Tag Archives: Fox News

Continuing The Shutdown

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On Friday, Fox News posted an article about a recent vote in the Senate. Obviously, the Democrat filibuster is preventing the Republicans from opening the government, but the Democrats won’t even vote to help the people being hurt by the shutdown.

The article reports:

Senate Democrats again blocked a plan by Republicans to ensure that federal workers and the military would receive a paycheck as the shutdown back and forth revs into high gear.

Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., again tried to advance a modified version of his “Shutdown Fairness Act” bill that would see federal workers and the military paid now and during subsequent government shutdowns. However, the bill failed 53-43 with 3 Democrats defecting to support the bill. Georgia Sens. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, and Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico voted for the bill.

Last month, it was blocked over concerns from Senate Democrats that it did not include furloughed workers.

The article concludes:

The GOP’s attempt to pay federal workers amid the ongoing, 38-day shutdown came as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his caucus announced their counter-offer to Senate Republicans’ plan to reopen the government.

Schumer’s offer included attaching a one-year extension onto expiring Obamacare subsidies — the main sticking point of the shutdown — in exchange for the Democratic votes to reopen the government.

But the offer, which a source told Fox News Digital had been made in private to Senate Republicans last week and was summarily rejected, was again not going over well with Republicans.

The Senate is expected to return on Saturday to vote on the House-passed plan for a 15th time. Whether Schumer and his caucus block it once more remains to be seen.

Schumer’s offer was essentially “You give us what we want and we will allow you to open the government.” That’s pretty much your basic hostage statement. I particularly like Senator Kennedy’s suggestion for a law that says if federal workers are not paid, Congress should not be paid.

One Phone Company Pushed Back

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There is a lot of information coming out lately about the government operation Arctic Frost. I am not sure any of the actions involved in this operation were in line with the U.S. Constitution, but there is one area that violated the Constitution that is very troubling.

On Wednesday, John Hinderaker posted the following at Power Line Blog:

Arctic Frost was the FBI investigation that tried to associate Donald Trump and many other Republicans with the January 6, 2021, Capitol protest. It was the basis for one of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s indictments of Trump. That indictment was dismissed. Senator Chuck Grassley has been on this case for a long time; whistleblowers approached him long ago to explain the corruption of the FBI and Joe Biden’s Department of Justice.

Arctic Frost can best be seen as a continuation of the Russia Collusion Hoax and the Crossfire Hurricane investigation, which sought to prevent Trump from being elected, and then to cripple his administration after he won the 2016 election. Also the Dirty 51 scandal, which sought, successfully, to swing the 2020 election to Joe Biden.

Arctic Frost included service of 197 subpoenas in which Special Counsel Jack Smith sought incriminating information about hundreds of Republicans, including ten Republican senators and one House member. There was no basis for suspecting any of these individuals of criminal actions, and in fact, no criminality was found. Smith subpoenaed telephone records of those Republicans from various telecom vendors, and rogue Democrat Judge James Boasberg entered a gag order, directing the phone companies not to disclose the subpoenas to their customers–United States Senators–for one year. There is precedent for such orders in organized crime investigations.

The article quotes Fox News:

Verizon justified complying with the subpoenas, saying they were “facially valid” and contained only phone numbers, not names. Verizon said that with the “benefit of hindsight” and recent discussions with the Senate Sergeant at Arms, which handles congressional phone services, it has modified its policies so that it puts up more of a challenge to law enforcement requests pertaining to Congress members.

…AT&T, meanwhile, did not comply with the subpoenas.

“When AT&T raised questions with Special Counsel Smith’s office concerning the legal basis for seeking records of members of Congress, the Special Counsel did not pursue the subpoena further, and no records were produced,” David Chorzempa, general counsel for AT&T, wrote.

The article at Power Line Blog notes:

Taken together, these Democratic Party scandals, from the Russian Collusion Hoax to Crossfire Hurricane to the Dirty 51 to Arctic Frost–and likely others that have not yet come to light–represent by far the worst political corruption in American history. There has never been anything like it.

The Republican voters have been patient, but when will the Republicans hold someone accountable?

Where The Money Actually Went

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On Thursday, Legal Insurrection posted an article about the tax dollars that were earmarked to solve the homelessness crisis.

The article quotes Fox News:

A new study just exposed the corruption behind America’s homelessness crisis

For years, Americans have been told that “compassion” for the homeless meant writing ever-larger checks – more money, more programs and far less accountability.

Now, at last, we have some answers for why homelessness has exploded even amid a tripling of public spending.

A groundbreaking investigation, “Infiltrated” – backed by more than 50 pages of documentation from the Capital Research Center in cooperation with Discovery Institute – pulls back the curtain on a vast system of corruption. It reveals how billions in taxpayer funds intended to lift people out of homelessness have instead bankrolled radical activism and anti-American political agendas, betraying both the taxpayers who fund it and the homeless they were meant to help.

…The report offers some very specific examples:

Major philanthropic giants – Ford, Robert Wood Johnson and Gates Foundations – poured billions into Housing First and “equity” initiatives to promote ideology under the guise of helping the homeless.

Meanwhile, coalitions like Funders Together to End Homelessness funneled vast sums toward upstream political causes – including the promotion of reparations and anti-policing movements… all under the moral camouflage of addressing homelessness.

