Flotsam and Jetsam - Trump Says China Messed with 2020 Election, Intelligence Covered for Them

President Trump gave a national address last night, and the major networks, with the exception of Fox, refuse to run it live, preferring to cherry-pick clips to make him look bad. As we expected, the subject was largely revelations about the 2020 elections recently pried out of the reluctant hands of the intelligence agencies, that China hacked the voter roles (why? or was just because they could), and boosted opposition to Trump, that the intelligence agencies conspired to conceal that, the same agencies that pushed the Russian collusion delusion in 2016 and after, and that the American voting system is full of holes by design, from 200,000 illegal aliens (at a minimum) registered to vote, and mass mail-in voting as a potential vehicle for fraud. All stuff we kind of knew. Hopefully, though this is the start of some real actions. So, nothing really new here, but additional confirmations of what we already suspected.

Before the speech, Althouse found "Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee are urging the nation’s top spy chiefs to stop President Donald Trump if he tries to declassify cherry-picked intelligence material that unfairly sows doubt about the 2020 election..." at Politico. So, inciting insurrection. Clandestine @WarClandestine, "This clip is extremely important, because it reveals how the Dems/MSM plan to counter the revelations about 2020. They are going to try to shame MAGA into “letting it go”, because it happened 6 years ago. They are using the Hillary “what difference does it make” defense. They are going to try to belittle and dismiss the magnitude of the findings, in a desperate attempt to avoid accountability for their treasonous activity. They have been caught, and they know it. Their only remaining hope is to convince the American People that it’s not a big deal. They will fail." Teri Christoph at RedState hears She's Back! Karoline Leavitt Torches CNN Anchor's Shameless Gotcha Ahead of Trump's Address to Nation. Northern Barbarian @xnoesbueno, "Tragically, no matter what evidence he presents, it will be disputed, dismissed and/or ignored by people who will shriek dictatorship and election-rigging when he moves to address the corruption. Tragically, because confidence in election outcomes is now a partisan issue. ..." QuoteJoshua Reid | Redpills.tv @realjoshuareid, "BREAKING: If these reports are accurate, Thursday night could become one of the most consequential Presidential Addresses in modern American history. According to @PaulSperry_, President Trump is expected to present newly declassified intelligence alleging: ▪️ Chinese interference in the 2020 election ▪️ Hacking of state voter registration databases, ▪️ A broader intelligence cover-up involving FBI, CIA, and ODNI records, ▪️ More than 100,000 non-citizens including illegal immigrants on voter rolls, If this evidence is released as reported—and the four sets of declassified FBI, CIA, and ODNI documents are made public this Friday—it won’t just reopen the debate over 2020 and potentially lead to indictments. It will set up the predicate for Trump to declare a National Emergency on Election Integrity and Infrastructure." Driscoll at Insty is GETTING READY FOR THE SPEECH: Cynical Publius @CynicalPublius, "Going into tonight's speech, remember this: all the GOP wants to do is make voter fraud detectable and provable. That's it. For some odd reason Democrats support systems that make voter fraud nearly undetectable to a standard a court wlll recognize. Odd, doncha think?"

As usual, sundance at CTH hosts the address largely without comment, President Trump Speech to the Nation – 9:00pm ET Livestream Links. If you prefer with your speech with a little left-wing cant on the side, you can find it at Althouse, "What Trump did NOT do was even purport to show a single ineligible voter voted in the 2020 election, or..." "... that any voting machines were actually compromised, voting machines or voter registration databases breached, or election results inaccurately reported. Overall, this was an underwhelming announcement delivered with low energy that changes nothing about how state and local election administrators should run elections. If his government had actual evidence of noncitizen voting, there would be indictments; Trump has been hounding US attorneys to bring such cases, and the fact that he hasn’t shows that these claims likely have no legs.... He also did not offer anything new by way of policy proposals...."Writes Rick Hasen, in "Trump’s Underwhelming Announcement on Voting Does Not Even Purport to Show That Any Illegal Votes Were Cast in the 2020 Election or That Voting Machines Have Been Hacked or Vote Totals Inaccurate; He Also Made a Pitch to Pass the SAVE America Act But Offered No New Federal Mandates" (Election Law Blog)." Matt Vespa at TownHall, President Trump Reveals What We All Suspected About the 2020 Election in Primetime Address. Mary Chastain at LI, Trump: Declassifying Documents Showing China’s Election Interference and “Deep State” Cover Up. “In light of the brand new and irrefutable information I have revealed tonight, my administration is in the process of notifying states whose election data was compromised by the People’s Republic of China and others.” ThePersistence @ScottPresler, "If I were the Republican Party, I would do a query for every address where 6+ voters are registered. Then, I would go through that list to look for how many of those addresses are P.O. Boxes, vacant lots, malls, businesses, churches, shelters, or other non-residential locations. Then, after locating those non-residential locations, I would see how many of those voters voted & whether they voted by mail."

Spencer Pratt @spencerpratt, "Notice how Nithya Raman just completely disappeared after they blocked us out of the general election? She's not campaigning at all. Like a pickpocket disappearing into the crowd. Just a ghost. I told you her campaign was a scam. Colluding with Bass from the start." From RCP, Latino Voters and the SAVE Act. Most support voter ID. 

At Althouse, JD Vance on Joe Rogan. "I'm only an hour and a half into this, but it seems the 2 men are handling themselves well enough" At News Wax, Vance Says Admin 'Screwed Up' Epstein Files, Hits Israel. It was a no-win situation. No matter how swiftly or how completely you released the material, it would never be enough for skeptics, who would, and did, accuse you of holding out. The Victory Girls think Marco Rubio Gives an Epic Speech on Political Terrorism. PJM's Sarah Anderson calls it a Must Watch: Rubio Goes Hard on the 'Unique Evil' of Far-Left Terrorism, Promises More to Come. At Todd Blanches confirmation hears Matt Margolis sees Former AG John Ashcroft School Adam Schiff in the Most Brutal Way ""Mr. Blanche has said that he believes the president has both the right and the duty to use the Justice Department to go after his enemies," Schiff said, before turning to Ashcroft and asking, "Do you subscribe to that view?" It was a trap dressed up as a question, and Ashcroft didn’t fall for it. "I believe that the Attorney General of the United States has the right and responsibility to enforce the law uniformly, and if the law has been broken by the president's 'enemies,' he has a duty," Ashcroft said, adding that lawbreakers "do not become exempt from following the law merely by their enmity to the president of the United States." Then he flipped the script entirely. "As a matter of fact, the people who break the law are in enmity with the people of the United States," Ashcroft said. "We used to call people who break the law, 'public enemies.'"" At Twitchy, CNN Legal Analyst Norm Eisen Flirts With Libel of Todd Blanche on Nicolle Wallace’s Show.

