New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez hinted that she may challenge Sen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for his seat in their state's Democratic primary, the New York Post reported. Ocasio-Cortez indicated this during a CNN town hall discussion on Wednesday with independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.
The moderator, Kaitlin Collins, asked the leftist politicians whether they thought Schumer had to go because of his role in the continued government shutdown. While both seemed to brush off the idea as absurd, what Ocasio-Cortez said next seemed to suggest that she believes it's time to challenge the 74-year-old senator.
Ocasio-Cortez said she is "sick of talking about these horse races" and "sick of leaders who only want to spend their time talking about that instead of talking about real issues that affect our lives." She then made a gaffe that is sure to become a classic. "Instead of talking about healthcare; Instead of talking about wages; Instead of talking about having air that is drinkable – I mean, air that is breathable and water that is drinkable."
Both were deflecting and attempting to take the heat off Schumer and the Democrats as the government shutdown drags on because of their unwillingness to budge. Sanders turned to his usual socialist arguments about inequality and economic issues, without really discussing Schumer and his positions.
"That's exactly what we're talking--we have a country that is falling apart. We had a housing crisis, a health care crisis, an education crisis, massive income and wealth inequality, corrupt campaign finances, and the media says, ‘Are you going to run? What are you going to run for?’ Nobody cares!" Sanders claimed.
Collins pushed back on Sanders that it is not just the media talking about challenging Schumer, noting that President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance have been speculating whether Ocasio-Cortez would be the one to do unseat Schumer. Sanders said that the president and vice president are only doing this to "deflect attention away from the real issues" before launching into more of his default rhetoric.
"We're living in the richest country in the history of the world, right? All right, you tell me why we're the only nation not to guarantee health care to all people," Sanders bemoaned.
"The only nation not to guarantee paid family and medical leave, why we have a $7.25 an hour minimum wage, why we have 800,000 people sleeping out on the street," he added. "Let’s talk about that issue — not her political future. She’ll decide that," Sanders said.
This idea is not out of nowhere, as Fox News reported that others have hinted that Ocasio-Cortez may already be more powerful in the party and is striving for even more sway. During an appearance on MSNBC last month, Ocasio-Cortez made it seem like she was the one calling the shots.
"My office is open, and you are free to walk in and negotiate with me directly," she said to Republicans while speaking about the shutdown. When a reporter asked former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi whether there was any merit in Republicans's feelings that Ocasio-Cortez had bargaining power, Pelosi snapped back at the reporter who dared to breach the topic.
"Why are you saying such a ridiculous thing? She’s wonderful, she’s a real team player, and the rest of that," Pelosi said.
"You started by saying Republicans say that she’s directing this. She is not, Hakeem Jeffries is," Pelosi said, referring to the House Minority Leader.
The Democratic Party is having a hard time pulling out of this tailspin, and perhaps it is time for new leaders to step up. Still, even if Ocasio-Cortez is downplaying it and others are sidestepping it, it's time for new leadership before they get to a point where they'll never politically recover.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the Trump administration will withhold $40 million in funding to California over its failure to enforce minimum English comprehension standards for truck drivers, Fox News reported. This issue has come to the forefront following a devastating crash caused by an illegal immigrant truck driver that killed three people.
While traveling on a Florida road in August, driver Harjinder Singh made an illegal U-turn, causing a vehicle to crash into the tractor-trailer he was operating. The driver, a citizen of India, held a commercial license issued in California despite several factors that should have precluded him from receiving one.
Singh had entered illegally through Mexico in 2018, and despite being in the country illegally, California claims he was issued a license because he had a valid work permit. The truck driver reportedly failed the required English proficiency exam but was given a commercial license in California and Washington state.
The crash happened after President Donald Trump issued an executive order mandating minimum English proficiency standards for commercial truck drivers. Duffy blames California's failure to enforce the standard for this crash and others like it, and has now threatened to withhold funding.
