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New York City socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani once signed a letter labeling conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated last week, as an “extremist” while calling on a venue to block his ability to speak in New York City. 

In a June 2023 press release by several local Democrats, Mamdani and his colleagues issued a statement “in response to Motif Studios agreeing to host a far-right extremist event on June 17th at Tammany House in Long Island City.”

“As elected officials representing western Queens, we are deeply disappointed by the decision by Motif Studios to host an event by the far-right extremist groups Blexit and Turning Point USA at their Triplex LIC/Tammany House venue in Long Island City,” the statement explained. 

“Providing a platform for the kind of transphobic, bigoted views held by invited speakers Candace Owens, Charlie Kirk and others goes directly against the diversity and inclusivity that we hold dear as New Yorkers and is an insult to every member of our community.”

ZOHRAN MAMDANI’S ‘FREE’ PROMISES ARE TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, YOUNG CONSERVATIVES WARN

The elected Democrats went on to call on Motif Studios to “follow the lead” of another local venue who was originally going to host the event but “canceled their booking after the community spoke out” about the “bigotry” of the event organizers. 

“Hate has no home in Queens, New York City, or anywhere else and certainly not here in Long Island City,” the press release said. 

The scheduled event was held according to plan and Kirk posted a video of an activist being removed after attempting to disrupt the proceedings. 

GOP Assemblyman Jake Blumencranz, who represents New York’s 15th district, told Fox News Digital that Kirk was murdered for exercising his free speech and that elected officials should be forced to “reckon with the culture of hate that has been allowed to grow.”

TOP UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATOR CALLS CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION ‘FAIR’ DUE TO STANCE ON GUNS: ‘NO PRAYERS’

“We cannot ignore that my colleagues, Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani and his radical DSA allies once tried to silence Charlie Kirk in New York City, pressuring venues to cancel his events,” Blumencranz said. 

“That mindset of censorship and public shaming feeds the hostile climate we see today and corrodes the American ideal that speech must be met with more speech, not suppression.”

Kirk’s death has ignited a firestorm of political debate about free speech in the U.S. and Blumencranz told Fox News Digital he believes Mamdani, who holds a commanding polling lead in the race to be New York City’s next mayor, has been hypocritical on the issue of speech. 

“What’s most telling is Mamdani’s double standard: the speech he rushes to protect — like ‘globalize the intifada,’ which many view as a call to violence against Jews — tears at America’s fabric, while the speech he vigorously fights to silence is the very kind that keeps our democracy alive,” Blumencranz said.

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Blumencranz continued, “New Yorkers must ask themselves what it would mean to have a ‘Silencer-in-Chief’ like Zohran Mamdani in City Hall. New York deserves a ‘Unifier-in-Chief,’ who will defend free expression and bring people together — clearly, Zohran Mamdani is not that leader.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the Mamdani campaign for comment. 

Mamdani publicly addressed Kirk’s assassination, telling a group of supporters that the shooting was “horrific” and “yet another victim of gun violence in a nation where what should be a rarity has turned into a plague.”

In a post on X, Mamdani said he was “horrified” and declared that “political violence has no place in our country.”

There is no thermostat in the U.S. Capitol.

Only thermometers.

And that’s why congressional leaders are struggling to lower the temperatures in Congress after the murder of Charlie Kirk.

As a veteran congressional reporter, I lost count of how many efforts I witnessed to try to “lower the temperature” around Capitol Hill after a national tragedy.

Oh, they might knock a degree off the mercury for a few weeks here and there – sometimes helped by a political cold front (e.g. a lengthy congressional recess). But just like in meteorology, the political gales blow. Weather systems develop. There are dips in the jet stream. Droughts parch the political landscape. Alberta Clippers race through in November and December. All of this results in inevitable thaws. So after some solace, it usually isn’t long until a Category 5 hurricane churns off the Capitol Hill coast.

KASH PATEL FACES HOUSE GRILLING AFTER TENSE SENATE CLASHES OVER KIRK ASSASSINATION

The temperature then skyrockets.