John Ocasio-Rodham Nolte @NolteNC, "Trump is the most dynamic and effective president I’ve seen in over 40 years of watching politics. And even if I agreed with you, I’d still rather have the GOP in power at cocktail parties than demonic Democrats opening the border and butchering kids. I’m fine with complaining about the GOP, even Trump. But this “why should we vote for them” approach is suicide-by-killing-the-good-in-pursuit-of-perfect." Quote Tomi Lahren @TomiLahren, "Replying to @NolteNC I’m a little sick of these republicans talking a big game and riding on Trump’s coattails only to get to DC and shill for the foreigners. We didn’t elect them to go to cocktail parties and fundraise for their next election. It’s diabolical. If we do get taken over my the communist Left it’ll be because the do NOTHING right betrayed us and our vote! I will NEVER apologize for calling out so-called public servants. Ever. They work for us and right now, they are doing a piss poor job."

At the Chronic, Trump’s OMB Puts Taxpayers Back in Control of Their Money. Rapid Response 47 @RapidResponse47, "@POTUS announces that any American veteran who has driven a heavy truck for our military will soon be eligible for a Commercial Driver's License." Newsweek whines Trump To Fast-Track Truck Licenses For Veterans–Who Is Eligible?

Althouse, "Pete Hegseth wants a manly military. And he really, really wants you to know how badly he wants a manly military.", ""In his 2024 book, The War on Warriors, Hegseth worried that the military risked becoming 'effeminate, and apologetic'; he insisted that what liberals really want is 'soft men, and a weak military,' and he scolded 'Pentagon pussies' who refuse to stand up for soldiers on the battlefield. As secretary of defense, Hegseth has blocked the promotion of female military officers, removed the first woman to lead the Navy, and ordered a review of women’s 'effectiveness' in ground-combat roles. He has also used the Defense Department’s social-media channels to post a steady stream of tougher-than-thou videos...." So begins the Atlantic article, "Pete Hegseth Wants YOU to Test Your Testosterone/The secretary of defense has a questionable plan to monitor the hormone levels of every service member over 30" (gift link)." A better use of money than vaginoplasties for men. Insty, PENTAGON REFUSES TO PUNISH PILOT FOR LOW BEACH FLYOVER.

This is one of the most brilliant moves Hegseth has made. Here’s why:

Experienced pilots are freaking out in my DMs about these close flybys. Even some based people I follow and love, like @MCCCANM, are questioning them while my son’s class of young student aviators can’t stop… https://t.co/vM9pjQrv9O pic.twitter.com/Se1IjH1BnZ

— John Ʌ Konrad V (@johnkonrad) July 16, 2026

Beege Welborn at Hat Hair, David Muir and ABC News Thought They Had the Blues UPDATE. Pete Hegseth @PeteHegseth, "The flyovers will continue until morale improves." At News Wax, Guard Deployment to DC Will Last Through Trump's Term and 6th Straight Day of Attacks Underway as US Strikes Deeper Into Iran.

Ben Whedon at JTN, Senate GOP poised for largest turnover of the millennium due to Trump primaries, retirements, "Republicans currently have 53 seats in the upper chamber, but are essentially guaranteed to see at least eight of their ranks not return for the next Congress, marking what will be the largest instance of intra-party turnover in the past quarter-century." Depends on how you count Mitch.

PJM's VodkaPundit gasps when hear hears Oligarchs Just Snuck HOW MUCH Money Out of Russia? Three hundred billion dollars, a real vote of confidence.

Kevin Killough at JTN reports Critics cast doubt on Biden's claims he personally wrote upcoming memoir ""How many chapters are about your time hiding in the basement while someone else ran the White House?" Rep. Nancy Mace asked in response to the announcement."

Amy Curtis at TownHall has a hopeful New Poll that Shows Socialism Isn't As Popular As the Left Wants Us to Believe. At PJM, Matt Margolis hears the Democrats Got Some Devastating News About the Midterms and Stephen Kruiser hears The Commie Call Is Coming From Inside the Democrats' House. From WUWT, Regarding Energy, the Left Wants Us to Live Smaller Lives. Americans Don’t Do That. Shut up, eat the bugs, freeze in winter, bake in summer. PJM's Bob Spencer, Mamdani Is Enraged Over Shocking ICE Murder, but of Course He’s Lying Again.

At NYPo, Swalwell pal Sen. Ruben Gallego had sexual relationships with two House staffers, sources reveal to The Post. "Minutes after this article was published, the senator gave a non-denial to an NBC News journalist on Capitol Hill, uttering, “I’m not going to engage in gossip.” At Ace, Surprise! Eric Swalwell's Adultery Wingman, Rueben Gallego, Banged At Least Two House Aides, "Noooooo. Not the guy who handed his nine-months-pregnant wife divorce papers so he could bang his side-piece openly (while claiming it's a "new relationship"). I shan't believe it. Take your filthy lies, NY Post, and hit the road, Jack!!!" Ryan King at NYPo, Arizona Congressional Dem hopeful caught following OnlyFans, witchcraft accounts. Kurt Schlichter at TownHall just says Leftist Women Are an Abomination. He didn't have to be sexist. Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, sees Desperation? DNC Demanded NDAs Before Finance Meeting.

Misty Severi at JTN reports Fetterman draws red line for Democratic Party, says he would leave if it abandons Israel. "The warning comes the same day that over 100 House Democrats voted against sending more aid to Israel, though the amendment containing the proposal failed to pass because of wide Republican support."

Libs of TikTok @libsoftiktok, "Los Angeles International Airport railway is now $1 billion over budget and years delayed The contractor is now SUING the city for blaming them for the delays and claims the delays were actually the city’s fault Another Newscum failure reeking of corruption." Unleash Prosperity claims Obamacare Fraud Cut in Half This Year.

Insty demands “JUSTICE.” "Now More Than Ever, Ensuring Supreme Court Justices’ Personal Security Is Critical. “This is outrageous stuff and, obviously, totally unacceptable." From Bearing Arms, Supreme Court Ruling in Viramontes Could Reshape Gun Rights Nationwide and Ninth Circuit Judge Says It's Time for SCOTUS to 'Benchslap' Court Over 2A Rulings. "So, what to do? I have a suggestion. The Supreme Court should consider summarily reversing some of our wayward Second Amendment decisions. To put it more colloquially, it’s time for some benchslaps. Nothing less will give this court any pause before ultimately blessing every arms restriction it reviews." From Shooting Newsweek, Reducing Violent Crime Isn’t Complicated, You Just Have to Want to Do It. John Sexton at Hat Hair examines The Latest Attempt to Use the Courts to End Fossil Fuels.

At Althouse, "I do love revenge, I will say that,' adds Meeropol, 57, taking a sip from an iced Americano... 'I’d always loved revenge movies." "That's from "The woman behind E Jean Carroll: I do love revenge, I will say that/Ivy Meeropol has made a film starring one of Trump’s biggest foes. And she has her own beef with the president — dating back to her grandparents’ execution" (London Times). Meeropol = Ivy Meeropol, the documentarian who made a movie about the man, Roy Cohn, who "helped to send her grandparents, Ethel and Julius Rosenberg, to the electric chair, leaving her father orphaned at the age of ten." Now, Meeropol has a movie about E. Jean Carroll."

