Tag: donald-trump

MURDEROUS ATTACK ON NATIONAL GUARD PERSONNEL

The following is based on a compendium of media reports and my own opinion where indicated.

It was inevitable. It was only a matter of time. It was just a question of who, where, when and how many. Of course, I’m referring to an unprovoked, premeditated, murderous terror attack by an improperly vetted alien on two US National Guard personnel while they were in legal performance of their assigned duties. One, Sarah Beckstrom, subsequently died from her injuries; as I write this, the other one, Andrew Wolfe, remains in critical condition.

As most of you know, the National Guard was deployed to the nation’s capital as part of Trump’s federal takeover of the city and crime crackdown in August. All indications are that this initiative was working as crime has declined dramatically. Even Muriel Bowser, the Dem mayor of DC, had praised the program. According to the most recent update, there were 2,188 National Guard personnel assigned to D.C.

According to multiple media accounts the perpetrator, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national, allegedly drove from Washington State to Washington, DC specifically to target Guard members. Film footage from the crime scene revealed that he “barreled around the corner” and just commenced firing on the victims with a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver. Washington DC US Attorney Jeanine Pirro reported that he attacked “without provocation, ambush style,” struck one of the victims, leaned over and shot the individual again, before firing at the other National Guard member “several times.” The shooting took place around 2:15 p.m. last Wednesday near the Farragut West Metro station. As I write this there is no known motive. Due to the heinous nature of this crime Attorney General Pam Bondi and Attorney for DC Jeanine Pirro have both vowed to seek the death penalty. I concur.

According to various law enforcement sources Lakanwal entered the United States in 2021 under the Biden Administration’s “Operation Allies Welcome Program.” FBI Director Kash Patel noted that the FBI received confirmation from the Department of Defense and CIA “that the subject had a relationship in Afghanistan with partner forces,” which enabled him to enter the United States in 2021 under that program.

CIA Director John Radcliffe asserted that nevertheless Lavanthal “should never been allowed to come here.” Kristi Noem opined that at some point he became radicalized, and some media outlets have speculated he may have become afflicted with PTSD, which fueled his rage.

He applied for asylum and was granted it in April 2024 under the Trump Administration. According to multiple reports “he was vetted, and the vetting came back clean.” He has a wife, five children and a brother in the U.S. Apparently, he has been unable to find employment because he had an expired work permit. Moreover, he had become more isolated the past few months, could not pay rent or afford food, was relying on others for help and was growing desperate.

For years many of us have been warning that Biden’s lax open border policy had enabled millions of illegal and/or improperly vetted aliens into the country. We don’t know how many, but some people put the number as high as 18 million. In many cases we don’t know who they are, where they are, and their intent. As I have denoted in previous blogs this policy exhibited absolutely no regard for the safety and security of American citizens. It was part of a broader policy that favored illegal immigrants over American citizens. Furthermore, it has had and will continue to have far-reaching negative ramifications on Americans politically, militarily, economically and socially.

Beckstrom was a native of a small town in WVA. According to friends she enlisted in the NG because she wanted to serve her country, help people, and gain experience to enable her to attain her long-term goal of joining the FBI. By all accounts she was a good person who in the words of her ex-boyfriend would “do anything for anyone who needed it.” Her mother described her as having “a heart of gold.” Attorney General Pam Bondi, commented that she could have gone home for the TG holiday, but she volunteered to remain in DC “so others could be home with their families.”

In the wake of this heinous crime the US is re-examining the entire aliens’ vetting process. In my opinion this is long overdue. It is apparent that the vetting of aliens has been incomplete and unreliable. More on this later.

The NY Post reported that of the thousands of aliens who were allowed to enter into the US under the expedited processing required by the Program, DHS investigations have now discovered “potential derogatory information” relating to national security, “public safety,” “fraud” and inclusion on “watch lists” with respect to 6,800 or more of them. This is unacceptable and calls into question the veracity of the entire vetting process. According to the NY Post former FBI Assistant Director Chris Swecker asserted that “you have to have an analyst, or an agent look at every doggone one of them and do it critically and set some objective criteria for disqualification.” It should be noted that Trump opined it was “virtually impossible” to deport people who arrived under the aforementioned Program.

US Senator Chuck Grassley has long been a critic of this process and has denoted various “red flags.” He received no cooperation from Biden Administration officials, but Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has been providing Grassley with the information requested.

Part of the problem is the difficulty of obtaining complete and accurate information. This is often exacerbated by the huge influx of applicants as happened with the sudden collapse of Afghanistan. You may recall that the US withdrawal was totally botched.

Additionally, asylum seekers have not been subjected to any periodic updates. Applicants who seem to be all right initially can become radicalized after they enter the US. That seems to have been the case with Lavanthal.

Conclusion

One should not ignore or downplay the effect that the irresponsible rhetoric emanating from the left (in particular the “Seditious Six”) and their allies in the media has had in fomenting violence. As we have seen with the assassination attempts on Trump, the murder of Charlie Kirk, and several other instances unstable persons like Lavanthal are particularly susceptible to being influenced.

Trump has initiated prompt and decisive action. (1) He has “stopped indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols” any immigration requests “relating to Afghan nationals.” (2) He has ordered a review of all asylum vettings approved by the Biden Administration. (3) He has authorized a “sweeping review” of the millions of green card holders from 19 countries, which have been deemed security risks. US Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Joseph Edlow announced that his department “has halted all asylum decisions until we can ensure that every alien is vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible. The safety of the American people always comes first.”

These actions will affect the lives of millions of asylum applicants and green card holders the majority of which are not problematic. It will likely engender complaints and even accusations of bias and racism, but I maintain they are long overdue. It is a shame that a good person had to die beforehand.

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DEMS FOMENTING INSURRECTION

For ten years Dem politicians and their supporters in the media and elsewhere have employed a myriad of means, some illegal, to hamper Donald Trump’s presidency. For example, they spread false and malicious rumors that he was a puppet of the Russians; they impeached him twice on “trumped up” charges; they indicted him for fake crimes; they tried to imprison him; they tried to bankrupt him; and they tried to incite violence against him by continually call him “Hitler,”, “Nazi,” “evil,” and an “existential threat to democracy.”

