Wife of anti-ICE ‘agitator’ said shooting was ‘my fault’ in video

MINNEAPOLIS – Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has characterized the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis woman by federal agents as an “act of domestic terrorism,” alleging the driver had been “stalking, impeding, and blocking” ICE officers for hours leading up to the incident.

Video from the scene shows Renee Good’s wife, Rebecca Brown Good, in distress immediately after the shooting, saying that she encouraged Renee to attend the location where ICE agents were operating.

In the video, taken by BIGSLEEZ YUP, she can be heard saying, “I made her come down here. It’s my fault.”

JEFFRIES CALLS NOEM ‘STONE-COLD LIAR’ OVER MINNEAPOLIS SHOOTING RESPONSE, DEMAND INVESTIGATIONS

While Noem and President Donald Trump have framed Good as a “professional agitator” intent on harming agents, family members are disputing that characterization.

Renee Good’s mother, Donna Ganger, told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that Renee “would never have been part of anything like that” and described her as compassionate and non-confrontational.

Renee Good had ties to an organized anti-ICE network in Minneapolis that trains participants to monitor and interfere with federal immigration enforcement operations, the New York Post reported.

According to the Post, Good became involved with a group known as “ICE Watch,” a loose coalition dedicated to documenting and disrupting ICE activity in the sanctuary city.

Similar ICE Watch-style networks have emerged nationwide and have previously been linked to confrontations with federal agents, including incidents involving vehicles used to block or strike officers.

The Post reported that Good became connected to the group through her son’s charter school, Southside Family Charter School, which publicly promotes a “social justice” curriculum and involvement in political activism. Multiple sources told the outlet that Good received training on how to engage with ICE officers during enforcement actions.

A woman identified as Leesa told the Post at a vigil held at the shooting site that Good was a “warrior.”

“She was trained against these ICE agents,” Leesa said. “To listen to commands, to know your rights, to whistle when you see an ICE agent.”

Another vigil attendee told the Post that Good was part of a coordinated “ICE Watch” team and that members routinely spent time together outside of enforcement actions.

Southside Family Charter School’s website states that it offers “an academically challenging, socially conscious education” and describes its curriculum as centered on social justice.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the school.

VANCE DEMAND DEMOCRATS ANSWER WHETHER ICE OFFICER IN MINNEAPOLIS SHOOTING WAS ‘WRONG IN DEFENDING HIS LIFE’

The shooting occurred after a vehicle driven by Good allegedly moved toward agents, leading to what DHS describes as a shooting in “self-defense.”

Video circulating online shows an ICE officer approaching the stopped SUV and attempting to open the driver’s door before the vehicle moves forward. Another officer standing in front of the vehicle then fires multiple shots at close range.

First Alert 4 in St. Louis confirmed with the Missouri Department of Revenue that the Missouri license plate on the red Honda Pilot driven by Renee Good at the time of the incident was registered to two people in Kansas City.

Former neighbors told local media outlets that the couple relocated multiple times over the past year, including a reported move to Canada following the 2024 presidential election, before later settling in Minneapolis.

Renee Nicole Macklin Good was previously married to Timothy Macklin Jr., a comedian who died in May 2023, according to an obituary reviewed by Fox News Digital.

Before the fatal encounter, the couple managed B. Good Handywork LLC, a household repair business incorporated in early 2024.

According to Missouri business filings, B. Good Handywork LLC was formally incorporated by Rebecca Brown Good in 2024. Corporate records list both Rebecca Brown Good and Renee Nicole Macklin Good as managers of the company.

The business was registered to a residential address in Kansas City, Missouri, where the couple previously lived, writing that the purpose of the small business was to “perform interior and exterior repair, maintenances, and upgrade projects in clients’ homes.”

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According to court records obtained by WDAF, Renee filed a name change petition at the Jackson County Courthouse in Missouri roughly five months after Macklin’s death, writing that she wished to add “Good” to her last name to “share a name with my partner.”

