Depending on whether or not President Donald Trump ultimately approves it, Fort Hood mass shooter Nidal Hasan, who claimed the lives of 13 people during a shooting spree in 2009, could get the first military death penalty in six decades.
According to Fox News, the Pentagon is reportedly preparing to request that President Trump authorize the death penalty for Hasan, which would mark the first military execution in over 60 years.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is fully behind the decision to put Hasan to death, saying he's "100% committed" to making sure the convicted killer is sentenced to death.
Hasan was sentenced to death in 2013 after he was convicted by a jury.
Hasan is one of four death row prisoners under military jurisdiction, and if his execution is approved, it could pave the way for the others to meet the same fate.
In 2009, Hasan, a former Army psychiatrist, killed 13 people and wounded 32 more.
Fox News noted:
Hasan entered Fort Hood’s Soldier Readiness Center armed with a semi-automatic pistol and opened fire on fellow service members preparing for deployment.
During his subsequent trial, Hasan admitted to the shooting and claimed it was necessary to protect the "Islamic Empire" from American forces.
Secretary Hegseth provided a statement to Fox News Digital.
"I am 100% committed to ensuring the death penalty is carried out for Nidal Hasan," Hegseth told the outlet.
He added, "This savage terrorist deserves the harshest lawful punishment for his 2009 mass shooting at Fort Hood. The victims and survivors deserve justice without delays."
Users across social media responded to the news of the potential military execution.
"This deranged murderer has live 16 years longer than the 13 military members he killed.
Whatever the Trump administration determine as his fate is fine by me as long as it’s the most harsh punishment and deterrent out there," one X user wrote.
Another X user wrote, "Don't ever forget that the Obama Administration classified this as 'Workplace Violence' initially, and many were therefore unable to get combat benefits. This was sheer madness and the compliant lapdog press gave him a pass on this as usual"
It'll be interesting to see if Trump signs off on the request. Clearly, many believe it's about 16 years in the making.
Mikie Sherrill, the Democrat congresswoman and current candidate in New Jersey's high-stakes governor's race, was blocked from walking with her graduating class at the Naval Academy years ago because of her involvement in a cheating scandal, the New Jersey Globe reported.
A copy of the commencement program from the year Sherrill graduated does not list her name, the Globe reported.
She told the outlet that she was barred from walking because she did not turn in classmates who cheated on an electrical engineering exam.
"I didn’t turn in some of my classmates, so I didn’t walk, but graduated and was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Navy, serving for nearly ten years with the highest level of distinction and honor,” Sherrill explained.
The scandal involved at least 125 students and grabbed significant publicity at the time as a betrayal of the academy's code of honor. It led to scrutiny from Congress and the Academy's superintendent resigning.
The news of Sherrill's involvement in the worst cheating scandal in the Naval Academy's history has rocked one of the biggest and most closely watched elections this fall.
Polls show Sherrill in a dead heat with Republican Jack Ciattarelli. Sherrill has put her time at the Academy and as a Navy pilot front and center in her campaign.
"Today’s admission by Congresswoman Sherrill that she was implicated in, and punished for, her involvement in the largest cheating and honor code scandal in the history of the United States Navy is both stunning and deeply disturbing,” Ciattarelli wrote in a post on X.
“For eight years, Mikie Sherrill has built her entire political brand around her time at the Naval Academy and in the Navy, all the while concealing her involvement in the scandal and her punishment. The people of New Jersey deserve complete and total transparency," the post continued.
Sherrill has not denied the substance of the reports, but she accuses Ciattarelli of "smearing" her by using a "widely reported incident" from the past.
"Now, his latest attempt is to go after a 30-year-old widely reported incident when I was an undergraduate at the Naval Academy,” Sherrill stated.
Sherrill has declined requests from the media to release her disciplinary records from her time at the academy.
While the cheating scandal was a big story at the time, Sherrill's involvement in it is definitely news.
A new poll from Emerson College Polling/PIX11/The Hill found that Sherrill and Ciattarelli are in a dead heat.
A South Dakota Democrat is changing parties, in a blow to the state's already outnumbered Democratic minority.
State Rep. Peri Pourier was one of six Democrats in the state House, but now that she's switching to the GOP, Republicans have a 65-5 margin, the Washington Examiner reported.
