Flotsam and Jetsam - Trump Voting Speech Reactions Day 2

President Trump's address to the nation largely on the problems with our voting system are the talk of the town. Even though, most of this was at least hinted at before, it's useful to have a re-airing of grievances. Matt Margolis at PJM, Democrats Don't Want You to See This Video of Biden on Election Interference. TheFOO @PolitiBunny, "It’s wild how hard Schumer is trying to stop our elections from being secured. lol." Quote Chuck Schumer @SenSchumer "Not now. Not ever. The SAVE Act is dead on arrival in the United States Senate. x.com/atrupar/status…" Rasmussen Reports @Rasmussen_Poll, "Once Upon A Time ... A crazy man claimed that voter data for every American was in China, and the CCP had used secret illegal U.S. election computer access to switch votes in 2020. And the crazy man was mocked & sued. But times changed, and new information came to light ..." Mike Lindell, the My Pillow guy. Ace, Trump: We Recovered Documents From the CIA About Their Scheme to Hide All Intelligence from Me That Could Help Me in My 2020 Re-Election Campaign and Trump: There Is Evidence of a Massive Chinese Effort to Compromise America's Voting Rolls -- But the Deep State Covered It Up, "This is treason. And the death penalty should be on the table." Hat Hair's Dave Strom cites CNN and Blinken in 2024: Yes, China Was Interfering in U.S. Elections. Victory Girls say Yes Virginia, There Were Election Integrity Issues And Data Was Stolen. Ezra A. Cohen @EzraACohen, "Just wait till the American people get the full story on the concerted effort across multiple IC agencies to suppress information related to CCP interference in the election to Biden’s benefit. Who was the ring leader? Several of us stood up to it at the time." Quote Christopher Porter @DrPorter "CIA and ODNI senior leadership harassed and drove me from the building when I said China had interfered in 2020. So thankful that @FBIDirectorKash is standing up for the truth senior Intelligence Community leaders conspired to hide."

Mary Chastain at LI cites Mullin: ‘We’ve Identified 250,000 Noncitizens Registered to Vote’ in Four States, “We also worked with proactive states to identify 28,000 non-citizens on their voter rolls, plus 400,000 individuals that are still registered to vote that are deceased.” Sundance at CTH, DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin Outlines 250,000 Illegal Aliens Registered to Vote in Four States. Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, NEW: DHS Announces New Election-Security Measures After Trump Release of Intel.

 According to PJM's Vicky Taft, NBC, ABC, and CNN Blacked Out the President's Speech, So Aunt Mary and Uncle John Deleted THEM. ConfirmBias @Fulcrumbs44, "My guess is that the networks thought that President Trump would be speaking about Fulton County last night. They likely had all of their talking points set. Instead he threw them a curveball, and spoke about the fact that our media had been compromised by foreign entities. While he was revealing they were compromised, they were kind enough to suppress his address....and prove his point!" Cernovich @Cernovich, "Last night the entire media establishment was spooked. Selfie videos and posts from Dems including Kamala. That says it all." Quote 2WAY @2waytvapp, “When I hear complaints from Democrats that, ‘we can’t air false election claims because that will discourage the voters,’ … I say, ladies and gentlemen, the media aired false election claims about ‘Russia, Russia, Russia’ for the entirety of the Trump presidency,” says @MarkHalperin about TV news networks refusing to air Donald Trump’s primetime address. “So get off your frigging fainting couches and don’t tell me that we cannot listen to political leaders making false accusations about an election.” Northern Barbarian @xnoesbueno, "Exactly correct. Still waiting for our shitbag media to do the Pulitzer-winning takedown on that. (They won't. No Pulitzer up that alley)." Quote Stephen L. Miller @redsteeze, "I don't know if any of these claims are true, but what did happen in 2020 was a global pandemic that originated in a Chinese laboratory and was partially funded by USAID and facilitated by Ecohealth Alliance, which, in fact, ended up affecting the election later that year." Ace, The Same Media That Pushed Hillary's Fake Opposition Research About Russia Collusion For Six Years Can't Believe Trump Is Alleging Election Irregularities. "Hillary's oppo fictions were worth reporting -- but an actual scandal with actual documentation doesn't."

