Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) said during an interview this week that he has seen evidence of serious terrorist threats on the U.S. southern border. Gonzales‚ whose district covers more than 800 miles of the U.S. border with Mexico‚ told Margaret Hoover on “Firing Line” that while he cannot discuss the classified intelligence that he’s seen‚ it keeps him up late at night. “At the very beginning of this and throughout I always felt that maybe that was the nexus that could unite us‚” he said. “Because once again‚ when a terrorist action happens‚ it kills all Americans. They’re just trying to kill Americans‚ not Republicans or Democrats or any of these other things.” He said the solution to solving the crisis on the border is simple‚ people need to get to the point where they say‚ “enough is enough‚” and show the “political courage” to get something done. He said that the unprecedented surge in illegal immigration at the southern border was driven primarily by the Mexican drug cartels. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “The root cause of this crisis is the cartels‚” he said. “The cartels determine all of it. And this is where we have to put pressure on them. And the other piece of it‚ too‚ the Biden administration may be saying some of the right things‚ but they’re not doing some of the right things. And until they start doing some of the right things‚ this crisis is only going to continue to boil up.” WATCH:

Two U.S. Navy SEALs went missing late this week during a mission in the waters off the coast of Somalia‚ U.S. officials said. The SEALs were conducting a nighttime interdiction mission on Thursday where they were climbing up onto a vessel when one got knocked off by powerful ocean waves‚ the Associated Press reported. Following protocol‚ the next Navy SEAL up jumped into the water to help rescue him. A search and rescue operation is underway for both SEALs in the warm waters of the Gulf of Aden‚ the report said‚ noting that the U.S. Navy has increased activity in the area to stop weapons from being shipped to Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists in Yemen. U.S. Central Command would not confirm details about the two individuals who were missing‚ other than identifying them as “sailors” who were “were forward-deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet (C5F) area of operations supporting a wide variety of missions.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP The news comes as the Biden administration finally began taking military action against the Houthis late this week following dozens of terrorist attacks on international merchant vessels over the last couple of months in the Red Sea. “Since Nov. 19‚ 2023‚ Iranian-backed Houthi militants have attempted to attack and harass vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden 28 times‚” CENTCOM said. “These illegal incidents include attacks that have employed anti-ship ballistic missiles‚ unmanned aerial vehicles‚ and cruise missiles.” “These strikes have no association with and are separate from Operation Prosperity Guardian‚ a defensive coalition of over 20 countries operating in the Red Sea‚ Bab al-Mandeb Strait‚ and Gulf of Aden‚” the statement added.

Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) ripped President Joe Biden during Democratic presidential event this week for the collapse of the U.S. Southern Border. Phillips‚ who is a longshot candidate‚ made the remarks during NewsNation’s Democratic Presidential Forum on Friday with other longshot candidates Cenk Uygur and Marianne Williamson. Phillips called Biden’s border crisis‚ which experts have said was directly caused by his policies‚ “an unmitigated‚ embarrassing‚ unforgivable disaster.” His remarks came within the context of explaining numerous issues where he disagrees with Biden. “The other area where I differ with him immensely is our southern border‚” said Phillips. “I’ve been there twice. It is an unmitigated‚ embarrassing‚ unforgivable disaster‚ and Democrats‚ as Cenk said earlier‚ have to wake up to the truth.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP He warned that Democrats risked a Republican winning the White House in 2024 because his party has taken little to no action to fix what is happening at the border‚ saying that Republican presidential candidates are “actually listening” to voters. “And I think it’s time that Democrats do‚ and I’m afraid that President Biden is at a stage where he has lost the ability to legitimately listen‚” he said. He also took a shot at Biden for refusing to participate in Democrat presidential events‚ saying that it was disrespectful to the voters and the country at large. WATCH:

Investigators said this week that a fire outside of Portland mayoral candidate and City Commissioner Rene Gonzalez’s home may have been intentionally set for political reasons.  Early Friday morning‚ a car belonging to a family member of Gonzalez was found on fire outside of his home. After the fire was put out‚ police said it may have been arson. Gonzalez is a Democrat who ran for public office on a platform of cracking down on homelessness and increasing police funding. “Acts of political violence and acts of political vandalism are unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Commissioner Gonzalez and everyone else in a public leadership role is here to serve this community because they love this community‚” Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt said.  “Everybody is free to agree or disagree with me‚ the Commissioner‚ or any public servant or political candidate. But threats‚ vandalism‚ arson‚ violence‚ or any other form of illegal coercion will not be tolerated. If confirmed arson‚ we will find and prosecute those responsible for this act to the fullest extent of the law‚” Schmidt added.  Gonzalez thanked the fire department for their quick response after they called to report the fire.  “Thanks to the prompt response of Portland Fire &; Rescue‚ the fire was unable to spread to any neighboring homes or vehicles. My neighborhood is filled with both families and seniors‚ and we must do everything in our power to protect them. I am grateful that nobody was physically harmed as a result of this incident‚” he said.  Gonzalez‚ who is challenging several other city commissioners to replace far-Left Mayor Ted Wheeler in 2024 is considered the moderate in the race.  CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP During his campaign for commissioner in 2022‚ Gonzalez said that he wanted to hire hundreds of more police‚ increase arrests for shoplifting and trespassing‚ and get all of the homeless people off the streets and into a shelter. He was also attacked by fellow Democrats for his advocacy for schools to reopen during COVID. “If you’re doing crimes in the city of Portland‚ I don’t care if you’re unsheltered‚ I don’t care if you’re an addict or suffer [from] mental illness‚” he told Oregon Public Broadcasting in 2022‚ “You will start in the criminal justice system.” Portland has been plagued by homelessness‚ drug use‚ and crime in recent years at the same time many officials have pushed soft-on crime policies.  “I think Portland went so far Left that we see and feel that the future of our city’s at stake‚” he said. “I don’t think Portland can continue to be a functioning city if it continues on the path it’s going‚” Gonzalez said in 2022.

