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Trump’s last-minute delay: Why he was never going to obliterate Iran in the first place
I’ve been telling anyone who would listen – yes. I can get rather tiresome – that President Donald Trump would not bomb Iran back to the Stone Ages.
Even after he said he would destroy Iran’s civilization and it would never recover, I knew that he would never go through with it. That was the last thing he wanted to do.
So I was confident he would find some kind of last-minute off-ramp.
And, of course, he didn’t want to be seen as backing off his increasingly dire threats.
WHY TRUMP’S WAR SPEECH FAILED: DECLARING VICTORY BUT STILL BOMBING IRAN BACK TO THE ‘STONE AGES’
I got the White House email at 6:32 Tuesday night. There it was, another delay, after a series of earlier delays. He would give the Iranians two more weeks.
I started posting like crazy, beating television by a couple of minutes, and newspapers by more. But that’s just because my phone happened to be right there. If I’d gone to the fridge for a moment, I would have come back to my laptop and discovered that the world had changed.
I knew in my gut, having covered Trump for 35 years, that he did not want to go down in history as the man who wiped out an ancient civilization. His heart was never in that. It was bluster as a negotiating tactic.
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Still, he had boxed himself into a corner. Former allies in conservative media were denouncing him. "This is a brazen pre-admission of genocide against the Iranian people, which would obviously be a war crime. Madness," Piers Morgan declared..
Some Republican lawmakers said he had gone too far. Even the U.S. Catholic Bishops said "the threat of destroying a whole civilization and the intentional targeting of civilian infrastructure cannot be morally justified."
No American president had ever uttered such words.
So I figured the only card that Trump had left to play was delay. And that’s precisely what he did. At the request of Pakistan, which has been the intermediary in the so-called talks, the president agreed to a pause in the hostilities.
That is, according to the statement I received, "subject to the Islamic Republic of Iran agreeing to the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz, I agree to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks. This will be a double sided CEASEFIRE! The reason for doing so is that we have already met and exceeded all Military objectives…"
It’s a shaky cease-fire, to be sure, with Iran launching missiles at Israel minutes after it was announced, and Israel saying its ground invasion of Lebanon, after rocket fire from Iranian proxy Hezbollah, isn’t covered.
WHY TRUMP, IRAN SEEM LIGHT-YEARS APART ON ANY POSSIBLE DEAL TO END THE WAR
By yesterday, in fact, as The AP confirmed, Iran’s state media said it had closed Hormuz again, citing the Israeli attacks.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a posting that the Trump administration "must choose between a ceasefire or continued war via Israel, and "it cannot have both."
We learned from New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan that Bibi Netanyahu talked Trump into the war by saying it would be quick and topple the regime. Gen. Dan Caine, the Joint Chiefs chairman, called that "farcical." Marco Rubio said it was BS. JD Vance was against the war.
And that’s a fascinating sidebar. Trump has been insulting Haberman, who published a biography of him in 2022, for no apparent reason. Yet he granted an hourlong Oval Office interview for their forthcoming book, "Regime Change," from which the Times piece was excerpted.
As for the president’s current stance, well, he isn’t being held back by murky details. He told Sky News this was a "complete victory," not just in military terms but "in every other sense as well."
Trump was on the phone with Fox opinion host Laura Ingraham shortly before she came on the air, and she quoted him as being "cautiously optimistic," saying: "It sure looks like Iran blinked."
What, peering through the fog of war, did Trump actually accomplish, other than sending the markets soaring by nearly 3 percent?
On yesterday’s "Fox & Friends," usually a Trump-friendly show, co-host Lawrence Jones said "we have not reached any of these objectives."
Dismantling nuclear facilities ("that has not happened"), ending uranium enrichment ("they are still enriching"), transferring uranium stockpiles out of Iran ("that hasn’t happened"), accepting international inspections ("they are still not willing to do it"), and suspending the ballistic missile program ("they’re still firing them off"). Jones also criticized Iran for proposals that would never be accepted by the U.S. side.
WHY TRUMP FACES AN AGONIZING DECISION ON OBLITERATING IRAN’S OIL SUPPLY IF HE CAN’T GET A DEAL
Fox anchor Harris Faulkner said yesterday, "this is the least ceasefire-like ceasefire I think that anybody might have anticipated." Fox’s chief foreign correspondent, Trey Yingst, said, "the Iranians don’t appear very serious about this ceasefire agreement."
