Morning Brief 2023-09-11

BOTTOM OF HOUR 2
GUEST: Dave Isay
TOPIC: Where were YOU on 9/11?

TOP OF HOUR 3
GUEST: Andrew Bailey
TOPIC: WIN: Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals rules that the federal government cannot collude with social media companies to censor speech deemed "misinformation."

Genesis 4:10

Domestic News...

Glenn's essay from 2001: 'The Greatest American Generation'
Not long after 9/11, Glenn penned an essay. Do you still hold the views he expressed in it?

IRS Launches 'Sweeping, Historic' Tax Enforcement Crackdown Using AI
The IRS has announced that, thanks to a new funding boost, it's launching a "sweeping, historic" tax enforcement initiative using artificial intelligence and other cutting-edge technologies to catch tax evaders more effectively.

Mixed message? Bush foundation chief who organized unity letter previously leaked Steele dossier
The letter champions American unity in supporting democracy while the Steele dossier was used to undermine the 2016 presidential election.

Secret Service agent next to JFK during assassination challenges official narrative
"If the bullet we know as the magic or pristine bullet stopped in President Kennedy’s back, it means that the central thesis of the Warren Report, the single-bullet theory, is wrong," one researcher said.

Nike store in Portland shuts doors as crime and safety concerns tear through city
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said the city had attempted to work with Nike to ease its "safety challenges."

Arizona residents share nation's concerns on Big Tech election interference, more hearings to come
Recent revelations about government coercion or collusion in suppressing political speech is spawning nationwide concern.

North Dakota man gets 5-year sentence for killing teen he called a 'Republican extremist'
The victim's family say he destroyed their lives.

Constitutional Crisis...

5th Circuit finds Biden White House, CDC violated First Amendment
The three-judge panel found that contacts with tech companies by officials from the White House, the surgeon general’s office, the CDC, and the FBI likely amounted to coercion.

New Mexico governor issues order suspending the right to carry firearms in public across Albuquerque
Gov. Grisham said state police would be responsible for enforcing what amount to civil violations. Albuquerque police Chief Harold Medina said he won't enforce it, and Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen said he's uneasy about it because it raises too many questions about constitutional rights.

Gun owners publicly defy New Mexico governor's suspension of open and concealed carry law
"We will not comply!"

DeSantis hits back at New Mexico governor for suspending gun rights: 'SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED'
"Just a few months after ending the COVID 'public health emergency,' the Governor of New Mexico has declared a new 'public health emergency': Guns."

California becomes first state to pass 11% excise tax on guns and ammo
The excise tax would start July 2024 if signed by Gov. Newsom.

Banana Republic...

Fulton County grand jury recommended charging Lindsey Graham, two ex-senators in 2020 election case
The final report showed that grand jurors recommended charges against 39 people, compared to the 19 who were ultimately charged.

Obama Judge denies Mark Meadows' bid to move Georgia election case to federal court
"Meadows’ alleged association with post-election activities was not related to his role as White House Chief of Staff or his executive branch authority."

Politics...

NY Times: President Biden Keeps Hunter Close Despite the Political Peril
The possibility of a federal indictment of Hunter Biden stunned the president. Yet the bond between him and his only surviving son is ironclad.

Biden says 'Good evening, Vietnam!' while in Hanoi
Mistakes Robin Williams' anti-war movie for a song during another bizarre press conference where he rants about "Indians" and John Wayne.

Biden wraps up rambling Vietnam presser in candid way: 'I'm gonna go to bed'
"Yeah, we talked … we talked about … we talked about it at the conference. Overall, we talked about stability. We talked about making sure that the Third World, the Third World … the Southern Hemisphere had access to change. It had access." | Video

Joe Biden Says He's Just Following Staff's Orders During Press Conference
Biden appeared to be confused during a press conference in Vietnam on Sunday, saying he will "just follow his orders" while looking through papers and speaking to reporters. | Video

More than three-quarters of voters want an age limit imposed on politicians: Poll
CBS News and YouGov conducted a survey at the end of August and found that 77% of respondents agreed there ought to be age limits.

