Month: April 2024

Anti-Israel protesters form a tent city and take over the Columbia University campus. Classes were cancelled on Monday April 22, 2024 and Jewish students were told not to attend classes by prominent Jews.

Columbia University President Minouche Shafik released a statement on Monday morning cancelling in-person classes on campus on Monday.

Dean Shafik hopes to convene a “working group” to discuss the crisis on campus including the debate on whether or not to bring police on campus.

“A working group of Deans, university administrators and faculty members will try to bring this crisis to a resolution. That includes continuing discussions with the student protestors and identifying actions we can take as a community to enable us to peacefully complete the term and return to respectful engagement with each other. I know that there is much debate about whether or not we should use the police on campus, and I am happy to engage in those discussions.”

This comes as anti-Israel protests continue to escalate on the campus.

This is the scene at Columbia University right now. A literal cult is occupying the campus. Remember: We all paid their student debt.

pic.twitter.com/ZqMk88V9vu

— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) April 22, 2024

The campus now appears to be under control of the Jew-hating radicals.

Rabbinical leaders warned Jewish students to stay home amid the ongoing “extreme antisemitism and anarchy.”

The protesters are chanting for Hamas on the campus.

The National Guard and State Police should be Immediately Deployed to Columbia University in New York City to Remove what has become a literal Take-Over of the Campus by Pro-Hamas Terrorists living within the United States; if any other Extremist Group were to do the same, this… pic.twitter.com/6vsjWCXTsm

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) April 22, 2024

This is the culture of the left in America today – radical, hatefilled, and violent

From the Office of the President:

Dear Members of the Columbia Community,

I am deeply saddened by what is happening on our campus. Our bonds as a community have been severely tested in ways that will take a great deal of time and effort to reaffirm. Students across an array of communities have conveyed fears for their safety and we have announced additional actions we are taking to address security concerns. The decibel of our disagreements has only increased in recent days. These tensions have been exploited and amplified by individuals who are not affiliated with Columbia who have come to campus to pursue their own agendas. We need a reset.

There is a terrible conflict raging in the Middle East with devastating human consequences. I understand that many are experiencing deep moral distress and want Columbia to help alleviate this by taking action. We should be having serious conversations about how Columbia can contribute. There will be many views across our diverse community about how best to do this and that is as it should be. But we cannot have one group dictate terms and attempt to disrupt important milestones like graduation to advance their point of view. Let’s sit down and talk and argue and find ways to compromise on solutions.

To deescalate the rancor and give us all a chance to consider next steps, I am announcing that all classes will be held virtually on Monday. Faculty and staff who can work remotely should do so; essential personnel should report to work according to university policy. Our preference is that students who do not live on campus will not come to campus.

During the coming days, a working group of Deans, university administrators and faculty members will try to bring this crisis to a resolution. That includes continuing discussions with the student protestors and identifying actions we can take as a community to enable us to peacefully complete the term and return to respectful engagement with each other. I know that there is much debate about whether or not we should use the police on campus, and I am happy to engage in those discussions. But I do know that better adherence to our rules and effective enforcement mechanisms would obviate the need for relying on anyone else to keep our community safe. We should be able to do this ourselves.

Over the past days, there have been too many examples of intimidating and harassing behavior on our campus. Antisemitic language, like any other language that is used to hurt and frighten people, is unacceptable and appropriate action will be taken. We urge those affected to report these incidents through university channels. We also want to remind everyone of the support available for anyone adversely affected by current events.

We are a caring, mature, thoughtful and engaged community. Let’s remind ourselves of our common values of honoring learning, mutual respect, and kindness that have been the bedrock of Columbia. I hope everyone can take a deep breath, show compassion, and work together to rebuild the ties that bind us together.

Minouche

Minouche Shafik
President, Columbia University in the City of New York

Newsweek reported:

Columbia University has canceled in-person classes on Monday, days after the arrests of more than 100 students for refusing to leave a pro-Palestinian protest encampment on the campus.

University President Nemat Minouche Shafik said in an email to the Columbia community, which was also posted on the university’s website on Monday, that classes would be held virtually to “deescalate the rancor and give us all a chance to consider next steps.”

Tensions on university campuses have been high over the past six months, with students protesting Israel’s war in Gaza, which followed Hamas’ unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel. The situation at Columbia escalated last week, when students set up a “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” on campus to protest ongoing military action in Gaza and Columbia’s “continued financial investment in corporations that profit from Israeli apartheid, genocide, and occupation in Palestine.”

