CHICAGO – Community activist and Chicago Against Violence founder Andre Smith may be a Democrat, but he says he’s willing to work with incoming Trump border czar Tom Homan to deport illegal immigrants from the Windy City. 

“I welcome in Chicago the border czar [Tom Homan],” Smith told Fox News Digital in an interview. “And [truth] be told, I wouldn’t mind working with him seeing that I was the first person in Chicago to stand up and fight against the migrants.”

Smith, who is also a preacher, has been on the front line of helping his community in Chicago, from helping the homeless population to fighting against local efforts by Mayor Brandon Johnson to disperse migrants throughout the city. 

CHICAGO RESIDENTS SLAM THE ‘STUPIDITY’ OF MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON’S LIBERAL POLICIES DURING CITY COUNCIL MEETING

“I would love when he come[s] to Chicago to work with him, and getting them expedited back where they came from,” Smith said of Homan. “Because to lie to a federal official is a federal offense, and if they came over on the pretenses of they are in fear of their life, then you have women, you have men, and all of them said they’re in fear for their life because someone is going trying to kill them, and lying, you have to make examples.”

Smith’s comments come as many Chicago residents have been outraged by “sanctuary city” policies that have brought in thousands of migrants to a city already plagued by one of the highest violent crime rates in the U.S.

“Here we are in Chicago, where we [are] supposed to be celebrating a season of joy, love and happiness,” Smith continued. “And a lot of people have Christmas trees and under their trees in Chicago. We are unwrapping gifts of neglect. We are unwrapping gifts of disappointment and heartaches. We are unwrapping gifts of $575 million of taxpayer dollars given to and misallocated to give to illegal migrants. We need solutions, and we need change.”

NEW DATA REVEALS AMERICA HAS TENS OF THOUSANDS OF NONCITIZENS FROM US ADVERSARY WITH DEPORTATION ORDERS

A group of migrants receives food outside the migrant landing zone during a winter storm on January 12, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

Following President-elect Donald Trump’s re-election, Johnson — who allocated millions of dollars to migrant resources — vowed to defend the illegal migrants residing in Chicago, saying “we will not bend or break,” according to local news outlet WTTW. 

“Our values will remain strong and firm. We will face likely hurdles in our work over the next four years, but we will not be stopped, and we will not go back,” Johnson said.

Meanwhile, Homan spoke in Chicago last week and told local Republicans he wanted Illinois Democrats to “come to the table,” but if not to “get the hell out of the way.”

That comment sparked a fiery response from Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill.

“Tom Homan, the next time you come to #IL03 — a district made stronger and more powerful by immigrants — you better be ready to meet the resistance,” she warned.

ILLINOIS GOVERNOR SAYS ‘VIOLENT’ ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS SHOULD BE DEPORTED, OPEN TO MEETING WITH TRUMP OFFICIALS

Incoming border czar Tom Homan spoke with Dr. Phil about the Trump administration’s plan to deport illegal migrants. (The Dr. Phil Podcast YouTube channel)

“You may think Chicago needs to get out of the way of Trump’s plans for mass deportation, but we plan to get ALL UP IN YOUR WAY.”

Ramirez’s comments add to a growing number of statements from Democratic leaders nationwide vowing to oppose or refuse cooperation with Trump’s mass deportation plans. 

But while Homan may face opposition from Illinois Democrats, there’s one Democratic leader willing to work with him: Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker. 

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“Violent criminals who are undocumented and convicted of violent crime should be deported,” Pritzker said at a Northwest Side GOP gathering last week. “I do not want them in my state, I don’t think they should be in the United States.”

Pritzker, 59, is considered a potential 2028 Democratic presidential hopeful.

Fox News Digital’s Adam Shaw and Pilar Arias contributed to this report.

A 15-year-old girl killed a teacher and teen student in a shooting on Monday at a private Christian school in Madison, Wisconsin, and wounded six others, according to authorities.

Natalie Rupnow was identified as the shooter who opened fire inside a study hall inside Abundant Life Christian School, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said. Responding officers found Rupnow with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. She died on the way to a hospital.

Police were speaking with Rupnow’s father and other family members, who were cooperating, and searching Rupnow’s home, Barnes said. He declined to offer additional details about the shooter, partly out of respect for the family.

