How incompetent is Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, at passing as a relatable, likable royal? Let's put it this way: Her new Netflix show, which promises an "at home with Meghan" cooking experience, was not filmed at her own home, but at a rented home two miles away. And that's just the...

Just days before taking the oath of office, incoming Vice President JD Vance appeared on Fox News for an interview during which the topic of President Trump’s expected Jan. 6 pardons. Although he affirmed that many individuals convicted for peacefully protesting should be pardoned, he went on to argue that there are “obviously” some who should not. As the Associated Press reported through its typically anti-Trump lens: Vice President-elect JD Vance says people responsible for the violence during the Capitol riot “obviously” should not be pardoned, as President-elect Donald Trump is promising to use his clemency power on behalf of many of those who tried on Jan. 6, 2021, to overturn the results of the election that Trump lost. Vance insisted in an interview on “Fox News Sunday” that the pardon question is “very simple,” saying those who “protested peacefully” should be pardoned and “if you committed violence on that day, obviously you shouldn’t be pardoned.” He later said there was a “bit of a gray area” in some cases. More than 1,500 people have been charged with federal crimes stemming from the siege that left more than 100 police officers injured and sent lawmakers running into hiding as they met to certify Democrat Joe Biden’s 2020 victory. His equivocal tone sparked almost immediate backlash from some pro-Trump sources: Video gets released of cops shooting innocent J6 protesters and @JDVance goes on Fox News and tells the world that only non violent protesters should get pardoned Better rethink what you just said JD https://t.co/HOscppr529 — Hodgetwins (@hodgetwins) January 12, 2025 JD VANCE: Those on Jan. 6th, 2021 who acted violently “obviously” should not be pardoned pic.twitter.com/agtvf94w4u — The Dibster (@richarddibX) January 12, 2025 Vance did respond to the criticism in an effort to defend himself: First of all, I donated to the to the J6 political prisoner fund and got ROASTED for it during my senate race. I’ve been defending these guys for years. Second, there were federal informants in the crowd. Do they get a pardon? I don’t think so. The president saying he’ll look at… https://t.co/MDUWkd37fP — JD Vance (@JDVance) January 12, 2025 It wasn’t enough to quell the concerns of some skeptics: JD Vance said: “If you committed violence on that day, obviously you shouldn’t be pardoned.” That’s wrong. There’s nothing “obvious” about it. Nobody received a fair trial. You weren’t talking about informants. It was a Pence like moment. — Joseph Pino (@JosephPino_) January 12, 2025 But others were willing to give Vance the benefit of the doubt based on some of his previous actions: You’ve helped the J6 patriots quite a bit from day 1. We still think Trump should pardon everyone involved because the FBI was pushing and encouraging much of what was happening that day. FBI had agents that were knee deep in the conspiracy! — Angry Trumper (@AngryTrumper) January 12, 2025 Trump has vowed to make pardoning Jan. 6 defendants a priority upon entering office, though he has also expressed the need to evaluate the merits of each case. As Fox News reported: “If you protested peacefully on January 6th, and you’ve had Merrick Garland’s Department of Justice treat you like a gang member, you should be pardoned,” Vance told Fox News’ Shannon Bream during an exclusive one-on-one interview that aired Sunday. “If you committed violence on that day, obviously you shouldn’t be pardoned, and there’s a little bit of a gray area there, but we’re very much committed to seeing the equal administration of law. And there are a lot of people, we think, in the wake of January the 6th who were prosecuted unfairly. We need to rectify that.” Trump previously pledged to pardon Jan. 6 protesters on day one of his incoming administration, telling NBC’s Kristen Welker last month that people on the Jan. 6 committee in Congress belonged in jail instead. “I’m going to look at everything. We’ll look at individual cases,” Trump told Welker as he spelled out his plans. “But I’m going to be acting very quickly.” Here’s a clip from Vance’s new Fox News interview:

