Florida Governor and presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis sat down for an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network this Thursday where he revealed more about himself, as well as his reverence for America's founding fathers.
Speaking with CBN News' David Brody at the Florida Governor's Mansion, 44-year-old DeSantis began by telling Brody of his childhood and his strict Catholic upbringing.
His family told him plainly as a boy: "You're not going to get anything handed to you."
"I think that they were very, very clear about what I needed to be doing for my obligations; do well in school, make sure you're in church every Sunday, make sure you're working around the house," DeSantis said.
He described attending grade school at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School, saying that while he didn't like it at the time, he now appreciates the principles the school instilled in him.
"I think the things that I didn't like about it were because they were doing the right thing by making sure that we were disciplined," he said in the interview with Brody. "You would pray every day but some of the nuns were very strict about what your obligations were. And again, as a young kid, maybe not the most fun at the time, but I think [it] was the right approach."
DeSantis noted the importance of staying close to God, even in the hardest times of life – which for him was likely when his sister died in 2015 and when his wife Casey was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021.
"Our household is a Christ-centered household," DeSantis told Brody. "We're raising our kids with those values. We think that that's very important."
JUST IN: Ron DeSantis talks about how prayer does indeed make a difference. He speaks candidly with me at the Governor's Residence about his wife’s battle with cancer and his sister’s sudden death. @CaseyDeSantis @RonDeSantis @CBNNews @700club pic.twitter.com/9l130zglnP
— David Brody (@DBrodyReports) June 16, 2023
NEW: Ron DeSantis reveals his favorite Bible Verse and says, “Our household is a Christ-centered household." Watch my discussion with @RonDeSantis at the Governor's Residence in Tallahassee. @CBNNews @700club pic.twitter.com/NmPRFmYEhX
— David Brody (@DBrodyReports) June 16, 2023
Going on to discuss politics and the role of Christianity in government, DeSantis praised the founding fathers for their work in establishing a free nation.
"Why are we free people? We're free because God has endowed us with inalienable rights. That's why America was founded. Our Constitution was created, not to give us rights, but to protect the rights that God has already bestowed upon us," he said.
"Before them it was thought the king has the power. So you may have rights as a subject of some kingdom but it's the courtesy of what the state is giving you. That's not what our founders believed."
JUST IN: Ron DeSantis says our society needs more God and that America “was built on the foundation of what happened thousands of years ago in the Holy Land.” This is part of my exclusive interview with @RonDeSantis at the Governor's Residence in Tallahassee. Airing on @700club… pic.twitter.com/lr4NFK5etg
— David Brody (@DBrodyReports) June 16, 2023
Asked about rumors of James Madison being his favorite president, DeSantis said that while Madison is not his favorite president, he's his favorite "constitutional theorist."
"He understood constitutional government checks and balances," DeSantis said, noting that he was largely responsible for the constitution having stood the test of time.
His favorite president, however, is actually the country's first: George Washington.
JUST IN: Ron Desantis would have loved to hang out with Jesus and His Disciples. Plus, his pick for best president in U.S. History. This is part of my exclusive interview with @RonDeSantis at the Governor's Residence in Tallahassee. Watch Today on @700club and online at… pic.twitter.com/v7GdrNneNX
— David Brody (@DBrodyReports) June 16, 2023
The reason for this, as he explained, is because after having led America's forces in the war for American independence from Britain, Washington became a very respected leader and could have easily seized the moment and never given up the presidency, DeSantis explained. But he didn't. He gave up the power of essentially becoming King, and went back to his private life.
"Washington had unimpeachable character. This is somebody who could have been king of this country," DeSantis said. "But he surrendered his sword to the continental Congress, retired to Mount Vernon, and of course they called them back to the constitutional convention and elected him president. He said I'm only doing two terms and he went and retired."
Giving up such power was such a profound move, as DeSantis explained, "George III couldn't believe it and he said 'if he did that and voluntarily gave up power, he's the greatest man in the world.'"
"Washington was the indispensable man. If he had not been there, I don't know that the country would have gotten off the ground," he said, adding that "we've never had anyone else like him."
Then responding to a hypothetical question about wanting to meet anyone in history, DeSantis said he would probably want to be with Jesus and his disciples.
"Could I have been there with Jesus's disciples? I mean, these are people who – Peter's just fishing one day, and all of a sudden, this guy comes up to him, catches all the fish and says, 'I want you to be a fisher of men, come with me.' And so these guys all went out and they dedicated their life to spreading the Gospel," he said.
Being able to have such a discussion, DeSantis said he would have liked to "talk about what that was like. Talk about what their impressions are, you know. I look back at that and would love to have been able to be there with them."
As a former Navy veteran and lawyer, DeSantis has served as Florida's Republican governor for four years now and was a congressman for six years before that.
DeSantis officially announced his presidential candidacy earlier last month and has consistently led as one of the top contenders in hypothetical 2024 matchups.