And therein lies the rub. The two countries remain far apart. This business about a strategic framework just papers that over in a devil’s-in-the-details sense. Iran is never going to agree to give up its nuclear program, regardless of any presidential pronouncements or Mission Accomplished banners.
The Iranian pitch, apparently not the one seen by Trump, says the U.S. must leave the region, give Iran sole control of the strait, and recognize its right to nuclear enrichment.
Don’t take my word for it. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters yesterday that Iran’s 10-point plan was "fundamentally unserious, unacceptable and completely discarded."
Look, if this somehow all works out, what most people will remember is that Trump made harsh threats that led to a deal in which the Iranian blockade – "Open the F---in’ Strait, you crazy b------s" – was lifted. In other words, his Madman routine worked against the world’s leading terror state, which has been killing Americans, Arabs and its own people for 47 years.
But things could always fall apart faster than a speeding drone. It’s the Middle East.
No matter what you think of Trump, his war of choice, his apocalyptic rhetoric or his entire presidency, he’s not crazy. He followed a similar path in his tariff crusade, threatening draconian levies before reaching 11th-hour compromises. As he himself says, he’s a dealmaker. That’s what he does.
SUBSCRIBE TO HOWIE'S MEDIA BUZZMETER PODCAST, A RIFF ON THE DAY'S HOTTEST STORIES
Most media accounts are portraying Trump as caving in or backing down. That’s fair commentary.
But what really happened is that Trump found a way to avoid doing what he was never actually going to do in the first place.
Michigan woman arrested for allegedly starving, torturing disabled sister-in-law she locked in basement
A Michigan woman was arrested and hit with felony charges after she allegedly kept her disabled sister-in-law locked in a basement for two years, where she nearly starved the victim to death and blasted a radio non-stop.
Tasha Beamon, 48, was charged with vulnerable adult abuse and unlawful imprisonment.
The victim managed to escape the basement and broke a neighbor’s window on March 15 as she sought to enter the home, alert police and flee captivity, according to MLive.
The neighbor called 911 and the victim told police that Beamon, the wife of the 58-year-old victim's late brother, was holding her captive in the Saginaw home’s basement for two years before she found a way to free herself.
TWO ARRESTED IN NC AFTER POLICE FIND 13-YEAR-OLD KEPT IN DOG KENNEL, 5 OTHER KIDS IN 'FILTHY' HOME
"She told officers she was not fed very often and that she didn’t have any access to water," Saginaw Police Detective Sgt. Jeff Doud told the outlet.
The victim said Beamon had kept her on an old mattress since March 2024 with a nearby radio constantly blaring.
Police went to Beamon’s house and observed a lock on the basement door, a mattress on the floor and a radio playing loudly. Police also said there was a 5-gallon bucket of urine in the basement.
"Usually, somebody was there. She didn’t believe anyone was home at the time, so she was able to force a door open and escape," Doud said.
Emergency responders transported the woman to a hospital, where she was treated for severe malnourishment. Hospital staff told police the woman would likely die if she were discharged.
The neighbor told ABC 12 that he was shocked to find the victim suddenly in his living room with a metal pipe "almost as big as she is."
"I don’t even know how she had the power to even break the window," the man said. "I thought she was like 78. She was tall, skin and bones."
"She asks me to call the cops at first, which was weird. But that was the first thing she said to me: Call the cops," he added.
Beamon later admitted to police that she kept the woman in her house without allowing her to leave. She also made 40 calls to the hospital where her sister-in-law was staying.
Investigators suspect that Beamon was keeping the woman captive to collect her disability payments, Doud said.
Beamon was arrested on April 2 and booked into the Saginaw County Jail on $100,000 bond, the amount ordered after prosecutors described her as a danger to the public.
She will appear for a preliminary examination on April 20.
South Carolina pastor, wife arrested after alleged sexual, physical abuse of foster children
A South Carolina pastor and his wife were arrested after a foster child reported being a victim of sexual abuse, according to officials.
Rodney Gibson and Kawiana Young, both 50, were charged with unlawful conduct with a minor, the Richland County Sheriff's Department said, according to WIS News 10.