NY Times: Why Is Joe Biden So Unpopular?
Biden is unpopular and could lose to Trump, but no single issue explains his troubles. Inflation, loss of minority support, doubts about his age, and national pessimism all contribute. He lacks good options to boost his prospects.

The Hill: Five Democratic alternatives if President Biden exits the 2024 race
With Biden's approval plummeting amid age concerns, Democrats are exploring alternative 2024 options if he doesn't run. Kamala Harris, Gavin Newsom, Pete Buttigieg, Gretchen Whitmer, and AOC top the list.

Tucker Is Outing Obama as Gay. but Everyone Is Missing the Big Story
Obama's past hints at his true communist allegiances, groomed by globalists to destroy the country. His Columbia years likely involved Soviet schooling in "Cloward Piven" tactics now ravaging America.

Trump: Overruling Roe v. Wade Cost GOP Politically
Trump hailed his administration's Supreme Court justice confirmations as having righted a constitutional wrong on the abortion issue, kicking it back to the states "where it should be," even if it cost the Republican Party in the midterms.

NY Times: In Post-Roe America, Nikki Haley Seeks New GOP Path on Abortion
In crafting an anti-abortion message that doesn’t alienate moderate Republicans and swing voters, her approach has won both supporters and detractors.

GOP senator teases openness to No Labels
Sen. Bill Cassidy indicated that he would be open to being involved with a third-party ticket in 2024 if Trump and Biden are the nominees.

The status of contested congressional maps in three states
Three states have had recent developments in legal battles over how congressional districts will look for the 2024 election, with one state having its map for the election solidified. Here is a look at the redistricting situations in Florida, Ohio, and Alabama.

Press rips Vogue's fawning profile of Karine Jean-Pierre
White House reporters slammed a Vogue profile praising press sec. Karine Jean-Pierre as a "straight shooter," saying she actively obfuscates and restricts press access. They called the piece hypocritical.

83-year old Pelosi announces 2024 re-election bid
"Now more than ever our City needs us to advance San Francisco values and further our recovery. Our country needs America to show the world that our flag is still there, with liberty and justice for ALL."

Soros-Aligned Texas DA Sidesteps Removal Trial by Resigning and Announces Senate Run Against Ted Cruz
Nueces County District Attorney Mark Gonzalez sidestepped a civil lawsuit scheduled in December to remove him from office for "incompetence and official misconduct under the guise of prosecutorial discretion" and failure to give bond.

Economy / ESG...

Oil prices hit 9-month high amid supply concerns
The Biden administration released oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve last year to fight gasoline price increases, but the stockpile is greatly drained.

Border...

Biden Knows He Is Using Illegal Immigrants To Hurt His Enemies
The White House is aware that sanctuary city mayors can’t tolerate the real-life consequences of the Democratic party’s policies.

Biden's DOJ lawsuit against Elon Musk’s SpaceX is nakedly absurd
SpaceX appears to have been trying to comply with Department of Defense regulations by not using noncitizens in military-related work, and in doing so, it may have run afoul of the DOJ.

Illegal aliens in Minnesota can apply for driver’s licenses in October
“We’ll be able to start taking applications for driver’s licenses for all Minnesotans, including those who don’t have lawful presence in the United States,” said Pong Xiong, director of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Driver and Vehicle Services.

Vivek Ramaswamy says he will deport US-born children of illegal migrants
"The family unit will be deported," Ramaswamy said Friday when NBC News asked him whether the deportations would include American-born children.

WAR News... 

Biden admin pledges $520 million to make Ukraine's energy infrastructure 'cleaner, more resilient'
The secretary also said the U.S. is investing $665.5 million in security assistance and $206 million in humanitarian assistance.

White House won't vow to decouple Ukraine aid from relief funding for Florida hurricane and Maui wildfires
She said that Biden believes that it is "our job" and "duty" to "make sure that Ukraine continues to fight, again, for their sovereignty, for their democracy."

G20 Declaration Omits Criticism of Russia, Notes Ukrainians’ ‘Suffering’
It was an eye-opening departure from a similar document agreed to less than a year ago that issued a strong condemnation of the Russian invasion and called on Moscow to withdraw its troops.

COVID-19...

