The U.S. Secret Service thwarted what could have been a significant attack on telecommunications systems in New York City during the UN General Assembly meeting this week, the New York Post reported. Officials announced on Tuesday that they had found several devices capable of jamming 911 calls and disabling cell towers throughout the Big Apple.
The agency found "more than 300 co-located SIM servers and 100,000 SIM cards across multiple sites," stemming from an investigation beginning this spring. “The potential for disruption to our country’s telecommunications posed by this network of devices cannot be overstated,” Secret Service Director Sean Curran said.
Matt McCool, who is the special agent in charge of the New York field office for the Secret Service, said the impact would have been profound. The devices had the capacity to plunge the city into a communications gridlock comparable to what followed the 9/11 attacks with cell service and 911 networks jammed.
Due to the timing of the findings, the Secret Service is investigating whether the attack was specifically targeted at the UN General Assembly. Officials are not saying who is responsible for these devices and networks, but it's clear some foreign criminal networks may have been using them to send encrypted messages.
The Department of Homeland Security released a video on X, formerly Twitter, featuring McCool's remarks about the investigation's findings. "Today, the @SecretService announced the dismantling of a network of electronic devices—located within 35 miles of the United Nations General Assembly—used to carry out a wide range of telecommunications attacks," the caption read.
"The U.S. Secret Service’s protective mission is all about prevention, and this investigation makes it clear to potential bad actors that imminent threats to our protectees will be immediately investigated, tracked down, and dismantled," the post explained. McCool's video shared information about the aim and scope of the investigation.
Today, the @SecretService announced the dismantling of a network of electronic devices—located within 35 miles of the United Nations General Assembly—used to carry out a wide range of telecommunications attacks.
The potential for disruption to our country’s telecommunications… pic.twitter.com/frh4scsVAF
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) September 23, 2025
The top agent explained that the Secret Service was sharing the findings "as a matter of public interest, given the timing, amount, and concentration of material recovered during a recent Secret Service Protective Intelligence investigation." McCool said "multiple telecommunications-related imminent threats directed towards senior U.S. government officials" earlier this year prompted the Secret Service to conduct a "protective intelligence investigation" of the threat.
"This was a difficult and complex effort to identify the source of fraudulent calls and their impact on the Secret Service protection mission. During that period, we leveraged technical assistance and support of federal partners, including Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Justice, and the Director of National Intelligence," as well as the New York Police Department, McCool said.
The probe uncovered the vast network "capable of carrying out nefarious telecommunications attacks," McCool said. "These Devices allowed anonymous encrypted communications between potential threat actors and criminal enterprises, enabling criminal organizations to operate undetected. This network had the potential to disable cell phone towers and essentially shut down the cellular network in New York City," he added.
McCool said that "the timing, location, proximity, and potential for significant disruptions to the New-York Telecom system" prompted the Secret Service's rapid response. "To be clear, these recovered devices no longer pose a threat to the New York Tri-State area," McCool said.
"We will continue working towards identifying those responsible and their intent, including whether their plan was to disrupt the UN General Assembly and communications of government, and emergency personnel during the official visit of world leaders in and around New York City. Forensic examinations of the equivalent of 100,000 cell phones' worth of data are underway," McCool assured the public.
The top agent also made it clear that these were "cellular communications between foreign actors and individuals that are known to federal law enforcement" and therefore already on their radar. "Given the sensitivity and complexity of this investigation, we are not able to go into specifics at this time," McCool added, noting that the Secret Service's investigation will continue.
The Secret Service has saved New York City from a consequential attack with its investigation and swift action. Unfortunately, one neutralized threat does not mean that the the city or the nation are safe from such attacks in the future.
Although a Florida federal judge threw out President Donald Trump's defamation lawsuit against the New York Times and book publisher Penguin, Trump responded to the action by saying, "I'm winning" against mainstream media outlets.
Judge Steven Merryday of Tampa, who was appointed by George H. W. Bush, tossed Trump's suit on Friday, calling it “decidedly improper and impermissible" because the filing spent most of its 85 pages talking about Trump's foes and accomplishments and also contained "superfluous allegations."
“As every lawyer knows (or is presumed to know), a complaint is not a public forum for vituperation and invective — not a protected platform to rage against an adversary,” Merryday wrote.
