Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., told the Daily Signal that a recent campaign poll of his found many of his constituents view the rise of “Islamification” and Islamic rule as a top concern. As stated by Fine, respondents prioritized the issue above topics such as abortion, health care, and the conflict involving Iran. “I had to fight with my pollster, because no one ever asks about the rise of radical Islam in America, and I wanted it placed in my survey,” Fine said. “It was one of the largest issues people rated. My constituents believe it concerned them more than the war in Iran, abortion, and more.” Separately, he referenced remarks by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, claiming the mayor had expressed sympathy for a Hamas sniper. The mayor in February also called for a broader acceptance of the “Prophet Mohammed” on Islamic migration. “Look, the history of Islam is one of conquest,” Fine said, describing why he believes the issue resonates with certain voters. Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, told the Daily Signal that concerns raised by Fine are among the reasons he co-founded the Sharia-Free America Caucus. Self said the group aims to educate lawmakers and the public about what he described as the risks of Sharia law. “We are educating ourselves, our constituents, and our wider audience,” Self said. “We believe in the values of this country, [and] we believe in capitalism and our Christian foundations. We are a very forgiving country.” Self argued that without continued focus on the issue, the perceived threat could grow. “[We see] the rape gangs uncovered in the U.K., killing your daughter because she dishonored the family, and more,” Self said. “We do not want that to come to America.” A recent report from Rupert Lowe MP noted that at least 250,000 Christian white girls in the United Kingdom have been raped in the 21st century, 83% of whom have been victims of Islamic rape gangs. According to testimonies outlined in the report, the survivors revealed that their rapists believed they had a religious duty to conduct the act. “Our efforts will continue,” Self added. “We continue to grow slowly. We will have a planning session soon to outline what we think we can encourage governors to do—things we will recommend to governors and states to ask for their help, because they can do more than us in most cases.” States like Texas and Florida have taken initiatives that the federal government has failed to take, such as designating the Council on American-Islamic Relations as a terrorist organization for its controversial financial trail and involvement in advocating for Sharia. States like Indiana could soon follow, Indiana state Rep. Andrew Ireland told the Daily Signal. Self also said he believes some individuals exploit constitutional protections to avoid scrutiny. “If awareness on this issue is not raised, both by voters and by politicians, radical Islamists will continue to hide behind this freedom of religion, freedom of speech curtain,” he said. “That is to be expected. They are going to go on the offensive because they think they got the upper hand,” Self added. He concluded that the issue is “more important than ever,” asserting that the threat “is spreading right now.” “The videos of Imams openly preaching treason are gaining traction,” Self said. “They are on the offensive, make no mistake about it.” Florida imams:“We are building a pipeline of leaders. I want the governor of Florida to be Muslim. I want Muslims in the House, Muslim senators.”“We don’t apologize about jihad. We are not afraid of jihad. Jihad is who we are.”Thoughts?! pic.twitter.com/cQQB3PclEF— Dr. Maalouf ‏ (@realMaalouf) February 9, 2026

When the One Big Beautiful Bill Act came up for a vote on the Senate floor on July 1 of last year, 50 senators voted for it, and 50 senators voted against it. Vice President JD Vance had to cast the tie-breaking vote in that chamber—so the bill could go back to the House for a final vote. In the House, it narrowly passed 218-214. Not one Democrat voted for it in either chamber. President Donald Trump signed it into law on July 4, 2025. One provision in this narrowly passed law had the potential to help school children all across the country. It was the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit program. This program, now set to begin in 2027, will give Americans a nonrefundable tax credit of up to $1,700 per year for making donations to support school choice scholarships set up in the states. “Under the program,” explains the Congressional Research Service, “taxpayers will be eligible to receive a tax credit of up to $1,700 for the value of cash contributions to certain scholarship granting organizations (SGOs). These organizations, in turn, will be required to use these contributions to grant scholarships to students at private and public elementary and secondary schools located within their states.” Recipients of these scholarships would be subject to a family income limit. “Eligibility for scholarships,” said the CRS, “will be limited to students whose family income is below 300% of their area median income.” Recipients will be able to use