The Trump administration is “doubling down” on the sanctuary city of Chicago with the opening of more Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced during Thursday’s cabinet meeting. Noem said she toured possible new ICE sites in the Windy City on Friday. Her latest announcement comes just days after Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order to establish “ICE Free Zones” across the city in response to the Trump administration’s deployment of hundreds of National Guard troops. “We’re purchasing more buildings in Chicago to operate out of. We’re gonna not back off, in fact, we’re doubling down, and we’re gonna be in more parts of Chicago in response to the people there,” said Noem. “What they’re trying to do with these riots and violence is distract us and keep us from going after those murderers and rapists that are out on the streets,” she added. ? BREAKING: Secretary Kristi Noem just announced DHS will be acquiring MORE facilities for ICE in Chicago, spreading their reach throughout the city “We’re gonna not back off — in fact, we’re DOUBLING DOWN. We’re gonna be in MORE parts of Chicago in response to the people… pic.twitter.com/7X1xIB0LDW — Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) October 9, 2025 The Trump administration flooded Illinois and Chicago with ICE and Border Patrol agents last month as part of “Operation Midway Blitz.” The effort has yielded more than 1,000 arrests. Anti-ICE agitators have responded with efforts to block arrests of illegal immigrants roaming the streets, some of which have turned violent. Border Patrol agents “were rammed by vehicles and boxed in by 10 cars” in Broadview, Illinois, on Saturday, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said on X. One of the alleged attackers, who was later identified as Marimar Martinez, was allegedly carrying a semi-automatic weapon, prompting agents to “fire defensive shots.” Get 40% off new DailyWire+ annual memberships with code FALL40 at checkout! When a mob of rioters arrived at the scene, the federal agents called the Chicago police to assist. Those officers, however, were instructed to stand down. Martinez was the subject of a recent federal law enforcement intelligence bulletin after she was allegedly “doxing agents and posting online ‘Hey to all my gang let’s f*** those motherf****ers up, don’t let them take anyone.’” A leader of the Latin Kings gang also recently placed an alleged $10,000 bounty on the chief of the Trump administration’s deportation raids in Illinois, Commander at Large of the U.S. Border Patrol, Chief Gregory Bovino. “It’s a war zone out there,” Bovino told Fox News host Sean Hannity Monday night in response to the latest threat. He added, “That’s something out of a third-world country, is this America?” Nearly 500 soldiers, including 300 Illinois and 200 Texas National Guard troops, have deployed to Chicago to restore peace. Illinois has responded by suing the Trump administration, calling the deployment an “invasion.”

WASHINGTON — The White House and its allies are circling Chuck Schumer’s wagon, and he’s not making it that hard for them. “Every day gets better for us,” Schumer said in an interview with Punchbowl News. “It’s because we’ve thought about this long in advance, and we knew that health care would be the focal point on Sept. 30, and we prepared for it…Their whole theory was — threaten us, bamboozle us, and we would submit in a day or two.” That first line was yet another messaging gem for Republicans who have argued that Democrats do not care about whether the shutdown is hurting Americans, and he drew criticism from not only Vice President JD Vance and a slew of other angry Republicans, but also the president himself. “Better for Schumer. Worse for Americans,” posted Vance on Thursday morning. “What a vile sentiment from an alleged leader in our country.” “Chuck Schumer proclaimed this morning that every day gets better for them,” Trump said during today’s cabinet meeting. “No, it’s actually getting worse for them. … This is a confession that he’s acting not to serve the people, but to serve the partisan interests of his party.” The White House put out messaging promptly on Thursday morning arguing that the “disgusting claim” is a “sickening display of elitist indifference” as the shutdown “plunges hardworking Americans into anxiety, despair, and financial ruin.” “His arrogance lays bare the Democrats’ sick betrayal of service members missing paychecks, families turning to food pantries to survive, small businesses teetering on the brink, and travelers facing excruciating delays,” the White House argued. WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 09: U.S. President Donald Trump holds a Cabinet meeting at the White House on October 09, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) “Definitely terrifying thinking in my head, ‘Oh God, how are we going to pay for our bills? How are we going to afford our rent? How are we going to pay for her formula, her diapers, everything?’” said an unnamed military spouse, cited by the White House, whose family is reportedly in crisis as service members go without pay. “Our military, they’re the ones that sign the government contract to go fight for our country. But our lawmakers who are supposed to be in charge of our country, they aren’t really doing what’s best for the American people.” The White House messaging also quoted an air traffic controller who must continue fulfilling his job responsibilities without