President Trump received a hero's welcome in Israel on Monday as the last living hostages stolen by Hamas on October 7, 2023, were set free, an achievement few thought possible until Trump defied the odds with a historic peace deal.
The captives were released in two separate groups of seven and 13 to the Red Cross, the Hill reported.
Their release ends two long years of anguish for Israel, the captives, and their loved ones and stands as a significant diplomatic milestone for Trump, who made a whirlwind tour of Israel and Egypt on Monday to bask in the glory of his achievement.
Joyous, almost surreal scenes played out on Monday as the hostages were finally set free, just days after the second anniversary of the darkest day in Israel's modern history, when Hamas killed 1,200 Israelis and took 251 hostages on October 7th.
The last living hostages spent 738 dark days cut off from their families and the civilized world as their loved ones and others lobbied for their freedom.
Emotions ran high across Israel on Monday as Trump was compared to Cyrus the Great, the Persian emperor who freed the ancient Israelites from the Babylonian captivity. Trump spoke to a rapturous crowd at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, where he gave a triumphant speech.
"After two harrowing years in darkness and captivity, 20 courageous hostages are returning to the glorious embrace of their families," Trump said.
"Twenty-eight more precious loved ones are coming home at last to rest in this sacred soil for all of time."
Despite the warm feelings across Israel, not all families were celebrating Monday.
Hamas released only four of the deceased hostages among 28 presumed dead, leading the Hostage and Missing Families Forum to accuse the group of a "blatant breach" of the ceasefire deal. It came as Israel released 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, in accordance with the peace agreement.
Speaking at a peace summit in Egypt, Trump said that Hamas is searching for the bodies of the remaining captives.
"It’s a pretty gruesome task… They know the areas [where they’re located] and… they’re doing it in conjunction with Israel, and they’ll going to be finding quite a few of them,” Trump said.
Under Trump's 20-point peace deal, Hamas must also commit to disarm and abdicate rule in war-torn Gaza, terms that some are skeptical the terror group will honor.
Still, the release of the 20 hostages Monday is an incredible victory for Trump, for Israel, and for all of humanity.
President Donald Trump talked about his son Barron on his granddaughter's vlog, 1 on 1 with Kai, which was posted to YouTube on Saturday but was filmed in August on a day the president spent golfing with her.
When Kai asked how her uncle was doing at NYU, Trump said, “Good, he’s doing good. He’s a good boy. He loves you. He said, ‘Say hello to Kai, dad.'"
“I said, ‘Barron, why don’t you come out and watch?’ … he’s so cute.”
It's no secret that Barron doesn't share his dad's love of golf. He prefers tennis, and also played soccer in his younger years.
The vlog was filmed a few days before Barron started his sophomore year at NYU's Stern School of Business, but he is attending the smaller D.C. campus this year after spending his freshman year on the New York City campus while living in Trump Tower with his mom Melania.
According to a security officer at NYU's main campus, Barron would be spending a "semester" at the D.C. campus, but it wasn't confirmed whether it would be just a semester or longer than that.
The D.C. campus offers opportunities to do "experiential learning" and to apply for internships. Only 60 to 100 students are at that campus, compared with the 26,000 at the New York City campus.
In addition to attending school, Barron is already pursuing business interests including real estate and cryptocurrency.
The New York Post speculated that he "could have" earned $40 million from the sale of digital assets by World Liberty Financial, his family's crypto company.
Barron was the one who encouraged the family to get into the crypto business--something his dad admitted he didn't know much about.
“Barron knows so much about this,” Trump said after the launch in September. “Barron’s a young guy, but he knows it — he talks about his wallet. He’s got four wallets or something, and I’m saying, ‘What is a wallet?’”
The company has already sold $550 million in tokens, according to reports.
Barron is a co-founder of the company, and Forbes estimated that he would have a 7.5% stake in it.
That's certainly enough money to pay the estimated $32,000 in annual tuition for his studies, although at this point he could probably teach some of his professors a thing or two, it seems.
Pop star John Legend, a left-wing critic of President Donald Trump, said on Instagram that Trump should get the Nobel Peace Prize next year for his work to bring peace to the Middle East, but added some other qualifications to his support.
Not surprisingly, Legend said that Trump should remove the National Guard from American cities and also end ICE's operations there.
If Trump can additionally go a year without any missile strikes on foreign nations, then Legend said he should be awarded the prestigious global prize.