The filing also noted that she was the mother of three children under the age of 18, including one child she shared with Macklin.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Rebecca Good.

DNC joins Supreme Court voting case, blasts RNC efforts as ‘wholly un-American’

FIRST ON FOX: The Democratic National Committee filed a Supreme Court amicus brief Thursday seeking to counter the Republican Party in a major election law case this year — setting the stage for a high-stakes court clash that could determine the fate of millions of mail-in ballots nationwide. 

The Supreme Court agreed in November to take up the case, which centers on states’ ability to count mail-in ballots that are received within five days of an election.

At issue is a lawsuit filed by the Republican National Committee and Mississippi GOP in 2024, which seeks to overturn a state voting law that allows for the counting of late-arriving mail-in ballots that are postmarked on or before Election Day, so long as they arrive within five business days of the election. The RNC and state GOP have argued that they break with federal voting laws — a point vehemently disputed by other states and the DNC. 

In the amicus brief, provided exclusively to Fox News Digital, lawyers for the party urged the Supreme Court to reverse a lower court ruling handed down by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, noting the dozens of states that currently allow mail-in ballots to be counted, so long as they are postmarked before, or on Election Day. They also noted the long history of mail-in ballots in the U.S, which stretches back elections since the Civil War. 

“Throughout this Nation’s history, the term ‘election’ has been universally understood to refer to the voters’ act of choosing an officeholder—not to the later administrative acts of receiving or counting ballots,” the DNC said in its amicus brief. 

SWING STATE’S SUPREME COURT ISSUES PIVOTAL RULING ON MAIL-IN BALLOTS SENT WITHOUT POSTMARK

Similar laws are in place in 30 other states, including the District of Columbia, prompting additional concerns about the outsize impact a ruling from the high court could have on millions of voters, including in the run-up to the midterm elections.

In their amicus brief, lawyers for the DNC emphasized the widespread use of mail-in ballots by many voters, including by seniors, voters with disabilities, or members of the military. 

“If the Supreme Court rules for the RNC, voters around the country will be disenfranchised by mail delays, and key protections for military and overseas voters could be eliminated,” they noted in a press release sent alongside the brief.

“Republicans’ continued assault on mail-in voting is an attack on our democracy and is wholly un-American,” DNC Chairman Ken Martin told Fox News Digital in a statement. 

COMEY SEEKS TO TOSS CRIMINAL CASE CALLING TRUMP PROSECUTOR ‘UNLAWFUL’ APPOINTEE

“Donald Trump and the RNC want to limit the rights of voters because they know that when more eligible voters make their voices heard, Republicans lose,” he added. “Voting by mail is safe, secure, and empowers voters who would otherwise struggle reaching a ballot box, including seniors and people with disabilities, members of the military and their families, and working families who are unable to take the day off to vote.”

Mississippi’s attorney general appealed the case to the Supreme Court in June after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled in 2024 that the state’s mail-in ballot laws violated federal law, ruling that all mail-in ballots must be cast, and received by Election Day in order to be legally counted.

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The court’s decision to take up the case prompted outrage by some, who noted that a ruling could impact the fate of millions of ballots across the country. Critics also noted that the timing of a possible ruling could wreak havoc on the 2026 midterm elections, primarily for voters that live overseas, including members of the military. 

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The RNC has urged the high court to leave the 5th Circuit ruling in place. They argued that upending the ruling before an election could yield “chaos and suspicions of impropriety,” especially if “thousands of absentee ballots flow in after election day and potentially flip the results of an election.”

Agent dumps $4M quarterback over ‘philosophical differences’ as drama unfolds

Quarterback Demond Williams Jr. is looking to leave the Washington Huskies shortly after signing an NIL with the program, so his agent is moving on.

Doug Hendrickson posted on social media Thursday to explain his situation with Williams.

