On Tuesday, two Democratic congressmen, one of whom is seeking the U.S. Senate seat in his state, berated CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper in an obvious attempt to make a splash with their constituents and on social media. Massachusetts Congressman Seth Moulton, who is seeking the Senate seat currently held by hard-Left Ed Markey, started his attack by consistently insinuating that the US war on Iran was failing. “You keep using the term ‘significantly degraded,’” he said to Cooper. “Last summer, we were told that Iran’s nuclear weapons program was obliterated. Can you clarify the distinction between obliterated and significantly degraded?” When Cooper replied regarding the Iranian nuclear program, Moulton said patronizingly, “I’m not asking you to talk about the Iran nuclear program. I’m asking you to talk about the English language.” Moulton segued to asking Cooper about General William Westmoreland, who was vilified during the Vietnam War for speaking of body counts. “Admiral, are you familiar with General Westmoreland?” Moulton asked snidely. “I’m very familiar, Congressman,” Cooper replied. “He’s well known for talking about body counts,” Moulton declared. “Now, when I think about you and this war, I always think about how you always got up there and would say everything’s going according to plan.” Moulton mocked President Trump’s war effort, saying, “I will actually give you credit for regime change. I know that was part of the plan. You’ve replaced an 86-year-old in failing health with a fatwa against producing nuclear weapons with a more hardline guy in his 50s, who, in case he wasn’t hardline enough, he killed his immediate family. Was that part of the plan? Is that the regime change you wanted?” “Congressman, we were given very specific military objectives to degrade Iran’s power projection capability. That’s exactly what we did,” Cooper responded. “On March 5, you talked about how you built the most integrated air missile defense or air defense system in the Middle East. And yet, well into the war, you had to ask Ukraine for help with defenses against drones,” Moulton suggested. “That’s not accurate,” Cooper said tersely. Moulton then pirouetted away from that question to ask about oil prices. “What’s the plan now to actually win this war? Because it feels like we’re losing,” Moulton huffed a bit later. “We achieved all our military objectives. We’re presently in a ceasefire. We’re executing a blockade, and we’re prepared for a broad range of contingencies,” Cooper answered. Then Moulton descended into outright and complete malevolence, spitting, “I would like to know how many more Americans we have to ask to die for this mistake. Do you know?”   With dignity, Cooper replied, “I think it’s an entirely inappropriate statement from you, sir, with all due respect. With all due respect.” Moulton dodged, “It’s not a statement. It’s a question.” Rep. Seth Moulton spent 5 minutes trying to corner CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper today. “How many more Americans do we have to ask to die for this mistake?” “I think that’s an entirely inappropriate statement from you, sir.” pic.twitter.com/OpYR6SiUaG — Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) May 19, 2026 At the same hearing, Colorado Rep. Jason Crow attacked Cooper by consistently asking him if he would ever use the phrase “no quarter will be given,” a phrase formerly used by War Secretary Pete Hegseth when speaking of the military’s campaign against narco-terrorists. “The U. S. military follows the law,” Cooper replied, adding, “We will follow everything that’s in the law.” “Answer the question, Admiral Cooper,” Crow said. “You have tens of thousands of service members under your command. I literally just read a provision from the law of war manual, our own manual. Will you not just say what I just read to you?” When Cooper answered simply, “I will say that we will follow the law of armed conflict to the T,” Crow clutched his pearls, hyperventilating, “This is just unbelievable to me.” “I find the same thing, sir,” Cooper said calmly. “This is not leadership,” Crow said, about to evaporate. “This is not leadership.” Another Congressman trying to corner Admiral Brad Cooper. Seems they have a new strategy to go after America's non-political military leaders in order to attack President Trump. pic.twitter.com/2ENhlq868w — Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) May 19, 2026 Chairman Mike Rogers pointed out, “I want to make it clear that when a member is recognized, it is the member’s time. They can make a speech with their time if they want to. They can ask a question with their time if they want to. They can do a little of both. They can try to ask the witness leading questions. It does not mean the witness has to answer the way they want. The witness is in charge of their answers. The member may or may not like their answers, but you cannot compel the witness to give the answer you want them to give.” Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI), a retired Navy SEAL expressed his fury over the exchanges, saying: I think it’s wholly inappropriate to ask active duty members of the United States military to answer political questions because that’s not what you are here to do. And when my colleagues berate active duty members of the United States military to try to demand that they answer political questions, it’s wholly inappropriate, and it’s inexcusable. When we are seeking different offices than we are in currently, and we’re trying to make splashes for television, that’s what you get. Navy SEAL veteran and Rep. Derrick Van Orden blasted Democrat lawmakers for “berating” active-duty military officers during today’s Iran hearing. pic.twitter.com/PmJDSoxVln — Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) May 19, 2026

