Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) can thank his own legislation for putting a stop to deepfakes on Grok and X.

Cruz introduced the Take It Down Act in early 2025, aimed at stopping online publication of “intimate visual depictions of individuals,” both authentic and computer-generated.

‘These unlawful images … should be taken down and guardrails should be put in place.’

According to the BBC, an usual trend of asking xAI tool Grok to artificially remove people’s clothing from their photos has permeated across the website and has even extended to victimizing children, according to the Guardian.

In response, X owner Elon Musk announced consequences for anyone inappropriately uploading content.

“Anyone using Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content,” Musk wrote.

X’s safety team followed suit, saying it would take action against “illegal content,” including permanently suspending accounts and working with law enforcement.

When Cruz made note of the unlawful images and praised X for addressing the issue, he was hit with a string of bizarre attempts to use Grok against him.

RELATED: The early social media reviews of Cruz’s 2028 POTUS trial balloon are in

— (@)

“These unlawful images … should be taken down and guardrails should be put in place,” Cruz wrote.

What followed were remarks like users asking Grok to put “Ted Cruz on his knees” in front of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; in this case, Grok obliged.

Other obvious violations of the Take It Down Act included generated photos of Cruz naked, photos of body parts in his mouth, and multiple AI photos of him wearing a dress, sometimes while wearing a yarmulke.

One user even posted an AI video of Cruz saying he was upset with Tucker Carlson for not wanting to date him.

RELATED: Elon Musk’s xAI inks new deal with War Department

Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images

On January 6, however, Cruz himself posted an AI-generated video regarding “Trump’s Venezuela Magic,” which showed President Trump making former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro magically appear onstage.

Despite others taking issue with his own usage of AI generation, Cruz’s post is unlikely to be against his own drafted bill because it does not contain “intimate visual depictions.”

Additionally Variety reported that X has now limited AI image editing to paid users only.

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has rung alarm bells over the controversy, advocating for “all options to be on the table” in terms of legal punishment and a possible ban of the platform.

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​Return, Ted cruz, X, Xai, Grok, Image generation, Senator cruz, Twitter, Tech 

So you got a new phone. Now what? Whether you just unboxed a big and bold iPhone or you’re giving the latest shiny Android handset a spin, there are several things you’ll need before, during, and after you get it all set up. Jump ahead, and you could completely break the setup experience. Follow these steps in order, though, and your new phone will be ready to roll in no time with all your data intact.

Before you turn on your new phone

Both iPhones and Android phones require an account to set them up properly. If this is your first smartphone, you will need to either create an Apple or Google account from scratch or choose an existing account that you have used with other devices in the Apple or Google ecosystems. If you’re upgrading from an old smartphone, however, you already have the account you’ll need for your new device. Either way, make sure you have your login email address and password handy. You’ll need both of them soon.

Tip: Always make sure your login information is saved somewhere safe. Keep it written down in a vault, store it in a digital password manager (both Apple and Google have their own native password managers built into their operating systems), lock it in a diary, or commit it to your photographic memory (if you have been so blessed). No matter what you do, record your login info and make sure you never lose it. Recovering account credentials is much harder than storing them properly in the first place.

Back up your old phone

Next, you’ll need to back up your old phone. A cloud backup makes a copy of all the data, apps, and settings on your old device so that your new device can re-download them and set everything back up exactly as you left it. For a detailed tutorial, check out our complete phone backup guide. Otherwise, use the search function in the “Settings” app to find your device’s backup options.

Tip: If you don’t have enough cloud storage to back up your phone properly, both iPhone and Android offer local quick setup options that let you send your personal information to the new device by holding both phones side by side. That said, even if you choose this option, it’s still a good idea to keep a cloud backup of your device in case it is ever lost, stolen, or destroyed.

Set up your new device

Okay, now it’s time to turn on your new phone. Power it up, log in with your email address and password, and follow the instructions to restore your new phone from your cloud backup or through the quick-start option. Either route pulls the same information into your new device, and they both take about the same amount of time to completely re-download your apps and restore your settings. Depending on how much data you have saved on your old device, expect to set aside 30 minutes to several hours for a complete device restore.

