When it comes to smearing Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, the liberals have already lost. With major court decisions due to drop any day now -- from former President Donald Trump's immunity claims to abortion and gun rights cases to other huge issues -- liberal attacks are piling on with...

“Are you or have you ever been a member of the communist party?” was one of my first thoughts upon hearing of a certain FBI line of questioning. That question was a common refrain in 1950s congressional hearings in what came to be known as the McCarthy Era. Except now,...

The Biden administration “strongly opposes” a congressional proposal to raise the pay of junior enlisted service members. In a statement on its position on the House’s version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the White House said it did not support the proposal equivalent to approximately $24.4 billion over five years. “The Administration is strongly committed to taking care of our Servicemembers and their families, and appreciates the Committee’s concern for the needs of the most junior enlisted members, but strongly opposes making a significant, permanent change to the basic pay schedule before the completion of the Fourteenth Quadrennial Review of Military Compensation (QRMC),” the White House stated. “Joe Biden must hate our military. While families of our junior enlisted struggle on food stamps, this administration opposes their pay raises and wants to force feed them pronoun training and drag queen story hour. If Biden had any PRIDE at all in our troops, he’d support the long overdue pay raise House Republicans have passed,” Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) said. Joe Biden must hate our military. While families of our junior enlisted struggle on food stamps, this administration opposes their pay raises and wants to force feed them pronoun training and drag queen story hour. If Biden had any PRIDE at all in our troops, he’d… pic.twitter.com/oWRUfZvgYu — Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) June 12, 2024 Per Daily Caller: The Biden administration has spent over $175 billion on aid to Ukraine and European security since 2022 — roughly one-seventh of the proposed pay hike for the junior troops, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. The $175 billion amount is broken into several packages over the course of two years, including the most recent aid package of $61 billion in April. “When accounting for inflation, the average American makes less today than when Joe Biden took office. The White House wants to block Republicans from giving our troops the raise they need to make ends meet in the Biden economy,” Republican Indiana Rep. Jim Banks, a HASC member, told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “Meanwhile, they’ve sent the Ukrainian government $11,500 per Ukrainian household. It’s shameful.” Bipartisan members of the HASC promoted the pay increase for junior troops as a way to improve recruiting and retention, a problem that the military has increasingly struggled with. A year-long study conducted by the HASC and published in April found that “servicemembers, especially junior enlisted servicemembers and servicemembers supporting large families, struggle to afford housing and feed their families.” “During these challenging economic times, our troops not only deserve a raise—they need one. That’s why the FY25 NDAA authorizes a 19.5% pay increase for junior enlisted servicemembers. We’re standing behind those who defend us,” the House Rules Committee wrote. WATCH: During these challenging economic times, our troops not only deserve a raise—they need one. That's why the FY25 NDAA authorizes a 19.5% pay increase for junior enlisted servicemembers. We're standing behind those who defend us. pic.twitter.com/xEyQz5caxp — House Rules Committee (@RulesReps) June 12, 2024 From The Hill: This year’s NDAA is actually named the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act to underscore the focus on improving conditions for military service members and their families. The bill passed out of the Armed Services Committee with a bipartisan vote, especially on the quality-of-life recommendations. Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), ranking member of the committee, told the House Rules Committee on Tuesday that the “people are irreplaceable” in the military and the bill “goes after” improving their lives. “Many of our junior enlisted are struggling to afford housing. Housing costs have gone up, their pay has not kept up,” he said. “This is a bold step to try to make sure we support them.” The White House said that last year’s NDAA included a 5.2 percent basic pay increase, the largest since 2003, along with another 5.4 percent increase for a basic housing allowance. The 2025 NDAA budget request asks for a 4.5 percent increase as well. “If the President’s FY 2025 request is enacted, servicemembers will have received a 15 percent basic pay increase in just three years,” the White House said in a statement outlining opposition to the provision. “The House proposed changes would lead to pay compression in some parts of the enlisted military basic pay table.” Read the full White House statement HERE.

