilities.

The Daily Mail reported that the video references Melania Trump's Secret Service protection and claims the agency coordinates with hospitals near locations she visits.

The video also mentions the Secret Service codename used for the first lady and lists several luxury retailers in Manhattan, including Dolce & Gabbana, Dior, and Michael Kors.

The report said the video names members of Melania Trump's styling team and claims individuals could be targeted for information about her schedule.

The footage ends with a direct threat aimed at Barron Trump, stating: "This is just the beginning. Barron Trump, wait for us," according to the Daily Mail's translation of the video.

The White House and the first lady's office were contacted for comment.

The publication of the video comes as Iranian threats against members of the Trump family have increased during a period of heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran.

The newspaper reported that posters and billboards in Tehran have recently featured images of members of the Trump family with threatening messages.

U.S. officials have previously said Iran has been involved in plots targeting President Donald Trump. The Justice Department in 2024 charged an alleged Iranian-linked individual accused of participating in a murder-for-hire plot targeting Trump and other U.S. officials.

Trump has said Iranian leaders have sought his death and has warned that the United States would respond forcefully if Iran attempted to harm him or members of his family.

In June of 2025, RedState reported on anti-ICE rioters who were targeting, interfering, and obstructing Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in Los Angeles. As our Managing Editor, Jen Van Laar, documented.

For the second day in a row, people protesting without a permit have shut down Los Angeles roadways and assaulted police officers, and for the second day in a row Mayor Karen Bass

has publicly ignored the situation and privately told officers to stand down and retreat. The lawbreakers, many of them holding flags from Mexico and other Latin American countries, say they're there to protest ICE raids, which they claim are picking up sweet little abuelas and whisking them off to concentration camps. 

Because of the inaction by L.A. Mayor Karen Bass (D) and California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D),

President Donald Trump deployed the National Guard, but not before one brain trust decided to ride his motorcycle into a skirmish line of LAPD officers. Randy Paul Ruiz was arrested and indicted by L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman on two felony counts of assault upon a peace officer. 

On June 8, at about 3:40 p.m., police were holding a skirmish line at the corner of Temple and Alameda streets when Ruiz allegedly drove a motorcycle into the line of officers. 

A year later, Ruiz pleaded guilty to charges of obstructing, impeding, or interfering with law enforcement operations during civil disorder. Ruiz is now in the "find out" stage. First Assistant District Attorney Bill Essayli posted on X about this conviction.

Randy Paul Ruiz, 28, of East Los Angeles, pleaded guilty today to 18 U.S.C. 111 for obstructing, impeding, or interfering with law enforcement during civil disorder, a felony carrying a maximum of five years in federal prison. On June 8, 2025, two days after a wave of violence against law enforcement began, LAPD officers were stationed outside the Roybal Federal Building in Downtown L.A. to protect people and property threatened by violent agitators protesting enforcement of immigration laws Congress passed decades ago. The civil disorder closed a nearby freeway and federal offices. Ruiz sat atop his motorcycle among the protesters. He then drove his motorcycle from the crowd into a skirmish line of LAPD officers. He was arrested and charged in state and federal court. His federal sentencing hearing is set for November 2.

Justice has finally come back to Los Angeles, and Portland, Oregon is not far behind. U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon announced the plea of an anti-ICE agitator who assaulted a federal officer. 

A Gresham, Oregon, man pleaded guilty today after he was charged with assaulting a federal law enforcement officer during a declared riot near a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office in South Portland. Ginovanni Joseph Brumbelow, 22, pleaded guilty to assault on a federal officer with a dangerous weapon. According to court documents, on June 14, 2025, Brumbelow struck a federal officer in the back of the head with a wooden stake while the officer was arresting another individual during a riot at the ICE facility in South Portland. On July 15, 2025, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a three-count indictment charging Brumbelow with assault on a federal officer, assault of a federal officer with a dangerous weapon and civil disorder.

Brumbelow is also in the "find out" stage. His sentencing is scheduled for October 19, where he "faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release."  Also as part of his plea agreement, Brumbelow will pay full restitution to the federal officer he admitted he assaulted.

Breaking: Portland Antifa militant Ginovanni Joseph Brumbelow has been CONVICTED for felony assault against an ICE agent. Brumbelow, 22, of Gresham, used a wooden stake to strike the officer in the head, attempting to impale him outside the Portland ICE facility. He faces 20 years in prison for the June 14, 2025, attack.

While some of the big fish Americans want to see on the hook have yet to be caught, these smaller, and extremely violent fish still matter. Americans are weary of symbolic arrests, hearings, and claims of justice being served without any real consequences being meted out. Ruiz and Brumbelow were once exceptions, but now are becoming the poster children for the rule of law being executed. Let us hope this continues.

The French have done it again. The nation that gave the world the baguette, camembert cheese, and snooty accents crossed a big red line on social media after a U.N. Security Council meeting on Friday.

The U.S. envoy, Dan Negrea, a senior delegation official and alternate representative at the General Assembly, slammed France’s “disingenuous grandstanding” and walked out during a Monday meeting

What drew the ire of the seasoned diplomat? France compared the United States to… North Korea.

No, seriously.

The US used to be a beacon of human rights. Not anymore. Today, it stands alongside North Korea, Nicaragua, Mali & Russia, isolated. And the world no longer listens to it.#AmericaAlone https://t.co/GLNMsYEH9n pic.twitter.com/UTVvljTMeO— France ONU Genève 🇫🇷🇺🇳 (@FranceONUGeneve) July 25, 2026

Negrea took the French to task over their dishonest smear of the United States.

— Kyle Becker (@kylenabecker) July 28, 2026

"There is a member of this council that will feign moral outrage and pretend to lecture the rest of us about every topic, whether it's about the very conflict we're discussing yet again today, or even those unrelated to international peace and security, like human rights," Negrea said.

