Trump names Jeanine Pirro of Fox News as interim US attorney of DC after failed Ed Martin nomination



President Donald Trump named Jeanine Pirro, a former prosecutor and current Fox News host, as the interim attorney general of Washington, D.C., after failing to nominate Ed Martin.

Pirro has been a stalwart Trump supporter and a host on "The Five" on Fox News. She previously worked as the Republican district attorney of Westchester County, N.Y.

'During her time in office, Jeanine was a powerful crusader for victims of crime.'

The president announced the appointment via social media on Thursday.

"I am pleased to announce that Judge Jeanine Pirro will be appointed interim United States Attorney for the District of Columbia," he wrote on Truth Social.

"Jeanine was Assistant District Attorney for Westchester County, New York, and then went on to serve as County Judge, and District Attorney, where she was the first woman ever to be elected to those positions," he added. "During her time in office, Jeanine was a powerful crusader for victims of crime."

The 73-year-old has been a friend to Trump for decades.

The president had capitulated to opposition in the U.S. Senate against the nomination of Martin, especially to that from Republican Sen.Thom Tillis of North Carolina.

"Most of my concerns related to January 6," said Tillis to reporters. "Where we probably have a difference is I think anybody that breached the perimeter should have been in prison for some period of time. Whether it's 30 days or three years is debatable, but I have no tolerance for anybody who entered the building on January 6."

The president said in a separate post that Martin would be moved to the Department of Justice as part of three groups meant to investigate the weaponization of the government under the Biden administration.

"Jeanine is incredibly well qualified for this position, and is considered one of the Top District Attorneys in the History of the State of New York. She is in a class by herself. Congratulations Jeanine!" concluded the president on Thursday.

Pirro was condemned by both the left and the right in 2019 after she ridiculed Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) for wearing a hijab, which she said was against the principles of the U.S. She was suspended from appearing on Fox News for two weeks following that incident.

"We strongly condemn Jeanine Pirro's comments about Rep. Ilhan Omar. They do not reflect those of the network, and we have addressed the matter with her directly," read a statement from Fox at the time.

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30-year-old thug accused of shooting Philly cop amid brawls near HS: 'You're a damn adult. You're supposed to know better.'



A 30-year-old male is accused of shooting a 26-year-old Philadelphia police officer amid brawls near a city high school Wednesday — and the police commissioner had harsh words for the suspect.

Dachan Seay is facing multiple counts of aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer, reckless endangerment, and other related offenses, Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel said the following day, WPVI-TV reported.

'I'm asking you to say a prayer for this officer and his family, as well as everyone who puts on that uniform to protect and serve Philadelphia.'

Bethel said several fights were underway outside Overbrook High School in the area of North 59th Street and Columbia Avenue when additional officers were called in, the station said.

Shots rang out around 2:40 p.m., WPVI said. Gunfire is audible on a cellphone video the station added to its report.

The commissioner said an adult armed with a weapon got involved, after which a shot was fired into the ground, and the officer was wounded "under his vest" by the the ricochet, the station said.

He was assigned to the 19th district in March.

The officer — hit by one shot in his stomach — was taken to Penn Presbyterian Hospital where he underwent surgery, officials told WPVI. The officer — who is new to the force, having graduating from the academy in 2024 — was recovering as of Thursday morning, officials told the station.

"I'm asking you to say a prayer for this officer and his family, as well as everyone who puts on that uniform to protect and serve Philadelphia," Mayor Cherelle Parker told listeners during a Wednesday news conference, WPVI said.

Bethel added that the officer didn't immediately realize he had been shot, the station said.

WPVI said the commissioner also had pointed words for the suspect: "You're a damn adult. You're supposed to know better. You're supposed to be the one who has to come in here to de-escalate, not escalate."

Sources added to the station that a teenager also was apprehended in connection with the incident.

Far-left Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner told WPVI in a statement that "while this investigation remains open, I want to stress that my office will hold this suspect justly and appropriately accountable for his outrageous actions."