Tip: If you’re switching from iPhone to Android or vice versa, you won’t be able to download an exact copy of your old phone, but you can still pull over a lot of your personal data. To get started, download the Android Switch app to your old iPhone or the Move to iOS app to your old Android phone, open the app, and follow the prompts to migrate as much information as possible.

Photo credit: Apple Support

Move your SIM card

Your SIM card is the little chip in your phone that interfaces with your cellular carrier so that you can make calls, send text messages, and surf the web. If your new and old phones still use physical SIM cards, you can simply pop the card out of your old phone using a SIM ejector pin (or a paper clip will do) and insert it into your new device.

However, many new phones have moved to digital eSIM cards. Even more confusing, some carriers will allow you to move your eSIM card from one device to another through their apps, which you can download from the App Store or Google Play. Other carriers require you to call their customer support line and provide some information to complete the switch.

Whichever option fits your carrier, go ahead and move your cell service to your new device now before you do anything else.

WARNING: It’s much harder to move an eSIM from your old phone to your new phone after the old one is erased. Do not erase your old phone until your service is activated on your new device.

Erase your old phone

After your new device is set up and your carrier service is activated, thumb through it briefly to make sure all your data, apps, and settings were transferred properly. This step is important, because once you erase your old device, there’s no going back. After you know everything is in order, open the Settings app on your old phone.

For iPhone owners, select “General,” swipe down, and tap “Transfer or Reset iPhone.” Hit “Erase All Content and Settings,” then “Continue.” From here, Apple may prompt you for your lockscreen passcode and your iCloud password. Type these in to erase your old device. The old phone will cycle through a reboot, and once you see the “Hello” screen, you’re all done.

Screenshots by Zach Laidlaw

For Android owners, tap on your Google account at the top of the page, select your account email address, then “manage accounts on this device.” Under the “Personal” section, select your email address one more time and remove the account from your old phone. It’s important that you remove your Google account first; otherwise your old device will show up in your account for another month or two.

Screenshots by Zach Laidlaw

Once that is done, go back to the main Settings app page and choose “System.” Scroll all the way down, select “Reset options,” tap on “Erase all data (factory reset),” then “Erase all data” again. You’ll need to enter your lockscreen PIN, confirm one more time that you want to erase all data, and you’re done.

Screenshots by Zach Laidlaw

Get rid of your old phone

The last thing you need to do is get rid of your old phone. If you received your new device as a gift, you can sell your old phone outright in an online store, like Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, etc. You might also be able to sell it to a retailer, like Best Buy, for store credit or simply recycle it with no payout.

If you purchased your phone — or plan to purchase one — in person, many stores offer trade-in options to turn over your old device in exchange for money off your new one.

Whichever option you choose, don’t simply throw your phone away in the trash. Most electronic devices come with lithium-ion batteries that can explode when compressed by a trash compactor or put under the extreme heat of an incinerator. Always recycle old gadgets responsibly.

Enjoy your new phone!

That’s it! Now that your new phone is set up and your old phone is long gone, you’re ready to enjoy your device for many years to come. Just make sure your cloud backup settings are turned on in case of accidents, theft, or future upgrades. You never know when your new device will become your old one.

​Tech 

A career criminal killed a beloved North Carolina teacher in a horrific home invasion, according to police — and new reports suggest the suspect previously received a sweetheart plea deal that allowed him back on the streets.

The Raleigh Police Department said in a statement that officers responded to a report of a burglary just after 6:30 a.m. Jan. 3.

‘It was like a horror movie.’

Police said the victim — 57-year-old Zoe Welsh — indicated a man was inside her home.

“While still on the phone with dispatch, the suspect began to assault her,” police stated.

Police said Welsh was suffering from life-threatening injuries when officers arrived at her home. However, Welsh later died at a hospital.

Officers arrested 36-year-old Ryan Camacho, and he was taken into custody without incident.

Camacho was charged with murder and felony burglary. He was denied bond and is being detained at the Wake County Detention Center.

Raleigh Police Chief Rico Boyce said of Welsh, “I am deeply heartbroken for this mother, friend, and mentor to many in our community, and for the unimaginable trauma her family must endure.”

Boyce added, “The arrest of the suspect sends a strong message that criminal acts will not be tolerated in the city of Raleigh.”

