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Acquittal of man who urged violence against Trump puts First Amendment in spotlight
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The First Amendment won out this week in a court case over a man who had repeatedly called for President Donald Trump’s assassination and openly fantasized about his violent demise.
A jury in Virginia acquitted the man, Peter Stinson, of one charge of soliciting a crime of violence, raising questions about when speech is protected by the Constitution and when it becomes incriminating.
A former longtime Coast Guard officer, Stinson had called for someone to «take the shot» in reference to Trump, according to court papers. «Realistically the only solution is violence,» Stinson wrote.
Stinson said he «would twist the knife after sliding it into [Trump’s] fatty flesh» and that he «would be willing to pitch in» for a hitman contract.
TED CRUZ SAYS HATE SPEECH ‘ABSOLUTELY’ PROTECTED BY FIRST AMENDMENT FOLLOWING CHARLIE KIRK’S ASSASSINATION
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump is reflected in bulletproof glass as he finishes speaking at a campaign rally in Lititz, Pennsylvania, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
«He wants us dead. I can say the same thing about him,» Stinson wrote in another post during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A witness for the defense, Professor Jen Golbeck of the University of Maryland, said people «rooting for Trump to die online» is common.
«On one hand, I would not encourage anyone to post those thoughts on social media,» Golbeck said, according to the Washington Post. «On the other hand, I can’t count the number of people who I saw post similar things. . . . It’s a very common sentiment. There’s social media accounts dedicated to tracking whether Trump has died.»
Brennen VanderVeen, program counsel with the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, said that one issue with the charges in Stinson’s case was that it was not clear whom Stinson was soliciting to carry out the crime.
«Solicitation is when it’s directly tied to the crime. So, if he contacts an actual hit man and tries to arrange some sort of hit contract, that’s solicitation,» VanderVeen told Fox News Digital. «Without more . . . that probably does not meet the elements of actual solicitation.»
Stinson’s attorneys argued in court documents that their client’s posts were not threats but rather «political advocacy that the First Amendment was squarely designed to protect.»
«They lack the ‘specificity, imminence, and likelihood of producing lawless action’ required to fall outside constitutional protection,» the attorneys said.
Threats to conservative SCOTUS justices and Obama
The jury acquittal, which was handed down quickly after a two-day trial in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, came at a time when political violence has taken the spotlight, particularly in the aftermath of conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination and a string of recent violence toward immigration enforcement officers, and as Republican and Democratic political figures continuously face threats.
A person convicted of attempting to assassinate Justice Brett Kavanaugh had taken concrete steps by searching the internet for mass shootings, discussing killing a Supreme Court justice in internet chats and showing up armed at Kavanaugh’s house in 2022.
A man who participated in the Jan. 6 riot was convicted by a judge in a separate case of firearms charges and making a hoax threat aimed at former President Barack Obama. He was sentenced this week to time served after he livestreamed himself driving around the former president’s neighborhood and saying he was «working on a detonator.» He was found with a machete and illegal weapons.
In a looming constitutional test, another man is facing charges of threatening federal judges by sending hundreds of ominous messages through the Supreme Court website referencing several justices’ graphic murders. He tried to have his case tossed out over First Amendment concerns, but a judge denied the request, saying a jury would need to weigh that argument.
BONDI ‘HATE SPEECH’ REMARKS SPARK TORRENT OF CRITICISM FROM CONSERVATIVES
Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh watches as Taoiseach Micheal Martin speaks at a breakfast meeting in Washington, D.C., Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (Niall Carson/PA Images via Getty Images)
Presidents, senators, House lawmakers and members of the judiciary routinely speak about facing a range of threats, whether in public forums or through direct messages.
High court greenlights ‘vituperative’ language
One legal test in these cases came in 1969, when the Supreme Court decided in favor of a protester who allegedly had told a group of people while discussing getting drafted for the Vietnam War that if he was handed a rifle, the first man he wanted to kill was President Lyndon Johnson. His remark was political hyperbole rather than a «true threat,» the high court found.
«What is a threat must be distinguished from what is constitutionally protected speech,» the majority wrote. «The language of the political arena . . . is often vituperative, abusive, and inexact.»