“I have made the decision to end my representation on Demond Williams Jr. effective immediately due to philosophical differences,” the Wasserman Football president stated. “Demond is an incredible talent and we wish him and his family the best in their future endeavors.”

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Hendrickson also represents Huskies coach Jedd Fisch.

Williams had reportedly signed a one-year deal with Washington for the 2026 season worth around $4 million, according to Yahoo Sports. However, he announced Tuesday night he wants to enter the NCAA transfer portal, which shakes up the entire college football landscape heading into the 2026 season.

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This came just four days after he signed his contract with Washington, and Hendrickson clearly wants no part of it. Attorney Darren Heitner announced Thursday he will now represent Williams.

The Huskies reportedly can prohibit Williams from entering the transfer portal after he signed his deal. It also reportedly forbids another school to use his NIL rights.

NCAA rules also prohibit Williams from talking to other schools. Coaches have spoken out about tampering across the nation.

All of college football is watching this case with Williams closely because it could change the future of the game.

“Are we going to respect each other’s contracts? This is a very simple thing. If we can’t protect this, nothing else matters,” a high-ranking college official told ESPN.

LSU has been rumored to be a frontrunner for Williams if he leaves Washington. New LSU head coach Lane Kiffin is looking for a transfer quarterback for the 2026 season.

The Tigers were looking at Brendan Sorsby, but he committed to Texas Tech. Trinidad Chambliss, who is looking to reach the College Football Playoff championship game with a win over Miami Thursday night, will remain with the Ole Miss Rebels if the NCAA won’t grant him a sixth year of eligibility.

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Williams is a dual threat quarterback who threw for 3,065 yards with 25 touchdowns and eight interceptions, while also rushing for 611 yards and six scores during his sophomore season at Washington.

Former SNL star warns donors against wasting money on Crockett’s Senate bid

Former “Saturday Night Live” star Bowen Yang agreed with fellow podcast host Matt Rogers that it would be a “waste” of money to support Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, and her Senate campaign.

On the pair’s “Las Culturistas” podcast Wednesday, Rogers began a 60-second segment where he would “rant, rail, rave” and “hopefully change hearts and minds” about cultural topics. 

During his minute, he criticized Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom, calling out what he saw as self-centered politicians, including Crockett.

“Anytime a politician is making it too obviously about themselves, I’m already done,” Rogers said. “And don’t waste your money sending to Jasmine Crockett. Do not do it.”

JAMES CARVILLE BLASTS CROCKETT FOR BREAKING ‘FIRST RULE OF POLITICS’ FOCUSING ON HERSELF MORE THAN VOTERS

“I must agree,” Yang responded.

“Don’t do it. Don’t. You’re going to waste your money. Take it from someone who sent Sara Gideon a ton of money in Maine. Just don’t do it. Don’t waste your money. Don’t do it,” Rogers added.

“It’s hard enough to come by,” Yang said.

Rogers clarified that he meant nothing against Crockett but said she was too “well-defined” as a politician to win a statewide or national election.

“She’s not going to win a Senate seat in Texas, you guys,” Rogers said. “Like, if Beto O’Rourke couldn’t do it, Jasmine Crockett is not going to do it.”

JASMINE CROCKETT SAYS ‘F— YOU’ TO THE SUPREME COURT OVER TEXAS REDISTRICTING DECISION

Fox News Digital reached out to Crockett’s office for a comment.

During the podcast, the two also discussed their past support for Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential election, which Yang said he regrets.

“This is another thing about early days ‘Las Culturistas’ that I regret is being a Hillary stan,” Yang said.

“I don’t regret it because I think we were trying really hard to just win,” Rogers said.

“I know. But I feel so silly,” Yang said.

HOUSE DEMOCRATS VOICE CONCERNS OVER JASMINE CROCKETT’S TEXAS SENATE CAMPAIGN VIABILITY: REPORT

Rogers also expressed frustration with Newsom, saying the California governor has no chance of winning a presidential election.

