A pro-cryptocurrency bill supported by Treasury Sec. Scott Bessent was narrowly defeated in a procedural vote in the Senate on Thursday.

The GENIUS bill would have created a new regulatory framework for digital coins and had been negotiated with Democrats. However, they turned on it at the last second. The bill needed to garner 60 votes to continue in the Senate but failed on a largely partisan basis with all Democrats voting against it.

‘The Senate missed an opportunity to provide that leadership today.’

Forty-eight senators voted in favor of the bill, and 49 voted against it.

Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota blasted Democrats for what he said was simply an effort to stonewall President Donald Trump.

“I don’t know why you vote against proceeding to a bill on the floor after you voted to refer that same bill to the floor, which of course makes you wonder if this is about the bill at all or if it’s simply Democrats obstructing because they want to deny Republicans or President Trump a bipartisan win,” Thune said.

“Now, given the fact that Democrats keep moving the goalposts, it’s hard not to suspect that is the case,” he added.

Democrat Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona put the blame on Republicans.

“The Republicans killed it because my colleagues don’t have enough time to read the changes that we have been proposing,” he said.

Bessent warned that defeating the bill would give foreign competitors a leg up on the U.S. in the crypto field.

“Senators who voted to stonewall U.S. ingenuity today face a simple choice: Either step up and lead or watch digital asset innovation move offshore,” he said.

“For stablecoins and other digital assets to thrive globally, the world needs American leadership. The Senate missed an opportunity to provide that leadership today by failing to advance the GENIUS Act,” Bessent added.

“This bill represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to expand dollar dominance and U.S. influence in financial innovation,” he concluded. “Without it, stablecoins will be subject to a patchwork of state regulations instead of a streamlined federal framework that is more conducive to growth and competitiveness.”

Tech website Gizmodo reported that the regulatory framework to be set up by the bill was favored by cryptocurrency enthusiasts because it was weak and encouraged more investment.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​Crytocurrency bill, Dems vs crypto, Bessent cryptocurrency, Genius bill defeated, Politics 

Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) dismissed violence committed by the far left because, according to her, most of the political violence is coming from Republicans.

Crockett has seen her profile rise as she speaks out and levels harsh criticisms toward the GOP and President Donald Trump. Since Democrats have no clear leader after their brutal defeat in the 2024 election, Crockett has emerged as a national surrogate for the party.

“They try to act like, ‘Oh, political violence, it’s the Democrats and it’s the liberals,’ and it’s like, actually, actually, actually — I mean, I’m not going to say that, like, a left-leaning person cannot be violent because that would be, like, crazy to say that somebody can’t be. But baby, baby, y’all got the white supremacists galore, okay? Like, all of them. You got the Proud Boys, you got the neo-Nazis, you have people that literally should be classified as domestic terrorists because a lot of times that is what they are doing — they’re engaging in domestic terrorism,” Crocket said on the podcast “American Fever Dream.”

If any foreign students are found, they will have their visas revoked.

“I mean, this is who aligns with that. So, like, inherently in, like, who you are, y’all are violent. And most of your violence has to do with people that’s got a little bit of melanin. But nevertheless, like, y’all are a violent group. Like, you attract violent actors. And, like, I’m sorry, I know they tried to make Black Lives Matter out to be the most violent — ‘Oh, what about Black Lives Matter?’ No, no, no,” she insisted.

Crockett’s comments this week about the supposed lack of violence from the left were ill-timed as Antifa and other far-left groups reportedly carried out two high-profile attacks on college campuses within days of each other. At the University of Washington, anti-Israel protesters stormed the school’s engineering building and caused extensive damage inside. Fires were started outside the building, with part of the mob preventing first responders from putting them out. The occupiers were eventually arrested once more police officers arrived on the scene.

The University of Washington said a total of 34 people were arrested, 21 of whom were students. The students have been suspended and banned from campus.

In New York City, anti-Israel students rushed inside a Columbia University library to occupy it. Campus security and New York City police officers did not let the crowd out unless they showed their student IDs. Those who refused were arrested.

