Political and sports commentator Clay Travis recently suggested that Michigan Republicans should cross over and vote for Abdul El-Sayed in the Democratic Senate primary. His reasoning: El-Sayed is a far-left radical who can’t win in November, and his securing the nomination would help Republican Mike Rogers win the all-important seat. This is seriously bad advice — not just because it’s tactically risky, but because it asks Republicans to do something they should be unwilling to do: lend their votes, even instrumentally, to a candidate who represents a newly imported and genuinely dangerous ideological project. Primary meddling is a stupid game that typically produces stupid prizes. Anticipating that some conservatives might start floating this ill-advised idea, I wrote about it recently for this site. Democrats were eager to see Donald Trump win the 2016 Republican presidential primary, convinced he would be a gift to Hillary Clinton in November. That failed calculation reshaped American politics. Closer to home, primary meddling has occasionally “worked” in narrow tactical terms, elevating weaker nominees who go on to lose. But those cases are the exception that seduces people into ignoring the far more dangerous reality: sometimes the candidate you boost actually wins. But the bigger issue here is that the Michigan Senate race is not just another contest between interchangeable Democrats. It is a referendum on what kind of Democratic Party emerges in one of the country’s most crucial swing states. Republicans ignore that meaningful difference between the candidates at their peril. Congresswoman Haley Stevens, who began this race as the polling frontrunner but now lags in prediction markets as a distant third, is a conventional Democrat with a frequently (and somewhat unfairly) mocked Midwestern twang. She ran as a moderate and has governed as something less than that — hardly a surprise in modern politics. As the election of Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger illustrates, Democrats who campaign toward the center often govern further to the Left once in power, pursuing policies they never fully advertised on the trail. That bait-and-switch dynamic is real. Republicans are right to be frustrated by it. But frustration is not an excuse for abandoning basic judgment. Because whatever one thinks of Stevens’s voting record on taxes, regulation, or abortion, she does not represent a fundamental threat to the American political order. She operates within it. She is recognizably part of the long-standing Democratic coalition that, for all its many faults, accepts the basic premises of American life: liberal democracy, civil society, and the legitimacy of the United States as a nation. The same can be said of the third major candidate in the race: progressive state legislator, MS NOW fixture, and Middle America-critic Mallory McMorrow. Abdul El-Sayed, on the other hand, represents something different: Islamoleftism. This is the uneasy fusion of the radical political Left with the ideology of political Islam — not a religion, but a political radicalization that has found in the far-left Democratic coalition a vehicle for its ambitions. It is what happened to Jeremy Corbyn’s Labor Party in the United Kingdom, where radical Muslims became culture carriers inside a major political party, importing eliminationist antisemitism into the mainstream of left-wing politics until the rot became undeniable and the party paid a historic price. Michigan is that story in its American infancy. Dearborn — which one Wall Street Journal essay called “America’s jihad capital” — has developed an Islamist political infrastructure whose leaders curry favor from ambitious Democrats. El-Sayed has obliged them. A leaked recording of him speaking with campaign staff revealed he didn’t want to say anything about the U.S.-Israeli elimination of Ayatollah Khamenei earlier this year because, he explained, too many people in Dearborn would be sad about the death of the theocratic butcher who led the world’s top state sponsor of terrorism. El-Sayed has appeared at Islamist conferences with speakers who praised Hamas terrorism, addressed groups that have been designated as terrorist organizations, raised money from antisemitic PAC leaders, and fought efforts to keep Islamic law out of American government. His response in the days following a Hezbollah-inspired terrorist attack that attempted to murder 140 children by driving an explosive-laden truck into the preschool at Temple Israel — the largest Reform synagogue in my hometown of West Bloomfield — was to post a smiling photo appealing to fans of Hasan Piker, announce joint campaign appearances with him, and minimize and rationalize the near-massacre by declaring: “Hurt people hurt people.” Piker, for the uninitiated, is a self-described Marxist who has called Jews “inbred,” declared America deserved 9/11, and recently used a filmed New York Times roundtable to explain his moral framework for the various scenarios in which carjacking, shoplifting, and murder are excusable. His approval is increasingly a litmus test for Democratic