Lindsay Clancy's lawyer makes stunning argument in first hearing since recent mistrial



Lindsay Clancy's lawyer made a stunning argument Tuesday in the first hearing since her mistrial earlier this month.

At Clancy's murder trial that took place over the summer and ended in a mistrial Sept. 4 with a deadlocked jury, her attorney Kevin Reddington did not dispute that his client strangled her three young children to death in 2023.

'Where is the admission? Where does she say that she did this?'

In fact, the Associated Press reported at the time that "both sides agree she killed her children," but Clancy's defense argued that she wasn't criminally responsible for their deaths because she was suffering from postpartum psychosis.

However, Reddington argued Tuesday that there wasn’t enough evidence to prove that Clancy, now 36, killed her three children, the AP said.

“This entire case is based on speculation,” Reddington said Tuesday, according to the outlet, which added that the lawyer tried to persuade Judge William Sullivan — the same judge who presided over the first trial — to acquit Clancy, a former labor and delivery nurse.

More from the AP:

There is, Reddington contended, not enough evidence “that this woman killed those children.” He pointed to matters ranging from her condition when she was found, badly injured and bleeding in the yard outside her home, to her lack of memory of what happened when she woke up in a hospital. At the first trial, her now ex-husband and first responders testified that they arrived at the house and discovered she had tried to kill herself right after killing the children.

"Where is the admission? Where does she say that she did this?” Reddington asked, going on to recap his arguments that she also was psychotic and delusional at the time of the children’s deaths. He didn’t offer any alternative theories or evidence about who might be responsible.

Prosecutor Shanan Buckingham called Reddington's argument “laughable,” the AP reported, as she pointed out evidence presented during the original trial. In court papers filed Monday, prosecutors recapped their arguments that there was enough evidence to convict Clancy, the outlet noted.

The prosecution stated that Clancy knew her actions were wrong when she used exercise bands to strangle 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson, and 8-month-old Callan Clancy, the AP said. The prosecution also maintained that Clancy schemed to get her husband out of the house that evening by sending him to pick up medicine for one of their children and dinner for the family, the outlet added.

Judge William Sullivan didn’t immediately decide, the AP said, and no trial date was set.

However, Sullivan concluded Tuesday's hearing by saying attorneys should be prepared on Nov. 2 for picking a new trial date.

RELATED: Lindsay Clancy murder trial hits huge speed bump (UPDATE)

Prosecutors haven't yet decided if they will retry Clancy, Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz said after the hearing, the outlet said.

They could choose to retry her on first-degree murder charges or seek to try her only on lesser charges, including second-degree murder or manslaughter — or drop the case entirely, the AP reported.

“We are going to do what we can for the children,” Cruz told reporters outside court, the outlet said. “That is what this case is about.”

Clancy’s attorneys also have asked the judge to dismiss the criminal case, the AP said, adding that they have argued that the judge should have dismissed one juror who favored a murder conviction after the jury foreperson complained that he refused to listen to the law on reasonable doubt. The jury was split 11 to 1 in Clancy's favor, the outlet said.

The holdout juror, Michael Desronvil, has said through his lawyer that he had no doubts about his stance, the AP said.

Desronvil told Fox News’ “Hannity” in a brief video statement Monday that “the whole focus has been on me, but we want to reel everything back and put the focus on the three angels,” meaning the children, the outlet noted.

About a dozen Clancy supporters, most dressed in pink, stood outside court Tuesday waiting for her to arrive, the AP said.

Clancy remains charged with murder and is expected to stay at a psychiatric hospital until her case is resolved, the outlet said, adding that she could have been sentenced to life in prison if convicted of murder — but if acquitted, the judge could have ordered her confined to a mental health facility.

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Why Fauci’s Refusal To Answer Congress Puts His Pardon In Jeopardy

By choosing the Fifth, Fauci may have abandoned his pardon and opened himself to criminal prosecution for any crimes during the pardon period.

'Why didn't you tell the truth?' Republicans grill Walz over Somali fraud and CDLs for illegal aliens



Lawmakers heavily pressed Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) during a hearing on Wednesday regarding fraud taking place in his state.

The 'Feeding Our Future' scandal

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) questioned Walz about taxpayer payments to the nonprofit Feeding Our Future, an organization that has been at the center of a massive COVID-era fraud scandal involving Somali operators. The Minnesota Department of Education suspended those payments in March 2021 but "voluntarily" resumed making them weeks later, according to a 2022 press release from the Minnesota Judicial Branch.