No officers fired their weapons during the incident, the station said, adding that no other injuries were reported.

Philadelphia police data indicates Wednesday's shooting was the sixth police-involved shooting in 2025 and the second time an officer was injured in the line of duty, WPVI noted.

You can view a video report here about the shooting and its aftermath.

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Illegal alien hides in tree for 8 hours in failed attempt to escape ICE arrest



An illegal alien trying to escape arrest by federal officials climbed a tree and hid for 8 hours before getting captured, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials.

ICE said 29-year-old Raul Ical was wanted for warrants related to entering the country illegally and was found by federal agents and state troopers during a traffic stop on April 29. They said he was a passenger in the car and ran off when they tried to apprehend him.

'I got to give it to the guy for climbing a tree really quick. That was pretty good thinking.'

Texas residents of a neighborhood on the west side of San Antonio said they were surprised to see a man scale a ladder, scramble onto a roof, and then climb into a tree at a home near Ceralvo and South Navidad streets.

Ical stayed in the tree until officers persuaded him to come down and face arrest. He is originally from Guatemala and had been removed in 2013 but returned to the U.S. illegally.

One woman told KSAT-TV that she returned from running an errand to find officers all over her neighborhood.

“I just stayed here looking at all the excitement [wondering] when he was going to come and get down,” said the woman, who wanted to remain anonymous. “This is the first time I’ve ever seen anything here around my neighborhood.”

Mike Howell, who works at a nearby business, credited Ical for his clever attempt at evasion.

“They walked around and didn’t see him and then looked up and went, ‘Oh!’ There he was in the tree,” the man said. “I got to give it to the guy for climbing a tree really quick. That was pretty good thinking.”

Howell said he watched as Ical was led away.

“It was an interesting day. That’s all I can say,” he said. “I imagine his perch was not that comfortable after about two hours or something. I’d imagine he was getting real sore.”

Video shows Ical being arrested by officials in the news report from KENS-TV on YouTube.

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Repealing the Patriot Act — does Rep. Luna's new bill stand a chance?



Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) has introduced the “American Privacy Restoration Act,” which aims to fully repeal the Patriot Act and “strip rogue intelligence officers of their extraordinary mass surveillance powers.”

“Since the passage of the USA Patriot Act in the aftermath of 9/11, intelligence agency officials have used their mass surveillance tools to settle personal scores, interfere in elections, and spy on untold numbers of innocent Americans. This abuse must come to an end,” Luna wrote in a post on X.

“Do we think that Anna Paulina Luna can actually gain enough support, because we know disarming the deep state is not going to be easy. So will she be able to get enough people to rally around this and get this one done?” Jill Savage of “Blaze News Tonight” asks co-host Matthew Peterson.


“We don’t even know if Congress will have enough people to get President Trump’s budget passed, so I can’t say, ‘Yes,’” Peterson answers.

“I’m old enough to remember when the Patriot Act was a predominantly Republican-coded thing,” he continues. “Republicans are the ones who were responsible for the Patriot Act, although there were some people, like the Pauls, we have to give credit to, who realized this was a bad idea.”

“So that is an enormous challenge, but what’s really refreshing about this, is that here you have a star person in Congress, a real star, coming out and doing something that would’ve been considered radical even five years ago, that needs to be done. So is it a step in the right direction? Hell yeah, it is,” he adds.

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Jasmine Crockett downplays far-left violence, calls Republicans ‘inherently’ violent



Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) dismissed violence committed by the far left because, according to her, most of the political violence is coming from Republicans.

Crockett has seen her profile rise as she speaks out and levels harsh criticisms toward the GOP and President Donald Trump. Since Democrats have no clear leader after their brutal defeat in the 2024 election, Crockett has emerged as a national surrogate for the party.