The transportation secretary posted on X, formerly Twitter, about the policy change on Wednesday. "I’m withholding 40 MILLION DOLLARS in funding for California because they can’t get their priorities straight," Duffy announced.
"The Golden State thinks it’s OK to ignore @USDOT English language requirements for truckers. You can play all the games you want, but not at the expense of American lives," he added.
The post was accompanied by photos showing the aftermath of some of the crashes as well as the alleged perpetrators. Many others who shared the post noted that it was Duffy's moment to get tough with California, a state which has openly given aid and comfort tp illegal immigrants.
🚨💸I’m withholding 40 MILLION DOLLARS in funding for California because they can’t get their priorities straight.
The Golden State thinks it’s OK to ignore @USDOT English language requirements for truckers.
You can play all the games you want, but not at the expense of… pic.twitter.com/0fl8gfURXB
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) October 15, 2025
A Department of Transportation memo issued on Wednesday outlined plans for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to hold back $40,685,225 from the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program. In it, Duffy specifically blamed California Gov. Gavin Newsom's unwillingness to follow the law, which surely has Democrats raging.
States like California use the grants to "conduct roadside inspections, traffic enforcement, safety audits of trucking companies, and public education campaigns." Duffy said that since California failed to comply with the English language requirement, it would not receive the funds, and the Golden State only has its leaders to blame.
"I put states on notice this summer: enforce the Trump Administration’s English language requirements or the checks stop coming. California is the only state in the nation that refuses to ensure big rig drivers can read our road signs and communicate with law enforcement," Duffy noted.
"This is a fundamental safety issue that impacts you and your family on America’s roads," he added. Duffy blamed Newsom for forcing him to take action by flouting the federal standards. "Let me be clear – this is valuable money that should be going to the great men and women in California law enforcement, who we support," Duffy said.
"Gov. Newsom’s insistence on obstructing federal law has tied my hands," he added. The memo stated that the only way for California to get out of this is to begin immediately conducting English language proficiency stops and enforcing the law if they don't pass.
The American people deserve to be safe on the road, knowing that the people driving heavy commercial vehicles have been properly vetted and trained. California is purposefully putting lives at risk for the sake of protecting illegal immigrants, and it's about time someone put a stop to it.
President Donald Trump's administration has revoked the visas of six foreigners who made disparaging remarks about the death of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, The Hill reported. The State Department said it has "no obligation to host foreigners who wish death on Americans" as the left panics about the chilling effect on free speech.
The individuals singled out include an Argentine national, a Brazilian national, a German national, a Mexican national, a Paraguayan national, and a South African national. The statement department made it clear in a post to X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday that it was completely within its rights to do so before presenting a thread with the statements from each.
"The United States has no obligation to host foreigners who wish death on Americans. The State Department continues to identify visa holders who celebrated the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk. Here are just a few examples of aliens who are no longer welcome in the U.S.," it said before sharing each statement in a thread.
The United States has no obligation to host foreigners who wish death on Americans.
The State Department continues to identify visa holders who celebrated the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk. Here are just a few examples of aliens who are no longer welcome in the U.S.:
— Department of State (@StateDept) October 14, 2025
As the State Department made clear, the U.S. does not have to admit people who don't align with the values of this nation. Whereas Freedom of Speech protections in the First Amendment of the Constitution apply to Americans, those in the U.S. on visas are in the nation as a privilege rather than a right.
One of the objectionable remarks included in the State Department's thread came from an Argentine claiming that the late conservative icon "devoted his entire life spreading racist, xenophobic, misogynistic rhetoric" and therefore deserves eternal hellfire. The German national said that "when fascists die, democrats don’t complain" in celebration of Kirk's murder.
The Paraguayan national wrote that "Charlie Kirk was a son of a b**** and he died by his own rules," but the Mexican national got particularly nasty. The individual wrote that Kirk "died being a racist, he died being a misogynist" and determined that "there are people who deserve to die," implying that Kirk was one of them.