The article at Legal Insurrection concludes:

Ending homelessness is going to require more common sense and tough love. The left’s supposedly compassionate approach will only encourage more of it. We need treatment centers for addicts and the mentally ill. The few who are truly just down on their luck should be given opportunities for work and housing.

Above all, public camping, such as on sidewalks, must be outlawed and the laws must be enforced. There is no other way to end this.

Finally, we need a national audit of all funds being spent on ending this problem. The left should not be allowed to use these funds to benefit politically.

The more we learn about some foundations and NGO’s, the more I wonder if any of these organizations are actually doing what they are supposed to be doing.

Why?

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Every time I think members of Congress can’t say anything dumber, they prove me wrong.

On Sunday, Fox News reported the following:

Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., said the next Democratic presidential nominee must vow to demolish President Donald Trump‘s White House ballroom, proposing the pledge a litmus test for the party’s 2028 contenders.

“Don’t even think of seeking the Democratic nomination for president unless you pledge to take a wrecking ball to the Trump Ballroom on DAY ONE,” Swalwell wrote on X on Saturday.

Swalwell’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital for additional comment.

For the first time in its history, the White House will have a formal ballroom, a new addition built where the East Wing once stood, a project that has become a political flashpoint as photos of the demolition fuel debate over President Trump’s mark on the historic residence.

On July 31, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced the planned construction of a 90,000-square-foot ballroom. The sprawling ballroom will accommodate approximately 650 seated guests and will stay true to the classical design of the White House.

“The White House is currently unable to host major functions honoring world leaders in other countries without having to install a large and unsightly tent approximately 100 yards away from the main building’s entrance,” Leavitt said, adding the new ballroom will be “a much-needed and exquisite addition.”

I am not always a big fan of President Trump’s taste, but this ballroom is needed. Outdoor tents are tacky. Outdoor tents are much more tacky than any decor that can be put in the coming ballroom. I can’t help thinking that if former President Biden had done this, Representative Swalwell would have praised it.

There is another factor to consider when looking at the design of the ballroom. President Trump is a second-generation American. His grandparents on his father’s side came here from Germany and his mother came here from Scotland. Germany is the home of beautiful cathedrals and amazing art. America builds simple churches and simple buildings. I wonder how much of President Trump’s taste in architecture and decor is rooted in the culture of Europe.

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.

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.

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.

What A Difference Leadership Makes

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Do you suppose that one day Americans will be able to walk down the streets of Washington, D.C., safely, day or night? We seem to be aiming for that goal.

On Wednesday, Fox News reported:

Law enforcement officials in Washington, D.C., have arrested more than 100 people since Aug. 7, Fox Digital has learned, as President Donald Trump cracks down on crime in the city. 

Law enforcement officials have arrested a total of 103 individuals as of Wednesday morning since Aug. 7, which includes 43 who were arrested Tuesday, a White House official told Fox Digital Wednesday morning. The arrests are part of Trump’s March executive order, which established the Making DC Safe and Beautiful Task Force, ahead of Trump’s Monday announcement federalizing the D.C. police department. 

“President Trump’s bold leadership is quickly making our nation’s capital safer,” White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told Fox Digital. “In less than one week, over 100 violent criminals have already been arrested and taken off of the streets in Washington, D.C. President Trump is delivering on his campaign promise to clean up this city and restore American Greatness to our cherished capital.” 

The article notes:

Tuesday’s sweep of the city included 1,450 law enforcement participants, according to the White House, including roughly 30 National Guard troops and 750 uniformed D.C. police officers. 

Tuesday’s arrests included: one arrested on suspected homicide, seven related to narcotics charges, 33 for alleged firearm offenses, 10 related to warrants, as well as the arrests of 23 illegal immigrants. Law enforcement recovered a total of 24 firearms on Tuesday, according to the White House. 

The first phase of the crime crackdown Monday resulted in 23 arrests, FBI Director Kash Patel revealed on X Tuesday. 

It should be noted that Washington, D. C., has very strict gun laws and numerous gun-free zones. Obviously they are not working.

Common Sense From A Congressman

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On Tuesday, Fox News reported the following:

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., is calling on the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to revoke the nonprofit status of a Muslim advocacy group that he believes has ties to terror groups, including Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood.

In the letter, Cotton notes that “in the largest terrorism-financing case in U.S. history, [the Council on American-Islamic Relations] was listed as a member of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Palestine Committee.” CAIR was listed as an unindicted coconspirator in the infamous Holy Land Foundation (HLF) terrorism financing case. The organization later attempted, unsuccessfully, to have its name removed from the list.

The Justice Department found that HLF and five of its leaders had, while working together and with others, “provided material support to the Hamas movement.” In total, the groups provided Hamas with approximately $12.4M, according to the DOJ.

In July of 2024, PJ Media reported:

The first indication of the activities of this clandestine (Muslim) Brotherhood organization came in September 2007, with the revelation during the Holy Land Foundation Hamas terrorism funding trial of a document dating from May 1991, “An Explanatory Memorandum on the General Strategic Goal for the Brotherhood in North America.” It stated that “The process of settlement is a ‘Civilization-Jihadist Process’ with all the word means. The Ikhwan [Brotherhood] must understand that their work in America is a kind of grand Jihad in eliminating and destroying the Western civilization from within and ‘sabotaging’ its miserable house by their hands and the hands of the believers so that it is eliminated and God’s religion is made victorious over all other religions” (p. 7).

