One of the White House’s prominent figures is stepping down from her role to embark on a new professional journey. Sonny Joy Nelson, known for her role as special assistant to President Donald Trump and as the White House director of media affairs, is leaving to establish her own communications firm, Cornerstone Strategies, according to the Daily Mail.

Nelson shared with Axios that the inspiration behind her firm’s name stems from her faith, describing Jesus as the “cornerstone” of her life and the foundation for her new venture.

“The aim is to produce media that is not only visually appealing but also conveys a message that is meaningful and enduring,” Nelson expressed regarding her aspirations for the new company.

Nelson was among the first to be appointed to the communications team during Trump’s second term, marking her as a key player in the administration’s media strategy.

Nelson was one of Trump’s first communications hires of his second term.

She quickly went viral when a White House observer posted to X days after the 2025 inauguration: ‘We are finally entering our Blonde Supremacy era.’ 

The post featured a picture of Nelson, a blonde, walking White House press secretary Karolina Leavitt, a blonde, to one of her media hits alongside press aide Kieghan Nangle, another blonde. 

Like Leavitt, Nelson is a young mother, and is expecting her second child, another boy, in the fall. 

Sonny Joy Nelson (left), who serves as special assistant to the president and White House director of media affairs, is departing the administration to start her own communications firm. She and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt (right) show off their baby bumps 

Sonny Joy Nelson (center) went viral days into her role at the White House when Daily Caller columnist Mary Rooke posted: ‘We are finally entering our Blonde Supremacy era.’ Nelson was photographed alongside Kieghan Nangle (left) and press secretary Karoline Leavitt (right) 

She gave birth to her son Isaiah in August 2023, after marrying Samuel Klingsporn, a college lacrosse player who entered the US Army, over the Fourth of July holiday the year before.    

Nelson is the daughter of prominent North Carolina anti-abortion advocate Tonya Baker Nelson, the founder of the Pregnancy Resource Centers in North Carolina. 

Baker Nelson was pressured to have an abortion when she was pregnant in her mid-20s, she shared in a 2023 profile with Raleigh’s News & Observer. 

She chose to keep her baby and Sonny Joy was born in 1996. Since 2005, Baker Nelson has opened three pregnancy centers. 

While studying at North Carolina’s Campbell University, where she was a cheerleader, Nelson worked in the family business as a marketing specialist. 

She graduated in 2018 and started working on Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign in April 2019, moving her way up to the position of associate director of strategic communications.  

Trump 2020 Communications Director Tim Murtaugh plucked Nelson’s resume out of the pile – noticing her unique name – after he had just worked for Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. 

‘She earned the job by interviewing very well and she impressed me,’ Murtaugh told the Daily Mail. ‘But the only reason why I picked her resume out of that pile was because her name was Sonny.’  

Sonny Joy Nelson strikes a pose at the White House complex. She was one of President Donald Trump’s first comms shop hires of his second term, having worked for both the 2020 and 2024 presidential campaigns 

Sonny Joy Nelson (left) and her mother Tonya Baker Nelson (right) pose for a photo with President Donald Trump (center). Tonya Baker Nelson runs several crisis pregnancy centers in North Carolina and is an anti-abortion advocate 

Sonny Joy Nelson (left) walks alongside other members of the blondetourage – White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt (center) and Executive Assistant to the Press Secretary Kieghan Nangle (right) 

Sonny Joy Nelson sports an all-pink MAGA get-up. She worked for President Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign and before that the pro-Trump social media platform GETTR and the right-wing network Real America’s Voice before joining the White House in January 

Sonny Joy Nelson was a cheerleader during her time at North Carolina’s Campbell University. During her college years she also worked at one of her mother’s centers, Hand in Hope Pregnancy Resource Center, as a marketing specialist, according to her LinkedIn 

‘And she has earned everything since then,’ he continued. ‘I guarantee you that you cannot find a single person who Sonny has encountered or worked with who doesn’t think she is just the most delightful, smart capable, upbeat person that they have encountered in politics.’ 

After Trump lost the White House to President Joe Biden, Nelson followed longtime Trump communications guru Jason Miller to the social media startup Gettr. 

She also worked as a booking producer for Real America’s Voice and as director of media affairs for the Republican National Committee, according to the White House. 

During the Trump 2024 campaign, Nelson was Director of Media Affairs and Surrogates and was given a similar title when the White House announced her employment on January 24, 2025. 

Murtaugh suggested Sonny’s fast ascent is because she’s, well, sunny.  

‘When you work in politics, whether it’s in Trumpworld or otherwise, it’s really hard to maintain a positive attitude even sometimes, let alone all the time,’ he said. ‘From what I can tell, and from my personal experience in being around Sonny a lot, is that she has never had a bad day.’ 

Her last day at the White House is Friday.  