At No Pasaran! The Economist Weekly Reveals Its Frustration: Why Won't Donald Trump Let the SAVE Act Go? wretchardthecat @wretchardthecat, "It's not necessary to believe in a specific instance of US voter fraud or system corruption to realize that the current system falls far short of the standard one required of any professional database. Essentially there should be an indexed table of voters with primary keys and a transaction log of their votes related by foreign key to elections. The fact that this is so hard to implement suggests there is great pressure not to make it secure. Creating a technically secure voting system is not the hard part. Wanting one is." Teri Christoph at RedState sees how Olive Garden Just Accidentally – and Hilariously! – Made the Case for Voter ID. You need a picture ID to use their Never-Ending Pasta Pass.

I&I reminds us Hey, Republicans, Spending Is Still Out Of Control. Yep.

From Insty, ALIVE OR DEAD? HE’S SCHRODINGER’S SENATOR: Benny Johnson @bennyjohnson, "BREAKING: Kentucky Politicians Want to Know If Mitch McConnell is 'Dead’ Multiple Kentucky politicians demand that Mitch McConnell’s office provide convincing proof that the senator is still alive. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear says he received multiple calls suggesting McConnell may have died while he was hospitalized. Speaking with Katie Couric, Beshear said two separate calls from government agencies raised alarms and he sought reassurance about McConnell's condition. "I got two calls from agencies suggesting that Sen. McConnell had passed away," Beshear said...." I suspect he's alive, but that he'll never see the Senate floor again.

John Sexton thinks it's remarkable that Ukraine's Drone Attacks Work on a Free Market System. Pay for play.

Ace thinks the Maine Democrats' Debate to Replace Graham Platner Sparks Question, "Say, Why Did We Get Rid of Graham Platner?" "Maine Democrats staged a Candidate Cattle Call last night." Hat Hair's Beege Welborn observes Maine Dems Dump Rape-y Nazi and Get a Freak Parade (Pick the tranny!) and John Sexton hears Things Not Going Well for Guys Who Recruited Platner. Jeff Charles at TownHall, This Is What's Happening to the Consultants Who Made Graham Platner. From NYPo, Maine socialists try again — with another he-man fake to sub for Graham Platner. Crimson Hub says Maine Senate Candidate Troy Jackson Wants Higher Taxes But Had His Own Tax Issues.

End Wokeness on X: "Mamdani housing event features a lady in a mask ranting about her landlord, declaring "eviction = violence"." Mary Chastain, New York City Mayor Mamdani Continues His War on Landlords "Mamdani might achieve his collectivism goal sooner than expected." If you thing housing is bad now, just wait. TownHall's Dmitri Bolt thinks Marco Rubio Just Delivered the Most Devastating Case Against Communism Yet. Coddled Affluent Professional @feelsdesperate, "No one is prepared for how stupid things are about to get." Quote 𝖓𝖎𝖓𝖊 @atlanticesque "Young democrats being +22 on “Free market economy” and -31 on “Capitalism” is both funny and bleak x.com/averyfjames/st…" I don't like the word 'capitalism' which derives from Marx, and much prefer "free market" economy. It's about more that capital. Sensurround @ShamashAran, "Democrats, Please Get Your Act Together..." From Twitchy, Socialists and the City: Cynthia Nixon Scores a Sweet NY Gig After Staying at a Holiday Inn Express "Recently, we reported on the miraculous tale of Christine Marinoni, who managed to land a $200,000-a-year job as the chief of mass engagement (whatever that is) in New York's Department of Education. How did she get the job? Oh, did we forget to mention that she is married to actress, far-left nutjob, and trans activist Cynthia Nixon, who—purely by coincidence, we're sure—had held a huge fundraiser for Zohran Mamdani before he was elected mayor?" Capitalism or socialism, one constant in government is graft. Amy Curtis at TownHall observes Colorado Governor Jared Polis Jumps on the Anti-Socialist Bandwagon and Abdul El-Sayed's Latest Appeal to Voters Backfires. From the Free Bacon, ‘The Doctor … Thinks of You as a Half Citizen’: Abdul El-Sayed Said Doctors Who Don't Accept Medicaid 'Discriminate' Against Black People. His Psychiatrist Wife Doesn't Participate in the Program. "'Because of the nature of structural racism,' doctors think of a Medicaid patient as a 'half citizen,' El-Sayed said." So she works for free like a good communist?

