The Hoffman family released a statement Thursday night detailing their miraculous survival of a political assassination attempt at their home in Champlin, Minnesota last weekend. (Text of statement at end of article.)

Democratic-Farmer-Labor Sen. John Hoffman was shot nine times by accused gunman Vance Boelter as he answered the front door at 2 a.m. CDT last Saturday and remains hospitalized in serious but stable condition. His wife Yvette was shot eight times after she forced Boelter back and closed the door. She was discharged from the hospital on Thursday. The Hoffmans’ adult daughter Hope was present but was not hit by the gunfire as she managed to fully shut and lock the front door after her mother closed it and got shot.

Photo of Sen. John Hoffman’s shot up front door, by Jeff Ernst, NY Times.https://t.co/aA9vntIQsx pic.twitter.com/QR7gY1ZKBY

— Kristinn Taylor (@KristinnFR) June 14, 2025

Boelter, who wore a mask and was disguised as a policeman, later shot and killed Speaker Emerita Rep. Melissa Hortman (DFL) and her husband Mark in their Brooklyn Park home. Boelter was reportedly unsuccessful in two other attempts at the homes of state elected officials.

Boelter was caught after a two day manhunt and faces state and federal charges, including murder.

Excerpt from the U.S. Attorney for Minnesota’s statement on the shootings:

According to court documents, in the early morning hours of June 14, 2025, Vance Luther Boelter put into effect a calculated plan to inflict fear and violence upon Minnesota elected officials and their families. Boelter equipped himself with firearms and body armor, disguised himself as a law enforcement officer, and drove to the home of Senator Hoffman. Boelter knocked on the door repeatedly, claiming to be a police officer. Shortly after the Hoffmans opened the door, they were alarmed to realize Boelter was wearing a facemask. The Hoffmans tried to close the door on Boelter, but Boelter repeatedly shot both Senator and Mrs. Hoffman.

Boelter then traveled to the homes of two other Minnesota elected officials, still disguised as a law enforcement officer. Boelter did not manage to make contact with either of those officials or their families.

Next, Boelter drove to the home of Speaker Emerita and Representative Melissa Hortman. Meanwhile, local law enforcement, having heard of the shooting at the Hoffman residence, drove to the Hortman household to conduct a safety check. Upon arriving, officers saw Boelter’s car, a black Ford Explorer SUV designed to look at a law enforcement vehicle. It was equipped with police-style lights that were on and flashing. Officers saw Boelter, standing several feet from and facing the front door of the Hortman home. Moments later, Boelter fired several gunshots into the home, repeatedly striking Mr. Hortman. As Boelter did so, he rushed into the home and fired several additional shots, repeatedly striking Representative Hortman. Officers provided medical aid to the Hortmans and attempted to pursue Boelter, who abandoned the SUV and fled, initially, on foot. Both Hortmans died from their wounds.

Law enforcement searched Boelter’s SUV and recovered five firearms, including semi-automatic, assault-style rifles, a large quantity of ammunition, and several notebooks filled with handwritten notations. Those notes listed out the names of dozens of Minnesota state and federal elected officials. The notes often identified those officials’ home addresses.

Excerpt from ABC News report:

But two other lawmakers were spared the night of the shootings, according to acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota Joseph Thompson.

After Boelter allegedly shot the Hoffmans, prosecutors said he drove to a state representative’s house in Maple Grove. That lawmaker was not home as she and her family were on vacation, Thompson said, and Boelter left the scene.

Boelter then allegedly drove to a state senator’s home in New Hope and parked on the street, Thompson said.

After learning of the shooting at Hoffman’s home, New Hope police dispatched an officer to the New Hope lawmaker’s house, Thompson said. When the officer arrived, she saw Boelter’s car parked down the block and she believed Boelter was an officer dispatched to the scene, Thompson said.

The officer pulled up next to Boelter, rolled down her window and tried to speak with him, but he did not respond and stared straight ahead, Thompson said. So the New Hope officer drove to the state senator’s home and waited for other law enforcement, and by that time, Boelter had left the scene, Thompson said.

After learning of the shooting at the Hoffmans’, officers were proactively dispatched the Brooklyn Park home of his fellow lawmaker, former Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives Melissa Hortman.

When two Brooklyn Park officers arrived at the Hortmans’, they saw Boelter’s SUV in the driveway with emergency lights flashing and Boelter standing in front of the house, Thompson said.

Boelter saw the officers and allegedly started shooting and running into the house, killing Melissa Hortman and her husband, Thompson said.

The officers fired at Boelter as he allegedly rushed into the home, Thompson said, but the suspect escaped into the house and out the back.

Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette released this statement tonight about the night they survived multiple gunshot wounds in their home. Prayers for their family… pic.twitter.com/D1PxolZyLh

— Tom Hauser (@thauserkstp) June 20, 2025

Text of the statement by the Hoffman family:

STATEMENT FROM THE HOFFMAN FAMILY
June 19, 2025

In the early morning hours of June 14th, Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette were shot in the entryway of their Champlin home. Their adult daughter, Hope, was present and was also threatened by the shooter. Senator Hoffman is in critical but stable condition; Yvette Hoffman is in stable condition, as well. But now in recovery from their injuries, they are releasing the following statement for the record:

Because we have been hospitalized and receiving medical care, we have not been able to provide much information regarding the horrible circumstances of June 14th, but would now like to provide a statement offering more clarity of what happened.

After having attended the Humphrey Mondale dinner on Friday, June 13th, we returned to our home, joined there by our adult daughter, Hope. At approximately 2:00 a.m., we were all awakened by the sounds of pounding on the front door and shouts of someone seeking entry, identifying himself as a police officer. When the door was opened, all three of us were in the entryway. John initially lunged at the gunman as the weapon was pointed directly at him, getting struck nine times. As John fell, Yvette reached out to push the man and shut the door, succeeding before she was also hit eight times by gunfire. Hope then rushed to shut the door and secured the lock; she got to the phone and shared with the 911 operator that Senator John Hoffman had been shot in his home. Her brave actions and quick thinking triggered the notice to public safety officials that a politically-motivated act was potentially underway.

As we continue to receive medical care, we are deeply grateful for those providers, for the first responders and for all those in law enforcement who worked so quickly, professionally and selflessly to safeguard others and to apprehend the shooter, starting with our own
officers in Champlin and Brooklyn Park.

We are heartbroken to know that our friends Melissa and Mark Hortman were assassinated. Our daughter Hope and Sophie Hortman went to school together, and we know that they – along with Colin Hortman – will have each other’s support as we all work through the devastating consequences of that horrific night. We want to thank all those at Fernbrook School behind the GoFundMe account – you will be helping us pick up the broken pieces of our lives. We are uplifted by the prayers and support from so many across the state of Minnesota and the country: thank you.

Choosing to work in the public sector, even in as limited a way as John’s career as a senator, has always meant sacrificing a level of privacy. But now we are grappling with the reality that we live in a world where public service carries such risks as being targeted because someone disagrees with you or doesn’t like what you stand for. As a society, as a nation, as a community, we must work together to return to a level of civility that allows us all to live peacefully. The future for our children depends on that. We will be praying for that work and appreciate all those who will join with us.

Sincerely,
John and Yvette Hoffman

The post Hoffman Family Releases Statement on Miraculous Survival of Political Assassination Attempt at Their Minnesota Home Last Weekend That Saw Senator and Wife Shot Total of 17 Times appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Venezuela’s skies are wide open — and the consequences reach far beyond its borders.

A newly obtained strategic report reveals that over 60% of Venezuela’s air defense radars are out of service, drug cartels operate with near impunity, and China and Iran selectively prop up Nicolás Maduro’s regime — not to protect Venezuelans, but to shield his grip on power.

For Americans concerned about national security, regional stability, and the unstoppable flow of narcotics into the United States, these revelations should ring alarm bells in Washington.

A defense system in ruins.

According to testimonies from active Venezuelan air force officers — whose identities remain protected for their safety — more than half of the country’s Chinese-made radars are offline. Fighter jets barely fly. Only a handful of old F-16s remain airworthy, and the once-prized Russian SU-30s sit idle for lack of parts.

The few operational aircraft and surveillance drones focus solely on defending Caracas and an offshore island sanctuary, La Orchila — the regime’s inner circle hideaway — leaving the rest of the nation’s skies open to traffickers and foreign flights.

The MSI2 index, which assesses military readiness, gives Venezuela’s air defense a pitiful 2 out of 10.

The Cartel of the Suns: The true masters of Venezuela’s airspace.

Worse still, this power vacuum is not accidental. Venezuela’s notorious Cartel of the Suns, a network of high-ranking military officers deeply involved in cocaine trafficking, has infiltrated air defense command centers.

This cartel manipulates radar downtime, coordinates with corrupt local commanders, and guarantees that drug planes cross Venezuela undetected. Many of these flights head straight for clandestine airstrips in Mexico — establishing a lucrative narco-corridor to the U.S. border.

The recent crash of a cartel-linked private jet — killing the wife and daughter of the air defense chief — exposes the rot and rivalries tearing through Maduro’s corrupted military elite.