Authorities are on the hunt for a murder suspect who has been evading law enforcement since Wednesday.

Deputies report that 38-year-old Jesse Phillips is accused of fatally shooting a man in the chest in Pickett County, Tennessee, before fleeing the scene in his vehicle, which may have crossed state borders.

Law enforcement officials in Clinton County, Kentucky, located Phillips’ vehicle, a distinctive black pickup truck with a yellow hood, parked at a residence on Norman Cole Road in Albany.

The Clinton County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the discovery of Phillips’ truck at the Albany location.

Phillips is described as a White male, standing 5 feet 10 inches tall, with brown hair, brown eyes, and weighing around 225 pounds.

Pickett has been added to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s Most Wanted List; there is a reward available for anyone who can provide information that can help investigators track him down.

Jesse Phillips was added to the TBI most wanted list in connection to the alleged murder. (Tennessee Bureau of Investigation)

In a statement sent to Fox News Digital, a TBI spokesperson said:

“At the request of 13th Judicial District Attorney General Bryant Dunaway, TBI agents are investigating the circumstances leading to a fatal shooting that occurred Wednesday in Pickett County. On Wednesday, the Pickett County Sheriff’s Department responded to a report of a shooting in the 1000 block of Parker Road. Upon arrival, they found an individual suffering from a gunshot wound. The individual was transported to an area hospital, where he was pronounced deceased. His identity is currently being withheld pending notification of next of kin. At this time, the investigation remains active and ongoing.”

Deputies discovered a pickup truck possibly driven by Jesse Phillips on Norman Cole Road in Albany, Kentucky. (Google Maps)

Authorities said if you see Pickett, do not approach as he is considered armed and dangerous. Instead, call 911.

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The truth about those “Game of Thrones” paychecks is finally out.

Emilia Clarke has addressed the swirling rumors regarding the hefty salaries she and her fellow cast members supposedly received for their work on the acclaimed HBO series.

Over a decade after reports suggested that each actor earned $300,000 per episode, Clarke has clarified to Variety that these figures were far from accurate, asserting, “We didn’t earn that much.”

During a conversation with the publication, Clarke humorously remarked, “Can you imagine? I’d have been driving a couple of Porsches!”

The actress, who brought the iconic character Daenerys Targaryen to life, chose not to delve deeper into just how exaggerated those initial reports were.

She also neglected to speak to Variety’s 2017 report that the numbers were as high as $500,000 each episode.

The series premiered in 2011 and ran for eight seasons before wrapping in 2019.

In addition to Clarke, the show starred Kit Harington, Lena Headey, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and more.

Prior to the finale, Clarke made it clear she was “always paid the same amount as” her male co-stars.

“It was my first job and I was not discriminated against because I was a woman, in my paycheck,” the Emmy nominee noted during a 2018 interview at a Cannes Film Festival screening.

That same year, court documents in Coster-Waldau’s legal battle with his former manager revealed he made $1.07 million per episode “for at least six episodes” of the final season.

Sophie Turner, meanwhile, was reported to be making $175,000 — which she addressed in a 2019 sitdown with Harper’s Bazaar.

“Kit got more money than me, but he had a bigger storyline,” the “Dark Phoenix” star, 30, said at the time. “And for the last series, he had something crazy like 70 night shoots, and I didn’t have that many. I was like, ‘You know what … you keep that money.’”

Elsewhere in Friday’s interview, Clarke shared her struggle “to understand” the cast’s “Game of Thrones” fame.

“You realize it’s just a formula: The less you’re on TV, the less famous you are,” she explained. “It comes and it goes.”

Clarke also opened up about “cheat[ing] death” by surviving multiple brain aneurysms, which she recently spoke about on the “How to Fail” podcast.

“It became this thing where I just couldn’t look anyone in the eye,” she said earlier this month. “It just cuts you off from the outside world because you’re walking around knowing that your body has failed you.”

The near-fatal health scares in 2011 and 2013, notably, took place while Clarke was filming “Game of Thrones.”

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — In a significant political maneuver, Louisiana’s Senate, dominated by Republicans, is set to approve a redistricting plan on Friday aimed at reinforcing GOP control of the U.S. House come November. This move positions Louisiana among the latest Southern states contemplating the removal of a majority-Black congressional district that traditionally elected a Democrat.

The anticipated Senate vote will address a redistricting proposal designed to potentially allow Republicans to secure an additional seat. This follows a U.S. Supreme Court decision in late April, which deemed Louisiana’s existing congressional district map as an unlawful racial gerrymander.

The revised map, which passed the House with significant support on Thursday, is now on the brink of final approval by the Legislature. Once this is achieved, Republican Governor Jeff Landry is expected to endorse it by signing it into law.

