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Trump White House trolls Obama, Biden with new plaques in Presidential Walk of Fame

The Trump administration has made another addition to its many makeovers of the White House, this time poking fun at some of President Donald Trump’s predecessors.

On Wednesday, the White House added biographical plaques under the portraits of the Presidential Walk of Fame along the colonnade of the West Wing.

‘Sleepy Joe Biden was, by far, the worst President in American History.’

Each president’s portrait is now accompanied by a plaque detailing the achievements and mishaps of their presidency. However, two former presidents, Barack Obama and Joe Biden, were given special treatment with an extra plaque detailing some of the lowlights during their tenure in office.

RELATED: Hilarious White House video trolling Biden at Presidential Walk of Fame goes viral online

Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP via Getty Images

Obama’s first plaque reads: “Barack Hussein Obama was the first Black President, a community organizer, one term Senator from Illinois, and one of the most divisive political figures in American History. As President, he passed the highly ineffective ‘Unaffordable’ Care Act, resulting in his party losing control of both Houses of Congress, and the Election of the largest House Republican majority since 1946. He presided over a stagnant Economy, approved the terrible Iran Nuclear Deal, and signed the one-sided Paris Climate Accords, both of which were later terminated by President Donald J. Trump.”

Obama’s second plaque details many of his foreign and domestic failures and concludes, “His handpicked successor, Hillary Rodham Clinton, would then lose the Presidency to Donald J. Trump.”

Biden, whose portrait was replaced with a photo of an autopen in reference to the autopen scandal of his presidency, fared no better: “Sleepy Joe Biden was, by far, the worst President in American History. Taking office as a result of the most corrupt Election ever seen in the United States, Biden oversaw a series of unprecedented disasters that brought our Nation to the brink of destruction.”

The second plaque notes that Biden was both “Sleepy” and “Crooked” and concludes: “Biden weaponized Law Enforcement against his political opponent, while also persecuting many other innocent people. He left office issuing blanket pardons to Radical Democrat criminals and thugs, as well as members of the Biden Crime Family — But despite it all, President Trump would get Re-Elected in a Landslide, and SAVE AMERICA!”

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​Politics, President donald trump, Walk of fame, West wing, President joe biden, Barack hussein obama, President obama, Sleepy joe 

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VIRAL video: Somali man taunts Americans — ‘Go to work for me, you f**king white animals!’

A TikTok video created by a Somali-American man is going viral on social media right now.

— (@)

In it, the creator says: “Thank you for working so hard so I can be home all day — free. I can use my EBT. Go to work for me, white boy, white girl! Yeah! Go to work for me, you f**king white animals! F**king work for me. Yeah, you f**king work for me. And the U.S. government — they work for me. All of you work for me. Now go to work.”

This is what we get when Christians assume they intuitively know the character of God instead of actually reading Scripture, Steve Deace says.

Back when Deace was a new Christian and just beginning his career in politics, he struggled with “being kind to the alien and sojourner.” He would often speak to people who were pro-immigration — nuns, pastors, and Chamber of Commerce officials — who would peddle the argument that “these are just people that want to have a track at life.”

“I could see myself falling into this to the point that one day, I let them put one of their illegal aliens on my show,” he says.

This particular individual was attending the University of Iowa — a “very prestigious public university in the Midwest, if not America,” Deace says.

The conversation was “fairly sympathetic” until Deace asked him this question: What do you say to the parents of students in Iowa whose children were denied a seat at Iowa State University because the university chose to give it to you — an illegal alien?

His answer, Deace says, “was a lot like that Somali video.”

In essence, he said this: “Well, you guys stole this land from the Injuns. It’s an illegitimate country. I don’t feel any guilt and remorse whatsoever. And you’ve been raping the Latin world and third world ever since. So, you owe me.”

At that moment, the “scales [fell] off” Deace’s eyes. “I’m sitting there saying to myself during the break, ‘I just let these people work me over.’ Absolutely just worked me over. That’ll never happen again,” he recounts.

Today, he doesn’t let others’ speculations about the character of God inform his viewpoints. He just looks at Scripture.

“Let’s open up the word of God and see what it actually says. And I’m reading Nehemiah. There’s mass deportations. They’re building walls. God is punishing his people for not keeping boundary stones. I think the first judgment after Noah’s flood is the Tower of Babel. And God’s like, ‘Nope, you guys do not get to come together as one nebulous, globalist glob. We’re not doing that here,”’ Deace says.

But years and years of Christians ignorantly assuming that, according to God’s character, we should open borders and welcome anyone and everyone who wants to come here has landed us in the predicament we’re currently in — a predicament where a Somali immigrant can sit at home for free and make videos taunting white Americans, whom he considers his personal slaves.

“Now it’s just in your face,” Deace says.

The attitude of so many illegal aliens, he says, is this: “We will pee on you and tell you it’s raining. In fact, while we’re peeing on you and you know we’re peeing on you and you can smell the urine in the air, we’re going to keep just telling you it’s raining. We’re going to laugh at you because we have no fear of you whatsoever. None. We have no fear of your politicians.”

To hear more of Deace’s response, watch the video above.

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​Steve deace show, Steve deace, Somalia, Somali people, Somalis, Blazetv, Blaze media, Illegal immigration, Welfare state, Christianity, Open borders, Open border christianity 

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Child sex abuse material found on PE teacher’s phone after he inappropriately touched students, police say

A California physical education teacher allegedly sexually assaulted two students before police found child sex abuse material on his phone, according to the Tehachapi Police Department.

The parent of a student contacted police after the student said they were inappropriately touched by 43-year-old Timothy Seaman. The victim said the incident had taken place on campus.

Police executed a search warrant at Seaman’s home and seized several digital devices, including cell phones.

During an investigation, police found a second alleged victim who had been inappropriately touched at the same campus.

On Dec. 10, police executed a search warrant at Seaman’s home and seized several digital devices, including cell phones. Police said the devices were analyzed by the Department of Homeland Security and the United States Secret Service in Bakersfield.

Investigators were able to extract alleged evidence of possession and distribution of child pornography from the devices.

On Tuesday, police located Seaman in Porterville and arrested him without incident. He was booked at the Lerdo Facility of the Kern County Jail on possession of child pornography and sexual battery of a minor.

Tehachapi police are asking for the public’s help in finding other possible victims.

RELATED: Indiana man drove 1,100 miles to have sex with 15-year-old he had groomed for 5 years

Seaman can be seen in a video from 2015 when he was a head coach of a high school football team that won an NFL contest and was featured in a documentary for the Super Bowl that year.

