Tag Archives: Red State

The Company You Keep

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Unless something earthshaking happens, Zohran Mamdani will be the next Mayor of New York City. That is a frightening thought on many levels. His lack of experience is a minor problem compared to some of his affiliations.

On Saturday, Red State reported:

As Zohran Mamdani has inched closer to becoming the next mayor of New York City, he’s gotten more and more comfortable dropping whatever little facade he created over the preceding months. Democrats, who will make up the vast majority of voters come November’s election, don’t seem to mind, though. In fact, enthusiasm for Mamdani is growing with every dangerously radical thing that leaves his mouth.

The article includes the following screenshot:

So who is this person Mamdini is meeting with?

The article quotes an X post by Drew Pavlou:

A little about Siraj Wahhaj!

– Three of his children have been charged with terrorism offences

– Siraj Wahhaj himself was an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 WTC bombing.

– Siraj Wahhaj testified in defence of the ”Blind Sheikh” Omar Abdel-Rahman at his trial over the 1993 WTC bombing. He called the Sheik a ”respected scholar,” also calling him ”bold, as a strong preacher of Islam.” Abdel-Rahman had previously issued a fatwa in the US that declared it lawful to rob banks and kill Jews in the US. His sermons condemned Americans as the “descendants of apes and pigs” and called on Muslims to assail the West, ”kill them on the sea, air, or land.”

– In November of 1991, Siraj Wahhaj advocated the establishment of an Islamic State in the U.S.: ”Where ever you came from, you came to America. And you came for one reason- for one reason only – to establish Allah’s deen.”

– In the same lecture, Siraj Wahhaj encouraged Muslims in the US to use politics ”as a weapon … in the cause of Islam.”

– Siraj Wahhaj has said that he believes that the proper penalty for adultery should be stoning to death.

– Siraj Wahhaj openly declares that he wants to abolish democracy in favour of Islamic law: ”Islam is better than democracy. Allah will cause Islam to prevail over every kind of system.”

New York, you are about to elect someone who will destroy your city and your way of life. You might want to rethink that.

Just In Case You Were Feeling Safe…

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On October 17th, Red State reported that a Hamas suspect has been arrested in Louisiana.

The article quotes Fox News:

The FBI has arrested a suspect in Louisiana who allegedly participated in Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel.

An affidavit accuses Mahmoud Amin Ya-qub Al-Muhtadi, a resident of Lafayette, Louisiana, violated federal law by providing, attempting to provide, or conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization through his alleged involvement in the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel. He is also accused of fraud and misuse of visa, permits and other documents.

Al-Muhtadi is expected to make an initial court appearance on Friday morning, according to The New York Times.

…”Al-Muhtadi is an operative for the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine’s (‘DLFP’) military wing, the National Resistance Brigades (‘NRB’, also known as the ‘Martyr Umar al-Qasim Forces’), a Gaza-based paramilitary group that participated in the Hamas-led terrorist attack against Israel on October 7, 2023,” the affidavit said. “Evidence shows that on the morning of October 7, 2023, Al-Muhtadi learned about the Hamas invasion, armed himself, gathered others, and crossed into Israel with the intention of assisting in Hamas’s terrorist attack.”

“Evidence shows that Al-Muhtadi’s phone utilized a cell tower located near Kibbutz Kfar Aza in Israel, the location of a horrifying massacre by Hamas and its supporters,” the affidavit continued. “Evidence further shows that Al-Muhtadi provided false information in his U.S. Visa application relating to his involvement with a paramilitary organization, connection to Hamas, participation in a terrorist attack, and military training.”

“As a result of that false application, Al-Muhtadi was able to obtain permission to travel to the United States and obtain Legal Permanent Resident status. Al-Muhtadi is currently residing and working in Lafeyette (sic), Louisiana,” it added.

The article at Red State concludes:

It’s not yet clear if he will be charged here in the United States or if he will be sent to Israel, to let their justice system deal with him, but given the recent peace deal, part of which agreement was a prisoner exchange, it’s not at all clear what his fate would be in Israel. 

This prompts some troubling questions: What was Al-Muhtadi intending to do here, in the United States? How many of his ideological brethren are already here? Where are they? What are they doing? What are they planning? It’s not clear when Al-Muhtadi entered the United States, other than it was after October 7th, 2023. Was he allowed in during the Biden administration’s non-enforcement of immigration laws? 

If we assume (and I think we can) that there are more like Al-Muhtadi already here, can we expect them to eventually try to replicate October 7th here?

Hamas may have been given some breathing space in Gaza. But we haven’t heard the last from them. Not by a long shot.

Guard your six.

This Is Beyond Ridiculous

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On Sunday, Red State posted an article about the peace process in the Middle East and the return of the hostages. The return of the hostages (even though only 20 of them are alive) is an amazing accomplishment. That may be one of the reasons that former Secretary of State Antony Blinken is giving former President Biden credit for that accomplishment. What?

The article includes screenshots of some X posts:

First of all, Secretary Blinken might want to remember that over 70 percent of ‘Palestinians’ supported the actions of Hamas on October 7, 2023 (source here). The actions of Hamas on October 7, 2023, were clearly in violation of the rules of war that are generally agreed on internationally by civilized countries. Right now, there is a gang war going on in Gaza with Hamas killing anyone they think might have collaborated with Israel and rival gangs killing each other. Civilized behavior has not been a strong suit of the ‘Palestinians.’

The article at Red State continues:

Comparing the terrible ceasefire Blinken and Biden brokered to this one is so disingenuous. That ceasefire was never viable because it left hostages in the hands of Hamas, and it provided no path to disarm and fully defeat the terrorist group, instead demanding Israel essentially surrender. It was the typical warmed-over slop we’ve come to expect from the Obama/Biden axis of foreign policy expertise. 

At no point did the Biden administration apply any pressure on the Arab nations to turn against Hamas and end the war. More importantly, they never applied pressure on Iran, which was fueling the conflict in Gaza and propping up Hezbollah in the north as a threat. In short, the entire region was on fire, and it was handed over to Trump in far worse condition than Biden and company found it.

