Month: April 2026

A federal appeals court on Saturday in a 2-1 ruling said President Trump can continue the construction on the White House ballroom… for now.

The appeals court judges sent the case back down to the US District Court judge who previously halted the construction on the ballroom.

The White House argued that the construction on the ballroom must continue for national security and safety reasons.

The construction can continue until at least April 17, the appeals court judges ruled.

Late last month, a federal judge ordered the privately funded Trump White House ballroom construction project to be halted.

US District Judge Richard Leon, a George W. Bush appointee, temporarily halted construction on the ballroom.

The judge said Congress has to approve the construction project.

President Trump responded to the judge’s ruling last month:

“In the Ballroom case, the Judge said we have to get Congressional approval. He is WRONG! Congressional approval has never been given on anything, in these circumstances, big or small, having to do with construction at the White House. In this case, even less so, because the Ballroom is being built with Private Donations, no Federal Taxpayer Money!” Trump said in a Truth Social post.

Last summer, the Trump Administration announced a White House Ballroom construction project:

For 150 years, Presidents, Administrations, and White House Staff have longed for a large event space on the White House complex that can hold substantially more guests than currently allowed. President Donald J. Trump has expressed his commitment to solving this problem on behalf of future Administrations and the American people.

The White House is one of the most beautiful and historic buildings in the world, yet the White House is currently unable to host major functions honoring world leaders and other countries without having to install a large and unsightly tent approximately 100 yards away from the main building entrance. The White House State Ballroom will be a much-needed and exquisite addition of approximately 90,000 total square feet of ornately designed and carefully crafted space, with a seated capacity of 650 people — a significant increase from the 200-person seated capacity in the East Room of the White House.

In recent weeks, President Trump has held several meetings with members of the White House Staff, the National Park Service, the White House Military Office, and the United States Secret Service to discuss design features and planning.

President Trump has chosen McCrery Architects as lead architect, which is well-known for their classical architectural design and based in our nation’s capital. CEO Jim McCrery said: “Presidents in the modern era have faced challenges hosting major events at the White House because it has been untouched since President Harry Truman. I am honored that President Trump has entrusted me to help bring this beautiful and necessary renovation to The People’s House, while preserving the elegance of its classical design and historical importance.”

The construction team will be headed by Clark Construction, and the engineering team will be led by AECOM.

The project will begin in September 2025, and it is expected to be completed long before the end of President Trump’s term.

President Trump, and other patriot donors, have generously committed to donating the funds necessary to build this approximately $200 million dollar structure. The United States Secret Service will provide the necessary security enhancements and modifications.

The White House Ballroom will be substantially separated from the main building of the White House, but at the same time, it’s theme and architectural heritage will be almost identical. The site of the new ballroom will be where the small, heavily changed, and reconstructed East Wing currently sits. The East Wing was constructed in 1902 and has been renovated and changed many times, with a second story added in 1942.

The White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles said the following: “President Trump is a builder at heart and has an extraordinary eye for detail. The President and the Trump White House are fully committed to working with the appropriate organizations to preserving the special history of the White House while building a beautiful ballroom that can be enjoyed by future Administrations and generations of Americans to come.”

The post Appeals Court Allows Trump to Continue Construction on White House Ballroom… For Now appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Just when you thought the radical left couldn’t get any more unhinged, a bombshell 2019 police report has surfaced exposing the true character of Dr. Amy Acton, the Democrat now running for Ohio governor.

It can be recalled that former Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton announced a run for governor last year to replace term-limited Gov. Mike DeWine (R).  She is the first Democrat to enter the 2026 race.

In a statement announcing her candidacy, Acton shared, “I’m a doctor, not a politician.”

“I solve problems by bringing people together regardless of party to find solutions. So unlike most of our leaders, I know the answer to moving our state forward isn’t giving politicians more power, it’s giving people more freedom.”

She added, “Today, I filed papers to run for Governor because I refuse to look away from Ohioans who are struggling while self-serving politicians and special interests take our state in the wrong direction. It’s time to give power back to the people and our communities. It’s time for a change.”

