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Seven Republican Senators Seek to Delay Thune Leadership Vote After Midterm Losses
Seven Republican senators are moving to block the immediate reelection of Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) in Tuesday’s leadership vote. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) sent a letter, signed by Sens. Ted Budd (R-NC), Rick Scott (R-FL), Mike Lee (R-UT), and John Kennedy (R-LA), requesting a delay until the conference reviews midterm results. Sens. Dave McCormick (R-PA) and Jim Banks (R-IN) joined the call.
McCormick stated, “I don’t believe we should move to leadership elections until we have digested and debated the lessons of the midterms and how to move forward.” Republicans lost nine Senate seats, falling from 53 to 44. With Democrats taking the majority, Thune would serve as minority leader in January.
Why It Matters
Demanding a pause before reelecting leadership after historic midterm losses forces a necessary reckoning inside the Senate Republican conference. This accountability strengthens the party’s ability to respond to voters and protects the constitutional process of self-government from automatically rubber-stamping failure.
Trump Questions Midterm Honesty, Citing Polls, Early Votes, and Machines
President Donald Trump questioned the integrity of the midterm elections on Monday in a Truth Social post. “Does anybody really believe that this ‘Election’ was honest? How could the Polls be so wrong???” he wrote. He claimed some early-voting “dumps” were so large that it was impossible to win, no matter how many people voted, and added, “It’s all about the machines, which are far more important than the voter!”
The post came days after Trump said he was willing to accept the results. Democrats won control of both the House and Senate. Reporting of vote counts proceeded normally according to election observers, and large early-vote totals reflected high turnout in multiple states rather than irregularities. Trump provided no specific evidence of machine errors or wrongdoing.
Why It Matters
The uniform swing toward Democrats across every state defies normal electoral math and raises the real possibility of coordinated fraud through early-vote dumps and machines. Ignoring those statistical anomalies leaves American voters with a Congress whose legitimacy rests on numbers that do not add up.
Jeffries Declares Hard Yes on Impeaching Defense Secretary Hegseth
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) said he is a “hard yes” on impeaching Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. Jeffries made the comment on ABC’s This Week about a resolution that outgoing Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) plans to reintroduce. “I’m a hard yes on the Hegseth resolution,” Jeffries said. He charged that Hegseth abused his power, undermined national security, and engineered a reckless war of choice in Iran.
Hegseth called Massie a “disgruntled, defeated congressman” and described the articles as a “sham.” Trump said he fully intends to keep Hegseth. Jeffries said he will discuss the measure with his caucus Tuesday. Massie could raise the privileged resolution as early as Monday, after which leaders have two legislative days to schedule a vote.
Why It Matters
House leaders signaling support for removing a wartime defense secretary over policy disagreements turns impeachment into a routine political weapon. That misuse of the constitutional process weakens civilian control of the military and invites foreign adversaries to exploit domestic divisions at a moment when American resolve is already under strain.
Judge Overrides Mamdani Objections to ICE Subpoena for Homeless Shelter Data
A federal judge overrode New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s objections to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement subpoena seeking personal information on people residing in one of the city’s homeless shelters. U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, appointed by President Bill Clinton, ruled that the Mamdani administration must comply. ICE wants the names and birth dates of homeless men staying at a Bronx shelter to determine whether they are illegal immigrants subject to deportation.
The city had argued the request was a fishing expedition that would undermine sanctuary policies. Kaplan wrote that the city has not shown producing the list would be unduly burdensome. The subpoena concerns matters relevant to enforcing federal immigration laws. A special master will identify only residents with certain serious criminal histories.
Why It Matters
Court orders that force sanctuary jurisdictions to honor federal subpoenas restore the plain meaning of immigration law and protect communities from unvetted criminal aliens. Those rulings block local politicians from turning public shelters into safe houses and keep the constitutional balance between federal authority and local obstruction intact.