Mary Chastain again, Dem Rep. Adam Smith Voted Against Israel in Part Due to Threats Against Family, "But Smith attempts to appease those leftists even more by railing against Israel in his statement." William A. Jacobson @wajacobson, "A year or two from now when the stories surface that U.S. jobs have been lost b/c Israel is producing it's own munitions and systems for itself and int'l markets, remember it was forced to do so by the psychopathic isolationist right and DSA-controlled Dems." Quote Yonah Jeremy Bob @jeremybob1, "EXCLUSIVE: Israel to produce its own JDAMs (precision bombs) within 2 years. It's already been locally producing other bombs for 2 years. It also quadrupled Arrow production for ISRAELI USE thanks to 2 Germany Arrow deals." I like how the perfesser misused "it's." Nobody's perfect. 

Dave Strom at Hat Hair, This Is Bat-Guano Insane, California, but it's not too insane for California. At Twitchy, Jennifer Newsom Stumbles and Stammers When Confronted With the Fact the DOJ Probe Started Under Biden. Capt. Ed, Walz: Hey, Let He Who Has Not Molested a Kid Throw the First Stone, Amirite? Amy Curtis again, Democrat Bob Brooks’ Financial History Raises Serious Questions in Key PA House Race. A Democrat with poor money handling skill? Whoda thunk? Matt Margolis swears Democrats Are Panicking and Scrambling to Hide Something Big, with an NDA "before a private meeting on the party's finances."

Ace, As US Forces Knock Out Iranian Power Plants, the IRGC Tells Iranians to be Like the UK and France and Turn Off the AC and Die In the Summer Heat. "Trump's bombing them all the way back to modern day Europe." Lee Smith at Table wants to know Is Trump Ready to Win Yet? "After suddenly collapsing the foundations of America’s security architecture in the Middle East, President Donald Trump now recalls that Iran is run by crazy liars—and that the point of fighting wars is winning. But is the administration’s new line just more talk?" wretchardthecat @wretchardthecat, ""We are in an essential and existential war with America," [Iran's] Qalibaf said. My comment: His surprise is understandable. The Europeans believed the Israelis would retaliate "proportionately" for Oct 7. Bomb a few symbolic targets in Gaza but stop short of invasion, negotiate with Sinwar. Nor did anyone think the Ukraine war would last longer than WW2. Judging by the British defense budget, they counted on it ending back in 2024 or 2025. As for Iran the French and British fleets (if you can use the term) were going to de-mine the straits just as soon as the war ended, and that should have been some time ago. Instead to Qalibaf's (and everyone's) surprise they unaccountably turned into *real* wars. The kind played for keeps, that end with a last man standing, the sort where the losers, like Hamas, will be hunted down long after they are old and grey, with old Jihadis being shot in their beds by the grandsons of those who perished on that day. "We are in an essential and existential war with America," [Iran's] Qalibaf said. Who pulled a switcheroo on them? After decades of "Death to America" ain't that a surprise." John Sexton hears Iran Places Billboard in Tehran Showing Trump in a Coffin. Trump ought to bomb it just to show we can.

Sarah Anderson at PJM says Dang! Bessent Has a Personal Message for the Fake News About His Assassination Attempt. Driscoll at Insty sees how the THE NEW REPUBLIC DEESCALATES: Scott Bessent: A Deranged Leftist Attempted to Assassinate Me Shortly After I Became Secretary of the Treasury. The New Republic: Don’t You Understand You’re Forcing Us Lefties to Murder You? Ace, Scott Bessent: A Deranged Leftist Attempted to Assassinate Me Shortly After I Became Secretary of the Treasury. The New Republic: Don't You Understand You're Forcing Us Lefties to Murder You? Vance/Rubio or Rubio/Vance?

Cannot be overstated how good this is. https://t.co/88ioa9Jw2p

— Ilya Shapiro (@ishapiro) July 17, 2026

Cam at Bearing Arms has a sigh of relief as Third Circuit Says Ban on 'Assault Weapons' and 'Large Capacity' Magazines Is Unconstitutional.