Gov. Ron DeSantis on pardoning Donald Trump if he becomes POTUS: “If there was a different standard, we're going to be very inclined to grant clemency in those situations.” This is from my exclusive interview w/ @RonDeSantis at the Governor's Residence in Tallahassee. @CBNNews pic.twitter.com/CA3j15HZi6
— David Brody (@DBrodyReports) June 16, 2023
However, while DeSantis has outperformed President Joe Biden in many polls, former President Donald Trump continues to hold a lead above both in several polls as well.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
Tragedy has struck the sports world with the shocking death of a genuine football legend's first son.
Ray Lewis III, whose father is iconic Baltimore Ravens and Miami Hurricanes linebacker Ray Lewis, died at the age of 28, TMZ reported Thursday.
The report said the younger Lewis' brother Rahsaan announced the news in Instagram Stories, which self-delete after 24 hours.
Per TMZ, he wrote: "Really can't believe I'm even typing this but RIP big brother. A true angel I pray [you're] at peace now because [I know] how much you [were really] hurtin.
"I don't and won't ever have the words man cuz this pain right here....I love you I love you I love you."
Rahsaan Lewis then appeared to refer to his own daughter while processing his grief.
"Your niece gone miss you but she will hear about u over and over just watch over us all big bruh be our guardian I promise I’ll make you smile and proud," he added.
While not bearing quite the same name recognition as his father, Ray Lewis III carved out a small football career that had a clear impact on those around him.
Lewis signed with the aforementioned University of Miami out of high school but didn't play as a freshman.
In 2015, he then transferred to Coastal Carolina, and two years later he moved on to Division II Virginia Union.
Virginia Union associate head football coach Diego Ryland told TMZ that he was a "great young man and a better teammate."
"The entire Virginia Union University community is praying for the family as they deal with the loss of Ray," Ryland said.
Condolences and prayers poured in across social media as outlets reported on the young man's untimely death.
Ray Lewis III, son of Ray Lewis, dead at 28 https://t.co/azBDa1ZQxn pic.twitter.com/r1LxGuVixp
— New York Post (@nypost) June 16, 2023
Former Ravens quarterback and NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Robert Griffin (currently an analyst for ESPN) was one of the first big names to take to social media to pray for Lewis and his family.
Send a prayer up for Ray Lewis and his family after the passing of his son. Ray Lewis III was only 28 years old. pic.twitter.com/nW6MDntzMZ
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) June 16, 2023
Miami head football coach Mario Cristobal also offered his support to the family.
"Our Condolences to the Lewis Family. The Entire Hurricane Family’s Thoughts & Prayers are with them," he said on Twitter.
Our Condolences to the Lewis Family. The Entire Hurricane Family’s Thoughts & Prayers are with them.
— Mario Cristobal (@coach_cristobal) June 16, 2023
The senior Lewis came to prominence in the sports world when he burst onto the college football scene in Coral Gables, Florida, in 1994.
Known as much for his fiery passion as much as his bone-crunching hits, Lewis carved out a remarkable career for himself in college, and it only continued when he won a pair of Super Bowls with the defense-oriented Ravens.
Lewis honored his son and other children when he went into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018.
TMZ reported Ray Lewis III was pursuing a music career before his death.
A cause of death had not been provided as of early Friday afternoon.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
Government-funded PBS showed Americans its partisan, left-wing stripes on Tuesday as it aired comments from former President Donald Trump following his appearance in a Florida courthouse.
Trump was indicted by the Justice Department in the politically weaponized federal government’s latest attempt to interfere in the upcoming election and presumably jail Trump for the rest of his life.
PBS drew the ire of some viewers after it slapped a bizarre warning label for “context” as it aired his comments in full after he pleaded not guilty to dozens of charges -- some for alleged violations of the Espionage Act in regard to classified documents he stored at his home after he left the White House.
Trump discussed plans Tuesday to up corruption if he is elected next fall and shared his desire for equal application of the law.
PBS found it appropriate to warn viewers the comments were potentially dangerous.
A warning label read: “EXPERTS WARN THAT INFLAMMATORY RHETORIC FROM ELECTED OFFICIALS OR PEOPLE IN POWER CAN PROMPT INDIVIDUAL ACTORS TO COMMIT ACTS OF VIOLENCE.”
"Defund PBS," The Post Millennial wrote.
Defund PBS. pic.twitter.com/VKI8LxfjSe
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) June 14, 2023
PBS did not explain which "experts" it was citing. But the label confirmed what many have felt about the once-great public television for some time: PBS is now an arm of the Democratic Party and a mouthpiece for the government:
PBS is the enemy of the people https://t.co/DgC80Rm9Ev
— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) June 14, 2023
Does PBS put this warning label when Biden labels half the country white supremacists? pic.twitter.com/ezGfKGYE7T
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) June 14, 2023
I have never seen a news network put a graphic on the screen like this. What's your take? #pbs pic.twitter.com/RgESzMlyYP
— Dave Bondy (@DaveBondyTV) June 14, 2023
Well, if this doesn't prove that Elon Musk was right about PBS. When was the last time you saw PBS put a context warning on any of Biden's dividing speeches? #DefundPBS pic.twitter.com/DksbCNjYvE
— charmane harbert ✝️ 🇺🇸 (@callme_Chari) June 14, 2023
PBS is already technically “state media” since it receives at least 15 percent of its funding from taxpayers, which Twitter CEO Elon Musk astutely noted after the platform designated the network as such earlier this year.