As I have explained in previous blogs each of these tactics was ultimately exposed to be mendacious with evil intent. Now the Dems are so desperate they have outdone themselves. Recently, several lawmakers, including Sen. Elissa Slotkin of MI, Sen. Mark Kelly of AZ and Reps. Chris Deluzio of Pennsylvania, Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire, Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania and Jason Crow of Colorado all of whom have served in the military or the intelligence community and should know better, released a video containing a message that, in my view, advocates insurrection.

It advises national guardsmen and military personnel that they may and, in fact, should disobey any order that they deem to be illegal. Their message stated, in part, “our laws are clear. You can refuse illegal orders. You must refuse illegal orders,” they said, taking turns delivering virtually identical lines as if from a prepared script. So, in their opinion, if an enlisted person were to disagree with a lawful order by a superior officer to enforce one of President Trump’s policies for instance to engage an enemy combatant or detain illegal immigrants who are wreaking havoc in a US city he can and should disobey it. To me, that is a clear attempt to incite insurrection.

Article II, Section 2, Clause 1 of the US Constitution states, in part, that “the President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States…” It defines insurrection as a violent uprising against an authority or government. For example, the IA empowers the president to deploy federal troops and/or to federalize the National Guard units of the individual states in specific circumstances, including, among other things, the suppression of “civil disorder.” Persons attacking ICE personnel who are enforcing federal law, such as we have been witnessing on tv is a classic instance of “civil disorder.” In my opinion, inciting insurrection by words or deeds is a clear violation of that law. There is no ambiguity. We cannot have privates debating the merit of lawful orders with lieutenants in the heat of battle. (We are not talking about orders, for example, to torture a non-combatant.)

I maintain that the Justice Department should prosecute those people in accordance with the Insurrection Act of 1807 and/or other applicable laws. Otherwise, we risk anarchy or an attempted coup, (which is probably what these insurrectionists want). Certain Dems have made it clear that they oppose Trump’s military deployment in various cities. The Trump administration sharply criticized their communique.

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller said those Dem lawmakers are “openly calling for insurrection.” Many people, including me, agree. Attorney General Pam Bondi averred on Fox News that the DOJ would be investigating. I hope it follows through and metes out appropriate punishment to the inciters.

The deployment of federal troops to deal with local criminal matters is not unique. “Well, it’s been invoked before,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. He’s correct. It has been many times, for example, in southern states in the 1950s to enforce civil rights and in various cities in the 1960s to suppress anti-war violence. Trump has asserted that troops are needed now to protect federal property and personnel in carrying out their lawful duties, as well as assisting in an overall drive to round up and deport illegal aliens and suppress crime.

In other related news:

  1. Reuters has reported that a federal judge has temporarily barred Guard troops from heading to Portland, Oregon. I expect that this outlier ruling will be overturned on appeal as others have in the past.
  2. In a separate, but similar ruling another judge has allowed for now a deployment to proceed in Chicago, where federal agents have embarked on a sweeping crackdown regarding illegal immigration. Illinois Governor Pritzker has been a constant critic of the deployment of federal troops in Chicago. This is ironic as Chicago has one of the highest crime rates and murder rates in the country. It’s obvious that federal assistance is needed there desperately, and Pritzker cares more about opposing Trump than the safety of his own citizens. Meanwhile, people are dying. President Trump has characterized Chicago as “a great city where there’s a lot of crime, and if the governor can’t do the job, we’ll do the job. It’s all very simple,”

CONCLUSION

Many liberal/progressive/socialist/communist commentators have tried to poo-poo this incident, but you know if a Republican had said the same thing about a Dem Administration multiple law enforcement agencies would have raided his house en masse at 3:00 AM with tv cameras at the ready to record it. This cannot be swept under the rug. An example must be made to forestall similar incitements prospectively.

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THE SCHUMER SHUTDOWN

The contents of this blog are a compendium of information gleaned from multiple media sources. Any content that is my opinion is noted as such.

As of today, October 1, the Federal government is shut down due to Congress’ failure to pass a CR to extend the federal government’s funding for next year. It seems that every year the funding agreement is a bone of contention between the Dems and the GOP. Normally, the two sides negotiate down to the wire and reach an agreement at the “eleventh hour,” but not this year.

As the deadline approached, a bill to keep the government operating passed in the House barely, but it failed in the Senate 55-45. (60 votes were required for passage.) President Donald Trump and a bipartisan group of congressional leaders met at the White House on Monday in a last-ditch effort to forestall a shutdown, but no compromise was reached. The Senate is expected to vote again on Wednesday, likely on the same two measures that failed Tuesday, and likely with the same result. So, we have a shutdown. The primary issue seems to be that Congressional Democrats are demanding overhauls to Medicaid cuts and extensions to health care tax credits, which would cost an estimated $1.7 trillion. Republicans are opposed, but they have signaled they would agree to address those concerns in a separate bill.

The current situation is far from unique. Since 1976 the government has undergone ten shutdowns and numerous additional funding gaps that did not result in a shutdown. The last shutdown was from December 22, 2018, to January 25, 2019 during President Trump’s first term. It lasted 35 days and was the longest ever. The primary issue was Congress’ refusal to provide funding for the U.S.-Mexico border wall. Another recent notable shutdown was for 16 days in 2013 during the Obama presidency over the GOP’s demands to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

Prior to the 1980s, funding gaps did not normally result in shutdowns. The difference between the two is a funding gap occurs whenever Congress has missed the deadline to pass a budget or a stopgap spending bill (also called a continuing resolution). In those instances, federal government agencies were able to continue to operate on the “assumption” that funding would eventually be restored. And eventually it was. No harm, no foul.

After 1980, however, Attorney General Benjamin Civiletti issued legal opinions that eliminated this tactic. His opinion stated that under federal law agencies were prohibited from spending money without prior congressional approval. Only essential services – such as national security, air traffic control and law enforcement – could continue. Thus, funding gaps morphed into shutdowns.