"They try to act like, 'Oh, political violence, it’s the Democrats and it’s the liberals,' and it’s like, actually, actually, actually — I mean, I’m not going to say that, like, a left-leaning person cannot be violent because that would be, like, crazy to say that somebody can’t be. But baby, baby, y’all got the white supremacists galore, okay? Like, all of them. You got the Proud Boys, you got the neo-Nazis, you have people that literally should be classified as domestic terrorists because a lot of times that is what they are doing — they’re engaging in domestic terrorism," Crocket said on the podcast "American Fever Dream."

If any foreign students are found, they will have their visas revoked.

"I mean, this is who aligns with that. So, like, inherently in, like, who you are, y’all are violent. And most of your violence has to do with people that’s got a little bit of melanin. But nevertheless, like, y’all are a violent group. Like, you attract violent actors. And, like, I’m sorry, I know they tried to make Black Lives Matter out to be the most violent — ‘Oh, what about Black Lives Matter?’ No, no, no," she insisted.

Crockett's comments this week about the supposed lack of violence from the left were ill-timed as Antifa and other far-left groups reportedly carried out two high-profile attacks on college campuses within days of each other. At the University of Washington, anti-Israel protesters stormed the school's engineering building and caused extensive damage inside. Fires were started outside the building, with part of the mob preventing first responders from putting them out. The occupiers were eventually arrested once more police officers arrived on the scene.

The University of Washington said a total of 34 people were arrested, 21 of whom were students. The students have been suspended and banned from campus.

In New York City, anti-Israel students rushed inside a Columbia University library to occupy it. Campus security and New York City police officers did not let the crowd out unless they showed their student IDs. Those who refused were arrested.

In all, NYPD made over 80 arrests, and the State Department will be reviewing if any of those involved are in the U.S. on student visas. If any foreign students are found, they will likely have their visas revoked.

Crockett's claims also do not hold up after the wave of violent attacks against Tesla drivers and dealerships by far leftists outraged because of CEO Elon Musk's ties to the Trump administration and the DOGE.

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Senate narrowly rejects cryptocurrency bill pushed by Treasury Sec. Bessent



A pro-cryptocurrency bill supported by Treasury Sec. Scott Bessent was narrowly defeated in a procedural vote in the Senate on Thursday.

The GENIUS bill would have created a new regulatory framework for digital coins and had been negotiated with Democrats. However, they turned on it at the last second. The bill needed to garner 60 votes to continue in the Senate but failed on a largely partisan basis with all Democrats voting against it.

'The Senate missed an opportunity to provide that leadership today.'

Forty-eight senators voted in favor of the bill, and 49 voted against it.

Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota blasted Democrats for what he said was simply an effort to stonewall President Donald Trump.

“I don’t know why you vote against proceeding to a bill on the floor after you voted to refer that same bill to the floor, which of course makes you wonder if this is about the bill at all or if it’s simply Democrats obstructing because they want to deny Republicans or President Trump a bipartisan win,” Thune said.

“Now, given the fact that Democrats keep moving the goalposts, it’s hard not to suspect that is the case,” he added.

Democrat Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona put the blame on Republicans.

“The Republicans killed it because my colleagues don’t have enough time to read the changes that we have been proposing," he said.

Bessent warned that defeating the bill would give foreign competitors a leg up on the U.S. in the crypto field.

"Senators who voted to stonewall U.S. ingenuity today face a simple choice: Either step up and lead or watch digital asset innovation move offshore," he said.

"For stablecoins and other digital assets to thrive globally, the world needs American leadership. The Senate missed an opportunity to provide that leadership today by failing to advance the GENIUS Act," Bessent added.

"This bill represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to expand dollar dominance and U.S. influence in financial innovation," he concluded. "Without it, stablecoins will be subject to a patchwork of state regulations instead of a streamlined federal framework that is more conducive to growth and competitiveness."

Tech website Gizmodo reported that the regulatory framework to be set up by the bill was favored by cryptocurrency enthusiasts because it was weak and encouraged more investment.

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'There are Chinese spies at Stanford': Shocking report unmasks CCP's espionage at American universities



The Chinese Communist Party is operating an "extensive" espionage network at Stanford University, according to a new shocking report from the school's independent newspaper.