The article concludes:

CAIR was disavowed by the Biden administration after the organization’s executive director appeared to praise Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre. In November 2023, just weeks after the attacks, CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad said he was “happy to see” Palestinians “breaking the siege and throwing down the shackles of their own land.” Additionally, in his remarks, Awad appeared to further justify the attacks, saying that “the people of Gaza have the right to self-defense” and that Israel does not.

The New York Times quoted then-Biden spokesperson Andrew Bates as saying that the administration condemned the “shocking, antisemitic statements in the strongest terms.”

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) slammed Awad’s recent remarks about the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites. The national executive director said that “Netanyahu calls the shots. Trump pretends to be in charge.” Additionally, the ADL pointed out that Hussam Ayloush, executive director of CAIR’s Los Angeles chapter, referred to Congress and the White House as “Israeli-occupied territories.”

The remarks are not shocking once you realize who CAIR is. Their nonprofit status should be revoked and they should be monitored closely for terrorist activity. If you have not yet read the document referred to in the PJ Media article, please take the time to read it. It is important.

Applying The Statute Of Limitations

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On Sunday, The Daily Caller posted an article explaining how the Statute of Limitations applies to the potential case against the former Obama intelligence officials who obstructed the investigation and concealed evidence in the Russia Hoax.

The article reports:

Fox News legal analyst Gregg Jarrett said Sunday that the clock began “ticking” on a potential case being brought against former Obama intelligence officials for obstruction the moment “deliberately concealed evidence” was discovered by the Trump administration.

The Russia investigation, which alleged President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign colluded with Russia to sway the election in his favor, received new scrutiny in July after the FBI reportedly placed former FBI Director James Comey and former CIA Director John Brennan under criminal investigation. With allegations and new intelligence surfacing about how Comey, Brennan and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper played a role in targeting the Trump campaign, Jarrett was asked by “Sunday Morning Futures” host Maria Bartiromo if he believed the Department of Justice (DOJ) “will act” and whether “the statute of limitations apply to conspiracy or not.”

“I would say yes to all three. This does look like a broad criminal conspiracy by unscrupulous officials, dishonest people. I would look at conspiracy to defraud the government, deprivation of rights under color of law, but importantly, obstruction of justice and the cover up,” Jarrett said. “The elaborate cover up has been going on for years, as Stephen Miller pointed out, which extends the statute of limitations in any conspiracy case against malign actors. That’s because the clock begins ticking when deliberately concealed evidence is discovered, which is actually quite recently.”

“So, for example, you were talking about the burn bags that were discovered incriminating documents hidden at the FBI, as well as other records, hard drives squirreled away under lock and key by Comey recently found,” Jarrett added. “So attempting to conceal or destroy evidence relevant to investigations, that’s obstruction. The last overt act in a conspiracy starts the clock anew. So that’s the value of bringing a conspiracy case that includes obstruction.”

If the information we are receiving is proven to be correct, the people involved belong in jail. If we do not deal with this type of illegal behavior, it will continue. There have to be consequences for the illegal actions.

What Was Hidden In The Back Room?

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On Wednesday, The Gateway Pundit posted an article about a trove of documents found in burn bags in a room in the FBI headquarters. Fox News also reported the story.

The Gateway Pundit notes:

FBI Director Kash Patel found thousands of Russia collusion hoax documents in “burn bags” in a secret room at the FBI, Fox News reported.

One of the documents in the burn bags included the classified annex to the John Durham report that includes the underlying intelligence he investigated.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe is expected to declassify the annex to Durham’s final report and send it to Senator Grassley, who will release it to the public.

Fox News also reported that Kash Patel and his team of investigators discovered a “previously undisclosed” SCIF at the FBI headquarters.

Fox News reported:

FBI Director Kash Patel found a trove of sensitive documents related to the origins of the Trump–Russia probe buried in multiple “burn bags” in a secret room inside the bureau, sources told Fox News Digital.

Sources told Fox News Digital that the “burn bag” system is used to destroy documents designated as classified or higher.

Sources told Fox News Digital that multiple burn bags were found and filled with thousands of documents.

The Gateway Pundit notes:

In 2023, Special Counsel John Durham released his final report concluding the FBI had no verified intel when it opened the Crossfire Hurricane investigation into Trump in 2016.

President Trump declassified a binder on January 19th, 2021.

The now infamous binder contains hundreds of pages about the Crossfire Hurricane scandal. It contains damaging information about the corrupt actors involved in our government.

In an explosive development in August 2022 following the FBI’s Mar-a-Lago raid, sources close to the high-profile investigation revealed that the FBI’s raid on Mar-a-Lago was explicitly aimed at recovering a “missing top-secret binder.”

Leaving burn bags in a room is totally against the protocol for disposing of classified information. According to protocol, burn bags are to be collected every day and burned every day. It is amazing that these  bags were found.

I am looking forward to the declassification of these documents. It is time to hold the people responsible for the undermining of the first Trump administration responsible–all of them. I am not sure that is realistic, but it needs to happen.