office-seekers. The broader picture in Michigan confirms this isn’t just about one candidate. At the state’s Democratic Party convention earlier this month, organized labor — long the kingmaker of Michigan Democratic politics — was routed by the coalition El-Sayed represents. The attorney general candidate who held every major union endorsement, including the United Auto Workers and the Michigan Education Association, lost to an opponent with a single local endorsement. Jordan Acker, the Jewish incumbent University of Michigan Democratic regent whose home and car were repeatedly vandalized with antisemitic graffiti by fanatical-left Palestine obsessives, was denied renomination and replaced by a Dearborn attorney who has praised Hezbollah and the Iranian terror regime. Twenty-four union locals and a former Michigan AFL-CIO president have already defected to endorse an independent candidate running for governor rather than follow where the party is heading. My Manhattan Institute colleague Charles Lehman recently wrote about the growing disease of anti-Americanism and the expanding patriotism gap between our two parties. In 2001, Democrats and Republicans were a mere three points apart in their pride in being American. Today, the gap is vastly larger — 92% of Republicans call themselves very or extremely proud; among Democrats, that number is just 36%. The Democratic Party once feared being seen as unpatriotic, but it now rewards politicians for the viciousness of their America-criticism and punishes those who hesitate to go along. El-Sayed is the natural endpoint of that trajectory. Stevens and McMorrow are much less of an accelerant on this front. Republicans should want to win this race. But as the state party has rightly pointed out, they should not get too cute when thinking about how. Not all Democrats are fungible, and it matters which faction prevails inside their party. A conventional liberal can be defeated and replaced; a radical movement, once legitimized, reshapes the party around it and the country that has to contend with it. Boosting El-Sayed isn’t a clever tactic. It’s a bet that anti-Americanism stays contained once you help elevate it. That’s a bad, risky bet. Better to defeat Democrats by making the affirmative case for why Republicans deserve to govern. Don’t evade countering the arguments made by bad Democrats by instead attempting to elevate worse ones. *** Jesse Arm is vice president of External Affairs at Manhattan Institute for Policy Research.  His affiliation is presented for identification only; all views expressed are his own and not those of his employer.

President Trump has done a lot of great things.  He shut the border. He arrested Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro. He crippled Iran’s nuclear and missile capacity, and so much more. But his greatest and most lasting legacy will be the astounding Supreme Court that he put into place.  They overturned Roe v. Wade. They allowed states to ban the transgender mutilation of children. They’ve stood for religious freedom.  And now, another amazingly courageous decision: The Supreme Court has ruled that courts cannot force states to draw racist congressional districts.  And Democrats are fighting mad, to no one’s surprise. According to Democrats, if you say we should not draw congressional districts based on race, you must be racist.  By accident, Hakeem Jeffries, the House minority leader, finally got it right for once, saying it is the “Trump” court, not the “Roberts” court. That’s true because when Chief Justice John Roberts was appointed, three of these justices were not on the court: Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett. This court is great. That doesn’t mean they always rule for President Trump. They don’t.  But it does mean he gets credit for the fact that this court is tremendous. Democrats think that white Americans, by and large, are racist, and thus the government must force white Americans not to be racist by creating racist districts.  Get it? I didn’t think so.  The Democrats believe that you must draw congressional districts that are majority-minority or you’re doing Jim Crow 2.0. Chuck Schumer, the Senate minority leader, said the Supreme Court decision was a return to Jim Crow. The idea that white people are trying to stop black people from voting in the United States is ridiculous. Take Virginia: The white candidate, Abigail Spanberger, won 90% of the black vote. The black candidate, Winsome Sears, won the majority of the white vote.  The American people are not nearly as racist as Chuck Schumer wishes they were.  The reason he’s upset is not because he believes that black people are discriminated against. It’s because black people are disproportionately Democratic voters, and he believes that Democratic seats are going to disappear. That’s called normal gerrymandering, a part of our process since the very beginning, where the state legislature, state commission, or another body draws the districts within a state.  There’s nothing wrong with that. This is why I wasn’t complaining when California decided to redistrict. Texas just did it. Florida just did it.  