In all, NYPD made over 80 arrests, and the State Department will be reviewing if any of those involved are in the U.S. on student visas. If any foreign students are found, they will likely have their visas revoked.

Crockett’s claims also do not hold up after the wave of violent attacks against Tesla drivers and dealerships by far leftists outraged because of CEO Elon Musk’s ties to the Trump administration and the DOGE.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​Politics 

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) has introduced the “American Privacy Restoration Act,” which aims to fully repeal the Patriot Act and “strip rogue intelligence officers of their extraordinary mass surveillance powers.”

“Since the passage of the USA Patriot Act in the aftermath of 9/11, intelligence agency officials have used their mass surveillance tools to settle personal scores, interfere in elections, and spy on untold numbers of innocent Americans. This abuse must come to an end,” Luna wrote in a post on X.

“Do we think that Anna Paulina Luna can actually gain enough support, because we know disarming the deep state is not going to be easy. So will she be able to get enough people to rally around this and get this one done?” Jill Savage of “Blaze News Tonight” asks co-host Matthew Peterson.

“We don’t even know if Congress will have enough people to get President Trump’s budget passed, so I can’t say, ‘Yes,’” Peterson answers.

“I’m old enough to remember when the Patriot Act was a predominantly Republican-coded thing,” he continues. “Republicans are the ones who were responsible for the Patriot Act, although there were some people, like the Pauls, we have to give credit to, who realized this was a bad idea.”

“So that is an enormous challenge, but what’s really refreshing about this, is that here you have a star person in Congress, a real star, coming out and doing something that would’ve been considered radical even five years ago, that needs to be done. So is it a step in the right direction? Hell yeah, it is,” he adds.

Want more from ‘Blaze News Tonight’?

To enjoy more provocative opinions, expert analysis, and breaking stories you won’t see anywhere else, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​Video phone, Upload, Camera phone, Sharing, Free, Video, Youtube.com, Blaze news tonight, Blaze media, Blaze online, Blaze podcasts, Blaze podcast network, Blaze originals, Blazetv, Anna paulina luna, The patriot act, Repeal the patriot act, Matthew peterson, Jill savage, President trump, The trump administration 

President Donald Trump announced that he was withdrawing his nomination for the U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C., on Thursday.

Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina said he would not support the president’s nominee, Ed Martin, over his support for those arrested at the U.S. Capitol rioting on Jan. 6. Martin is the acting prosecutor for the District of Colombia, but he needs congressional approval to continue in the office.

‘Whether it’s 30 days or three years is debatable, but I have no tolerance for anybody who entered the building on January 6.’

The president told reporters at the Oval Office on Thursday that he was pulling Martin’s nomination.

“He wasn’t getting the support,” said Trump. “I’m very disappointed in that. … I’m one person. I can only lift that little phone so many times in a day.”

Tillis told reporters that he objected to Martin’s defense of the Jan. 6 rioters and could not support his nomination.

“I met with Mr. Martin; he seems like a good man,” he said.

“Most of my concerns related to January 6, and he built a compelling case on some of the 15 or 12 prosecutions that were probably ‘heat of the moment’ bad decisions,” Tillis added. “But where we probably have a difference is I think anybody that breached the perimeter should have been in prison for some period of time. Whether it’s 30 days or three years is debatable, but I have no tolerance for anybody who entered the building on January 6.”

He went on to say the location made a big difference for him as well.

“If Mr. Martin were being put forth as a U.S. attorney for any district except the district where January 6 happened, the protest happened, I’d probably support him,” Tillis said. “But not in this district.”

Critics of Tillis’ position argued that handing Democrats a victory on this position would open the floodgates to further stalling of the president’s agenda.

“Democrats view blocking Martin as their best shot to stall the entire Trump agenda,” wrote Blaze Media senior politics editor and Washington correspondent Christopher Bedford. “If they win this round — especially before action begins on the tax and border reconciliation bill — they will exploit GOP hesitation and slow the administration’s rollout. It’s a savvy play, especially at a moment when Democrats and the left have few options.”

