Comedy legend John Cleese went scorched earth on the mass immigration — particularly of Muslims — in Britain, declaring via X that he is not “a racist,” but rather “a culturalist.” Cleese, a regular critic of President Donald Trump, has recently thrown his weight behind Restore Britain, an emerging right-wing party that is focused on addressing the impact of “mass immigration, economic collapse, woke ideology, and the relentless creep of radical Islam.” The “Monty Python” alum responded to a poll asking whether he was best described as a “true British patriot” or a “racist who hate[s] Muslims” — and he said that the problem was not with any race, but with cultures that were incompatible with Western values. I’m not a racist. I’m a culturalist I believe some cultures are superior to others For example, I prefer cultures that do not encourage wife beating, paedophilia, clitorectomies, stoning and constant inflation of the male ego I am also aware of the difference between… https://t.co/WNCRrzQvZi — John Cleese (@JohnCleese) July 30, 2026 “I’m not a racist. I’m a culturalist,” Cleese declared. “I believe some cultures are superior to others.” “For example, I prefer cultures that do not encourage wife beating, paedophilia, clitorectomies, stoning and constant inflation of the male ego,” he added. “I am also aware of the difference between Islamoscepticism and Islamophobia,” he continued. “Notice that hate does not come into this — only moral preferences.” On Thursday, Cleese reposted a clip on X from GB News in which Britain’s Defense Secretary Wes Streeting admitted that there was no way for him to guarantee that known terrorists had not already entered Britain via small boats crossing the English Channel.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently stated a plain truth that too many have ignored: the first duty of any government is to protect its people. Yet for years, many of our institutions have maintained a shameful blind spot when it comes to far-left violence. They dismissed riots as “mostly peaceful protests” while cities burned. They excused firebombs, assaults, and political intimidation so long as they were wrapped in the language of “justice” or “equity.” This is not an abstract threat. Secretary Rubio pointed to victims across the West: a 72-year-old Greek grandmother burned alive, an arson attack that left tens of thousands of Berlin homes without power, leading to the death of an 83-year-old woman, and a young Frenchman beaten to death in Lyon. In recent days, authorities launched a terrorism investigation after 78-year-old former Conservative cabinet minister and Reform UK spokeswoman Ann Widdecombe was brutally bludgeoned to death, suffering 21 blows from a hammer. Here in America, we’ve witnessed sniper attacks on Border Patrol agents, execution-style murders, multiple assassination attempts against President Trump, and the heartbreaking killing of Charlie Kirk, a husband and father who was gunned down while speaking to students. These are not statistics. They are shattered families and lives cut short. Too often, prominent Democrats have fueled this climate with reckless rhetoric. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) famously urged supporters to confront members of the Trump administration in public, telling crowds they should make them feel unwelcome “anywhere.” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) stood on the steps of the Supreme Court and warned Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh that they had “released the whirlwind” and would “pay the price.” These incendiary remarks are not just relegated to the past, but are ongoing calls to action from Democrat leadership. Anti-law enforcement rhetoric has polluted even the highest levels of Democrat leadership, with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) just this past week referring to ICE as “Donald Trump’s violent mass deportation machine,” and in April stating that  “We are in an era of maximum warfare, everywhere, all the time.” That is not the language of civil disagreement. When national leaders normalize rhetoric that casts political opponents as enemies, they do not calm tensions — they inflame them. Just this past Monday, Andrew Arrabaca, “a man described as an ‘anti-government extremist’ set off an ‘incendiary device’ to set a fire outside a Manhattan federal building that houses an immigration court.” Arrabaca proudly said he was OK with hurting or killing people and was found with anti-ICE literature. Today, that hostility has become institutionalized through efforts like “Project 2029,” a sweeping progressive agenda that proposes dramatically expanding executive authority and bypassing Congress to advance its objectives. At the same time, in addition to smears of “fascism,” leading Democrats have repeatedly described conservatives as an “existential threat to democracy.” When political opponents are portrayed as enemies of the republic, it should surprise no one that unstable individuals feel justified in resorting to violence. This pattern extends far beyond the United States. Slogans such as “Punch a Nazi” and “by any means necessary” have become cultural rallying cries. Mainstream conservatives, churchgoers, parents at school board meetings, and anyone who dissents from progressive orthodoxy are routinely portrayed as extremists. Major media outlets, academia, Hollywood, and influential advocacy organizations reinforce this narrative every day. When people are repeatedly told their neighbors are evil, some eventually decide violence is justified. These extremists cannot build; they can only destroy. They target power grids, pipelines, schools, police officers, and public institutions because they seek to undermine the very foundations of a free society. They despise what America represents because it stands for opportunity, liberty, and individual responsibility. Enough is enough. I stand with President Trump, Secretary Rubio, and every nation willing to confront political violence wherever it originates. We must dismantle violent transnational extremist networks, Antifa, anarchists, and their foreign enablers through stronger intelligence sharing, aggressive prosecution of criminal acts, defunding violent organizations, and securing our borders. The civilized world is watching. Our children are watching. We have a duty to defend the values that built this country and ensure future generations inherit a nation where families can live in safety and freedom. The old double standard is dead. May God give us the courage and the fortitude to meet that responsibility. *** Congressman Mike Rulli represents Ohio’s 6th Congressional District.