This is the way that states work, and there’s nothing illegal about it. It may be a bad thing, but there is no alternative to it. Every alternative that has been tried is a giant failure.  They’re so damn scared of losing the midterm elections. The 15th Amendment provides that the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. What’s actually happening here is that Democrats, as per their usual arrangement, are trying to claim that normal politics is racism. And what they’re really upset about, of course, is that more and more people are moving to the South, which means more southern congressional districts, which means more Republicans. If you look at a map of projected 2030 congressional reapportionment, based on population trajectory, what you see is massive gains in the South. You see Texas picking up another four seats and Florida picking up another three. You can see North Carolina picking up another seat.  The places that are gaining votes are the Republican areas. Red states are likely to gain 8 to 10 congressional seats by 2030.  That means another 10 electoral votes in the presidential election.  Democrats are claiming that for them to lose politically, America or the Supreme Court must be racist, and they insist that we impose actual racist top-down policy in order to protect them politically. What’s really amazing here is that President Trump — who has been widely derided by the Left, saying Trump is trying to do Jim Crow 2.0 — has an approval rating among black Americans that is at an all-time high. The numbers are pretty astounding. What we’re seeing right now in the numbers is that President Trump and the Republican Party are chipping away at the long-term advantage that Democrats have had with black voters. Trump’s approval among blacks at this point in his first term was at 12%. He’s up to 16% at this point.  You might say that isn’t that big of a shift. But Republicans absolutely love this shift because Democrats have had such a long-term advantage. The fact that he’s actually gaining ground versus where he was in term number one has major implications.  It turns out Democrats shouting “racist, racist” over and over and over is not winning over additional black voters. It’s alienating some of them. And calling everyone, whether it’s the Supreme Court, President Trump, or conservatives, racist when we are the ones following the rules of this amazing constitutional republic is un-American.

The former superintendent of Iowa’s largest school district, who was in the United States illegally, published a book from jail while awaiting sentencing on federal charges. Ian Roberts, the former head of Des Moines Public Schools, released a book titled “Unshakable: How Bold Leaders Win Hearts, Inspire Minds, and Obtain Results During Crisis” on Monday while in custody. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested Roberts, a Guyanese national, in September. Authorities said he had an active deportation order and was living in the United States illegally at the time of his arrest. Roberts attempted to flee from the federal agents and was found with a loaded handgun, $3,000 in cash, and a fixed-blade hunting knife, the Department of Homeland Security said at the time. Roberts pleaded guilty in January to federal charges of making false statements about his immigration status and unlawfully possessing a firearm. Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA) called Roberts’ book release “insane,” saying he’s “trying to profit” from his situation. Roberts came to the United States as a tourist in 1994, then obtained a student visa five years later, according to DHS. He applied for a green card on four separate occasions and was denied each time. Roberts was charged in 1996 with criminal possession of narcotics with intent to sell, criminal possession of narcotics, criminal possession of a forgery device, and possession of a forged instrument in New York, according to DHS. Two years later, he was charged with third-degree unauthorized use of a vehicle in Queens, New York, which was later dismissed. What on earth?? The illegal immigrant & ICE fugitive who led Iowa’s largest school district is now trying to profit from it? You can’t make this up. Insane. pic.twitter.com/tDgbGsVEAY — Ashley Hinson (@hinsonashley) April 30, 2026 Roberts was convicted of reckless driving, unsafe operation, and speeding in Maryland on November 1, 2012. In 2020, he was hit with charges for second-degree criminal possession of a weapon (having a loaded firearm outside his home or business); third-degree criminal possession of a weapon (an ammunition feeding device); and fourth-degree weapons charges, according to DHS. His work permit expired on December 18, 2020, roughly three years before he was hired to lead Des Moines Public Schools. He never showed up to his immigration hearing and a judge ordered his deportation in his absence. Roberts was convicted of unlawful possession of a loaded firearm in Pennsylvania in 2022. Federal officials say Roberts falsely claimed to be a United States citizen when applying for the superintendent role in June 2023.