Stinson was initially charged with two counts of a threat against the president, but the DOJ shifted course and brought the one solicitation charge against him.
DOJ lawyers argued that Stinson’s incessant violent comments on X and Bluesky, coupled with self-identifying as an Antifa member, met the charging criteria, but prosecutors failed to convince a jury that the speech was more than bluster.
Kirk spurs examination of ‘hate speech’
In the case of Kirk’s murder, finger-pointing ensued. Republicans blamed inflammatory rhetoric from Kirk’s political opponents for inciting his death.
Attorney General Pam Bondi stirred the conversation by saying in an interview after Kirk’s death that the DOJ would «absolutely target you, go after you, if you are targeting anyone with hate speech.» Bondi later walked back her comment, saying speech that «crosses the line into threats of violence» is punishable by law.
Attorney General Pam Bondi. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
In cases of inciting violence, according to VanderVeen, speech remains protected when there is a lacking a nexus between the words and the attack.
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«Incitement is more about the imminence. . . . How much time would have to pass between that person’s speech and the actual unlawful act of the violence?» VanderVeen said, noting that inciting violence typically involves addressing a mob.
«If someone’s saying, ‘Violence is good,’ but there’s no imminent lawless action there, someone else has to say, ‘That guy’s right, that violence is good. I’m going to start doing violence,’» VanderVeen said. «At that point, that’s on the person doing the violence.»
judiciary,justice department,supreme court,donald trump,politics
INTERNACIONAL
Socialist shockwave: Zohran Mamdani stuns NYC as voters hand power to Democrats’ far-left flank
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The Fox News Decision Desk has projected that New York City will elect Democratic Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani as its next mayor. The self-described democratic socialist toppled former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in a contentious fight for the future of New York City — and possibly the direction of the Democratic Party.
Mamdani, the 34-year-old Ugandan-born state assemblyman from Queens, triggered a political earthquake when he declared victory in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary in June, pulling an upset over a former governor who was widely expected to win the party’s nomination.
He has since been catapulted onto the national stage, teaming up with progressive power duo Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., to rally New York City voters for his affordability agenda, which includes ambitious campaign promises like rent freezes, fast and free buses, city-run grocery stores and free childcare.
It’s a race that President Donald Trump himself has been watching closely, labeling Mamdani a «100% Communist Lunatic» and «My little communist» — monikers Mamdani has rejected. On the eve of Election Day, Trump endorsed Cuomo and floated cutting federal funds to New York City if Mamdani won.
FINAL STRETCH: MAMDANI’S LARGE LEAD SHRINKING AS CUOMO GAINS GROUND IN NYC MAYORAL RACE
NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani briefly speaks with reporters as he leaves the Dirksen Senate Office Building on July 16, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
In the days leading up to the election, Mamdani vowed to use the «bully pulpit» and the judicial system to fight back against Trump’s «threats.»
«Donald Trump may speak as if it is his decision, but this is money that this city is owed. This is money that we will expect to collect,» Mamdani said Monday.
CUOMO CLOSES GAP ON MAMDANI AS NYC MAYOR RACE TIGHTENS DRAMATICALLY IN NEW POLL
Mamdani’s primary success exposed a divide within the Democratic Party, which suffered big losses up and down the ballot last year and has since struggled to put up a united front against the Trump administration without clear party leadership.
Cuomo resigned from office in 2021 in the face of multiple controversies, including several sexual harassment claims, which he has denied. After losing the primary he was expected to win, Cuomo challenged Mamdani as an Independent candidate in the general election, and has since charged Mamdani of being more a socialist than a Democrat.
«The truth is, there’s a quiet civil war going on in the Democratic Party right now,» Cuomo told Fox News last week. «You have an extreme left. Radical left. Bernie Sanders, AOC — Mamdani is just the banner carrier for that movement — versus the mainstream moderate Democrats. They now call me moderate. They used to call me liberal. Now, I’m a moderate because the whole party shifted.»