Hat Hair's Dave Strom notes 'Diversity' Is Not Our Strength if They Hate Us and When 'Human Rights' Becomes Civilizational Suicide. From Ace, Gaza Family of 18 Wins "Right" to Settle In England Despite Speaking No English and Being Determined to be a Net Detriment to Society, "The judge agreed the family of welfare ticks would be a net negative to British society, but commanded them all to be settled in England anyway, because... because the family would be missing out if they weren't allowed to jump on the UK welfare train," and The Illegal Alien Truck Driver Who Killed Three People Last Year Gets Less Than Five Years in Prison, "Yeah, a little more than four years sounds right for a Family Annihilator." Well, no widows or orphans. Jesse Kelly @JesseKellyDC, "If you’re a ruler and you don’t care about your country, the foreigner is a much better resident than the citizen. The foreigner won’t complain while you pillage the place. He only asks for a cut of the loot and some legal protections." Quote Alex James @actualAlexJames, "Why did all Western countries suddenly implement infinity migration without any public discussion or vote?"

John Sexton hears Bluesky Gave Up on Competing with X. At the Eternally Radical Idea Greg Lukianoff has More tips for being non-partisan in a partisan age "It ain't easy, it can be exhausting, and you're not always going to get everything right. But you have to keep trying." No I don't.

From WaEx, The zombies aren’t coming. They’re already teaching your kids. Campus Reform, LSU fires former DEI official earning nearly $330K amid spending cuts. "The university eliminated 25 positions as part of an effort projected to save $3.7 million." At CJ, How a Mellon Grant Fueled Fringe Scholar-Activism in Texas, "Funding of $5 million supported academics who want to “decolonize education” and dismantle capitalism and “heteronormativity.”" Ben Smith at RedState, Are You Serious? Virginia School Board Refuses to Drug Test Teachers After Classroom Fentanyl Overdose. "A Virginia school board voted 4-3 to protect teachers from the indignity of drug testing, two years after a second-grade teacher overdosed on fentanyl in her own classroom, in front of her students."

Oilfield Rando @Oilfield_Rando, "Hearing from tradesmen that one of their main job criteria is bureaucracy. Employers will hire them away from other employers with the promise of same money, but not having to deal with all the app shit. The compliance/app regime is getting that bad, even out in the field."

Taco Bell manager confident Cyclospora came from farmers market down the street. pic.twitter.com/NYUZle5Rkx

— U.S. Secretary of Common Sense (@ScottButtram) July 15, 2026

The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Slowly I Turn up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Supes Rule Prez can Fire Any Agency Head Except Fed

A number of case came down from on high at the Supreme Court yesterday, and it was a mixed bag for the President (as it usually is). The court ruled in Trump v. Slaughter and Trump v Wilcox that the President was free to fire the head of any executive agency, including those the Congress attempted to designate as "independent", but quickly tempered that by ruling in Trump v Cook that Trump could not fire Janet Cook from the Federal Reserve board without some kind of due process. Weird, but as my Daddy used say, consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds. In Watson v. RNC they also ruled that states could count mail-in ballot that arrived after election day, as long as they were postmarked by election day. Althouse spent the day Waiting on the Supreme Court. I didn't. Capt. Ed at Hat Hair VIP, SCOTUS Slaughters Humphrey's Executor – But the Fed ... Oilfield Rando @Oilfield_Rando, "In a stunning blow to Our Democracy™, SCOTUS has ruled that unelected bureaucrats can’t do whatever they want and run federal agencies like their personal fiefdoms in perpetuity," Quote Benjamin Ryan @benryanwriter, "NEWS: Supreme Court overrules a 90-year-old precedent and frees the president to fire independent agency heads The Supreme Court ruled today that President Trump can remove Federal Trade Commission members at will, and in doing so it overruled Humphrey's Executor, the 1935 decision that has protected independent agencies for nine decades. The case is Trump v. Slaughter, and it reshapes the federal bureaucracy..." Sundance at CTH, Supreme Court Rules 6-3 That President Can Remove Any Agency Head in Executive Branch. At Ace, Supreme Court Rules That the Chief Executive Does In Fact Have the Power to Fire His Own Executive Branch Employees. "Liberal congresses passed laws to establish so-called "independent agencies," which are executive branch agencies intended to be independent from the very executive they're part of." Insty, NOW ON SUBSTACK, MY THOUGHTS ON THE SUPREME COURT’S SLAUGHTER OPINION: Bringing Back the ‘Spoils System?’ Yes, Please. A better name would be an “accountability system.” And it’s just the beginning. Sundance is not so happy about Supreme Court 5-4 Ruling Creates Fourth Branch of Government – Trump v Cook and Supreme Court Rules States Can Decide How Long After Election Day Ballots May Be Received. Cathy Salgado at PJM, Supreme Court Decides Crucial Mail-in Ballot Case. Capt. Ed calls it a Stunner: SCOTUS Whiffs on Election Day Showdown, 5-4. TownHall's Matt Vespa says The Amy Coney Barrett Problem Reared Its Ugly Head Again, after she wrote the majority opinion in that case. At Nevada News, How Did We End Up With ACB Instead of Barbara Lagoa on the Supreme Court? I Have Thoughts. Sundance hosts President Trump Giving Remarks and Opinion on Three Supreme Court Decisions.

In other Supreme Court news, Matt Margolis is pissed SCOTUS Just Let a Rigged Verdict Against President Trump Stand, E Jean Carroll. Althouse also reports on Chatrie v. United States: "Police officers conducted a Fourth Amendment search when they acquired Chatrie’s location data from Google because an individual has a reasonable expectation of privacy in his cell-phone location information. Justice Kagan writes the majority opinion, joined by the Chief and Justices Sotomayor, Kagan, Kavanaugh, and Jackson. Justice Gorsuch writes a concurring opinion, and Justice Alito has a dissent joined by Thomas and Barrett." From Ace, Supreme Court May Decide Birthright Citizenship Case This Week; RNC Sues Colorado Over Allowing Birth Tourism Foreigners Who Never Even Set Foot in Colorado to Vote There "In the next few days, we may find out if we have a country or not. May be. The Disney Groomer Corporation is sad."  I expect the Court to rule against Trump on birthright citizenship, and throw it back to the Congress, which never does anything.

Joe Chalfant sees the The Alaskan Supreme Court Just Gave Democrats a Lifeline With This Insane Ruling. "The Alaskan Supreme Court issued a shocking decision Monday evening that will allow a Democrat-recruited sham candidate to appear on the upcoming ballot against Republican incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan." Can we run 12 AOCs in her district?  Beege Welborn is In a Bit of a Surprise when the CO Supreme Court Knocks Down Dem Redistricting Plan. Breaking911 @Breaking911, "BREAKING: The Colorado Supreme Court has unanimously blocked a Democratic-backed congressional redistricting proposal in Colorado that could have resulted in Democrats gaining three additional seats in the U.S. House."