The post The Inmates Are Running the Asylum: Columbia University President Cancels In-Person Classes as Anti-Israel Protests Escalate and Protesters Chant for Hamas on Campus appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Amidst the chaos of modern politics, one link has emerged that sheds light on the inner workings of the Obama and Clinton administrations. A recent revelation has exposed the close ties between these two former leaders and their shared policy strategies. As a conservative, it is our duty to examine this link and its implications from our own perspective. Let us delve deeper into this intriguing topic.

First and foremost, it is essential to acknowledge that Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton were not just colleagues, but close allies in their political endeavors. This link serves as a reminder that the decisions made by these two influential figures were often intertwined and driven by a shared ideology. As conservatives, we must question the motives behind their policies and how they have shaped our country.

Be honest here…..
Do you think Michelle Obama is a biological male?
Pass it on
Yes or No pic.twitter.com/n3Lv2qBMZq

— Josh Dunlap ULTRA-MAGA (@JDunlap1974) April 22, 2024

One of the most alarming aspects of this link is the involvement of senior policy advisors. These are the individuals who have the power to shape and implement policies that directly impact our lives. Knowing that both Obama and Clinton had individuals with similar agendas working alongside them is a cause for concern. As conservatives, we must be vigilant in ensuring that our voices are heard and our values are represented in these policy decisions.

Moreover, this link highlights the progressive agenda that was being pushed by the Obama and Clinton administrations. From healthcare reform to immigration policies, their efforts were geared towards a more liberal and government-centric society. As conservatives, we value individual liberty and limited government intervention. This link serves as a reminder of the stark contrast between our ideologies and those of the previous administration.

Clint Eastwood has said: “One day we will realize that the Barack Obama presidency was the biggest FRAUD ever perpetrated on the American people.”

Do you see it now? pic.twitter.com/yQ3yVwpnAz

— A Man Of Memes (@RickyDoggin) April 21, 2024

Furthermore, it is crucial to analyze the timing of this revelation. As the country gears up for the next election cycle, it is no coincidence that this link has resurfaced. It is a calculated move by the left to distract and discredit conservative candidates.

However, we must not be swayed by their tactics and instead focus on the issues at hand. As conservatives, we must demand transparency and accountability from our leaders, past and present.

Moving forward, this link must not be brushed aside or ignored. It is a significant piece of the puzzle that is the Obama and Clinton legacy. As conservatives, we must use this information to inform our decisions and shape our political views. We cannot afford to let history repeat itself and must stand strong in our beliefs and values.

In conclusion, the link between Obama, Clinton, and their shared political agenda is a crucial piece of information that must not be overlooked. It serves as a reminder of the deep ties between these two influential figures and their progressive ideology. As conservatives, it is our responsibility to critically examine this link and its implications for our country. Let us stay vigilant and continue to fight for our conservative values and beliefs.

What are YOUR thoughts?

We want to hear from you. Please comment below to join the discussion.

The post The Link between Obama, Clinton, and Their Political Agenda appeared first on The Conservative Brief.

J6 political prisoner Pete Schwartz

The Gateway Pundit first reported on Pete Schwartz back in October 2021. He had already been in prison for nearly a year at that point.

The regime kept Pete in the hole for six months in the last two years.

Peter Schwartz, age 47 and a Kentucky welder who has served in the Army Reserve, was indicted after he was accused of pepper-spraying officers during the Jan. 6 protest.  This was after Peter, his wife, and thousands of Trump supporters were attacked by police without warning. Peter was arrested on Feb. 2, 2021, in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. Peter was with his wife when 30 agents assaulted him with flashbang grenades, armored vehicles, and more than 10 assault rifles aimed at his chest.

“At no point did either my wife or I resist but we were both roughly handled and forced/dragged up the stairs after being shackled and handcuffed as we were shoved around,” Schwartz said.

Pete went to courtin late 2022 in Washington DC.  The government paired him up with two other defendants he had never met or communicated with to strengthen their case.

The corrupt DC jury found Pete and his codefendants guilty on every single charge.  There were no victims.  The prosecution presented no witnesses.

** You can help and donate here: Patriot Pete Political Prisoner in DC

Pete Schwartz later called The Gateway Pundit after he was found guilty on every single count. There were 11 counts against Pete and the two co-defendants that he never had seen in his life and never met before the trial. The jury did not even read over the evidence before they voted to sentence the three Trump supporters.

Pete Schwartz told The Gateway Pundit that Juror #8 flipped him off as they read the guilty verdict against him where he was found guilty on every single count.

