House Republican leadership has officially called for disgraced Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales to drop his re-election bid.

The scandal-ridden congressman faced calls to resign after reports indicated he had an affair with a staffer, Regina Santos-Aviles, who later committed suicide by setting herself on fire. Gonzales dodged the allegations for weeks but admitted to the affair in a Wednesday interview, prompting an official call to step down from Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) as well as House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), and Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-Mich.).

‘Let’s get to work.’

“The Ethics Committee has announced an investigation into Congressman Tony Gonzales’s conduct, and we urge them to act expeditiously,” Republican leadership said in a joint statement. “Congressman Gonzales has said he will fully cooperate with the investigation.”

“We have encouraged him to address these very serious allegations directly with his constituents and his colleagues. In the meantime, Leadership has asked Congressman Gonzales to withdraw from his race for re-election.”

RELATED: ‘I made a mistake’: Tony Gonzales admits to affair with staffer who set herself on fire

Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP via Getty Images

Gonzales’ primary opponent, Brandon Herrera, nearly unseated him in 2024, and the two candidates are currently heading to a runoff in May. Herrera holds a narrow lead over Gonzales in the 2026 primary and has embraced leadership’s calls for his opponent to step down.

“I would like to thank Speaker Johnson and House leadership for holding Congressman Tony Gonzales accountable for actions that have tarnished the office,” Herrera said in a post on X. “I’m looking forward to representing the district the way the people of West Texas have always deserved. Let’s get to work.”

RELATED: ‘Really disgusting’: Damning alleged texts prompt Republicans to call for scandal-ridden Tony Gonzales’ resignation

Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Gonzales has not yet confirmed whether he will step down from the race. His office did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​Tony gonzales, Brandon herrera, Mike johnson, Steve scalise, Tom emmer, Lisa mcclain, House republicans, Donald trump, Regina santos-aviles, 2026 primary, Texas primary, Republican primary, Politics 

Jasmine Crockett’s run for Senate has come to an end, with Democrat James Talarico handily beating the congresswoman and advancing to the general election — and BlazeTV host Jason Whitlock is not surprised.

“She didn’t campaign against her number-one opponent. She campaigned against Donald Trump,” Whitlock says, pointing out that her campaign ad featured a shot of Crockett staring straight ahead while a voice-over of Donald Trump insulting her played.

“Who told her that was going to work? Letting Trump talk accurately about you on camera for 30 seconds — that somehow was going to win you [the] election?” Whitlock asks.

However, Chad O. Jackson doesn’t believe it’s the time to be running any victory laps.

“Her opponent, James Talarico, is far worse than Jasmine Crockett is, in terms of his effectiveness in pushing the agenda that they’re pushing. It’s interesting because Jasmine Crockett has become this kind of household name in a negative way for a lot of Republicans and conservatives, for the very reason that she’s very boisterous and she’s very out there and what many people would call ‘ghetto,’” Jackson tells Whitlock.

“James Talarico is much more silent, but he’s much more deadly. Talarico represents a lot of what’s wrong, but he also is a heretic and he’s a fraud. He is a proponent of the social gospel, the, you know, liberation theology,” he explains.

“He has this so-called faith-forward agenda, where he adheres to a kind of progressive theology, and he’s been effective in terms of pushing leftist secularist policies here in the state of Texas,” he continues.

“Somebody like a Jasmine Crockett or an AOC — they’re easy to point at and say, ‘Oh, these people shouldn’t be in Congress; they shouldn’t be in politics,’ and I fully agree with that. But … it’s really easy to defeat their policies. These more silent and yet deadly people are more effective — and therefore more dangerous,” he adds.

Want more from Jason Whitlock?

To enjoy more fearless conversations at the crossroads of culture, faith, sports, and comedy with Jason Whitlock, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​Camera phone, Free, Sharing, Upload, Video, Video phone, Youtube.com, Jason whitlock harmony, Jason whitlock, The blaze, Blazetv, Blaze news, Blaze podcasts, Blaze podcast network, Blaze media, Blaze online, Blaze originals, Chad o jackson, James talarico, Jasmine crockett, Senate, Texas senate race 

A letter circulating on social media appears to show that a California high school has suspended a student over signs showing support for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The letter from Torrey Pines High School in San Diego and dated February 27 affirmed that students have a right to free speech but asserted that the signs violated a policy against “conduct that has the purpose or effect of creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive educational environment,” according to a picture.

‘This is divisive language. Being American means tolerating protests.’

The letter said that the student was caught on video “posting flyers in the learning commons and in hallways that stated I Love ICE from Real Americans.”