In meteorology, there are always temperature “norms.” Yes, it’s seasonal to climb into the mid-90s in Washington, D.C., in August. But not unheard of to have high temperatures in just the mid-70s like this year. Those are the anomalies.

The same with Congress. The typical “seasonal” temperature on Capitol Hill always spikes toward 100 degrees. Even during the frigid calendar days of January and February.

To wit: There were raucous episodes on Capitol Hill in the mid 1990s after Republicans seized control of the House, which nearly devolved into fistfights. A national tragedy didn’t spur the contretemps. It was an electoral one. That fueled a visceral distrust between Republicans and Democrats. It was augmented by the fact that Republicans won control of the House in 1994 for the first time in four decades.

Results at the ballot box sparked those skirmishes. But it was violence and calamity that stoked many of the embers on Capitol Hill.

Members sought to quiet things after two Capitol Police officers were shot and killed in 1998.

But the temperature shot back up.

The same with 9/11. The fourth plane that eventually crashed in Shanksville, Pa., was destined for the U.S. Capitol. After the immediate threat subsided, bipartisan members gathered on the Capitol steps and spontaneously sang “God Bless America.”

That moment emerged as an indelible, uplifting moment on one of the most horrific days in American history.

SQUAD MEMBER GIVES BLUNT RESPONSE WHEN ASKED WHY DEMS ARE CELEBRATING POLITICAL VIOLENCE AFTER KIRK’S DEATH

But the temperature shot back up.

Tea Party protesters encircled the Capitol in 2010 as Democrats attempted to pass Obamacare. Vile phone calls and threats flooded congressional phone lines. Lawmakers called for calm in an effort to quiet the vitriol.

But the temperature shot back up.

A gunman killed six people and seriously wounded former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., and future Rep. Ron Barber, D-Ariz., in 2011.

Members dialed back the rhetoric.

But the temperature shot back up.

Capitol Police officers were injured during a high-speed chase around the congressional complex during the 2013 government shutdown. Lawmakers again demanded calm. In fact, lawmakers found the injury of the officers working to protect them – yet not receiving a paycheck – so sobering that it prompted them to re-open the government.

But the temperature shot back up.

A gunman shot House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., during a congressional baseball practice in 2017, in Alexandria, Va.

TED CRUZ SAYS HATE SPEECH ‘ABSOLUTELY’ PROTECTED BY FIRST AMENDMENT FOLLOWING CHARLIE KIRK’S ASSASSINATION

People chilled out.

But the temperature shot back up.

The Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol is one of the most onerous days in congressional history. Leaders again insisted on peace.

However, there was nearly a fistfight in the rear of the chamber not long after the House reconvened after the mayhem in the wee hours of Jan. 7.

Again came the demands for you know what.

But the temperature shot back up.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is the latest congressional leader to face the arduous task to lower the temperature after the assassination of Kirk. House members bowed their heads in a moment of silence. When Johnson rapped the gavel, Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., asked Johnson for a verbal prayer. She said silent prayer didn’t get results.

GOP UNVEILS PLAN TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN, INCLUDES $30M SECURITY HIKE AFTER CHARLIE KIRK KILLING

“Is there someone who could lead us in a moment of prayer out loud for Charlie and his family?” inquired Boebert as Johnson tried to shush the chamber.

She also mentioned “victims in Colorado,” referring to a shooting at a Colorado high school the same day.

Grumbling and groans filled the chamber as Boebert tried to speak.

“Wait a minute. Wait a minute,” Johnson said from the dais. “The House will be in order.”

Johnson tried to quiet the sniping back and forth across the aisle.

“The House will be in order!” hollered Johnson as the din rose in the chamber.

Both Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., and Rep. Jahana Hayes, D-Conn., continued yelling.

“The House will be in order!” thundered a now angry Johnson.

The speaker slammed down the gavel and stared daggers toward the Democratic side of the chamber.

HOUSE REPUBLICANS HONOR CHARLIE KIRK WHILE DEM LEADERS SKIP CAPITOL PRAYER VIGIL

You see the pattern.

It is seemingly always the same on Capitol Hill. The pattern never seems to change. Yes, you may have days in the 70s during the dog days of August in Washington. But the temperature eventually returns to the upper 90s. That’s the political norm on Capitol Hill.

