Mixed Messages

 

Friends, it's a tale of two ICEs.  On one hand, Democrats and progressives think the Trump Administration is using its tyrannical powers to hunt down and expel every "immigrant" they can find, especially the ones with green cards and even citizenship!  Yes, Democrats and progressives really are this gullible.  On the other hand, the pace of deportations isn't anywhere close to the level that would be required to send every illegal immigrant home by the end of Trump's term.  What's more, the Trump Administration recently decided to dial down raids on restaurants, hotels, and farms -- many of which depend on illegal immigrant workers.  That doesn't exactly suggest that Trump's campaign to "end" illegal immigration is all that serious.  If employers will continue to get a pass on hiring illegals, then they might as well stay.  My guess is that the political furor over ICE and its raids will continue, and raids in deep blue cities will continue, because Trump probably enjoys tormenting them, but what we don't know is if the overall pace of deportations (and self-deportations) will build further, or whether, in the end, the demographic and economic effects of all this hullabaloo will be negligible.  The verdict is out.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crk2kpk817vo 

 

https://www.breitbart.com/news/ice-raids-paused-on-restaurants-hotels-and-farms/ 

 

In other news, the markets are recovering today because there are signs that Iran wants to resume negotiations over its nuclear program.  Perhaps, having successfully struck some targets inside Israel, the Iranians feel that they've saved face enough to, well, cave to Western and Israeli demands?  Let's hope so.

 

https://www.breitbart.com/news/trump-says-israel-iran-will-come-to-deal-soon-and-warns-tehran-against-retaliating-against-us/ 

 

There were some great big "No Kings" protests across the country on Saturday, and I must say I was even impressed by the turnout in my hometown.  Nevertheless, when we consider that only about 1% of the population was involved in these demonstrations, their significance is highly debatable.  Polls indicate that a lot of people hate Trump -- no surprise there -- but his approval and favorability numbers have actually improved recently, so it's not quite time for the lefties to declare victory, I'd say.

 

https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2025/06/15/hollywood-celebrities-turn-out-for-chaotic-no-kings-marches-were-disgusted-and-were-scared/ 

 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/no-kings-biggest-protest-u-172552711.html 

 

Meanwhile, the big military parade in D.C went off without a hitch.  Note that it really wasn't a celebration of Trump's birthday at all.  It was a celebration of the U.S. Army and its glorious heritage.  Leave it to the liberals to find that offensive, huh?

 

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/06/14/trump-at-armys-250th-anniversary-parade-whatever-danger-comes-the-american-soldier-will-be-there/ 

 

Finally, a Minnesota man has been arrested after shooting two power couples associated with that state's Democratic leadership.  It begs the question: are we developing a culture of assassination in this country?  Can we expect a rash of such incidents?  State lawmakers obviously represent softer targets than Congressmen, Senators, Supreme Court Justices, cabinet secretaries, presidents, etc., but all public officials are vulnerable, given their need to be in the public eye.  Luckily law enforcement generally does an outstanding job of protecting these luminaries, which is what makes this assassin's impersonation of a police officer such a diabolical twist.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg5v5l4eylyo 

The Greatest Birthday Ever!!!

 

Friends, I'm sure you join me in wishing our beloved and indefatigable leader, President Donald J. Trump, a very happy 79th birthday!  He'll be celebrating with a big military parade tonight put on by the U.S. Army, which is, in turn, celebrating 250 years of faithful service to the American people.  Liberals are OUTRAGED, as usual, that soldiers would have the temerity to march down the street, but I suspect it will be a fun and memorable occasion.  There are "No Kings" protests scheduled to occur throughout the nation today, giving lefties a chance to show the flag as well.  It'll be a classic juxtaposition of uniformed, disciplined, patriotic soldiers and scruffy, ascerbic, and possibly violent dissidents.  In a word, what could be more AMERICAN, am I right?

 

https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2025/06/14/where-can-i-stream-watch-live-trump-military-parade-june-14-2025/84185104007/ 

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9dqz4jdzy2o 

 

U.S. Senator Alex Padilla is having a field day portraying himself as a victim of Trumpian tyranny, but as this article demonstrates he was anything but.  He's lucky to have escaped prosecution for his stunt, and I hope his luck runs out in that regard, and soon!