At TownHall Kurt Schlichter observes The Socialists Are Coming... for the Democrats. From Da Signal, The Democratic Socialists of America’s Platform Explicitly Aims to Destroy the Constitution. Capt. Ed, CNN: DSA Nominee Suuuuuure Likes Marx, Lenin, Stalin, and ... CNN admits Deleted tweets on Darializa Avila Chevalier’s account had favorable references to communist leaders and Marxism. From Fox, Bill Maher calls Mamdani-backed socialist ‘patient zero’ of the ‘woke mind virus’. ""The New York Times asked her, 'If someone murders someone randomly, should they go to jail?' Couldn't get her to say yes for that," Maher said. "So, there is a woke mind virus, and I think we found patient zero. Her name is Darializa Avila Chevalier." Derek Hunter at TownHall wonders Has the ‘Revolution’ Already Passed AOC By? "AOC seems quaint compared to these people." NYPo, Gavin Newsom — once a capitalist, now a socialist. 

From Campus Reform a POLL: Most Democrats say they'd rather live outside the United States. Oh, please do! From Ace, Nine Democrat-Led States, Plus Vermont, Refuse to Send any Delegation to the Nation's 250th Anniversary "National State Fair." At Althouse "At a time of fierce debate over how to teach American history, particularly around issues of race, the Freedom Trucks weigh in squarely on one side of the argument..." ""... telling a patriotic, positive story of core American values and exceptionalism. They stand in sharp contrast to liberal efforts in recent years — in classrooms, museums, national parks and media — to lift up discussion of systemic racism and highlight chapters where America has failed to live up to its ideals." From "Trump-backed ‘Freedom Trucks’ tell a sanitized story of the country’s founding/At a time of fierce debate over how to teach American history, the mobile exhibits weigh in squarely on one side of the argument." (WaPo)(gift link)." Someone has to counter WaPoo's negativism. 

Jonathan Turley notes ‘You’re Next!’: Democrats Discover the Mob has a Mind of its Own. Ben Shapiro @benshapiro, "No one more richly deserves this humiliation than Scott Wiener, who learns the hard lesson that you can be a militant for trans radicalism, a full-scale Israel-hater, and an all-around moral derelict...and the hard Left will still yell at you for being a Jew. 10/10, no notes." Quote Dimitry Yakoushkin @decadimitry "Scott Wiener showed up to the trans march and for the first time we kicked his ass out. It's sad because while he's written some good legislation for queers, hes ultimately a genocidal-supporting center right shill. Trigger warning: broken man walking away defeated. Vote Connie!" Spencer Pratt @spencerpratt, "Hey, Wiener guy! Remember when you called me a "McBigot"? How does it feel now that the Frankenstein you created is coming for you? Every stupid communist learns this history lesson the hard way. Enjoy!"  John Poretz at The Freep explains How the Left Abandoned the Jews.

@instapundit @instapundit, "Were any of them raped by dogs, Nick?" Quote Nicholas Kristof @NickKristof, Replying to @elonmusk, "Elon, I can give you many, many names of people who have died because of your aid cuts.: *Yamah Freeman was a 23-year-old woman who died in childbirth because you stopped paying for the diesel for ambulances in her part of Liberia. ..." Elon Musk @elonmusk, "The hard truth is that USAID, with its constant support of often violent leftist regime change, caused a lot of death!" Quote amuse @amuse, "USAID: The data show that dismantling USAID did not result in ANY increase in African mortality much less the four million Democrats claim Elon Musk is responsible for killing. It was all a lie. In fact, the UNAIDS/SAMRC data show that mortality declined after." Cernovich @Cernovich, "We were forced to pay for diesel in ambulances in Liberia? What in the world? Show this stuff to normal voters and watch their (and my own) befuddlement. "Wait, we were doing WHAT?"" Oilfield Rando @Oilfield_Rando, "Africa wanted its independence, they got it, but somehow I am still obligated to buy them diesel fuel. Neat." Elon Musk @elonmusk, "Correct." Quote Peter St Onge, Ph.D. @profstonge, "Turns out defunding USAID did not kill Africans. Because the money wasn't going to Africa. It was going to buy elections and burn Tesla dealerships. x.com/arctotherium42…" @instapundit @instapundit, "They don’t call you a murderer because they think you murdered people. They call you a murderer to encourage people to murder you."

At PJM VodkaPundit has the sads that California Dems Solve a Fictional Water Crisis by Taxing Wine. John Lott at RCP sees CA Lawmakers Seek To Ban Popular Handgun, Glocks. 

PJM's Scott Pinsker thinks Something Is Very, Very Strange About the Media’s Fixation on Pete Buttigieg’s CPS Swatting Story. They don't care when conservatives get SWATted. Speaking of something strange, Twitchy cites Nate Silver Looking at Sales Figures for Dr. Jill Biden’s Memoir. The Free Bacon is strangely satisfied, America Dodges Bullet: Congress To Remain Kennedy-Free After Jack Schlossberg Fails in New York "'America's babygirl' will have to keep looking for his first real job."

Libs of TikTok @libsoftiktok, "The Senate is on vacation for the next two weeks. Sorry folks, no SAVE America Act right now… It’s mind boggling that having secure elections is not the #1 priority."

PiptheCowboy @AeroSpaceShark, "The Chaplains didn't have their "rank taken away" I work with them daily, they replaced their rank on their uniforms with chaplains corp insignia to make them more approachable. The Chaplains corp likes this change. They're foremost counselors, not officers with command." Quote Chuck Pfarrer | Indications & Warnings | @ChuckPfarrer, "THIS JUST IN: Pete Hegseth has decided to take away the rank from all military Chaplins- because they're not ‘warfighters’. Since WW One, US Chaplins have won 5 Medals of Honor, 26 Distinguished Service Crosses, 1 Navy Cross, 45 Silver Stars and 719 Bronze Stars for valor."

Hat Hair's John Sexton sees Lack of Gasoline Getting to Russians, Part Two.

Duane Patterson at Hat Hair, has a long post, After A Little Weekend Warrior Work, Iran Is Back In the M.O.U. Box. Sundance reports U.S. and Iran Schedule Deconfliction Meeting in Doha. Dick Pollack at The World in Crisis thinks he detects A Civil War Between Vance and Rubio? "The two are following distinctly different Middle Eastern paths over Iran."

Buck Throckmorton at Ace's MORNING RANT: is teed off that Trump-Bashing Felon John Bolton is Scheduled for a Fireside Chat Today with National Review to Discuss Character and Leadership "The National Review Institute is hosting an “American Leadership & National Security” seminar in Newport Beach today. Jim Geraghty, Noah Rothman, and other Trump-hating “conservatives” are scheduled to join Mr. Bolton in discussing character and leadership."