This investigation remains ongoing.

RELATED: 14-year-old ‘angel’ reportedly found dead in RV; alleged relative with criminal past charged with her murder, sexual assault

Welsh had taught AP biology and forensic science at Ravenscroft School in Raleigh since 2006, a school spokesperson told WTVD-TV.

“Her loss is deeply felt by all of us who had the privilege of working with her and learning in her classroom,” the school spokesperson said.

Calysa Sauls, one of Welsh’s former students, told WRAL-TV, “She really cared for her students. She definitely was one of those teachers who was passionate about the subject that she taught.”

Olivia Alvarez — Welsh’s house cleaner for years — added to WTVD, “I’ll remember her smile; she was always happy.”

Alvarez added, “I love you, Zoe, so much, you are now with God, and this man is going to pay, he’s going to pay.”

North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein (D) wrote, “Zoe Welsh, by all accounts, was a special teacher and person. My heart goes out to her family and students, who have suffered a traumatic loss from another senseless act of violence.”

Camacho reportedly has a lengthy criminal history spanning over 20 years but allegedly has benefited from generous plea deals.

In December, a judge dismissed breaking-and-entering charges against Camacho after a mental competency examination, WRAL noted in a separate story.

Prosecutors recommended that Camacho be involuntarily committed to a mental hospital, but that request was denied by Judge Louis Meyer, according to District Attorney Lorrin Freeman.

Freeman told WRAL, “Based on the evidence that was available to the court at the time, the court did not find that he met the threshold for involuntary commitment. For involuntary commitment, the judge has to make a finding that they are a danger to themselves or others.”

Meyer did not immediately respond to Blaze News‘ request for comment.

WRAL reported that Camacho’s lengthy rap sheet includes charges of assault with a deadly weapon, breaking and entering, larceny after breaking and entering, malicious conduct by a prisoner, injury to personal property, injury to real property, trespassing, stalking, and probation violations.

In 2025, Camacho reportedly got a sweetheart plea deal that allowed him back on the streets.

Citing public records, WRAL reported that Camacho faced up to a four-year prison sentence for four felony charges — but all the felonies were reduced to a single misdemeanor.

What’s more, Camacho in 2021 attempted to escape from the Piedmont Correctional Institution in Salisbury, according to the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction.

Freeman on Monday said “he has spent a lot of time bouncing between the prison system and the local jails over the last few years and has really been in custody all but maybe a total of 12 months within the past six years.”

RELATED: Pregnant woman disappears without a trace — but a grisly forest horror scene sends cops straight to her mother and stepfather

Wes Phillips — a long-time Raleigh resident — claimed he was forced to move after Camacho, his former neighbor, allegedly harassed and stalked his family nearly a decade ago.

In the spring of 2016, Phillips said he discovered two tires on his car were slashed and a mirror was torn off while a mirror on his wife’s car also was torn off.

According to the Raleigh News and Observer, Phillips questioned Camacho about the vandalization of the cars, “The lightbulb sort of went on for me at that point, and I asked him, ‘Did you touch my [expletive] car?'”

Phillips alleged that Camacho walked toward him and “cocked his fists into a fighting position.” Phillips’ wife reportedly broke things up.

In October 2016, as Hurricane Matthew hit North Carolina, Phillips noticed Camacho outside his home.

“It was like a horror movie, like he was standing there in a black jacket, staring at us in front of our house during a hurricane,” Phillips told WRAL-TV. “Not talking, like making sure that we knew who he was.”

Just days later, Phillips alleged that after he entered his vehicle and locked the doors, Camacho “was pulling on the door, trying to get in.”

WRAL reported, “Security video from that day showed a man throw a rock into the windshield of Phillips’ car and then through the sunroof, before punching and kicking the vehicle.”

Phillips’ landlord let him end the lease early so he and his family could move away from Camacho, but the suspect allegedly showed up at Phillips’ new townhome with a gun.

Phillips explained, “He shot into our building where he thought that we lived. That’s something that stays with us.”

Citing court documents, WRAL reported that no one was injured in the shooting, but Camacho was arrested and spent two years in prison.

In fear of violence from Camacho, the Phillips family armed themselves with “lethal and non-lethal protection measures.”