Peace Breaks Out Again?

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On Monday, Fox News reported that President Trump has announced that Thailand and Cambodia have reached a ceasefire deal.

The article reports:

Thailand and Cambodia reached a ceasefire deal “through trade,” President Donald Trump announced Monday, ending a burgeoning conflict that displaced 260,000 people. 

The declaration from Trump comes after he said over the weekend that he had spoken to the leaders of Cambodia and Thailand, urging a ceasefire, adding the U.S. would not get back to the “trading table” with the southeast Asian countries until fighting stops. 

The fighting began Thursday after a land mine explosion along the border wounded five Thai soldiers. Both sides blamed each other for starting the clashes that have killed at least 35 people and displaced more than 260,000 people on both sides. 

The article notes:

“I said, ‘I don’t want to trade with anybody that’s killing each other.’ So we just got that one solved. And I’m going to call the two prime ministers who I got along with very, very well and speak to them right after this meeting and congratulate them. But it was an honor to be involved in that. That was going to be a very nasty war. Those wars have been very, very nasty,” Trump also said.

“By ending this War, we have saved thousands of lives. I have instructed my Trade Team to restart negotiations on Trade. I have now ended many Wars in just six months — I am proud to be the President of PEACE!” Trump added in a post on Truth Social.

As part of the ceasefire deal, military commanders from both sides will begin to hold talks Tuesday to defuse tensions while Cambodia will host a border committee meeting on Aug. 4, according to Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

As I have stated before, President Trump knows how to use economic leverage. America is the big kid on the block, and we don’t have to bully anyone. However, we can use our economic position to bring peace where it is needed.

Bringing Americans Home

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On Friday, Fox News reported that ten Americans have been released from custody in Venezuela and are headed home to America.

The article reports:

Ten Americans are returning to the U.S. after being released from custody in Venezuela, the Secretary of State said on Friday. 

“Thanks to President [Donald] Trump’s leadership and commitment to the American people, the United States welcomes home ten Americans who were detained in Venezuela,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement. “Until today, more Americans were wrongfully held in Venezuela than any other country in the world. It is unacceptable that Venezuelan regime representatives arrested and jailed U.S. nationals under highly questionable circumstances and without proper due process. Every wrongfully detained American in Venezuela is now free and back in our homeland.”

Rubio also thanked the State Department, inter-agency partners, and El Salvador President Nayib Bukele.

The article continues:

He (Secretary of State Marco Rubio) said the U.S. also welcomes the “release of Venezuelan political prisoners and detainees that were also released from Venezuelan prisons. The Trump Administration continues to support the restoration of democracy in Venezuela. The regime’s use of unjust detention as a tool of political repression must end. We reiterate our call for the unconditional release of remaining unjustly and arbitrarily detained political prisoners and foreign nationals.”

The release is part of a prisoner swap in which Bukele agreed to release hundreds of Venezuelans being held in a maximum-security prison in Tecoluca, El Salvador, in return for Salvadoran prisoners being held in Venezuela. 

El Salvador President Nayib Bukele was elected as President of El Salvador in 2019. He has transformed the country–drastically reducing the crime rate and the homicide rate. His cooperation with President Trump has helped make America safer and his own country safer.

Money Talks, But Can It Bring Peace?

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President Trump seems to have a gift for understanding economic leverage. This is becoming very obvious in the Middle East. He has essentially given a number of Middle Eastern Countries a choice–do you want to be economically successful or do you want to continue supporting terrorism? There will be countries that will attempt to play both sides of the fence–traditions and generational hatred are hard to overcome–but the people who rule countries understand they tend to stay in power longer if their country is prosperous. It may come down to a ruler having to decide whether he values his position enough to forgo some of his hatred toward Israel.

As I write this on Monday, the news from the Middle East is that five of the most prominent Arab sheikhs in Hebron—yes, Hebron, the heart of biblical Judea—just declared that they want to join the Abraham Accords, recognize Israel as the Jewish state, and break away from the Palestinian Authority. This is according to a Jewish News Syndicate article posted on Sunday. This might be taken as an indication that Hamas no longer has the power it once had and that Iran is no longer in a position to support Hamas. It is also being reported that Qatar (a major supporter of terrorism) has told the Hamas leaders in Qatar to lay down their weapons. Even Qatar wants peace.

Before we get too excited over this, there is something we all need to take into consideration. It is the Islamic concept of “hudna” defined as a tactical pause intended only for rearmament.

We need to remember that when we are dealing with the Islamist population of the Middle East, we are dealing with generational hatred and indoctrination. In Gaza, the indoctrination begins with telling very young children that they should be martyrs in the quest to retake Jerusalem. Overcoming this indoctrination will take time and will not be easy.

Memri.org, one of the most reliable sources for information on current events in the Middle East, recently reported that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed gave an interview to Fox News in which he called for the release of the Israeli hostages held by Hamas, for the formation of a government in Gaza that does not include this movement, and for the establishment of calm there.

Living with constant terrorism and war does not make for a stable government, and many Middle Eastern leaders want to maintain their positions. If that means joining the Abraham Accords to create prosperity in their countries and to create longevity for their rule, they may be willing to do that.