Some of the implications of the current shutdown are as follows:

  1. “Essential” personnel – such as military service members (including hundreds of members of the National Guard that Trump has deployed to various U.S. cities), law enforcement officers ICE agents, and air traffic controllers – would be required to keep working, with pay deferred until funding has been restored.
  2. Federal contractors, including hourly workers such as janitors and security guards, are not required to work and are also not guaranteed back pay.
  3. Congresspersons would continue to get paid their $174,000 annual salaries (naturally).
  4. Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid disbursements would continue unabated, although there could be delays.
  5. Various “nonessential” federal services, such as national parks, monuments and museums, would be halted, reduced, or closed.
  6. Hundreds of thousands, or perhaps millions of nonessential government employees would be furloughed, placed on unpaid leave, or terminated. Most significantly, the determination of which employees get furloughed, placed on unpaid leave or terminated will be the sole province of the Executive Branch, i.e. President Trump and the Budget Office without recourse. Thus, they could take this opportunity to effect further DOGE cuts, which the Dems have opposed. The Office of Management and Budget has not yet provided an estimate of how many federal workers are expected to go without pay, furloughed or fired. However, OMB Director Russ Vought has threatened mass firings. Democrats have called this an intimidation tactic, but they cannot stop it.
  7. Mail would continue unabated as the U.S. Postal Service has its own revenue stream independent of government funding.
  8. Ultimately, the ramifications of the shutdown will likely spread beyond the purely political arena and impact the lives of many Americans who rely tangentially on the above government payments and services.

Conclusion

In my opinion, once again, the Dems have walked into a trap and find themselves on the wrong side of a critical issue. According to a recent NYT/ Siena Poll 65% of Americans are opposed to a shutdown.

In my view the blame for this one rests squarely on the Senate Dems and their inept, blundering leader, (Up)Chuck Schumer. His approval rating is very low, and he is facing a primary challenge for his Senate seat from AOC, which many believe he will lose. Moreover, the left wing of his party is dissatisfied with his leadership, and he faces a likely challenge there as well. I believe he is doing this to placate the left wing, but it will backfire.

To make matters worse Fox News has been playing recordings of Schumer, Pelosi, Hillary Clinton and other Dems condemning past government shutdowns, which contradict their current ranting in favor of this one. I don’t know how they can spin that discrepancy. The optics are really bad. Yes, they will try to blame the GOPers for the shutdown, but the public will not be fooled.

It is in the Senate where the Dems have blocked the CR. Even though the GOP has a slim majority there the Dems were able to prevent them from getting the required 60 votes.

Eventually, this shutdown, like all the others, will be resolved via a CR, and government operations will return to normal (such as they are). This shutdown will become known as the “Schumer Shutdown” and will constitute his political epitaph. Regular readers of my blogs are cognizant of my extreme antipathy for him and, I will not be sorry to see him go.

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CHARLIE KIRK’S LEGACY

In my view, we can all agree that the assassination of Charlie Kirk was a senseless, horrific tragedy (those of us that are sane, anyway). Charlie was a healer, not a divider, and the outpouring of praise, respect and love for him since his assassination has been astounding. It’s almost what one might expect for a Head of State. As his wife, Erika and many others have said, if the goal of the assassin was to silence Charlie and his cause the assassin miscalculated greatly, and the repercussions for those who opposed Kirk will be just the opposite.

In fact, it has already begun. His death has sparked international attention and has reignited the condemnation of violence rather than peaceful and respectful discourse as a means of resolving political differences.  To paraphrase what Erika said in Charlie’s eulogy and what many other commentators have since reiterated, “they have unleashed the whirlwind.” Trump announced that Kirk would posthumously receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is the highest medal that can be awarded to a civilian.

Charlie has been martyred. As I said, he has become more popular in death than he was in life. In the aftermath (of his assassination), millions of people who had never heard of Charlie Kirk and his forum, Turning Point, have become ardent supporters. They have become cognizant of what he stood for and his ability to communicate peacefully and respectfully with young people, especially college students. TP’s popularity has never been higher. Recently, tens of thousands of fans have been attending TP’s sessions and often there have been many more who could not get into the venue. Fox News has reported that there have been in excess of 120,000 requests for new TP chapters.

Kirk was born and raised in the Chicago suburbs of Arlington Heights and Prospect Heights. He attended Harper College, but he dropped out after one semester to pursue his real dream, political activism. (He was a prime example of “college is not for everyone.”)

He published a range of books and hosted The Charlie Kirk Show, a talk radio program. He co-founded Turning Point (USA) (TPUSA) in 2012 and was its executive director. Kirk described it as a student organization advocating for free markets and limited government.  Kirk remained the executive director, chief fundraiser, and the public face of Turning Point USA until his death. Kirk was one of the most prominent voices of the MAGA movement and an ardent supporter of President Trump. Many people viewed him as an icon of contemporary conservatism.

He became renown for visiting college campuses where he would debate peacefully and respectfully with anyone, not only students but also anyone in the audience who espoused an opposing viewpoint. He would listen patiently to their side of an issue and then say “prove me wrong” as he rebutted their arguments.

According to the Associated Press and other media outlets video clips of these campus appearances spread online. AP reported that the result was “a steady stream of donations that transformed TPUSA into one of the country’s largest political organizations.”  Eventually, TPUSA began holding massive rallies in which top conservative leaders addressed tens of thousands of young voters. 

Commencing in October 2020 Kirk hosted a daily three-hour radio talk show, The Charlie Kirk Show, on Salem Media Group’s “The Answer” radio channel. Also, he launched “Turning Point Live,” which was a three-hour streaming talk show aimed at Gen Z’ers. It was among the most-popular podcasts on Apple Podcasts. According to internal data from TPUSA, Kirk’s podcast was downloaded between 500,000 and 750,000 times each day in 2024.  

In 2021, TPUSA launched Turning Point Academy, an online alternative to schools that were “poisoning our youth with anti-American ideas.” TPA was intended to cater to families seeking an “America-first education.”

