Category: The Washington Free Beacon
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Ilhan Omar under investigation by House Republicans
House Republicans have opened an investigation into Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) after reviewing recent financial disclosure filings that show a sharp increase in her household’s reported wealth, according to multiple media reports.
The inquiry is being led by Republicans on the House Oversight Committee, who say they are examining whether Omar and her husband, Tim Mynett, properly disclosed income and business interests as required by federal ethics laws. The review is in its early stages, and no formal allegations of wrongdoing have been announced.
‘There are a lot of questions as to how her husband accumulated so much wealth over the past two years.’
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) said the panel intends to pursue answers through congressional oversight channels.
“We’re going to get answers, whether it’s through the Ethics Committee or the Oversight Committee, one of the two,” Comer said.
Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images
Omar, a Democrat who represents much of Minneapolis, reported significantly higher asset valuations in her most recent annual disclosure compared with previous years. The filings list increased valuations tied largely to Mynett’s business holdings, including consulting and investment ventures.
Comer questioned the plausibility of the reported increase, saying it raised immediate red flags.
“There are a lot of questions as to how her husband accumulated so much wealth over the past two years,” Comer said. “It’s not possible. It’s not. I’m a money guy. It’s not possible.”
Republicans say the size and timing of the reported increase warrant closer scrutiny. Oversight Committee members have indicated they may seek additional documentation to better understand how the assets were valued and whether the disclosures complied with House ethics rules.
Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), the House majority whip, said the issue goes beyond routine disclosure review and merits formal examination.
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“The explosion of wealth, plus the fact that convicted fraudsters helped fund Omar’s campaign, is worth an investigation by the Ethics Committee at the very least,” Emmer said.
The investigation comes amid heightened political attention on financial transparency in Congress and broader scrutiny of fraud cases in Minnesota, though Omar has not been charged or accused of involvement in those cases.
Omar has dismissed the investigation as politically motivated and has denied any wrongdoing. She has previously said her financial disclosures are accurate and that her husband’s business activities are lawful.
A congressional investigation does not itself imply misconduct. Lawmakers frequently review disclosures and request clarifications as part of routine oversight. The House Oversight Committee has not released a timeline for potential hearings or subpoenas.
Democrats have criticized the probe as partisan, arguing that Republicans are targeting a prominent progressive lawmaker. Republicans counter that the inquiry is about transparency and accountability.
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Democrats want to impeach Trump — but John James and Michigan can stop them, new ad says
Rep. John James, a Michigan Republican running for governor, has launched a new ad tying the fate of Trump’s second term and the America First agenda to James’ home state of Michigan.
On Thursday, James released an ad titled “Impeached,” claiming that Michigan, with its open U.S. Senate seat and four competitive House races, is “ground zero” in the fight to keep Congress under Republican control.
Recent polling indicates that James holds a commanding lead in the Republican primary and a slight edge in the general election in November.
The ad suggests that if Congress falls into the hands of the Democrats after the 2026 midterms, Trump will be “impeached” and his “Cabinet dragged before hearings led by AOC and Rashida Tlaib,” referring to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Tlaib (D-Mich.).
In the ad, James, currently a Michigan congressman who has “backed President Trump every time,” makes the pitch to MAGA Michiganders that his election to be their next governor is vital to protecting Trump and his ability to continue implementing his policies: “If you care about President Trump, you must stand up for John James.”
In a press release given to Blaze News, James’ spokeswoman Hannah Osantowske stated: “This ad makes the stakes unmistakable. If Republicans lose Michigan, Democrats will move to impeach President Trump and grind the America First agenda to a halt. John James is the conservative fighter who can win — and who Michigan families can trust to hold the line.”
As of Thursday morning, Trump has made no endorsement in the Michigan gubernatorial Republican primary, though he previously endorsed James’ Senate and congressional campaigns and even referred to the Iraq War Army aviation officer as “legendary.”
Osantowske told Blaze News that James is “committed to earning” Trump’s endorsement once again. “John James is a proven winner. President Trump likes winners, and he remembers those who’ve been loyal,” she added.
Recent polling indicates that James holds a commanding lead in the Republican primary and a slight edge in a hypothetical three-way matchup against Democrat Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Democrat-leaning independent Mike Duggan in the general election in November.
The RealClearPolitics average currently has James ahead by 3.5 points.
