Horace Sheffield III endorsed Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed on his radio show last week and urged listeners to make “5 and 10 phone calls” to help him in the Aug. 4 primary against Rep. Haley Stevens. Sheffield is the pastor of New Destiny Christian Fellowship and host of “The Wake-Up Call” on FaithTalk 101.5 FM. Campaign finance records show El-Sayed’s campaign made 10 payments of $7,500 each to Ecumenical Ministers Alliance, totaling $75,000, between Oct. 21 and June 1. The payments were listed as “political consulting.” Sheffield incorporated the nonprofit in 2010. It is registered to his home address. Sheffield has publicly supported El-Sayed several times without publicly disclosing the payments. During a Dec. 6 appearance on his show, he endorsed the candidate and pledged to put his “full force of soldiers” behind him. In a June 20 video filmed at El-Sayed’s campaign headquarters, Sheffield said he expected El-Sayed to beat Stevens. The nonprofit itself endorsed El-Sayed last month. El-Sayed said he was “deeply honored” by the endorsement and features it on his campaign website. In 2018, Sheffield faced a similar situation. He was suspended from WFDF after endorsing Shri Thanedar for governor while Thanedar’s campaign was paying his nonprofit tens of thousands of dollars for consulting work. WFDF owner John Adell pointed to FCC equal-time rules. Sheffield later said, “I won’t be involved in any more campaigns.” Records from that year show three other Michigan candidates — Kevin Robbins, Tracy Green, and Terra Defoe — each paid the nonprofit $750 listed as “endorsement fees.” Sheffield is the father of Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield and serves as president of the Michigan chapter of the National Action Network. He has referred to Al Sharpton as a longtime friend. In 2024, the Free Beacon reported that Kamala Harris’s campaign paid $500,000 to Sharpton’s National Action Network shortly before she appeared on his MSNBC program. A spokeswoman for Salem Media, which owns FaithTalk 101.5 FM, said: “We completely reject the endorsement of Abdul El-Sayed made during this paid programming. Pastor Horace Sheffield is not a Salem Media employee and has no affiliation with Salem Media other than purchasing airtime for his independently produced program. Salem Media is supporting Mike Rogers for U.S. Senate, and the views expressed during this paid program do not reflect the views of our company.” In last week’s interview, Sheffield echoed El-Sayed’s arguments against corporate PAC money and in favor of Medicare for All. He described Stevens as “the person who is running” and claimed she “has never been seen” in Detroit. Polling shows Stevens ahead by 46 points among black voters in Michigan. Sheffield closed one segment by saying, “Lord, help this man win.” El-Sayed responded, “You can’t buy authenticity.”

The U.S. military is weighing new restrictions on cellphone use for some American troops serving in the Middle East amid concerns that Iran is using publicly available social media posts to evaluate the effectiveness of its missile and drone strikes. Some U.S. service members deployed in Jordan have been told they could be required to surrender their phones in the coming days. Reuters reported that two sources familiar with the matter said some troops had been told their phones would be confiscated, while a third source said military officials are also considering broader cellphone restrictions across the region because of operational security concerns. Those wider restrictions have not been confirmed. The discussions emerged as fighting between the United States and Iran has escalated. On Wednesday, President Donald Trump vowed an intentional response after Iran launched strikes targeting U.S. troops in Jordan, saying the United States would “beat the f*cking sh*t out of” Iran. U.S. Central Command confirmed that CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper recently sent an internal message to service members emphasizing operational security. CENTCOM declined to release the message publicly. “The message is a general reminder to our service members on the importance of maintaining operational security,” CENTCOM spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins stated. “This is one of many opportunities Admiral Cooper has used to convey operational priorities.” A Defense Department official also declined to comment to Fox News whether troops had been ordered to surrender their phones or whether additional restrictions were under consideration, saying CENTCOM does not discuss force protection tactics or techniques for operational security reasons. Cooper warned that publicly available information, including social media posts, news reports,, and audio/ video footage, can help Iran determine where its missiles and drones