Tag: republicans

Speaker Johnson Blocks Massie’s Attempt To Repeal The Smith-Mundt Modernization Act

Since ascending to the seat of Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson has had a tumultuous tenure that has raised serious questions about how committed Republican leadership is to disrupting the political establishment in Washington, DC, which it promised to vanquish. Ironically, the controversies that have marred his leadership the most have not been initiated by partisan opposition from the left. Instead, the most formidable challenges to Johnson have come from within the Republican Party itself. Representative Thomas Massie, who in stark juxtaposition has earned a reputation as one of the few members of Congress with any integrity, has proven to be Johnson’s greatest adversary in that struggle.From his crusade to prevent Johnson’s re-election to the seat at the head of the House of Representatives to his mission to bring transparency to the debacle over the release of the Epstein Files™, Massie’s efforts have painted the Speaker in the light of someone who has used the promise of putting America first as a vehicle for political expediency rather than as a testament to his commitment to the American people.

By actually fighting against the corrupt Washington establishment, Massie’s efforts have shown just how much Congress is still at odds with the American people under Johnson’s leadership. The congressman’s recent effort to repeal legislation that legalizes the use of state-sanctioned propaganda against the American citizens by their own government is the latest episode in the saga between Massie and Johnson. Massie’s revelation that his attempt to repeal the Smith-Mundt Modernization Act was blocked by Speaker Johnson amplifies concerns about whose interests are being fought for by Congress and how committed Republican leadership is to delivering on its promises to provide the public with greater transparency and integrity of the rule of law.

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After Charlie Kirk: Decency and the response to murder

The murder of Charlie Kirk has provided some lamentable insight into our current national politics, particularly on the left.

The left’s response to the murder is remarkable in several respects.

The first is the vitriol, the unhinged glee that some, obviously not all, on the left demonstrated in the response to the tragedy.

At the beginning of The Brothers Karamazov, Dostoevsky makes a helpful observation about human nature. The character Father Zossima, the Orthodox elder, remarks:

The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to such a pass that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others.

…

The man who lies to himself can be more easily offended than anyone […] he will be the first to take offense, and will revel in his resentment till he feels great pleasure in it, and so pass to genuine vindictiveness.

Many on the left have been lying to themselves, or willingly indulging in lies that are told to them.

These lies concern the moral superiority of abstract ideologies, the base motives and bad character of those who disagree with them, and the wildly inflated sense of the popularity of their views.

They credulously embraced caricatures of what people like Mr. Kirk actually believed and held them so tightly as to be impervious to contrary evidence. They “reveled in their resentment.”

As a result, many on the left felt not only justified, but reassured, that they were not only morally justified, but were in the overwhelming majority, and that no untoward consequences could possibly result from rejoicing in an atrocity. They expected, at worst, approval of the substance and discomfort at the tone.

The worldwide response has instead left them confused and disoriented. Their callousness was not lauded for its edgy “truth.” Instead, many revelers who could be restrained neither by common decency nor common sense, found themselves fired from their jobs, mocked on social media, and the objects of censure and condemnation.

Lies that people tell themselves are the most difficult to dispel. Doing so not only corrects an inaccurate perception but wounds the pride, and can shatter the structure on which people build their self-esteem and sense of worth. It is difficult to admit that one’s sense of superiority was based on an untruth.

As a result, the secondary response in some precincts of the left has been to cast about for further fabrications from their shaken worldview.

They declaim their fear of an inchoate backlash from hateful hooligans. They charge that they are the victims of unjust cancel culture. The demand preemptive restraint, voluntary and otherwise, against their adversaries. Self-reflection seems not to have occurred to them.

The claim that those on the left who lose their jobs or face any kind of uncomfortable consequences for their behavior in the wake of Mr. Kirk’s death betrays a lack of understanding of a free society.

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Ohio Republican claims Democratic Party ‘actually killed Charlie’ Kirk

A Republican congressman accused Democrats of killing Charlie Kirk while simultaneously pleading with liberals to ‘lower this rhetoric to a normal place.’

Kirk, 31, the conservative activist founder of Turning Point USA, was shot while speaking at a Utah college last week. Tyler Robinson, 22, is in custody as a suspect in the murder, and the FBI announced on Monday that his DNA has been linked to evidence in the case.

FBI Director Kash Patel said on Monday that investigators were able to retrieve text messages from the shooter, including an exchange ‘in which he claimed that he had an opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and he was going to do it because of his hatred for what Charlie stood for.’

Reports indicate that Robinson’s roommate was a male who was transitioning, and that the bullets in the gun allegedly used to kill Kirk contained, suggesting the reason behind the murder may be political in nature, though authorities have not released a motive.

A major figure on the right, Kirk’s death immediately evoked a buffet of emotions on Capitol Hill, including fear, anger, deep sadness and loss. Both Democrats and Republicans have mourned the young father of two’s passing last week.