“A complaint is not a megaphone for public relations or a podium for a passionate oration at a political rally or the functional equivalent of the Hyde Park Speakers’ Corner,” he added, referring to a famed spot for free speech in London.
Trump responded to a question from ABC's Jonathan Karl about the lawsuit's dismissal by saying, “I’m winning, I’m winning the cases."
He then addressed Karl, saying, “You’re guilty, Jon, you’re guilty. ABC is a terrible network, a very unfair network, and you should be ashamed of yourself. NBC is equally bad. I don’t know who’s worse.”
Merryday did say that Trump could file an amended lawsuit within 28 days that was more concisely focused on the complaints against the Times, four of its reporters, and Penguin.
Trump had only filed the lawsuit on Monday. The amended suit would be limited to 40 pages, Merryday said.
Trump has been in the process of suing a number of media outlets for defamation. He has already gotten settlements from two of the biggest--hence the meaning of his comment about "winning."
In December, ABC settled with him for $15 million over comments George Stephanapolous made about him being a rapist after a civil judgement against him that found him liable of sexual abuse, but not rape.
In July, CBS settled with him for 16 million over the selective editing of comments by then-Vice President and presidential candidate Kamala Harris the previous October, which he argued could have impacted the election.
The money will go to his presidential library, since he is a billionaire and seemingly doesn't need it.
There's every possibility that he will win against the Times as well, once his lawyers get to the point.
The Times would only say through a spokesperson, “We welcome the judge’s quick ruling, which recognized that the complaint was a political document rather than a serious legal filing.”
The subject of H1-B visas has long been a controversial one, particularly amid the Trump administration’s efforts to prioritize American workers and realign the country’s immigration system.
To that end, on Friday, Trump signed a proclamation requiring an annual visa fee of $100,000 for high-skill foreign workers, as Breitbart reports, sparking criticism from former Biden-era officials and near panic from tech industry giants.
The president’s proclamation is set to bring about a noteworthy increase in visa fees for this category of worker, taking it from $215 to $100,000.
H1-B visas are designed to facilitate entry for high-skilled foreign workers suited for jobs American employers suggest are difficult to fill.
Detractors of the program argue that it is a conduit for overseas job seekers who are willing to work for wages well below those otherwise commanded by American workers.
Trump Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick stated that the Friday move will almost certainly result in the issuance of significantly fewer such visas, because the economics of the proposition for employers are now dramatically changed, and it will not make financial sense for many companies in the way it once did.
Lutnick explained, “If you’re going to train people, you’re going to train Americans. If you have a very sophisticated engineer, and you want to bring them in …then you can pay $100,000 a year for your H1-B visa.”
Though Trump’s move has garnered support from those who have fought against the widespread use of H1-B visas in recent years, others, including Doug Rand, a Biden-era U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services official, vehemently disagreed.
Declaring the increased fee “ludicrously lawless,” Rand added, “This isn’t real policy – it’s fan service for immigration restrictionists.”
“Trump gets his headlines, and inflicts a jolt of panic, and doesn’t care whether this survives first contact with the courts,” Rand stated.
Immigration lawyers and representatives from tech companies jumped into panicked action on Friday, as Politico noted, advising clients and workers traveling abroad to return stateside ahead of midnight on Sunday, when the new policy was slated to take effect.
The White House, for its part, took action to tamp down the hyperbole, assuring all parties involved that the proclamation does not impact those with a current visa and will only apply to future applicants in the February visa lottery who are currently outside the country.
As has been the case with virtually every headline-making order issued by Trump thus far in his second term, lawsuits opposing the H1-B changes are already reportedly in the works.
With some complaining that ambiguities in the order have left many open questions regarding implementation, it seems clear that the emergence of additional administration guidance – not to mention litigation – is almost certainly on the horizon.
The Supreme Court will hear an appeal from the Trump administration regarding whether President Donald Trump had the authority to remove Lisa Cook from the board of governors of the Federal Reserve, Bloomberg reported. The high court was petitioned in an emergency order filed Thursday to determine the validity of the unprecedented action.
Some see the Republicans' eagerness to remove Cook as a form of tinkering with the Federal Reserve. In the 112-year history of America's central bank, this is the first time a president has initiated such a move to the governing board, and a lower appeals court refused to uphold Trump's decision.