Phillips noted, “It’s not like there weren’t signs. We were really adamant about the danger that we felt we were in, and perhaps other people were in, and it just wasn’t taken seriously.”

Phillips said that there was a complete failure that led to a “woman being killed.”

Phillips continued, “My wife and I are asking ourselves right now as we think about what happened this past week, how close did we come to being that person, and could that have been prevented?”

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​True crime, True crime news, Murder, Stalking, Ryan camacho, Zoe welsh, Home invasion, Crime, Teacher 

On Wednesday, January 7, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, 37-year-old U.S. citizen Renee Nicole Good was fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent during a large-scale federal immigration enforcement operation. Based on video footage from the incident, President Trump, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and many other officials have accused Good of deliberately obstructing ICE and weaponizing her vehicle in an attempt to ram and run over the agent who shot her.

The left, meanwhile, is foaming at the mouth, framing Good, whose vehicle struck an officer, requiring him to seek medical attention, as an innocent observer.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D) and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) have even gone as far as challenging federal forces. Most conservatives have had little reaction to their statements, as they’re on brand for the two radical leftists, but Glenn Beck says they should terrify everyone.

On this episode of “The Glenn Beck Program,” Glenn breaks down the dangerous implications of Frey’s and Walz’s statements.

In a press conference following the incident with Good, Frey said, “I have a message for ICE. To ICE, get the f**k out of Minneapolis. We do not want you here. Your stated reason for being in this city is to create some kind of safety, and you are doing exactly the opposite.”

Glenn is flabbergasted by the mayor’s words. “What else is going on in Minneapolis? … The biggest scandal of the state and possibly the biggest heist of taxpayer money in the history of our country is going on in [Minneapolis’] Somali community,” he says, predicting that both Frey and Walz will “go to jail” for their alleged complicity in it.

“So do they have any incentive at all to make the federal government into the bad guy? Absolutely,” Glenn continues, adding that Frey’s disdain for the federal government is akin to that of the “anarchists, communists, [and] people who are trying to actively overthrow our government by causing chaos in our streets.”

Walz’s statement was even more terrifying, however.

“We do not need any further help from the federal government. To Donald Trump and Kristi Noem, you’ve done enough. … I have issued a warning order to prepare the Minnesota National Guard. We have soldiers in training and prepared to be deployed if necessary. I remind you, a warning order is a heads-up for folks,” he said.

“There is no other way to read this other than: ‘I am training our National Guard to stand up against our federal government,’” Glenn translates.

As outlined in the Constitution, a governor, Glenn explains, “cannot block the Department of Justice in any criminal investigation,” “the Department of Homeland Security enforcement action,” or “Immigration and Customs Enforcement deportations carried out under federal statute.”

“Federal authority in these areas come directly from what’s called the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution. It means the federal law is supreme over what the governor says and what the state law is,” he explains.

“State consent for federal law enforcement is not required, so when a governor says, ‘We don’t need any further help from the federal government’ … there’s nothing legal in that — nothing.”

It is legal, however, for a governor to “refuse cooperation,” “withdraw all state resources,” and even “instruct state agencies, ‘you’re not to participate.”’ But “the moment the governor crosses this line from non-cooperation to interference, they’ve just violated the Constitution and put us on the edge of a constitutional crisis or civil war,” says Glenn.

Walz threatening to deploy the military against federal operations in the state is “the brightest red line,” he says.

“Once the governor said that, everything has to change.”

One option, although it’s Glenn’s least favorite, is Trump federalizes the Minnesota National Guard.

The other option is for Walz to face “obstruction consequences,” says Glenn. “Federal injunctions, contempt of court, criminal exposure for obstruction — this all has precedent, and it should be considered.”

Glenn is certain that Walz is not actually threatening to deploy the National Guard against federal officers — as that would land him in jail, which he’s already trying to avoid in light of the state’s egregious Somali fraud schemes.

“He is calling up the Democratic national guard. … He is calling on people like Renee Nicole Good. He is trying to get people who are so zombie-like on the Democratic side to go up and put their bodies in and to obstruct. He’s using them as soldiers,” Glenn lays bare.

What Walz said is “not just unconstitutional on the National Guard side. That is just morally reprehensible.”