"There are people who would make the world better off dead," the Mexican national wrote. The South African individual wrote that the people grieving Kirk's death are "hurt that the racist rally ended in attempted martyrdom," and that Kirk "was used to astroturf a movement of white nationalist trailer trash."
The State Department said that these statements led to the revocation of their visas as the only option. "@POTUS and @SecRubio will defend our borders, our culture, and our citizens by enforcing our immigration laws. Aliens who take advantage of America’s hospitality while celebrating the assassination of our citizens will be removed," a post at the end of the lengthy thread said.
While foreign-born detractors had horrible things to say about Kirk, Trump honored his legacy on Tuesday by posthumously awarding him the Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor. "Charlie Kirk was a martyr for truth and for freedom," Trump said from the Rose Garden ceremony, the New York Post reported.
Charlie Kirk's wife, Erika Kirk, was in attendance to accept the award on her husband's behalf. "And from Socrates to Saint Peter, from Abraham Lincoln to Martin Luther King, those who change history the most — and he really did — have always risked their lives for causes they were put on Earth to defend," Trump went on about the deceased honoree.
“We’ve watched legions of far-left radicals resort to desperate acts of violence and terror because they know that their ideas and arguments are persuading no one. They know that they’re failing,” Trump added, alluding to the suspected killer. "They have the devil’s ideology, and they’re failing. And they know it. They feel it, and they become violent."
The president, who only returned from Egypt at 3 a.m. on Tuesday, said he "raced back halfway around the globe" to present the medal on Charlie Kirk's birthday. "He should have been turning 32 years old," Trump noted.
Charlie Kirk was an American hero, and he deserves to be treated as such. While Americans have Freedom of Speech rights, guests in this nation do not, and those who choose to say objectionable things about Charlie Kirk absolutely should be shown the door. It's the least we as a nation can do for his grieving family.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is working to secure the positions of 1,000 employees laid off in error in emails sent Friday, the UK Daily Mail reported. The erroneous emails attributed the firings to President Donald Trump's cuts during the ongoing shutdown of the federal government.
President Donald Trump promised that a government shutdown would give him the opportunity to scale back the size of government permanently. What wasn't expected was the largest single layoff event in the agency's history, which was later deemed an error.
Some of those who received notices that they would be losing their jobs included top scientists and disease experts, some of whom were currently working on outbreaks of Ebola and measles. The emails also effectively cut through entire sectors of the agency, including the Global Health Center, which leads in immunizations, and the Epidemic Intelligence Services, which are known as the "disease detectives" that track and anticipate outbreaks.
The mix-up became apparent quickly, and by Saturday, health officials were rolling back their "erroneous" dismissal notices. Nevertheless, the CDC is left to sort out the mishap and track down affected personnel to set the record straight.
The Trump administration sent warnings to at least 4,200 federal employees on Friday from at least seven different agencies, indicating that pink slips were forthcoming, The Hill reported. Of those, approximately 1,100 to 1,200 were from the Department of Health and Human Services.
The notices were sent via email just before 9 p.m. as the Columbus Day weekend began. Even before this happened, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 2883, representing employees at the CDC's Atlanta, Georgia, headquarters, had charged that firings during the government shutdown were punitive.
This sentiment was echoed by Debra Houry, who served as chief medical officer at the CDC before resigning in August over the so-called "politicization of science" that Trump was engaging in. "Some of the best-trained epidemiologists in the world were told they no longer had a job," she complained about the same agency that got so much wrong during the pandemic.
The layoff notices were issued to a pair about to deploy to the Democratic Republic of Congo to respond to an Ebola outbreak. At the same time, another was an official with nearly 30 years of experience who had been working on outbreaks of Marburg virus, mpox, and Ebola in Africa. The Global Health Center's director and half-dozen regional global offices were also "wiped out" before the correction was made to the cuts.