The last time we heard from Peter Schwartz was back in July 2023. Peter wrote us a letter from maximum security prison where they had moved him.

It has been almost a year since we have heard from Biden political prisoner Peter Schwartz. Then over the weekend Peter gave us a call. Peter is serving time – 14 years – in USP Canaan a dangerous high-security United States federal prison for male inmates in northeastern Pennsylvania.

Peter Schwartz: I’m in USP Canaan. It’s a maximum security penitentiary. There’s only 17 in the United States. This is the worst of the worst. They have only one other that is one step worse than this, which is complete solitary. And if somebody kills their cellmate or a guard or something like that, they send them there for five or 10 years. And then when they release them, this is where they release all those people. So even though they have me categorized as one of the most dangerous, which is why they put me in here for January sixth, that’s supposedly the most dangerous. Almost everybody in here has at least murders.

Jim Hoft: God, that sounds just horrible. Now, I hadn’t heard from you in a while. Can you tell me about that? Is there a reason?

Pete Schwartz: Yeah. Basically, it’s almost a kill or kill me place here. I was talking about earlier how I didn’t realize how violent, damaging this has been to me until the other day when I saw somebody getting stabbed in the face in the chow hall and I didn’t even stop eating. And that’s when I realized what’s happening to me, how this has traumatized me. So when I was attacked, when I first got here for defending myself. I lost all my privileges. I don’t get mail. They throw it away. They claim I’m getting it, and then it’s me throwing it away, but it’s not. I’m just not getting it… Today’s my first day with my phone back. I don’t know how long that will last, but I’m grateful to finally have contact with the world and talk to somebody who’s not in a maximum security penitentiary.

Jim Hoft: So, how long were you without a phone?

Pete Schwartz: It’s been 11 months now.

Jim Hoft: Jeez, Peter. I just didn’t know what happened. I hadn’t heard from you. We spoke, obviously, several times when you were, I think, at the DC gulag. But yeah, I didn’t even know what happened.

Pete Schwartz: I would about cut my arm off to go back to that DC jail right now.

Jim Hoft: Oh, my gosh. Oh, that’s horrible. You have a 14 year is what they gave you?

Pete Schwartz: Yeah. And they’ve overturned in the court. They overturned the enhancements. So even if I had been guilty, it’s only a 14 point charge without the 19 points of enhancements they gave me. So I’m already past time served for that. But the appellate court, normally, after you get sentenced, you make your notice to appeal within a day or two. Then they give you 30 days’ order for transcripts, and they set you a trial schedule. They’ve waited one year, which is the longest in the history of the Fourth Circuit, to even set me an appellate brief schedule. So just by the end of July is when I’ll finally get my briefs done, because they’ve been dragging their feet on this. And I’m already past time served. And I have to, after my briefs are submitted, I may have to wait another year for them to decide that they should have let me go years ago.

Jim Hoft: Oh, my God. This is just some of the most crazy abuse I’ve ever heard of, what they’re doing. What they’re doing to you and others. I’ve never heard anything like it. Is there any groups like Human Rights Watch or Amnesty International, any of those groups? Have they reached out to you at all to hear your story?

Pete Schwartz: I don’t really get any mail. I haven’t I had contact until today. But there has been other people that have been contacted by lawyers. But the problem with me is that I’m a conservative Christian and I’m Caucasian, so I’m not going to get the attention that a lot of the others do. But there’s been four different people have been killed by guards since I’ve been here. So there’s an investigation going on, but I don’t know how far it will get because it seems like the government not going to arrest itself.

Please listen to this 10 minute phone call with Pete Schwartz. And please pray for Peter and all of the J6 political prisoners.

** Please donate to Pete Schwartz here so he can continue to pay his attorneys.

Here is the audio of our phone call.

The post SHOCK AUDIO: J6er Pete Schwartz Calls from Violent Maximum Security Prison After Being Silenced and Isolated for a Year – Describes Living in Hell as Biden Political Prisoner appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

You have already heard about the “Smurfs Girl” whose story The Gateway Pundit reported on recently: The 16-year old Loretta had posted a TikTok video wherein she made a reference to Germany’s right-wing party AfD. The party’s signature color is blue, so she compared its rising popularity to the Smurfs by showing a blue map of Germany with the poll results in each state.

Sounds innocent enough, right?

Well, one day she was dragged out of the classroom by her principal and three policemen. They gave her a “formal police warning”, because they had been given an anonymous “clue” about her right-wing content. Basically, this was a not-so-subtle police order to stop voicing her opinion or they will have to actually investigate!