After the Supreme Court’s ruling, several Republican-led Southern states have taken advantage of the weakened federal Voting Rights Act to attempt their own redistricting. This marks another chapter in the intense nationwide redistricting conflict, intensifying ahead of the November elections with influences tied to former President Donald Trump.

Currently, Republicans appear to be leading in the redistricting efforts. However, this does not guarantee a victory in the closely contested U.S. House in November. The GOP estimates potential gains of up to 14 seats from their redistricting initiatives, while Democrats anticipate gaining six seats from redrawn districts in California and Utah.

In Louisiana, Republicans currently hold four of six congressional seats on a court-ordered map drawn in 2024 to comply with the Voting Rights Act by including a second district with a majority-Black population.

That map, however, was challenged in court, and the Supreme Court responded on April 30 by striking it down as an illegal racial gerrymander.

Landry postponed the state’s U.S. House primary, scheduled for May 16, until later this summer to allow time for Republican lawmakers to draw and pass a new map.

The proposed map redraws Democratic U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields’ district, clustering it around predominantly white communities in the Baton Rouge area and southern Louisiana. It also adds part of Baton Rouge to a heavily Democratic, majority-Black district based in New Orleans currently represented by Democratic U.S. Rep. Troy Carter.

More lawsuits were expected over the new map.

Democrats say the proposed map could still constitute a racial gerrymander because it packs Black voters into a single congressional district. Meanwhile, the plaintiffs in the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision criticized the Legislature’s map for leaving a majority-Black district in place.

Several other Southern states also have acted on redistricting since the Supreme Court’s decision.

Florida’s Legislature passed new congressional districts just hours after the ruling, completing a redrawing that was in the works in anticipation of the decision. It could yield Republicans as many as four additional seats in the midterm elections.

Tennessee adopted new U.S. House districts a week after the ruling, carving up a majority-Black district based in Memphis in a Republican attempt to win an additional seat.

In Alabama, Republicans are attempting to pick up another seat by redrawing two districts where Black residents compose a majority or close to it. Democrats hold both seats, and the proposal is mired in a court battle.

South Carolina’s Senate, meanwhile, decided against redistricting, despite pressure from Trump.

Donald Trump has revealed he is currently in the Situation Room to make a crucial decision regarding the signing of a nuclear agreement with Iran.

The former president is insisting that Iran commit to never pursuing nuclear weapons, turn over its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, and agree to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as part of the conditions for any potential agreement.

In a public statement, Trump announced that his “amazing and unprecedented Naval Blockade” of the oil passageway would be lifted, allowing stranded crews to start their journeys back home to reunite with their families.

“Say HELLO to your wives, husbands, parents, and families from me, your favorite President!” Trump expressed in his message.

Furthermore, Trump stated that “underwater mine sweepers” had already cleared several water mines in the region and urged Iran to either remove or neutralize any remaining threats.

Trump also asserted that enriched material he called ‘Nuclear Dust,’ buried beneath mountains would be unearthed and destroyed by the US military in coordination with regime and the International Atomic Energy Agency.

He insisted that ‘no money will be exchanged, until further notice,’ before heading into the Situation Room to make his final decision. 

Trump’s latest comments are the clearest sign yet that the US and Iran may be close to a deal. Within minutes of the President’s Truth Social post, crude oil futures fell to $86 a barrel.

In the post, Trump said his ‘amazing and unprecedented Naval Blockade’ of the oil passageway would now be lifted, telling stranded crews they could start ‘heading home’ to their families

Trump is demanding that Iran vow never to pursue a nuclear weapon, hand over its entire stockpile of highly enriched uranium, and agree to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as conditions for signing a deal

The Strait of Hormuz remains a crucial sticking point between US and Iranian diplomats 

Trump is with his top political and military advisers in the Situation Room to determine if he will move forward with an agreement to end the war with Iran 

Over the past few weeks, US and Iranian diplomats have been engaged in intense back-and-forth negotiations over the signing of a memorandum of understanding. 

The goal of the memorandum is to expand the current ceasefire for another two months, but immediately reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway responsible for moving one-fifth of all global oil. 

A final agreement addressing Trump’s nuclear demands would likely come at a later date. 

The current working memorandum reportedly states that Iran will agree to negotiate on its nuclear program. 

Control over the strait is one of the key factors limiting diplomatic progress toward ending the war. 

Tehran is demanding that the US withdraw its forces from the region and allow the regime to jointly control the strait alongside Oman. Earlier this week, Trump threaten to bomb Oman, a key US Middle Eastern ally, if they work with Iran to control the strait. 

Iran is also seeking to impose transit fees on US-backed oil tankers in exchange for safe passage through the waterway. 

Despite claims by Trump and the Pentagon that Iran’s navy has been eliminated, Tehran has effectively shut down movement through the strait by seizing oil tankers with speedboats and deploying explosive ocean mines. 