WASHINGTON—Thanks to a new executive order backed by first lady Melania Trump, federal employees who foster or adopt children will now receive new benefits, according to an internal White House email obtained by The Daily Wire. The White House Management Office informed Executive Office of the President (EOP) staff on Friday that under the Family and Medical Leave Act, employees who foster or adopt a child can receive up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave, flexible work schedules, and “other workplace accommodations at the discretion of component leadership.” Many of these benefits were first established during President Donald Trump’s first term and continued under former President Joe Biden, but officials say the new order clarifies and expands how they can be used. The renewed focus comes as part of the first lady’s “Fostering the Future” initiative, developed alongside the Office of Personnel Management and the Administration for Children and Families at the Department of Health and Human Services. A White House official told The Daily Wire that the order is designed to remove barriers for federal workers seeking to foster or adopt. “Federal workers looking to adopt or foster a child no longer need to worry that their work would delay or prevent a child from being with a loving family,” the official shared. “Their responsibility as a parent or caregiver doesn’t happen all at once. He or she may need one day here for a court visit and another day there for a doctor’s appointment. Delaying any of these things means that one more kid isn’t being reunified with their family or finding the next best place to belong and be cared for.” The policy builds on the first lady’s initiative. According to the internal email, Melania Trump coordinated with the Office of Personnel Management, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, and the Health Department’s Administration for Children and Families to “support foster and adoptive families across the federal workforce.” Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images On Thursday, President Trump signed a proclamation designating May 2026 as National Foster Care Month, calling upon “all Americans to honor the efforts of those who contribute to our Nation’s foster care system and recommit to improving the lives of those children who depend upon their service.” One of the biggest challenges that FLOTUS and her allies face, The Daily Wire has learned, is the need for more caring foster parents and adoptive families. As The Daily Wire previously reported, the Department of Health and Human Services has partnered with 14 states and Washington, D.C., through the bipartisan “Home for Every Child” initiative to increase the number of licensed foster homes. Currently, there are just 57 licensed homes for every 100 children in care. Participating states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Nebraska, Rhode Island, and Iowa, are working to improve data tracking and reduce barriers in the foster care system, with the goal of reaching a one-to-one ratio. “When we don’t have enough homes for those children, they get placed in non-traditional settings that are not conducive to long-term growth and development of the child,” Assistant Secretary Alex Adams previously told The Daily Wire. “So we need to increase nationally the ratio of homes to kids.”

A police K9 followed would-be Trump assassin Cole Allen into a side room just seconds before he charged through a security checkpoint at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner last weekend, newly released Justice Department footage shows. The video, posted Thursday by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, captures the Secret Service dog trailing Allen into the room, where investigators say the gunman removed a large black jacket concealing his shotgun. The K9 briefly entered the doorway before the handler paused, looked inside for roughly 10 seconds, and appeared to speak to someone in the room.  It remains unclear whether the handler was a Secret Service agent or with another law enforcement agency. Immediately after the officer and K9 walked away, Allen charged through the security checkpoint armed with his fully loaded Mossberg 12-gauge pump-action shotgun.  The Daily Wire reached out to the Secret Service seeking clarification on the interaction captured in the footage. Allen sprinted down the hallway at approximately 8:36 p.m. ET, just as agents began dismantling one of the metal detectors at the checkpoint. Minutes before he made his way downstairs from his hotel room, Allen had been monitoring news updates on the White House Correspondents’ Dinner and President Donald Trump’s travel to the event at the Washington Hilton, according to court documents. The dinner began at 8:00 p.m., and Trump arrived at the hotel at 8:27 p.m. Authorities say Allen fired one round from his shotgun as he attempted to storm the ballroom, striking one Secret Service agent who was protected by a bulletproof vest. An agent returned fire, discharging rounds, though none struck Allen. He was ultimately subdued after falling shortly after breaching the security checkpoint. The Secret Service has faced criticism in the aftermath, though President Trump and administration officials have praised agents for stopping Allen before he reached the ballroom. Retired Secret Service agent Scot Bryan told The Daily Wire that the response appeared consistent with training based on the footage released. “When you consider the point of possibility perception and the cognitive recognition of what was occurring, the officer’s reaction time was elite,” Bryan added. “The response inside the ballroom, from what video I had access to see, was excellent.” Bryan also pushed back on claims that the agency should have secured the entire 10-floor hotel. “In the after-action evaluation, will the service discuss policy protocols for off-site venues? I expect they will,” Bryan said. “But completely controlling a private business (a hotel or any other venue location) where a protectee visits has broad consequences that have to be examined and are not likely accepted. Critics speak of things they know very little about and espouse ideas without considering context or consequences.” Additional footage released by the Justice Department shows Allen scouting the hotel the day before the dinner. He traveled from California to Washington, D.C., by train, arriving around 1:00 p.m. ET last Friday, according to the Justice Department. A manifesto posted minutes before the attack said Allen intended to target top Trump administration officials and was prepared to shoot any of the attendees or law enforcement officers who stood in his way.