To hear more, watch the video above.

Want more from Glenn Beck?

To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis, and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​The glenn beck program, Glenn beck, Jacob frey, Tim walz, Minnesota, Renee nicole good, Ice, Ice shooting, Ice shooting minneapolis, Minneapolis, Somali fraud, Blazetv, Blaze media 

In early 2025, the new Trump administration asked Dr. Steven Greer — founder of the Disclosure Project and a leading figure in the UFO/UAP research community — to write a one-page briefing document to hand directly to the president.

Greer confirms he had been asked to write such a document, had written it, and had been told it was put in the president’s hand.

In the face of the unknown, do we choose hope over fear? Do we choose courage over cowardice?

The following is the text of that memorandum:

From: Steven M. Greer, MD — Director of the Disclosure Project
To: President Donald J. Trump
Re: The UFO/UAP subject

Since the 1950s, the UFO/UAP subject has been handled by a corrupt deep state transnational organization whose power has grown to a level that is an imminent threat to national security and international peace and security.

This organization is a hybrid of unconstitutional deep state and government compartmented operations and corporate special projects.

It has reverse-engineered non-human intelligence (NHI) craft and is operating man-made advanced technologies at parity with NHI technologies. These human technologies are currently being used in a number of criminal operations including assassinations, abductions, human/drug/weapons trafficking, embezzlement of US government funds, acts of treason and have the capacity to simulate a fake alien attack at any moment.

I have debriefed over 700 government and corporate whistleblowers over the past 35 years and have documented their information in the Briefing Document provided to your staff.

The following Executive Orders are urgently needed:

Explicit whistleblower protection specifying both legal amnesty and personal security.An Executive Order authorizing a TS-SCI SAP [top secret, secure communication infrastructure Special Access Program] with significant funding currently configured under law enforcement to stand down these illegal operations and especially the illegal use of electromagnetic pulse weapons (EMP) currently being used against NHI craft as these actions imperil the future of humanity.An Executive Order requiring all UFO/UAP operations to be fully disclosed within 6 months or those responsible will be vigorously prosecuted.An Executive Order to authorize an advanced diplomatic team to make peaceful contact with NHI civilizations.An Executive Order authorizing the review and release of Advanced Technology (AT) held by this criminal organization that would create total energy independence for the US and would begin a new energy economy with which the US would lead the world economically.

Please feel free to contact me at any time. I am the world’s leading expert on this subject. There is not a distant second. I will provide any assistance, advice and evidence that you and your administration require.

Respectfully yours,
Steven M. Greer, MD
February 9, 2025

According to Greer, this memorandum was put into Trump’s hands, Trump read it, his eyes lit up, and he said, “I want to pursue this.”

And that’s probably where all of us sit with this story. Many allegations have been made, and we can’t tell you what is true. But we know that when a number of claims all point in a similar direction, it should engage your attention.

RELATED: Public will soon be able to invest in ‘advanced or reverse-engineered alien technology’

simonbradfield via iStock/Getty Images

Even the skeptics interviewed for our book, “Catastrophic Disclosure,” including U.S. Rep. Eric Burlison (R-Mo.), believe that important secrets are being kept from the American public. Perhaps we have accurately depicted what has been hidden for more than 70years. Perhaps we have been fooled by an elaborate series of lies.

In the classic television series “The X-Files,” a common refrain is, “I want to believe.” But it’s not enough to believe or disbelieve in the alien phenomenon. More than anything else, we want to know whether aliens, non-human intelligences, and unidentified aerial phenomena are real — and whether a golden age of scientific miracles is at hand.

Can we cure disease, clean up our planet, feed the hungry, and journey to the stars?

In the face of the unknown, do we choose hope over fear? Do we choose courage over cowardice?

Perhaps we begin by refusing to accept the lies. Perhaps it is by accepting that whatever the facts may be, we know that their full and complete disclosure will not be catastrophic.

We can handle the truth.

Editor’s note: This article is an excerpt from Heckenlively and Mazzola’s “Catastrophic Disclosure,” published this week by Post Hill Press.