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4 radical bills + 1 executive order: Spanberger’s Virginia is already spiraling into crime and racism in just days
It’s been less than a week since Democrat Abigail Spanberger was sworn in as Virginia’s governor, and already her unhinged liberal policies are poisoning the state, says BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales.
“She’s a deranged, liberal, white woman, so she’s handling it about how you would expect,” she sneers.
As one of her first actions after being sworn in, Spanberger signed an executive order rescinding her predecessor Glenn Youngkin’s directive that required state law enforcement, including Virginia State Police and corrections, to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement on immigration enforcement.
“I’ve explained this to you multiple times,” says Sara. “They want the criminals.”
“You had Glenn Youngkin. You could have actually made some progress to not be a total hellhole, and instead, they were like, ‘Nope, nope, nope — we want the law-abiding Americans to not feel safe.”’
On top of that, just days before Spanberger’s swearing-in, Democratic delegates rushed in bills that critics argue will fuel crime and anti-white racism in Virginia.
For example, Delegate Alfonso Lopez (D) introduced a bill (HB912) that will “guarantee illegal alien children free education in Virginia.”
“Come on over. It’s all free,” retorts Sara.
Delegate Sam Rasoul (D) introduced a bill (HB1070) that aims to “prohibit the state from mentioning an accused criminal’s prior conviction to the jury during the guilt phase of the trial.”
“They won’t hold it against them that they’ve just gone on to commit crime after crime after crime after crime” scoffs Sara.
“But wait, there’s more.”
Delegate Rae Cousins (D) introduced a bill (HB863) that removes mandatory minimum prison sentences for many crimes, including rape, manslaughter, assaulting a police officer, possession and distribution of child pornography, and repeat violent felonies.
“You guys think that I’m being hyperbolic. I’m not,” Sara insists. “They want the crime and the criminals to thrive in the state of Virginia.”
But perhaps the worst bill came from Delegate Jeion A. Ward (D), who introduced a bill (HB61) that proposes giving state contracts under $100,000 almost exclusively to businesses owned by women, minorities, or veterans — effectively shutting out white men unless no one else qualifies — and even then allows the state to award the contract to a preferred business if their bid is up to 5% higher than a white male-owned bid.
“Guys, the DOJ needs to sue them like yesterday. … That is blatant discrimination,” says Sara.
“By the way, if you live in Virginia, get the hell out. [Spanberger] is raising taxes on basically everything from retail delivery — so like Amazon, Uber Eats, FedEx, UPS, guns and ammo, you name it.”
Virginia, she says, “had something good,” and then it elected a “crazy, liberal, white [woman],” and now “just like that,” it’s been “run into the ground.”
To hear more of Sara’s commentary, watch the full episode above.
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How Americans can prepare for the worst — before it’s too late
Imagine standing in a war-torn city overseas, as I have on numerous deployments, walking through communities shattered not just by bombs and sectarian conflict, but by the follow-on failure of basic systems — water, power, food, even the educational system.
It’s a stark reminder that resilience isn’t abstract; it’s the difference between chaos and recovery. Back home, over 20 million Americans reported in 2023 that they could last at home for a month or more without publicly provided water, power, or transportation, a rate more than double that reported in 2017.
This trend is not occurring because of government guidance, but rather because of a perceived fear of government failure. Across the world, civil defense and national preparedness are surging in discussions, extending beyond disasters or war to encompass health, economics, energy, and the social, spiritual, and built environments of our communities.
Civilians have an active role to play and should not passively wait for government salvation.
The core question remains: Are we truly resilient?
Identifying gaps
In 2019, Quinton Lucie, a former attorney for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, wrote a blistering academic piece in Homeland Security Affairs. He argued that America no longer has the institutional experience or framework required for civil defense, a large pillar in overall national resiliency. In his words, the U.S. “lacks a comprehensive strategy and supporting programs to support and defend the population of the United States during times of war.” Retired Air Force General Glen D. VanHerck, the former commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command, recently commented that America needs to be able to “take a punch in the nose … and get back up and come out swinging” regardless of whether the attack came in the cyber realm or something conventional.
An all-inclusive plan is not optional. Presidential Executive Order 12656 mandates whole-of-government responsibilities for various national security emergencies. Article Three of the 1949 North Atlantic Treaty, which created NATO, stipulates resilience, focusing on continuity of government, essential services for citizens, and military support. Implicitly, it calls on individuals to step up too — not just for war, but for natural disasters, economic slumps, or grid failures.