Since securing a commanding victory in November’s election, President Donald Trump has been peppering the public with his picks to serve in key administration roles. Over the course of Saturday night, he rattled off a number of new White House aide nominees via his Truth Social platform. According to The Hill: Early in the evening, the incoming president said Steven Gill Bradbury would serve as the next deputy secretary of transportation. “For the entirety of my First Term, Steven served as the General Counsel of the Department of Transportation, where he helped rebuild our crumbling Infrastructure, and cut regulations that were killing jobs and our incredible Small Businesses,” Trump wrote in the post, noting that he previously clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Bradbury will serve alongside Secretary of Transportation nominee Sean Duffy pending Senate confirmation. Moments after the transportation announcement, Trump said Katharine MacGregor would serve as the next deputy secretary of the interior. “Katharine is currently Vice President of Environmental Services at NextEra Energy, Inc., and previously worked at the Department of the Interior during my first four years as President,” the incoming president stated. Several other nominees soon surfaced: I am pleased to announce that David Fotouhi will serve as the next Deputy Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. David worked at the EPA for the entirety of my First Term, concluding his service as EPA’s Acting General Counsel. He is currently a Partner at… — Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) January 11, 2025 I am pleased to announce that James P. Danly will be our next United States Deputy Secretary of Energy.  James is a retired U.S. Army Officer, who served for two tours in Iraq, where he earned the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. He served in my First Term as General Counsel,… — Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) January 11, 2025 I am pleased to announce that Casey B. Mulligan will serve as the Chief Counsel for Advocacy at the United States Small Business Administration. Casey is a fantastic Economist from the University of Chicago, and a highly respected expert on the regulations that are crushing our… — Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) January 11, 2025 I am pleased to announce that Paul R. Lawrence, Ph.D., will serve as the next Deputy Secretary Of Veterans Affairs. Paul was a great VA Under Secretary of Benefits in my First Term, implementing Legislation I signed to improve the GI Bill and Appeals Modernization. Paul also… — Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) January 11, 2025 Trump’s latest batch of nominees comes as Senate confirmation hearings are begin scheduled for those picked to serve in applicable administration roles. According to the Associated Press: After the initial crush of personnel announcements for President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration, now the nominations process officially begins. Senate hearings are scheduled this coming week for several of Trump’s picks for the Cabinet. Many have met with senators individually. Now, they will go before the committees overseeing the agencies that Trump wants them to run. At least a few of Trump’s earlier picks have received some bipartisan support, including from Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA). As Fox News reported last month: Trump has tapped Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., to serve as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Hegseth to serve as secretary of defense, and former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard for the role of director of national intelligence. While Fetterman has previously noted that he plans to support Stefanik, it is unclear whether he will ultimately back Hegseth and Gabbard for confirmation. Fox News Digital reached out to request comment from the senator, but a spokesperson did not provide any additional insight into Fetterman’s voting plans regarding Hegseth and Gabbard. Fetterman has been unflinching in his staunch support for Israel in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attack against the U.S. ally. “Always was a hard YES for @EliseStefanik but it was a pleasure to have a conversation. I support defunding UNRWA for its documented Hamas infiltration and fully look forward to her holding the @UN accountable for its endemic antisemitism and blatant anti-Israel views,” Fetterman declared in a post earlier this month. He has also pledged to support Sen. Marco Rubio’s confirmation to serve as secretary of state. Sean Spicer, who served as Trump’s first White House press secretary, recently predicted that all of the nominees will eventually be confirmed by the GOP-led Senate.