At Da Wire, ‘I’m Happy’: Agents Celebrate After Trump Reverses Controversial ICE Order, "Not sure how they don't consult Trump about this before they send out guidance to every field office." Beege Welborn, That Thing That Never Happens Seems to Be Happening Again, illegals on welfare. From Campus Reform, DHS to begin placing stricter time limits on student visas. "The Department of Homeland Security will begin limiting student visas to a period of no more than four years, though visa holders can apply for extensions."

RCP reports Democrat State Attorneys Sue to Keep CNN as Partisan as Possible. Trying to block Bari Weiss from being put in charge. Beege Welborn declares The All Bull Corporation News Is Battin' 1000 With Their Reporting.

Rich Penkoski @WFCPreacher, "BREAKING: Virginia State Senator Saddam Azlan Salim (D-Fairfax) has introduced Senate Bill 624, legislation that would define "Islamophobia" within Virginia's assault and battery laws while requiring law enforcement to track crimes allegedly motivated by anti-Islam bias..." RCW looks Inside the Mind of an Online Extremist and retains enough sanity to tell about it.

From da College Fix, Court sides with U. Pittsburgh professor demoted for criticizing affirmative action. 

NYPo claims New numbers reveal the child sex-change mania is worse than we knew.

Linked at Pirate's Cove in the weekly Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup and links.

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.

Maryland, My Maryland

At the Balmer Sun, Analysis: Wes Moore’s Bronze Star was a political rescue mission "Evidence suggests the mission was launched under a false premise."

Most veterans who were wrongly denied a military award do not get a three-star general to personally intervene for them.

They do not get direct access to the Secretary of the Army.

They do not get a U.S. senator from a state they don’t live in to sponsor the award.

They do not get a politically damaging controversy transformed into a retroactive military honor, almost without question, nearly 20 years later.

And they do not get it done from start to finish in seven days.

But Maryland Gov. Wes Moore did.

Spotlight on Maryland has learned that Moore’s pursuit of the Bronze Star medal in 2024 relied heavily on political favors, special access, inaccurate information about his Afghanistan deployment and involved the deliberate concealment of key facts regarding Moore’s end-of-deployment awards in 2006.

These revelations raise serious questions about the process used to obtain the Bronze Star presented to Moore in 2024 and whether it violated federal law.

Read the rest. I don't know enough about military procedure and customs to know how egregious this is, but I know plenty of people to ask. 

Beach Report 7/3/26

A brutally hot summer day, without even a decent breeze to help. Temps at home were around 97 this afternoon. When I left for the beach, Cove Point was showing about 88 over the water, later climbing to 92. 

I managed the full walk up the beach past Matoaka and back with the help of one bottle of water. You can't see in these pictures, but there are a few places along Matoaka where the cliffs provide some welcome shade.

I found 14 shark's teeth of which this was the best. It's a Snaggletooth, of course, but there appears to be  some debate over position. I think it's an upper tooth close to the center, maybe next to the parasymphyseal because of the heavy serrations, others think it's a lower. Paul Murdoch was out walking a group, and I asked him, and he waffled.

The Sea Nettles are definitely here. 

There was a fly-over from a B2 bomber flanked by 2 B1 bombers. I assume they were on their way to a fly-over of the National Mall. This is the first time I've ever seen either of those planes in real life. Too bad I couldn't get my phone ready for a picture in time.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Apparently the Constitution IS a Suicide Pact Afterall