“He lost someone as well,” Barnes said of Rupnow’s father. “And so we’re not going to rush the information. We’ll take our time and make sure we do our due diligence.”

SCHOOL SHOOTER’S MOM JENNIFER CRUMBLEY HAD ‘TAINTED’ TRIAL, ATTORNEYS SAY IN REQUEST TO TOSS CONVICTION

Barnes said officers responded just before 11 a.m. to a second-grade student’s 911 call reporting the shooting.

Rupnow used a handgun in the shooting, according to Barnes, though he said police have not yet determined a motive for the attack. 

“I don’t know why, and I feel like if we did know why, we could stop these things from happening,” he told reporters.

Students walk to a bus as they leave the shelter following a shooting at the Abundant Life Christian School on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024.  (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

The teacher and student that were killed in the shooting have not yet been identified.

Barnes said that of the six wounded in the shooting, two were students in critical condition. A teacher and three students were also hospitalized with less serious injuries, and two of them were later released.

FATHER OF GEORGIA HIGH SCHOOL SHOOTING SUSPECT PLEADS NOT GUILTY

Barnes said he did not believe that the school, which serves 200 students, according to the school’s website, had a resource officer. It was also revealed that the school did not have metal detectors, but did have cameras and other security protocols.

Emergency vehicles are seen parked outside of the health clinic where parents were reunified with children after a shooting at the Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Scott Bauer)

President Biden spoke with Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers and Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway following the shooting, and issued a separate statement calling the event “shocking and unconscionable.”

“We can never accept senseless violence that traumatizes children, their families, and tears entire communities apart,” Biden said.

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The FBI’s Milwaukee bureau says it has deployed agents to the scene to assist in investigating.

Fox News’ Anders Hagstrom, Stepheny Price and Bradford Betz, along with The Associated Press contributed to this report.

In the early hours of October 7, 2023, the Idan family of Kibbutz Nahal Oz was shattered when Hamas terrorists infiltrated their home. As the family tried to take refuge in their safe room, the terrorists murdered their eldest daughter, Maayan, in front of her parents and siblings, and then abducted the father, Tzachi. The scene was broadcast live on social media, forcing the nation to witness their agonizing last moments. 

At the same time, in Kibbutz Holit, 16-year-old Rotem Matias lay hiding under his mother’s lifeless body, texting his sisters the heartbreaking news: “Mom and Dad are dead. Sorry.”

In Kfar Aza, Roee Idan was killed while holding his 3-year-old daughter, Abigail, as his older children watched in horror. Their mother, Smadar, was also shot before their eyes. Afterward, the children hid in a closet, trapped with their mother’s body, unsure of their younger sister’s fate, who was later abducted into Gaza.

ISRAELI POLICE SAY EXTREME SEXUAL VIOLENCE, RAPE BY HAMAS TERRORISTS WAS SYSTEMATIC

These are just a few of the countless stories documented in a new report released on Tuesday, co-authored by Dr. Cochav Elkayam-Levy, founder of the Civil Commission on October 7th Crimes Against Women and Children, and Dr. Michal Gilad and Dr. Ilya Rudyak. The report introduces the term “kinocide” to describe the systematic targeting and destruction of family units during the attack- an unprecedented atrocity that goes beyond typical warfare.

“A crime without a name for victims without a voice,” as Dr. Elkayam-Levy described it. “The perpetrators not only killed but deliberately sought to destroy the very foundation of human society: the family.”

“The hardest crimes to witness were those involving families,” Dr. Elkayam-Levy continued, “While the Hamas perpetrators celebrated their violence, chanting religious slogans and broadcasting their actions on social media, the terror was not confined to the immediate victims-it was amplified globally.”

“The use of social media was crucial in spreading the terror, inspiring similar acts of violence elsewhere,” Merav Israeli-Amarant, CEO of the Civil Commission, told Fox News Digital. She referred to this tactic as the “terror filter,” a term coined by legal scholar Tehila Schwartz Altshuler, explaining how the broadcasts were designed to radicalize and incite other terrorists.