The Stanford Review released the startling findings of a months-long investigation into Chinese spying at the research university. The paper's conclusions were drawn from dozens of interviews with Stanford faculty members, students, and experts in technology and Chinese intelligence between July 2024 and April 2025.

'They use carrots and sticks. If you turn over information, you may get a reward; if you don't, there is a punishment.'

The extent of China's espionage has remained vastly underreported at Stanford due to "transnational repression, $64 million in Chinese funding, and allegations of racial profiling," the article noted.

The majority of those interviewed requested anonymity due to fear of retaliation from both the CCP and the university community, the Stanford Review stated.

The student journalists' inspiration behind the investigation stemmed from this "culture of silence and fear."

"It is this pervasive silence that has compelled us to write. After interviewing multiple anonymous Stanford faculty, students, and China experts, we can confirm that the CCP is orchestrating a widespread intelligence-gathering campaign at Stanford. In short, 'there are Chinese spies at Stanford,'" the paper read.

They concluded that China specifically targets Stanford because of its dominance in artificial intelligence, noting that China has declared its plan to surpass the U.S. in frontier technologies.

The former U.S. National Security Council's Director for China, Matthew Turpin, explained the CCP's influence at Stanford during a China Town Hall, the Stanford Review reported.

"The Chinese state incentivizes students to violate conflicts of commitment and interest, ensuring they bring back technology otherwise restricted by export controls," Turpin stated.

China reportedly uses "non-traditional collection" methods, leveraging civilians outside the intelligence community to access sensitive information, such as details regarding innovations. An anonymous faculty member told the newspaper that these methods are used "extensively" to gain knowledge about AI and robotics at Stanford.

The investigation uncovered an instance where a Chinese national, who was likely a Chinese Ministry of State Security agent, falsely posed as a university student for years. He used his fake identity to target peers, including a student whom the newspaper described as "conducting sensitive research on China."

Chinese students are required under China's 2017 National Intelligence Law to share information with the CCP.

‘Stanford takes its commitment to national security with the utmost seriousness, and we are acutely aware of the threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party to all research universities.’

"Many Chinese [nationals] have handlers; they [CCP] want to know everything that's going on at Stanford. This is a very normal thing. They just relay the information they have," a Chinese national told the Stanford Review.

A China expert explained to the newspaper that Chinese nationals respond to this intelligence-sharing mandate in one of three ways: providing as little information as possible, complying to maintain CCP-funded scholarships, or fully cooperating opportunistically to maximize data collection.

Approximately 15% of Chinese nationals attending U.S. schools receive scholarships from the Chinese Scholarship Council, which requires students to regularly submit "Situation Reports" to diplomatic missions, experts told the newspaper.

Furthermore, Chinese students are reportedly selected for CSC grants based on party loyalty tests and must sign loyalty pledges. Family members could face financial penalties for students who fail to comply, the Stanford Review reported.

Turpin told the newspaper, "The Chinese government spends a lot of time collecting data on its overseas students; it has a pretty good understanding of who is doing what and if someone is working in an area of interest [frontier technology]. If students have access to things the government would like access to, it is relatively easy to reach out to an individual. They use carrots and sticks. If you turn over information, you may get a reward; if you don't, there is a punishment."

The newspaper stated that Chinese students "are victims of their own government."

University insiders told the Stanford Review that most espionage cases are never publicly revealed.

"Drawing on anonymous testimony from faculty, students, and China specialists, our investigation confirms that the CCP runs an extensive intelligence‑gathering network at Stanford," the article read. "The existential question is straightforward: How should we respond? First and foremost, the status quo of branding those who discuss this issue as racist must end. We wrote this article not to advance a policy position but to highlight a silenced reality. Sound policy depends on evidence, not repression."

The Stanford Review wrote in a post on X, "This article was written to present firsthand accounts of an issue that has been silenced due to widespread accusations of academic repression."

Blaze News reached out to the Stanford Review for comment.

