Tag: politics

Furious Democrats Call for Schumer to Be Replaced After Shutdown Cave

Leftists, including some elected officials, reacted with apoplectic rage Monday after eight Senate Democrats caved to Senate Republicans by agreeing to vote to end the lengthy government shutdown.

And while Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer didn’t appear to be directly responsible, as it seemed the eight had negotiated a deal behind his back, the blame for the massive concession was still flowing his way.

“Despite voting against the deal, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is emerging as the top target for not containing the defections,” Axios confirmed, citing the words of a a number of lawmakers.

“Schumer is voting no,” a senior House Democrat told the outlet. “But that doesn’t mean [a] primary [challenge is] not coming.”

The deal reached by the eight Senate Democrats reportedly included a promise that Senate Republicans would eventually allow a vote on their colleagues’ bill to permanently extend COVID-era Obamacare subsidies.

But according to many Democrats, a promise simply wasn’t enough.

“It’s complete BS,” Democratic Rep. Becca Balint of Vermont told Axios. “A concept of a possible vote. People need healthcare, damn it. Not some lame promise about a mythical future vote.”

“Sounds like a lousy deal to me,” Democratic Rep. Jared Huffman of California added.

“People are furious,” a House Democrat described as a “centrist” anonymously said. “It’s an awful deal and a total failure to use leverage for anything real.”

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Why Are Things Unaffordable?

With the election of Zohran Mamdani as Mayor of New York, much conversation has been made of his appeal to “affordability.”

As I’ve written previously, this is a noble conversation, but one that has been dishonestly framed (by Democrats and media) to date.  I will use Mamdani’s comment in his acceptance speech to re-frame the debate.

We will prove that there is no problem too large for government to solve, and no concern too small for it to care about.

Mamdani and the Democrat party have effectively defined a binary choice: Should government or “the market” control affordability?  The Democrats are seemingly all in on expanding the size and scope of government, to the point of eventually seizing the means of production.

First let’s look at the role that government has already played and its effect on affordability.  What areas in the economy have seen the greatest increase in costs for the consumer?  Education, housing, healthcare, and food.  Ironically, these are all areas of the economy that the government has interjected itself in the form of subsidies, regulations, government-backed loans, and transfer payments.  

In the 1960s, tuition costs were a reasonable expense.  The best and brightest pursued advanced degrees and had good-paying high-skilled jobs available upon graduation.  Government-backed loans were buffeted by a competitive “private loan” market.

In 2010, Obama eliminated the federal guaranteed loan program, which had let private lenders offer student loans at low interest rates.  Now the Department of Education is the only place to go for such loans.

Private lenders (prior to 2010) would lend money based on a risk model, where student loans could be obtained with the lender determining their degree of risk associated with repayment. It didn’t serve their interest to make loans to a large swath of students that might likely not repay the loan.  Tuition was mostly held in check, as students and lenders evaluated the cost-benefit analysis of higher education.  Universities couldn’t raise tuitions beyond what “the perceived market” for return on investment would support.

Eliminating the private lending market placed government as the sole provider of student loans.  The government abandoned risk-benefit analysis and effectively provided loans to anyone and everyone who wanted to attend university.  This act ballooned the number of people (qualified and unqualified) who obtained government-backed student loans and removed the “market” pressure on tuitions, causing tuition rates to rise exponentially.

Housing unaffordability has three distinct (government-created) problems.

One: Rent control.  New York offers us a glimpse at the impact of rent control programs on price and availability.  Controlling rents on some subset of housing creates hyperactive demand on the balance of housing in a generalized area.  Wherever rent control has been instituted, rents throughout said market rise above and beyond where “the market” might otherwise settle.

Two: Supply and demand (price controls and regulations).  Wherever rent controls have been instituted, local governments (i.e., New York, San Francisco) alternately impose strict regulations on the building and upkeep of housing within said market.  These regulations, as we see playing out in Pacific Palisades in California, make it near impossible to rebuild and repair, and they discourage private investment.

Three: Illegal immigration.  Unfettered illegal immigration has placed extreme demand for housing above and beyond what the market might otherwise require.  Cost supports (transfer payments) to illegal aliens, like government-backed student loans (above), removes some cost pressure against entry for many, causing prices to rise above what the market might otherwise demand, making housing unaffordable in many, primarily urban markets.    