'He's here illegally, he can't read, and he got a license under your provisions!'

"Why didn't you tell the truth about why you restarted the payments?" Jordan asked.

"The agency believed that the court had required them to make those payments," Walz responded.

Jordan countered that the claim was false, stating that the judge never ordered the resumption of payments. "So the court's lying?!" Jordan asked.

"I can't tell you, Congressman!" Walz said.

"Could it be you were trying to hide behind the court, Governor?" Jordan asked.

After the interaction, Walz struggled to come up with a response.

The press release from the Minnesota courts stated that the judge "never ordered the Department of Education to resume payments to FOF in April 2021, or at any other time."

RELATED: 'LOADED with fraud': Mamdani announces $425 million child-care handout — open to illegal aliens

Non-domiciled commercial driver's licenses

Later on in the hearing, Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) ripped into Walz on commercial driver's licenses.

"According to the secretary of transportation, one-third of Minnesota's non-domiciled commercial driver's licenses were issued illegally," Perry said.

Perry then presented a clip of a person driving a semi-truck the wrong way on a divided Missouri highway in late February. The video shows that the truck was eventually stopped by a trooper.

Perry claimed that the suspect driving the vehicle was given a Minnesota license despite being unable to pass the driving test because of a law Walz signed that allows applicants to obtain a CDL regardless of immigration status.

RELATED: Founder of Minneapolis autism center admits to paying kickbacks to Somali families in $6 million scam

Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Walz talked about the safety of Minnesota's roads and claimed that he doesn't "understand the connection" between driver's licenses and immigration status.

"He's here illegally, he can't read, and he got a license under your provisions!" Perry said. "And he's driving all across the country, imperiling everybody else! That's the connection!" Perry concluded.

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'Sit there and smirk': Sen. Johnson blasts Ellison over deadly protests in Minnesota



Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) sharply criticized a Minnesota Democrat during a Senate Homeland Security hearing Thursday, blaming him for encouraging protests that the Republican lawmaker said helped set the stage for the deaths of two activists amid a high-profile federal immigration enforcement operation.

Johnson accused Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison of creating conditions that, he said, contributed to the fatal shootings of Renée Nicole Good and Alex Pretti.

'Yeah, sit there and smirk. Smirk. It's sick. It's despicable.'

"Two people are dead because you encouraged them to put themselves into harm's way," Johnson told Ellison during the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing.

"A tragedy was going to happen, and you encouraged it. And you ought to feel damn guilty about it."

Johnson's criticism continued when Ellison appeared to smirk, stating: "Yeah, sit there and smirk. Smirk. It's sick. It is despicable." Ellison fired back, labeling Johnson's remarks "all lies" and a "nice theatrical performance."

RELATED: Olympic skier who wrote 'F**k ICE' in snow now says he is victim of 'hate and vitriol'

Alex Wroblewski/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Johnson went on to detail incidents of protester violence and interference that he said escalated the danger for federal agents. "These law enforcement officials have been shot at. Their vehicles have been rammed by some of these 'peaceful protesters,' probably the trained activists. They've had rocks thrown at their vehicles," Johnson said.

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Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

"You've got all these trained activists behind you," Johnson said, "Is it any wonder they're at hair-trigger alert? A tragedy was going to happen, and you encouraged it!"

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Judge blasted for drastically cutting sentence of creep who sodomized, kidnapped woman — even as he cursed out judge in court



A judge in Jefferson County, Kentucky, is receiving criticism after she drastically cut the sentence of a man who was was convicted of kidnapping, robbing, and sodomizing a woman.

Rather than following a jury’s recommendation of a 65-year sentence for 24-year-old Christopher Thompson, Judge Tracy Davis instead sentenced him to 30 years behind bars, WDRB-TV reported.

'I don’t have sympathy for nobody. I don’t have sympathy for you, the victim, the victim’s family, I don’t care. Boo hoo.'

Thompson was convicted in December in connection with a 2023 attack in which prosecutors said he abducted a woman, robbed her, and sodomized her twice, the station said.

WDRB, citing court documents, reported that Thompson kidnapped the victim in her own vehicle and forced her to perform oral sex on him in a school parking lot. The station said Thompson then drove her to an ATM, robbed her, drove back to the school lot, and sodomized her at gunpoint again.

