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The White House and Congress Should Work Together to End "Woke Pork, DEI, and Harm to Military Children.  Elaine Donnelly, President, Center for Military Readiness.   “The Center for Military Readiness congratulates former President Donald J. Trump on his history-making re-election as Commander-in-Chief. CMR also congratulates and looks forward to working with leaders and members of the 119th Congress,” said Ms. Donnelly in a statement shared with CHQ. “The 2024 elections revealed a strong national mandate for constructive, sound policies that strengthen the unique culture of our military. “President Trump can accomplish a great deal with Executive Orders (EOs), starting on Inauguration Day, but he cannot unilaterally repeal statutory language that stands in the way of his mandate,” observed Ms. Donnelly.  “Congress will need to get involved with well-defined legislation that restores sound priorities and withstands legal challenges in court. Where to begin?”   The Center for Military Readiness has compiled suggestions for action in this newly released CMR Policy Analysis. CMR: HOW TO END WOKEISM IN THE MILITARY "A more detailed CMR Special Report also provides up-to-date information on “ Where We Stand ” and “ What Can Be Done ” about wokeism in the military:   CMR Special Report: Trump and Congress Should Work Together to Strengthen Our Military  (18 pages)   "Both documents address classic military/personnel issues that affect morale and readiness,” noted Ms. Donnelly.   The need for Congress to affirm meritocracy and non-discrimination in the military. Divisive “diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) mandates that discriminate against individuals, based on their race. Expensive “woke pork” programs that only benefit DEI and “critical race theory” (CRT) “experts” demanding huge fees for dubious activities that many private corporations and educational institutions currently are rejecting. Issues surrounding gender dysphoria and persons identifying as transgender, including vulnerable children of military personnel. Concerns regarding women in direct ground combat (DGC) units, such as the infantry, and specialized training for the combat arms, defined as units that seek out and attack the enemy with deliberate offensive action. “Wokeism, which comes in many forms, takes progressivism to extremes and imposes it with coercion, even if it hurts the institution. CMR’s latest articles suggest many ways that the Executive and Legislative branches of government can and should work together to strengthen the unique culture of the only military we have,” charged CMR president Donnelly. “CMR also congratulates members of the outgoing 118th Congress,” said Donnelly, “for including in the consolidated version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for 2025 solid provisions advancing common sense in military/social issues that affect morale and readiness.” *         If signed into law, the consolidated NDAA bill, designated H.R. 5009  with Explanatory Material  tracking negotiations, would: *         Prohibit Tricare coverage of certain medical procedures that could result in the sterilization of children; (Sec. 708) *         Limit the establishment of new diversity, equity, and inclusion positions – Extending last year’s hiring freeze and allowing the Secretary of Defense to reduce the number of DEI positions; (Sec. 1115) *         Defeat “Draft Our Daughters” by dropping legislation that would have made Selective Service registration automatic for both young men and women; *         Require training on the U.S. Constitution and constitutional law for newly commissioned officers of the armed forces; (Sec. 546) *         Prohibit funding for the misguided DoD Countering Extremism Working Group (Sec. 547); and *         Prohibit use of funds to endorse “critical race theory” (CRT) in DoD Education Activity (DoDEA) school (Sec. 559E - Intent should be clarified by omitting the “academic freedom” clause.) “Civilian control is an essential concept, and the armed forces are resilient and duty-bound to follow new orders. Dismantling the Pentagon’s DEI infrastructure won’t be easy, but there was a time when the Berlin Wall appeared impregnable too. Leadership and focused political pressure could cause the Diversity Industrial Complex to crack and fall down sooner than anyone thinks. “CMR looks forward to seeing more progress in the right direction as the second Trump Administration takes office in 2025," concluded Elaine Donnelly, President of the Center for Military Readiness. The Center for Military Readiness , founded by President Elaine Donnelly in 1993, is an independent, non-partisan public policy organization that reports on and analyzes military/social issues. The CMR Policy Analysis and Special Report cited above, updated to include references to current NDAA negotiations as of December 16, were prepared for educational purposes and they reflect the opinions of CMR alone.  Neither document represents the views of any government official, political candidate, elected lawmaker, or any other organization, and they are not intended to endorse or oppose specific legislation. More information is available on CMR’s website, www.cmrlink.org . 2024 Election Trump cabinet Military readiness Pete Hegseth Woke culture Transgender issue Women in combat Military morale DEI in the military NDAA H.R. 5009

If Donald Trump’s 2024 triumph wasn’t a “landslide”, what exactly would it be called?   How big was it, really? I’m not talking about the fish that got away, the size of the meal at your favorite value eatery or the relative hugeness of the Alpha puppy in the neighbor’s latest litter – speaking more specifically of the proportion of the “landslide” president elect Donald J. Trump enjoyed last month in an election most conservatives described as “the most important in our lifetimes” prior to the vote.   It doesn’t take great exaggeration to suggest that pre-election polls forecasted a razor-tight margin between Trump and the truly awful Democrat cackling Kamala Harris, who, with bumbling idiot “Tampon Tim” Walz for a running mate, was purportedly on the verge of pulling an election steal comparable to 2020’s result. For everyone who’s paid attention to American politics the past five or so years realizes that this year’s Democrat duo was even more unprepared and unsuited for the work of leading the government than senile Joe Biden was himself.   So therefore, how could it be possible for Harris to prevail?   Thankfully, Trump did win, sparing most responsible Americans from the hard contemplative task of considering whether to continue to battle the onslaught of the “woke” left or whether to simply pack it in, embark on a long isolation holiday and figure out what non-politics activities to concentrate on for the foreseeable future.   Despite Trump’s triumph, there have been a good number of glass-half-empty-type folks who insist that the victor barely squeaked by, and that those who maintain the president-elect’s win was a “landslide” were simply mistaken. Who’s right? In an opinion piece titled, “Yes, It Was a Landslide,” J.T. Young wrote at American Greatness last week :   “Despite every conceivable disadvantage, Trump beat not one, but two Democrat nominees to win the presidency. Outright—not only in electoral votes but by almost 2.5 million votes. That is the definition of a landslide.   “Of late, Americans have suffered a surfeit of Democrats and their apologists saying something isn’t true when it patently is—that Joe Biden was capable of being president, that the Democrat elite wasn’t deposing Joe Biden when they drove him from the ticket, that Kamala Harris was his qualified replacement, that Joe Biden wouldn’t pardon Hunter. The list is endless; it stretches back in time and extends uninterrupted into it. But nowhere is Democrat denial greater than in their attempt to deny Trump’s November presidential landslide.   “Their reason is as obvious as the truth they are seeking to deny. They fear its repetition. They worry that Republicans will continue Trump’s conservative populism, and they know that next time 2024’s overwhelming advantages will be gone. Bad as November’s landslide was, the ones Democrats potentially face going forward could be far worse.”   The thought brings a smile to every Trump backer’s face, doesn’t it?   I don’t know about you, but when it became evident Trump had won late into the evening on Election Night, my mind wandered to the future. To say the least, I knew it would be challenging to maintain momentum all the way to Election Day 2026 – and 2028 – so it was more comforting to settle for happiness in the moment.   But could we truly extrapolate lasting realization from what happened this  year?   Like Young alludes to, Democrats and Trump’s GOP establishment enemies – you know who you are – are most terrified that the 2016 and 2024 winner has discovered the “secret” to sustainable ballot box longevity. Almost as though Trump and his backers have found the waters from the fountain of youth or the elusive cure for every terminal disease known to twenty-first century mankind, the boobirds can’t stomach the probability that Trump did indeed achieve the nearly-impossible (particularly for Republicans in today’s politics) landslide win that the media folks-in-the-know wouldn’t even talk about prior to November 5th.   In asserting Trump did rack up the “landslide” his backers have talked about, it’s akin to Trump visiting the golf practice range and uncovering the “secret” every golf enthusiast is forever in pursuit of. How many times have avid players (myself included, once upon a time) pondered over a thought that would make my swing more repeatable and proficient than the most legendary of pros only to hit a few balls and unceremoniously conclude, “That ain’t it after all”?   