Sports journalist Stephen A. Smith, a Democrat who nonetheless sometimes espouses perspectives at odds with the Democratic Party, slammed Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) for participating in a video calling for military servicemembers to defy unlawful orders from their superiors. Last week, a group of six Democrats, comprised of two senators and four members of the House, released an incendiary video in which they encouraged members of the military and intelligence community to disobey illegal orders they receive from the Trump administration. Sens. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ), along with Reps. Chris Deluzio (D-PA), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), Maggie Goodlander (D-NH), and Jason Crow (D-CO), all former members of the military, encouraged military members to “refuse illegal orders.” “The administration is pitting our uniformed military and intelligence community professionals against American citizens,” the Democrat lawmakers claimed. “Like us, you all swore an oath to protect and defend the Constitution, right now.” The Democrats accused the Trump administration of disrespecting constitutional guardrails, continuing, “The threats to our Constitution aren’t just coming from abroad, but from right here at home.” Right now, DailyWire+ annual memberships are fifty percent off during our Black Friday sale. Join now at dailywire.com/blackfriday. “Our laws are clear: You can refuse illegal orders,” they pronounced, reiterating, “You can refuse illegal orders. You must refuse illegal orders. No one has to carry out orders that violate the law or our Constitution.” Smith targeted Kelly, saying, “Respectfully, senator, what the hell are you doing looking into the camera and telling military men and women to ignore the commander-in-chief? How dare you? How dare you do that? That’s right, I’m calling it out.” “I never served in the military,” he continued. “That’s true. I have family members who did. Some of my best friends have, Marines, Air Force, Navy, Army. I haven’t heard one of them, not one of them, say that was okay. How dare you do that?” “Is it treason? No. Is it punishable by death? It shouldn’t be,” he said, in an apparent reference to President Donald Trump’s response to the video. “So the answer is no. But you know better, Senator Kelly. You know better! How dare you do that?! What are you supposed to do? You are a ranking senator. You could go to the Senate, you could go to the House, you could put up — draw up paperwork, you could try to start articles of impeachment if you think there’s something illegal.” “I mean, damn, it ain’t like y’all haven’t done it before,” he pointed out. “You impeached the man twice. Where did that get you? Guy is behind, back in the White House. Had you left him alone in 2016 and 2020, maybe he wouldn’t be back terrorizing the Democratic Party the way that he is. But you did it! You did it! And here you are again with this nonsense. How dare you do that? I’m not a military person, and I know better than that! You don’t tell military men and women to ignore an order from the commander-in-chief. You don’t do that.”

In the wake of the shooting of two members of the National Guard in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, United States Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro made it clear that if either one of the two — who are currently in critical condition — do not survive, the federal government will seek charges of murder in the first degree against the suspect, making him eligible for the death penalty. Speaking at a press conference Thursday morning, Pirro stated, “We’re working very closely with our partners, especially DHS and the FBI, to review his immigration history and the vetting process itself. What we know about him is that he drove his vehicle across the country from the state of Washington with the intended target of coming to our nation’s capital.” “As we stand here today, the charges that are appropriate right now are three counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, a violation of DC code 22–401 and DC code 22–4502,” she continued. “He will also be charged with possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. He faces 15 years under assault with the intent to kill. We intend to continue monitoring what the charges will be, depending upon the well-being of the guardsmen. We are praying that they survive and that the highest charge will not have to be murder in the first degree.” Right now, DailyWire+ annual memberships are fifty percent off during our Black Friday sale. Join now at dailywire.com/blackfriday. “But make no mistake,” she declared. “If they do not, that will certainly be the charge: murder in the first degree. The Department of Justice under Attorney General Pam Bondi is committed to a thorough and impartial investigation where we will hold this perpetrator accountable under the full weight of the law.” “Our nation’s capital should not and must not be a place where evil comes to commit violence, whatever their cause or motive may be,” she asserted. “We should not have to live in fear in the nation’s capital, especially by one who came here from a foreign country through a process that was so absurd that he came through and released into this country as many were, knowing virtually nothing about his vetting. This is what happens in this country when people are allowed in who are not properly vetted.” She offered a tribute to law enforcement: “These guardsmen and all who were here to protect the district are the line that separates a civilized society from a barbaric one. They are the ones who stand for law and order. This was not just an attack. It was a direct challenge to law and order in our nation’s capital and the individual will be made fully accountable.” “Though it seems that we have been here before, under President Trump make no mistake and the attorney general: We will not allow this to be normalized. It will be confronted, condemned and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Now my message to the individual who committed these acts is you picked the wrong target, the wrong city and the wrong country and you will be sorry for the violence and the evil that you perpetrated in our nation’s capital,” she concluded.