“I never imagined in a million years that I’d ever get to go to a Super Bowl for free,” Seaman said at the time.

Tehachapi is a city of about 13,000 residents located in the Mojave Desert about two hours north of Los Angeles.

​Timothy seaman, Nfl films winner arrested, Teacher arrested, Child sex abuse material, Crime 

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How anti-fascism became the West’s civil religion

At the end of World War II, much of the West stood in ruins. Europe’s great powers were shattered, millions were dead, and political leaders searched for a framework that would prevent another civilizational collapse. What emerged was what R.R. Reno later described as the “postwar consensus”: an elite agreement to reorganize Western society around a single overriding moral imperative — never again allow a figure like Adolf Hitler to rise.

Anti-fascism became the West’s civil religion. This was understandable in the immediate aftermath of the war. Nazi Germany’s atrocities demanded more than mere condemnation. But over time, anti-fascism ceased to function as a historical judgment and instead hardened into a permanent moral framework. In the process, it began to distort politics, hollow out institutions, and undermine the concept of the nation itself.

The longer conservatives wait to make reasonable corrections, the more radical — and likely authoritarian — the eventual correction will be.

Anti-fascism served a second, less acknowledged function. The United States and its allies had partnered with the Soviet Union to defeat Hitler. That alliance was strategically necessary but morally grotesque. Communist regimes starved millions, persecuted Christians, liquidated entire classes, and carried out ethnic cleansing on a scale easily outstripping the Nazis.

To sustain the moral legitimacy of the postwar order, Nazism had to remain the singular, unrivaled evil of modern history. Any serious moral accounting risked an intolerable conclusion: that the West had joined forces with a regime at least as monstrous as the one it defeated.

Because communism retained elite defenders in academia, media, and politics, fascism became the only ideology that could be universally condemned. Conservatives opposed both, but liberals embraced or excused communism. Anti-fascism thus became the sole moral language the entire ruling class could share.

That imbalance persists. Public figures openly describe themselves as socialists or communists without consequence. Communist symbols appear on clothing and merchandise, sometimes celebrated as ironic rebellion. Fascism alone remains socially radioactive.

The power of taboo

This asymmetry transformed the definition of fascism into a weapon.

Anything directly associated with Nazism became forbidden, and soon anything vaguely adjacent followed. Online platforms remove or demonetize historical content for displaying Nazi imagery, even in documentary contexts. History itself must be censored to comply with the taboo.

Meanwhile, symbols of communist regimes that murdered tens of millions provoke little more than mild disapproval. A guy wearing a Che Guevara T-shirt or a hammer and sickle may earn a sneer. Wearing a swastika ends careers — even lives.

Absolute stigma confers absolute power. Control the definition of fascism, and you control the moral boundary of acceptable thought.

Mission creep as strategy

The left quickly grasped this dynamic and began expanding the category. Traditional social institutions were recast as latent fascism. Academic works such as Theodor Adorno’s “The Authoritarian Personality” asserted that family structure, masculinity, Christianity, national identity, capitalism, and law and order were markers of authoritarian psychology.

Over time, the list expanded from Nazi symbols to Confederate flags, Christian imagery, art styles, gestures, numbers, and ordinary behaviors. Organizations like the ADL and Southern Poverty Law Center labeled everything from physical fitness to drinking milk and the “OK” hand sign as potential indicators of extremism.

Conservatives often mock the more absurd examples, but many accepted the earlier ones. Borders became suspect. So did preferring some immigrant groups over others. Explicit national identity became a huge red flag. Christianity as a political foundation became authoritarian.

Anti-fascism succeeded not because it was coherent, but because it was unchallengeable.

A society without tools

The result is a civilization that has locked away the tools required for its own survival.

A functional society requires cohesion: shared language, culture, norms, and traditions. Not everyone must conform fully, but enough must for assimilation to mean something. When every mechanism of cohesion is labeled fascist, cohesion becomes impossible.

RELATED: Do you want Caesar? Because this is how you get Caesar.

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Crime, educational collapse, family breakdown, falling birth rates, and social fragmentation are not impossible to fix. The corrective measures are well understood. But they have been rendered politically illegitimate because they’re all somehow hallmarks of fascism. Conservatives often avoid them out of fear — or worse, oppose them in the name of anti-fascism itself.

This does not prevent authoritarianism. It guarantees it.

What remains

If the present trajectory continues, only two outcomes remain.

One is an increasingly authoritarian managerial state that governs a disintegrating society through surveillance, regulation, and bureaucratic coercion. The other is a decisive leader who smashes the glass labeled “fascism” and uses the forbidden tools outright.

The longer conservatives wait to make reasonable corrections, the more radical — and likely authoritarian — the eventual correction will be.

Nazism was evil, and opposing it was obviously right. But elevating anti-fascism into the West’s single, unquestionable religious principle has been catastrophic. It has stripped societies of the means to govern themselves prudently and ensured that when the correction finally comes, it will be far harsher than anything its most ardent anti-fascists claim to fear.

​Opinion & analysis, Fascism, Antifascism, Antifa, Religion, Civil religion, Leftism, Ruling class, Deep state, Nazism, Communism, Adolf hitler, Joseph stalin, Conservatism, Self-government, Authoritarianism, Caesarism, Red caesar 

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Trump touts his economic record in live prime-time speech to the nation: ‘I inherited a mess’

President Donald Trump made a national address where he blamed the former administration for the affordability crisis and touted his economic progress.

The president highlighted many of the statistics that showed improvement from former President Joe Biden’s term compared to his second term.

‘One year ago, our country was dead. We were absolutely dead. … Now we’re the hottest country anywhere in the world.’

“When I took office, inflation was the worst in 48 years … which caused prices to be higher than ever before, making life unaffordable for millions and millions of Americans,” the president said.

“Over the past 11 months, we have brought more positive change to Washington than any administration in American history. There has never been anything like it,” he continued.

He said that he successfully negotiated $18 trillion of investments into the country and went on the attack against Democrats.

“Under the Biden administration, car prices rose 22%, and in many states 30% or more,” Trump said. “Gasoline rose 30 to 50%. Hotel rates rose 37%. Airfares rose 31%. Now, under our leadership, they are all coming down and coming down fast.”

The president also cited statistics on his successes concerning border enforcement.