Trump did indeed latch onto a winning combination of issues, and, through about a decade’s practice doing interviews, answering media queries, getting into verbal scraps with “fake news” media members and touring the country delivering rally speeches to mass audiences, he honed a pretty solid political machine that runs on perpetual human energy and could possibly win another election today if need be. The “secret” for Trump was out in 2024. But, as some folks I know have pointed out, his supposed “coattails” were limited.   A landslide? Maybe. But how about a wave and coattails?   From one observer I communicate with regularly and whose opinion I respect:   “As much as this was a ‘Hewwge’ victory, it was not the wave election we really needed to have more lasting change. The US Senate result was +4, but it was bound to change with the Dems defending 23 seats. WV was a layup. MT was a short jump shot. OH is amazingly red for its rust belt location. PA was a nice pickup. Trump did not have coattails in NV, AZ, WI, and MI that would have made a wave. Bummer! The map is flipped in '26, which could mean trouble ahead.    “The US House? R's -1. This is kind of ugly. I think a large part of it is big state gerrymanders, I mean CA and NY are a joke, but petty R House infighting left a bad taste, and I have to believe that this is where some ground game issues hurt.”   This is certainly an insightful analysis, though, as I told him in my reply, that it discounts the impressiveness of what Trump pulled off this year. Yes, Republicans fell short of where they’d hoped to be in the congressional totals, but Trump’s final numbers outperformed every single Republican senate candidate. That’s no small feat.   And the value of incumbency shouldn’t be dismissed, either. Taking on and defeating Democrat incumbents in “swing states” where the margins were bound to be close is a daunting challenge. Incumbents in Nevada and Wisconsin (and open seat incumbent party D’s in MI and AZ) started out with tremendous advantages. Republicans finally managed to bump off a sitting senator in Pennsylvania, but the Trump side scrapped and clawed for every vote there.   The House? Who can explain the tally, other than the Democrats’ money advantage had to show up somewhere. Republicans haven’t discovered the “secret” on the micro level, that’s for sure.   Does this portend Republican gains going forward?   Analysts and historians have a few years to debate the lasting impact of Donald Trump on the American national political scene, and the events of the next few years will have a lot to say as to how permanent Trump’s MAGA coalition really is – or if Trump’s 2024 coalition unravels similar to the way Ronald Reagan’s did after he left office.   Long term political achievement is fleeting and voters – or the middle 20 percent or so that is open to changing their minds – don’t value loyalty to a movement as much as they do to a person.  Time will reveal how long the 2024 electorate actually lasts – and if 2024 really was a “landslide”. Either way, the work is just beginning. Something to think about as the holidays provide a break from the usual back-and-forth. Joe Biden economy inflation Biden cognitive decline gas prices, Nancy Pelosi Biden senile Kamala Harris candidacy Donald Trump campaign Harris Trump debates J.D. Vance Kamala vice president Speaker Mike Johnson Donald Trump assassination Donald Trump 2024 presidential election Tim Walz

For the better part of a month mysterious drones have been sighted near and over American military installations, airports and other sensitive areas, such as President Trump’s Bedminster, NJ golf resort and a nuclear power plant. What are they, who is operating them and where they came from remains a mystery according to the Biden administration, but we’re not buying their play dumb act.   The intrusions have gotten so bad that they shut down the runways of Stewart International Airport Friday night, prompting New York’s Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul to demand the feds step in.   “This has gone too far,” Hochul said in a terse statement Saturday, in which she noted the runway of the Orange County facility was shut down for an hour because of the unidentified aircraft.   Stewart Airport services both commercial and military flights and is adjacent to a New York Air National Guard base, where the 105th Airlift Wing is stationed. The New York Post reported the unidentified drones — which have been hovering over New Jersey for nearly a month and have been seen in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts — were also recently spotted flying over LaGuardia International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport. Most of the sightings, including those by Coast Guardsmen and local police officers, have occurred over New Jersey, prompting one fed-up New Jersey sheriff to try and track the mystery drones swarming the skies above his county — but they “easily” evaded the effort.   The Ocean County Sheriff’s office sent its own “industrial grade” drone into the air Thursday in a bid to follow one of 50 unmanned aerial vehicles a local cop saw “coming off the ocean,” Sheriff Michael Mastronardy said according to a report  in the New York Post. Congressman Jeff Van Drew (NJ-2) claims Iran has stationed a "mothership" off the U.S. East Coast, reportedly launching the drones now flying over New Jersey. Although Rep. Van Drew offered no specifics this is plausible and well within the known aspirations of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s military leadership. Back in August Military Watch Magazine reported Iranian media published the first clear footage of the country’s first aircraft carrier, the Shahid Bagheri , which is set to facilitate forward drone operations by the Revolutionary Guard Corps. Referred to as a “forward base ship,” the warship features an angled flight deck and ski jump launch system similar to those on Russian Kuznetsov  Class and British Queen Elizabeth  Class carriers. Iran has been able to build the carrier on a very low budget by converting a commercial container ship, the Perarin , into a carrier. However, Business Insider reports open source satellite images show Iran's drone carriers are nowhere near the United States. That, of course, does not mean that Iranian or Red Chinese drones are not being brought within striking distance of the United States by less obvious means, such as a commercial ship, which would require no flight deck to launch a vertical takeoff drone. While most of the media attention has focused on the New York – New Jersey area drone intrusions they have not been limited to the New York metropolitan area. FOX News reported former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland has said that he personally witnessed "dozens of large drones" flying above his home in Davidsonville, Maryland, on Thursday evening as the mystery surrounding the various unexplained sightings continues. "Last night, beginning at around 9:45 pm, I personally witnessed (and videoed) what appeared to be dozens of large drones in the sky above my residence in Davidsonville, Maryland (25 miles from our nation’s capital)," Hogan wrote on X Friday. "I observed the activity for approximately 45 minutes."   The former governor said he does not know if these drone sightings are evidence of a threat to public safety or national security, but he called out the federal government for a "complete lack of transparency" in the face of Americans' concerns. However, experienced stargazers quickly pointed out that no anomalous objects are apparent in the Governor's video, as the lights in the sky are recognizably the constellation Orion. From this you can determine, noted X community notes, that the bright lights behind the trees are the stars Sirius and Procyon. While citizen journalists and other observers have apparently knocked down a plausible source of the drone intrusions and even some of the sightings which at first appeared credible, the federal government, which allegedly controls all airspace over the United States has remained strangely evasive. Biden White House national security spokesman John Kirby dismissed concerns about the drones, saying in a White House briefing, "Using very sophisticated electronic detection technologies provided by federal authorities, we have not been able to, and neither have state or local law enforcement authorities, corroborate any of the reported visual sightings," he said. "To the contrary, upon review of available imagery, it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft that are being operated lawfully. The United States Coast Guard is providing support to the state of New Jersey, and has confirmed that there is no evidence of any foreign-based involvement from coastal vessels. And importantly, there are no reported or confirmed drone sightings in any restricted airspace."   In other words, “nothing to see here folks, move along now.” But New Jersey citizens and lawmakers aren’t buying Kirby’s dismissal of their concerns. And another New Jersey lawmaker was even more blunt. New Jersey Assemblymember Brian Bergen (R) responded to White House national security spokesperson John Kirby’s remarks about the increase in unidentified drones flying over the state, calling him an “idiot” and a “fool.”   “That guy is an idiot. That I can tell you right now,” Bergen, a former U.S. Army helicopter pilot, said Thursday evening in an interview on Fox News. The commander of the Picatinny Arsenal military research base in New Jersey told media that the drones are not related to any military activity by the base. "While the source and cause of these aircraft operating in our area remain unknown, we can confirm that they are not the result of any Picatinny Arsenal-related activities,” he said. After a meeting with the Department of Homeland Security, Montvale, NJ Mayor Mike Ghassali said the drones were not DHS-related but are also not hobbyist drones. "The message conveyed was that there is no credible threat, yet they are flying over critical infrastructure, and their point of origin and destination remain unidentified," he said in a statement. "They will eventually find out but for now, we don't know anything else." New Jersey state Senator Holly Schepisi, who attended the same meeting, said it “actually made me feel less confident in our federal government's reaction to this issue rather than more. For the federal government to not dedicate every defense resource needed to identify the origin and purpose of these drones in the most densely populated state in the nation is inexplicable and completely unacceptable." As Kirby seemingly brushed off concerns, telling reporters last Thursday that the drones are “manned aircraft” that are “being operated lawfully” analysts have been forced to carefully parse everything the Biden administration has said – and not said – about the intrusions. The Biden administration’s nonchalant, almost cavalier, dismissals of the concerns about the unidentified drones remind us of someone who is in on a joke but doesn’t want to admit it. We don’t buy Biden’s “we don’t know what they are, but they are no threat” claim. One key “tell” is the representation that the drones are “being operated lawfully” which suggests that the White House knows who is operating them but isn’t saying. Why not? Probably because it is the federal government itself that is operating the drones for ends that are either not “lawful” or are for purposes so frightening they can’t trust even their political allies, like the Governors and Senators of New Jersey and New York, to be briefed on them. The Capitol Switchboard is (202-224-3121), we urge CHQ readers and friends to call their Senators and Representative TODAY to demand they obtain full transparency and accountability from the Biden administration -- tell them to ask the Joe Biden White House "what do they know and when did they know it" about the unidentified drones flying over America. 2024 Election Trump cabinet Kash Patel drone sightings Biden administration national security nuclear power plant Stewart International Airport Air National Guard Base Newark Airport Rep. Jeff Van Drew Iran aircraft carrier Governor Larry Hogan Davidsonville John Kirby U.S. Coast Guard

In news that is bound to be of concern to the in-coming Trump administration, the national unemployment was 9.1% in this month’s Rasmussen Reports Real Unemployment update, up a full point from 8.1% last month and significantly more than double the 4.2% rate officially reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics last week. The Rasmussen Real Unemployment rate is derived by asking American Adults who they work for.  Those who respond “unemployed, but looking for work” are aggregated at the end of the month and weighted to match the nation’s demographic profile.   The survey of 9,322 American Adults was conducted November 1-30, 2024 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 1 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology. Americans between the ages 18 and 39 are the most unemployed, at 12.5%, down from 13.7% last month.  Nine percent (9%) of Americans aged 40-64 identify as unemployed, as do 3% of Americans over 65.   By age and gender, women under 40 are most unemployed, with a 14% rate.  Men over 40 are least unemployed, at only 7%.   In addition to the unemployed, 10.2% of Americans identify as “not in the workforce,” bringing the combined total of not retired, but not working, Americans to 19.4%. 2024 Election Trump cabinet Opioid crisis Drug Addiction Business growth real unemployment polls Trump administration women under 40 not in workforce

Senile Joe Biden desperately clings to false notions of economic health and vitality   Does Joe Biden still believe he’s the president?   Most people likely answered in the affirmative, pointing out the fact senile Joe, barring an unanticipated health event or an angry Democrat mob descending on the White House to demand his abdication, will indeed complete his lone term as America’s chief executive in short order.   Signs suggesting Biden himself doesn’t even suppose he’s still president seemingly come and go as the current commander-in-chief’s recent Christmas tree lighting could imply that he’s no longer serious about filling out the duties of the office . Cringeworthy. In other words, senile Joe has always made a mockery of his role as president, but lately, he’s apparently not even trying to hide it.   Last week demonstrated that the lamest of lame duck presidents still has some quacking left in him, particularly when it comes to providing advice for 2024 election winner Donald J. Trump. In short, the outgoing president reasons the incoming White House occupant should basically ignore everything the Republican campaigned to transform and leave the economy just the way it is.   Yes, you can’t make this stuff up. Not even the wackiest and most out-of-touch of establishment media journos could survive the laugh test on this one. In an article titled, “Biden: Trump’s tax and tariffs plans are a ‘major mistake’”, Adam Cancryn reported at Politico last week :   “In a speech at the Brookings Institution, Biden warned that Trump’s plans would largely benefit the wealthy, reversing what he described as progress made over the last four years toward strengthening the working class.   “’By all accounts, the incoming administration is determined to return the country to another round of trickle-down economics,’ Biden said. ‘On top of that, he seems determined to impose steep, universal tariffs on all [imported] goods brought into this country on the mistaken belief that foreign countries will bear the cost of those tariffs, rather than the American consumer.’ …   “Biden blamed Trump for mishandling the pandemic response and deepening the recession the current president inherited in 2021 as a result. He mocked Trump for his failed first-term infrastructure push and for spurning pledges to ‘buy American.’ And he cautioned that Trump’s plan to renew a set of expiring tax cuts would drive up the deficit or result in deep cuts to social services.”   Wow, if I didn’t know better, I’d say senile Joe was in the throes of yet another “senior moment” and ordered up a draft of next year’s proposed State of the Union Address he had originally intended to deliver when he won reelection so he could have one last hurrah waxing on fantasy policy prescriptions and bully his opposition for disagreeing with him one final time.   Donald Trump certainly didn’t lecture his successor in the last days of his own first administration. Trump believed then – and now – that evidence suggested he actually prevailed in the 2020 election, so in his view, there was no need to beg Biden to keep his agenda in place. But why would a man as vain and “out there” as senile Joe still cling to the notion that his programs had worked – and were popular?   Granted, senile Joe Biden doesn’t appear to grasp much these days, but even he must realize the 2024 campaign is over – and his side lost. Biden himself has been in Washington since his thirtieth birthday, has never labored at a “real” job that I can tell, lives in a bubble of advisors who constantly lie to him and stroke his sensitive ego, but even he must realize that his economic lecturing to the lifelong successful and ambitious Donald J. Trump would fall on deaf ears.   Surveys have shown that American voters indicated the state of the U.S. economy was a major factor for them this year, and most people who ranked it high as a motivator favored Trump’s proposals to improve things. Yet Biden clings to a proven falsehood – that government intervention brings positive results – and that friendly tax policies only benefit “the wealthy”.   Didn’t Sean Hannity once say he’s never been given a job by a poor man? Where does wealth come from, Joe? Does it spontaneously materialize out of thin air? Can the government make anyone rich? (Actually, yes, depending on connections and an appropriate amount of government goodies.)   Crony capitalism exists when government slants the rules to favor certain businesses or industries or individuals. Why do you think Wall Street financial barons are mostly Democrats now? They like it when their lobbyists are the ones writing the financial regulatory terms.   It may be Economics 101, but tax cuts benefit everyone, not just the wealthy, who cover the overwhelming share of the tax burden. As I’ve often written, there are only three things you can do with extra dollars. You can spend them, which benefits retailers, suppliers and manufacturers; save them, which aids banks and other lending institutions to provide seed loans for entrepreneurs; or you can invest the surplus loot, which leads to other growth opportunities.   Government, on the other hand, only has power to tax and spend. Lord knows the government doesn’t save money (nor would we want it to). Government redistributes dollars and extracts them from productive enterprises to fuel more government and bureaucracy.   Senile Joe’s federal government was the most inefficient of all time. Biden grew government and regulation. What about these things is attractive for Trump to desire to keep?   Senile Joe Biden skips over the disastrous part of his economic legacy   In making the plea last week to defend his economic record and beg Donald Trump not to mess with his supposed “successes”, senile Joe Biden omits owning up to the policy prescriptions he put in place that led to disaster. The list of Biden failures is long, but perhaps coming at the top of the pile was Biden’s belief that government could ignore the influx of illegal alien invaders without incurring any bad repercussions by our own citizenry.   Biden’s government looked the other way towards the waves of illegal aliens and in many cases paved a path for them by providing transportation, generous benefits and other forms of monetary assistance while tasking local communities with the chore of assimilating and caring for the throngs of penniless perpetrators.   It all takes money, doesn’t it? Even some Blue State governors and mayors have concluded enough is enough. Donald Trump said it himself: A country without borders and laws is not a country. Shouldn’t Biden have to explain what part of his immigration policies the new administration should sustain?   