Despite her claim to embrace freedom, many Ohioans remember Acton’s tenure as Health Director, and freedom was not a priority for her then.

In the early days of COVID, Acton was the first state official to inspire panic by using the debunked Imperial College of London computer model claiming millions would die from the virus.

She urged lockdowns and restrictions on freedom across the board.

While Acton was busy as then-Governor Mike DeWine’s Health Director pushing the debunked Imperial College model that terrified the nation into economic suicide, she was apparently having her own private meltdown at home in Bexley, Ohio.

According to NBC News, citing newly uncovered Bexley Police report from August 2019, officers responded to a “domestic dispute” at Acton’s residence after she “became upset” because she felt her husband was “antagonizing her.”

What did this “public health expert” do next? She ripped a mirror off the wall and shattered the glass. Classy.

The report states Acton admitted to officers she had been drinking and had taken an “unknown amount of prescription drugs.” She was reportedly about to hop in her car and drive off, while intoxicated, until her husband (who also admitted to drinking) talked her out of it.

A medic was called to the scene and recommended she be taken to the hospital. Acton refused.

More from NBC News:

Her campaign on Friday disputed and sought to clarify several elements of the police report. Acton and her husband had returned home from dinner, where she had one drink, according to the campaign’s written response for this article. During a “verbal disagreement regarding her long work hours,” Acton “bumped into a wall hanging which fell,” the campaign said. She then went to bed and was asleep when police arrived, according to the campaign.

Officers were dispatched to the home at 9:45 p.m., according to the police report, which does not indicate how they were alerted to the incident.

Acton’s campaign said that she was not “intoxicated” at any point during the evening and that the prescription medications referenced in the police report were ones that she had taken regularly for years.

The campaign also disputed that there was any reason for Acton to go to a hospital, asserting that any “harm, injury, or impairment” would have been noted in the police report.

[…]

The 2019 incident at Acton’s home has, until now, not been reported publicly. It also was not something widely known, if it was known at all, inside the DeWine administration. The governor, according to his spokesperson, was not happy to learn of the matter for the first time from NBC News.

Reacting to the report, Trump Jr. blasted Acton in a post on X, writing:

“Leftwing psychopath @amyactonoh shouldn’t be running for Governor in Ohio, she should be seeking help.”

Leftwing psychopath @amyactonoh shouldn’t be running for Governor in Ohio, she should be seeking help. https://t.co/G8BDrQXeMu

— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) April 11, 2026

The post BOMBSHELL REPORT RESURFACES: Police Responded to ‘Domestic Dispute’ at Ohio Democrat Gubernatorial Candidate Amy Acton’s Home — Alcohol, Prescription Drugs, and Property Damage Detailed in Incident appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Jennifer Kooning, an NYC mental health nurse (ironic right?!) walking through Times Square, went viral for her vile attack on a group of Israeli men.

While filming herself, which clearly demonstrates how secure she is in her hatred, she walked past a group of Israeli men and began berating them.

During her hate-filled, antisemitic attack, she repeatedly called them “baby-killers” and “terrorists.”

“You guys killed babies in Palestine … Slaughtered babies,” Koonings screeched.

“We don’t want you here, terrorists.”

A man dressed as Spiderman was forced to intervene, telling the woman to leave the men alone.

Watch:

BREAKING UPDATE: Jennifer Kings who videoed herself harassing random Israelis in NYC, calling them “baby killers,” was swiftly fired by Inspire Mental Health Services.

Within hours of the video going viral, she received a brief termination email ending her employment… https://t.co/c2QMSrWY5r pic.twitter.com/xPvHWwrYv6

— I Meme Therefore I Am (@ImMeme0) April 6, 2026

The viral video led online sleuths to dig into her background and, surprise!  Jennifer spent time in Iran, where she pushed propaganda for the violent regime that kills women for simply not being covered properly.

The New York Post reports:

Clad in a headscarf, Jennifer Koonings rambled about New York City’s potholes while praising the “beauty” of Iran in the July 17, 2025 clip posted to the X account of the Sobh Festival, which is organized by the Iranian state media.