For Blinken to pretend the former administration laid the groundwork and showed the path forward is laughable. But he hadn’t reached peak shamelessness yet. That came later in his thread when he demanded the establishment of a Palestinian state. 

…This absolute clown. If you’ve been following this issue for any amount of time, you will understand how infuriating that is. The foreign policy establishment has insisted for decades that you could never get Arab buy-in, defeat Hamas, neuter Hezbollah, and limit Iran without giving the terrorists in Gaza a state. That issue was treated as the key to everything, basically becoming a tenet of faith and a bludgeon to beat Israel with. Trump walked in and proved them all wrong, securing the Abraham Accords and ending the war in Gaza by marginalizing the issue, and yet they are still claiming that a Palestinian state must be established. 

The article concludes:

Americans should be so thankful that no one is listening to these over-credentialed imbeciles anymore. The arsonists don’t get to wag their fingers and lecture the firefighters who put out their fires. They certainly don’t get to take credit for it. The foreign policy establishment is a joke, and it should be treated as such. 

Until the ‘Palestinians’ learn to act like civilized people, there is no reason to give them a state.

Common Sense Is Slowly Arriving

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On Sunday, Red State, reported:

My Mom, a child of the Depression and a young adult during World War 2, even in the Reagan era, was not a fan of the legacy media, then, pretty much the only media. She didn’t trust them too much, and she was fond of an (apocryphal) quote from WW2, from U.S. Navy Admiral William “Bull” Halsey, who, when asked by an aide what he should tell the press about an upcoming operation, replied, “Tell them nothing. When it’s over, tell them who won.”

That’s how military communications should be carried out. There’s a level of security that should be taken for granted, and that means, in certain cases, such as an ongoing operation, telling the media only what they need to know, when they need to know it.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth gets it. To that end, he has now put an end to the media wandering around the Pentagon, unbadged and unchecked.

We need to remember that when the military invaded the island of Grenada to end the Russian footprint there, the press was not even informed until three hours after the invasion began (source here). Many Americans blamed the press for the loss of the Vietnam war. Certainly, the enemy propaganda the American press blindly repeated did play a role.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has stated:

“The Pentagon press corps can SQUEAL all they want! We’re taking these things seriously.”

“We’re not allowing everybody to roam around the building. You know, that was the policy before. If you were a Pentagon reporter, you could just walk around the building.”

“No badge, no escort, no nothing. Walk into offices, talk to anybody, who knows where there’s classified information. We’re making the rules more like you might say the White House.”

“If you want to move around the building, you’re going to have a badge. It’s going to be clear. You’re going to be escorted when you do so. And we have expectation that you’re not soliciting classified or sensitive information.”

“The American people see things like that as absolute common sense.”

I think the Secretary of War is acting like a Secretary of War.

Working In Iowa, Registered To Vote In Maryland???

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We have recently heard the story of Ian Andre Roberts, the superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools in Iowa, who entered America in 1999 on a student visa and Ignored a final order of removal by an immigration judge in 2024. It has also been discovered that he is registered to vote in Maryland (as a Democrat).

On September 30, Red State posted the following:

The story of Roberts was bad enough from the onset. Entered the country in 1999 on a student visa. Ignored a final order of removal by an immigration judge in 2024. Gaming the system to attain a full-time superintendent position, in which he earned a $270,000 annual salary. Fled ICE during a chase, where agents eventually found cash, a knife, and a loaded gun in his vehicle.

In short, an illegal alien profiting off skirting the law represents everything seedy about the failed immigration system in this country. But wait, there’s more.

According to information attained by Townhall columnist Dustin Grage, Roberts has an active voter registration status in Maryland. He has held that status as a registered Democrat (of course) since 2012, according to records.

The article notes:

Mind-blowing, isn’t it, that the very thing Democrats insist is not and could never happen appears to have happened yet again. And by “mind-blowing,” I mean, it’s everything we’ve known has been happening in this country all along. Democrats don’t die on the hill for illegal immigrants without it helping to secure their political power.

Roberts’ story encompasses nearly every element of that. He appears to have taken advantage of weak immigration enforcement to remain in the country, fleshed out his criminal background (illegal weapons possession charges from 2020) while illegally in the country, took a high-paying educational position away from a legal citizen, and is eligible to vote in all federal, state, and local elections. 

The article concludes:

It’s why Democrats have vehemently opposed the SAVE (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility) Act, a bill sponsored by Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) designed to safeguard our elections by ensuring only American citizens vote in federal elections.

“Don’t believe (Senate Minority Leader Chuck) Schumer,” Roy wrote on X regarding revelations of the superintendent’s voter registration status. “Illegals are voting. Pass the SAVE Act and clean our voter rolls.”

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said any politicians who oppose the SAVE Act are “traitors.”

The bill passed the House of Representatives in April 2025 and is currently pending in the Senate. 

As this is a developing story, RedState will provide updates on the Ian Andre Roberts case as more information becomes available.

We don’t know if he voted, and to be realistic, Maryland probably didn’t need another Democrat vote for the Democrats to control the state. However, this is an example of things that should not be happening.

American Ingenuity At Work

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China has worked for years to obtain a monopoly on the rare earth minerals used in our technological society. They have been pretty successful in reaching a monopoly, but American ingenuity has thrown a wrench in their plans.

On Monday, Red State posted an article quoting Fox News:

In April, China imposed export restrictions on seven rare earth elements, crippling American manufacturing across dozens of critical sectors. Ford temporarily shuttered production lines while European suppliers closed entire factories. In one calculated move, Beijing demonstrated its power to hobble the West. 

This economic warfare represents decades of strategic planning. While America slept, China cornered the market on materials essential to modern civilization. By controlling 90% of rare-earth processing capacity, it dictates prices and decides who receives supplies. The periodic table became their ultimate economic weapon. 

But weapons can be rendered obsolete through superior innovation. American scientists discovered that combining iron, the planet’s fourth-most abundant element, with atmospheric nitrogen makes a compound more magnetic than anything produced by China. This breakthrough doesn’t just match Chinese materials; it surpasses them. 

Red State reports:

That’s a great way to stick a metaphorical thumb in the eye of not only Chairman Xi, but in the eyes of all of the members of the Chinese Communist Party.

