Politics
BREAKING: American Journalist Kidnapped by Iranian-Backed Militias in Central Baghdad (VIDEO)

An American journalist has reportedly been kidnapped in central Baghdad.
American freelance journalist Shelly Kittleson was kidnapped by armed men in Baghdad on Tuesday.
Iraq’s Interior Ministry confirmed the kidnapping.
Video shows a group of armed men surrounding a vehicle, opening the doors of the car, and driving off.
WATCH:
Shelly Kittleson was reportedly kidnapped by Iranian-backed militias.
Per Al Jazeera:
“Security forces said they managed to arrest one of the suspects and seize one of the vehicles used in the kidnapping.”
“The Ministry of Interior announces that this evening, a foreign journalist was kidnapped by unknown individuals. Security forces immediately launched an operation to apprehend the perpetrators, acting on precise intelligence and through intensive field operations, tracking the kidnappers’ movements.”
“The pursuit resulted in the interception of a vehicle belonging to the kidnappers, which overturned as they attempted to flee. Security forces were able to arrest one of the suspects and seize one of the vehicles used in the crime.”
“The Ministry affirms that efforts are ongoing to track down the remaining individuals involved, secure the release of the kidnapped journalist, and take all necessary legal measures against all those involved in this criminal act, in accordance with the law.”
Photos posted to social media show the vehicle belonging to the kidnappers damaged after crashing amid a pursuit.
Shelly Kittleson’s whereabouts are not known at this time.
Iraqi
Interior Ministry said American
freelance journalist Shelly Kittleson was kidnapped by unidentified armed men (Iranian
backed militias) in central Baghdad & that during a pursuit the vehicle belonging to the kidnappers was intercepted which overturned as they… https://t.co/cOAwUZn6hq pic.twitter.com/ciUo05iUbF
— Saad Abedine (@SaadAbedine) March 31, 2026
Update: The US State Department released a statement on the kidnapping:
•The Trump Administration has no higher priority than the safety and security of Americans.
•We are closing tracking these reports.
•Due to privacy and other considerations, we have nothing further to share at this time.
American journalist Shelly Kittleson has been kidnapped in Iraq according to two sources including her designated point of contact @alexplitsas. State Department official provides below comment:
•The Trump Administration has no higher priority than the safety and security of… https://t.co/2WRJK1ffo0— Margaret Brennan (@margbrennan) March 31, 2026
Alex Plitsas, Shelly Kittleson’s US point of contact confirmed she has been kidnapped.
“I can confirm that my friend Shelly Kittleson was abducted and may have taken hostage in Baghdad by Khatib Hezbollah. Whereabouts and condition unknown. I am her designated U.S. point of contact. If you have information please provide to law enforcement and send me a DM,” he said.
I can confirm that my friend Shelly Kittleson was abducted and may have taken hostage in Baghdad by Khatib Hezbollah. Whereabouts and condition unknown. I am her designated U.S. point of contact. If you have information please provide to law enforcement and send me a DM.
— Alex Plitsas
(@alexplitsas) March 31, 2026
DEVELOPING…
The post BREAKING: American Journalist Kidnapped by Iranian-Backed Militias in Central Baghdad (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Politics
HOUSE GOP STRIKES BACK: Furious Republicans Move to ADD ICE Funding and Voter ID to Senate’s DHS Garbage Deal With Democrats — Will Force ‘Cowardly Senators’ Back to D.C.

Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN)
House Republicans are done playing games with the Senate’s latest RINO surrender.
In the early hours of Friday morning, the Senate, reportedly with only five senators present, passed a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding package by voice vote.
But there was a catch.
The bill conveniently excluded full funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and key components of Customs and Border Protection, the very agencies responsible for immigration enforcement, deportation operations, and cracking down on criminal illegal alien activity, including drug and sex trafficking.
Thune left D.C. immediately following the betrayal, reportedly escorted by a private detail for a two-week Easter recess.