Koonings, 35, made the trip nearly a month after the United States bombed Iranian nuclear sites in Isfahan and Fordow.

“Living in the United States we’re constantly inundated with negative messaging and propaganda about places like Iran and how evil they are… I live in New York City and the roads are terrible, we have potholes… we have crumbling bridges, crumbling infrastructure, no public services,” she said in the footage.

AmericanJournalist Says Western Media Just Misrepresent Iran

Expressing her opinion about Iran, American Journalist JeniferKoonings says what the Western media tells about Iran is just propaganda, as
she experiences the “beautiful Tehran” and its “so kindpeople.”… pic.twitter.com/zlmcBrwBau

— Sobh Festival (@Sobh_festival) July 17, 2025

Kooing gleefully toured Iran’s National Aerospace Park.

As appalling as the Times Square video is, it still does not crack Jennifer Koonings’s top three.

Here she is on a trip to Iran, touring the regime’s National Aerospace Park and acting as an apologist for the Islamic Republic. pic.twitter.com/Q1y5pW4TH4

— Stu Smith (@thestustustudio) April 6, 2026

She also appeared on Iranian government media PressTV.

Jennifer Koonings, who went viral for verbally attacked random Israelis, was previously featured on Iranian government media PressTV pic.twitter.com/OOQnYoOqBd

— Jew on Shabbat (@TMIJOS) April 7, 2026

According to The Post, “Koonings was fired from Manhattan-based Inspire Mental Health Services this week, after she posted multiple hateful videos to Instagram of her screaming antisemitic invective at strangers in Times Square that she believed to be Israeli.”

The post NYC Nurse Who Went Viral for Antisemitic Tirade in Times Square Spent Time in Iran for ‘Propaganda Trip’ appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

A machete-wielding man was fatally shot by police on Saturday after he attacked three elder victims at Grand Central.

The unidentified stabber was known to law enforcement and has numerous prior arrests.

Video posted to X showed a bloody scene on the subway platform after police shot the maniac.

The three victims are reportedly in stable condition.

The New York Post reported:

A maniac slashed three elderly people with a machete in an unprovoked attack and was fatally shot by cops at Grand Central Terminal Saturday morning — causing mayhem that sent commuters fleeing the iconic station, police and witnesses said.

An 85-year-old man and a 65-year-old man were slashed in their heads on the 4, 5, 6 subway platform at at 9:50 a.m., police said. A 70-year-old woman was also slashed, but it wasn’t clear where on her body, cops said.

Two NYPD detectives confronted the 44-year-old and told him to drop the machete.

He ignored their commands and was shot three times, according to police sources.

The victims were taken to local hospitals in stable condition, cops said.

The slasher was taken to Bellevue Hospital and was pronounced dead a short time later, cops said.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) who previously declared that subways and trains in New York City were “safe” weighed in on the latest stabbing.

“I’ve been briefed on the horrific incident at Grand Central this morning,” Hochul said.

“Two innocent people were attacked in a senseless act of violence. I’m grateful to our brave officers who acted quickly to stop the suspect,” Hochul said.

“We’re working closely with the NYPD as the investigation unfolds,” she said.

I’ve been briefed on the horrific incident at Grand Central this morning.

Two innocent people were attacked in a senseless act of violence. I’m grateful to our brave officers who acted quickly to stop the suspect.

We’re working closely with the NYPD as the investigation… https://t.co/fwS4IzVBHN

— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) April 11, 2026

The post JUST IN: Machete-Wielding Man with Numerous Prior Arrests Fatally Shot by NYPD After Slashing Three Elder Victims at Grand Central appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

In yet another devastating blow to the already-imploding campaign of far-left California Rep. Eric Swalwell, American former pharmaceutical executive and hedge fund manager dubbed “Pharma Bro” Martin Shkreli has obtained explosive video footage showing the married Democrat congressman getting intimate with a mystery woman who is clearly not his wife.

The video captures Swalwell in a compromising situation that directly contradicts the image the sleazebag Democrat has tried to project while running for California governor.