Yesterday, the Supreme Court handed down it's final rulings of the year, and as I expected, the birthright citizen case went against Trump, the court ruling that outside the usual exceptions, any child born on US soil is born a citizen. Althouse, The Supreme Court is about to hand down its last decisions of the term. "Here's the live blog at SCOTUSblog. And here's where to get the text of the opinions immediately, starting in a few minutes, at the Supreme Court's website." Insty, SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS "LIMITING WOMEN’S SPORTS TO WOMEN. Also: Federal campaign spending limits violate the First Amendment.And now birthright citizenship: “Children born in the United States to parents unlawfully or temporarily present are “subject to the jurisdiction” of the United States and are citizens at birth under the Fourteenth Amendment’s Citizenship Clause.” Not really a surprise, but a disappointment." At End Wokeness @EndWokeness, "Signs we lost birthright citizenship: No leaks to the press on the decision No fencing around the Supreme Court." The Never-Trumpers at NRO crow Supreme Court Upholds Birthright Citizenship in Major Blow to Trump. Capt. Ed at Hat Hair calls it a Wong Turn: SCOTUS Denies Trump on Birthright Citizenship; UPDATE: Trump Salutes SCOTUS. Sundance at CTH, Supreme Court Strikes Down Trump Executive Order and Establishes Birthright Citizenship. From Ace, Of Course: The Five Liberal Supreme Court Justices (Including Liberals Roberts and Coney-Barrett) Decide the 14th Amendment Can Go Blow, Anyone Born in the US is a US Citizen. "The Five Horsemen make a mockery of the law yet again." The Babylon Bee kids Supreme Court Rules Any Baby Born At Olive Garden Is An Italian Citizen. "At publishing time, Olive Garden executives warned that the influx of children being born at Olive Garden restaurants would result in an inevitable breadstick crisis for future generations." Teri Christoph at RedState hears Clarence Thomas Goes Nuclear on SCOTUS Majority Over Birthright Citizenship Ruling. Roman Helmet Guy @romanhelmetguy, "If you were born in America, you’re an American. You have a right to live here. Unless of course you’re American. In which case you’re living on stolen land."

Northern Barbarian @xnoesbueno, "Apparently more border controls will be needed to thwart anchor baby tourism. Pregnancy tests for all foreign women of birthing age seeking to enter the United States. OK. Targeted deportations of foreign women of birthing age within US borders who lack resident alien status. OK. The Supreme Court having so decreed." Sundance names it The Roberts Requirement – Pregnancy Tests for U.S. Travel Visas. PJM's Athena Thorne thinks President Trump Could End Most Birthright Citizenship With This 1 Simple Trick: "Under the U.S. Code, the president has broad authority over who may enter our country. Specifically, 8 U.S.C. § 1182(f) (INA Section 212(f)) says: "Whenever the President finds that the entry of any aliens or of any class of aliens into the United States would be detrimental to the interests of the United States, he may by proclamation, and for such period as he shall deem necessary, suspend the entry of all aliens or any class of aliens as immigrants or nonimmigrants, or impose on the entry of aliens any restrictions he may deem to be appropriate."" Do it, and let the libs sue all the way to the Supes next year. Joe Chalfant at TownHall thinks Rep. Andy Ogles Has the Answer to the Birthright Citizenship Crisis. Rep. Andy Ogles @RepOgles, "SCOTUS betrayed America. It's time to bar pregnant foreigners from coming to this country. We are being colonized. Anchors Away!" Cathy Salgado at PJM, Trump, Congressional GOP Propose a Workaround to Save Citizenship Despite SCOTUS, "These measures would reinterpret the 14th Amendment’s “subject to the jurisdiction thereof” clause to grant citizenship at birth only to children with at least one parent who is a U.S. citizen, national, lawful permanent resident (LPR) residing in the U.S., or an LPR serving in the military." TownHall's Kurt Schlichter says Cheer Up! The Birthright Citizenship Case Moves Us Toward Inevitable Victory, you just motivated the base for the midterms. PJM's Scott Pinsker also sees The Political Upside of Losing the Birthright Citizenship Case.