Israeli soldiers remove the bodies of civilians who were killed days earlier in an attack by Palestinian terrorists on this kibbutz near the border with Gaza, on Oct. 10, 2023 in Kfar Aza, Israel. (Photo by Amir Levy/Getty Images)

As Elkayam-Levy and her team dug deeper, they realized that similar tactics have been documented in conflicts across the globe, from Argentina and Iraq to Syria, Sierra Leone and Myanmar. “We’ve been in contact with survivors of kinocide, including Yazidis, who have shared their experiences. The pain is universal. This has happened before, but it never had a name,” Dr. Elkayam-Levy said.

In collaboration with the Raoul Wallenberg Center for Human Rights, the commission worked to identify these patterns of abuse and ensure that kinocide is recognized as a distinct crime. The new report, released after a year of research, includes interviews with survivors, visits to the sites where the atrocities took place, and an extensive review of evidence. The goal is to bring kinocide into international legal discourse, advocating for its urgent need to be recognized as a distinct crime.

‘I WILL BE HAUNTED FOREVER’: ISRAEL’S HORRIFIC VIDEO OF HAMAS ATROCITIES LEAVES VIEWERS SHOCKED AND SICKENED

A woman breaks down at the memorial to Yulia Waxer Daunov as family members and friends of the lost and kidnapped gather at the site of the Nova Festival to mark the one-year anniversary of the attacks by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7, 2024 in Re’im, Israel. (Leon Neal/Getty Images)

Professor Irwin Cotler, former Minister of Justice of Canada and International Chair of the Raoul Wallenberg Center for Human Rights, stated, “Silence in the face of such evil is not neutrality; it is complicity. Worse still, there has been denial, justification, and even the glorification of these heinous acts, underscoring the moral and legal imperative to act decisively against such crimes. The dangers of antisemitism are not just the oldest and most lethal of hatreds- they are also a presage of global evil, as evidenced by the events of October 7.”

“We need an international coalition to address this systematic targeting of families,” Elkayam-Levy said. “But international law has failed the survivors of October 7. The current legal frameworks do not adequately protect families in these kinds of attacks.”

An Israeli couple holding their national flag walk in front of graffiti calling for the release of Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip since the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas terrorists in southern Israel, in Jerusalem on Nov. 18, 2023. (GIL COHEN-MAGEN/AFP via Getty Images)

The report, which has been endorsed by international law experts and human rights activists worldwide, highlights the urgent need for legal and social recognition of kinocide. However, despite the report’s widespread endorsement, Elkayam-Levy expressed her concern over the international community’s response. 

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As someone who faced the denial of prominent figures in the international human rights community in response to her last report on sexual violence on Oct. 7, she said, “We live in dark times when international law is weaponized against us (Israelis) in terrifying ways. As an international human rights scholar, I never imagined that we would live in a time when such abuse is directed at us. It really scares me.”

“President-elect Donald Trump’s popularity has reached a seven-year high and the majority of Americans approve of his handling of the transition process,” Forbes recently reported. “A majority of respondents to a CNN/SSRS poll released Wednesday said they believe Trump will do a good job when he returns to the White House next month (54%),” the story continued, “and approve of how he’s handling the transition so far (55%).”

These numbers are in sharp contrast to eight years ago when Donald Trump was “President-elect” the first time. Pew Research Center conducted a national survey from Nov. 30-Dec. 5, 2016 and found that, among the 1,502 adults surveyed then, only “40% approved of Trump’s cabinet choices and high-level appointments, while 41% approve of the job he has done so far in explaining his policies and plans for the future.”

It’s not an apples-to-apples comparison, but the level of approval today is sharply higher than eight years ago. The big—and significant—question is: Why?

The easy and perhaps too obvious answer is that President-elect Trump 2.0 is not President Joe Biden, whereas President-elect Trump 1.0 was not President Barack Obama.

Obama left the White House—using Pew numbers again—with a job approval rating just below that of Presidents Reagan’s and Clinton’s when they exited. “58% approve of [Obama’s] job performance, while 37% disapprove,” Pew told us eight years ago.

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Biden’s approval number in late November this year—turning to Gallup this time—is at 37%, and some of that sampling came before the widespread criticism of the pardon by Joe Biden of Hunter Biden. Could Biden drop further? Absolutely.

So “not being Biden” (or Vice President Kamala Harris for that matter) is helping the numbers of the once and future President Trump.

But that is not the explanation in my view. 55% may represent a new “ceiling” for the approval of all new presidents going forward in our deeply divided nation these day, but why has Trump’s numbers soared from the 40% eight years ago to today’s approval rating?