It was later revealed that Loretta’s Smurf video was not the main piece of “evidence” that the principal had received. The “clue” consisted of screenshots of her social media accounts with patriotic content like the German flag and the statement, “In Germany, one speaks German”. Moreover, the clue-giver had noticed that she was wearing a pullover with the initials HH on it. Could it be… Heil Hitler? No, it stands for the brand name “Hally Hanson.” Not a niche brand either, but apparently a quite popular one.

Now The Gateway Pundit has reached out to the mother of Loretta to hear her version of the story. Many critics have accused the family of performing a social media stunt with the Smurfs story. As it turns out, the family never wanted the attention. Loretta just assumed that it must have been her latest Smurf video they had come across. Because she is fully aware of the systemic media’s negative portrayal of the AfD.

To this day, Loretta has not shown her face and wishes to stay anonymous. The mother is very protective of her daughter and doesn’t typically use social media at all.

This is what really happened behind the scenes:

After the story went viral, Loretta was devastated. Nosy journalists gathered around her school and even interviewed random pupils. What if they did not like Loretta and portrayed her as the “Nazi” that resentful people want to see in her? The mainstream journalists were invading the social fabric of TEENAGERS! That is predatory behavior!

Loretta started hiding on her way home from school so she could get away from prying journalists. Her mother had to take a vacation from work to be there for Loretta. Sometimes, teenagers would come and bang at the door and windows. The family disabled the doorbell. For a while, they had lost all confidence in their freedom of speech. But they got it back!

Now the family is ready to confront the real criminals in this case and go to court against the police and the school’s principal. According to Loretta’s mother, the lawyer was advised by someone of higher authority to reject the case (she does not know by whom) but he said: “There’s no way!”

It will be very interesting to find out how the principal will defend himself. Because, as we found out, the school was previously instructed by political authorities to take these measures and involve the police in case there were signs of right-wing tendencies in students: It was reported that the principal had claimed he was following an order from the ministry of education that had been given out to all schools.

Who is responsible for this new policy that parents are not being made aware of? And why is there nothing about it on the ministry’s website?

And most importantly: Who was really the anonymous clue-giver? It remains to be seen whether we will find out the whole truth in the upcoming trial.

The post “Smurfs Scandal” goes to court: German Family Takes on Police and School Principal for Abusing Young Girl Accused of “Right-Wing” Views appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Pastor Phil Hotsenpiller, author of “Midnight in America” joined Rose Unplugged to discuss the signs of the times.

Pastor Phil said Covid was a coordinated effort for control. “If it was a dress rehearsal – the actual performance will be ten times worse. Unless God intervenes.”

On the subject of end times:

* Where is America?
* Does the Apostle John write about China in Revelation?
At a time when there were only 100 million people worldwide – He saw an army of 200 million. In 1963 Time magazine China boasted it had a standing army of 200 million men.
* Was John seeing drone warfare?

WATCH:

Follow Rose Unplugged on Rumble by clicking here.

The post Rose Unplugged with Pastor Phil Hotsenpiller: It’s Midnight In America (AUDIO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

The International Monetary Fund last week ripped the Biden administration’s out of control spending, calling it “out of line with what is needed for long-term fiscal stability.”

According to the New York Post, the IMF, an international organization aimed at fighting financial crises across the globe, warned that ever-growing national debt in the U.S. poses a long-term risk to the global economy.

“Something will have to give,” the IMF cautioned in foreword of the World Economic Forecast published on Tuesday.

“The exceptional recent performance of the United States is certainly impressive and a major driver of global growth,” the IMF said. “But it reflects strong demand factors as well, including a fiscal stance that is out of line with long-term fiscal sustainability.”

Unfortunately, the Biden administration has shown no intention of slowing down its spending.

Last month, the administration proposed a massive, $7.3 trillion budget for fiscal year 2025, the New York Post reported.

The Office of Management and Budget reported that the national debt would surge to $45.1 trillion by 2034 under the budget plan, according to the Post.

The IMF’s warning comes as the U.S. national debt is approaching $35 trillion, with the total rising by about $1 trillion every 100 days.

The cost the national debt is imposing on a yearly basis has also risen, as the U.S.’s debt interest payments topped $1 trillion in October, according to Business Insider.

What’s more, U.S. debt-to-GDP ratio, which measures debt as a proportion of GDP, is climbing to concerning heights.  According to a report by the World Population Review, the U.S. has the ninth-highest debt-to-GDP ratio in the world at 129 percent. According to the site, a debt-to-GDP ratio of 77 percent or lower encourages domestic economic growth.

