'They were good signs certainly for him'

Multiple veterans with Bronze Stars under their belts ripped President Joe Biden for “insulting” comments he made Saturday directed toward Democratic Colorado Rep. Jason Crow. Biden reportedly jumped on a Zoom call with moderate Democrats to address their concerns that he might not be able to win the election. The president grew enraged when Crow, […]

Sen. Kevin Cramer said Thursday he expects that Kimberly Cheatle “will no longer be the director” of the Secret Service after “stonewalling” questions about the assassination attempt Saturday on former President Donald Trump.  The North Dakota Republican made the comment in an interview with The Daily Signal one day after joining a group of colleagues who confronted Cheatle at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. A viral video shows the senators following Cheatle at the RNC and asking why Trump was allowed by the Secret Service to take the stage late Saturday afternoon at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. A gunman lying on a nearby rooftop shot at the presidential candidate, hitting him in the right ear. One rally attendee was killed, and two others were seriously injured.  Cheatle said she would answer the senators’ questions “at the appropriate forum” and eventually left them to enter a private room. The American people deserve answers from the Secret Service. pic.twitter.com/PNFF11v00Q— Marsha Blackburn (@VoteMarsha) July 18, 2024 “After what she pulled last night, in front of cameras and lots of witnesses, I don’t see how she survives,” Cramer told The Daily Signal’s Rob Bluey. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle (Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP/Getty Images) You walk through the timeline … we know now that for at least 20 minutes, you knew of a potential threat on a rooftop 150 yards away from the stage, you identified [him] … and then notified the countersniper unit of this potential threat, and then you let Donald Trump get on stage. Why did the Secret Service not keep Donald Trump from going on that stage, knowing there was a potential threat 150 yards away? “Simple question,” Cramer told Bluey. “[Cheatle] didn’t want to answer it on the phone, and she darn sure didn’t want to answer it in person last night.” He added: “There’s something they’re not telling us. They are clearly stonewalling intentionally, and they’ll have to work on their spin for sure.” The House Oversight Committee has subpoenaed Cheatle to testify next week on the assassination attempt. The post ‘I Don’t See How She Survives,’ Senator Says of Secret Service Chief’s Job appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Everyone my parents’ age remembers where they were when President John F. Kennedy was shot. Their parents remember where they were when imperial Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. Last Saturday, July 13, shortly after 6 p.m., I was sitting by the pool reading the news on my phone. I bet you remember where you were, too. In an instant, we saw the attempted assassination of a former and perhaps future American president. Donald Trump came within half an inch of being the fifth president to be felled by an assassin’s bullet; he is now one of several more who were wounded in an assassination attempt. Trump’s reaction under fire at his campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and the photographs taken in its immediate aftermath, already are iconic reminders of an awful day. The instant coverage from much of the news media seemed to minimize the gravity and tragedy of the situation. A CNN headline—“Secret Service Rushes Trump Off Stage After He Falls at Rally”—is one example. The nadir of “Republicans pounce”-style journalism was this headline from Newsweek: “MAGA responds with outrage after Donald Trump injured at Pennsylvania rally.” That headline didn’t last long but was captured by an X user. There will be plenty of time to investigate how one deranged, 20-year-old young man was able to get this close to changing U.S. history and still managed to murder a 50-year-old husband and father as he heroically protected his family in the stands. The shooter also wounded two others in the crowd. After such an awful event, and with so many questions to answer, not a lot of people focused on what Trump was saying at the time. He was talking about the problem of mass illegal immigration. As the nearly fatal shot rang out, Trump had just turned to point at a large chart that was immediately familiar to those of us who write about border security issues. Many like it exist, but that particular chart was produced by the office of Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., and he has used it in multiple congressional hearings to illustrate the unprecedented scale of the man-made problem at the U.S. borders. Here is the same chart, from the website for Johnson’s Senate office: The chart on illegal immigration, with its distinct orange and blue colors, shows the peaks and troughs