The Trump administration was quick to correct the record, but that hasn't stopped detractors from slamming the very idea of making personnel cuts. Meanwhile, they're blaming Trump for retaliatory action against the agencies rather than sticking to the facts.
The work that the CDC does is certainly worthwhile, but the amount of caterwauling about the firings is overkill. Like any government agency, even those on the frontline of disease prevention can afford to trim the fat. However, those who were impacted act like every individual on the payroll is equally vital. "This Administration continues to destroy critical pillars of America’s already wounded public health system," Richard Besser, who was previously acting director of the CDC, claimed.
"Using a government shutdown as a pretense to fire hundreds of critically important health officials and thousands of additional government staffers is the height of cruelty and recklessness. The damage this will do to our nation is incalculable," Besser added.
Meanwhile, the Infectious Disease Society of America and other infection control organizations complained that any cuts "will cripple the agency that keeps our country safe by monitoring and preventing disease and saving lives in every community across the country,” a joint statement said. "Uncertainty around which staff have been fired or rehired leaves health professionals and the public in a state of complete confusion about which longstanding public health services they can rely upon," it added.
Still, Dr. Robert Malone, an outspoken critic of the CDC's pandemic response, recognized the bureaucracy likely needed the cuts regardless of how it ended up. "CDC has had decades of mission creep, and has lost focus in core mission. It is now being restructured, redirected, and dismantled," Malone posted to X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday.
My opinion, not speaking on behalf of USG, CDC leadership, or ACIP.
CDC has had decades of mission creep, and has lost focus in core mission. It is now being restructured, redirected and dismantled. The international component is being transferred to the State department.…
— Robert W Malone, MD (@RWMaloneMD) October 12, 2025
These government organizations need a shakeup every now and then, even if it unsettles some of the employees who believe they are essential. The administration corrected its error, but it's a good thing for these lifelong government employees to be on notice that their jobs could always be in jeopardy.
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.
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.
A source claims that President Donald Trump allegedly sent a private message intended for Attorney General Pam Bondi as a post to Truth Social, NBC News reported. The Sept. 20 post listed the people Trump wishes to pursue with legal action, including former FBI Director James Comey, California Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff, and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Trump's response to the news that he accidentally sent the message as a Truth Social post was to utter an indifferent, "Oh." Those listed in the post purportedly intended for Bondi include those who wronged Trump and went after him with legal action, especially James, who attempted to bankrupt him with a ridiculously punitive judgment.
The president said they were all "guilty as hell" and that he was frustrated that there was no movement to bring them to justice. Regardless of all the handwringing and pearl-clutching from the mainstream media, Trump has a right to urge his attorney general to pursue legitimate criminal activity from these people.
Comey and James have already been indicted, while Schiff is currently under investigation for mortgage fraud. Whether Trump urged Bondi to pursue them or not, the real issue is whether there is enough evidence to go on, and it looks like he might have been right after all.
Regardless of how it is characterized and whether it was supposed to be a private message, Trump does not say anything inappropriate. "Pam: I have reviewed over 30 statements and posts saying that, essentially, 'same old story as last time, all talk, no action. Nothing is being done. What about Comey, Adam 'Shifty' Schiff, Leticia???" Trump wrote.
"They’re all guilty as hell, but nothing is going to be done.' Then we almost put in a Democrat supported U.S. Attorney in Virginia, with a really bad Republican past. A Woke RINO, who was never going to do his job," Trump went on, referring to Erik Siebert, whom Trump fired for failing to pursue James.
"That’s why two of the worst Dem Senators PUSHED him so hard. He even lied to the media and said he quit, and that we had no case. No, I fired him, and there is a GREAT CASE, and many lawyers, and legal pundits, say so," the president explained.
"Lindsey Halligan is a really good lawyer, and likes you, a lot. We can’t delay any longer, it’s killing our reputation and credibility. They impeached me twice, and indicted me (5 times!), OVER NOTHING. JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!! President DJT" Trump concluded.
