Day: April 17, 2026
Oath Keepers, Proud Boys feel hopeful and skeptical after Trump DOJ’s moves to end Biden-era witch hunt
The Trump administration’s Department of Justice is moving to vacate the seditious conspiracy convictions against several Proud Boys and Oath Keepers members who were involved in the Jan. 6, 2021, protest at the U.S. Capitol.
On Tuesday, the DOJ filed unopposed motions to throw out convictions and dismiss the indictments with prejudice for Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes and members Kelly Meggs, Kenneth Harrelson, and Jessica Watkins, as well as Proud Boys members Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl, and Dominic Pezzola.
‘I’m excited to finally move on from January 6.’
The DOJ claimed that dismissal of the criminal cases would be “in the interests of justice.”
“The government’s motion to vacate in this case is consistent with its practice of moving the Supreme Court to vacate convictions in cases where the government has decided in its prosecutorial discretion that dismissal of a criminal case is in the interests of justice — motions that the Supreme Court routinely grants,” the motions read.
Under the Biden DOJ, Rhodes was sentenced to 18 years in prison, Meggs to 12 years, Harrelson to four years, Watkins to 8.5 years, Nordean to 18 years, Biggs to 17 years, Rehl to 15 years, and Pezzola to 10 years.
In January 2025, Trump commuted the sentences of each of the defendants. However, the president stopped short of granting a pardon, leaving the convictions on their records. Among the defendants, six are military veterans, and the continued presence of those felony convictions carries significant consequences for any VA benefits or military retirement pay for which they may previously have been eligible.
Jon Cherry/Getty Images
“I couldn’t be happier,” Rehl told Blaze News. “I’m excited to finally move on from January 6, and my family and I are looking forward to rebuilding our lives again.”
Rehl thanked Trump, acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche, and U.S. pardon attorney Edward Martin for “making this possible!”
Carolyn Stewart, an attorney representing Meggs, stated that she is “pleased that the DOJ finally admitted there should be no further prosecution of my innocent client, Mr. Meggs — where he can go forward with his life without this shadow.”
Norm Pattis, an attorney representing Biggs, expressed skepticism that the court would grant the DOJ’s request but told Blaze News that he is “delighted to see the Justice Department throw in the towel,” noting that it “should have done that years ago.”
“I hope the courts do it, but I do think it’s a head-scratching request,” Pattis said, explaining that the DOJ previously poured thousands of hours and hundreds of thousands — if not millions — of dollars into its prosecution and therefore “clearly thought that the interests of justice required that prosecution then.”
“The separation of powers doctrine leaves to the executive branch decisions about whether to prosecute. Once the case is gone to judgment in the judicial branch, that branch has spoken. Suggesting that, ‘Well, we’ve changed our mind, millions of dollars, years later, in the interest of justice,’ it doesn’t really promote respect for the law. It makes it look like a funhouse over there and makes you wonder who’s running the shop,” Pattis stated.
He noted that despite Trump’s decision to commute Biggs’ sentence, the military veteran lost the pension that he “earned by virtue of his Purple Heart and combat injuries that he suffered.”
“We want that pension back,” Pattis said. “I’m not at all counting on relief. I still think this ends up back on the president’s desk for a full pardon.”
RELATED: Trump pardons 1,500 Jan. 6 defendants, commutes the sentences of 14
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Rhodes, who also spoke with Blaze News, expressed hopefulness about the DOJ’s motion to vacate, calling it “very good news,” adding that it would “be a blessing to have not just our convictions overturned, but the underlying charges dismissed with prejudice.”
“It would wipe our records clean,” Rhodes told Blaze News. “I’m a disabled veteran. … I’m service-connected disabled from a parachuting accident when I was serving as a paratrooper in the Army, and I lost all my VA benefits, along with being a felon and losing my rights to bear arms.”
Rhodes speculated that the DOJ may have requested to vacate to “avoid a potentially negative outcome on appeal that could affect their ability to use a statute in the future.” He noted that seditious conspiracy is “a very legally vulnerable statute” from the Civil War era that is “overbroad and vague” and “does not provide any shelter for free speech.”
“It’s an ancient statute that I don’t believe passes muster constitutionally, but it hasn’t been directly challenged on those grounds,” Rhodes said.
Rhodes stated that the DOJ may realize that the statute is “vulnerable [to] being struck down” or that it may result in the “narrowing of the scope of … conspiracy charges in general.”