The network also relies on state governments to keep it on the air in various markets.
Its propaganda, fear-mongering and slanted coverage of news are made possible by people like you.
I can’t recall a single time PBS ever warned its viewers that rhetoric from President Joe Biden had the potential to stoke violence.
That included when the divider-in-chief stood in front of a blood-red backdrop last year and portrayed Republican voters as threats to democracy while surrounded by armed troops:
Nothing screams unity like a backdrop of blood red lighting and Marines positioned behind Biden as he shouts with raised clenched fists from the podium. pic.twitter.com/ZkjUPGF0WN
— Mia Cathell (@MiaCathell) September 2, 2022
PBS has been in the tank for Democrats for decades as its programming has become more and more biased.
The formerly-great institution also now pushes “woke” gender ideologies on vulnerable children.
It is high time to cut the network from the government dole and let it survive -- or fail -- on its own.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
A federal panel will not stop a Chinese electric vehicle battery manufacturer from setting up shop in Michigan, where $175 million in state taxpayer dollars is being lavished on the project.
The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, which is an interagency task force convened by the Treasury Department, said Tuesday that the project was not in its purview under the Defense Production Act, according to Fox News.
"We voluntarily submitted all the needed documents to the U.S. Department of Treasury Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. to be transparent and accountable and received the response that it is not a covered transaction," Chuck Thelen, Gotion’s vice president of North American operations, said in a statement.
Gotion will now move forward after pausing the project to request federal review.
Fox reported that the corporate bylaws of the China-based parent company require the company to "carry out Party activities in accordance with the Constitution of the Communist Party of China."
If Michigan is considered a “climate refuge,” why hasn’t an environmental impact study been done on the taxpayer funded CCP-affiliated Gotion? Why are all the battery plant projects going near our rivers? Could it be because they require hundreds of thousands of gallons of water… pic.twitter.com/VvXYv30VZ5
— Heather Dow (@PatriotPostGirl) June 9, 2023
Republican Rep. John Moolenaar of Michigan, an opponent of the project, blasted the lack of action taken by the panel.
“Gotion has not disclosed the materials it submitted to CFIUS and has not released the NDAs it forced Michigan officials to sign. While it insists on secrecy, one document everyone has seen is Gotion High Tech's articles of association where it pledges allegiance to the Chinese Communist Party and says it will carry out party activities,” he said in a statement on his website.
“Today’s announcement from Gotion is not an approval from CFIUS, but another example of the broken CFIUS process where the government claims deals are outside its jurisdiction. Last year, CFIUS said it had no jurisdiction to block a CCP-affiliated company from buying farmland less than 15 miles from an Air Force base in North Dakota. The military and the local community had to stop the deal because CFIUS failed to protect our nation’s security,” he said.
The Gotion project in Big Rapids is wrong for Michigan as I wrote in my @detroitnews op-ed earlier this year. https://t.co/vhGdRhKu9C
— Rep. John Moolenaar (@RepMoolenaar) June 13, 2023
Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has said the $2.4 billion project would bolster the state’s status as the "global hub of mobility and electrification,” according to Fox News.
In April, state legislators approved putting $175 million of state money into the construction.
However, some local residents were outraged at the time.
"I'm angry. I'm angry that this vote was slipped into the agenda today with as little information as possible so that people like me wouldn't know it was happening," local resident Marjorie Steele said then. “I'm angry that you, our elected officials, have ignored my community's pleas to table this vote until some small semblance of due diligence can be performed."
"I can promise you that we will not stop at the local level. We are tired of being abused and we are not alone. This is not just a Mecosta County issue. Townships and counties across the state are uniting, sharing resources, manpower and grassroots activism. Your votes today, senators, are lines drawn in the sand,” she said.
Gotion is a #CCP company that pledges allegiance to the commies in Beijing. I am disgusted that @POTUS is disregarding Michiganders and allowing this state-controlled Chinese company to dig its roots into our state.https://t.co/8eyQ6s22s2
— Representative Lisa McClain (@RepLisaMcClain) June 13, 2023
Joseph Cella, the U.S. ambassador to Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Tuvalu, and Tonga from 2019 until 2021 and a member of a group scrutinizing China's deals to expand in Michigan, said the deal is bad news for America, according to Fox News.
“Subnational incursions are afoot," he said.
"China is on the hunt. The Chinese Communist Party is on the hunt. They are looking for these open doors to kick in, in states. And they have carried great sway,” he said.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
A Denver City Council member who wished death on supporters of former President Donald Trump and proposed that only white people be taxed because they are racists has finally gotten her just deserts at the hands of voters.