In a lengthy statement, Pourier explained that her values align better with the GOP, particularly concerning tribal sovereignty.
Pourier, who is a member of the Oglala tribe, contrasted the Republicans' belief in "decentralized" government and strong policing with the "well-intentioned" but harmful policies of the Democrats.
"The core tenets of the Republican Party, decentralized government, self-determination, economic prosperity, lower energy costs, and robust public safety, align with the principle of tribal sovereignty. By contrast, well-intentioned Democratic reforms have too often undermined sovereignty," she explained.
Pourier represents the 27th legislative district, which contains the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.
She cited a host of problems that plague tribal communities, including violence, addiction, and suicide. While the "rule of law" has broken down, Democrats have no solutions except "rhetoric."
"I will not explain away poverty and violence with rhetoric. I remain committed to confronting these issues directly — not someday, not when it becomes politically convenient, but now."
Pourier is the first South Dakota Democrat to switch parties since 2011. House Minority Leader Erin Healy told the South Dakota Searchlight that she believes Pourier will continue to “act on her values and principles."
But South Dakota Democratic Party Executive Director Dan Ahlers expressed disappointment, suggesting Pourier made the switch for political advantage.
Pourier's move comes as Democrats nationwide struggle with historically low approval ratings. The party is widely seen as out of touch, especially concerning crime and public safety.
“This is not about partisan loyalty. It is about loyalty to the people. My decision reflects a strategic recalibration — one that strengthens my ability to advocate for our communities and deliver meaningful results,” Pourier said.
"I recognize this decision may spark questions, assumptions, and criticism," Pourier wrote. "Change is always difficult, but when change comes it is always necessary."
South Dakota's Republicans welcomed Pourier to the party.
“We will benefit from her strong voice and unique perspective on issues, and her constituents will benefit from more exposure to Republican principles,” South Dakota House Majority Leader Scott Odenbach told the South Dakota Searchlight. “It should be a win-win for everybody involved.”
Former vice president Kamala Harris' inner circle was preparing for something to happen to Joe Biden long before he ended his re-election campaign, according to Harris' memoir 107 Days.
A year before Biden dropped out, Harris' brother-in-law Tony West began assembling a "Red File" laying out plans for Harris to take over, Fox News reports.
"A year earlier, he had started what he called the ‘Red File,'" Harris wrote in her book. "With a president in his eighties, he suggested, it would be malpractice on my part to be unprepared if, God forbid, something should happen."
Harris claims she "didn't want to dwell on such an eventuality” and “I left it in his hands.”
The "Red File" was continually updated as pressure mounted for Biden to quit, according to Harris.
The plans ultimately did come into play when Biden suspended his campaign and endorsed Harris to replace him, although Biden never resigned the presidency.
Democratic soon rallied behind Harris after Biden anointed her, but the party's top elites did not plan for a coronation. Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi (D-Ca.) and other top Democrats wanted Harris to prove herself first, Harris writes.
The former vice president says she was frustrated with Biden at times, citing a pre-debate phone call in which Biden accused her of badmouthing him.
“I just couldn't understand why he would call me, right now, and make it all about himself," she wrote.
Kamala's book tour is creating new headaches for her party, as Democrats continue pointing fingers over their 2024 defeat.
Like many Democrats, Harris blames her loss on Biden's age and overstretching ambition, but she acknowledges her own "recklessness" in not intervening to stop his campaign sooner.
The fact that her own team was preparing for the worst leaves little doubt that Harris knew that Biden simply was not up to the job, no matter how she might try to spin things. But Harris says she feared that pressuring Biden would be seen as selfish, given her position.
"I talk about what was going through my head, right? And what was going through my head to not bring it up was that it would come off as being very self-serving, and therefore maybe lack the credibility that it deserved. But I do think about it. I do think about it," she told Good Morning America.
Earlier this year, Biden's family announced that he was diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer. He also underwent surgery to treat
The House Republicans' narrow majority could shrink after a special election in Arizona.
The Democratic candidate, the daughter of the late congressman Raul Grijalva, is expected to easily win Tuesday night's race for his former seat, Fox News reports.
Adelita Grijalva is a former member of the Pima County Board of Supervisors, where her father once served as chair. Her Republican competitor, businessman Daniel Butierez, lost in a landslide against the late Rep. Grijalva in 2024.