He also pointed to the active civil claims that Jan. 6 defendants lodged against the U.S. as a possible reason the DOJ requested that the convictions be thrown out.
“If they wind up with a bad outcome in the appellate case, with the court finding that there was prosecutorial misconduct, that there was constitutional violations, that could affect them when it comes to the civil claims too. And we can point to those findings,” he said.
“There was perjury in all of our cases. We caught two cops lying red-handed in our case,” Rhodes said, referring to a Blaze News investigation that revealed then-U.S. Capitol Police Officers Harry Dunn and David Lazarus had testified that they were together on Jan. 6, despite video footage showing otherwise. “That’s the kind of crap that would come out in the appeal.”
“I don’t believe this is the DOJ being nice to us,” he continued. “I’m willing to give props to the DOJ for doing the right thing, even if it’s not for the right reasons.”
If the court accepts the DOJ’s requests, Rhodes noted that it will “definitely be fantastic for the restoration of our lives.”
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Democratic mayor declares public emergency and reinstitutes juvenile curfew in DC
Democratic Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser reinstituted a curfew on juveniles in order to combat further criminal flash-mob incidents.
Numerous videos on social media show mobs of young people fighting and robbing businesses in D.C. over the last few months.
The Pan-African Community Action Group … said the policy was discriminatory against black teens.
On Thursday, Bowser took action to continue a juvenile curfew that was scheduled to expire on Wednesday.
“We’re reinstating the limited juvenile curfew in Washington, DC. Effective tonight, all youth under 18 are subject to an 11PM curfew — which will extend through 5/1,” she wrote on social media.
“Designated zones will be subject to an 8PM curfew as determined by the Chief of Police,” she added.
Bowser added in a press release that she had declared a public emergency order to address the “disorderly behavior, prevent violence, and protect public safety.”
Other groups of eight or more juveniles that endanger the safety of the public can lead to a juvenile curfew zone being declared beginning at 8 p.m.
The “teen takeovers” as described by Bowser included incidents at Department of Parks and Recreation centers in the Navy Yard and Waterfront neighborhoods.
One video from Saturday shows police and security guards struggling to corral the marauding teens. Another from March shows teens on a night when shootings, robberies, and fights were reported in the ritzy Navy Yard district.
The Pan-African Community Action Group called on the mayor to let the curfew expire and said the policy was discriminatory against black teens.
Bowser presided over D.C. during the surge of federal troops ordered by President Donald Trump to combat crime in the district.
She eventually admitted that the surge helped curb crime and violence, and she was criticized heavily by other Democrats for tacitly admitting the president had succeeded.
“We know that when carjackings go down, when use of guns goes down, when homicide or robbery go down, neighborhoods feel safer and are safer,” Bowser said. “So this surge has been important to us for that reason.”
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Early red flag for GOP? Democrats rack up massive Q1 fundraising hauls
The first-quarter campaign fundraising total for the 2026 midterms reveals that House and Senate Democratic candidates have picked up significant early momentum, potentially spelling trouble for Republicans as more primary elections approach.
At least one Democratic candidate raised more than a Republican in Georgia, North Carolina, Maine, Michigan, Ohio, Texas, New Hampshire, and Alaska, Punchbowl News reported.
‘There’s no way for Republicans to spin this: Their candidates are getting crushed.’
Texas state Rep. James Talarico (D) raised $27.1 million, breaking a record for the largest amount for a Senate candidate in any state. Talarico’s fundraising significantly outpaced his potential opponents. Sen. John Cornyn (R) raised $9 million, and Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) raised $2.2 million.
Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff (D) raised $14 million during the first quarter. The incumbent’s fundraising far outpaced that of Republicans hoping to unseat him. Rep. Mike Collins (R) raised just over $1 million, and Rep. Buddy Carter (R) raised just $470,000.
In Ohio, former Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) is hoping to defeat Republican incumbent Sen. Jon Husted. Brown raised $10.1 million in the first quarter, while Husted brought in $2.9 million.
Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) is running against Michael Whatley (R) and three other candidates to secure retiring Republican Sen. Thom Tillis’ seat. Cooper raised $13.8 million in the first quarter, while Whatley raised $5 million.
RELATED: ‘Record’ cash advantage gives GOP upper hand in state AG races
James Talarico. Brandon Bell/Getty Images
House Democratic challengers also raised significant funds in the first few months of the year.