The president said that he would be nominating someone else for the position within the next two days.

“Hopefully we can bring him into, whether it’s DOJ or whatever, in some capacity,” Trump said to reporters about Martin.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​Trump withdraws ed martin, Ed martin nomination, Us attorney washington dc, Tillis vs trump, Politics 

Yesterday, FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi announced “Operation Restore Justice,” which resulted in 205 arrests of alleged child sex predators and the rescue of 115 children — a huge win for justice and the Trump administration.

Patel’s message was spine-chilling in the best way: “If you harm our children, you will be given no sanctuary. There is no place we will not come to hunt you down; there is no place we will not look for you; and there is no cage we will not put you in should you do harm to our children.”

“Are you confident in that message?” Sara Gonzales asks founder of Predator Poachers Alex Rosen, whose literal job is leading sting operations to expose and confront alleged child predators.

“The DOJ, who works for us, has a lot to prove, but I think it’s in the right direction,” he says.

Sara is thankful that the Trump administration is at least taking the issue of pedophilia in this country seriously. She recalls how the Biden administration at one point was “taking people who were supposed to work on child sex crimes and putting them on January 6 [cases].”

Even though the Trump administration has already dramatically cleared the pathetically low bar set by the Biden administration, the truth is that sometimes more manpower is needed. That’s where Rosen’s group comes in, and most of the time, it’s smooth sailing.

“Local law enforcement is usually great to us,” says Rosen. However, sometimes, it’s his group that ends up being in the crosshairs.

In March, Rosen was arrested and hit with a felony harassment charge when he confronted a pedophile at a Steak ‘n Shake.

Back in October 2024, Predator Poachers had identified an alleged pedophile named Joshua Teague in Branson, Missouri. They turned him in to local law enforcement, but just 24 hours later, he was released with no charges. Three months later, Teague contacted Predator Poachers’ same decoy with explicit messages, including one about “molesting his 12-year-old sister,” prompting Rosen to confront him in person.

At Steak ‘n Shake, Teague’s place of employment, “I proceeded to read messages in a louder than usual voice, and I referred to him as a pedophile, and somehow I got a felony harassment charge,” he tells Sara, noting that the charge “wasn’t even against [Teague]; it was against somebody else in the store.”

“No threats were made; nothing untrue was said; and of course, I didn’t put hands on anybody … and they charged me with felony harassment,” he adds, calling his arrest “collateral” for pointing out the “incompetence” of local law enforcement.

Teague has thankfully been arrested and is currently being held without bond in the Taney County Jail in Branson, Missouri.

To hear more details of Rosen’s story, watch the episode above.

Want more from Sara Gonzales?

To enjoy more of Sara’s no-holds-barred take to news and culture, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​Sara gonzales, Sara gonzales unfiltered, Blazetv, Blaze media, Kash patel, Predator poachers, Alex rosen 

A Florida man already accused of forcing a teen girl into signing a “sex slave” contract now faces additional charges alleging that he tried to hire a hit man to kill her before she could testify against him.

According to the TCPalm, the teen contacted law enforcement to report being sexually assaulted on Aug. 17, 2021.

‘And then if the victim was … no longer here, he essentially gets sentenced to nothing.’

Officers with the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office arrested Andrew Mustapick 10 days later. He was charged with unlawful sex activity with certain minors.

The 17-year-old victim alleged that she was forced to sign a “sex slave” contract in exchange for gifts, including a car.

WPBF-TV reported that the victim told detectives that Mustapick wrote in the contract that the teenager “was to complete these sexual favors on Mondays and Fridays over the next five years.”

According to WFLX-TV, Mustapick purchased a car for the victim’s friend so the friend could drive the victim to his house.

Mustapick took back the 2017 Volkswagen after the girl did not “uphold her end of the contract,” according to Law & Crime. The vehicle had reportedly been registered in Mustapick’s name.

The victim reportedly recorded her last encounter with Mustapick, which she provided to investigators.

In late March 2025, Mustapick signed a plea of no contest to one count of sexual activity with a minor — a second-degree felony.