The winner of Tuesday's race will serve out the remaining 15 months of Raul Grijalva's term.
Grijalva was a strident liberal during his 22 years in Congress, and his daughter is likely to continue that legacy. She easily won the Democratic primary, boosted by name recognition and endorsements from the far-left figures like Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-Ny.)
Immigration is a top issue in Arizona's majority-Hispanic 7th district, which borders Mexico.
Like her late father, Grijalva has pledged to protect the rights of immigrants, both illegal and legal.
She supports a path to citizenship for illegal aliens and is furiously opposed to Trump's mass deportations. Butierez supports immigration enforcement although he agrees reform is needed, the Center Square reports.
“The rules are not changing. The laws are being enforced,” Butierez said during a debate last month. “The ICE agents are doing what the law requires them to do, not what the administration is requiring them to do.”
If elected, Grijalva would provide Democrats with the numbers needed to force a vote on the Jeffrey Epstein files. The effort is being backed by a handful of Republicans, including Thomas Massie (R-Ky.)
Republicans currently have a 219-213 majority. Three seats are vacant - two Democratic, one Republican.
While upsets are always possible, Arizona's 7th congressional district is solidly Democratic. The district has been vacant since March, when Raul Grijalva died from cancer treatment complications at age 77.
Grijalva was one of the three House Democrats to die in office this year, expanding the GOP's thin margins and sparking a debate about the age of lawmakers in Washington D.C.
There is still one other vacancy left in a Democrat-leaning district. Texas' 18th opened up after the death of Rep. Sylvester Turner, who passed away days before Grijalva.
Republicans are expected to fill a heavily Republican district in Tennessee after the resignation of Mark Green. That race is on December 2.
A majority of Americans approve of President Trump's job performance, reflecting steady support for the president through a turbulent second term.
The latest daily poll from Rasmussen Reports has Trump at 50% support among likely voters, with 48% disapproving. His approval rating fell three points from 53% on Friday, September 19, when 46% of voters disapproved of him.
Trump's current net approval rating of +2 marks a five-point gain in the span of a week. He was three points underwater on Monday September 15, when 48% approved and 51% disapproved.
The latest survey from Monday September 22 found that 34% "strongly" approve of Trump's performance, while 40% strongly disapprove, which gives Trump a Presidential Approval Index rating of - 6.
Rasmussen collects polling data over the telephone, sampling 300 likely voters on a nightly basis. To reach voters who do not have landline phones, Rasmussen uses an online survey tool to interview randomly selected participants from a demographically diverse panel.
The margin of sampling error for the full sample of 1,500 Likely Voters is +/- 2.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.
The Rasmussen results are better for Trump than some other polls out there. A recent Economist/YouGov poll found 39% of voters approve of Trump's job performance while 57% disapprove, marking a low point in the survey for his second term.
Trump has received some of his strongest marks on crime and immigration. A recent survey from the highly regarded AlasIntel found 51% of Americans rated Trump's job on immigration as good or excellent, with 47% disapproving.
However, the poll also found 55% of American adults rate the "mass deportation of undocumented immigrants" as a policy "error," reflecting backlash against Trump's increasingly aggressive crackdown on illegal aliens.
Over the weekend, Trump announced a $100,000 fee for guest workers applying for the H-1B visa, a move that was cheered by his base.
Trump's tariff agenda has received a cool reception, with 43% approving and 54% disapproving, a difference of 11 points, according to the AtlasIntel poll.
The poll sampled over 1,000 U.S. adults between September 12 and September 16, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3 points.
On the economy, 46% approved of Trump's job, while 49% disapproved, according to the poll. Overall, 47% of adults disapproved of Trump's job performance and 52% approved.
Trump has weathered months of headlines connecting him to Jeffrey Epstein, a controversy Trump has rejected as a Democratic party hoax. The Epstein estate recently released a birthday letter with Trump's signature, although he maintains the document is fake.
The left is absolutely furious about the cancellation of "Jimmy Kimmel Live," and it even sparked a comment from former President Barack Obama, who accused the White House of forcing the network to cancel the late-night comedian.
According to Fox News, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt fired back at the former president, making it clear that it was the network's decision to cancel Kimmel and not due to White House pressure.