A fireball and smoke erupt from a building following an Israeli strike in Tyre, southern Lebanon, on May 28

Trump, however, has continued to use the naval blockade of Iran’s ports to cut the regime off from its lucrative oil trade with China and other Asian countries.

Vice President JD Vance said it was ‘hard to say when or if’ Trump will sign off on the latest peace proposal with Iran. 

‘It’s hard to say exactly when or if the president’s going to sign,’ Vance told reporters on Thursday evening. 

He added: ‘We’re going back and forth on a couple of language points.’

The latest flare-up in fighting happened less than a day earlier, when Kuwait intercepted missiles fired from Iran, according to US Central Command.

PARIS, France — Israel’s ambassador to France has sharply criticized the rhetoric of far-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon, equating it to the dangerous language of Adolf Hitler. This, he warns, is part of a worrying trend where foreign influences are stoking a rise in antisemitism, leading some French Jews to conceal their identities as they navigate daily life.

In 2025, France witnessed a staggering 1,320 antisemitic acts, a significant increase from 436 incidents reported in 2022. Despite this alarming rise, a prominent Jewish community leader expressed to Fox News Digital their determination not to retreat, even as the frequency of attacks and incidents continues to grow.

Israeli Ambassador to France, Joshua Zarka, points out that France, home to Europe’s largest Muslim population, is experiencing a high number of antisemitic incidents on a daily basis. Additionally, France also boasts the largest Jewish community in Europe.

GLOBAL RISE IN ANTISEMITISM LEAVES JEWISH COMMUNITY ISOLATED; RABBI SAYS WORLD AT ‘A TIPPING POINT’

Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who leads the French left-wing party La France Insoumise (LFI), was recently seen addressing supporters during a campaign event in Marseille, southern France, on March 7, 2026. (Miguel Medina/AFP via Getty Images)

“The number of events is extremely high — not because the French government does not fight it, but because there is this base in which antisemitism is growing,” due to foreign influence, which he claimed comes from Iran, Russia, Turkey and Qatar, he said. 

While he says those state actors are fueling the fire of Jew-hatred from the outside, certain French political actors exploit antisemitism for the purpose of getting more votes. According to Zarka, foremost among them is the far-left party La France Insoumise (LFI).

“The way [LFI leader] Jean-Luc Mélenchon speaks in front of a crowd reminds me of Hitler. The way he uses the idea of uniting against one enemy by speaking of Israel is similar to the way Hitler used to speak about the Jews,” Zarka said.

In February, the Human Rights League criticized Mélenchon after he mocked the pronunciation of Jewish names, including that of MEP Raphaël Glucksmann.

Palestinian protestors wave flags with some seemingly making Nazi-like salutes during a soccer game between Israel and Paraguay during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Parc des Princes in Paris July 27, 2024.  (Geoffroy van der Hasselt/AFP via Getty Images)

Mélenchon previously wrote on his blog that “antisemitism remains residual in France,” remarks critics said downplayed a surge in Jew-hatred after Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre in Israel.

Fox News Digital repeatedly contacted Mélenchon’s media advisor for comment but did not receive a response.

Zarka added that, over the past three years, there has been a shift in the Jewish community’s perception of what was once considered the extreme right, with many no longer viewing the National Rally, formerly led by Marine Le Pen, as such.

CALLS FOR US TO DO MORE AS ANTISEMITIC ACTS SKYROCKET IN EUROPE: ‘ENORMOUSLY PAINFUL’

Protesters hold signs that say “raped at 12 because Jewish” during a demonstration called by associations, including SOS Racisme and the Women’s Foundation to denounce antisemitism, in Paris on June 20, 2024, after the alleged antisemetic gang rape of a 12-year-old girl in Paris’ suburb of Courbevoie. (Zakaria Abdelkafi/AFP via Getty Images)

“Let’s not forget that [National Rally President] Jordan Bardella went to Israel and, at Yad Vashem, made a formal commitment to fight antisemitism, be it from the right or the left, and that is significant. … That is sinking into the mind of the Jewish community,” Zarka said.

Recent incidents include the partial cutting down on Jan. 12 in Lyon of a tree planted in memory of Ilan Halimi, who was abducted and murdered in a 2006 antisemitic attack. 

On Feb. 9, a young boy wearing a kippah was assaulted by a group of five individuals, one of whom allegedly held a knife to his throat. Ten days later, acid was sprayed in two dining rooms of a kosher restaurant in Paris’s 17th arrondissement. 

On April 15, racist and antisemitic graffiti targeted three high schools in the Montpellier metropolitan area.

El Al’s offices in Paris were vandalized, showing graffiti on the building’s exterior. (Noemie Olive/Reuters)

In March, two brothers were arrested for with what authorities described as a “deadly and antisemitic” plot after police discovered a semi-automatic weapon, a bottle of hydrochloric acid and an Islamic State flag in their vehicle.