Sen. John Thune faces backlash after leaving D.C. following a DHS funding move that excludes ICE and CBP.
The SAVE America Act remains stalled.pic.twitter.com/iDt85Sl5Kv
— Brandon Straka #WalkAway (@BrandonStraka) March 27, 2026
The House Freedom Caucus and MAGA patriots aren’t letting this surrender stand. Republicans in the House are already moving to amend the Senate’s pathetic offering, intending to force the Senate to actually do its job.
Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) announced that the House Republicans will amend the garbage deal, restoring funding for ICE and adding a voter ID requirement.
Rep. Ogles: “So what the Senate did last night was they passed a bill that did not fully fund the government, meaning child sex trafficking investigation unit isn’t funded. They didn’t fully fund Homeland Security. So we’re focused on amending the bill and putting that back in, and we’re going to add in voter ID in the process. They’re cowardly. They didn’t do their job, and now they left town. They should come back and they should have to do their job.”
WATCH:
Senate Democrats coalesced to pass an America LAST funding bill that defunds ICE and CBP.
I would be a traitor to my country to vote for a bill that lets illegal RAPISTS and HUMAN TRAFFICKERS escape justice. I do not work for the Senate or their lobbyist bosses.
I am a NO on… pic.twitter.com/8wSa18ssPw
— Rep. Andy Ogles (@RepOgles) March 27, 2026
According to NOTUS, House Speaker Mike Johnson is preparing to put a 60-day continuing resolution (CR) on the floor this weekend.
This CR would fund all of DHS, including the critical ICE operations the Senate tried to kill.
Majority Whip Tom Emmer reportedly informed members that President Trump has given the “go-ahead” to pursue this strategy to protect the homeland.
BREAKING: House Republicans WILL NOT take up the Senate’s DHS funding bill which stripped funding from ICE and CBP
Instead, they’ll be voting on a 60-day CR, extending funding for ALL of DHS
GREAT! Deportations MUST be fully funded! pic.twitter.com/Ql7XcBls82
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) March 27, 2026
The post HOUSE GOP STRIKES BACK: Furious Republicans Move to ADD ICE Funding and Voter ID to Senate’s DHS Garbage Deal With Democrats — Will Force ‘Cowardly Senators’ Back to D.C. appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Politics
WATCH: Vance Torches Senate for Planning Vacation Amid DHS Shutdown, Calls Filibuster Defense the ‘DUMBEST Political Argument,’ Demands They Nuke It to Pass SAVE America Act


Vice President JD Vance torched Senate Republican leadership on Friday for preparing to leave town for a two-week recess while the partial government shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security drags on and the SAVE America Act remains stalled by a Democratic filibuster.
In an interview with Benny Johnson, Vance made clear that Congress has urgent business that cannot wait.
When asked directly whether the Senate should go on recess right now, Vance responded, “No, of course not. Of course not. We should at least, the very minimum product that we should get before anybody’s going on recess is, let’s reopen the Department of Homeland Security!”
Vance also eviscerated the argument for protecting the filibuster, calling it “the DUMBEST political argument I have ever seen.”
“So, when Mitch McConnell and Lisa Murkowski say, ‘well, we need to protect the filibuster because the Democrats, they’re not going to do it. So, we shouldn’t do it either,’” Vance continued. “The Democrats ruined the career of Kyrsten Sinema for not overruling the filibuster. They’re going to do it. So, we might as well do it now to enforce the protection of the American electoral system.”
The VP stated that he is “ready today” to cast the tie-breaking vote if 50 Senate Republicans have the courage to eliminate the filibuster and advance the bill.
WATCH:
BREAKING: VP JD Vance EVISCERATES the Senate for going on vacation, says the filibuster must be nuked so the SAVE America Act can pass
He nailed it!
“It’s the DUMBEST political argument I have ever seen!”