Of course, the entire video by Legend was dripping with contempt for Trump and condescension toward him and his efforts. His followers loved every second of it, which should tell you everything you need to know.
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The singer used the video to call Trump out on what he called "authoritarian" actions--sending the National Guard into crime-ridden Democrat-run cities to restore order and directing ICE to actually arrest and deport illegal immigrants (which is the law, by the way).
Legend posted the video from somewhere in his house, with family pictures in the background and him in a bathrobe.
He attempted to sound intelligent by waxing on about who has earned the prize in the past and some of the reasons they have won it.
Of course, he doesn't think Trump deserves the prize, as was evident by the description of everything Trump is doing that he'd have to stop in order to "deserve" the prize next year.
This year's award went to Venezuelan Opposition Leader Maria Corina Machado for fighting dictatorship in that country.
She dedicated the award in a post on X "to the suffering people of Venezuela and to President Trump for his decisive support of our cause!"
Trump was a little bit salty about not getting the prize after his administration almost singlehandedly brought about peace in the Middle East (for as long as it lasts).
"President Trump will continue making peace deals, ending wars, and saving lives... The Nobel Committee proved they place politics over peace," White House spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a post on X.
While it's pretty certain that Trump will not meet Legend's qualifiers before next year's prize is awarded, there's no telling how many more peace agreements he may be able to broker--like maybe for Russia and Ukraineb, for starters--by then.
President Donald Trump on Saturday directed Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to pay the 1.3 million active duty troops on October 15 even though they would not normally be paid while the government is shutting down, using funding earmarked for research and development that has not been allocated in order to do so.
The government has been shut down since October 1 after the House passed a continuing resolution to fund the government at currently legislated levels, but Senate Democrats blocked its passage in that chamber while demanding rollbacks of changes made in the One Big Beautiful Bill over the summer.
“If nothing is done, because of ‘Leader’ Chuck Schumer and the Democrats, our Brave Troops will miss the paychecks they are rightfully due on October 15th,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “That is why I am using my authority, as Commander in Chief, to direct our Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to use all available funds to do this.”
The Office of Management and Budget has let Congress know that it will use the $8 billion in funding to pay the military.
The move comes as last week House Democrats sort of tried to approve funding to pay the military by bringing it up for a unanimous consent vote during a pro forma session.
House Republicans blocked the attempt by Rep. Sarah Elfreth (D-MD) when House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Mike Bost (R-IL) gaveled out the session before she could finish reading her request.
Republicans did this for two reasons: first, they saw it as an attempt to save face while still forcing their demands for another $1.5 trillion in new spending through Congress in an attempt to undo the progress made in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Second, as House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) pointed out afterward, Elfreth's request didn't follow the protocols for bringing up legislation, so it wouldn't have worked even if she had been allowed to finish it.
"You can't do that in a pro forma session. So again, it's just to get attention," Emmer said, calling the attempt a political stunt of "gargantuan proportions."
While the two sides squabble in Congress over whether to come out of the shutdown, Trump did what he had to do to get the military paid, which shows a lot of leadership in my opinion.
He also reallocated other funding to keep WIC, a food program for women during pregnancy and while they have very young children, operating during the shutdown.
So much for the narrative that he is a cold, unfeeling tyrant who wants to see people starve.
Democrats need to come to terms with the fact that elections have dictated their lack of power.
It's unfair to hold the government hostage to get concessions that they could never have gotten otherwise, given the power that they now have.
They are getting the blame for anything bad that happens as a result of the shutdown, and they know it. Their downward spiral will continue until they realize how they are shooting themselves in the foot over and over with their radical left leanings.
With the government shutdown well into its second week, Americans -- particularly those within the federal workforce -- are beginning to feel the effects of the stalemate.
Late last week, after Democrats continued their holdout against the proposed continuing resolution that would re-open the government, the Trump administration began layoffs at a host of federal agencies, as Axios reports.
On Friday, word came down from Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought, informing government employees that the reduction-in-force (RIF) plan, of which President Donald Trump has continued to warn, was indeed going into effect, as Politico explained.
Taking to X to remove any doubt, Vought declared simply, “The RIFs have begun.
A spokesperson at OMB subsequently confirmed the situation, noting, “Can confirm RIFs have begun, and they are substantial.”
Adding to the anxiety likely sweeping across Washington, the spokesperson added, “These are RIFs not furloughs,” signifying permanent cuts rather than temporary actions stemming from the shutdown.