Gibson is also facing charges of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor, unlawful conduct toward a minor and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
TWO ARRESTED IN NC AFTER POLICE FIND 13-YEAR-OLD KEPT IN DOG KENNEL, 5 OTHER KIDS IN 'FILTHY' HOME
A victim came forward last month to report alleged sexual abuse endured while in foster care at the couple's home, deputies said, according to the report.
Gibson is accused of sexually assaulting the victim on several occasions, starting at age 15 until they aged out of the foster care system.
Investigators learned that a minor was living with Gibson and Young.
The child told investigators they had been sexually abused by Gibson and physically abused by Young. The minor was then moved to emergency protective custody.
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During an emergency protective custody hearing on March 20, a family court judge ordered the minor to be returned to Gibson and Young’s home.
After investigators conducted subsequent interviews and obtained additional evidence, arrest warrants were obtained. Gibson and Young were arrested on April 1 and the minor was placed back into emergency protective custody.
Gibson and Young were released on bond on April 2.
The South Carolina Department of Social Services said in a statement that Young was a licensed foster parent from June 2021 until June 2025, adding that she fostered six children in her home, but voluntarily relinquished her foster parent license.
The agency said Young failed to mention that Gibson was living at the home, and his name was not on the license. The agency said Young never reported that she was married and said she was not in a relationship.
The agency said it was cooperating in the investigation.
Authorities believe there may be more victims and are asking anyone with information to come forward.
Gibson is a pastor at Pathway 2 Hope Ministries, while Young owns and operates DreamCatcher Child Development Center.
Man charged after allegedly threatening to kill Ohio dad 'in the name of Allah' in terrifying video encounter
Surveillance video captured a terrifying and apparent late-night random act of violence in Ohio, when a knife-wielding man allegedly told a homeowner he intended to kill him "in the name of Allah."
The harrowing encounter, which unfolded in the early hours of Easter Sunday morning in Warren County, began when the suspect appeared to be praying in the family's driveway before approaching the home multiple times, prompting an alarmed father to eventually go outside.
Authorities later identified the suspect as 23-year-old Anthony Long, who was arrested and charged shortly after the incident, FOX 19 Now reported.
Tiffany Miller, the mother of the family, shared the frightening ordeal on social media Monday, describing it as a "deeply frightening and dangerous situation" that could have turned deadly.
NEW FLORIDA LAW TARGETING ALLEGED ‘JIHAD’ PUT STATE ‘AHEAD OF THE CURVE,’ DESANTIS SAYS
The incident began when the suspect reportedly drove into the family’s driveway with his headlights off, Miller said.
Surveillance footage from the home then appeared to show the man kneeling in the driveway and praying before approaching the home.
Long first knocked on the front door, but received no response as the family was asleep, Miller said.
Minutes later, he returned, pounding on the door even louder in a second, more aggressive attempt.
Miller said the family woke up expecting their daughter to return home, but were shocked to find a stranger at their door in the middle of the night.
"I woke up and walked up thinking my daughter was locked out and, nope, it wasn’t her," she said. "It was a man I didn’t know. We did not respond, and again he went back to his car."
The man reportedly remained in his parked car as one of the family's daughters finally arrived home, prompting Miller's husband to go outside and confront the suspect.
"Hey bud, you knocking on the door?" the father, Andy, was heard asking.
"I’ll kill you in the name of Allah," the suspect immediately replied.
The alarmed father then began retreating while shouting for their daughter to drive away.
Miller said the suspect then pulled a knife on Andy, attempted to approach the home again, and ultimately drove off in pursuit of the daughter, who had already fled the scene.
"The man immediately exited his vehicle, began making explicit threats to kill him, repeatedly invoking religious language, and started moving closer in an aggressive manner," Miller said.
No one was injured in the incident, according to the family.
"This was a terrifying encounter, and we are grateful no one was harmed last night," Miller said.
Long was booked into the Warren County Jail, according to the Warren County Sheriff’s Office.
Long faces four charges, including aggravated menacing, trespassing, and criminal damage, all classified as misdemeanors of varying degrees.
He is also facing multiple bail amounts totaling more than $75,000, most of which must be paid in cash.
Dem lawmaker calls for TSA to bring back shoes-off airport security policy
Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., is demanding that the Transportation Security Administration reintroduce its controversial policy requiring travelers to take off their shoes before going through airport security checkpoints.