Since the public and tragic assassination, lawmakers have also been in a frenzy to tone down the extreme language peddled by politicians on both sides of the aisle.

But some, while calling for calmer political rhetoric, have inflamed the national dialogue.

Rep. Michael Rulli, R-Ohio, went on Fox Business on Monday and said that Democrats are to blame for Kirk’s assassination.

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Leftist Physically Assaults, Threatens to Kill South Dakota Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Over His Support For Charlie Kirk

More left-wing political violence.

Pro-Trump South Dakota Republican gubernatorial candidate and Aberdeen businessman, Toby Doeden, was physically assaulted and threatened on Saturday evening over his support for Charlie Kirk.

Toby Doeden expressed his support for Charlie Kirk this week after a gunman assassinated the TPUSA founder.

And he was attacked for supporting Charlie Kirk and his wife Erika.

Toby Doeden was attending the Northern State University football game on Saturday evening when an angry leftist physically assaulted him and threatened to kill him.

The leftist was immediately arrested.

Per political consultant Matt Hurley:

Earlier this evening, while attending the Northern State University football game, South Dakota Republican gubernatorial candidate Toby Doeden was approached by an agitated individual.

The individual proceeded to physically assault Mr. Doeden while making multiple threats on his life and repeatedly referencing his support for the late Charlie Kirk.

The individual was immediately detained and subsequently arrested.

We are grateful for the swift response of both the Northern State University Campus Police and the Aberdeen Police Department.

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House Republican Group Wants Probe into ‘Force’ Behind Left-Wing Violence

A group of Republican lawmakers are calling for a select committee to investigate “the money, influence, and power behind the radical left’s assault on America and the rule of law” in response to the assassination of conservative advocate Charlie Kirk.

The group of 23 members, led by Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), made the request Thursday in a letter addressed to Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chair James Comer (R-KY), and House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-OH).

The letter argued:

In the wake of numerous attacks on our way of life, the destruction of the rule of law, and the murder of innocent Americans, prominent and unknown alike, we must take every step to follow the money and uncover the force behind the NGOs, donors, media, public officials, and all entities driving this coordinated attack.

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People are losing jobs due to social media posts about Charlie Kirk

Over thirty people across the country have been fired, put on leave, investigated or faced calls to resign because of social media posts criticizing Charlie Kirk or expressing schadenfreude about the conservative influencer’s assassination earlier this week, according to an analysis by NPR.

And more may be to come: some GOP lawmakers and officials are signaling their readiness to punish people for their speech. Conservative activists are collecting and publicizing social media posts and profiles that they say “celebrated” his death and are calling for them to lose their jobs.

“If they have their picture on their profile, even without a name, download the picture and reverse image search it,” posted right-wing influencer Joey Mannarino. “Cross-reference it with their LinkedIn profile and find their place of employment. Call the place of employment, leave Google reviews.”

Some Republican elected officials, along with right-wing influencers with large followings, including Laura Loomer and Libs of TikTok, the account run by activist Chaya Raichik, shared screenshots of offending posts and demanded action.

NPR has compiled a list from news reports of 33 people who have lost their jobs or are under investigations over their posts as of Friday. Most were public school teachers, with at least 21 educators in school districts across the country fired, put on administrative leave or placed under investigation by their employers. Firefighters, members of the military, a sports reporter, an employee of the Carolina Panthers and a city council official in Indiana have faced similar treatment or calls to resign.

Among the earliest and most prominent firings was MSNBC analyst Matthew Dowd, a former Republican political consultant to President George W. Bush. As news of a shooting at a Kirk event began to spread, Dowd made comments on live television that soon after attracted widespread backlash from conservatives.

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GOP lawmaker wants lifelong social media ban for leftists gloating over Charlie Kirk’s death

Louisiana Rep. Clay Higgins has vowed to get those leftist ghouls who’re celebrating Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk’s assassination permanently banned from social media and cancelled from public life.

“I’m going to use Congressional authority and every influence with big tech platforms to mandate immediate ban for life of every post or commenter that belittled the assassination of Charlie Kirk,” he announced in a post published to X on Thursday.

“If they ran their mouth with their smartass hatred celebrating the heinous murder of that beautiful young man who dedicated his whole life to delivering respectful conservative truth into the hearts of liberal enclave universities, armed only with a Bible and a microphone and a Constitution… those profiles must come down,” he added.

Higgins continued by vowing to permanently “cancel” from public life the hooligans and miscreants who’ve been celebrating Kirk’s death.

“So, I’m going to lean forward in this fight, demanding that big tech have zero tolerance for violent political hate content, the user to be banned from ALL PLATFORMS FOREVER,” he wrote.

“I’m also going after their business licenses and permitting, their businesses will be blacklisted aggressively, they should be kicked from every school, and their drivers licenses should be revoked. I’m basically going to cancel with extreme prejudice these evil, sick animals who celebrated Charlie Kirk’s assassination. I’m starting that today. That is all,” he concluded.