 

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2025/06/13/secret_service_followed_protocol_in_padilla_incident__152924.html 

 

In other news, the rumors of an Israeli strike on Iran were...true, as rumors sometimes are!  Well well.  Of course, we all remember that Israel and Iran exchanged blows last year around this time, but these strikes are considerably heavier, and it looks as though they might continue for weeks.  The interesting question is: can Iran respond in any truly effective fashion?  It can lob missiles and drones at Israel, sure, but almost all of them will miss, and thus no significant damage to Israel will be done.  It could also vent its rage at international shipping in the Gulf, and that could shut down that critical waterway, restrict the flow of oil, and engender a global recession.  What's more, Israel seems to realize that airstrikes can't end Iran's nuclear program, which may already have created enough highly enriched uranium for numerous bombs.  We don't know for sure.  Thus, playing the military card in this way is meant, in the end, to force Iran to the bargaining table and achieve a deal that will involve the voluntary termination of the country's nuclear program.  As much as the fur is flying now, therefore, the lines of communication need to stay open.  Basically, the Iranians need to "learn their lesson".  Will they?  Stay tuned! 

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/after-30-years-of-hesitation-netanyahu-pulled-the-trigger/ar-AA1GFxwS

 

Finally, don't neglect to tune into this week's Newsmaker Show, featuring an extended discussion with Yours Truly!  Brian and I cover Gov. Hochul's hostile reception in Congress, the prospect for LA-style riots across the country, RFK's firing of the entire vaccine review panel at the Department of Health and Human Services, the fate of David Hogg, erstwhile DNC Vice-Chair, the shocking departure of Karine Jean-Pierre from the Democratic Party, the strategic significance of Ukraine's attack on Russia's nuclear bomber force, and the inherent difficulties in resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict.  It's a hearty meal of fresh, juicy political insights!

 

https://wysl.podbean.com/e/newsmakers-6-14-25/ 

Light in the Darkness

 

Friends, that true American hero, Speaker Johnson, has led the narrow GOP House majority to successful passage of the rescission package proposed by the Trump Administration that will cut USAID and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to the bone.  At last!!!  Congress is finally doing its part to help achieve DOGE's mission of reducing the size of government and eliminating federal subsidization of leftist propaganda.  Bravo!

 

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/06/12/house-passes-9-4-billion-rescissions-package-to-codify-doge-cuts-to-pbs-npr-usaid/ 

 

As you may have heard, an Air India flight to London crashed shortly after takeoff, and there was only one survivor.  This is a tragedy for the families involved, but also for Boeing and all its employees.  The aircraft in question was a 787 Dreamliner.  It's by no means clear that any mechanical fault was involved, but people will naturally assume that Boeings are all death traps.  That's most unfortunate.  I've flown on a Dreamliner myself, and I don't recall a single explosion.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c626y121rxxo 

 

A U.S. Senator from the formerly great state of California made an a** of himself at a DHS press conference today and was forcibly removed by the Secret Service.  The only disappointing aspect to this spectacle was the fact that the Senator wasn't charged with disorderly conduct.  Democrats must learn, sooner or later, that "no means no", and they can't misbehave with impunity.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5ygn48djrko 

 

Could an Israeli strike on Iran be imminent?  Could the threat of such a strike force Iran to accept a deal with the Trump Administration that would effectively terminate its nuclear weapons program?  I say: do what you need to do, Israel, but I remain skeptical that Iran can be prevented from acquiring nukes in the long term.

 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/israel-is-poised-to-launch-operation-on-iran-sources-say/ 

 

Finally, the Big, Beautiful Bill lowers taxes in all sorts of ways, and mostly for people that, frankly, don't need a tax cut.  One aspect of the bill that I especially dislike is the huge expansion of federal income tax deductions for those who itemize and pay a lot in state and local taxes.  I'm sure you're thinking: but I deserve those deductions!!!  Why should I be hit with a triple whammy in the form of federal, state, and local taxes?  The answer is because any such deduction effectively subsidizes the high taxes that blue states like to impose on their residents.  What's more, these deductions are expensive and thus add to what is already a freakishly large deficit.  Personally, I would like to see a nice, simple flat tax, and as few deductions as possible.

 

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2025/06/12/gop_tax_plan_pours_salt_in_deficit_wound_152909.html 

On the Dole

 

Friends, one of the two men pictured above is currently looking for work.  It ain't Trump.  No, it's Terry Moran, formerly of ABC News.  Ole Terry spoke out against Trump's Reign of Terror a little too candidly, so ABC gave him the axe.  It's a fascinating development that suggests that the legacy media, while it's inveterately anti-Trump, feels it needs to somehow calibrate its TDS to stay within the bounds of "objectivity".  Ha!  That'll be the day.  In any case, anything that brings the MSM even slightly down to earth is okay by me.  Don't let the door hit you on the way out, Terry!