It went on to define the “fighting words” doctrine: “While a high bar, in a school context, words that are intentionally used to provoke a violent reaction or target a marginalized group’s right to be on campus can be restricted to maintain safety.”

It said the student would be suspended for March 2 and indicated that one-day suspension was the student’s first suspension of the year.

Torrey Pines High School is also the location of a walkout protest against ICE that included hundreds of students. The school did not sanction the protest and warned students that they would be marked truant if they left the campus.

A bilingual Latino newspaper in San Diego supported the suspension.

“Students suspended at Torrey Pines HS over ‘We [heart] I.C.E. by Real Americans’ posters. Critics say it’s unfair after anti-ICE protests,” read the post by La Prensa.

RELATED: 100 outraged community members denounce grade school teacher over 2-word pro-ICE post

Photo by Bing Guan/Bloomberg via Getty Images

“The difference: not loving ICE doesnt [sic] mean protesters are not ‘real Americans.’ This is divisive language. Being American means tolerating protests,” the outlet wrote unironically.

The school’s administration acknowledged emails from Blaze News but did not provide comment.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​Torrey pines high school, Pro-ice student suspended, San diego student suspended, Anti-ice protest california, Politics 

Americans remain deeply divided over the U.S.-Israel-initiated conflict in Iran, with opinions ranging from stark disapproval to strong support.

But Glenn Beck wonders how our founding fathers would have viewed America’s current military conflict with Iran. To dive into this query, he invites Professor Jonathan Turley, author of “Rage and the Republic,” to “The Glenn Beck Program” for an in-depth constitutional breakdown.

Glenn cuts straight to the heart of the matter: “How would the founders have looked at the situation in Iran?”

Turley doesn’t mince words: “They would not have looked kindly upon it.”

“The framers divided the power over war between Congress and the president, and so under Article 2, Section 2, the president is declared the commander in chief, but under Article 1, Section 8, Congress alone may declare war,” he explains. “So the framers wanted to make it difficult to go to war; they didn’t like foreign entanglements.”

However, since World War II, which was the last time war was formally declared, Congress has “evaded its responsibility” by passing vague resolutions, like Authorizations for Use of Military Force, Turley explains, and as a result, “The courts have largely deferred to the political branches.”

All considered, is President Trump acting within established authority?

“The answer is yeah,” says Turley. “I mean in the sense of the modern interpretation of the Constitution, not quite if you look at the original intent.”

“There’s no question that [President Trump] is using the authority used by past Democratic presidents, including President Barack Obama,” he adds, criticizing the hypocrisy of Democrats like Rep. Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (Conn.), who defended Obama’s unilateral 2011 military attack on Libya but are now “expressing horror” at Trump’s similar decisive action against Iran.

Glenn adds that under the current War Powers Resolution, presidents can engage in hostilities for up to 90 days but only if they properly notify Congress to start the clock — yet “not a single president has ever filed the paperwork” and “Congress doesn’t insist,” so “the clock never starts,” allowing indefinite unilateral actions without real checks.

Turley notes that the War Powers Act has long been contested by presidents of both parties as infringing on Article II authority, and while the standard 60 days would likely suffice for this limited operation, efforts like Virginia Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine’s resolution to force an immediate halt carry little force due to a built-in exception allowing responses to imminent attacks.

“Every attack now is imminent. Every attack we launch is preemptive. I mean, the Iranian government is firing missiles randomly at other countries. So the question is, what does this resolution even do?” he asks.

“And can’t the president veto this anyway?” asks Glenn.

“Right,” says Turley, although he speculates that resolution likely won’t pass.

“The interesting dynamic here on the Hill is to see how many of these members are willing in the middle of combat operation to say, even symbolically, even though it’s sort of a paper tiger, ‘You better stop now,”’ he adds.

Turley then highlights another layer of congressional dysfunction amid the conflict: the ongoing partial Department of Homeland Security shutdown.

He warns that it would be “breathtaking” if Democrats maintain their blockade on funding Homeland Security and TSA — demanding Immigration and Customs Enforcement reforms amid the ongoing partial DHS shutdown — right “in the middle of this conflict” with Iran.

To hear more of Glenn and Turley’s conversation, 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.

​Glenn beck, Beck, The glenn beck program, Jonathan turley, Us iran conflict, Iran, Middle east conflict, Blazetv, Blaze media, Founding fathers, Founders, Constitution 

President Donald Trump announced Thursday that Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) would replace Kristi Noem as the homeland security secretary beginning March 31.