However, it's more than just a power play from Trump. Cook has claimed two homes in different states as her "primary residence" to allegedly reap the benefits of a lower interest rate on her mortgage. Conservative attorney James Burnham said in a post Thursday to X, formerly Twitter,outlining the case that it was "no surprise" that the matter ended up at the high court.
No surprise but @TheJusticeDept has just arrived at the Supreme Court seeking emergency relief in the ongoing battle over whether the President can remove Lisa Cook as a Federal Reserve Governor based on seemingly credible evidence of mortgage fraud. Lets unpack. 1/ pic.twitter.com/OdAIU6ORA1
— James Burnham (@BurnhamDC) September 18, 2025
While the issue continues to be hashed out in the courts, Cook has dug her heels in, saying she refused to be "bullied" by Trump into leaving, the Associated Press reported. Abbe Lowell, a high-profile attorney representing Cook, said her client "will continue to carry out her sworn duties as a Senate-confirmed Board Governor."
Meanwhile, Trump nominated Stephen Miran to replace Cook on the Federal Reserve Board. Senate Republicans confirmed Miran to the position on Monday, and now both Cook and her replacement voted to cut interest rates at the Fed on Wednesday.
If she remains on the board, Cook will be able to vote on the interest rate setting committee's vote at the end of next month. However, it's still remains to be seen whether she'll stay as Trump first sought to get rid of Cook on Aug. 25 after alleging that she committed mortgage fraud, Fox News reported.
Bill Pulte, whom Trump appointed to the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which oversees Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, filed two referrals to the Justice Department after uncovering problems with her mortgage documents, which listed at least two homes as her primary residences in Michigan and Georgia. These purchases were made before then-President Joe Biden appointed her to the Fed, but the recent Justice Department referrals led to Trump firing Cook.
Cook sued Trump in federal court on August 28, also naming Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System in the lawsuit. Notably, Cook's lawsuit did not dispute or even address the allegations against her.
Cook isn't the only official to have a problem with her mortgage documents. As the New York Post reported, Pulte's investigation also found that Trump's nemesis, New York State Attorney General Letitia James, allegedly played games with disclosing her living situation to obtain a favorable mortgage rate.
In 2023, James purchased a home in Virginia and one in Brooklyn while serving as the state's attorney in New York. She allegedly "falsified records" stating that the property in Norfolk, Virginia would be her "principal residence." Jamees has denied the claims, calling the charges "baseless" and a stunt from Trump's "revenge tour" against her.
She's right that Trump has reason to go after her, considering the civil fraud case against him and his company, but that doesn't mean he shouldn't pursue justice against her for something she allegedly did wrong. When asked about the case, Trump made it seem like it wasn't on his radar as a priority.
"We’re going to see what happens. I am not following it very closely. It looks to me like she’s very guilty of something, but I really don’t know," Trump said of the grand jury investigation. US Attorney Erik Siebert, who has yet to bring charges, resigned after Trump made it clear he wanted him out over his inaction.
Trump should have a say in who he fires, especially if it involves the person in charge of setting mortgage interest rates, who allegedly conducts herself in a way that circumvents the rules. The high court will weigh in, but the lower court has already blocked his action, signaling a reluctance to allow it.
President Donald Trump is fed up with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to coordinate military strikes while Trump attempts to broker a ceasefire in the war against Hamas, the Daily Caller reported. Trump has made his frustrations known to aides, though he has resolved to publicly support Netanyahu.
In a conversation reportedly overheard by White House officials and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump complained that Netanyahu is "f---ing me" after Israeli strikes on Qatar failed to take out Hamas leaders. This comment is consistent with other reports stating that Israel barely gave Trump a heads-up that they were about to occur.
This information was shared as an exclusive published in the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday. The post to X, formerly Twitter, with the story appears to goad Trump on his inaction. "President Trump is frustrated with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The question is whether he will ever be angry enough to do anything about it," the caption said.
President Trump is frustrated with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The question is whether he will ever be angry enough to do anything about it. https://t.co/MQ6xZOtHBF
— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) September 18, 2025
As the Journal noted, Trump has remained steadfast in his support for Israel and its leader, even as it seems Netanyahu seems to be getting the best of him. This is uncharacteristic of Trump, who is known to value loyalty above all else, and it raises the question of whether this unwavering support will continue.