Or how about requiring the new policy makers and enforcers to hang onto Biden’s energy production restrictions, climate change dictates or other government orders that put a damper on efficiency? Statistics have proven that free economies take care of their environments, while command economies are the biggest polluters.   Is China’s economic model one to emulate?   Trump’s tariffs are negotiation starters, not a tax on American consumers   For a policy prescription that senile Joe himself decided to keep in place (in many instances), Biden is sure critical of Donald Trump’s tough tariffs.   If put in place and left without alteration, tariffs have the capability of being counterproductive and costly. But Trump is only proposing the levying of tariffs on China, Canada and Mexico, et al., to start the conversation with other nations regarding fair trade practices and mutual security obligations. Trump has said he would be for a zero-tariff world and would lift all rates with those nations that would reciprocate.   Or to urge other nations to respect American sovereignty on immigration and drug policy.   Isn’t that what people demand?   The last thing Americans want is a repeat of the Biden administration’s policies. Senile Joe should save his breath. Joe Biden economy inflation Biden cognitive decline gas prices, Nancy Pelosi Biden senile Kamala Harris candidacy Donald Trump campaign Harris Trump debates J.D. Vance Kamala vice president Speaker Mike Johnson Donald Trump assassination Donald Trump 2024 presidential election Tim Walz

As the cabinet confirmation battles loom for the incoming second administration of President Donald J. Trump, a cadre of anti-Trump Republican Senators stands poised to derail the MAGA agenda by denying President Trump his choices to run the government. One unexplored facet of that galling political reality is that many of these pseudo-conservatives or ‘Republicans in Name Only,’ voted in support of the very worst of President Joe Biden’s nominees.  Beginning with the federal department most mired in controversy and serious allegations of politicization, bias and weaponization: The Department of Justice, the appointments of several officials are the most illustrative. First and foremost is the leader of the DOJ, Attorney General Merrick Garland followed by: Deputy Attorney General, Lisa Monaco; former Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta; Assistant Attorney General for National Security, Matthew Olsen; Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar; and Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, Kristen Clarke. During the 2021 confirmation period, which saw the DOJ basis for organized lawfare against President Trump, his legal team and January 6th protestors form, Republican Senators such as Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and of course, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky led the charge with both votes and procedural maneuvers to facilitate them. Notably, Sen. Susan Collins appears most repeatedly as the Republican to side with Democrats in order to speed a nominee’s confirmation with Lisa Murkowski also appearing regularly in vote tallies against the rest of the GOP. Looking at each of these DOJ figures we can begin to assess the damage wrought by them, and by extension the Republicans who voted to approve their nominations. Attorney General Merrick Garland While entire political science and legal texts could be filled with the failings of AG Garland, and likely will be, a summary will suffice here. As Steven Cheung, Trump Campaign Communications Director wrote in a September statement , “The disgraceful conduct of Attorney General Merrick Garland has done tremendous damage to a once great institution. Using phony charges to interfere with the presidential election on behalf of the Democrat Party has to be stopped and those driving these Hoaxes have to be held accountable.” As head of the DOJ, the decisions to raid President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home, the illegal appointment of Jack Smith as an ersatz  Special Counsel to prosecute the President-elect on bogus charges related to the handling of classified documents, and the concerted politically driven prosecution of Trump and his supporters relative to the January 6th Capitol Riot, all stem from the same font of authority. In a vote of 70-30  on May 10th 2021 the confirmation of Merrick Garland saw no less than twenty Republicans, including Majority-Leader designee Sen. John Thune as well as Trump ally, Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, support the Biden Administration’s spearhead of lawfare.   Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco The woman at AG Garland’s right hand has been Deputy AG Lisa Monaco, known for taking the DOJ’s reigns during the Attorney General’s back surgery, but more widely known to Republicans for leading the department to launch an investigation into the GOP’s alternate-elector slates during the 2020 presidential election, seeking to criminalize an electoral college practice that has firm precedent in American history. In 2022, Monaco broke with the DOJ’s standing policy to not comment on active investigations when she told CNN “[f]ederal prosecutors are reviewing fake Electoral College certifications that declared former President Donald Trump the winner of states that he lost.”  Just a year later, Monaco would make headlines by blaming conservatives expressing alarm at the blatant politicization of the DOJ for stoking “threats to public officials, threats to our prosecutors, threats to law enforcement agents who work in the Justice Department, threats to judges,” as well as “threats to kill FBI agents, a Supreme Court justice and three presidential candidates,” according to Breitbart . Monaco’s confirmation vote  presented probably the most troubling of all in that Garland’s #2 whom Trump described in January as “really running the Justice Department, rather viciously and rather illegally,” was confirmed with wide Republican support, opposed only by Senators Ted Cruz and Rand Paul. Ostensibly Trump-supporting Senators such as Tennessee’s Marsha Blackburn, Missouri’s Josh Hawley, the venerable Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and John Kennedy of Louisiana all voted in favor of one of DOJ officials most responsible for executing the Democrats vision of lawfare.   Former Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta   One of the most contentious DOJ confirmations of 2021 was easily AAG Vanita Gupta who was ushered into office singlehandedly by Sen. Murkowski in a 51-49 vote despite being grilled by her fellow Republicans for “(1) Her support for eliminating qualified immunity (2) Her support for  decriminalizing all drugs (3) Her support for defunding the police (4) Her death penalty record.” Eleven GOP Senators even demanded a second confirmation hearing after she refused to answer their questions during the first hearing, making “misleading statements,” or refusing to answer altogether according to Politico .   Once in office, Gupta spearheaded a lawsuit against Idaho for the state’s ‘trigger law’ that banned most abortions upon the overturn of Roe v. Wade in 2022. She claimed that “Idaho’s law is contrary to EMTALA (Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act) because it presumptively criminalizes all abortions, making it a felony for doctors to provide emergency treatment required by federal law, even where a denial of care will likely result in the death of the pregnant patient.” The case United States v. Idaho  was dismissed by the Supreme Court and is pending in the US District Court.   Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen   Confirmed in a contentious vote  by a margin of three Senators, (Murkowski, Graham and Burr if you’re keeping score) at 53-45, Olsen, a former NSA lawyer and security executive of ridesharing firm Uber, gained a measure of infamy expressing great concern about the expiration of a 2008 warrantless wiretap law that Congress chose not to renew in 2023 claiming that “Without 702, we will lose indispensable intelligence for our decision-makers and warfighters, as well as those of our allies. And we have no fallback authority that could come close to making up for that loss.” The law according to The Washington Post  gave “the FBI and the National Security Agency to gather emails, text messages and other electronic data from U.S. tech firms like Google, Microsoft, Apple and Meta without a traditional warrant based on probable cause when the target is a foreigner overseas and it’s for foreign intelligence purposes.” Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar   A similarly divided vote of 53-36 with Sens. Collins, Graham and Mike Crapo of Idaho breaking from the Republican party line brought Biden Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar into office. Arguably, Prelogar, hand in glove with AG Garland, represented the fist of the DOJ hammering more conservative state governments and arguing on behalf of the Biden Administration before the Supreme Court of the United States. In every case pertaining to illegal immigration, challenges to state abortion regulations, in the Discriminatory admission lawsuit of her alma mater  Harvard, and of course challenges to COVID vaccine mandates, Prelogar’s was the voice that argued for the Biden White House and against the American people.   Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, Kristen Clarke   Of course, few DOJ officials have been as impactful in an administration focused so keenly on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion measures as AAG for Civil Rights Kristen Clarke. In a razor-thin confirmation vote  of 51-48 with Sen. Collins responsible for the sole defection, Clarke was carried into one of the most dangerous possible roles a radical leftist could hold. Clarke is the very same official who found herself the subject of intense Republican congressional scrutiny including calls for her termination, after evidence emerged that she lied under oath during her confirmation hearings. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) released a letter to Garland in July that demanded “Ms. Clarke’s immediate termination and removal from office,” after it was found she directly lied under oath in reference to being “arrested for or accused of committing a violent crime against any person.” Cotton wrote, “Ms. Clarke has now admitted that she was arrested in 2006 for attacking and injuring someone with a knife. It has also recently come to light that, shortly before the full Senate voted on her nomination, Ms. Clarke and her publicist contacted the man she attacked in an attempt to cover up her false testimony.” Clarke argued to CNN in May that while she was arrested, the arrest was later expunged “meaning it was removed from her record and no longer exists – and that she wasn’t required to disclose it.” Far more controversial though has been Clarke and AG Garland’s continued silence and refusal to address rising antisemitism on U.S. University campuses despite her purported willingness to target “ non-criminal acts of bias ,” describing the initiative in 2022 by stating “prosecutions alone will not rid us of hate crimes. That is why the Justice Department is also hard at work addressing non-criminal acts of bias that rear their ugly head inside our schools, workplaces and in our neighborhoods. We are also addressing the need for hate crime prevention through education and awareness. This multi-part strategy is critical to eliminating hate, root and branch.” No Democrat defected on any of the above confirmation votes, so the obvious question we must ask is: How could anyone, let alone a Republican Senator, oppose President Trump’s cabinet nominees? The Capitol Switchboard is (202-224-3121), we urge CHQ readers and friends to call their Senators TODAY to demand they vote to promptly confirm each and every one of President Trump’s cabinet nominees. Matthew Holloway is a contributor for  Conservative HQ .  Follow him on X  for his latest stories, or email tips to  Matthew@theconservativefreelancer.com . 2024 Election Trump cabinet Kash Patel deep state FBI Director Christopher Wray Republican State Attorneys General Federal law enforcement Pete Hegseth Pam Bondi Matt Gaetz Republican senators senate confirmation Senator Susan Collins Senator Lisa Murkowski

A few years ago, in 2018, the Small Business Committee in Congress held a hearing on how the opioid crisis is impacting small businesses.  As a small business owner, I paid attention.  Not only because of the direct harm to my company but because I all too often see the pain of neighbors, colleagues, and others in the community impacted by the crisis.   At the hearing, a business owner in West Virginia said, “Drug addiction knows no bounds. Addicts are our sons, our daughters, our mothers and our fathers.” The Director of the Ohio Small Business Development Center said: “A significant challenge to Ohio’s current business operations – in both the urban [and] rural communities – is Ohio’s opioid crisis.” The Center even created a workshop called “The Opioid Crisis in the Workplace: The Proactive Role Employers Can Take.”[1] I couldn’t agree more.  Let me suggest an update to their list of what small businesses can do: I urge all my fellow business owners to take the few minutes to register now under the Corporate Transparency Act.   For context, the Act was passed in 2020 to end the abuse of anonymous company ownership. These anonymously owned shell companies are notoriously used to hide and launder the illicit proceeds of illegal drug trafficking. For example, not long ago an international Chinese narcotics ring used anonymous companies to sell fentanyl that led to the death of two people from Akron, Ohio. Likewise, the perpetrators of a $200 million conspiracy used anonymous shell companies to pass off back-alley drugs as proper prescriptions. This means that regular Americans looking for relief from their diabetes, dementia, or high blood pressure were at risk of receiving unsafe, unlicensed medications.   Additionally, the direct impacts of the opioid crisis on small business are increasingly being recognized. The U.S Chamber of Commerce Foundation did a survey in 2019 that found 50% of U.S. employers reported that they were impacted by the opioid crisis.[2] Health care costs, productivity and absenteeism were among the top concerns.   We have all heard the mantra that to catch these criminals, follow the money.  But what if the money trail ends at an anonymous shell company registered in the United States with accounts in offshore havens? The ease with which drug cartels can abuse this country’s corporate and financial system must end.   Given the severity of the situation, it should not be surprising that a survey conducted earlier this year found that 77 percent of small business owners agreed that, “Small businesses must be transparent about who owns them in order to really stop drug traffickers, terrorists, and other criminals.”   Existing businesses have until the first of the year to comply and yet many remain unaware of the law. Consider this my effort to spread the word that a few minutes can help protect our communities – our employees, customers, friends and family – from the devastation of the opioid crisis. The drug cartels that push the poison into our towns do it because they make enormous sums of illicit money. They pursue a devastatingly harmful but lucrative business model that relies on anonymity. We need to end the secrecy that allows these criminals to personally benefit and fuel their continued operations. This law is a much needed, promising and timely step.   Author Craig Shirley is Chairman of Citizens for the Republic   [1] https://smallbusiness.house.gov/news/email/show.aspx?ID=3QYQWR4ZDJ4VXPJBKVQVRT5M7E   [2] https://www.uschamberfoundation.org/emerging-issues/qa-dr-anton-bizzell-how-can-business-community-be-part-solution-opioid-crisis   [3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8919935/#R13 2024 Election Trump cabinet Opioid crisis Drug Addiction Business growth unemployment Shell companies drug trafficking fentanyl prescription drugs healthcare costs money trail drug cartels

Anticipation for a Trump 2.0 administration builds as Biden dawdles and cements his legacy   Peruse the evening news these days and you’ll likely find just as much – or even much more – coverage of the man who will be  president as of the 20th of next month as you would of the broken-down old goat serving out his hours as president in the White House this moment.   A certain amount of the coverage imbalance is to be expected as the president elect, Donald J. Trump, is and always has been a premier news draw who effortlessly attracts producers and TV personalities to his noteworthy persona. Meanwhile, outgoing president senile Joe Biden is seemingly playing out the string as his time until permanent retirement dwindles down, the Democrat appearing less and less interested in his official duties as events go by.   Senile Joe’s pardon of prodigal son Hunter Biden has not been well-received by many on either side of the partisan divide. January 20th can’t get here fast enough to satisfy those who’ve already moved on in their own minds, practically picturing Trump as the true American commander-in-chief and Biden readying to skedaddle up the AMTRAK train tracks to Delaware where he’ll presumably spend his remaining years losing what’s left of his cognitive capacity.   If you’re one of the tens of millions who’ve similarly made the mental leap from Biden to Trump, you’re not alone. In a newsletter post titled, “Can the nation wait until Jan. 20?”, the always insightful Byron York reported the other day at the Washington Examiner :   “Trump is quickly assembling an administration. After several weeks of mostly quiet working, he has been speaking more publicly in recent days about what he will do when he assumes the presidency on Jan. 20. Leaders in Washington and in the world are planning and preparing for that time. Biden seems less and less relevant to the conversation. ‘Biden has effectively disappeared from the radar,’ Politico reports. ‘Within the Democratic Party, on Capitol Hill — and even within his own administration — it feels like he left the Oval Office weeks ago.’ ... “Certainly, most Republicans, and lots of independents, and even some Democrats, would prefer if the inauguration came before Jan. 20. But the inauguration date is in the Constitution, in the 20th Amendment. The amendment was ratified in 1933 to replace the earlier inauguration date of March 4, which had been the date since nearly the beginning of the nation but left a long transition period between a presidential election in the first week of November and the inauguration in the first week of March...”   I will confess, I knew the inauguration date specified in the Constitution had been changed from March to January at some point in the nation’s history but I wasn’t keen on the exact reason why, figuring weather-inspired delays weren’t as much of a worry for modern administrations as they may have been a couple hundred years ago.   For example, President William Henry Harrison, elected in 1840 (and sworn in March, 1841), ended up serving only a little over a month as president because he reportedly caught a cold at his outdoor ceremony that turned into pneumonia and ended his life. The difference in weather between January and March can be striking, but isn’t that what heaters are for?   Here’s guessing millions of Trump fans are excited for Inauguration Day and will make the journey to Washington DC regardless of what natural phenomena shows up to potentially spoil the fun.   For one thing, as previously alluded to, it feels like Trump is already the president… again. Trump has always carried himself with the commanding presence a president enjoys, so it’s no stretch for him to suddenly shift from campaign to governing mode. Having attended the 45th president’s first ceremony in 2017, I marveled at how “ready” he appeared once he made the short journey through the capitol building to the west terrace.   ‘He was born for this’ I thought of Trump, someone who was prepared for celebrity and notoriety before he ever had to be made  for it.   But the nation is indeed primed for Trump to takeover in mid-January. Or next week if that were the case. It’s almost as though the national vote last month was anticlimactic, since the people were clearly equipped for what Trump represented as a leader. It’s “only” been four years, but senile Joe and his Democrat cohorts sought to take over and dictate policy, not give a voice to the desires of the people.   At its core, Trump’s message was very simple, which was to return America to the principles from which it was founded as written in the Constitution and articulated in the Declaration of Independence. The slogan “Make America Great Again” implies that the nation, once upon a time, was great.   It shall be again.   This is why Americans are anxious for January 20th to arrive so it won’t be a “transition” period any longer and Trump can reprise his role as the leader of the free world. Global superiors will realize where they stand and won’t be conducting foreign policy as though a temporary puppet government is filling the crevices with decisions that don’t mean anything.   And Joe Biden’s remaining loyalists can cease trying to cement his policy legacy by making it difficult or impossible for Trump to make changes once he is in power. Senile Joe’s pardon of Hunter showed that the outgoing president has no shame regarding himself or his family. Joe will do everything possible in his weeks left at the helm to cover himself and erect a solid legal defense wall around his friends. It won’t be pretty.   Justice for the January 6 hostages will have to wait   While it’s understandable how Trump backers are anxious for “the” day to get here to finally receive the chance to see how America would have turned out if 2020’s post-election controversies had been fully litigated, there are many “casualties” from January 6, 2021 who are likely counting the minutes until their legal burden is lifted.   According to Julie Kelly at Substack , the Joe Biden department of in -justice is still pursuing arrests, prosecutions and jail terms for those who took part in the protest-gone-bad nearly four years ago. It’s clear from recent events that Joe Biden’s justice minions intend to go down to the final hours hoping to exact some measure of revenge against people who gathered at the Capital to exercise their constitutional rights to assemble, petition the government and speak.   Not even the possibility/near certainty that Trump will pardon most if not all of the January 6 defendants has served as a deterrent for the U.S./DC authorities from wasting more precious resources chasing phantom charges against peaceful protesters. Only a fraction of those hunted down by the Biden Justice Department were accused of violence against the police that day.   In Biden-world, Lady Justice has no blindfold – she pursues only regime enemies. She’s also deaf by not listening to the voices of reason. And needless to say, she’s pretty dumb, too. According to Kelly, the DC U.S. Attorneys Office has a 100 percent conviction rate of J6ers, the district’s jury pool tainted by the political leanings of its residents.   Which just goes to prove that having Trump take over in a matter of weeks will mean the difference between freedom and true integrity versus continuing to live at the whims of vindictive and evil, ideologically driven political people. The time couldn’t pass quickly enough. Joe Biden economy inflation Biden cognitive decline gas prices, Nancy Pelosi Biden senile Kamala Harris candidacy Donald Trump campaign Harris Trump debates J.D. Vance Kamala vice president Speaker Mike Johnson Donald Trump assassination Donald Trump 2024 presidential election Tim Walz

Dr. Lee Edwards, our old friend the founding Chairman of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation , and recipient of its Truman-Reagan Medal of Freedom died December 12, 2024, at home in Arlington, Virginia.  Dr. Elizabeth Spalding, the Chairman of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundations and Founding Director of the Victims of Communism Museum, released the following statement on his passing: Lee Edwards was a friend, mentor, and hero to many, including those who only know him through his works over the course of a life well lived. He was also a husband, father, and grandfather. He will be missed by all. But we rejoice that he is now at home with the Lord and is reunited with his beloved wife Anne. And we will all continue, and redouble our efforts, in the work that remains here for us. Lee Edwards was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1932, to Leila and Willard Edwards. His father, the national political reporter for the Chicago Tribune, moved the family to Silver Spring, Maryland, where Lee was raised. He attended Duke University and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English before serving two years in the U.S. Army. As a graduate student at the Sorbonne University in Paris, Dr. Edwards witnessed Hungarian students in 1956 launch a revolution in the streets of Budapest that toppled the Communist regime. As Soviet tanks crushed the Freedom Fighters, he was appalled by the West’s lack of response and made a lifelong pledge to oppose communism. Since then, Dr. Edwards has been a leader in the fight for freedom. He helped found Young Americans for Freedom in 1960 and was the first editor of YAF’s magazine, New Guard. He started or helped sustain key anti-Communist organizations, such as the National Captive Nations Committee, the Committee for a Free China, and the American Council for World Freedom.  Dr. Edwards served as director of public information for Senator Barry Goldwater’s 1964 presidential campaign and ran a Washington, D.C. public relations firm before earning a doctorate in world politics from the Catholic University of America. He was the founding director of the TFAS Institute of Political Journalism at Georgetown University, a fellow at the Institute of Politics at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and a past president of the Philadelphia Society. He later served as Distinguished Fellow in Conservative Thought at the Heritage Foundation and was an adjunct professor of politics at Catholic University. The Heritage Foundation instituted its annual Lee Edwards Lecture in Conservative Leadership in 2024.   Often called the historian of the conservative movement, Dr. Edwards was the author, co-author, or editor of over 25 books, including biographies of President Ronald Reagan, Goldwater, Dr. Walter Judd, and William F. Buckley, Jr. His works were translated into Chinese, Japanese, French, Hungarian, Polish, and Swedish. His most recent works included A Brief History of the Cold War  (2016), with Elizabeth Edwards Spalding, and his autobiography, Just Right: A Life in Pursuit of Liberty  (2017). His various accolades included the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary, the Millennium Star of Lithuania, the Cross of Terra Mariana of Estonia, the Friendship Medal of Diplomacy from the Republic of China (Taiwan), the John Ashbrook Award, the Reed Irvine Accuracy in Media Award, the Legends of YAF Award from Young America’s Foundation, the Walter Judd Freedom Award, and the Truman-Reagan Medal of Freedom from VOC.   In 1990, while at Sunday brunch, the Edwards family resolved that an organization was needed to memorialize all the victims of communism around the world and to educate Americans about the atrocities of communism.  With authorization by unanimous congressional legislation signed into law by President Bill Clinton on December 17, 1993, Dr. Edwards and his dear friend Dr. Lev Dobriansky co-founded the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation in 1994 as an educational, research, and human rights nonprofit organization devoted to commemorating the more than 100 million people killed by communism around the world and to pursuing the freedom of those still living under totalitarian regimes. Years of commitment resulted in the Victims of Communism Memorial, which was erected on Capitol Hill and dedicated by President George W. Bush on June 12, 2007. Dr. Edwards’ vision eventually led to the Victims of Communism Museum, which opened in June 2022, and the development of numerous VOC educational programs and materials. Recently, the House of Representatives statutorily tasked the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation with expanding its student curriculum to teach about the evils of communism in classrooms nationwide.   Lee and Anne—his late wife of 57 years, best friend, editor, and senior counselor—are survived by two daughters and eleven grandchildren.  Friends and supporters wanting to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Edwards are invited to do so by donating to the Lee and Anne Edwards Freedom Fund at the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation. Details on a funeral mass and other arrangements will be forthcoming.    