Stanford University did not respond to Blaze News' inquiries about the alleged culture of fear on campus or the measures it takes to prevent espionage and protect Chinese students from CCP pressure to share information.

Instead, the university referred Blaze News to its previously released Wednesday statement:

Stanford takes its commitment to national security with the utmost seriousness, and we are acutely aware of the threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party to all research universities. Stanford has rigorous policies and processes in place to ensure that research by its faculty and students is conducted in a manner that safeguards America's interests. Stanford does not conduct classified or secret research. Stanford has a university-wide process for reporting threats to research security, and carefully assesses all reports. Stanford consults with federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies to ensure our policies and procedures are rigorous and protect national security. We are looking into the reports in the Stanford Review article, and have reached out to federal law enforcement to consult on appropriate actions. It is also very important to distinguish between threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party, and Chinese and Chinese-American faculty and students who are at Stanford to learn and contribute to the generation of knowledge, and are valued members of our community.

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'Absolute animal': Man, 70, who allegedly forced teen into sex slave contract charged with trying to hire hit man to kill her



A Florida man already accused of forcing a teen girl into signing a "sex slave" contract now faces additional charges alleging that he tried to hire a hit man to kill her before she could testify against him.

According to the TCPalm, the teen contacted law enforcement to report being sexually assaulted on Aug. 17, 2021.

'And then if the victim was ... no longer here, he essentially gets sentenced to nothing.'

Officers with the Indian River County Sheriff's Office arrested Andrew Mustapick 10 days later. He was charged with unlawful sex activity with certain minors.

The 17-year-old victim alleged that she was forced to sign a "sex slave" contract in exchange for gifts, including a car.

WPBF-TV reported that the victim told detectives that Mustapick wrote in the contract that the teenager "was to complete these sexual favors on Mondays and Fridays over the next five years."

According to WFLX-TV, Mustapick purchased a car for the victim's friend so the friend could drive the victim to his house.

Mustapick took back the 2017 Volkswagen after the girl did not “uphold her end of the contract,” according to Law & Crime. The vehicle had reportedly been registered in Mustapick's name.

The victim reportedly recorded her last encounter with Mustapick, which she provided to investigators.

In late March 2025, Mustapick signed a plea of no contest to one count of sexual activity with a minor — a second-degree felony.

However, the Indian River Sheriff’s Office reportedly received a tip before Mustapick made a plea deal that he was attempting to hire a hit man to kill the teen to prevent her from testifying against him.

Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers said, "So, in March, we were notified of this. Thank you to the person who came forward. We're not identifying them at this time. But we would not be here today if it weren't for that person that came forward and let us know about this."

According to police, Mustapick met with an undercover detective posing as a hit man for hire on May 1, 2025.

Mustapick allegedly told the undercover cop that he would offer $40,000 to convince the victim to refuse to testify and then offered another $50,000 to have her killed if she still decided to testify.

Flowers added, "His plan was to withdraw the plea deal. And then if the victim was ... no longer here, he essentially gets sentenced to nothing."

Police said Mustapick also was captured on video attempting to dispose of electronic devices, including a laptop and hard drive, by throwing them into the St. Sebastian River. The St. Lucie County Dive Team reportedly recovered the laptop and hard drive as evidence.

Authorities accused Mustapick of attempting to seek services to "use intimidation or physical force, or threaten" in order to prevent the victim from testifying or ensure the victim's absence from a criminal proceeding.

Mustapick was detained at the Indian River County Jail on a $7 million bond.

"This guy is an absolute animal," Sheriff Flowers said during a press conference. "Over eight months he’s going to spend in prison, he’s willing to have somebody bumped off."

Mustapick is scheduled to appear in court on June 6.

You can watch the police bodycam video of Mustapick speaking to an undercover cop here.

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Trump withdraws Ed Martin nomination for US attorney in DC after opposition from Republican senator



President Donald Trump announced that he was withdrawing his nomination for the U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C., on Thursday.

Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina said he would not support the president's nominee, Ed Martin, over his support for those arrested at the U.S. Capitol rioting on Jan. 6. Martin is the acting prosecutor for the District of Colombia, but he needs congressional approval to continue in the office.

'Whether it's 30 days or three years is debatable, but I have no tolerance for anybody who entered the building on January 6.'

The president told reporters at the Oval Office on Thursday that he was pulling Martin's nomination.

"He wasn't getting the support," said Trump. "I'm very disappointed in that. ... I'm one person. I can only lift that little phone so many times in a day."

Tillis told reporters that he objected to Martin's defense of the Jan. 6 rioters and could not support his nomination.

"I met with Mr. Martin; he seems like a good man," he said.

"Most of my concerns related to January 6, and he built a compelling case on some of the 15 or 12 prosecutions that were probably 'heat of the moment' bad decisions," Tillis added. "But where we probably have a difference is I think anybody that breached the perimeter should have been in prison for some period of time. Whether it's 30 days or three years is debatable, but I have no tolerance for anybody who entered the building on January 6."

He went on to say the location made a big difference for him as well.

"If Mr. Martin were being put forth as a U.S. attorney for any district except the district where January 6 happened, the protest happened, I'd probably support him," Tillis said. "But not in this district."

Critics of Tillis' position argued that handing Democrats a victory on this position would open the floodgates to further stalling of the president's agenda.

"Democrats view blocking Martin as their best shot to stall the entire Trump agenda," wrote Blaze Media senior politics editor and Washington correspondent Christopher Bedford. "If they win this round — especially before action begins on the tax and border reconciliation bill — they will exploit GOP hesitation and slow the administration’s rollout. It’s a savvy play, especially at a moment when Democrats and the left have few options."

The president said that he would be nominating someone else for the position within the next two days.

"Hopefully we can bring him into, whether it's DOJ or whatever, in some capacity," Trump said to reporters about Martin.

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Trump's nomination of Casey Means for surgeon general prompts mixed reactions, heated debate



President Donald Trump pulled his support for Janette Nesheiwat to become surgeon general days after the publication of an article accusing the former Fox News medical contributor of "falsely represent[ing] and obfuscat[ing] facts about her medical education, board certifications, and military service" — an article that activist Laura Loomer greatly amplified.

On Wednesday, the president announced that he was instead nominating Dr. Casey Means, a tech entrepreneur and Stanford-educated doctor who has long criticized the exploitative nature of the health care system.

"Casey has impeccable 'MAHA' credentials, and will work closely with our wonderful Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., to ensure a successful implementation of our Agenda in order to reverse the Chronic Disease Epidemic, and ensure Great Health, in the future, for ALL Americans."

Trump added, "Dr. Casey Means has the potential to be one of the finest Surgeon Generals in United States History."

Trump's decision was met with mixed responses from some of his allies and supporters.

While many in Trump's broader coalition celebrated the president's second pick, underscoring that Means was "an upgrade" from Nesheiwat, others cast doubt on her qualifications and past remarks.

Against

"It's very strange," wrote Nicole Shanahan, the host of Blaze Media's "Back to the People" podcast and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s running mate in his 2024 presidential campaign.

"Doesn't make any sense. I was promised that if I supported RFK Jr. in his Senate confirmation that neither of these siblings would be working under HHS or in an appointment (and that people much more qualified would be)," continued Shanahan. "I don't know if RFK very clearly lied to me, or what is going on."

In January, Shanahan threatened to primary senators if they tried to torpedo Kennedy's nomination, telling Georgia Democratic Senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff specifically that she was watching their votes and would make it her "personal mission" that they lose their seats if they voted "against the future health of America's children."

Shanahan, who did not immediately respond to Blaze News' request for clarification, suggested further in her Wednesday post that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appears to be "reporting to someone regularly who is controlling his decisions (and it isn't President Trump)."

Shanahan, a big proponent of the Make America Healthy Again movement, suggested further that "there is something very artificial and aggressive" about Means and her brother Calley Means, a White House health adviser and former food industry lobbyist — "almost like they were bred and raised Manchurian assets."