“So when Mitch McConnell and Lisa Murkowski say, ‘well, we need to… pic.twitter.com/TY3jM2hXcN
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) March 27, 2026
The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act, formally H.R. 7296, requires proof of citizenship when registering to vote and valid photo identification to cast a ballot in federal elections.
The bill passed the House earlier this year and has been a top priority for President Trump, who has repeatedly pressed Senate Republicans to take it up and, if necessary, change Senate rules to overcome Democratic opposition.
Senate currently lacks the 60 votes needed to overcome the filibuster.
Republicans are divided on whether to nuke the procedural hurdle.
The inability to pass funding for the Department of Homeland Security has caused widespread TSA staffing shortages, flight delays, and long security lines at airports across the country.
The post WATCH: Vance Torches Senate for Planning Vacation Amid DHS Shutdown, Calls Filibuster Defense the ‘DUMBEST Political Argument,’ Demands They Nuke It to Pass SAVE America Act appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Politics
Chaos Erupts as House Leaders Reject Senate-Passed Bill to Fund DHS as Senators Flee DC for Two-Week Recess (VIDEO)


House Freedom Caucus leaders on Friday rejected a Senate-passed DHS funding bill as Senators leave town for a two-week Easter recess.
The Senate very early Friday morning, after a marathon session, unanimously approved a voice-vote package to fund the Department of Homeland Security, except for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and key parts of Customs and Border Protection.
Democrats flat-out refused to support full funding without gutting immigration raids and deportation operations.
Instead of fighting for the full funding, Thune and the Senate GOP folded in the dead of night, when no one was watching.
Thune then left town with a private escort.
Representative Chip Roy (R-TX) on Friday morning said the Freedom Caucus leaders are going to flat-out reject the Senate’s bill.
“What the Senate just sent over to the House is so laughably bad – uh, we’re rejecting it out of hand,” Chip Roy said.
He continued, “They sent over a bill that’s not gonna fund ICE and Border Patrol and stand with the great men and women that are defending our country. We reject that. We’re gonna stand along side our law enforcement personnel. We’re gonna have a full-throated debate. We’re gonna decide what we’re gonna do but suffice it to say, we’re gonna stand with those who are standing up for us for defending our country. We need to fully fund them… we’re not gonna move this Senate bill.”
“We’re gonna move something better and we’re gonna send it back to the Senate,” he added.
Many Senators have already left town so if the House agrees on a bill it will be stalled in the Senate – once again.
WATCH:
The Senate bill is a non-starter. We’ll send something back to stand with @CBP & @ICEgov – perhaps other important provisions. But we’re not accepting the garbage from the Senate. pic.twitter.com/2upBegzJVy
— Chip Roy (@chiproytx) March 27, 2026
Chip Roy, flanked by other Freedom Caucus members like Andy Biggs, blasted the Senate bill in remarks to the media.
“It is absolutely offensive to the people that we represent that the Senate would send over a bill that doesn’t fund Border Patrol and the core components of ICE,” he said.
“Could the Senate be any more lazy than to send to us a bill that doesn’t do the job and then leave town? So we’re going to stand up and say NO to that. We’re going to send back a bill that’s responsible to the American people,” he said.
WATCH:
Rep. Roy: "It is absolutely offensive to the people that we represent that the Senate would send over a bill that doesn't fund Border Patrol and the core components of ICE.
Could the Senate be any more lazy than to send to us a bill that doesn't do the job and then leave town?… pic.twitter.com/LHf7KACbTq
— Rep. Chip Roy Press Office (@RepChipRoy) March 27, 2026
The post Chaos Erupts as House Leaders Reject Senate-Passed Bill to Fund DHS as Senators Flee DC for Two-Week Recess (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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Interior Ministry said American
freelance journalist Shelly Kittleson was kidnapped by unidentified armed men (Iranian
backed militias) in central Baghdad & that during a pursuit the vehicle belonging to the kidnappers was intercepted which overturned as they… https://t.co/cOAwUZn6hq pic.twitter.com/ciUo05iUbF