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Donald Trump is nothing if not impulsive – and there’s often a method to his seeming madness.

At times that means going way over the line – consciously, deliberately – and at others it’s just rash.

Whether he’s dealing with Iran, the Epstein files, mass deportation or the leader of the Catholic Church, the president busts through the usual guardrails of decency and compassion.

I know this is often intentional, because the president has acknowledged it to me. Ripping others may bring him negative publicity, but Trump doesn’t mind that if it gets the pundits and the public chattering about the issue he wants driving the media agenda.

EX-TRUMP ALLY MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE JOINS LEFT-WING CALLS FOR THE 25TH AMENDMENT AS IRAN DEADLINE NEARS

Trump posting a user’s AI image of himself as Jesus Christ, healing a patient with glowing hands – and adding a demon in the background – was such a fiasco that he deleted it 12 hours later, which he almost never does. It was striking to hear him blaming it on "fake news" – which certainly covered it – when it was Catholic leaders, along with prominent conservative hosts and podcasters, who led the chorus of condemnation.

Isabel Brown, a Catholic podcaster with the Daily Wire and a Trump supporter: "This post is, frankly, disgusting and unacceptable, but also a profound misreading of the American people experiencing a true and beautiful revival of faith in Christ in the midst of our broken culture." 

Riley Gaines, a conservative podcaster and anti-trans activist who has spoken at Trump rallies: "I cannot understand why he’d post this…Two things are true…"a little humility would serve him well" and "God shall not be mocked."

HOUSE DEMS UNVEIL BILL TO EXAMINE REMOVING TRUMP USING 25TH AMENDMENT

Megan Basham, a conservative Protestant Christian writer: "He needs to take this down immediately and ask for forgiveness from the American people and then from God."

Rev. James Martin, editor-at-large of the Catholic magazine America, told CNN: "I don’t know too many doctors that have glowing hands. That’s the most Jesus-looking picture I think I could imagine."  

The posting came shortly after Trump got into a rhetorical battle with Pope Leo, calling him "weak on crime" and "terrible on foreign policy." The first American-born pontiff replied that "I have no fear of the Trump administration."

LAWMAKERS PUT EXPULSION THREATS ATOP HOUSE AGENDA AS RETURN SETS UP HIGH-STAKES WEEK

But that was being covered as a straight he said/he said news story and probably would have faded after a day. By quickly following up with the fake image that so many found blasphemous, he created a furor that will dominate the news for days.

Nobody bought his attempt at an explanation: "I thought it was me as a doctor, and had to do with Red Cross, as a Red Cross worker, which we support. It’s supposed to me as a doctor, making people better. And I do make people better. I make people a lot better." Trump is pictured in the red and white robes commonly used to depict Christ.

JD Vance told Fox’s Bret Baier: "I think the president was posting a joke. And, of course, he took it down because he recognized that a lot of people weren’t understanding his humor in that case."

TRUMP'S THREAT TO END IRANIAN 'CIVILIZATION' SPARKS UPROAR ON CAPITOL HILL

Just a joke. That’s their default defense. Except it wasn’t. 

Nearly a year ago, the president took heat for posting an image of himself dressed as the Pope.

In February, Trump was widely denounced as racist, for an image at the end of a minute-long video of Barack and Michelle Obama as apes. He claimed to have missed that part and did not apologize.

TRUMP IRAN THREAT SPARKS CALLS FOR HIS OUSTER, BUT ONE DEM SAYS EFFORT ‘NOT REALISTIC’

Sometimes it would be better if he said nothing at all. After Rob Reiner and his wife were brutally murdered in their home, Trump posted a message lambasting the famed director as having Trump Derangement Syndrome. 

On the war, the president took immense flak for saying a week ago Tuesday, his deadline for unleashing hell upon Iran’s energy facilities: "A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again." 

Of course he gave the Iranians a two-week extension, which was hardly the first delay, and now says the U.S. will fire upon any vessel that tries to challenge his blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which Tehran has used to choke off a fifth of the world’s oil supply.

SWALWELL OUT AMID SEXUAL ASSAULT ALLEGATIONS AFTER 13 YEARS IN CONGRESS

This has basically destroyed the so-called ceasefire, but also plays into criticism that Trump, under pressure from Israel, launched the war without a clear exit strategy. He keeps saying America has already won and he can pull out at any time, but that would be far short of his original goal of getting Iran to stop enriching uranium that could be used for nuclear weapons. 

The president and his team say his threats and delays are a way of keeping the terror state’s leaders off balance.