"It’s slightly baffling and counterintuitive. Netanyahu’s moves have prolonged the Gaza war, created trouble for Trump with other U.S. allies in the region, and made the expansion of the Abraham Accords excruciatingly difficult," said Shalom Lipner, who served under several Israeli prime ministers over the course of 25 years and now serves at a Washington, D.C. think tank.
Others believe that Trump's usual tactics of wearing down world leaders with criticism and strong-arm tactics haven't had the same effect on Netanyahu. "I’m mystified and so are many other Israelis,” said Itamar Rabinovich, who served in the Clinton administration as an Israeli ambassador to the U.S.
"He’s under siege and makes mistakes. The only thing that’s really working for him is Trump’s support," Rabinovich said of Netanyahu.
Meanwhile, a senior Israeli official called any rift "fake news" and noted that the U.S. and Israel share a common mission and values. Both men also see themselves as political outsiders who have had to fight the establishment and endure criminal prosecution.
Another reason for Trump's reluctance to rebuke Netanyahu in public is the shifting support for Israel in the U.S. In the past, Democrats were more inclined to support intervention on behalf of Israel, but this has flipped, with two-thirds of Republicans now viewing Netanyahu more favorably. In contrast, support from the Democratic Party has declined over the years.
Part of Trump's allegiance stems from his efforts during his first term to broker the Abraham Accords as he continues to foster friendlier relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. For his part, Netanyahu has recognized Trump as a strong ally and leans on Trump as "the best friend Israel has ever had in the White House."
At least on the surface, this has continued despite the dispute over the timing and the apparent lack of notice regarding the Qatar strikes. Trump said last week that he wasn't informed beforehand while his White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president only knew because the U.S. military was watching in real time.
Some believe that Trump was more outraged that the strikes did not take out their intended targets. Still, Netanyahu explained that these strikes are part of Israel's strategy of retaliating against those who commit these attacks. "This is the principle we established. It’s a principle we follow. It hasn’t changed."
The issues in Israel are complex and have been ongoing for decades, regardless of what's happening in the U.S. Trump seems committed to peace between Israel and Hamas, and he's not the hothead his critics make him out to be. Trump will give a measured reaction and will stick with Netanyahu as long as he thinks it's still in America's best interest.
Gregory Bovino, who is heading operations in Chicago for U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, ridiculed Illinois state Sen. Karina Villa after she was caught on video making a tearful plea to ICE agents on behalf of illegal immigrants, UK Daily Mail reported. Bovino was speaking on Fox & Friends on Wednesday when he was asked to comment on the video.
As President Donald Trump's administration cracks down on illegal immigration, Democrats dig their heels in against it. Villa was one of those whose over-the-top, tearful pleas to ICE agents demonstrated the ridiculousness of that viewpoint.
Bovino took one look at her conduct and said Villa "may need some help" as the video showed her running down the street and demanding ICE agents remove their masks. Villa represents Illinois' 25th district, which includes areas such as West Chicago and sections of Aurora that have a heavily Hispanic population. She was the first Latina elected to the office and represents a population that is 82% U.S. citizen.
Many on the left routinely engage in political theater to score points with voters and become internet famous. After all, who can forget New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez crying in front of an empty parking lot back in 2019 as if she were upset at seeing migrants locked away?
Villa seems equally eager to make her mark in the same way after she confronted ICE agents who were just doing their job in a suburb of Chicago on Monday. The state senator can be seen wearing a white structured jacket, red pants, and tan high heels as she runs down the street with her message, like Paul Revere.
"This is my city! This is my city, that’s right!" she yells to ICE agents. Villa sounds like she's crying and becoming hysterical as she makes her impassioned plea to the agents who are outfitted with weapons and bulletproof vests.
She demands they "take off your masks" to the ICE officers and confronts them as they get into their vehicles, though they seem utterly indifferent to her antics. Villa then says to the camera, "Stay in your cars! Tell everyone to stay in their houses!"
There's no word on who captured the video, but Villa clearly wanted it out to the public as she shared it on her Instagram account. "'Today, masked ICE agents targeted families in my hometown as they brought kids to school & headed to work. I stood with my neighbors because fear has no place in our communities," Villa's caption read.
The message Villa was trying to get across fell flat for Bovino, who called Villa out for her insanity. When host Brian Kilmeade asked for Bovino's response, the ICE chief shared his concerns about Villa. "When I see this, I think she really needs to see someone. She may need some help," Bovino said.