CIS touts Two SCOTUS Victories: One for Trump on TPS, the Other for the English Language on Asylum "Two SCOTUS Victories: One for Trump on TPS, the Other for the English Language on Asylum The ‘TPS case’ and the ‘asylum entry case’ are in; only the ‘birthright citizenship case’ remains." Ilya Shapiro, Supreme Court Confirms Broad Executive Power Over Immigration "In three rulings last week, the justices turned back left-wing lawfare against President Trump’s policies." At Am Mind, Blood, Soil, Creed—and the Immunities of American Citizenship. Prowler @derzum_, "As of May, 93% of asylum is being denied in immigration courts—record high—amounting to hundreds of thousands fewer lawful migrants. ‘Immigration judges are now issuing denials in virtually every case’ after rule changes and mass firings by the Trump admin cleaned the system." Beege Welborn at Hat Hair says Lemme 'Splain - Heads Exploded in Vain Over Mullins' TPS Comments Yesterday. People whose TPS was terminated can apply for visa; but most won't qualify. C3 @C_3C_3, "Want some truth? If Haitians started voting Republican the Democrats would have them back in Haiti faster than you could say Port-au-Prince." Publius @OcrazioCornPop, "Trump, 2018: "Haiti is a sh!thole country." Hollywood Libs: "Haiti is a great, truly beautiful country. Trump is a r*cist!" Trump (& SCOTUS), 2026: "Temporary means temporary, Haitians have to return home to their great, truly beautiful country." Hollywood Libs: "Haiti is a sh!thole country. They must be allowed to stay forever." CHECKMATE, LIBTARDS. WHY ARE HOLLYWOOD LIBS LIKE THIS?"

Elon Musk @elonmusk, "Extremely troubling." Quote iamyesyouareno @iamyesyouareno, "“We will kill the white man’s children, we will kill their woman, we will kill anything that we find in our way!” —Andile Mngxitama, member of parliament in South Africa. This is what happens to Whites when they become a minority. Prepare."

Fire argues about  How does the First Amendment apply to AI? "Far from authorless, AI models are built by a long chain of expressive decisions meriting First Amendment coverage." The old rule "garbage in, garbage out" still applies. 

"I’m pleased that the D.C. police recognize their part in violating my rights." "Said Sam O’Hara, quote in "Man who played Star Wars music at National Guard members receives settlement/The ACLU announced it had reached a financial agreement with the D.C. government and four of its officers, resolving part of the case" (WaPo)(gift link)." Sue and settle.

From NYPo, Oh baby! New York Times is losing its mind because Republican women are … having children and CNN star Anderson Cooper told colleagues he doesn’t want to work for Bari Weiss. Well at some point you've made enough money.

Ace, Another (Expected) Deadly Heat Wave Hits Europe, With Some Beginning to Doubt the Green Left's Dogmatic Opposition to Air Conditioning. "Europe is so beaten by the heat that they're willing to entertain embracing the unfashionable American preference for air-conditioning. How will they reverse their decades-old determination to let the elderly die in heat waves?As the BBC shows us: Simple! They'll now say that air conditioning is a sad but necessary response to global warming!" Tablesalt @Tablesalt13, "NEW - Paris morgues ARE OVERFLOWING from heat-related deaths morgues are now seeking permission for refrigerated containers The mayor of Paris has also authorized additional body storage units at City morgues. In Europe, you only get A/C once you're dead." Polymarket @Polymarket, "JUST IN: Paris’ deputy mayor says the U.S. bears “a significant amount of responsibility” for the deadly heatwave gripping France." Absolute Resolve Fella @mack_a_d00, "Good one." Insty adds F OFF, FROGGIE: DC_Draino @DC_Draino, "Make no mistake about it. If Kamala had pulled off the steal in 2024, America would be banning A/C right now too." Quote DC_Draino @DC_Draino, "Europe is starting to ban A/C for 2 reasons: 1. To kill old people with heat stroke who use up all the tax dollars in socialized medicine. 2. To make everyone feel hot and miserable so the “global warming” scam feels more real and they can pass more tax increases. These globalist elites are truly evil." Saffron Sniper @Saffron_Sniper1, "Chinese people are trolling Europeans by posting videos on social media showing that even their pigs have air conditioning, while many Europeans can’t because of government rules." Save the bacon! In Chicago, they'd still be voting for universal health care. Matt Whitlock @MattWhitlock, "In the UK, between 9/2024 and 8/2025, roughly 79,130 names were removed from healthcare waiting lists because patients died before getting care. 28,908 had been waiting longer than the 18-week standard, and 7,737 had waited more than a year. Does that feel “universal?“" Quote Scott Robertson @sarobertson_, "McGowan: Every single country in the World Cup has universal health care except us. That's not a far left position."

Steve Milloy @JunkScience, "New York State celebrates the 250th by trying to force Catholic nuns to use 'preferred pronouns': "The sisters have received three letters from the state’s health department, in effect, explaining that they’re not complying with provisions of a “Bill of Rights for LGBTQIA+ New Yorkers” that Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) signed in 2023. "The text stipulates that long-term care facilities must use patients’ preferred pronouns, even when they’re not present; defer to their choice of bathroom; and refuse to assign rooms based on biological sex. Staff must also undergo “cultural competency” training.""  Jennifer Sey @JenniferSey, "A hybrid Trans/Palestinian flag. Like it's a thing."

Los Angeles 2021

At NottheBee, Los Angeles man arrested for shooting BB gun at naked bike riders taking over the city. Oilfield Rando @Oilfield_Rando, "Anarchotyranny is when sexual deviants are allowed to break the law while police stand by to protect them from any consequences from outraged citizens." Quote Collin Rugg @CollinRugg "NEW: Los Angeles man arrested after shooting naked people with a BB gun as they rode their bikes through downtown Los Angeles. Hundreds of people were spotted riding without clothes for the World Naked Bike Ride." I suppose it depends who's riding naked. 

Josh Weiner looks at The Unchecked Politicization of Chicago Classrooms. From RCM, America Didn't Lose Its Tradesmen by Accident. They were "educated" away. 

Stacy McCain is shocked, shocked Woke ‘Supergirl’ Bombs Badly "Let’s start by stating the obvious: Sixty-six-year-old grandpas are not the target audience for super-hero action movies and, even when I was part of the target demographic, age-wise, I really never was much of a fan of movies about comic-book characters."

Still more the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 06.29.26! The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Happy 250th, America! and FMJRA 2.0: Waiting Until August up in star-spangled glory at the Other McCain.

Flotsam and Jetsam - The Pete Hegseth Konfirmation Kerfuffle

The Senate confirmation hearing for Pete Hegseth as former President and soon to be President Donald Trump's Secretary of Defense took place yesterday, and if you like rancorous hearings, it did not disappoint. But first, Breitbart reports Pete Hegseth’s FBI File Comes Back as ‘Unremarkable’ — Dashing Democrats’ Hopes of Scandal. At the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 01.14.25, Twitchy, NYT’s Pentagon Correspondent “Fact-Checks” Pete Hegseth On Racism In The Military . Of course, sundance at CTH has posted the hearing at Confirmation Hearing for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth – 9:30am Livestream Links. Anxious anxiously posts Hegseth confirmation hearing: Full text of his opening statement. Benny Johnson@bennyjohnson, "COUNTLESS Navy Seals and Green Berets in attendance supporting Pete Hegseth" and sat quietly. On the other hand, Da Hill reports Hegseth interrupted by protesters, which set the tone. 