If one reviews history’s epic battles, one finds there are dreamers and doers, not that dreamers don’t do and doers don’t dream, but Lee Edwards conjoined them adroitly. His determination, thoughtfulness, and other lessons taught will be missed but most certainly not forgotten. When our backs are at the wall, he will be with us, his faith reinforcing our mission. He will be greatly missed, but his works will continue to surround us. Randal Teague, Vice Chairman of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation   There are people who come into one’s life, professionally or personally, who introduce elements of grace into one’s experience. So it was with Dr. Lee Edwards when I first met him a generation ago, when he graciously welcomed me into the conservative world of ideas. Lee had a historian’s mind and sense of time. He was a man of faith, optimism, and humility. As a proud conservative, he understood, with Russell Kirk, that it is incumbent upon human beings to regenerate the spirit and character that underscore a well-ordered life. Lee cherished the opportunity and obligation to advance liberty and animated by these commitments, he led the clarion call to establish a permanent memorial to the victims of communism, liberty’s greatest nemesis. May the memory of Lee’s example of courage and perseverance always guide us. Dr. Ingrid Gregg, Secretary, Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation    Growing up, I would often hear my father speaking on the phone to a dear friend and professional colleague of his, Dr. Lee Edwards. My father adored Lee and viewed him as an “ideological soulmate.” Both were academics, authors and freedom fighters who were not only anti-communist but strong advocates of the universality of fundamental human rights. They collaborated together on so many worthy initiatives, including the National Captive Nations Committee, which my father established. Both were also outspoken leaders in the conservative movement.   Later in life, I had the privilege and honor of working with Lee on the Board of Trustees of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, which he co-founded. His commitment to ensure that the horrors of communism would never be forgotten—was unparalleled. His vision of the creation of a museum to honor those who died under communism was fulfilled and has been visited by Presidents, Prime Ministers, among countless others. A recipient of the Truman-Reagan Medal of Freedom in 2022, Dr. Edwards’ life exemplified an unwavering commitment to freedom and democracy. His tireless efforts improved the lives of so many across the globe. He was truly a remarkable human being. I will miss him. Ambassador Paula J. Dobriansky. VOC Trustee and daughter of VOC co-founder Lev Dobriansky   I am grateful for Lee Edwards as a friend, counselor, and mentor. When I reflect on his vast contributions over the past seven decades, how he influenced others, it is his writing and thought leadership that stand out.  Lee Edwards was a writer’s writer and a reader’s writer. His prose was intelligent and conversational, witty as well as wise, lively yet mature. Writers appreciate his technique: attention to detail, intelligent organization, use of foreshadowing and other literary devices. Readers enjoy his energy, journalistic verve, and clear narrative voice.  But it is what he chose to write about that makes his corpus of two dozen books and countless articles timeless. Dr. Edwards was the foremost historian of the conservative movement for half a century. His accounts of Barry Goldwater, Ronald Reagan, and many others are vivid and dramatic because he was there, present and often contributing, whether at headquarters or on the campaign trail. He recorded, as only an insightful participant-observer can, the personalities, motivations, and currents of the evolving political landscape over a period of decades.  Dr. Edwards knew that ideas have consequences when they are institutionalized, so he often set his shoulder to the hard task of developing networks and organizations for thoughtful action. Among many other initiatives he was a co-founder of Young Americans for Freedom, the founding director of Georgetown University’s Institute on Political Journalism, and co-founder of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation and Museum (VOC).  An enduring contribution is VOC, rooted in his love of liberty and opposition to the anti-human cruelty of communism. Whereas most observers of the conservative movement talk about a “three-legged stool” of social, economic, and national security conservatives, Dr. Edwards had a somewhat different analysis that emphasized the importance of anti-communism across such lines. He chronicled how communism is the enemy of all strands of conservatism: it is anti-faith and anti-family, it is anti-freedom and anti-markets, and it is a violent, revolutionary system contrary to American values and interests.  I will continue to benefit from Lee’s writings and am thankful for all that he has given us. Lee is in a better place, so I cannot mourn his passing upward after a life well-lived. Instead, I grieve the hole that is left in the hearts of those he leaves behind. Dr. Eric Patterson, President and CEO, Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation

Yesterday, alleged President Joe Biden bumbled his way through remarks in which he claimed credit for the fall of Syria’s brutal dictator Bashar al Assad. As we explained in our article “ What’s Going On In Syria Explained ” as the leading regional client of Russia and Iran, Assad’s ouster may look like a victory in the sense that anything that discomfits two of our enemies is good for us, but that is a shortsighted and shallow view of the world’s security situation. The truth is that the real enemy in the Near East was not Bashar al-Assad, it is political Islam, and the only way to defeat it is to drop the fiction that “Islam is a religion of peace” and use all our national power to present an alternative worldview that undermines and eventually destroys Sharia-supremacism and Iranian “Absolute Wilayat al-Faqih” (Guardianship of the Jurist). So, Biden, Hillary Clinton, Obama, Gen. Lloyd Austin and others can take “credit” and bear plenty of responsibility for what is happening in Syria, but what is happening is a disaster, not something to brag about. The clearest indication of the scope of this disaster is the almost immediate persecution of Christians by the newly ascendent Islamist revolutionary government of Syria. And there are reports and video of the desecration of churches, including the Hagia Sophia Greek Orthodox Church in Al-Suqaylabiyah, Syria. And this from Damascus, one of the world’s oldest Christian communities. “The coming days and weeks will be crucial for the fate of [the] Christian community," said Jeff King, president of International Christian Concern, in a statement  shared with The Christian Post. "Christians, with roots stretching back nearly two millennia, now face an uncertain and perilous future.” The Christian Post further reported Syriac Orthodox Metropolitan Bishop Mor Boutros Kassis and other Christian leaders have been communicating through social media where they held prayers and liturgies. They are encouraging Christian residents to face the reality with awareness, courage and faith, he was quoted as saying.   Franciscan Father Bahjat Karakach, representing the Latin Church, acknowledged, “The Church knows no more than the people do.” It’s up to individuals and families to decide if they want to stay or leave Aleppo, he stressed. “No one can make it on behalf of another. We friars are staying and waiting to see how things unfold,” he was quoted as saying.   Meanwhile, the Islamist faction, an offshoot of al-Qaeda, has pledged to protect civilians, including Christians. HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani visited Aleppo’s citadel and stated, “Aleppo has always been a meeting point for civilizations and cultures, and it will remain so, with a long history of cultural and religious diversity,” as reported by Al-Monitor.   Despite assurances, fears persist among Aleppo’s estimated 30,000 Christians, down from hundreds of thousands before the Syrian conflict began in 2011.   Switzerland-based group Christian Solidarity International responded to the assurance given by HTS, saying, “HTS’ ideology and history give religious minorities in Aleppo serious reason to doubt these promises.”   HTS has often targeted Christians throughout Syria in violent attacks and kidnappings, repeatedly killing Christian civilians and confiscating their property, CSI explained.    “In the Salafist worldview that animates HTS, Christians are not heretics to be destroyed (like the Alawites and the Druzes), but ‘people of the Book’ — followers of religions that were revealed before the coming of the [Islamic] prophet Muhammad. In lands ruled by Islam, they should be made dhimmis — a protected people who are kept in legal subjugation and pay an additional tax called the jizya ,” CSI continued.   “Until now, HTS has avoided imposing dhimmi  status on Christians in Idlib by referring to them as musta’min , or temporary residents,” the group acknowledged. “But how long will HTS maintain this distinction?” CSI asked. We have a suggestion of what musta’min , or “temporary” residents’ status means to Syria’s ancient Christian communities means, it means that genocide or mass self-deportation are imminent. The HTS led rebels captured Damascus a week after the takeover of Aleppo and Hama, and that resulted in the ousting of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. However, the "so-called 'opposition forces,'" Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, are not the second coming of Thomas Jefferson and the bringers of western-style democracy to Syria, they are a "reconstructed remnant" of Islamic extremist groups such as the Islamic State and Al Qaeda. "Considered a terrorist organization, they have, in less than two weeks, ethnically cleansed the northwest of Syria — including Aleppo and beyond — of Kurds and Christians," Global Christian Relief President and CEO David Curry said. "Despite public protestations to the contrary, we can expect them to extend their campaign to the rest of the country."   Curry said that when the civil war in Syria began more than a decade ago, Christians constituted approximately 10% of the population, which was about 1.5 million people.   After years of constant fighting and persecution perpetuated by jihadist radicals, however, that number has dwindled to just 300,000. Syria Bashar al Assad Hamas Iran Israel ISIS Muhammad al-Julani Muhammad al-Jawlani Levant Front Russia Political Islam Sharia supremacy General Lloyd Austin Free Syrian Forces Islamist State