The FBI Is Doing Its Job

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On Saturday, Fox News reported that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has successfully conducted investigations into large-scale sex predator operations.

The article reports:

FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino announced on Saturday that during his and Director Kash Patel‘s first three months in office, the agency conducted large-scale sex predator operations, made multiple foreign intelligence and FBI “most wanted” arrests, and aided partners in immigration enforcement.

In an X post, Bongino said two child sex predator stings resulted in the rescues of hundreds of children.

Operation “Restoring Justice” apprehended 205 child sex predators and 764 purveyors, while rescuing 115 children, he said. A separate venture, Operation “Soteria Shield,” resulted in the apprehension of 244 child predators, and 109 children were rescued.

The article notes:

The FBI also apprehended, imprisoned, and deported thousands of illegal immigrants in coordination with federal partners.

More than 700 anti-ICE riot arrests were made in coordination with state and federal agents, as the FBI poured through data in pursuit of more bad actors. 

The article concludes:

“We are not done,” Bongino said. “We are in the process of identifying and moving in on those who threw rocks at law enforcement officers and damaged property. I told you we would not forget. I wasn’t kidding. . . . We told you that the rioting was not going to slow us down. It has not. We are fully engaged.”

Though the FBI acknowledges there is more work to be done, he said to stay tuned on disclosures and the public corruption fronts. 

“For those who have been patient with us, thank you,” Bongino said. “For those who are out of patience, thank you, too. Believe me, we understand. God bless America, and all those who defend Her.”

This is the result of an apolitical FBI that is free to do its job.

When The Interview Does Not Go As Planned

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Enforcing the rule of law can be messy. Maintaining control of a potentially dangerous situation can result in actions that are misunderstood. The media loves to misunderstand any action taken by a Republican or any individual associated with President Trump. If someone can make a scene, it can be promoted to media gold.

On Thursday, The Blaze posted an article illustrating what happens when the media misjudges its interviewee.

The article reports:

A security expert appeared to stun the CNN anchor who asked him to assess the incident where a Democrat politician was aggressively shoved out of DHS Sec. Kristi Noem’s press conference.

Democrats are outraged over the video footage of U.S. Senator Alex Padilla of California being dragged out of a briefing Thursday, but instead of justifying the outrage, Josh Campbell said the agents acted appropriately to the threat.

The security expert cited a number of actions which generally result in someone being removed from a press conference–interrupting the speaker before the question and answer period puts security guards on alert, and turning toward the agents escorting the person out is seen as indicating a lack of compliance.

A Fox News article posted Friday reports:

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Padilla did not initially identify himself as a senator, and was not wearing his Senate security pin.

However, footage captured by Fox News shows him saying, “I’m Senator Alex Padilla, I have questions for the secretary,” as he was escorted out of the room.

Noem told The Story’s Martha MacCallum that Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) personnel began handcuffing the senator in the hallway, at which point he identified himself, and they ceased action.

Considering the constant stream of threats made against President Trump and the people in his administration, I believe that the actions taken by the security staff. There is no reason for outrage.

Jurisdiction Matters

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On May 45h, PJ Media reported the following:

When President Trump returned to the White House, he didn’t just get to work cleaning up Joe Biden’s mess—he set his sights on dismantling decades of entrenched bureaucratic bloat, waste, and corruption. With a relentless series of executive orders and policy directives, Trump reignited his mission to drain the swamp—this time with laser precision and zero patience for the status quo.

Predictably, the left went into full-blown panic mode. Liberal legal groups immediately launched a barrage of lawsuits, cherry-picking friendly courts in a shameless attempt to stall Trump’s agenda. They’re terrified of losing control over the bloated regulatory state they’ve used for years to push policies they could never pass through Congress.

But that strategy just hit a major roadblock. In a landmark ruling on Saturday, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals handed the Trump administration a decisive legal victory—one that could fundamentally change how activist judges and forum-shopped cases interfere with executive authority. 

“This is a huge victory for President Trump and his Article II powers granted in the United States Constitution. It’s also a victory for US Agency for Global Media (USAGM) and VOA,” Kari Lake told Fox News Digital. Lake now serves as a USAGM senior advisor to the Trump administration. “We are eager to accomplish President Trump’s America First agenda which has always been to modernize and make our government efficient while cutting waste, fraud, and abuse.”

Kari Lake told Fox News

The appeals court’s 2-1 ruling Saturday emphasized the judiciary’s deference to executive authority in matters concerning federal employment and contractual decisions.

The court noted that the district court likely lacked jurisdiction to interfere with the administration’s personnel actions and funding decisions, particularly regarding grant agreements with non-federal entities like Radio Free Asia and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks.

This ruling  Trump’s March 14 executive order (EO), which aimed to dismantle USAGM operations.

The article at PJ Media concludes:

The significance of this decision extends far beyond these specific cases—it establishes clear jurisdictional parameters that could affect dozens of pending lawsuits against Trump administration policies. While the administration won’t prevail in every case, this ruling suggests courts may need to more carefully consider their jurisdictional authority before issuing sweeping injunctions against executive actions.

The D.C. Circuit Court just handed Trump a game-changing victory that will help him clean house in 2025.

Let’s hope that this is the first of many good decisions by the courts.