Trump, for his part, explained on Thursday that the cuts were targeted, saying, “We’re only cutting Democrat programs, I hate to tell you, but we are cutting Democrat programs. We will be cutting some very popular Democrat programs that aren’t popular with Republicans, frankly.”
As Axios noted, the administration revealed details of the broader RIF plan in a court filing submitted on Friday evening.
The Department of Health and Human Services, for instance, was poised to see somewhere between 1,100 and 1,200 employee layoffs, cuts poised to impact “multiple divisions” of the agency.
Roughly 176 workers within the Department of Homeland Security were set to get the axe, according to the outlet, with the agency saying, “This is part of getting CISA [Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency] back on mission.”
The Treasury Department was reportedly targeted for layoffs impacting 1,446 of its employees, with the Department of Education -- already significantly hit by Department of Government Efficiency cuts -- set to shed another 466 individuals.
Further RIFs were slated to take effect at the Environmental Protection Agency as well as the Department of Housing and Urban Development, agencies reportedly losing between 20-30 workers and 442 employees, respectively, with the Energy Department also reducing its count by 187 and the Commerce Department dropping around 315 of its staffers.
Amid the significant job cuts referenced above, however, the president took steps to make certain that what he views as Democrats’ indefensible recalcitrance on the funding impasse will not take a toll on the nation’s armed forces.
As The Hill reports, Trump on Saturday instructed Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth “to use all available funds” to ensure that service members are paid as scheduled on Oct. 15,” giving voice to a priority with which millions of Americans assuredly share.
More than a month has passed since the tragic murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University, and court watchers are closely following developments in the case against the man accused of committing the heinous crime.
As Breitbart reports, as defendant Tyler Robinson prepares for upcoming appearances in the courtroom, he is asking the presiding judge to allow him to present himself not in prison garb and shackles, but rather in civilian clothes.
The accused killer’s request came in the form of a 21-page motion submitted to Judge Tony Graf last week, a document that outlined the defense team’s rationale for the desired adjustment.
Robinson’s attorneys made reference to the Idaho murder case of Bryan Kohberger in their contention that allowing their client to wear civilian attire would help secure his constitutional right to a fair trial.
In addition to their request regarding Robinson’s clothing, defense lawyers also now seek a closed-door hearing regarding whether physical restraints will be used during courtroom appearances.
The motion stated, “In the face of worldwide scrutiny, permitting Mr. Robinson to wear civilian clothing for court appearances is a minor inconvenience compared to the already present concerns with securing a fair trial before an impartial jury.”
Their filing continued, “With each development in the case generating thousands of articles and comments online, the likelihood of potential jurors seeing and drawing conclusions regarding Mr. Robinson’s guilt and or deserved punishment from obvious signs of pretrial incarceration will only increase.”
It is not just Robinson’s trial attire on which his defense team is focusing, as attorneys are busy developing their approach to evidence in the case and strategic arguments in furtherance of their attempt to secure an acquittal -- or at the very least prevent the imposition of the death penalty upon conviction.
Speaking to Fox News Digital, veteran defense attorney Randall Spencer described some of the priorities likely guiding the work of Robinson’s team.
Spencer noted how critical it will be to maintain the confidentiality of evidence ahead of trial in order to safeguard the impartiality of potential jurors.
“If the prosecutor or the defense of leaking…evidence to the public…that may inhibit Tyler’s right to a fair trial.”
In terms of potential defense theories, Spencer opined, “There perhaps could be a factual innocence defense being raised indicating that Tyler wasn’t actually the shooter. Probably more likely the defense…is addressing the aggravating factor…whether the defendant’s alleged actions had a high probability of causing the death of someone other than Charlie Kirk,” suggesting that such a pivot -- if successful -- could shift the charge downward “from capital homicide to standard murder.”
Even so, former Assistant U.S. Attorney Neama Rahmani suspects that prosecutors in the case will focus on efforts to “dirty up” Robinson to boost the chances that, if convicted, he will receive the death penalty, working to present evidence of alleged statements from the defendant regarding Kirk’s supposed “hatred,” his apparent admission of guilt to a romantic partner, and incriminating words said to have been etched on bullets used in the crime.
Noting that 12 of 12 jurors must agree for Robinison to be put to death, Rahmani observed, “So when jurors are weighing the death penalty, the reason why someone killed another human being, if it was for political reasons, that’s certainly an aggravated factor” but whether such consensus will be reached at the end of the process, only time will tell.
A federal appeals court reversed a lower court ruling blocking President Donald Trump from calling up the National Guard in Chicago.