MAJORITY OF SMALL BUSINESSES ANTICIPATE REVENUE SPIKES UNDER TRUMP’S FIRST YEAR

Two additional possible explanations beyond “He’s not Joe or Kamala.”

First, the Trump upset in 2016 was shocking and even painful to Manhattan-Beltway media and political elites. I know this first-hand from having been on the set of “NBC Election Night Coverage” from 30 Rock eight years ago. As events unfolded on that memorable night in 2016, it was far more than a surprise that swept the NBC studios. It was a thunderclap of a reality of which a legacy news organization was wholly unaware might be coming, and it left a stunned, disbelieving newsroom in its wake. (Two floors of newsrooms, in fact, as MSNBC was one floor lower than the NBC News Election Night set). A lot of the shock and pain among legacy media elites became a sort of “referred pain” among the population at large. The country was shocked because Big Media was shocked in 2016, and as legacy media’s anger and disbelief spread out, much of the country reeled along with those elites.

How bad was this Trump presidency going to be? Media elites had not really considered the possibility that Trump might win, and so what they said or implied that night out loud, or via appearance or body language was absorbed. The folks with platforms —at least the vast majority of them within legacy outlets—instantly concluded that a Trump presidency would be terrible for the country, and their collective gasp sent stock futures plunging. The markets recovered their balance quickly, but not the psyches of Manhattan-Beltway media elites. The onset of “Trump Derangement Syndrome” was instantaneous. And until this November’s blowout win for Trump, “TDS” only worsened.

Trump had never spent one night in D.C. this time eight years ago, and the shock of his 2016 win was followed by prophecies of doom from the usual suspects that never stopped, and the “Resistance” was already taking up their stations in the media. The “pink hats” were booking their flights to Trump’s Inauguration day-after counter-demonstration. “Hillary was supposed to have won, damn it,” and when she didn’t, the media elites and the political left went into overdrive to persuade America that Trump was, at best, completely corrupt and possibly an authoritarian.  Eight years later, after endless investigations and years of lawfare, it turns out the majority of Americans aren’t buying what legacy media is selling anymore.

But that’s not it either. Trump’s previous highest approval rating until this new “honeymoon season” of 2024 was 49% —and that number was reached only at the start of 2020, as three years of low taxes and deregulation combined with surging energy production had America cooking with gas…until COVID hit.

That Trump is now at 55% is nothing short of astonishing, as the past five years since that 49% have been, well, event-filled.

The events themselves, neither January 6 nor especially the catastrophic failures of the Biden presidency, explain the “Trump jump.”  The comparison of 45-47 with an infirm and failed president does certainly help Trump, as does the cratering of trust in legacy media and perhaps a reversion to the norm of good wishes for an incoming president. Media isn’t as hysterical as it was eight years ago.

Rather, Trump’s new approval rating is because of, wait for it, Trump.

The fact is people now have a side-by-side comparison of government under the direction of a brash real estate developer and television star who is fueled by superlatives and big goals versus the prospect of more of the left’s managed decline along with a mandatory switch to EVs and boys playing in girls sports. America got a big dose of the “United States of Europe” vs the United States of America, and it turns out we prefer the latter. We like our presidents to be unapologetically patriotic, optimistic and full of bonhomie.

Don’t mistake my meaning. Manhattan-Beltway legacy media elites are shocked at Trump’s triumph, and very angry again —enraged even— but the public’s willingness to share the referred pain of those elites has fallen, precipitously. Having lost the trust of the public in an almost incomprehensible but very comprehensive fashion, the mutterings of journalists not only don’t matter much, they actually are helping Trump get off to a good start on his second presidency.

Most of America has simply dismissed the legacy media from the conversation it is having about Trump. Legacy media are no longer trusted, period. It hates Trump? So what? The collective influence of legacy media is now below that of “public health authorities,” and that’s at rock bottom.

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My proposition: Trump is more popular today than ever before because Americans like optimism and Trump’s not only selling hope, he believes in it. Combine that affection for an elected leader who believes in the country and it’s essential goodness with the crumbling into dust of the credibility of Trump’s critics and the disasters of the Biden years, and you get 55% instead of 40%.