In Arizona, JoAnna Mendoza (D) raised over $2.3 million, among the highest reported by a Democratic House candidate. Mendoza’s opponent, incumbent Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R), raised $1.1 million.
In Wisconsin, Democratic candidate Rebecca Cooke is looking to oust incumbent Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R). Cooke raised $2.4 million, while Van Orden raised $1.3 million.
“Of course, this is only part of the picture. Candidates are now using joint fundraising committees to air TV ads. Super PACs will play a big role,” Punchbowl News reported. “GOP Rep. Ashley Hinson did raise the most in Iowa’s open Senate race. And Democratic primaries will drain some resources.”
“But there’s no way for Republicans to spin this: Their candidates are getting crushed,” the outlet stated.
RELATED: ‘We have a glaring disadvantage’: Democrats panic as GOP dominates in fundraising, NYT reports
Visions of America/Universal Images Group/Getty Images
While Punchbowl News insisted it was all doom and gloom for Republican candidates, the National Republican Congressional Committee saw the Q1 funding results as a win for the GOP.
“Republicans are LAPPING Democrats in fundraising & building a war chest they can’t match,” the NRCC wrote in a post on X, adding that the GOP “outraised, outworked, [and] outmatched” their Democratic counterparts.
Mike Marinella, the national press secretary for the NRCC, stated, “Once again, and for every single quarter this campaign cycle, @NRCC Patriots have outraised [the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee] Frontliners.”
“House Republicans have the momentum on our side, and the money proves it,” he wrote.
Federal Election Commission reporting showed that Democratic Senate candidates have raised $368 million for their 2026 races, compared to $324 million raised by Republicans. Democratic House candidates collected $691 million, while Republicans raised $578 million.
Some of the most prominent names in Republican political consulting did not respond to a request for comment on this story.
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Hegseth goes viral for ‘Pulp Fiction’ prayer at the Pentagon
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth faced some criticism after reciting a prayer that closely resembled a fake biblical passage from the film “Pulp Fiction” during a worship service at the Pentagon.
Hegseth was touting the successful combat search and rescue mission of a downed pilot in Iran when he asked the audience to join him in a prayer he said was given to him by the lead planner of the mission.
‘I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to capture and destroy my brother.’
“This prayer was recited by Sandy 1, which is one of the Sandies, to all Sandies, all those A-10 crews, prior to all CSAR missions, but especially this CSAR mission that happened in real time. … They call it CSAR 25:17, which I think is meant to reflect Ezekiel 25:17,” Hegseth said.
The prayer he recited seemingly paraphrased a line from “Pulp Fiction.”
“The path of the downed aviator is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men,” Hegseth prayed. “Blessed is he who, in the name of camaraderie and duty, shepherd the lost through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother’s keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to capture and destroy my brother. And you will know my call sign is Sandy 1 when I lay my vengeance upon thee.”
The passage is very popular among movie aficionados and fans of director Quentin Tarantino. However, Tarantino also swiped the fake scripture verse from a Japanese martial arts movie from the 1970s.
Video of Hegseth’s prayer was posted to social media, where it garnered more than 16 million views after only several hours.
Critics of Hegseth assumed that he was ignorantly portraying the fake verse as real scripture, but that is unclear from the video.
“Hegseth is mad because America caught him claiming he was quoting the Bible when in fact he was quoting the Quentin Tarantino script from Pulp Fiction,” anti-Trump commentator Keith Olbermann responded.
RELATED: MS Now host implodes over Pete Hegseth saying, ‘We leave no man behind,’ after pilot rescue
Hegseth appeared to respond to the critics in a statement during a media briefing Thursday.
“I just can’t help but notice the endless stream of garbage — the relentlessly negative coverage you cannot resist peddling, despite the historic and important success of this effort and the success of our troops,” he said.
“Sometimes it’s hard to figure out what side some of you are actually on. It’s incredibly unpatriotic,” Hegseth added.
He went on to compare some of the press to the Pharisees who persecuted Jesus Christ.
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TPUSA Frontlines reporter brutally attacked by Antifa mob tells Sara Gonzales the full story mainstream media won’t touch
On April 11, TPUSA Frontlines reporter Savanah Hernandez was assaulted by multiple protesters who punched her, blew whistles in her face, and shoved her to the ground while she was filming an anti-ICE protest outside the Whipple Federal Building in Minnesota, with the mob chanting, “We are Antifa.”