“Drugs brought in by ocean and by sea are now down 94%. We have broken the grip of sinister woke radicals in our schools. … I’ve restored American strength, settled eight wars in 10 months, destroyed the Iran nuclear threat, and ended the war in Gaza, bringing, for the first time in 3,000 years, peace to the Middle East,” he continued.

He looked ahead to the country celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the World Cup, and the Olympics.

“One year ago, our country was dead. We were absolutely dead,” he stated. “Our country was ready to fail. Totally fail. Now we’re the hottest country anywhere in the world. And that’s said by every single leader I’ve spoken to over the last five months.”

The president also announced what he called a “warrior dividend” of $1,776 — garnered from his tariffs — to be sent to members of the military in time for Christmas.

“Tonight, after 11 months, our border is secure, inflation is stopped, wages are up, prices are down, our nation is strong, America is respected, and our country is back, stronger than ever before,” he added. “We’re poised for an economic boom the likes of which the world has never seen.”

RELATED: Karoline Leavitt berates CNN’s Kaitlan Collins over inflation and the economy

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) tried to pre-emptively undermine the president’s message on social media.

“He can say whatever he wants on camera, but this is the reality for America: Prices are higher, unemployment is rising, the holidays are more expensive than ever, and his tariffs are taxing people to no end,” he posted.

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​Donald trump address, Speech to the nation, Economy, Warrior dividend, Politics 

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Ilhan Omar under investigation: What’s the truth about her immigration journey?

On December 10, border czar Tom Homan announced that investigators were working to determine if Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) had committed immigration fraud by lying on her marriage certificate — which has been a source of rumors for years now.

“She’s on her third marriage now. She really loves getting married here in America, which, like, as a Muslim, I’m pretty sure is frowned upon. The marrying the brother thing, actually I don’t think that’s frowned upon in the Muslim world,” BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales comments on “Sara Gonzales Unfiltered.”

When Omar was later confronted by journalist Nicholas Ballasy, who asked her for any response to the allegations, she said, “I have no response because I don’t know what they’ll be investigating.”

When pressed further, Omar responded that the reason they’re investigating her for immigration fraud is because “they’re sick.”

“She’s like, ‘I don’t even know what they would be investigating.’ Uh, that you married your brother. I think that’s pretty obvious. I think it’s weird that you say, ‘I don’t know what they’d be investigating.’ I think a response from someone who, like, hadn’t just married their freaking brother would be like, ‘Uh, yeah. I mean, this guy was very clearly not my brother. They’re welcome to investigate that,’” Gonzales says.

“That seems to be what a normal person would say in response to, ‘Hey, did you marry your brother?’” she adds.

However, the fraud might go even deeper than just her marriage.

“Omar was caught lying about her birth year, and Minnesota legislative records corroborate that,” Gonzales explains, pulling up Omar’s page in the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library.

“It listed her birth date. It says October 4, 1981, but an updated version of the page lists her birth year as 1982,” she says.

“Could be nothing. But what this also could mean is that it would call into question the legitimacy of her citizenship actually,” she continues, explaining that Omar once told Mehdi Hasan on his podcast “Deconstructed” that she became a citizen before she turned 18, through the process of her father becoming a citizen.

And according to Gonzales, there are three pathways to citizenship Omar could have taken.

“Number one is acquisition. Well, that wouldn’t apply to Ilhan Omar because neither of her parents were U.S. citizens when she was born in Somalia. All right, so cross that one off the list. Number two is the derivation of citizenship, which requires foreign-born children to turn 18 on or after February 27, 2001,” Gonzales explains.

“Well, you can check that one off the list also because it would not apply to Ilhan because she would have been older than 18, even if we used her possibly fake birth year of 1982. So that one also would not apply,” she says.

“Number three, application for citizenship under section 322 of the Immigration and Naturalization Act. Now, pay attention. This is the — ding, ding, ding — this is the one that matters because Ilhan Omar’s family first arrived in the United States in 1995, which means 2000 would be the first year her father would be eligible for citizenship,” she continues.

“So, if Omar was born in 1981, she would have been 18 years old up until October 2000 and 19 years old after October 2000. Meaning she — if that’s her birthday — was an adult, and not eligible for this path of citizenship. If that was her birthday, she was not eligible for the only path of citizenship she would have been eligible for at that time,” she says.

Gonzales points out that by changing her birth year to 1982, she would “then on paper be 17 years old before October 2000.”

“And then it all makes sense,” she says.

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​Camera phone, Free, Sharing, Upload, Video, Video phone, Youtube.com, Sara gonzales, Sara gonzales unfiltered 

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California city mayor pro tem calls for end of Pride Month observation, and outrage ensues

LGBTQ activists are outraged after the mayor pro tem of a California desert city called for the local government to stop observing Pride Month.

Palm Desert Mayor Pro Tem Joe Pradetto suggested during a Dec. 16 council meeting that the city should reconsider hanging banners in support of Pride Month. Pradetto said the city should stay out of the private lives of its residents.

‘We must agree to a non-aggression pact. We can’t use the power of the state to punish those who disagree with us.’

He also said that some of the residents expressed concern that the banners showed preference by the city in favor of some residents against others.

The Palm Springs Pride group released a statement condemning the proposal.

“Discrimination is division. The city must unequivocally reject this harmful proposal and reinforce its commitment to being a truly open, diverse, and welcoming home for everyone,” they wrote in a statement.

On Tuesday, the city council voted against the proposal and will keep hanging banners.

In a comment emailed to Blaze News, Pradetto clarified that he had nothing against the LGBTQ community.

“America is divided, and it breaks my heart. Our current strategy of progressive identity politics is failing, and doubling down will only make it worse,” he wrote in part.

“When politics becomes about identity rather than policy, compromise becomes impossible,” Pradetto added. “The temperature rises. I can’t fix that throughout the nation, but I can start in my own city. That is why I proposed policy changes to focus on our similarities, rather than our differences, and remove group-specific banners from City Hall.”

RELATED: LGBTQ activists complain companies are caving to Pride Month backlash: ‘Scared to death’

He went on to say that the policies threatened the values of a pluralistic society.

“In a pluralistic society, you are safe to express who you are and what you believe in the public square. But we must agree to a non-aggression pact. We can’t use the power of the state to punish those who disagree with us,” Pradetto wrote.

“Although my proposal failed, I hope it encourages other officials to look at their policies because our current trajectory will divide us and render state power not as a governing structure but a blunt tool against those who disagree with you,” he concluded.