Believe it or not, we are now a decade removed from the summer of 2016. If you’re a liberal, you’re probably used to thinking back to these halcyon days, when everyone was talking about Pokémon Go and a Hillary Clinton victory was in the bag. If you’re reading this site, you’ve probably moved on — and rightly so. But anniversaries warrant nostalgia, this one in particular. Because even if you cheered Donald Trump’s victory, you can’t deny that the home stretch of the 2016 presidential campaign was wild. It’s okay if you forgot — a lot has happened since. So here, in no particular order, are the seven craziest moments from the 2016 presidential campaign.   “What Is Aleppo?” Former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson never really had a chance at the White House. But there was a brief moment where many fooled themselves into believing Americans might elect the good-natured Libertarian Party nominee. That changed in the early hours of September 8, 2016, when “Morning Joe” panelist Mike Barnicle asked Johnson what he would do about Aleppo, the destroyed Syrian city that became an epicenter of the migration crisis during that country’s civil war in the 2010s. “And what is Aleppo?” a visibly perplexed Johnson asked. “You’re kidding,” the equally shocked MSNBC host replied. Upon being told what Aleppo was, Johnson confidently offered his solution — work with Russia to sort things out. It really was a different time.   The Libertarian Debate Speaking of libertarians, they really had a moment in 2016. They had a number of debates, including two at their nominating convention. There, things got … interesting. The question from the audience: should you need a license to drive a car? The response from the candidates: absolutely deranged. “Hell no!” shouts one. “What’s next, requiring a license to make toast in your own damn toaster?!” roared another, in the midst of what appears to be some kind of rheumatic fit. Only Johnson had the gall to defend drivers’ licenses, a sin for which he was roundly booed by the presumably unwashed crowd.   Carly Fiorina Singing Ted Cruz, in a last-ditch effort to save his campaign, announced to the world that, if elected, he would tap former HP executive and Republican presidential hopeful Carly Fiorina as his running mate. It was a real Hail Mary, likely doomed to fail. But what little chance the gambit had of succeeding died moments after it was announced, murdered by Fiorina’s decision to sing at the rally. I’m not kidding when I say I remember exactly where I was when I saw this clip for the first time, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it for a decade. I still don’t know what to make of it, or how to describe it. Please, just watch the clip. Join me. Jeb Bush’s $75 Guacamole Bowl There are three defining moments of Jeb Bush’s campaign: the Jeb! signs, the original Trump nickname (“low energy Jeb”) and the infamous clip of Bush asking a crowd to “please clap,” an unanswered plea that seemed to confirm Trump’s read on the former Florida governor. Bush almost certainly wasn’t thrilled about these moments at the time, but he may be grateful that they overshadowed another swing and miss. I’m talking about the Guaca Bowl-E. For $75, Jebutantes could purchase an unmarked stone guacamole bowl from the campaign website. That’s right — unmarked. Just a bowl. “Jeb and Columba love whipping up guacamole on Sunday Funday,” read the description on the campaign website. “Now, you can get in on the action with this “Guaca Bowle.” Jeb’s secret guacamole recipe not included … yet.” Please clap.   Jim Webb Killed A Guy Remember Jim Webb? It’s okay, me neither. He was Secretary of the Navy under Ronald Reagan and Senator from Virginia before Tim Kaine. He was also, if you can believe it, a Democratic presidential candidate in 2016. It’s a shame no one remembers his campaign, because it was honestly kind of based. He criticized Obamacare. He said “all lives matter.” And, during one of the Democratic primary debates, he casually mentioned that he killed a guy in ‘Nam. At the end of the debate, CNN’s Anderson Cooper asked the candidates which enemies they were the most proud of making. Hillary gave an early version of her later “basket of deplorables” comment, which didn’t get much traction at the time — likely because, I cannot stress enough, Jim Webb talked about killing a guy. “I would have to say the enemy soldier that threw the grenade that wounded me but he’s not around right now to talk to,” said Webb. If you want to know more about the incident, you can read the short story Webb published on it in Politico. I wish I was kidding.   