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Socialist Mayors Now Lead Four Major American Cities
Nithya Raman, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, defeated incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in Los Angeles and will take office in December as mayor of a city of roughly 4 million residents. Janeese Lewis George, also a DSA member, won the Washington, D.C., mayoral race for a city of about 700,000. They join New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson.
Four of the nation’s 20 most populous cities now have socialist leaders. The four cities are home to roughly 14 million people. Heritage Foundation fellow Mike Gonzalez said, “This makes LA the fourth large city that will now have a socialist mayor, joining New York; Washington, D.C.; and Seattle.”
Why It Matters
Socialist control of major American cities places millions under policies that prioritize redistribution over growth and public safety. History shows such experiments produce higher taxes, declining services, and flight of productive residents, threatening the economic vitality that sustains the free world.
Poll Finds 43 Percent of Youngest Voters View Sharia Law Favorably
A Rasmussen Reports and Our Republic survey of 1,026 likely voters conducted on Sept. 20 found that 43 percent of those ages 18 to 24 view Sharia law positively. That compares with 21 percent overall and 16 percent of those age 40 and older. More than a quarter of voters under 30 said they would support allowing a local community to adopt Sharia if a majority of residents favored it.
The poll coincides with historic electoral gains for Muslim-American candidates. Democrat Abdul El-Sayed (D-MI) defeated Mike Rogers (R-MI) to become the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate. CAIR reported that more than 255 Muslim officials now hold elected office across the country, including in Congress and state legislatures.
Why It Matters
Growing acceptance of Sharia among the youngest voters threatens the Constitution’s guarantees of equal rights and individual liberty. Allowing any religious legal code to gain a foothold in American communities risks replacing rule of law with systems incompatible with free societies.
Counter-Protests Overwhelm Antisemitic Bike Boycott of Jewish Businesses in Rittenhouse Square
Tensions ran high in Rittenhouse Square on Sunday as a planned “bike boycott” targeting Jewish-owned businesses was met with an overwhelming counter-demonstration. Approximately 300 pro-Palestinian demonstrators, including about 200 on bicycles, and 200 pro-Israeli counter-protesters gathered starting around 11 a.m. The group Philly Bike on Your Left had posted a flyer calling for a boycott of six Jewish-owned businesses labeled “Zionist establishments.”
Despite heated shouting between the sides, the demonstrations remained largely peaceful. Philadelphia Police reported three arrests and minor injuries to two officers. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said the protests were “designed to intimidate and drive Jewish businesses out of our communities” and that “Hate and antisemitism have no place in our Commonwealth.” Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker stated, “safety is non-negotiable.”
Why It Matters
Organized efforts to drive Jewish businesses from American cities revive the tactics of historical pogroms and threaten the free exercise of commerce and conscience that define Western society. Those actions normalize the selective punishment of citizens for their identity or political views and erode the pluralistic order that protects every group.
Slotkin Lawyer Warns Blanche Against Trump Demand to Investigate Senator
An attorney for Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) warned Attorney General Todd Blanche not to bow to President Donald Trump’s demand for a criminal investigation into her political speech. Trump ordered the Justice Department to examine the senator’s comments, saying that Democrat investigations could send a “deterrence message” to young people considering joining the administration. “By copy of this statement, I am ordering the Department of Justice to look into this criminal act, immediately!” Trump wrote.
Preet Bharara, Slotkin’s lawyer, wrote that the remarks were “entirely lawful” and protected by the First Amendment and the Speech or Debate Clause. He asked Blanche to issue a clear public statement declining the probe. Slotkin was one of the lawmakers the administration previously failed to indict over a video urging service members to refuse unlawful orders.
Why It Matters
Public calls for young Americans to avoid public service out of fear of later political reprisals aim to hollow out the executive branch and deter competent people from government. That tactic erodes the constitutional system of accountability and replaces it with a climate of intimidation that damages the free world’s ability to staff its institutions.
ON THIS DAY IN 1989:
East Germany opened its border checkpoints to West Berlin, prompting crowds to dismantle the wall that had divided the city for nearly three decades. The event signaled the collapse of Soviet influence in Eastern Europe and marked a pivotal victory for U.S. Cold War foreign policy.