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Assassinations Will Continue Until The GOP Creates Real Consequences For Leftist Violence

Charlie Kirk — a generational voice of the conservative movement — was assassinated Wednesday while hosting one of his famous campus discussion events.

We still don’t know the identity of the shooter, but that doesn’t mean we don’t know who is responsible. Radical leftists bear great blame for engaging in inflammatory rhetoric that can only be described as assassination prep. And Republicans bear responsibility, too, for letting it come to this.

Before Kirk died at the hands of an assassin, leftist radicals tried to kill Rep. Steve Scalise, President Donald Trump (twice), and Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Statements of condemnation and condolence were issued, but that was it.

Mike Cernovich put it this way on X: “The weakness of the GOP led us to this moment. A mass shooter attempted to murder dozens of Republican congress members. Few people even know this happened. Republicans ‘just took it,’ as they always do. And now Charlie Kirk is dead. Recognize what time it is or resign.”

The leftists who support this violence — from elected Democrats to talking heads to the foot soldiers who cheer when someone like Kirk is murdered — have been conditioned to know their camp will suffer no real consequences when their violent worldview creates assassins who target conservatives. They’ve watched Republicans cave on every front, from culture to speech, elections, and even physical violence.

Go back to August of 2012, when 29-year-old Floyd Lee Corkins shot a security guard at the Family Research Council in Washington, D.C.. According to the Department of Justice, Corkins targeted the Family Research Council because it recognized that marriage is between a man and a woman.

After being subdued, Corkins said: “I don’t like these people, and I don’t like what they stand for.”

Republicans blamed the shooting on “reckless rhetoric” but did nothing else to deter such rhetoric.

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Senate Republicans defeat Democrats’ effort to force the release of Epstein files

In a close vote, Senate Republicans defeated an effort Wednesday by Democrats to insert language into Congress’ annual defense authorization bill that would have forced the public release of case files on the sex trafficking investigation into the late Jeffrey Epstein.

The Senate voted 51-49 to dismiss the changes to the bill, with Republican Sens. Josh Hawley of Missouri and Rand Paul of Kentucky joining with all Democrats in opposition.

For months, Democrats have clamored for the release of what’s become known as the Epstein files, looking for practically every opportunity to force Republicans to either join their push for disclosure or publicly oppose a cause that many in the Republican base support. President Donald Trump signaled as he was running for president that he was open to releasing a full accounting of the case, but is now trying to dismiss the push as a “Democrat hoax.”

So far, Democrats have been successful in forcing Republican leadership to grapple with the issue, yet it was unclear whether they would actually be able to crack Trump’s hold on congressional Republicans to force legislation through Congress.

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NC GOPs Demand Firing of Judge Who Freed Accused Murderer of Ukraine Refugee

North Carolina’s Republican House delegation is demanding the firing of the judge who freed the accused murderer of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska.

Each one of North Carolina’s ten House Republican members signed the letter calling for formal proceedings for Magistrate Judge Teresa Stokes’ removal after she released the accused, Decarlos Brown, in January 2025 “based solely on his ‘written promise’ to appear for a future court date.”

The letter states that he was released “despite Brown’s extensive criminal history, which included at least 14 prior arrests for serious offenses such as possession of a firearm by a felon, robbery with a dangerous weapon, and physical assault of his sister.”

Brown could have been held or required to post bail on a misdemeanor charge involving a 911 call where he demanded the police investigate “man-made” materials that he claimed were controlling him from inside his body.

The letter states:

Ms. Zarutska’s murder was not only a profound personal tragedy but also a direct result of a failure of judicial responsibility. By releasing a repeat violent offender on nothing more than his written promise to appear, Magistrate Stokes displayed a willful failure to perform the duties of her office and engaged in conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice.

The letter, addressed to Roy H. Wiggins, Chief Judge, North Carolina Judicial District 26, says, “[W]e urge you to commence formal removal proceedings against Magistrate Teresa Stokes. We further request that the Court conduct a thorough review of her prior bond determinations to assess the full extent of misconduct.”

Zarutska was only 23 and sitting innocently on a light rail train in Democrat-run Charlotte, North Carolina, on the night of August 22. Surveillance video shows the man authorities say is Decarlos Brown standing unprovoked, looming over her, removing a pocket knife, and opening it. Police say he then fatally stabbed her in the neck three times. The video then shows the alleged murderer walking through the train with blood dripping from his hand. There are reports, not yet verified, that the alleged killer says, “I got that white girl.”

If true, Brown could face hate crime charges.

The F.B.I. is investigating the brutal, senseless, and — most tragic of all — preventable attack.

Brown’s history demanded that he be in prison or institutionalized. He was obviously comfortable with violence and had no regard for the consequences of his actions. Why would he? He had gotten away with it so many times.

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