At NewsMax, Defense Secretary-Nominee Hegseth Vows to 'Restore Warrior Ethos' and Hegseth: Military Members Booted for Vax Refusal Back 'With Pay, Rank.' The Vindmans shudder. Cathy Salgado at PJM, Pete Hegseth: ‘My Only Special Interest Is the Warfighter.’ Benny Johnson @bennyjohnson, "QUOTE OF THE DAY: “If you’re a rifleman, and you lose your rifle, they’re throwing the book at you. If you’re a general and you lose a war, you get a promotion.”" Paul Sperry @paulsperry, ""BREAKING:Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth just testified he would reinstate with back pay or restore full retirement benefits for every one of the 8,000 servicemembers discharged for refusing to take "an experimental vaccine" under Biden DOD's mandate during the Covid panic."

 At the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 01.14.25, Louder With Crowder, Enjoy these Democrat senators turning Pete Hegseth’s confirmation hearing into a TOTAL clown show, GOP senator went SCORCHED EARTH on Democrat hypocrisy over Pete Hegseth “How many senators showed up drunk to vote at night?” and American Greatness: OK Senator Markwayne Mullin Puts Dem Colleagues on Blast For Their ‘Ridiculous’ Hypocrisy During Hegseth Confirmation Hearing. The Federalist, Sen. Joni Ernst Backs Hegseth Following Conservative Pressure Campaign, Democrats’ Hegseth Hearing Theatrics Prove They’re Unserious About U.S. National Security. PJM reports LIVE: Democrat Senators Go Off the Rails at Hegseth's Confirmation Hearing, like they were ever on the rails. Capt. Ed at Hat Hair notes Jack Reed Channels Sheldon Whitehouse with Hegseth: 'What's a JAG-Off?' and Kaine to Hegseth: You're a Slut, Aren't You? At Twitchy, Senator Gary Peters Reaches for Aloe as Pete Hegseth Delivers Scorching CEO Hiring Retort. Eric Daugherty@EricLDaugh, " JUST IN: Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) tries a "gotcha" question on Pete Hegseth and it immediately backfires. The Democrat rushes to cut off Hegseth's response as soon as he starts giving substance. "Can you give me ANY example of where you've driven innovation at ANY organization?" HEGSETH: Oh, absolutely. At Concerned Veterans for America, we created the Fixing Veterans' Healthcare Task Force - bipartisan, never been done before - to drive policy change on Capitol Hill that organizations fought ferociously against. We got the VA Accountability Act passed, and the Mission Act passed in a way-" SENATOR (interrupting): "Ok, great, thank you. We appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you. Alright. Ok."" 'Becca Downs at TownHall, People Sure Are Noticing How Terrible Tim Kaine's Line of Questioning for Pete Hegseth Was. 

Then there were the women. Sister Toldja at RedState, wants you to WATCH: Kirsten Gillibrand Implodes During Pete Hegseth Confirmation Hearing As He Refuses to Be Rattled. Stacy McCain, Retarded Asian Woman Challenges Fake Indian for Title of ‘Worst Senator Ever.’ Capt. Ed, Must Watch: Mazie Hirono's Day-Drinking Questioning of Hegseth. A Larry video at Hat Hair, Democrat Mazie Hirono Proves Why She's the Dumbest Senator. Jason Rantz on KTTH Radio @jasonrantz "Sen. Mazie Hirono is a true inspiration: no matter your incompetence or lack of discernable skills, you too can become a Senator." DC_Draino@DC_Draino, "I’ll tell you what Democrats do have Shrieking female Senators", Quote Buck Sexton@BuckSexton, "The Democrats haven’t been this demoralized in decades They have no leadership, no messaging, nothing All their main media outlets have all been discredited and neutered It’s a great time in America."

I'd like to see our politicians put this much ferocity into defending and protecting Americans. https://t.co/LOmAvmJ3Gx

— Justine Bateman (@JustineBateman) January 14, 2025

The Babylon Bee@TheBabylonBee, "Pete Hegseth Awarded Silver Star For Enduring Roomful Of Hysterical Women https://buff.ly/3WjzZyu" Insty has a HEGSETH HEARINGS ROUNDUP including CaliRN619@CaliRN619 "To sum up the Pete Hegseth hearings: Drunk accuses him of alcoholism Cheater accuses him of cheating Stolen valor accuses him of lying The Democrats are a joke." Ace, Pete Hegseth Hearings: Democrats, Terrorists, and Trannies (But I Repeat Myself) Turn It Into a Clownshow. Hat Hair's Beege Welborn, For Pete's Sake - Can Anything Shame These Democratic Senators?. WaEx, Hegseth fights back against ‘smear campaign’ as Democrats charge he is unqualified to lead Pentagon. Twitchy says Sen. Markwayne Mullin NUKED Every Single Democrat Questioning Pete Hegseth and It Was PRICELESS (Watch). Ace, Senator Mullin: How Many Senators Have Cast Votes at Night Drunk? How Many Have Been Divorced Due to Cheating? "I mean, you could also point out that Mazie Horono sounds drunk right now as she grills Hegseth about "drinking on the job" ..." Sundance at CTH, Senator Markwayne Mullin Eviscerates Democrats on Armed Services Committee. At OTP, National Sheriff’s Association Urges Senate To Quickly Confirm Tulsi Gabbard Capt. Ed sees CNN fear Trump Will Run the Table on Nominations, You Know. At Pirate's Cove, Looks Like Trump’s Picks Are Going To Clear The Senate. 

From Da Caller, LARRY ELDER: Democrats Still Haven’t Accepted That Trump Won. Atop Da Hill, Johnson says flags will be flown at full-staff at Capitol on Trump’s Inauguration Day. “On January 20th, the flags at the Capitol will fly at full-staff to celebrate our country coming together behind the inauguration of our 47th President, Donald Trump. The flags will be lowered back to half-staff the following day to continue honoring President Jimmy Carter.” Ryan King at NYPo reports Michelle Obama will not attend Donald Trump’s inauguration after skipping Jimmy Carter’s funeral. Yeah, whatever. 

At the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 01.14.25, The Geller Report: President Trump Announces Plant To Create “External Revenue Service” to Collect Tariffs, Duties, All Revenue From Foreign Sources. Insty at his substack is Rethinking the Civil Service. Sundance, President Trump Introduces the “External Revenue Service.” Da Caller, Canada Suddenly Says It’ll Buy More US Products After Trump Threatened To Slap It With Tariffs. At TNP, Greenland PM Gives Major Indication of Future U.S. Involvement. From Da Wire, Vance: Trump Will Enable Israel To ‘Knock Out’ Hamas Unless Hostages Released.

