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Senate lawmakers clash over Trump administration’s approach to speech, censorship
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Senate Republicans and Democrats alike are concerned over the Trump administration’s overtures that critics, political enemies and people engaging in hate speech will be targeted.
Last week, President Donald Trump and top officials in his administration sparked a wave of criticism and concern over the fate of free speech in remarks that suggested possibly targeting people for hate speech, revoking broadcasting licenses and prosecuting political enemies.
The sidelining of late-night host Jimmy Kimmel from his show by ABC over comments he made related to slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk further stoked fears on Capitol Hill.
CNN REPORTER SAYS LIBERALS SHOULD ‘ACTIVELY ACKNOWLEDGE’ THEIR ROLE IN CANCEL CULTURE
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters as he leaves the White House in Washington, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
White House allies in the Senate argued that under former President Joe Biden, Democrats engaged in the same behavior. But some in the GOP believe that it may be the return of cancel culture, this time pushed by the Right.
«What I’ve told my Democrat friends, I said, ‘guys, this is act two of cancel culture,’» Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., told Fox News Digital. «I mean, we are here because you made people rightfully very angry by doing the same thing, you just didn’t take it to this level.»
«But if we don’t get it under control, this becomes the floor for how government overreaches, and this just becomes a more empowered, imperial president,» he continued. «And again, as a lifelong conservative, it never occurred to me, even if it was for an end that you agree with, it never occurred to me that any true conservative would consider this a justifiable means.»
Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., argued that Democrats had already taken censorship that far.
During his tenure as Missouri attorney general, he filed a lawsuit, Missouri v. Biden, that alleged a «vast censorship enterprise» between the federal government and social media companies during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Supreme Court ultimately ruled in the administration’s favor.
CRUZ WARNS CONSERVATIVES ‘WILL REGRET’ FCC CENSORSHIP PUSH AGAINST ABC, OTHER MEDIA OUTLETS
Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina announced in June that he wouldn’t run for a third term in the Senate when he is up for re-election in 2026. (Getty Images)
He contended that the administration officials were talking directly about violent conduct and not targeting the First Amendment.
«I believe in free speech, people have a right to have their opinion, but I do think the Left has to do some self-reflection, when 85% of Democrats think President Trump is a fascist, and 55% of the Left believe that assassinating Trump would be at least somewhat justified,» he said. «I think it’s time to look in the mirror.»
While Kimmel was reinstated by ABC on Monday, his dismissal still struck a chord on Capitol Hill.
Some of the concern among lawmakers stemmed from Federal Communications Chair Brendan Carr, who said last week: «Frankly, when you see stuff like this, I mean, look, we can do this the easy way or the hard way.»
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, called his comments «dangerous as hell,» and likened them to tactics ripped from a mob movie.
Carr has since clarified his comments, and panned criticisms as «distortion» and «projection» by Democrats.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., told Fox News Digital that the Trump administration was using FCC «license revocation to pressure broadcast companies to take in effect censoring.»
«What we’re seeing is in effect, the censorship that is the mark of the authoritarian regime, and that’s very different from anything in recent history, maybe in any history of the United States,» he said.
SCHUMER ACCUSES TRUMP OF EXPLOITING CHARLIE KIRK’S DEATH TO LAUNCH POLITICAL ‘WITCH HUNT’
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., speaks to a reporter after a vote in the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, July 23, 2025 (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Attorney General Pam Bondi also said last week that the administration would «go after you if you are targeting anyone with hate speech.»
She has since clarified her remarks, too, and instead noted that her remarks were geared toward violent conduct, and that «when you cross the line from First Amendment to a crime … we will prosecute you.»
Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, countered that Democratic lawmakers were being hypocritical and had «zero credibility even having a First Amendment conversation.»
«This has nothing to do with silencing free speech, and the fact that the Democrats are even talking about it is literally the most laughable thing I’ve seen in D.C. since I’ve been here,» he said.
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And Trump weighed in on the issue last week, pushing back against the press and suggesting that government-controlled airwaves aren’t free.
«They’ll take a great story, and they’ll make it bad,» he said. «See, I think that’s really illegal.»
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., introduced the «No Political Enemies Act» last week to counter the administration’s overtures. He told Fox News Digital: «Why would we not take the president seriously?»
«He literally is using his communication channels to make clear he’s going to lock up his political enemies.»
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson fired back directly at Murphy in a statement, where she asked: «Where was Chris Murphy when Joe Biden was demanding Meta censor average Americans for sharing facts about COVID? Or when Joe Biden’s FBI investigated parents for expressing concerns at school board meetings.»