Duckworth called on the TSA to immediately reverse its move to end the "shoes-off" policy, calling former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's decision last summer to scrap the policy a "reckless act" that may put travelers at risk.
"Secretary Noem’s decision to implement a shoes on policy on July 8, 2025, likely without meaningful consultation with TSA, was a reckless act," Duckworth wrote in a letter to Acting TSA Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill.
"Allowing a potentially catastrophic security deficiency to remain in place for seven months and counting betrays TSA's mission," she added. "At a minimum, TSA's failure to swiftly implement corrective action warrants the immediate withdrawal of Secretary Noem's reckless and dangerous policy that increases the risk of a terrorist smuggling a dangerous item onto a flight."
NEARLY 20-YEAR SHOE-OFF AIRPORT SECURITY POLICE IS ENDED BY TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
This comes after a classified watchdog report found that TSA scanners cannot effectively screen shoes, according to CBS News. Duckworth said the inspector general flagged the issue as urgent to Noem but that no action was taken.
Duckworth said that the inspector general found that Noem’s policy shift had "inadvertently created a new security vulnerability in the system."
The former secretary's failure to take corrective action after the report's findings was "outrageous, unacceptable and dangerous to the flying public," Duckworth said.
The senator argues that TSA's lack of response may violate federal law, writing that the agency missed a legally required 90-day deadline to outline corrective actions after receiving the watchdog's report.
"Such inaction violates Federal law, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance and DHS's own directives," Duckworth wrote.
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The previous policy requiring passengers to take off their shoes during TSA screening was implemented in 2006.
The senator wrote that Noem’s policy change reflected a "willingness to gamble the American people’s security," calling it a "stunning failure of leadership."
"We expect this change will drastically decrease passenger wait times at our TSA checkpoints, leading to a more pleasant and efficient passenger experience," she said at the time. "As always, security remains our top priority. Thanks to our cutting-edge technological advancements and multi-layered security approach, we are confident we can implement this change while maintaining the highest security standards."
Duckworth accused Noem, who was removed by President Donald Trump last month and replaced by current DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, of prioritizing politics over security.
The senator wrote that Noem's policy change reflected a "willingness to gamble the American people's security," calling it a "stunning failure of leadership."
"Secretary Noem’s willingness to gamble the American people’s security in an unsuccessful attempt to boost her popularity was, and remains, a stunning failure of leadership—particularly following President Trump’s decision to launch an unconstitutional war of choice against Iran that DHS has determined, "is causing a heightened threat environment in the United States," she wrote.
Former Fort Bragg employee charged with leaking classified military information to journalist
A former Fort Bragg employee with top-secret clearance is accused of leaking classified military tactics to a journalist, then admitting to her mother that she could be arrested for exposing sensitive operations, according to a federal complaint.
Courtney P. Williams, 40, an Army veteran assigned to a Special Military Unit (SMU) at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, was arrested by the FBI on Tuesday and charged with unlawfully transmitting national defense information, including classified tactics used in covert missions, to an investigative reporter over a period spanning several years, federal prosecutors allege.
According to the complaint, Williams held a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) clearance and had direct access to highly sensitive operational details, including tactics, techniques and procedures — commonly known as TTPs — used by elite military units.
Williams allegedly violated 18 U.S.C. § 793(d) the Department of Justice (DOJ) said in a news release Wednesday.
Investigators allege that between 2022 and 2025, Williams communicated extensively with a journalist, including phone calls lasting hundreds of minutes and roughly 180 text messages, while also sending documents and materials that were later published in an article and book identifying her as the source.
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FBI Director Kash Patel took to X on Wednesday after the arrest, saying the Bureau "will not tolerate" leakers of classified intel.
"Let this serve as a message to any would-be leakers: we’re working these cases, and we’re making arrests," Patel wrote. "This FBI will not tolerate those who seek to betray our country and put Americans in harm’s way."
The Associated Press reported that while the journalist is not named in the court filings, "dates and details match" both an article and book written by Seth Harp about the Army's Delta Force.
An excerpt from Harp's book, "The Fort Bragg Cartel" was published in Politico's magazine last August under the title, "My Life Became a Living Hell: One Woman’s Career in Delta Force, the Army’s Most Elite Unit," featuring Williams' testimonials alleging sexual harassment while serving.