He also noted that Villa's request to take the masks off is a bad idea as that part of the uniform is for the safety of the agents who are under attack from leftists angry about the illegal immigration crackdowns. "With a 1,000% increase in assaults against federal agents doing operations such as this, I think it makes sense for these masks to be there," Bovino said.
The official noted that an agent was attacked in Chicago and that their agents are at risk because of these confrontations. "There’s a reason for this," Bovino said. In just the last week, Bovino said there have been "several hundred arrests" in the Chicagoland area because of his agents.
"And you’re going to see those numbers rise," he added. Meanwhile, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has also pushed back against ICE operations, and Bovino said that he would "rather walk the streets with the governor" to show him the problem firsthand. "He better put his walking shoes on if he’s got them in. Let’s take a walk and look at the streets and look at what these aliens are doing to Chicago and its residents," Bovino added.
Villa's antics show that Democrats have yet another unhinged politician among their ranks. Even if they disagree with the ICE raids, which are necessary and very much a part of the agents' jobs, this is not the way to change things.
Actress Ellen DeGeneres is facing a lawsuit that accuses her of "negligent conduct" leading to the plaintiff's "serious personal injuries" in a 2023 car crash, Fox News reported. The plaintiff claims DeGeneres "t-boned" her after allegedly running through a four-way stop sign in Santa Barbara County.
The woman who filed the complaint stated that she was driving her Tesla on October 16, 2023, on Evans Avenue, en route to the intersection with Ortega Hill Road, when the accident occurred. She was wearing her seatbelt at the time of the crash but says she was injured after DeGeneres ran into her car after making no attempt to stop.
"This intersection is controlled by stop signs in all directions. Plaintiff stopped for her stop sign," the complaint said, noting that the plaintiff "made sure there were no other vehicles at the intersection and it was her way to proceed." Unfortunately, DeGeneres allegedly did not stop.
"As she was proceeding straight through the intersection, suddenly and without any warning, plaintiff's vehicle was t-boned from the right by the vehicle driven by Ellen DeGeneres," causing the plaintiff's injuries. "Ellen DeGeneres entered the intersection without stopping at the stop sign," the complaint alleges.
An attorney for the plaintiff claimed the former talk show host's "negligent conduct fell below the standard of care of a reasonable person in that defendants negligently caused, or contributed to causing plaintiff's vehicle to be collided with by the defendants' vehicle," suggesting a disregard for the safety of others. "Defendants and their conduct was a substantial factor in causing plaintiff's multiple serious personal injuries and damages stemming therefrom," the attorney further alleged.
The damages include "loss of enjoyment of life, emotional distress, and anxiety," as well as actual damages for medical expenses, hospital bills, lost wages, loss of future earnings, and other general damages. While this is a legal threshold, it could also be seen as a reflection on DeGeneres's overall character.
Although anyone can be accused of causing injuries in an auto accident, the circumstances fit with longstanding allegations about DeGeneres's terrible behavior and her blatant disregard for the wellbeing of others. After years on air playing the nice woman, it came to light in 2020 that DeGeneres was actually a tyrant on the set, targeting male employees for her ire when they spoke to her wife, Portia de Rossi.
Staffers said those who crossed DeGeneres would feel the "Ellen gaze" and thought of her as "a queen searching for her next execution." A former cameraman for the show said of DeGeneres that, "She was terrifying."
At the time, DeGeneres attempted to save her reputation by making an on-air apology, but the damage had been done. With her career and reputation in tatters, DeGeneres moved to the U.K. with de Rossi in 2024, citing President Donald Trump's election to a second term as a reason to flee the U.S.
At the time, DeGeneres blamed her hasty exit on Trump's election, though by then her career was over and her relevance greatly diminished. The 67-year-old has presented her move as an opportunity that gave her a new lease on life. Shortly after the move, DeGeneres made a schmaltzy post honoring de Rossi on Instagram.
On Dec. 1, 2024, DeGeneres wrote, "20 years ago today we began this relationship, not realizing what a long, beautiful adventure this would be. You are the best thing that ever happened in my life. You take care of me. You help me see the good in everything," she said of de Rossi.
"You help to guide me and pick me up when I feel off or down. You are a beautiful soul that I am so very grateful to have as a partner to navigate this crazy life with. My wife. My best friend. The love of my life. Thank you for being you and loving me. So happy we get to travel and explore the world together in the next 20 years, and looking forward to our first snowy Christmas," DeGeneres gushed. Nobody stateside has missed the pair.