A Washington D.C. father who had to physically shield his children from a violent teen brawl inside a Chipotle says the incident left his family shaken, with his son telling him afterward, “I can’t unsee that.” Rafael Jauregui, an Air Force veteran and father of seven, was taking five of his children out for dinner after a Washington Nationals vs. Baltimore Orioles game on Saturday when a large fight erupted inside the restaurant, according to local reporting. Video of the chaos showed teens throwing punches and smashing chairs as customers scrambled for safety. A chaotic teen takeover turns violent inside a Washington, D.C. Chipotle. The group of teens can be seen throwing punches and hurling restaurant chairs and stools at one another as innocent bystanders huddle for safety in a corner of the restaurant. The incident comes just days… pic.twitter.com/HcHeOftGcf — Fox News (@FoxNews) May 18, 2026 “At that point, I tell the children, ‘get with me, get up, let’s start backing up,’” Jauregui told ABC7 News. “And then it was like an ambush.” Jauregui said the group “looked like ninjas, dressed in black, with ski masks,” as they flooded into the restaurant and began swinging chairs at one another. He said he and his children were forced into a corner while he scanned the crowd for weapons, relying on his military training to assess whether any of the teens were armed. He watched as the fight escalated into what U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro described Monday as a “takeover of a restaurant.” “It was not just violence occurring between individuals. It was simply destruction of property,” Pirro said during a press conference. “It was a takeover of a restaurant by individuals who felt like they could get away with it. Well, they’re not going to get away with it.” Pirro said the Federal Bureau of Investigation is now involved in identifying those responsible for the weekend melee, which broke out in the city’s Navy Yard neighborhood one day after she announced a new crackdown on juvenile crime. She vowed to prosecute not only the teens involved but, in some cases, their parents. “If you know where your teen is and what they are doing and allow them to continue their conduct and continue to allow them to flourish, we’re going to prosecute you,” Pirro said. Jauregui said he supports that approach, arguing the violence went far beyond teenagers “messing around.” “[I’m] in line with what the U.S. Attorney is trying to do,” he said. “This is next level. Where a dad can’t bring their kids to a Nats game and grab a bite after.” The father said his two sons helped shield their younger sisters during the chaos, but the emotional impact lingered after the family left. “My son said on the way home, ‘Papa, I can’t unsee that,’” Jauregui said. “Those individuals have now directly impacted my security, my life.” The incident is the latest in a string of so-called “teen takeovers” that have disrupted public spaces in Washington, as city officials face growing pressure to rein in youth violence ahead of major national celebrations planned in the capital this summer.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) may have ended the political aspirations of San Francisco’s favorite gay liberal when she weighed in Monday on the race to fill her soon-to-be-vacated seat in Congress. Pelosi chose to back City Supervisor Connie Chan over state Senator Scott Wiener and tech entrepreneur Saikat Chakrabarti ahead of the June 2 primary, the latter of whom previously worked for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez but failed to snag her endorsement in the race. WATCH: BREAKING: Nancy Pelosi endorses SF Supervisor Connie Chan to succeed her in Congress, saying Chan “stands above” all the other candidates. The Speaker Emerita’s backing is one of the most coveted in San Francisco politics. Pelosi has held the seat for nearly 40 years. pic.twitter.com/9osp5FpboM — Monica Madden (@themonicamadden) May 18, 2026 “I know and love this district, I know the Congress, and I know Connie. I’m proud to endorse Democrat Connie Chan and ask you to join me in electing her to Congress,” Pelosi said, appearing alongside Chan in a video endorsement. Pelosi followed that with an additional statement, adding, “Connie understands San Francisco — our values, our diversity, our communities, and our responsibility to lead with both compassion and strength. She’s a mom who knows her power and knows her why. I am confident Connie is ready to bring clarity and purpose to the work ahead — For The Children.” But Pelosi’s choice appears to have left some scratching their heads. Wiener, who