«The Fake News Media has spent years attacking the President and lying about his tremendous record of success,» Jackson said. «As someone who actually knows what it’s like to be censored, President Trump is a strong supporter of free speech, and he is right — FCC licensed stations have long been required to follow basic standards.»
senate,donald trump,first amendment
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US embassies in Bahrain, Egypt issue warnings as Iran threatens universities across Middle East
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The U.S. Embassy in Bahrain told American citizens in the country to shelter in place on Tuesday, as the embassy in Egypt issued its own caution to Americans amid threats that Iran and its terror proxies may try to target American universities across the Middle East.
The embassy in Manama directed all U.S. government employees, along with all other Americans in the country, to shelter in a secure structure and stay away from windows until further notice.
«Iran and its aligned terrorist militias may intend to target American universities in Bahrain,» the embassy said. «Iran has specifically threatened American universities across the Middle East.»
The embassy provided instructions to those Americans who wish to leave the Middle East.
TRUMP WARNS ‘WHOLE CIVILIZATION WILL DIE TONIGHT,’ AS IRANIAN OFFICIAL URGES HUMAN CHAINS AROUND POWER PLANTS
People crowd the Central Market for shopping during the final days of Ramadan in Manama, Bahrain, on March 18, 2026. (Ayman Yaqoob/Anadolu via Getty Images)
«If you want to leave the Middle East, the U.S. government is ready to assist by providing you the latest information about the departure options available,» it said.
A view of damage in Manama, Bahrain, after a kamikaze drone strike during Iran’s retaliatory attack on March 1, 2026. (Stringer/Anadolu/via Getty Images)
For those who wish to remain and shelter in place, the embassy reminded them to have a supply of food, water, medications and other essential items.
VANCE SAYS IRAN HAS ‘2 PATHWAYS’ AS 12-HOUR DEADLINE LOOMS, PRAYS US ON ‘GOD’S SIDE’ IN NIXING NUCLEAR THREAT
«We urge all Americans to remain vigilant, follow local authorities’ instructions, and review the latest guidance from the U.S. Embassy or Consulate,» the embassy said.
The headquarters of the U.S. 5th Fleet in Manama, Bahrain. (Petty Officer 2nd Class Adelola Tinubu/U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/U.S. 5th Fleet )
Meanwhile, the U.S. Embassy in Cairo advised U.S. citizens to closely monitor the news for regional developments.
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«Egyptian authorities generally offer effective security protection,» the embassy said. «However, extremists and Iranian-aligned actors have expressed interest in planning and carrying out attacks in the region. Iran and its aligned terrorist militias may intend to target universities in the Middle East. Iran has specifically threatened American universities across the Middle East.»
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middle east, war with iran, iran, world
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Top White House officials encouraged potential Bondi replacement to make case to Trump for AG job: Sources
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FIRST ON FOX: Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche huddled with President Donald Trump in the hours after Pam Bondi was forced out last week to make his pitch for the job full-time, Fox News Digital confirmed.
Blanche was encouraged by top White House officials to speak with the president while other names, like Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, briefly circulated as possible contenders, two sources familiar told Fox News Digital. During that conversation, Blanche made his case for why he should be the next attorney general.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed to Fox News Digital that the president and his then-deputy attorney general spoke on Thursday, as did a source familiar with Blanche’s movements that day.
Trump announced Bondi’s departure from the Justice Department and in the same social media post last Thursday said that Blanche would be taking over the role in an acting capacity, as Fox News and Fox News Digital previously reported.
HOMAN VOWS IMMIGRATION MISSION ‘WON’T SKIP A BEAT’ AS BONDI EXITS DOJ
Todd Blanche will serve as Acting U.S. Attorney General after his former boss Pam Bondi was fired last week. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
The next moves could prove crucial for Blanche if he wants to clinch the president’s nomination – and with the countdown ticking to the midterm elections, he only has a few months to convince the president he can lead the roughly 120,000-employee DOJ before a potential party power change in Congress.
«It’s really Todd’s role to lose at this point,» one of the sources who spoke with Fox News Digital said.
A 30-year department veteran, however, speculated that Blanche won’t get the nomination and will continue to run the DOJ in an acting capacity.
PAM BONDI ALREADY FIRED AS ATTORNEY GENERAL, CABINET OFFICIAL TEED UP AS REPLACEMENT: SOURCES
«The safest thing for Trump to do is just to keep Blanche, the ultimate loyalist, in place as Acting, at least through the midterms, and avoid a confirmation fight,» former DOJ prosecutor Kevin Flynn told Fox News Digital. «In terms of advancing Trump’s retribution agenda, I think Blanche could do pretty much everything as Acting [Attorney General] as a confirmed AG could do.»