However, the Indian River Sheriff’s Office reportedly received a tip before Mustapick made a plea deal that he was attempting to hire a hit man to kill the teen to prevent her from testifying against him.

Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers said, “So, in March, we were notified of this. Thank you to the person who came forward. We’re not identifying them at this time. But we would not be here today if it weren’t for that person that came forward and let us know about this.”

According to police, Mustapick met with an undercover detective posing as a hit man for hire on May 1, 2025.

Mustapick allegedly told the undercover cop that he would offer $40,000 to convince the victim to refuse to testify and then offered another $50,000 to have her killed if she still decided to testify.

Flowers added, “His plan was to withdraw the plea deal. And then if the victim was … no longer here, he essentially gets sentenced to nothing.”

Police said Mustapick also was captured on video attempting to dispose of electronic devices, including a laptop and hard drive, by throwing them into the St. Sebastian River. The St. Lucie County Dive Team reportedly recovered the laptop and hard drive as evidence.

Authorities accused Mustapick of attempting to seek services to “use intimidation or physical force, or threaten” in order to prevent the victim from testifying or ensure the victim’s absence from a criminal proceeding.

Mustapick was detained at the Indian River County Jail on a $7 million bond.

“This guy is an absolute animal,” Sheriff Flowers said during a press conference. “Over eight months he’s going to spend in prison, he’s willing to have somebody bumped off.”

Mustapick is scheduled to appear in court on June 6.

You can watch the police bodycam video of Mustapick speaking to an undercover cop here.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up!

​Hitman, Hitman for hire, Murder for hire, Murder for hire scheme, Murder for hire plot, Florida crime, Florida man, Crime, Sex slave contract, Teen victim, Hit man 

President Trump thinks that allowing Russia to compete in the FIFA World Cup could work as an incentive to help bring peace with Ukraine.

Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino hosted the first meeting of the World Cup task force with the two fielding questions from reporters.

With the 2026 World Cup being hosted in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, each country will automatically be given a spot in the group stage.

However, apart from teams that do not qualify, Russia is banned from international soccer competitions in both Europe and the world. In fact, the Union of European Football Associations and FIFA have banned Russian teams at the club level from such international competitions, as well.

‘We hope that something happens and peace will happen so that Russia can be readmitted.’

At the press conference, Trump was asked about the possible participation of Russia in the next tournament, given its ban.

“I didn’t know that, is that right?” Trump said regarding the ban, as he turned toward Infantino.

“That is right. They are banned for the time being from playing,” the FIFA president replied.

Trump then joked, “He is the boss, I am not the boss on that.”

Infantino remarked, however, that he thought if peace could be achieved, perhaps Russia could be reinstated.

“We hope that something happens and peace will happen so that Russia can be readmitted,” the Swiss executive stated in a video posted to X.

Trump added that it was a “possible” scenario that “could be a good incentive” to get Russia closer to peace talks.

“‘We want to get them to stop. We want them to stop,” Trump continued. “Five thousand young people a week are being killed, it’s not even believable, the Russian soldiers and Ukrainian soldiers mostly, also people in towns.”

“Horrible things going on over there, we are going to get that war stopped,” Trump remarked.

Russia has been banned by most international sporting bodies over the war with Ukraine. Perhaps most notably, the recent 4 Nations Face-Off in hockey that featured Canada, Finland, the United States, and Sweden was a tournament that likely would have included Russia, which is widely considered the second-strongest nation in ice hockey after Canada.

Russia has also been banned from the Olympics and Paralympics, although athletes can compete under a neutral flag.

Governing bodies in volleyball, rowing, rugby, and more have levied sanctions against the country for sports.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​Fearless, Fifa, Russia, United states, World cup, Trump, Sports 

NBA Hall of Fame member Charles Barkley said the idea of men playing in women’s sports is no longer an argument worth having, as he cannot be convinced.

Never one to shy away from a loaded question, Barkley was asked by OutKick’s Dan Dakich about a recent study Nike is allegedly funding.