The question is, “Will it ever change?”

It’s hard to see things “changing.” If they were going to “change,” that probably would have happened after 9/11, the Giffords attack, the baseball practice shooting or Jan. 6. Any one of those catastrophes could have served as an impetus to “change” things on Capitol Hill. 

One would think. But there’s been no change in the political climate.

That’s partially because there’s been so much turnover in the membership on Capitol Hill. Even since Jan. 6, Congress has witnessed staggering turnover. Twenty-seven House members are now poised to retire at the end of this term. The usual number at this stage in the cycle is 16. So whoever was here for these demands for calm after the Kirk shooting probably won’t be here when there’s the next cataclysm. So many of the people who may have helped calm things down after Giffords or 9/11 aren’t here anymore. That bolsters the volatility.

There’s a high level of mistrust now between lawmakers. And the toxicity of social media doesn’t help.

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There is no regulator on Capitol Hill. But lawmakers can individually serve as their own thermostat. And if they set their own internal temperature, the mercury may drop. They could create their own congressional cold front.

But the question is for how long?

You already know the answer to that.

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who rejected a push by President Donald Trump to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in the key southeastern battleground state, launched a 2026 Republican bid for governor.

Raffensperger’s announcement on Wednesday adds more drama to an already combustible GOP gubernatorial primary between Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and state Attorney General Chris Carr. 

And while Raffensperger has a long track record as a conservative Republican, he’ll likely once again face the scorn of Trump, who last month endorsed Jones for governor.

“I’m a conservative Republican, and I’m prepared to make the tough decisions. I follow the law and the Constitution, and I’ll always do the right thing for Georgia no matter what,” Raffensperger said in a campaign launch video. “As governor, I’ll deliver a bold conservative agenda, and build Georgia even stronger.”

REPUBLICAN-TURNED-DEMOCRAT LAUNCHES GEORGIA GOVERNOR BID

Raffensperger’s agenda includes a push to eliminate the state income tax, capping property taxes for seniors, repealing taxes and fees on closing costs for homebuyers, expanding tax credits for parental school choice, banning drugs that block puberty from gender-affirming care and purging “woke curriculums” from schools.

A statement from his campaign also highlighted that Raffensperger pledged “to work alongside President Donald Trump and congressional leaders to bring jobs back to Georgia, deport criminal aliens, and restore law and order in communities across the state.”

The now-70-year-old engineering entrepreneur, along with Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, refused to aid Trump as the president tried to reverse now-former President Joe Biden’s razor-thin 2020 election victory in Georgia.

THE MOST VULNERABLE REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR IN 2026 LAUNCHES RE-ELECTION BID

Trump appeared to pressure Raffensperger in an early January 2020 call when the president urged Raffensperger to “find” enough votes to upend Biden’s victory. Raffensperger told Trump at the time that his data was wrong and that “we believe our numbers are right.”

That earned the then-former president’s scorn, and Trump backed Republican primary challenges against Kemp and Raffensperger when they both ran for re-election in 2022.

But Kemp and Raffensperger ended up easily defeating the Trump-supported primary challengers en route to general election victories.

The Democratic Governors Association’s Kevin Donohoe, pointing to Raffensperger’s 2026 campaign launch, argued that it “injects a new level of chaos into what was already a messy primary — and is bad news for Burt Jones and Chris Carr.”

Raffensperger’s announcement came the day after former Republican Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan launched a Democratic campaign for Georgia governor, in the race to succeed Kemp, who is term-limited.

Duncan, who as lieutenant governor was also a vocal GOP critic of Trump’s repeated efforts to overturn his 2020 loss in Georgia, decided against seeking re-election in 2022.

Duncan endorsed Biden in the 2024 presidential race and later supported then-Vice President Kamala Harris after she replaced Biden at the top of the Democrats’ 2024 ticket. Duncan spoke in a high-profile speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago last summer. Earlier this summer he announced he had switched parties and become a Democrat.

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Duncan joined a Democratic primary field that already includes former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, former DeKalb County CEO Mike Thurmond and former State Sen. Jason Esteves.