New York Democrats were reluctant to endorse Mamdani’s mayoral campaign after he secured the Democratic nomination.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer refused to endorse Mamdani, despite telling reporters he has a «good relationship with him» and that they are «continuing to talk.» Mamdani was arrested for protesting the war in Gaza and calling for a ceasefire outside Schumer’s home in Brooklyn in 2023.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries gave an 11th-hour endorsement for Mamdani after months of equivocating. The announcement came the day before early voting began.
Independent candidate former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks during a mayoral debate, Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025, in New York City. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis, Pool)
Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-N.Y., endorsed Mamdani’s campaign in September and later joined him on the campaign trail. When pressed about whether Mamdani would endorse Hochul, he refused to affirm his support for the sitting governor.
Hochul will be critical to Mamdani’s plan to raise taxes on corporations and the top 1% of New Yorkers to pay for his radical campaign agenda, as a tax hike would require state approval.
The governor has maintained that she will not raise taxes, which earned her some heckling at a recent Queens rally, when Mamdani’s supporters shouted, «Tax the rich!»
Mamdani has faced a relentless news cycle since securing the Democratic nomination.
Cuomo and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, the founder and CEO of the Guardian Angels, have said that Mamdani would not do enough to protect Jewish New Yorkers if elected mayor.
Mamdani refused to condemn the term «globalize the intifada» during the primary, widely considered a call to violence against Jews. He has since committed to discouraging others from using the term.
New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani and Gov. Kathy Hochul hold hands on stage as they attend a «New York is Not For Sale» rally at Forest Hills Stadium, in the Queens borough of New York City, on Oct. 26, 2025. (Reuters/Eduardo Munoz)
Weeks before Election Day, a slate of prominent New York City rabbis joined more than 650 rabbis nationwide to sign «A Rabbinic Call to Action: Defending the Jewish Future,» asserting that Jewish Americans «cannot remain silent» on discrimination against Jewish people and citing Mamdani’s stances that are critical of Israel.
Mamdani, who is of Indian descent, will be the first South Asian and first Muslim mayor of New York City.
Religion has been a defining issue in the mayoral race, as many Jewish New Yorkers have rejected Mamdani’s positions on Israel, including his calling the war in Gaza a «genocide» and his refusal to recognize Israel as a Jewish state.
Mamdani has maintained that he «would not recognize any state’s right to exist with a system of hierarchy on the basis of race, of religion.»
When asked during last week’s mayoral debate if Mamdani has any regrets about his «long-standing» anti-Israel views, the democratic socialist affirmed his commitment to protecting Jewish New Yorkers, as he has throughout the campaign.
Mamdani has a long record of supporting the pro-Palestinian movement, including at Bowdoin College, where he founded the Students for Justice in Palestine chapter.
Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani supporters gather outside 30 Rock in New York City on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025. (Fox News Digital/Deirdre Heavey)
With weeks until Election Day, Mamdani charged his opponents and Mayor Eric Adams, who ultimately suspended his re-election campaign after staying out of the Democratic primary to run as an independent, with Islamophobia for a slew of comments made about him on the campaign trail.
Mamdani also faced criticism for his past comments about the New York City Police Department, including those comparing the NYPD to the Israel Defense Forces and calling the NYPD «racist, anti‑queer & a major threat to public safety» in 2020, among other insults.
«I’ll apologize to police officers right here, because this is the apology that I’ve been sharing with many rank-and-file officers, and I apologize because of the fact that I’m looking to work with these officers, and I know that these officers, these men and women who serve in the NYPD, they put their lives on the line every single day,» Mamdani said on Fox News.
As New York City voters began heading to the polls for early voting, billionaires, including Red Apple Media CEO John Catsimatidis and hedge fund CEO Bill Ackman, urged Sliwa to drop out of the race to consolidate support for Cuomo, but the Republican nominee refused to suspend his campaign.
Similar pressure mounted after the primary for either Cuomo or Adams to drop out to boost the anti-Mamdani vote. After Adams suspended his campaign, he ultimately endorsed Cuomo. Trump’s Justice Department dropped bribery, wire fraud and conspiracy charges against Adams earlier this year.
Republican mayoral nominee Curtis Sliwa is interviewed by Fox News Digital, in New York City on Aug. 18, 2025. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)
Mamdani will also be the first millennial mayor of the nation’s largest city.