The study, according to Fox News, has been testing how much puberty blockers are needed for male adolescents in order to reduce athletic performance to a level where they could “fairly” compete against females.

The study first came to light during a New York Times piece in defense of Blaire Fleming, a male athlete who dominated women’s volleyball in the NCAA in 2024.

“Have you seen this thing?” Dakich asked Barkley.

“I have not, but I’m a make this very simple for you, Dan. Men should not play sports against women,” Barkley replied. “I’m not gonna get into all the bulls**t that’s going on out here in the world today.”

‘I’m never gonna think it’s all right for men to play sports against women.’

Barkley told Dakich on his show, “Don’t @ Me,” that while he has love for gay and transgender people and is against discrimination, “Men should not play sports against women. If anybody thinks that, I think they’re stupid.”

Barkley added that under no circumstances does he think it is appropriate for a male athlete to play against women. He continued, “If anybody have a problem with that, they gonna have to get over it, because I’m not gonna change. I’m not gonna change. I just think it’s wrong, period.”

Dakich concurred and lamented that in comparison to all the political positions and arguments that have taken place in recent history, this subject was not one worth fighting over. Barkley again agreed and said he didn’t even think the topic was controversial.

“I’m never gonna think it’s all right for men to play sports against women. I don’t even think that’s controversial. That’s the thing that’s funny. When you see these debates on television, like, yeah. Men shouldn’t play sports against women. I’m done. I don’t wanna hear you try to explain it to me. No. No. No. No. No, I don’t wanna hear it. I’m not gonna argue with you. Man shouldn’t play sports against women.”

Barkley has no issue with making political statements or remarks on social issues that others deem controversial.

Recently, he said that friend and fellow broadcaster Stephen A. Smith should not run for president for the Democrats, despite pushes from many in the media for him to do so.

Barkley has also criticized the city of San Francisco on numerous occasions for its mismanagement and inability to solve its homelessness problem.

On the topic of transgender women, or rather men, in women’s sports, Barkley concluded, “There’s a lot of s**t we can argue over. That ain’t one of them.”

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​Fearless, Nba, Barkley, Women’s sports, Transgenderism, Ncaa, Nike, Sports 

The Chinese Communist Party is operating an “extensive” espionage network at Stanford University, according to a new shocking report from the school’s independent newspaper.

The Stanford Review released the startling findings of a months-long investigation into Chinese spying at the research university. The paper’s conclusions were drawn from dozens of interviews with Stanford faculty members, students, and experts in technology and Chinese intelligence between July 2024 and April 2025.

‘They use carrots and sticks. If you turn over information, you may get a reward; if you don’t, there is a punishment.’

The extent of China’s espionage has remained vastly underreported at Stanford due to “transnational repression, $64 million in Chinese funding, and allegations of racial profiling,” the article noted.

The majority of those interviewed requested anonymity due to fear of retaliation from both the CCP and the university community, the Stanford Review stated.

The student journalists’ inspiration behind the investigation stemmed from this “culture of silence and fear.”

“It is this pervasive silence that has compelled us to write. After interviewing multiple anonymous Stanford faculty, students, and China experts, we can confirm that the CCP is orchestrating a widespread intelligence-gathering campaign at Stanford. In short, ‘there are Chinese spies at Stanford,'” the paper read.

They concluded that China specifically targets Stanford because of its dominance in artificial intelligence, noting that China has declared its plan to surpass the U.S. in frontier technologies.

The former U.S. National Security Council’s Director for China, Matthew Turpin, explained the CCP’s influence at Stanford during a China Town Hall, the Stanford Review reported.

“The Chinese state incentivizes students to violate conflicts of commitment and interest, ensuring they bring back technology otherwise restricted by export controls,” Turpin stated.

China reportedly uses “non-traditional collection” methods, leveraging civilians outside the intelligence community to access sensitive information, such as details regarding innovations. An anonymous faculty member told the newspaper that these methods are used “extensively” to gain knowledge about AI and robotics at Stanford.