The key? Magnets. This whole thing started in the 1980s. China was producing cheap magnets and exporting them around the world, shutting down a lot of domestic manufacturing in its customer nations. Magnets have countless industrial applications, used in everything from electric motors to windmills to electronics. 

On Monday, Fox News reported:

Yet, while China was tightening its grip, American researchers at the University of Minnesota had been solving a puzzle that had frustrated scientists since the 1950s. Professor Jian-Ping Wang spent nearly a decade perfecting techniques to synthesize iron nitride magnets from the most abundant elements on Earth. His breakthrough, published in 2010, finally explained how combining iron with nitrogen can create a material with magnetization exceeding anything China produces from rare earths. 

The physics is remarkable. Iron nitride retains full magnetization at 200 degrees Celsius, exceeding the temperature capability of all magnet compounds except those made from the scarcest and most expensive critical elements. Most importantly, the raw materials come from sources no nation can monopolize: Minnesota’s iron ore deposits and atmospheric nitrogen. Iron nitride represents something China cannot replicate — American innovation driven by scientific curiosity rather than state industrial policy — and reduces our national security and economic vulnerabilities while strengthening domestic manufacturing capacity. 

Please realize that I understand none of the physics involved in this. What I do know is that American scientists have learned how to overcome the Chinese monopoly.

The Democrats Seem To Forget Their Own Recent History

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On Thursday, Red State posted an article about some recent statements by former President Obama about cancel culture and Jimmy Kimmel.

The article reports:

With the news breaking on Wednesday Night that Jimmy Kimmel saw his late-night show suspended, there has been no shortage of voices of outrage from the left. The squealing and mewling over this has not been heard since way back to… about a month ago, when a similar amount of teeth-gnashing was taking place over Stephen Colbert getting canceled.

While I am no fan of seeing possible government leverage being applied to broadcasters over content, this is a result that the same wailing class has been attempting to provoke for years. Case in point: CNN’s media maven Brian Stelter has been weighing in (pun completely intended) on this suspension, and he is among the last who should be outraged. This is the same man who, years ago, was actively pushing not to silence one voice, but lobbied to have an entire network – Fox News – removed from our televisions.

…We will start small and with a dose of equivalency. While the press this year has been carping about the administration putting clamps on the White House press corps, it has been forgotten that this came into practice during the Obama years. His administration was prone to manipulating the official press pool reports being issued. (In one ironic example, his press secretary had a reporter strike the comment that after praising a free press in a speech delivered in Asia, Obama was blocking photo ops, during the same trip.)

Another frequent practice was freezing out the media throng entirely. He was not averse to having White House reporters whisked out as he was staging meetings. In what has to be the most ironic of examples, there was the time Obama was recognized with a transparency in government award, and he received the honor in a closed-door session with the press locked out. 

…But during Obama’s term, he literally went after reporters. Fox News reporter James Rosen had his and his network’s phone records seized, as well as those of his parents. Government contractor Stephen Kim was jailed for sharing information with the reporter. And this was hardly an isolated instance involving the “scandal-free” president.

Former President Obama set the stage for the years of cancel culture we saw under former President Biden. What happened to Jimmy Kimmel was not cancel culture–it was a network realizing that he was a liability who might jeopardize some of their future plans. He was also making tasteless and inaccurate remarks and calling them comedy. Comedy used to be funny and not aimed at belittling anyone. Let’s get back to that.

Going After The Leadership

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Qatar has played a double game in the Middle East for a long time. They claim to be a neutral broker in seeking peace between Israel and Hamas, yet the leadership of Hamas lives a luxurious lifestyle in Qatar. That luxurious lifestyle ran into a major snag recently.

On Tuesday, Red State reported:

A series of explosions rocked Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday as Israel targeted the living quarters of senior members of Hamas.

The Israeli Defense Forces posted the following on X:

The IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) and ISA (Israeli Security Agency) conducted a precise strike targeting the senior leadership of the Hamas terrorist organization.  

For years, these members of the Hamas leadership have led the terrorist organization’s operations, are directly responsible for the brutal October 7 massacre, and have been orchestrating and managing the war against the State of Israel.  

Prior to the strike, measures were taken in order to mitigate harm to civilians, including the use of precise munitions and additional intelligence. 

The IDF and ISA will continue to operate with determination in order to defeat the Hamas terrorist organization responsible for the October 7 massacre.

The article concludes:

If Qatar did approve the attacks, it indicates Hamas has nowhere left to run. It also suggests that the war in Gaza is not playing as well in the Arab world as it is in Manhattan and London.

Eliminating the top layer of Hamas leadership marks a departure from the past in two ways. First, it sends a signal that the days of cosplaying as a revolutionary while enjoying five-star meals and Russian hookers are over. Second, it means that Israel and Trump have decided that the Doha-based leadership were not good-faith negotiating partners, and they’ve decided to roll the dice on what comes next. I think that also has larger implications for the Ukraine war, where US policy since 2022 has been focused on Putin’s political survival.

It remains to be seen if Israel can turn this strategic masterstroke into operational gains and released hostages. It will take a couple of weeks for Hamas’s head to stop spinning and decide if the continued war is in its best interests.

Hopefully, this will bring the release of the hostages and the end of the war.

The Carrot And The Stick

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President Trump’s move to place the National Guard has had a mixed reaction. The residents of the parts of the city where crime has been a problem are now enjoying the downward trend in crime. Those who were not impacted by the high crime have enjoyed the luxury of criticizing the move. Washington, D.C., is a unique case–because it is under federal jurisdiction, the President has the authority to send in the National Guard. Whether or not he has that authority in other high-crime cities is questionable. However, one Governor is willing to discuss the issue (on his terms).

On Thursday, Red State reported:

President Donald Trump has found massive success in the nation’s capital with cutting crime after the federalization of law enforcement in D.C., and now Maryland’s Democrat Governor Wes Moore admits he would love Trump’s help on crime. But there’s a catch.

Speaking to Fox News’ Will Cain on “The Will Cain Show,” Moore was asked why he wouldn’t welcome the “President of the United States” to help with crime in Maryland, with Baltimore ranking “third in the nation in violent crime rate per capita.”

