Politics
Haley says pardoning Trump would be 'healing' as she faces tough questions days before NH primary
GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley said that pardoning former President Trump would be “healing for the country” as she took tough questions from voters days ahead of the New Hampshire primary election.
Haley fielded a series of tough questions at the town hall Thursday night, which came just five days before Granite State voters head to the polls for the GOP primary.
TRUMP SAYS NIKKI HALEY ‘HAS NO CHANCE’ AHEAD OF NEW HAMPSHIRE PRIMARY: ‘MAGA IS NOT GOING TO BE WITH HER’
GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley said that pardoning former President Trump would be “healing for the country” as she took tough questions from voters days ahead of the New Hampshire primary election. (Kathryn Gamble/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
PARDONING TRUMP WOULD BE ‘HEALING FOR THE COUNTRY’
During Haley’s town hall on CNN, the former United Nations ambassador said she would pardon Trump if elected, but only if the GOP frontrunner were convicted of a crime.
Haley said that “the last thing we need is an 80-year-old president sitting in jail” because “that’s just going to further divide our country.”
“This is no longer about whether he’s innocent or guilty,” Haley said. “This is about the fact, how do we bring the country back together?”
Haley said she is “determined” to make the “division” and “chaos” go away and that she believes pardoning Trump “would make all of that go away.”
“And I think it would be healing for the country,” Haley said.
AMERICA
Haley got pushback from CNN when she answered a question about whether America was a fundamentally racist country.
She said if one tells a black or brown children they live in a racist country, “you’re immediately telling them they don’t have a chance.”
Townhall moderator Jake Tapper pushed back, saying “You’re talking about the ideals of America, but America founded institutionally on many racist precepts, including slavery.”
Haley said America’s ideals were present from the founding, but the country needed to correct certain places where the nation fell short of the intent of the Constitution.
“When you look at said all men are created equal, I think the intent the intent was to do the right thing. Now, did they have to go fix it along the way? Yes, but I don’t think the intent was ever that we were going to be a racist country. The intent was everybody going to be created equally,” Haley said.
Even though it took decades to fix certain aspects of the nation, Haley said she refuses to believe that the country was based on racism.
MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION
Another moment for Haley came when asked about marijuana legalization, which Haley said was a state-by-state issue. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak, File)
Another top moment for Haley came when she was asked about marijuana legalization. Haley said was a state-by-state issue, but wouldn’t commit to descheduling the substance.
Haley said she would “go with the scientists” on marijuana legalization, and added that she thinks “it’s obviously not in the same class as heroin.”
“But I also think when you’re looking at the legalization of this, I want states to be able to decide that,” Haley said.
“That’s something that should be as close to the people as possible,” she added.
CHILD TAX CREDITS ‘ACROSS THE BOARD’
Haley also said that she is “for child care tax credits for everyone” and said that the tax credits need to be done “across the board” to remain “fair.”
Haley also said that she is “for child care tax credits for everyone.” (Eric Thayer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
If you’re going to do it, do it across the board and make sure that it’s fair,” Haley said. “Look, when you look at the welfare system and you look at all of those other things, when you look at those programs, the goal that I want to look at is what are we doing to lift them up?”
“What are we doing to make life better for them?” Haley continued, citing her work as South Carolina governor to move people off of welfare and into jobs.
FREEDOM OF SPEECH FOR AMERICANS, NOT FOREIGN ACTORS
Haley was also asked about the idea she floated of social media companies identifying online users by their real name, as a national security concern.
The former U.N. ambassador said she “will always fight for freedom of speech.” She faced widespread criticism for her comments, but on Thursday defended her statement. She said she speaking about “when it comes to our tech companies, is there is a responsibility that our social media companies have.”
“What I think they should do is they should show us their algorithms,” Haley said. “They should be completely transparent so that you know why they push what they push, why you see what you see, all of that, that’s a business transparency situation.”
Haley was also asked about her floated idea of social media companies identifying online users in the name of national security. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato, File)
“I’m not saying that Americans have to disclose their name. What I’m saying is you have millions of foreign bots where there are no people behind them. When I was at the United Nations, Russia, China and Iran knew, and said it was the cheapest form of warfare. There are millions of bots that are spreading disinformation, that are sowing division in our country, and they’re doing this to spread harmful things to our younger teenagers.”