has consistently polled as the top contender, represents a State Senate district that overlaps substantially with Pelosi’s Congressional District — but several reports suggest that Pelosi’s issues with Wiener are more personal than political. It’s been no secret, for example, that the openly gay senator has been waiting for the 20-term congresswoman to retire so that he could make the move to the U.S. House. He also may have angered the former House Speaker more recently when, knowing that her daughter Christine Pelosi was eyeing a run at his state senate seat, Wiener opted not to resign his seat while running for Congress. “Nancy Pelosi hates Scott Wiener on a personal level, and Saikat tried to unseat her; she’s trying to settle scores. The idea that this means Connie Chan is some kind of insider trading mega Zionist is silly. Pelosi also endorsed a DSA candidate. San Francisco is weird!” comedian Kate Willett observed, adding, “Pelosi hates the creepy SF tech bro sh*t Wiener embodies more than she hates having the odd progressive in power. She loved what San Francisco was. She resents her beautiful, gay city being turned into an incel fiefdom.” While some more moderate Democrats have voiced concern over Chan’s far-left positions on many issues, Wiener’s legacy in California may be more troubling. He has consistently supported laws like California’s transgender shield laws, creating a sanctuary state for those seeking cross-sex hormones and sex-change surgeries, and mandating that foster families recognize and accommodate trans-identifying children in their care. He was also behind a push to reduce the mandatory sentence guidelines for people who knowingly exposed others to HIV. Wiener also sparked backlash when he, as co-chair of the California Jewish Caucus, accused Israel of “committing genocide” in Gaza. A recent campaign event featured a drag queen pig in frilly pink attire singing, “Scott Wiener is a girl’s best friend.” Creepy Scott Wiener campaign event featured drag queens including one mocking women while dressed as a pig singing “Wiener is a girl’s best friend” in front of kids This is one the most disgusting things I’ve ever seen pic.twitter.com/Ceaz5oSWfT — Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) May 18, 2026 Pelosi’s endorsement is likely to open the donor floodgates for Chan, who has been trailing Wiener in terms of cash on hand, and should give her a much-needed boost in the polls as well.

The Justice Department is actively investigating Somali-born Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) for immigration fraud over allegations that she married her brother, Vice President JD Vance said on Tuesday. Vance, who is leading President Donald Trump’s crackdown on fraud, was answering a question from Daily Caller White House reporter Reagan Reese, who asked about a possible indictment against Omar. “I don’t want to prejudge an investigation. I mean, you read the things about Ilhan Omar and about who she married and whether she didn’t marry this person or that person. It certainly seems like something fishy is there,” Vance said during a White House press conference. “If we think that there’s a crime, we’re going to prosecute that crime, and that’s something the Department of Justice is looking at right now,” he said. Omar is accused of marrying her brother in order for him to secure a green card. President Donald Trump himself has advocated for the Minnesota lawmaker to be “thrown out of the country.” The federal government can denaturalize foreign-born individuals if they commit fraud as part of the immigration process, though the Justice Department has not publicly confirmed Vance’s claim that it is investigating Omar. Omar came to the United States as a refugee in 1995 and secured her citizenship in 2000 at 17 years old. Omar married British citizen Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, whom some allege is her biological brother, in 2009. The pair reportedly separated in 2011 and divorced in 2017. It was Omar’s second marriage. Omar married Ahmed Hirsi in a religious ceremony in 2002, but the union was never legally recognized. She claimed to have split from Hirsi in 2008. The couple reconciled just months after Omar’s split from Elmi. Omar has called allegations that she married her brother “absurd and offensive.” A spokesperson for Omar didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on Vance’s announcement. In March, Vance said Omar “definitely committed immigration fraud against the United States of America” and said that the Trump administration intended to “go after her.” “We actually think that Ilhan Omar definitely committed immigration fraud against the United States of America,” Vance said at the time. “And I talked to [Trump adviser] Stephen Miller about this recently, we’re trying to look at what the remedies are.” “What are the legal remedies now that we know she’s committed immigration fraud? How do you go after her? How do you investigate her? How do you build the case necessary to get some justice for the American people?” Vance added. The vice president also said that a spotlight is on Omar for her alleged ties to “a lot of the worst fraudsters in the Somali community” in Minneapolis.