Council member Candi CdeBaca, a true lunatic leftist, lost her bid for re-election last week -- and not by just a little, either.
CdeBaca was swamped by her opponent in the Denver election, losing to gay small-business owner Darrell Watson in the District 9 race by more than 3,500 votes, 60.7 percent to 39.3 percent.
True to form, despite losing by such a wide margin, CdeBaca refused to concede on Election Night on June 6. It wasn't until the next day that she finally did so, according to Westword.
The self-proclaimed socialist still tried to claim a "victory," of sorts, by saying she "succeeded" in her goal of bringing more socialists to the City Council with the election of leftist Shontel Lewis in District 8 and the advancement of leftist Shannon Hoffman to the runoff for District 10 -- though Hoffman lost the final vote.
CdeBaca blamed "the faceless Denver power brokers and big-money interests" for her crushing defeat Tuesday, claiming this cabal of monsters "spent an unprecedented amount of money to buy back this City Council seat -- over $888,000, most of it from dark money independent expenditures spreading disinformation and weaponizing misogyny and racism."
I’m so grateful for our community, for everyone who poured their hearts and souls into this movement. I will not stop fighting alongside my community for a city that truly cares for all of its people, because District 9 and Denver are my heart, always.❤️ pic.twitter.com/x9dwilpfOV
— Candi CdeBaca for District 9 | Denver City Council (@CandiCdeBacaD9) June 7, 2023
Sure, honey.
This shadowy group of Denver racists was so racist and shadowy that it backed an openly gay black man to replace her. So very shadowy and racist of them.
Despite her attempt at face-saving and finger-pointing, though, the truth is her mouth and her actions -- not any cabal of "faceless" rich white people -- got her fired by the voters.
According to The Denver Gazette, one campaign consultant said city voters just got tired of hearing CdeBaca's wild-eyed proclamations.
"Thus far, it's looking like a real indictment on that style of politics in Denver," Democrat operative Kelly Maher told the paper. "My read is that people are just really kind of sick of all the superfluous stuff. They want to focus on what matters and Candi CdeBaca ran largely not necessarily on people's everyday [concerns] -- not what their commute to work looks like, not what their taxes look like, not what public safety looks like."
"She was running on a lot of these larger political theories that I think people are just frustrated with and sick of," Maher said.
It is likely that Maher is right. CdeBaca spent a lot of time going before cameras and screeching about things that the City Council had no business in addressing, not to mention spewing hate and crazed left-wingery.
Message for #Denver! Show up June 5&6 for gun violence prevention!!
✊🏽June 5: @4thekidsaction sit-in at the Capitol
🗳️June 6: VOTE in the muni election for #gunsense candidates like me, @Shontel4Council & @ShannonLovesD10 pic.twitter.com/idT2SQWxKl
— Candi CdeBaca for District 9 | Denver City Council (@CandiCdeBacaD9) June 1, 2023
In one case, her mouth even made her a national story when she suggested that only white people should have to pay taxes because all whites are racists.
In May, CdeBaca thought it would be a good idea for the city to set up a special tax to be levied only on white businesses so that the money could be given to minority-owned businesses, KUSA-TV reported.
"Capitalism was built on stolen land, stolen labors and stolen resources," CdeBaca said during a candidate forum.
"You could be collecting those extra taxes from white-led businesses all over the city and redistributing them to black- and brown-owned businesses," she said.
Video of her obscene reparations policy plan got picked up by LibsofTikTok and was seen by millions of Americans.
Denver City Council member Candi CdeBaca, who is running for re-election, says white owned businesses should be taxed extra and redistributed to black owned businesses. pic.twitter.com/s9JhSdAmtj
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) May 5, 2023
That isn't the only national attention CdeBaca got for her foolishness. She also became the focus of condemnation when she seemingly hoped Trump supporters would get the coronavirus and die.
Back in February 2020, a leftist Twitter user posted a message saying if she got COVID-19, she would attend Trump events to spread the sickness to attendees.
“For the record, if I do get the coronavirus I’m attending every MAGA rally I can,” the woman said in the tweet, which she later deleted.
CdeBaca then added her own comment in response, saying, "#solidarity Yaaaas!!" followed by a string of laughing emojis.
#solidarity Yaaaas!! 🤣🤣🤣✊🏾👌🏾 https://t.co/PhgyQ0WmP0
— Candi CdeBaca for District 9 | Denver City Council (@CandiCdeBacaD9) February 28, 2020
Granted, her antics earned her a much larger social media following than her opponent. CdeBaca had more than 4,000 Twitter followers to Watson's mere 400. Fortunately, social media doesn't necessarily get people elected.
Regardless, when even the leftists who vote in Denver can't stomach you, you have for sure gone way over the top. Let this serve as a warning to the extremist "progressive" set.