The Babylon Bee@TheBabylonBee "Biden Desperately Searches For Anything Else He Can Screw Up In The Next 6 Days https://buff.ly/3DUjJOg". Now 5 days. At ADN America, Republican congressional members outraged over Biden plan to remove Cuba from State Sponsor of Terrorism list. Dave Strom at Hat Hair wonders Will Biden Pardon IRS Employee Who Leaked Trump's Tax Returns? and calls Biden The Comedian At OTP, ‘Don’t Know’ And ‘Nobody’ Top Democratic Party Leadership Poll, not mention "none of the above." Bob Spencer at PJM, Old Joe Biden Reminds Us Yet Again That Leftists Live in a World of Pure Fantasy.. Althouse notices Cement. "I'm slogging through the NYT material about these last days of the Biden presidency. The word "cement" keeps appearing: 1. "Biden Races to Cement His Legacy Through a Series of Actions" . . . "Set in cement. Cement, the noun, not cement, the verb. It's where a bad legacy is stuck. It's far too late for Biden to take the active role and cement anything positive. He can make his peevish "11th-hour decisions" and "last-ditch efforts" but like Carter, he will be remembered as "the opposite of effective, the model to be avoided."" At Lifezette, Weiss Report Unveils Hunter Biden’s Untaxed Millions and Joe’s Accusations. OTP, DOJ Says Two Death Row Inmates Cannot Legally Object To Biden’s Commutation. The DOj may change it's mind in a few days. 

From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 01.13.25 American Greatness: Biden Claims Border ‘Numbers Came Way Down’ After He took Office An Absolute Disgrace: Joe Biden Adds to His Shameful Legacy, Lying About History: Efforts to Whitewash Biden’s Foreign Policy Failures,  Don Surber: Thank FJB for the acceptance of Trump

At PJM Vicky Taft sees Gavin Newsom Has Found the L.A. Fires' Biggest Victim: Himself. and VodkaPundit, hopes Bye-Bye, Baby? Recall Efforts Begin Against Newsom & Bass. From Western Journal, LA Mayor Used Fire Department Money to Fund Queer Occult Interests, 'Ebony Theatre,' Trans Cafe, and More, basically anything but preparing for fires. Michael Shellenberger@shellenberger, "As fires raged, and LA Mayor Karen Bass attended a cocktail party in in Ghana, her Deputy Mayor for Public Safety was also unavailable because of "an FBI raid at his house in connection to an investigation regarding a bomb threat he allegedly made against city hall."" Bill Melugin@BillMelugin_ "Replying to @BillMelugin_Also notable that Bass' Deputy Mayor for Public Safety was also on leave at this time, following a FBI raid at his house in connection to an investigation regarding a bomb threat he allegedly made agaisnt city hall." Amy Reichert @amyforsandiego, "The LA County Fire Chief just said at this morning’s news conference: “We are asking our unhoused neighbors to not have warming fires right now.”" Reuters @Reuters whines "Questions about California's preparedness and response to the massive fires have rendered its Democratic leaders vulnerable to escalating attacks from the right, in a possible prelude to the politicization of disaster response under President-elect Trump." At WUWT, Assigning Responsibility for the Tragic Los Angeles Fires and Joe Romm’s the Climate Ate My Homework! (re Southern California fires). Joel Kotkin at Spiked says The LA fires are the horrifying consequence of Democratic misrule. "Blue states’ embrace of progressive fads over good governance was bound to end in disaster." At PJM Matt Margolis notices As Wildfires Rage, California Dems Want $50 Million to Protect Illegals From Deportation, Victor Joecks says To Stop Wildfires, Burn Wokeism and John Sexton sees California's Insurance Problem Comes Into Sharper Focus. At the NYSun, Will Onerous Building Regulations Red Pill Californians Who Lost Their Homes in the Fires? "Governor Newsom issues an executive order to cut red tape and suspend environmental permitting, but the state’s onerous regulations could turn some Californians against their government." At Althouse, "Some film people, including a few studio executives who have lost everything, have been pushing for a quick return to business as usual..." "From "Hollywood’s Filmmaking Continues Despite L.A. Wildfires/Because of costs, few movies are shot locally, leaving the industry in a surreal spot: reeling from personal loss with much of the business untouched" (NYT)." Da Caller, Police Nab Looter Disguised As Fireman During LA Wildfires. Mark Hemingway@Heminator, "Roberts did ads for Kamala — a candidate who wouldn’t take a stance on whether theft under $1000 should be a felony." Quote Daily Mail Online @MailOnline "Julia Roberts says 'f*** you' to looters as $10M homes continue to be robbed during LA fires. At NRO, a A Song of Ice and Fire, "Carnival of Fools: Trump Talks Greenland, California Burns." Beege Welborn notes Kvetching About a Vetch Now Fetching a Retch. Authorities wanted to replace flimsy wooden power poles with steel, but 

An 'amateur botanist' kvetched to authorities about the 'damage' being done by crews working on the project. It started a tragic comedy of errors that isn't over because the fires aren't out.

...But, after an amateur botanist hiking through the park during the work saw the harm done to some of the park’s Braunton’s milkvetch — a flowering shrub with only a few thousand specimens remaining in the wild — and complained, the project was completely halted, Courthouse News Service reported.

Instead of fire-hardening the park, the city — which the state said had undertaken the work without proper permitting — ended up paying $2 million in fines and was ordered by the California Coastal Commission to reverse the whole project and replant the rare herb.

That work saved about 200 Braunton’s milkvetch plants — almost all of which have now likely been torched in the wildfires that consumed Topanga Canyon, along with nearly 24,000 acres (37 square miles) of some of LA’s most sought-after real estate.

OTP reports Trump Heading To California Wildfires As Early As Next Week. Ace, Some Republicans Balk at Writing California a Blank Check for Fire Relief, Seeking to Condition That Relief on Policy Changes. "One big change they're looking at: Many Californians don't have home insurance. They don't have it because the communist government of California banned insurance companies from raising rates commensurate with the major risk of fire (caused by the California government itself), so insurers simply stopped doing business in the state. California's government said that the state would insure these uninsured homes -- but they don't have anywhere near the money to cover the massive losses they've caused. So they want the rest of us to pay for their folly. As usual. California will now be demanding that the citizens of the non-communist states pay for the costs of their communism." Insty, “BUT THEY STILL STOP THE SPREAD OF VIRUSES, RIGHT?” Amy Reichert@amyforsandiego, "Los Angeles County Public Health just announced: “Please do not wear cloth or paper masks—they don’t filter out fine particles or ash."

From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 01.13.25, 357 Magnum, Politics and the Los Angeles Fire EBL, Democrat Mayor of LA Karen Bass, Louder With Crowder, Gavin Newsom launches Orwellian website to “fact check” anyone who points out his incompetence, Vox Popoli, Let California Burn, American Greatness, Petition Calling for Karen Bass’ Resignation Garners over 92,000 Signatures, and Gov. Newsom’s Solution to the Los Angeles Wildfire Disaster? More Government, Stoic Observations: Everything Burns, and American Thinker, Newsom, Bass, and Negligent Homicide.