Blaze News reached out to a spokeswoman for Means but did not receive a response by deadline. Politico was informed by an HHS spokesman that the agency would respond to requests for comment on Casey Means' behalf and linked to Kennedy's Thursday tweet, discussed later in this article.

'She talks to trees and doesn't even have an active medical license.'

Loomer appeared more critical of Trump's second pick than she was of his first, firing off a barrage of denigrating posts aimed at Means, writing, "This is so embarrassing for the Trump administration."

In addition to complaining that Means "doesn't have a surgical residency, and isn't a surgeon" — Politico indicated Means was trained at Stanford Medical School as a head and neck surgeon but dropped out of her surgical residency in the fifth year — Loomer seized upon one of Means' newsletters as evidence of the doctor's supposed engagement in "Witch Craft."

The basis for Loomer's allegation of sorcery was a newsletter wherein Means allegedly claimed she prayed to a photo of her ancestors at a meditation shrine in her house; "worked with a spiritual medium who helped [her] try to connect with [her] spirit guides"; "did full moon ceremonies with grounded, powerful women"; spoke to trees; and "did plant medicine experiences with trusted guides."

"So basically the new Surgeon General is a total crack pot, a shroom consumer and she talks to trees and doesn't even have an active medical license," wrote Loomer, who bragged earlier about initiating the "MAHA breakup." "Another failure by the 'geniuses' who work for President Trump on his non existent vetting team."

For

Kennedy thanked Trump on Thursday for nominating Means, noting that the "Surgeon General is a symbol of moral authority who stands against the financial and institutional gravities that tend to corporatize medicine. Casey Means was born to hold this job."

In a subsequent tweet, the HHS secretary characterized the attacks on Means as "absurd," suggesting they "reveal just how far off course our healthcare conversations have veered, and how badly entrenched interests — including Big Food and its industry-funded social media gurus — are terrified of change."

'They understand the sacrifice of what she gave up to be allegiant to the truth.'

In addition to highlighting her academic achievements in the field of medicine and noting she "was a top performer in surgical residency," Kennedy underscored that the "attacks that Casey is unqualified because she left the medical system completely miss the point of what we are trying to accomplish with MAHA."

Whereas some critics suggested Means' departure from the traditional medical system was disqualifying, the health secretary — who was himself an outsider where the medical establishment is concerned — said that made her the "perfect choice."

"I have little doubt that these companies and their conflicted media outlets will continue to pay bloggers and other social media influencers to weaponize innuendo to slander and vilify Casey, the same way they try to defame me and President Trump," added Kennedy.

Prior to Kennedy mounting his defense of Means, BlazeTV's Liz Wheeler addressed the attacks on the doctor, then gave a rebuttal.

Without naming her outright, Wheeler hit back against two of Loomer's top grievances — the status of Means' medical license and her father's authorship of a book premised on gender ideology.

"The inactive medical license is not a big deal," wrote Wheeler. "It's pretty common for MAHA providers to let their medical license lapse anyway, because when you advise things that aren't within 'standards of care' you can be liable legally."

Wheeler suggested that the book written by Means' father, which deals with a kid's so-called "gender identity," was irrelevant, first, because Dr. Means "had nothing to do with the writing of the book," second, because she has criticized transgenderism in the past, and third, because of the work's limited impact.

After rebuffing Loomer's top complaints, Wheeler emphasized that Means is an excellent communicator who has successfully "opened more people's eyes" to the role that "Big Food & Big Pharma" have had in driving America's chronic health epidemic — a doctor whose story "resonates with people because they understand the sacrifice of what she gave up to be allegiant to the truth."

Wheeler thanked Trump for appointing Means, stressing that his appointment of disruptors "is what we voted for!"

Donald Trump Jr., Turning Point USA CEO Charlie Kirk, U.S. Commissioner of Food and Drugs Martin Makary, and others in the MAGA ecosystem have similarly expressed their delight with Trump's second pick.

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