University faces calls for shutdown as meningitis cases reach 15 with 2 deaths
Students at the University of Kent in the U.K. are calling for a shutdown in light of an active meningitis outbreak.
The demands follow multiple alerts from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) about the outbreak.
As of March 18, the agency had announced a total of 15 confirmed cases of meningococcal disease, 12 additional potential cases and two deaths in Kent, a county in the southeast of England. The University of Kent is located in Canterbury, a historic city within Kent.
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Meningococcal disease is a serious bacterial infection caused by Neisseria meningitidis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
It can cause two life-threatening conditions: meningitis (infection of the brain and spinal cord lining) and a bloodstream infection called septicemia, which can lead to sepsis, per the above source.
Even with prompt treatment, meningococcal disease can become fatal within hours. Health agencies report a typical fatality rate of about 10% to 15%.
In response to the outbreak, students at the University of Kent launched an online petition calling for campus to be closed.
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“Students at the University of Kent are increasingly concerned about reports of meningitis and sepsis cases affecting members of the campus community,” the petition states, as posted on Change.org. “The confirmation of two deaths, along with reports of hospitalizations, has caused understandable concern among students and staff.”
The petition expressed concern that in-person exams, lectures and other campus activities are continuing amid the outbreak.
“Many students feel that they are being placed in a difficult position: attend exams and in-person activities during a period of heightened concern or prioritize their health and well-being while risking potential academic consequences,” the petition states. “Students should not feel forced to choose between protecting their well-being and continuing their education.”
“Students deserve to feel safe on campus,” the petition concluded. “We are therefore calling on the University of Kent to consider precautionary steps to prioritize the well-being of students and staff during this situation.
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Preventative antibiotic treatment is being distributed to University of Kent students, according to UKHSA, as well as to those who visited Club Chemistry, a nightclub in Canterbury, between March 5 and March 7.
“A vaccination program has started for students and staff who live in or work in the halls at the University of Kent Canterbury Campus — approximately 5,000 students,” the agency noted.
Fox News Digital reached out to the university requesting comment.
Symptoms of meningococcal disease
Described by the CDC as a “rare but severe illness,” meningococcal disease most commonly causes symptoms of meningitis, including fever, stiff neck, headache, nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light or altered mental status.
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It can also cause meningococcal bloodstream infection, which is marked by fever and chills, vomiting, fatigue, vomiting, cold hands and feet, severe aches and pains, diarrhea, rapid breathing or a dark purple rash, the CDC notes.
Transmission and treatment
Meningitis infections can spread through close contact with someone who has meningococcal disease, “generally, through things like coughing or kissing, but it can also spread by being in the same household or room for extended periods of time with an individual who is infected,” Dr. Barbara Bawer, a primary care physician at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, previously told Fox News Digital.
Those who have symptoms of the disease should see their primary care physician immediately, according to the doctor.
As symptoms tend to progress quickly and can be life-threatening, it is essential that the patient receives antibiotics immediately.
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“It can become fatal or dangerous very quickly — within hours — for any individual, especially if antibiotics are not initiated in a timely manner,” Bawer warned. “Even with antibiotics, meningitis can be fatal.”
She added, “This is often due to misdiagnosis, because meningitis can mimic many other illnesses.”
Infection prevention
Most cases of meningococcal disease worldwide are caused by six variations of the Neisseria meningitidis bacteria — A, B, C, W, X and Y.
In the U.S., the most common variations are B, C, W and Y. There are vaccines available to protect against types A, C, W and Y (the MenACWY vaccine) and type B (MenB vaccine), according to the CDC.
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“MenACWY vaccines are routinely recommended for adolescents and for people with other risk factors or underlying medical conditions, including HIV,” the agency previously stated.
“Students should not feel forced to choose between protecting their well-being and continuing their education.”
To reduce risk, Bawer recommends that people get vaccinated with the current meningitis vaccine as recommended by the CDC and avoid being in very closed-in spaces with others as much as possible.
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“If you know of someone who has meningitis in your household or you’ve come in contact with their oral secretions (i.e., you kissed them), then you should get preventative antibiotics,” the doctor told Fox News Digital.
This is even more important for those who are immune-compromised or who are on medications that decrease the immune system, Bawer added.
Dem civil war rages as ‘Squad’ progressives dealt major blow in deep blue primary
A trio of progressive Democrats backed by members of “The Squad” suffered blistering rebukes on Tuesday as Illinois voters rejected them in favor of more moderate candidates, prompting questions from onlookers about whether the party’s core, and momentum, should be entrusted to the far-left wing of its base.