China and Iran: Selective helpers, not allies.

While Venezuela’s socialists brag about “anti-imperialist” alliances, the truth is more cynical. China barely provides spare parts anymore — and uses civilian contractors to disguise its involvement. Iran has stepped in, deploying drones and electronic warfare tech, but only to secure the regime’s immediate perimeter.

Ordinary Venezuelans see no benefit. The rest of the country’s airspace remains a Wild West for drug smugglers and armed groups.

A threat far beyond Venezuela.

This chaos is not Venezuela’s burden alone. It is America’s problem too. Drug planes cross the Caribbean and Central America with ease. Mexican gangs receive shipments in remote airstrips — often with a wink and nod from corrupt local officials — then push cocaine northward, feeding the opioid epidemic, cartel violence, and the crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Meanwhile, Iran’s entrenchment in Venezuela provides Tehran with a forward base in the Americas — a chilling reminder that rogue states will exploit failed regimes wherever they can.

Time for a hard Look at hemispheric security.

Venezuela’s hollowed-out military cannot project power abroad, but its criminalized leadership and foreign backers threaten the entire region’s stability.

As this report concludes, only deep institutional cleansing and a complete rebuild of the defense system can restore national sovereignty. Until then, cartels, dictators, and hostile states will continue to use Venezuela as a launchpad for crime and covert influence — right in America’s backyard.

The post Venezuela’s Broken Air Defense: A playground for Cartels, China, and Iran appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

As Iran launches missiles at Israel, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee is working to keep Americans safe.

“Urgent notice! American citizens wanting to leave Israel- US Embassy in Israel @usembassyjlm is working on evacuation flights & cruise ship departures,” Huckabee posted on X on Wednesday

“You must enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) (https://mytravel.state.gov/s/step) You will be alerted w/ updates,” he wrote.

“We’re working to get military, commercial, charter flights & cruise ships for evac. If you’re offered a seat, take it. Family in Israel? Tell them stay close to shelter & don’t ignore sirens!” Huckabee added Thursday in a later post.

American Citizens wanting to evacuate Israel: Sign up at https://t.co/rXymPRTQJJ to be on list. We’re working to get military, commercial, charter flights & cruise ships for evac. If you’re offered a seat, take it. Family in Israel? Tell them stay close to shelter & don’t…

— Ambassador Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) June 19, 2025

Two U.S. officials said a government plane has already taken one batch of diplomats and family members who wanted to leave Israel, according to the Times of Israel

Many nations are withdrawing various levels of diplomatic staff and their families from Israel amid Iranian missile barrages.

The State Department has said that “given the ongoing situation and as part of the embassy’s authorized departure status, mission personnel have begun departing Israel through a variety of means,” according to the Associated Press.

As noted by Newsweek, the American Embassy in Jerusalem has been closed from Wednesday through Friday of this week.

On Tuesday, a message from Huckabee to President Donald Trump was posted on Trump’s Truth Social account.

“Mr. President, God spared you in Butler, PA to be the most consequential President in a century — maybe ever. The decisions on your shoulders I would not want to be made by anyone else. You have many voices speaking to you Sir, but there is only ONE voice that matters. HIS voice,” the post read.

Donald J. Trump Truth Social 06.17.25 08:49 AM EST

From Mike Huckabee, a Pastor, Politician, Ambassador, and Great Person! pic.twitter.com/vFYWbpTWMp

— Commentary Donald J. Trump Posts From Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) June 17, 2025

“I am your appointed servant in this land and am available for you but I do not try to get in your presence often because I trust your instincts. No President in my lifetime has been in a position like yours. Not since Truman in 1945. I don’t reach out to persuade you. Only to encourage you. I believe you will hear from heaven and that voice is far more important than mine or ANYONE else’s.

“You sent me to Israel to be your eyes, ears and voice and to make sure our flag flies above our embassy. My job is to be the last one to leave,” Huckabee wrote.

“I will not abandon this post. Our flag will NOT come down! You did not seek this moment. This moment sought YOU! It is my honor to serve you!”

My dad is amazing! I love you and I’m proud of you! pic.twitter.com/EascCrNvQw

— Sarah Huckabee Sanders (@SarahHuckabee) June 17, 2025

The post drew a response from the governor of Arkansas.

“My dad is amazing! I love you and I’m proud of you!” Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the ambassador’s daughter, posted on X.

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.

The post Ambassador Mike Huckabee Organizing Evacuation of Israel appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Somalia refugee Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) deleted a Juneteenth post on slavery Thursday after being called out for slavery currently being practiced in her home country. A different Juneteenth message by Omar that did not mention slavery remains online.

