Dark Dems

 

Friends, how do you sell a party and a message that, well, stink to the American people?  It's not like it's never been done before...  In an age in which the mainstream media has less reach and credibility than ever before, you have to get creative.  The Dems are doing exactly that, by insinuating their talking points into the antics of online "influencers".  And it might work, too!

 

https://archive.is/JoTXs 

 

In other news, DJT has an interesting idea to juice up Republican engagement going into the 2026 midterm elections: he wants to hold a GOP convention right before the voting.  Hmm.  That's certainly never been done before.  He has a point: tens of millions of people who voted for Trump are fully expected to sit on their hands next November.  Anything that gets their attention is probably worth a shot.

 

https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115106822268468130 

 

Finally, remember when Dems scoffed at the idea that any president could control the southern border better than their hero Joe Biden had?  Well, as we've seen, President Trump was able to stifle the flow of "migrants" almost immediately.  That is amazing, but possibly foreseeable, given Trump's record in his first term.  What I think no one saw coming was Trump's success in convincing migrants already here to go home.  We've seen how up to a million and a half illegal aliens have chosen to pack it up and return to their homelands.  This article tells the story of one migrant who risked everything to come here, and now must risk almost as much to repatriate himself.  The article assumes that this "reverse migration" is a tragedy.  Some, though, will see it as a singular Trumpian triumph!

 

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/reverse-migration-trump-immigration-1235393131/ 

The Early Returns Say...Trump Was Right Again!

 

Friends, this BBC article is well worth your perusal.  If you read between the lines, what it says is that Trump's crackdown on D.C. crime is working like a charm, and scores of innocent citizens have been spared the ravages of maniacs and thugs because of his "tyranny".  Now, that's the kind of tyranny we signed up for!!!

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czxpzkylg3vo 

Symbols Matter (?)

 

Friends, in a stunning reversal of fortunes in the culture wars, conservatives won a massive victory today as Cracker Barrel decided to reinstate its traditional logo.  What's more, they did so after President Trump urged them to.  It's almost as if a major corporation is...listening to the American people, and taking seriously what their elected President says.  Unheard of!!!

 

https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/cracker-barrel-logo-rcna227389 

 

In other, and potentially more substantive, news, DJT has fired one of the "Governors" of the Federal Reserve.  He says he did it "for cause", and of course all Trump haters say he did it because he's a racist dictator.  Ultimately the courts will decide whether he has any such power.  The politicization of the Federal Reserve, at any rate, does entail certain risks, and the politicization of the market as a whole does too.  I continue to fear that the sheer irrationality of Trump haters could cause a market crash.  So far, of course, it hasn't.  Quite the opposite!

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx275n8gx0ro 

Vindication

 

Friends, remember when New York Judge Engoron was tormenting DJT in court, as he faced fraud charges, and many of us speculated that Trump would be held in contempt and jailed long before the 2024 election?  Well, we've come a long way since then, and by "we" I mean AMERICA!!!  Witness the fact that New York State Supreme Court judges today tossed out the $500 million judgement against Trump and his business.  It wasn't a total victory, as the finding of fraud was not in itself invalidated, but the extreme remedy favored by Engoron was exposed for the political stunt that it was.  Kudos to these leftist judges for doing the right thing/seeing the writing on the wall.  It's extraordinary how much lawfare was thrown at Trump leading up to the 2024 election, and it's equally extraordinary that he survived and prospered, and that so many voters stuck by him.  Well done, 'Merica!

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y09q1zgg8o 

 

In other news, the race to gerrymander as many House districts as possible before the 2026 midterms is on, and California appears determined to do its part.  We just have to hope that California voters have more integrity than their Democratic overlords.

 

https://abc7.com/live-updates/california-redistricting-state-supreme-court-denies-gop-petition-delay-vote-new-congressional-maps/17590010/entry/17607382/ 

What's That "Giant Sucking Sound"?

 

Friends, back in 1992, that "giant sucking sound" was Ross Perot's phrase to describe the loss of American jobs to Mexico, but today that slogan could be used just as aptly to refer to Democrats' extraordinary loss of registered voters in the last four years -- which has been coupled with similar remarkable gains by Republicans.  Does all this mean it's clear sailing for the GOP from here on out?  No, but the balance of power has shifted meaningfully in our favor.

 

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/08/20/democrat-party-upended-voter-registration-crisis-there-seems-no-end-this/ 

 

You can see part of the reason for this shift in this video of Vice-President Vance visiting Union Station, where National Guard troops are helping to keep people safe.  Democrats, of course, are offended by safety, and by any suggestion that their administration of America's cities is less than perfect.  In other words, they're on the side of the criminals, by default!