Dr. Ben Carson, who served as United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in the Trump administration, announced he’ll be in his hometown with President Trump this weekend. “I’m looking forward to being in my hometown this weekend with my friend and our next President, @realDonaldTrump. It’s hard to believe this photo was taken outside my childhood home nearly 8 years ago. The battle to save our country continues, and we will prevail,” Carson wrote. I’m looking forward to being in my hometown this weekend with my friend and our next President, @realDonaldTrump. It’s hard to believe this photo was taken outside my childhood home nearly 8 years ago. The battle to save our country continues, and we will prevail. @TeamTrump pic.twitter.com/iWFfyJIT6f — Ben & Candy Carson (@RealBenCarson) June 12, 2024 The announcement has circulated rumors that Carson may be Trump’s running mate selection. Trump and Carson are both scheduled to speak at this weekend’s ‘People’s Convention’ in Detroit, Michigan. Per Michigan Live: A Trump Michigan campaign spokesperson said it’s not yet determined which day the former president will address attendees. The other speakers that weekend include Charlie Kirk, the founder of the Turning Point Action nonprofit organizing the convention; Vivek Ramaswamy, a 2024 Republican candidate for president until he suspended his campaign earlier this year; Dr. Ben Carson, a 2016 Republican candidate for president; Steve Bannon and Roger Stone, two political firebrands tied to Trump’s political rise; and South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, a Republican considered a candidate to join Trump’s ticket as vice president. The lineup also includes Trump family members, GOP politicians as well as political pundits and authors such as Donald Trump Jr., Kimberly Guilfoyle, Lara Trump, Tulsi Gabbard, Candace Owens, U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, and U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz. Carson said in an interview on Newsmax that he hasn’t talked to Trump specifically about being vice president. WATCH: "I've talked to [Trump] about a lot of things, but not specifically about [being vice president]. You know, it's an important decision, but right now the most important thing is getting him in office." — Dr. Ben Carson@RealBenCarson @SharlaMcBride pic.twitter.com/X5geTo7kd0 — NEWSMAX (@NEWSMAX) June 12, 2024 On the other hand, other reports suggest Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) is falling down the list of Trump’s VP contenders. According to the New York Post, Scott is ‘extremely unlikely’ to be chosen. Report: Senator Tim Scott is slipping into the Vice Presidential race. He is widely seen by people close to President Trump as “extremely unlikely” to be chosen as the VP Pick. Via: The New York Post pic.twitter.com/WHRu6oOJqB — The Calvin Coolidge Project (@TheCalvinCooli1) June 12, 2024 From the New York Post: Scott, 58, was considered the leading choice for much of the past year due to his passionate support for Trump, 77, and the possibility that he could help draw black voters into the Republican fold, a trend that polls indicate already is underway. The mercurial Trump is expected to announce his pick sometime in the next month and could still choose Scott — but sources familiar with the situation say the chances are becoming more remote. “I think it is extremely unlikely he will be picked,” said one insider. “You go down the list of reasons to choose a VP, and he isn’t a standout or game-changer in any category.” “His star has become less bright, for sure,” said a second well-connected source. “Still a top five pick — but not the strongest.” This person also warned that Scott, who has repped South Carolina in the Senate since 2013, “might not resonate with the black community in a way that’s worth putting him on the ticket. “There are stronger options, and Tim has the potential to serve in the Cabinet, so I think he’ll still play an important role.” A third insider indicated that Scott was “still in the mix, but I suspect his biggest issue is that he’s just not very good on TV.”

The House of Representatives voted on Wednesday to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress for withholding audio recordings related to Joe Biden’s handling of classified documents. Garland defied subpoenas from the House Judiciary and Oversight committees demanding he turn over recordings from Biden’s interview with special counsel Robert Hur. “The vote was 216-207, with one Republican, Rep. David Joyce of Ohio, joining all Democrats in voting no. Seven Democrats and one Republican did not vote,” NBC News reports. Breaking: The House of Representatives have voted in favor of holding Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress!Lock him up! pic.twitter.com/KECCHGEGh1 — Vince Langman (@LangmanVince) June 12, 2024 “This week, Attorney General Merrick Garland will be held in contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with a lawful subpoena. We cannot allow the Department of Justice to hide information from Congress,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said. WATCH: This week, Attorney General Merrick Garland will be held in contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with a lawful subpoena. We cannot allow the Department of Justice to hide information from Congress. pic.twitter.com/ccvk05tcMj — Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) June 12, 2024 NBC News reports: At issue was Garland’s failure to hand over audio of special counsel Robert Hur’s interview with President Joe Biden about his handling of classified documents. Republicans had demanded the audio after Hur declined to prosecute Biden, in part, because a jury might sympathize with him as an “elderly man with a poor memory.” Democrats countered that the full transcript of the Biden interview has already been released to the public, and they sounded warnings that Republicans could manipulate the audio. Despite the successful contempt vote, it’s largely a political exercise. Biden and his administration have asserted executive privilege in refusing to hand over the audio, all but eliminating the possibility that Garland would be prosecuted for ignoring the subpoenas. It’s also unheard of for Justice Department prosecutors to go after the head of their agency over a contempt issue. Last month, both the House Judiciary and Oversight committees approved a report recommending that the House hold Garland in contempt for defying congressional subpoenas pertaining to the audio recording. “If the White House has nothing to hide they’d release the tape of Biden’s interview with Special Counsel Hur. Let’s be clear: It’s not Merrick Garland’s decision to release it or not. It’s a legitimate Congressional subpoena. He must comply. The House will hold him in contempt,” Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) said. If the White House has nothing to hide they'd release the tape of Biden's interview with Special Counsel Hur. Let's be clear: It's not Merrick Garland's decision to release it or not. It's a legitimate Congressional subpoena. He must comply. The House will hold him in contempt. pic.twitter.com/Pbnt7WiQ9Z — Steve Scalise (@SteveScalise) June 12, 2024 “It is deeply disappointing that this House of Representatives has turned a serious congressional authority into a partisan weapon,” Garland said in a statement, according to CBS News. Per CBS News: A House Judiciary Committee report argued the audio recordings of the interviews are of “superior evidentiary value” because the transcripts the Justice Department provided Congress “do not reflect important verbal context, such as tone or tenor, or nonverbal context, such as pauses or pace of delivery.” It also asserts the transcripts are “insufficient to arbitrate this dispute as to President Biden’s mental state.” Hur, who was appointed by Garland, released a 345-page report in February that outlined Mr. Biden’s handling of classified documents that he kept after serving as vice president. Hur declined to seek criminal charges, saying the evidence did not establish beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Biden violated the law. The special counsel made a number of observations about the president’s memory that enraged the White House and provided political leverage to Republicans. “We know we’re entitled to all the evidence and the best evidence, and the transcripts alone are not sufficient evidence of the state of the president’s memory,” Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, the Republican chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said Wednesday. Republicans say executive privilege was waived when the Justice Department turned over the transcripts, and also claim the transcripts have been altered. The Justice Department has argued disclosure of the recordings could have a chilling effect on witness cooperation in future high-profile investigations.