File screen image.

Omar originally posted, “160 years ago on June 19, 1865, slavery ended in this country. Today, we celebrate Black freedom, resilience, and achievement, and continue the work to root out systematic racism from our policies and institutions.”

At 1:10 p.m. EDT, MAGA poster Gunther Eagleman replied, “Somalia still has slaves. Ilhan should go fight to free her own people.”

Somalia still has slaves. Ilhan should go fight to free her own people. https://t.co/12V0fzaP52

— Gunther Eagleman (@GuntherEagleman) June 19, 2025

At 1:23 p.m., Eagleman posted, “She deleted her post.”

She deleted her post https://t.co/Q2Cm7Flt3R pic.twitter.com/cQGTquNsIy

— Gunther Eagleman (@GuntherEagleman) June 19, 2025

Another Juneteenth post by Omar remains, “On Juneteenth, we remember that freedom is not always swift but it is always worth the fight. It’s a powerful reminder of how long justice can take to reach those who deserve it most. Today, we celebrate Black freedom, resilience, and achievement, and continue the work to root out systematic racism from our policies and institutions.”

On Juneteenth, we remember that freedom is not always swift but it is always worth the fight. It’s a powerful reminder of how long justice can take to reach those who deserve it most.

Today, we celebrate Black freedom, resilience, and achievement, and continue the work to root…

— Rep. Ilhan Omar (@Ilhan) June 19, 2025

Excerpt from a 2024 State Department report on human trafficking in Somalia:

IDPs, minority populations, people residing in al-Shabaab territory, and Somali children working in informal sectors remain the most vulnerable to sex trafficking and forced labor. Some Somalis willingly surrender custody of their children to people with whom they share familial ties or clan linkages who may subsequently exploit some of these children in forced labor or sex trafficking. Traffickers may exploit children in forced labor in agriculture, domestic work, herding, selling or portering khat, crushing stones, fishing, forced begging, or construction.

A 2023 report by Walk Free estimated nearly 100,000 enslaved people in Somalia:

Truth! pic.twitter.com/xysCkl7sYA

— Central Texas Patriot (@centtexpatriot) June 19, 2025

The post Ilhan Omar Deletes Juneteenth Post After Called Out for Present Day Slavery in Somalia appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday evening indefinitely blocked a judge’s restraining order, allowing President Trump to keep the California National Guard deployed.

The three-judge panel included: Mark Bennet (Trump), Eric Miller (Trump) and Jennifer Sung (Biden).

Last Thursday, a federal judge in San Francisco ordered President Trump to return control of the National Guard back to California.

Last week about 700 US Marines were mobilized in response to the violent Los Angeles riots.

This is after Trump deputized 4,000 National Guard Troops to help quell the riots.

California’s far-left Governor Gavin Newsom sued President Trump and said he violated the 10th Amendment to the Constitution.

US District Judge Charles Breyer, (brother of retired SCOTUS Breyer), a Clinton appointee, previously granted Newsom a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) and said Trump’s decision to federalize the National Guard was illegal.

Judge Breyer called President Trump’s actions “illegal” in a 36-page order.

“At this early stage of the proceedings, the Court must determine whether the President followed the congressionally mandated procedure for his actions. He did not. His actions were illegal — both exceeding the scope of his statutory authority and violating the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. He must therefore return control of the California National Guard to the Governor of the State of California forthwith,” the judge wrote.

The Trump Administration appealed Judge Breyer’s decision to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals last week.

The Ninth Circuit immediately sided with Trump and granted a temporary administrative stay pending their adjudication of the Trump DOJ’s motion for a stay.

On Thursday, the Ninth Circuit unanimously granted the administrative stay and indefinitely blocked Judge Breyer’s restraining order.

“We now grant the stay. Defendants have made the required strong showing that they are likely to succeed on the merits of their appeal. We disagree with Defendants’ primary argument that the President’s decision to federalize members of the California National Guard under 10 U.S.C. § 12406 is completely insulated from judicial review. Nonetheless, we are persuaded that, under longstanding precedent interpreting the statutory predecessor to § 12406, our review of that decision must be highly deferential. Affording the President that deference, we conclude that it is likely that the President lawfully exercised his statutory authority under § 12406(3), which authorizes federalization of the National Guard when “the President is unable with the regular forces to execute the laws of the United States.”” the judges wrote.

It is unclear what Newsom will do next given a Biden appointee on the three-judge panel ruled against him.

The post BREAKING: Appeals Court Rules Against Newsom, Indefinitely Blocks Clinton Judge’s Restraining Order, Allowing Trump to Keep National Guard Deployed appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.