To James Carville, a longtime Democratic strategist, the answer has been “no” for a long time. Talking to Fox News Digital in response to several progressive candidates losing in Tuesday’s Democratic primary in deep blue Illinois, he questioned the narrative that Squad-aligned progressives are gaining momentum.
“What momentum? About 15% of the Democratic Party identifies themselves as progressive. And what’s unique, they win about 15% in the primaries at most,” Carville said. “This was something I’ve dealt with all my life.”
“In New York, [Zohran] Mamdami got 50.5% — which is not overwhelming. That’s hardly the basis for some national movement,” Carville said, referring to the socialist mayor of New York City.
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The progressive losses all came despite high-profile support from some of the most progressive figures in Congress.
Kat Abughazaleh, the 26-year-old Palestinian American running on an anti-establishment platform and promises to implement a “wealth tax,” attracted support from the likes of Rep. Rashida Talib, D-Mich., and Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn, but lost on Tuesday.
Defeated technology entrepreneur Junaid Ahmed told voters he would push for the self-determination of Gaza and implement healthcare for all, earning the support of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.
And Robert Peters, a state senator who raised $1.1 million on his track record of helping to end cash bail and raising the minimum wage at the state level, garnered backing from Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vt, and Warren, but lost his bid for Congress to Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller.
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Between them, they raised $5.7 million.
Anthony Driver Jr., widely regarded as a progressive candidate in Illinois’ 7th District Democratic primary, lost to the more moderate, establishment-aligned Democrat, La Shawn Ford.
Driver was endorsed by Jayapal and the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
Liam Kerr, co-founder of the Welcome PAC, a group that supports moderate Democrats, believes their losses should give the party a clear takeaway.
“Illinois is just the latest reminder that the noise machine around far-left candidates rarely translates into actual votes,” Kerr said.
“There’s a real hunger in this party to win, and the candidates who keep losing are the ones more focused on ideological performance than tried and true economic concerns. The blueprint is simple: ditch the clout-chasing ideologues and invest in hard-working candidates who know their communities.”
Kerr’s framing was echoed by Jim Kessler, vice president of policy at Third Way, a Democrat think tank focused on moderate platforms.
“Illinois delivered a cold shower to the progressive fringe in the Democratic Party. Every winner was a mainstream Democrat. A lesson Democrats always have to relearn is that mainstream beats extreme,” Kessler said.
But to other onlookers, the results aren’t so definitive. Even as figures like Carville argue far-left policies aren’t a recipe for national success, others see the Illinois losses as far less decisive for progressives than critics suggest.
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Michael Ceraso, a veteran of the 2016 Sanders presidential campaign, pointed out that some of Tuesday’s winners can’t be swept neatly into the “moderate” camp. He doesn’t believe progressives really even lost the night at all.
“Daniel Biss is a progressive. The dude pushed climate and building regulations in Evanston,” Ceraso said, referring to the winner for Illinois’ 9th Congressional District — the candidate that beat out Abughazaleh.
Ceraso also noted that several candidates backed by Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker won out.
“The Illinois governor is a progressive. He backed [Juliana] Stratton,” Ceraso said, referring to the lieutenant governor and Senate candidate who won the Democratic nomination in a high-profile, competitive, contentious, and expensive primary showdown.
“[They] increased the minimum wage, ended the sub-minimum wage for disabled people and protected reproductive care. That’s what progress means: moving toward a goal that lifts others, not protecting the status quo.”
Still, other voices, like that of Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, noted that outside groups like the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) had focused their attention on defeating the most progressive voices in the election.
“The real debate inside the Democratic Party is not whether progressive economic policies appeal to voters,” Green argued.
“It is whether candidates who genuinely believe in those ideas can compete against industries willing to spend millions to co-opt that message in support of candidates who will never actually challenge power,” Green said.
Having now cleared the primaries, Illinois will hold its general elections on Nov. 3.
Secret Danish military order reveals plot to demolish Greenland runways: report
Denmark prepared to sabotage Greenland’s airstrips using explosives and flew in blood supplies amid fears of a potential U.S. invasion earlier this year, according to a new report by Danish public broadcaster DR.
The measures were said to be part of a contingency plan that included deploying troops to the island in January with explosives for possible runway demolition aimed at preventing U.S. aircraft from landing, EuroNews said.
The measures were outlined in a Danish military operations order dated Jan. 13, which DR said it had reviewed.
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The preparations were made as tensions escalated over President Donald Trump’s statement that the U.S. should control Greenland for national security reasons.
Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen repeatedly rejected Trump’s demands to acquire the island.