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​Palm desert california, Dropping pride banners, Pride month, Lgbtq agenda, Politics 

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Exclusive: GOP Senate candidate Wesley Hunt pushes bill barring education benefits for illegal aliens

Republican Rep. Wesley Hunt of Texas is moving legislation on Capitol Hill to ensure taxpayers are actually prioritized over illegal aliens.

Hunt, who is running for U.S. Senate in Texas, introduced the American Dream Protection Act on Thursday to disincentivize states and educational institutions from providing educational benefits to illegal aliens. Hunt’s legislation would require federal financial assistance to be withheld if states are found to provide taxpayer-funded education to illegal aliens.

‘Too many American resources have been used to benefit illegals.’

“For years, the left and a select few Republican senators have pushed for mass amnesty and benefits for illegal aliens,” Hunt told Blaze News. “In 2003, the Dream Act, which was voted favorably out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, created an incentive to provide illegals with in-state tuition rates intended only for legal residents.”

“The American Dream Protection Act of 2025 will eliminate federal and state funding to universities that continue to support illegals.”

RELATED: Ilhan Omar accuses ICE of ‘racially profiling’ her son during traffic stop

Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images

Educational institutions across the country offer in-state tuition and other higher education benefits to illegal aliens, leaving American taxpayers to foot the bill. To counteract these inequities, Hunt’s bill withholds federal funds for schools that charge illegal immigrants lower tuition as well as states that provide them financial aid.

“Too many American resources have been used to benefit illegals while American citizens suffer,” Hunt told Blaze News.

RELATED: Ocasio-Cortez claims ICE is targeting 6-year-olds in her district during crazed speech on immigration

Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Hunt is currently running in the Texas Senate primary against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton. The Republican primary winner will face off with one of two Democratic candidates, Rep. Jasmine Crockett or state Rep. James Talarico.

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​Wesley hunt, Donald trump, Texas, John cornyn, Ken paxton, Jasmine crockett, James talarico, Illegal aliens, Federal funding, Migrants, Border crisis, Politics 

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Illegal alien bus driver who can’t speak English allegedly kills American while ‘distracted by a video on his phone’

An American citizen was killed in a multi-vehicle pileup in Tennessee last week after an illegal alien bus driver allegedly rear-ended a semi-truck while driving along I-40.

This marks the latest fatal crash tied to an illegal alien who obtained a commercial driver’s license in the United States despite unlawful status.

‘Far too many innocent Americans have been killed by illegal aliens driving semi-trucks and big rigs.’

Yisong Huang, a 54-year-old Chinese national, illegally entered the U.S. in 2023. While he admitted to Border Patrol agents that he had unlawfully entered the country, the Biden administration released him and provided him with work authorization documents and a Social Security card, the Department of Homeland Security reported.

Huang used his work documents to obtain a Class B CDL in New York, which allowed him to operate a bus.

On December 9, Huang allegedly caused a multi-vehicle crash after he rear-ended a tractor-trailer. Investigators found that Huang was “distracted by a video on his phone.”

The incident resulted in the death of American citizen Kerry Smith and injuries to two other individuals. There were no passengers on Huang’s bus at the time of the crash.

RELATED: Trump’s DOT claims 53% of New York’s non-domiciled CDLs were issued illegally

Sean Duffy. Photo by Eric Lee/Getty Images

Huang failed his English proficiency test administered after the fatal collision.

“Far too many innocent Americans have been killed by illegal aliens driving semi-trucks and big rigs. And yet sanctuary states around the country have been issuing illegal aliens commercial driver’s licenses. The Trump administration is ending the chaos,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said. “The brave men and women of ICE are working nonstop to get criminal illegal aliens out of our communities and off our roads.”

RELATED: Illegal alien trucker accused of causing crash that killed newlyweds

Kristi Noem. Photo by ALEX BRANDON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said, “It’s not just that Joe Biden let millions of migrants flood into our country illegally. His administration doled out the documentation these unqualified foreigner drivers needed to obtain trucking licenses and operate 40-ton missiles on the highway. The fact that this individual failed a basic English test also calls into question how he even got the license in the first place. Working with Secretary Noem, we will continue to fight to keep you and your family safe on America’s roadways.”

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​News, Sean duffy, Kristi noem, Department of homeland security, Dhs, Department of transportation, Dot, Transportation department, American trucking industry, Trucking industry, Illegal immigration crisis, Illegal immigration, Immigration crisis, Immigration, Trucking, Commercial driver’s licenses, Cdls, Cdl, Politics 

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Trump suggests Dan Bongino will leave the FBI: ‘He wants to go back to his show’

President Donald Trump suggested that FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino might be stepping down from the bureau and returning to host his political show.

The president was responding to questions from reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Prince George’s County, Maryland, on Wednesday when he made the comments.

‘I gave up everything for this. … I stare at these four walls all day in DC by myself.’

Bongino had reportedly made plans to leave the bureau next year, according to eight sources who spoke to MS NOW.

“Dan did a great job,” said Trump. “I think he wants to go back to his show.”

Bongino had worked as a police officer and a Secret Service agent before he hosted a conservative show.

He was dismissive when approached by MS NOW for comment. “Print whatever you’d like,” he replied. “No one believes you anyway. Thanks.”

Bongino fueled speculation about his position at the bureau in July when he published a bizarre statement about what he had seen during his time there.

“The Director and I are committed to stamping out public corruption and the political weaponization of both law enforcement and intelligence operations,” he wrote on social media. “But what I have learned in the course of our properly predicated and necessary investigations into these aforementioned matters, has shocked me down to my core. We cannot run a Republic like this. I’ll never be the same after learning what I’ve learned.”

He added that they would investigate these matters according to the law.

RELATED: Bongino and Bondi clash over botched handling of Epstein files

He had also previously said that the job was very hard on his family life because of the long hours.

“I gave up everything for this,” he said. “I’m in there at 7:30 in the morning. … I stare at these four walls all day in D.C. by myself, divorced from my wife — not divorced, but I mean separated, divorced — and it’s hard. I mean, we love each other, and it’s hard to be apart.”

Bongino was a vehement supporter of Trump and his policies on “The Dan Bongino Show.”

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​Dan bongino, Bongino leaving the fbi, Trump on bongino, Bongino threatens to quit, Politics 

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Liberal protesters dump ice into harbor on anniversary of Boston Tea Party to protest deportations

While many were celebrating the 252nd anniversary of the Boston Tea Party, liberal demonstrators tried to usurp the moment to protest the administration’s immigration enforcement policies.

Rather than dump tea into the harbor, the protesters from Boston Indivisible tossed ice into the harbor, symbolizing their opposition to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

‘This is a symbolic measure saying we want ICE to leave our communities alone.’

