While speaking virtually at a Morgan Stanley Technology Media & Telecom conference on Wednesday, Elon Musk called for the privatization of the United States Postal Service, Amtrak, and other government-controlled entities.

“I think we should privatize the Post Office and Amtrak, for example,” Musk declared.

‘Something’s got to have some chance of going bankrupt.’

Compared to national rail systems in other countries, such as China, Musk called Amtrak “kind of embarrassing” and a “sad situation” for the U.S.

“It’s like, if you’re coming from another country, please don’t use our national rail. It can leave you with a very bad impression of America,” he stated.

Musk said he would support privatizing the USPS, Amtrak, and “anything that can be privatized.” However, he noted that such changes would require congressional action.

He explained that privatization creates “a feedback loop for improvement” that does not exist when an entity is funded by taxpayer dollars and not allowed to fail.

“Basically something’s got to have some chance of going bankrupt, or there’s not a good feedback loop for improvement,” Musk stated.

Both USPS and Amtrak have become notorious money pits for American taxpayers.

Last month, USPS workers picketed after President Donald Trump stated that he wanted to find a way to make the mail agency profitable. He floated the idea of placing the USPS under the control of the Commerce Department, headed by Howard Lutnick.

The Washington Post previously reported that Trump planned to privatize the mail agency via executive order, but the administration has denied that any such action is currently underway.

The National Association of Letter Carriers organized a rally in Washington, D.C., in late February to protest the rumored executive action despite the White House’s denials.

“Today, NALC held an event on Capitol grounds to send a clear message to the White House: Hell no to dismantling the Postal Service!” the union declared.

The union called the USPS a “self-sufficient agency,” breezing past the fact that the mail agency has generated billions of dollars in annual losses for American taxpayers, including $9.5 billion in fiscal year 2024 — even after receiving a $107 billion congressional bailout two years prior.

Amtrak has a similar history as a fiscal taxpayer burden. The rail company was formed in 1971 and has never turned a profit. Taxpayer funds have kept it afloat to the tune of roughly $1 billion per year, not including the Biden administration’s $66 billion investment to improve the nation’s rail system.

Amtrak told Reuters that its “business performance is strong.”

“Ridership and revenue are at all-time highs. … The train service we operate across our nationwide network, as mandated by law, is on-track to reach operational profitability — for the first time in history — during this administration,” Amtrak said.

The USPS declined Reuters’ request for comment.

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The leader of a small agency organizing U.S. aid to Africa refused to allow the Department of Government Efficiency access to the building and filed a lawsuit against the actions of the Trump administration.

United States African Development Foundation president and CEO Ward Brehm issued a letter challenging the authority of Pete Marocco, who was tasked with shutting down the U.S. Agency for International Development, and saying he was not allowing Marocco access to USADF.

‘The consequences of this decision will be devastating for the world’s most vulnerable populations.’

“I will look forward to working with Mr. Marocco after such time that he is nominated for a seat on the Board and his nomination is confirmed by the Senate,” read the letter from Brehm. “Until these legal requirements are met, Mr. Marocco does not hold any position or office with USADF, and he may not speak or act on the Foundation’s behalf.”

Brehm also filed a lawsuit asking for a court to order Brehm as the president of USADF and denying the installation of Marocco without congressional approval.

“First, DOGE gained access to the agency under the false pretenses of modernizing and streamlining USADF’s computer systems,” the lawsuit claimed. “When USADF learned that DOGE was there to kill the agency, USADF staff refused DOGE access to cancel all grants and contracts. DOGE employees began threatening members of the Board — telling them that unless they carried out DOGE’s plans to strip USADF to its core, the Board would be fired.”

Brehm wrote an opinion editorial in January where he identified himself as “politically conservative” and said Trump’s “reckless and cruel” suspension of foreign aid would needlessly cost lives abroad.

“The consequences of this decision will be devastating for the world’s most vulnerable populations. Innocent families living in refugee camps already stretched to the breaking point will bear the brunt of this sudden halt,” he wrote.

“The disruption of providing clean water, lifesaving drugs, and training to people who are striving to create better lives for themselves and their families will result in illness and death,” he added. “All of these people in desperate need are not just numbers in a budget or statistics in a report. They are human beings.”