“And what I’m saying is those social media companies have to do something with the foreign bots,” Haley continued. “I will always fight for Americans’ freedom of speech, but I am not going to fight for Russians’ and Iranians’ and Chinese freedom of speech. And that’s what’s happening.”
DEMOCRATIC SUPPORTERS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE
Haley was also asked about the support she has been garnering from Democrats in New Hampshire — where around 4,000 voters switched their registration from the Democratic Party, which some speculate could potentially help Haley in the primary.
The former governor said she has seen some independents align with her, and said “some Democrats say they want to support us because they’re not happy with Joe Biden.”
“What I want everybody here to remember is Republicans have lost the last seven out of eight popular votes for president,” Haley said. “That is nothing to be proud of. We should want to win the majority of Americans.”
“The problem is, if you’re going to win the majority of Americans, you have to make sure as a leader, you don’t decide who’s good and who’s bad, who’s right and who’s wrong,” Haley said.
“You bring out the best of people and get them to move forward,” she added.
Politics
Video: Democrats Confront RFK Jr. on Vaccines and Health Care Fraud
new video loaded: Democrats Confront RFK Jr. on Vaccines and Health Care Fraud
transcript
transcript
Democrats Confront RFK Jr. on Vaccines and Health Care Fraud
Lawmakers confronted Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on vaccine messaging and the Trump administration’s handling of health care fraud. The health secretary was also criticized over comments he made about psychiatric medications and Black children, which he denied.
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“A deadly measles outbreak in Texas killed an unvaccinated 6-year-old, the first such death in a decade. Do you agree with the majority of doctors that the measles vaccine could have saved that child’s life in Texas?” “It’s possible, certainly.” “President Trump approved your decision to end the C.D.C.’S pro-vaccine public messaging campaign?” “We’ve done better at preventing —” “That’s not answering my question. You suspended this pro-vaccine messaging campaign, but somehow you’re spending taxpayer dollars to drink milk shirtless in a hot tub with Kid Rock.” “Our nation has a long and painful history of separating Black children from their families. During slavery, Black children were taken from their parents and sold with no regard for their humanity. When you suggested re-parenting Black children, when you sow doubt about the safety of vaccines and when you promote unproven statements that have no basis in science, you endanger the lives of everyone across this nation.” “If we’re going to pursue fraudsters, it’s not just the people who might make simple, honest mistakes that could be corrected. It’s the people at the top that help to perpetuate this fraud. And the administration’s position seems to be that it’s only the recipients and not the providers that commit fraud. We want an even-handed approach to these fraud investigations, including those whose schemes have cost the American taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.”
By Jorge Mitssunaga
April 16, 2026
Politics
Tennessee governor signs nuclear family month resolution as critics push back on exclusions
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Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has signed a resolution declaring June Nuclear Family Month as an alternative to the usual LGBTQ+ Pride Month.
Lee, a Republican, signed House Joint Resolution 182 April 9 after it passed the House in April 2025 and the Senate last month.
The legislation highlights the importance of celebrating the traditional family unit, described as “consisting of one husband, one wife, and any biological, adopted, or fostered children.”
“The nuclear family is under attack in our beloved State and nation, and it is our responsibility to uplift, protect, and support values that help Tennessee prosper,” the resolution adds.
NASHVILLE TEACHER HAS RECORD CLEARED AFTER REFUSING TO READ SAME-SEX MARRIAGE BOOK TO FIRST-GRADERS
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed a resolution declaring June “Nuclear Family Month,” promoting traditional family structures as an alternative to Pride Month. (Getty Images)
A spokesperson for the governor did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
LGBTQ+ advocacy groups have begun to speak out against the resolution, and a representative for GLAAD gave Fox News Digital its opinion on the bill.
OHIO TEACHER SUES HIGH SCHOOL FOR DEMANDING HE REMOVE LGBT POSTER INSIDE CLASSROOM
LGBTQ community members hold flags and placards during a rally. (Roy De La Cruz/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
“The strongest families are grounded in love, not legislative definitions. It is disturbing to see lawmakers use their platform to intentionally exclude their own constituents,” the organization wrote in a statement.
“Instead of drafting resolutions that aim to divide Tennessee families, Gov. Lee should be focused on building a state where every family is treated fairly, and every child has the opportunity to succeed.”