​Opinion & analysis, Ufos, Uap, Ufo sightings, Uap sightings, Steven greer, Donald trump, Age of disclosure, Declassify, Area 51, Aliens, Deep state, Corporations, Non-human intelligence, Corruption, Electromagnetic pulse, National security, Advanced technology, Alien technology, Reverse engineering ufos, X-files, Catastrophic disclosure book, Eric burlison, Congress, Congressional hearing, Transparency, Trust 

U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent revealed on Thursday that the Trump administration is clamping down on extra-national remittances by individuals exploiting public assistance.

The announcement, which comes on the heels of a series of damning revelations about fraud committed by Somalis in Minnesota, could prove impactful for the crime-ridden Islamic nation of Somalia.

After all, members of the Somali diaspora sent $2.12 billion in remittances home in 2024 alone. The loss of the American portion of this funding stream would not go unnoticed for a failed nation with a GDP in the neighborhood of $12 billion.

‘Our generosity has been taken advantage of.’

Bessent, who is also the acting commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, told Fox News’ Laura Ingraham, “We are here to follow the money because that’s what Treasury does.”

“We did it with the mafia, we have done it with the cartels, and now we are going to do it with these Somali fraudsters,” continued Bessent. “Treasury has something called FinCEN, Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, and we are coming in.”

Bessent indicated that the agency is launching four investigations into money-service businesses “that we believe may have wired money out of the country — a lot of the ill-gotten, stolen money — over to the Middle East, over to Somalia. We’ll see where that’s going.”

RELATED: Somali terror group cashing in on your tax dollars? Minnesota’s child-care fraud whistleblowers warned about a decade ago.

Photographer: Ben Brewer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

As part of the crackdown, Bessent indicated that FinCEN will be issuing a Geographic Targeting Order, an order that imposes new identification and record-keeping requirements pertaining to transactions within a certain region, and engaging in “enhanced surveillance.”

“There’s something called a Suspicious Activity Report if a certain amount of money gets wired,” added Bessent.

According to guidance released in October by FinCEN, financial institutions are required to “file a SAR if the institution knows, suspects, or has reason to suspect that the transaction or series of transactions are designed to evade [currency transaction reporting] requirements.”

After Ingraham suggested the threshold was $10,000, Bessent said, “We’re lowering that to $3,000.”

In addition to significantly lowering the threshold for a SAR, Bessent said that “from now on, anyone who wires money out from one of these money-service businesses has to check a box saying whether they are on public assistance.”

“If you are on public assistance, we are going to start pushing that you cannot wire money out of the country,” added Bessent.

“Our generosity has been taken advantage of.”

The treasury secretary further suggested that if a so-called asylum seeker is wiring money out of the country, “one of two things must be true: You are getting too much money and your benefits should be cut, or you are part of this conspiracy.”

Days before President Donald Trump announced the termination of the Temporary Protected Status designation for Somalia, BlazeTV host Christopher Rufo and investigative reporter Ryan Thorpe detailed the alleged direction of stolen taxpayer funds by Somalis in America to terrorists abroad.

According to the duo’s City Journal report, federal counterterrorism sources confirmed “that millions of dollars in stolen funds have been sent back to Somalia, where they ultimately landed in the hands of the terror group Al-Shabaab.”

Al-Shabaab is a Somalia-based, Al-Qaeda-linked terrorist organization committed to waging a global jihad.

One confidential source told Rufo and Thorpe that “the largest funder of Al-Shabaab is the Minnesota taxpayer.”

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​Scott bessent, Treasury, Fraud, Somali, Somalia, Minnesota, Minneapolis, Fincen, Financial, Remittances, Wire fraud, Wire, Terrorism, Al-shabaab, Politics 

Late-night host and writer Conan O’Brien says Trump-deranged comedians need to step up their game.

Speaking at the Oxford Union Society, the former talk-show host and “Simpsons” writer lamented that some in the comedy establishment have given up on laughs in favor of angry tirades about President Trump.

‘We don’t have a straight line right now. We have a very bendy, rubbery line.’

“I think some comics go the route of, ‘I’m going to just say F Trump all the time’ [and] that’s their comedy. And I think, well, now, a little bit, you’re being co-opted because you’re so angry.”

“You’ve been lulled,” added the Harvard alum, likening the allure of crowd-pleasing but joke-free anti-Trump material to a siren song.