The confluence of these events has prompted talk about removing the president through the 25th Amendment–despite the fact that this is a fantasy, requiring a majority vote in the Cabinet and a two-thirds majority of Congress.

HOUSE DEM LEADERS OPEN DOOR TO 25TH AMENDMENT AFTER RANK-AND-FILE PUSH FOR TRUMP'S REMOVAL

 In an obvious stunt, 50 Democrats filed legislation yesterday to create a commission to assess Trump’s mental health. The majority Republicans will obviously ignore it.   

But as the president approaches 80, more concerns, fairly or unfairly, are being openly raised about his stability, as in yesterday’s New York Times piece:

"President Trump’s erratic behavior and extreme comments in recent days and weeks have turbocharged the crazy-like-a-fox-or-just-plain-crazy debate that has followed him on the national political stage for a decade.

TRUMP'S THREAT TO END IRANIAN 'CIVILIZATION' SPARKS UPROAR ON CAPITOL HILL

"The White House rejected such assessments, saying that Mr. Trump is sharp and keeping his opponents on edge. But the president’s eruptions have raised questions about America’s leadership in a time of war. While the country has had presidents whose capacity came under question before, most recently the octogenarian Joseph R. Biden Jr. as he aged demonstrably before the public’s eyes, never in modern times has the stability of a president been so publicly and forensically debated — and with such profound consequences."

First, I think the "dementia" arguments, mostly from people who have never met Trump, are BS. He handles reporters’ questions with ease and at length, whether you agree with the substance or not. 

WHY MELANIA TRUMP IS DENYING ALLEGED SMEARS RELATED TO JEFFREY EPSTEIN–AND WANTS VICTIMS TO TESTIFY

But he is clearly stepping up his inflammatory rhetoric and making big unforced errors like the Jesus image.

Second, the mental decline of Joe Biden was obvious to everyone, even as he was shielded from the press, o the point of declining two Super Bowl interviews. And there did come a point when the media were forced to cover it. But some prominent pundits said they had spoken to Biden privately and he was sharp as a tack.

The talk about Trump is now coming from retired generals, diplomats, and onetime media allies on the right, who the president has lambasted as having "low IQs." And it also includes such ex-appointees as Ty Cobb, a White House lawyer in the first term, who calls him "clearly insane."

A Reuters/Ipsos poll in February found 61 percent believe he has become more erratic with age, and 45 percent saying "he is mentally sharp and able to deal with challenges."

WHY ERIC SWALWELL WAS FORCED TO QUIT CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR’S RACE AFTER SEXUAL MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS

Liz Peek, a Hill columnist and Fox News contributor, defended him: "Trump knows exactly what he is doing," adding "Trump will continue to use maximalist (and sometimes outrageous) military and diplomatic pressure in his campaign to rid the Middle East of Iran’s near 50-year campaign of terror." 

The question now is whether Donald Trump can tone things down a bit or even whether he wants to, since that has not exactly been his style.

Footnote: Now that Eric Swalwell has resigned his House seat in the face of near-certain expulsion, after abandoning his campaign for California governor, a new accuser has emerged.

Lonna Drewes accused the California Democrat of rugging and raping her during a Los Angeles news conference yesterday.

Drewes said they met in 2018 when she was a Beverly Hills fashion model and owner of a fashion software company. told reporters she met Swalwell in 2018 while working as a model in Beverly Hills. Drewes said they met two times socially after Swalwell offered to help her with connections.

On the third occasion, Drewes said, "I believe he drugged my drink. "I only had one glass of wine. We were supposed to go to a political event and he said he needed to get paperwork from his hotel room. When I arrived at his hotel room I was already incapacitated and couldn’t move my arms or my body."

She added: "He raped me and he choked me. And while he was choking me I lost consciousness and I thought I died."

Now that Swalwell is no longer a congressman, two of his accusers, Ally Sammarco and Annika Albrecht, went on the record with CBS. "He thought he was untouchable," Samjmammarco said. He acted with total impunity. He never thought that the consequences of his actions would follow him."

CNN had earlier interviewed one of the accusers but shot her in shadow to conceal her identity.

Also yesterday, Democratic Rep. Tony Gonzales said he would resign his House seat, also in the face of virtually certain expulsion. "There is a season for everything and God has a plan for us all," he said.

Sexual text messages made public in 2024 made clear that he had an affair with Regina Santos-Aviles while she was working for him.

She killed herself in September by setting herself on fire.

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The U.S. Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against Connecticut and its city of New Haven, arguing that their sanctuary policies interfere with federal enforcement of the nation's immigration laws.

The lawsuit names Connecticut, its Gov. Ned Lamont and Attorney General William Tong, as well as New Haven and its Mayor Justin Elicker as defendants.

