Trump, Zelenskyy meet in Rome — Ukrainian leader takes to social media after
President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met face-to-face for the first time since their infamous Oval Office spat in February. They were attending Pope Francis’ funeral in Rome, though it is unclear exactly when they met.
Neither Ukrainian nor White House officials gave many details on the meeting; however, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said the leaders had “a very productive discussion.”
ZELENSKYY SPEAKS OUT AFTER PUBLIC SPAT WITH TRUMP, VANCE, SAYS DUSTUP ‘BAD FOR BOTH SIDES’
Zelenskyy later tweeted that the meeting was “very symbolic” and could potentially be “historic.”
In February, Zelenskyy abruptly left the White House after getting into an argument with Trump and Vice President JD Vance. Zelenskyy later told Fox News chief political anchor Bret Baier on “Special Report” that the incident was “bad for both sides.”
This meeting comes as peace talks between Russia and Ukraine appear to be at a standstill with Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin making competing demands.
“A good day in talks and meetings with Russia and Ukraine. They are very close to a deal, and the two sides should now meet, at very high levels, to ‘finish it off.’ Most of the major points are agreed to. Stop the bloodshed, NOW. We will be wherever is necessary to help facilitate the END to this cruel and senseless war,” Trump wrote on Truth Social after arriving in Rome on Saturday.
TRUMP SAYS ‘INFLAMMATORY’ ZELENSKYY STATEMENT ON CRIMEA PROLONGS WAR WITH RUSSIA
Trump has criticized both leaders in separate posts on Truth Social. On Thursday, Trump demanded Putin “stop” strikes on Kyiv and said he was “not happy” with the Kremlin for continuing attacks on Ukraine. The day before, on Wednesday, Trump blasted Zelenskyy after he said that Ukraine would not recognize Russian control over Crimea, which Putin invaded in 2014.
Putin so far has rejected several U.S. proposals for a peace deal, but the White House remains optimistic about Trump’s ability to end the war.
TRUMP TELLS PUTIN ‘STOP’ AFTER DEADLY RUSSIAN STRIKES ON KYIV
“This war is endable. Both sides just have to agree to it,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday. He also said there were “good meetings over the weekend,” which were presumably focused on ending the conflict.
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Trump has said that he is sticking to his own “deadline” for achieving peace and added that he believes there is “a very good chance of getting [a deal] done.”
“This is not normal.”
Those words from Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., are undeniably true after the arrest of Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan. However, the reason it is not normal is far more debatable. Dugan is accused of becoming a lawbreaker in seeking to obstruct an effort to arrest a man wanted by federal authorities. If true, that is manifestly not “normal.”
As soon as the news of the arrest was reported, Democrats declared another constitutional crisis. Klobuchar added that the arrest “is a drastic move threatening the rule of law” and a “grave step and undermines our system of checks and balances.”
That is a curious claim unless Klobuchar believes that the officers are lying. If not, Klobuchar is suggesting that a judge should not be held accountable for actively shielding a wanted person and facilitating their evasion of law enforcement.
Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., also condemned Dugan’s arrest, stating, “If [FBI Director] Kash Patel and Donald Trump don’t like a judge, they think they can arrest them. This is stunning — we must stand up to this blatant power grab. Republicans: How is this not a red line for you?”
Yet, what is the “red line” for judges if the allegations are true? This judge is accused of conduct that has resulted in charges for other citizens. The judicial robe is not some form of invisibility cloak that allows judges to engage in alleged criminal acts.
The Wisconsin media is reporting:
Sources have told the Journal Sentinel that ICE officials arrived in Dugan’s courtroom on the morning of April 18. When they went to the chief judge’s office, Dugan directed the defendant and his attorney to a side door in the courtroom, directed them down a private hallway and into the public area on the 6th floor.
If true, that would be an active effort to help the suspect elude police who were carrying out a lawful function.
The judicial robe is not some form of invisibility cloak that allows judges to engage in alleged criminal acts.