Trump is correct that he was subject to many fabricated or inflated charges from these same people who had skeletons in their closet all along. James's attorney, Abbey Lowell, claims that her client is subject to Trump's "desire for revenge" in this prosecution while ingnoring the fact that there might be a legitimate reason to pursue legal action.
"When a president can publicly direct charges to be filed against someone — when it was reported that career attorneys concluded none were warranted — it marks a serious attack on the rule of law," Lowell said. That doesn't explain away the allegations that seem well-founded against James, considering that a federal grand jury indicted her on charges of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution on Thursday, Fox News reported.
She can call this a political prosecution, but the fact is that the grand jury thought there was enough evidence to proceed and, as James herself said, it's necessary to do so in such cases. "When powerful people cheat to get better loans, it comes at the expense of hardworking people," James posted to X, formerly Twitter, when she was going after Trump in February 2024.
"Everyday Americans cannot lie to a bank to get a mortgage, and if they did, our government would throw the book at them. There simply cannot be different rules for different people," James said.
Trump is right to go after these people who act like they're above the law. Whether he urged Bondi to do it or was simply making a social media post, the fact remains that these people are getting their just desserts.
The fallout continues for Jay Jones, the Democratic candidate for Virginia attorney general, who was forced to cancel Thursday night's fundraiser, Fox News reported. Jones' hopes for the top cop position are fading fast after text messages stating that he wants to put "two bullets" into Republican Todd Gilbert, who was then-Virginia House Speaker, have surfaced.
Donors who were invited to author David Baldacci's home for the event were notified that the fundraiser was canceled and that their donations would be refunded. Many believe this is directly related to the text messages, as Jones continues to face criticism over his celebration of violence.
The messages were exchanged in 2022, but the political climate has considerably changed with the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Calls for violence from the left have taken on a new gravity, and Jones' messages were particularly disturbing as it is.
Democrats acknowledge that "violent words precede violent actions" and "we should have a culture of condemning any rhetoric that glorifies violence." Fellow Democratic candidates in Virginia have rebuked Jones, but none are calling for him to step down from the race yet. Jones has apologized for the messages, but he is still in the race for top law enforcement official in Virginia.
In his text messages, Jones was fantasizing about what he would do if he had two bullets and three people when he came to a sickening conclusion. "Three people, two bullets," the text messages read.
"Gilbert, hitler, and pol pot. Gilbert gets two bullets to the head," Jones wrote of the former House Speaker of Virginia.
"Spoiler: put Gilbert in the crew with the two worst people you know and he receives both bullets every time," Gilbert added. He was corresponding with GOP House Delegate Carrie Coyner with this disgusting hypothetical, according to The Hill.
Conyner told him to stop, but Jones reportedly went on to more demented scenarios, including hoping that Gilbert's wife would have to see her children dead so that her husband would "feel pain" and understand the ramifications of his stance on the Second Amendment. Screenshots of this horrific exchange were shared to X, formerly Twitter, by political commentator Benny Johnson.
After Charlie Kirk and Donald Trump were both shot in the head by Democrats you probably don't need *more* proof that Democrats want to kill you...
But if you do, boy do I have a story for you.
Meet Jay Jones. Jay is the Democrat candidate for Attorney General of Virginia.
Jay… pic.twitter.com/vrn9waHURc
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) October 6, 2025
Virginia House Speaker Don Scott, who calls Gilbert his "friend," criticized Jones for his hateful messages and urged him to repent. “What Jay said was harmful, reckless, and wrong. He needs to apologize now. He must take accountability for his words, and then reflect and pray," the Democrat claimed.
Normally, it would be unthinkable for a man like Jones to have a political future, but this is the Democratic Party, so the best they'll do is a strongly worded message. Scott said over the weekend that the big worry is that the candidates will lose focus and get "distracted" over this scandal as Democrats push back against President Donald Trump.