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/c8e1jrnry5ro 

 

In other news, DNI Tulsi Gabbard has revoked more security clearances for more Deep State hacks.  That's terrific, but it's a far cry from what needs to happen: the prosecution of as many Russia hoax perpetrators as possible.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c78mj2m85pno 

 

Finally, I just heard the other day that MSNBC will now be called "MSNOW", and its connection to NBC (America's worst "news" organization) will be severed.  Unfortunately, almost all of MSNOW's former "talent" will be retained, so it will continue to be a cesspool of TDS.  We have a long way to go before the MSM is purified of its inveterate anti-Republican biases!!!

 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2025/08/20/msnbc-ms-now-media-liberal-bias-trump/85703170007/ 

Doing the Ukraine Shuffle

 

Friends, President Trump may never before have pirouetted quite as much as he has in the last few days, and that's because various forces and interest groups are pulling him in a plethora of different directions vis-a-vis the Russia-Ukraine War and how it can be ended.  Trump is talking tough, and he's being conciliatory.  He's ruling out Ukrainian membership in NATO, and, with the other hand, he's proffering the possibility of U.S. troop deployments to help guarantee Ukraine's independence.  Could Ukraine end up with an effective alliance with the West, policed by actual British and French troops, perhaps accompanied by Americans?  If so, that would seem like a monumental blow to Russian pride and a major threat to Russia itself.  On the other hand, to secure that Western commitment, what would Ukraine be willing to give up, territorially?  It's a truly byzantine set of conundrums.  Compounding my bafflement is the fact that many of the interested parties probably don't want peace at all, and are quite prepared to keep slugging it out indefinitely.  Is there a point, however, where Ukraine or Russia simply can't take any more?  Is there a point where Western European powers feel they have to intervene directly in the conflict?  Is there a point where Trump, in particular, throws up his hands and walks away?  Hey, if I had the answer to any of these questions, I'd share them with you, but, alas, I'm just an informed observer of these world-historical events.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm21j1ve817o 

 

https://www.wsj.com/world/europe/trump-tells-europeans-he-is-open-to-u-s-security-guarantees-in-ukraine-347892f6?st=V9LeLn 

No Deal!

 

Friends, DJT and ole Vladimir had their powwow in Alaska, and no definitive results were obtained.  In other words, the war in Ukraine goes on.  When you consider that some Western nations, notably Britain and France, seem to be itching to send troops to Ukraine to "police" any ceasefire or settlement, you can see why Russia might be inclined to continue fighting.  Western forces encamped in Ukraine, next to the Russian border, would arguably be WORSE, from the Russian perspective, than the formal admission of Ukraine to NATO.  In any case, Putin may still feel as though he can beat Ukraine, and, if he can have the whole enchilada, why settle for just one bite?  Possibly Russia's intention in showing up for this summit was to keep the West, and Trump in particular, talking, so that further and stiffer sanctions don't materalize.  What will Trump's next move be?  Darned if I know!

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyvd3gkg1po?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us 

 

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2025/08/15/uk-says-it-will-put-boots-on-the-ground-if-a-ukraine-ceasefire-is-agreed/ 

Illegal Immigration...In Reverse!

 

Friends, we're getting our first real sense of how many illegal immigrants have "self-deported" since DJT took office in January, and the numbers are STUNNING!!!  The headline figure of 1.6 million may be misleading for a variety of reasons, but the fact is that hundreds of thousands of illegals appear to have vacated the country.  If you put this in context, probably only around 100,000 have been deported in the same period.  This means that Trump's illegal immigration "body language" and messaging has been even more effective than his policy changes.  In a way, this shouldn't surprise us.  Look how few people are coming across the southern border right now: virtually none, and that isn't because we built a wall -- it's because Trump articulated clearly to the whole world that unauthorized migrants were no longer welcome and would be promptly expelled.  Well, quite a few illegals who've been living and working here are getting the same message, and they're voting with their feet.  This leads to the follow-up question: how low can the numbers of (remaining) illegal immigrants go?  Somewhere close to zero, I would hope.  I can't tell you how positive this news is, because, if we had to rely on deportations alone to solve the problem, we would never get close to a solution.  The real answer to illegal immigration has always been to persuade current and potential interlopers that it simply isn't worth the bother to break our immigration laws.  In other words, we need to make the illegals do our work for us.  So far, so good!

 

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/aug/12/illegal-immigrant-population-16-million-trump-crackdown/ 

 

https://www.nbcnews.com/data-graphics/us-immigration-tracker-follow-arrests-detentions-border-crossings-rcna189148 

 

In other news, today's data on inflation is somewhat mixed, but what we aren't seeing is a huge spike, and thus the market seems to think that the Fed will cool its jets and lower rates imminently.  Chalk up another win for Trump!