the money from these scholarships to cover basic educational costs, including tuition and books, at elementary and secondary schools, whether they are “public, private or religious.” Whether or not to participate in this school-choice scholarship program was left to the states themselves. “States (and the District of Columbia) may choose whether to recognize eligible SGOs within their jurisdictions,” explained the CRS report. “To qualify for the credit, a contribution must be made to a state-sponsored SGO (which need not be located in the same state as the taxpayer), and the organization must only provide scholarships to students located within the state that recognized it. This effectively allows states to decide whether to make students who live within their borders eligible for the program.” Why would the political leadership of a state prevent students in their state from receiving scholarship money voluntarily contributed by individual Americans? Because they want to prevent families, who would otherwise lack the necessary resources, from choosing to send their children to private or religious schools rather than to government-run schools. By contrast, Republican Gov. Jim Pillen of Nebraska wasted little time in signing his state up for these scholarships. On Sept. 29, 2025, he went to St. Teresa Catholic School, not far from the Nebraska capital, and signed an executive order backing his state’s participation in the program. “This program is a game-changer for Nebraska students and their families, generating funds that will help send students to the school of their choice,” he said. South Dakota soon followed Nebraska. Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden announced on Nov. 14, 2025, that his state also would be joining the school-choice scholarship program. “Parents should have the freedom to choose the learning environment that sets their kids up for success,” he said. “I am grateful that President Trump has the same conviction and is helping us create more opportunities for our students.” Yet it was not just Republican governors who had their states join the program. The Colorado Sun reported on Dec. 5, 2025, that Democratic Colorado Gov. Jared Polis “said it was a no-brainer for the state to take advantage of the federal tax credit scholarship program, describing it as ‘a real boom of investment in kids.'” “I mean, it would be crazy not to,” he said. When the Kentucky state Legislature passed a bill in March that opted their state into the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit program, Democrat Gov. Andy Beshear took a different approach. He vetoed the bill. “Kentuckians have been firm that public dollars should only be used for public education,” Beshear said. “Kentuckians love our public schools,” he said. The Kentucky Legislature overwhelmingly disagreed—with the state Senate voting 31-5 and the state House voting 77-14 to override Beshear’s veto. What did California, the nation’s most populous state, do about the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit program? Republican Rep. Vince Fong of California sent Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom a letter in January urging him to bring their state into the program. “By electing to participate, you would ensure this new federal education benefit will flow to California students, regardless of whether they attend a public or private school, and at no cost to the State,” Fong wrote to Newsom. The IRS published a list indicating that, as of June 22, there were 28 states that had signed up to participate in the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit Program. Newsom’s California was not one of them. Newsom, as this column has noted before, attended Notre Dame des Victoires, a Catholic grammar school in the heart of San Francisco. When that school marked its 100th anniversary in 2024, Newsom recalled the remarkable opportunity it had provided him. “Attending Ecole Notre Dame des Victoires was a transformative experience,” he said. “It was here that I learned not only how to conjugate verbs in French, but also about the rich tapestry of French Catholic history. This foundation has stayed with me throughout my life, and I am grateful for the lifelong connections and values instilled in me during my time at NDV.” So, why is he not supporting a program that would provide funding to help children in San Francisco today embrace a similar experience? The 2025 National Assessment of Educational Progress “long-term trend” tests showed a continuing pattern in American education: Catholic school students outscored public school students in reading and math. Among 13-year-olds, the average reading score among public school students was 255 out of 500. Among Catholic school students, it was 276 out of 500. The average mathematics score among 13-year-olds in public schools was 269 out of 500. Among Catholic school students, it was 291 out of 500. Embracing unlimited school choice, where every student gets a voucher equal to the full per-pupil expenditures in the local public schools, would be good for students and for our country. We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of the Daily Signal.