landed. “The direct, unavoidable cost of this open-source intelligence could be measured in the lives of American service members,” Cooper reportedly wrote. Cooper reportedly cited footage uploaded online after Iran’s July 17 attack on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan. The attack killed Pvt. Isabella Gonzales and fatally wounded 1st Lt. Tyler Feehan. Sgt. Angel Rampersad is also believed to have been killed. One video, recorded through a service member’s Meta smart glasses, showed troops rushing to shelter and documented the route the individual took while evacuating. According to Fox News, Cooper warned that publicly available footage can help reveal whether Iranian strikes hit populated facilities, struck empty areas, or missed altogether. Rules mitigating personal cellphone usage already differ across the military. Personal devices are prohibited during sensitive missions and inside classified facilities, while many service members stationed at established overseas bases are still permitted to keep and use their phones. Cooper’s warning is separate from concerns brought in June about commercially available cellular location data. CENTCOM previously told lawmakers it had received “multiple threat reports concerning adversary exploitation of commercial location data to target or surveil U.S. personnel in theater.” A bipartisan group led by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Rep. Pat Harrigan (R-NC), later urged the Pentagon to strengthen protections against that threat, warning that commercially available location data could be used to identify military installations, monitor troop movements, or track individual service members.

Comedy legend John Cleese went scorched earth on the mass immigration — particularly of Muslims — in Britain, declaring via X that he is not “a racist,” but rather “a culturalist.” Cleese, a regular critic of President Donald Trump, has recently thrown his weight behind Restore Britain, an emerging right-wing party that is focused on addressing the impact of “mass immigration, economic collapse, woke ideology, and the relentless creep of radical Islam.” The “Monty Python” alum responded to a poll asking whether he was best described as a “true British patriot” or a “racist who hate[s] Muslims” — and he said that the problem was not with any race, but with cultures that were incompatible with Western values. I’m not a racist. I’m a culturalist I believe some cultures are superior to others For example, I prefer cultures that do not encourage wife beating, paedophilia, clitorectomies, stoning and constant inflation of the male ego I am also aware of the difference between… https://t.co/WNCRrzQvZi — John Cleese (@JohnCleese) July 30, 2026 “I’m not a racist. I’m a culturalist,” Cleese declared. “I believe some cultures are superior to others.” “For example, I prefer cultures that do not encourage wife beating, paedophilia, clitorectomies, stoning and constant inflation of the male ego,” he added. “I am also aware of the difference between Islamoscepticism and Islamophobia,” he continued. “Notice that hate does not come into this — only moral preferences.” On Thursday, Cleese reposted a clip on X from GB News in which Britain’s Defense Secretary Wes Streeting admitted that there was no way for him to guarantee that known terrorists had not already entered Britain via small boats crossing the English Channel.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently stated a plain truth that too many have ignored: the first duty of any government is to protect its people. Yet for years, many of our institutions have maintained a shameful blind spot when it comes to far-left violence. They dismissed riots as “mostly peaceful protests” while cities burned. They excused firebombs, assaults, and political intimidation so long as they were wrapped in the language of “justice” or “equity.” This is not an abstract threat. Secretary Rubio pointed to victims across the West: a 72-year-old Greek grandmother burned alive, an arson attack that left tens of thousands of Berlin homes without power, leading to the death of an 83-year-old woman, and a young Frenchman beaten to death in Lyon. In recent days, authorities launched a terrorism investigation after 78-year-old former Conservative cabinet minister and Reform UK spokeswoman Ann Widdecombe was brutally bludgeoned to death, suffering 21 blows from a hammer. Here in America, we’ve witnessed sniper attacks on Border Patrol agents, execution-style murders, multiple assassination attempts against President Trump, and the heartbreaking killing of Charlie Kirk, a husband and father who was gunned down while speaking to students. These are not statistics. They are shattered families and lives cut short. Too often, prominent Democrats have fueled this climate with reckless rhetoric. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) famously urged supporters to confront members of the Trump administration in public, telling crowds they should make them feel unwelcome “anywhere.” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) stood on the steps of the Supreme Court and warned Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh that they had “released the whirlwind” and would “pay the price.” These incendiary remarks are not just relegated to the past, but are ongoing calls to action from Democrat leadership. Anti-law enforcement rhetoric has polluted even the highest levels of Democrat leadership, with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) just this past week referring to ICE as “Donald Trump’s violent mass deportation machine,” and in April stating that  “We are in an era of maximum warfare, everywhere, all the time.” That is not the language of civil disagreement. When national leaders normalize rhetoric that casts political opponents as enemies, they do not calm tensions — they inflame them. Just this past Monday, Andrew Arrabaca, “a man described as an ‘anti-government extremist’ set off an ‘incendiary device’ to set a fire outside a Manhattan federal building that houses an immigration court.” Arrabaca proudly said he was OK with hurting or killing people and was found with anti-ICE literature. Today, that hostility has become institutionalized through efforts like “Project 2029,” a sweeping progressive agenda that proposes dramatically expanding executive authority and bypassing Congress to advance its objectives. At the same time, in addition to smears of “fascism,” leading Democrats have repeatedly described conservatives as an “existential threat to democracy.” When political opponents are portrayed as enemies of the republic, it should surprise no one that unstable individuals feel justified in resorting to violence. This pattern extends far beyond the United States. Slogans such as “Punch a Nazi” and “by any means necessary” have become cultural rallying cries. Mainstream conservatives, churchgoers, parents at school board meetings, and anyone who dissents from progressive orthodoxy are routinely portrayed as extremists. Major media outlets, academia, Hollywood, and influential advocacy organizations reinforce this narrative every day. When people are repeatedly told their neighbors are evil, some eventually decide violence is justified. These extremists cannot build; they can only destroy. They target power grids, pipelines, schools, police officers, and public institutions because they seek to undermine the very foundations of a free society. They despise what America represents because it stands for opportunity, liberty, and individual responsibility. Enough is enough. I stand with President Trump, Secretary Rubio, and every nation willing to confront political violence wherever it originates. We must dismantle violent transnational extremist networks, Antifa, anarchists, and their foreign enablers through stronger intelligence sharing, aggressive prosecution of criminal acts, defunding violent organizations, and securing our borders. The civilized world is watching. Our children are watching. We have a duty to defend the values that built this country and ensure future generations inherit a nation where families can live in safety and freedom. The old double standard is dead. May God give us the courage and the fortitude to meet that responsibility. *** Congressman Mike Rulli represents Ohio’s 6th Congressional District.

Believe it or not, we are now a decade removed from the summer of 2016. If you’re a liberal, you’re probably used to thinking back to these halcyon days, when everyone was talking about Pokémon Go and a Hillary Clinton victory was in the bag. If you’re reading this site, you’ve probably moved on — and rightly so. But anniversaries warrant nostalgia, this one in particular. Because even if you cheered Donald Trump’s victory, you can’t deny that the home stretch of the 2016 presidential campaign was wild. It’s okay if you forgot — a lot has happened since. So here, in no particular order, are the seven craziest moments from the 2016 presidential campaign.   “What Is Aleppo?” Former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson never really had a chance at the White House. But there was a brief moment where many fooled themselves into believing Americans might elect the good-natured Libertarian Party nominee. That changed in the early hours of September 8, 2016, when “Morning Joe” panelist Mike Barnicle asked Johnson what he would do about Aleppo, the destroyed Syrian city that became an epicenter of the migration crisis during that country’s civil war in the 2010s. “And what is Aleppo?” a visibly perplexed Johnson asked. “You’re kidding,” the equally shocked MSNBC host replied. Upon being told what Aleppo was, Johnson confidently offered his solution — work with Russia to sort things out. It really was a different time.   