It is also evidence that you, the voters, can get rid of these wackos. Once they get in, they have no right to remain indefinitely. Your vote matters.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
This was one battle a Revolutionary War hero couldn't win -- but the war is far from lost.
In the run-up to Flag Day this week and the Fourth of July next month, the Democratic-dominated city government of New York state's capital on Saturday showed just how much scorn the modern left has for the men who helped lead the American colonies to independence.
And it was the "pride" flags that flew on city hall as silent witnesses that really told the story of warped priorities.
BREAKING: #Albany @MayorSheehan talks to workers as the statue of Gen. Philip Schuyler is loaded onto a trailer in front of City Hall https://t.co/3GppP2jZuU pic.twitter.com/SsrcUDpTuh
— WNYT NewsChannel 13 (@WNYT) June 10, 2023
According to WNYT-TV in Albany, a work crew showed up Saturday at City Hall to remove the statue of Continental Army Gen. Philip Schuyler.
The statue had stood for nearly a century to honor a general who was a friend of George Washington and one of the planners of the Battle of Saratoga in 1777, a victory for the Continental Army that was so important it moved the Continental Congress issued a proclamation for a "national day of Thanksgiving," the first of its kind in American history.
But as an 18th-century hero of his country, Schuyler simply isn't acceptable by the standards of the first quarter of the 21st century because, as WNYT points out, he was one of the largest slaveowners in the state of New York during his lifetime.
So, in the lifetimes of modern Americans, that makes him about as welcome as Emmanuel Goldstein to an Oceania barbecue.
WNYT anchor Subrina Dhammi posted video of the action to Twitter.
Breaking - statue of Gen Philip Schuyler removed from outside Albany City Hall and driven away to be put into storage @WNYT pic.twitter.com/AXqZBYcpCY
— Subrina Dhammi (@SubrinaDhammi) June 10, 2023
The work took place three years after Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan ordered the statue removed during the national insanity that followed the death of accused counterfeiter George Floyd in the custody of Minneapolis, Minnesota, police, according to the Albany Times-Union.
The Times-Union reported that the Saturday morning move was deliberately timed to make sure few members of the public -- the kind of Americans who ostensibly control their government -- would not be around to notice.
"Sheehan acknowledged the strong emotions on both sides of the issue and said it was one reason for removing the statue at a time when few were out of bed, let alone in downtown Albany," the newspaper reported.
But was left behind? Visible in the background of the statue's move, flying from city hall itself, were flags symbolizing the message of Albany's new commitment -- to the choice of sex partners, choice of sex lifestyle, and the unquestionably deranged "choice" of an individual to pretend that the body at birth does not determine gender for life.
Pride flags fly high while NYC removes a statue of Revolutionary War hero General Philip Schuyler. pic.twitter.com/3XXRjbxYKM
— Addison Smith (@AddisonSmithTV) June 11, 2023
To get the obvious out of the way, Schuyler was not a perfect man -- perfection is not the hallmark of humans, after all. He wasn't even a perfect military man, since he was actually court-martialed for incompetence after the British retook the critical Fort Ticonderoga in July 1777, a defeat that made the Continental victory at Saratoga all the more important three months later. (He was acquitted in the court-martial.)
But to bring in the more obvious question: How is it that a Revolutionary War hero is displaced from an American state capital because he owned slaves -- something that was perfectly legal in his own day -- even if it is morally reprehensible to modern sensibilities? Are progressive Americans so sure that generations of the future won't look back with equal horror to what is commonly accepted today, like the monstrosity of legalized abortion, or the mutilation of children?
Meanwhile, the flags of "pride" month -- which denote no patriotic service, no commitment to God and country, nothing more than a determination to either act out the desires of the flesh or the psychoses of the mind (the mental illness men who claim to be women; women who claim to be men) -- are elevated to the status of icons on the very city hall that has rejected one of the Founding generation.
The move wasn't nearly as popular as leftists would want to pretend:
Absolute disgrace to judge an American Revolutionary War hero by today's standards.
— The Libertarian Trap (@LibertarianTrap) June 10, 2023
If the US can’t commemorate those who built the nation, who can they?
— Craig Bruce Smith (@craigbrucesmith) June 10, 2023
Erasing history.
This is what communists do.— Lora for Liberty (@lora_liberty) June 11, 2023
There's no doubt that leftists think they're winning the war against American history, and against the idea of a natural, unchangeable creation of men and women.
After all, they have every establishment news media outlet, the educational establishment, the leftist political structure, and the world of entertainment under lock and key.
But a poll released only last week, according to NBC News, shows a solid majority of Americans -- 65 percent -- still understand the reality that human beings have known for millennia: That the species is made up of men and women. (The other 35 percent are either lying or lunatics.)
The left's attempts to erase the nation's history and its heroes is seeing a dismal high point, as evidenced by the removal of the Schuyler statue, but the fact that it had to be done deliberately at a time when most people wouldn't be around to witness it, shows just how insecure the American left is in pushing its propaganda.