DR said it based its report on 12 sources within the highest levels of the Danish government and military and sources among Denmark’s allies in France and Germany, the BBC said.
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“When Trump says all the time that he wants to buy Greenland … we had to take all possible scenarios seriously,” an unnamed Danish military official told DR.
Denmark and several European allies also deployed troops to Greenland under what was a NATO exercise called Arctic Endurance.
In reality, according to the sources cited by DR, the deployment was operational.
Soldiers arrived equipped not only with standard military gear but also with the medical supplies and the explosives, the report said. France, Germany and Sweden also took part in the January deployment.
Despite the preparations, Danish authorities sought to avoid escalation with Washington.
Trump announced a vague “framework” agreement on Greenland with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Jan. 21, though details remain unclear.
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At the World Economic forum in Davos Trump said, “I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force. All the United States is asking for is a place called Greenland.”
On March 17, the commander of U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM), Gen. Gregory Guillot, said, “We are working with Denmark through the Department of State to expand some of the authorities that are in the 1951 treaty to give increased access to different bases across Greenland.
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“But everything that we’re doing through NORTHCOM is through Greenland and through Denmark.”
Feds bust massive drug lab tied to illegal migrants, DOJ says
Five Mexican nationals were indicted on federal drug trafficking and weapons charges this week after authorities discovered a clandestine methamphetamine lab in Northern California, leading to the seizure of nearly 3,000 pounds of the drug, officials said.
The Department of Justice said a federal grand jury returned a 10-count indictment Thursday against Luis Reyna Carrillo, 33, Mariana Vanessa Mendoza Camacho, 33, Juan Jesus Manriquez Diaz, 31, Alvaro Rosales, 44, and Manuel Juan Madrid Perez, 38, charging them with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine and multiple drug trafficking and gun offenses.
“These illegal aliens allegedly operated a secret lab on American soil producing thousands of pounds of deadly drugs to poison our communities,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said. “This clandestine and illegal operation has now been dismantled. We will continue protecting Americans from the dangerous results of the prior administration’s open-border policies.”
Carrillo and his wife, Camacho, came to the U.S. in March 2021 and were given a notice to appear in court at a later date. Diaz was removed from the U.S. in 2018, while Rosales was removed in 2024.
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Court documents allege that, in October 2025, law enforcement officials launched an investigation into an organization suspected of manufacturing and trafficking methamphetamine in a remote section of Calaveras County.
Investigators identified Carrillo and his associates as part of a drug trafficking operation responsible for manufacturing and distributing methamphetamine in Calaveras County.
The investigation culminated on Feb. 27, 2026, when multiple agencies executed search warrants at three locations — Valley Springs, Turlock and Modesto — all allegedly connected to Carrillo and his associates.
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During the searches, investigators discovered a clandestine methamphetamine lab in Calaveras County, where they seized nearly 1,430 pounds of methamphetamine and 1,270 pounds of suspected methamphetamine in a partially processed state.
Authorities also searched two additional homes in Stanislaus County linked to Carrillo and his associates. At a home in Turlock, agents seized an additional 300 pounds of methamphetamine packaged for distribution, nine guns and multiple magazines and rounds of ammunition.
In Modesto, agents seized two pounds of methamphetamine, 107 pounds of processed marijuana, 1,900 marijuana plants and three guns.
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The DOJ said Carrillo and Diaz are both prohibited from possessing guns and ammunition because they are illegal aliens, while Perez is also prohibited from having guns and ammunition due to prior felony convictions.
All five defendants — Carrillo, Camacho, Diaz, Rosales and Perez — were charged with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
Carrillo, Diaz and Perez also face additional charges related to possessing guns in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes.
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Carrillo was also charged with illegally possessing a gun as a noncitizen, while Diaz is accused of unlawfully possessing ammunition.
Perez also faces a charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm due to prior convictions.
If convicted on the drug trafficking charges, Carrillo, Camacho, Diaz, Rosales and Perez each face a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and up to life behind bars, along with fines of up to $10 million, according to federal prosecutors.
Carrillo, Diaz and Perez could face additional penalties if convicted on the gun-related charges.
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Perez also faces enhanced penalties due to prior felony convictions.
Any final sentence would be determined by a judge based on federal sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
Blue city cranks hotel tax to nearly 20% as tourism bosses eye major events
The Chicago City Council has agreed to raise its tourist tax in an effort to grow traveler marketing programs.
The vote on Ordinance 2026-0022544 will raise the tax on hotel rooms within that district to 19% from the rate of 17.5% — which includes a combined city, county and state tax, according to the Chicago Sun Times.
