Last year, California, to great fanfare, became the first state to fund free health care for all its illegal immigrants — which totals about 1.8 million people. California Gov. Gavin Newsom framed the policy as a great moral achievement. “Through this expansion,” he said, “we’re making sure families and communities across California are healthier, stronger, and able to get the care they need when they need it.” There was just one problem. When Newsom rolled out the policy, California was facing years of budget deficits amounting to a shortfall of tens of billions of dollars, according to the state’s Legislative Analyst’s Office. Despite the budget holes — which Newsom patched with accounting maneuvers and withdrawals from the state’s rainy-day fund — California liberals were adamant that the health care policy was a moral necessity. For instance, California state Senator Maria Elena Durazo called the policy a “historic investment” that “speaks to California’s commitment to health care as a human right.” Well, who could have guessed it, but it turns out California could not actually afford universal free health care for illegal immigrants. The policy cost billions more than anticipated and spiraled California into an even bigger deficit hole. So last week, Newsom proposed as part of his May budget revision that the state freeze the enrollment of illegal immigrants in the state’s Medicaid system beginning next year and that the state begin charging illegal immigrants — in two years’ time — $100 a month to stay in the program. Free dental care for illegal immigrants would also be rolled back. It was an admission that the free-health-care-for-illegal-immigrants policy had been fiscally untenable — and a stunning admission at that, given the extent to which Newsom’s administration had trumpeted the policy as an achievement that should lead the rest of the country to follow its moral bravery. Newsom Tries to Evade Responsibility Yet Newsom tried to deflect responsibility for this entirely self-inflicted disaster. He repeatedly claimed that President Donald Trump’s tariffs were to blame for California’s (structural and long-term) deficits. California faced, he said, a “$16 billion Trump Slump.” Never mind that the Legislative Analyst’s Office has, since last year, estimated that California will shortly face annual deficits in the amount of $20 billion, or that Republicans repeatedly warned that California could not afford the Medicaid expansion. But Newsom isn’t just trying to deflect responsibility for the fiscal disaster he has inflicted on California through sheer irresponsibility. He is also trying to distort the kind of governor he has been. Throughout the six and a half years he has reigned as governor, he has been on a one-man mission to cross off as many items as possible on the progressive laundry list of far-fetched dreams. Now that he realizes this is not the best way to win the presidency, he wants to pretend otherwise. (RELATED: Gavin Goes ‘Soul-Searching’) And yet, even as Newsom backs away from the most prominently radical of his progressive policies, he maintains the program in broad strokes and sustains his policy of approaching the fiscal cliff by proposing $322 billion in spending. He continues to patch over the state’s structural fiscal problems by pulling $7.1 billion from the state’s rainy-day fund, using loans, and, again, deploying accounting maneuvers. The real, unaddressed problem is that outflows have become larger than inflows under his leadership. It’s also not clear that Newsom will find any success in pulling back the Medicaid benefits for illegal immigrants that he so foolishly provided. The reaction from California Democrats has been swift and angry. Former Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra, who is running to replace Newsom, said, “I will tell you, the last place I want to go is backwards when it comes to giving people access to the health care they need.” Newsom’s never-ending spending will inevitably leave Californians facing fiscal disaster and higher taxes when he leaves the governorship in 2027. And that will be impossible to hide. When Newsom runs for president, he will be dogged by the wreckage he left in California. READ MORE from Ellie Gardey Holmes: Americans Revel in Connection to Pope Leo XIV A Miracle Baby Is Surviving His Mother’s Brain Death, and the Left Is Outraged How the Porn Industry Is Fueled by Nonconsensual Videos The post Newsom Can’t Memory-Hole What He Did to California appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