Martin O’Malley’s Campaign Announcement Oh my God, he plays the guitar?! Can’t believe he didn’t get the nomination. There’s really nothing else to say about Martin O’Malley, who dropped out after getting less than one percent of votes at the Iowa Caucus and went on to do corruption as head of the Social Security Administration under Joe Biden. He was like watered-down Howard Dean? His two biggest endorsements in 2016 were Eric Swalwell and the Dropkick Murphys? Who cares.   The Last Funny Political SNL Sketch Let me be clear: I’m not saying this sketch is unbiased, or that it’s laugh-out-loud funny all the time. But watch this and tell me it’s not funnier than any political sketch Saturday Night Live has put out since. It’s embarrassing for them, really, because it shows that they can make fun of their chosen candidate when they’re certain they’re going to win. Alec Baldwin’s first appearance as Trump is exaggerated, of course, but pretty funny — not moralizing, still fresh, and the bit about kissing Sean Hannity is great. But more importantly, they make fun of Hillary! They make fun of her for being unlikable, phony, and power hungry. They make fun of her arrogance and overly-rehearsed debate performance and awkward attempts to be relatable. It’s insane that just a month after this aired, Kate McKinnon sang Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” in the show’s least funny cold open ever. It’s all been downhill from there.   BONUS: Normie Trump To be fair, this was in 2019. But it’s so crazy it feels like it should have been from 2016.

When I was 36 weeks pregnant with my third child and too exhausted to argue, my husband packed his GoPro for our family vacation and documented the whole thing. He recorded the ride down, the condo antics, and the cuteness of our kids splashing in the surf. He recorded mini golf and a boardwalk ice cream stop; he interviewed the kids and family members who came along. He then edited it all, added music, and made us look like one of those influencer families. I love having the memories, but it was a lot of work for everyone. Those videos still exist somewhere on YouTube and have approximately 100 views total if we’re lucky. Half of those are from family members. If you would ask my children tomorrow if they wanted to become influencers, they would say, “Yes! Please!” But just because they want something, that doesn’t make it good for them. In “Like, Follow, Subscribe,” the buzzy new book about the potential harm of influencers showcasing their kids online 24/7, author Fortesa Latifi highlights families across the internet who record their kids and share their lives for clicks. Some, like the LaBrants, are well-known. Others are only familiar to hardcore YouTube fans. The children Latifi interviewed almost all have mixed feelings about growing up under the watchful eye of the internet. They say they didn’t love it but in many cases felt guilted into it because of the income and opportunities that could only come from sharing their entire lives online. I’ll start with the extremes because Latifi does: Ruby Franke, of the channel 8 Passengers, was arrested on child abuse charges. But even the influencers doing everything right still might be doing something a little wrong. One influencer identified only by the pseudonym Sam said she once bribed her kids, offering them $500 to dance on camera while promoting a product, which would earn the family $40,000. The kids said no. Sam said she then had to “manipulate and guilt trip the kids.” “This is our business. This is what we do,” she told them. “This is our family job. If we owned a farm, you would all be out milking cows. No questions asked … so get in line and let’s