Harp released a statement to WRAL-TV about Williams, calling her a "brave whistleblower and truth-teller," despite reported reservations she shared with the journalist after the book was published.
"Former Delta Force operators disclose `national defense information’ on podcasts and YouTube shows every day, but the government is going after Courtney for the sole reason that she exposed sexual harassment and gender discrimination in the unit. This is a vindictive act of retaliation, plain and simple," Harp's statement read.
The published materials, according to the government, contained classified information at the "SECRET" level with "NOFORN" restrictions, meaning it was not authorized for release to foreign nationals — raising concerns it could be accessed by U.S. adversaries.
NATIONAL GUARDSMAN ACCUSED OF SEEKING TO SEND PHOTOS OF SENSITIVE MILITARY TECHNOLOGY TO RUSSIA
"Clearance holders accept a solemn obligation to protect the classified information entrusted to them," said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said in a DOJ release. "That they do so is critical to the security of our Nation. When clearance holders violate that trust, the National Security Division will act swiftly to hold them accountable."
Evidence outlined in the complaint includes messages indicating Williams mailed a thumb drive containing materials to the journalist, as well as files saved on her computer labeled "Batch 1 for Reporter" and similar titles, suggesting an organized effort to provide information.
On the day the article and book were published, Williams allegedly texted the journalist expressing concern about the scope of the disclosure, writing that she was troubled by "the amount of classified information being disclosed" and that it felt like "an entire TTP was sent out in my name."
In a separate conversation with her mother, Williams allegedly acknowledged the legal risk more directly.
EX-ARMY SERGEANT SENTENCED FOR TRYING TO GIVE STATE SECRETS TO CHINA AFTER MENTAL HEALTH SPIRAL
"I might actually get arrested, and I don’t even get a free copy of the book," she wrote, adding the legal basis as "for disclosing classified information."
Authorities say Williams had signed multiple non-disclosure agreements during her time working with the military unit and was explicitly warned that unauthorized disclosure of classified material could violate federal law.
The complaint also notes that the leaked information could pose serious risks, including exposing military personnel to danger and compromising operations if adversaries studied the disclosed tactics.
"The tradecraft, tactics, and techniques used by the U.S. military unit in this case are classified and should be shared only with those with proper clearances and a need to know in order to protect American lives and safeguard classified National Defense information," said Reid Davis, the FBI Special Agent in Charge in North Carolina.
"These are serious accusations. Anyone divulging information they vowed to protect to a reporter for publication is reckless, self-serving and damages our nation’s security."
Authorities say Williams had signed multiple non-disclosure agreements and was warned that releasing classified material could violate federal law.
The FBI Charlotte Field Office is investigating the case, with "valuable assistance" provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina.
Fox News Digital reached out to Politico.
Florida bus driver faces child neglect charges after train clips vehicle on railroad tracks
A Florida bus driver was charged with nearly 30 counts of child neglect as well as reckless driving after she narrowly avoided catastrophe and was clipped by a train last week.
No one was injured as the bus, transporting children in the Sumter County school district, was clipped by a CSX train with 29 students and one aide aboard. The driver, Yvonne Hampton, was employed by the district since 2015, according to Sumter County Superintendent Logan Brown, who posted a video about the incident on Facebook on April 6.
The driver stepped down in place of termination, according to Fox 35 Orlando.
"The trust that our families place in us to transport their children safely is something we take extremely seriously," Brown said in a prepared video statement. "Anyone who jeopardizes that trust will not work in the Sumter County School District."
The superintendent said in the video that the train clipped the corner of the bus.
"When you really understand how close this was, it's sobering. A matter of six inches is the difference in all of this, and it could have been an extremely catastrophic situation," he said.
The driver, according to the arrest record obtained by Fox News Digital, said there was a car at the intersection, and she was waiting for it to move. She told the police that the car began to move so she started to drive over the other side of the racks, but the car had stopped.
PENNSYLVANIA BUS DRIVER CHARGED WITH ENDANGERING DOZENS OF ELEMENTARY STUDENTS WHILE INTOXICATED
The arrest record continued, "The defendant said she then had to stop right where the bus was parked. The defendant said that the car finally left, and she pulled up more but, it was not enough."