“The truth isn’t partisan, and the truth is most of the major cities in the United States are run by Democrat governors,” the Fox News host added. “And they are also the highest-rate crime cities in the country.”

“I would absolutely welcome federal support,” the Democrat governor said.

Moore’s response clearly shocked Cain, who said, “There we go. You would welcome the federal support. That’s wonderful to hear. I’m sure the president will be happy to hear that.”

The two men ended up mostly talking over each other, making it hard to hear what they were saying. However, it sounded like Moore said that while he would “absolutely welcome the federal support,” there was a big “but” in there, that it was going to be on his terms.

Moore would accept federal support, but this is the catch:

“But I also know what federal support is going to be necessary and required,” the governor said. “It’s the reason that I said we would love to have additional support for license plate readers. Things that we know can actually stop crimes as they are happening, and making sure the people are brought to justice.”

License plate readers are not the answer. The public does not need every move they made surveilled by the government. I believe that license plate readers are a violation of the Fourth Amendment of our Constitution. This is simply another example of Democrats wanting to control the movements of everyday Americans.

When A Truckdriver Is Not Able To Read The Road Signs

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The recent traffic accident in Florida that resulted in the death of three people was awful, and avoidable. The driver of the truck was unable to speak English or read the street signs that would have prevented him from taking the turn that resulted in the crash.

On Saturday, Red State posted an article about the accident, quoting The TCPalm:

A California man charged with vehicular homicide and manslaughter in a two-vehicle crash on Florida’s Turnpike that left three dead earlier this month has been ordered held without bail.

Harjinder Singh, 28, an undocumented immigrant from India, made his first appearance Aug. 23 from the St. Lucie County Jail via a Zoom link to the downtown Fort Pierce courthouse. He is charged with three counts each of vehicular homicide and manslaughter.

No bail was set for each of the six charges, primarily because of his status as an undocumented immigrant.

“The court finds you present a substantial flight risk, and there are no conditions of release that will ensure your appearance at trial,” 19th Judicial Circuit Court Judge Lauren Sweet told Singh.

The article at Red State notes that he is an illegal immigrant, not a “California man.”

Red State previously reported:

In-cab video showed Harjinder Singh and a driving companion using an “official use only” turnaround on a highway. As they entered the opposing lane of traffic, a minivan slammed into the side of the trailer, destroying it beyond all recognition. Its three occupants were killed, and Singh is now in custody, facing manslaughter charges. 

That wasn’t the end of the ordeal, though. As Florida authorities began to dig into the truck driver’s background, they discovered he’s an illegal immigrant. Worse, he was issued a commercial driver’s license under Newsom’s sanctuary state policies. 

The article posted on Saturday concludes:

If, as it seems, Harjinder Singh has limited or no understanding of spoken or written English, how did he pass the tests to gain that California CDL?

How is it that California issued a CDL to a man who was in the country illegally?

Don’t CDL applicants have to present some kind of ID when applying? What ID did Singh use?

These are inexcusable lapses on the part of the state of California, and three people are dead because of it.

This continues to be a developing story. We will bring you updates as events warrant.

Those are good questions.

A Lawsuit I Can Get Behind

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We all remember the execution of Peanut the Squirrel and his housemate, Fred the Raccoon by the State of New York. The execution was on shaky grounds at best, and seemed very cruel. Well, Mark Longo and his girlfriend Daniela Bittner have decided to take legal action against the State of New York.

On Monday, Red State reported:

During the 2024 presidential campaign, one story really seemed to hit home about government outreach, and that was of Peanut the Squirrel (also known as P’Nut) and his furry friend, Fred the Raccoon. The animals were rescued by Mark Longo and his girlfriend Daniela Bittner, where two little guys lived happily at his Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary. P’Nut was even famous for numerous videos of his antics going viral.

That was until October 30, when the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation decided to raid the sanctuary, take Peanut and Fred, and promptly kill them. At the time, authorities alleged that the squirrel had bitten one of the DEC officials. Due to a rabies risk, both pets had to be decapitated and tested for rabies. 

On Monday, the New York Post reported that Longo and Bittner are now seeking justice for their late little fury friends, suing the state of New York. According to a lawsuit filed in the New York Court of Claims, the grieving couple is seeking $10 million after the state seized and euthanized Peanut and Fred. Subsequently, after the animals were dead and tested, the results came back negative.

The article notes:

The report read:

The killing of P’Nut and Fred was “not due to a fear of rabies” – but a “senseless act of violence” and “obscene demonstration of government abuse,” charge the new court documents, which list the state, the DEC and DOH as defendants. 

The allegations echo those outlined in a separate lawsuit filed by Longo and Bittner on June 27 in Chemung County Supreme Court, against the county, the City of Elmira and 36 individuals from every level of local and state government. 

That suit sought unspecified damages to be determined by a jury trial.

This was clearly a case of government overreach. Unfortunately, it will be the New York taxpayers who have to pay, but they are the people who elected their leaders.

Deflecting From The Actual Problem

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One of the Democrat talking points about ‘The Big Beautiful Bill’ is that the changes in healthcare policies present a threat to rural hospitals. The changes in the bill are actually not the problem, but there is something that does need to be fixed in order for rural hospitals to survive.

On Wednesday, Red State reported:

The Democrats have decided that they want to make the One Big Beautiful Bill their primary campaign talking point in 2026. They think that by focusing on Medicaid cuts, they can scare voters away from the Republican Party and back toward them for the midterms.

One of their focus points is how Medicaid cuts might impact rural hospitals. But the Democrats are also big proponents of doing away with the 340B drug program that those same hospitals rely on, and they aren’t lifting a finger to stop big pharmaceutical companies from trying to gut it however they can.

What’s Really Happening

Five major pharmaceutical companies—Bristol Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, Johnson & Johnson, Novartis, and Sanofi—are pushing to fundamentally change how rural hospitals get discounted drugs. Instead of getting upfront discounts through the federal 340B program, these companies want to switch to a “rebate model” where hospitals pay full price first, then wait for pharmaceutical companies to maybe pay them back later.

Sound like a scam? That’s because it is.