‘Markwayne will make a spectacular Secretary of Homeland Security.’

Trump made the announcement shortly after several news reports claimed he was considering firing Noem and weighing a replacement.

Rumors first surfaced in early December that Trump was unsatisfied with Noem and considering her removal. However, the White House was quick to dismiss the reports as “total Fake News,” stating that the secretary was “doing a great job implementing the president’s agenda and making America safe again.”

Those claims resurfaced this week, after NBC News reported on Thursday that Trump “has grown frustrated” with Noem and was “unhappy” with her testimony before House and Senate committees, citing anonymous sources.

The news outlet stated that Noem told senators that Trump had signed off on a $220 million Department of Homeland Security ad campaign encouraging illegal aliens to self-deport.

“The president tasked me with getting the message out to the country and to other countries where we were seeing the invasion come from, with putting commercials out that told them that if they were in this country illegally, that they needed to leave or we would detain them and remove them and they’d not get the chance to come back to America the right way,” Noem told lawmakers during Tuesday’s hearing.

When asked to clarify whether Trump had asked her to run the advertisements, Noem replied, “We had that conversation, yes.”

RELATED: Republican senator melts down over Trump administration’s deportations

Markwayne Mullin. Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

However, a White House official rejected that claim.

“POTUS did not sign off on a $220 million dollar ad campaign. Absolutely not,” a White House official previously stated.

Trump announced that Mullin would take over for Noem in a post on social media on Thursday afternoon.

RELATED: Government-paid traffickers? Noem testifies Biden administration funded abuse of migrant kids

Kristi Noem. Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP via Getty Images

“I am pleased to announce that the Highly Respected United States Senator from the Great State of Oklahoma, Markwayne Mullin, will become the United States Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS), effective March 31, 2026,” Trump wrote. “The current Secretary, Kristi Noem, who has served us well, and has had numerous and spectacular results (especially on the Border!), will be moving to be Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas, our new Security Initiative in the Western Hemisphere we are announcing on Saturday in Doral, Florida. I thank Kristi for her service at ‘Homeland.’”

He commended Mullin for “a tremendous job representing the wonderful People of Oklahoma,” describing the senator as a “MAGA Warrior.”

“Markwayne truly gets along well with people, and knows the Wisdom and Courage required to Advance our America First Agenda,” Trump continued. “As the only Native American in the Senate, Markwayne is a fantastic advocate for our incredible Tribal Communities. Markwayne will work tirelessly to Keep our Border Secure, Stop Migrant Crime, Murderers, and other Criminals from illegally entering our Country, End the Scourge of Illegal Drugs and, MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN. Markwayne will make a spectacular Secretary of Homeland Security. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

Neither the DHS nor the White House immediately responded to a request for comment.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​News, Kristi noem, Department of homeland security, Dhs, Markwayne mullin, Donald trump, Trump, Trump administration, Trump admin, Politics 

Britney Spears was arrested Wednesday night in Ventura, California, on suspicion of driving under the influence, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing online records from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office.

The California Highway Patrol arrested the 44-year-old pop star around 9:30 p.m., the Times said, adding that she was booked around 3 a.m. Thursday.

It wasn’t Spears’ first run-in with the law.

Her car was impounded, and she was released just after 6 a.m., the paper said.

The Times said Spears’ occupation was listed as “celebrity.”

Spears is scheduled for a May 4 hearing in Ventura County Superior Court in Ventura, the paper said.

The Times said it wasn’t able to immediately reach a Spears’ representative Thursday morning.

RELATED: ‘All we can do is keep praying’: Britney Spears’ father gives first interview in a decade, believes controversial conservatorship may have kept pop star alive

It wasn’t Spears’ first run-in with the law.

She was arrested in 2007 in Los Angeles County not long after her divorce from Kevin Federline was finalized, the paper said, adding that Spears was charged with misdemeanors for an alleged hit-and-run and driving without a license.

The Times said the case was dropped in October 2008 after a jury split 10-2 in favor of acquittal.

Variety said Spears recently sold her song catalog.

The outlet also said Spears in January wrote in a since-deleted Instagram post that she “will never perform in the U.S. again because of extremely sensitive reasons.”

More from Variety:

Spears was released from her 13-year conservatorship in 2021 and has largely kept a low profile since then. The pop superstar has not released an album since 2016’s “Glory,” and she last performed live in the U.S. in 2018, when she closed out her “Piece of Me” tour with a show at the Formula One Grand Prix in Austin, Texas. She had been scheduled to return to Las Vegas in 2019 for a second residency, “Domination,” but she ultimately postponed the show and stepped away from performing indefinitely.