“The No. 1 actionable thing that Gavin Newsom can do right now is text Savannah Guthrie and get whoever just did her vocal surgery. She just had the polyp surgery. You’re going to need to be silent for about six weeks afterwards. But don’t worry, you can still tweet. You can still dunk on Trump, which is apparently something that people still think is going to win,” Rogers said.

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“Get vocal surgery and finish the damn 405,” Yang remarked.

Woman faces multiple charges after ‘mermaid’ skinny-dipping incident turns violent

A Louisiana woman’s attempt to go for a skinny-dip did not end swimmingly, authorities said, after she allegedly attacked a sheriff’s deputy responding to a trespassing complaint before finally surrendering to deputies Tuesday.

According to the Union Parish Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched in November to a residence in the Linville community of Marion after a caller reported a neighbor standing in their driveway screaming and refusing to leave the property despite having been warned previously.

When a patrol deputy arrived, authorities said the suspect was found nude and swimming in a pond located on the caller’s property. 

The woman was later identified as Erin Elizabeth Sutton, 41, of Marion. Sutton initially refused to exit the pond or speak with the deputy, telling him she was “trying to be a mermaid,” according to a sheriff’s office Facebook post.

WILD VIDEO SHOWS SPEEDING CAR GOING AIRBORNE, EJECTS DRIVER INTO BACKYARD POOL

After repeated commands, Sutton eventually exited the pond. Due to cold temperatures, emergency medical services were contacted to evaluate her, authorities said. 

A blanket was provided, and as the deputy attempted to escort Sutton inside a residence to warm up, she allegedly charged at him.

Authorities said Sutton ignored multiple commands to comply and resisted detention. A taser was deployed but had no effect, according to the sheriff’s office. Sutton was taken to the ground, where she allegedly continued to resist, kicking and punching the deputy before being restrained.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT BITES ICE OFFICER IN ‘GROSS ATTACK’ WHILE RESISTING ARREST: DHS

Sutton was transported to a hospital for further treatment. During the transport, she allegedly threatened to kill deputies and paramedics, authorities said.

Because Sutton required medical care at the time, deputies later sought arrest warrants, which were signed by a judge in Louisiana’s Third Judicial District Court, according to the sheriff’s office.

Sutton surrendered to deputies on Jan. 6, 2025, and was arrested on multiple charges, including three counts of resisting an officer with force or violence, two counts of public intimidation, two counts of battery of a police officer, disturbing the peace/drunkenness and criminal trespassing.

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Her bond was set at $62,000, authorities said.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Union Parish Sheriff’s Office for additional comment but did not immediately receive a response. It was not immediately clear whether Sutton has retained legal representation.

Mamdani cheers tenant power while New York’s landlords are stripped of control

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is under fire, including from the White House, for his choice of a property-rights skeptic and “housing justice” advocate to head the city’s Office to Protect Tenants. Cara Weaver is on record calling homeownership a form of “white supremacy” and advocating that government “seize private property.”

We can hope that such policies will not be implemented, even in New York, and the Trump Department of Justice has signaled an interest in ensuring they won’t be. But that doesn’t mean the city lacks myriad housing policy problems — largely based on laws that already overprotect tenant rights at the expense of law-abiding landlords, those not targeted by Mamdani on his new “rental ripoff” tour of allegedly negligent owners. 

The city’s existing landlord-tenant laws are, in fact, so stacked against those foolish enough to own rental property—or stuck with it—that what Gotham really needs is an Office of Landlord Protection.

“New York has the most tenant protections of any state,” says Ann Korchak of the Small Property Owners of New York. One could reasonably say its laws are the most extreme in the country.

MAMDANI’S TOP HOUSING PICK ONCE CALLED HOMEOWNERSHIP A ‘WEAPON OF WHITE SUPREMACY’

Consider the rules governing the most basic tenant responsibility: the obligation to pay rent.