The Numbers Don’t Lie

A new national survey by 340B Health shows just how devastating this change would be. The average critical access hospital—these are the small rural hospitals with 25 beds or fewer that serve communities across Louisiana and the rest of rural America—would have to float an extra $1.7 million per year to pharmaceutical companies.

Think about that for a minute. Rural hospitals that are already operating on razor-thin margins would suddenly have to come up with nearly $2 million in upfront cash, then wait for drug companies to process their rebate requests “using their own criteria and timelines.”

The article concludes:

But while Washington argues about Medicaid work requirements that might affect rural hospitals down the road, Big Pharma is actively working to destroy rural healthcare right now. And they’re counting on nobody paying attention.

The 340B program isn’t perfect—no federal program is. But it’s a lifeline for rural hospitals that serve the patients nobody else wants to treat. If we let pharmaceutical companies turn it into just another profit center, we’ll lose more than hospitals. We’ll lose entire communities.

It’s time to call this what it is: corporate greed masquerading as healthcare reform. And it’s time to stop it before it’s too late.

Please follow the link to read the entire article. This might be a really good time to examine the campaign contributions from pharmaceutical companies given to the Congressmen pushing this idea.

The FBI Is Doing What It Is Supposed To Do

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On Tuesday, Red State posted an article about some recent activities by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI),

The article reports:

FBI Director Kash Patel is proving to be one of President Trump’s better staffing choices. He’s focused, he’s determined, he’s always looking to do the right thing for the American people – and he gives every indication of being utterly fearless. Best of all, he’s racked up a few wins after only a couple of months in office.

Director Patel, on Tuesday, took to his X account to announce another win, this one the arrest of what looks to be a major child-abuse ring. There can be nothing more detestable than one who would hurt children.

These are some quotes from the post::

This afternoon our @FBIDallas  team announced a huge takedown of child abusers in Texas.

109 child recuses

Almost 250 offenders arrested

Nearly 400 total charges at the federal and state level

Thanks to Operation Soteria Shield — a full scale effort of over 70 federal, state, and local public/private partners coming together to protect America’s kids from criminals. We’re taking them off the street and not stopping.

The article concludes:

In the interest of fairness, we must point out that this operation was already ongoing when Director Patel assumed his present role. Soteria Shield is carried out annually, based on tips and undercover investigations, but this year’s bag was a big one. 244 child abusers off the streets is a big deal by any measure.

My involvement in law enforcement consists of having been handed a few speeding tickets when I was a young man, but it seems obvious that being involved in an operation that rescues children would have to be one of the most satisfying things one could do in that line of work. We are – most of us – programmed to protect children, and even in prisons full of hardened criminals, child abusers tend to have a very difficult time.

The FBI and all the other agencies involved are the heroes of the day. 109 children are sleeping safely tonight, and 244 goblins are in jail and will be facing trial. And, if there’s any justice in the world, a lot of these heroes will be having people buy them drinks in the near future.

Anyone who has seen the movie “Sound of Freedom” understands how important this sort of operation is. Human trafficking is a horrendous crime that needs to end. People guilty of this crime need either to face the death penalty or to spend the rest of their lives in jail with no possibility of parole.

Who’s Paying For This?

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Some of the questions being asked about the riots in Los Angeles is, “Who is paying for this? Who is paying the protesters? Who is supplying the rocks and masks?”

On Tuesday, Red State posted an article that provides some of the answers to those questions.

The article includes a number of screenshots from X providing information:

Regarding the face masks, the article concludes:

Sounded like the reporters couldn’t quite believe it.

There were a bunch of them in the truck, as well as boxes of something else. The UVEX bionic face shields appear to run from about $35-60 online depending on where you get them from. You’re not going to wear that just to “protest,” as the reporters noted, you’re going to wear that because you anticipate being involved in a confrontation with the police.

Meanwhile, Democrats are blaming Trump and ICE, with Mayor Karen Bass saying the answer is to “stop” the ICE raids and people like Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) pretending there was no violence.

It’s the Democrats’ failures that fostered the situation in the first place.

There is nothing ‘grassroots’ about these riots. Someone is directly funding them–paying the rioters and providing equipment. That person needs to be found and put on trial for insurrection.

Fake News Has Consequences

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On Sunday, Red State posted an article about the terrorist attack in Boulder, Colorado, on Sunday. The article noted that the attack took place hours after CNN, the Associated Press, Fox News, and other news outlets reported a fake story about Israeli soldiers massacring Gazans at an aid distribution center. The story simply was not true. I doubt that story alone was enough to inspire a terrorist who probably already had planned his attack, but how many future terrorists will it inspire before it is totally renounced as ‘fake news?’

The article reports:

Israel supporters marching at a memorial walk for the hostages still being held by Hamas were attacked with Molotov cocktails on Sunday, according to multiple reports. Videos of the aftermath are already circulating, and an alleged assailant is in custody.

…While officials from Boulder, a notoriously left-wing city, urged people not to jump to conclusions, there is no doubt what the motive was. The attacker can be seen saying, “This will end when Palestine is free,” in this  video.

The terrorist has missed the point–Palestine (which has never actually been a country) needs to be free of Hamas. Since that is not possible, the people of the Gaza Strip need to be relocated to a place where they can live in peace. If you look at a map of the Middle East, you realize that the Arab countries have a lot of land and that Israel has a very small amount of land. Logically, if you want a country of Palestine, it could easily be given a small piece of Arab land to live happily every after. The reason that has never happened is that as long as there is no official Palestinian state and the ‘refugees’ have no home, the Arabs can use that as an issue in their fight to eliminate Israel.

The article concludes:

This is what happens when national and international press outlets run with an obviously fake blood libel fed to them by Hamas. Just like the two murdered Israeli embassy workers in mid-May, there are consequences to riling up deranged lunatics who want a “global intifada.” 

Lied To Again

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Actually, we really can’t discern whether the media is continually lying or if they are simply ignorant of basic facts. It is odd, however, that the lies do have a political slant.

On Monday, Red State posted an article about Vice President J.D. Vance’s recent trip to the Vatican.

The article reports:

But the media was at it again, spinning away about the greeting. Check out this headline from The Daily Beast, painting the greeting as a “snub” on Sunday.