What's more, the station said Thompson during his sentencing hearing earlier this month punctuated the proceedings with repeated disruptions, profanity, and direct insults directed toward Judge Davis.

“Before we even get appearances, Mr. Thompson, I’m going to need you to be respectful,” Davis said, according to WDRB.

“I ain’t doing nothing. Eat my d**k,” Thompson responded, according to the station.

WDRB said the intensity only became more extreme moments later.

“It’s fine. OK? It’s fine,” Davis said, according to the station.

“If I could spit on you, I would,” Thompson replied, according to WDRB.

“At the end of the day, I’m the one with the pen,” Davis added, the station said, after which Thompson replied, "I don’t care."

The hearing continued into the sentencing phase despite Thompson's outbursts, and WDRB said prosecutors urged Davis to impose the jury’s recommended 65-year sentence.

Thompson didn't exactly support his own cause, as the station said he stated, “I don’t have sympathy for nobody. I don’t have sympathy for you, the victim, the victim’s family, I don’t care. Boo hoo."

Davis soon imposed a 30-year sentence, WDRB said, citing Thompson’s age and the possibility of rehabilitation.

But Thompson apparently was unmoved. The station said he interrupted by saying, "I don’t care. I don’t care."

RELATED: Trio jailed for rape of mostly unconscious 14-year-old girl — recorded on video because 'it was funny' — given probation

“Unfortunately, he fell through the cracks and ended up in this court as an 18- or 19-year-old,” Davis said, according to WDRB. “This court does not believe Mr. Thompson, if given the resources that he can get while incarcerated, is beyond being rehabilitated.”

The station said the reduced sentence has elicited criticism from Louisville Metro Council members, including Minority Caucus Chair Anthony Piagentini: “Where is the concern for the victim? Do we think she’s going to get over this in 30 years? Where is the concern for the safety of the public when he does get released from jail?”

WDRB said Piagentini also raised concerns about judicial transparency and pointed out Davis’ use of shock probation in dozens of cases since 2023: “My next step, in addition to condemning her decision, is to request for all of her shock probation cases to have the public learn about who she is releasing from the sentences that are given. That’s the minimum I can do for the electorate of this community, so that they can ... understand the decisions that she’s making.”

According to the U.S. Justice Department, "shock probation" provides a short prison time — between 30 to 180 days — for a convicted felon after which the remainder of the sentence is served on probation "in the community." The justice department notes that corrections and probation personnel view shock probation as having a future deterrent effect on criminal behavior, and lawyers view it as a level in plea bargaining.

Louisville’s Chief Prosecutor — Commonwealth’s Attorney Gerina D. Whethers — said in a statement that her office is "disappointed" by the reduced sentence, WDRB noted.

RELATED: 'Sex offender' to be replaced by 'adults who commit sexual offenses' in Colorado since latter is less stigmatizing for sex offenders receiving treatment

Commonwealth’s Attorney Gerina D. Whethers; image source: Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney, Jefferson County, Ky.

“Due to the defendant’s actions and inappropriate outbursts in court, the jury recommended a sentence of 65 years in prison. While we recognize that the court has discretion in the final sentence, we are disappointed that the court deviated from the sentence for less than half of what the jury of his peers determined was appropriate for this dangerous defendant," Whethers said, according to the station. "The jury’s recommendation was the most appropriate outcome in this case."

WDRB said Whethers added that "our pursuit of justice is unwavering. As prosecutors, our responsibility is to take to trial and present before the jury cases like these, where dangerous individuals pose a severe threat to the community and, as a result, need to be removed from it for as long as possible."

The station noted that Judge Davis imposed an additional sentence of more than four years for Thompson's statements in court and that he must serve that time before his 30-year sentence commences.

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'This isn't a CIRCUS!' Bondi fends off attacks from Democrat lawmakers in combative hearing



Attorney General Pam Bondi went head-to-head with Democratic lawmakers Wednesday during a contentious House Judiciary Committee oversight hearing. Lawmakers sparred with Bondi over the Justice Department's handling of Jeffrey Epstein-related files and broader allegations about the department's political priorities, while Bondi shot back that Democrats were merely "grandstanding" and engaging in political "theatrics."