“We can’t get distracted because they want us to get distracted by a text message here or something else. Stay focused," Scott urged. Others in the party on the Virginia Beach Democratic Committee downplayed the severity of the messages and urged clemency for Jones.
"Recent press may have highlighted past mistakes. We say, let those without sin cast the first stone," the committee said Saturday, using a biblical allusion (Democrats only seem to care about Christian principles when they think it will take the heat off of them).
Jones does not deserve to hold public office at all, let alone as Virginia's top cop, but Democrats really don't care. They're focused on making sure Republicans lose, even if they have to support the kind of people who fantasize about shooting others and inflicting pain.
Joan Kennedy, who was the first wife of the late Senator Edward "Ted" Kennedy, has died at 89 years old after a lifetime of struggles with mental health and addiction, Newsweek reported. She was the last remaining member of family's "Camelot" generation of political influence, which also included her late brothers-in-law, John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy.
Joan and Ted Kennedy were married from 1958 until their divorce in 1982. She was already part of the family when her brother-in-law was elected president in 1960 and her husband was elected to the Senate in 1962.
The Bronxville, New York, native prayed alongside her sister-in-law, Jackie Kennedy, after John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, in 1963. Later, Joan Kennedy also stood by her husband during his infamous scandal on Chappaquiddick Island in Massachusetts in 1969, which would follow him the rest of his life.
On July 18 of that year, Ted Kennedy crashed his car and veered off a bridge, plunging the vehicle into the water. His young female passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne, was trapped in the car and drowned while Ted Kennedy escaped the scene virtually unscathed. He was charged with leaving the scene of the accident, and Joan Kennedy would suffer a miscarriage not long after.
Heath and Human Service Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Joan Kennedy's nephew, eulogized his aunt in a post to X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday. "My beloved aunt Joan Bennett Kennedy, former wife of the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA), classical pianist, music teacher, and advocate for mental health and addiction services, passed away peacefully in her sleep at her home in Boston, Massachusetts yesterday at the age of 89," he wrote.
"She was my friend, confidante, and my partner in recovery. Joan inspired me with her courage and humility. She was one of the first prominent women in America to publicly acknowledge her struggles with alcoholism and depression, a move that she felt was essential to breaking the silence and tackling the taboo of addiction in the 1970s," Robert F. Kennedy Jr. continued.
"Her honesty and candor, and her ability to successfully recreate her life in Boston, a community that supported her privacy and embraced her recovery, made her an inspiration to countless other women facing similar challenges. She encouraged many family members in early sobriety," he added.
"At age 25, in 1962, Joan was the youngest wife of a U.S. Senator in United States history. She was a kind and generous aunt to me and my 27 cousins. She was the last survivor of an extraordinary generation of Kennedys. We all feel grateful for the time God gave us with her," Robert F. Kennedy Jr. concluded.
My beloved aunt Joan Bennett Kennedy, former wife of the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA), classical pianist, music teacher, and advocate for mental health and addiction services, passed away peacefully in her sleep at her home in Boston, Massachusetts yesterday at the age… pic.twitter.com/a7B145a3Ay
— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) October 8, 2025
As her nephew indicated, Joan Kennedy was public about her many struggles and became an advocate for those fighting the same demons of substance abuse and mental illness. It seems her problems began after divorcing her husband, as Joan Kennedy racked up drunk driving arrests and was in and out of rehab for alcohol abuse.
In 2005, she was hospitalized after she was found unconscious on the streets of Boston. After that, her son Ted Kennedy Jr. took over as her legal guardian and took care of her. Through it all, Joan Kennedy never shied away from speaking about her struggles, hoping that it would help others.
Those around her believed that Joan Kennedy was not "fragile" but was instead a "survivor" throughout her many struggles. "I think she had a life that was very demanding of her. Sometimes she had real problems in those days," said her sister-in-law Eunice Kennedy Shriver in 2000 to The Boston Globe.