The complaint takes issue with the state’s "so-called Trust Act" and other state and local sanctuary policies that the DOJ argues are illegal under federal law.

The DOJ claims these policies have allowed "dangerous criminals" to be released into communities in the Nutmeg State. It also alleges that Connecticut and New Haven have made "intentional efforts" that the lawsuit argues obstruct federal law enforcement, put people at risk and are preempted under the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

DOJ SUES NEW JERSEY OVER EXECUTIVE ORDER LIMITING ICE COOPERATION, EXPANDING SANCTUARY STATUS

"For years, Connecticut communities have paid the price of these misguided sanctuary policies," Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate of the DOJ's Civil Division said in a statement. "This lawsuit seeks to end such open defiance of federal law."

But Elicker contends that the lawsuit misrepresents the city's immigration policies. He said the city will fight the lawsuit and that he is confident they did nothing wrong.

"The complaint that’s been submitted by the federal government has untruths in it and is misleading. There’s actually quotes from the executive order that have ‘dot dot dot’ where they don’t finish the sentence and the last part of the sentence of the executive order actually clarifies the beginning part," Elicker told Fox 61.

After Elicker was elected mayor in 2020, he signed an executive order barring law enforcement from asking for the immigration status of anyone they are working with.

READ THE FULL COMPLAINT FILED BY THE DOJ BELOW

The mayor said his city and its employees have not taken any action to obstruct the federal government's efforts to enforce immigration laws.

"Our employees are abiding by both city, state, and federal law with the executive order that we have, and we will continue to do that," Elicker said.

HOCHUL ENDORSES LEGISLATION TO ALLOW NEW YORKERS TO SUE ICE AGENTS: 'POWER DOES NOT JUSTIFY ABUSE'

Lamont said in a statement that state laws "do not prevent federal authorities from enforcing immigration law," adding that they instead "reflect a longstanding principle: the federal government cannot require states to use their personnel or resources to carry out federal enforcement responsibilities."

"We will defend Connecticut’s laws vigorously against the complaints outlined in the federal government’s lawsuit. Our Trust Act and related policies are consistent with the Constitution and reflect our responsibility to govern responsibly, protect public safety, and uphold the rights of all residents," the governor said.

"Connecticut respects the rule of law and the constitutional roles of both federal and state governments," he added. "Connecticut law enforcement prioritizes serious criminal activity and works every day to keep our communities safe, while also respecting constitutional protections afforded to residents and maintaining trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve."

Tong, in a statement of his own, said the "sovereign people of Connecticut have exercised our right to pass state laws like the Trust Act that prioritize public safety and ensure that all people can trust and rely on law enforcement to keep us safe." 

"It is a shame that the President and the Department of Justice are not focused on public safety but are wasting federal resources on attacking Connecticut with a baseless lawsuit that has no foundation in law or fact. Connecticut is not a 'sanctuary' state, whatever that means. This term is meaningless and has no basis in Connecticut law. We will defend Connecticut and Connecticut families and fight this lawless attack with every fiber of our being," he said.

This is the latest effort by the DOJ to target sanctuary policies in cities and states across the country.

Last month, a federal judge threw out a DOJ lawsuit accusing Colorado and Denver of interfering with the federal enforcement of immigration laws.

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From the moment the talks between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran commenced in Islamabad, Pakistan on Saturday, only one of three results could follow: Munich, 1938 with the U.S. appeasing Iran; Reykjavík, 1986 with diplomatic deadlock; or Appomattox, 1865 with the exhausted and broken Iranians surrendering to the reality of hard power.

Turns out it was Reykjavik 2.0 with Vice President J.D. Vance instead of President Reagan exiting the meetings looking stone-faced and irritated as he announced an end to the talks and the departure of the United States delegation.

A blockade of all shipping from all Iranian ports commenced Monday at 10 AM pursuant to President Trump’s order to the U.S. Navy. The Navy has already commenced mine-clearing operations in the international waters in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday — during the talks. Quite a signal, that.

President Trump has indicated that renewed strikes on the teetering Islamic Republic of Iran are possible as well. Israel continues to pummel Hezbollah, Iran’s proxy in Lebanon.

TRUMP VOWS TO HIT IRAN 'VERY HARD' AFTER OBLITERATING NEARLY '90 PERCENT' OF REGIME MISSILES

It was a very bad weekend for terrorists in the Middle East as well as for the mother ship regime that supports them all in Tehran. The ayatollahs and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that prop them up are down to their fifth string "generals," and the impotent "elected officials" of Iran who have never had other than the power the IRGC allocated to them.