The budget of USADF is about $46 million.

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A Black Lives Matter plaza will be removed from Washington, D.C., along with a massive mural, according to a spokesperson for Mayor Muriel Bowser (D).

The mural to the BLM movement was painted on 16th Street NW for two blocks and lies just north of the White House. It was unveiled by Bowser in June 2020 and made a permanent feature in October 2021.

‘We can’t afford to be distracted by meaningless congressional interference.’

Bowser referred to a threat from Republicans in Congress to cut D.C.’s federal funding unless she got rid of the BLM mural and plaza.

“The mural inspired millions of people and helped our city through a very painful period, but now we can’t afford to be distracted by meaningless congressional interference,” she said in a statement. “The devastating impacts of the federal job cuts must be our number one concern. Our focus is on economic growth, public safety, and supporting our residents affected by these cuts.”

When pressed about the issue, Bowser said that the White House was not happy about the installation, according to WRC-TV.

The mural will be replaced with a design created by schoolchildren and artists that has yet to be determined.

The change will be a part of a celebration of the national semiquincentennial, which is the 250th anniversary of the Second Continental Congress voting for the colonies’ independence from Britain in 1776.

One black resident of the area told WTTG-TV that the order to get rid of the BLM installation was a “tragedy.”

Republican Rep. Andrew Clyde of Georgia had introduced legislation to strip D.C. of funding if its leaders did not get rid of the BLM plaza and mural.

Trump also threatened to use federal power to clean up D.C. if Bowser did not take action, but he reportedly backed off on the threat after speaking with the mayor.

Reaction from residents and video of the mural can be viewed on the news video from WTTG on YouTube.

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The newest member of “the squad,” Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), is now known for acting like a complete fool in Washington, D.C. — most recently, she put out a video where she dances and raps to Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” as an anti-Trump message.

“That’s Jasmine Crockett making a fool of herself, making a fool of politics, and turning politics into a complete and utter circus,” Jason Whitlock of “Fearless” says after watching the video she posted to social media.

“I don’t get it, but to some degree I do get it. If you look around the world, Zelenskyy and Ukraine, he was some sort of comedian. They’ve got videos of him dancing in high heels and all. Maybe politics globally, and certainly here in America, maybe it’s just turning into a clown show and a circus,” he continues.

When it comes to Crockett, Shemeka Michelle is in full agreement.

“You said, you know, Zelenskyy was an actor or whatever, but I’m assuming that he’s not dancing around in heels today. So that’s my problem with Jasmine. There are things that you should be focused on. Winning a popularity contest in Congress is not one of those things,” Michelle says.

“It just looks as if she’s not taking her job seriously and she just wants to be a celebrity, she just wants to be famous, she wants a bunch of people saying, ‘Oh, I like her, she keep it real,’” Michelle continues.

However, Crockett isn’t alone in her unprofessional antics — as Congressman Al Green (D-Texas) was kicked out of Trump’s congressional address on Tuesday night for pulling his own stunt.

“From the beginning of the address, I kind of knew that there was going to be some black person that just put themselves out there to go really far,” Michelle says.

“I do think Al Green is too old to have those type of antics. You would think someone who could be a grandfather would know how to carry himself and would know how to get his message across without looking like a buffoon, but I wasn’t shocked that it was one of their mascots,” she continues.

“Because that’s kind of how they use people, as mascots,” she added.

Want more from Jason Whitlock?

To enjoy more fearless conversations at the crossroads of culture, faith, sports, and comedy with Jason Whitlock, 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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BlazeTV host Alex Stein filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in 2022 against Dallas County Commissioner John Price (D), Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins (D), and a trio of county marshals after he was
forcibly removed from a meeting of the Dallas County Commissioners Court.

Price had Stein kicked out for seeking clarification about troubling allegations regarding his Democratic compatriot, Jenkins, who was running for re-election at the time.

Stein accused the Democratic duo and the county by extension of violating his constitutional right to free speech as well as the court’s own rules and the Texas
Open Meetings Act.

The case is headed to trial next week, which could have ramifications for free-speech rights and spell trouble for the defendants, one of whom is up for re-election next year.