In a March 2025 interview with California Governor Gavin Newsom Kirk related that while building TPUSA, “I recognized that there was an ideological imbalance on a lot of these college campuses, and we wanted to provide a counterpoint rooted in conservative, pro-freedom, pro-liberty, America First ideas.”  He added that when TPUSA began, about 75% of college students identified as Democrat. Non-progressive students were afraid to voice their opinions and beliefs for fear of retaliation from students, professors, and school administrators. TPUSA provided emotional support for them.

TPUSA sought to make both the colleges and professors accountable for their actions. TPUSA’s goal was to shift the youth vote at least 10 points toward Republicans, a target that they achieved by the 2024 presidential election. I believe this shift helped Trump win the election. TPUSA’s other activities include the publication of the “School Board Watchlist” and the “Professor Watchlist,” which are lists sourced by published news stories that describe instances of radical behavior among college professors and schools.

Conclusion

In view of the foregoing, it is easy to see how Kirk became a target of the radical left. In retrospect it should not be surprising that a deranged far-left activist, fueled by the irresponsible, hateful and inaccurate characterizations spewed by Dem politicians and their supporters in the media would decide to assassinate him. Erika Kirk has said she “forgives” the assassin, which is her right, but I and many others cannot. Charlie was a great man, an icon, who was an inspiration to millions. The assassin’s goal was to silence him, but as I said above, it has had the opposite effect.

Rest in peace, Charlie. You will be sorely missed and long remembered.

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LEFT WING VIOLENCE

The empirical evidence keeps mounting up. The senseless, horrific assassination of Charlie Kirk was the latest example of an alarming trend that began a decade ago. Just off the top of my head I can recall several examples of left-wing violence since then, such as:

  1. The two assassination attempts of Donald Trump in Butler, PA and at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach. In the first one the assassin missed by a fraction of a millimeter and only because Trump fortuitously turned his head at the last minute to make reference to a chart off to the side. Unfortunately, an innocent bystander was killed. In the second instance an assassin was able to hide in the bushes on the golf course for hours lying in wait for Trump to pass by until an alert secret service officer discovered him.
  2. The near murder of Senate Majority Leader Steve Scalise as part of a mass shooting in June 2017 during a practice session for the annual Congressional Softball Game in Alexandria, VA.
  3. The “Black Lives Matter” riots in various cities including Minneapolis, NYC and Portland in May 2020 after the killing of George Floyd by police. These were characterized by instances of vandalism, looting, and clashes with authorities. Many Dems dismissed these riots as “nonviolent,” but tell that to the victims.
  4. The over 8,700 Antifa-inspired riots that occurred in 68 locations throughout the country between May 25th and July 31st, 2020. The images of cities burning, businesses being destroyed and people being carjacked, assaulted and worse are indelibly etched in my mind.
  5. The assassination attempt on Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh in June 2022. The assassin planned to break into Kavanaugh’s home, kill him, and then commit suicide, but, for some reason, he had a change of heart.
  6. The continuing lawlessness being perpetrated in our cities predominantly those run by Dems due to sanctuary policies, lax law enforcement, no cash bail, and woke DAs and juries. Ironically, most of the victims of these crimes are minorities, the poor, and the disadvantaged, the very people that the Dems profess to sympathize with and seek to help.
  7. The wanton destruction of much of Minneapolis, Chicago and other cities during the summer of 2021.
  8. The assassination of Charlie Hurt. This was a huge blow to the psyche of America. Charlie was beloved by a goodly number of people. In particular, many young people idolized him. He was not an antagonistic person. Far from it. He was a healer, a good person whose aim was to foster discussions of differences of opinion openly and peacefully, often on college campuses, and he was very good at it. His assassination was such as waste. His legion of fans and supporters are beside themselves with grief. Many of them as well as his wife, Stephanie, have vowed to continue or even enhance his work.

These are merely a few examples. The Dems are fond of saying that there is violence on both sides, but that is a false narrative. I cannot think of any violence within recent memory planned and perpetrated by conservatives. (I don’t count the January 6 protest because it was overblown by the Dems and their allies in the mainstream media to damage Trump, and the protesters didn’t kill anyone. A cop shot one of the protesters unnecessarily.) If you can, I would like to hear it.

Why is this? Why do lefties have the urge to settle political differences violently rather than by peaceful debate? There are several reasons for this, but in my view the primary factor is the hateful rhetoric emanating from (1) left-leaning politicians, such as Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden, (2) news commentators such as Rachel Maddow, Morning Joe and virtually anyone on CNN or MSNBC, (3) celebrities such as Robert DeNiro, and (4) social media postings.

It has become quite common to refer to any conservative or Republican as “racist,” “Nazi,” “Hitler,” “evil,” and “a threat to democracy.” If a lie is repeated often enough, it becomes believable. Most of us realize that these monikers are ridiculously false, but there are many unstable people that take them seriously. In their twisted minds they perceive that those characterizations from the types of sources I mentioned give them license to attack those persons so labeled.

In a moment of sanity Comcast, which owns MSNBC, fired Matthew Dowd, one of its political analysts, for his “insensitive” and “inappropriate” commentary regarding the Charlie Kirk assassination. In my view there are many others in the media who deserve the same fate. Furthermore, Comcast cautioned its commentators to “maintain a respectful exchange of ideas” regardless of whether or not they agree with Kirk’s views.

Conclusion

The details of the Charlie Kirk assassination are so horrific that many people hope that it will be the “last straw,” that it will shock Americans enough to put an end to the senseless violence that has been plaguing our country. I, too, hope so, but I fear it will not.

The only way to stop the senseless and arbitrary violence is to win elections. Get out and vote, vote, vote!

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TRUMP’S CRIME INTERVENTION IN DC

Once again, the Dems find themselves on the wrong side of a critical issue, a so-called 80-20 issue. Those of you who have been following the news (the real news) are cognizant that this is not the first time, and probably it will not be the last. The Dems have exhibited a propensity for this self-destruction, and if they continue to do so I predict dire consequences for them in the 2026 midterm elections. The party in power nearly always loses seats in the midterms, but 2026 may very well prove to be the exception.