The Iranian regime has survived on terror and bluster for 47 years. Now it’s on the edge of collapse because of Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The fact the these two men are orchestrating the strategic defeat of a sinister, lunatic regime that as recently as January 8-9 murdered more than 30,000 of its own people in two days has the left in America and around the world working through cognitive dissonance. It would be amusing were the Iranian people not suffering so under the boot of the Islamist fanatics and the cost in American and Israeli lives in the dozens.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: 5 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM TRUMP’S IRAN ADDRESS

Our domestic left know they should actually cheer the ongoing collapse of the power of the theocrats in Tehran and the threat they present to the world. But the fact that the cartoon villains living in their collective heads rent-free 24/7/365 — Trump and Netanyahu — are the pair deconstructing the baddies leaves the lefties in legacy media and the Democratic Party stuttering and mumbling.

Many of them are also carrying the (very heavy) sunk costs of the absurd "Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action" from the halcyon days of peak Obama in 2015. The JCPOA was indeed the worst deal America ever made but the held it up as an achievement for the ages. Trump blew it up. They haven’t recovered.

Like super-seniors pining for their glory days during the Elvis craze, the political equivalent of the 1950s teeny boppers from Team Obama and his supporters in the legacy media are downcast, feeling left behind and increasingly certain that no one will ever fall for their "echo-chamber-leading- from-behind" schtick again.

IRAN WAR NEARS ‘COMPLETION’ AS TRUMP EYES DEADLINE — WHAT THE ENDGAME COULD LOOK LIKE

Not only has their beloved JCPOA revealed as idiocy, but now Trump and Netanyahu have also revealed the Islamic Republic to have been less than the mighty superpower Team Obama built them up to be or at least put them on the path towards being.

More danger is ahead but clarity is a wonderful thing. Serious people have always had the Iranian regime’s number. Silly podcasters and successive Democratic presidents may not have understood the depth of the evil they faced in Tehran, but the center-right and national security hawks never saw anything but menace. A reminder that it was Senator Tom Cotton who first and loudly blew the whistle on the fraud that was the JCPOA, just as he did on the Wuhan lab leak. Perhaps listen to Cotton next time an international crisis arises and not Beltway sharpies with podcasts?

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Team Obama may not have just been dense. They may simply have been afraid of confronting the killers in Iran.

No matter. Their era of appeasement is over now. The Vice President gave the Iranian regime a third chance to back away from the edge. The Iranians missed their first chance during 60 days of negotiation in 2025 which was followed by Midnight Hammer.

They missed on the second swing as well, just before the start of Epic Fury.

Now they have swung and missed…again. Three strikes and you are out. And blockaded. Not to mention broke and broken.

Bravo to the American military for the swift and nearly complete devastation of the Iranian military. And thanks to our superb ally Israel. Prayers continue for the families of the fallen in this battle, those who have been wounded and those still in harm’s way.

It’s not over, but the beginning of the end of the Islamic Republic has arrived.

Hugh Hewitt is a Fox News contributor and host of "The Hugh Hewitt Show" heard weekday afternoons from 3 PM to 6 PM ET on the Salem Radio Network, and simulcast on Salem News Channel. Hugh drives Americans home on the East Coast and to lunch on the West Coast 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 6 p..m 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 broadcasting. This column previews the lead story that will drive his radio/ TV show today.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM HUGH HEWITT

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Artificial intelligence has quickly become part of everyday life, helping people search for information, complete schoolwork, and make decisions. But what many users don’t realize is that AI systems are not neutral. They are shaped by hidden design choices that influence how they respond — and, ultimately, how people think.

The concern is not just theoretical. A recent Fox News Digital report highlighted the controversy surrounding Google’s Gemini chatbot after the system identified multiple Republican senators as violating its hate speech policies — while naming no Democrats. 

The findings, based on a prompt evaluating all 100 U.S. senators, raised fresh questions about whether AI systems can reflect ideological assumptions embedded in their training data and design.

GOOGLE GEMINI DECLARES ONLY GOP SENATORS VIOLATE HATE SPEECH POLICY, ZERO DEMOCRATS, AUTHOR CLAIMS

That episode is not an isolated case.

A new report from America First Policy Institute (AFPI) reveals that many AI systems consistently lean in particular ideological directions.

These biases can affect how political issues, social topics and news sources are presented. Because users often trust AI as an objective tool, these subtle influences can shape opinions over time without users realizing it.

Matthew Burtell, a senior policy analyst for AI and Emerging Technology at AFPI, said the pattern appears across the industry — not just in isolated cases.