Such was clear from the early days of Mamdani’s campaign, as he made strategic use of social media, including TikTok, to build a recognizable brand and motivate a swath of low-propensity voters.
His campaign played into the hands of an evolving – and chronically online – New York City electorate.
Scrolling through Mamdani’s social media, his TikTok and Instagram pages resemble that of a New York City influencer. From the film-like filters and consistent fonts on his vertical videos to the cameos from celebrities, including model Emily Ratajkowski and comedian Bowen Yang, Mamdani’s videos regularly amass millions of views.
During the general election, Mamdani’s campaign began collaborating with content creators, inviting New York City’s micro-influencers to a «New Media» briefing, which are typically reserved for mainstream media, and continuing to walk through the revolving door of podcast appearances, akin to such efforts by the Trump administration in 2024.
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Like Trump in 2024, Mamdani centered his mayoral campaign on affordability, vowing to deliver a New York City that voters could actually afford to live in.
Mamdani told Fox News in the final days of his campaign that he learned of a woman wearing a «MAGA for Zohran» hat at his Queens rally, eliciting Trump’s renowned «Make America Great Again» slogan.
«It tells me that no matter what your politics are, you’re feeling the same crisis, and this is a movement that looks to address that crisis» of affordability, Mamdani said. «No matter who you are, no matter where you live.»
zohran mamdani,andrew cuomo,curtis sliwa,nyc mayoral elections coverage,2025 2026 elections coverage,new york city,elections
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Un hombre acosó a la presidenta de México, Claudia Sheinbaum, en plena recorrida en el DF
La presidenta de México, Claudia Sheinbaum, fue acosada este miércoles mientras recorría las calles del centro histórico de la Ciudad de México por un hombre que no fue identificado. El momento quedó registrado en un video, donde se ve que su escolta de seguridad no la estaba acompañando en ese momento.
Según indicaron medios locales, todo ocurrió durante el traslado de la mandataria a la Secretaría de Educación Pública (SEP) en el Centro Histórico de la Ciudad de México. Sheinbaum frenó en la calle para dialogar con algunos vecinos frente a las cámaras de televisión cuando un hombre se le acercó por detrás y le pasó un brazo sobre los hombros.
Mientras lo hacía, el hombre intentó darle un beso, pero el movimiento de la presidenta mexicana se lo impidió. Sin embargo, el sujeto continuó con sus actos y comenzó a recorrer con sus manos el cuerpo de la mandataria.
«Ey, ey, ey, ey», se escucha quejarse a Sheinbaum mientras se saca al hombre de encima. En ese momento, una de las personas que estaba grabando con un celular -y que presuntamente sería el titular de la Dirección General de Ayudantía, Juan José Ramírez Mendoza-, se mete y aparta al hombre, que insiste en su intento de abrazarla.
Marcando distancia, la mandataria le responde «nos tomamos la foto, no te preocupes». El hombre, en aparente estado de ebriedad, murmura algunas palabras que no se llegan a entender. El video concluye en ese momento y, según se indicó, esta persona no fue identificada.
Horas más tarde, se difundió en redes otro video que muestra el momento en el que, luego del ataque, la presidenta mexicana se toma igualmente una foto con su agresor. Quien sostiene el celular a modo de cámara parece ser justamente uno de los hombres que la habían defendido anteriormente.
Video
El momento en que el hombre que acosó a la presidenta de México se sacó una foto con ella
Es la misma persona que, tras ese incómodo momento y con la foto ya capturada, se interpone entre la mandataria y el hombre que la había acosado, dejándolo atrás. Sheinbaum, mientras tanto, continuó retratándose junto a vecinos del lugar.
Según indicó la prensa mexicana, el ataque ocurrió sobre la calle República de Argentina, en el Centro Histórico de la Ciudad de México. Hasta el momento, las autoridades mexicanas no se expresaron al respecto.
Más temprano, la presidenta mexicana había presentado un plan de refuerzo en la seguridad
Claudia Sheinbaum anunció más temprano, este mismo martes, una “estrategia integral” para el estado de Michoacán, en el oeste de México, en donde en los últimos días se registraron protestas que incluyeron la toma del palacio de Gobierno de Urupán, luego del asesinato del alcalde local Carlos Manzo Rodríguez, ocurrido el domingo pasado.