"I think she never gave up. She consistently tried to improve and overcome her problems, and eventually she did. So that is not a person who is fragile," Shriver added. After outliving those in her generation, Joan Kennedy was called the "Last Survivor of Camelot."
The Kennedy family had its share of triumphs and tragedies, and Joan Kennedy seems to have been present for them all. No other political family has held as much political mystique, and now that she's gone, the final chapter has closed for the storied family.
Matt Van Epps, whom President Donald Trump endorsed late last week, has won the GOP primary for Tennessee's 7th Congressional District race, Fox News reported. The former Tennessee Department of General Services commissioner was one of 11 Republicans vying for the chance to run for the seat left vacant after Republican Rep. Mark Green took a job in the private sector.
The large district in Tennessee is a Republican stronghold, which bodes well for Van Epps as the GOP candidate, especially given Trump's endorsement. He will go on to face off against his opponent, Democratic state Rep. Aftyn Behn, in a special election on Dec. 2.
The House of Representatives is currently balanced in favor of Republicans, although not by a significant margin. Including the Tennessee seat, there are two vacancies and a third where the Democratic representative-elect hasn't been sworn in yet, making it a 219-213 majority for Republicans.
🚨 BREAKING: Trump-endorsed Matt Van Epps WINS Republican US House primary for Tennessee's vacant 7th District. pic.twitter.com/0KRzHQXSNL
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 8, 2025
Trump released a statement endorsing Van Epps in the days leading up to the primary, which also included state Reps. Gino Bulso, Lee Reeves, and Jody Barrett. "Matt knows the WISDOM and COURAGE required to Defend our Country, Support our Incredible Military/Veterans, and Ensure PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH," Trump wrote.
Van Epps called the president's support "an incredible honor" as he also got the nod of approval from Tennessee GOP Gov. Bill Lee. Beyond just the words of praise, Trump and the Club for Growth conservative group co-hosted a tele-rally with the candidate on Monday night, just ahead of Election Day.
It seems that Van Epps, who is a veteran and a Trump loyalist, found that his most significant advantage was that he was able to get the president on board. According to the Associated Press, Van Epps acknowledged this fact in his victory speech, stating that Trump's backing in the crowded race "made the difference, and I will never forget it."
Van Epps will return the favor by supporting Trump's agenda, including advocating for veterans and supporting the president's crackdown on illegal immigration. "In Congress, I’ll stand shoulder to shoulder with President Trump to advance our America First agenda,” Van Epps promised.
After the election results were in and Van Epps secured the opportunity to represent 14 counties in Tennessee that include a military base, rural areas, and parts of Nashville, Trump congratulated Van Epps in another post on Truth Social. "Congratulations to Matt Van Epps on his great victory in Tennessee. He will be a GREAT Congressman!!!" the president wrote.
With such a deep-red district, Van Epps should be able to clinch the congressional seat in the special election. Still, the Democrats have mounted an opposition against Van Epps that included an alternative to Trump's policies and pitched Behn's win as a referendum on outside money influencing local elections.
After all, donors from outside Tennessee spent $3.1 million, mainly on the Republican side of the race, though both parties tend to funnel campaign funds where they're most needed, including local races. Behn said that her win for Democrats was a signal that "authenticity, energy, organizing power consistently outperformed corporate money and poll-tested messaging."
The Nashville-based community organizer and social worker also emphasized the female angle, as identity politics is the default for many Democratic candidates. "Tonight, Tennessee sent a message," Behn said to her supporters.
"And that message is: Women still fight. Organizers can still win. And Democrats in the Deep South aren’t done yet," Behn said. Nevertheless, she will need to overcome the fact that Green won the seat by more than 20 points in the last two elections, which has demonstrated significant advantages to any GOP candidate.
Democrats have virtually no shot at taking this seat from Republicans as it is, and that's especially true for now that the Trump-backed pick has become the GOP candidate. Van Epps will likely take his place in Congress, and Trump will notch another victory that proves once again that he has political clout like no other.