"What we found was a general ideological bias, not just in a particular model, but across the spectrum," Burtell told Fox News Digital, adding that the models tend to lean center left.

The implications go beyond bias alone. Research shows that AI systems are not just reflecting viewpoints — they can actively influence them.

That combination — bias and persuasion — raises deeper concerns about AI’s role in shaping public opinion. "AI is persuasive and it also leans left," Burtell said. "So if you combine these two things, it may certainly have an influence on people’s beliefs about different policies." 

Recent examples have fueled those concerns. OpenAI’s ChatGPT has faced criticism from some researchers who argue its responses on political and cultural issues can skew in a particular ideological direction, while Microsoft’s AI tools have drawn scrutiny for how they frame controversial topics and limit certain viewpoints.

Those concerns have been reflected in testing as well. In 2024, Fox News Digital evaluated several leading AI chatbots — including Google’s Gemini, OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Microsoft’s Copilot and Meta AI — to assess potential racial bias.

NEW AI COALITION TARGETS WASHINGTON, BIG TECH AS GROUP WARNS CHILD SAFETY RISKS OUTPACING SAFEGUARDS

The report also raises serious safety concerns.

AI systems have, in some cases, engaged in harmful interactions — especially with younger users. Without clear transparency about how these systems are designed and what safeguards are in place, parents and users cannot make informed decisions about which platforms are safe.

To address these risks, the report calls for greater transparency from tech companies. This includes disclosing how systems are designed, what values they prioritize, how they are tested for bias and safety, and what incidents occur after deployment.

WHITE HOUSE AI CZAR BLASTS BLUE STATES FOR INSERTING 'WOKE IDEOLOGY' INTO ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

The goal is not to control what AI systems say, but to give the public enough information to evaluate them critically.

Ultimately, the report makes it clear that AI is not just a tool — it is a powerful force shaping how people access information and understand the world.

Without transparency, users remain in the dark about the biases embedded in these systems. And as AI becomes more influential, that lack of visibility may have far-reaching consequences for individuals and society alike.

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Eric Swalwell was so close to becoming California’s governor that he was practically measuring the drapes.

And then, suddenly, it all came crashing down, thanks to his own egregious conduct.

Last night, after desperately trying to hang on, Swalwell suspended his campaign. He was delusional if he thought he could keep running. He finally faced the inevitable music. 

The Democratic congressman didn't have much choice. His own party, led by Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Adam Schiff and Speaker Hakeem Jeffries, was demanding that he drop out of the race. 

SWALWELL FACES EXPULSION EFFORT FOLLOWING BOMBSHELL ASSAULT ALLEGATIONS

He was denying many of the specifics when it came to sexually abusing women on his staff, but his candidacy was clearly toast. His campaign chairman immediately resigned. The state teachers’ union withdrew its support. The service employees’ union suspended its campaign activities.

In a video Friday night, Swalwell seemed to soften his denials:

"I do not suggest to you in any way that I’m perfect or that I’m a saint. I have certainly made mistakes in judgment in my past, but those mistakes are between me and my wife and to her, I apologize deeply for putting her in this position."

Nobody’s buying that. When you’re a public figure with three children, it’s not just between you and your spouse. It’s also between you and the voters.

SWALWELL ATTORNEY DENIES MISCONDUCT, SAYS CONGRESSMAN TOOK ACCOUNTABILITY FOR 'LAPSES IN JUDGMENT'

Why, knowing of the intense scrutiny a gubernatorial candidate faces, would Swalwell allegedly engage in sex with staffers, given the stark power imbalance between a member of Congress and starstruck young women?

When Swalwell says all this emerged to torpedo his frontrunner campaign – "these allegations are false" – he is probably right. But he put the target on his own back.

Actually, a bandwagon running on four flat tires may be the least of the candidate’s problems. The Manhattan district attorney’s office confirms that it has opened an investigation into some of the allegations, and openly invited "survivors and anyone with knowledge of these allegations" to get in touch with its special victims unit.  

What’s more, both House and campaign staffers for Swalwell gave news outlets an unsigned letter saying they’re "horrified" by the allegations, calling them "abhorrent, beneath the dignity of those serving in public office," which "betrays the trust of all Californians." And one Republican representative, Anna Paulina Luna, is pushing for the House to expel him.

The media have clearly been driving the disclosures about the congressman, who represents the San Francisco area. One of the other two major Democratic candidates – former congresswoman Katie Porter or billionaire Tom Steyer – will inherit the frontrunner’s mantle.