The increase will be applied to hotel stays at properties in the downtown and surrounding areas that contain over 100 rooms.
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The increase will apply to room rates at hotels with 100 or more rooms that agree to opt in.
The city council also passed the formation of the Tourism Improvement District (TID) — which will fund Choose Chicago, the city’s official destination marketing organization.
Revenue will be used for city marketing campaigns and to cover bid fees for conventions and major events.
Chicago is already targeting the Democratic National Convention, which requires a $1 million bid.
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The Windy City previously hosted the DNC in August 2024.
Earlier this month, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) advanced bids from Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver and Philadelphia.
Its advisory board is considering several factors, the DNC said — including a “commitment to selecting a city that shares Democratic values.”
Mayor Brandon Johnson issued a press release after the City Council’s vote, praising the decision.
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“Chicago is a premier city for tourism, business travelers, conventions and large-scale events,” said Johnson.
“My administration will continue our collaboration with Choose Chicago, as we continue to build up Chicago’s tourism and hospitality industry while leveraging economic growth and development to continue building safe and affordable communities across our city,” he added.
Choose Chicago president and CEO Kristen Reynolds said in a press release that this marks a “transformative moment” for the city.
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“With the TID in place, we now have the enhanced resources to match the ambition and vibrancy of our city,” said Reynolds.
She added, “This investment will allow us to amplify our marketing efforts, attract more conventions and events and ultimately deliver significant benefits to Chicago’s economy and communities.”
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Guy Chipparoni, chair of the Choose Chicago board of directors, said in a statement, “It sends a message to our competing cities that when it comes to attracting visitors, Chicago means business.”
Reacting on social media to the news about the tax hike, one person wrote, “19% tax on a hotel room, making it the highest in the nation. Vacations can get pricey, especially for a family. How would this help tourism?”
Another X user wrote, “Democrats in Chicago will even dream up a breath tax. It’s not far away.”
Blind passenger’s guide dog at center of in-flight clash as fellow travelers object
A blind passenger traveling with his guide dog found himself at the center of a tense in-flight dispute after other travelers claimed their own service animal couldn’t sit nearby, a viral video of the incident appeared to show.
The onboard disagreement escalated as other passengers also sought to use the underseat space reserved for the guide dog, raising questions about enforcing service animal rules on commercial flights.
The video has since gone viral, drawing nearly 500,000 likes and widespread reaction online.
A nurse who witnessed the exchange, Jen Hamilton, a social media creator with 4.7 million TikTok followers, filmed the interaction and shared it online, where it quickly gained traction.
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“Sometimes being a crusty, musty dingleberry blocks your own blessings,” she wrote in the caption beneath the video.
In text overlaid on the video, she said some passengers who claimed to have a service animal objected to sitting near the blind man and his “Seeing Eye dog.”
In the video, Hamilton steps in to defuse the situation, offering to switch seats so the blind passenger could remain in place with his dog.
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Hamilton also wrote on the video, “If you have a trained service animal, seeing another dog should not be an issue.”
“Hi, my name is Jen. Can I sit with you?” Hamilton asks the man with his service dog.
The passenger, identified as Ed Summers, a blind software engineer and head of accessibility at GitHub, later addressed the incident in a video posted to social media.
Summers was traveling home from the CSUN Assistive Technology Conference, where he was representing GitHub. He said his guide dog, Loki, is essential to his work, with protections under both the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Air Carrier Access Act.
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“So allyship for people with disabilities … Jen interjected herself into this situation yesterday,” Summers said in a follow-up video shared to TikTok.
He praised Hamilton for offering help without taking control of the situation.
“She offered a solution … and then checked in with the participants and asked if the solution would be acceptable to them,” he said.
Summers added that the interaction gave him “agency instead of being pushed around by people who think they know what’s best.”
GitHub also weighed in on the incident.
“At GitHub, accessibility is a fundamental value,” a company spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Our mission is to accelerate human progress through developer collaboration, and we’re committed to ensuring that 1.3 billion people with disabilities worldwide can contribute to and benefit from that progress. We’re proud of Ed’s leadership and the work our team does every day to make GitHub the home for all developers.”
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The incident reflects the challenges when multiple passengers travel with animals in tight cabin spaces.
Delta’s policies distinguish between pets and trained service animals, requiring pets to remain inside a kennel under the seat, while service animals may sit at a passenger’s feet but cannot intrude into another traveler’s space.
The airline also requires that service animals remain under control at all times and may deny transport to animals that display aggressive behavior. Emotional support animals are not recognized as service animals under current rules.
