This piece includes satire. King Charles III of the United Kingdom is set to address a joint meeting of Congress on April 28. Ahead of the address, members of Congress told The Daily Signal they were unaware or did not know why the King would come address Congress 250 years after America ran the monarchy out of town. The King’s visit will be the first time a British royal addresses Congress since his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, delivered an address to Congress in 1991. In response to Punchbowl News scooping the King’s speech, Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., told The Daily Signal that he had “no idea” Charles was scheduled to visit until The Daily Signal asked. “I didn’t even know he’s coming. I don’t know what he could talk about.” Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., told The Daily Signal he thought the visit was “interesting,” given how rarely British monarchs address Congress. The King “could talk about the relationship between England and America,” Van Drew said with an indifferent shrug. When asked by The Daily Signal whether the King should discuss other conflicts, like the wars in Iran and Ukraine, Van Drew said, “I think he should, I don’t know if he will or not, but I think he should.” The sentiment is bipartisan. Ranking Member of the Committee on Veterans Affairs Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., told The Daily Signal that he “honestly doesn’t know” what the British monarch could possibly speak about during his Joint Address. Another Republican member of the House told The Daily Signal they are not very invested in what the King will have to say. “I’m just a commoner, I’m not royalty,” the Republican House member said. “That’s why I’m in the house and not the senate.” “I think there’s value and traditions and all those things, and I think that if we ignore those, it could be bad,” the member added. On Wednesday, congressional leaders issued a letter officially inviting Charles to speak. “The United States Congress would be honored to host Your Majesty for this historic event, which will celebrate the shared heritage and enduring friendship between the United Kingdom and the United States,” the letter read in part. “It is my distinct honor and great privilege to invite His Majesty King Charles III, The King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, to address a Joint Meeting of Congress,” House Speaker Mike Johnson wrote on X. It is my distinct honor and great privilege to invite His Majesty King Charles III, The King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, to address a Joint Meeting of Congress.Our two nations share one of the most consequential partnerships in history, and… pic.twitter.com/gTOWhqvWOx— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) April 1, 2026 The King and Queen Camilla are set to visit Washington from April 27 to April 30, during which they will attend a state dinner at the White House. “I would be more than happy to sit down with him and give him ideas about what he might want to talk about, like ways to be the most possible ally, things we have in common, and the history that we share,” Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Brian Mast, R-Fla., told The Daily Signal. The post Members Confused Why British Monarch Set to Address Congress 250 Years After America Dumped Him appeared first on The Daily Signal.

THE DAILY CALLER NEWS FOUNDATION—Democrat-led states are searching for ways to keep censoring counselor conversations about gender after a near-unanimous Supreme Court came down against viewpoint discrimination. In an 8-1 ruling on Tuesday, the Supreme Court held Colorado’s so-called “conversion therapy” ban regulated Christian counselor Kaley Chiles’ speech based on viewpoint. Twenty-three states, along with the District of Columbia, have laws like Colorado’s, according to the Movement Advance Project. Many are realizing the ruling could open them up to more legal challenges. Democratic Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said his administration is reviewing the Chiles v. Salazar ruling to “determine the full implications for Maryland law and any appropriate next steps,” according to Maryland Matters. “For Marylanders, our law remains in place for now, but this decision may make it more vulnerable to legal challenges,” Jeremy Browning, director of the Maryland Commission on LGBTQIA+ Affairs, told the outlet on Wednesday. “That raises real concerns about our ability to prevent harm before it happens.” Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark told Vermont Public she would talk to state lawmakers about whether they should adjust the law to protect it from legal challenges. “Our law is actually pretty good,” Clark told the outlet Thursday. “Any recommended changes that we have—I think it’s probably going to be more of a tweak than an overhaul.” Democrat lawmakers in some states are pushing legislation to allow patients to sue for alleged damages from “conversion therapy,” including in Colorado, where such a bill advanced in the state House on Wednesday. “While the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on Colorado’s conversion therapy ban law is deeply harmful, we’re not giving up the fight to protect the rights of LGBTQ+ Coloradans,” Democratic Colorado state Rep. Karen McCormick said in a statement. “It can take years for an individual to realize that the trauma of conversion therapy has caused anxiety, depression or other