The only question left to answer is how high can that number go when Trump delivers on the border, the defense rebuild, the return of deregulation and the extension of Trump’s tax cuts? If you are wishing the country well, you should be hoping that Trump’s numbers, like those in the markets, continue to rise. 

Hugh Hewitt is host of “The Hugh Hewitt Show,” heard weekday mornings 6am to 9am ET on the Salem Radio Network, and simulcast on Salem News Channel. Hugh wakes up America on over 400 affiliates nationwide, and on all the streaming platforms where SNC can be seen. He is a frequent guest on the Fox News Channel’s news roundtable hosted by Bret Baier weekdays at 6pm ET. A son of Ohio and a graduate of Harvard College and the University of Michigan Law School, Hewitt has been a Professor of Law at Chapman University’s Fowler School of Law since 1996 where he teaches Constitutional Law. Hewitt launched his eponymous radio show from Los Angeles in 1990.  Hewitt has frequently appeared on every major national news television network, hosted television shows for PBS and MSNBC, written for every major American paper, has authored a dozen books and moderated a score of Republican candidate debates, most recently the November 2023 Republican presidential debate in Miami and four Republican presidential debates in the 2015-16 cycle. Hewitt focuses his radio show and his column on the Constitution, national security, American politics and the Cleveland Browns and Guardians. Hewitt has interviewed tens of thousands of guests from Democrats Hillary Clinton and John Kerry to Republican Presidents George W. Bush and Donald Trump over his 40 years in broadcast, and this column previews the lead story that will drive his radio/ TV show today.

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Phil Robertson is facing a difficult road with his health but has his family and faith supporting him.

On “Unashamed with the Robertson Family,” Phil’s son, Jase, initially broke the news to fans that his father has the “early stages of Alzheimer’s” and is “unable to sit down and have a conversation.”

“It’s like accelerated, and it’s causing problems with his entire body. And he has early stages of Alzheimer’s. So, if you put those things together, he’s really not doing well. He’s struggling,” he continued.

His son, Willie Robertson, spoke with Fox News Digital by phone and clarified that Phil is “battling a lot of different things right now.”

‘DUCK DYNASTY’ STAR PHIL ROBERTSON DIAGNOSED WITH ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE

“He’s got a blood disorder, and then he’s got the mental issues that could be early [on-set] Alzheimer’s … and probably some ministrokes because of his blood,” Willie explained. “And so, it could be some stroke stuff happening, that has happened. So, we’re still checking on all that. But then he also has a back issue, he’s fractured his back and that’s where the pain’s at. So, he’s kind of battling many different things at the same time.”

Willie said that day-to-day, Phil’s back pain is the biggest issue impacting his overall well-being.

“Especially in any situation where he’s getting up from the seated position or laying position, [it’s] super stressful for him, too, and very painful,” he said. 

“We’ve got several other things we’re looking at, trying some different medications. And, again, it’s a little bit more difficult with the pain issue, with the back, because that seems to dominate a lot of just his day-to-day is just from that, so we’re trying to get his back fixed up so that he can at least move around. We’re trying several different things. We’ve seen many doctors and [are] just getting the best care we can and best things that we can and trying to figure out what’s next.”

According to Willie, Phil is suffering from back pain and a blood disorder as well as early Alzheimer’s and ministrokes. (Courtesy of Phil Robertson)

‘DUCK DYNASTY’ STARS’ NEW MOVIE SHOWS FAMILY’S ORIGIN AND FAITH: WITHOUT GOD ‘WE WOULD NOT BE SITTING HERE’

The “Duck Dynasty” star didn’t share the specifics of the blood disorder but said it was causing his father to produce “too much blood,” making it thicker and potentially leading to the ministroke’s he’s had.

“It’s hard with the mental stuff,” Willie said. “It’s hard to determine exactly what these causes are, especially with early signs, it’s hard to determine brain damage from stroke or is that Alzheimer’s?”

He added, “I know that’s in their family. Other siblings he has have had some of the same type of things as well. This has happened with just about all of his siblings that have passed away.” 

According to Willie, Phil also has an “enlarged spleen, which could be pushing on the stomach, and which could cause some of the appetite things.”

“He’s fractured his back and that’s where the pain’s at. So, he’s kind of battling many different things at the same time.”

— Willie Robertson

On “Unashamed,” Jase shared that Phil was not “hungry at all” and has to “make himself eat.” 