According to the criminal complaint, Ruiz allegedly attacked three individuals after an altercation with his roommate about playing loud music. Flores-Ruiz allegedly struck his roommate approximately 30 times with a closed fist and then attacked his girlfriend and a third person. Some of the injuries required hospital treatment.
The evasion of police at the courthouse required officers to chase down Ruiz, which could have resulted in a more serious confrontation on the street.
This is not the first time that a judge has been accused of participating in or directing such obstruction.
I previously wrote about the case of Massachusetts judge Shelley M. Richmond Joseph who was charged with allegedly helping an illegal immigrant evade ICE agents in April 2018. Joseph and court officer Wesley MacGregor were charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice, obstruction of justice, aiding and abetting and obstruction of a federal proceeding.
I was critical of the handling of the case. While Joseph was suspended for three years, charges were dropped in 2022 during the Biden Administration.
The Dugan case occurred at the same time that a New Mexico judge was arrested for harboring an unlawful immigrant and an alleged TdA gang member.
Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge Joel Cano and his wife were arrested on Thursday. Notably, Cano reportedly admitted to officers that he smashed the phone of Cristhian Ortega-Lopez after the 23-year-old was arrested in a raid at the judge’s home.
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As I said on Fox News Channel last night, I am perplexed by Democrats rushing to denounce the arrest of Dugan before we know whether these allegations are supported. If she escorted the suspect to a non-public door to facilitate his escape, that conduct is a shocking abandonment of judicial ethics. She can certainly use her authority to address matters properly before her in the form of judicial orders, but actively assisting in an escape is well beyond the pale.
I have often criticized the reckless rhetoric directed against judges, including those who have ruled against the Trump administration. We need to maintain our civility and respect as we work through these often difficult questions.
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However, that works both ways. Judges have to reinforce respect for the judiciary in their own conduct. That includes showing restraint and respect in relation to the countervailing powers of the Executive Branch. It certainly includes avoiding actions that could be viewed as unethical or even criminal in resisting this administration.
That is also a “red line.”
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CEO forced to shut down store amid battle over massive American flags
Camping World CEO Marcus Lemonis has said he’s been forced to shutter one of his stores in North Carolina amid a heated legal battle about his massive American flags flying at his stores.
Lemonis told WITN this week that he closed the smaller of his two RV dealerships in Greenville on April 18 accusing council members of actively trying to disparage his business for refusing to take down the giant flags.
City leaders in Greenville, North Carolina, voted to take legal action against the flags in March since they violate city ordinances and Lemonis has been hit with $15,000 in fines.
RV RETAILER CAMPING WORLD DEFIES CALIFORNIA COUNTY ORDER TO TAKE DOWN GIANT AMERICAN FLAG
The flags are almost the size of a basketball court, spanning 3200 square feet while the pole it flies from is around 130 feet tall, almost double the current allowance.
“We think the ordinance is wrong,” Lemonis told local radio station WTIB, according to WITN. “They (the council) should probably do a little research on the statutes in the state of North Carolina.”
“I think it’s also wrong council members have been working very actively to disparage my business and on [April 18] I had to consolidate modification of two dealerships in town… Our business which has been unfortunately impacted uniquely in Greenville North Carolina.”
The national RV dealer has more than 200 locations across the country and is known for proudly flying large “Old Glory” flags at its stores. Camping World has also been sued by other municipalities across the country over the size of the American flags it flies at the stores. Officials from Sevierville, Tennessee, for instance, take issue with the height of the pole, not the size of the flag.
Lemonis for weeks has defiantly said the flags will not come down and argues that the city’s ordinance violates state law.
CAMPING WORLD CEO DEFIANT AMID LAWSUIT OVER HUGE AMERICAN FLAG: ‘THE FLAG WILL NOT COME DOWN’
Greenville Communications Manager Brock Letchworth said after the city took legal action that the issue was never been about removing an American flag or the type of flag.
“It is about bringing the flag into compliance with city code,” Letchworth said in a statement.