While Georgia was once right-leaning, it has become a key general election battleground. But Republicans have won every gubernatorial contest in the state since 2002.

EXCLUSIVE: The Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday identified what it called dangerous political rhetoric targeting immigration enforcement in the wake of conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination, warning that such language is fueling violence against officers.

“This hateful rhetoric is contributing to political violence in our country and a more than 1,000% increase in assaults against our brave ICE law enforcement,” the department told Fox News Digital.

“Following the evil act of political violence in the country and two brutal assaults on our brave ICE law enforcement last week, we are once again calling on the media and the far left to stop the hateful rhetoric directed at President Trump, those who support him, and our brave DHS law enforcement,” added Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.

McLaughlin said such “demonization” is inspiring violence nationwide:

NOEM SAYS ICE AGENTS ARE FACING ‘1000% INCREASE IN ASSAULTS’

“We have to turn down the temperature before someone else is killed,” she said.

In examples provided to Fox News Digital, DHS cited the “evil act of political violence witnessed… last week” when Kirk was murdered in Utah, plus two incidents during attempted capture of immigration suspects that led to severe injuries to officers.

“DHS is calling on the media, leftist groups, and sanctuary politicians to end their demonizing DHS law enforcement,” the department said.

In a set of examples provided to Fox News Digital of such inflammatory political rhetoric, the department led off with Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, who told MSNBC earlier this month that immigration enforcement officers are akin to slavecatchers.

“As someone who understands history, when I see ICE, I see slave patrols,” Crockett said Saturday.

DHS also flagged Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’ comments during a commencement speech at the University of Minnesota when he called ICE the “modern-day Gestapo” – a direct reference to the Geheime Staatspolizei who enforced authoritarian law in Nazi Germany.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has also been vocal in his criticisms of President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement operations, and DHS cited his recent remarks characterizing the U.S. as “essentially” becoming a country akin to Nazi Germany where people had to carry around “papers” to “prove [they] belong.”

UNION BOSS COMPARES ICE TO AL PACINO MOBSTER AS MORE DEMS PILE ON IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT

The department also condemned comments from Boston Mayor Michelle Wu in June:

“I don’t know of any police department that routinely wears mask – We know that there are other groups that routinely wear masks. NSC-131 routinely wears masks,” she said, referring to a Massachusetts-based “National Socialist Club” tied to neo-Nazism.

DHS also condemned House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., for pledging to fight against Trump’s agenda “in the streets,” suggesting it is fomenting violence.

It also cited Rep. John Larson, D-Conn., who was pictured in August screaming during a press availability that immigration enforcement is acting like the “S.S.” (Nazi secret police) and Gestapo.

“This is not Germany. That’s the SS and the Gestapo. This is the United States of America. Unmask yourselves,” Larson shouted at an event in Newington.

Larson added it is a good time to “rise up,” after federal immigration enforcement raided a car wash in the New England community.

Further cataloging physical violence against ICE and DHS officers, the department provided to Fox News Digital an accounting of the most egregious attacks, including a group of armed men who staked out a facility in Texas earlier this year.

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A separate Texas incident cited involved a gunman opening fire at a Border Patrol annex in McAllen – near the Mexican border.

“The suspect was neutralized by law enforcement who acted heroically to stop the shooter before there was any loss of life. However, three were injured,” the department said.

On August 29, a woman in Maine allegedly tried to run over a federal agent with her car as he was making an arrest.

The department also cited several instances of suspects causing harm to officers or damage to property.

FBI Director Kash Patel is set to testify before House lawmakers on Wednesday in a hearing expected to focus on the bureau’s dramatic reforms in the second Trump administration and the recent assassination of Charlie Kirk.

Patel will face questions in five-minute rounds from Republicans and Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee as part of an annual oversight hearing, marking the director’s second appearance in as many days on Capitol Hill after he testified before the Senate one day prior.

House Judiciary Committee Republicans have long been focused on government weaponization at the FBI and are expected to revive those concerns, which were long a focus for them during FBI Director Christopher Wray’s tenure, according to a source familiar with the plans.