“This case is not about me as an individual but about all of our rights to publicly criticize our politicians,” Stein told Blaze News.

While Stein has a talent for getting under politicians’ skin at all levels of government, his apparent bread and butter is confronting officials at local government meetings.

There have been a number of instances where the comedian has donned provocative costumes and engaged in a style of commentary that has discomfited officials and onlookers alike.

For instance, Stein
approached the microphone at a January 2022 Dallas City Council meeting dressed in surgical scrubs and mockingly rapped about giving the novel COVID-19 vaccine to virtually everyone and everything, singing, “Vaccinate your mom, vaccinate your dad, vaccinate the happy, vaccinate the sad. Vaccinate your babies, vaccinate them, even if they got rabies. Vaccinate my life, vaccinate my wife.”

Later that year, Stein
addressed Plano City Council wearing a women’s swimsuit and pink swim cap, comically highlighting the absurdity of gender ideologues’ arguments in favor of men competing in women’s sports.

‘I’m just asking.’

Stein took a far more subdued approach when addressing the Dallas County Commissioners Court on May 17, 2022.

Dressed in a suit and tie, Stein — one of three members of the public permitted to speak at the livestreamed meeting —swapped out his customary theatrics for a straight read of an excerpt from a Sept. 23, 2014,
article in D magazine about Clay Jenkins, which stated:

In college at Baylor, Jenkins continued to distinguish himself dubiously. He was arrested twice, once for reckless driving after he led Baylor security and Waco police on a car chase he’d planned and a second time for criminal trespassing in a women’s dorm during a panty raid. Strangely enough, he was never arrested for his role as the famous Baylor Pie Man, a hit man for a student-organized ring that offered to throw pies in people’s faces — professors, ex-boyfriends — for a fee.

Neither Price nor Jenkins, whose term ends in December 2026, responded to Blaze News’ request for comment.

‘You’re finished! You’re finished!’

Before Stein could finish reading the excerpt, Price — who was
acquitted on seven of 11 counts of criminal wrongdoing in a corruption trial in 2017 — angrily rapped his gavel and stated, “You’re not allowed to admonish members of this court.”

Price’s interruption took place less than a minute into Stein’s time. The previous speakers were allotted three uninterrupted minutes each.

“Yeah. I’m asking, I’m just asking,” said Stein. “I would like to get some clarification.”

When the BlazeTV host attempted to continue reading from the article, Price directed Dallas County marshals to drag Stein out of the court, noting, “You’re not allowed to attack members of this court.”

Before marshals Robert De Los Santos, Zack Masri, and Charles Johnson descended on him, Stein stressed that he was asking “a simple question.” Prompted to articulate his query in full, the comedian said, “What was the panty raid about?”

“You’re finished! You’re finished!” responded Price, who suggested once again that Stein was attacking a member of the court. “Marshal, move him out. You’re finished. You’re finished.”

The following month, Stein filed suit.

‘The First Amendment was meant for exactly this.’

Stein’s original complaint included a statement from then-Dallas County Commissioner Justin Koch claiming that Price was in the wrong when ejecting the comedian from the courtroom,
reported the Dallas Express.

“Commissioner Price, I believe unlawfully, had Alex Stein removed. Alex Stein started to read about Judge Jenkins in an article about some of his past bad behavior,” stated Koch, now chief judge of the Texas Fifth District Court of Appeals. “The
statute that someone can be removed under is basically someone who is profane, slanderous, or boisterous.”

Koch suggested further that if the D magazine article had indeed been defamatory, Jenkins would have sued the publication sometime in the previous eight years, which he had not bothered to do.

Stein’s attorney Jonathan Gross
noted around the time of the lawsuit’s filing, “Politicians have to remember that they serve the public, not the other way around.”

“Criticizing the government is the highest form of protected speech,” continued Gross. “It’s the right of Stein and every American.”

Stein originally claimed that his forceful ejection from the meeting violated his First, Fifth, and 14th Amendment rights. However, in 2023, senior U.S. District Judge Sidney Fitzwater, the judge presiding over Stein’s case,
granted the defendants’ motions to dismiss Stein’s claim that they violated his 14th Amendment right to equal protection of the laws.