Matt Van Swol@matt_vanswol "#BREAKING: North Carolina Senator Ted Budd has confirmed that FEMA has been kicking out #WNC residents into the cold from hotels that were supposed to be extended. It is unclear whether FEMA correctly communicated the extensions to the hotels after their 8:12PM post on X."

Jim Ferguson@JimFergusonUK, "Breaking: Labour Staffers Could Face U.S. Charges for Election Meddling! The 100 Labour Party staffers who traveled to the U.S. to campaign against Donald Trump and in support of Kamala Harris may face serious legal consequences under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). Acting as unregistered foreign agents is a federal offense. By interfering in America’s election, these Labour operatives crossed a dangerous line. With Trump set to take office on January 20th, his administration could pursue charges that lead to fines, imprisonment, and lasting damage to Labour’s reputation. Did Keir Starmer authorize this? Was Labour acting as undeclared foreign agents? The U.S. doesn’t take lightly to foreign meddling—and the fallout for Labour could be catastrophic." Jim Ferguson @JimFergusonUK, "Labour’s Head of Operations, Sophia Patel, has deleted her LinkedIn profile and locked her Twitter after explosive allegations surfaced that she organized 100 Labour staffers to meddle in the 2024 US election—allegedly to prevent Donald Trump’s reelection. . . " Darren of Plymouth@wolsned "Labour Pedos, 50 of them. Wanna bet there are a lot more? Of course there is, it will be endemic. . ." 

Dave Strom, Minnesota Democrats: Constitution? What Constitution? and Democrats In Minnesota Have Gone Insane and Insurrection-y. Clarity@covid_clarity, "Minnesota government dysfunction continues... Democrats hold secret swearing-in ceremony before they boycott the new legislative session. MN Democrats are refusing to allow Republicans to take control of the House with Republicans holding a 67-66 advantage ahead of a Jan 28 special election vote." John Sexton sees Tim Walz Facing a Shaky Future in Minnesota. 

At OTP, Despite Trump Pardon Promise, Judges Are Still Convicting J6 Suspects and J6 Prosecutor Defies Trump: ‘I Do Not Believe That Anyone Deserves A Pardon’. Sorry, it isn't your call. Paul Bedard at WaEx hears Trump Jan. 6 pardon would begin with 961 ‘patriotic Americans’ "Figures provided by a key Jan. 6 defense group put the number of nonviolent defendants at 961 and said many more were wrongly accused by the Justice Department of violent acts that day." Meanwhile, NewsMax reports Fmr House J6 Panelists Privately Seek Biden Pardons. But, if you haven't done anything wrong . . . 

Sundance says Here It Is – DOJ Releases 134-Page Jack Smith Lawfare Report Detailing Trump Targeting Operation. Time, Special Counsel Jack Smith Releases Report on Trump’s 2020 Election Interference, but I prefer OTP's title, Smith Took His Own Shot At Trump, Calls President’s Claims Of Innocence ‘Laughable. From Reason, Trump Would Have Been Convicted for Election Interference, Says Jack Smith. Probably; it would have been a DC judge and jury. Cutie Pavlich at TownHall sees Arizona's Attorney General Vows to Continue Jack Smith's Lawfare. Jonathan Turley explains How Jack Smith Destroyed His Own Case Against Trump. "History probably won’t be kind to Smith, whose record bespeaks a “parade general” — a prosecutor who offered more pretense than progress in the prosecution of an American president. Indeed, this report will be one of Smith’s last chances to display a case that notably never got close to an actual trial. One-sided and unfiltered, it will have all of the thrill of a Sousa march of a regiment in full dress. We know because we have seen much of this before. At every juncture, Smith has taken his case out on parade in the court of public opinion." Mia Cathell at TownHall sees Fani Willis Just Can't Let the Trump Case Go, even though she's been disqualified. Phil Holloway@PhilHollowayEsq, "BREAKING LEGAL NEWS: Fulton DA #FaniWillis asks the Georgia Supreme Court to put her back on her RICO case against @realDonaldTrump and the other defendants." Paul Bedard, hears the Liberal Media Scream: PBS delights that Trump will forever be a ‘convicted felon’, until the case is overturned. 

From NYPo the Divine Miranda Devine: We can’t let Mark Zuckerberg pass the buck on Meta’s censorship. At Lawrence Person's BattleSwarm Blog Lefties Mourn End To Facebook Censorship. Hat Hair cites the Brussels Signal, Brussels Fears Musk, He Fights the Ancient Fight for Free Speech. At Twitchy, Oh, No You Don't! New York Times Reporter Tries Backpedaling on Kavanaugh Coverage and X Is NOT Having It Neither is Mark Judge, at the Chronicles Should I Sue the Washington Post? Ace, "In CNN's $1 Billion Defamation Trial, Jurors Are Read a Text by the Main "Reporter:" "We Gonna Nail This Zachary Young MF**ker". Even scumbag criminal James Comey would admit they had intent. Like most of you, I fear that the media is essentially above the law, and that even if this Florida jury finds CNN liable, judges will conspire to give CNN a pass. But I have hope." At Hat Hair senses a Sense of Irony, Not Observed: Hillary Runs Her Mouth. Our Country Our Choice@OCOCReport, "HILLARY CLINTON: “Americans who engage in misinformation should be civilly or criminally charged.” From the woman who ordered up the Steele Dossier. At Hollywood in Toto, Michael Rapaport: I’ve Been Canceled by Facebook, Instagram. "Fiery actor details free speech fights while Colbert, Kimmel crave censors."

From Campus Reform, Harvard offering course on 'Sexual Life of Colonialism,' will cover 'queer desires' and 'transgender rights'. Ace, House Passes Bill Barring Transgender "Women" From Beating Up Real Women In Sports; All But Three Democrats Vote Against It. Dave Strom, How Many Democrats Voted to Protect Female Athletes? Two. Just Two. Matt Margolis, Chaos Erupts As Nancy Mace Challenges Democrat to a Fight During Committee Hearing. "The spat began when Crockett, taking aim at Mace’s frequent social media commentary and rhetoric about the transgender community, said, “Somebody’s campaign coffers really are struggling right now. So she gonna keep saying trans, trans, trans, so that people will feel threatened. And child, listen—” “I am no child!” Mace shot back with anger. “Do not call me a child. I am no child. Don’t even start. I am a grown woman. I’m 47 years old.” As Crockett attempted to continue speaking, Mace interrupted again, claiming, “I have broken more glass ceilings... I am not a child, I am a grown woman. If you want to take it outside,” before Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) attempted to restore order to the hearing." OTP, House Democrats Push To STOP Transgender Sports Ban. John Sexton discovers Nearly Half of Trans Women Held in Federal Women's Prisons Are Sex Offenders. Libs of TikTok@libsoftiktok, "New Yorkers: We just want to ride the subway safely without getting shoved on the tracks, lit on fire, stabbed, or mugged. Kathy Hochul: Here’s a transgender-themed subway."

The Wombat has  FMJRA 2.0: Reds Menace up on time and under budget at The Other McCain.