‘MOST TRANSPARENT’ FBI EVER: PATEL UPDATES SENATE ON KIRK ASSASSINATION PROBE

Patel, meanwhile, is likely to face sharp criticism and tough questions from House Democrats, who have raised concerns this year about controversial firings of senior FBI officials and the shifting of priorities at the FBI toward immigration enforcement, which typically is handled by the Department of Homeland Security.

Patel addressed similar concerns from Senate Democrats one day prior, as they zeroed in on Patel’s limited law enforcement experience and accusations that the firings of top FBI officials had happened without proper due process.

Patel, a former public defender who worked in the first Trump administration, said out of the gate that he is in his job to stay.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Patel said Wednesday. “If you want to criticize my 16 years of service, please bring it on.”

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The director is also likely to face bipartisan questions about the FBI’s investigation into Charlie Kirk’s assassination, which involved an early-stage misstep on Patel’s end before the suspect, Tyler Robinson, was apprehended some 33 hours after the incident.

The Department of Justice’s handling of Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking case is another topic expected to crop up. President Donald Trump’s base has long demanded more information about the case, but in a turnabout, DOJ leadership said this year there was nothing further they could disclose to the public about it.

President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other prominent political figures are slated to speak Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, during an event honoring Charlie Kirk.

The website fightforcharlie.com also lists other speakers, including Kirk’s widow Erika Kirk, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., War Secretary Pete Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Donald Trump Jr., Stephen Miller and Sergio Gor.

The website indicates additional names will be announced.

State Farm Stadium has fixed seating for 63,400, and can expand to over 73,000 for larger events, according to the venue. The attendance for Sunday’s NFL game between the Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers was 64,003.

HUNDREDS MOURN CHARLIE KIRK AT KENNEDY CENTER MEMORIAL: ‘HONOR HIS UNMATCHED LEGACY’

The dress code is “Sunday Best- Red, White, or Blue,” according to the site.

“Seating will be first come, first served based on stadium capacity. Overflow seating will be available at the Desert Diamond Arena,” according to a frequently asked questions section which also notes that the “event will be live-streamed on Charlie Kirk’s Rumble account.”

TRUMP EYES REMARKS AT CHARLIE KIRK MEMORIAL IN ARIZONA, BLAMES LEFT FOR SUSPECT’S RADICALIZATION

Kirk, a prominent conservative activist and commentator, was assassinated in Utah last week.

He was only 31 years old, and would have turned 32 next month.

ERIKA KIRK DELIVERS MOVING TRIBUTE TO HUSBAND, CHARLIE: ‘I WILL NEVER LET YOUR LEGACY DIE’

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“Charlie was a servant of the Lord, a devoted husband to Erika, a loving father to two beautiful children, and a leader of uncommon clarity and strength,” a portion of a tribute on fightforcharlie.com notes. “He did not seek influence for its own sake. Instead, he poured his life into others, raising up a generation who would be bold in their faith, steadfast in their love of freedom, and unafraid to defend their country.” 

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump will receive a full royal welcome from King Charles III following their arrival to Windsor Castle on Tuesday night.

Wednesday’s festivities will kick off with Trump, the first lady and several top U.S. officials participating in a carriage procession with the king, queen and other members of the royal family. Ahead of the couple’s arrival, hundreds of staff worked through the halls and grounds of the nearly 1,000-year-old castle to ensure the monarch welcomed the couple in true royal fashion.

Trump is set to ride in the foremost carriage along with King Charles, while Melania will ride in a following carriage with the queen. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and special envoy Steve Witkoff will also ride in follow-up carriages.

Ahead of his visit, Trump hailed the “great honor” of being hosted by his “friend” at “the ultimate” Windsor Castle for his second state visit, the U.K.’s Standard reported.

U.K. POLICE DEPLOY ‘COMPREHENSIVE’ DRONE OPERATION ACROSS WINDSOR CASTLE FOR TRUMP VISIT

“My relationship is very good with the U.K., and Charles, as you know, who’s now king, is my friend,” Trump told reporters, quoted by the outlet. “It’s the first time this has ever happened where somebody was honored twice. So, it’s a great honor.”

“And this one’s at Windsor,” Trump added. “And I don’t want to say one’s better than the other, but they say Windsor Castle is the ultimate, right? So, it’s going to be nice.”