Well, not so fast.

The article continues:

Other outlets like The Daily Mail ran similar takes.

Now, if they met, it’s pretty hard to call that a snub, but that’s how they tried to spin it anyway. They seem not to notice it’s the Pope’s inauguration, so he has a lot going on and many leaders to meet. Of course, this is about stoking some illusion that the Pope hates Vance to make Vance look bad. But that’s ridiculous since that goes against the whole nature of being Pope. They don’t seem to get that their scenario would make the Pope look bad, that they’re inherently attacking the Pope without realizing it.

This isn’t the first time they’ve tried this and printed absolute nonsense about Vance. The Daily Beast previously accused him of violating a rule about taking pictures in the Sistine Chapel. After excoriating him in a story, buried deep down in the story was the fact that Vance had permission. He was with Vatican officials.

The article also notes:

He and the Pope even exchanged gifts. Vance gave him a Chicago Bears jersey with his name and number. He also gave the Pope – who is an Augustinian priest – two books by St. Augustine, the “City of God” and “On Christian Doctrine.”

Meanwhile, the Pope gave Vance a bronze sculpture that said in Italian, “Peace is a fragile flower.” He also gave him a picture book of the papal apartments, saying he might live in them, but he hasn’t decided yet.

I said in my prior story that Vance and Rubio (United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio) should work on communication with the Pope so he isn’t just getting media spin about the Trump administration, and it looks like they were on that during the visit.

It’s odd that people who don’t have a political agenda and who have actually met President Trump are surprised at how different he is from the person the media paints him as.

I Love The Welcome Saudi Arabia Gave To President Trump

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On Tuesday, Red State reported the following:

President Donald Trump rolled out his favorite songs, “Y.M.C.A.” and “God Bless the USA,” during his speech in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, and those in attendance loved it.

On Tuesday, Trump attended the Saudi-U.S. Investment Forum in Riyadh and spoke to a room full of Saudi business investors with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, in attendance. President Trump spoke about America’s plans for success under his administration and his vision for a peaceful and prosperous Middle East.

Trump opened his speech with Lee Greenwood’s famous patriotic song playing. As the entire song played, the president stood on the stage before he took to the podium.

And as the final line in the song, “God Bless the USA” played, those in attendance went crazy.

Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy said the audience, made up of prominent businessmen from Saudi Arabia and the U.S., “didn’t take their seats” during the entire song.

After his speech, the president was joined on stage by the Saudi Crown Prince as the Village People’s 1978 hit “Y.M.C.A.” played in the background. Those in the room gave the president a standing ovation.

There is a lot going on here. The Saudis were ostracized during the Biden administration. The Biden administration simply could not overlook the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. Khashoggi was a prominent dissident and critic of the Saudi government. He is also alleged to have had ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, an organization that during the Arab Spring was planning to bring down the House of Saud and takeover Saudi Arabia. The plan was to turn the countries in the Middle East that were ruled by dictators into countries run by the Muslim Brotherhood. For a short time, they were successful in Egypt. Considering the relationship between the Biden administration and the Obama administration (which supported the Arab Spring), the Biden administration’s attitude toward the Saudis was not surprising.

During President Trump’s visit, the Saudis also set up a mobile McDonald’s at a press center for covering the event in Riyadh, an apparent nod to the president’s love of the burger restaurant. (article posted at Breitbart)

What we saw in Saudi Arabia was the equivalent of the ostracized middle school student being asked to sit at the ‘cool’ kids’ table at lunch.

One Of Many Problems With Government Spending

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On Tuesday, Red State posted an article that might explain how some of the government’s run-away spending comes to pass.

The article reports:

I didn’t have an opportunity to watch Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s testimony before the House Appropriations Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee oversight hearing live. But looking back over some of the key moments, one was particularly jaw-dropping:

According to Bessent, over one-third of the 1.5 billion payments issued by the Treasury Department in the past year cannot be traced back to a corresponding appropriation. That’s 500 million payments (not dollars — individual disbursements) that cannot readily be matched for auditing or accountability purposes. 

The article concludes:

Of course we’re drowning in debt: We’ve got elected representatives who spend like drunken sailors — enabled by a Treasury Department intent on shoveling money out the door willy-nilly. Thank God President Trump and DOGE and grown-ups like Sec. Bessent are at least attempting to bring some order and accountability to bear.

Every day gives us another reason to be glad that we elected a businessman instead of a politician to be President. The government has gone so far from good business practices that it is amazing we have not yet gone completely broke. The payments that cannot be traced back to a corresponding appropriation like add up to billions of dollars. It’s time to spend taxpayers’ money wisely. Obviously that is not happening right now.

The Latest Fake Sob Story

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On Sunday, Red State posted an article about the latest sob story currently making the rounds about deporting illegal aliens. Responding to the crocodile tears being shed about a two-year old being deported, Secretary of State Marco Rubio decided to share the story of a similar incident.

The article reports:

Democrats seem to think the way to go after the Trump administration is to attack their moves regarding illegal aliens. But that’s one of the areas where he has the most approval. Instead, it’s Democrats attaching themselves to 80/20 issues on the 20 side, as they’re doing in the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia and the arrest of the judge in Wisconsin for allegedly helping an illegal alien evade ICE agents.

Now there’s another case that’s making the media rounds. You may have seen the headlines blaring about a two-year-old American citizen being deported. The judge in the case raised questions about “due process” — seemingly, the leftist word of the month.

But of course, as with all these stories, there’s more to it than that. Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed that and a similar case involving a four-year-old and a seven-year-old. Appearing on NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday, he nuked the misleading framing:

“Three U.S. citizens ages 4, 7, and 2 were not deported — their mothers, who were illegally in this country, were deported. The children went with their mothers!” Rubio declared. Nothing is preventing the children from coming back into the country, he explained. 

Are these the same Democrats that on April 22, 2000, arrested six-year-old Elian Gonzalez at gunpoint at his uncle’s home where he was hiding in a closet? We have all seen the picture:

Spare me your crocodile tears!

The article concludes:

The children can come back, the family can work out whatever arrangements they want for them; if they have family here, that’s up to the families.