Obama, in an X post, had accused the Trump administration of "routinely threatening regulatory action against media companies" if they don't follow their playbook, a claim made without evidence.
The former president encouraged media companies to "stand up" to the Trump administration on First Amendment grounds.
Obama's accusatory X post sparked the reply from Leavitt defending the administration while shooting down Obama's accusations.
"After years of complaining about cancel culture, the current administration has taken it to a new and dangerous level by routinely threatening regulatory action against media companies unless they muzzle or fire reporters and commentators it doesn't like," Obama wrote.
He added, "This is precisely the kind of government coercion that the First Amendment was designed to prevent — and media companies need to start standing up rather than capitulating to it."
Leavitt joined Fox News' Kayleigh McEnany on her new show, "Saturday in America," to respond to Obama's accusations.
"With all due respect to former President Barack Obama, he has no idea what he's talking about," Leavitt said. "The decision to fire Jimmy Kimmel and to cancel his show came from executives at ABC."
"And how do I know that, Kayleigh?" Leavitt asked. "Because I was with the President when this news broke in the United Kingdom."
Leavitt explained why ABC made the call to get rid of Kimmel after he lied about Charlie Kirk's death, which sparked major backlash across the country.
"It was a decision that was made by ABC because Jimmy Kimmel chose to knowingly lie to his audience on his program about the death of a highly respected man when our country is in a state of mourning. That was a decision that he made, and he is now facing a consequence for that decision and for that lie," Leavitt said.
Nexstar's broadcasting chief, Andrew Alford, explained in a press release the decision to preempt his show.
"Mr. Kimmel’s comments about the death of Mr. Kirk are offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse, and we do not believe they reflect the spectrum of opinions, views or values of the local communities in which we are located," he wrote.
While most of President Donald Trump's major picks for top administration gigs are already in the books, a massive one was confirmed this week by the GOP-led Senate.
According to the Daily Caller, Mike Waltz, President Trump's former National Security Advisor, was confirmed by the Senate to be the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations (UN).
The confirmation, which happened based on a party line vote, was just in time for the UN General Assembly gathering in New York City next week.
Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul was the only GOP member of the upper chamber to vote against Waltz's confirmation.
Notably, three Senate Democrats crossed the aisle to vote in favor of confirming Waltz to the top job. Those senators included John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Mark Kelly of Arizona.
Waltz's confirmation process has been a bit rocky, as he had to wait after some initial turmoil in the process.
The Daily Caller noted:
Waltz was approved by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on July 24, but was one of numerous nominees to be sent back to committee in early September due to Democrats’ complaints over the initial panel votes. He again passed the committee’s muster on Wednesday, with Shaheen, the panel’s top Democrat, voting yes, and only one Republican, Paul, voting no.
During his interview process, Waltz said that there's “good and meaningful work to be done," after saying that he believes the United Nations needs a "major reform."
Congratulations, Mr. Ambassador! Saturday morning at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, Mike Waltz was sworn in as the 32nd U.S. Representative to the United Nations. pic.twitter.com/SbWT8Bqkhg
— U.S. Mission to the UN (@USUN) September 20, 2025
"Congratulations - may you have great success in straightening that horrifically crooked organization, the UN," one X user wrote.
Waltz has been a major player in the Trump administration, but found himself embroiled in controversy early on as the national security advisor.
The Daily Caller recalled:
Waltz became entangled in controversy during his just over three-month tenure as national security advisor after adding Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic and longtime Trump critic, to an 18-person group chat on the messaging app Signal in March 2025. The messages, published by the outlet, were discussing pending strikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Waltz ultimately left his position, but it was quickly confirmed that Waltz still had the full confidence of the president and the White House.
That must have been true, as Trump nominated him for the UN ambassador gig on the same day he left his post as national security adviser.
President Donald Trump is designating Antifa, the notorious far-left group, as a terrorist organization.
The move -- sure to anger Democrats who deny the threat of leftist extremism -- is part of a crackdown on the radical left following the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
In addition to targeting Antifa, Trump said he would investigate those providing financial backing for the radical group.