In California’s "jungle primary," the top two finishers make it to the fall ballot, regardless of party. President Trump has already endorsed former British politician and Fox News host Steve Hilton. But in the bluest of blue states, the Democratic candidate is virtually assured of winning.   

SWALWELL CALLS SEXUAL MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS 'FLAT OUT FALSE,' SAYS HE WILL FIGHT THEM 'WITH EVERYTHING'

The San Francisco Chronicle conducted a series of interviews with a woman who said Swalwell had assaulted her twice when she was too drunk to consent, including one encounter when he was her boss.

The woman did not report the alleged assaults because she didn’t think she’d be believed, according to the Chronicle, which viewed texts that she sent to a friend at the time, and medical records showing she sought pregnancy and STD testing days after the alleged 2024 assault.    

CNN also reported on this woman, along with three others who accused Swalwell of various kinds of sexual misconduct. The woman was shown in shadow to protect her identity, and said she felt comfortable meeting Swalwell – after a 2019 drunken encounter – because she now had a partner and felt more confident:

"After that bar closed, we went to another, I went to the bathroom, and I don’t remember anything after that… I remember 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."

"Did you say no?" asked anchor Pamela Brown.

"Yes. I said no. I said I — in my flash that I can recall, I was pushing him off of me saying no."

What did he do?

"He didn’t stop."

The unidentified woman said that in 2019, when she was still working for Swalwell, she woke up naked with him in a hotel room after a night of heavy drinking. She said she had no memory of what happened but could feel physically that they’d had sexual contact.

CNN reported that three other women said Swalwell sent them unsolicited explicit messages or nude photos.

The New York Times interviewed a social media influencer named in the CNN report, Ally Sammarco, who said the congressman sent her inappropriate messages on Snapchat in 2021. Snapchat content is programmed to disappear after a short period of time.

Sammarco, now 28, told the paper that Swalwell told her she was attractive and asked about alcohol.

"A lot of it was like photos of him going on trips, on airplanes, in hotels, him laying in bed, and then like things like, ‘What would you do if I was, like, with you’ or, like, ‘Wish you were here,’" Sammarco told the paper, adding that he also sent an unsolicited photo of his penis.

PELOSI, CALIFORNIA DEMS SLAM SWALWELL OVER BOMBSHELL SEXUAL ASSAULT ALLEGATIONS: 'INDEFENSIBLE'

"It made me feel gross and uncomfortable. I didn’t ask for that," Sammarco is quoted as saying. While posting pictures of the birth of his third baby, she says, he was messaging her: "When am I going to see you?" 

Sammarco says she finally stopped responding after realizing the congressman wasn’t going to help her find a job.

Politico, meanwhile, reports that a former Swalwell employee, upon leaving his office, signed an agreement that required confidentiality and non-disparagement.  This was related to workplace discrimination, not sexual harassment. A spokesman had denied that the office had used any NDAs.

A Swalwell attorney sent letters to two of the women cited by CNN, demanding they retract their statements or face possible legal action.

These letters said the women’s claims were "undermined" by their "voluntary and cooperative relationship with Mr. Swalwell over the course of many years," including the former staffer asking him for job references.

I guess those letters are now moot. You think? 

Had the allegations been made by just one woman, it would have been easier for the candidate to dismiss. It’s not like sexual accusations haven’t been made against Trump and the term-limited governor and 2028 contender Gavin Newsom, which he has admitted.

Even a close personal friend of Swalwell, Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego, pulled his endorsement, calling the conduct "indefensible."

SUBSCRIBE TO HOWIE'S MEDIA BUZZMETER PODCAST, A RIFF ON THE DAY'S HOTTEST STORIES

Eric Swalwell showed no sensitivity to the intimidation factor involving young female staffers. The overall pattern, according to their allegations, is the same.

It’s hardly surprising that his party wanted Swalwell immediately booted from the race. Instead of heading to Sacramento, he wiped out his political career. 

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GREAT ABACO ISLAND, Bahamas — As more details emerge about Brian Hooker's final moments with his wife before she disappeared into the sea, Fox News Digital recreated the route Brian and his wife Lynette took moments before disaster struck.

Mo Monestime, who has spent 15 years chartering boats in the Great Abaco Island area, guided the excursion through the tropical Bahamian waters. He first exited a small harbor across from the Abaco Inn, where the Hookers had drinks before attempting to return to their boat. 

The route calls for a turn southwest after clearing the harbor, and followed by a short ride between the western coastline of Elbow Cay and the eastern coastline of Lubbers Quarters. That was the route the Hookers attempted to take at around 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 4. 