“There’s a couple of issues that we’re trying to get to the bottom of, which is maybe where some of that’s coming from. It could be the pain, but also with the blood disorder that has created some things that could be dealing with that as well,” Willie said.

Phil’s son, Jase, second from right, spoke about his father’s health issues on the “Unashamed with the Robertson Family” podcast, revealing his appetite has been drastically diminished. (Robertson Family)

‘DUCK DYNASTY’ STAR PHIL ROBERTSON FORCES HIMSELF TO EAT AS HE BATTLES ALZHEIMER’S, PLANS TO ‘KEEP THE FAITH’

But the family is doing their best to feed their patriarch, and Willie revealed, “I just got a message from him for me to bring him more food. He seems to like my cooking.”

“I do hamburgers, I’ve done a couple crawfish dishes. I’ve done all kinds of things that I think he’s always liked and eaten in the past, I don’t know if it’s as good as mom’s, but, I’m doing my best,” the 52-year-old shared, adding that Phil isn’t able to “normally do what he normally does for his food.”

WATCH: ‘DUCK DYNASTY’ STAR WILLIE ROBERTSON RECALLS GROWING UP WITH PHIL ROBERTSON, SURPRISING ORIGIN OF THE SHOW

The family has been able to stay on top of Phil’s health issues, seeking help when potential signs of Alzheimer’s first began.

“We noticed some of the issues, and so we started taking him up to the doctor and trying to check out what exactly was wrong,” Willie said.

Willie said the family started to notice issues with Phil’s memory and took him to be checked out by doctors. (AP)

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“It’s hard to know whether someone’s just getting older and being forgetful or whether there’s actually some damage. And that’s just what we’ve been trying to figure out.”

Willie said that “some days are good and some days kind of aren’t so good” for Phil, but they try to “have the most normal conversations we can with him.”

“He still quotes the Bible and still talks about his faith in God, so I think that’s been comforting and something that he hasn’t lost yet.”

— Willie Robertson

Phil’s wife and Willie’s mother, “Miss Kay,” is dealing with some of her own health issues stemming from a broken foot in the summer, affecting her mobility.

Willie said she wishes she could help more, but in the meantime, the couple of almost 60 years quietly spends their time together.

Willie said his parents keep each other company as they both contend with health issues. (Jason Kempin/Getty Images for A&E Networks)

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“They’re both down there, in the same spot. They sit in their chairs and they’re doing the same thing. So, they’re keeping each other’s company for sure.”

Despite his condition, Phil is “as sharp as ever” when it comes to his faith and knowledge of the Bible.

“He goes right back to that, and so we find those are things that seem to comfort him,” Willie said. “He still quotes the Bible and still talks about his faith in God, so I think that’s been comforting and something that he hasn’t lost yet.

“He can’t speak like he used to and teach his class, and so he’s kind of taking a break from that and his podcast and stuff. But it’s still strong and vital to him, he just can’t always make the words and thoughts that I think that he wants to make.”

According to Willie, Phil’s faith is strong and has been “comforting” to him. (Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)

MISSY ROBERTSON DETAILS LIFE AFTER ‘DUCK DYNASTY,’ CHANGING LIVES IN NEW FAITH-BASED SERIES ‘RESTORED’ 

Willie continued, “His faith is such an important part of his life. And life is short and temporary, and he’s always known that. And we’ve always had such an eternal perspective, really, on life itself. We’re not sad, we realize this is, you know, these are things that happen on this earth, and we deal with them.” 

WATCH: ‘DUCK DYNASTY’ STAR PHIL ROBERTSON ON FINDING FAITH BEFORE FAME: ‘GOD SPEAKS THROUGH HIS PEOPLE’

And faith is helping the whole family through this difficult time. 

“In these times, that’s where the faith component really steps up,” Willie said. “This is what we’re about, this is what he’s living for and for the hope that there’s something beyond. And so, and he’s definitely a testament to that, even where he’s at in life right now.”

Willie said the “faith component really steps up” in times of difficulty. (Cindy Ord/Getty Images)

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He added, “But who knows? God could do some amazing things. I know there’s a lot of prayers going up. And so it wouldn’t surprise me if he has a turn and ends up doing great, so you just never know.” 