The judge has scheduled a hearing for May 16 to address any questions in the case of the two-year-old, so that will ultimately be determined. I imagine there will be further process in the other case as well, to investigate if there were any issues.

But the media, of course, was skipping over the context, yet again.

The Picture The Media Is Painting Is Somewhat Inaccurate

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The media is painting a very sympathetic picture of Kilmar Abrego Garcia who was recently sent to prison in El Salvador. They have chosen to overlook the fact that there is significant evidence that he was (or is) a member of MS-13. But there is other evidence against him that has been somewhat under-reported.

On April 17th, Red State reported:

The FBI ordered the Tennessee Highway Patrol in 2022 to release Kilmar Abrego Garcia after a traffic stop yielded proof that he was operating a vehicle without a valid license, and despite concerns from officers that he was engaged in human trafficking.

Abrego Garcia is the man portrayed in the media as little more than a ‘Maryland father’ who was recently deported to El Salvador under President Donald Trump. Democrats have latched onto his case after it was discovered his removal was the result of a clerical error.

But a new report by The Tennessee Star shows there are layers of complexity to the man’s case.

According to the outlet, Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) stopped Abrego Garcia in December 2022, and an officer who filed the report on the incident confirmed that he was transporting seven other individuals in the vehicle from Texas to Maryland.

Abrego Garcia was discovered to be operating the vehicle without a valid driver’s license, prompting a more thorough background check. The lack of a valid license alone is a misdemeanor offense that could have lead to jail time.

More ominously, the officer at the scene indicated he had suspicions that Abrego Garcia was “engaged in human trafficking.”

The article also notes:

Abrego Garcia, the man Democrats and the media have latched onto to portray President Trump’s deportation operation as heartless, according to an immigration judge in 2019, had evidence of an association with the violent MS-13 gang.

In fact, two judges have determined he is likely to be a member of MS-13.

RedState Managing Editor Jennifer Van Laar reported Wednesday evening that Abrego Garcia was detained by Prince George’s County, Maryland officials in 2019. During that interaction with law enforcement, he was determined to be loitering outside a Home Depot with several other men with either known or suspected MS-13 ties.

Details of the incident indicate extensive ties between the ‘Maryland father’ and his gang affiliates, including one man with a comprehensive and violent criminal history, and a revelation that Abrego-Garcia and others at the scene were “detained in connection to a murder investigation.”

Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) has made this case a major cause–even visiting El Salvador in an attempt to meet with Abrego-Garcia. I wish he were as concerned with the American prisoners Hamas is holding.

When You Totally Fail To Read The Room

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One of the problems facing the Democrat party is the loss of Democrat voters in Generation Z (people born between 1997 and 2012). In 2022, 46% of Generation Z voted, and they tended to vote for Democrats. In 2024, about 46% of Generation Z who voted voted for President Trump. Two Democrats, Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are currently holding rallies around America to encourage Generation Z to become Democrat voters.

On Sunday, Red State reported:

On Saturday, in Los Angeles, faithful agitator and failed commune contributor Bernie Sanders performed his latest “Down With the Oligarchy” act. Joining octogenarian Bernie was his new Tanto, New York Dem Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Also on stage were octogenarian Joan Baez and 79-year-old Neil Young. Add up all those ages, and they’ve collectively lived more years than the USA has been a country.  

The appearance of Bernie and AOC together evokes little interest in me. It’s like watching the same “pull my finger” joke. Bernie and his socialist sidekick sang the same tired folk fables about class warfare while lying about Musk and lying about Trump.

I just don’t think that Generation Z has the same hot buttons as the generation that listened to Joan Baez and later to Neil Young. Joan Baez represented the early 1960’s, beginning her professional career at the 1959 Newport Folk Festival. Neil Young’s career reflected more of the late 1960’s. The generation that came of age during the 1960’s and early 1970’s was an idealistic generation that wanted to bring peace and happiness to everyone. They also wanted to throw off the shackles of conventional morality. I am not sure either of these goals resonates with Generation Z and the challenges they face. Generation Z has dealt with the Covid crisis–many of them missed out on their high school proms, graduations, etc., and now as young adults are struggling with inflation, high interest rates, and generally the cost of living.

It will be interesting to see how successful this Bernie Sanders/Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tour is. Is this the Democrat presidential ticket for 2028? Lord, help us.

A Promise Fulfilled

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This is great news. On Monday, Red State reported that Vice-President J.D. Vance has fulfilled the promise he made at the Republican Convention and celebrated his mother’s 10th sobriety anniversary at the White House.

The article reports:

It is a truly inspiring and heartwarming story.

Vance’s mother, Beverly “Bev” Aikins, plays a significant role in his memoir “Hillbilly Elegy,” where she is portrayed as a complex and troubled figure whose struggles profoundly shaped Vance’s life. 

In the book, she is described as a woman caught in a cycle of instability, addiction, and personal turmoil, which mirrors some of the broader challenges he attributes to the “hillbilly” community.

In the 2020 Netflix film adaptation of “Hillbilly Elegy,” directed by Ron Howard, Bev is played by Amy Adams.

“I’m proud to say that tonight, my mom is here, 10 years clean and sober. I love you, Mom,” Vance said as the cheers cascaded down from the crowd in attendance.

Chants of “JD’s mom” could be heard echoing in the arena. That’s when Vance had an idea.

“You know, Mom, I was thinking. It will be 10 years officially in January 2025. If President Trump is okay with that, let’s have the celebration in the White House,” he said.

Journalist Salena Zito reports that Vance, happily, has now been able to fulfill that promise.

“Well, here we are. And you made it, and we made it. And most importantly, you’re celebrating a very, very big milestone,” the Vice President said, according to Zito. “And I’m just very proud of you.”

The article notes:

“A full-circle moment. Not just for her, but for the millions of moms who fought like hell to give their kids a better life,” writes podcast producer James Laverty.

“Who dreamed of something more, even when the world gave them every reason to quit. Not perfection, but a fight,” he added. “And she lives to see the other side, the dreams realized.”

Beverly “Bev” Aikins represents all Americans. We are not perfect. Some of our struggles are more challenging than others, but when we persevere, we win. Mrs. Aikins, you are an inspiration because of who you are and what you have overcome, and your son is an inspiration because of the love and respect he has for you despite the hard times in the past.