Los Angeles firefighters are taking fire protection into their own hands after Mayor Karen Bass cut funding to the Los Angeles Fire Department. In June 2024, Mayor Karen Bass signed the city’s 2024-2025 budget, which cut the department’s funding by $17.6 million, according to data shared by Los Angeles City Controller Kenneth Mejia. The cuts sparked widespread backlash after the devastating January 2025 Palisades Fire, as Angelenos questioned whether Bass had adequately funded and staffed the fire department, and whether the destruction could have been reduced had the department been better prepared. Now, the LAFD union, United Firefighters of Los Angeles City, is advocating for change by going directly to voters. After firefighters raised more than $1 million and gathered the signatures needed to qualify, the Los Angeles City Council voted 14-0 to place a ballot measure before voters that would add a 0.5% sales tax on purchased goods. If passed, the tax would fund what firefighters say are much-needed and long-overdue improvements to the department. Firefighter-paramedic Richard Ramirez said at the campaign launch that the department is overwhelmed. “In 1960, Los Angeles had about 2.5 million residents, and the fire department handled approximately 100,000 emergency calls a year,” he said. “Today, in 2026, L.A. has almost 4 million people, but we have fewer fire stations and about the same number of firefighters now responding to more than half a million emergency calls every year.” Bass has voiced support for the ballot measure, but critics are questioning why firefighters had to take matters into their own hands to secure funding instead of having those funds allocated through the city budget. “It is totally unacceptable that the City Council and mayor have underfunded the fire department and essentially told the firefighters’ union to go out and get their own tax increase,” the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association said in a statement. Mayor Karen Bass did not respond to the Daily Signal’s request for comment. Bass is also facing pushback from former LAFD Fire Chief Kristin Crowley, a 26-year veteran of the department, who says Bass falsely placed blame on her for the destruction caused by the January 2025 Palisades Fire. Bass accused Crowley of allowing roughly 1,000 firefighters to go home instead of keeping them on duty ahead of the forecasted fire weather, failing to predeploy additional fire engines before the Palisades Fire, and refusing to conduct an after-action report on the department’s response. As a result, Bass removed Crowley as fire chief and demoted her three ranks to assistant chief. Crowley’s legal team disputed Bass’ allegations, filing an unlawful retaliation lawsuit claiming Crowley repeatedly warned city leaders before the Palisades Fire that budget cuts, understaffing, aging infrastructure, and outdated equipment had left the department unprepared for a major wildfire. The lawsuit alleges Bass made false statements to shift blame, including falsely claiming she was unaware of the expected weather event, falsely claiming the LAFD budget had not been cut, and falsely claiming the department had enough resources to send an additional 1,000 firefighters to battle the fire. “These false statements were not mistakes but part of a deliberate strategy to divert scrutiny from Bass’ decisions and to avoid accountability,” Crowley’s lawsuit states. The lawsuit is still in its early stages with no trial date.

Freedom 250 CEO Keith Krach declared that events celebrating America’s 250th anniversary will be secure, adding that the lineup will feature plenty of entertainers following criticism that performers are fleeing the celebration.   “Look, we’ve got so many entertainers here,” he told the Daily Signal in an exclusive interview. “We’ve got a military band. We have all these different acts. You have all these great different speakers.”  And safety “is a big emphasis,” he asserted. “We are working with all the bodies. From, you know, the Secret Service, local police, Federal Park Service, all that. So, you know, we’ve got it secure.”  Freedom 250 is a weeks-long celebration of the 250th anniversary of America’s independence. It features events nationwide focused on America’s founding, civic engagement, and future initiatives to unite Americans and honor the country on its 250th birthday.  A public-private partnership, its events include Rededicate 250, a prayer event in Washington, D.C.; UFC Freedom 250; the Great American State Fair; Salute to America 250; and Rushmore 250, to be held at the historic site.  The Controversy Several musical acts were set to perform at the Great American State Fair but dropped out, mainly for partisan reasons. Country singer Martina McBride was set to perform on June 25. She explained on X that she had signed up “to perform at a nonpartisan event,” but that “things started changing and what we were told is, in fact, not what is happening.”  pic.twitter.com/Ono3zPi54Z— Martina McBride (@martinamcbride) May 29, 2026 Freedom 250 has also faced many questions about security. An alleged terrorist plot targeted UFC Freedom 250, where conspirators sought to attack and kill government officials and attendees at the event. The FBI has since charged five men involved in the plot.   Krach said every visitor at a Freedom 250 event should feel welcome because the celebration is going to be secure.  ‘Gratitude’ and ‘Freedom’ Freedom 250 seeks to unite the country and encourage Americans to celebrate the 250th anniversary.  Krach told a story explaining that goal at Rededicate 250.   