Judge rules that NYC teachers get jobs back after fighting COVID-19 vaccine mandate
The Children's Health Defense and Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. sponsored the legal challenge and praised the ruling, calling it a win for religious freedom.

Trump White House urged DeSantis in letter to implement masking in Florida
Trump slammed DeSantis, claiming, "He shut down Florida. It was tight as a drum. He had vax lines. He was vaxxing everything. Now, he talks about the vaccinations this and that." But Trump's task force told DeSantis, "Do not delay the rapid immunization of those over 65 and vulnerable to severe disease."

California city bans all future mask and vaccine mandates: 'Should have a right to choose'
Huntington Beach has banned all future mask and vaccine mandates, saying previous COVID rules were ineffective and "unnecessarily limited freedoms." The city council cited concern over trampling on residents' liberty.

Two Republicans want to force Biden admin to release all the records on COVID-19's origin
The bill comes after the Office of the Director of National Intelligence published a lackluster report on the origins of COVID-19 after being mandated by Congress to do so.

CDC director wears mask with Dem senators, not Romney in odd photos
CDC head Mandy Cohen shared photos meeting masked with Dem senators, but unmasked with GOP Sen. Mitt Romney. The inconsistent masking in her post raised eyebrows.

Entertainment...

Flashback 9/11: In August of 2001, James Woods Reported Suspicious Passengers to FBI
Woods observed four men of Middle Eastern origin acting so oddly that he reported them to the flight attendants and authorities on the ground when he landed, "who shrugged it off." The flight turned out to be a dry run for the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Media...

WSJ: Dressing Like a 1950s Housewife Is All the Rage
Bright-red lipstick, curled hair, high heels, full skirts: Feminists and ‘trad wives’ alike are embracing the midcentury look.

Rolling Stone: The Right Would Like All Women to Be 1950s Housewives, Please
Viral TikTok videos of women enjoying being single and child-free enraged the right.

Africa...

Morocco Quake Death Toll Climbs Past 2,100
The magnitude-6.8 quake was the biggest to hit Morocco in 120 years, and it toppled buildings and walls in ancient cities made from stone and masonry not designed to withstand quakes.

Environment...

Biden says global warming is ‘Even more frightening than a nuclear war’
Biden spent part of his overseas trip wringing his hands over the possibility that global temperatures could rise by 1.5°, calling the prospect “more frightening than nuclear war.”

Hurricane season could pummel American supply chains
Supply chains break down because of hurricanes — for a matter of days or much longer.

LGBTQIA2S+...

California passes bill requiring parents to 'affirm' child's 'gender transition'
Under this new law, a parent who does not go along with their child's perceived gender identity could be guilty of failing to provide their child with sufficient "health, safety, and welfare." Additionally, this could result in a parent losing custody of their child.

Youngkin pardons father who was arrested during school board meeting after his daughter was assaulted by trans student
The father of a Virginia student who was sexually assaulted in her high school bathroom has been pardoned after his arrest two years ago.

Biden’s DHS awards millions to LGBT, minority groups for ‘targeted violence and terrorism prevention’
The Biden admin is handing over $20 million to LGBT, minority, and leftist college groups for "equity" and "inclusion" programs in the name of preventing "extremism."

Education...

Florida approves ‘Classic Learning Test’ for college admissions
“The CLT places a strong emphasis on classical education, which includes a focus on reading, writing, and critical thinking skills.”

School suspends first-grader for pretending fingers were a gun during game of cops and robbers
"She said ... in this climate, this day and age, we have to take all incidents very seriously."

Religion...

Azerbaijan will allow aid into Karabakh from Armenia if aid from its side is let in, official says
Azerbaijan is ready to allow Red Cross aid from Armenia into the ethnic Armenian Nagorno-Karabakh enclave if Red Crescent aid from Azerbaijan is let in at the same time, Hikmet Hajiyev, foreign policy adviser to President Ilham Aliyev, told Reuters.

The Case for U.S.-Russia Cooperation in Nagorno-Karabakhh
An enduring solution to the wider Azerbaijani-Armenian conflict can only happen if Washington and Moscow work together.