long-term health impacts, but Colorado law only allows two years to file a damages claim against a provider. Our bill addresses this gap, allowing LGBTQ+ Coloradans time to heal and a fair process to hold those who have caused long-lasting impacts accountable.” One California lawmaker recently proposed a bill that “allows survivors of conversion therapy to seek civil remedies and justice through malpractice lawsuits.” “In light of the Supreme Court’s horrific ruling … we must create new strategies to protect LGBTQ youth,” Democratic state Sen. Scott Wiener said in a statement to the San Francisco Chronicle. “All major medical associations agree that no ‘therapy’ can change someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Attempting to do so only provokes profound feelings of shame and trauma and leads to depression and suicidality.” The ruling’s requirement for laws like Colorado’s to face the highest First Amendment scrutiny will “apply to every single one of these laws around the country,” Jim Campbell, chief legal counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom, explained on a press call Tuesday. “The one thing we know is that whenever a court has applied that kind of heightened scrutiny to one of these laws, it has struck it down,” he said. “We think this decision will lead directly to all of those laws being unconstitutional to the extent that they try to be applied to someone like Kaley who is just engaged in voluntary conversations.” The Sixth and Eleventh Circuit Courts of Appeals have similarly found talk therapy is speech protected by the First Amendment, coming down against “conversion therapy” bans in Michigan and a Florida county. “Colorado may regard its policy as essential to public health and safety,” Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in his majority opinion. “Certainly, censorious governments throughout history have believed the same. But the First Amendment stands as a shield against any effort to enforce orthodoxy in thought or speech in this country. It reflects instead a judgment that every American possesses an inalienable right to think and speak freely, and a faith in the free marketplace of ideas as the best means for discovering truth.” Originally published by The Daily Caller News Foundation. The post Blue States Scrambling to Keep Gender Counseling Censorship Alive After SCOTUS Ruling appeared first on The Daily Signal.

It’s often said that Washington, D.C., is Hollywood for ugly people. Well, Congress is finally getting the Hollywood treatment it has been longing for. While lawmakers are on spring break, the entertainment news outlet TMZ has joined the scrum that is covering news on Capitol Hill. As members of Congress left Washington, D.C., for a two-weeklong recess without reopening the Department of Homeland Security, some got the full TMZ celebrity treatment. ?? TMZ has photos of members of Congress living it up while the chaos back home drags on.From Disney World to Las Vegas, lawmakers on both sides are kicking back as the government stays shut down and federal workers go unpaid.When is enough enough? pic.twitter.com/siScwWMCmq— TMZ (@TMZ) March 30, 2026 From Bubble Wands to the Betting Tables TMZ lit the internet on fire when it obtained videos capturing national politicians “living it up” on spring break.  It started with a video of Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., at Disney World, carrying a bubble wand in the princess castle and taking a ride on Space Mountain. Graham told TMZ he was there visiting friends. “I voted seven times to fully fund the government. Call a Democrat,” he said. Lindsey Graham lives it up at Disney World during the partial government shutdown!Take a look: https://t.co/MuKOLhjQX4 pic.twitter.com/RKX665BPCt— TMZ (@TMZ) March 30, 2026 Meanwhile, Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., was spotted sitting at a casino bar in Las Vegas. While the internet blew it up, Garcia responded to the backlash. “Actually, I don’t mind what TMZ is doing here,” he wrote, explaining that he had just finished lunch with his dad, who has lived in Las Vegas for 15 years. “Like I said a few days ago, Speaker Mike Johnson should have never sent us all home,” he concluded.  Robert Garcia hits up a Las Vegas casino after Congress fails to reopen the government. ? https://t.co/ZJqWZJpepO pic.twitter.com/AOulZoshgr— TMZ (@TMZ) March 30, 2026 The next targets of the TMZ “paparazzi” were members of the Republican Main Street Caucus on a CODEL in Scotland. Usually, CODELs are canceled during government shutdowns, but a spokesperson for Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., shared that 30 members and staff flew to Scotland on a pre-approved trip to discuss economic development and foreign partnerships with Parliament. Politico reported that Hill staffers are “stoked” about TMZ bringing a new audience to the Hill. “I think a lot of offices, particularly ones who aren’t in major media markets, are in for a rude awakening,” an anonymous staffer told Politico. “My attitude is any new press that forces members to be sharper and for comms staffers to be more nimble is a good thing,” the staffer continued.  Many members fight tooth and nail to avoid press on and off the Hill. Others do everything they can to be seen. Regardless, the paparazzi-style news coverage is sure to shake things up in the swamp. The post Lawmakers Get a Taste of the Celebrity Lifestyle, Ruthless TMZ Paparazzi appeared first on The Daily Signal.