Trump fired Bondi on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, during an Oval Office meeting ahead of his speech to the nation on the war in Iran, Fox News Digital first reported a day after her ouster.
Trump confirmed her departure on Truth Social at 1:17 pm, roughly 45 minutes after the report became public.
Todd Blanche served as a personal attorney for Trump during trials between his first and second terms. Here the two appear before the media after the conclusion of Trump’s hush money trial in New York City on Thursday, May 30, 2024. (Michael M. Santiago/Pool Photo via AP)
In the hours after Bondi was dismissed and before Trump made his official DOJ personnel announcement, Blanche allegedly had a consequential conversation with the president where he was informed he would be acting attorney general. Blanche lobbied to get the full-time position in a following discussion, one source familiar said.
They also said that Blanche went to the White House a few times for various reasons in the days after he became acting AG.
The other source said it was this follow-up conversation that provided the president with the confidence to give Blanche the nod – at least for now.
Trump told his one-time personal attorney, «Here’s your audition,» the source paraphrased.
Blanche «got a call from POTUS after leaving a podcast taping on Thursday following the report on Fox,» a spokesperson for the Justice Department told Fox News Digital.
When Leavitt was asked if the two chatted on Thursday, the president’s spokesperson replied, «Yes they spoke.»
President Donald Trump fired Attorney General Pam Bondi in a meeting at the White House on Wednesday, April 1, 2026. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Neither the DOJ nor White House would comment on what the two discussed last week and whether Blanche made his case for a promotion.
Either way, now it’s up to Blanche to prove he’s up for the job full-time.
His first test was a Tuesday afternoon press conference focused on Trump’s push to crack down on fraud.
Blanche likely passed the pulse test as he showered praise on the president and said there would be no love lost if he wasn’t selected to be the next attorney general. «I love working for President Trump,» he said. «It’s the greatest honor of a lifetime. And if President Trump chooses to nominate somebody else and asks me to go do something else, I’ll say, ‘Thank you very much, I love you, sir.’»
He got to work right away shaping the DOJ.
On Thursday, Blanche announced his appointment of Trent McCotter as the principal associate deputy attorney general. He also stood up the new DOJ fraud division at Tuesday’s press conference and put Colin McDonald in charge as assistant attorney general for the Fraud Division.
Additionally, he took two trusted advisers with him to the attorney general’s office, Shane Hedges and James McHenry.
Blanche will likely need to differentiate himself from Bondi and distance himself from her failures – namely the Jeffrey Epstein files debacle – if he wants longevity in the role, one of the sources familiar told Fox News Digital.
US INTERIM ATTORNEY GENERAL TODD BLANCHE CALLS SPECULATION SURROUNDING BONDI’S FIRING ‘SIMPLY NOT TRUE’
Many reports claim that Pam Bondi was fired, in part, for her handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files. (Rick Friedman/Rick Friedman Photography/Corbis via Getty Images)
In February 2025, Bondi said she had the Epstein files on her desk. A trickle of releases over the next year would yield no new investigations or prosecutions related to the sex trafficker’s crimes and left Americans unsatisfied.
The source familiar said every move Bondi made after that was an effort to «clean up» her broken promise to release the Epstein client list.
Convincing Trump he’s the right guy for the job is only the first hurdle. Blanche would also need to get past Congress and a confirmation process that is sure to be grueling.
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Bondi passed with a Senate vote of 54–46, with all 53 Republicans and lone Democratic Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., voting for her to be attorney general. Every other Democrat voted against her confirmation.
Blanche, with the legacy of Bondi tied to his tenure in the Trump administration, could face an uphill battle even with some Republicans who have grown critical of the DOJ’s handling of the Epstein files.
justice department, pam bondi, republicans, donald trump, white house
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Lluvias de fin de semana podrían dejar acumulados de hasta 125 milímetros de agua en República Dominicana
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Las autoridades meteorológicas de República Dominicana han advertido sobre un escenario de lluvias intensas para este fin de semana, con acumulados que podrían oscilar entre 100 y 125 milímetros en las próximas horas. Esta situación ha llevado a que 10 provincias del país amanezcan bajo alerta meteorológica, ante la amenaza de precipitaciones persistentes y la posibilidad de eventos extremos como crecidas de ríos, inundaciones urbanas y rurales, y deslizamientos de tierra.