 

https://www.wsj.com/economy/cpi-inflation-july-2025-interest-rate-c9d31b19?st=F5hbLV 

 

We're hearing that Texas Democrats are ready to wave the white flag and return to the Lone Star State to do their jobs -- and in so doing they will allow Texas Republicans to redraw the state's House districts to their own advantage.  If true, this is a huge win for the GOP, and a huge embarrassment for the Dems.

 

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/08/12/report-texas-democrat-fugitives-concede-will-return-to-austin/ 

 

Ukraine's President Zelensky is setting the stage for DJT's summit with Putin by declaring that he won't consider giving up any of Ukraine's territory.  Well, if that's really the case, then this war ain't anywhere close to being over.  Maybe Zelensky is posturing?  One could hardly blame him.  He must feel a little left out.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g6qd3k2peo 

 

Finally, as nutty as Zohran Mamdani may be, polls say he's heavily favored to win the NYC mayoral race.  Possibly a strong centrist could beat him, but Andrew Cuomo doesn't appear to be "that guy".  As I've said repeatedly, a Mamdani win might be a blessing to the political right anyway.  Go, Zohran, go!!!

 

https://www.cityandstateny.com/politics/2025/08/mamdani-leads-cuomo-19-points-while-stefanik-catching-hochul/407379/ 

Capital Crackdown

 

Friends, today, in a move that will make the few liberal heads that haven't already exploded...explode, DJT announced the deployment of National Guard forces to bolster crime fighting efforts in the District of Columbia AND he assumed direct federal control of the District's Metro Police.  Lefties counter that crime in D.C. is "no big deal", which may be true if you have Secret Service protection, but which hasn't been accurate for ordinary citizens for a long time.  Will this scrap ultimately lead to the end of "home rule" for D.C. and the federalization of the city?  Some have speculated that most of the District could be returned to Maryland, and D.C.'s three electoral votes could be assigned more narrowly to...Donald Trump's bedroom?  I like this idea, personally.  We'll see how matters develop from here.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm2110me5g4o 

 

In other news, the U.S. and China have agreed to maintain their "tariff truce" until November, giving both countries more time to negotiate a final deal.  The markets will like this.  Already, U.S.-China trade has declined significantly under Trump, as we rebalance our national portfolio, as it were, and expand trade ties with less adversarial countries like Vietnam and India.  I like it!  This whole tariff kerfuffle is working out a lot better than I expected.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg7jjkvzmkxo 

Russia Invades Alaska!!! (By Invitation)

 

Friends, prior to 1867, as most people know, Russia controlled Alaska.  Now they're up to their old tricks again!  That's because President Trump has agreed to a summit with President Putin in Alaska next Friday.  The main topic of conversation will be a negotiated settlement to the Russia-Ukraine War.  Might Trump offer Putin the Aleutian Islands as a sweetner to get him to give up the Donbass?  Probably not.  The outlines of a settlement are starting to come into clearer focus, but then again Russia could simply be playing for time and trying to avoid even more crippling sanctions.  Either way, a face-to-face meeting between Trump and Putin will be a sight to behold!

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1dxed639n7o 

 

Kudos to Gina Carano, the Mandalorian star fired by Disney for daring to speak out against censorship.  Kind of ironic, that!  Disney has caved to, or at least settled with, Carano, and it's possible that Carano may even be reemployed by the entertainment colossus.  How far we've come from the bad old days of Joe Biden!  Kudos also to Elon Musk, who took up Carano's cause and has been a stalwart backer of free speech.

 

https://www.outkick.com/analysis/gina-carano-lawsuit-victory-disney-lucasfilm-cancel-culture 

 

Not everything that Secretary of Health and Human Services RFK, Jr. does may be universally acclaimed, but there's no question that some important victories have been won for the MAHA movement.  Will America actually become healthier?  That remains to be seen.

 

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/08/08/trump-administration-celebrates-maha-victories-in-first-200-days/ 

 

Finally, not so long ago New York State Attorney General Letitia James had DJT in her crosshairs, and it looked like Trump couldn't possibly escape the full court press of lawfare that had been instigated against him.  Now, Trump is POTUS again, and it's James's turn to feel the heat.  Could she really be charged with some kind of crime related to lawfare?  Much depends on the evidence that the DOJ can assemble...

 

https://thefederalist.com/2025/08/08/report-doj-opens-grand-jury-probe-into-ny-ag-letitia-james-get-trump-lawfare/