Obamacare, or the inaptly named Affordable Care Act, we were told, was necessary to “bend down the healthcare cost curve.”  Conservatives, Republicans, health care industry analysts, and economists warned that the opposite would occur, with costs rising and care becoming rationed to curb hospital outlays.  This is exactly what occurred, as we see with the debate over Obamacare subsidies as part of the Democrats’ rationale for shutting down the government.  Temporary Obamacare subsidies implemented by Democrats in 2021, expiring at the end of 2025, are necessary, say Democrats; otherwise, Americans (and non-Americans) will see a doubling or tripling of their health insurance premiums.

If only someone had warned Democrats that this might occur.

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Super PAC Targeting Massie Funded By Three Israel-Backing Billionaires

Though it sports a Kentucky- and MAGA-branded name, the new Super PAC launched solely to support a primary challenge against popular Republican Congressman Thomas Massie is funded entirely by three Israel-backing billionaires from Nevada, New York and Florida, according to disclosure filings posted on Thursday. 

The super PAC was launched in June, just days after President Trump threw a social media tantrum over Massie’s condemnation of Trump’s commitment of US forces to Israel’s war on Iran. Massie has long been a thorn in Trump’s side on domestic issues too, from opposing the $2 trillion, Trump-backed Covid-19 “relief package” in 2020 to voting against this year’s Big Beautiful Bill. However, Massie’s opposition to US involvement in Israel’s war seemed to have been the last straw. Trump assigned his top political operatives Tony Fabrizio and Chris LaCivita to start and run the super PAC. LaCivita told Axios the entity will spend “whatever it takes” to oust Massie.

The PAC’s only three donors have two things in common: they’re billionaires, and they’re ardent supporters of Israel. According to the PAC’s first funding disclosure filed with the Federal Election Commission on Thursday, it has received:

  • $1 million from New Yorker hedge fund manager Paul Singer, who has also funded a Israel-favoring US think tank and other pro-Israel organizations, and urged Trump to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal 
  • $250,000 from Floridian hedge fund manager John Paulson
  • $750,000 from the Preserve America Super PAC, which has also been led by La Civita and primarily funded by Nevadan Miriam Adelson and earlier, her late husband Sheldon Adelson

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J.P. Morgan Quietly Helped Jack Smith Target Trump Media

The weaponization of federal power has reached a new level. 

In a shocking revelation, Special Counsel Jack Smith secretly subpoenaed J.P. Morgan Chase for the private banking records of Trump Media and Technology Group—despite the company not existing at the time of January 6. 

The move, uncovered by Trump Media CEO Devin Nunes, represents yet another case of the Justice Department extending its political reach far beyond reason or legality.

Trump Media became a public company in 2024, years after the events that Smith’s investigation supposedly focused on. 

Yet, Smith’s “Arctic Frost” operation went after Truth Social’s bank records as though it were somehow connected to the Capitol protests. 

That alone raises the question: what possible justification could exist for subpoenaing a company that didn’t exist at the time of the alleged crime? 

None—unless the motive was political.

As Nunes explained in his interview with Fox News host Maria Bartiromo, the subpoena was not only unjustified but also secret. 

Trump Media was never notified. Even more concerning, J.P. Morgan Chase—one of the largest banks in the world—complied without question. 

For a company headquartered in Florida, such cooperation with an unfounded federal demand may have violated both state and federal laws. Yet the bank went further.

At the height of Trump Media’s public offering in early 2024—just as Truth Social was preparing to go public and raise $250 million—J.P. Morgan abruptly “debanked” the company. 

That decision, coming amid active cooperation with the Biden Department of Justice, effectively sabotaged a major free speech enterprise. 

It was a clear act of corporate compliance with political intimidation.

J.P. Morgan later told Fox News that it does not close accounts for political reasons.

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Ex-French President Nicolas Sarkozy to be released from prison less than 3 weeks into 5-year sentence

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy will be released from prison and placed under judicial supervision, a Paris appeals court ruled Monday, less than three weeks after he began serving a five-year sentence over a scheme to finance his 2007 election campaign with funds from Libya.

Sarkozy, 70, was expected to leave Paris’ La Santé prison in the afternoon.

He will be banned from leaving the French territory and from being in touch with key people including co-defendants and witnesses in the case, the court said. An appeals trial is expected to take place later, possibly in the spring.

Sarkozy became the first former French head of state in modern times to be sent behind bars after his conviction on Sept. 25. He denies wrongdoing. He was jailed on Oct. 21 pending appeal but immediately filed for early release.