When asked about the upcoming trial and the current state of play, Stein expressed hope that “this will be a smooth, open-and-shut trial,” but told Blaze News that “things are going to get weird since [he and the defense] both have submitted a lot of my craziest speeches at government meetings.”

“I think the defendants hope that the jury is made up of people who don’t like me, and they will try and paint me as a bad person only doing this for clicks,” said Stein. “They will probably argue that I was being disruptive or slanderous and not trying to participate in good faith, which is the farthest thing from the truth.”

“The First Amendment was meant for exactly this — to protect our right to criticize our politicians,” said Stein. “Limiting the First Amendment is a violation of the Constitution, and that’s why this federal lawsuit is so important.”

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Hunter Biden was forced to drop a lawsuit because of his financial woes, and critics on social media pounced to connect it to his father leaving the Oval Office.

Biden’s paintings had been selling for up to $75,000 each when his father was in office, but he admitted in a legal filing that he had run out of money for a defamation lawsuit because he could no longer sell the paintings.

‘The scam was simple. Hunter promised Joe’s power, Joe Biden showed up, and millions of dollars went into the Bidens’ pockets. The grift is over.’

“Since late 2023 and through today, my income has decreased significantly,” said Biden in the court filing about a lawsuit against Garrett Ziegler, a former White House aide in the Trump administration.

He admitted that he had sold 27 art pieces for up to $55,000 prior to Dec. 2023, but had sold only one painting since then for $36,000. He added that sales of his memoir had dropped to 200 sales a month from 500 previously.

“Given the positive feedback and reviews of my artwork and memoir, I was expecting to obtain paid speaking engagements and paid appearances, but that has not happened,” Biden said in the filing.

On top of everything, Biden’s rental home was damaged in the Pacific Palisades fire, and he has had trouble finding a permanent place to live.

Critics alleged that the paintings were a way for the Biden family to trade political favors in return for technically legal payments to the former president’s son. In one case, a businessman who reportedly purchased at least one of Biden’s paintings was later named by the former president to the U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad.

Those allegations fueled mocking commentary on social media about Biden’s financial revelation.

“It’s truly unfortunate timing for Hunter Biden that his artistic inspiration dried up at the exact moment that his father ceased to be president,” responded Charles C.W. Cooke of National Review.

“Hunter Biden isn’t able to sell his totally legitimate paintings now that his dad is out of office,” replied Andrew Kaczynski of CNN.

“Hunter Biden chose to go into the Joe Biden business. Made millions. When he evaded paying taxes, a new friend who just happened to be a Joe Biden supporter gave him millions in ‘loans.’ But now Joe Biden is out, nobody’s buying the art, and the Biden business has gone bust,” said journalist Byron York.

“Selling influence and access to Joe Biden was the Biden family business model. The scam was simple. Hunter promised Joe’s power, Joe Biden showed up, and millions of dollars went into the Bidens’ pockets. The grift is over,” wrote Rep. James Comer (R) of Kentucky.

Biden has been in a legal fight over paying child support to Lunden Roberts, a former stripper he reportedly met at a Washington, D.C., strip club and impregnated. In 2023, a judge said that Roberts could have one of Biden’s paintings as part of the child support agreement and that the child they share could choose the painting.

The child’s name is Navy.

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The Trump administration rejected a report on Thursday that claimed roughly 240,000 Ukrainians residing in the United States would soon lose their temporary legal status.

Reuters reported that President Donald Trump is “planning to revoke” Temporary Protected Status for Ukrainians who fled their home country amid conflict with Russia. The media outlets cited “a senior Trump official and three sources familiar with the matter,” who allegedly claimed that the Ukrainian nationals could be placed “on a fast-track to deportation.”

‘The truth: no decision has been made at this time.’

Reuters stated that the alleged plan could be rolled out as early as April. The report contended that the alleged plans had been “under way before Trump publicly feuded with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last week.”

Despite denials from the White House about the accuracy of the claims, Reuters decided to run the story based on the information provided by several unnamed sources.

Under President Joe Biden, TPS programs were rapidly expanded to substantially increase so-called lawful pathways for foreign nationals under the guise of reducing illegal immigration.