The process of eviction is far from a guarantee that tenants will be forced to leave their Gotham apartment to be replaced by someone who will actually provide the revenue an owner needs. Eviction cases often drag on for more than a year, thanks to the fact that tenants are guaranteed a city-paid attorney.

Even after a court order to leave, tenants can “ask the court for up to one year to move if you can show you can’t find a similar apartment in the same neighborhood.” In other words, tenants can live rent-free for another year. 

What’s more, tenants facing eviction can receive so-called “one-shot deals” from the city that pay their back rent—and allow them to stay while they seek other housing, during which time they can continue not to pay rent. After that, they can move on to another apartment—and rinse and repeat.

Nor is it easy to raise the rent when expenses—such as property taxes and utilities—increase.

MAMDANI OFFICIAL CEA WEAVER SAYS SHE REGRETS ‘SOME’ OF HER PAST STATEMENTS AFTER CONTROVERSIAL POSTS RESURFACE

Some 960,000 Gotham apartments are rent-stabilized, meaning rents can increase only as much as a city agency, the Rent Guidelines Board, permits. During former Mayor Bill de Blasio’s time in office, the permitted increase for three years was zero. A similar rent freeze was the cornerstone of Democratic Socialist Mamdani’s campaign. Thanks to vacancies on the board, Mamdani is now poised to appoint a majority of members capable of implementing his freeze pledge.

The state’s rent regulations even sharply limit increases for capital repairs—improvements made to bring dilapidated units up to housing codes. The state’s 2019 Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act limits any rent increases based on “major capital improvements” to a paltry 2 percent. Anyone facing the costs of bath, kitchen, or heating system repairs understands that this is a tourniquet on income. The goal was to prevent luxury upgrades. 

The result has been disinvestment. Not surprisingly, at least 26,000 apartments have been left vacant, harming both property owners and potential tenants.Even owners of ostensibly less regulated housing are limited in how much they can adjust rents. 

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The state’s so-called “good cause eviction” law ties permitted rent increases to the Consumer Price Index and guarantees that leases must be renewed. This law is not targeted at protecting the poor. It limits rent increases, for instance, on two-bedroom apartments renting for $6,811. 

The same is true for rent-stabilized apartments, which are not limited to tenants of modest means. Indeed, Mayor Mamdani, while serving as a member of the New York State Assembly (with a base salary of $142,000, the nation’s highest for state legislators), lived in a rent-stabilized apartment in the Queens neighborhood of Astoria.

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Those concerned about New York rental property owners losing their rights under Mamdani are already too late. Tenants in rent-stabilized units arguably have more rights than owners, including the ability to pass on rent-limited apartments to family members as if they were the true owners.

In theory, property-rights laws should provide the protections landlords need to ensure a well-functioning housing market. In practice, in New York, those rights have already been dramatically eroded. No one should be surprised that the city has a perennial housing shortage. New York needs not more tenant protections but a restoration of the rights and discretion of rental property owners.

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550-pound bear finally ousted from home after vegetable oil strategy trumps failures

A 550-pound bear that had been living beneath a California man’s home for over a month has finally left after a bizarre strategy ended a long streak of failed removal attempts by state officials.

The male black bear was reportedly removed from the crawl space Tuesday after bear-removal experts from Tahoe traveled to the Altadena home. One team member crawled inside and fired paintballs filled with vegetable oil, wildlife organization BEAR League told Fox News Digital on Thursday.

According to surveillance video, the large bear has been wedging itself in and out of a small crawl space beneath Ken Johnson’s house since late November. Johnson said that the animal caused extensive damage to his home, costing tens of thousands of dollars. It also created a dangerous, unlivable situation involving structural and gas line issues. 

“Right after surviving the Eaton fire, I lost my job, and shortly after that the bear began tearing into the structure of my home,” Johnson said in a GoFundMe page. “I have video footage of it twisting gas pipes, which created an extremely dangerous situation and forced me to shut off my utilities just to stay safe.”