“Primarily it’s to be with Charles and Camilla,” he continued. “They’ve been friends of mine for a long time, long before he was king, and it’s an honor to have this king.”

TRUMP ADMIN BLOCKS CITIZENSHIP FOR NON-CITIZEN VOTERS

The centerpiece of Trump’s visit is set to be the banquet in St. George’s Hall. The Waterloo Table, about half the length of a football field, can seat up to 160 guests. The Associated Press reported it takes five full days to set the table, which is laid with more than 4,000 pieces, including 200-year-old silver.

The visit comes as the U.S. and U.K. continue trade negotiations, though the White House has not indicated that any deals will be announced during the event.

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Trump is the first U.S. president to be invited for two state visits by a British monarch. The late queen hosted him and Melania in 2019 during his first administration. 

Fox News’ Stephanie Nolasco contributed to this report

Jurors in the federal trial of Ryan Routh — accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump at his West Palm Beach golf club in 2024 — heard new evidence Tuesday from FBI digital and DNA specialists, including alleged text messages blasting Trump and lab results tying Routh’s DNA to key items.

Routh’s witness list also narrowed. Before jurors entered, Routh, who is representing himself in the trial, told the court, “As far as I’m concerned, we’re going to exclude my son,” confirming he will not call Oran Routh, who is in separate federal custody, as a witness. Judge Aileen Cannon noted he could not revisit that decision later.

Judge Cannon cut off both prosecutors and Routh multiple times Tuesday, at one point asking, “How much longer is this going to take?” She also reminded Routh to stop interrupting. When he complained, “I don’t have hot water and can’t shower … I won’t shower for a month,” Cannon told him there were “proper administrative procedures … not piecemeal, as you have grown accustomed to.”

TRUMP TRIAL CONTINUES WITH MORE FBI TESTIMONY AFTER RIFLE CALLED ‘PREPARED TO FIRE’

FBI Digital forensic examiner Jerry Llanes testified Tuesday for U.S. prosecutors that a Samsung phone recovered from Routh’s black Nissan Xterra had WhatsApp messages that included a Feb. 3, 2024, exchange with a contact saved as “Chinese hero to fight.”

“I know it’s very different… I think Kennedy was killed from a hill… Certainly not an easy task. If I can help, just let me know what to do,” Routh wrote.

In another chain with someone listed as “Ben,” Routh texted: “What do you think of Trump?” 

Ben replied: “Not a fan.” 

“I hate him,” Routh responded. “Shan’t get elected again.”

And in a WhatsApp thread with “Captain Talk Recruiting,” Routh said: “I think Trump will be a big problem for Ukraine … For sure, what an idiot. He needs to go away. He cancelled the [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action] for Iran. What an idiot. I hate him.”

FLASHLIGHT, RIFLE, BACKPACKS: PROSECUTORS OUTLINE RYAN ROUTH’S ALLEGED SNIPER SETUP

From another device, Llanes described images showing flight searches from Miami to Mexico and Bogotá, Colombia, and a photo that “appears to be a rifle tied to a tree.”

FBI DNA examiner Kara Gregor additionally testified that Routh’s DNA was strongly linked to the rifle grip, a reddish-brown bag, a zip tie, a bungee cord and a glove. On the rifle, she said the DNA evidence was “250 centillion times more likely if the contributors were Routh and two unknown individuals than if the contributors were three unknown individuals.”

JURY SEATED IN TRIAL OF MAN ACCUSED OF TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT

Routh challenged her on cross-examination with sarcasm: “Did you test a Colt .45 case? A golf tee? A blue flashlight? How about a Sunny D?” 

Gregor responded that many of those items were not tested, or she could not recall.

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The trial, moving quickly due to Routh’s quick cross examinations, continues Wednesday with more forensic experts expected. U.S. prosecutors are expected to wrap up presenting their case by Friday and Routh will bring his witnesses to the stand next week.

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., who is part of the cohort of progressive Democrat lawmakers on Capitol Hill known as “the Squad,” denied that Democrat voters were celebrating political violence in the wake of slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination.