“I am pleased to inform our many U.S.A. Patriots that I am designating ANTIFA, A SICK, DANGEROUS, RADICAL LEFT DISASTER, AS A MAJOR TERRORIST ORGANIZATION,” Trump wrote. “I will also be strongly recommending that those funding ANTIFA be thoroughly investigated in accordance with the highest legal standards and practices. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
While Antifa has long been on Trump's radar, there is a new sense of urgency to confront the group after Kirk's murder by a radical leftist.
In the days since the assassination, Democrats have vaguely condemned political violence, but few have acknowledged that the extreme left is part of the problem.
Kirk's alleged killer, Tyler Robinson, was radicalized over the past year, according to his mother, who said Robinson became more left-wing and "pro-gay and trans-rights-oriented."
Antifa is a loosely affiliated group of left-wing activists who advocate political violence and harassment, such as mass doxxing, to achieve their goals. Over the past decade, the group has become notorious for its violent resistance to President Trump's political movement.
For years, Democrats have tolerated Antifa's violent activity while denying the group exists at all, characterizing it as a nebulous ideology.
Trump's targeting of Antifa has been challenged, with some saying the group cannot be targeted because it lacks a centralized structure.
Americans' First Amendment rights to speech and association could also raise legal complications in terms of targeting domestic political actors.
Still, Antifa members engage in coordinated criminal activity, they have a common symbol -- red and black flags -- and they typically wear masks and black clothing to evade police detection.
Some say Trump could use racketeering laws to go after Antifa. Trump has already urged Attorney General Pam Bondi to bring RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) charges against left-wing agitators and groups that support them.
“I’ve asked Pam to look into that in terms of RICO, bringing RICO cases,” Trump said. “They should be put in jail, what they’re doing to this country is really subversive.”
President Trump has asked the Supreme Court to uphold his firing of Lisa Cook, setting up a high-stakes case on executive power, the AP reported.
There is a good chance that the top court will side with Trump and reverse the D.C. Circuit's 2-1 ruling that allowed Cook to stay, for now.
Cook has been credibly accused of mortgage fraud by filing contradictory applications claiming two different homes as her primary residence, simultaneously.
The Federal Reserve Act states that the president may remove Fed governors "for cause," and the Trump administration says that the appearance of disreputable conduct by Cook is more than enough to satisfy that standard.
In its appeal to the Supreme Court, the Trump administration lamented the lower courts' intervention as another case of "improper judicial interference with the president’s removal authority."
A Biden-appointed district judge, Jia Cobb, blocked Trump from firing Cook because the alleged fraud occurred before she joined the Fed. The administration says the misconduct, regardless of when it happened, "indisputably calls into question Cook’s trustworthiness and whether she can be a responsible steward of the interest rates and economy.”
An appeals court ruled against Trump, with US Circuit Judge Gregory Katsas, a Trump appointee, dissenting. The other two judges who sided with Cook are Biden appointees.
In his opinion, Katsas noted the absurd consequences of the district court's logic, which would prevent the removal of a Fed governor who “committed murder before taking office” or who “bribed a Senator to ensure confirmation.”
“The president plainly invoked a cause relating to Cook’s conduct, ability, fitness, or competence,” Katsas wrote. “The allegations against Cook could constitute mortgage fraud if she acted knowingly, and that is a felony offense."
Another issue in the case concerns due process.
Judge Katsas rejected Cobb's claim that Cook has a property interest in her job that entitles her to special procedural protections. "As a principal officer of the United States,” he said, “she serves in a position of public ‘trust’ that creates no property rights.”
The Trump administration adopted Katsas' logic, drawing a distinction between lower-ranking civil servants and Senate-confirmed "principal officers" like Cook who do not receive the same due process protections.
“The lower courts’ primary theory,” wrote Solicitor General John D. Sauer, “is that principal officers are akin to teachers or lower-level civil servants and can thus claim a property interest and an entitlement to notice and a hearing before removal. This theory,” he contended, “is untenable and would wreak havoc on sensitive presidential decision-making.”
The Supreme Court has been broadly sympathetic to Trump's view of executive power, allowing him to fire various heads of independent agencies.
On the other hand, the court did briefly note earlier this year that the Fed has a "unique" structure.
If the president can appoint Fed governors, but not fire them over credible wrongdoing, then the Fed answers to nobody. It seems doubtful the Supreme Court would approve such a blatantly unconstitutional scheme, but we will just have to see what they decide.