Spears’ father, Jamie Spears, was in control of the pop star’s assets during the conservatorship. Following his daughter’s release from it, Jamie Spears in December 2022 asked, “Where would Britney be right now without that conservatorship? And I don’t know if she’d be alive.”

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​Arrest, Britney spears, California, Dui, Entertainment, Pop singer, Ventura county, Pop star, Celebrities, Crime 

In the latest about-face in his nascent term in office, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) has reversed course on a promise he made about traffic in the Big Apple.

The New York Post reported Thursday that Mamdani has walked back his commitment to enact a “daylighting” policy at intersection crosswalks.

‘We always take a holistic approach, and we really look at the unique conditions and context of each location.’

Daylighting is a policy designed to ban parking near pedestrian crosswalks, allowing for safer travel by foot throughout the city.

Mamdani publicly declared in February that “we deserve to have all [intersections] daylighted,” according to the Post.

RELATED: LGBTQ champion Zohran Mamdani faces backlash over photo with ‘anti-homosexuality’ Ugandan lawmaker

Photographer: Amir Hamja/The New York Times/Bloomberg via Getty Images

However, Mamdani’s Department of Transportation Commissioner Mike Flynn indicated Tuesday that this promise was more talk than walk.

“Daylighting is definitely one important tool but as a few of us have mentioned earlier, we always take a holistic approach, and we really look at the unique conditions and context of each location,” Flynn told the city council.

The Post previously reported that enacting a universal daylighting policy across the city would be extremely costly for New Yorkers. The city would lose an estimated 300,000 parking spots and could foot a bill as large as $3 billion.

“The Mamdani administration is committed to following the data, listening to the evidence, and working with City Council and our experienced advocacy partners to expand daylighting effectively and maximize street safety across the five boroughs,” Mamdani spokeswoman Dora Pekec said in a statement to the Post.

This isn’t the first campaign promise Mamdani has reneged on.

Last month, Mamdani brought back homeless encampment sweeps during a massive snowstorm that swept the city. Mamdani had promised to ditch the policy during his campaign. At least 19 people died outdoors during the cold snap on Mamdani’s watch.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​Politics, Mamdani, Zohran mamdani, New york city, Daylighting, Mike flynn, Department of transportation, Big apple, Dot commissioner mike flynn 

The Senate on Wednesday stood firm against a Democrat-led effort to undermine President Donald Trump’s military campaign against the Iranian regime, voting to block a war powers resolution that would have forced a halt to U.S. hostilities without new congressional approval.

The measure, introduced by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and co-sponsored by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), sought to mandate the removal of U.S. armed forces from the conflict unless Congress issued a formal declaration of war. The measure failed 47-53.

‘Keep wiping out Iranian leadership and the nuclear personnel.’

The high-stakes vote came just five days after the launch of Operation Epic Fury, a joint U.S.-Israeli military operation that has successfully targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities, ballistic missile sites, and senior leadership. The vote fell largely along party lines, with nearly all Republicans voting to allow the commander in chief to proceed with the mission without new legislative constraints.

In a notable break from his party, Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) was the only Democrat to vote against the measure, siding with the Republican majority. Fetterman has been a vocal defender of the strikes.

RELATED: Iranian state TV hijacked with Trump, Netanyahu message urging citizens to ‘seize control’

Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

“Our commitment to Israel must be absolute and I fully support this attack,” Fetterman said. “Keep wiping out Iranian leadership and the nuclear personnel. We must provide whatever is necessary — military, intelligence, weaponry — to fully back Israel in striking Iran.”

Pennsylvania’s other senator, Dave McCormick (R-Pa.), also voted to block the resolution.

Sen. Paul was the sole Republican to support the measure, maintaining his long-standing position on congressional oversight of military action.

The Senate’s action follows the start of the conflict over the weekend, when U.S. and Israeli airstrikes killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The operation has hit more than 150 locations used by the regime to threaten the region. Iran has responded with missile and drone attacks on Israel and U.S. bases, including a strike in Kuwait that killed American service members, according to U.S. Central Command.

RELATED: ‘LOADED with fraud’: Mamdani announces $425 million child-care handout — open to illegal aliens

Photo by Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt called Operation Epic Fury a “resounding success” and emphasized that the administration is acting to protect U.S. interests and allies from imminent Iranian aggression.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​Politics, Iran, Democrat, Senate, Senate republicans, Senate democrats, Vote, Voting