In a significant turn of events‚ former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has officially withdrawn from the presidential race. This strategic retreat has left a vacuum in the New Hampshire primary landscape‚ one that former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley is well-positioned to fill. Christie’s departure comes at a pivotal moment‚ just as the Granite State prepares to host the nation’s first presidential primary‚ a critical juncture that has historically altered the course of many political campaigns. Christie’s exit was not without drama; he delivered a parting shot at Haley and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis‚ criticizing their reluctance to fully disavow former President Donald Trump. Despite this‚ Haley is poised to inherit a substantial portion of Christie’s support base. According to recent polls‚ she is already the second choice for approximately half of Christie’s backers in New Hampshire. According to unreliable sources‚ Krispy Kreme is considering flying their flags half staff in memoriam of Chris Christie's ill fated campaign… pic.twitter.com/1tRjC9g569 — Jim Benson (MAGA World Leader) (@jmbenson1491) January 13‚ 2024 The implications of Christie’s withdrawal are far-reaching. Republican strategist Matthew Bartlett has suggested that Haley’s potential victory or even a close second-place finish in New Hampshire could send shockwaves through the Republican Party. Such an outcome would underscore her viability as a serious contender for the nomination and could reshape the entire 2024 presidential race. Haley’s campaign has been gathering steam‚ buoyed by key endorsements from influential conservatives like Don Bolduc‚ the GOP’s 2022 Senate candidate from New Hampshire‚ and the state’s moderate Governor‚ Chris Sununu. These endorsements serve as the “final puzzle piece” for Haley’s campaign‚ signaling a broadening appeal across the conservative spectrum. Chris Christie will never forgive Vivek for this moment here pic.twitter.com/4fOAF260kN — George (@BehizyTweets) January 11‚ 2024 Polls prior to Christie’s withdrawal painted a clear picture: Trump led with 43.3 percent support among New Hampshire voters‚ while Haley trailed at 29 percent. However‚ with Christie’s 12 percent now up for grabs‚ Haley’s campaign has a unique opportunity to close the gap and challenge the frontrunner status. An Emerson College poll released shortly after Christie’s announcement found that a majority of his supporters named Haley as their alternative pick. This indicates a potential consolidation of the conservative vote around Haley‚ which could prove decisive in the upcoming primary. As the New Hampshire primary approaches‚ all eyes are on Haley to see if she can capitalize on this newfound advantage. Her campaign’s success in the state will be a litmus test for her national prospects and could potentially redefine the Republican field. In conclusion‚ the race for the Republican nomination has taken an unexpected turn with Christie’s exit. Nikki Haley now stands at the threshold of a major political breakthrough. If she can harness the support of Christie’s former voters and continue to build her coalition‚ she may very well emerge as a formidable force in the battle for the White House. The post Nikki Haley Gains Momentum in New Hampshire as Chris Christie Bows Out of Presidential Race appeared first on The Conservative Brief.

In a recent visit to the Allentown area of Pennsylvania‚ President Joe Biden encountered a storm of criticism from local residents. The President’s tour of small businesses on January 13th was marred by vocal opposition‚ with hecklers openly branding him a ‘loser’ and ‘genocide Joe’‚ reflecting a growing discontent among certain segments of the American populace. The 81-year-old President appeared visibly confused during his stop at a bike shop‚ where he was introduced to the staff. This momentary bewilderment seemed to underscore concerns about his age and capacity to lead‚ as detractors used the opportunity to express their dissatisfaction with his administration’s policies. "You're a loser!" Joe Biden gets heckled in Pennsylvania. He also caressed the American flag and did his stupid jog. pic.twitter.com/JFJjUS3Kxg — Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) January 12‚ 2024 Despite the negative reception by some‚ President Biden continued his tour‚ emphasizing the importance of small businesses to the nation’s economy. He made light-hearted remarks‚ introducing himself humorously as an employee of the governor and senator‚ in an attempt to connect with the community and business owners present. However‚ the President could not escape the pressing issues awaiting his attention. Reporters questioned him about Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s recent hospitalization‚ which had not been disclosed promptly. Biden admitted that it was a lapse in judgment but affirmed his confidence in Austin‚ despite the Pentagon now probing the mishandling of the matter. Biden gave a speech at a black church in South Carolina where he was heckled and booed Even when his team handpicks the venue‚ he still gets humiliated on national tv pic.twitter.com/UzxKYv1DBv — DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) January 8‚ 2024 The protests did not end outside the bike shop. As the President’s motorcade proceeded‚ it was met by a group of Pro Palestine supporters demanding a ceasefire in Gaza. Their chants‚ “We will remember in November‚” served as a stark reminder of the upcoming elections and the potential impact of foreign policy decisions on domestic support. This visit to Pennsylvania‚ intended to highlight the administration’s support for small businesses‚ instead became a platform for public dissent. It showcased the polarized political climate and the challenges President Biden faces in uniting a divided nation. As the President left Pennsylvania without delivering prepared remarks‚ opting for a weekend retreat at Camp David‚ the echoes of the day’s confrontations lingered. The incident in Allentown is indicative of the hurdles the current administration must overcome to address the concerns of all Americans‚ including those who voice their opposition most loudly. In the coming months‚ it will be crucial for President Biden to address these criticisms head-on‚ as the voices of discontent are not just isolated outbursts but represent a broader sentiment that could significantly influence the political landscape ahead of the next election cycle. The post President Biden Faces Harsh Criticism During Pennsylvania Small Business Tour appeared first on The Conservative Brief.