The investigation uncovered an instance where a Chinese national, who was likely a Chinese Ministry of State Security agent, falsely posed as a university student for years. He used his fake identity to target peers, including a student whom the newspaper described as “conducting sensitive research on China.”

Chinese students are required under China’s 2017 National Intelligence Law to share information with the CCP.

‘Stanford takes its commitment to national security with the utmost seriousness, and we are acutely aware of the threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party to all research universities.’

“Many Chinese [nationals] have handlers; they [CCP] want to know everything that’s going on at Stanford. This is a very normal thing. They just relay the information they have,” a Chinese national told the Stanford Review.

A China expert explained to the newspaper that Chinese nationals respond to this intelligence-sharing mandate in one of three ways: providing as little information as possible, complying to maintain CCP-funded scholarships, or fully cooperating opportunistically to maximize data collection.

Approximately 15% of Chinese nationals attending U.S. schools receive scholarships from the Chinese Scholarship Council, which requires students to regularly submit “Situation Reports” to diplomatic missions, experts told the newspaper.

Furthermore, Chinese students are reportedly selected for CSC grants based on party loyalty tests and must sign loyalty pledges. Family members could face financial penalties for students who fail to comply, the Stanford Review reported.

Turpin told the newspaper, “The Chinese government spends a lot of time collecting data on its overseas students; it has a pretty good understanding of who is doing what and if someone is working in an area of interest [frontier technology]. If students have access to things the government would like access to, it is relatively easy to reach out to an individual. They use carrots and sticks. If you turn over information, you may get a reward; if you don’t, there is a punishment.”

The newspaper stated that Chinese students “are victims of their own government.”

University insiders told the Stanford Review that most espionage cases are never publicly revealed.

“Drawing on anonymous testimony from faculty, students, and China specialists, our investigation confirms that the CCP runs an extensive intelligence‑gathering network at Stanford,” the article read. “The existential question is straightforward: How should we respond? First and foremost, the status quo of branding those who discuss this issue as racist must end. We wrote this article not to advance a policy position but to highlight a silenced reality. Sound policy depends on evidence, not repression.”

The Stanford Review wrote in a post on X, “This article was written to present firsthand accounts of an issue that has been silenced due to widespread accusations of academic repression.”

Blaze News reached out to the Stanford Review for comment.

Stanford University did not respond to Blaze News’ inquiries about the alleged culture of fear on campus or the measures it takes to prevent espionage and protect Chinese students from CCP pressure to share information.

Instead, the university referred Blaze News to its previously released Wednesday statement:

Stanford takes its commitment to national security with the utmost seriousness, and we are acutely aware of the threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party to all research universities. Stanford has rigorous policies and processes in place to ensure that research by its faculty and students is conducted in a manner that safeguards America’s interests. Stanford does not conduct classified or secret research. Stanford has a university-wide process for reporting threats to research security, and carefully assesses all reports. Stanford consults with federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies to ensure our policies and procedures are rigorous and protect national security. We are looking into the reports in the Stanford Review article, and have reached out to federal law enforcement to consult on appropriate actions. It is also very important to distinguish between threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party, and Chinese and Chinese-American faculty and students who are at Stanford to learn and contribute to the generation of knowledge, and are valued members of our community.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​News, Chinese communist party, Ccp, China, People’s republic of china, Stanford university, California, American university, Education, Espionage, Politics 

Former President Joe Biden stressed in an interview that he was not suffering from cognitive decline during his time in the Oval Office and that President Donald Trump’s campaign won based on sexism.

During an appearance on “The View,” Biden was asked why he thought former Vice President Kamala Harris lost the presidential election and if he was surprised at the outcome.

Biden immediately said he was not surprised, but not because Harris was unfit for office. In fact, Biden stressed that Harris was “the most qualified” person at the time to be president.

Instead, Biden said the Trump campaign was sexist and indicated that Harris was unqualified due to her ethnicity.

“I wasn’t surprised because they went the route of, the sexist route, the whole route,” Biden stated. “I mean, ‘This is a woman. She’s this. She’s that.’ I mean, I’ve never seen quite as successful and a consistent campaign undercutting the notion that a woman couldn’t lead the country, and a woman of mixed race.”