While non-binding, the 2020 NATO NSHQ Comprehensive Defence Handbook states that “resilience is the foundation atop the whole-of-society bedrock” and “is built through civil preparedness and is achieved by continually preparing for, mitigating, and adapting to potential risks well before a crisis.” The challenge is that civil preparedness requires this whole-of-society approach, not just a whole-of-government one. That is, we can’t have a strong nation without strong individuals and communities.
Facing perils head-on
What other perils might we confront? Food security is a prime example. During the U.S. government shutdown, food banks near bases experienced a 30%-75% surge from military families. This comes at a time when 42 million Americans are on food stamps and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. push for a healthier fighting force and populace. Globally, a February 2025 report by the U.K.’s National Preparedness Commission indicated that civil food resilience is highly vulnerable to myriad shocks to the status quo and that the populace was underprepared.
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Photo by DAVID PASHAEE/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images
Utilities failures like water and electricity are another concern. In October 2025, the former top general of the National Security Agency warned of China’s aggressive targeting of U.S. critical infrastructure. This aligns with China’s “Three Warfares” strategy, which seeks to manipulate or weaken adversaries via public opinion warfare, psychological warfare, and legal warfare. China’s gray-zone activities against the U.S. also include synthetic narcotics like fentanyl and online actions to deepen political fissures.
Leaders are not sitting still. President Trump supports reshoring manufacturing capacity in the U.S. Onshoring and friend-shoring are hot topics among various industries, given rare-earth metal availability, tariffs, and general uncertainty. The U.S. Army is bolstering energy resilience, planning nuclear small modular reactors on nine bases by late 2028 and reclaiming a “right to repair” in contracts.
Big business is also in on the action. Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorganChase recently announced a $1.5 trillion plan for a more resilient domestic economy, seeing it as an issue of national security. With two Federal Reserve rate cuts in 2025 potentially fueling inflation, hedge fund billionaire Ray Dalio advises 15% portfolio allocation to gold. Even Jan Sramek of California Forever is investing hundreds of millions to build a resilient city near San Francisco. Resilience, clearly, permeates every facet of life.
Resilience is global
This is not unique to the English-speaking world. Latvia, a small Baltic state bordering Russia and Russia’s ally Belarus, exemplifies a whole-of-society approach. The nation’s 2020 State Defense Concept — currently in execution — is comprehensive in its approach, both to potential perils and responsibilities. Accidents, pandemics, war, severe weather, and cyberthreats all require a citizenry-to-parliament strategy. The church plays a major role, as does physical fitness, patriotism, and education, which is why state defense is now compulsory in Latvian schools.
Germany is getting back into the bunker business and has earmarked €10 billion through 2029 for civil protection. Many Polish citizens do not see their governments doing enough and are taking matters into their own hands by building bunkers and attempting — unfortunately without much success — to establish neighborhood civil defense groups.
What resilient citizens can do
What should we take from this? First, preparedness is neither fringe nor irrational. It is a global movement involving politicians, billionaires, and everyday people. Second, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Resilience spans the full human spectrum: social, physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual components, as I outline in my book “Resilient Citizens” through frameworks like the five archetypes (from Homesteaders to the Faithful) that show diverse, adaptable paths. Third, civilians have an active role to play and should not passively wait for government salvation. Tiered responsibility requires each echelon — from state to citizen — to play their parts, own up to their agency and responsibility, and act. Will you?
Andrew Jackson Comes to Davos
President Donald Trump, who keeps a portrait of Andrew Jackson in the Oval Office, brought a heaping dose of his predecessor’s energy with him when he alighted in Switzerland on Wednesday.
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Florida Gubernatorial Candidate Accused of ‘Grooming’ Minor May Not Even Be Eligible For Election
James Fishback, the 31-year-old alleged groomer and head of a troubled asset management firm who is running an insurgent campaign to succeed Florida governor Ron DeSantis (R.), claimed a Washington, D.C., condo as his primary residence through 2025 and voted in the district in 2020, records obtained by the Washington Free Beacon show. The documents raise questions about Fishback’s eligibility to serve as governor, given that Florida’s constitution requires gubernatorial candidates to have lived in the state for the preceding seven years.
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