of Border Patrol encounters with illegal aliens at the southwest border from 2012 to 2024. Bold text on the chart points out key presidential policy decisions and what happened in response. In 2012, when President Barack Obama announced a program called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals to prevent deportation of children brought here by illegal immigrants, there were about 40,000 encounters a month with illegal aliens at the southwest border. But Border Patrol encounters with illegal aliens hit around 70,000 a month by mid-2014, at which time Obama declared a “humanitarian crisis.” Trump, as president for two years, in January 2019 implemented the Migrant Protection Protocols, popularly known as “Remain in Mexico,” along with a range of other efforts to deter, detain, and deport those caught crossing illegally into the U.S.—as our law requires. Border Patrol encounters with illegal aliens at and between ports of entry on the southern border briefly spiked to almost 150,000 in one month of 2019, but by the end of Trump’s term monthly encounters with illegal aliens were down to just over 30,000. That’s not perfect, but it shows the effect on the ground of good strategy, tactics, and intra-agency cooperation in enforcing border security and immigration law. It also sets the stage, graphically, for what happened next. President Joe Biden took office with promises to stop construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, end the Remain in Mexico policy, pause deportations for at least 100 days, and encourage a “surge” of supposed asylum claimants at the southern border. Shortly after his inauguration Jan. 20, 2021, Biden issued a raft of executive orders undoing everything previous presidents of both parties had found effective at reducing mass illegal entry. Alejandro Mayorkas, Biden’s secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, set restrictive new enforcement priorities for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a subagency of DHS. Mayorkas also put onerous procedures in place that kicked interior enforcement of immigration law to the back-most of burners. The results of these policies may be seen on the enlarged chart to which Trump turned his head Saturday evening with miraculous timing. From Biden’s first day in office, Johnson’s chart looks like the birth of a volcano. Monthly encounters with illegal aliens at the southwest border take off into the chart’s higher reaches, averaging 150,000 a month, then over 200,000, then 250,000. For December 2023, the chart shows the highest ever total in American history—over 300,000 encounters of inadmissible aliens at the southwest border. It looks like the Himalayas at the far-right corner of the chart, compared to rolling hills just a few years earlier. Most Americans are still somewhat in shock at how close we came to losing one of the men who will be president in 2025. Despite disgraceful behavior by some who ought to know better in the news media, social media, and politics, the majority of right-thinking Americans surely agree that violence is abhorrent and its use for political ends is an intolerable assault on democracy. We deserve the chance to debate, disagree, and ultimately settle vital policy questions without denigrating each other to the point of inciting violence. Once the shock of July 13 wears off, we again will debate the policy questions of our time and select those we think best able to address them. Along with the economy, illegal immigration has become one of the most important issues for voters in the Nov. 5 election. A growing number of voters in both major parties are telling pollsters that those who entered the country illegally shouldn’t be allowed to stay, and that we should deport those who are ordered removed after due process. It’s not my place to tell anyone how to vote. I just hope that whoever does sit in the Oval Office and in the halls of Congress in January will bear Johnson’s chart in mind. I hope the new U.S. president and those in Congress will understand that the policies of presidents—far more than political, environmental, and other events in far-off countries—are what determine how many illegal aliens likely will attempt to enter the United States in the months and years ahead. The BorderLine is a weekly Daily Signal feature examining everything from the unprecedented illegal immigration crisis at the border to immigration’s impact on cities and states throughout the land. We will also shed light on other critical border-related issues like human trafficking, drug smuggling, terrorism, and more. Read Other BorderLine Columns: How Noncitizens Get to Vote in US Elections and How to Stop It Yes, America Is Exceptional. Happy 4th of July! Supreme Court Confirms No ‘Right’ for Foreigners to Enter US Biden’s 5 Favorite Fudges on Immigration Law Illegal Immigration Crisis Drives European Voters to Conservatives The post The Hard Facts on the Chart Trump Turned Toward When He Was Shot: The BorderLine appeared first on The Daily Signal.