Meanwhile, the Empire State still has both a Schuyler County and Schuylerville, a village named in Schuyler's honor (which wants the statue if Albany doesn't, according to NBC). Don't expect them to be disappearing any time soon.
Progressives aren't succeeding in erasing the fundamental realities of life or American history -- no matter how many fraudulent flags it can fly.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
As the left-wing establishment once again seeks to "get" Donald Trump, a senior FBI official has testified that the first try was fraught with improprieties which makes the raid on Mar-a-Lago look like a political hit job, not justice.
In recent testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, senior FBI official Steven D’Antuono testified that there were a number of violations of procedure that taint the August 2022 raid on Trump's Mar-a-Lago home that was supposedly meant to reclaim classified documents.
D’Antuono said he has "strong concerns" over the broken rules made by FBI officers during the raid. D’Antuono is a former Assistant Director of the FBI's Washington Field Office, according to Just the News.
The official's concerns were detailed in a letter sent by House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan of Ohio to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland.
In his letter, Jordan noted that D’Antuono "noted several unusual features in the Department’s handling" of the raid on Mar-a-Lago.
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) June 9, 2023
"Mr. D’Antuono, who had over two decades of FBI experience, noted his frustration that the FBI was going to be ‘left holding the bag again’ with respect to the search of President Trump’s residence," Jordan added.
The former FBI agent saw "several abnormalities" with the Bureau leading up to the raid, even as the same agency seems unconcerned by piles of classified documents found in now-President Joe Biden's garage.
Firstly, D’Antuono could not understand why the raid was assigned to the Washington Field Office instead of the Miami office in Florida near where Mar-a-Lago is located. That right there made the raid seem political, instead of a matter of law enforcement.
Jordan also noted that D’Antuono said the Bureau never got any consent to search Trump's home before getting the search warrant and also didn't wait for Trump's attorney to get on site before cutting locks and barging in.
Furthermore, the U.S. Justice Dept. neglected to assign a U.S. Attorney to the case to oversee the FBI's raid. Why was the DOJ so oddly left out of the process, the official wondered.
The purpose of Jordan's letter was to seek answers for these breaches of protocol from Garland's office. And the Congressman asked for all documents on the Mar-a-Lago raid.
"Please provide this information as soon as possible but not later than 5:00 p.m. on June 16, 2023," Jordan's letter concluded.
Jordan's letter reveals that there were serious lapses in the process during the raid, all of which seem to point to a political motive, not any questions of law.
There are many other serious questions about that 2022 raid, as well.
For instance, in April it was learned that Biden and the White House lied when it said that it had no involvement in the raid on Trump's Florida home.
For nearly a year, Biden maintained that he had no notice and didn't have any part in the raid. But a Freedom of Information Act request conducted by America First Legal found that Biden's White House did interact with the FBI and tried to instigate the raid with a "special access request."
The group said that the records show that "Biden officials in the Executive Office of the President and the Department of Justice unlawfully abused their power and then lied about it to the American people."
There is also a concern over the fact that the FBI visited Trump's home over the same documents two months before the raid and many wonder why they didn't just take the documents then?
In addition, why didn’t the FBI mount armed raids of Mike Pence, Joe Biden, or Barack Obama’s homes after documents were reported in their possession? Only Trump was raided in a full circus show.
Regardless, Trump seems to be preparing to face this head-on. His lawyer recently advised against taking a plea deal, Fox News reported Sunday, signaling that they are ready to go the distance with the case.
There are a lot of questionable actions on behalf of the government here, not the least of which is the DOJ's complete lack of interest in the many decades of the same behavior from Biden, Pence, and Obama, that Garland claims is such a tremendous crime in Trump's case.
It certainly looks like an effort by the president of the United States to use the powers of law enforcement to destroy his political opponent in a coming election as opposed to any effort to uphold the law.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
With the growing presence of an audience of American troops acting as advisers to Taiwan’s military, China staged a massive show of force in the skies above the island on Thursday.
More than 30 Chinese aircraft entered Taiwan's air defense identification zone on Thursday, one day after a joint U.S., Japanese, and Philippine exercise in the South China Sea.
The Taipei Times, quoting Ministry of National Defense spokesman Sun Li-Fang, wrote that "a total of 37 Chinese military aircraft" breached the zone, according to Newsmax.
"Some continued ... toward the western Pacific for long-range reconnaissance training," Sun said.
The Taipei Times reported that the Chinese aircraft included J-11 and J-16 fighters, Xian H-6 bombers as well as support aircraft.
China, which says that Taiwan should rightfully be a part of China instead of an independent nation, blamed the United States for the need to stage the drill.
“The recent patrols and exercise served as deterrence against the rising tensions following US provocations in the region,” China's state-run Global Times wrote.
The Global Times noted that the massive exercise around Taiwan followed two days in which Russian aircraft partnered with China in maneuvers across the western Pacific, reaching as far as the vicinity of Guam.
The increasingly aggressive tone of Chinese exercises around Taiwan comes as the United States has quietly increased its military footprint in Taiwan.