In video footage obtained by Fox News Digital, Omar was asked about her thoughts on Democratic voters celebrating the death of Kirk and cheering on political violence in the wake of his assassination.

“Are you concerned with the rhetoric coming from the Democratic base regarding the Charlie Kirk assassination?” Omar was asked, to which she did not respond. “Why are Democratic voters celebrating political violence?” Omar was then asked again. 

ABC REPORTER CALLS CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSIN’S TEXT MESSAGES WITH TRANSGENDER PARTNER ‘VERY TOUCHING’

“I don’t think anybody is,” Omar shot back.

But, evidence appears to show that many folks have been facing repercussions over their decision to mock, or praise, Kirk’s death. This includes K-12 education officials, college professors, healthcare professionals, political pundits, writers and a list of other professionals from various sectors and major companies, such as the law firm Perkins Coie, the company behind the New York Stock Exchange, NASDAQ, and Office Depot, among others.

Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have roundly condemned the trend of political violence following Kirk’s assassination. But, despite the condemnation and expressions of sorrow from both sides of the political spectrum, there have still been some contentious moments on the Hill following Kirk’s death.

On the day of Kirk’s passing, a moment of silence for the slain activist inside the House Chamber devolved into chaos after Republican South Carolina Rep. Lauren Boebert requested a spoken prayer be said in addition to a silent prayer, which was met with protest from Democrats. Some reportedly began shouting about how Republicans had ignored a school shooting that happened the same day as Kirk’s, according to media reports. Meanwhile, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., stood up and began shouting back, saying, “You all caused this.”

FOLLOWING KIRK’S ASSASSINATION, LAWMAKERS REACT TO LETHAL POLITICAL CLIMATE: ‘VIOLENT WORDS PRECEDE VIOLENT ACTIONS’

When asked why Democrats refused to say a prayer for Kirk, Omar responded: “We did a moment of silence, nobody prays on the House floor for anybody who has passed away.”

Omar, meanwhile, is facing efforts by Republicans to strip her of her committee assignments and seats after she, according to GOP lawmakers, disparaged Kirk’s legacy shortly following his assassination. 

The remarks were made during an interview with progressive news outlet Zeteo. Omar told the outlet days after Kirk’s assassination that he previously “downplayed slavery and what Black people have gone through in this country by saying Juneteenth shouldn’t exist.”

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“There are a lot of people who are out there talking about him just wanting to have a civil debate,” Omar continued. “There is nothing more effed up, you know, like, than to completely pretend that, you know, his words and actions have not been recorded and in existence for the last decade or so.”

Omar also criticized GOP figures who have been attacking Democrats for their rhetoric following Kirk’s assassination. “These people are full of s—. And it’s important for us to call them out while we feel anger and sadness, and have, you know, empathy, which Charlie said, ‘No, it shouldn’t exist,’ because that’s a newly created word or something,” Omar said, referring to Kirk’s comments about “hate speech.”

Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.

Donald Trump grew up in Queens – a very nice neighborhood, to be sure, but still an outer borough.

Across the East River is the glittering skyline of what those who don’t live there call “the city.” And in the midst of that island is the New York Times building.

When the Times found the real estate developer worthy of profiling, in 1976, it was puff piece at first sight:

“He is tall, lean and blond, with dazzling white teeth, and he looks ever so much like Robert Redford. He rides around town in a chauffeured silver Cadillac with his initials, DJT, on the plates. He dates slinky fashion models, belongs to the most elegant clubs and, at only 30 years of age, estimates that he is worth “more than $200 million.”

TRUMP ANNOUNCES $15 BILLION LAWSUIT AGAINST THE NEW YORK TIMES FOR DEFAMATION, LIBEL

The Redford reference is now sadly dated because of the actor’s passing in his sleep (“Good way to go, I guess,” says Trump.) But in the piece, the “fast talker” acknowledged that his father, Fred Trump, who built middle-class housing in Queens and Brooklyn, only recently tried to crack the Manhattan market because of “psychology.”

(My favorite sentence: “Mr. Trump, who says he is publicity shy, allowed a reporter to accompany him on what he described as a typical work day.”)