Thanks to this decision, troops stationed at the U.S. Army Reserve Center in Elwood, Illinois, can stay put. However, there is still the question of whether Trump can actually deploy these troops into the city.
The one-page order from the Chicago-based 7th Circuit Court of Appeals read, "Members of the National Guard do not need to return to their home states unless further ordered by a court to do so."
This order reverses a previous ruling by U.S. District Judge April Perry, who barred the White House from federalizing and deploying National Guard troops from Illinois and Texas in Chicago.
She rejected the Trump administration's argument that, because of increasing lawlessness and riots against federal law enforcement, the National Guard was required to ensure federal law enforcement would be able to do its job.
It's also worth noting that Perry was appointed by former President Joe Biden, in case that wasn't immediately obvious.
This latest decision is another win for President Trump, but there are real questions to be settled about whether he has the power to actually use the National Guard in Chicago, a Democrat-run city that has been designated a "sanctuary city."
Under radical leftist mayor Brandon Johnson, Chicago has become home to scores of illegal immigrants who are putting a strain on Chicago's infrastructure and social safety nets. This hasn't stopped Chicago Democrats from fighting tooth and nail to protect these illegal immigrants from federal law enforcement.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers have been working in the city, but that is very much in spite of Democrats. In fact, the Chicago Police Department was ordered not to assist federal agents who were under literal siege by violent leftist protestors.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson would rather defend illegal immigrants than make life better for American citizens in Chicago and the state of Illinois and they are willing to let federal law enforcement be besieged like they are conducting operations in a warzone.
Of course, it seems like Trump will come out on top in this particular fight as the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals also appears poised to authorize Trump's use of the National Guard in Portland, another leftist city committing insurrection by protecting criminals against federal law enforcement.
Democrat cities around the nation have opened their doors for illegal immigrants and other criminals, but refuse to allow federal law enforcement to come in and do their job.
Considering Democrats screeched about Trump committing "insurrection" for questioning the outcome of the election in 2020, one would think Democrats would believe strongly in the rule of law and the federal government's role in keeping the peace.
The actions of Democrats like Brandon Johnson must be viewed as blatant insurrection and rebellion against the federal government's lawful enforcement of immigration law.
Once this National Guard issue is put to rest, the Department of Justice ought to look into what charges could be brought against Democrat politicians who willfully obstruct and endanger federal agents.
Brace yourselves, folks—Darius McCrary, forever etched in our minds as Eddie Winslow from "Family Matters," has been snagged in a jaw-dropping bust at the U.S.-Mexico border.
McCrary was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol in California on felony charges linked to a fugitive warrant over a missed court date tied to a child support dispute, and now he’s locked up in a San Diego jail with no bail in sight, Fox News reported.
The incident went down on a Sunday, per arrest records, as McCrary was reportedly near the border while involved in a project across in Tijuana.
According to his representative, Ann Barlow, this wasn’t a sneaky border hop but a charitable act gone south. "Darius was picked up at the Border of Mexico because he was partnering with a real estate developer that is building homes for the homeless in Tijuana, Mexico," Barlow told Fox News Digital. If that’s the case, it’s a stinging twist that helping others landed him in handcuffs, though some might raise an eyebrow at the story’s timing.
The felony warrant stems from a missed court appearance in Michigan related to an ongoing child support conflict.
Oakland County sent a notice to McCrary’s PO Box, giving him a mere three days to appear, which feels like a setup for failure to anyone who’s ever dealt with snail mail.
Barlow elaborated on the mishap, stating, "Unfortunately, Darius had COVID therefore did not check his PO Box until the day after his court date." It’s a relatable excuse in a post-pandemic world, but the timing couldn’t be worse for McCrary.
Upon discovering the missed date, he quickly informed the judge and submitted a doctor’s note confirming his illness, showing at least an attempt to make amends.
Still, the damage was done, and now he’s stuck behind bars awaiting a court date later this week.
This mess isn’t just about a missed letter; it’s rooted in a contentious 2017 divorce from ex-wife Tammy Brawner, who cited irreconcilable differences and safety worries for their daughter.
By 2019, Brawner secured full custody, while McCrary was ordered to pay over $1,300 monthly in child support and attend classes for substance abuse and batterers’ intervention.
Visitation was granted, but the court’s mandates hint at a rocky history that’s tough to overlook, even for those hoping for a comeback story.