View this post on Instagram
DeGeneres has earned her terrible reputation through her own actions while running a talk show. It will remain to be seen whether she will be held responsible for the car crash and the injuries it caused, but the allegations are enough to add to the existing mountain of evidence that DeGeneres is indeed not a very nice person.
Tyler Robinson, Charlie Kirk's alleged assassin, confessed to the crime in text messages to his roomate, the New York Post reported. FBI Director Kash Patel provided this new information on Monday during an interview on Fox News's Hannity as authorities piece together what led to a gunman shooting Kirk at a speaking event in Utah last week.
Information about the alleged gunman and his motivation has continued to come to light after the Turning Point USA founder's death on Sept. 10. Patel announced on Fox News's Hannity on Monday that they found a confession in the text exchange.
“[W]hat was found, in terms of information, a text message exchange where the suspect [Robinson], specifically stated that he had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and he was going to do that," Patel told host Sean Hannity. "And when [Robinson] was asked why, he said, ‘Some hatred cannot be negotiated with,'" the FBI director noted.
Patel said law enforcement is investigating whether others were involved in the alleged plot. "We’re dedicating every asset we have to run the reverse daisy chain analysis of anyone that was in contact with the suspect that’s currently in custody and anyone he contacted, called and text-messaged and had chats on online social media platforms with," Patel explained.
The content of the text messages was released on Tuesday, and reporter Brian Schnee shared documents showing the entire text exchange between the 22-year-0ld and Lance Twiggs, his live-in transgender lover, a separate New York Post report revealed. Schnee posted them to X, formerly Twitter, as the document made the rounds among several users.
TEXT MESSAGE EXCHANGE BETWEEN TYLER ROBINSON AND ROOMATE
"On September 10, 2025, the roommate received a text message from Robinson which said, “drop what you are doing, look under my keyboard.” The roommate looked under the keyboard and found a note that stated, “I had the… pic.twitter.com/UXwVYLSUTy
— 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐞𝐞 (@brian_schnee) September 16, 2025
What the alleged killer had to say is disturbing, as it's clear that Twiggs knew about the alleged role Robinson played in the assassination a full 24 hours before he was caught. The message from Robinson was reassuring his lover that he was "still ok," but that he had to go retrieve the rifle he allegedly used before it could be traced to him.
When Twiggs asked Robinson why he did it, the alleged shooter said that Kirk's "hatred" left him no choice. "I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out," Robinson said about Kirk. "If I am able to grab my rifle unseen, I will have left no evidence. Going to attempt to retrieve it again, hopefully they have moved on. I haven’t seen anything about them finding it," Robinson said about the rifle.
When asked how long he had "been planning this," Robinson admitted it was "a bit over a week" before he turned back to worries about his gun. "My dad wants photos of the rifle … he says grandpa wants to know who has what, the feds released a photo of the rifle, and it is very unique. Hes calling me rn, not answering. …" the text message said.
The text message exchange appears to cover all the key points of a confession as Patel noted. Robinson planned what he was going to do, spoke about the alleged murder weapon and hiding out while law enforcement remained in the area, and even discussed his motive.
To normal people, this was a disgusting admission about a heinous crime from the man who purportedly committed it. To Matt Gutman, a correspondent at ABC News, the way Robinson spoke to Twiggs was "very touching," as Fox News reported.
Gutman was impressed by how detailed the messages were, "but, also, it was very touching in a way that many of us didn't expect," the correspondent said. "A very intimate portrait into this relationship between the suspect’s roommate and the suspect himself, with him repeatedly calling his roommate, who is transitioning, calling him ‘my love.’ And ‘I want to protect you, my love,'" Gutman swooned.
"So, it was this duality of someone who the attorney said not only jeopardized the life of Charlie Kirk and the crowd, but was doing it in front of children, which is one of the aggravating circumstances of this case. And then, on the other hand, he was, you know, speaking so lovingly about his partner. So a very interesting and … riveting press conference," the correspondent claimed.
The messages provide a glimpse into the mind of the alleged assassin and his thought patterns following the incident. This is stomach-churning stuff in light of the brutal way a beloved public figure died, but it has been made that much worse by those who lionize Robinson already.