In classic Biden fashion, the White House is blaming the problem on former President Donald Trump.

“The Trump tax cuts added $2 trillion to the debt with unpaid giveaways skewed to the wealthy and big corporations, and now Congressional Republicans are proposing another $5.5 trillion in tax cuts skewed to the rich, while raising taxes on millions of middle-class families,” White House spokesman  Michael Kikukawa told the Post.

And Biden’s solution to the problem? More taxes.

Biden’s budget plan proposed includes hiking the corporate tax rate to 28 percent, while raising the minimum corporate tax rate from 15 percent to 21 percent, according to the Post.

He also proposed a minimum 25 percent tax on billionaires, “defined as those with a net worth of $100 million or greater,” according to the Post.

This comes as Biden is trying to force through $7.4 billion in student-loan debt cancellation.

Biden is attempting to use a different legal justification than the cancellation plan he tried to push forward last year, which was struck down by the Supreme Court as an overstep of his authority under Article II of the Constitution.

The new round of student debt cancellation is estimated to cost taxpayers $84 billion over the next 10 years.

Biden’s actions have done anything but put the U.S. on a trajectory for economic prosperity. As the IMF noted, while we have experienced growth, the careless spending will serve to deter the nation’s long-term future.

And Americans agree that the economic situation is dire.  Only 28 percent of Americans currently view our economic conditions as excellent or good, according to a Pew poll from January.  Meanwhile, prices continue to rise, with inflation being 3.5 percent from March 2023 to March 2024, a higher rate than was anticipated.

What the Biden administration needs to do is decrease its spending and pull money out the economy, so that inflation can be curtailed.

But instead of decreasing government spending, Biden is hell-bent on making American taxpayers bear the burden of his progressive policies.

Inevitably, raising wealth and corporate taxes will be detrimental to growth. Increasing tax rates will cause corporations to invest elsewhere and strike a blow to the American economy.

In this instance, the government needs to do less, not more. We need to decrease government spending, not increase it.

And while his comments were aimed for a different time, Ronald Reagan’s assessment of the issues plaguing the U.S. in his 1981 inaugural address are the same issues we face today. “In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.”

And, as the IMF put it, something will have to give.

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.

The post ‘Something Will Have to Give’: IMF Issues Dire Warning to Biden Administration appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

The price of fast food restaurants in California has surged after the state imposed a $20 minimum wage law.

According to an analysis from Kalinowski Equity Research, fast-food restaurants across the Golden State have hiked prices by around eight percent since the law went into effect at the beginning of this month.

The New York Post reports:

Wendy’s raised its menu prices by around 8% while Chipotle Mexican Grill hiked its prices by approximately 7.5%. Starbucks, the Seattle-based coffee chain, raised the prices of its menu items at its California locations by around 7%, while Taco Bell hiked its prices 3%, the report found.

…

It found that Burger King instituted an average price increase of 1.4% for its Whopper Meal and 2.1% for its BK Royal Crispy Chicken Meal at the 25 locations. The report’s authors did the same for Chipotle, which was found to have boosted the price of its Chicken Burrito by 8.3% and its Steak Burrito by 7% at 25 locations in California between Feb. 7 and April 2.

Wendy’s also instituted substantial price hikes on staple menu items such as Dave’s Combo and the Classic Chicken Sandwich Combo. In a comparison of prices from Feb. 12 and April 2 at 25 Wendy’s stores in California, the company raised the price of both items by an average of 8%. McDonald’s appears to be the only fast food chain that has largely held off on raising its menu item prices, according to the report.

As previously reported by The Gateway Pundit, many restaurants have also been forced to lay off thousands of workers as the cost of hiring them became unaffordable. Among these are Pizza Hut and Round Table Pizza, both of whom have confirmed they will be laying off 1,280 delivery drivers over the course of this year.

Meanwhile, some restuarants are using the wage hike as an opportunity to accelerate their transition to automated service, which will lead to even more job losses over the coming months and years.

The post California Fast Food Prices Skyrocket Following Imposition of $20 Minimum Wage appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

With the Supreme Court set to begin arguments on Donald Trump’s immunity claims this Thursday and the landmark decision likely to be handed down no later than the end of June, the Deep State weighed in. That itself is a scary thing, but even more frightening is this: What if they are right this time?