Donald Trump said yesterday at a Mar-a-Lago news conference that he would take a couple of questions. 

By the time he finished speaking, he had gone on for an hour. 

Trump made news on a dozen topics, a reminder of the freewheeling approach in which even among journalists who can’t stand him, the incoming president is a newsmaking machine who provides headlines around the clock, setting the terms of debate – in a sharp contrast with the reclusive Joe Biden. 

Trump also deflected a few questions that he absolutely should not have answered, such as strategy on Ukraine and whether he’d retaliate against Iran.

TRUMP LEAVES CHINA GUESSING WHAT HIS NEXT MOVE IS WITH INAUGURATION INVITE

I was a bit surprised, though, that he launched an attack on the press, though, since this contradicted his recent remarks about reaching out to even hostile news outlets, as long as they treat him fairly. 

This took place two days after ABC and George Stephanopoulos apologized to Trump to settle a defamation, agreeing to donate $15 million to a presidential library or foundation, plus another million bucks to cover his legal fees. This averted what could have been an embarrassing and grueling deposition by its star anchor.

The network’s problem is that Stephanopoulos had repeatedly said Trump had been found liable for “rape,” repeating the word about 10 times, in the E. Jean Carroll civil suit, when the jury held him liable for “sexual abuse.” 

While the judge said this would commonly be understood as rape, they are legally different in New York. You don’t agree to 15 million bucks unless you think you don’t have much of a case.

While left-leaning pundits are accusing ABC of “caving” to Trump, the network made a different judgment call.

Trump ripped the media as “very corrupt” and ticked off more lawsuits he has filed or plans to file.

The president-elect said he planned to sue the Des Moines Register for having a poll before the election that turned out to be wrong. He praised pollster Ann Selzer as always having gotten him right until the Iowa caucuses, when she said he’d lose by 4 points and he won the state by 13. 

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Trump said he was taking legal action against “60 Minutes” for substituting a different, tighter answer to a different question than had been asked—a practice that most journalists, including me, said was a huge blunder by the CBS show. 

“We have to straighten out the press,” he said. “The press is very corrupt. Almost as corrupt as our elections.”

He added: “I’m doing this not because I want to. I’m doing this because I feel I have an obligation to,” Trump said. “In my opinion, it was fraud and it was election interference.”

Trump also said he would pursue a suit against Bob Woodward for making public the audiotapes from a book project. Woodward has said he never agreed not to do so. 

A side-by-side of former President Donald Trump and investigative journalist Bob Woodward. (Getty Images)

And Trump plans to pursue his action against the Pulitzer Prize board for giving the Washington Post and New York Times awards for what he calls the Russia Russia Russia hoax. While it was certainly overplayed, the board says Trump could not point to any inaccuracies in the articles submitted. 

And then there was Trump commenting on, well, just about everything else. 

He said he would consider a pardon for indicted New York Mayor Eric Adams because he’d been treated “very unfairly.”

He said he couldn’t understand how people could sympathize with the suspect in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson: “It was cold-blooded. Just a cold-blooded, horrible killing, and how people can like this guy is — that’s a sickness, actually.”

DANIEL PENNY’S JURY PRAISED FOR EXONERATING HIM IN CHOKEHOLD TRIAL: ‘GOT IT RIGHT’

He heaped praise on Lara Trump but said the decision on whether to name her to a vacant Florida Senate seat was up to DeSantis. However, the Wall Street Journal reports that he has lobbied the governor to choose her.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams holds a press conference at City Hall in June in New York City.  (Adam Gray/Getty Images)

He defended DOD nominee Pete Hegseth, saying all he wants to do is improve the military. He also provided visual backing by bringing Hegseth to the Army-Navy Game, along with JD Vance, Elon Musk (of course), Ron DeSantis, Tulsi Gabbard and Speaker Mike Johnson.

Trump said he would keep the polio vaccine but would have discussions with RFK Jr. about other vaccines, including his totally debunked theory that vaccines cause autism. Trump did argue there has been a rise in autism among boys. “I think he’s going to be much less radical than you would think,” he told reporters.

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Trump demanded that Biden officials explain what is happening with the mystery drones, since they obviously know. 

That is a whole lot of news. Perhaps we’ve forgotten how Donald J. Trump loves to sound off on everything under the sun. We’re about to get a four-year refresher course.