The Actions Of A Nasty Little Man

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On Saturday, Townhall posted an article illustrating one way the Biden administration was involved in the lawfare against President Trump. There were many aspects of the actions of the Biden administration that were clearly illegal.

The article quotes Fox News:

The Biden White House turned over government cellphones belonging to President Donald Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence to the FBI in May 2022 as part of a bureau probe into the aftermath of the 2020 election, tying Trump to that investigation without sufficient predication, Fox News Digital has learned.

The FBI did not need a warrant to physically obtain the government phones from the Biden White House.

But after acquiring the devices, agents began drafting a search warrant to extract the phones’ data, sources familiar with the investigation told Fox News Digital.

“The Biden White House played right along with the FBI’s ‘gotcha’ scheme against Trump,” a source familiar with the investigation told Fox News Digital. “Biden’s Office of White House Counsel, under the leadership of Dana Remus and Jonathan Su, gave its blessing and accommodation for the FBI to physically obtain Trump and Pence’s phones in early May 2022. Weeks later, the FBI began drafting a search warrant to extract the phones’ data.”

The phones were obtained and entered as evidence as part of the FBI’s original anti-Trump 2020 election investigation, which eventually was taken over by special counsel Jack Smith. That case was known inside the bureau as “Arctic Frost” and was opened April 13, 2022, by anti-Trump former FBI agent Timothy Thibault.

Thibault, according to whistleblowers, broke protocol and played a critical role in opening and advancing the bureau’s original investigation related to the 2020 election, tying Trump to the probe without sufficient predication. Thibault broke protocol by taking action to open the investigation and involve Trump despite being unauthorized to open criminal investigations in his role. Only special agents have the authority to open criminal investigations.

There were a lot of rules and policies ignored in the treatment of President Trump during the Biden administration. It would be nice to see the people who ignored those rules and policies held accountable. Unfortunately, if the case of Former FBI attorney Kevin Clinesmith is any indication, there will not be serious consequences for their actions. Clinesmith lied on the FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) application. His lie resulted in the illegal surveillance of President Trump and his campaign and to the Russia Hoax. Clinesmith in August pleaded guilty to “one count of making a false statement within both the jurisdiction of the executive branch and judicial branch of the U.S. government, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years and a fine of up to $250,000.” He was given 12 months probation, 400 hours of community service, and no fine.

Forgetting The Lesson Of October 7th

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Any plan that puts the Palestinian Authority or the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) back in control of the Gaza Strip is simply a path to war and to the genocide of the Jews in Israel. In 2005, Israel moved the Jewish settlements out of Gaza and gave the area over to be governed by the Palestinians. In January 2006, Hamas was elected by the Palestinians in Gaza as their government. In 2006, rockets were being fired into Israel from Gaza. That continued until Gaza was pretty much decimated by the Israeli Defense Forces.  The greenhouses that had formed the basis of the successful Gaza economy were destroyed by the new residents and the metal water pipes used to make rockets. It was evident from the beginning that Gaza had no intention of being a peaceful neighbor to Israel. Their children were taught the glories of martyrdom from an early age. Things continued to get worse until October 7, 2023, when Gaza launched a brutal attack on Israel. The lessons of history illustrate the fact that if peace is a goal, the Jews need to rule Gaza. Unfortunately, Europe has not yet learned that lesson.

On March 8, Fox News reported the following:

A $53 billion Arab-backed plan for the reconstruction of Gaza has garnered support from France, Germany, Italy and the U.K., after receiving pushback from the U.S. and Israel. 

“The plan shows a realistic path to the reconstruction of Gaza and promises – if implemented – swift and sustainable improvement of the catastrophic living conditions for the Palestinians living in Gaza,” the foreign ministers wrote in a joint statement. 

The foreign ministers called for a post-war plan based on “a solid political and security framework,” but reiterated the need for Hamas to not be able to govern Gaza. Additionally, the European leaders said that they are supportive of the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) “central role” in a post-war Gaza and “the implementation of its reform agenda.”

The $53 billion Egyptian plan was meant as a counter to President Donald Trump’s U.S. takeover idea and comes after Cairo rejected the idea of accepting displaced Gazans for “national security” reasons. While Trump’s plan would resettle Palestinians outside the Strip, Egypt’s proposal focuses on Palestinian-led reconstruction efforts. 

Both the U.S. and Israel have rejected the Arab-backed plan for Gaza reconstruction. Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Oren Marmorstein said in a statement that the plan “fails to address the realities of the situation following October 7th, 2023, remaining rooted in outdated perspectives.”

The Arab countries know the history of the Palestinians and Hamas. They do not want to import terrorists into their country. That is the root of this alternative plan. The Palestinian Authority has the same goals as Hamas. This is not a path to peace, it is a road to another war. Unless you break up the Palestinian Authority and Hamas and get them to focus on living happily in various Arab countries, you will not achieve peace.

The Road Toward Fiscal Sanity

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On February 22nd, Fox News posted an article listing seven things that happened this week that will move us toward more a fiscally responsible government.

Here is the list:

1. On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper, an Obama appointee, shot down a request from several federal labor unions, including the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), to pause the mass firings of federal workers by the Trump administration.