As I have said in previous blogs, this is not the first time the Dems have fallen into this trap. Once again, Trump has co-opted the sensible and popular side of an issue, and the Dems have been left with a Hobson’s choice – either admit he is right and agree, or take the unpopular, illogical side. For example, three other fairly recent issues come to mind, (1) the Dems’ open border policy, (2) their openly favoring the rights of illegal immigrants over American citizens, and (3) their support of the rights of transgenders over those of females. Blinded by their insane, irrational hatred of Trump they have allowed themselves to be maneuvered into espousing the unpopular, illogical side of these issues. In my opinion these issues along with the economy played a significant part in their resounding defeat in the 2024 elections.

Crime has been one of the most significant issues for voters. People simply do not feel safe and secure, which are fundamental rights and expectations of everyone. This is the case pretty much everywhere to some extent, but it is particularly prevalent in “blue” cities like NY, Chi, LA and DC, among others. Many have characterized DC as the most crime-ridden capital in the world. At the very least it is highly dangerous and an embarrassment to the US.

All too often, criminals are not arrested, especially for “non-violent” crimes such as carjacking or assault, which are routinely ignored. (Anyone who has been a victim of one of those crimes will tell you they are most definitely NOT non-violent.) If they are arrested, due to “no cash” bail laws, they are soon released to commit more crimes, which they often do. Criminals know how to “work” the system. There have been many instances of criminals being arrested multiple times.

Shoplifting is common in some areas. Criminals simply walk into a business, brazenly take whatever they want, and walk out. Employees and security guards let them go. No one bothers to call the police. It is well known that the police are loath to arrest perpetrators of petty crimes, and if they do the jails are a revolving door. In blue jurisdictions “woke” prosecutors and judges often reduce felonies to misdemeanors, and juries tend to favor the rights of the accused over those of the victim. For instance, recently a grand jury in DC refused to indict a protester who had hit an ICE officer with a sandwich while the officer was in performance of his official duties, which legally is an assault.

Trump has dealt with this problem in a decisive, rational manner. In DC he activated the national guard to supplement and support local police who appeared to be overwhelmed. Their mere presence has had a significant benefit. Crime is way down. Homicide has been virtually eliminated. There were none in the first two weeks and, as I write this blog, only one since then.

Trump’s actions have received wide praise. Many citizens have rejoiced to reporters that, for the first times in years, they feel safe and secure enough to actually go out to restaurants and other venues. Even far left DC Mayor Muriel Bowser told reporters that she believed the boosted law enforcement presence was working.

In spite of the foregoing and the plethora of positive supporting empirical evidence the usual critics and naysayers are still in denial. For example, despite FBI data that has identified Chicago as one of the most violent and crime-ridden cities in the US IL Governor J B Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson have criticized Trump’s actions in DC and have refused his repeated offers to provide Federal troops to support local police. In my view, they are willing to place their constituents in jeopardy and permit criminals to operate with impunity rather than accept help from Trump. They feel to do so would constitute recognition that his policy is right and is working. Consequently, in effect, they are siding with criminals over law-abiding citizens.  It should be noted that the majority of these crimes are “black on black,” which contradicts the Dems’ claim that they seek to help the poor and disadvantaged.

To be sure, there have been critics. For instance, Politico cited reports from the Rochester Institute of Technology and the DOJ, itself, declaring that the murder rate and all violent crimes in DC had declined from 2023 to 2024. The implication was that DC had matters under control, did not need federal assistance, and Trump had “overstepped” in providing it. However, supporters have denoted that even those rates were still unacceptably high. Additionally, some observers have expressed doubt as to the veracity of those crime numbers. For example, there is evidence that many violent crimes may have been classified as misdemeanors. Moreover, as I said, it is a fact that in the weeks immediately following Trump’s deployment of federal troops there were NO homicides in DC and, as I write this, only one thereafter. Finally, the White House cited several high-profile victims of crimes, including the murders of two embassy staffers, and a congressional intern as well as assaults on various members of Congress, which have drawn much media reportage.

Conclusion

The foregoing is yet another example of the Dems being out of touch with the will of the voters, another example of their blind hatred of Donald Trump maneuvering them onto the wrong side of an 80-20 issue. How could they possibly think that supporting criminals over victims and violence over safety are winning strategies? It is simply amazing. I have never seen anything like it. There is no way to “spin” this. The public will not fooled.

As I have written many times, the Dems have allowed the far-left minority to hijack their party. The moderates, if there are any, have been cowed into silence. For God’s sake, they are about to elect a Marxist as Mayor of NYC, a Marxist!

Normally, there is an ebb and flow to the popularity and power of the two political parties from one election cycle to the next. Based on that, one could expect the Dems, which are down now, to make a comeback. However, I don’t see how they can rebound from this in the foreseeable future.

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JAS CROCKETT

In my opinion, Jas Crockett has a big, loud mouth and an empty head. In recent months the member of House of Representative from the State of Texas has rocketed from obscurity to prominence. How has she managed that? By diligently and tirelessly working to benefit the lives of the people in her district? No? By sponsoring major legislation? No. By accomplishing anything positive for her district, her Party or her country? No, no, and no. What is has done and what she is really good at is finding a camera and spewing vituperative inanities to get attention.

Jasmine Felicia Crockett was born on March 29, 1981 in St. Louis, MO.  She attended Rhodes College in Memphis, TN intending to become a CPA. But, after one of her professors told her that she had “too much personality” to pursue that career she began to reconsider. After witnessing a series of hate crimes and violence on campus toward AAs she decided to become an attorney. She attained a BA in 2002 and her Juris Doctor in 2006.

She entered politics in 2019, after incumbent representative Eric Johnson vacated his seat in the Texas legislature to run for mayor of Dallas. In 2020 she narrowly defeated his appointed replacement, Lorraine Birbal, in the Dem primary in a runoff and then won the election unopposed. She assumed office in January 2021.

In 2022 she ran for the vacated seat in Texas’ 30th congressional district. Again, she beat her Dem opponent in the primary in a runoff. Subsequently, she won the election in November 2022 and won re-election in 2024.

In short order she has raised her profile and gained national attention. She aggressively seeks any kind of attention. She doesn’t care if it is positive or negative. For the most part her public comments lack, decorum, accuracy, civility and class. They have been more suitable for a street corner rabble-rouser than a member of the US Congress.