‘We’re left with a circumstance where we had a insurrection when I started.’

In another portion of the show that garnered hundreds of thousands of views, Biden was asked to address his cognitive decline that was apparent during his term, especially in the final year of his presidency. The 46th president was seen falling up stairs, falling off a bike, and frequently looking lost on stage after speeches.

“They are wrong. There’s nothing to sustain that, number one,” the former president claimed. Biden then pivoted to Trump’s apparent failures, and said what he inherited from Trump’s first term as president was substantially worse.

“Think of what, what we’re left with. We’re left with a circumstance where we had a insurrection when I started. Not since the Civil War [have] we had a circumstance where we were in a position that we — well, the pandemic, because of the incompetence of the last outfit — end up over a million people dying, a million people dying.”

After Biden said that even “basic issues” were problems with Trump, he began to trail off before his wife, Jill Biden, intervened.

“One of the things, I think, is that the people who wrote those books were not in the White House with us, and they didn’t see how hard Joe worked every single day,” she claimed.

The former first lady then went into a highly promotional spiel about Biden’s first term, where she claimed Biden was frequently up all night working while she was in bed.

“I’d be in bed, you know, reading my book, and he was still on the phone, reading his briefings, working with staff. I mean, it was nonstop. It’s the White House. Being president is not like a job — it’s a lifestyle. It’s a life that you live. You live it 24 hours a day.”

After the lengthy defense, President Biden seemed thoroughly impressed with his wife’s support and said, “That’s worth the invitation to come to the show.”

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​Biden, Trump, Kamala harris, Cognitive decline, President, Jill biden, The view, Politics 

President Donald Trump pulled his support for Janette Nesheiwat to become surgeon general days after the publication of an article accusing the former Fox News medical contributor of “falsely represent[ing] and obfuscat[ing] facts about her medical education, board certifications, and military service” — an article that activist Laura Loomer greatly amplified.

On Wednesday, the president announced that he was instead nominating Dr. Casey Means, a tech entrepreneur and Stanford-educated doctor who has long criticized the exploitative nature of the health care system.

“Casey has impeccable ‘MAHA’ credentials, and will work closely with our wonderful Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., to ensure a successful implementation of our Agenda in order to reverse the Chronic Disease Epidemic, and ensure Great Health, in the future, for ALL Americans.”

Trump added, “Dr. Casey Means has the potential to be one of the finest Surgeon Generals in United States History.”

Trump’s decision was met with mixed responses from some of his allies and supporters.

While many in Trump’s broader coalition celebrated the president’s second pick, underscoring that Means was “an upgrade” from Nesheiwat, others cast doubt on her qualifications and past remarks.

Against

“It’s very strange,” wrote Nicole Shanahan, the host of Blaze Media’s “Back to the People” podcast and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s running mate in his 2024 presidential campaign.

“Doesn’t make any sense. I was promised that if I supported RFK Jr. in his Senate confirmation that neither of these siblings would be working under HHS or in an appointment (and that people much more qualified would be),” continued Shanahan. “I don’t know if RFK very clearly lied to me, or what is going on.”

In January, Shanahan threatened to primary senators if they tried to torpedo Kennedy’s nomination, telling Georgia Democratic Senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff specifically that she was watching their votes and would make it her “personal mission” that they lose their seats if they voted “against the future health of America’s children.”

Shanahan, who did not immediately respond to Blaze News’ request for clarification, suggested further in her Wednesday post that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appears to be “reporting to someone regularly who is controlling his decisions (and it isn’t President Trump).”

Shanahan, a big proponent of the Make America Healthy Again movement, suggested further that “there is something very artificial and aggressive” about Means and her brother Calley Means, a White House health adviser and former food industry lobbyist — “almost like they were bred and raised Manchurian assets.”

Blaze News reached out to a spokeswoman for Means but did not receive a response by deadline. Politico was informed by an HHS spokesman that the agency would respond to requests for comment on Casey Means’ behalf and linked to Kennedy’s Thursday tweet, discussed later in this article.