"Upon asking the defendant if at any time she stopped on the tracks, the defendant replies, 'no.' She then informed me that as she was moving over the tracks the railroad crossing warning system activated. So she had to keep moving cause she was on the tracks. When the car finally moved out of the way she was able to move up as far as she could," the arrest record said.
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The arrest record stated, "Based on the video evidence, it is clear the defendant made the decision to cross the railroad tracks after she saw the railroad warning system activate; thus, through culpable negligence, the defendant neglected each child and exposed the adult bus aid to possible injury."
ABC's "Good Morning America" spoke with a student who was on the bus.
"She like stopped on the tracks specifically and then didn't move whenever we were all yelling, 'Train!' And it was very scary in the moment," 12-year-old Cheyenne Gant said, joined by her mom.
Hampton appeared in court on Tuesday and had her bond set at $30,000. She didn't respond to questions that were asked of her as she left Sumter County jail, according to a local Fox report.
Wisconsin couple allegedly starved six children for years, forcing them to eat mold, bugs and dog food
A Wisconsin couple was arrested after allegedly starving their six children for years, forcing them to eat mold, bugs and dog food as they endured repeated abuse, authorities said.
Casey Cano, 38, and Mary Cano, 35, face six counts each of repeated physical abuse of a child causing great bodily harm and child neglect, along with one count of causing a child under 13 to view or listen to a sex act, according to court records.
Prosecutors alleged that from January 2018 through April 2022, the couple repeatedly beat their children with belts, leaving welts and causing bleeding at their home in Crawford County, Wisconsin, News 8 Now reported.
The outlet reported that the parents also withheld food from their children as punishment.
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The children described abusive living conditions and were allegedly prevented from eating for several days, driving them to eat mold, bugs, dog food and grass due to extreme hunger, according to the criminal complaints.
One of the children said their sibling wore a diaper for three days without changing as "punishment," News 8 Now reported.
The children were removed from the home around April 2022 in connection with a separate sexual abuse case involving another child, the complaints state.
ABC affiliate WXOW reported that the children were between the ages of 1 and 9 during the alleged abuse.
The outlet added that the alleged beatings began when the children were as young as three months old.
The charges show that Mary Cano's charges have a "party to a crime" modifier, indicating that she did not stop the alleged criminal activity.
Casey and Mary were previously convicted of the sexual assault of a 12-year-old in 2022, WXOW reported.
A new investigation into the couple began last December, and both individuals were arrested in March and have posted bond.
The couple's next court appearance has not been scheduled.
Dem Senate candidate takes swipe at Joe Rogan after refusing to disavow Hasan Piker's past comments
Michigan Democrat Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, who is running for U.S. Senate, doubled down on his decision to campaign with controversial Twitch streamer Hasan Piker while taking a swing at podcaster Joe Rogan.
When asked whether he would disavow Piker's controversial statements, El-Sayed declined, and instead took aim at Rogan.
"I'm not here to disavow people's views. I'm here to have a conversation about how to get money out of politics, put money back in pockets, and pass Medicare for all. That's the conversation that folks are here to listen to," El-Sayed said. "This whole gotcha game, platform policing, cancel culture, I thought we were over it. I thought that we lived through the whole discourse of 'should have gone on Rogan,' and there's a lot that I would look at, but Rogan said that I'd disavow, and I'd still go on his show."
It is unclear whether El-Sayed has been asked to appear on Rogan's podcast. However, the Michigan Democrat has previously spoken about the regret that some expressed after then-Vice President Kamala Harris lost the 2024 presidential election, with many saying that she should have agreed to appear on Rogan's show. Many credited President Donald Trump's willingness to appear on unconventional podcasts such as "The Joe Rogan Experience" and "Flagrant" for his win, saying the interviews helped him reach a wider audience.
Rogan has been painted as a controversial due to his political views and statements on health issues, such as his stance on the COVID-19 vaccination. He was criticized for using Ivermectin to treat his COVID-19, with many critics referring to the medication as a horse dewormer.
"The Joe Rogan Experience" is the number one podcast on Spotify, followed by "Good Hang with Amy Poehler" and "This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von."
El-Sayed made the argument about Piker that many made about Rogan, saying that the Twitch streamer could help him reach a wider and younger audience. He scheduled two appearances with the streamer, which took place at the University of Michigan and Michigan State University.