Shkreli publicly reached out to Swalwell’s campaign on X (formerly Twitter) Saturday, stating he had received the video and was giving them a chance to comment before releasing it to the public.

i need to speak to someone from the @ericswalwell campaign. ive received a video of him being intimate with a woman who does not appear to be his wife and would like a comment before posting.

— Martin Shkreli (@MartinShkreli) April 11, 2026

Twenty minutes later, Shkreli posted the video of Swalwell getting intimate with an alleged sex worker.

He wrote:

“Here is the @ericswalwell video. my source says it was taken in his home and the woman is a sex worker.”

Watch the video HERE.

This latest scandal comes as Swalwell’s once-promising bid for governor is in free-fall following multiple accusations of sexual misconduct, including a bombshell claim from a former staffer who says the congressman raped her twice while she was too intoxicated to consent.

As The Gateway Pundit has been reporting for days, Swalwell’s California governor campaign has completely imploded after the San Francisco Chronicle published the former aide’s devastating allegations.

Additional women have since come forward accusing the Democrat of sexual harassment and misconduct, including sending unsolicited explicit images.

High-profile Democrats like Adam Schiff and Nancy Pelosi have abandoned ship, withdrawing their endorsements and calling on Swalwell to drop out of the race entirely. Multiple campaign staffers have already resigned in disgust.

In a desperate damage-control video released Friday night, a visibly rattled Swalwell denied the sexual assault claims but admitted to “mistakes in judgement in my past” and issued a groveling apology to his wife for putting her through the public humiliation.

This is the same Eric Swalwell who spent years cozying up to a Chinese Communist Party spy named Fang Fang — a honeypot operative who infiltrated his campaign and, according to multiple reports, had an intimate relationship with the congressman.

The Gateway Pundit has reached out to Swalwell’s campaign for comments.

The post BREAKING: “Pharma Bro” Martin Shkreli Obtains SHOCKING Video of Rep. Eric Swalwell Getting Intimate with Mystery Woman Who Is NOT His Wife appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

A ceasefire to the Iran War entered its fourth day Saturday as Iranian and U.S. delegations met in Islamabad, Pakistan, to try negotiating a settlement to the conflict. These are the highest-level face-to-face talks between the two nations since Iran’s Islamic Revolution in 1979.

Talks between the U.S. delegation — led by Vice President JD Vance, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner — and Iran’s negotiating team, led by Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, shifted into technical discussions in certain areas, Tasnim News Agency reported. Iranian media said another round of face-to-face talks could take place Saturday night or Sunday.

Although the negotiations were initially planned as a single day session, an extension into Sunday to continue “expert-level discussions” remained possible, though unconfirmed, Tasnim said. The outlet later reported that face-to-face meetings had ended for the day and that negotiators from the U.S. and Iran were exchanging messages.

The Iranian delegation had previously refused to meet directly with the U.S. until the Israelis stopped bombing Lebanon and the U.S. unfroze Iran’s assets. Iran’s state television reported that the U.S. had accepted Iran’s demand for the release of blocked funds, though a U.S. official denied agreeing to unfreeze Iranian assets. A complete halt to Israel’s bombardment in Lebanon did not occur before negotiations began.

Israeli airstrikes continued to hammer Lebanon, targeting civilians and residential structures, including in the town Tefhata, a double-tap airstrike killed at least seven people, according to war correspondents.

A significant stalemate reportedly emerged over control of the Strait of Hormuz, according to two people briefed on the negotiations cited by the Financial Times. Iran has signaled a desire to retain control over the waterway and the right to charge vessels a toll and has not accepted U.S. proposals for joint control, the Financial Times reported. 

In a post on Truth Social on Saturday, President Donald Trump said that “the Strait of Hormuz will soon be open,” adding that “empty ships are rushing to the United States to ‘load up.’”

American media reported that U.S. Navy ships had passed through the Strait of Hormuz for the first time since Iran closed the passage shortly after the war began. On Saturday morning, Trump wrote on Truth Social, “We’re now starting the process of clearing out the Strait of Hormuz as a favor to Countries all over the World.” U.S. Central Command said that the USS Frank E. Peterson and USS Michael Murphy transited the strait Saturday.