In February, Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen said American and Taiwan military forces will cooperate “even more closely” and plan to “bolster military exchanges.”
At the time, CNN reported that between 20 and 40 American Marines were routinely based on the island, largely for security operations around America’s unofficial diplomatic outpost.
In April, the Taiwan News reported that America had increased its presence to about 200 troops, according to The Defense Post.
The report said the American trainers were stationed at training centers to “propose improvements to their Taiwanese counterparts.”
That report said about 80 percent of the 200 troops were from the Army, with the balance from the Navy and Air Force.
U.S. officials have been tight-lipped about the trainers.
“We don't have a comment on specific operations, engagements, or training,” Army Lt. Col. Marty Meiners, a Department of Defense spokesman, said, according to Stars and Stripes.
“I would highlight that our support for, and defense relationship with, Taiwan remains aligned against the current threat posed by the People’s Republic of China. Our commitment to Taiwan is rock-solid and contributes to the maintenance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and within the region,” he said.
A report in Politico says that during war games exercises, war with China over Taiwan is costly and not always a victory for the United States.
“The thing we see across all the wargames is that there are major losses on all sides. And the impact of that on our society is quite devastating,” Becca Wasser, head of the gaming lab at the Center for a New American Security, said.
“The most common thread in these exercises is that the United States needs to take steps now in the Indo-Pacific to ensure the conflict doesn’t happen in the future. We are hugely behind the curve. Ukraine is our wake-up call. This is our watershed moment,” she said.
“We’re in a window of maximum danger,” Christian Brose, a former senior aide to the late Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona said.
“If you knew that we had to defend Taiwan in three years, then we’re already two years too late,” Heather Penney, a former Air National Guard pilot and senior fellow at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, said. “It takes two years to budget for these platforms, a year to set up supply, a third year to put all that together, and it takes roughly five years to produce an experienced combat pilot.”
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
I guess it shouldn't be surprising that former Fox News talk show host Tucker Carlson's staggering more than 70 million views in less than 24 hours of the debut of his new online show "Tucker on Twitter" has left former CNN host Brian Stelter with an even more pronounced pucker from the sour grapes.
Since numbers don't lie, Stelter had to pick on something else to mock the groundbreaking broadcast, which some conservatives claim "broke the media matrix."
Stelter picked up on the fact that Tucker was using a teleprompter controller to run his own prompter while on the show, tweeting, "Notice his right hand in the wide shot: He's using a TelePrompTer controller to run the prompter himself."
"Tucker on Twitter" is how @TuckerCarlson's video is branded. Notice his right hand in the wide shot: He's using a TelePrompTer controller to run the prompter himself pic.twitter.com/mzpJ9SFG88
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) June 6, 2023
While an astute observation, Stelter's tweet did not have the effect he intended it to. His catty comment was meant, I assume, to draw attention to the fact that Tucker most likely has a small crew and budget for this new venture, unlike his days on the well-produced "Tucker Carlson Tonight" on Fox.
What he may not have realized is that the fact that "Tucker on Twitter" is not like one of the highly controlled big network productions -- and that is exactly the point.
It's what Tucker wants.
It's what we all want.
As Brandon Strake put it, "The guy is a one-of-a-kind genius."
lol- he writes his 10-15 minute monologues himself- EVERY NIGHT.
The guy is a one-of-a-kind genius.
Who gives AF if he uses a teleprompter to deliver HIS OWN material?— Brandon Straka (@BrandonStraka) June 7, 2023
A genius who understands what the American people want.
The dramatic rise of Fox News since its inception in 1996 was primarily because it filled a void, offering "fair and balanced" journalism without the filters of the leftist agenda.
Unfortunately, over time, the network succumbed to the pressures of the corporate world with increasingly produced news shows tightly controlled by media executives and influenced by advertisers.
Tucker offered us what conservative viewers have always wanted.
The plain and simple truth and the respect from those who bring us the news to allow us to make up our own minds. Nothing more.
Conservative political commentator, Benny Johnson, explained the genius behind Tucker's new format perfectly. "Tucker broke the corporate media monopoly matrix tonight & it's never coming back, " he tweeted. "Tucker uploaded a 10 min monologue. No ads or interruptions. No pricy subscriptions. Watch on demand. The result? - 17M views - 90K RTs - 25K comments In under 180 mins We are the media now."
Tucker broke the corporate media monopoly matrix tonight & it’s never coming back.
Tucker uploaded a 10 min monologue.
No ads or interruptions.
No pricy subscriptions.
Watch on demand.The result?
- 17M views
- 90K RTs
- 25K commentsIn under 180 mins
We are the media now🔥 pic.twitter.com/3X2vLIBiNz
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) June 7, 2023
At the end of his first "Tucker On Twitter" broadcast, Tucker made it clear that he did not intend to be controlled, comparing his show to a "short-wave radio under the blankets."
"We are told there are no gatekeepers here," Tucker said. "If that turns out to be false, we'll leave."