‘She talks to trees and doesn’t even have an active medical license.’

Loomer appeared more critical of Trump’s second pick than she was of his first, firing off a barrage of denigrating posts aimed at Means, writing, “This is so embarrassing for the Trump administration.”

In addition to complaining that Means “doesn’t have a surgical residency, and isn’t a surgeon” — Politico indicated Means was trained at Stanford Medical School as a head and neck surgeon but dropped out of her surgical residency in the fifth year — Loomer seized upon one of Means’ newsletters as evidence of the doctor’s supposed engagement in “Witch Craft.”

The basis for Loomer’s allegation of sorcery was a newsletter wherein Means allegedly claimed she prayed to a photo of her ancestors at a meditation shrine in her house; “worked with a spiritual medium who helped [her] try to connect with [her] spirit guides”; “did full moon ceremonies with grounded, powerful women”; spoke to trees; and “did plant medicine experiences with trusted guides.”

“So basically the new Surgeon General is a total crack pot, a shroom consumer and she talks to trees and doesn’t even have an active medical license,” wrote Loomer, who bragged earlier about initiating the “MAHA breakup.” “Another failure by the ‘geniuses’ who work for President Trump on his non existent vetting team.”

For

Kennedy thanked Trump on Thursday for nominating Means, noting that the “Surgeon General is a symbol of moral authority who stands against the financial and institutional gravities that tend to corporatize medicine. Casey Means was born to hold this job.”

In a subsequent tweet, the HHS secretary characterized the attacks on Means as “absurd,” suggesting they “reveal just how far off course our healthcare conversations have veered, and how badly entrenched interests — including Big Food and its industry-funded social media gurus — are terrified of change.”

‘They understand the sacrifice of what she gave up to be allegiant to the truth.’

In addition to highlighting her academic achievements in the field of medicine and noting she “was a top performer in surgical residency,” Kennedy underscored that the “attacks that Casey is unqualified because she left the medical system completely miss the point of what we are trying to accomplish with MAHA.”

Whereas some critics suggested Means’ departure from the traditional medical system was disqualifying, the health secretary — who was himself an outsider where the medical establishment is concerned — said that made her the “perfect choice.”

“I have little doubt that these companies and their conflicted media outlets will continue to pay bloggers and other social media influencers to weaponize innuendo to slander and vilify Casey, the same way they try to defame me and President Trump,” added Kennedy.

Prior to Kennedy mounting his defense of Means, BlazeTV’s Liz Wheeler addressed the attacks on the doctor, then gave a rebuttal.

Without naming her outright, Wheeler hit back against two of Loomer’s top grievances — the status of Means’ medical license and her father’s authorship of a book premised on gender ideology.

“The inactive medical license is not a big deal,” wrote Wheeler. “It’s pretty common for MAHA providers to let their medical license lapse anyway, because when you advise things that aren’t within ‘standards of care’ you can be liable legally.”

Wheeler suggested that the book written by Means’ father, which deals with a kid’s so-called “gender identity,” was irrelevant, first, because Dr. Means “had nothing to do with the writing of the book,” second, because she has criticized transgenderism in the past, and third, because of the work’s limited impact.

After rebuffing Loomer’s top complaints, Wheeler emphasized that Means is an excellent communicator who has successfully “opened more people’s eyes” to the role that “Big Food & Big Pharma” have had in driving America’s chronic health epidemic — a doctor whose story “resonates with people because they understand the sacrifice of what she gave up to be allegiant to the truth.”

Wheeler thanked Trump for appointing Means, stressing that his appointment of disruptors “is what we voted for!”

Donald Trump Jr., Turning Point USA CEO Charlie Kirk, U.S. Commissioner of Food and Drugs Martin Makary, and others in the MAGA ecosystem have similarly expressed their delight with Trump’s second pick.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​Casey means, Calley means, Surgeon general, Donald trump, Robert f. kennedy, Kenneddy, Rfk, Loomer, Maha, Health, Hhs, Liz wheeler, Nicole shanahan, Politics