The group claimed that about 1,000 people joined their protest on Tuesday evening. They tried to equate the colonists’ struggle against government oppression with the plight of illegal aliens who ignore immigration law.

“This is not left or right. This is not progressive or conservative. It’s being American,” said Martha Laposata of the group.

Group members said that they used environmentally safe ice that was approved by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.

“Anybody who understands the nature of our country should be doing something. This is not the time to sit home and watch TV,” said Mary Sweeney.

Video from the event showed protesters chanting, “No Kings! No Tariffs! No ICE!” as they tossed the ice into the harbor.

RELATED: VIDEO: Leotarded liberals protest ICE facility with ’80s-themed aerobics class

“This is a symbolic measure saying we want ICE to leave our communities alone,” said Alex Rikleen, a candidate for the U.S. Senate who lists his pronouns in his profile.

The protesters said they hoped the demonstration would encourage others to speak out against the mass deportation policies implemented by President Donald Trump.

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​Boston tea party, Anti-ice protest boston, Boston ice party, Boston indivisible, Politics 

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101-year-old WWII vet cheers on Trump in fiery patriotic speech: ‘Godd**mit, put a uniform on me — I’ll go tomorrow’

A 101-year-old World War II veteran delivered a passionate speech about his love for America and President Donald Trump’s leadership during an event at Mar-a-Lago this week.

On Tuesday, America’s Future hosted the Second Annual Champions for America Celebration Gala to honor and recognize individuals “whose lives reflect courage, sacrifice, and unwavering commitment to faith, freedom, and service.”

‘This was a reminder of who we are.’

Navy veteran and Bronze Star of Valor recipient William “Bill” Dillon, who served from 1942 to 1947, shared powerful remarks with the audience.

“There’s nobody in the godd**n world who cares more for this nation than this guy that you’re looking at,” Dillon stated. “And I think Trump is not only the president of the United States; he is the president of the world.”

Dillon complimented Trump for his “fantastic job” negotiating on behalf of the country.

“I’m 101, going on 102. Godd**mit, put a uniform on me — I’ll go tomorrow!” Dillon declared.

RELATED: The families behind our veterans deserve more than once-a-year thanks

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Matt Van Swol, a former nuclear scientist at the Department of Energy, stated that he had the honor of meeting Dillon at the event.

“Bill said that he has lived under 22 American presidents and that President Trump is his favorite. … Truly a special person,” Van Swol said.

“A World War II veteran, Bronze Star of Valor recipient, submariner, and aerospace pioneer, Bill delivered an energetic, passionate speech that reminded everyone what real courage looks like. From serving aboard the USS Sailfish to helping build America’s early space program, his life reflects sacrifice, resolve, and love of country,” America’s Future said, referring to Dillon. “This was a reminder of who we are.”

RELATED: Stories Behind the Stars: On a mission to honor every American who died in WWII

Bill Dillon. Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images for Associated Television International

America’s Future highlighted remarks from actor Isaiah Washington, human biologist Gary Brecka, author Angela Stanton-King, and General Charlie Flynn.

The organization referred to the event as an “unforgettable evening.”

“Tonight, America’s Future gathered to honor courage, faith, and conviction. Bringing together voices and leaders who refuse to stay silent when the stakes are high. From powerful remarks to heartfelt moments of recognition, this was a night that reminded us what America stands for and why the fight for her future matters,” the organization wrote.

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‘Trantifa’ NYE terrorist bomb plot foiled; leftist media brands it non-violent

Members of what’s been dubbed a “trantifa” group called Turtle Island Liberation Front have been arrested for allegedly plotting a horrific New Year’s Eve terror attack in the Los Angeles area.

“After an intense investigation, the Department of Justice, working with our FBI, prevented what would have been a massive and horrific terror plot in the Central District of California (Orange County and Los Angeles),” Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote in a post on X.

“The Turtle Island Liberation Front — a far-left, pro-Palestine, anti-government, and anti-capitalist group — was preparing to conduct a series of bombings against multiple targets in California beginning New Year’s Eve. The group also planned to target ICE agents and vehicles,” she reported.

The Turtle Island Liberation Front allegedly calls for decolonization, tribal sovereignty, and “the working class to rise up and fight back against capitalism.”

“Now, just in case you were wondering what that term meant, it’s the term that lifted billions of people out of extreme poverty over the past couple of decades. So, why wouldn’t we want to bomb people to stop it?” BlazeTV host Stu Burguiere jokes on “Stu Does America.”

Found among the possessions of those allegedly plotting the attacks were “free Palestine” flyers.

“What a surprise,” Burguiere jokes again. “This is stunning. ‘Free Palestine’ flyers at the campsite where the suspects were working with the bomb-making materials. And, of course, they found a bunch of this stuff.”

In a photo taken as evidence and shared by the U.S. Justice Department, handwritten signs read, “Death to America,” “Long live Turtle Island,” and “Death to ICE.”

Despite this very clear message of “death,” the mainstream media is claiming that these terrorists did not want anyone to be hurt.

“It’s important to note … that in this complaint, nowhere do they allege that any of these individuals wanted anybody to be harmed as a result of these pipe bombs specifically,” a host of the “Start Here” podcast on ABC News said cheerfully.

The hosts went on to point out that Turtle Island’s plan was to have follow-up attacks after the bombings, which “included plans to target ICE agents and vehicles with pipe bombs.”

“Strikes me that if someone’s plan was to target ICE agents,” Burguiere comments, “perhaps that means they did want to hurt people.”

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Prominent MIT professor — reportedly Jewish, pro-Israel — shot to death in his home; no suspect in custody

A prominent professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology was fatally shot in his Brookline home, the Associated Press reported.

Nuno Loureiro was Jewish and a vocal pro-Israel nuclear scientist, the Jerusalem Post said; but the paper added that it could not confirm speculations by Jewish organizations that Loureiro was targeted for his political affiliations.

‘And a shooting in a state where it’s so hard to even have a gun?’

The shooting occurred on the heels of a deadly shooting Saturday at another prestigious school in the region — Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. Police there also have yet to find a suspect. Brookline is about 90 minutes northeast of Providence. The FBI told the AP it knows of no connection between the two crimes.

Loureiro — a married 47-year-old from Portugal — was shot Monday night and died Tuesday at a local hospital, the AP noted. WBZ-TV said in its video report that Loureiro was shot several times in the foyer of his home; a neighbor said he lived in a first-floor apartment.

A reporter suggested to the neighbor on camera that the crime is atypical for Brookline, and the neighbor replied that it was a “surprise … and a shooting in a state where it’s so hard to even have a gun?” The neighbor also said fellow neighbors noted a nearby car was “parked in the wrong direction” and “seemed to be waiting.”

RELATED: Critics lambaste MIT’s vice president for equity and inclusion over ‘race baiting’ social media post

Authorities have not disclosed a possible motive, the AP said, and the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office said no suspects were in custody as of Wednesday morning.

More from the AP:

Loureiro joined MIT in 2016 and was named last year to lead the school’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center, one of its largest laboratories. The center has around 250 researchers working across seven buildings and focuses on advancing clean energy technology and other research.

The professor grew up in Viseu in central Portugal, studied in Lisbon, and earned a doctorate in London, according to the university. Before moving to MIT, he worked at a nuclear fusion research institute in Lisbon.

“He shone a bright light as a mentor, friend, teacher, colleague, and leader and was universally admired for his articulate, compassionate manner,” Dennis Whyte, an engineering professor who previously led MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center, told a campus publication, according to the AP.

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​Brookline, Brown university, Fatally shot, Jewish, Massachusetts institute of technology, No suspects, Nuno loureiro, Politics, Pro-israel, Professor, Crime 

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Fani Willis has ugly meltdown when confronted with how much her office paid her ex-lover to prosecute Trump

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis had an ugly meltdown on Wednesday while being questioned by a Georgia state Senate special committee on the topic of her failed prosecution of President Donald Trump.

‘Y’all want to come in and be daddy.’

The presentation of evidence in the hearing highlighting how much money Willis’ office paid her former lover Nathan Wade apparently struck a nerve.

Quick background

On Nov. 1, 2021, Willis hired Nathan Wade as a special prosecutor for an investigation into possible interference in the state’s 2020 general election even though Wade had reportedly never prosecuted a felony case during his time as a prosecutor in Cobb County.

Wade — who had allegedly been romantically involved with Willis for several months prior to accepting the job and filed for divorce against his wife, Jocelyn Wade, the day after securing it — was paid over $650,000 in legal fees before withdrawing from the case in March 2024.

Bank records submitted in Wade’s divorce proceedings revealed that Willis, who authorized Wade’s compensation, went on luxurious trips with Wade while the Trump investigation was ongoing. Wade apparently paid for some of their travel expenses.

RELATED: Trump triumphs as judge dismisses racketeering charges over 2020 election: ‘We are going to keep winning!’

Photo by Dennis Byron-Pool/Getty Images

Willis was disqualified from the case in December 2024 due to the scandalous affair.

Last month, Willis’ replacement, Peter Skandalakis, dropped the case, and Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee ordered the case against Trump and the co-defendants “dismissed in its entirety.”

Unlike Trump, Willis’ problems in Georgia were far from over.

Last year, the Georgia Senate established a special committee to investigate allegations of misconduct against Willis. The Special Committee on Investigations, whose investigation was renewed in January, brought the leftist district attorney in for questioning on Wednesday.

The hearing

In the combative hearing — over the course of which Willis repeatedly tried to pose and answer her own questions and routinely spoke out of turn — state Sen. Greg Dolezal (R) pressed the district attorney about her working relationship with Wade.

When confronted with documents indicating how much her office paid her ex-lover, Willis said, “I don’t review those documents. So you’re asking me to look at documents that I haven’t for the first time.”

Willis then launched into a full-throated defense of Wade and his compensation, stating, “What I can tell you is that I allowed Mr. Wade to bill 160 hours a week and then Mr. Wade would be the first one in the office making sure that my staff arrived. He corrected their behavior.”

“He got there before them. He left after him [sic]. He taught them how to do this case, and he was a leader to that team and a public servant,” continued Willis. “And for that, him, like me, has been threatened thousands of times.”

Evidently desperate to change the topic and keen to exercise a well-used reflex, Willis cried racism, telling lawmakers, “You want something to investigate as a legislature? Investigate how many times they’ve called me the N-word.”

At one stage, the diversion-happy district attorney told the lawmakers, “I know y’all want to come in and be daddy and create QAnon committees that will judge prosecutors.”

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​Fani willis, Willis, Nathan wade, Georgia, Senate, Investigation, Affair, Leftist, Fulton county, Politics 

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Trans-identifying radicals among those arrested in alleged planned New Year’s Eve terror plot

Federal authorities arrested five individuals in connection with an alleged planned New Year’s Eve terror plot. A criminal complaint revealed that two of the suspects claim to identify as transgender.

The Department of Justice held a press conference about the alleged thwarted terror attack on Monday.

‘This case is another reminder about the dangers that radicalized Antifa-like groups pose to public safety and the rule of law.’

Bill Essayli, the first assistant for the U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, explained that, on Friday, his office and the FBI arrested several members of a “far-left, anti-government domestic terror cell who self-identify as the Turtle Island Liberation Front.”

The suspects were also members of a more radical offshoot of the group called the Order of the Black Lotus, according to Essayli. He highlighted the arrests of the four individuals from the Los Angeles area, stating that they have been charged with conspiracy and possession of an unregistered destructive device. He noted that his office plans to file additional charges.

The arrested individuals were accused of attempting to construct and detonate improvised explosive devices in the Mojave Desert in preparation for alleged planned attacks on New Year’s Eve at five locations across Los Angeles, California.

Essayli claimed that the arrested individuals were planning to bomb multiple U.S. companies. They also allegedly planned follow-up attacks against Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

RELATED: FBI stops radical pro-Palestinian New Year’s Eve terror plot: Report

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Authorities uncovered posters associated with the TILF that included threatening language, including “Death to America” and “Death to ICE.”

“This case is another reminder about the dangers that radicalized Antifa-like groups pose to public safety and the rule of law,” Essayli said.

One of the four, 32-year-old Zachary Page, reportedly identifies as transgender and requested that authorities send him to a women’s jail, the New York Post reported.

Agents with the FBI’s New Orleans field office arrested a fifth individual tied to the TILF who was allegedly planning a separate attack in Louisiana.

An unsealed criminal complaint revealed that the suspect, 29-year-old Micah James Legnon, is a Marine veteran who claims to identify as transgender, the Post reported.

RELATED: The Zizians’ violent spiral: A trans group tied to killings across America

U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell. Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images

Legnon, a man who uses “she/her” pronouns, went by “Kateri TheWitch” and “DarkWitch She/Her” in online chat groups and allegedly posted threats against ICE on social media.