Rabbi Elie Lemmel was targeted in two antisemitic attacks, including last June in Deauville, where he was punched in the stomach. Days later, he was attacked again in Neuilly-sur-Seine while sitting at a café terrace, when a Palestinian from Gaza struck him with a chair.

Lemmel told Fox News Digital he had almost never faced aggression before but believes the post-Oct. 7 conflict has intensified tensions. He said he understands those who choose to be more discreet and would never judge them.

“You have to be vigilant,” he said. “Unfortunately, some people see a kippah, and it bothers them. Those who want to do harm will always find reasons.

“If we start hiding, it is the beginning of the end,” he added. “I have always worn a kippah, and that is why I continue to wear it.”

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER SUSPENDED AFTER ‘FREE PALESTINE’ BROADCAST TO ISRAELI PILOTS

Yonathan Arfi, president of the Conseil Représentatif des Institutions juives de France (CRIF), said some Jewish families now forgo displaying mezuzahs or use different names on mobile apps to avoid being identified.

“On the one hand, there is a rise in antisemitism that leads to precautionary behavior,” Arfi told Fox News Digital. “On the other hand, Jewish life remains more vibrant than ever, with synagogues full and more kosher restaurants than ever before.

“We must not offer antisemitic terrorists and those driven by hatred our fear and withdrawal as a trophy,” said Arfi. “Wherever possible, Jewish life must continue openly and proudly.”

French riot police use tear gas to disperse demonstrators during a pro-Palestinian rally at Republique Square in Paris on Oct. 12, 2023. (Ibrahim Ezzat/Anadolu)

Immigration to Israel, he said, should nevertheless be seen as a warning sign that some Jews no longer see a future in France.

Historically, French immigration to Israel averaged between 1,500 and 2,000 people annually after the Six-Day War. The figure peaked at around 8,000 annually between 2012 and 2015, fell to about 1,000 in 2023, then rose again to more than 2,000 in 2024 and 3,500 in 2025. The Jewish Agency for Israel estimates roughly 4,000 immigrants from France in 2026.

The Israeli ambassador to Paris noted that French authorities take combating antisemitism seriously, and therefore the country remains “a relatively safe place,” while urging Israelis to exercise caution when traveling to other European countries such as Spain, Belgium and even the Netherlands, “where antisemitism flourishes.”

French President Emmanuel Macron addresses the 80th United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York on Sept. 23, 2025. (Eduardo Munoz/Reuters)

In February, President Emmanuel Macron denounced the “antisemitic hydra” that had crept into “every crack” of French society during a ceremony commemorating Ilan Halimi, a Jewish man kidnapped and tortured to death by the Gang of Barbarians in 2006.

“In 20 years, and despite the resolute efforts of our police officers, gendarmes, judges, teachers and elected officials, the antisemitic hydra has kept advancing,” Macron said, according to Le Monde.

“Constantly assuming new faces, it has insinuated itself into the heart of our societies, into every crevice, too often accompanied by that same pact of cowardice: to keep silent, to refuse to see.”

Macron also condemned the “Islamist antisemitism” behind the Oct. 7 Hamas-led massacre and “far-left antisemitism,” which he said “rivals that of the far right.”

He added that antisemitism increasingly “uses the mask of anti-Zionism to advance quietly.”

Marine Le Pen and deputies Sébastien Chenu and Jordan Bardella participate in a march against antisemitism from the Esplanade des Invalides to the Senate in Paris on Nov. 12, 2023. (Antoine Gyori/Corbis via Getty Images)

Even so, bilateral ties with Israel are not without friction, with Zarka disclosing that the government of Macron refused to allow U.S. military overflights carrying weapons to Israel during the war against Iran.

“The French made the decision not to provide us with an aerial bridge for American weapon shipments to fly over during the war against Iran,” he said.

It was the second time France had denied such a request, the first occurring during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, the envoy noted.

On Friday, President Trump announced that he is on the verge of making a definitive decision regarding a potential deal with Iran. This agreement could lead to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the lifting of the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports, and the initiation of discussions around nuclear issues.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump outlined the conditions of the proposed deal, stating, “Iran must commit to never developing a Nuclear Weapon or Bomb. The Strait of Hormuz should be opened immediately for unrestricted shipping in both directions, with no tolls.” He emphasized that water mines would be dismantled, adding, “We’ve already neutralized many mines thanks to our exceptional underwater mine sweepers.”

He continued by insisting that Iran must handle the prompt removal or detonation of any remaining mines, claiming that very few would be left.

Trump also mentioned that ships currently stuck in the Strait due to what he described as an “unprecedented Naval Blockade” could begin their journey home as the blockade is lifted.