The news of the legislation comes a few days after the pride flag at Stonewall National Monument’s federal flagpole in New York City, a well-known symbol for the LGBTQ+ community, was restored after a two-month legal battle and settlement with the Trump administration.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee responds to questions during a news conference Tuesday, April 11, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. (George Walker IV/AP)
“This is a victory for the LGBTQ+ community and for our entire city,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani wrote in an X post Monday. “It’s a reminder that New Yorkers won’t let our history be rewritten.
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“Our administration will keep working to ensure LGBTQ+ New Yorkers can live safely and with dignity in our city.”
Fox News Digital’s Ashley J. DiMella contributed to this report.
Politics
Hegseth recites ‘Pulp Fiction’ speech at Pentagon prayer service
WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, leading a Pentagon prayer meeting, quoted a fictional bible verse taken from a violent monologue in Quentin Tarantino’s 1994 film “Pulp Fiction,” originally delivered by actor Samuel L. Jackson just before his character shoots a helpless man to death.
The secretary used the prayer to frame the war in Iran as an act of divine justice, the same justification Jackson’s character cites in the film before pulling the trigger.
Hegseth told the audience at a monthly Pentagon worship service held Wednesday that he learned the prayer from the lead mission planner of a team called “Sandy 1,” which recently rescued downed Air Force crew members in Iran.
Hegseth said the verse is frequently spoken by combat search-and-rescue crews, who call the prayer “CSAR 25:17, which I think is meant to reflect Ezekiel 25:17” from the Bible.
“And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to capture and destroy my brother,” Hegseth recited. “And you will know my call sign is Sandy 1, when I lay my vengeance upon thee.”
The infamous Ezekiel 25:17 speech from “Pulp Fiction” is almost entirely a screenwriter’s creation; only the final refrain is loosely inspired by the actual biblical verse. The majority of the monologue in Tarantino’s film is adapted from the opening of the 1976 Japanese martial arts film “The Bodyguard,” with action star Sonny Chiba.
Hegseth’s minute-long prayer closely followed those scripts, with only the last two lines resembling language from the Bible. In Hegseth’s version, he replaced “and they shall know that I am the Lord,” from the book of Ezekiel with the call sign for a U.S. A-10 Warthog aircraft.
Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell said some outlets accused Hegseth of mistaking Jackson’s Golden Globe-winning performance with actual scripture, and called that narrative “fake news.”
“Secretary Hegseth on Wednesday shared a custom prayer, referenced as the CSAR prayer, used by the brave warfighters of Sandy-1 who led the daylight rescue mission of Dude 44 Alpha out of Iran, which was obviously inspired by dialogue in Pulp Fiction,” Parnell wrote on X. “However, both the CSAR prayer and the dialogue in Pulp Fiction were reflections of the verse Ezekiel 25:17, as Secretary Hegseth clearly said in his remarks at the prayer service. Anyone saying the Secretary misquoted Ezekiel 25:17 is peddling fake news and ignorant of reality.”
“Pulp Fiction” co-writer Roger Avary, who shared the Academy Award for Original Screenplay with Tarantino, weighed in Thursday, posting on X: “I am perfectly fine with @SecWar
quoting Jules in Pulp Fiction if it keeps bullets from hitting our soldiers.”
Hegseth has frequently used his prayer sessions to call for violence in the ongoing Iran war. In last month’s sermon, he asked God to “grant this task force clear and righteous targets for violence.”
The services are not mandatory, a senior defense analyst with knowledge of Pentagon operations told The Times, but some who work closely with Hegseth’s office feel an “implied pressure” to attend and “fill seats.”
The effect — some feel — is less attention on the Pentagon’s wartime efforts, and more on supporting political stunts, according to the source, who is not authorized to speak to the media and requested anonymity.
“We have managers and leaders that are missing mission critical work to go listen to ‘Pulp Fiction’ quotes,” the source said. “It delays our ability to make operational, mission related war-fighting decisions.”
The prayer came amid an ongoing clash between the Trump administration and Pope Leo XIV, who has spoken out in recent weeks against the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran. Statements from the Vatican were met with a series of reprisals from President Trump, who said he doesn’t “want a pope” who criticizes the president of the United States.
On Thursday, the pope released a statement against military leaders who conflate war with divinity.
“Woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic, and political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth,” he said.
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