MILWAUKEE—Within a veritable armed camp—surrounded by steel fences, concrete barriers, and severely well-armed law enforcement officers—Republicans are having a Grand Old Party on the shores of Lake Michigan. Milwaukee’s denizens have been cheerful hosts, eager for their political and journalistic guests to savor their excellent beer, barbecue, and beautiful buildings. From tax-reform debates to the Log Cabin Republicans’ soiree for gay right-wingers in an art-filled, waterside castle, one first-time conventioneer perfectly captured the entire scene: “CPAC on crack.” (That’s a reference to the annual Conservative Political Action Conference.) Five things have stood out amid all the hoopla, bonhomie, and steadily improving weather. Topic A is the fact that former President Donald Trump is here at all. Everyone marvels at what a narrow escape he endured at the hands of a would-be assassin just two days before the start of the Republican National Convention. The bandaged former president’s entry into the Fiserve Forum on Monday night swelled emotions, from the adoration of his supporters to admiration for his seemingly infinite strength. Observers described Trump’s demeanor as “reserved,” “subdued,” and even “solemn.” While his signature bravado might return in full force, and he appeared cheerier Tuesday night, there’s little doubt that even a man of Trump’s abundant self-confidence must have been rocked to his core after coming within a pinkie’s width of never again seeing his family, friends, and fans. Unlike previous Republican Party platforms, this year’s manifesto is less a book than a brochure. It treats brevity as a virtue and is designed for laymen to read, not for wonks to dissect—not that there’s anything wrong with that! “Our party’s platform pledges seven times to cut regulations that are killing our jobs and costing you thousands of dollars,” Platform Committee Chairwoman Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., told the convention Monday night. “Joe Biden and Kamala Harris outsourced our energy supply, driving electricity prices up over 29%. The day Joe Biden and Kamala Harris walked into office, gas was $2.40 a gallon on average. Today it’s $3.54. Our platform says we will make America energy dominant.” Trump’s selection of freshman Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, as his running mate stirred polite applause from those I interviewed. At age 39, a Vice President Vance would represent a classic passing of the torch to a new generation—at least once Trump transfers it. The Iraq War veteran also is quick-witted and eloquent. Still, numerous participants seemed puzzled why Trump did not select someone who could throw a key state into play (such as Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin or former Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., who also could rally Jewish voters), solidify Republican gains among Hispanics (Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida), or expand the GOP’s appeal among blacks and muffle Democrats’ relentless shrieks of “racism!” (Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina). Vance does none of the above. But he’s Trump’s choice, and that’s good enough for most folks around here. Tuesday night’s prime-time endorsements of Trump and warm words about him from former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis dramatized the total unity that the GOP now enjoys. Trump’s former rivals are now allies, and their backers will follow them onto the Trump Train, if they have not boarded already. What a contrast with the Democrat Party. Its cinematically rich infighting should be titled “Throw Poppa from the Train.” Finally, Trump’s battle cry has been updated, slightly and cleverly. A huge sign inside Fiserv Forum reads: “Make America Great Once Again The last two words subtly remind voters how great America was during Trump’s first three years, before the COVID-19 pandemic ruined everything. Trump delivered a tight southern border, record-high tax cuts, record-low unemployment, energy dominance, falling crime, rising school-choice options, four Middle East peace agreements, and zero new wars. Securing four more years of such triumphs is no pipe dream. Trump and his conservative policies fueled all of this and much more. And, with the consent of the American people, they will do so—once again. We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Daily Signal. The post GOP in Milwaukee: Happy Days Are Here Again appeared first on The Daily Signal.

California Sued Over Ban on Parental Trans Notifications

Now It Is The Nation Talking Up The Tone of the Republican Convention

Former interim UFC lightweight champion Colby Covington accepted a challenge from a TikTok influencer resulting in a laughable beatdown of the young star.Covington agreed to spar Kaz Sawyer, a 23-year-old content creator with a whopping nine million TikTok followers, with another near two million followers on Instagram."Today, we're sparring!" Covington screamed at the start of the video. The two set rules that the UFC star could only try to defend himself, not throw punches, while the influencer was allowed to punch, kick, and try to tackle him.'Anyone comes around here thinking they're tough, they end up like that.'"I think I'm tapping him out," Sawyer jokingly said before the spar started.Sawyer began by saying it was "pretty intense" to step into the cage, but then gained some confidence when he realized Covington wasn't allowed to hit back.Showcasing the stark difference between a trained fighter and a regular person, the influencer barely landed any strikes on the evasive Covington throughout the sparring session, even with the slanted rules.After tiring himself out, Sawyer noted he was "exhausted," at which point, Covington decided he didn't want