La directora del Instituto Dominicano de Meteorología (Indomet), Gloria Ceballos, informó en rueda de prensa desde el Centro de Operaciones de Emergencias (COE) que un sistema frontal activo, asociado a una vaguada, es el responsable de este patrón meteorológico inestable. Según Ceballos, los acumulados de lluvia podrían alcanzar valores superiores en algunas zonas del territorio nacional, debido a la combinación de la vaguada, la humedad aportada por los vientos del este-noreste y la persistencia de nubosidad sobre el país.
El pronóstico oficial del tiempo, presentado por Saddan Font-Frías, encargado del Centro Nacional de Pronóstico, advierte que los aguaceros serán de moderados a fuertes y podrán alcanzar intensidad torrencial en varias regiones. Las precipitaciones estarán acompañadas de tormentas eléctricas, ráfagas de viento y, de forma aislada, posibles granizadas. Este fenómeno se extenderá durante todo el fin de semana y podría mantenerse al inicio de la próxima semana laboral, con condiciones húmedas y lluvias frecuentes entre lunes y martes.
Las precipitaciones tendrán un impacto especialmente significativo en ciertas regiones. El informe del Indomet señala que las áreas más vulnerables corresponden a la cordillera Central, el suroeste y la franja fronteriza. Entre las localidades bajo mayor vigilancia se encuentran San Juan, Santiago, La Vega, Monte Plata y Elías Piña, así como municipios y comunidades de Hato Mayor, Sánchez Ramírez, Duarte, San José de Ocoa, Monseñor Nouel, Santiago Rodríguez, Dajabón, Puerto Plata, Espaillat y Valverde.
Un grupo de rescatistas y civiles unen fuerzas para evacuar a una persona en una camilla improvisada a través de calles completamente anegadas por el agua./Defensa Civil Dominicana
En estas zonas, el riesgo de inundaciones urbanas y rurales es elevado, así como el de crecidas de ríos, arroyos y cañadas. Además, la posibilidad de deslizamientos de tierra se incrementa en laderas y suelos inestables, especialmente debido a que las precipitaciones de los días anteriores ya han provocado una saturación significativa de los suelos.
El Indomet mantiene los niveles de alerta y aviso meteorológico en distintas demarcaciones, en coordinación con el Centro de Operaciones de Emergencias (COE) y los organismos de protección civil.
El incremento en la nubosidad y las lluvias inició desde la madrugada en la costa caribeña, incluyendo el Gran Santo Domingo, para luego intensificarse en horas de la tarde. Para el domingo y lunes, el sistema frontal continuará casi estacionario al norte del país, mientras los vientos del este-noreste seguirán aportando humedad. Por ello, se esperan episodios de lluvias dispersas durante la mañana, que se intensificarán en la tarde con aguaceros fuertes, tormentas eléctricas y la posibilidad de granizadas en zonas localizadas.
Llamado a la población
Ante este panorama, las autoridades han emitido un llamado enfático a la ciudadanía para que se mantenga atenta a los boletines oficiales y siga las recomendaciones de los organismos de protección civil. Entre las sugerencias principales destacan evitar cruzar ríos o cañadas con altos niveles de agua y tomar medidas preventivas para proteger vidas y propiedades.
El Indomet ha reiterado que continuará proporcionando actualizaciones oportunas sobre la evolución de este sistema atmosférico, para que la población y las entidades responsables puedan actuar con antelación ante cualquier eventualidad. Se recomienda a los residentes en zonas de riesgo permanecer informados y acatar las indicaciones, dada la vulnerabilidad incrementada por la saturación de los suelos y la persistencia de lluvias en los próximos días.
Impacto en la infraestructura y la vida cotidiana
El pronóstico de intensas lluvias y el estado de alerta en 10 provincias podrían afectar la movilidad, la actividad comercial y la prestación de servicios básicos en varias regiones del país. Las autoridades han dispuesto operativos de vigilancia y respuesta rápida ante posibles emergencias, con especial atención en las zonas rurales y urbanas identificadas como puntos críticos.
El llamado de las instituciones es a priorizar la seguridad y a no subestimar los riesgos asociados a las lluvias intensas, en un contexto donde la saturación de los suelos y la inestabilidad atmosférica aumentan la exposición de la población a desastres naturales.
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US embassies in Bahrain, Egypt issue warnings as Iran threatens universities across Middle East
Top White House officials encouraged potential Bondi replacement to make case to Trump for AG job: Sources
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