He concluded his message with a personal touch, urging sailors to “say HELLO to your wives, husbands, parents, and families from me, your favorite President!”

The president further claimed that the US would dig out Iran’s enriched Uranium as part of the deal, alongside Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency.

“The enriched material, sometimes referred to as ‘Nuclear Dust,’ which is buried deep underground with virtually collapsed mountains, caused by our powerful B2 Bomber attack 11 months ago, sitting on top of it, will be unearthed by the United States (which, it is agreed, is the only Country, along with China, with the mechanical capability of doing so!), in close coordination and conjunction with the Islamic Republic of Iran, plus the International Atomic Energy Agency, and DESTROYED.

“No money will be exchanged, until further notice. Other items, of far less importance, have been agreed to. I will be meeting now, in the Situation Room, to make a final determination. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

Scooter Braun has thrown his support behind Spencer Pratt’s contentious bid for the Los Angeles mayoral seat, amid ongoing speculation about Pratt’s girlfriend, Sydney Sweeney, and her alleged MAGA connections.

At 42, former reality TV personality Spencer Pratt aims to shake up the political landscape by challenging current mayor Karen Bass in the upcoming primary elections.

Pratt, best known for his role on The Hills, has stirred controversy by claiming backing from celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio and Jamie Foxx, while other stars such as Jimmy Kimmel and Lisa Rinna have openly criticized his campaign.

Now, the former manager of Justin Bieber, 44, has weighed in on the political showdown during a candid appearance on the Second Thought podcast – and it appears he’s Team Pratt.

“I usually keep my voting choices private. I consider myself a moderate, so I swing both ways politically,” Braun stated. “What I admire about Spencer [Pratt] is his ability to highlight issues that have been overlooked. He resonates with many who seek straightforward communication and common-sense solutions.”

He further remarked, “It’s fascinating to observe his progress. I genuinely think he has a real shot at winning.”

Scooter Braun has joined the growing list of celebrities backing Spencer Pratt ’s controversial Los Angeles mayoral campaign during a candid appearance on the Second Thought podcast

Pratt has caused a stir by claiming Leonardo DiCaprio and Jamie Foxx are among his celebrity supporters, while stars including Jimmy Kimmel and Lisa Rinna have publicly blasted his campaign

Braun’s comments also thrust renewed attention onto the ongoing controversy surrounding the political beliefs of girlfriend Sweeney, who has repeatedly faced backlash over alleged conservative leanings. 

The Euphoria actress became a political lightning rod after reports resurfaced that she was a registered Republican, with President Donald Trump later publicly praising the star.

Left-wing critics also erupted over her American Eagle denim campaign featuring the tagline: ‘Sydney Sweeney Has Great Genes,’ with some online commentators accusing the ad of promoting eugenics-coded messaging and far-Right ideals.

Fans had already been dissecting perceived clues about her political leanings since 2022, including references to her ‘conservative’ relatives and viral photos from her mother’s ‘Make Sixty Great Again’ themed birthday party.

The backlash ultimately led some critics to label the actress a ‘MAGA Barbie,’ despite Sweeney repeatedly insisting she is ‘not a political person.’

The attention surrounding Sweeney’s political rumors comes as her romance with Braun continues to heat up behind the scenes.

The couple reportedly began dating in September 2025 after first crossing paths at Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez’s lavish Venice wedding.

Braun shares three children with ex-wife Yael Cohen, while Sweeney was previously engaged to businessman Jonathan Davino before the pair quietly split in March 2025.

Braun’s comments come as girlfriend Sydney Sweeney continues to face scrutiny over her rumored MAGA ties; Above, in 2025

The Euphoria actress became a political lightning rod after reports resurfaced that she was a registered Republican, with President Donald Trump later publicly praising the star; Above, in 2025

Sydney came under fire when she threw a surprise party for her mom’s 60th, where guests were wearing MAGA-style hats and ‘Blue Lives Matter’ shirts; Above, guests at the party

The actress has long guarded details of her personal life, previously opening up about her desire to keep relationships out of the spotlight.

‘I was in a relationship for a very long time, for seven and a half years, and I never talked about it. I was very private,’ she told Cosmopolitan earlier this year.

‘No one would ever see us. I think it’s important to have some things for myself.’

Elsewhere in the wide-ranging Second Thought podcast interview, Braun also made a startling confession about Taylor Swift as he revisited their long-running fallout over her masters.

One year earlier, in May 2025, Swift revealed she had successfully bought back her masters after Braun’s company acquired the rights through private equity firm Shamrock Capital in 2020.

Reflecting on the backlash, Braun admitted he went from being ‘loved and appreciated for over a decade to literally a villain the next night.’

The music mogul also insisted the public narrative surrounding their alleged feud had been wildly exaggerated.