The news that disgraced FBI Director Christopher Wray will resign rather than wait to be fired by President Donald Trump boosted expectations that MAGA all-star Kash Patel would be quickly confirmed by the Republican-controlled Senate. However, the biggest boost to Kashe’s prospects for quick confirmation came from the dozens for Republican state Attorneys General who sent incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune a letter supporting Mr. Patel. "Kash Patel is the leader that the Federal Bureau of Investigation needs. The FBI has long been a beacon for hardworking and impressive investigators – but their leadership has failed both those brave men and women as well as the country. The FBI needs a smart, competent, reformer as its leader. Mr. Patel is the man for the job," the letter of support read. Signers included Brenna Bird of Iowa, Steve Marshall of Alabama, Todd Rokita of Indiana, Treg Taylor of Alaska, Kris Kobach of Kansas, Tim Griffin of Arkansas, Liz Murrill of Louisiana, Ashley Moody of Florida, Lynn Fitch of Mississippi, Chris Carr of Georgia, Andrew T. Bailey of Missouri, Raúl R. Labrador of Idaho, Austin Knudsen of Montana, Mike Hilgers of Nebraska, Jonathan Skrmetti of Tennessee, Drew Wrigley of North Dakota, Ken Paxton of Texas, Dave Yost of Ohio, Sean D. Reyes of Utah, Gentner Drummond of Oklahoma, Jason S. Miyares of Virginia, Alan Wilson of South Carolina, Patrick Morrisey of West Virginia and Marty Jackley of South Dakota. "As Attorneys General for our respective States familiar with the operations of justice departments, we have in the past weighed in on past nominees for the United States Department of Justice positions or when our own colleagues have been nominated," the attorneys general said. "And we take the rule of law seriously. Many of us are also the chief law enforcement officers in our States – and we all partner with the federal government and FBI when needed to ensure justice is done. That the FBI is run well is important to us – and who runs the FBI is important to us, too." The Capitol Switchboard is (202-224-3121), we urge CHQ readers and friends to call their Senators TODAY to demand they vote to promptly confirm Kash Patel for FBI Director. 2024 Election Trump cabinet Kash Patel deep state FBI Director Christopher Wray Republican State Attorneys General Federal law enforcement

Trump’s plan to deal with Dreamers will disappoint some, but makes political sense   We heard it a lot during the recently concluded campaign season, namely that the election of Donald J. Trump to make a triumphant return to the presidency he was ejected from in 2020 (legitimate or not) would bring about earthshattering changes to the way the nation enforces its immigration laws.   The majority of Americans appeared to agree they wanted the nation’s policy to be radically different than under the auspices of inept Democrats senile Joe Biden and cackling Kamala Harris, two political “leaders” who, through incompetence or sinister ill-will all-but threw open the doors to wave upon wave of foreign invaders, many of whom crossed the border with impunity and disregard for the wishes of Americans of all nationalities and places of origin.   Meanwhile, the wholesale switch of millions of Hispanic voters from loyal Democrat to enlightened Republican in 2024 demonstrated that, broadly speaking, people with Spanish accents and tan skin value law enforcement and job opportunities over identity politics the same way most everyone else does.   At the same time, many conservatives are not under the illusion that Trump’s election would mean every single human being here without legal sanction would be kicked across the border without fail. To claim blanket deportation was the ultimate aim would be wishful thinking at best and defy reality at worst. Just like with liberals and Democrats who swear every alien should be permitted to remain here because of “humanitarian” reasons, it just wouldn’t be practical – or possible – to round ‘em all up and ship them southward. Or eastward, westward or to the north, either. Wherever they came from.   The president-elect himself has even opened the door to letting some of the status-less people stay in the United States. Is Trump’s post-election restatement of position a reversal of his prior promises? In an article titled, “Trump says he’s open to amnesty for Dreamers; criminals at top of deportation list”, Stephen Dinan and Mallory Wilson reported at The Washington Times  the other day : “President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday revived the idea of an amnesty for illegal immigrant ‘Dreamers,’ saying the time has come to offer them more permanent protections in the U.S. Mr. Trump also said he is serious about a significant deportation effort that will initially target ‘criminals.’ In mixed families with someone in the country illegally, those with legal status must decide whether to join their deported relatives.   “In an interview with NBC News’ ‘Meet the Press,’ Mr. Trump said he will attempt to end birthright citizenship, which automatically grants citizenship to almost anyone born on U.S. soil, including children of illegal immigrants. ‘Well, we’re going to have to get it changed,’ he said.   “He said the enforcement promises are first. Later, he will try to strike a deal granting leniency to Dreamers, or illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. as children and are considered the most sympathetic cases.”   Sympathetic, yes, beyond objection, no. Illegal still means “not legal” and there are many, many forthright American citizens who favor a strict interpretation of the statute books and advocate for devising a very big aircraft or ship or train or walking trail and instructing the “Dreamers” to make a beeline back from which they originally came, even if they were carried here in the arms of their parents.   In this sense, excepting for “Dreamers” is somewhat akin to ardent pro-lifers making allowance for the so-called “three exceptions” for abortion in cases of rape, incest or where the life of the mother is at stake.   Purists would disagree. But public policy is rarely cut and dried on any issue and it certainly wouldn’t be a winner politically to remain stoic over every smidgen of a campaign offer. It’s possible to provide an overview of a policy without breaking down the details of each one. I doubt there was anyone in MAGA America who expected Trump to deport every one  of the border crossers who’s in the country today. To do so would be a practical impossibility as well as tremendously costly. Common sense indicates that devoting resources to jettisoning law-abiding, productive people wouldn’t make sense. Still, these individuals should be denied permanent legal status without the possibility of voting and mandating they “wait in line” with everyone else, but self-deporting isn’t realistic for all of them and there are greater priorities for U.S. government funds as well. Policy is policy. Representatives and senators can settle the differences in details, as they should’ve been doing all along.   But Trump shouldn’t be accused of going soft on the subject for stating what he believes – or, more aptly, clarifying what he meant by his “deport them all” stance during the campaign. People who pay attention to politics know Trump was much better on the topic than Kamala and “Tampon” Tim Walz, both of whom have established squishy-on-amnesty records to examine.   Dreamers aren’t exactly innocent, but it’s not unreasonable for Trump to permit them a form of legal status in exchange for other concessions from the pro-amnesty side. The severest of disagreements will use up the balance of the political capital and not everything is a proverbial “hill to die on”.   If so, there’d be an awful lot of such hills and we’d quickly run out of soldiers willing to make the charge, wouldn’t we?   Trump is setting the parameters of negotiations with Democrats while claiming the moral high ground .   I don’t know who originally said it, but this is an illustration of the suggestion that Trump should be taken seriously , not literally in certain circumstances. Only the staunchest of Trump backers would refuse to concede that the man never exaggerates or puffs up his missives, accomplishments or plans for the future. If this weren’t so, Trump wouldn’t get away with suggesting his economy (during his first term) was the “greatest ever” and there was no illegal immigration at all under his watch.   Most of us close politics watchers knew these assertions were arguable but understood that Trump was simply marketing his political candidacy, something every office-seeker does when attempting to draw attention to their attributes and platform. They all hope to make themselves sound better, don’t they?   In possibly offering a bone to “Dreamers” in the opening stages of negotiations, Trump hopes to bring public opinion to his side. The president-elect is among the best there is in talking a good game, but even he knows he couldn’t win the “deport ‘em all” race, and while solid majorities would support him on separating criminals from the rest and sending them away, he would soon lose the moral high ground by expelling people with no criminal records who’ve resided here unobtrusively for decades. Trump also could be keeping his goodwill reservoir filled for the “big” battles, which includes making a push for ending birthright citizenship, something Democrats will fight tooth and nail to preserve under the belief that if they can’t win the argument, they’ll simply breed the next generation of Democrats instead of legalizing them.   And while it’s hard to fathom, the dealing with the illegal immigration crisis is only one of the major emphases of the new administration, all of which they’ll work on simultaneously. No doubt Trump’s tax relief ideas will receive much scrutiny. Maintaining the economy is of paramount importance.   Each agenda item is as vital as the next in terms of public opinion. Trump will be walking the proverbial tightrope to deal with establishment media attacks, Democrat jabs and possible defections from his own congressional forces.   Passing along a break to the “Dreamers” is the least Trump could do before it all gets crazy. 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