Energy Independence Is Good For Everyone

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On Thursday, Red State posted an article about the Trump administration’s resumption of drilling in Alaska.

The article reports:

Donald Trump’s 2024 election victory over Kamala Harris is one of the better things that has happened in our nation for some time, and all of the various benefits of that win are still making themselves known. One of the areas in which Americans will benefit from this is in energy, and in Alaska, that benefit will be felt not only in reduced energy prices, but in jobs.

Alaska’s economy depends in large part on mining and energy development, and on the North Slope, where many of Alaska’s Native communities are found, as much as 95 percent of the local economies are dependent on oil and gas development. Those communities are about to get a big economic boost, and they are on record applauding the Trump administration’s resumption of drilling.

The article notes the reaction of someone representing the Alaskan Native Americans:

“It’s cautious optimism,”Nagruk Harcharek, president of Voice of the Arctic Iñupiat, (VOICE) a nonprofit organization that represents 21 different Native American corporations and communities in Alaska, told the DCNF (Daily Caller News Foundation). “We feel like we’re going to be able to get some things done with a more favorable administration, but we’re also being careful about it because we don’t want to threaten that cultural base and lifestyle that we rely on every day.”

…Harcharek noted that 95% of the North Slope budget comes from oil and gas infrastructure taxes. “The economy in the North Slope is oil and gas activity,” he said. Schools, healthcare, roads and running water all came from the “economic base our early leaders ensured that we had access to,” Harcharek said, expressing concerns that without access to oil and gas resource development, their community is forced “to rely on the state and the federal government.”

The article notes a very important aspect of the debate over drilling in Alaska:

So, jobs, or dependency. Nothing could more starkly illustrate the difference in the two major political parties; one is in favor of development, of abundant, inexpensive energy and the economic benefits that come with it, and jobs, good-paying jobs, for communities in one of the most isolated places on the planet. The other is the party of dependency, who would yank the North Slope jobs and place the Native communities on government handouts and the loss of pride that goes with it.

Let’s let the Native Americans in Alaska thrive!

The “Guardians Of Justice” Are Suddenly Awake

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On Wednesday, Red State posted an article about some of the judges who are issuing Temporary Restraining Orders to stop President Trump’s policies. Oddly enough, they were never concerned when the Biden administration ignored the law or refused to enforce the laws already on the books.

The article reports:

Where were these Guardians of Justice when Joe Biden illegally invited and lured in millions and millions of “new Americans and undocumented immigrants?” Where? Why nowhere, of course. These robes seemingly had very little to say about U.S. Code § 1325 (based on Article IV, Section IV of the Constitution) and its undeniable violation. A violation that has, and will continue to for decades, fundamentally changed the history of America. Letting in millions and millions of aliens, and then making the citizenry pay for their everything from schooling, health care, drunk driving deaths, rapes, murders, and any other crimes they committed while here has changed life for us all on many different levels. 

Now, progs like to use descriptors from “hard-working, good people seeking a better life” to “who will pick our crops and make up our hotel beds?” (Note to any progressives in the unlikely event of reading this: The latter sounds an awful lot like “who will pick our cotton and sweep up around the Big House?”) Basically, I don’t care if they are good people; I only care if they are bad people because they should not be here in the first place. We have plenty of our own good people and really don’t need any new bad ones.

Still, where were these judges when Biden (or whoever was pushing the knobs behind the curtain) was busy border-busting? This newfound sanctimony and sudden respect for the rule of law was absent over the last four years, and the impact it will have on this country is going to be generational.

The article concludes:

Trump, in his last term and nearly 80 years old, could also simply ignore these rulings and enforce his own orders anyway. Joe Biden defied a SCOTUS ruling and forgave $48 billion in student loan debt, and nothing happened to him/his administration. No federal judge — neither on the circuit nor the highest court there is — seemed to have anything to say about that. Well, why shouldn’t Trump do the same thing and just ignore them?

Because as tempting as that might be, Trump has more integrity than that, and he knows it would help to wreck the system even more so than it already is. So he goes through the appellate process and tries to right the wrongs, relying on the same judiciary system that screwed him in the first place. I just hope there are still some good judges left in that pool.

The Need For Cooperation On Border Security

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On Monday, Red State reported the following:

A former officer in the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) says the number of illegal aliens fleeing the United States over the northern border into Canada has surged due to President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement policies.

And an actual Mexican Sinaloa drug cartel smuggler confirmed business is booming in the opposite direction as illegals, through his assistance, are self-deporting to the Great White North.

The news comes from a “60 Minutes Overtime” segment airing Sunday night.

Kelly Sundberg, who spent 15 years with the CBSA and now researches border security as a professor at Mount Royal University in Calgary, spoke to the CBS show. He fretted that Trump’s policies have already increased the number of illegals flowing into Canada, and he expects a coming “tsunami.”

“Canada can expect a tsunami of illegal immigrants fleeing American authorities and coming into our country,” said Sundberg. “The numbers already are going up.”

“I hope I’m wrong, but it would appear that we’re going to be overwhelmed by the illegal immigrants fleeing American authorities coming into our country,” he added. “And they very well might be bringing guns and drugs with them.”

The article includes the human smugglers perspective:

Not content with Sundberg’s assessment, “60 Minutes Overtime” spoke to a drug and human smuggler working for the Sinaloa drug cartel who confirmed he’s seeing a significant increase in requests to cross the northern border from the US into Canada.

“Most of them are Venezuelans,” he told CBS. “Those people are afraid of being deported to their countries. Normally before, we didn’t see that much, maybe out of every 30 people we crossed, three or four would come up.”

“Now, maybe out of every 10 we cross, five go up [to Canada].”

Based on that obviously rough estimation, the smuggler’s personal numbers have jumped from about 10 percent to 50 percent of those looking to leave America.

Considering the smuggler admits that he not only moves people – including babies – across the northern border, but also significant quantities of fentanyl and weapons, it’s good that his business is moving in the other direction.

I think it’s time for the countries opposed to the drug and human smuggling cartels to work together to stop both.