Meanwhile, Fars News reported that a U.S. destroyer had turned back from the strait after an Iranian warning.

The post Ceasefire Day 4: Iranian and U.S. Negotiators Meet in Islamabad appeared first on The American Conservative.

The former staffer who says Democrat Rep. Eric Swalwell raped her sat down with CNN and recounted some of the horrific details of the alleged rape.

As TGP reported on Friday, The San Francisco Chronicle published a story about a woman who claimed that Democrat Eric Swalwell sexually assaulted her twice.

The woman, who worked as a staffer in Swalwell’s office for two years, told The San Francisco Chronicle that Swalwell began pursuing her just weeks after she was hired at the age of 21 in 2019.

“A woman who worked for nearly two years for Rep. Eric Swalwell, a leading candidate for California governor, said she had sexual encounters with him while he was her boss and alleged he twice sexually assaulted her when she was too intoxicated to consent,” the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

After The San Francisco Chronicle dropped their bombshell report on Swalwell, three additional women spoke to CNN and provided evidence about alleged additional misconduct by the California Democrat.

The Swalwell staffer said she was sexually assaulted by Swalwell in 2019

The staffer also said Swalwell raped her years later in 2024 after she left his employment.

The unidentified former female staffer sat down with CNN and recounted some of the horrific details about the alleged rape that occurred in 2024.

“I went to the bathroom, and I don’t remember anything after that,” she said, adding that she “remembered the next day.”

“I can see flashes of that evening of him on top of me, me pushing him off, him grabbing me. It was a lot more aggressive. It was aggressive,” she said about the 2024 assault.

“Did you say no?” CNN asked the alleged victim.

“Yes. I said no,” she recounted. “In my flash that I can recall, I was pushing him off saying no.”

“And what did he do?” CNN asked the victim.

“He didn’t stop. He didn’t stop. I woke up the next morning naked, alone in his hotel. I, for a moment, didn’t even know that I was in his hotel room. That’s how intoxicated I was,” she said.

CNN said they corroborated the woman’s claims by speaking with friends and family that she confided in. CNN also reviewed photos and screenshots of contemporaneous text messages. The outlet reviewed a message from her medical provider the week after she received the pregnancy and STD test calling her a “survivor.”

WATCH:

Swalwell denied the allegations in a written statement earlier Friday.

Swalwell’s lawyers also intimidated the alleged sexual assault victim and sent her a cease-and-desist letter, accusing her of making false statements.

Late Friday night Swalwell released a desperate and unhinged video denying the sexual assault allegations against him which prompted high-profile Democrats to withdraw endorsements.

High-profile California Democrats like Adam Schiff and Nancy Pelosi turned on Swalwell and called for him to drop out of the gubernatorial race.

Schiff withdrew his endorsement of Swalwell and called on him to drop out of California’s gubernatorial race.

The post Swalwell Sexual Assault Victim Sits Down with CNN, Recounts Horrific Details of Alleged Rape (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has delivered a powerful blow against radical Islamists and their enablers by terminating the lawful permanent resident status of family members tied to one of the most despicable figures from the 1979 Iranian Hostage Crisis.

Masoumeh Ebtekar, better known as the hate-filled “Screaming Mary,” was the shrill spokeswoman for the Islamic terrorists who stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and held 52 innocent American hostages for a brutal 444 days.

Those brave Americans endured beatings, starvation, mock executions, and endless psychological torture while this regime propagandist screamed anti-American venom to the world.

Yet under the disastrous Obama-Biden regime, her son Seyed Eissa Hashemi, Maryam Tahmasebi, and their son were handed visas in 2014 and then awarded the “extraordinary privilege” of lawful permanent resident status in June 2016 through the ridiculous Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, the same lottery scam that has flooded America with unvetted risks from hostile nations.