knowing whether he will get his next paycheck: “The financial anxiety doesn’t just hurt morale; it directly affects safety. When someone responsible for thousands of lives a day is worrying about whether they can pay rent or feed their kids, focus suffers. Sometimes that small moment where your mind is elsewhere can have serious impacts. Controllers were already underwater with pay and staffing before the shutdown. Now, we’re drowning.” Get 40% off new DailyWire+ annual memberships with code FALL40 at checkout The bottom line, the White House argues, is that Americans want the “Democrat shutdown to end,” and they “know Democrats are to blame.” “While federal workers stress over missed paychecks, military families turn to food pantries, and airports around the country face delays — Chuck Schumer and the Democrats are bragging that ‘every day gets better’ for them,” wrote Karoline Leavitt in a scathing post on X. “What a disgusting and revealing statement.  Democrats are gleeful about inflicting pain on the American people.” Schumer did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The president also argued during his cabinet meeting that Schumer knows he is in deep political trouble, potentially facing an ouster from Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, who continues to assert herself as a leader in the shutdown fight. “AOC said that they can come to her office and negotiate, the Republicans,” Trump said in his cabinet meeting. “And we’re saying, oh, I didn’t know she was in leadership! She’s taking Hakeem Jeffries’ place and Schumer’s afraid that she’s gonna run against him … right now, I don’t think he can beat anybody. He’ll lose in a primary. I would say he’ll retire before he loses in a primary. I think Schumer’s gonna retire, because he can’t beat anybody, his polls are so bad.”

WASHINGTON—The State Department fired a foreign service officer revealed to have had a romantic relationship with a Chinese citizen whose father was said to be looped in with the Chinese Communist Party. During a hidden-camera encounter with an O’Keefe Media Group reporter, foreign service officer Daniel Choi mentioned the relationship several times, acknowledging that he was supposed to report information about her but did not. “She could’ve been a spy, even,” Choi said. “I don’t know.” “Her dad was either a provincial or a federal minister of education,” Choi said at one point regarding the woman he dated. “So he’s, like, straight-up Communist Party.” “I defied my government, for love,” Choi said. https://x.com/JamesOKeefeIII/status/1953242589743714404 State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a Wednesday statement that the White House signed off on Choi’s firing after Secretary of State Marco Rubio initiated the termination process. “After Presidential review and approval, the State Department has officially terminated the employment of a foreign service officer who admitted to concealing a romantic relationship with a Chinese national with known ties to the Chinese Communist Party,” Pigott said. Get 40% off new DailyWire+ annual memberships with code FALL40 at checkout! “This termination is consistent with the executive order signed by President Trump affirming both his constitutional authority over our foreign policy and the State Department’s responsibility to carry out his directives. Under Secretary Rubio’s leadership, we will maintain a zero-tolerance policy for any employee who is caught undermining our country’s national security,” he continued. This is presumably the first termination as a result of Executive Order 14211, which says that those responsible for executing U.S. foreign policy are working “under the direction and authority of the president” and says employees could face “professional discipline” for not doing so, the department said on background. Relations between China and the United States have been a focal point for decades, and most recently, there have been concerns domestically about the CCP’s influence in American institutions, such as universities. Over the summer, a debate unfolded over visas for Chinese students in the United States amid trade talks with China. Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are likely to meet in South Korea at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation gathering toward the end of the month, according to CNBC. The federal government announced in April that U.S. government employees in China cannot be in relationships with Chinese nationals, according to the Associated Press. The rule also applies to certain contractors and families of employees, the outlet added. China has long been rumored to deploy “honeypot” traps in the United States. California Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell infamously came under fire for his relationship with alleged Chinese operative Christine Fang. In 2023, the House Ethics Committee ultimately did not take further steps following an investigation, The Hill reported at the time. “The Committee has previously reviewed allegations of improper influence by foreign agents and in doing so, cautioned that Members should be conscious of the possibility that foreign governments may attempt to secure improper influence through gifts and other interactions,” committee Chairman Michael Guest and then-Rep. Susan Wild wrote in a letter to Swalwell. “We encourage you to contact the Office of House Security for any guidance on steps you can take to prevent or address such attempts.”