I bring all this up, as a Brooklyn guy who has lived in Queens, to underscore how the president has always craved the paper’s approval.

TRUMP TAKES AIM AT CNN AND NEW YORK TIMES OVER IRAN STRIKE COVERAGE, BUT JOURNALISTS ARE SHRUGGING

And he got it – though the tabloids loved his feuds even more – until he went into politics.

Now the president has filed a $15 billion lawsuit against the New York Times.

It’s a strange suit, and it has a snowball’s chance in hell of succeeding. 

A Times statement says: “This lawsuit has no merit. It lacks any legitimate legal claims and instead is an attempt to stifle and discourage independent reporting.” What’s odd is that there was no triggering story, no specific inaccuracy alleged. That’s in sharp contrast to the president’s successful suits against CBS and ABC.

Of course, filing a suit – forcing even the biggest companies to spend a fortune on legal fees – is often the point.

Back in the 1980s, Trump sued the Pulitzer-winning Chicago Tribune architecture critic, Paul Gapp, for $500 million, for criticizing his plan to build America’s tallest building – a 150-story tower – in Manhattan. “One of the silliest things anyone could inflict on New York or any other city,” Gapp wrote.

Trump said he had “virtually torpedoed” the project, subjecting him to “public ridicule and contempt.” A judge later dismissed the suit as involving protected opinion.

The new suit names such reporters as chief White House correspondent Peter Baker and investigative journalist Michael Schmidt. It also names Susanne Craig and Ross Buettner, in part for their book “Lucky Loser: How Donald Trump Squandered His Father’s Fortune and Created the Illusion of Success.”

Craig revealed some of Trump’s tax returns, and she and her team won a Pulitzer for reporting on his finances.

In the ABC case, the network settled for $16 million for George Stephanopoulos having said Trump was found liable for rape, not “sexual abuse,” in the civil suit brought by E. Jean Carroll.

CBS also agreed to pay $16 million after the unethical editing of the Kamala Harris interview on “60 Minutes,” to make her sound more coherent.

He has also sued the Wall Street Journal’s parent company for reporting on his birthday message to Jeffrey Epstein – which he continues to deny, although the message from the predator’s files has surfaced with many similarities. 

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In the lawsuit against the Times, filed in Florida, the president just trashes its campaign coverage. He says on Truth Social he is moving against “one of the worst and most degenerate newspapers in the History of our Country, becoming a virtual ‘mouthpiece’ for the Radical Left Democrat Party. I view it as the single largest illegal Campaign contribution, EVER. Their Endorsement of Kamala Harris was actually put dead center on the front page of The New York Times, something heretofore UNHEARD OF! The ‘Times’ has engaged in a decades long method of lying about your Favorite President (ME!), my family, business, the America First Movement, MAGA, and our Nation as a whole. I am PROUD to hold this once respected ‘rag’ responsible…” 

I’m going out on a limb to say that running an editorial on the front page falls under the category of free speech, and lots of papers have occasionally done it.

And remember, as the ultimate public figure, Trump would have to prove malice on the paper’s part, or reckless disregard for whether something is true or not.

Given that the president’s coverage is overwhelmingly negative, let’s say for the sake of argument that the Times is leading the resistance.

The Trump suit blames “persistent election interference from the legacy media.” 

But unless a plaintiff can point to a verifiable inaccuracy, it falls under the protective umbrella of First Amendment reporting and opinion.

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With Marine One in the background yesterday, ABC’s Jonathan Karl, whom Trump knows well, asked him about criticism of Pam Bondi’s investigations of left-wingers: “A lot of people, a lot of your allies, say hate speech is free speech.”

“She’d probably go after people like you! Because you treat me so unfairly! It’s hate! You have a lot of hate in your heart!”

A moment later, Trump said: “Maybe they’ll come after ABC. Well, ABC paid me $16 million recently for a form of hate speech, right? Your company paid me $16 million for a form of hate speech, so maybe they’ll have to go after you.”

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For the president, a lawsuit is wielded as a weapon. That’s why he’s suing the New York Times, the paper across the river, with which he’s always had a love-hate relationship – and lately, mostly hate.