do this.” Sam admitted that she watched her “moral filter” go out the window as the money began pouring in. She also noted that the longer she stays involved, the easier it is to justify. “The deeper you get into it, the more you numb out from it,” she told Latifi. “There’s no room for misgivings. There’s no room for a conscience.” At least Sam is honest about the lasting damage she’s likely inflicting on the entire family, even if she’s not brave enough to own it by using her real name. Other influencers featured in the book had even less shame and more justifications. There’s the unfortunate fact that negative content gets more clicks, and then more money. A video titled “Our First Pet Died” featuring a thumbnail of an adorable one of the LaBrant children sobbing has racked up 34 million views, as the author notes. This turned out to be clickbait — because it’s not the family dog that died, but rather the goldfish. It gets way worse than that. Family Fun Pack filmed reactions to their children’s grandmother’s funeral and earned just under 2 million views. Another influencer named Jordan Cheyenne faced backlash after accidentally uploading a video of herself coaching her son to cry after finding out his dog was fatally ill. “No, Mom, I’m seriously crying,” he can be heard saying, and Cheyenne instructs him to look sadder and, above all, focus on the camera. “Come closer for the video … let them see your mouth,” she can be heard saying. Some kids are happy to go along with what their YouTuber parents are doing, but what choice do they have, and what alternative do they know? Many have been on camera for the world since they were in utero. These influencers often justify their kids’ inclusion by pointing out that they don’t complain. But some of them actually do complain. The book is filled with shocking anecdotes that make a strong case for throwing all influencer parent iPhones into the ocean, but the author somehow also manages to fixate on conservatives. She positively quotes progressive journalist Taylor Lorenz’s book, “Extremely Online: The Untold Story of Fame, Influence, and Power on the Internet.” For all the negative things Latifi could say about the LaBrants, one of her chief complaints is that they are “almost impossibly” blond with blue eyes and that they “love Jesus” and choose to include that in their videos. Latifi takes the most offense to tradwife mommy bloggers, as many liberals tend to do. “While perhaps it’s not a feminist act to create paid labor out of unpaid labor, it is an act of agency within the confines of the patriarchy. It’s why so many mom influencers and family vloggers are Mormon,” she writes. (What is she even talking about?) “The trad wife performs an imitation of the past because the present is so uncertain,” Latifi goes on. “She drapes herself in prairie dresses and flowing aprons, smiles into the camera that captures her every move even as she insists she’s not working at all.” She concludes that these influencers are wrongly promising “there is meaning and beauty to be found in motherhood.” There is, of course, meaning and beauty in motherhood, but — she’s right — not by oversharing for clicks on YouTube. By the final chapters, that anti-conservative streak stops being subtext and becomes the whole argument, veering so far from the subject of family vlogging that it ends up saying more about the author’s politics than about kids on camera. “As I’m writing this, Donald Trump is president for the second time, and the experience of American motherhood has never been more threatened,” she writes. “Pregnant women are dying from being denied access to abortions. They’re bleeding out in hospital parking lots and crossing state lines to access care.” None of that has much to do with whether a nine-year-old should be coached to cry on camera about a dying dog or whether a toddler should grow up dancing for diaper brands. Those questions don’t need a chapter on the current occupant of the White House. They need what every parent already has: a phone in one hand, and the willingness to put it down. *** This article is part of Upstream, The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.