BEAR REMAINS UNDER CALIFORNIA HOME AFTER WEEKS OF FAILED REMOVAL ATTEMPTS

The bear eviction finally took place after Johnson contacted BEAR League, an organization that specializes in bear removal emergencies in Lake Tahoe, located seven hours north of Altadena. 

BEAR League told Fox News Digital on Thursday that the organization was “pleased to have helped Ken Johnson with this bear.”

“A Southern California homeowner had a large male bear living under his house for more than a month before reaching out to the BEAR League for help,” the organization added in a post on Facebook on Thursday. 

BEAR League told Fox News Digital that the league used paintballs filled with vegetable oil that hit the bear in the backside. The wildlife rescue group reportedly finished the job in less than 20 minutes.

WILD BEAR MAKES ‘VERY POLITE’ SURPRISE VISIT TO CALIFORNIA ZOO BEFORE RETURNING TO FOREST

“After earlier removal attempts by state wildlife officials were unsuccessful, BEAR League first responders Scott and Dave traveled to the Los Angeles area to assist,” the organization added. “Scott, one of our most experienced responders, crawled beneath the home—fully aware the bear was still there—to get behind him and encourage him to exit through the crawl space opening.”

To prevent the bear from denning in the crawl space again, the organization said it “loaned electric unwelcome mats to give the homeowner time to make repairs and secure the crawl space to prevent another visit.”

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According to social media footage posted by the organization, the mat worked just as designed, and the bear scurried away when it returned.

BEAR League emphasized that residents should be cautious about having open crawl spaces, noting that properly securing them helps people coexist safely with wildlife.

“We remind those who live in bear country that a poorly-secured crawl space is an open invitation for a winter visitor like this bear,” the league said to Fox News Digital. “BEAR League responds multiple times per day at this time of year to evict bears from under homes in the Lake Tahoe region, and we’ve done so for 30 years without cost to the homeowner.  We work hard to educate people who share space with the bears that if humans take some very simple steps, they can live in harmony with the bears.”

Tuesday’s success ended a long streak of failed eviction attempts by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, which had been trying to remove the bear for over a month. At one point, a trap even caught the wrong bear. Efforts that included bait, noisemakers and even a trap that caught the wrong bear all failed.

Bradley Cooper finally responds to years of speculation about his changing looks

Bradley Cooper is putting an end to the plastic surgery rumors — once and for all.

The 51-year-old actor addressed ongoing speculation about his appearance during the “SmartLess” podcast, revealing that the online chatter has spilled into his real life.

“Some people came up to me the last couple weeks,” Bradley told hosts Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett. “They’re like, ‘Oh, you look good!’”

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The comments prompted a response from Arnett, who made clear he’s fed up with the rumors surrounding his celebrity friend.

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“It made me mad because people say that all the time, and I’m like, it’s such a hilarious thing. Everybody thinks that they know. You know, you read that bulls–t stuff.”

The topic was brought up after Arnett was previously asked to name one fact about Cooper that people don’t already know.

“I said, ‘Well, there’s a lot’,” Arnett explained. “And then I was gonna say, because we keep reading it, ‘everybody thinks that Bradley’s had plastic surgery.’ Everybody keeps saying that. I’m like, ‘What people don’t know is that he hasn’t.’ Of course, he hasn’t!”

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The exchange marked the first time Cooper has publicly weighed in on plastic surgery rumors, though it’s not the first time his appearance has sparked debate.

The actor previously faced backlash for wearing a prosthetic nose while portraying legendary composer Leonard Bernstein in the 2023 film “Maestro,” a transformation that drew criticism and forced Cooper to publicly defend the creative choice.

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“The truth is I’ve done this whole project out of love,” he shared on CBS Mornings at the time. He said his intentions were perfectly clear. “My nose is very similar to Lenny, actually,” he added. “The prosthetic is like a silk sheet…”

“The Hangover” star has been romantically linked to model Gigi Hadid since 2023. The supermodel from Malibu has a 5-year-old daughter with former One Direction musician Zayn Malik, while Cooper and his ex, Irina Shayk, co-parent their 8-year-old daughter, Lea.

