A federal grand jury on Thursday,  in Northern Virginia indicted former FBI Director James Comey on two felony counts: one for making false statements to Congress and one for obstruction of justice. Each charge carries a potential penalty of up to 5–10 years in prison.

These charges arise from Comey's testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2020, during which prosecutors allege he provided misleading information about his handling of the FBI's investigation into contacts between Russia and Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.

The indictment was unsealed late Thursday, marking a significant escalation in the long-simmering feud between Comey and President Trump, who was re-elected in 2024. The trial date has not been set, but it could extend into 2026.

Comey served as FBI Director from 2013 until his abrupt firing by Trump in May 2017, amid the early stages of the Russia investigation. Trump has long accused Comey of orchestrating a "witch hunt" against him, blaming the former director for the appointment of Special Counsel Robert Mueller, whose probe dominated much of Trump's first term.

The charges stem from Comey's 2020 congressional testimony, where he reportedly downplayed the extent of his communications with Trump regarding the Russia probe and his role in leaking memos about those interactions.

The case gained momentum earlier this year when the Secret Service interrogated Comey over a social media post showing seashells arranged as "86 47"—a reference interpreted by Trump allies as a coded assassination threat against the president (the 47th). Comey deleted the post, calling it a "restaurant-themed joke" about removing Trump from office.

Responding in a video message, Comey declared: "I'm not afraid.. I'm innocent. Let's have a trial."

President Trump celebrated the indictment on social media, posting: "Today he was indicted by a Grand Jury on two felony counts for various illegal and unlawful acts. He has been so bad for our Country, for so many years... One of the worst human beings this Country has ever been exposed to." Supporters echoed this sentiment, with conservative commentator Jesse Kelly warning that the trial's location—potentially in Washington, D.C.—could lead to an acquittal due to liberal bias of the jury pool.

Popular American commentator, journalist and conservative firebrand Tucker Carlson has publicly accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of boasting to foreign leaders that he controls both President Donald Trump and U.S. foreign policy, calling the situation "humiliating" for America.

The Tucker Carlson Show host made these remarks during a recent appearance on the System Update podcast hosted by Glenn Greenwald, where he also criticized U.S. support for Israel's war in Gaza and argued that American leaders are being forced into actions detrimental to the nation's interests.

Carlson stated he has direct knowledge of Netanyahu's claims based on conversations with people who heard him say it, asserting that the Israeli leader is "running around" the Middle East and telling people point blank, "I control the United States. I control Donald Trump."

The conservative firebrand emphasized that his criticism is directed at U.S. leaders who, in his view, are allowing the country to be subjected to a "humiliation ritual" due to foreign influence, arguing that this undermines the fundamental relationship between citizens and their government.

Carlson described Israel's military actions in Gaza as an "expansion" and dismissed accusations of bigotry against him, stating he is not hurt by such labels because he knows he is not a bigot.

The conservative commentator has faced backlash from Jewish Zionists, for his remarks at Charlie Kirk’s memorial service, where he recounted a story likening Kirk’s murder to the crucifixion of Jesus, including a scene of men in a lamplit room eating hummus plotting to kill Lord Jesus Christ. (Matthews 26: 1-5).

Critics, including Jewish groups and Israeli officials, have condemned the speech as an antisemitic dogwhistle, arguing that the reference to hummus—a modern Middle Eastern food—was a deliberate and offensive trope implying Jewish involvement in Kirk’s assassination.

Carlson defended his remarks in the System Update podcast interview., pointing out that he categorically and publicly makes his views about Israel and Netanyahu known, and doesn't need to imply it in a speech about Kirk.

While prominent Zionist and Jewish neoconservative voices criticized the speech, many MAGA-aligned conservative movement’s figures, including Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene and former Congressman and OANN host Matt Gaetz praised Carlson's speech.

The controversy underscores the growing concern on the American right over Israeli influence on U.S. foreign policy especially in the Middle East. Growing number of conservatives -- traditionally allied with the Israeli right -- have started in recent years, started questioning the policies of Netanyahu's government in the region since the break out of the ongoing genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza. "It is America First, not Israel First," is a common meme on social media among right-leaning critics of Trump's bizarrely submissive pro-Israel policies.

Ryan Routh, the 59-year-old man accused of attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump at his Florida golf course in September 2024, tried to stab himself in the neck with a pen moments after a federal jury found him guilty on all five counts against him on Tuesday.

Court observers described the scene as chaotic, with marshals tackling Routh and removing him from the courtroom before he was shackled and brought back in Routh, who represented himself during his trial in Fort Pierce, Florida, faces a potential life sentence at his sentencing hearing on December 18, 2025.

Routh pleaded not guilty and chose to defend himself, delivering a closing argument that claimed the assassination attempt was "never going to happen" and that there was "no intent." Prosecutors presented evidence of a meticulous plan, including the use of six burner phones, fake names, and online searches for "Trump’s upcoming rallies," "Palm Beach traffic cameras," "directions to Miami airport," "flights to Mexico," "hospitals in the area," and "how to make a tourniquet."

They also highlighted text messages Routh sent to his three children minutes before the alleged attack, expressing love and concern. The jury deliberated for less than three hours before returning a guilty verdict.

Routh was accused of lying in wait for nearly 10 hours in thick bushes near the sixth hole of the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, armed with an SKS-style rifle, two bags of metal plates for body armor, and a video camera pointed at the course. He was discovered by a Secret Service agent who opened fire, prompting Routh to flee without firing a shot at Trump, who was on the fifth hole. He was arrested about an hour later on Interstate 95.

Routh, who lived in Hawaii, had previously worked as a roofing contractor and was involved in pro-democracy movements in Taiwan and Ukraine, traveling to Ukraine twice following Russia’s invasion to help recruit volunteers and source supplies.

After the verdict, Routh's daughter, Sarah, yelled for him to hold on and was escorted out of the courtroom.

President Trump reacted on Truth Social, praising the Department of Justice and calling the convicted man "an evil man with an evil intention." U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi stated the verdict demonstrated the DOJ's commitment to punishing political violence.