While American families struggled under Obama’s failed policies, reports show Hashemi was living large in upscale Agoura Hills, California, teaching psychology and organizational leadership at a private college, all while his family remained deeply tied to the anti-American Iranian regime.

No more.

This week, Secretary Rubio terminated their green cards. Today, Seyed Eissa Hashemi, Maryam Tahmasebi, and their son are in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) pending their removal from our country.

Here is Secretary Rubio’s powerful statement in full:

Masoumeh Ebtekar – also known as “Screaming Mary” – was the spokeswoman for the Islamic terrorists who stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979 and held 52 Americans hostage for 444 days – subjecting them to beatings, starvation, and mock executions.

In 2014, the Obama Administration granted visas to her son and his family to enter the United States. In June 2016, the Obama Administration gave them lawful permanent resident status via the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program.

This week, I terminated their lawful permanent resident status and today, Seyed Eissa Hashemi, Maryam Tahmasebi, and their son are now in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement pending their removal from our country.

Her family should never have been allowed to benefit from the extraordinary privilege of living in our country.

America can never become home for anti-American terrorists or their families – and under the Trump Administration, it never will.

Masoumeh Ebtekar – also known as “Screaming Mary” – was the spokeswoman for the Islamic terrorists who stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979 and held 52 Americans hostage for 444 days – subjecting them to beatings, starvation, and mock executions.

In 2014, the Obama…

— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) April 11, 2026

The post Secretary Marco Rubio TERMINATES Legal Status of Family Members Linked to Infamous 1979 Iranian Hostage-Taker Propagandist ‘Screaming Mary’ appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

President Donald Trump announced on Saturday morning that the United States is now beginning the process of clearing the Strait of Hormuz.

In a post to Truth Social, Trump described the operation as a favor to countries around the world that lack the courage or will to do it themselves.

BREAKING: President Trump says the US has now begun the process of clearing out mines from the Strait of Hormuz.

Several US Navy ships were just seen crossing the Strait of Hormuz. pic.twitter.com/EUrm7YbeWq

— The Kobeissi Letter (@KobeissiLetter) April 11, 2026

In a lengthy post, the president slammed claims by the “Fake News Media” that Iran is winning the war, declaring instead that the Islamic Republic is “LOSING, and LOSING BIG!”

Trump began, “The Fake News Media has lost total credibility, not that they had any to begin with. Because of their massive Trump Derangement Syndrome (Sometimes referred to as TDS!), they love saying that Iran is ‘winning’ when, in fact, everyone knows that they are LOSING, and LOSING BIG!”

“Their Navy is gone, their Air Force is gone, their Anti Aircraft apparatus is nonexistent, Radar is dead, their Missile and Drone Factories have been largely obliterated along with the Missiles and Drones themselves and, most importantly, their longtime ‘Leaders’ are no longer with us, praise be to Allah!” Trump continued.

“The only thing they have going is the threat that a ship may ‘bunk’ into one of their sea mines which, by the way, all 28 of their mine dropper boats are also lying at the bottom of the sea,” Trump wrote. “We’re now starting the process of clearing out the Strait of Hormuz as a favor to Countries all over the World, including China, Japan, South Korea, France, Germany, and many others. Incredibly, they don’t have the Courage or Will to do this work themselves.”

Trump explained that while the world benefits from a reopened and secure strait, empty oil-carrying ships from multiple nations are now steaming toward U.S. ports to load up on American oil rather than relying on Middle Eastern supplies.

“Very interestingly, however, empty Oil carrying ships from many Nations are all heading to the United States of America to LOAD UP with Oil. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP,” the president concluded.

Several US Navy ships were seen crossing the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the most strategically important chokepoints in the world.

It serves as the primary route for oil tankers exiting the Persian Gulf, with roughly 20 percent of global oil trade normally passing through it, approximately 20 million barrels per day before the conflict.

Iranian mining and threats had severely disrupted traffic, creating a backlog that threatened global energy prices and supply chains.

The post BREAKING: President Trump Announces the U.S. is Beginning to Clear Out the Strait of Hormuz ‘As a Favor to Countries All Over the World’ appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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