“We look forward to finding a resolution that will result in the continued display of the flag, but in a way that does not violate local laws.”
The closure of the store comes just weeks after Lemonis defiantly declared the giant flags.
Lemonis told Fox & Friends earlier this month that he wouldn’t’ budge on the issue, and that the flags are his love letter to the United States, which allowed him to thrive there after he had to leave Beirut, Lebanon.
WATCH: Cities file lawsuits against Camping World over company’s American flags
“I wasn’t born in this country. I emigrated from Beirut, Lebanon. Came here to Miami, Florida, and had an opportunity to live the American dream in this country,” he said.
“I’ve put a lot of sweat and tears into building this business for my people, for the country. And it’s my love letter to tell everybody how grateful I am this country provided me an opportunity where it didn’t have to. To make money, to be a capitalist, to provide jobs in America.”
“From my perspective, the flag’s not a problem … It has FAA clearance, and for me, this feels like an opportunity for the city to say we want to control what’s happening there.
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Meanwhile, Hinton told WTIB that he proposed making $50,000 donation to Maynard Children’s Hospital in Greenville in lieu of fines and with the agreement that the council would change the ordinance to allow his flags.
Lemonis then said he would make the donation but did not want it to be a quid pro quo in exchange for the ordinance change.
“The merits of the Children’s Hospital stand on their own and anytime an organization like that’s trying to do good things and actually doing good things, they’re deserving of a contribution.
“So I’d be happy to make a donation but… I would prefer not to have it ……be a quid pro quo.”
New video captures convicted murderer’s ego trip before the truth comes out
Recently released videos from 2022 show Richard Allen, the Indiana man convicted of killing two girls on a hiking trail in Delphi in 2017, denying he had any role in the crime when questioned by Indiana officials and his wife.
An Indiana judge in December 2024 sentenced Allen to a maximum of 130 years behind bars for the murders of 13-year-old Abigail “Abby” Williams and 14-year-old Liberty “Libby” German, also known as the Delphi murders.
A jury found Allen guilty of killing the two girls, who disappeared during their walk along the High Monon Trail Feb. 13, 2017. Investigators found them both brutally murdered the next day with their throats cut several times and sticks covering their bodies in a wooded area near the trail.
DELPHI MURDERS TRIAL: JURY REACHES VERDICT FOR SUSPECT RICHARD ALLEN AFTER DELIBERATING FOR 4 DAYS
“It’s sounding more like you’re … I’m not going to be somebody’s fall guy,” Allen told investigators in an Oct. 13, 2022, interview video obtained by YouTuber Tom Webster and shared with Fox News Digital.
“I mean, it’s been so long, and I haven’t thought about this much, and it’s just, like, I don’t want to be someone’s fall guy. And we’re going to try to make pieces of a puzzle fit somewhere they don’t fit so we can close this thing … and please don’t think I’m questioning you’re integrity.”
The interview started out jovially when Allen entered the interrogation room with investigators and laughed along with them.
Allen was initially questioned in 2017 after the murders because he was on the High Monon Trail the day the girls went missing, but his name was scrubbed from the case due to a clerical error, journalist Áine Cain and Indiana-based attorney Kevin Greenlee, who co-host “The Murder Sheet” podcast, first reported.
DELPHI MURDERS SUSPECT’S CONFESSIONS TO WIFE, MOTHER SOUNDED ‘CALM,’ EXPERT SAYS: ‘NOT WHAT I EXPECTED’
Allen was arrested in 2022 after evidence led police to his home, where they found a gun matching an unspent bullet located at the crime scene and a blue jacket similar to the one a man was wearing in a video Libby took on the trail just before her disappearance. Allen’s arrest took the Delphi community by surprise at the time because he was a longtime employee at a local CVS.
“I guess I’m starting to feel more like I’m your main lead here, and I’m not gonna do that,” Allen told officials in the interview.