Brawner’s 2018 court filings added fuel to the fire, alleging McCrary endangered their infant daughter, claims that weigh heavily on public perception despite lacking a final verdict.
McCrary pushed back hard, telling TMZ in 2018, "None of these allegations are true … I would never do anything to harm my child." For those who stand by due process, his denial deserves consideration over unproven accusations, though the court of opinion rarely waits for facts.
As we await McCrary’s next court appearance on Wednesday, this case spotlights a system that can turn a paperwork slip—on a ridiculously short notice—into a felony charge, leaving conservatives like us questioning whether justice is truly balanced or just blindly punitive.
dPresident Donald Trump's peace deal between Israel and Hamas has surprisingly garnered compliments and praise from some of his worst critics across the aisle.
According to the Daily Caller, failed 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton was one of the first high-profile Democrats to praise Trump for his efforts to secure a peace deal in what's otherwise still an extremely volatile situation.
Israel and Hamas accepted the first phase of a peace deal presented by the president, which is part of a 20-point plan to finally bring an end to the deadly, destructive two-year war.
Clinton commended Trump and his administration on the peace deal, but stayed cautiously optimistic about the outcome of the deal, which remains to be seen.
Hillary Clinton hasn't had much in the way of compliments for Trump for the past decade or so, but that changed last week during a CBS News special presentation.
She emphasized that the deal sounds and looks good but that it will take a great deal of work to complete it.
"I really commend President Trump and his administration, as well as Arab leaders in the region for making the commitment to the 20-point plan and seeing a path forward for what’s often called the day after,” the former Secretary of State said to CBS News’s Norah O’Donnell.
She added, “It’s going to take a lot of work. It’s going to take a lot of coordination.”
Clinton also praised U.S. negotiators, pointing out that they "took advantage of an opening that was available and were able to be successful."
Hillary Clinton praises Trump for peace deal,
"It’s a really significant first step and I really commend Trump and his administration."pic.twitter.com/wVFX7QeHkA
— Defiant L’s (@DefiantLs) October 11, 2025
“Let’s now support this process and bring it together, not just in a nonpartisan way in our own country, but literally internationally as a great global commitment to try to bring peace, security, stability and a better future to the Middle East," Clinton added.
Sen. John Fetterman, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, also praised Trump and his administration for the deal.
"I congratulate @POTUS on this historic peace plan that releases all the hostages," Fetterman wrote on X. "Now, enduring peace in the region is possible. Our parties are different but we have a shared ironclad commitment to Israel and its people."
Rahm Emanuel, a former Obama administration power player and mayor of Chicago, also joined in the praise.
"Trump deserves credit," he said last week.
The U.S. government may still be shut down, but that's not stopping President Donald Trump from making sure U.S. troops receive their next paycheck.
According to the Daily Caller, President Trump will reportedly direct War Secretary Pete Hegseth to pay U.S. servicemembers so that they wouldn't be out of a paycheck this week.
The president announced that his administration had identified the funds required to make sure troops get paid, making sure to emphasize that he will use "all available funds" to ensure 1.3 million troops don't go without a check.
The bombshell announcement came as Senate Democrats continue to play dirty in keeping the U.S. government on shutdown status.
President Trump made the announcement in a Truth Social post, drawing praise from Republicans, and presumably most of our troops, for ensuring that they'll get money they need to survive and feed their families.
"If nothing is done, because of ‘Leader’ Chuck Schumer and the Democrats, our Brave Troops will miss the paychecks they are rightfully due on October 15th,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
He added, “That is why I am using my authority, as Commander in Chief, to direct our Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to use all available funds to do this.”
Make America Great Again to Pay Troops By 15th October
US has come long way under Trump 😳 pic.twitter.com/qGOpzsI9SV
— Frontalforce 🇮🇳 (@FrontalForce) October 13, 2025
It was also reported that the funds, totaling about $8 billion, will come from unobligated research and development funds.
The Daily Caller noted:
The Office of Management and Budget notified Congress the Pentagon will pull $8 billion in unobligated research and development funds — which Congress made available for two years — to pay the U.S. service members, Politico reported.
Many social media users commented on Trump's vow to make sure that troops get paid on time.
"Our country is so much better off now that we have a president who is willing to think outside the box to assure our priorities are met even during the Schumer Shutdown," one X user wrote.
Another X user wrote, "Good to see troops taken care of. Thank you Mr. President."
It's refreshing to know that Trump will make sure our troops are taken care of, no matter what games Congress plays.