2. DOGE was handed another victory by U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan, who denied a request to issue a temporary restraining order preventing Musk and DOGE from accessing data systems at the Department of Education, Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Department of Labor, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Energy, Department of Transportation and Department of Commerce. 

3. DOGE scored a win in court after a federal judge declined a request to temporarily block Elon Musk’s government efficiency team from accessing sensitive data from at least three federal agencies.

4. Earlier this week, DOGE announced it had discovered an identification code linking U.S. Treasury payments to a budget line item, which accounts for nearly $4.7 trillion in payments, that was oftentimes left blank.

5. Schools spent hundreds of billions of COVID relief funds on expenses that had “little” impact on students, such as Las Vegas hotel rooms and the purchase of an ice cream truck, according to the Trump administration’s cost-cutting department.

…The cost-cutting department also revealed that schools spent $60,000 in COVID relief funds on swimming pool passes, while a California district used its funds to purchase an ice cream truck.

6. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is working with DOGE to make cuts within his department, saying he believes it will find waste “not core to our mission.”

7. DOGE revealed on Tuesday that the U.S. government has more than 4 million active credit cards on its books.

“The US government currently has ~4.6M active credit cards/accounts, which processed ~90M unique transactions for ~$40B of spend[ing] in FY24,” DOGE said in a post on X.

We are definitely moving in the right direction.

 

Let The Savings Begin

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Our bloated national budget has needed slashing for some time now. We are seeing the Department of Government Efficiency identify serious waste and possible fraud. Hopefully, that waste will disappear in the budget that will be passed by Congress in the coming weeks. On Wednesday, American Greatness posted an article about some of that waste that can be eliminated.

The article reports:

On Monday, the Department of Education (ED) announced that it would be cutting another $600 million in taxpayer funding that had been used to promote “divisive” and “inappropriate” left-wing ideologies, including diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

According to Fox News, the funding was primarily through grants to support programs in favor of DEI and other far-left ideas, including “instruction on White privilege and White supremacy.” The $600 million cut follows the announcement of another drastic cut of $370 million in DEI training for the department, after Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) uncovered such wasteful and partisan spending.

The $600 million in funding was targeted due to “requiring practitioners to take personal and institutional responsibility for systemic inequities (e.g., racism) and critically reassess their own practices,” the ED revealed. It had also funded “spaces for critical reflection to help educators confront biases and have transformative conversations about equity,” and other initiatives that focused on “building historical and sociopolitical understandings of race and racism to interrupt racial marginalization and oppression of students in planning, instruction, relationship building, discipline and assessment.”

America spends more money per pupil on education than any other country in the world, and we get the least for our money. It’s time to go back to teaching our children the skills they need to navigate the world as adults–reading, writing, basic mathematics, how to balance a checkbook, how to prepare a budget, how to fill out a job application, and maybe some obsolete skills like how to read a map. We can teach them computer skills also, but we need to remember that the generation born in the past twenty or thirty years is probably more adept at using computers than the people teaching them. Let’s make sure our children have the basic tools that will allow them to learn throughout life rather than indoctrinating them in philosophies that will hinder them rather than help them.

Drastic Changes At The Southern Border

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On Tuesday, Twitchy posted an article about the changes at our southern border since President Trump took office.

The article reports:

Bill Melugin of Fox News is reporting border crossing numbers are plummeting like he’s never seen before. It’s a pretty safe bet President Donald Trump’s immigration law enforcement is making would-be illegal aliens have second thoughts.

The article quotes Bill Melugin:

Per sources, Border Patrol recorded just 582 illegal crossings at the southern border yesterday, with not a single one of the nine sectors hitting 200.I’ve never seen anything this low in all of my border coverage.

The numbers were already flat/low in Biden’s final week, bouncing between 1,200-1,400 illegal crossings daily, but the numbers have been falling off a cliff since Trump took office.

Last three days January 24 – 665January 25 – 731January 26 – 582To put this into perspective, at the height of the border crisis in December 2023, Border Patrol hit a record high 11,000+ illegal crossings across the border in a single day, with the Del Rio sector alone getting 4,000+

I’m told there were 582 illegal crossings across the southern border yesterday, with only 60 happening in the Del Rio sector.

And there are no longer 1,500+ migrants being released at ports of entry via the CBP One cell phone app every single day, as Trump immediately terminated the program.

It’s still very early – we’ll see if these incredibly low numbers hold, especially heading into spring.

The bottom line of this is very simple.

The article concludes:

Putting a literal army at the border will do that.

The apparent ease with which Trump has activated the full might and resources of the Unites States government to combat illegal immigration has many commenters drawing the same conclusion.

Yes, Biden had the capability to practically stop border crossings at his wrinkly fingertips his entire term, but he chose not to use it. The only conclusion one can draw from that is he wanted our country to be overrun with illegal aliens. It’s a sure bet Kamala Harris would have followed suit if she succeeded him.

The Last Straw

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On Friday, Fox News reported that Hugh Hewitt has left The Washington Post. Hugh Hewitt is a conservative columnist who has written articles for The Washington Post for the past seven years. Last year he wrote 48 articles for the paper; this year he has written only 7.

The article reports the circumstances of his leaving:

Hewitt quit after a clip of him went viral earlier on Friday when he walked off the Washington Post’s online show, “First Look,” with liberal columnists Jonathan Capehart and Ruth Marcus on its “Washington Post Live” platform. It came during a discussion of former President Trump’s rhetoric around election integrity.