The comedian continued, “You’ve been lulled into just saying ‘F Trump. F Trump. F Trump. Screw this guy.’ I think you’ve now put down your best weapon, which is being funny, and you’ve exchanged it for anger.”

Finding the funny

The 62-year-old noted that he has always prided himself on finding a way to be funny in any situation, and he did not give his peers an out when it comes to political comedy.

RELATED: ‘I wouldn’t ask for no f**king charity!’ Mickey Rourke blasts ’embarrassing’ GoFundMe plea

“Any person like that would say, ‘Well, things are too serious now. I don’t need to be funny.’ I think, well, if you’re a comedian, you always need to be funny. You just have to find a way,” O’Brien told the audience at the esteemed student debating society.

“And you just have to find a way to channel that anger. … Good art will always be a great weapon, will always be a perfect weapon against power, but if you’re just screaming and you’re just angry, you’ve lost your best tool in the toolbox.”

Playing it straight

Earlier in the interview, O’Brien recalled that some of his most joyful memories in comedy were parodying different magazines or news outlets by mocking their tone and style. At the same time, he said it was impossible to parody something that doesn’t follow a “straight line.”

He referred to the National Enquirer, describing the outlet’s content as impossible to make fun of because it would print stories like, “Elvis found in Titanic lifeboat 105 years after sinking. He is now a woman, and he’s married a giant peanut-butter sandwich.”

“How do you parody that? You can’t,” he explained. “And I think with Trump we have a similar situation in comedy, which is people saying, ‘We’ve got a great Trump sketch for you. In this one, he’s kind of talking crazy and he’s saying stuff, and he tears down half the White House to build a giant ballroom, and he says it’s going to be the new Mar-a-Lago.’ Yeah, no, that happened yesterday,” O’Brien joked.

RELATED: How ‘conservative’ art can go from cringey to cathartic

Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images

“Comedy needs a straight line to go off of,” O’Brien added. “And we don’t have a straight line right now. We have a very bendy, rubbery line. We have a slinky. We have a fire hose that’s whipping around, spewing water at 100 miles an hour or something else.”

​Align, Trump, Conan o’brien, Comedy, Colbert, Kimmel, Comedians, Leftism, Oxford, Entertainment 

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis did her apparent best to throw President Donald Trump in jail and failed miserably.

While Willis was disqualified in 2024 from the Georgia case regarding alleged 2020 election interference and the case was dropped late last year, the Democrat DA has proven unable to put the lawfare behind her.

In addition to having to fight misconduct allegations, Willis now faces the possibility of having to shell out millions to the president in attorney fees and costs, thanks to legislation ratified in May by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R).

‘It’s Fani Willis’ fault.’

The new law, which went into effect in July, provides “for the award of reasonable attorney’s fees and costs in a criminal case to the defendant upon the disqualification of the prosecuting attorney for misconduct in connection with the case and the subsequent dismissal of the case by the court of a subsequent prosecutor.”

Although the law might appear perfectly tailored to Trump’s case, the legislation had bipartisan support.

RELATED: Fani Willis has ugly meltdown when confronted with how much her office paid her ex-lover to prosecute Trump

Photo by Dennis Byron-Pool/Getty Images

Trump is pushing for over $6.2 million in restitution. As the president’s legal team has reportedly already been paid, most of the requested funds would go to reimburse Trump.

Steve Sadow, Trump’s lead attorney in the case, told WXIA-TV, “I feel for the people in Fulton County, because Fani Willis has involved herself in improper conduct. She’s now set up a situation where her office, from funds that have been collected through Fulton County, will have to pay for it. It’s Fani Willis’ fault.”

“At the same time, maybe Fani Willis will tell us how much money she spent from her budget pursuing this politically motivated case against President Trump,” added Sadow.

Her office has since filed a motion to intervene in the matter, which states, “The statute raises grave separation-of-powers concerns by purporting to impose financial liability on a constitutional officer, twice elected by the citizens of Fulton County, for the lawful exercise of her core duties under the Georgia Constitution.”

Willis’ office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Blaze News.

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​Fani willis, Georgia, Donald trump, Trump, Restitution, Election interference, Lawfare, Nathan wade, Steve sadow, Winning, Politics