President Trump’s whirlwind Middle East trip revealed a bold shift in strategic thinking; the beginning moves of America’s first truly 21st-century grand strategy. Some short-sighted “experts” have dismissed the trip as a glitzy, camel-riding, sword-dancing, hair-twirling, ego-stroking exercise showcasing nothing more than a transactional president’s transactional diplomacy. I disagree. They fail to understand that we’re 25 years into a new century that, in many ways, has lacked any coherent agenda from Washington on foreign policy or diplomatic goals across the globe. America was mugged by history on 9/11. The George W. Bush administration immediately (and aggressively) turned to the Global War on Terror, which carried with it nation-building and democracy promotion. Those goals were unattainable from the start, but Washington carried on. That is, until now. And who else could do it this quickly but President Trump? Just think, in some 130 days, President Trump has not just engaged in nearly every theater, but busted through “conventional” thought, called bluffs, reframed realities, compelled friends to act more friendly, and reminded enemies that consequences are real. (RELATED: Trump’s Foreign Policy — a Calculated Conundrum) In the Middle East alone, President Trump is charting a new, brighter course with an eye to the future. He cheered Turkey’s role in facilitating talks between Ukraine and Russia and surprised many by lifting longstanding U.S. sanctions against Syria. This is a brilliant and opportune move that may pull Syria away from Russia and Iran, weakening their influence in the region. Trump also publicly called Syria’s new president to embrace the Abraham Accords and normalization of ties with Israel. (RELATED: The Abraham Accords Are the Way Toward Peace) In the Gulf states, Trump inked well over $1.5 trillion in military and commercial deals. He has deftly chosen to prioritize economic prosperity, trade, AI, and advanced technology as opposed to the tired, ineffective discussions about the plight of the Palestinians. And yet, novel solutions regarding the Palestinians may be found because of Trump’s new tack. In fact, rumors have persisted for years — derailed temporarily by Hamas’s evil Oct. 7 attack on Israel — that Saudi Arabia may soon join the Abraham Accords. (RELATED: Trump Should Expand the Abraham Accords to Saudi Arabia and Pakistan) A stunning moment in world history is not far off, one in which diplomacy and economic prosperity bear the fruit of peace in the Middle East. And the world will have President Trump to thank. Yet some “experts” suggest that these moves, plus the fact that Trump didn’t visit Israel or meet with Netanyahu on this trip, hint at some irreparable rift in Netanyahu’s relationship with Trump and relations between Israel and the United States. The hysteria is short-sighted and naive. The relationship between America and Israel, Trump and Netanyahu, is ironclad. The same is true of the administration’s commitment to Israel, and it isn’t necessary to go to Israel to make that case. In fact, the president is doing essential work for Israel’s security by focusing on the moderate states in the Gulf. Simultaneously and with little credit or praise, the Trump administration’s strategic peacemaking catalyzed a remarkable cooling of near-hot war tensions between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan. The Houthis’ rockets that were terrorizing Israel and shipping in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Arabian Sea have been silenced. None of these things are one-offs or transactions. They are part of a bigger mosaic of the America First agenda. In a way, they’re unremarkable. Trump is simply doing and building upon what he told us he would do during his presidential campaigns and first term; we just weren’t prepared for his speed and determination once back in the Oval Office. None of this should be unexpected. He is walking out a preplanned America First Grand Strategy, arguably the first such comprehensive strategy of this century. How could we have made it a fourth of the way through the 2000s without a grand strategy? After 9/11, the Bush administration did not have the opportunity to develop a grander look at the world that addressed the nuances of great power competition, the coming power of the Global South, and the dire need for new regional partnerships because it had to focus on the Global War on Terror. President Obama wanted to get out of Iraq, but then ISIS came along. As proven by conflict with Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and other groups, the Global War on Terror isn’t entirely over. Still, Trump is the first president who has been able to go beyond the Global War on Terror to say we are going to position ourselves — and the entire Middle East — for the long run. Gulf States want a world marked by regional stability and economic prosperity, and so does the United States. We’ll engage with new global actors to rise above new, not ancient, challenges. We’ll cultivate diverse regional partnerships that jointly carry the onus for regional security, stability, and prosperity. This is a grand shift in thinking and represents a new strategic doctrine, the Trump Doctrine. Kiron Skinner, PhD, is Taube Family Chair of International Relations at Pepperdine School of Public Policy and served as director of policy planning at the State Department during the first Trump administration. READ MORE from Kiron Skinner: The End of the Assad Dictatorship: What This Means for Western Security Ukraine Policy: the Big Win The post Trump’s Middle East Trip Flexes New Grand Strategy appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

NEW MERCH - https://thebestpoliticalshirts.com/ Trump Unleashes GOLDEN DOME As Major Country on Brink of COLLAPSE Highlights ?️ Trump proposes the “Big and Beautiful Bill,” emphasizing defense spending and tax relief. ? The “No Tax on Tips” act passes, allowing workers to keep their full gratuities without government taxation. ? $25 billion allocated for the “Golden Dome,” a next-level missile defense system to protect the U.S. homeland. ? Heightened instability in Ukraine, Syria, and the Middle East raises concerns of regional and global conflict escalation. ? Emerging drone and AI warfare technologies pose new security challenges with the potential for unprecedented devastation. ? Criticism over the trillion-dollar defense budget and Pentagon waste highlights the need for fiscal accountability. ? Political apparel is promoted as a way to express views and build community among like-minded individuals. Key Insights ?️ National Security Prioritized with Advanced Defense Technologies: Trump’s emphasis on the Golden Dome missile defense system reflects a strategic pivot to counter new ballistic missile threats, including hypersonic and space-launched weapons, which traditional defense approaches struggle to neutralize. By investing heavily in this technology, the U.S. aims to close security gaps exposed by conflicts like the Ukraine war. Though costly, this investment could redefine national defense capabilities for decades. ? Tax Reliefs Signal a Shift Toward Fiscal Conservatism: The passing of the no tax on tips act and efforts to make 2017 tax cuts permanent demonstrate an emphasis on reducing government intervention in personal income. This approach aims to boost disposable income for everyday Americans, promoting economic growth through consumer spending rather than heavier taxation, aligning with conservative fiscal values. ? Complex Geopolitical Crises Demand Multilateral Attention: The destabilization in Syria, escalating conflict in Ukraine, and increas..

by Joseph P. Farrell, Giza Death Star: If you’re watching the new Carnage government of Canada getting ready to commit all sorts of carney on that country…ahhhm….. (embarassed cough)… (embarassed clearing of throat and another cough)… Woops. Sorry. I’ll have to start that one again. I was nominalizationally confused. Here we go: If you’re watching […]

by Geoffrey Grinder, Now The End Begins: Emmanuel Macron issues joint statement between France, United Kingdom and Canada calling for the immediate implementation of Two State Solution in Gaza If you listened to our Podcast today, then you know that everyone is doing what they’re supposed to be doing regarding the end times. Pope Leo XIV is […]