TPS is intended to be “a temporary benefit” to protect those who cannot safely return to their home countries due to “ongoing armed conflict,” “an environmental disaster,” or “other extraordinary and temporary conditions,” according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Those who receive TPS may also apply for employment and travel authorization.

The Trump administration has been working to address Biden’s immigration crisis, in part by calling for the termination of “all categorical parole programs.”

However, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, the administration has not made any decisions regarding revoking temporary legal status for Ukrainians, calling Reuters’ reporting “fake news.”

“This is more fake news from Reuters based on anonymous sources who have no idea what they are talking about,” Leavitt wrote in a post on X. “The truth: no decision has been made at this time.”

U.S. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told Reuters on Wednesday that there were no new developments.

There are currently 17 countries eligible for TPS. In February, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem rescinded Biden’s TPS extension for Haitian and Venezuelan nationals. Several immigrant advocacy organizations filed a lawsuit to block Noem’s move, claiming the administration lacks the authority to “revoke an extension that has already been granted.”

During the Conservative Political Action Conference, Trump stated, “This week, I also canceled temporary protected status for migrants from Haiti. They’re pouring into our country. Pouring in. If I weren’t elected president, there’d be nobody in Haiti any more.”

He noted that foreign nationals from around the globe were pouring into the U.S. in record numbers due to Biden’s immigration policies.

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Police have charged two males in connection with the deaths of three Kansas City Chiefs fans whose bodies were found after an NFL watch party over a year ago.

The Kansas City Police Department said in a statement Wednesday, “After an investigation of nearly 14 months, two suspects are now facing felony charges in Platte County, including involuntary manslaughter, related to the deaths of three Chiefs fans in January of 2024.”

‘Some people seemed to believe charges would never be brought in this case, perhaps because the investigation has spanned more than a year.’

Jordan Willis and Ivory Carson both are charged with the distribution of a controlled substance and three counts of involuntary manslaughter. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

Willis and Carson are being held in the Platte County Detention Center on $100,000 bonds.

Police accused the suspects of “recklessly causing the deaths” of three Kansas City Chiefs fans during an NFL watch party in January 2024.

A group of friends got together at Willis’ home to watch the Chiefs take on the Los Angeles Chargers in the final game of the regular season.

Two days after the game, police found the bodies of Ricky Johnson, 38; David Harrington, 37; and Clayton McGeeney, 36.

As Blaze News previously reported, McGeeney’s fiancee could not get in touch him, so she attempted to contact Willis but couldn’t get in touch with the party’s host.

The fiancee went to the house two days after the Chiefs watch party.

“When there was no answer at the door, she broke into the basement of the residence and located an unknown dead body on the back porch,” the police report stated. “Officers responded to the back porch and confirmed there was a dead body. Upon further investigation, officers located two other dead bodies in the back yard. There were no obvious signs of foul play observed at or near the crime scene.”

Temperatures dropped below freezing on the night of the watch party.

Willis’ lawyer, John Picerno, told People magazine in January 2024 that his client saw the men “when they left his house, and he went to bed.” The lawyer claimed Willis was unaware that friends and family were attempting to locate the missing men “prior to being contacted by the police.”

Police said when detectives searched the home, they found two plastic bags containing white powdery substances.

The Kansas City Police Crime Laboratory tested the substances and determined that “one of the bags contained cocaine, and Willis was determined to be a major contributor of DNA found on that bag.”

Police added, “The other bag contained fentanyl, and Carson was determined to be a major contributor of the DNA on that bag.”

A witness — who said he was at the home on the night of the watch party — claimed he saw a large plate of cocaine Willis allegedly supplied.

Another witness said he was with McGeeney, Harrington, Johnson, and Willis, who all drank alcohol, smoked marijuana, and used cocaine.

Police said a forensic exam found that McGeeney, Harrington, and Johnson all died of fentanyl and cocaine combined toxicity.

Investigators examined Harrington’s phone, which reportedly had text messages between him, McGeeney, Johnson, Willis, Carson, and others “consistent with the purchase and use of cocaine,” according to the Kansas City Police Department.

Authorities said the text messages “indicated that Carson supplied Harrington with cocaine.”