Capt. Ed, BREAKING: SCOTUS Upholds Sex-Based Restrictions in Sports - Unanimously? Ward Clark at RedState, Supreme Court Delivers Landmark Title IX Win for Women's Sports. Ace reports Supreme Court Upholds Ban on Boys in Girls Sports. "SO CLOSE TO PRIDE MONTH?!!? SO CLOSE TO PRIDE MONTH?!!! The holding is 6-3, but the three liberals joined with parts of it so parts of it are actually unanimous. Coney-Barrett and Roberts joined the conservatives in this one because this case is about protecting Muh Feminism." Althouse thinks Justice Brett Kavanaugh — who has long coached girls' basketball teams — channels the emotions of female athletes. "Women and girls who play sports care deeply about all of those things. They obsess about them." At Twitchy, Cisgender? REALLY? Ketanji Brown Jackson's Trans Ruling Dissent Is Even DUMBER Than We Thought. Gina Milan @ginamilan_, "Ketanji Brown Jackson: “A transgender woman penalized for being perceived as aggressive has experienced discrimination "on the basis of sex" just as much as a cisgender woman has, no matter that the transgender woman's behavior matches expectations of her sex assigned at birth.” She’s actually INSANE." And Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson Uses … (Wait for It) … TikTok Slang in Concurring Opinion. Matt Vespa at TownHall thinks Justice Clarence Thomas Had a Killer Line in His Concurring Opinion on Transgender Athletes. "Men and boys with gender dysphoria are not women or girls, even if they believe that they are. Sex is an immutable “biological” characteristic, see ante, at 10; it is binary; and “man” and “woman,” “boy” and “girl,” are the terms that correspond to adults and children of each sex." Hat Hair's Dave Strom sees The Bigger Victory Hidden Inside SCOTUS Decision About Men in Women's Sports; "Once you acknowledge that men and women are fundamentally different based on immutable biology, a whole host of issues are implicitly decided, and decided against the Alphabet crowd." Capt. Ed is gratified the Texas Supreme Court Hands a Win to Pediatric Sex-Change Detransitioners.

In another far-reaching decision, SCOTUS Free-Speech Finale Strikes Down Election Spending Limits on Parties (Capt. Ed). Althouse hears NYT whine "Experts said that the decision would immediately cut into one of the Democratic Party’s critical financial advantages in television advertising." "From "Supreme Court Lifts Spending Limits on Political Parties and Candidates/Republicans had asked the court to strike down restrictions on how much political parties can spend in coordination with candidates" (NYT)(gift link)." 

At Althouse, NPR got something very right and wrong or just very very wrong. Chris Queen at PJM notes NPR’s Justice Alito ‘Retirement’ Scoop Lasted About 10 Minutes. They kind of rushed that one out. Act in haste, repent at leisure.

And fallout from other recent rulings: Stephen Kruiser at PJM Regrets to Inform You That Election Integrity Won't Be Returning, after ruling that mail-in ballots can be counted if they arrive days late, if they're postmarked on election day. At Pirate's Cove, "Supreme Court Rules POTUS Has Authority To Remove “Independent Agency” Heads." And Althouse finds "[T]he court overruled its 91-year-old decision in Humphrey’s Executor v. United States... [M]ore broadly, Monday’s decision was a major victory for proponents of the 'unitary executive' theory..." "... the idea that the president should have complete control over the executive branch. Under this theory, the president should be able to fire any member of the executive branch, and laws – like the one that the court struck down – that restrict his ability to do so violate the separation of powers. Writing for the majority, Chief Justice John Roberts contended that 'the President must have the assistance of officers he can trust. Although it is up to the Senate to decide whether to confirm those with whom the President would prefer to work, neither Congress nor the courts may saddle him with those with whom he cannot work. Subordinates who exercise the President’s power are subject to removal by him. Then, and only then, can they remain accountable to the President, and the President to the people.'..." I'm reading "Supreme Court allows Trump to fire FTC commissioner and overturns major restraint on presidential power" by Amy Howe at SCOTUSblog, writing about yesterday's Trump v. Slaughter." Except the Federal Reserve, because, reasons!

Harold Hutchinson at Da Caller hears Mike Johnson Signals House Will Forge Ahead After GOP Holdouts Threatened Obstruction Of Votes. At least, put them on record. Misty Severi at JTN reports Trump signs presidential memo that gives Americans more options to fix their cars. "Automakers have pushed back against decreasing restrictions on consumers fixing their own vehicles, claiming they are needed to protect vehicle safety, ‌cybersecurity ⁠and emissions compliance." FinPo, claims Conservatives Urge Overturn of Trump's Biofuel Blending Quotas. "Nearly three dozen conservatives — including longtime allies of President Donald Trump — are pushing the House to overturn biofuel-blending quotas imposed by his administration, arguing they are stoking consumer costs before an election set to hinge on economic concerns." Gasohol is a bipartisan bad idea. Hat Hair's Beege Welborn hears Trump Admin Sets Sights on California Coastal Commission Kevin Dalton @TheKevinDalton, "For the 250th anniversary of our country’s independence, Gavin Newsom‘s unelected California Coastal Commission cancels the Fourth of July fireworks celebration in Long Beach."