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Leaked Call Exposes State Department-Backed “Color Revolution” with Global Partners — Ex-USAID Staff Admit Coordinating Encrypted Networks and Foreign NGOs Against Trump Administration

A new bombshell thread from investigative reporter DataRepublican on X exposes a disturbing glimpse inside what appears to be a State Department-led color revolution operating through USAID, foreign NGOs, and left-wing organizations funded by billionaire George Soros.

According to newly surfaced recordings shared by DataRepublican on X, former USAID employees openly discussed moving internal groups off federal systems into encrypted Signal chats ahead of the presidential inauguration, and then linking up with international partners to ‘mobilize against authoritarianism.’

The recordings themselves, taken from what appears to be a USAID virtual meeting, capture staff boasting about building “coordination structures” with Johns Hopkins University, international “democracy and conflict mitigation spaces,” and “colleagues from around the world” who had “dealt with this directly.”

In one clip, a USAID staff member named Van(she/her) describe how, prior to January 20, they migrated internal communications away from government servers and onto encrypted Signal chats, linking with “transition initiative” programs designed for foreign regime-change operations.

She describes moving internal communication channels away from USAID’s main systems “into Signal chats to protect our community,” citing fears of reprisal from the incoming Trump administration.

After the inauguration, Van confirmed that contractors immediately set up “Stop Work Order” websites and private communication groups to coordinate messaging, claiming it was a “response to disinformation.”

Within weeks, hundreds of staff reportedly joined these encrypted groups as the agency’s leadership was decapitated and “administrative leave” orders were issued.

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Trump Pardons Rudy Giuliani, Others Involved in Bid to Challenge 2020 Election

President Donald Trump has pardoned a number of prominent figures involved in his effort to challenge the 2020 election outcome, according to U.S. Pardon Attorney Ed Martin on Nov. 9.

A proclamation document shared by Martin on social media named more than 70 individuals, including former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, and attorneys Sidney Powell and John Eastman, all accused of involvement in Trump’s bid to challenge the 2020 election results.

The pardons apply to conduct tied to the individuals’ involvement in activities surrounding the 2020 presidential election, as well as any conduct related to “their efforts to expose voting fraud and vulnerabilities in the 2020 Presidential Election,” according to the document.

“This proclamation ends a grave national injustice perpetrated upon the American people following the 2020 Presidential Election and continues the process of national reconciliation,” the document states.

The pardon would only cover federal charges brought against those listed. The proclamation also explicitly states that the pardon does not apply to Trump.

Neither Trump nor the White House released a statement regarding the pardons. The proclamation was signed by the president on Nov. 7, according to the document.

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Pennsylvania Town Elects First Self-Described ‘Transgender’ Mayor in the State

The next mayor of Downingtown, Pennsylvania, will be a man claiming he is a woman.

Erica Deuso, a Democrat, is a self-proclaimed so-called transgender “female,” marking the first such individual elected to a mayoral position in Pennsylvania history.

“I approach my life as being a good neighbor,” he said in comments to WPVI-TV. “I want to be somebody who can be a role model as well. I may be the first, but I’m not going to be the last.”

Downingtown, which is west of Philadelphia, elected Deuso with a decisive 65 percent of the vote.

“It didn’t matter about my history or my identity. What matters is that I’m going to be that neighbor they can count on,” Deuso added.

“I’ve gotten more questions about our good neighbor Christmas parade than I have about my gender identity.”

Deuso nevertheless made his self-proclaimed status as a woman central to his victory.

“Tonight, the numbers are clear,” Deuso said in a statement, according to a report from WHYY.

“We won. Voters chose hope, decency, and a community where every neighbor matters. I am honored to be elected as Pennsylvania’s first openly transgender mayor,” he said.

“I carry that responsibility with care and with purpose.”

Deuso’s campaign account had produced some measure of controversy after he replied to a Department of Homeland Security post by saying “I forsee violent pushback from an armed citizenry in the future.”

“The 2nd Amendment folx were very clear that weapons are meant to oppose a tyrannical government,” he continued.

When contacted by The Christian Post about the comments, Deuso denied that he was making a threat.

“That post wasn’t a call for violence. I don’t support violence in any form,” Deuso told the outlet.

“Our government has too often ignored the rights of its own people, and history shows what happens when that disrespect goes too far; Boston Harbor once had tea floating in it for a reason,” he added.