Picerno told KCTV on Wednesday that the charges against his client came as a surprise and were “contrary” to what prosecutors allegedly told him months ago.

“The probable cause statement submitted by the state is consistent with what Jordan stated happened,” Picerno stated. “Jordan maintains that he is not responsible for purchasing or supplying the drugs that led to the deaths of his three friends. We are very much looking forward to the day a jury gets to hear all of the evidence in this case.”

Officials acknowledged that it took 14 months to bring forward criminal charges.

Platte County Prosecuting Attorney Eric Zahnd said, “Some people seemed to believe charges would never be brought in this case, perhaps because the investigation has spanned more than a year. Understand this: The Kansas City Police Department and my office do not rest on homicide cases until we have exhausted every possible resource to bring anyone we believe responsible to justice. Today’s charges are a testament to the hard work of Kansas City detectives over many months.”

Zahnd continued, “This case is a tragic reminder of the dangers of street drugs. But make no mistake, the people who supply those drugs can and will be held accountable when people overdose.”

Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves added, “Though we often want answers immediately, great police work takes time. Our detectives never stopped working on this case, waiting for all the facts to come in. Today is a testament to their dedication, reflecting KCPD’s devotion to Kansas City.”

Graves said at a news conference, “This is a message to those who are bringing fentanyl into our communities, providing it to people, harming communities: You will be held accountable, you will be arrested, and you will be charged.”

Rick Johnson — Ricky Johnson’s father — told WDAF-TV, “I am happy with the Platte County Prosecutor’s Office and the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department for filing charges. It’s been a long time. And I’ll be at every court date.”

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With a government shutdown looming over Congress, Republicans have largely united behind President Donald Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) pitch to put through a clean continuing resolution.

Although the text for the CR has not been finalized, House Republicans have come out of closed-door meetings with a positive outlook.

As Blaze News first reported, fiscal conservatives and members of the House Freedom Caucus huddled with Director Russell Vought and other top Office of Management and Budget officials on Monday night, with one White House source in the room describing the meeting as “congenial.” The optimism carried through Wednesday afternoon when the same Republicans met with Trump to hear his pitch on a clean CR.

‘There is overwhelming support to back the president’s agenda to be able to advance and to be able to give room for DOGE and Elon Musk and to give room to Russ Vought and OMB to deliver to the American people.’

“Government funding runs out next week, and Democrats are threatening to shut down the Government – But I am working with the GREAT House Republicans on a Continuing Resolution to fund the Government until September to give us some needed time to work on our Agenda,” Trump said in a Truth Social post following the meeting.

“Conservatives will love this Bill, because it sets us up to cut Taxes and Spending in Reconciliation, all while effectively FREEZING Spending this year, and allowing us to continue our work to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN,” Trump said. “VERY IMPORTANT – Let’s get this Bill done!”

The benefit of a clean CR is that it would continue Trump’s momentum, whereas a government shutdown would stifle it.

‘I will try to convince as many of my colleagues as possible that if this is the tool the president needs, we really have a once in a generation opportunity.’

“If [Trump] thinks that a clean CR, put that in air quotes, clean CR, is the way to go for the rest of the fiscal year … I’m all for it,” HFC Chairman Andy Harris (R-Md.) told Blaze News.

“It would be a heavy lift with some conservatives, that’s what they said about the budget resolution and the debt-ceiling increase. But, I think we can achieve this heavy lift,” Harris added. “It will take some work over the next week.”

To Harris’ point, passing a clean CR with such a slim Republican majority will likely be a heavy lift. With respect to reconciliation, Republicans could afford to lose only one vote, and yet, Johnson managed to pull it off.

“I will try to convince as many of my colleagues as possible that if this is the tool the president needs, we really have a ‘once in a generation’ opportunity,” Harris said. “We shouldn’t pass it up, because the alternative is to deal with the Democrats.”

Republican Rep. Chip Roy (Texas), another past CR skeptic, also came away from closed-door meetings with a positive outlook.

“There is overwhelming support to back the president’s agenda to be able to advance and to be able to give room for DOGE and Elon Musk and to give room to Russ Vought and OMB to deliver to the American people,” Roy said in a press gaggle Wednesday following the meeting with Trump.