Fue en ese contexto que la mandataria presentó en su conferencia matutina el “Plan Michoacán por la Paz y la Justicia” con el que, según explicó, se impulsará un “reforzamiento de seguridad” bajo un “esquema integral” que incluirá la atención de las causas de la violencia.
Durante su exposición, Sheinbaum informó que se enviarán nuevos contingentes de la Guardia Nacional y agentes de la Secretaría de Seguridad federal para apoyar a la policía de Michoacán, aunque no dio cifras.
Según cifras oficiales, en septiembre Michoacán había ocupado el séptimo lugar en el número de homicidios de México, al acumular 1.024 casos en los primeros nueve meses del año.
Las autoridades estatales aseguran que en el primer semestre de este año disminuyeron 17% los homicidios en Michoacán, en comparación con el mismo período del 2024. Sin embargo, los recientes asesinatos de los alcaldes de Tepalcatepec y Tacámbaro, Martha Laura Mendoza y Salvador Bastidas; del periodista Mauricio Cruz Solís y del líder de los productores de limón de Apatzingán, Bernardo Bravo, continúan despertando preocupación.
Entre 2022 y 2024 también habían sido baleados otros cuatro alcaldes en Michoacán: Yolanda Sánchez en el municipio Cotija; Guillermo Torres en la localidad de Churumuco; César Valencia en el municipio Aguililla, y Enrique Velázquez en el municipio Contepec.
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The body of the last U.S. citizen held by Hamas, Staff Sergeant Itay Chen, a 19-year-old dual U.S.–Israeli citizen, has been returned from Gaza for burial, the Israel Defense Forces confirmed Monday. Seven more hostages’ bodies remain in Gaza.
«Following the completion of the identification process by the National Institute of Forensic Medicine, in cooperation with the Israel Police and the Military Rabbinate, IDF representatives informed the family that Itay had been returned for burial,» the military said.
Chen served as a combat soldier in the 77th Battalion of the 7th Armored Brigade. He was killed on the morning of October 7, 2023, while fighting near Kibbutz Nahal Oz—one of the hardest-hit communities in Hamas’s brutal attack. Chen’s tank was struck during the battle, and his body was taken into Gaza. His death was officially confirmed on March 10, 2024.
BODY OF ISRAELI HOSTAGE WHO WAS HELD FOR NEARLY 700 DAYS IN GAZA IS RECOVERED
Ruby Chen’s son, IDF Sergeant Itay Chen was serving along the Gaza border when he was taken hostage by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7. (IDF)
Itay was the middle of three brothers. He grew up in Netanya, a city in central Israel, studied in an advanced academic program, and was known for his warmth, humor, and dedication. He loved basketball, hiking, and rock climbing, and before joining the army worked as a camp counselor. Even after sustaining an injury at camp, he insisted on finishing the summer to set an example for the kids he led. Later he enlisted as an armored-corps soldier, driven by a deep sense of duty to protect others. He leaves behind his parents, Ruby and Hagit, and his brothers Roi and Alon.
Over the past year, his parents led an unrelenting campaign to bring their son home. They met with senior officials in Israel and Washington, including President Trump, advocating for the return of all hostages and the remains of the fallen.
Ruby Chen addressed the U.N. Security Council, calling for more action to bring the hostages home from Gaza. Ruby’s son Itay is still being held in Gaza by Hamas terrorists. (Bianca Otero)
«The Government of Israel shares in the deep sorrow of the Chen family and all the families of the fallen hostages,» the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement. «We will not compromise and will spare no effort until every hostage is brought home. May his memory be blessed.»
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Itay Chen, 19-year-old U.S.-Israeli citizen, was on active duty in a tank unit on Oct. 7, 2023. (Hostage Family Forum)
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said, «The return of Itay brings a measure of relief to a family that lived in agonizing uncertainty for more than two years. We will not rest until the last hostage is returned.»
Chen’s funeral will take place this week with full military honors.
israel,donald trump,hamas,terrorism
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