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/media/article-14799701/abc-fired-terry-moran-news-trump-tweet.html 

 

In other news, the great state of New York is poised to make dying and/or killing a little bit easier.  I have mixed feelings on the issue of assisted suicide myself.  What about you?

 

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/06/10/new-york-lawmakers-pass-assisted-suicide-bill-send-to-governors-desk/ 

 

It looks like the U.S. and China have made progress in their trade talks.  The markets will like that.  We're a long way from a final settlement, of course, but it will be fascinating to see if American access to the Chinese market meaningfully improves.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gkmy26e2po 

 

Finally, as the Russia-Ukraine War drags on, there are some obvious losers: civilians, for whom the war is getting progressively worse and costlier.  That's because, as tends to happen in war, both sides are steadily boosting their firepower and the insidiousness of their weaponry.  Will either side "break" under the pressure?  That's hard to say, but the dynamics of a conflict can shift very rapidly, so stay tuned.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg5yjnw7dlo 

There They Go Again...

 

Friends, those of us who are, uhh, "seasoned" will remember several occasions when Angelenos, or at least a sizable proportion thereof, went berzerk.  The riots of 1992 come to mind, in particular.  Well, anger at ICE has apparently reached critical mass in the City of Angels, such that street battles have broken out and DJT has felt the need to send in the National Guard to restore order.  Democrats are aghast, although, since there hasn't been a single moment in the last ten years when lefties weren't aghast, that isn't saying much.  I applaud Trump's aggressive response to this unrest, which compares favorably to his muted reaction to the much more serious riots of the summer of 2020.  Trump seems to have concluded that, if the Dems want to take the side of hooligans and maniacs over policemen and servicemen, so be it.  That will only confirm in the minds of decent, law-abiding Americans that Democrats and leftists don't really believe in, or root for, AMERICA at all.  I tend to see it the same way.

 

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/06/08/trump-directs-dhs-dod-liberate-los-angeles-riots-illegals-expelled/ 

Irreconcilable Differences?

 

Friends, I'm happy to report that the war of words between DJT and Elon Musk seems to be dying down.  Both men are taking a breather and stepping back from the brink of a complete rupture.  That's sensible, because they still have, as Victor Davis Hanson suggests, a lot of common interests.  Moreover, they can do one another considerable harm, but the only obvious beneficiaries of such infighting would be...their common enemies.  I would hope that their closest advisors are telling them as much.  Let's not forget how powerful and how ruthless are the forces arrayed against these conservative nationalist populists...  The establishment can and will crush us all underfoot, unless we stay united and dedicated to a higher purpose.  For their own sakes, and for the nation's sake, and for the the sake of truth, justice, the American way, and liberty itself, I implore Trump and Musk to act with magnanimity and maturity henceforth.  I see some early signs that this will come to pass.

 

https://x.com/VDHanson/status/1931017230483099801 

 

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/06/07/vice-president-jd-vance-huge-mistake-musk-be-at-war-president-trump/ 

 

 https://www.breitbart.com/news/musk-deletes-post-claiming-trump-in-the-epstein-files/

 

https://www.breitbart.com/news/musk-threatens-to-decommission-a-key-space-station-link-for-nasa/ 

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ceqgdnd2g9xo 

Such Ingratitude, Indeed!

 

Friends, it's getting genuinely ugly between DJT and Elon.  The insults and the recriminations are coming thick and fast -- mostly digitally, of course.  Trump isn't taking well to Elon's suggestion that Republicans should "kill" the big, beautiful bill, and his implication that Trump owes him for his win in November was practically tailor-made to drive the Donald up the wall.  Personally, I'm inclined to blame Elon primarily for this falling out, because his criticism of the budget bill, while well founded and reasonable, didn't need to be so strident and categorical.  Of course, it's easy to see why both men are frustrated, because so many of their initiatives have been stalled, either by Congress or the courts (and maybe in rare cases by one another).  My advice to both is to take a deep breath and swallow your pride, because, like it or not, there's no going back.  You can be in Trump's camp, Elon, or you can be against Trump, but the Trump haters are never going to accept you as one of their own, so you might as well get comfy in MAGA-land.  Yes, the results that Washington, D.C. produces for the American people are frequently disappointing, but politics is the art of the possible, not the ideal, so keep that in mind.  Set your expectations low -- frightfully low -- and you'll never be chagrined again.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cyvm2181lqvt 

That's Gotta Hurt!