to follow the rules anymore."Now, it's my turn," the 170-pound fighter said."This is not a part of the rules!" Sawyer screamed as Covington began posturing to throw punches.Covington toyed with Sawyer as he landed body punches and eventually grabbed a hold of the young creator."Colby! Stop!" the influencer yelled. "He's gonna take a nice little trip to the hospital," Covington joked after playfully slamming the influencer to the mat.What made the video more shocking was that Covington didn't even take off his hat for the duration of the sparring session."That's what happens to virgins around here!" Covington yelled as Sawyer was sarcastically taken away in a wheelchair. "We take you to the hospital, we take your lunch money, we stuff you into lockers. We give you a good swirly," the fighter continued. "Anyone comes around here thinking they're tough, they end up like that."UFC fighters have increasingly accepted challenges from online commentators and influencers in recent years, something that would have been unheard of for previous generations of fighters. Whether it is to expand their online reach or to simply show their talent level compared to a commoner, fighters are popping up on a lot of social media feeds.This was as least the second time Covington strapped up his gloves to spar with an influencer; the welterweight toyed with a YouTuber named Lofe in late 2023 but didn't take it as easy on the young star, who admittedly has martial arts training.Similarly, former UFC champion Sean Strickland has accepted challenges as well. However, Strickland informs his opponents before stepping in the cage that he will not be holding back at all. This included a challenge from commentator Sneako in February 2024, when Strickland more than likely caused a concussion to yet another young online personality.Joe Rogan reacted to that video negatively, saying it's "not a good look" for a fighter."He beat the s*** out of that guy. I don't know why he wanted to do that," Rogan continued. "It's not fair," he added.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A judge sided against the family of a 7-year-old who was severely punished for scrawling "any life" under a Black Lives Matter message on a card she gave to a friend who happened to black. The girl, known in court documents only as "B.B.," gave a picture to her friend after they saw a documentary about the life of Martin Luther King Jr. She also drew round shapes in different colors that were supposed to represent their "racially-mixed" group of friends, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. 'An elementary school ... is not a marketplace of ideas.'Her friend, known as "M.C." in court documents, took the image home, where it was seen by her parents. They were offended by the picture and called the school to demand administrators take action.The school punished the girl for what administrators saw as racially insensitive speech by making the girl apologize to her friends and teachers on the school playground. They also banned her from drawing pictures for two weeks and from going to recess.The mother of the girl only found out about the incident a year later. "I was immediately angry, I didn't know what had happened, I knew it was wrong fundamentally," said Chelsea Boyle, the mother of B.B. in an interview with Fox News. "My daughter's rights were taken away, and I just started reaching out to find out what compelled speech was. I didn't know what it was until I spoke to attorneys," she added. Boyle then sued the Capistrano Unified School District. Central District Court Judge David Carter sided against the girl's family and said that she didn't have First Amendment rights at an elementary school. "Students have the right to be free from speech that denigrates their race while at school," wrote Carter. “An elementary school ... is not a marketplace of ideas,” he continued. “Thus, the downsides of regulating speech there is not as significant as it is in high schools, where students are approaching voting age and controversial speech could spark conducive conversation.”The case will now go to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Americans across the country are undoubtedly getting sick of the woke virus invading every facet of their everyday lives — but they’re not the only ones. “It’s not just individual people waking up now. Massive corporations, many of whom have been the prime drivers of this woke nonsense, they’re waking up too,” Dave Rubin of “The Rubin Report” explains. One of those companies is Microsoft, which has just laid off its entire DEI team. It was reported that a team leader sent an email out explaining that the DEI initiatives were no longer necessary. The company Zoom also laid off a DEI team earlier in the year, while Google and Meta (Facebook) have made cuts to DEI following their 2020 pledges. Last year, CNBC reported that DEI related job postings declined 44% in mid 2023 from the same time period in 2022. By November 2023, the job postings had dropped by 23%. Farm equipment manufacturer John Deere jumped on the bandwagon as well. The company has said it will no longer sponsor “social or cultural awareness” events. In a statement posted to X, the company also said it would audit all training materials “to ensure the absence of socially motivated-messages.” “Do you guys realize how absolutely massive this is?” Rubin asks. “DEI and these woke programs and bringing in engineers based on the color of their skin, or bringing in technical people because they like to have that genital in their mouth as opposed to that genital in their mouth was never a thing that was going to help you do business.” Want more from Dave Rubin?To enjoy more honest conversations, free speech, and big ideas with Dave Rubin, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.