Raymond Lopez, the Democratic alderman for Chicago’s 15th Ward on its crime-plagued south side, told the New York Post on Sunday that "probably half" of his colleagues want the National Guard to help bring order back to Chicago and reduce crime, but are too afraid to say it.
“This is a very real war that we are fighting here, and we need every tool box to win it,” Lopez said.
He said he didn't mind that President Donald Trump, a Republican, would be the one to help the city.
“If that means working with a Republican president to keep Chicagoans safe, then that is what we should be doing. We shouldn’t be playing politics with people’s lives,” he added.
Lopez's ward has seen horrific crimes over his 10-year tenure and wants to see it end.
“We have human traffickers connected with Tren de Aragua here selling women for $150 on Facebook Marketplace. I had high school students gunned down by a Venezuelan migrant on their way home from school a couple of weeks ago,” Lopez described.
“We now even have gang versus gang warfare that’s taken an international turn because of some of the migrants that are here,” he added.
If Trump decides to federalize Chicago in a similar way to his takeover of D.C., crime could drop dramatically; D.C. has seen a 45% drop in crime and shootings fall to almost zero since August.
A similar effort was undertaken in 2016, with similar results, but was abandoned after a month because of how it would look politically.
Now, there are dozens of shootings every week in the city, and many of them are right on Lopez's South Side.
“I live this everyday,” he said. “I see in real terms, in real time, the criminality that exists in our communities and its impact on my residents and on law abiding people of Chicago who just want to get by, want to be able to go to work, drop our kids off, to sit on the front porch, not becoming the victim of violent crime.”
“I haven’t lost touch with that fact, and sadly, I think many in the Democratic elite have,” he added.
“I’d say probably half the city council is in favor of it,” Lopez said, adding, “I don’t know if anyone is willing to stand up against the billionaire governor because of fear that he would dump money into their opponent’s campaigns,” he said. “But I think there is definitely quiet support between my colleagues and other individuals.”
As for the people of his ward, he thinks they “overwhelmingly” support the idea.
“They see through the gaslighting that’s going on by many of my colleagues and peers, who are just content on pushing forward the anti-Trump narrative so they can appear to be doing something for the people of Chicago,” Lopez said.
Last week’s tragic assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk shocked the nation and spurred an immediate -- and ultimately successful -- manhunt to locate the accused killer.
It was not long before FBI Director Kash Patel found himself under fire for what critics said was a series of embarrassing blunders in the early hours of the investigation, though President Donald Trump has since stepped forward to defend the agency and its leader, as Politico reports.
The immediate aftermath of Kirk’s killing saw the start of an intense, coordinated law enforcement effort to identify and arrest the perpetrator.
Indeed, not long after the shooting, social media users posted video of a man being handcuffed and led away by police, though it later emerged that he was not suspected of shooting Kirk.
Patel himself posted that same day that another “subject” had been taken into custody, only to reveal two hours later that the individual had been “released after an interrogation by law enforcement.”
Adding fuel to the fire were reports that just hours after Kirk was gunned down in front of a stunned Utah Valley University crowd, Patel was spotted dining at Rao’s, a high-end, New York City eatery in what was viewed as tone-deaf move, given the critical work in which his agency was then engaged.
Among the growing list of prominent names casting doubt on the director’s suitability for his current role were those of conservative commentator Christopher Rufo, who said that it was “time for Republicans to assess whether Kash Patel is the right man to run the FBI” and of Erick Erickson, who echoed his sentiments and said, “The FBI situation is concerning.”
Countering those assessments was Trump himself, who said in a Saturday Fox News interview, “I am very proud of the FBI. Kash -- and everyone else -- they have done a great job.”
White House communications director Steven Cheung also came to Patel’s defense, issuing a statement to Politico on Saturday.
“Director Patel and his team worked night and day to find this murderer and bring him to justice,” Cheung began.
The White House official continued, “Anyone who doubts his resolve and dedication -- especially when Charlie was such a close friend to him -- simply is using this extremely sad moment in a disgusting act of political gamesmanship.”
Cheung concluded, “The focus was on catching this killer, and he will face the full wrath of the justice system.”
On Friday, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox announced the arrest of suspected killer Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old man expected to face formal charges next week.
For Patel’s part, he is slated to appear on Capitol Hill in the coming week, where he will almost certainly be questioned about the manner in which the investigation unfolded, and undoubtedly, the nation will be watching.