Piker is no stranger to controversy. The Twitch streamer has faced backlash for comments that many have claimed are anti-American and antisemitic. Piker, who was raised a Muslim, has repeatedly rejected claims he is antisemitic and often says he has used his platform to fight it despite what critics say about his rhetoric.
The Twitch streamer infamously said that "America deserved 9/11," though he later said the remark was "inappropriate." He was later criticized for downplaying mass rapes carried out by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, saying it "doesn’t matter if f------ rapes happened on October 7. It doesn’t change the dynamic for me."
Piker has recently become a point of division within the Democratic Party. Some candidates have chosen to campaign with him while others warn that legitimizing him gives Republicans political fodder. El-Sayed faced criticism when his events with Piker were announced, with ADL Michigan Regional Director Elyssa Schmier calling the decision "another example of the growing normalization of extreme anti-Zionism in mainstream spaces."
Fox News Digital reached out to El-Sayed's team and Rogan's representatives for comment.
‘We're coming after you': Dr Oz revokes Medicare access for LA doctor tied to $71M hospice billing
As allegations of widespread hospice fraud in Los Angeles County continue to intensify, one physician has faced scrutiny after being tied to Medicare claims for thousands of patients across dozens of hospices.
Dr. Rajiv Bhuva has been linked to Medicare claims for nearly 2,800 patients across 126 California hospices in 2024, according to CBS News, which cited the last full year of available data. Bhuva is connected to more hospices than any other doctor, according to CBS News, which said that out of the 126 hospice companies where claims have been connected to him, 115 are in LA County.
CBS News has spent weeks doing a dive into alleged rampant hospice fraud in Los Angeles County. It found 742 hospice facilities out of the approximately 1,800 in LA County showed multiple red flags for fraud as defined by the state of California.
While the average California hospice doctor cares for approximately 140 patients annually, Bhuva's numbers far exceeded that number, with CBS News finding 2,791 claims for terminally ill patients were submitted with his name on them in 2024.
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The claims resulted in $71.7 million in Medicare reimbursements, according to CBS News. The outlet noted that only one other California doctor had received more Medicare reimbursements than Bhuva: Dr. Domingo Barrientos, whose reimbursements totaled $90.3 million. In 2024, Barrientos was convicted of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and is currently in federal prison.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Dr. Mehmet Oz, who has been outspoken about Medicare fraud in California, confirmed that Bhuva "had his ability to bill Medicare revoked this past March."
"To all the fraudsters out there stealing from our seniors: run, don’t walk. Because we’re coming after you," Oz wrote on social media.
Dr. Kristina Newport, chief medical officer at the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, told CBS News that Bhuva would "have a superhuman schedule" to work with the number of patients he's been connected to "in a meaningful way."
Bhuva has not been charged with a crime, but the number of claims tied to his name, which span thousands of patients and over 120 hospices, has raised eyebrows.
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In 2022, California's state auditors warned that working for more than three hospice providers at one time would be an indicator of fraud.
"This pattern of individual administrators supposedly working for a large number of hospice agencies raises questions about whether they are actually participating in the operations of any or all of those agencies," the auditor's report reads.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom's office responded to a clip of CBS News' reporting, saying that it was a federal matter, rather than a state issue.
"FACT: The state has no role in the Medicare billing or payment process. We are glad the Trump Admin is taking action to combat fraud. Now, if Trump could stop pardoning fraudsters—and hold them accountable—that would be great!," Newsom's press office wrote on X.
While the state does not process Medicare payments, it does license hospice providers, effectively determining which organizations can enroll in the federal program and bill taxpayers. State auditors have previously warned that California’s "weak controls have created the opportunity for large-scale fraud and abuse."
Recently, Fox News Digital learned that an anti-fraud task force led by Vice President JD Vance suspended 221 providers in Los Angeles due to suspected fraud. This included a number of providers who were raided by federal authorities.
"The Administration's War on Fraud once again yields results as more suspensions take place and fraudsters face justice for ripping off hard-working Americans and stealing their tax dollars and social services," a Vance spokesperson told Fox News Digital. "The Vice President and his task force are proud of these latest figures and expect to see this number continue to grow dramatically."
Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Health and Human Services and Bhuva's office for comment.
Fox News Digital's Peter Pinedo and Preston Mizell contributed to this report.