Roy argued that a clean CR would freeze spending at current levels, “which is going to be able to make sure that we hold spending in check” while DOGE and its Capitol Hill allies continue identifying areas of fraud, waste, and abuse.

For other spending skeptics like Republican Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee, continuing DOGE-style cuts is a non-negotiable in order to secure their votes.

‘I’m looking at it in a favorable manner. But that doesn’t mean I’ll vote for it.’

Burchett, who has historically defected during spending fights, told Blaze News that so far, he is “not too inspired” by the Republicans’ pitch for a clean CR.

“If they would add the cuts from DOGE, all of them, I could lean in that direction,” Burchett told Blaze News. “We got elected to do some things, and DOGE is doing it. I think we ought to take that out for a vote and see what happens.”

But even with provisions to codify DOGE cuts, Burchett says it may not be enough to swing his vote in favor of the CR.

“I’m looking at it in a favorable manner,” Burchett told Blaze News about a DOGE-style CR. “But that doesn’t mean I’ll vote for it.”

Like with reconciliation, Republicans are operating with incredibly narrow margins. Johnson can afford to lose only one GOP vote, which is likely to be claimed by Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky. With the odds seemingly stacked against them, we will have to wait and see if Republicans can pull off another legislative miracle.

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Bite first, whine later.

That was the strategy of an anti-Elon Musk protester who assaulted a comedian on camera at a recent demonstration at a Palo Alto, California, Tesla dealership.

‘Left wing protestors have added “biting” to their tactics.’

Hundreds of demonstrators were there to protest Elon Musk and his recent cost-cutting rampage via the Department of Government Efficiency.

Also in attendance — with cameras rolling — were YouTubers and comedians Danny Mullen and Leo Dottavio, the former proudly displaying his support for Musk by wearing a DOGE T-shirt.

Fighting fascism

The mostly peaceful protest — in which mostly elderly protesters brandished signs with slogans like “Honk for democracy,” “Stop Musk’s power grab,” and, naturally, “Fight fascism” — became violent after a masked protester turned his camera on Mullen and dared him to remove his sunglasses.

A second man, likely in his 30s or 40s, approached Mullen and sarcastically pretended to side with him.

“Hey! Sir, we have tiny d***s, and that’s why we support this s***!” the man said, while pointing to Mullen’s shirt. The man then hit Mullen with a backhand that struck the comedian in the face and knocked his hat off. “You little bitch!” the protester added.

Mullen retaliated by slapping the man in the face, who then moved toward Mullen. As the two engaged, Mullen eventually threw the man to the ground and controlled him.

Once bitten

Mullen is an experienced jiujitsu practitioner and therefore was able to calmly hold the man against the ground. However, during the scuffle, the protester allegedly bit Mullen in the chest, with Mullen showcasing the wound on his Instagram page.

“Left wing protestors have added ‘biting’ to their tactics,” Mullen wrote alongside the photos.

As the pair grappled, the man claimed he only hit Mullen’s hat despite the footage proving otherwise. Other protesters defended the aggressive male by saying Mullen was actually the one who started the exchange.

“I felt like I was in bizarro world,” Dottavio told Blaze News. “It’s as clear as day that my friend Danny was assaulted by this man first, then defended himself, but people clearly wanted to say the opposite and paint him as the bad guy.”

Dottavio added, “It felt like I was around a bunch of lying children.”

Sore losers

Protests at Telsa showrooms have recently popped up in cities like New York, Boston, San Francisco, and Tucson, Arizona, in response to Musk’s campaign to curb federal spending. According to the Washington Post, protests have been organized at at least 90 Tesla locations as of March 4.

Several middle-aged women continued to verbally assault Mullen even after he let the aggressive protester back to his feet. One woman yelled, “F*** you!” at him, and another told him to “get the f*** out of here.”

Mullen could not help but return fire with his own quips, asking why the other protesters were mad at him despite him defending himself and winning the exchange.

“In your America, do losers get credit?” Mullen asked. “That’s the problem. That’s what DOGE is trying to counteract,” he jokingly concluded.

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​Comedy, Youtuber, Doge, Danny mullen, California, Tesla, Elon musk, Entertainment