In a heated exchange with Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), who pressed her on alleged connections between President Donald Trump and Epstein, Bondi interrupted sharply.

'I am not going to get in the gutter for her theatrics.'

"This isn't a circus! This is a hearing!" Bondi said.

Tensions escalated further during an exchange with Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the committee's ranking Democrat. Raskin attempted to interject, "I told you, Attorney General —," before Bondi cut him off.

"Here we go with the theatrics!" she said. "You don't tell me anything."

RELATED: 'I'm really proud': American snowboarder refuses to take the bait on question about representing USA

Bondi also clashed with Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), who referenced Epstein victims present in the room and asked them to stand if they had been unable to meet with the Justice Department. Bondi declined to engage directly with that approach.

"Why didn't she ask Merrick Garland this, twice, when he sat in my chair?" Bondi asked in response in Jayapal, referring to the attorney general under President Joe Biden.

“I am not going to get in the gutter for her theatrics,” Bondi continued.

RELATED: Olympic skier who wrote 'F**k ICE' in snow now says he is victim of 'hate and vitriol'

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Throughout the hearing, Bondi defended the department's priorities, citing prosecutions of violent crime and efforts to address what she described as prior politicization of federal law enforcement.

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'Killers bringing terror to our streets': Swalwell smears ICE agents in heated hearing



Democrats on the House Homeland Security Committee sharply criticized Immigration and Customs Enforcement during an oversight hearing Tuesday, accusing the agency of systemic abuse and misconduct — claims ICE leadership rejected as misleading or false.

The hearing on Capitol Hill erupted into a heated showdown, as Democratic lawmakers repeatedly clashed with immigration officials in exchanges that rapidly spread across social media.

Democratic members described ICE as operating as a 'fascist' or 'secret police' force.

One of the most widely shared exchanges involved Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) pressing acting ICE Director Todd Lyons to resign, claiming that by staying in his leadership position, Lyons is siding with "killers bringing terror to our streets."

“Will you resign from ICE?” Swalwell asked.

“No, sir, I won’t,” Lyons responded.

RELATED: LAPD defies Newsom: Chief refuses to enforce mask ban on ICE

Other Democratic lawmakers used more pointed rhetoric. Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.) compared ICE and Customs and Border Protection agents to slave patrols and Ku Klux Klan members, describing federal officers as “white men who put on masks to terrorize communities of color.”

Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.) railed at Lyons, claiming he had "blood on [his] hands" and asking whether he feared God's judgment. "Do you think you're going to hell?" she asked.

Throughout the hearing, Democratic members described ICE as operating as a “fascist” or “secret police” force, while agency officials defended their mission, saying enforcement priorities focus on violent offenders, human traffickers, and repeat immigration violators.

RELATED: ‘We do not support ICE’: Speedway gas station sparks backlash after booting Border Patrol boss

The hearing came as Congress continues negotiations over Department of Homeland Security funding, with Republicans warning that partisan disputes could lead to a partial government shutdown affecting border security and enforcement operations.

By the hearing’s conclusion, immigration officials had rejected calls to resign or concede wrongdoing, characterizing the accusations as distorted narratives rather than evidence-based critiques. No resignations or formal actions resulted from the exchanges.

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'Flagrant violation': GOP lawmaker grills Jack Smith for 'spying' on former House speaker



Rep. Brandon Gill (R-Texas) confronted ex-special counsel Jack Smith during a House committee hearing, accusing him and the Justice Department of secretly surveilling members of Congress and stomping on constitutional protections while investigating President Donald Trump.

Gill pressed Smith on his office using secret subpoenas and nondisclosure orders to obtain phone "toll records" from lawmakers, including then-Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), without notifying them or the public.

'Nobody's going to sue. ... So who cares? We're going to do it anyway.'

"In January of 2023, did you subpoena then-Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy's toll records?" Gill asked.

“Yes, sir, we did,” Smith replied.

RELATED: GOP senator to sue Jack Smith after his lawyers try gaslighting on Biden FBI surveillance

SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images

Gill pushed back, claiming Smith abused executive power to secretly collect phone data on Republican leadership.

“Collecting months’ worth of phone data on the Republican speaker of the House — the leader of the opposition — right after he got sworn in as speaker, all around the time of a major vote — that sounds like a flagrant violation of the Speech or Debate Clause to me,” Gill said.