Armenian bishop: Ancient Christian enclave faces ‘genocide by starvation’
For the past nine months, Azerbaijani forces have blocked the only road leading from Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh, a historic Armenian enclave located in southwestern Azerbaijan and internationally recognized as part of that nation.

Now that the pope has praised him, can we stop pretending Genghis Khan was on the Right?
Can we finally dump the phrase “to the right of Genghis Khan”? In Mongolia, Pope Francis, surely the leftiest pontiff ever, heaped praise on the terror of the steppes.

AI...

Senators unveil bipartisan blueprint for comprehensive AI regulation
The legislation is expected to be a guide for managing both the potential benefits and risks associated with AI technology.

Google to require disclosures of AI content in political ads
Starting in November, Google will require political advertisements to prominently disclose when they feature synthetic content — such as images generated by artificial intelligence.

Technology...

The Hill: Elon Musk has shattered the myth that social media platforms are mere space providers
The ridiculous opinion article claims that Musk has brought censorship to social media, when it used to be an open platform, and NOW the platform should face regulation.

Sports...

Trump Met By Large Crowd, Chants Of ‘U-S-A’ In Visit To Iowa-Iowa State Game
Trump attended the annual Iowa-Iowa State rivalry football game on Saturday, where security wedged Trump through large crowds of fans chanting “U-S-A.”

Super Bowl champ Tony Dungy schools ESPN on Christian tennis phenom Coco Gauff praying after winning first US Open
"I hate to break this to you SportsCenter but Coco Gauff was not 'soaking it all in' at this moment. She was praying."

Ex-MLB star blasts woke Nike, trashes 'coddled' players, owns Keith Olbermann
Former pitcher David Wells ripped Nike's politics, said today's MLB players are "coddled," and slammed Keith Olbermann after he questioned Wells' Bud Light comments. Wells called Olbermann a "fraud."

Sept 11, 2001 - Glenn is on 970 WFLA in Tampa... Callers are shocked and saddened... Glenn urges caution against speculation and knee-jerk retaliation... Now is the time for prayer and coming together... Glenn says 9/11 will live in infamy as a defining day for his generation and will test America's greatness...

Trump's proposal explained: Ukraine's path to peace without NATO expansion

ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / Contributor | Getty Images

Strategic compromise, not absolute victory, often ensures lasting stability.

When has any country been asked to give up land it won in a war? Even if a nation is at fault, the punishment must be measured.

After World War I, Germany, the main aggressor, faced harsh penalties under the Treaty of Versailles. Germans resented the restrictions, and that resentment fueled the rise of Adolf Hitler, ultimately leading to World War II. History teaches that justice for transgressions must avoid creating conditions for future conflict.

Ukraine and Russia must choose to either continue the cycle of bloodshed or make difficult compromises in pursuit of survival and stability.

Russia and Ukraine now stand at a similar crossroads. They can cling to disputed land and prolong a devastating war, or they can make concessions that might secure a lasting peace. The stakes could not be higher: Tens of thousands die each month, and the choice between endless bloodshed and negotiated stability hinges on each side’s willingness to yield.

History offers a guide. In 1967, Israel faced annihilation. Surrounded by hostile armies, the nation fought back and seized large swaths of territory from Jordan, Egypt, and Syria. Yet Israel did not seek an empire. It held only the buffer zones needed for survival and returned most of the land. Security and peace, not conquest, drove its decisions.

Peace requires concessions

Secretary of State Marco Rubio says both Russia and Ukraine will need to “get something” from a peace deal. He’s right. Israel proved that survival outweighs pride. By giving up land in exchange for recognition and an end to hostilities, it stopped the cycle of war. Egypt and Israel have not fought in more than 50 years.

Russia and Ukraine now press opposing security demands. Moscow wants a buffer to block NATO. Kyiv, scarred by invasion, seeks NATO membership — a pledge that any attack would trigger collective defense by the United States and Europe.

President Donald Trump and his allies have floated a middle path: an Article 5-style guarantee without full NATO membership. Article 5, the core of NATO’s charter, declares that an attack on one is an attack on all. For Ukraine, such a pledge would act as a powerful deterrent. For Russia, it might be more palatable than NATO expansion to its border

Andrew Harnik / Staff | Getty Images

Peace requires concessions. The human cost is staggering: U.S. estimates indicate 20,000 Russian soldiers died in a single month — nearly half the total U.S. casualties in Vietnam — and the toll on Ukrainians is also severe. To stop this bloodshed, both sides need to recognize reality on the ground, make difficult choices, and anchor negotiations in security and peace rather than pride.