Krach thanked a security guard from New York for his service, and the security guard shook his head and responded, “Wow, you’re like the 35th person who’s done this today. I have had more people thank me for my service today than I have in my 25 years in New York.”  “That is the feeling we want people to walk away with. You know, gratitude, right?” he told the Daily Signal. “Gratitude for being able to live in this great country.”   He compared the United States to other countries such as Iran. “And it’s like, well, they don’t have freedom. These authoritarian regimes. So, you know, that feeling of gratitude,” Krach said.  The Top Events Freedom 250 has “over 4,000 events”, but Krach told the Daily Signal that several events “stand out.”  The Great American State Fair will take place June 25 to July 10. There will be a different theme each day, ranging from the “Horsepower of America” to “The Next 250,” which focuses on innovation.  Freedom 250 posted on X that this event will feature “President Donald J. Trump, military flyovers, patriotic performances, and an unforgettable tribute to the people, history, and spirit of the United States.”  America Is Back.Join us on the National Mall as we officially launch the Great American State Fair and kick off America’s 250th birthday celebration. Featuring President Donald J. Trump, military flyovers, patriotic performances, and an unforgettable tribute to the people,… pic.twitter.com/etjWYcIwfD— Freedom 250 (@Freedom250) June 6, 2026 “We’ve got all the states coming in, and all the territories—they all have their own pavilions. We also have pavilions for innovation, history, and education,” Krach said. “The Great American State Fair is something for everybody.”  On the Fourth of July, “Salute to America” will feature performances, flyovers, and fireworks.  We just revealed what Freedom 250's Salute to America will look like on the National Mall this July 4… and it's NEXT LEVEL. pic.twitter.com/4kTep1ITUl— Freedom 250 (@Freedom250) June 16, 2026 Krach said “it will be the biggest fireworks display the world has ever seen.”  “I will be launching what will be the LARGEST FIREWORKS SHOW IN HISTORY, right here in our nation’s capital. Do not miss it,” President Trump posted on Truth Social.  The Patriot Games is a national athletic competition for America’s youth, occurring Aug. 9–11. It will “bring together outstanding young Americans from across the nation to compete, inspire, and showcase the values that have shaped the United States for nearly 250 years,” according to the Freedom 250 website.  The winners, one female and one male, will split a $250,000 scholarship.  Freedom 250 posted on X: “Athletes from across the country. One national stage. The competition that will define a generation.”  JUST ANNOUNCED: The 2026 Patriot Games Athletes from across the country. One national stage. The competition that will define a generation.High school athletes ages 14 to 17 will represent every state, territory, and Tribal Nation. Top male & female champions split a… pic.twitter.com/aADlhEKRWZ— Freedom 250 (@Freedom250) June 19, 2026

Editor’s note: This is a lightly edited transcript of today’s edition of “Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words” from Daily Signal Senior Contributor Victor Davis Hanson. Subscribe to Victor Davis Hanson’s own YouTube channel to watch past episodes. Sami Winc: [New York City Mayor Zohran] Mamdani was at a rally, and he came out and said that AIPAC—again, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee—was a monster. And then he was asked about that, and he said, well, I was talking about all super PACs when I said that. Victor Davis Hanson: He is such a liar. He’s such a liar. He’s such a liar. I hate to use that word, but every time he’s called on something, he does two things. He does not back down, and then he lies about what he said. He did not talk about all PACs, and he talked specifically about AIPAC. AIPAC is not a fringe organization. Mr. Mamdani, this is not Antifa, which you don’t seem to criticize. This is not Black Lives Matter, a crooked organization that caused havoc, and then the architects stole all the money, and then they did lasting damage to the United States by taking over intersections or demanding the abolishment of the—you don’t ever criticize them. You criticize no other PACs. There’s a lot of PACs. How about the CARE PAC, the Committee of Arab American Relations. Huh? You don’t ever mention that. So, he’s talking about Jews, and he’s basically saying that Jewish people who stick up for Israel are monsters. And he says they have too much influence, except—and what he’s doing right now, he’s a man, he’s a communist, and full of himself. To quote a novel by Tom Wolfe, “A Man in Full.” He thinks he’s at the pinnacle of his power. Now he’s getting all of his staffers in this huge city with all this money, multibillion, and he’s staffing it with communists and socialists, and he thinks it’s a movement he’s building. And now he’s getting both brazen and he’s being implicit about what he feels. I hate to say this, but all people who are Jewish American in New York City, if you’re on the left, he hates you because he is an antisemitic racist. And he hates you if you’re not Jewish and you’re in favor of Israel as a, you know, a home, a traditional home for the Jewish people. And he doesn’t care anymore. He thinks—he looks at all, he looks at the architecture, he says, well, [Texas state Rep. James] Talarico, he’s doing what I did. He’s smiling, he’s faking it out, and he’s doing what our Virginia governor did. Sellenberger. Was that her name? Winc: [Abigail] Spanberger, I think. Hanson: Spanberger. … Yes, I remember. So, he’s doing what she did. It’s go act like you’re a moderate, and then once you’re in office, go full commie. [Graham] Platner, he’s kind of befuddled, but