THE CENTER SQUARE—Democratic officials from 23 states and the District of Columbia announced Friday they’re suing to block President Donald Trump’s recent executive order regulating mail-in and absentee ballots. The suit was slated to be filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. A copy of the lawsuit wasn’t available as of press time. Trump doesn’t have the constitutional authority to control elections, California Attorney General Rob Bonta told reporters during a news conference Friday morning. Bonta, a Democrat who’s co-leading the coalition of plaintiffs, noted the authority rests with states and Congress, not the federal executive branch.  “The framers of our Constitution made sure that how we choose our leaders is not put in the hands of a single leader” such as Trump, Bonta said. Others co-leading the coalition of plaintiffs are Attorneys General Andrea Joy Campbell of Massachusetts, Aaron Ford of Nevada and Nick Brown of Washington state. The Center Square reached out Friday morning to the White House, which noted the Republican president’s order was designed to secure elections. “Only Democrat politicians and operatives would be upset about lawful efforts to secure American elections and ensure only eligible American citizens are casting ballots,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said, answering The Center Square’s questions by email. “President Trump campaigned on securing our elections, and the American people sent him back to the White House to get the job done.” Trump’s executive order, which was issued on March 31, is titled “Ensuring Citizenship Verification and Integrity in Federal Elections.” It cites the Help America Vote Act of 2002, the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 and the federal government’s obligation to ensure a republican form of government in every state under Article IV, Section 4, of the U.S. Constitution. The order also refers to federal laws prohibiting non-citizens from registering to vote or voting in federal elections and the executive branch’s duty to enforce federal laws under Article II of the Constitution. The executive order directs the secretary of homeland security to compile lists of U.S. citizens who are 18 or older and send them to the chief election official of each state. The order says the list would be based on federal citizenship and naturalization records, Social Security records, SAVE data (used to verify citizenship) and other federal databases. The order says states must notify the U.S. Postal Service no fewer than 90 days before a federal election if they are using the postal service to deliver mail-in or absentee ballots. The order also says states must send a list of eligible voters to the postal service no fewer than 60 days before a federal election. Bonta noted the order threatens states with loss of federal funding for failure to comply. And he contended Trump’s executive order would disrupt the process in which every registered voter in California automatically gets a ballot in the mail. “Protecting elections is not partisan. Every eligible voter should be able to vote,” Bonta said. “That is foundational to our democracy.” Bonta said he doesn’t believe the executive order came soon enough to impact California’s June 2 primary, but said it could interfere with the Nov. 3 general election. He added Trump is concerned about Republicans losing congressional seats.  In addition to officials in California, Massachusetts, Washington state, Nevada and the District of Columbia, the lawsuit against Trump’s executive order is being filed by Democratic attorneys general from Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Wisconsin. Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is also among the plaintiffs. Originally published by The Center Square. The post Dems Sue Over Trump’s Executive Order on Mail-in Ballots appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Fox News delivered a record-setting 1.5 billion YouTube video views in the first quarter of 2026, outpacing every rival in the news landscape by a staggering margin. According to data from Emplifi, Fox News beat its closest competitor, MS NOW, by half a million views. MS NOW tallied 974 million views for the first quarter. Fox News doubled CNN’s 707 million views. To put the dominance in perspective, Fox News surpassed the combined totals of ABC News (440 million), NBC News (364 million), and CBS News (194 million). The three legacy broadcast networks—despite their notable brand recognition—couldn’t keep pace. It marked the sixth consecutive quarter Fox News has topped all news brands on YouTube. Record-Setting Month Year-over-year, Fox News grew 21% on YouTube and surged 51% quarter-over-quarter. The March numbers are particularly telling. Fox News’ coverage of the ongoing war in Iran drove its highest-rated month ever on YouTube with 621 million views. In March, Fox News more than doubled CNN (265 million) and nearly quadrupled CBS News (73 million). Fox Business, meanwhile, posted 193 million video views in the first quarter, a 25% jump from the prior quarter. The network extended its streak as the No. 1 business channel on YouTube for the 52nd consecutive month. Dominance Across Platforms Fox News’ performance across social media platforms mirrors its success on YouTube. The network ranked first in social engagement on Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok in the first quarter, accumulating 426 million interactions. Facebook interactions were up 52% compared to 2025. TikTok interactions climbed 35%. The massive numbers are yet another indication that audiences trust Fox News to cover the news that matters most—regardless of where they’re watching or reading. They also tell a story you likely won’t hear from legacy media: Fox News is winning, and it’s not even close. The post Fox News Dominates YouTube With Record-Setting 1.5 Billion Views appeared first on The Daily Signal.