Armed Forces Press takes up the The Curious Case Of General Donahue - The Truth Isn't Pretty. "To properly opine on the resignation of General Chris Donahue, U.S. Army, we should provide some history of our writing on the subject. Please see the multiple articles below. There are more but this is a good representation of our work. LTG Chris Donahue Violated The Ranger Creed When He Abandoned Americans In Afghanistan In August 2021. LTG Chris Donahue Should Be Investigated For Racist Actions in Kabul (2021). GEN DONAHUE SHOULD HAVE BEEN FIRED, NOT PROMOTED. WHY WAS GEN CHRIS DONAHUE ALLOWING FT LIBERTY TO LABLE CHRISTIANS AS TERRORISTS? ON WW3 EVE, WHY IS UNETHICAL GENERAL DONAHUE IN CHARGE? In short, we are not a fan. In our author's viewpoint, General Donahue failed the honor test in the field on multiple fronts."

medoyid_ua @LetsArmUKR, "This weekend a Ukrainian crew pushed the Wovkulaka Spitfire FPV interceptor out to 84.7 km before it smoked a SuperCam whose operators thought they were safely parked somewhere in the south. Manufacturer's previous record was 69 km. That is not a incremental upgrade. That is the kind of leap that rewrites operational math on the entire theater..."

Sundance dance with joy at the thought that The Canadian Dollar is Collapsing – Here’s What to Expect Next.

And Another Thing, The American Left Has Lost Its Mind "And the press feel fine." Hat Hair's Dave Strom looks at The Democratic Civil War: the Organized Crime Democrats are Losing to the Bolsheviks (ugh) and John Sexton calls the DSA White Anti-Capitalists Pretending to Be Working Class. Insty at his substack declares The Commies Mount An Across the Board Push, "DSA targets local elections around the nation in a well-planned strategy." Matt Vespa, If This Survey Is True, the Dem Brand Is in Serious Trouble "This party is Chernobyl, unlivable." Ace, "Another Mamdani-Backed Muslim Wins Democrat Primary for State Senator; Claims That "Racism, Capitalism, White Supremacy, and Islamophobia" "Manifested" in 9/11, "She says that 9/11 was just the manifestation of America's "long trajectory" of "racism, capitalism, white supremacy" and "islamophobia" and the "manifestation" of these crimes -- the chickens coming home to roost -- was 9/11." From Mediaite, ‘No New Cops!’ Mamdani Ally Brags NYC Won’t End Up Hiring More Police, Despite Previous Reports.

At NYPo the Divine Miranda Devine: Dems are in desperate need of a new leader as Communists overrun their party — but all they got is Obama. Don Surber looks at Obama’s red revolution. "Communists take credit for the works of capitalism." Sarah at Insty, THE KIDS ONLY LIKE SOCIALISM BECAUSE EDUCATION LIED AND TOLD THEM ROADS ARE SOCIALISM: "Socialism Always Fails on its Own. When a system has to lie and claim things that are just humanity? It’s dead. And it stinks to high heavens." AJ Christopher at PJM asks Mr. Obama, Are the Slaveowners in the Room With Us Right Now? Ace hears Claim: Michelle Obama Has Blocked Cheryl Hines From Appearing on Larry David's New Show, Because She's RFKJr.'s Wife. "Toxic masculinity."

Aesthetica @Anc_Aesthetics, "Why would anyone use prediction models when we can use real mortality data? Answer: Because you can't make bodies appear out of thin air, but you can make fake projections appear out of thin air. When we look at mortality data what do we see? All cause mortality went down. HIV Infection rates went down. AIDS related deaths went down. Coverage went up. As predicted, USAID was just a Democrat slush fund they used to pay their activists, journalists and NGO workers. Which is the real reason why you're freaking out over this." Quote Steve Rattner @SteveRattner "Musk is right that many problems can't be solved just by "throwing money" at them. But US aid to fight AIDS, child hunger & other global plagues has one of the highest ROIs in government."