Celebrities who publicly back President Donald Trump are both rare and brave. The stance puts a bright red target on their professional backs. Just ask Cheryl Hines, who only stood by her man (Trump Health and Human Services appointee Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.) and saw her Hollywood career fade to black. Backing Israel comes with similar drawbacks. It’s not the “cool” position in La La Land like shouting “Free Palestine” at major awards shows. It might cost you work or put another kind of target on your back. Pop superstar Boy George just found that out. The ‘80s mainstay isn’t known for his political musings, but he recently leaned on A.I. to create a new song supporting Israel. “We Will Dance Again” slams those who claim the country’s war on Hamas is a genocide: You say genocide, I say war, when you’re attacked, it’s what the army’s for … Does it get ugly? You bet it does, when I know you want to kill every last one of us. The fallout proved swift. He just voluntarily backed out of a London-based “Jesus Christ Superstar” production. The singer, who would have played King Herod, said he made the decision for the good of the production. Would he have had to do that if he had shouted, “Free Palestine” at a glitzy awards show? Unlikely. Will more career repercussions haunt the 65-year-old star? Likely. That’s the arts-and-culture status quo. Michael Rapaport has been unequivocal in his pro-Israel comments and attacks on Hamas terrorists. And, as a result, he received a not-so-veiled threat from an Antifa-like group in 2024 for daring to bring his comedy act to Portland, Oregon. When he performed in Denver last year, his team had the club wand patrons, ensuring no weapons entered the building. That’s not standard operating procedure at the club in question. That hasn’t silenced the loquacious star. Rapaport released a searing satirical video last year before the Oscars ceremony that mocked his fellow artists for ignoring the plight of Israeli hostages held by Hamas. He claims his prolific acting career has cooled a bit since becoming more vocal on the issue. More recently, he vowed to challenge New York City’s Zohran Mamdani, a leader eager to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in 2029 for Big Apple mayor. Singer John Ondrasik of Five for Fighting fame has been equally vocal in his support for Israel. Ondrasik repeatedly mentioned the ongoing hostage crisis during his recent music tours. He even vowed to sing alongside pianist Alon Ohel, one of many Israelis held hostage by Hamas. Earlier this year, the singer-songwriter fulfilled that pledge by performing his hit song “Superman (It’s Not Easy)” with Ohel on his tour. “We prayed for that miracle. We hoped for that miracle, and my friends, that miracle is right now.” The music industry was shockingly silent on the Oct. 7 savagery, specifically the massacre at the Nova Music Festival. U2’s Bono and Madonna mentioned the atrocities, albeit briefly. Otherwise, the industry has been quiet, save for comments from Ondrasik, more recently from Boy George, and from heavy metal singer David Draiman of Disturbed fame. The singer scrawled “Bleep Hamas” on an IDF artillery shell and has used his X account to share pro-Israel messaging. His stance also sparked safety concerns and at least one concert cancellation. The band’s Belgium gig got scrapped by the city’s mayor due to “public safety fears” tied to protesters. Other pro-Israel voices came from unexpected places. Actress Patricia Heaton isn’t Jewish, but she’s been loud and proud in defending Israel and calling out Hamas for its terrorist ways. She also helped create the October 7 Coalition (07C), a Christian-led group to rally spiritually minded souls to fight antisemitism and support Israel. “Will & Grace” alum Debra Messing penned a post for The Times of Israel calling out the stunning rise in antisemitism while suggesting her fellow progressives have lost their way given the party’s recent anti-Israel stance, writing: I still believe in the progressive vision. But I’m watching closely, because if it can’t make space for my community, then it’s not what it claims to be. Israeli-born actress Gal Gadot of “Wonder Woman” fame earned her homeland’s Genesis Prize for her support. She hasn’t hidden her pride in her homeland, which may have been awkward during the 2026 “Snow White” press rollout. Her co-star, Rachel Zegler, is a strong pro-Palestine force. The actress known to millions as Blossom, Mayim Bialik, lent her voice to the small pro-Israel contingent of Hollywood stars. Bialik did more than sign an open letter condemning an Israeli film boycott. Her staunch support of the Jewish state has her fearing for her life and the lives of her children. She has had several incidents in recent years that left her feeling threatened for her views. And then there’s the least political comedian possible, Jerry Seinfeld. The stand-up legend has been hounded in public by pro-Palestinian protesters. Each time, he’s deflected their comments with biting humor. That wasn’t all he has done for Israel. He visited Tel Aviv following the Oct. 7 attacks to meet with survivors as well as the family members of the hostages. These artists stood up for Israel, the Jewish people, and against Hamas. It’s a small list that comes with no perks and plenty of sacrifices, but these voices refuse to be silenced. *** Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic and editor of HollywoodInToto.com. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News’ Big Hollywood. He’s also the host of The Hollywood in Toto Podcast. Follow him at @HollywoodInToto.