It remains to be seen if the powers that be will allow Tucker to continue to share his refreshing brand of truthful journalism.
The corporate wheels have begun turning, and Fox News has already started legal proceedings against their former star for breach of contract.
[firefly_poll]
The undeniable fact remains that American viewers are increasingly seeing through and rejecting the polished facades of mainstream news shows and turning to less-produced, more honest reporting.
If "Tucker on Twitter" survives, it has the power to awaken millions of sleeping Americans and unveil the truth behind the curtain.
For Tucker's sake, but more so for the sake of the American people, we pray it does.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
There's hardly a city in the United States more bent on liberal virtue-signaling than Washington, D.C. And, there's hardly a place -- aside from her hometown of San Francisco -- where former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi throwing out the first pitch at a "pride night" baseball game would (or should) cause a bigger swell of support from the fans.
And yet, when the former speaker took to the mound on Tuesday to throw out the first pitch for the Washington Nationals' "Night Out" game to celebrate the propaganda festival known as "pride month," almost nothing went well.
According to The Associated Press, Pelosi was excited because -- despite saying she's a season-ticket holder for the San Francisco Giants and a regular at games for other San Francisco-based franchises -- she'd never thrown out the ceremonial first pitch.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi threw out the first pitch Tuesday before the Washington Nationals' annual Night Out game celebrating the LGBTQ+ community. https://t.co/z1STC77Zah
— AP Sports (@AP_Sports) June 7, 2023
“I don’t even watch TV except for sports and so I know better than for a politician to go in front of a sports crowd —- who came for that, right?” Pelosi said, according to the AP. “But this tonight, [for] the LGBTQ, that was a whole different purpose, so I was very honored to do that and take whatever came my way.”
This is actually pretty much a lie -- a Los Angeles Times profile of Pelosi in which a reporter shadowed her for a day noted that, in terms of TV watching, she's a news junkie with no less than four small sets tuned to news and politics channels -- but it's a small fib by Pelosi standards. And clearly, judging by her comments to the AP on Tuesday, she was the perfect hurler for the gig.
“People always say to me ‘It’s so easy for you because San Francisco is so tolerant,’ and I say, ‘tolerant' to me is almost condescending," Pelosi said. “We’re not tolerant. We respect and we take pride. I think at this time, the challenge that we face is we insist we take pride very vocally.”
That's right, tolerance is no longer enough. We need celebration, goshdarnit. And so, Nancy gave it her best for "pride" night at Nationals Park. If only her best weren't, well, this:
Nancy Pelosi throws out the first pitch — more like a free throw — at the Washington Nationals’ “Pride Night” pic.twitter.com/DgfiuQSdhz
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) June 7, 2023
OK, so Nancy's 83 years old. And she managed to do better than other Beltway functionaries, I'll give her that much.
Back in 2020, then-national COVID czar Dr. Anthony Fauci turned in one that's still remembered:
Awful and yet somehow still better than Fauci... pic.twitter.com/O28QAMnVHe
— Gain of Fauci (@DschlopesIsBack) June 7, 2023
However, it's not just that Nancy throws like a ... young birthing person. It's also that "pride night" in one of America's most liberal cities didn't exactly generate that much pride:
ELECTRIC crowd watching Nancy Pelosi throw out the first pitch tonight pic.twitter.com/QYv9D41lGL
— Kirk A. Bado (@kirk_bado) June 6, 2023
To a crowd of 28.
— Kevin Smith 🇺🇸 (@Kevinsmithspc) June 7, 2023
Nancy Pelosi throws out the first pitch to an empty stadium! pic.twitter.com/iGr0UMdsu3
— Karli Bonne’ (@KarliBonnita) June 7, 2023
And the crowd goes mild! Nancy Pelosi tosses the first pitch at the Washington Nationals Pride night in front of a crowd of about 15 people https://t.co/9OIaWNS6dA
— Not the Bee (@Not_the_Bee) June 7, 2023
The announced attendance for Tuesday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks was 24,743, according to Baseball Reference.
That's about an average crowd for the Nats this season, judging by the attendance numbers from previous games.
[firefly_poll]
But it's only about half the 46,571 that turned out for last Tuesday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, an organization that's making its own disgraceful contribution to "pride month" festivities.
Whatever the case, it certainly doesn't look like a bumper crop of a crowd came early to celebrate pride, one of the deadliest sins, even with Nancy Pelosi as a featured attraction.
(And "pride" did indeed cometh before the fall: The Nationals lost 10-5 to the Diamondbacks to fall to 25-35, which keeps the team fifth in the five-team, woeful National League East.)
The takeaway is that the country is prided out -- even for liberals. When there isn't a backlash -- like with Bud Light or Target -- there's just plain apathy. In a liberal city with a leftist, LGBT political icon throwing out the first pitch, there was nothing but disinterest in the Nationals' "Night Out."
In fact, the reaction was weaker than Pelosi's throw -- and that's saying a lot.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