Now she joins Sara Gonzales, BlazeTV host of “Sara Gonzales Unfiltered,” to recount the brutal attack in detail and discuss the path to accountability.
After playing the clip capturing Hernandez being violently shoved in the back, Sara asks, “How do you feel? How is your body?”
Hernandez, insisting that she does not want to “over-dramatize” the situation, admits that she is “still in pain.”
“I really do feel like this was a brutal assault, and I still at this point am baffled as to why it took place because I wasn’t there to interview anybody. I was there to simply observe,” she says.
But even non-confrontational “point-and-shoot journalism” was enough cause for violence.
It didn’t take long before Hernandez was identified as a Turning Point USA reporter. The man who discovered her identity, she says, was William Scott Kelly (also known as “DaWokeFarmer”), who was previously arrested and charged for his role in storming Cities Church in St. Paul in January this year.
“This is the same guy who, you know, incited a mob against me on Saturday, and then that mob consisted of multiple people swinging sex toys in my face, hitting me with them,” Hernandez recounts.
She then addressed the main group that allegedly assaulted her.
“There were three individuals in particular — DeYanna, Chris, and Paige Ostroushko — that were extremely aggressive,” she says.
“[DeYanna] is the first one who came up to me, began shoving me, putting her fingers in my face. Her husband came up behind me and shoved me,” she says, noting that this all happened “before the actual assault.”
“Then we found another camera angle of [Chris] instructing his own daughter to, quote, ‘Blow the whistle in her effing ear.’ So he instructed his daughter to come up to me and assault me, and she did,” Hernandez continues, as Sara plays a video capturing this exact moment.
“I want people to understand that this response happened because I was standing on a public street filming a protest. That’s it. That was the response,” Hernandez says.
Instead of retaliating, Hernandez says she actually started asking the group standard questions like, “Why are you here?” and, “Why is this important to you?”
“So, I gave them the opportunity to even utilize my platform, talk to me, and they decided to twist everything into this narrative of, ‘It doesn’t matter — you’re bad and we’re going to brutally assault you,”’ Hernandez says.
“They pre-planned this attack. They coordinated it,” she insists. “They attacked me and then in live time tried to rewrite the narrative to say that I was the agitator.”
The attack was “so horrific,” she says, that even “left-wing streamers” were saying, “Yeah, we can’t support this.”
Sara is horrified by the assault on her friend and fellow journalist.
“Someone, for the love of God, lock these people up because they’re brutal criminals,” she pleads.
Justice appears to be under way.
Chris Ostroushko, Paige Ostroushko, and Lorenzo Amadeo Garcia (Paige’s boyfriend) have been arrested and had charges recommended by the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office in connection with the April 11 assault on Hernandez.
“It is now up to the county prosecutor essentially to decide whether or not they want to bring forward those charges,” says Hernandez, who admits that she “[doesn’t] have any faith in the state” because of how liberal Minneapolis is.
“Luckily, the feds are also involved. … Both DHS and the DOJ are involved, and I’m happy to see this because I do want federal charges brought forward,” she adds.
To hear more of the conversation and see footage from the protest, watch the episode above.
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PH Embassy facilitates repatriation of 22 Filipinos, including two minors, from Israel
At least 22 Filipinos, including two minors, were able to safely leave Israel and are expected to arrive in Manila by Saturday, April 18, according to the Philippine Embassy in Israel.
Filipino sustainability champion named to World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders 2026
Filipino sustainability advocate Carlo Chen-Delantar has been named to the World Economic Forum”s (WEF) Young Global Leaders (YGL) Class of 2026.
LIVE UPDATES: Conflict in the Middle East (April 17, 2026)
Here are the latest news and updates on the US-Israel war against Iran and related developments.
Latest bid to rein in Trump’s Iran war powers fails in US House
The U.S. House of Representatives backed President Donald Trump’s military campaign against Iran on Thursday, narrowly blocking a Democratic-led resolution aiming to stop the war until hostilities are authorized by Congress. The war powers resolution was rejected by 214 to 213 in the Republican-majority chamber, a day after a similar measure was blocked in the Senate.
Daughter of missing American woman touches down in Bahamas, slams stepdad after he fled amid investigation
The daughter of missing Bahamas woman Lynette Hooker arrived on Great Abaco Island and lashed out at stepfather Brian Hooker, who left for the U.S. abruptly.