Friends, remember when Karine Jean-Pierre was the face and voice of the Democratic Party/the Biden Administration?  Maybe she wasn't very good at it, but she kinda/sorta sounded sincere when she told us that Biden was doing a great job and we should all vote blue as though our lives depended on it.  Well, now that the fever dream of the Biden years has passed, Karine is having second thoughts.  Not only is she ready to dish on the juicy secrets of Biden and Friends, but she's even (wait for it...) LEFT THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY!!!  Ouch!  I mean, a party that can't even maintain the loyalty of its own spokesmen (and women) isn't a party that any reasonable person would want to support.  But good for you, Karine!  Here's hoping you find another party that suits you better.  The CCP is always an option...

 

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/karine-jean-pierre-leaves-democratic-party-after-serving/story?id=122501565 

 

In other news, the race for Mayor of New York City is getting interesting, with former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo making a strong play (while he avoids talking to the press).  America is, after all, the land of second chances.  If a man charged with dozens of felonies, and convicted of quite a few, can be elected president, then why not a disgraced Me Too villain as mayor?  I have mixed feelings myself.  Cuomo was a disaster in terms of his policies, but he was and remains a "moderate" Democrat, at least compared to some of the leftist loons who are now in the mainstream of the party.  The way the Dems ejected him from office also resembled the undemocratic coup that ousted Sleepy Joe.  Would I vote for Mayor Andy?  Heck, no!  It would be kinda nice to let the people of New York City decide who gets to be mayor, though.  There's a novel idea.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/politics/elections/andrew-cuomo-campaigns-for-new-york-s-redemption-and-his-own/ar-AA1FZf9u 

 

Finally, this fine article puts in perspective the "cuts" to Medicaid that you've heard so much about.  The playbook is pretty well worn by now: the Dems, when they're in power, run up spending levels on everything as much as possible, and then, when Republicans take over, they don't actually cut anything, because to do so would risk making them look "mean-spirited".  At the end of the day, the deficit just keeps growing inexorably, and no one in authority seems to care.

 

https://nypost.com/2025/06/03/opinion/deadly-gop-cuts-dont-even-touch-medicaids-50-growth-since-2019/ 

The Feathers Are Flying

 

Friends, excellent news: today DJT kicked Big Bird in the crotch...extra hard!!!  That Bolshevik bird has been peddling neo-Marxism to toddlers for decades, but perhaps not for much longer.  That's because the Trump Administration is asking Congress to ratify its deep cuts to USAID, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and other agencies that DOGE, in its infinite wisdom, placed on the chopping block.  All in all, Trump is attempting to cancel roughly $9 billion in spending that Congress had previously authorized.  This is a very positive development!  It means that Congress may, if it has the courage, join the fight to reduce the size of the federal government.  It also means that the Feds might get out of the business of subsidizing the woke mind virus.  Wouldn't that be great???

 

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/06/03/trump-admin-9-4-billion-rescissions-package-house/ 

Terror in Boulder

 

Friends, while me may expect to encounter Molotov cocktails in the Karelian woods, we don't expect to see them in the suburbs of Denver.  Apparently a pro-Palestinian terrorist has used these incendiary devices as a weapon against American Jews gathering in support of Israeli hostages held by Hamas.  The frustration felt by those concerned for the safety of civilians in Gaza may be understandable, but it's hard to imagine that this sort of wanton violence could do anything to improve the lot of the Palestinian people.  Quite the contrary!

 

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/06/01/report-several-people-injured-after-attack-at-colorados-pearl-street-mall/ 

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cjdx44kx5zxt 

 

In other news, the Ukrainians have launched an audacious long-range drone attack on Russia, targeting that country's fleet of bombers.  The amount of damage caused is unclear, but abundantly clear is Ukraine's desire to flex its muscles and demonstrate its military potency, especially in light of its continuous withdrawals on the front lines.  How will these developments affect the ongoing peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia?  Probably not much, since those talks don't seem to be making any headway, and neither Zelensky nor Putin seems interested in staunching the bloodshed.

 

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2025/06/01/dozens-of-war-planes-destroyed-deep-in-russian-territory-by-ukrainian-drones/ 

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0r1jv0rn0ko 

 

P.S.  Sorry to be so slow on the draw, but here's the latest Newsmakers show, taped last Thursday:

 

https://wysl.podbean.com/e/newsmakers-5-31-25/