RILEY GAINES: The radical left is ‘saying the quiet part out loud’ on women’s sports

The week before the 2025 election, the Democratic Party’s undisputed leader, New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, got a bit sidetracked while campaigning on the trail for the radical Zohran Mamdani in New York City. 

After simply pointing out how destructive the new radical left is shaping up to be, as many did, she decided to rage-tweet at me for my well-known stance that men shouldn’t be in women’s sports. Her claim was essentially that if I just swam faster in college, I would have beaten the man I was swimming against.

Unsurprisingly, the insult fell flat. It was an attack that might have been persuasive several years ago, but not today. It was also a laughable reminder of how far we’ve come since President Trump returned to office.

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Gone are the days when the left could force its alternate reality on Americans, at least for now. Per her post, this seems to have struck a nerve within their party. They went from controlling the narrative to having a new president and a majority of voters who no longer buy into it.

It’s an important reminder that elections matter. But a few things have changed since our landslide victory a year ago. Despite their unpopularity, the left has only gotten more radical and has gained some ground since. And despite our advantage, some on the right seem to have already forgotten who the real adversary is.

AOC’s radical views aren’t the only reminder of what we’re up against. Between Mamdani’s communist rise in New York and Virginia Democrats embracing an attorney general who fantasizes about murdering his opponents and their families, they’re saying the quiet part out loud.

RILEY GAINES RESPONDS TO AOC’S PERSONAL ATTACKS, CALLS OUT ‘VIRTUE SIGNALING’ DEMOCRATS

The left didn’t get the memo after 2024; they got more radical. And they may be down since last year, but they’re not out. All of this is just a preview of what it would be like if we let them mount a comeback.

If conservatives want to live in a world again where our leaders think men can become women or political violence is justified, then by all means, keep the infighting up.

Without a doubt, the most vivid reminder of who they are was the loss of Charlie Kirk. It’s not just that he was murdered by a deranged trans activist and one of their own, but it’s that they also openly celebrated it. 

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This was just a few short months ago. But given some of the discourse on the right lately, it might as well have been years. By now, we should be uniting and rallying for him. Keeping policy debates separate from personal ones. And reclaiming the upper hand on the economic, immigration, and cultural issues that won us the White House in 2024.

No one is happier than the Democrats that our focus has seemingly shifted from them to us.

The America First movement has come too far to come up short now. Charlie Kirk lost his life for it. President Donald Trump took a bullet and faced several politically motivated indictments for it. And countless Americans suffered at the hands of the left when they were in charge. If we’re to win again in 2026, a quick reality check is needed.

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The other side doesn’t mind your daughter’s private spaces being invaded by men; they prefer it. Nor do they care if you’re hurt or killed by their agenda; they cheer it.

When we keep that front of mind, ruthless infighting on our side over foreign and domestic policy issues, or even personal ones, seems silly. It’s not that debating these issues or the direction of our movement isn’t important. It’s that, in many ways, there are more pressing issues.

What difference do your policy preferences matter if one side can shoot you just for advocating for them, while at the same time suffering no consequences at the ballot box?

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That needs to change.

In 2026, leaders throughout the conservative side need to lead the way Charlie did. As for the rest of us? Get involved. That means putting our heads down, door-knocking, registering voters, and making the case to our diverse coalition to meet the moment again. There’s no shortage of options to do so. Whether it’s directly through campaigns or with groups like America First Works and Turning Point Action, we should all get back to doing what we do best.

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We won in 2024 by bridging the gaps in our movement. We win in 2026 by doing it again.

I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather keep the AOCs of the world rage-tweeting at us in defeat than climbing back to power over us.

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Our movement faces two simple choices: keep infighting and lose, or unite and win. 

The outcome of next year and beyond is up to us.

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