Fourteen retired four-star generals, admirals, and other military leaders (including the former NSA head Michael Hayden, who certainly knows a thing or two about illegal orders) filed an amici brief with the Supreme Court, arguing against former President Trump’s claims of immunity in his criminal cases, particularly those dealing with J6.

Trump argues the charges against him related to J6 should be thrown out because he was acting as president at the time. Prosecutors denounced the idea, with the generals taking a side with their brief. Amicus curiae is a Latin term translating to “friend of the court.” It refers to a person or organization that is not a party to a case but offers information or expertise to assist the court in making a decision, although they do not have the same legal standing as briefs submitted by the parties directly involved in the case. They can be, as in this case, an argument by a third party for deciding the case one way or another. The generals et al. are decidedly against Trump having immunity, as any good Deep Stater would be.

They argue Trump should not be granted immunity by the Court for three reasons: The claimed immunity would undermine the national commitment to civilian control of the military; Trump’s immunity would undermine the military’s adherence to the rule of law, its orderly functioning, and public trust; and Trump’s claimed immunity, by implicating the peaceful transition of power in particular, threatens national security.

The arguments for the first point are largely what you’d expect them to be, spraying out everything from George Washington’s address to Youngstown Sheet and Tube, centering on the idea that a president, immune from prosecution for anything he does while in office whether related to his official duties or not, could indeed order the military to do anything.

One argument you can expect to hear more of is that the president could order the armed forces to murder a political opponent live on TV. The president would be untouchable, and the soldiers who faced such an order would be flummoxed as the Constitution subjects the armed forces of the United States to both civilian control and the rule of law. (In the United States, murder is still illegal—for now.) “Such a President would be able to break faith with the members of the armed forces by placing himself above the very law they are both sworn to uphold,” the brief says. It would allow “the Commander-in-Chief to weaponize the powers of the U.S. military to criminal ends.”

It is important to step back and understand the president is already considered immune from criminal prosecution while in office, and that he serves under the ultimate check and balance of impeachment. He currently can be prosecuted for acts done while president after he leaves office, the current situation with the two ongoing J6 prosecutions, the as yet unstarted Jack Smith case in Washington and the Fani Willis case in Georgia, which is lurching into motion soon.

Trump argues that he is immune from prosecution for the things he said on the morning of January 6, 2021, words that in the eyes of the law could add up to inciting the mob to attack the Capitol. (Note, however, that Trump is not charged with incitement, a specific legal term. It can get confusing.)

Nonetheless, there is little confusion in the generals’ brief. They argue that, if the 

President is absolutely immune from criminal prosecution [this] has the potential to severely undermine the Commander-in-Chief’s legal and moral authority to lead the military forces, as it would signal that they but not he must obey the rule of law. Under this theory, the President could…direct members of the military to execute plainly unlawful orders, placing those in the chain of command in an untenable position and irreparably harming the trust fundamental to civil-military relations.

The generals’ second argument is compelling. Service members have a long-standing duty to disobey unlawful orders. This requires service members, who are required to obey all lawful orders, to disregard patently unlawful orders from their superiors and prohibits service members from using such orders as a defense to criminal prosecution. Immunizing the Commander-in-Chief from criminal prosecution would put service members in the impossible position of having to choose between following their Commander-in-Chief or obeying the laws enacted by Congress. Again, see the example of the president ordering the murder of a political opponent, the argumentum ad absurdum of this case.

The generals cite something almost as clear, the My Lai massacre in Vietnam where the officer in charge on the ground was not successful in using “but I was only following orders” as a defense. Interestingly, Trump’s Supreme Court filing also cites My Lai, drawing a different lesson: The My Lai massacre serves as evidence the military would resist carrying out the President’s hypothetical order to murder a political rival because someone blew the whistle, albeit after the killings.

That is wrong, say the generals’ in their brief:

[T]he very fact that officer in charge on the ground felt emboldened to kill civilians on the basis of ‘superior orders’—in that case, from a captain—demonstrates that our system remains vulnerable to the risk that servicemen or women may commit crimes when ordered to do so. That risk is all the graver if the person giving the orders is the president, particularly one protected by absolute immunity.

The generals make their argument conclusively, stating, 

Receiving an unlawful order thus places service members—already pushed to extremes by virtue of their vocation—in a nearly impossible position. On the one hand, disobeying a lawful order is punishable by court-martial and contrary to everything service members have been trained to do. On the other hand, the duty to disobey imposes on them the obligation not to rationalize obedience of an unlawful order simply out of deference to one’s superiors—including the Commander-in-Chief.