Peace or bloodshed?

Both Russia and Ukraine claim deep historical grievances. Ukraine arguably has a stronger claim of injustice. But the question is not whose parchment is older or whose deed is more valid. The question is whether either side is willing to trade some land for the lives of thousands of innocent people. True security, not historical vindication, must guide the path forward.

History shows that punitive measures or rigid insistence on territorial claims can perpetuate cycles of war. Germany’s punishment after World War I contributed directly to World War II. By contrast, Israel’s willingness to cede land for security and recognition created enduring peace. Ukraine and Russia now face the same choice: Continue the cycle of bloodshed or make difficult compromises in pursuit of survival and stability.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

The loneliness epidemic: Are machines replacing human connection?

NurPhoto / Contributor | Getty Images

Seniors, children, and the isolated increasingly rely on machines for conversation, risking real relationships and the emotional depth that only humans provide.

Jill Smola is 75 years old. She’s a retiree from Orlando, Florida, and she spent her life caring for the elderly. She played games, assembled puzzles, and offered company to those who otherwise would have sat alone.

Now, she sits alone herself. Her husband has died. She has a lung condition. She can’t drive. She can’t leave her home. Weeks can pass without human interaction.

Loneliness is an epidemic. And AI will not fix it. It will only dull the edges and make a diminished life tolerable.

But CBS News reports that she has a new companion. And she likes this companion more than her own daughter.

The companion? Artificial intelligence.

She spends five hours a day talking to her AI friend. They play games, do trivia, and just talk. She says she even prefers it to real people.

My first thought was simple: Stop this. We are losing our humanity.

But as I sat with the story, I realized something uncomfortable. Maybe we’ve already lost some of our humanity — not to AI, but to ourselves.

Outsourcing presence

How often do we know the right thing to do yet fail to act? We know we should visit the lonely. We know we should sit with someone in pain. We know what Jesus would do: Notice the forgotten, touch the untouchable, offer time and attention without outsourcing compassion.

Yet how often do we just … talk about it? On the radio, online, in lectures, in posts. We pontificate, and then we retreat.

I asked myself: What am I actually doing to close the distance between knowing and doing?

Human connection is messy. It’s inconvenient. It takes patience, humility, and endurance. AI doesn’t challenge you. It doesn’t interrupt your day. It doesn’t ask anything of you. Real people do. Real people make us confront our pride, our discomfort, our loneliness.

We’ve built an economy of convenience. We can have groceries delivered, movies streamed, answers instantly. But friendships — real relationships — are slow, inefficient, unpredictable. They happen in the blank spaces of life that we’ve been trained to ignore.

And now we’re replacing that inefficiency with machines.

AI provides comfort without challenge. It eliminates the risk of real intimacy. It’s an elegant coping mechanism for loneliness, but a poor substitute for life. If we’re not careful, the lonely won’t just be alone — they’ll be alone with an anesthetic, a shadow that never asks for anything, never interrupts, never makes them grow.

Reclaiming our humanity

We need to reclaim our humanity. Presence matters. Not theory. Not outrage. Action.

It starts small. Pull up a chair for someone who eats alone. Call a neighbor you haven’t spoken to in months. Visit a nursing home once a month — then once a week. Ask their names, hear their stories. Teach your children how to be present, to sit with someone in grief, without rushing to fix it.

Turn phones off at dinner. Make Sunday afternoons human time. Listen. Ask questions. Don’t post about it afterward. Make the act itself sacred.

Humility is central. We prefer machines because we can control them. Real people are inconvenient. They interrupt our narratives. They demand patience, forgiveness, and endurance. They make us confront ourselves.

A friend will challenge your self-image. A chatbot won’t.

Our homes are quieter. Our streets are emptier. Loneliness is an epidemic. And AI will not fix it. It will only dull the edges and make a diminished life tolerable.