LYNETTE HOOKER MISSING IN BAHAMAS: TIMELINE OF MICHIGAN WOMAN'S DISAPPEARANCE, HUSBAND'S ARREST

According to digital maps reportedly drawn by Brian and sent to his friends, the Hookers' return trip ended abruptly near the southwestern turn, about halfway through the ride to their anchored yacht, which sat in a popular channel used by tourists and locals alike. 

The water surrounding the cays is clear enough to see to the bottom and sometimes as shallow as only four feet, Monestime said. At high tide, he estimated the water rises to about 10 feet. 

The small channel between the two cays is rife with activity, as boaters motor through, anchor, and maneuver their dinghies in and out of shallow waters. Nearby is Tahiti Beach, along with a large sandbar that features a floating bar when weather conditions allow.

The ride from the harbor to the popular anchoring spot took only about four minutes. 

But wind gusts may have created choppy waters before Brian said his wife fell overboard, separating the pair.

In a recording of a phone call Brian made to a friend on April 7 obtained by CBS, Brian gave the most detailed account yet about what he says is an accident that led to Lynette's disappearance. 

"She basically just bounced off the dinghy in the middle of a little blow, like 20-something knot winds that popped up," he said on the call, adding that he and his wife were not wearing life jackets. 

BOATYARD EMPLOYEE FOUND ‘EXHAUSTED’ MISSING AMERICAN'S HUSBAND WHEN HE WASHED ASHORE AFTER NIGHT ADRIFT

"It was sun down, and the sun set like basically 10 minutes after she fell over," he said. "The dinghy key went over with he because it wasn't clipped to anything or anybody, and she had the spare dinghy key in her dry bag, which was with her." 

Brian continued, saying the wind rapidly blew the couple apart and that he thinks Lynette tried to swim back to the yacht, which he said was about 1,000 yards or so from where the incident occurred. 

"I yelled to her that I lost an oar, and then I threw the anchor out, anchored the dinghy, and just, yeah, I yelled. I couldn't see her anymore because the moon had not risen yet," he said. 

Later, he said he threw a flotation cushion toward Lynette right after she went into the water, but he couldn't tell whether she was able to grab it. He said he yelled for her for about an hour. 

"By the time I got the anchor set, I was probably a quarter to a half a mile away from her, and I decided that I had to go get help," he said, "but I could not get to the island, so I paddled."

"And it was a cascade of failures, and it's something I'm never going to forgive myself for," he said. "We stayed to long, we left too dark, all kinds of s---. No life jackets. I f---ing threw the dinghy out last— the anchor out last — instead of first. Can't really explain it, you know?" 

MISSING AMERICAN WOMAN'S HUSBAND HAD ‘SPOTTY' CELL SERVICE DURING 8-HOUR TREK TO REPORT DISAPPEARANCE: TELECOM BOSS

Eventually, Brian claims, he washed ashore about four miles northeast of where the incident reportedly occurred, on a beach covered with jagged rocks, adjacent to a boat repair and storage facility called Marsh Harbor Boatyard. There, he was met by a security guard who eventually called the police. 

Brian was arrested at around 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, four days after the incident. 

He is currently being held in jail in Freeport, a separate Bahamian island, while police continue to investigate Lynette's disappearance. Bahamian law allows a 48-hour initial hold time before filing charges against a suspect, which can be extended under certain circumstances. The first deadline for his release was Friday night, but his detention was extended by 72 hours. He is expected to be released or charged with a crime by Monday night. 

Lynette's fate remains uncertain, but local authorities have announced that their investigation has shifted to a recovery effort. 

Butler said Brian has been cooperating with authorities and "categorically and unequivocally denies any wrongdoing." 

Brian has maintained throughout the investigation that he is innocent of any criminal wrongdoing, and issued a statement on Wednesday mourning his wife's disappearance. 

"I am heartbroken over the recent boat accident in unpredictable seas and high winds that caused my beloved Lynette to fall from our small dinghy near Elbow Cay in the Bahamas. Despite desperate attempts to reach her, the winds and currents drove us further apart. We continue to search for her and that is my sole focus," he said on Facebook.

"Not being found, that’s the mystery," Monestime told Fox News Digital. 

"It is very hard to disappear, because, again, we’re so close to land," Monestime told Fox News Digital. "So if you do fall overboard [and] drown, somebody will see you the next day. Again, we can see bottom, you know? I’ll be driving the boat, I will see stingrays, I will see turtles, so I would see a human body. Somebody would see something. Somebody would say something, like, ‘Hey, we just saw something strange in the water.'"

Monestime said drownings happen occasionally near Elbow Cay, but then reiterated that victims are recovered quickly. 