President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on Thursday declaring October 13 Columbus Day and vowing “to reclaim his extraordinary legacy of faith, courage, perseverance, and virtue from the left-wing arsonists who have sought to destroy his name and dishonor his memory.” While Columbus Day has been officially recognized in the United States for decades, the Italian explorer has been attacked by Left-wing activists in recent years. Last year, then-President Joe Biden acknowledged Columbus Day, but made little mention of the explorer’s accomplishments and focused on the “history and heritage of Italian Americans.” In Biden’s first year in office, he issued the first-ever presidential proclamation of Indigenous Peoples Day, which was recognized on the same day as Columbus Day. Trump’s proclamation was a stark contrast with Biden’s words on Columbus. “Today our Nation honors the legendary Christopher Columbus — the original American hero, a giant of Western civilization, and one of the most gallant and visionary men to ever walk the face of the earth,” the proclamation states. “Outrageously, in recent years, Christopher Columbus has been a prime target of a vicious and merciless campaign to erase our history, slander our heroes, and attack our heritage,” Trump’s proclamation adds. “Before our very eyes, left-wing radicals toppled his statues, vandalized his monuments, tarnished his character, and sought to exile him from our public spaces. Under my leadership, those days are finally over — and our Nation will now abide by a simple truth: Christopher Columbus was a true American hero, and every citizen is eternally indebted to his relentless determination.” In the past decade, controversy has surrounded Columbus Day, as leftists in academia and on the street argue that the day celebrates racism and colonialism. During the George Floyd riots in 2020, dozens of Columbus statues around the country were torn down by radical protesters or officially removed to satisfy their demands. Get 40% off new DailyWire+ annual memberships with code FALL40 at checkout!  Some states and the District of Columbia have replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day while other states recognize Indigenous Peoples Day on the same day as Columbus Day. The president signed the proclamation during a Cabinet meeting at the White House. After signing the document, Trump showed it to the cameras in the room and said, “We’re calling it Columbus Day.” “We’re back, Italians,” he added. President Trump: “Columbus Day! We’re back, Italians.” pic.twitter.com/EZdNS2dVpj — Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) October 9, 2025 Trump also signed a proclamation declaring October 9 Leif Erickson Day and recognizing the Viking’s “triumphant spirit of exploration.” “This Leif Erikson Day, we summon his courage, we honor his enduring legacy of adventure and exploration, and we renew our resolve to advance the limits of human achievement,” the proclamation states.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries could do little but stand in the frame and appear uncomfortable during a Thursday interview on CNBC, as host Joe Kernen broke down the reasons he believed Democrats were fighting a losing battle in the ongoing government shutdown. Jeffries spoke to Kernen about the shutdown — which has just passed the week mark — and attempted to justify the fact that Democrats were holding out in a blatant effort to undo by temper tantrum what Republicans had done through the legislative process. WATCH: ? BREAKING: Hakeem Jeffries was just EMBARRASSED for holding the government hostage…holy smokes. This was bad. CNBC: “There was an ELECTION. Republicans were able to pass the Big Beautiful Bill. To then say, ‘We don’t like that, so we’re gonna shut down the government until… pic.twitter.com/wlcxytaZC6 — Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 9, 2025 “There was an election, and the Republicans were put in a position where they were able to pass the Big Beautiful Bill, or as you call it the ‘Big Ugly Bill.’ To then say, ‘We don’t like any of that, so we’re going to shut down the government until you take back all the things that you duly passed through legislation …'” Kernen began, arguing that if the shoe were on the other foot, Democrats would be angry — and rightfully so. “If Republicans had tried to do that to the Inflation Reduction Act or the — any of the acts that Biden and that administration have passed — if they said we’re going to shut down the government because we don’t like any of those things you did, ‘we’re not going to pay our military, we are going to not allow the government to reopen until you do what we want’ – after an election where the American people put Democrats in power – you’d be going crazy!” he said. Get 40% off new DailyWire+ annual memberships with code FALL40 at checkout “It’s not how it works! It’s bad, it’s bad precedent!” Kernen continued, noting that the Continuing Resolution — which would at least temporarily reopen the government — had already passed the House, but needed a handful of Senate votes. Jeffries attempted to pivot, saying, “What is bad precedent is the Republican refusal to engage in bipartisan negotiations! … They’ve made the decision to shut the government down, they could open it now!” “How could they do that?!” Kernen asked. “I just explained it! The reality is they want to keep the government closed. Cruelty, from the very beginning of this administration, has been the point. The responsible thing to do is to sit down and negotiate a bipartisan path forward to address a very real health care crisis that’s upon us right now!” Jeffries said, visibly frustrated. He left out the fact that the only negotiations Democrats have said they’d agree to would necessarily include — as Kernen said — the undoing of provisions that Republicans passed as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill.