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Diversity, equity, and inclusion employees are still running amok in the hallowed halls of the United States Military Academy at West Point. President Trump and members of his administration have taken the first steps toward eliminating DEI in the military, but there won’t be lasting change until all traces of it are removed from our military’s oldest academy.

In 2024, Congress and watchdog groups started asking why cadets were being taught DEI and critical race theory ideology in West Point classrooms. Over the next several months, West Point was embroiled in controversy as the academy faced a barrage of congressional hearings, lawsuits, and Freedom of Information Act requests. But the school was able to successfully shield many of its woke policies through disingenuous public relations tactics.

As long as these officials remain in charge, any claims of returning to a pre-DEI, mission-focused ethos ring hollow.

More than six months into the new administration, it is clear that West Point’s “compliance” with President Trump’s “Restoring America’s Fighting Force” executive order and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s anti-DEI memo is merely perfunctory — and even deceptive. Their orders are being undermined by the continued presence of woke employees who continue to prop up a leftist regime that has embedded itself at West Point.

DEI by any other name

Dr. Morten Ender is a full professor of sociology at West Point whose work confirms his allegiance to DEI dogma. Before Congress became wary of DEI in the military, Ender worked as the co-chair of USMA’s Diversity and Inclusion Studies Minor. He was the point of contact for classes such as “Deconstructing Patriotism” and “The Evolution of Cross-dressing in the Military.”

Ender also taught classes such as “Deviance and Social Control” and “Race, Class, Gender, and Ethnicity.” His work has included publications including “Dinner and Conversation: Transgender Integration at West Point and Beyond” and books like “Inclusion in the American Military: A Force for Diversity.” It’s absurd to believe that a person who so vigorously embraced the politicization of the military would simply give up that crusade in a new role, with a new title.

Since Congress took a harder line on DEI in the military, the DEI minor’s website has disappeared, and Ender’s bio has been cleaned up, removing any trace of his association with DEI. Originally, West Point’s site listed his many accomplishments, including his pro-DEI articles and woke classes.

West Point may try to cover up its history, but it will not fool us.

RELATED: ‘Get DEI and CRT out of the military’: Leftist media in shambles after Hegseth pick

Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

The continued employment of Lisa Benitez, another woke professor, is also puzzling in light of Hegseth’s clear directive to stop the inculcation of toxic ideologies like DEI and CRT in the military. The former chief diversity officer of West Point’s Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Equal Opportunity, Benitez’s role has taken several new forms since 2024. In June of last year, she was given the title of Chief Engagement and Retention Officer and then became Equal Employment Manager only a few months later.

While Benitez no longer has an official presence on the academy’s website, her LinkedIn profile still lists her as a West Point employee, and her phone number matches that of the equal employment manager role.

Benitez organized the annual West Point Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Conference. This conference had been a bastion of woke ideology in our nation’s premier military academy, hosting talks on “The Evolution of Diversity” and “Corporate Diversity.” The name of the conference changed in January to “The Iris and Herman Bulls ’78 Family Legacy of Graduates and Leaders Forum” and was eventually canceled due to controversy. It’s clear, however, that the radical ideology it once openly promoted remains.

Col. Archie Bates III, the deputy director of West Point’s Behavioral Science and Leadership Department, attended one of those conferences. In addition to doing academic work on preferential college admissions, he touts himself as a skilled promoter of DEI and lists his many woke accomplishments. He also co-authored the military’s DEI policy, which authorized women for combat arms in 2011. Bates is currently the academy’s acting department head of Behavior Sciences and Leadership.

Another member of the DEI faculty still in place at West Point is Maj. Catherine Grizzle, who is currently an instructor for the Behavioral Science and Leadership Department.

Grizzle came up through the ranks when woke leadership was being openly promoted and praised. She has long been a poster child for DEI, becoming only the third female field artillery Basic Officer Leader Course gunnery instructor. Her LinkedIn profile showcases her full commitment to DEI, and she is the only West Point faculty member to have DEI listed as one of her research interests.

Fortunately, at least one faculty member who teaches DEI is leaving voluntarily. USMA history professor Anthony Guerrero, who has been at West Point for over two years, is resigning in protest due to President Trump’s crackdown on DEI.

In a New York Times op-ed, Guerrero called Trump’s executive order on military excellence and readiness a “legal command that provides cover for bigotry. It delivers hate in the guise of a national security issue, dressed up in medicalized language.” Not only is Guerrero defending transgender ideology, but he is also contradicting a direct order to keep his concerns private.

Ideology runs deep

West Point’s DEI leadership — including figures like Ender, Bates, Grizzle, Benitez, and Guerrero — represents just a fraction of DEI’s ideological entrenchment there. Despite recent efforts to present a façade of reform, West Point remains captive to the same people who have been championing divisive policies on race and sex for years.

As long as these officials remain in charge, any claims of returning to a pre-DEI, mission-focused ethos ring hollow. The result is an officer corps trained in ideological conformity rather than the lethality, leadership, and war fighting excellence our national defense demands.

While the Trump administration has taken commendable steps to roll back DEI in the military, those efforts cannot succeed if the very officials who created these policies remain in positions of influence. Lasting reform requires not just policy change but also serious personnel change.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published at the American Mind.

​Opinion & analysis, Donald trump, Executive orders, Military academies, West point, Dei, Leftism, Ideology, Pete hegseth, Diversity equity inclusion, Woke ideology, Military readiness, Social engineering, Woke military culture, Public relations, Resignation, Race, Class, Gender, Transgender, Faculty, Morten ender, Sociology, Congress, Foia, Lisa benitez, Archie bates iii, Catherine grizzle, Anthony guerrero 

Despite the Supreme Court’s ruling that restricted the ability of judges to block President Trump’s policies using nationwide injunctions, a federal court has barred the Trump administration from enforcing his executive order limiting birthright citizenship nationwide.

U.S. District Judge Joseph Laplante in Concord, New Hampshire, made the ruling on July 10 after being asked to grant class action status to a lawsuit filed seeking to represent infants who would not qualify for citizenship under Trump’s directive.

“You might be able to blame Kavanaugh’s concurrence in the CASA decision for this,” BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales comments.

“You look at the CASA decision, and the majority decision from Chief Justice Roberts and Amy Coney Barrett said, ‘Universal injunctions likely exceed the equitable authority that Congress has given to the federal courts.’ However, you had Kavanaugh in his concurrence who left the door open for what the judge is trying to do,” Gonzales explains.

“The decision today will not alter this Court’s traditional role in those matters. Going forward, in the wake of a major new federal statute or executive action, different district courts may enter a slew of preliminary rulings on the legality of that statute or executive action,” Kavanaugh said. “Or alternatively, perhaps a district court (or courts) will grant or deny the functional equivalent of a universal injunction — for example, by granting or denying a preliminary injunction to a putative nationwide class under Rule 23(b)(2).”

“I’m getting in the weeds here, but it matters,” Gonzales says, explaining that “in order to have a judge take class action, you’ve got to have rule 23.”

“It lays out the criteria. Numerosity: So you’ve got a class that’s so big that individual lawsuits are impractical. You’ve got to lump them all together because not doing so would cause too many lawsuits to happen,” she continues.

“Commonality: There are common legal or factual questions among class members. Typicality: The named plaintiff’s claims are typical of the whole class. Adequacy: So the plaintiffs and their attorneys will fairly and accurately protect the interests of the entire class. And then rule 23(b), which, of course, Kavanaugh referenced, is the injunctive relief for that class,” she adds.

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President Donald Trump is visiting the victims of the flooding disaster in Texas, but one man took the opportunity to allegedly make a death threat and win a free trip to jail.

Robert Herrera, 52, of San Antonio allegedly made the threat on social media by implying that he would shoot the president on his visit to Kerr County. Trump previously survived an assassination attempt by mere inches during a Pennsylvania rally.

Herrera allegedly replied, ‘I’ll just come for you,’ and added an image of loaded magazines and an assault rifle.

Herrera was taken into custody on Thursday evening, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Texas.

Court documents said that Herrera had posted the threat the same day in the Facebook comments section of a news outlet’s article about Trump visiting Texas.

He allegedly posted the message, “I won’t miss,” on a photograph from the 2024 assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, on the president.

When another account responded to him, “You won’t get the chance, I promise,” Herrera allegedly replied, “I’ll just come for you,” and added an image of loaded magazines and an assault rifle.

He is charged with making threats against the president and transmitting interstate threatening communications, and he faces five years in prison for each count if convicted.

RELATED: Elderly man arrested for making death threats against Trump on Facebook: ‘I am your assassin’

The San Antonio Police Department provided assistance to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Secret Service in the investigation.

Officials said Friday that 121 people died from the flooding and another 160 remain missing. Some on the left have tried to pin the blame for the disaster on cuts to the federal government by Trump, but his officials have vehemently denied the allegations.

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To the disbelief of truth-seekers everywhere, the DOJ and FBI have determined in a two-page memo released this week that there was no proof Jeffrey Epstein had been working a vast blackmail operation and that there was no “client list.”

“This systematic review revealed no incriminating ‘client list,’” the memo reads. “There was also no credible evidence found that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals as part of his actions. We did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties.”

However, many Americans still question whether or not they’re being told the truth, especially considering that the amount of power one could gain from having possession of the list is astronomical.

–

“That is extraordinary power,” Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck tells ATF whistleblower John Dodson. “Any confidence that it’s not being used?”

“I have confidence that it’s not being used in that the fact that the people that it hurts the most are in control over it. Maybe that’s the case — why it’s not being used,” Dodson responds. “I would almost argue that it would be a better state of the world if a Hoover FBI had it, right, and leveraged it against everybody.”

“Would be better than the people that were directly involved having it,” he adds.

“So that implies that people in the government were involved in that,” Glenn says.

“I mean, I think so. That’s merely my opinion, but I don’t think that stuff happens with the names that have been floated around there without the government involved. And again, it’s the government. It is so huge and it is so powerful, and it has ultimately zero accountability,” Dodson says.

“American people think that there’s accountability. There is none,” he adds.

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Democrat Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced Friday that she was taking many more steps to oppose the mass deportation order by President Donald Trump.

Among those policies is the establishment of a philanthropy-funded program that would provide cash assistance to the families affected by federal immigration enforcement operations.

CHIRLA has been accused of funneling taxpayer money to anti-ICE protests and allegedly playing a part in the rioting and violence.

Bass said in a media briefing that an executive order she was signing was meant to “provide protection for immigrants who might be attending a city event or at a city property,” while the city stays within the bounds of the law.

Part of that effort included cash assistance in the form of cards that would have several hundred dollars on them, according to the Los Angeles Times.

“You have people who don’t want to leave their homes, who are not going to work, and they are in need of cash,” Bass said.

She said the cards will be handed out by immigration advocacy groups, including the controversial organization Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles. CHIRLA has been accused of funneling taxpayer money to anti-ICE protests and allegedly playing a part in the rioting and violence.

The funding for the cards will come from philanthropic partners, according to Bass.

She went on to say that the city is requesting information about the raids from the federal government.

“We are submitting a FOIA, a Freedom of Information Act request, regarding the dates and locations of all enforcement activities in Los Angeles,” she said.

RELATED: House Republicans investigating CHIRLA nonprofit over alleged role in ICE rioting

“I think you heard me repeat, every time I speak before you, that when people are taken from our city, we do not necessarily know where they are going. They are not provided regular access to families or to legal counsel,” she added. “And that the family members that are left behind don’t know whether their family members are in the city, in the state, or even in the country.”

The Trump administration has filed a lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles for allegedly interfering with federal operations through their sanctuary city policies in defense of illegal aliens.

Los Angeles has in turn joined a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union accusing the federal government of unlawfully deporting migrants and of violations of due process laws.

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Attorney General Pam Bondi’s handling of the Epstein files sparked outrage among conservatives, supporters of President Donald Trump, and even among FBI leadership.

The dramatic Epstein saga has caused a rift between FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino and Bondi in recent days, one source familiar with the matter confirmed to Blaze News. Other reports indicate that Bongino and FBI Director Kash Patel are both threatening to leave the bureau altogether unless Bondi is removed from office.

‘Fire Pam Bondi. Keep Dan Bongino.’

RELATED: FBI, DOJ Epstein memo sparks right-wing outrage: ‘Nobody is believing this’

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

As tensions emerge between the FBI and DOJ leadership, the MAGA base has made clear where its support lies.

“There is no question that the base is behind Bongino,” conservative commentator and reporter Julie Kelly said in a post on X. “I respect Pam Bondi and understand the immense challenge at taking the reins of such a systemically corrupt agency. But the self inflicted wounds and unforced errors are consuming attention away from other DOJ/FBI achievements. Time is ticking away and something drastic needs to change immediately.”

“It would be a huge loss for the country if we lost Dan Bongino at the FBI,” TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk wrote in a post on X.

Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck made a similar appeal to Trump, urging him to put Bongino over Bondi.

“America can’t lose Dan Bongino,” Beck said in a post on Instagram. “He has so much credibility. Everybody knows him, loves him. Pam Bondi has created so much doubt and chaos in this whole thing. There’s no reason for all of this.”

“Either it’s a massive cover-up, or she’s just fouled this up every single time,” Beck added. “Please, let’s not lose Dan Bongino. If there’s a choice — I hope not — but please, fire Pam Bondi. Keep Dan Bongino.”

RELATED: Is the FBI salvageable? Here’s what bureau insiders have to say

Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Following Bondi’s now-infamous Epstein memo, which the DOJ leaked to the Beltway corporate outlet Axios, the administration has spent days doing damage control. Trump reiterated his support for Patel and Bongino in a Truth Social post on Monday, though he notably refrained from providing Bondi with the same praise.

“The FBI, under the direction of Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino, is back to the basics: Locking up criminals, and cleaning up America’s streets.” Trump said in the post. “We have the Greatest Law Enforcement professionals in the World, but ‘Politics’ and Corrupt Leadership often prevented them from doing their job. That is no longer the case, and now, they have been unleashed to do their jobs, and they are doing just that. Keep it up — MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN!”

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An Ohio couple is grieving the “unimaginable tragedy” of the death of their 1-year-old daughter after their pit bull unexpectedly attacked her, according to police.

Tuscarawas County Sheriff Orvis L. Campbell said that deputies were called out on a report of a dog attack at a home on Lake Road in Dover Township on July 2 at about 6 p.m.

‘It was about as terrible of [an] ordeal as we’ve come across in a long time.’

Campbell said an emergency dispatcher received an initial call where nothing could be heard and then received a second call moments later from the mother, who said her child had been killed.

When deputies arrived at the residence, they found the child with bites to her face and neck. She was declared dead at the scene.

The mother told officers that she was picking up clothing in a laundry basket with her daughter next to her when the dog suddenly attacked. Deputies said they observed defensive wounds on the woman, who tried to save her daughter.

“It was about as terrible of [an] ordeal as we’ve come across in a long time,” Campbell said.

He said the dog had not previously attacked any person but had been aggressive toward other dogs.

“While it … had a couple of incidents of aggression towards the other dogs, it had not towards the people. They didn’t have any sign of this,” he added.

RELATED: It’s way past time to ban pit bulls

Campbell said the father of the girl was not at home at the time of the attack and that he later euthanized the dog with deputies’ authorization. There were no charges in the case, and no charges are expected.

An online charity account identified the victim as Blakely Blosser and asked for donations to help the family deal with the tragedy.

The incident is resurfacing the debate over whether certain dog breeds should be banned. Peter Gietl, the managing editor for Return at Blaze Media, made the argument against pit bull ownership in a recent article after a similarly horrific incident.

“I’m not calling for a dog holocaust. But if you’re going to bring a living weapon into a crowded urban neighborhood, maybe we should pause. Maybe we need strict breed-specific legislation, as is common in the U.K., France, Denmark, and even parts of Canada. Maybe some things don’t belong in apartments or parks full of toddlers,” Gietl wrote.

“It’s not heartless to say that. It’s compassionate. It’s sane,” he concluded.

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Baylor University, a prominent Baptist institution in Waco, Texas, has been a large part of religious culture in Texas, and up until a couple of days ago — before backlash from religious conservatives like BlazeTV host Allie Beth Stuckey — that was all about to change.

The university was undergoing a progressive shift, and its recent acceptance of an almost $700,000 grant from the Eula Mae and John Baugh Foundation was only speeding that shift up, as the goal of the grant was to “foster LGBTQ inclusion and belonging in the church.”

The school publicly highlighted this funding through a press release from its Diana R. Garland School of Social Work. The grant was planned to go toward research that would focus on “understanding and addressing the disenfranchisement and exclusion of LGBTQIA+ individuals and women within congregations to nurture institutional courage and foster change.”

“Baylor put out a press release about this. That in and of itself is a story. They are proud of this. They are excited about this. They are thankful for this grant money. This is not something that they are trying to slip under the rug,” BlazeTV host Allie Beth Stuckey said when criticizing Baylor’s initial reaction to the grant.

The specific project the grant was funding is called “Courage from the Margins: Inclusion and Belonging Practices for LGBTQIA plus.”

“OK, that ‘plus,’ what does that even mean?” Stuckey asked, noting that the project would include interviewing women across the country in two groups of 25 young adults ages 18 to 24 to gather information about their experiences in church settings.

The findings from the research would be used to “develop trauma-informed training resources for churches with the aim of encouraging more inclusive practices and environments for LGBTQIA plus individuals and women.”

“This is what it looks like to actually manifest toxic empathy,” Stuckey said. “So what this grant is going to fund is research that will be used to then guilt churches into not only including but affirming those who identify as homosexual or as the opposite sex.”

“This research will be weaponized, will be used as a tool of emotional manipulation, a mallet of manipulation to hit you, believing person, over the head, biblical Christian person, into accepting that which God calls sin. That is what this research will be used for. That is its express purpose,” she added.

Now, Baylor has rescinded its initial acceptance of the funds.

In a letter posted to the university’s website, Baylor University President Linda Livingstone explained that returning the funds “is the appropriate course of action and in the best interests” of the school.

While Livingstone wrote that Baylor remains “committed to providing a loving and caring community for all — including our LGBTQIA+ students,” she explained that after reviewing the “details and process surrounding this grant,” the concern was in “the activities that followed as part of the grant.”

“Specifically, the work extended into advocacy for perspectives on human sexuality that are inconsistent with Baylor’s institutional policies, including our Statement on Human Sexuality,” she wrote.

That Statement on Human Sexuality says that Baylor “affirms the biblical understanding of sexuality as a gift from God. Christian churches across the ages and around the world have affirmed purity in singleness and fidelity in marriage between a man and a woman as the biblical norm. Temptations to deviate from this norm include both heterosexual sex outside of marriage and homosexual behavior.”

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A Republican election observer in the state of Washington declined to wear a face mask while inside a ballot count room in November 2024. Now, the GOP election observer has been hit with a felony conviction and faces jail time.

Tim Hazelo — a Navy veteran and the former chairman of the Island County Republican Party — was observing ballot counting on Nov. 4, 2024. Hazelo chose not to wear a face mask inside the ballot count room.

The article noted that the prosecutor ‘implied Trump supporters are members of the KKK and called them “racist bullies with second-grade intellects and behavior disorders.”’

Island County Auditor Sheilah Crider established a mask mandate in certain parts of the county elections office. Crider previously told KOMO-TV that she established the mask mandate because 50% of the staff tested positive for COVID-19 during the August 2024 primary.

KOMO recently reported that those who did not want to wear a mask could still observe the ballot counting from the hallway, but “some have said their view was obstructed from that vantage point.”

Hazelo was reportedly asked to wear a mask, relocate to the hallway, or leave the premises. Hazelo apparently refused to wear a face mask, and he was escorted out of the building by two police officers.

According to the arrest report obtained by KOMO, “It was determined Hazelo would be offered one final opportunity to comply with the policy set by the Island County auditor to wear a mask in the ballot processing rooms, and if he continued to refuse to comply with the policy, he would be asked to exit the room.”

RELATED: Fauci admits there was no scientific evidence for 6-foot social distancing or masking children, concedes lab leak was ‘possible’

LPETTET via iStock / Getty Images

Hazelo was arrested and initially charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct, which was later dismissed. However, Hazelo was hit with additional charges by an anti-Trump prosecutor in February 2025. Hazelo was charged with misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct and criminal trespass, in addition to one count of unauthorized access to a voting center — a class C felony.

Island County Prosecuting Attorney Gregory Banks charged Hazelo with a felony that could land him behind bars for a year.

Banks, a Democrat, has a history of making disparaging remarks on social media about President Donald Trump and his supporters, according to reports.

Conservative talk show host and columnist Jason Rantz previously reported that Banks made unsettling comments about Trump supporters.

Rantz wrote in MyNorthwest.com in 2019, “Greg Banks is the elected Island County Prosecutor. Up until last week, his public and personal Facebook account was littered with vulgar, vicious smears against conservative voters and President Donald Trump.”

The article noted that the prosecutor “implied Trump supporters are members of the KKK and called them ‘racist bullies with second-grade intellects and behavior disorders.'”

Banks then “pulled the voluminous posts from his Facebook page and sent out a mea culpa to his staff Wednesday, saying that he had ‘done something pretty stupid,'” the South Whidbey Record reported in August 2019.

Banks reportedly told his staff, “That I was unable to see the harm my posts may cause to our reputation is more than embarrassing to me.”

“Banks also maintains he hasn’t treated staff members differently based on their Trump-related views, but he asked anyone with concerns to speak with him, the office administrator, one of the chief deputies, or human resources,” according to the news outlet.

However, Banks allegedly wrote another disparaging social media post about Trump supporters in 2020.

“The terrifying part is 38% of voters don’t see anything wrong with that. Even after we flush Trump, we have a difficult job to cleanse society of their diseased thinking,” Banks wrote, according to MyNorthwest.com.

Banks also hit a second Republican election observer, Tracy Abuhl, with a felony count of unauthorized access to a voting center.

Abuhl was charged with a felony for refusing to wear a face mask in the election office in November 2024.

“I was very peaceful, very respectful, but no, this is unconstitutional,” Abuhl told KOMO. “I’m there as a volunteer, a citizen. I was a Republican observer, and I couldn’t do my job.”

RELATED: Former FDA commissioner admits: ‘Cloth masks aren’t going to provide a lot of protection’

Hazelo proclaimed, “We have to stand up when we believe something is wrong.”

Hazelo argued that Washington law does not entitle a county auditor to impose a mask mandate for election observers.

Hazelo told KOMO, “They can say, ‘Look it’s highly recommended that if you feel sick, if you don’t feel good, or you don’t feel safe, or you’re worried — we highly recommend you wear this mask.’ A mandate goes too far.”

According to KOMO, Banks stated in his closing arguments on Thursday: “Let’s not get into a debate about masks. Follow the instructions, follow the law. This is about the administration of elections and the rules that allow that to happen.”

Banks added, “He (Hazelo) had his own rules. His own rules are, ‘I do what I want to do, I do it from the vantage point that I want, and I don’t care about the rest of it.'”

Hazelo’s defense attorney, Austin Hatcher, countered by stating that the Washington Administrative Code requires rules to be provided in writing.

“There’s no mask requirement on this sheet of paper. There’s no mask requirement on the official visitor and observer rules,” Hatcher declared. “He signed this rule sheet, he signed the sign-in paper, he openly went into the ballot processing center, and he sat down quietly, observed the process.”

Banks retorted that the mask mandate was displayed on multiple signs posted throughout the office, according to KOMO.

Hazelo pointed out, “The fact is, I signed in. I had authorization to be there. Whether or not I followed the rules after I went in has nothing to do with whether I had authorization to be there to begin with, so ‘unauthorized access’ doesn’t work.”

He told KOMO that election auditors didn’t have the power to establish a mask mandate, and that decision “should be done by the health department.”

On Thursday, a jury found Hazelo guilty of unauthorized access to a voting center and criminal trespass.

Hazelo told KOMO that he does plan to appeal the conviction.

Blaze News reached out to Hazelo’s and Banks’ offices but did not receive a response for comment at the time of publication.

RELATED: Nebraska teacher placed on leave after comparing anti-maskers to KKK

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Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and other Republican lawmakers expressed support this week for Dr. Michael Kirk Moore Jr., the Utah plastic surgeon presently on trial and facing more than 35 years in jail for allegedly destroying COVID-19 vaccines and handing out fraudulent fake vaccination records during the pandemic.

Moore, his neighbor Kristin Jackson Andersen, and two others were charged in 2023 with conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government; conspiracy to convert, sell, convey, and dispose of government property; and conversion, sale, conveyance, and disposal of government property as well as aiding and abetting.

According to the federal indictment, Moore — a member of a group seeking to “‘liberate’ the medical profession from government and industry conflicts of interest” — signed a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 Vaccination Program Provider Agreement in order to secure COVID-19 vaccines and vaccination record cards. He then ordered hundreds of doses of vaccines from the CDC.

Instead of administering the vaccines, Moore, 58, allegedly dumped around $28,000 worth of doses down the drain and handed out vaccination record cards in exchange for cash or donations to a charitable organization.

Between May 2021 and September 2022, the defendants also allegedly administered harmless “saline shots to minor children to trick them into thinking they had received a vaccine” at the request of their parents.

The Biden Department of Justice was evidently keen to throw Moore in jail; however, he has since become something of a folk hero for giving Americans a way to avoid experimental medicine at a time when vaccines were being foisted on the population.

‘This man is a hero, not a criminal.’

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. noted in April that Moore “deserves a medal for his courage and his commitment to healing.”

“He’s one of the few surgeons who stood against the worst COVID-era mandates,” said Texas surgeon Dr. Eithan Haim. “Which is why they’re trying to send him to prison.”

RELATED: What happened to RFK Jr.’s red line on risky vaccines?

Photo illustration by Joe Raedle/Getty Images

As jury selection began for his 15-day trial on Monday, supporters rallied in support of Moore outside the Orrin G. Hatch U.S. Courthouse in Salt Lake City.

Among those who showed up were Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz (R) and Republican state Reps. Karianne Lisonbee and Trevor Lee, reported the Utah News Dispatch.

“The way those of us [who] stood up and pushed back were treated was wrong. We were treated like second-class citizens if we didn’t get the shot, we didn’t get the vaccine,” Schultz told the crowd. “Think about it for just a minute. You had to have a vaccine passport to walk down the streets and go into a shop, to go to a Jazz game, to go to a restaurant. That was unbelievable.”

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene announced Tuesday that she was writing a letter to the Department of Justice asking that all charges be dropped against Moore — a move celebrated by Dr. Robert Malone, one of Robert F. Kennedy’s new appointments to the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

“This man is a hero, not a criminal,” wrote Greene. “The Covid vaccine kills and injures people, but this brave doctor, who is a veteran by the way, is being prosecuted for helping people avoid tyrannical vaccine mandates under Democrats.”

“Big Pharma was given billions of taxpayer’s [sic] dollars for experimental covid vaccines and then the MrNA covid vaccines were forced on Americans, our military, and our children against their will,” continued Greene. “Covid vaccines do not stop the spread of covid and are proven to cause life threatening myocarditis, miscarriages, strokes, blood clots, and many other issues that many Americans are angrily still dealing with today.”

Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie (R) echoed Greene, noting that Moore “should NOT be prosecuted for helping people avoid the tyrannical vax mandates, which were based on a corrupted FDA approval process.”

RELATED: FDA slaps damning warnings on COVID-19 vaccines; highlights Biden administration’s safety-risk gloss

Photo by JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images

Utah Sen. Mike Lee (R), who has repeatedly suggested that Kirk be let off the hook, said on Thursday, “I’m both surprised and disappointed that Dr. Kirk Moore is still being prosecuted — potentially facing three decades in prison — considering all that we’ve learned about COVID, the vaccines, and the unjust mandates imposed by the Biden administration.”

“I just did what was right,” Dr. Moore said outside the courthouse, clearly overwhelmed by the support.

Blaze News has reached out to the DOJ for comment.

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​Michael kirk moore, Kirk moore, Vaccine, Jab, Vax, Covid-19, Big pharma, Robert f. kennedy jr, Kennedy, Maha, Rfk, Marjorie taylor greene, Greene, Utah, Politics 

Democrat Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania defended Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and many on the left have come out to attack the contrarian politician.

Fetterman has openly criticized his party on many issues, but his latest statement in support of federal immigration officials was too much for many. Democrats have vilified ICE for implementing mass deportation orders from President Donald Trump.

‘F**k your mom, your family, your beach vacation, everything you stand for, you bald, lobotomized prick.’

“ICE performs an important job for our country. Any calls to abolish ICE are [100%] inappropriate and outrageous,” wrote the Democrat on social media.

The senator was immediately assailed by many on the left who objected to his support of the rule of law. Many pointed out that his wife was an illegal alien and that he campaigned with a far softer tone on border enforcement.

“John Fetterman gets a lot of hate. But it’s not enough. We can do better,” said Micah Erfan, an official of the Texas Democratic Party. His response got more than 34,000 likes.

“F**k ICE and F**k off, Fetterman,” replied activist Maya Contreras.

“YOUR WIFE WAS UNDOCUMENTED!!!!” read one response with more than 50,000 likes.

“Dear @SenFettermanPA, you are an absolute fool. What we don’t need is a secret police agency where the ‘agents’ don’t wear uniforms, have badges with badge numbers, and where they randomly grab people off the street, refusing to show warrants. Those are Gestapo tactics. F**k you,” responded entrepreneur Robert Gaustad.

“F**k you, f**k your mom, your family, your beach vacation, everything you stand for, you bald, lobotomized prick,” said another account.

RELATED: Video shows protester apparently shooting at federal agents during immigration operation at California farm

Fetterman received praise from President Donald Trump earlier when he defended ICE agents from unhinged rhetoric from many Democrats.

Others on the right were glad to see his statement.

“Amen,” replied Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas.

Many on the left were furious at the Trump administration over a large operation targeting illegal aliens at a farm in Camarillo, California, on Thursday. Officials said they found nearly a dozen unaccompanied minors who may have been made to work at the weed farm.

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In 2020, platinum-selling artist Akon began an ambitious project to build a futuristic city in his ancestral homeland of Senegal. The city promised state-of-the-art infrastructure that acts as an “extension of the sea into the land.”

The singer started the $6 billion project, called AkonCity, with plans for a 2,000-acre resort, condos, and a stadium, all powered by renewable energy. In addition to featuring his own Akon Tower, the city was to use Akon’s cryptocurrency, “Akoin,” as its primary monetary type.

Five years later, not only is Akon’s coin circling the drain, but the Senegalese tourism board has seemingly wiped the 52-year-old’s dream off the storyboard.

When the hit film “Black Panther” was released in 2018 — a film about a supernatural black ethno-state — Akon said the movie’s success was a sign from God that he should continue building his city.

‘God allowed this movie to be successful … this can be possible in Africa.’

“When the movie came it was almost like a blessing, almost like God allowed this movie to be successful for me to get compared to such success to give people that mind state that this can be possible in Africa,” Akon said, according to Africa News.

By mid-2024, however, Akon was given an ultimatum by Senegal to either start a significant amount of construction or abandon the land so that other projects could take over.

That October, the singer insisted during an interview on “The Bootleg Kev Podcast” that relations with Senegal were good and the project was “still in motion.”

Plans for an “African restaurant” and “African open bazaar” could not save AkonCity, though, and this week the head of Senegal’s tourism authority officially shut down Akon’s Wakanda, forever.

RELATED: Trump’s mining plan is smart — but China remains in the room

“The Akon City project no longer exists,” said Serigne Mamadou Mboup, head of the Senegalese tourism authority, according to Newsweek.

The outlet also reported that Akon publicly acknowledged that the project “wasn’t being managed properly.”

“I take full responsibility for that,” Akon added.

Senegalese authorities reportedly stated that developments at the site would continue, but plans would be revised and downsize, all while still involving Akon. The country allegedly wants to follow through on some of the projects as it prepares to host the 2026 Youth Olympic Games.

Despite the promise of an economic boom, residents described the city in late 2022 as a series of empty fields that were being grazed by goats.

As much could be expected from a vacant African construction site, but expectations were always too high, according to Akon.

The entrepreneur admitted to Bootleg Kev in their 2024 interview that he regretted promoting the project while it was still in the design phase. Akon said that while public perception was that construction was already under way, he still had to overcome hurdles like environmental licenses and land surveys.

These are processes that “you learn as you go,” Akon told the host.

Akon also said he brought on one of the designers of Saudi Arabia’s project the Line, a futuristic walled city of dystopian nightmares, but this still did not help the project go forward.

Perhaps the most wide-eyed element of the project was the city’s cryptocurrency backing. The primary coin, Akon’s Akoin, has spectacularly underachieved in terms of growth.

Peaking at $0.4955 USD in February 2021 according to Crypto.com, Akoin is currently valued at $0.003 USD. Interestingly, this is still more valuable than Senegal’s CFA franc, which is worth $0.0018 USD at the time of this writing.

Efforts to popularize the cryptocoin reportedly struggled in the Senegalese market, and the coin was not accepted by regulators, per Dexerto.

RELATED: Right-wing investor to challenge traditional banking with national crypto bank

Real name Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam, Akon was born in St. Louis to Senegalese parents. With over 5 million albums sold, the artist was beloved across the world, particularly for his diamond-selling club song “Sexy Bitch.”

Only time will tell what the Senegalese project will look like moving forward, but Akon has had successful projects in the region before.

According to the Borgen Project, Akon’s Lighting Africa project has brought solar energy to 25 African nations, serving 28.8 million Africans with street lights and solar panels.

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PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — “Are you here legally?” is a question normally asked by federal agents while determining the legal status of an immigrant, but it is a question being increasingly asked by Florida police departments and sheriff’s offices, as they have joined forces with the Trump administration.

Florida law enforcement personnel have become integrated with U.S. Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement through the 287(g) program. The program gives local officers certain powers normally reserved for ICE agents, like arresting illegal aliens without needing to be part of an operation with their federal counterparts.

Blaze Media was with the Florida Highway Patrol on Wednesday to see how the state’s largest law enforcement agency is helping the Trump administration follow through on mass deportations. FHP and other Florida law enforcement personnel who are part of the 287(g) program still carry out their normal patrol duties, and often, troopers will encounter illegal aliens during routine traffic stops.

RELATED: Alligator Alcatraz is a warning to illegal immigrants in the US: Leave now or end up here

Alligator Alcatraz is a warning to illegal immigrants in the US: Leave now or end up here Julio Rosas/Blaze Media

The reasons for the traffic stops range from observing drivers and passengers not wearing seatbelts to having unsecured loads in the backs of work trucks.

In one stop initiated by the FHP sergeant whom Blaze Media was with, the driver and one passenger of a work truck were not wearing seatbelts. The passenger in the middle, originally from Venezuela, had a seatbelt on, but his claim for asylum was no longer valid and he was taken into custody. The driver had a green card, and the other non-seatbelt-wearer was a U.S. citizen.

During another traffic stop, it was discovered that the driver was in the country unlawfully and did not have a license. While being put in the FHP squad car, the man joked about being sent to Alligator Alcatraz, the state-run illegal alien holding facility in the Everglades.

RELATED: Florida’s next phase to carry out mass deportations as feds say state’s efforts are the blueprint

— (@)

The FHP team took 11 illegal immigrants into custody and transported them to a Border Patrol station for further processing. Some had been in the U.S. for only a few years, while others had been living here for over 20 years.

Florida currently leads the nation in the number of state and local police agencies that are part of the 287(g) program. It is state law for every level of government to do its best to aid federal immigration enforcement.

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​Politics 

At a recent White House Cabinet meeting, President Trump shocked his supporters when he abruptly interrupted a reporter who was grilling Attorney General Pam Bondi on the Jeffery Epstein case.

The outburst was unexpected, since part of Trump’s 2024 campaign promise was to release all Epstein files, stating, “Every document, every name, no redactions.”

“Your memo and release yesterday on Jeffrey Epstein, it left some lingering mysteries. One of the biggest ones is whether he ever worked for an American or foreign intelligence agency. The former labor secretary, who is Miami U.S. attorney Alex Acosta, he allegedly said that he did work for an intelligence agency,” the reporter said to Bondi.

“So could you resolve whether or not he did? And also, could you say why there was a minute missing from the jailhouse tape on the night of his death?” the reporter followed up.

–

“Are you still talking about Jeffrey Epstein? This guy’s been talked about for years. We have Texas, we have this, we have all of the things, and are people still talking about this guy? That is unbelievable,” Trump cut in.

“I can’t believe you’re asking a question about Epstein, at a time like this where we’re having some of the greatest success and also tragedy with what happened in Texas. It just seems like a desecration,” he continued, adding, “Do you want to waste time answering?”

Pam Bondi then took her time to answer, explaining that when she was originally asked a question about the client list, she said it was sitting on her desk to be reviewed alongside the JFK and MLK files.

“That’s what I meant by that. Also, to the tens of thousands of video, they turned out to be child porn downloaded by that disgusting Jeffrey Epstein. Child porn is what they were. Never going to be released. Never going to see the light of day. To him being an agent, I have no knowledge about that,” Bondi said.

She then addressed the reporter’s concerns about the video tape of Epstein’s cell, saying “every night the video is reset and every night should have the same minute missing.”

BlazeTV host Pat Gray is one of Trump’s shocked supporters.

“I can’t believe we’re still talking, a lot of times, about the 2020 election. He doesn’t have any problem still talking about that,” Gray says, frustrated.

“I know it’s stupid, it really is,” he mocks. “We just found out, the day before yesterday, there are no Epstein files, and we’re still talking about it today. Incredible.”

Want more from Pat Gray?

To enjoy more of Pat’s biting analysis and signature wit as he restores common sense to a senseless world, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

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Immigration raids in California led to the shocking discovery of several unaccompanied children. Federal officials are investigating whether these minors were exploited or trafficked.

On Thursday, multiple federal agencies, armed with warrants for illegal employees, swept two state-licensed marijuana facilities in Camarillo and Carpinteria operated by Glass House Farms, Fox News Digital reported.

‘The Biden administration lost ~300,000 unaccompanied children — many of these innocent children were trafficked and exploited.’

Protesters gathered at the site after learning about the raids. Federal authorities used tear gas and smoke bombs to disperse the crowd.

California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) condemned the Trump administration’s immigration raids.

He wrote in a post on social media, “Kids running from tear gas, crying on the phone because their mother was just taken from the fields. Trump calls me ‘Newscum’ — but he’s the real scum.”

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott fired back, telling Newsom that the raid resulted in the discovery of several unaccompanied minor migrants who may have been illegally working on the farm.

“Here’s some breaking news: 10 juveniles were found at this marijuana facility — all illegal aliens, 8 of them unaccompanied. It’s now under investigation for child labor violations,” Scott wrote. “This is Newsom’s California.”

RELATED: Video shows protester apparently shooting at federal agents during immigration operation at California farm

Photo by BLAKE FAGAN/AFP via Getty Images

Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin confirmed Scott’s reports, adding that the children appeared to be the victims of exploitation.

“At the Ventura, California marijuana facility, @ICEgov and @CBP law enforcement rescued 8 unaccompanied migrant children from what looks like exploitation, violation of child labor laws and potentially human trafficking or smuggling,” McLaughlin stated.

The DHS said, “The Biden administration lost ~300,000 unaccompanied children — many of these innocent children were trafficked and exploited.”

Another DHS social media post added, “Why are there children working at a marijuana facility, Gavin?”

During one of Thursday’s farm raids, a protester appeared to shoot at federal agents. The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of the alleged culprit.

RELATED: Trump ‘was right’ on immigration, admits John Kerry

Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images

The alleged violent clash led to an online spat between Newsom and Libs of TikTok.

Libs of TikTok questioned whether Newsom would condemn the protesters’ alleged violent actions toward ICE officers, who are facing a 700% increase in assaults, according to the agency.

Newsom replied to Libs of TikTok, stating, “Of course I condemn any assault on law enforcement, you s**t poster. Now do Jan 6.”

“Not a single cop or officer was fired upon on January 6th you lying, greasy, slimy weirdo,” Libs of TikTok wrote.

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​News, Illegal immigration crisis, Illegal immigration, Immigration crisis, Immigration, California, Ventura california, Ventura, Camarillo california, Carpinteria california, Camarillo, Carpinteria, Donald trump, Trump, Trump administration, Trump admin, Immigration and customs enforcement, Ice, Gavin newsom, Department of homeland security, Dhs, Newsom, Ice raids, Immigration raids, Farm, Marijuana farm, Marijuana, Weed farm, Pot farm, Customs and border protection, Cbp, Politics, Glass house farms 

After the Guadalupe River flooded in Central Texas and took over 100 lives, Americans were looking for answers as to how such a tragedy could happen so quickly.

The extreme rainfall had some pointing to possible weather modification, which Texas Senator Ted Cruz (R) dismissed as “strange” and “crazy” internet theories.

Just days later, though, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Lee Zeldin revealed that weather modification is not just a theory, and at least nine states are conducting weather modification operations in public view.

‘For years, people who asked questions in good faith were dismissed.’

The government agency explained that weather modification is something that has been used in covert U.S. military operations in the past, but might not be as powerful as people are led to believe.

Zeldin addressed the public on Thursday and revealed that the EPA had published reports on both contrails and geoengineering in an attempt to reach full “transparency.”

“The American public deserves and expects honesty and transparency from their government when seeking answers. But for years, people who asked questions in good faith were dismissed, even vilified by the media and their own government,” Zeldin said in a video. “That era is over. The Trump EPA is committed to total transparency.”

“I want you to know EVERYTHING I know about these topics, and without ANY exception!” Zeldin wrote on X.

The EPA’s geoengineering report revealed past government programs dating between 1947 and 1971. The programs listed focused on attempts by the U.S. military to modify hurricanes and rainfall patterns, including in war zones.

RELATED: Did cloud seeding cause the Texas floods? Glenn Beck speaks with the man with the most fingers pointed at him

In October 1947, the Army, Navy, and Air Force worked together to conduct the first hurricane cloud seeding experiment using dry ice, dumping it into a hurricane off the coast of Florida.

During the Vietnam War, Operation Popeye was a classified military weather modification program that attempted to extend monsoon season in North Vietnam and Laos.

Between 1961 and 1971, Project Stormfury‘s objective was to modify hurricane strength through seeding with silver iodide to reduce wind speeds. Experiments were conducted on four hurricanes in eight days.

The government concluded that despite all of these programs, “no existing technology can modify hurricanes.”

“Geoengineering is a billion-dollar industry that is rarely reported on due to the stigma, largely due to the term ‘chemtrails,’ which is lauded as a conspiracy theory due to its origin from early internet blogs,” investigative reporter Lewis Brackpool told Blaze News.

This sentiment rings true in the EPA’s report on contrails, wherein chemtrails are dismissed as civilian misconceptions that happen when observing contrails from routine air traffic.

Brackpool has revealed interesting government programs and flows of money through his research and use of Freedom of Information requests. For example, he uncovered that an American NGO called Silver Lining donated $200,000 to the Met Office, Britain’s weather forecaster, for “geoengineering.”

No matter who is denying it, weather modification programs are noted on public websites, direct from government sources. The EPA’s document dump explained that there are nine states that have active weather modification programs.

California, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming have cloud seeding programs. Colorado says it has had weather modification programs since the 1950s. New Mexico and North Dakota have cloud modification programs, while Texas boasts weather modification in general, as well as cloud seeding.

RELATED: Cloud seeding revisited: Can the government control the weather?

— (@)

BlazeTV host Nicole Shanahan published her own findings on Thursday after speaking to a “whistleblower” who has experience in the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The whistleblower pointed to federal grants to organizations like the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, which Shanahan says has received hundreds of millions in government funding, including one instance of more than $180 million.

UCAR leads geoengineering research in fields like stratospheric aerosol geoengineering, which many refer to as the formal term for the colloquial word “chemtrails.”

Shanahan’s report points to other public findings, but the whistleblower did not offer any secret or classified materials.

This lends to the idea that while some government officials may brush off weather modification or geoengineering as a myth or wild conspiracy theory, government programs and government funding have been and continue to be used to conduct small- and large-scale operations.

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While many regard Zohran Mamdani as a Democratic rising star, fault lines are beginning to emerge between the mayoral hopeful and the party establishment.

Mamdani emerged as the frontrunner in New York City’s mayoral primary in June, securing a healthy lead over disgraced former Governor Andrew Cuomo (D). Although some New York progressives came out in support of the self-proclaimed socialist, top Democrats have not welcomed him with open arms.

‘If Team Gentrification wants a primary fight, our response will be forceful and unrelenting.’

RELATED: Exclusive: Vance on Mamdani: ‘Who the hell does he think that he is?’

Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Throughout the mayoral race, Congress’ top New York Democrats have withheld from endorsing Mamdani altogether. Both House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer have refrained from explicitly supporting Mamdani, although both congratulated him after winning his primary.

“Congratulations to Zohran Mamdani on a decisive primary victory,” Jeffries said in a post on X. “Assemblyman Mamdani ran a strong campaign that relentlessly focused on the economy and bringing down the high cost of living in New York City. We spoke this morning and plan to meet in Central Brooklyn shortly.”

“I have known Mamdani since we worked together to provide debt relief for thousands of beleaguered taxi drivers & fought to stop a fracked gas plant in Astoria,” Schumer said in a post on X. “He ran an impressive campaign that connected with New Yorkers about affordability, fairness, & opportunity.”

Notably, neither of these statements included endorsements.

RELATED: Tom Homan sends warning to socialist NYC candidate over sanctuary city status: ‘Good luck on that’

Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Since Mamdani’s decisive victory, tensions have ramped up. Progressives have increasingly pushed primary threats, with some of Mamdani’s allies, like the Democratic Socialists of America, reportedly eyeing Jeffries’ seat.

“His leadership has left a vacuum that organizations like DSA are filling,” Gustavo Gordillo, co-chair of the NYC DSA, told CNN. “I think that is more important right now.”

Jeffries’ team promptly hit back at Mamdani’s allies, whom they called “Team Gentrification,” saying they will teach challengers a “painful lesson.”

“Leader Hakeem Jeffries is focused on taking back the House from the MAGA extremists who just ripped health care away from millions of Americans,” André Richardson, Jeffries’ senior adviser, told CNN.

“However, if Team Gentrification wants a primary fight, our response will be forceful and unrelenting. We will teach them and all of their incumbents a painful lesson on June 23, 2026,” Richardson added.

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​Hakeem jeffries, Chuck schumer, Aoc, Alexandria ocasio-cortez, New york city, Eric adams, Andrew cuomo, New york city primary, Zohran mamdani, Progressives, Socialists, Democratic socialists, Establishment, Establishment democrats, Donald trump, Politics 

Big changes are coming to the U.S. State Department that are sure to eclipse the significance of Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s shuttering of the rebranded Global Engagement Center and the U.S. Agency for International Development.

President Donald Trump issued an executive order on Feb. 11 directing agency heads to “promptly undertake preparations to initiate large-scale reductions in force” with the ultimate aim of “eliminating waste, bloat, and insularity.”

A gang of labor unions, leftist NGOs, and local governments sued to prevent the administration from executing mass layoffs at the department where 93% of all employee political contributions in the 2019-2020 election cycle went to Democratic Party candidates or political action committees.

A Clinton judge, evidently swayed by the liberals’ claim that the “president does not possess authority to reorganize, downsize, or otherwise transform the agencies of the federal government, unless and until Congress authorizes such action,” blocked Trump’s order.

The case, Trump v. American Federation of Government Employees, went before the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled 8-1 in the administration’s favor, pausing U.S. District Court Judge Susan Illston’s injunction.

Now, with the high court’s blessing, the State Department is sending well over 1,300 employees packing.

RELATED: Deep-staters threaten to use color revolution tactics against Trump admin: Report

Photo by Russian FM Press Service/Anadolu via Getty Images

In a letter to employees obtained by RealClearPolitics Thursday evening, Michael Rigas, deputy secretary of state for management and resources, said that the department was “communicating to individuals affected by the reduction in force” and that once notifications have taken place, “the Department will enter the final stage of its reorganization and focus its attention on delivering results-driven diplomacy.”

‘It’s what all of us want.’

Rigas noted that the objective of the house-cleaning, announced by Rubio in April, was clear from the start: “Focus resources on policy priorities and eliminate redundant functions, empowering our people while increasing accountability.”

State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce echoed Rigas’ suggestion, telling reporters Thursday, “This is about making sure that the State Department is able to operate in a manner that makes it relevant and effective. That is what the American people want. It’s what all of us want. And in this dynamic, that’s exactly what we’re achieving.”

Documents detailing the department’s reorganization plan shared with Congress and obtained by Government Executive in May, indicated that pink slips would go to:

198 employees at the Economic Growth, Energy, and Environment division; 386 employees at the Foreign Assistance and Humanitarian Affairs division; 897 at the Management division; 112 at the Political Affairs division; 88 at the Office of Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs; 51 employees in Rubio’s office; and 141 employees in the Arms Control and International Security division.

The documents indicated thousands more were leaving voluntarily.

The plans to Congress reportedly indicated that more than 300 of the department’s 734 bureaus and offices would be axed, streamlined, or merged.

Blaze News has reached out to the State Department for comment.

White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly told Blaze News, “Under President Trump’s leadership, all agencies are being streamlined to ensure more efficient services for the American people. Bloated operations often result in duplicative or even contradictory foreign policy. By reorganizing the Department of State, Secretary Rubio is ensuring that all actions align with the America First agenda that people voted for.”

Simon Hankinson, senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation’s Border Security and Immigration Center, suggested earlier this year that while “painful in places,” the State Department’s restructuring plan “seems achievable without blunting the effectiveness of American foreign policy.”

‘Leadership requires hard choices.’

When asked about the layoffs underway and whether the department will retain its effectiveness, Hankinson — who worked for State for over two decades — told Blaze News, “If reports of the scope of the RIF are accurate, I don’t think they will undermine the State Department’s core mission of carrying out U.S. foreign policy, providing citizen services and passports, issuing visas, and all the department does for Americans.”

RELATED: ‘Nothing to be proud of’: State Department spits on USAID’s grave following Bono, Obama eulogies

Photo by Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images

“How this ends up depends on the tactics — the how, who, and where,” said Hankinson. “If they make the right choices to cut offices whose work can be done elsewhere with no loss, but retain the staff with the highest performance, skills, and specialized knowledge, this will save money at no loss to efficiency. The worst result for the American taxpayer would be to see expensive RIFs followed a few years later by expensive new hires to perform vital functions.”

The follow-through on these layoffs are a testament to the Trump administration’s willingness to make tough decisions, suggested Hankinson, who noted that throughout his 23-year career as a foreign service officer at State, he “never once met an ambassador or senior official who wanted to shrink their staff; they only ever wanted more people and resources.”

“Every study or report about State I’ve read in the last 10 years — with the exception of my own last year —recommends more staff and money, yet they never say where the money comes from,” continued Hankinson. “They just say it’s a ‘priority.’ But so is everything. Leadership requires hard choices. The last time we saw cuts to federal agencies on this scale was in the Clinton administration, and since then, the federal budget and entitlements have slowly grown.”

Hankinson noted that with spiraling federal debt, “Every part of our government is going to have to be reduced, reorganized, and made more efficient, sooner or later.”

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​Reductions in force, Reduction in force, Layoffs, State department, Marco rubio, Tammy bruce, State, Deep state, Efficiency, Donald trump, Politics 

I went to a restaurant run by feminists, and it was terrible.

You probably have a lot of questions. I would too if I were the one reading that sentence rather than the one writing it.

These people — the people most obsessed with ‘acceptance’ as a political virtue — are generally miserable to be around.

How exactly do I know it was run by rabid feminists? Why exactly was it terrible because it was run by such feminists? I will explain.

My wife, children, and I were on vacation. We were off in the deep north of the Middle West. After driving for a few hours, we were ready for a bite to eat. There aren’t too many options that far out in the northern wilderness.

We were thankful to find a place — any place! — about 15 minutes away, right on a lake. A small restaurant on a lake up north, that’s got to be an easy-going, relaxing place to have lunch, right?

Wrong.

Service with a sneer

The atmosphere was rank from the moment we opened the door. The woman at the front greeted my wife with a cold and sour, “May I help you?” We sat down and things descended farther. They didn’t have a children’s menu. Who doesn’t have a children’s menu? They didn’t have booster seats. Who doesn’t have booster seats?

Often, when we go out with our kids, we order a side salad for them to split. Basically every restaurant has one or will make one.

But not this one.

My wife politely asked, “Could we get a side salad for the kids to share?”

Our frigid, tight-lipped waitress curtly answered, “No.”

They had a tiny menu, obviously excluding simple fare to signal some kind of “finer taste.” Remember, this is in the middle of nowhere, no cellphone service. Who are they kidding?

Whine list

There was a small bar with a single bartender. She was the type of gender-confused leftist who dyes her hair black, then chops it off into some kind of faux mullet.

Adorned with doodle tattoos, no makeup, and tasteless piercings, she stood behind the bar seething. Her default facial setting was one of bubbling rage. It looked like she wanted to kill. It may sound like I am exaggerating, and maybe I am, but only barely. This is how she looked, this is how she acted, and this is how it felt.

The general vibe was more reminiscent of a hostage situation than a dining establishment. The tables were full, but barely anyone spoke. It felt like everyone was afraid to say anything. They were scared for their lives.

There was a tense hum of silence over the tables. An older couple came in to ask if they could get a table, and the woman at the front made it seem like they were asking if she could split the atom for them. It was bizarre.

Malice’s Restaurant

Different places have different feelings. It doesn’t come down to just one element. It’s the sum of the parts. The way people speak to you, the way they look at you, the way the decor is arranged, the music, the signs on the wall, the kind of people working. Some places are warm, inviting, and comfortable. Others are not, and this place was not.

Everyone working was a woman. At the front, behind the bar, waiting the tables.

RELATED: Against women wearing pants

Bettman/Getty Images

It’s hard to describe why, but I got the sense that they were all owners, like they all pitched in together. They weren’t just workers with paychecks. There was something else there. They weren’t moms, young college students, or anyone else you might expect to be working at a restaurant. Something was off.

They all looked, and acted like, a different archetype of unhappy, unfulfilled feminist. They all had the same kind of unpleasant, tightly wound, ready to snap, judgmental demeanor. They all looked down on my wife and kids with a patronizing and adversarial predisposition.

Of course, they weren’t exactly friendly to me either.

Appetite for destruction

There is a certain way bitter feminists, angry lesbians, and gender destroyers look at me, my wife, and kids. My wife is beautiful; she wears dresses every day. My daughter too. I dress in a classic American style, and so does my son.

For these types of people, our family is an aesthetic refutation of their broken and disordered ideology. They don’t like us (or people like us), and it’s very obvious.

And that’s why their restaurant is so miserable. These kinds of people are not happy people, they are not welcoming people, they are not warm people. They don’t like kids, they don’t like families, they don’t like happy men or beautiful women. They only like bitter, broken, and disordered individuals.

They might make fine food — and the food was just fine — but their obvious disdain for us left a bad taste all the same.

Signal du jour

There were signals of their political orientation on the walls. There were two restrooms. Both had signs that read “All Gender Restroom” in the middle of the door.

These signs, if you haven’t seen them, include three figures. A man, a woman in a dress, and then a figure that is half-man and half-woman. Half pants, half dress. A perfect example of the laziest, most pathetic kind of leftist virtue-signaling.

Again, this restaurant is in the middle of nowhere. The restroom signs are a political act, an intentional provocation, and an obvious indication of who they are.

It was the type of place that hangs a sign in the window that reads “ALL ARE WELCOME” in a variety of colors, despite the actual atmosphere inside being one that is completely acidic and 0% welcoming.

Check, please!

It’s a fascinating thing. You see this a lot. Crunchy grocery stores, vegan restaurants, and other lefty-type places. These people — the people most obsessed with “acceptance” as a political virtue — are generally miserable to be around. They are devoted to acceptance on paper, but their aura is like that of an electric fence.

Women are warm, welcoming, and kind. It’s their nature. That’s why they are called the fairer sex. God made them best with kids and things more sensitive.

Extreme feminists of 2025 are none of those things and possess none of those wonderful attributes. They have, in general, made their identity into one based on opposing any natural female traits, virtues, or sensibilities.

They have instead set their sights on trying, and failing, to be men. They have decided to resist, reject, and make war on all the wonderful things of women. That’s why they are so unhappy, and that’s why their restaurant was so miserable. It was clean, the food was fine, the location was great, but the women were dreadful, dour, sad, and bitter.

Walking out of the restaurant, our kids stumbling over each other, our family gleefully disturbing the morgue-like pall of the dining room, we laughed to one another. Thankful we are who we are and aren’t who we aren’t. It must be a miserable life being an angry feminist.

​Restaurant, Lifestyle, Men’s style, Family life, Dining out, Feminism, The root of the matter 

The autopen scandal saga continues, as Dr. Kevin O’Connor, the White House physician during former President Joe Biden’s tenure, has refused to answer congressional questions regarding his time under the Biden administration.

O’Connor pleaded the Fifth when asked two questions, which BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales says, “should raise your eyebrows a little.”

The first question was, “Were you ever told to lie about the president’s health?” And the second was, “Did you ever believe President Biden was unfit to execute his duties?”

While the silence was deafening to those who noticed a clear decline in president Biden’s health and mental state, O’Connor’s attorney is claiming that physician-patient privilege is the reason for his silence.

“This committee has indicated to Dr. O’Connor and his attorneys that it does not intend to honor one of the most well-known privileges in our law — the physician-patient privilege,” O’Connor’s attorney said.

“Revealing confidential patient information would violate the most fundamental ethical duty of a physician, could result in revocation of Dr. O’Connor’s medical license, and would subject Dr. O’Connor to potential civil liability. Dr. O’Connor will not violate his oath of confidentiality to any of his patients, including President Biden,” the attorney added.

“But how are you violating any sort of physician-patient privilege by answering if you were ever told to lie about the president’s health?” Gonzales asks. “That’s not giving any sort of medical information. That doesn’t violate HIPAA law.”

“I don’t think that constitutes any sort of physician-patient privilege. I think that is their entire lie unraveling and them trying to figure out how they can continue this charade until something else big maybe happens,” she continues.

“This is one of the biggest scandals in American history, and we have to get to the bottom of it eventually, despite Joe Biden’s doctor pleading the Fifth,” she adds.

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