"Again, you could see land all the way, the whole time," he said. "Even if you fall overboard in pitch dark, you still could see the lights from the shore."

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For those chasing the American dream, a new study has some insightful information about what it takes to attain it – along with data that might determine the best states to set down roots.

Declining marriages and broken families are crippling predominantly blue states, while red states thrive with better economic mobility, education and lower crime, according to a 2026 Family Structure Index released Tuesday by the Ohio-based Center for Christian Virtue.

In partnership with the Institute for Family Studies, the report examined three core factors: marriage rates, family stability and fertility rates. It also tracked cost of living, religious participation, family instability, and education levels, finding wide gaps across states that affect the "health and attainability of the American Dream."

"This report should serve as a wake-up call for policymakers and community leaders across the country," CCV President Aaron Baer told Fox News Digital.

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Baer added that government programs alone "can’t replace strong families."

"No amount of paid family leave, childcare subsidies, or social experimentation will rebuild the foundation that families provide," he said. "If those policies were enough, states like California and New York would be leading the way. The data show otherwise. If we’re serious about reducing poverty and expanding opportunity, we need to strengthen the institutions that have always made America strong: faith, family, and economic freedom."

The report finds that only 1 in 3 Americans believe in the American Dream.

The index clearly shows geographic divides. Red states like Utah rank first in family stability, while blue states like New Mexico trail behind.

Rocky Mountain and Great Plains states generally have higher marriage and fertility rates, according to the report.

Behind Utah, the rest of the top 5 states for family stability were Idaho, Nebraska, South Dakota and North Dakota. 

The bottom five states: Vermont, Nevada, Louisiana, Rhode Island, and New Mexico.

These differences are now impacting where people choose to live, according to the report.

South Carolina, for example, has seen marriage rates rise and its ranking on this list improve; while Hawaii has fallen as marriage rates decline and housing costs remain high.

HERITAGE FOUNDATION WARNS AMERICA 'DANGEROUSLY CLOSE' TO FAMILY BREAKDOWN POINT OF NO RETURN

As these pressures grow, more Americans are leaving high-cost blue states for more affordable red states.

"Strong families are the foundation of a healthy society," Baer said in a press release. "This report shows that when family structure weakens, the effects ripple outward to our schools, our communities and our economy. But it also makes clear that this is not inevitable. There is a solution and a path forward."

Notably, the report highlights a clear link between family structure and economic outcomes. 

States with more married parents saw lower child poverty rates, better educational outcomes, less crime and stronger economies, while those with higher shares of single-parent households face long-term challenges.

Other contributing factors also emerged. 

States with higher religious participation saw higher birth rates, while expensive housing markets are tied to lower fertility rates, according to the report. Education also plays a role as more college-educated adults are more likely to form stable families due to economic security.

Since 2000, the national index score has dropped from 100 to 87.3, signaling a decline in family structure, the report added. While marriage rates have stabilized in recent years, fertility rates continue to fall and pose lasting constraints for future generations.

However, these trends do vary across both red and blue states, according to a CCV spokesperson, who said the report "also underscores that these trends are not confined to any one region or political ideology."

The findings have prompted calls for policy changes focusing on strengthening families and economic conditions.

NEW POLL FINDS AMERICANS LIKELY TO SEE EACH OTHER AS ‘MORALLY BAD’ — BUT EXPERT SAYS STRONG FAMILIES CAN HELP

"The lesson going forward is clear," Baer said. "Red and blue states alike should advance policies that make housing more affordable, ensure good-paying jobs are within reach, keep taxes low, and expand access to quality education."

Baer added this comes down to the impact of stable households. 

Stable two-parent homes are linked to higher college graduation rates and a better shot at reaching the middle class, the report said. Married adults are also about 80% less likely to live in poverty than single adults.

"Family structure is one of the strongest predictors we have for whether children and communities are thriving," University of Virginia sociology professor and lead researcher Brad Wilcox said in a press release. "States that are doing well in this area have markedly lower levels of child poverty, as well as higher rates of economic mobility and homeownership."

For many, economic realities have continued to fuel skepticism about the American Dream. Since 1980, fewer adults ages 25 to 54 have been able to buy homes, and only about 50% of those born in the 1980s earn more than their parents—down from 90% among those born in the 1940s.

Marriage rates fell sharply from 2000 to 2010, followed by a 17% drop over the next decade, as "upward mobility has been cut nearly in half over two generations," the report said.

"This isn’t just about statistics," Baer said. "It’s about real children and real futures. If we want to see our nation thrive, we have to be serious about strengthening marriage and supporting families in every community."

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