First, during a 2023 impeachment hearing against President Biden she accused fellow congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene and other Republicans of hypocrisy asserting that those launching the impeachment inquiry, and those who brought-forth charges against Biden, were ignoring what she characterized as documented evidence of President Trump’s impeachable offenses. “He keeps national secrets in the ‘shi**er.’ ” Then, she reiterated those accusations at the Dem Presidential convention this time referencing Trump’s “thinking chair—y’all know what I said the other time.”

Next, in March 2025, she referred to Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who is handicapped and uses a wheelchair, “Governor Hot Wheels” and a “Hot Ass Mess” in a speech she gave at the Human Rights Campaign’s annual dinner. (In response, Abbott took the high road replying: “It’s another day and another disaster by the Democrats.” As a result of her behavior Representative Randy Weber filed a censure resolution against her.

In addition to her unprofessional conduct unbefitting a member of Congress according to multiple media reports she has run through staffers at a prolific pace. She is rarely in her office to work on legislative matters “unless the TV cameras are rolling.” Rather than focusing on the needs of her constituents she is more interested in her profile with the public. She has been described as an “influencer” rather then a member of Congress. Another source described her as “all diva, no wow.” Furthermore when she does interact with her staff she is frequently rude, crude, lewd, and abusive. Finally, a former staffer characterized her thusly: “She is never in the office and is very disengaged. She does her bull—t that goes viral and then freaks out over the most random things.”

Conclusion

In a short time due to her relentless publicity-seeking she has become one of the more recognizable members of Congress, albeit in a mostly negative sense. She appeals to the lowest common denominator of the public, the disaffected, far left, anti-American, antisemitic suffers of TDS who are influenced by sound bites rather than facts.

If her goal was to develop name recognition, she certainly has succeeded. However, in my opinion she has failed dismally in the primary role of any representative, which is to serve the needs of her congressional district. I am not aware of her having contributed any substantive achievement such as sponsoring a bill or accomplishing anything positive for her district, her party or her country. Her notoriety has been aided and abetted by the reluctance of the more moderate Dems, such as such as (Up)Chuck Schumer and Hakim Jefferies, to criticize her extreme actions.

A significant portion of the electorate views her as a caricature who spews inane negative garbage just to get attention. All she does is criticize President Trump and his policies. She does not offer any alternative ideas or policies, because she has none. Furthermore, her carping is full of inaccuracies, exaggerations and vituperations.

As a final footnote, CBS News and other media outlets have speculated that Texas’ current redistricting plan for 2026 would eliminate Crockett’s House seat. If that were to occur if she wanted to remain in Congress, she would have to seek election in redrawn district with a different and perhaps less friendly constituency. Crockett has claimed she is being targeted. Perhaps, but I, for one, would not be sorry to see her go.

In my view, her antics, language and attitude have been an embarrassment to the institution of the Congress. If, in fact, she does lose her seat I say, good riddance.

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Radical Dems Attack ICE Personnel

Once again, Dems are exhibiting their propensity for embracing the wrong side of a popular issue. Polls support ICE’s efforts to deport illegal migrants, particularly those who have committed crimes while in the US. Moreover, Trump’s stance on immigration and securing the border was one the key issues that got him elected. And yet, various Dem supporters have not only criticized ICE’s efforts they have also vowed to hinder and interfere with them, violently, if necessary, even though they are simply enforcing the law. As I denoted in my previous blog this is the very definition of sedition, which is a crime that carries heavy criminal penalties.

Furthermore, the Dems have positioned themselves as the Party that is pro drug dealers and pro child traffickers and favors migrants over citizens and criminals over victims. Good strategy, Dems. No wonder most polls show that the Party’s overall approval rating is about 40%.

These loonies have repeatedly attacked ICE personnel physically, throwing bottles and bricks at them and their vehicles, and even going so far as to shoot at them. In addition, they are attempting to ascertain their identity for the purpose of attacking them and their families personally. Even worse, they are being egged on by certain Dem politicians, such as CA Governor Gavin Newsome, LA Mayor Karen Bass and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, as well as the left-leaning mainstream media. These politicians know that ICE is operating within the law. They are just grandstanding for their far-left constituents and attempting to distract voters from the many glaring inadequacies of their administrations

The latest iteration is ICE’s recent raid on two marijuana farms in CA. The Department of Homeland Security executed criminal search warrants at two Glass House Farms facilities in Camarillo and Carpinteria, northwest of Los Angeles. The raids were part of a monthlong campaign across Southern California that was originally centered on Los Angeles. In what Federal authorities characterized as one of their largest operations so far, they reported that they arrested more than 360 people at the farm’s two locations. The farm was suspected of subjecting 14 children to forced labor, exploitation and trafficking.

In my view, child trafficking is one of the most heinous crimes. Typically, a trafficking victim endures physical violence, sexual abuse, forced labor and/or deprivation of basic needs. ICE’s haul included migrants with prior arrests for a variety of crimes such as rape and child trafficking. In view of the foregoing the cannabis farm is being investigated for unspecified child labor violations.

During the raids some 500 protesters showed up with violent intent. Many of them carried Mexican flags; others hurled rocks at ICE vehicles; one person who was arrested has a history of committing violent crimes, including attempted child exploitation; a professor, was arrested for allegedly throwing a tear gas canister at ICE agents; and one protester fired a handgun towards agents. The agents were forced to use tear gas to disperse the mob.

In other related developments regarding the raids: (1) DHS reported that four U.S. citizens were arrested on suspicion of assaulting or resisting officers; (2) the children rescued at the farm are from Mexico and Honduras; (3) many of them were unaccompanied minors, and (4) immigration authorities are investigating the criminal histories of all the detained illegal aliens. 

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told reporters that rescuing the children from the farms was a key element of the plan from the beginning. Furthermore, she decried what she characterized as the “horrendous” behavior of the protesters. She told reporters: “Those individuals that were attacking those officers were trying to kill them.” She went on: “Let me be clear. You don’t throw rocks at vehicles like that, and you don’t attack them like that, unless you are trying to do harm to them physically and to kill them and to take their life.” U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott disclosed on X that one of the men apprehended in the raid had a criminal record for kidnapping, attempted rape and attempted child molestation.