“S**t time to recreate Waco tx with these f**kers. F**k ice,” Legnon allegedly wrote, referring to the 1993 Waco massacre that resulted in the deaths of four federal agents and over 70 civilians.

Legnon is currently in custody and facing charges of making threats over interstate commerce.

Journalist Andy Ngo, who was the first to identify Legnon, stated that the suspect’s “social media is filled with posts calling for the m—rder of people he labels as ‘fascists.’”

An attorney for Page declined a request for comment from the Intercept. Court documents did not list an attorney for Legnon.

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​News, Turtle island liberation front, Tilf, Order of the black lotus, Bill essayli, California, Los angeles, La, Department of justice, Doj, Justice department, Immigration and customs enforcement, Ice, New year’s eve, Terror plot, Terrorism, Transgender, Trans ideology, Trans violence, Transgender crime, Politics 

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Jason Whitlock rips Shedeur Sanders as lacking leadership

The name Shedeur Sanders name may be on the tip of every football fanatic’s tongue, but BlazeTV host Jason Whitlock isn’t impressed with the Cleveland Browns’ quarterback.

According to Whitlock, Sanders is simply a “fifth-round pick who doesn’t have the strongest arm” and has “the worst leadership skills I’ve ever seen in professional sports.”

“The things that they’re avoiding about Shedeur — his inability to read a defense, his inability to process what’s going on on the field as quickly as quarterbacks need to. This is obvious. He held the ball in college because he can’t process quickly,” Whitlock says, pointing out that it’s painful to listen to him answer questions that he “clearly doesn’t comprehend.”

“Some reporter tried to throw him a softball of, ‘Hey, what do you think of Stefanski and how aggressive he was? Do you like that as a quarterback and as a member of the team?’ And the reporter is trying to get Shedeur to say, ‘Yes, I like that Stefanski believes in me and us and this offense and that we can be super aggressive. I like that,’” he explains.

“That’s all the reporter was trying to get Shedeur to say. Shedeur heard it as the reporter trying to bait him into attacking Stefanski,” he adds.

“I mean, first, that’s a rude question to ask,” Sanders replied to the reporter while taking questions.

When the reporter pressed him further and said, “Do you like the aggression, do you like the call?” Sanders responded firmly, “I like being out there playing.”

“We not going to be here and ever point fingers at no coach or do anything like that. You know, that’s extremely disrespectful and that’s not even in my place. So I’m thankful for being out there, honestly, and I’m thankful that he trusts us as a offense to be able to go out there and be able to execute,” Sanders continued.

“Did we execute? No, we didn’t. But, you know, I’m just thankful that we have that trust,” he added.

“‘I’m never going to point a finger,’” Whitlock mocks. “The man’s not asking you to point fingers. He’s so defensive, so unsure of himself.”

“Remember,” he says, “money is supposed to fix all this.”

“Oh, if they just had access to money, all the education rates and everything would go through the roof. No. If you’re not instilled with the right values, if your father thinks that, ‘Hey, my swagger and my arrogance and my gold chains and my braggadocio,’ if that’s what he’s preaching and demonstrating in the home … that’s how you end up with a kid that grew up in a 30,000-square-foot mansion … who can’t process,” he continues.

“And everybody is blaming Kevin Stefanski, that ‘Oh, he’s got it in for Shedeur.’ He doesn’t know how to communicate with Shedeur, because Shedeur doesn’t know how to communicate properly,” he adds.

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Public library board voted to keep pro-transgender book — so the county dissolved the entire board

A North Carolina county government has chosen to disband its public library board after the group refused to take down a book that advocated for the transgender agenda.

The controversy involved the “Call Me Max” book that tells the story of a girl asking teachers to refer to her by her chosen identity rather than the biological reality.

‘Planting this lie in a child’s mind at a young age can lead them down a harmful path of social and medical transitioning. Public libraries should never expose children to books that cause them to question their gender or include other inappropriate sexual content.’

The board in Randolph County had reviewed the book and found that it fit within the county’s guidelines in October. Dozens of people attended that hearing to voice their opinion about the book.

The nine-member library board was then disbanded by the Randolph County Board of Commissioners by a vote of 3-2.

The North Carolina Values Coalition had previously described the picture book as an attempt to “groom children towards transgenderism at very young ages” and actively opposed its inclusion.

The group applauded the decision to dissolve the board.

“‘Call Me Max,’ recommended for 5- [to] 9-year-olds, teaches children that their parents may be wrong about their gender and that their gender is actually whatever they feel it is,” read the statement from their spokesperson to Blaze News.

“Planting this lie in a child’s mind at a young age can lead them down a harmful path of social and medical transitioning,” the statement continued. “Public libraries should never expose children to books that cause them to question their gender or include other inappropriate sexual content.”

The author of the book, a transgender-identifying individual named Kyle Lukoff, said that the actions of the county board were alarming.

RELATED: Trans reporter tries to defend Chelsea Clinton and proves she’s pushing ‘porn’ for children

“Policies can be helpful, but this is ultimately a question of power,” Lukoff said. “If there are people in power who believe trans people don’t belong in their communities or the world at large, they will twist those policies to make it a reality.”

While disbanding a public library board is unusual, it is within the power of the county organization.

Voters of Randolph County supported President Donald Trump by an overwhelming margin — nearly four to one.

The commissioners have not indicated when they will reconstitute the library board.

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Former ‘Sunday Night Football’ reporter and huge Tim Walz critic eying US Senate seat in Minnesota: Report

A former NFL sideline reporter may be running for office after a few years of getting familiar with the political field.

The news comes after much criticism of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D), including the former sports reporter describing him as a non-serious politician who has allowed fraud to run rampant in his state.

‘Tim Walz is not serious. He adores Ilhan Omar.’

After 11 years working on the beloved “Sunday Night Football” broadcast, sideline reporter Michele Tafoya left the program in 2022. Immediately following the Super Bowl — Tafoya’s last NFL gig — the California native was announced as the campaign co-chair for Republican gubernatorial candidate Kendall Qualls.

Now, Tafoya is reportedly eyeing a possible Senate run in Minnesota, where a retiring Democrat will open up a seat in the Democrat-majority state.

As reported by OutKick, Tafoya met with members of the National Republican Senatorial Committee last week, which has reportedly been recruiting her in hopes of launching a Senate campaign.

The seat in question will be vacated by Democrat Sen. Tina Smith for the 2026 midterm elections.

RELATED: Whitlock: Michele Tafoya risked everything to start her own Freedom Convoy

— (@)

A run by Tafoya would put her in a tough Republican primary field that includes former NBA player Royce White, former Navy officer Tom Weiler, and former Navy SEAL Adam Schwarze.

Tafoya, however, has not been shy about criticizing Minnesota Democrats, particularly Gov. Walz and Rep. Ilhan Omar. She recently asked Walz in an X post to “please deal with the horrendous fraud [he] allowed” in Minnesota, along with other posts about Omar’s activities.

Tafoya said on X in September that “Tim Walz is not serious. He adores Ilhan Omar.”

She added, “He signed legislation for abortions at 9 months, tampons in boys[‘] bathrooms, and making Minnesota a sanctuary for kids who want to get life-altering gender surgeries without parental consent.”

RELATED: Whoopi Goldberg declares ‘white people’ are the ones who need to ‘step up’ and make skin color a non-issue in America

— (@)

Tafoya made headlines in late 2021 after appearing on left-wing squawk box “The View,” where she dared to question the protests of then-NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who kneeled during the national anthem.

Kaepernick had compared the NFL Draft to a slave auction in a documentary at that time.

“I’ve been covering the NFL for 25 years,” Tafoya had said, per OutKick. “Nobody forces these guys to play. I thought comparing it to the slave trade was a little rough. These guys enter willingly, they are the most well cared for people. Yes, they play a hard sport. And every one of them — black, white, Latino, whoever’s playing the sport — will tell you how much they love it, and they’re willing to do it, and they make a d**n good living.”

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How unionizing hurt VW (it has nothing to do with wages)

Because today’s auto industry feels thoroughly international — Americans can buy nearly any car made anywhere, and American vehicles are common sights overseas — it’s easy to forget how deeply regional car markets still are.

That’s the topic of the latest episode of “The Drive,” a podcast I host with executive analyst at iSeeCars.com and Forbes Autos contributor Karl Brauer. This week, our guest is longtime Detroit News auto columnist and syndicated cartoonist Henry Payne.

Japan’s streets — especially in dense cities like Tokyo — are filled with vehicles most Americans rarely see: kei cars, a government-defined class of tiny, boxy, ultra-efficient runabouts.

In a conversation that jumps from Japan’s Mobility Show to the battle over unionization at Volkswagen’s U.S. plant in Chattanooga, we keep returning to the same theme: Cars are global, but markets are local—and policy is increasingly the hidden hand behind what gets built, where, and for how much.

The power of US demand

Payne joins us fresh from the 2025 Japan Mobility Show, an experience he says he found “surreal.”

“My grandfather fought on Okinawa in WWII, and here I am two generations later, and I am going to Japan as a guest of Honda,” he says.

Despite all that’s changed since then, Payne says the show was a reminder of how regional cars still are.

Japan’s streets — especially in dense cities like Tokyo — are filled with vehicles most Americans rarely see: kei cars, a government-defined class of tiny, boxy, ultra-efficient runabouts. They’re built around small displacement engines, tight dimensions, and the reality that Japan imports most of its energy. They make sense there.

In the U.S. they generally wouldn’t — despite recent rumblings from Trump to the contrary.

That contrast matters because it underlines a second point: The United States is not just a big market — it’s a market that props up entire global product plans. Payne notes that Honda sells far more of its output in the United States than it does in Japan, and other Japanese brands lean even harder on American buyers. The U.S. consumer is simply a different customer: higher buying power, more space, more appetite for variety, and more willingness (or necessity) to buy larger vehicles.

In other words, when automakers build out multiple trims and performance variants off the same platform — base model, sport model, track model, special edition — that’s usually because of U.S. demand.

Auto industry math still comes down to very specific local realities: what people can afford, where they live, what infrastructure exists, and what regulators demand.

Flex or flounder

If Japan shows how regional car markets still are, Chattanooga shows what happens when the most powerful market of all — the United States — starts limiting its own flexibility.

Payne’s argument is that transplant automakers (foreign brands building cars in the U.S.) have long enjoyed a competitive advantage: non-union shops.

It’s important to note that the advantage is not in labor prices — “You’ll find that the pay scales of the non-union automakers in these right-to-work states are pretty competitive with UAW,” Payne says — but in the ability to adapt to changing markets.

Unions add a layer of management that makes it more difficult to shift production, change processes, and retool lines.

Nonetheless, Volkswagen’s Chattanooga plant last year became the first foreign-owned factory to unionize. This was the UAW’s third attempt to unionize the plant — and the first time that VW didn’t put up a fight. Why not?

In a word, Payne says, the EV mandate. Because it so much harder to make a profit on EVs, VW relies on various subsidies and tax breaks — incentives turned out to be politically sensitive.

Volkswagen wasn’t legally required to accept unionization — but the politics had shifted. With the UAW closely aligned with Democrats and billions in EV incentives flowing from Washington, Payne notes that VW received a letter from 33 Democratic senators urging it to stay neutral, citing “a lot of money on the line.” The leverage wasn’t statutory; it was political.

Thanks to President Trump, the EV tax credits ended in September, removing much of VW’s incentive to unionize. Of course, by then it was too late.

RELATED: ‘A uniquely American industry’: SEMA CEO urges EPA to scrap emissions regs

SEMA CEO Mike Spagnola. Bill Clark/Getty Images

‘The Henry Ford of his time’

The conversation ends with a more personal detour: Payne’s long-running fascination with Tesla — which he sees less as an “EV brand” and more as a rare disruptor in a mature, brutally difficult industry.

In fact, Payne calls Elon Musk “the Henry Ford of his time” and the Tesla Model 3 (he’s on his third) “the most fascinating car I’ve ever owned.”

“It’s good to have a disruptor,” Payne continues, likening Musk to Donald Trump and the latter’s effect on Washington, D.C. “It’s good to have Elon Musk come into the automotive industry … and say, ‘Why are we selling cars through dealers instead of through stores like Apple sells iPhones? Why aren’t we updating cars constantly like phones and making them better on the road?’”

And if you’re wondering why your next car costs what it costs — or why automakers seem to change direction every six months — this episode offers a blunt answer: The industry is being pulled by forces that don’t always align, and the tug-of-war is happening everywhere at once.

Listen to the full episode of “The Drive with Lauren and Karl” (featuring Henry Payne) below.

​Drive with lauren fix and karl brauer, Honda, Tesla, Uaw, Lifestyle, Auto industry, Ev mandate, Align cars