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Senator Sanders LOSES His MIND to Government Reopening

In an incredible moment on the Senate floor, Senator Bernie Sanders erupted in outrage after Democrats caved to President Donald Trump and agreed to end the government shutdown on his terms. 

Slamming his desk and shouting, Sanders declared, “What this Senate is about to do is make things WORSE!” 

His fury was a clear sign that the far left had just suffered a major defeat—and that Trump’s strategy worked.

For weeks, Democrats refused to negotiate, hoping that shutting down the government would damage Trump politically. 

Instead, the move backfired. Americans saw through the theatrics, realizing that Democrats were holding federal workers and essential programs hostage to score points before the election. 

Trump, meanwhile, stayed firm. 

His administration outlined a plan that tied spending reforms to broader efforts to fix the country’s broken healthcare system—a proposal that ultimately forced Democrats to the table.

At the heart of the new deal is a simple yet powerful idea: redirecting federal healthcare subsidies directly to consumers rather than to insurance companies. 

Trump’s plan eliminates layers of bureaucracy, cuts waste, and ensures that taxpayer dollars reach American families directly. 

By removing intermediaries and political interests, the administration aims to lower premiums and increase transparency—a goal Democrats once claimed to support, but which their party has since been hijacked by socialists like Sanders.

Sanders’ outrage quickly spilled onto social media, where he posted: 

“I’m no great fan of the ACA. I believe we should guarantee health care as a human right through a single-payer Medicare for All system. But—at minimum—we cannot allow Republicans to destroy our already-broken system by doubling insurance premiums for 20 million Americans.”

The post revealed just how disconnected the far left has become. 

Sanders admitted the Affordable Care Act was broken, yet still blamed Republicans for trying to fix it.

The truth is simple: the ACA failed. It drove up premiums, strangled competition, and left millions paying more for less. 

Now, with premium tax credits set to expire by December 31, 2025, Democrats are panicking. 

Their healthcare “achievement” is collapsing under its own weight, and Trump’s reforms threaten to expose just how deep the failures run.

Republicans argue that Trump’s approach delivers real solutions instead of empty promises. 

Direct subsidies to consumers mean lower administrative costs and fewer handouts to big insurance companies—a win for both taxpayers and patients. 

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Deal Reached To End The Government Shutdown

After more than a month of gridlock, the U.S. Senate has reached a bipartisan deal to reopen the federal government. The agreement, struck after days of tense negotiations, appears to have the backing of both Senate Democrats and Republicans, paving the way for the shutdown to finally end.

The deal was spearheaded by Senators Angus King (I-Maine), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), working alongside several GOP colleagues. According to sources familiar with the talks who spoke to Politico, the agreement has “more than enough” Democratic support to advance through the Senate. Lawmakers are expected to vote Sunday night to advance the House-passed stopgap measure, which will serve as the vehicle for the broader funding package.

The new agreement would fund several key areas of government for the rest of the fiscal year, including the Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs, military construction projects, and congressional operations. All remaining agencies would be funded through January 30 under a continuing resolution released Sunday evening.

As part of the compromise, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has agreed to give Democrats a vote in December on extending Affordable Care Act subsidies set to expire at the end of the year. Importantly, Democrats will be able to determine which version of that extension receives consideration. The deal also ensures that federal workers who were furloughed or laid off during the shutdown will be rehired and receive back pay once the government reopens.

The announcement follows growing pressure on lawmakers as the shutdown entered its sixth week, disrupting pay for hundreds of thousands of federal employees, halting nonessential services, and straining public patience. The political standoff, which began over disagreements surrounding Obamacare subsidies and long-term spending levels, had become a major test for both parties.

President Donald Trump, who has publicly backed Senate Republicans throughout the negotiations, reportedly supports the agreement. Conservative commentators praised the outcome, arguing that the deal heavily favors the GOP’s negotiating position.

“President Trump successfully gave Senate Republicans unbelievable leverage, forcing ‘moderate’ Democrats to cave,” political commentator Eric Daugherty wrote on X. “Funding set to be through Jan. 30th. No Obamacare subsidies. The only main GOP concession? Simply allow an ACA vote next month. No guarantee on passing or supporting it.”

Others hailed the deal as a strategic victory for Trump, pointing out that Democrats failed to secure new spending commitments or long-term extensions of ACA provisions.

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