The confrontation ramped up as Gill questioned Smith about the nondisclosure orders used to prevent McCarthy from learning that his records had been subpoenaed.

“At the time you secured those nondisclosure orders, was Speaker McCarthy a flight risk?” Gill asked.

“He was not,” Smith answered.

"Then why did your nondisclosure order refer to him as a flight risk?" Gill pressed. Gill then cited language in the court filing stating that disclosure could result in “flight from prosecution.”

“You think the speaker of the House is ... going to hop on a plane and leave the country?” Gill asked.

“No,” Smith said, arguing that the language was not meant to apply personally to McCarthy but to general investigative risks.

Gill rejected that explanation.

RELATED: House Republican seeks criminal investigation into Jack Smith's alleged surveillance scheme

Photo by Ricky Carioti/Washington Post/Getty Images

“This is clearly in reference to Speaker McCarthy,” Gill said. “You were using clearly false information to secure a nondisclosure order to hide from Speaker McCarthy and from the American people the fact that you were spying on his toll records.”

Gill also revealed that Smith’s office issued additional secret subpoenas in May 2023 for the toll records of nine U.S. senators and another House member, along with more nondisclosure orders.

“So again, nobody would know what you were doing,” Gill said. “The senators wouldn’t. The representatives wouldn’t. The American people wouldn’t.”

Gill then read from an internal DOJ email warning of “litigation risk” tied to compelling disclosure of lawmakers’ phone records due to Speech or Debate Clause concerns.

“As you are aware, there are some litigation risks regarding whether compelled disclosure of toll records of a member’s legislative calls violates the Speech or Debate Clause,” Gill read.

Gill emphasized another line from the same analysis, saying that because of "the low likelihood that any of the members listed below would be charged, the litigation risk should be minimal here.”

“In other words,” Gill said, “You're using a novel legal theory. ... You're not charging any of these members. Nobody’s going to know about it because you issued NDOs. Nobody’s going to sue. ... So who cares? We’re going to do it anyway.”

“You walked all over the Constitution throughout this entire process,” Gill added.

“It’s absolutely disgraceful.”

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New attorney for Charlie Kirk's suspected assassin requests more time to go through 'voluminous' evidence



The new attorney for Charlie Kirk's suspected assassin on Monday in court requested more time to go through the "voluminous" amount of evidence gathered so far since the killing of the TPUSA founder Sept. 10.

The suspect, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, took part in the hearing virtually from the Utah County Jail. Robinson is charged with aggravated murder among other crimes in connection with Kirk's assassination. The prosecution has said it will seek the death penalty in the case.

Both the defense and prosecution characterized the amount of evidence prosecutors gathered as 'voluminous,' the AP added.

The Utah County Commission last week named Kathryn Nester as Robinson's appointed attorney after the court determined he couldn’t afford private counsel.

Nester on Monday said she's not planning on waiving a preliminary hearing to determine if there is enough evidence against her client to proceed with a trial, the Associated Press said.

Both the defense and prosecution characterized the amount of evidence prosecutors gathered as “voluminous," the AP added.

The judge granted Nester's request and scheduled the next hearing for 10 a.m. Oct. 30.

RELATED: Tim Allen had a powerful reaction to Erika Kirk forgiving the suspected assassin of her husband

Robinson's previous hearing — his first — took place Sept. 16. During that hearing, a trial team representative stated that a pretrial protective order was submitted on behalf of Erika Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk; the judge granted that request.

Just two hours prior, Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray formally brought charges against the suspect. Besides aggravated murder, Gray also charged Robinson with felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury. Gray noted that the state alleged "aggravating factors," as it's believed Robinson "targeted" Kirk because of the TPUSA founder's "political expression" and knew that children were present at the scene and would "witness the homicide."

Blaze News previously reported that Gray also stated that Robinson texted his transgender roommate and told him to drop everything to look at a note he had left under his keyboard. According to charging documents, the note read: "I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and I'm going to take it."

Gray also confirmed that Robinson had begun to date his biologically male roommate, who had begun transitioning to female. An alleged text chain between Robinson and his roommate also appears to undermine a left-wing narrative about a possible motive that painted Robinson as right-wing due to his family connections.