“Does it seem like Donald Trump is laying the groundwork for contesting the election by complaining that cheating was taking place in Pennsylvania?” Capehart asked Marcus. “By suing Bucks County for alleged irregularities, and this is on top of his continual assertion that if he loses, it’s because of cheating.”

Marcus said Trump had been preparing to blame an election loss on cheating for months.

“No election can be fair in Donald Trump’s mind unless Donald Trump wins it,” Marcus said.

As Marcus went on, Hewitt tried to interject, but Capehart snapped, “Let Ruth finish, Hugh.”

“Well, I’ve just got to say, we’re news people, even though it’s the opinion section,” Hewitt said. “It’s got to be reported. Bucks County was reversed by the court and instructed to open up extra days because they violated the law and told people to go home. So that lawsuit was brought by the Republican National Committee, and it was successful. The Supreme Court ruled that Glenn Youngkin was successful.

“We are news people, even though we have opinions, and we have to report the whole story if we bring up part of the story,” Hewitt added. “So, yes, he’s upset about Bucks County, but he was right, and he won in court. That’s the story.”

After a brief pause, Capehart said, “I don’t appreciate being lectured about reporting when, Hugh, many times, you’ve come here saying lots of things that aren’t based in fact.”

Hewitt stood up and said, “I won’t come back, Jonathan. I’m done. I’m done. This is the most unfair election ad I’ve ever been a part of. You guys are working. That’s fine. I’m done.”

That’s how the major media works–by not mentioning that the Republicans had won both court cases, they spun the story to make President Trump look as if he were not justified in filing the lawsuits.

I have followed Hugh Hewitt for years and am glad that he had the integrity to stand up and leave.

When Your Interviewer Won’t Let You Change The Subject

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Last night, Just the News posted an article about Vice-President Kamala Harris’ interview with Fox News host Bret Baier. The article described the interview as contentious.

The article reports:

Vice President Kamala Harris declined on Wednesday to answer why the majority of the country believes the United States is on the “wrong track” after three and a half years of the Biden administration. 

The question was posed by Fox News host Bret Baier during the vice president’s first sit-down interview with the network. The interview aired during Baier’s “Special Report” and was conducted in Pennsylvania. It focused on top voter concerns heading into the general election in November, such as immigration and the economy. 

“More than 70% of people [say] the country is on the wrong track,” Baier said. “If it’s on the wrong track, that track follows three and a half years of you being vice president and President [Joe] Biden being president … Why are they saying that if you’re turning the page, you’ve been in office for three and a half years.”

Harris pushed back that former President Donald Trump has been “running for a decade,” to which Baier questioned what she meant.

“What I’m talking about is that over the last decade … it is clear to me and certainly the Republicans who are on same stage with me, the former Chief of Staff to the President Donald Trump, former Defense Secretaries, national security adviser and his vice president, one, that he is unfit to serve, that he is unstable, that he is dangerous, and that people are exhausted with someone who professes to be a leader who spends full time demeaning and engaging in personal grievances and it being about him instead of the American people. People are tired of that.”

When Baier pushed about more than half the country supporting Trump, despite Harris’ claims about people being tired of him, she merely stated that elections are “not supposed to be easy.”

The nearly 30-minute interview featured other moments where Harris and Baier spoke over each other, including on the more controversial topics like Biden’s mental acuity. They also kept interrupting each other on the first question, regarding border security and immigration.

There are various clips of the interview all over the internet. The bottom line is that Kamala Harris did not do well and her handlers are claiming that she was ambushed. The interview was so bad that President Trump has posted the full interview on his X account. This ‘lady’ clearly is not qualified to be President.

At Least They Admitted That They Were Wrong

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There were a lot of problems with the fact-checking at the Trump/Harris debate. One problem was that all of the fact-checking was done on President Trump and there was no fact-checking on Kamala Harris. Some of the fact-checkers got it wrong. That is starting to come out.

On Thursday, Fox News reported that Time Magazine had corrected one of its fact-checks.

Fox News reports:

Time magazine was forced to correct its coverage of the ABC News Presidential Debate after implying former President Trump’s statement that Vice President Kamala Harris supported free gender-transition treatment for detained migrants was “false.”

During the debate on Tuesday night, Trump remarked on Harris’ old position as one of many left-wing issues she appeared to have walked back on since running for president.

“Now she wants to do transgender operations on illegal aliens who are in prison,” Trump said.

Though Harris pledged she would support taxpayer-funded gender care for detained migrants in an ACLU candidate questionnaire during her first presidential campaign, Time first reported the statement as “false.”

The article notes:

CNN brought Harris’ position back into the spotlight Monday night after senior editor Andrew Kaczynski reported to host Erin Burnett about the recently uncovered 2019 ACLU candidate questionnaire featuring Harris’ policy position.

“It is important that transgender individuals who rely on the state for care receive the treatment they need, which includes access to treatment associated with gender transition. That’s why, as Attorney General, I pushed the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to provide gender transition surgery to state inmates,” Harris pledged.

Time Magazine has admitted it was wrong. Will any other mainstream media follow suit?