Thanksgiving used to be the day America took a deep breath. Before the Christmas rush, before the end-of-year chaos, far from the noise of politics, we had one day carved out in the calendar to pause and give thanks. It was our national reset button. And if there is anything this country needs in 2025, more than another round of outrage or another podcast argument, it is a reset. We complain about America more than ever. Some of that is healthy. Debate sharpens ideas. Debate is what the Founders built us for. But there is a difference between debating and despising, between improving and destroying. Somewhere along the way, the loudest voices in our culture stopped sharpening and started tearing down. Look at the people we rely on for leadership and guidance. So many of them make a living by telling us what is wrong with America. They can recite every failure, every flaw, every imperfection. But ask them to explain what is still good here, what is worth defending, what deserves celebration, and the conversation suddenly dries up. Gratitude has become rare. Optimism has become suspicious. Thankfulness has become countercultural. All the while, hate has become the new business model. But gratitude is the very thing that built this country. You do not get rid of darkness by yelling at it. You get rid of darkness by turning on a light. The Pilgrims understood this. They buried half their community the first winter, but their instinct was thanksgiving. They held a feast not because everything was perfect, but because God had carried them through. Hardship did not cancel gratitude. Hardship grew it. That spirit shaped every American generation that followed. Gratitude kept families together during the Great Depression. Gratitude sent young men to Europe and the Pacific to defeat tyranny. Gratitude hung flags on every porch after 9/11. Our nation has never been perfect, but it has always been grateful. That is why it endured. And this is why our modern crisis is not simply political. It is spiritual. We have lost the ability to see the good in front of us. Real conservative leadership builds instead of destroys. Conservatives build families, communities, churches, businesses, movements, and nations. And you cannot build without a foundation. America has the strongest foundation of any nation in history. The most durable constitution. The freest markets. The widest path for upward mobility. The broadest protection of religious liberty. And the revolutionary truth that our rights come from God, not government. This deserves not just defense but celebration. Thanksgiving is our reminder that gratitude is not naïve. Gratitude is protective. Gratitude gives clarity. Gratitude strengthens the nation that embraces it. We are eighteen months away from the 250th anniversary of the United States. Very few nations reach this milestone with their founding documents intact. Even fewer do so with the same core ideals. While other nations rewrote themselves or collapsed under their own weight, America remains. But instead of preparing for a national celebration, we have become experts in diagnosing flaws and blind to blessings. Critique has a place. But critique without gratitude becomes entitlement. Critique without perspective becomes narcissism. Critique without light becomes darkness. Thanksgiving is the antidote. And it is time to remember the things we should be unapologetically thankful for. America has the strongest military on earth. America has the most charitable citizens in the world. America is the number one destination for people seeking freedom. America leads the planet in medical breakthroughs and cures. America produces more food and more energy than any nation in history. America sends more missionaries around the world than all other nations combined. America is still the safest, freest, most opportunity-rich place to raise a family anywhere on earth. The good news is that Americans still want gratitude more than gloom. The numbers prove it. Bible sales in the United States are up 11% in the first nine months of 2025 compared to the same period last year, according to the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association. Volunteerism has also rebounded after the pandemic slump. The latest Census Bureau report shows that 28.3% of Americans — about 75.7 million people — volunteered with organizations between September 2022 and September 2023, up from 23.2% in 2021. Gallup finds that Americans are increasingly embracing larger families, with 45% now saying that three or more children is ideal, the highest number recorded since 1971. Even charitable giving is rising. Giving USA reports total donations grew to $592.5 billion in 2024, an increase of 5.5%. All of this demonstrates that the country actually wants gratitude and generosity. The evidence is right there. We just have people in the way who profit from telling us the opposite. This is why Thanksgiving matters now more than ever. It invites us to disconnect from the noise and reconnect with what is real. And maybe this is the reminder America needs most: you cannot break bread on social media. You cannot share a meal in a comment section. You cannot hug your family between Instagram stories. You cannot laugh until your stomach hurts while doomscrolling. Gratitude happens around real tables with real people. This Thanksgiving, I’m going to break bread. Hug my family. Hold hands during grace. Tell stories. Let my kids stay up late. Laugh until the turkey comes up. Watch football with people I love. Build memories no algorithm can fake. I encourage others to, for one day, return to the things that built this country, the things worth defending. America is divided. Politics is exhausting. The culture feels chaotic. But Thanksgiving cuts through all of that. It brings us back to the basics. It reminds us that a nation built by grateful people will only be restored by grateful people. So, take the day to give thanks, not just for your family or your blessings but for your country. For all our flaws, for all our disagreements, for all our imperfections, America is still the greatest story of human freedom ever written. And gratitude might be the most patriotic act left in America today. Gates Garcia is the host of the YouTube show and podcast “We The People.” Follow him on Instagram and X @GatesGarciaFL. The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

We all have our morning routines. For some, it might be a nice glass of water or a cup of coffee. Others like to get their bodies moving with a bit of exercise. Others opt for prayer and meditation. No matter what kind of morning person you are, having a routine brings a bit of comfort. Pope Leo XIV also has a regular morning routine. And, no, it’s not just going to Mass or saying a rosary. We’re sure he makes time for those things, too, but the Holy Father admitted he’s a game guy. In a stunning development, Pope Leo XIV reveals that he uses a different starting word for Wordle every day. pic.twitter.com/WYYYOZ0BwS— Christopher Hale (@chrisjollyhale) November 21, 2025 Pope Leo XIV Shared His Secret During A Special Meeting Pope Leo, a native of Chicago and the first American pope, spoke via video conference for a group of youth. He told attendees at the National Catholic Youth Conference, an annual Catholic conference in Indianapolis, that he loves to play Wordle. According to the Associated Press, that’s not the big news. The pope’s brother, John Prevost, shared that they pair love the New York Times game, but there’s more to it than just playing. If you’re a Wordle player, you likely have a strategy that involves certain letters on the starting word. The pontiff’s strategy might surprise you. “I use a different word for Wordle every day, so there’s no set starting word,” he said during a question-and-answer session. We can’t lie, that one shocked us. We have to use the same words over and over, or we get confused. Perhaps it helps to have the big guy rooting for you every time you play. Pope Loe also took the time to address technology in our world and the best way to embrace it. “I encourage you to follow the example of Carlo Acutis,” Leo said. “Be intentional with your screen time. Make sure technology serves your life and not the other way around.” This story’s featured image is by ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images.

'Processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals is stopped indefinitely'

'Without a safe, sturdy spot, I'm not entirely sure what's going to come next'

thanks to God