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Rubio hammers Van Hollen over his MS-13 margarita date, emphasizes judicial limits



Secretary of State Marco Rubio testified Tuesday before his former colleagues on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee regarding the State Department's fiscal year 2026 budget request. Democratic senators seized upon the opportunity to attack Rubio and the Trump administration, characterizing the government's foreign policy as regressive, oppressive, and isolationist.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), in particular, complained about the house-cleaning executed at the U.S. Agency for International Development, the cancellation of radical foreigners' student visas, the deportation of criminal noncitizens, and the admission of white refugees from South Africa.

Rubio coolly dismantled Democrats' critiques and drove home the message that mature foreign policy "requires a balancing of interests"; that the U.S. is not withdrawing from the world but engaging in a way that "makes America stronger, safer, and more prosperous"; and that he does not answer to meddlesome federal judges when it comes to foreign policy engagements abroad.

Van Hollen, fresh off trying to bring a Salvadoran MS-13 affiliate accused of domestic abuse and human trafficking back into the U.S., told Rubio, "Like the McCarthy-era witch hunts of the 1950s, your campaign of fear and repression is eating away at foundational values of our democracy."

RELATED: Liberals rage after Trump welcomes white refugees to US: 'Farce and a sham'

Newly arrived South Africans wait to hear welcome statements from U.S. government officials near Washington Dulles International Airport. Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

"I have to tell you directly and personally," continued Van Hollen, "that I regret voting for you for secretary of state."

Rubio immediately made Van Hollen regret his closing statement, replying, "First of all, your regret for voting for me confirms I'm doing a good job."

The secretary of state then explained why the Democrat was off the mark about the changes at USAID — Van Hollen suggested cuts at the agency have already led to deaths in Sudan — and other actions taken by the administration in recent months.

"I'm very proud of the work we've done over at the USAID," said Rubio. "For example, I don't regret cutting $10 million for male circumcisions in Mozambique. I don't know how that makes us stronger or more prosperous as a nation."

'The evidence is going to be clear in the days to come.'

"I could go on and on," continued Rubio, running down a list of other wasteful USAID grants and programs eliminated under his leadership.

Rubio then addressed a matter near and dear to Van Hollen's heart: the deportation of suspected terrorist gang members to El Salvador.

RELATED: Dems' favorite MS-13 associate ran human trafficking operations, says ex-boss

Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

"We deported gang members, gang members — including the one you had a margarita with," said Rubio. "And that guy is a human trafficker, and that guy is a gangbanger, and ... the evidence is going to be clear in the days to come."

'The judicial branch cannot tell me or the president how to conduct foreign policy.'

Rubio was referring to MS-13 associate Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national the Trump administration deported on March 15.

Van Hollen is chief among the Democrats who have tried to bring Abrego Garcia back to the United States despite his initial illegal entry into the homeland, his failure to appear for hearings on traffic violations, the domestic abuse allegations lodged against him, his links to a terrorist gang, his identification by two immigration courts as a danger to the community, and his alleged history of human trafficking.

Last month, Van Hollen met with Abrego Garcia in El Salvador and shared an intimate moment over drinks.

— (@)

Van Hollen, enraged by the margarita comment, tried to interject, but Committee Chairman James Risch (R-Idaho) cleared Rubio to continue setting the Democrat straight, this time about the separation of powers.

"The judicial branch cannot tell me or the president how to conduct foreign policy. No judge can tell me how I have to outreach to a foreign partner or what I need to say to them. And if I do reach to that foreign partner and talk to them, I am under no obligation to share that with the judiciary branch," said Rubio. "Just like a judge cannot order me to negotiate with a foreign minister of Russia, they cannot order me to negotiate with a foreign minister or the president of El Salvador."

'If you're coming here to stir up trouble on our campuses, we will deny you a visa.'

Rubio's issue with the judiciary is not hypothetical. An Obama judge ordered the Trump administration on April 4 to bring Abrego Garcia back to the United States.

"If I started sharing with courts or the media my conversations with foreign leaders and all of their details, no foreign leader would talk to me again, and we would break trust with them," added Rubio. "Diplomacy doesn't work that way."

The secretary of state also addressed Van Hollen's concerns about terminating radical foreigners' student visas, stressing that visas are a privilege, not a right, and that "if you're coming here to stir up trouble on our campuses, we will deny you a visa. And if you have a visa, I'm going to find you, and I'm going to revoke it."

Blaze News reached out to the State Department for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

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