Many viewers took note of the seemingly frosty reception President Donald Trump received from his former Vice President Mike Pence and his wife, Karen Pence, at the recent funeral for former President Jimmy Carter. During a subsequent interview, however, Pence insisted that his interaction with Trump was warmer than it might have appeared on video. According to The Hill: “He greeted me when he came down the aisle. I stood up, extended my hand. He shook my hand. I said, ‘Congratulations, Mr. President,’ and he said, ‘Thanks, Mike,’” Pence said in an interview with Christianity Today. The funeral in Washington, D.C., was the first time Trump and Pence were in the same room since the end of their administration in January 2021. When Pence and Trump shook hands and exchanged a few words, former second lady Karen Pence remained seated and did not interact with Trump or incoming first lady Melania Trump. The former vice president acknowledged her refusing to acknowledge Trump. “You’d have to ask my wife about her posture, but we’ve been married 44 years, and she loves her husband, and her husband respects her deeply,” Pence said to Christianity Today. The interaction fueled significant social media speculation in the wake of Carter’s funeral: Karen Pence showed no grace or dignity at Carters funeral. Childish behavior. The Trumps always show class, even with their biggest enemies. pic.twitter.com/8jAobNokP1 — Sara Rose (@saras76) January 9, 2025 Miserable Karen Pence Refuses to Greet Trump and Melania at Jimmy Carter’s Funeral.https://t.co/YNgs952FtF pic.twitter.com/7GS7pqc6GW — BoilingPoint Live (@RealBPL) January 10, 2025 Jessica Tarlov says one of her favorite moments of the Jimmy Carter funeral was when Karen Pence wouldn’t look at Trump or Melania. What a deranged individual. pic.twitter.com/oX6t3czXlu — johnny maga (@_johnnymaga) January 9, 2025 Pence touched on a number of other topics during his recent interview, including some criticism of the nominees Trump has picked thus far for his second term. Per Christianity Today: During the interview with Moore, Pence’s most critical remarks came when asked about some of Trump’s nominees for his upcoming term. He said he doesn’t think the Republican-controlled Senate should confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to head Health and Human Services, citing the former independent presidential contender’s pro-choice stance on abortion and lack of qualifications. A stalwart advocate for the United States’ continued support of Ukraine, Pence also said he had concerns about former US Rep. Tulsi Gabbard potentially serving as national intelligence director, citing her “willingness to essentially be an apologist for [Russian President Vladimir] Putin over recent months,” and added that her 2017 visit with Syria’s recently ousted dictator, Bashar al-Assad, is also a matter of concern. Here’s Steve Bannon’s take on how the Trumps were treated at Carter’s funeral: They all snubbed President Trump & Melania at Carters funeral yesterday.The man just won an historic election.Bush, Obama, Pence etc Walked past him. No acknowledgement. No handshake.No class.pic.twitter.com/GsIXUHHiQf — Facts are Facts (@JMccartney89038) January 9, 2025

James Stavridis, the former NATO Supreme Allied Commander who now spends much of his time attacking President Donald Trump on MSNBC, was nevertheless willing to endorse Trump’s rhetoric about exploring ways for the United States to acquire Greenland. During a recent podcast appearance, Stavridis admitted that “it’s not a crazy idea” to pursue in Trump’s second term. As The Hill reported: Stavridis said he thinks Greenland is a “strategic goldmine for the United States,” expressing support for Trump’s idea. “It sits at the very top of the North Atlantic. It protects approaches to our own country … It’s geographically very important. It’s full of strategic minerals, rare earth, probably a lot of gold. It’s got a lot of natural resources,” he said earlier in the interview. “It doesn’t have to become the 51st state, but it can certainly be an economic objective for us,” he added. Trump’s Greenland plans have attracted significant attention on social media in recent weeks: I am going to be building a New America. One where Canada and Greenland will be ours, I will regain control of the Panama Canal, and rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America! I will Make America Great Again! pic.twitter.com/vxcGMWYqAg — Donald J. Trump – Parody (@realDonParody) January 7, 2025 Greenland is beautiful!!! pic.twitter.com/PKoeeCafPz — Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) January 7, 2025 Trump is not even president yet and Greenland leader already wants to meet and discuss options pic.twitter.com/Fp9eBe75uK — MAGA Resource (@MAGAResource) January 11, 2025 According to Reuters, Greenland’s Prime Minister recently announced that he is willing to engage in talks with Trump: Greenland Prime Minister Mute Egede said on Friday he was ready to speak with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who has said he wants control over the Arctic island, and urged respect for the island’s independence aspirations. Trump, who takes office on Jan. 20, has described U.S. control of Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory, as an “absolute necessity”. He did not dismiss the potential use of military or economic means, including tariffs against Denmark. At a Copenhagen press conference, when asked if he had had contact with Trump, Egede responded: “No, but we are ready to talk.” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who also addressed the press conference, said on Thursday she had asked for a meeting with Trump, but did not expect it to happen before his inauguration. Here’s some additional analysis of Trump’s Greenland ambitions:

After President Donald Trump secured a massive Election Day victory by sharing his message largely on alternative media sources, many Americans have started to speculate that the reign of legacy news outlets is over. That theory appears to be holding up as ratings plummet for left-leaning cable news outlets and a series of media companies have cut confirmed job cuts in recent months. As Fox Business reported, HuffPost is among the latest to make such an announcement: “I write with painful news,” the memo, sent by HuffPost editor-in-chief Danielle C. Belton, stated. “HuffPost is undergoing a substantial round of job eliminations due to ongoing and growing challenges to our business.” The email, shared with New York Times media reporter Ben Mullin, revealed that HuffPost is communicating with HuffPost Union about how best to proceed. Offers for employees may include “voluntary buyout packages to some desks in the newsroom.” “I recognize that this is an upsetting way to start the year, and we will be sure to share more details as swiftly and clearly as possible, as I believe it is important to be transparent and share information as we have it,” Belton wrote. “In the coming days, we will make more information available about the job eliminations and HuffPost’s plans for 2025 and beyond.” HuffPost has around 132 people in its newsroom. With the upcoming job cuts, it would lose roughly 23% of its newsroom staff. Theories about the impending collapse of mainstream media have abounded in light of the 2024 presidential race: The mainstream media is more dead than ever after Trump’s massive electoral victory. CNN’s viewers are down 30% and MSNBC has plummeted by 54%. It turns out spinning lie after lie and never having any positive results to show for it just doesn’t sit well with America anymore. pic.twitter.com/BCDHAM7ObN — Ben Swann (@BenSwann_) November 13, 2024 Yes, @LesleyRStahl legacy media is dead and you are partly to blame for it. It’s the constant lying to the American people on a daily basis. We are tired of all the bull. pic.twitter.com/XN2wTxC86s — ???????????? (@Texas_jeep__guy) December 15, 2024 “The legacy media will continue to fold and bend the knee to us, because it’s true – we are the media” – me in @wsj main stream media is DEAD pic.twitter.com/2KijuBCvk3 — MORGONN (@morgonnm) December 29, 2024 Brian Stelter of CNN loses it after realizing that Mainstream Media is officially dead – confirming WE ARE THE NEWS NOW! ? is the official home of REAL NEWS!@BrianStelter finally understands he and his colleagues won’t have jobs for much longer! pic.twitter.com/y38yLpHELg — Ole Murica (@OleMurica) December 20, 2024 The Daily Caller reported on some other recent newsroom layoffs, including the latest round of job cuts at the Washington Post: At least one employee took to Twitter to announce they were a victim of the cuts. “I just got laid off from Vox along with 11 other talented and delightful people,” Keren Landman, who covered public health, consumer health, and health misinformation, according to her company bio, wrote. “I’m leaving with a deep bench of sources and a million ideas. Editors assigning work on public health, misinfo, $/religion in healthcare, please reach out! Gonna go have cookies for lunch,” she concluded. The turnover is part of a larger trend in legacy and leftwing media. WaPo in particular has been putting out fires for months ever since executive editor Sally Buzbee stepped down in June. When the paper’s owner, Jeff Bezos, attempted to fill her role with a white man, many staffers revolted, prompting him to reveal the paper’s horrible recent performance. WaPo lost half their subscriber base between 2020 and 2023 and over $77 million since 2023, Bezos and his new CEO, Will Lewis, told staffers. WaPo is not the only news provider to fall on hard times as of late. MSNBC, which had its ratings plummet 53% after the November election, reportedly asked some of their most prominent anchors to renegotiate their contracts to take less money, former Daily Beast editor Lachlan Cartwright reported. Their struggles have prompted rumors of a fire sale, encouraging prominent Republicans like Donald Trump Jr. to joke that Elon Musk should buy it. Here’s some additional commentary about the current plight of the mainstream media:

Former NATO supreme allied commander James Stavridis stated that he doesn’t believe President-elect Donald Trump’s push to acquire Greenland is “crazy.”

Beginning January 11, The View, a show featuring ranting mis- disinformation ‘ladies,” will expand to weekends. Disney and Comcast want to double up on the misguided politics of several unknowledgeable harbingers of hate. The corporation are preparing for Trash Trump media. Variety announced: “The Weekend View” will premiere at 7:30 a.m. Saturdays on ABC News […] The post The Weekend View: Disney & Comcast Double Down on Crazy appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.