"That is why we walked out during France's intervention" at the meeting, he added.

Such a walkout from the Security Council, the UN's highest decision-making body where both France and the United States are veto-wielding permanent members, is very rare.  On Friday the United States was one of 10 countries to vote in the General Assembly against extending Volker Turk's term as UN high commissioner for human rights, joining the ranks of North Korea, Russia and Nicaragua, among others.

"The US used to be a beacon of human rights. Not anymore," France's mission to the United Nations in Geneva posted in English after Friday's vote. "Today, it stands alongside North Korea, Nicaragua, Mali & Russia, isolated. And the world no longer listens to it."

The U.N. Security Council meeting was intended to solve problems regarding Russia and Ukraine, as the war grinds on in its fourth year.

That, unfortunately, is not what is happening at the United Nations, in part due to the low-rent gutter-sniping of legacy European members like France.

Mike Waltz, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, also slammed the French.

— Ambassador Mike Waltz (@USAmbUN) July 26, 2026

"It is disappointing – though not surprising – that this is how France deflects on its shameful vote to coddle some of the worst human rights abusers," Waltz said on X. "France voted for someone who has been lecturing, free, sovereign democracies like the United States, the UK, and Israel, while cozying up to the world’s worst oppressors."

The international tussle captured the attention of political observers.

"Today, at the UN Security Council meeting on the war in Ukraine, the U.S. walked out during France's intervention," remarked commentator Leslie Kajomovitz. "Listen to U.S. envoy Dan Negrea remind France that they would all be speaking German if it weren't for America, and France's pathetic reply."

It should be noted that France has been very reluctant to aid the U.S. military operation in Iran, and indeed, has unusually cozy ties with Tehran.

Sen. John Thune (R-SD) is doing what Bush-era Republicans do best: nothing. He’s going through the motions, making it look like he’s working. He'll try to pass off a valiant losing effort as a victory. Not good enough. The bases of both parties have grown tired of that show; Trump took a blowtorch to the all-talk, no-action dynamic that lulled many to sleep. Also, the era of moral victories is over. Either pass the damn bill or get lost. 

Right now, John Thune must pass the SAVE America Act, or he’ll lose his position as Senate Republicans' leader. What we’re witnessing is a man who can’t handle the pressure, who is too respectful of institutional norms, and who fails to see that winning is what truly matters. Democrats will exploit this romantic attachment to tradition and service against the GOP. They manipulated John during the DHS funding shutdown. He still doesn’t understand, even now, that he wasn’t supposed to work with Democrats on a stopgap measure to prevent a shutdown in September. John, Democrats want a shutdown. They have no reason to cooperate with you. His office posted his appearance on Sean Hannity, touting the slew of Trump nominees who had been confirmed. We don’t care—pass the SAVE America Act

After processing this next batch of 74 Trump nominees, the Senate will have confirmed nearly every nominee available for floor consideration. My @SenateGOP colleagues and I are also advancing legislation that’s key to our shared Republican agenda. pic.twitter.com/T3Mzh9wHE0— Leader John Thune (@LeaderJohnThune) July 28, 2026

The single most important issue the American people care about is the SAVE America Act.— ThePersistence (@ScottPresler) July 28, 2026

pic.twitter.com/IYdgnvrd4G— Kevin Von Tungeln (@KTungeln) July 28, 2026

pic.twitter.com/orOu1gKWO0— Angela 🐦🙏🦋🇺🇸 (@arwebst61) July 28, 2026

Mirror Mirror On The Wall, Who's The Biggest Traitor Of Them All? pic.twitter.com/YZgZRvNLET— Based. (@basedperiod) July 28, 2026

Also, notice how nuking the filibuster is possible. Theoretically, they can do it, but again, this deference to institutional norms, which won’t be respected under Democrats, is killing the party. The Democrats want to nuke it. They will nuke it once they regain control of the chamber. It’s time we do it, get ahead of it, and pass what we want to get done. The old world is coming to an end in the Senate, and Republicans are willing to let their action items waste away because of tradition or something. 

There was a horrific shooting at the Bite of Seattle food festival over the weekend. On Sunday, two suspects reportedly engaged in a gun battle. It turned the last day of the festival into a mass casualty event. Three people were killed, and another four were wounded. Two handguns were recovered, with a 15-year-old suspect being apprehended. Another person of interest, described as a “young person,” remains at large. Mayor Katie Wilson is a socialist who has never run anything in her life, and it showed Sunday night. 

The press conference was a mess, delayed by hours, with municipal and state officials caught up in a blame game sparked by the Seattle Police Department. They claimed the delay was due to the arrival of dignitaries participating, namely Gov. Bob Ferguson and Rep. Pramila Jayapal, though they were only informed of a press conference until after 10 p.m.. Wilson then spoke a little before 11 PM (via Seattle Times):

As questions linger about delays in updating the public after Sunday’s deadly mass shooting at Seattle Center, Gov. Bob Ferguson and U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal say they weren’t to blame. A Seattle police public information officer told journalists Sunday night that a media briefing at the Center — held nearly five hours after the shooting — was delayed because officials were waiting for “dignitaries” who wanted to participate.

That seemed to point a possible finger at Ferguson and Jayapal, who, along with Mayor Katie Wilson, spoke at the briefing, which started just before 11 p.m. Ferguson and Jayapal each said Monday they were not told until after 10 p.m. that there would be a press conference. As soon as they learned about it, each headed to Seattle Center. The shooting left three people dead and four wounded, including a toddler. One arrest has been made, and police have said they are looking for a second suspect.

On Monday, Mayor Wilson became flustered after being pressed about the delays. 

— Lynnwood Times (@LynnwoodTimes) July 27, 2026