Before we worry about how AI will reshape humanity, we must first practice humanity. It can start with 15 minutes a day of undivided attention, presence, and listening.

Change usually comes when pain finally wins. Let’s not wait for that. Let’s start now. Because real connection restores faster than any machine ever will.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Exposed: The radical Left's bloody rampage against America

Spencer Platt / Staff | Getty Images

For years, the media warned of right-wing terror. But the bullets, bombs, and body bags are piling up on the left — with support from Democrat leaders and voters.

For decades, the media and federal agencies have warned Americans that the greatest threat to our homeland is the political right — gun-owning veterans, conservative Christians, anyone who ever voted for President Donald Trump. President Joe Biden once declared that white supremacy is “the single most dangerous terrorist threat” in the nation.

Since Trump’s re-election, the rhetoric has only escalated. Outlets like the Washington Post and the Guardian warned that his second term would trigger a wave of far-right violence.

As Democrats bleed working-class voters and lose control of their base, they’re not moderating. They’re radicalizing.

They were wrong.

The real domestic threat isn’t coming from MAGA grandmas or rifle-toting red-staters. It’s coming from the radical left — the anarchists, the Marxists, the pro-Palestinian militants, and the anti-American agitators who have declared war on law enforcement, elected officials, and civil society.

Willful blindness

On July 4, a group of black-clad terrorists ambushed an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Alvarado, Texas. They hurled fireworks at the building, spray-painted graffiti, and then opened fire on responding law enforcement, shooting a local officer in the neck. Journalist Andy Ngo has linked the attackers to an Antifa cell in the Dallas area.

Authorities have so far charged 14 people in the plot and recovered AR-style rifles, body armor, Kevlar vests, helmets, tactical gloves, and radios. According to the Department of Justice, this was a “planned ambush with intent to kill.”

And it wasn’t an isolated incident. It’s part of a growing pattern of continuous violent left-wing incidents since December last year.

Monthly attacks

Most notably, in December 2024, 26-year-old Luigi Mangione allegedly gunned down UnitedHealth Group CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan. Mangione reportedly left a manifesto raging against the American health care system and was glorified by some on social media as a kind of modern Robin Hood.

One Emerson College poll found that 41% of Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 said the murder was “acceptable” or “somewhat acceptable.”

The next month, a man carrying Molotov cocktails was arrested near the U.S. Capitol. He allegedly planned to assassinate Trump-appointed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and House Speaker Mike Johnson.

In February, the “Tesla Takedown” attacks on Tesla vehicles and dealerships started picking up traction.

In March, a self-described “queer scientist” was arrested after allegedly firebombing the Republican Party headquarters in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Graffiti on the burned building read “ICE = KKK.”

In April, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s (D-Pa.) official residence was firebombed on Passover night. The suspect allegedly set the governor’s mansion on fire because of what Shapiro, who is Jewish, “wants to do to the Palestinian people.”

In May, two young Israeli embassy staffers were shot and killed outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. Witnesses said the shooter shouted “Free Palestine” as he was being arrested. The suspect told police he acted “for Gaza” and was reportedly linked to the Party for Socialism and Liberation.

In June, an Egyptian national who had entered the U.S. illegally allegedly threw a firebomb at a peaceful pro-Israel rally in Boulder, Colorado. Eight people were hospitalized, and an 82-year-old Holocaust survivor later died from her injuries.

That same month, a pro-Palestinian rioter in New York was arrested for allegedly setting fire to 11 police vehicles. In Los Angeles, anti-ICE rioters smashed cars, set fires, and hurled rocks at law enforcement. House Democrats refused to condemn the violence.

Barbara Davidson / Contributor | Getty Images

In Portland, Oregon, rioters tried to burn down another ICE facility and assaulted police officers before being dispersed with tear gas. Graffiti left behind read: “Kill your masters.”

On July 7, a Michigan man opened fire on a Customs and Border Protection facility in McAllen, Texas, wounding two police officers and an agent. Border agents returned fire, killing the suspect.

Days later in California, ICE officers conducting a raid on an illegal cannabis farm in Ventura County were attacked by left-wing activists. One protester appeared to fire at federal agents.