he’s got a very mean streak on him. Every time anybody asks him a question, he starts grimacing and gets angry, like he’d like to strangle the person. But Mamdani looks at “the squad” and [Rep. Ilhan] Omar and [Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez], and he thinks it’s his moment that we’re gonna go communist. Mamdani, in a much more volatile period of immigration even than now, in the 1900s to 1920s, Eugene Debs was a socialist, perhaps a communist. He ran for president five times. He was in jail in his last bid in 1920. He only won 1 million votes out of about 130 million or 140 million Americans at the time. We have never had a grassroots socialist-commie movement. Socialism and communism are a boutique creed of the elite wealthy—people who are wealthy. If you don’t believe me, Mr. Mamdani, look in the mirror. You are a settler colonialist. You came from Uganda, where the Indian population was 1% and controlled 65% of the economic activity of their colony, Uganda. Then you came over here with your parents, and your dad is an endowed professor. Endowed professors at Columbia, I would imagine, make about $400,000. Your mother is a subsidized filmmaker. And look around you—Ms. Ilhan Omar, another communist socialist, says she was worth $30 million until people said that’s impossible. So, now she’s worth zero. But you figure it out. And then you turn over to [Sen.] Bernie Sanders, the archetypical socialist. He’s got three homes. Three homes. One on a lake, one in Washington, and one in Burlington. Three homes for a childless, 80-something couple. He’s got a lot of money. And if you look at all of these socialists—maybe not Mr. Talarico; he’s on his mom’s checking account. But Graham Platner, his dad is a very well-known, wealthy lawyer. His mother is an elite restaurant owner and operator, and she’s your only client. She is his only client. I could go on and on. Bill Ayers—he was, Bill Ayers, the socialist communist bomber who disappeared when [Barack] Obama was elected because it had been said that Obama admitted that he had written his memoirs in the Ayers home. But, you know, a lot of people looked at passages in Bill Ayers’ memoir, and then they looked in Obama’s, and there were metaphors and similes, some quite long, that were identical, meaning there was this accusation that Bill Ayers ghostwrote much of it. Who knows whether it’s true or not, but my point is, he was in the third row with Bernardine Dohrn, the terrorist. I saw a clip—Megyn Kelly brought it to my attention. She interviewed Bill Ayers in 2014 on Fox, and I remember that interview, but I didn’t remember how bad it was. The questions were just: “You killed people?” “Yes.” “But that was a—can you guarantee you wouldn’t do it again?” “No.” “Did you steal money?” “Yes, I stole money.” “And you lied to people and got fake IDs?” “Yes.” “And the people that your wife was responsible for killing orphaned nine children?” He didn’t apologize. That was another thing Obama did. He’s doing just like Spanberger, all these other people, like Talarico. They act like they’re moderate because nobody wants to—nobody in their right mind would elect a socialist or communist. But Obama got elected because “there is no red state, there is no blue state, there’s just American state.” Remember that 2004 convention address? That was such a lie. And now he’s back to his old—he was like, oh, I’m Barack Obama. I’m a socialist community organizer again because I got my eight years and I’m a multimillionaire out of it. It’s just, why can’t a commie just say, “I am a socialist communist”? I don’t know any socialist that’s really not a communist. “I’m a socialist communist. I’m proud of it, and I want to convince you to be a socialist communist, and all my friends are socialist communists.” But they never do that. Winc: Can I ask you something? Because you’re right on—there was a story, it’s not really significant, but in the Daily Mail today of this billionaire and his wife who were out saying that they wanted communism for landlords and the global welfare state. And they were very young. And I was looking at it, going— Hanson: And they had a big home. Wasn’t he, I think, was he from India or something? Yes, I remember reading about them. Why doesn’t he open his mansion up? Remember that scene in “Doctor Zhivago” when he comes back, and the aristocratic house has about 10 people in it? Why don’t they do that? I had a good friend—no, wait a second. The aristocratic house had about 20 people in it, and they were bossing around his father—or father-in-law—and his wife and stuff. You know, one of my—she was a very misunderstood person in this area, Carol Harris of Harris Farms. She was a wonderful person. I really liked her, and she was a staunch conservative and donated heavily, as did her husband, John, to conservative causes. But she had a good sense of humor. So, I was over there once at a reception, and she came up to me and said, “Victor, I’m just worried about this Obama character. He’s a socialist.” I shouldn’t have done it, but I said, “Carol, now, you look here. This beautiful palazzo you have on the Kings River—it must be, I don’t know, 15,000 square feet.” She looked kind of like a deer in the headlights, and she goes, “Why? What?” And I said, “Well, I’m from Selma. We got a lot of poor people. Now, if you’ll let me intervene, that bedroom—we can put the Smiths and the Jones and everybody, like ‘Doctor Zhivago.’” And she said, “Oh my gosh, I remember ‘Doctor Zhivago.’” And then she started laughing because I was trying to be real serious. I really miss her. She was a wonderful person. Very eccentric, but in a good way. We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of the Daily Signal.