The Libertarian Debate Speaking of libertarians, they really had a moment in 2016. They had a number of debates, including two at their nominating convention. There, things got … interesting. The question from the audience: should you need a license to drive a car? The response from the candidates: absolutely deranged. “Hell no!” shouts one. “What’s next, requiring a license to make toast in your own damn toaster?!” roared another, in the midst of what appears to be some kind of rheumatic fit. Only Johnson had the gall to defend drivers’ licenses, a sin for which he was roundly booed by the presumably unwashed crowd.   Carly Fiorina Singing Ted Cruz, in a last-ditch effort to save his campaign, announced to the world that, if elected, he would tap former HP executive and Republican presidential hopeful Carly Fiorina as his running mate. It was a real Hail Mary, likely doomed to fail. But what little chance the gambit had of succeeding died moments after it was announced, murdered by Fiorina’s decision to sing at the rally. I’m not kidding when I say I remember exactly where I was when I saw this clip for the first time, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it for a decade. I still don’t know what to make of it, or how to describe it. Please, just watch the clip. Join me. Jeb Bush’s $75 Guacamole Bowl There are three defining moments of Jeb Bush’s campaign: the Jeb! signs, the original Trump nickname (“low energy Jeb”) and the infamous clip of Bush asking a crowd to “please clap,” an unanswered plea that seemed to confirm Trump’s read on the former Florida governor. Bush almost certainly wasn’t thrilled about these moments at the time, but he may be grateful that they overshadowed another swing and miss. I’m talking about the Guaca Bowl-E. For $75, Jebutantes could purchase an unmarked stone guacamole bowl from the campaign website. That’s right — unmarked. Just a bowl. “Jeb and Columba love whipping up guacamole on Sunday Funday,” read the description on the campaign website. “Now, you can get in on the action with this “Guaca Bowle.” Jeb’s secret guacamole recipe not included … yet.” Please clap.   Jim Webb Killed A Guy Remember Jim Webb? It’s okay, me neither. He was Secretary of the Navy under Ronald Reagan and Senator from Virginia before Tim Kaine. He was also, if you can believe it, a Democratic presidential candidate in 2016. It’s a shame no one remembers his campaign, because it was honestly kind of based. He criticized Obamacare. He said “all lives matter.” And, during one of the Democratic primary debates, he casually mentioned that he killed a guy in ‘Nam. At the end of the debate, CNN’s Anderson Cooper asked the candidates which enemies they were the most proud of making. Hillary gave an early version of her later “basket of deplorables” comment, which didn’t get much traction at the time — likely because, I cannot stress enough, Jim Webb talked about killing a guy. “I would have to say the enemy soldier that threw the grenade that wounded me but he’s not around right now to talk to,” said Webb. If you want to know more about the incident, you can read the short story Webb published on it in Politico. I wish I was kidding.   Martin O’Malley’s Campaign Announcement Oh my God, he plays the guitar?! Can’t believe he didn’t get the nomination. There’s really nothing else to say about Martin O’Malley, who dropped out after getting less than one percent of votes at the Iowa Caucus and went on to do corruption as head of the Social Security Administration under Joe Biden. He was like watered-down Howard Dean? His two biggest endorsements in 2016 were Eric Swalwell and the Dropkick Murphys? Who cares.   The Last Funny Political SNL Sketch Let me be clear: I’m not saying this sketch is unbiased, or that it’s laugh-out-loud funny all the time. But watch this and tell me it’s not funnier than any political sketch Saturday Night Live has put out since. It’s embarrassing for them, really, because it shows that they can make fun of their chosen candidate when they’re certain they’re going to win. Alec Baldwin’s first appearance as Trump is exaggerated, of course, but pretty funny — not moralizing, still fresh, and the bit about kissing Sean Hannity is great. But more importantly, they make fun of Hillary! They make fun of her for being unlikable, phony, and power hungry. They make fun of her arrogance and overly-rehearsed debate performance and awkward attempts to be relatable. It’s insane that just a month after this aired, Kate McKinnon sang Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” in the show’s least funny cold open ever. It’s all been downhill from there.   BONUS: Normie Trump To be fair, this was in 2019. But it’s so crazy it feels like it should have been from 2016.