‘I don’t know Taylor Swift. I think I’ve met her in my life three times. I have never had a substantial conversation with her in my life,’ Braun claimed.

Elsewhere in the wide-ranging Second Thought podcast interview, Braun also made a startling confession about Taylor Swift as he revisited their long-running fallout over her masters; Above, in 2024 in Paris 

The businessman recalled once attending a party hosted by Swift where the pair exchanged mutual respect, adding: ‘I will never truly understand that situation. To this day, I wish her nothing but the best.’

However, Braun said the controversy ultimately taught him ‘a tremendous amount.’

The record executive continued: ‘But I think there’s this big misconception that, like, we knew each other and we had this feud and I managed her for years.

‘And people are usually shocked to find out that I legitimately don’t know her and didn’t have many interactions with her and never really knew her.’

Braun further claimed he had spoken to the Bad Blood hitmaker only ‘once,’ and said the conversation lasted just a few minutes.

‘And then the three years prior to us buying Big Machine, she and I had no contact. I think it was two years.’

He added that he still feels ‘confused that this is part of my life,’ but said he has since moved on from the saga in a more positive way.

Iran reportedly feels significantly threatened by the small African territory of Somaliland, which has declared independence. The concern stems from the possibility that the United States, Israel, and other Western nations might establish a strategic foothold in the region by utilizing Somaliland’s deep-water port and airbase.

Such developments could seriously disrupt Iran’s strategy of using Yemen’s Houthi rebel group as a proxy to target shipping routes in the Red Sea. This region is crucial for global trade and has been a focal point for geopolitical tensions.

There are allegations that Iran has been urging the Houthis to resume their attacks on maritime traffic, particularly in the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait. This waterway has gained prominence as a vital oil transit route from the Middle East to Asia, especially since access through the Strait of Hormuz has been largely restricted.

Could Somaliland’s Strategic Location Become a New U.S. Base Against Iran and the Houthis in Key Maritime Corridors?

As Somaliland celebrates its self-declared Independence Day, marking its 1991 secession from Somalia, the region is under renewed global scrutiny. This attention follows Israel’s groundbreaking decision to formally recognize Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state in East Africa. The celebrations took place in Hargeisa, the capital of this breakaway territory, highlighting Somaliland’s ongoing quest for international recognition. (Reuters/Stringer)

Lisa Daftari, a Middle East and foreign policy expert, told Fox News Digital, “Iran’s regime is deeply threatened by what Somaliland represents in an emerging pro‑Western, potentially pro‑Israel foothold overlooking the Bab el‑Mandeb, that could blunt Tehran’s leverage via the Houthis over Red Sea shipping and Israel.”

Daftari, the editor‑in‑chief of The Foreign Desk, said, “that’s why Iran‑backed Houthis are already explicitly threatening to strike any Israeli or Western military presence in Somaliland and warning they could move to choke the Bab el‑Mandeb if the conflict with the U.S. and Israel escalates.” 

The White House has said that Iran’s proxies, such as the Houthis, have been weakened. “The United States Military achieved all of the goals laid out for Operation Epic Fury – including weakening Iran’s proxies. Now, Iran is being strangled economically – giving President Trump all the cards as negotiations continue,” Anna Kelly, special assistant to the President and White House principal deputy press secretary told Fox News Digital when asked if the U.S. was considering a full-time-basing relationship with Somaliland.

A tanker sits at the Port of Fujairah, as the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran limits marine traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. (REUTERS / Amr Alfiky / File Photo)

Edmund Fitton-Brown, a senior fellow at The Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) told Fox News Digital that Somaliland’s recognition of Israel and Israel’s recognition of it last December has clearly irked Iran.

Fitton-Brown, who is a former U.K. ambassador to Yemen — the Houthis home country, said Iran “opposes any recognition of it (Somaliland) primarily because Israel is the first state to recognize it, and Iran will oppose anything that Israel does. Iran is also viscerally opposed to the U.S. and UAE, both of which have pragmatic engagement with Somaliland, short of recognition. Somaliland is a potential base for anti-Houthi enforcement, i.e. a threat to the Iranian Axis of Resistance.”

IS TRUMP CONSIDERING BOLD AFRICA PLAY TO PUSH BACK ON CHINA, RUSSIA AND ISLAMIC TERRORISTS?

Pro-Iran protesters brandish billboards depicting the Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei, flags of Yemen and Iran, weapons, and chant slogans as they take part in a rally held to condemn the US-Israel aerial attacks on Iran and killing the Iranian supreme leader and several military officials on March 1, 2026 in Sana’a, Yemen.  (Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images)

The U.S. already has a large base on the Red Sea in Djibouti, but Fitton-Brown says this is increasingly problematical “China is significantly expanding its military and commercial presence in Djibouti. There is a sense that Djibouti is not a reliable ally for the U.S. So Somaliland’s time has probably come.”