Delta said it could not investigate the incident without specific flight details when contacted by Fox News Digital.
Etiquette expert and author of “Was It Something I Said?” Alison Cheperdak told Fox News Digital situations like this should be handled with care.
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“If you feel compelled to step in, do so calmly and supportively, not confrontationally,” she said. “A quiet word to a flight attendant is often the most effective approach.
“More broadly, this is a reminder that etiquette is not about being passive. It’s about balancing consideration for others with respect for boundaries,” Cheperdak added. “And in situations involving accessibility, that balance should always lean toward protecting those with genuine needs.”
Airlines have tightened policies in recent years after a surge in onboard animal incidents and confusion over service animal classifications.
Federal regulators in 2020 narrowed the definition of service animals to trained dogs, no longer requiring airlines to recognize emotional support animals, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
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Prior to the rule change, airlines faced a wave of unusual onboard animal requests, prompting broader crackdowns a among major carriers, including Delta, American and United.
One widely cited example involved an emotional support peacock that was denied boarding by United Airlines in 2018, according to NBC News.
Chinese missiles targeting US Navy could trigger ‘overnight’ war shift, expert warns
The risk of a broader global conflict is rising as China’s indirect role in the Iran crisis comes into sharper focus, with new concerns emerging over weapons used against U.S. forces.
Gatestone Institute senior fellow Gordon Chang joined FOX Business’ Maria Bartiromo on “Mornings with Maria” to discuss how Beijing’s support for Iran could quickly escalate tensions with the United States.
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Chang pointed to reports that advanced weapons used by Iran may already be tied to China, raising the stakes for any future confrontation in the region.
“Those supersonic missiles that Iran fired at the Abraham Lincoln, our aircraft carrier, those were Chinese… It’s clear that the Iranians have more of those Chinese missiles,” Chang said.
He warned that any direct hit on U.S. military assets could immediately alter the relationship between Washington and Beijing.
“God forbid, if one of those missiles hit an American ship… our relationship with China changes overnight,” Chang said.
The broader concern, he noted, is that China’s involvement is not limited to isolated support, but spans multiple layers of assistance that stop just short of direct military engagement.
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“China’s support for Iran is across the board… It’s everything except for combat troops… We should consider China an enemy combatant,” Chang said.
As tensions persist in the Strait of Hormuz, Chang suggested the current dynamic leaves the U.S. facing a growing challenge from a rival power benefiting from the conflict while avoiding direct accountability.
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CBS News anchor Margaret Brennan draws backlash over Hegseth prayer post
CBS News’ “Face the Nation” moderator Margaret Brennan raised eyebrows on Thursday with a bizarre social media post that many believed was critical of people of faith.
The saga began when Secretary of War Pete Hegseth spoke about Operation Epic Fury during a somber early morning press conference in which he vowed to “honor” the sacrifice of six U.S. service members killed in a plane crash last week.
“May Almighty God continue to bless our troops in this fight. And again, to the American people, please pray for them, every day, on bended knee, with your family, in your schools, in your churches, in the name of Jesus Christ. To the troops, keep going and Godspeed,” Hegseth said to wrap up his remarks.
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Brennan responded on X, “The Secretary of Defense tells the American public to pray for our troops on bended knee and invoke Jesus’ name….”
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders responded, “Only in DC is something like this considered even remotely offensive.”
Rep. Brandon Gill added, “Democrats are reflexively repulsed when they hear someone invoke Christ’s name. What does that tell you?”
The official White House rapid response account also took a jab at Brennan.
“Only a leftist ‘reporter’ would be offended by praying for our troops,” Rapid Response 47 wrote.
Hegseth’s press secretary, Kingsley Wilson, noted that it was the same request “Americans have been doing since George Washington prayed for our troops at Valley Forge.”
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“Every now and then, they just come right out and tell you what they think about you and your beliefs. Imagine what they say in private,” conservative pundit Jesse Kelly reacted.
The Federalist co-founder Sean Davis responded, “Go cry about it. We’d be in a much better place as a country if all our leaders did this.”
Conservative radio host Erick Erickson suggested the CBS anchor “thinks this is controversial,” while GOP strategist Steve Guest said “she is attacking people of faith.”
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“If this seems even mildly controversial, it would legitimately blow your mind to read what the men who founded our nation did, said, and prayed in the name of Jesus Christ while governing,” pastor Josh Howerton wrote.
Many others took to X with feedback for Brennan:
CBS News did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Brennan, who has famously sparred with members of the Trump administration in the past, was voted by “Ruthless” podcast listeners to be the biggest “hack” in the media industry last year.
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