DELPHI MURDERS TRIAL: ‘BRIDGE GUY’ EMERGES AS NEW CRIME SCENE EVIDENCE PRESENTED
He also took issue with police asking for permission to search his phones and other personal belongings.
Allen later says he and his wife watch “TV shows and stuff,” and he doesn’t “want to be associated with this thing more than anybody else does.”
“Am I an angel of a person? No.”
“Am I an angel of a person? No,” Allen said. “I mean, I’m like anybody else. … Maybe I don’t want you looking at every website I visited.”
Throughout the interview, Allen can be seen playing with a water bottle, which he finishes about 40 to 50 minutes into the questioning.
He said he understood that police want “closure” for the families of the victims.
“We’re here because we haven’t found the guy that did this, and I’m not going to turn into that guy. … Like I said, we watch ‘Dateline’ every week. We watch everything, and … I mean, there’s nothing that’s going to tie me to it. I’m not worried about that, but to have people come and start searching my house and stuff. … I mean, my wife doesn’t even know I’m talking to people,” Allen said. “I don’t want anyone to know I talked to you guys.”
DELPHI MURDERS SUSPECT CONFESSED TO KILLING 2 GIRLS ON HIKING TRAIL IN SMALL TOWN, PRISON DOC SAYS
In a separate video obtained by Tom Webster and shared with Fox News Digital from Oct. 26, 2022, Allen denies the crime to his wife.
“They’re trying to tell me you actually believe I did it, and I just can’t believe that,” Allen told his wife in the video. His wife responded that he was trying to figure out how his gun was linked to a bullet at the crime scene.
“I know you know I didn’t do this,” Allen said. “And I don’t know what they’re trying to do this, but I’m not going to say something that’s not true, and I don’t know how to explain something I don’t understand. … There’s no way a bullet from my gun ended up at a murder scene. I didn’t murder anybody. I didn’t help somebody murder anybody.”
Allen added that he did not see Abby and Libby on the High Monon Trail Feb. 13, 2017, and he did not have his gun with him on the trail that day.
“They’re not gonna get away with this,” Allen says.
“They want you to think I done it.”
He repeatedly told his wife she knows him, and he knows her, and he does not understand how investigators found a bullet from his gun at the crime scene.
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Allen then goes back-and-forth with an officer who tells Allen police have evidence showing the bullet found at the scene came from his gun.
One key piece of evidence presented during Allen’s trial last year was a video Libby recorded on her phone at some point before she and Abby were killed.
Jurors watched 43 seconds of the video, which showed Libby and Abby walking with an unknown man wearing a hat and blue utility jacket in court Oct. 22. The man in the video became known over the last five years as “Bridge Guy.” Libby captured the video at 2:13 p.m., less than 25 minutes after she and Abigail’s family members dropped them off at the trail.
“Guys, down the hill,” the man told the girls in the video.
Prosecutors argued that Allen is “Bridge Guy” after witnesses who testified against Allen said they saw him on the trail around the same time the girls disappeared, and authorities recovered a similar blue utility jacket from Allen’s home in 2022.
DELPHI MURDERS SUSPECT CONFESSED TO KILLING 2 GIRLS ON HIKING TRAIL IN SMALL TOWN, PRISON DOC SAYS
Allen also admitted in one of dozens of jailhouse confessions that he did order the girls “down the hill.” He repeatedly confessed to killing the girls, apparently saying he wanted to rape the girls but was spooked by a van nearby, at which point he decided to kill them.
His attorneys said his declining mental stability led him to make false statements behind bars.
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More than five years after their deaths, investigators executed a search warrant at Allen’s home in Delphi Oct. 13, 2022, and they recovered a blue Carhartt jacket, a SIG Sauer P226 .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun and a .40-caliber S&W cartridge in a “wooden keepsake box” from a dresser between two closets in Allen’s bedroom, according to authorities.
The handgun recovered at Allen’s home was consistent with a .40-caliber unspent bullet police found at the site of the murders in 2017, police said.