The third argument in the brief is not as compelling—basically a variation of “Orange Man Bad/Dictator,” in that the cases at hand, dealing with J6, concern specifically the peaceful transition of power at the White House. The generals argue that it is a bad case to set any kind of precedent, and our adversaries will be taking note of what they consider a breakdown of democracy. Constitutional crises are bad for the defense business when the bad guys are watching.

The case puts a lot on the line. In Washington alone, Trump is facing four J6 felony counts accusing him of defrauding the United States. Prosecutors allege he stood at the center of a conspiracy to block the certification of votes for Joe Biden. Granting Trump sweeping immunity would not only end this prosecution and the one in Georgia; it would set a precedent for all future presidents.

Besides, Trump already has a decent defense in saying his remarks on the morning of J6 were covered by the First Amendment, with or without immunity. Of course, in the end, none of this may matter. The real purpose of the request for immunity may prove to be simply delaying Trump’s trial until after the November election, in which case he wins no matter what the Court says.

The post The Generals’ Trump Brief Actually Makes a Compelling Case appeared first on The American Conservative.

It’s time to Support Brandon Herrera for Congress!

Following the vote on Saturday to fund the Ukraine War with $60 billion of borrowed money – Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) went on CNN and did not hold back when attacking several of his Republican colleagues in Congress.

Appearing on CNN’s ‘State of the Union’ with host Dana Bash, Gonzales discussed the recent passage of the multi-billion foreign aid package and the possibility that Speaker of the House Mike Johnson may be removed from office.

Rather than taking a diplomatic tone in favor of party unity, the Texas Congressman unloaded on Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and Bob Good (R-VI), making various spurious allegations about their political and private lives.

Here is a transcript of the exchange:

BASH: So, you voted yes on the foreign aid package. Do you have confidence that at this point, given that it is still possible that Marjorie Taylor Greene will push to vacate, to kick out of the Speaker’s chair, that he can survive?

GONZALES: He will survive. Look, the House is a rough and rowdy place, but Mike Johnson is gonna be just fine. I served 20 years in the military. It’s my absolute honor to be in Congress, but I serve with some real scumbags. Matt Gaetz, he paid minors to have sex with him at drug parties. Bob Good endorsed my opponent, a known neo-Nazi.

These people used to walk around with white hoods at night. Now they’re walking around with white hoods in the daytime. Look, it didn’t surprise me that some of these folks voted against aid to Israel, but I was encouraged to see by a nearly 10-to-1 mark that Republicans supported our allies on the battlefield.

BASH: Wow, ok, I should say that the federal government did look into Matt Gaetz and those allegations and they decided not to prosecute.

As you can see from the final exchange, even Bash was shocked by Gonzales’s remarks.

GOP Rep. Tony Gonzales: “I serve with some real scumbags. Matt Gaetz, he paid minors to have sex with him at drug parties.”
pic.twitter.com/Z50B6lfgKs

— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) April 21, 2024

Following the reprehensible comments by Rep Gonzales his primary opponent conservative Brandon Herrera responded to his vile attacks on Twitter.

Brandon Herrera: My failure of a Congressman Tony Gonzales went on CNN this morning calling matt gaetz and Rep Bob Good Klansmen, and me a “known neo-Nazi.” This is the death spiral ladies and gentlemen. He has to cry to his liberal friends about me, because Republicans won’t listen anymore.

My failure of a Congressman @TonyGonzales4TX went on CNN this morning calling @mattgaetz and @RepBobGood Klansmen, and me a “known neo-Nazi.”

This is the death spiral ladies and gentlemen.

He has to cry to his liberal friends about me, because Republicans won’t listen anymore. pic.twitter.com/Wal5m3NclP

— Brandon Herrera (@TheAKGuy) April 21, 2024

** You can support Brandon Herrera for Congress here.

Rep. Eli Crane jumped in to defend his conservative lawmakers

Thank you @EliCrane_CEO.

It’s insane to see @TonyGonzales4TX openly show his true colors on CNN as the closeted leftist he is. But at least now the voters of #TX23 can see clearer than ever how much Turncoat Tony prioritizes the uniparty agenda over America first policy. https://t.co/pAwvDpLPfV

— Brandon Herrera (@TheAKGuy) April 22, 2024

Republican voters also rejected Rep. Gonzalez’s slander.

How low can @TonyGonzales4TX go? This shows just how scared & desperate he is. He’s actually labeling his opponent in his congressional run off race a “known neo-nazi” straight up slander. Hopefully the good people of TX-23 see through this crap & toss @RepTonyGonzales ass out in… https://t.co/G0lUqZ5Bex

— Nuance Bro (@NuanceBro) April 21, 2024

And George Santos revealed Tony Gonzales’s determination to pass an amnesty bill for millions of illegal aliens in the US.
Gonzales is no conservative.