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Houthi Missile Debris Damages Aramco Tower in Riyadh Financial District
A skyscraper in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh suffered damage after an attack by Iran-backed Houthi rebels. Windows were blown out on several floors of the Aramco-owned building in the financial district known as Villas in the Sky. A source from the energy ministry said debris from an intercepted missile caused limited damage and that no one was injured or killed.
The missile had been intended to hit the building but was intercepted by Saudi air defenses in the early hours. The Houthis claimed responsibility for the strike. The incident marked another escalation in the conflict as schools and government agencies had recently resumed in-person operations after earlier attacks.
Why It Matters
Iran-backed Houthi strikes that reach deep into the Saudi capital and hit oil infrastructure threaten a key U.S. ally and the stability of global energy markets. Those attacks keep the free world dependent on fragile Gulf security while Tehran’s proxies expand their reach and test Western resolve across the region.
France Sees Fourth Weekend of Yellow Vest and Student Protests
Fewer protesters than expected turned out for the fourth weekend of mass demonstrations in France, although several cities reported clashes with police. The Interior Ministry reported a nationwide total of 146,000 people, including 46,000 in Paris. Protest organizers gave a higher count of over 250,000. Clashes occurred in Toulouse, Marseille, Lyon and Bordeaux. The ministry reported some 350 arrests nationwide by the evening.
Students and labor unions called a march against the high cost of living and in support of young people. The Yellow Vest movement held a banned event at Place de la Concorde. Police arrested two of its leading figures, Benjamin Ball and Solene Azelma Sigaux. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the government would deploy 70,000 police.
Why It Matters
Persistent street violence and economic unrest in a major European ally expose the costs of high public debt and failed policies that prioritize spending over order. Those conditions risk further instability that could spill across the continent and weaken the collective security arrangements on which the free world depends.
Activists Replace German Unity Flag at Reichstag With Palestinian Banner
Activists climbed a nearly 30-meter flagpole outside Berlin’s Reichstag building on Sunday and replaced Germany’s Flag of Unity with a Palestinian flag. A 22-year-old man removed the protected national monument commemorating reunification and threw it to the ground while two accomplices aged 20 and 32 assisted and filmed the act. “In front of the Berlin Reichstag building, a man climbed up the nearly 30-meter-high flagpole,” state broadcaster ARD reported.
Bundestag President Julia Klöckner condemned the desecration, stating that “Palestine hooligans” would not even stop at the symbol of German unity. Police arrested the three German suspects on suspicion of insulting state symbols. Police released two after verifying their identities; the 22-year-old remained in custody. The group Peacefully Against Genocide claimed responsibility.
Why It Matters
Replacing a protected national monument with a foreign political banner outside a sovereign parliament signals open contempt for the host nation’s history and cohesion. Such acts normalize the erosion of Western symbols and invite further challenges to the cultural foundations that hold free societies together against ideological encroachment.
Krakow Gunman Social Media Images Suggest Leftist Orientation After Far-Right Claims
Michał Oksiński, 24, killed six people and wounded 15 after driving into Kraków’s Main Market Square and opening fire on Nov. 7. He died in hospital on Nov. 9. Investigators said he also killed his father, mother, and sister earlier that day. Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński initially stated that “everything indicates” the gunman was fascinated by far-right ideologies and held “very, very radical” and “ultranationalistic” views.
Prosecutors later reported no evidence tying him to any particular political orientation. National Prosecutor’s Office spokesman Przemysław Nowak said investigators found “no obvious symbolism” associated with the far right or far left in the gunman’s room. Images from deleted Facebook accounts attributed to Oksiński show him posing with an LGBT Pride flag and other left-wing symbols.
Why It Matters
Rushing to label a mass killer far-right without evidence while ignoring contrary social media material erodes public trust in official accounts and media. Such selective framing threatens the honest reckoning with violence that free societies require to protect their citizens and institutions.