Conclusion

According to a March 2025 DHS report, thanks to the Biden Administration’s open border policy over 600,000 unaccompanied migrant children have crossed the southern border since 2019. We have no idea of the actual number, but I suspect that figure is low. Essentially, we have lost track of hundreds of thousands of migrant children. Undoubtedly, many of them have become victims of forced labor or sex slavery. Keep that in mind whenever the Dems advocate for the rights of illegal aliens.

Illegal migrants threaten the security of our citizens. They have committed a plethora of crimes, which have been well documented. Moreover, although we are a wealthy country our financial resources are not infinite. Migrants soak up social and economic services at the expense of American citizens. Sanctuary jurisdictions cannot support the social and economic needs of both their own citizens and those of migrants and remain solvent. Typically, sanctuary jurisdictions actually give preference to migrants over their own citizens. CA is likely already bankrupt, and unless changes are implemented other locales such as IL and NY will soon be joining it.

We elected Donald Trump overwhelmingly for a reason. Let him and his people do their jobs without interference. To quote former president Obama, “elections have consequences.” If you don’t agree with Trump’s policies win the next election.

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DERANGED DOGE DENIERS

You simply cannot make this up. The Trump Derangement Syndrome seemingly knows no bounds. It has been extant for the better part of seven years, and it has exhibited no signs of dissipating. Rather, the TDS sufferers keep expanding their irrational hatred of all things Trump into new areas. Recently, they have focused their wrath on Elon Musk and all things Musk.

Until recently Musk was one of the Dems’ poster boys. Among other things he had developed the Tesla EV, which promised to significantly alter the auto industry. The “GNDers” had been clamoring for such a vehicle, which they hoped would wean Americans off vehicles that relied on fossil fuels. However, since the November election it has all changed. Now, they view Musk as a “turncoat,” a “traitor,” a fascist, and a Nazi. Why? What has he done? What heinous crime has he committed?

The answer is simple. He became part of the Trump Administration. He is the chief architect of DOGE, which is charged with the responsibility to and authority of identifying and eliminating inefficiency, waste, fraud and abuse in the federal government. For decades most everyone has agreed that spending is out of control and needs to be reduced significantly. Presently, the federal debt is approaching $37 trillion, which is way past crisis levels. Many people believe that that amount represents an existential threat to the viability of the country. Everyone’s been complaining about it, but no one has done anything about it. Until now.

Trump created DOGE and put Musk in charge of it. According to Fortune Magazine DOGE claims to have saved the federal government $115 billion so far by measures such as canceling contracts, terminating leases and encouraging federal agencies to reduce their workforces chiefly by (generous) buyouts.  The oft-stated goal is to eliminate $1 trillion in federal spending by the end of the fiscal year in September. In my opinion, that the goal is well within its reach since it has barely scratched the surface. It should be denoted that DOGE’s critics, such as NPR and other left-leaning critics, have claimed those accomplishments have been inaccurate and exaggerated. However, their past news analyses have been shown to be inaccurate and unreliable, so I choose to rely on DOGE’s figures. Regardless, in the eyes of the left Musk has gone from hero to villain in record time.

Never mind that he is volunteering his time and expertise to help the country. Never mind that he has provided much needed aid to hurricane victims. Never mind that he has created an EV for which the left has been clamoring to “save the planet.” Never mind that he oversaw the return of two astronauts that had been stranded in space for months. He is a Trump ally; therefore, he is tarred with the same brush The left’s venom toward Musk has been focused Tesla, which has become the lightning rod for their ire.

For example, according to multiple news reports just in the last few days:

  1. Dealerships and charging stations have been firebombed.
  2. Protestors have drawn signs equating Musk with being a fascist and a Nazi.
  3. According to Fox News in Idaho a man drove his vehicle into a pro-Tesla demonstration running over a man who was exiting his car that had pro-Trump flags.
  4. ABC News reported that Boston police were hunting a man who had been vandalizing parked Teslas.
  5. Daily Mail.com reported that in AZ an elderly female Tesla driver was dragged from her car and assaulted.
  6. And my favorite, in NYC various protestors were seen hammering toy Teslas into smithereens on the sidewalk like petulant five-year-old children.

If these maniacs’ goal is to harm Musk in some way it is not working. He was and is the richest man in America. Apparently, what they don’t realize or don’t care is that they are actually hurting the working-class people who build the cars, service the cars, sell the cars and buy the cars. Many of the foregoing are Dem voters. Like I said their derangement knows no bounds.

When interviewed on tv it becomes readily apparent that these protestors are woefully ignorant of the facts and don’t care to learn them. Many of them are frustrated losers who have nothing worthwhile in their lives. They need to “get a life” (or maybe a job). Others are paid agitators who move from venue to venue and issue to issue just to protest. Ask yourself why is it always “lefties” who protest and foment violence?

Many of them are under the mistaken belief that DOGE plans to eliminate or significantly reduce programs such as social security, Medicare and Medicaid. I suppose they believe the lies being spouted by the fake news media, but in point of fact the opposite is true. DOGE is actually trying to save those programs, which have been hemorrhaging money and are heading for bankruptcy. Presently, they are rife with the kind of inefficiency, waste, fraud and abuse that I am talking about. For instance, there have been reports of 120-year-old persons receiving SS benefits and people receiving bogus and/or multiple Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements.

Even worse, their insistence on labeling Trump and Musk as “Hitler” and “Nazis” illustrates that they have no conception of who the real Hitler and Nazis were and what they did. This constitutes a blatant ignorance of and disregard for the actual Holocaust victims.

While I am on this rant, I would like to denote that as many of us predicted Trump’s much maligned tariff policy is working. Based upon his threat of implementing “reciprocal tariffs” commencing on April 2 several countries, such as Canada, Mexico, India, Vietnam and the EU countries have announced they have or intend to reduce or eliminate their tariffs on American exports. Moreover, a plethora of large companies have announced they will be relocating their businesses to locations in the US to avoid tariffs. According to Fox News the total relocations will amount to $4 Trillion, that’s trillion with a capital T. That means jobs, lots and lots of jobs.