When I was in Congress @RepTonyGonzales used to lobby me hard core for some kind of amnesty push he was planning…

Knowing I have a strong opinion and aspirations to work on immigration issues… he thought he’d persuade me to join him. He would call me to his office for meetings…

— George Santos (@MrSantosNY) April 21, 2024

It’s time we start cleaning the House and ridding ourselves from their awful RINOs. Maybe we can start with tossing Gonzalez from Congress.

** Again – Please support support Brandon Herrera for Congress here.

The post Conservatives Rally Around Brandon Herrara for Congress After Texas RINO Tony Gonzales Slanders Top MAGA Lawmakers as “Neo-Nazis” and Racists for Not Voting to Fund Foreign Wars appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

New York City’s storefronts aren’t as alluring as they once were. The brutal statistics coming out are bad (but wholly predictable) news.

As of 2024, 11.2 percent of the city’s storefronts are sitting vacant. This is up from 6 percent in 2019. That doesn’t seem like a huge number, but that 5.2 percentage point increase translates to an 86% percent increase from 2019 to 2024. That is a massive jump.

Manhattan Councilmember and Democrat Gale Brewer said these vacancies, “are creating havoc because there is homeless, garbage and the business next door hurts.”

What’s the cause of this trend? During a New York City Council Committee on Small Business meeting on Wednesday, Calvin Brown, deputy commissioner for neighborhood development, stated the problem was due to “archaic zoning barriers.”

New York Mayor Eric Adams has advocated for changing current zoning regulations. Adams’ initiative, the “City of Yes” aims to do just that.

According to the New York City Planning Department website, “City of Yes for Economic Opportunity would remove outdated limitations on businesses and ensure that local retail streets and commercial centers across the city can remain lively places that sustain our neighborhoods.”

But are zoning restrictions really the problem that’s led to so many vacancies?

The New York Post reports shoplifting cost retailers in the state $4.4 billion in 2022. Thefts have gone up 64 percent between June 2019 and June 2023. City retail thefts are up more than 6.5 percent as of April 2024 compared to April 2023.

New York City Councilmember for Queens and Republican Vickie Paladino put it frankly. “We’ve got kids coming in on bicycles and just ransacking a store.” She continued, saying, “We can’t sugarcoat the fact that there’s rampant crime in the city that is preventing people from opening small businesses in areas that used to be nice places to go to.”

Bronx Councilmember Oswald Feliz, chair of the Committee on Small Business and a Democrat mentioned how close to home the issue was for him. “There’s a Walgreens one minute away from where I live that’s closing down due to retail theft.” Going further he stated, “Anytime I speak to a small business that is literally the very first issue they bring to us.”

Paladino mentioned theft has gotten so bad that even mundane items are locked away. “I went in to buy a tube of toothpaste. It, of course, was locked up as everything is now. But the store manager is keeping one tube of toothpaste behind the lock. It’s insanity.”

The proposed antidote to vacancies isn’t exactly stellar. Brewer is in favor of taxing landlords, suggesting owners of large retail buildings leave their properties vacant until chain stores move in.

To summarize, vacancies, whether they be because of zoning regulations or rampant theft are on the rise.

These vacancies create problems with homelessness and garbage piling up, and according to Brewer the solution is a tax?

Without the government addressing homelessness, garbage, and crime, landlords won’t be able to lease to chain stores or anyone else for that matter.

Don’t forget New York’s current tax system is among the worst. The Tax Foundation’s 2024 State Business Tax Climate Index found that New York ranked 49th out of 50 in 2024 for how well its tax system is structured.

None of this had to happen. New York City didn’t have to shut down peoples businesses, storefronts, and lives because of COVID. New York City didn’t have to go soft on crime and bail. New York City didn’t even have to tax its richest citizens into fleeing the city which in turn helped reduce the city’s coffers. But New York City voters elected a government that did just that. And now they’re enjoying the fruits of their collective electoral labor.

New Yorkers have played a stupid game, and as the old saying goes, “play stupid games, win stupid prizes.” And what prizes could be stupider than crime-ridden neighborhoods, locked up toothpaste, and piles of garbage?

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.

The post Blue-State Paradise: Vacant NYC Storefronts ‘Creating Havoc,’ Nearly Double Since Pandemic appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.