This is not a series of isolated incidents. It’s a timeline of escalation. Political assassinations, firebombings, arson, ambushes — all carried out in the name of radical leftist ideology.

Democrats are radicalizing

This isn’t just the work of fringe agitators. It’s being enabled — and in many cases encouraged — by elected Democrats.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz routinely calls ICE “Trump’s modern-day Gestapo.” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass attempted to block an ICE operation in her city. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu compared ICE agents to a neo-Nazi group. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson referred to them as “secret police terrorizing our communities.”

Apparently, other Democratic lawmakers, according to Axios, are privately troubled by their own base. One unnamed House Democrat admitted that supporters were urging members to escalate further: “Some of them have suggested what we really need to do is be willing to get shot.” Others were demanding blood in the streets to get the media’s attention.

A study from Rutgers University and the National Contagion Research Institute found that 55% of Americans who identify as “left of center” believe that murdering Donald Trump would be at least “somewhat justified.”

As Democrats bleed working-class voters and lose control of their base, they’re not moderating. They’re radicalizing. They don’t want the chaos to stop. They want to harness it, normalize it, and weaponize it.

The truth is, this isn’t just about ICE. It’s not even about Trump. It’s about whether a republic can survive when one major party decides that our institutions no longer apply.

Truth still matters. Law and order still matter. And if the left refuses to defend them, then we must be the ones who do.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

America's comeback: Trump is crushing crime in the Capitol

Andrew Harnik / Staff | Getty Images

Trump’s DC crackdown is about more than controlling crime — it’s about restoring America’s strength and credibility on the world stage.

Donald Trump on Monday invoked Section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, placing the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department under direct federal control and deploying the National Guard to restore law and order. This move is long overdue.

D.C.’s crime problem has been spiraling for years as local authorities and Democratic leadership have abandoned the nation’s capital to the consequences of their own failed policies. The city’s murder rate is about three times higher than that of Islamabad, Pakistan, and 18 times higher than that of communist-led Havana, Cuba.

When DC is in chaos, it sends a message to the world that America is weak.

Theft, assaults, and carjackings have transformed many of its streets into war zones. D.C. saw a 32% increase in homicides from 2022 to 2023, marking the highest number in two decades and surpassing both New York and Los Angeles. Even if crime rates dropped to 2019 levels, that wouldn’t be good enough.

Local leaders have downplayed the crisis, manipulating crime stats to preserve their image. Felony assault, for example, is no longer considered a “violent crime” in their crime stats. Same with carjacking. But the reality on the streets is different. People in D.C. are living in constant fear.

Trump isn’t waiting for the crime rate to improve on its own. He’s taking action.

Broken windows theory in action

Trump’s takeover of D.C. puts the “broken windows theory” into action — the idea that ignoring minor crimes invites bigger ones. When authorities look the other way on turnstile-jumping or graffiti, they signal that lawbreaking carries no real consequence.

Rudy Giuliani used this approach in the 1990s to clean up New York, cracking down on small offenses before they escalated. Trump is doing the same in the capital, drawing a hard line and declaring enough is enough. Letting crime fester in Washington tells the world that the seat of American power tolerates lawlessness.

What Trump is doing for D.C. isn’t just about law enforcement — it’s about national identity. When D.C. is in chaos, it sends a message to the world that America is weak. The capital city represents the soul of the country. If we can’t even keep our own capital safe, how can we expect anyone to take us seriously?

Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

Reversing the decline

Anyone who has visited D.C. regularly over the past several years has witnessed its rapid decline. Homeless people bathe in the fountains outside Union Station. People are tripping out in Dupont Circle. The left’s negligence is a disgrace, enabling drug use and homelessness to explode on our capital’s streets while depriving these individuals of desperately needed care and help.

Restoring law and order to D.C. is not about politics or scoring points. It’s about doing what’s right for the people. It’s about protecting communities, taking the vulnerable off the streets, and sending the message to both law-abiding and law-breaking citizens alike that the rule of law matters.

D.C. should be a lesson to the rest of America. If we want to take our cities back, we need leadership willing to take bold action. Trump is showing how to do it.

Now, it’s time for other cities to step up and follow his lead. We can restore law and order. We can make our cities something to be proud of again.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.