And Somaliland hopes so. Its Foreign Minister, Abdirahman Dahir Adam, told Fox News Digital “At a time when the Strait of Hormuz is under pressure and threats to the Red Sea are escalating, Somaliland has reiterated its longstanding offer to provide the United States with access along our coast. We have been clear about this in times of peace, and we are equally clear today.”

Iranian soldiers take part in an annual military drill in the coast of the Gulf of Oman and near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, in Jask, Iran on December 30, 2022. (Iranian Army / Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

The Somaliland government is also offering storage space for tomahawk missiles, with a government source saying it’s “a unique way to advance security interests.”

Adam added, “U.S. destroyers that expend their missile batteries in the Red Sea require (currently) up to two weeks of travel to be resupplied. Somaliland is ready to play a practical role in helping the U.S. to secure global trade routes.”

But Somaliland’s offer of allowing use of its airbase and seaport is not all plain sailing.  Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Kenneth P. Ekman, former AFRICOM/J5 and West Africa coordination element lead, told Fox News Digital “a policy dilemma presents when conducting diplomatic and military relations with Somaliland directly, rather than through the Federal Government of Somalia and the SNA (Somali National Army).”

IRAN’S AFRICA ACTIVITIES POSE ‘SIGNIFICANT THREATS TO US NATIONAL SECURITY’

People stand next to the Independence Monument, depicting a hand holding a map of the country, in the city of Hargeisa, Somaliland, on Sept. 19, 2021. (Eduardo Soteras/AFP via Getty Images)

“This same dilemma presents,” Ekman continued. “While we (the U.S.) enjoy good access in Djibouti, this access is singular and competes with the Chinese presence.  Additional access to the port of Berbera, located in Somaliland, provides redundancy (backup) and a relationally different partner. Frankly, the U.S. military, along with some of our allies and partners, need port access in Berbera.”

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas., chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health, is strongly advocating for the U.S. to go all the diplomatic way and recognize Somaliland.

Sen. Ted Cruz speaks during a roundtable discussion at the U.S. Capitol on March 3, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)

He told Fox News Digital in a statement that “Somaliland promises to be a critical counterterrorism ally for the United States, both because of its strong willingness to partner with us and because of its unique location. We should recognize the Republic of Somaliland as an independent state and, in the meantime, significantly boost our counterterrorism cooperation.” 

The U.S. though, appears to be making below-the-radar moves. The Commander of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), Gen. Dagvin Anderson, was recently in the country visiting port facilities, with a delegation, in November. This week, a Somaliland government source told Fox News Digital that U.S. military delegations come to the state every two months, with the last visit in the second half of April. 

U.S. Air Force Gen. Dagvin Anderson, commander, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), meets with President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, president of Somaliland, in Hargeisa, Somaliland, Nov. 26, 2025. The meeting was part of Gen. Anderson’s trip in East Africa to meet with government and defense leaders to strengthen America’s strategic approach to confronting terrorism through mutual engagement, stronger cooperation, and aligned security priorities. (U.S. Army photo by Cpt. Ubon Mendie)

Fitton-Brown told Fox News Digital that, “The U.S. is already using it (Somaliland) for counterterrorism operations. My understanding is that the U.S. doesn’t have a permanent military presence in Somaliland, but actively cooperates with Somaliland’s security forces on regional counterterrorism and maritime security issues.”

A former senior U.S. defense official agreed that American military specialists have been co-ordinating with Somaliland forces since 2023, when they came together to kill Bilal al-Sudani, reportedly a key facilitator and financier of the ISIS global network.

However, the U.S. aligns publicly with Somalia, from which Somaliland broke away in 1991. 

Somalia airstrikes escalate as U.S. forces partner with Somali authorities against al-Shabaab. (TONY KARUMBA/AFP via Getty Images)

When asked this week about the U.S. military relationship with Somaliland when it comes to counter-terrorism operations in the country, a Pentagon official told Fox News Digital: “The United States maintains its strategic partnership with the Federal Government of Somalia.

“In northern Somalia, AFRICOM, alongside the Federal Government of Somalia and Somali Armed Forces, has conducted airstrikes to degrade ISIS—Somalia’s ability to threaten the U.S. Homeland, our forces, and our citizens abroad. In southern Somalia, AFRICOM, also in close coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, has conducted airstrikes to enable partner forces’ ability to degrade al Shabaab. Our strategic approach to countering terrorism in Africa relies on trusted partnerships and collaboration grounded in and through shared security interests.”

Daftari added, “Somaliland is offering the United States what the mullahs fear most in this theater, namely an alternative, resilient platform on the African shore that includes an airfield, port, and over‑the‑horizon access that would dilute Houthi leverage and give Washington options that don’t depend on Djibouti or Persian Gulf partners alone.”