From Ace, Ro Khanna Promises to Fight the Oligarchs, Tax the Rich, and Imprison "the Epstein Class" While Driving a $190,000 Range Rover, Owning Family Golf Courses, and Taking Elevators In His Mansion. Andrew Kerr @AndrewKerrNC, "Speaking of hoarding wealth, Khanna’s two young children are the proud owners of THREE private golf courses in Ohio, where member initiation fees run upwards of $45k Khanna’s children — still in elementary school — earned up to $2 million from their golf courses in 2024." Quote Ro Khanna @RoKhanna, "I want America to be a country where it's easier to build wealth than it is to hoard it, and where workers don't have to worry about medical debt and grocery costs when they should be enjoying time with their families. An economy that works for everyone is possible. x.com/el_pais/status…"

Spencer Pratt @spencerpratt, "This is how politicians and their families launder money. Nobody wants a book from Dr Biden. But some commie NGO that got taxpayer money from the admin can’t pay the kickback with a check. So they buy 100K books and burn em. The one-time bulk buy charts it for a week, then..." Quote New York Post @nypost, "Jill Biden memoir's disappearance from NYT bestseller list after debuting at top raises questions about sales numbers: 'Very rare' https://trib.al/geKNS5i" Kevin Dalton @TheKevinDalton, "Gavin Newsom just used his own PAC to buy $1.5 million worth of his own book. Even more comically, that accounts for 2/3 of the entire print sales" VodkaPundit finds Finally, a Budget Democrats Will Cut: The Guy Who Investigates Fraud. At Twitchy, a SHOCKA! Ilhan Omar Tied to ANOTHER Minnesota Fraud Defendant via Emails With INTERESTING Subject Lines.

Hat Hair's Beege Welborn sees These People Are Not on Our Side: Dems Double Down on Defending Border Jumpers. Sister Toldja at RedState, 'You're a Disgrace!' Lawler Unloads on Raskin and Jayapal During Fiery Sanctuary City Hearing. RNC Research @RNCResearch, "Rep. Pramila Jayapal tells the parents of those murdered by illegal aliens that she has better things to do: "Unfortunately this hearing is the 4th time in this committee that we’ve had a hearing on sanctuary cities... There's many other things that we could be doing.” Twitchy catches liberals whining The Amish Clearly Do Not Want to Assimilate Into American Society, Yet the Right Doesn't Care. But they make great furniture!

Christopher F. Rufo @christopherrufo, "I think this is the crux of my discussion with Ezra Klein. The Left has sought to tarnish the Right as a "white nationalist" movement, but as Klein concedes, it is completely reasonable to "worry about large-scale, rapid demographic change." We've moved beyond the smear game."

The Drunk Republican @DrunkRepub, "Europeans dying of heat stroke: “Can we please turn on the AC?” Their governments: “Best we can do is replace you with migrants and prosecute you for Facebook posts.”" Northern Barbarian @xnoesbueno, "There's a deep strain of elite French concern for the people being voiced here. "Let them eat cake," as Marie Antoinette put it." Quote French Response @FrenchResponse, "We're not banning A/C. We're making sure future summers need it less. x.com/dc_draino/stat…" RBe @RBPundit, "One would think that the the idiocy of the left wouldn't surprise me anymore but this whole thing where Europeans actually think not using AC will make the weather cooler in their lifetimes is absolutely bananas." At WUWT, Wrong, Newsweek, Europe’s Heat Deaths Are a Policy Failure, not a Climate Failure.

pic.twitter.com/0vVcr4Z6Bc

— The Babylon Bee (@TheBabylonBee) June 29, 2026

At WaEx, Selena Zito feels better now that The spirit of ’76 lives on as Pennsylvania rallies for America’s birthday. AJ Christopher, The Left Asked for This, It Got It, and I Can't Stop Gloating, as foreign visitors for the world cup find out what they're missing at home.

From the College Fix, North Carolina lawmakers override governor’s vetoes to pass sweeping DEI bans. At Campus Reform, Johns Hopkins layoffs, financial problems come as university is mired in Title VI controversy.

And still more at The Wombat's In The Mailbox: 06.30.26. 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.