Conclusion

Where are the moderate Dems? Are there any left? I have posed this question many times before. I believe there are some, but they have chosen to remain silent while the far-left wing of the party destroys its brand. From FDR’s victory in 1932 to the last election the Dems were known as the party of the working man, the poor, the blacks and various ethnic groups. Trump’s victory changed all of that. Now they are perceived as the Party of the coastal elites and the privileged. It’s the Republicans who are favored by those groups of voters. Trump has co-opted the 80% side of all the 80-20 issues. Trump has co-opted a commonsense approach to these issues. The Dems have been forced by their TDS to support the likes of terrorists, criminals, illegal aliens, and men in women’s safe spaces, among others. They are perceived as out of touch with the majority of voters.

The spokespersons for the Party are now “lefties” Bernie Sanders, AOC and Jasmine Crockett. So, I repeat, where are the moderates? In my opinion, they are hiding, particularly those who will be running for re-election in 2026. They have been intimidated by their small but vocal left wing. They are afraid of being “primaried.” Like bears, they are hibernating.

I predict they will resurface prior to the 2026 election and do what Dems always do – espouse Republican values and policies in order to win the election. And then they will renege on their promises and return to hibernation. Voters – do not be gaslighted.

There are three special elections today. One is for the Wisconsin Supreme Court. The winning Party will hold the balance of power in the court. The other two are for two vacant House seats in Florida, both of which were held by Republicans. Special elections often fly under the radar. Most voters don’t pay attention to them, but they are important and bear watching closely.

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DEM PARTY SELF-DESTRUCTION

Based on the political news since the November 2024 election I have come to the conclusion that the Dems are heading slowly, but inexorably, toward self-destruction. Figuratively, I feel as if I am watching an out-of-control speeding vehicle careening toward a cliff, and there is nothing I or anyone else can do to stop it. What’s more, the Dem Party professionals and their allies in the media are driving the car. Hyperbole, perhaps, slightly, but after reading this blog, I believe that, unless you are a “Kool-aide drinker,” you will come to the same conclusion.

Consider:

  1. The election was nearly five months ago, long enough for the shock to have worn off. Long enough for the Dems to have regrouped and formulated a strategy to rebound.
  2. And yet, after all this time many if not most of them have still not ascertained why and how they lost. They cannot fathom that they, themselves and their policies, were to blame. Rather than looking internally, they are continuing to blame others.
  3. Most of us know that the first step to resolving a problem is to admit that you have one. This is a hard lesson to learn, but it is a necessary one. Drug addicts learn it; alcohol abusers learn it; why can’t the Dem politicians learn it?
  4. In my opinion it is because they are in complete denial. They live in a figurative bubble and cannot conceive how the vast majority of people live, how they continually have to deal with real life problems, like finding a good-paying job, putting food on the table, and paying the rent or mortgage.
  5. In essence, they believe their own propaganda. We all know the drill. The border is secure; go “Green;” illegals, even criminals, drug dealers and terrorists, have rights even superseding those of citizens; inflation is transitory; and transgenders should be allowed to enter girls’ private spaces and compete with them in sports.

Last November the GOP won an election as decisively as any in a long time. Trump won the presidency in a landslide; he won the popular vote, which is rare for a Republican; he won all seven swing states; he made significant inroads into traditionally Dem voting blocs such as blacks, Hispanics, Jews and young people; and his coattails flipped the Senate and retained the House.

However, the numbers do not tell the entire story. Five months later the Dem Party finds itself in complete disarray. It is firmly in the control of its radical left wing. Its spokespersons are AOC, Bernie Sanders, Hakeem Jeffries, and Jasmine Crockett, all left wing, not a moderate in the bunch. CNN, MSNBC, the NY Times and the Washington Post are spewing their distorted fake news as aggressively as ever.

Meanwhile, the Trump Administration has established itself on the “right side,” the “commonsense side,” of every issue that is important to voters, the so-called “80-20 issues,” such as securing the borders, the rights of citizens over illegal aliens, law and order, energy independence, deporting criminal illegal aliens, eliminating fraud, waste and abuse in government, Israel over Hamas, peace in Ukraine, local control of education, and eliminating transgenders from women’s private spaces and sports. On the other hand, the Dem’s, since they must oppose any Trump policy, have been forced to support the opposing side in all of those issues.

Thus, they have been forced into the ludicrous and untenable position of supporting, or at least tolerating pro-Hamas, anti-Jewish riots and lawlessness on college campuses, blocking the deporting of criminal illegals who have committed the most heinous of crimes, and firebombing Tesla showrooms. The latter is especially inane. It was the Dems who pushed EVs and other “green” policies on the reluctant public for years. Elon Musk was their hero. Now, just because Musk is an ally of Trump’s they are advocating the destruction of his company and returning to gas guzzler cars? Don’t they realize how unhinged that appears? Don’t they care? Furthermore, let’s not overlook the fact that they are endangering innocent people’s lives and damaging thousands of workers’ livelihoods.

Now the radical Dems are attempting to depose Chuck Schumer as Minority Leader in the Senate and replace his with a more left-leaning senator. Regular readers know I am not a Schumer fan. In fact, I despise him politically. I have no respect for him. I consider him to be a political chameleon with no integrity. His support for Israel and Jews, in general, has been tepid at best. He has not spoken out in support of Israel in its war against Hamas nor in opposition of the riots and lawlessness on college campuses against Jewish students. That said, I believe they would be making a mistake if they were to replace him with a more radical senator.

Conclusion

The Dems need to regroup and fast. They need to recognize why and how they lost in 2024 and change their policies. They need to get over their TDS and join the Republicans on the right side of the aforementioned 80-20 issues. They need to control their radical left wing and coalesce behind moderate leaders. Otherwise, there will be more of the same in 2026 and beyond.

On the humorous side, Joe Biden has resurfaced. He has offered to help the Dems with their current predicament. That should be a “hard pass.”

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