Month: May 2025

Trump’s Department of Energy has fired 114 federal employees at a Colorado ‘Green Energy’ Lab. They worked at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and laid off last week as a result of funding cuts under the Trump administration, which is moving to dismantle Biden-era energy subsidies to low-return fields such as solar and wind programs.

The cuts represent roughly 3% of the lab’s workforce, and the individuals were terminated with the lab citing federal budget constraints, new priorities from the Department of Energy, and specific stop-work orders.

On its website, however, it still listed 60 open and unfilled jobs.

Trump has been widely cutting waste, fraud, and abuse across the federal government since being sworn into office.

The layoffs come amid the Trump administration’s proposed FY2026 budget, which includes deep cuts to the Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), the office that oversees NREL. According to Reuters, the proposed budget would slash EERE taxpayer funding by roughly 80%, from over $4 billion to just under $800 million.

Located in Golden, Colorado, NREL is a government-funded research lab that focuses on developing renewable energy technologies, including wind, solar, hydrogen, energy storage, and electric vehicle infrastructure. It employs roughly 3,700 people and is managed for the Department of Energy by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, a partnership between Battelle and MRIGlobal.

The organization operated 696 in 2015, going through massive expansion in the past decade.

Major roadblocks exist to wide-scale adoption of these technologies. Wind energy is intermittent and transmission lines degrade much of its power generation. Solar is appropriate in the southwestern states, but due to the tilt of the planet and weather patterns, is not productive in most of the country. Electric vehicle infrastructure requires major upgrades to the nation’s energy transmission lines prior to widescale adoption.

The Department of Energy confirmed that stop-work orders had been issued across several clean energy programs, including those at NREL.

A spokesperson from the DOE told Reuters that the agency was undertaking a broad review of all energy-related spending and had directed reductions to align with its current policy priorities.

The administration’s new direction marks a sharp departure from the Biden administration’s approach, which directed hundreds of billions of dollars toward climate and green energy initiatives through legislation such as the Inflation Reduction Act. Trump’s energy policy platform, by contrast, has emphasized domestic fossil fuel production, a rollback of net-zero emissions policies, and a stated intention to withdraw from international climate agreements.

Biden’s administration was also caught by Project Veritas trying to divert over $20 billion to friendly left-leaning ‘green’ energy non-profits in its last weeks. In a video release, an EPA official Brent Efron described the funds transfers as “throwing gold bars off the Titanic.” The new EPA Director Lee Zeldin has said that he identified, seized, and canceled the last minute Biden grant transfers and recovered the funding.

Federal judge Tanya Chutkan attempted to block the funds seizure and force Trump to fund these green energy efforts. She was reversed by the Appellate court.

‘Green’ funding has been a major source of funds for left-leaning organizations and provides staffing for a large number of activists.

The global renewable energy market is estimated to be $1.19 trillion in 2025. The global oil market, by contrast, is estimated to be $3.21 trillion.

Renewable energy sources accounted for approximately 21% of total U.S. electricity generation, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). This includes energy from wind, solar, hydropower, biomass, and geothermal projects.

Several left-wing run states, such as California and Michigan, have passed renewable energy mandates requiring the state’s total energy generation to come only from renewables by certain deadlines.

As of 2025, 28 U.S. states and the District of Columbia have enacted Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS)—legally binding mandates requiring utilities to source a specified percentage of their electricity from renewable sources by set deadlines. An additional seven states have established voluntary renewable energy goals. These command and control top-down political policies are driving the expansion of clean energy across the nation. California mandates 60% renewable electricity by 2030 and 100% clean electricity by 2045. Minnesota requires 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040, with interim targets of 80% by 2030 and 90% by 2035. New York requires 70% renewable electricity by 2030 and 100% zero-emissions electricity by 2040.

There is no state that could currently shift to all-renewable energy.

According to KDVR News, the layoff notices were issued last week, with some affected employees escorted off the premises. The outlet reported that while some layoffs were anticipated, the sudden scale of the terminations came as a surprise to many within the organization.

A spokesperson for NREL confirmed the figure of 114 layoffs but did not comment on specific departments or projects that were affected. The lab stated that it remains committed to its core mission and that it will continue working on key areas of energy innovation.

However, the lab’s ability to maintain its current research output is now in question. Many of the programs housed at NREL, particularly those in early-stage development or those without immediate commercialization prospects, are likely to be on the chopping block as funding contracts and directives shift.

The layoffs are part of a broader trend across the Department of Energy. According to Reuters, other federal energy programs focused on long-term decarbonization goals have also been halted or scaled back. In some cases, contracts with outside energy consultants and universities have been paused or cancelled.

Colorado politicians reacted swiftly to the developments. Democratic Senator Michael Bennet and Governor Jared Polis criticized the funding reductions, citing Colorado’s role as a national leader in renewable energy research and warning of potential long-term damage to the state’s economy.

Despite those objections, the Trump administration appears committed to prioritizing what it calls “energy independence through realistic investment,” with a preference for infrastructure projects that deliver near-term returns and reinforce U.S. energy security.

The 114 layoffs represent one of the most significant workforce reductions at NREL in recent years. The lab has seen rapid expansion over the past two decades, particularly during the Obama and Biden administrations, when renewable energy programs received lavish levels of federal investment.

Critics of the funding cuts argue that the layoffs will set back U.S. competitiveness in the clean energy sector and cause lasting harm to climate innovation. Supporters argue that bloated and underperforming federal labs should not be immune from fiscal discipline and that research spending must yield measurable returns to taxpayers.

NREL’s portfolio includes a wide range of programs, from advanced solar cell development to electric grid optimization and hydrogen fuel deployment. While some of these projects may continue with scaled-down funding, others may be shelved indefinitely.

The cuts also reflect a broader political realignment of federal science spending, with emphasis now being placed on applied research, economic competitiveness, and infrastructure resilience over speculative or ideologically driven climate models.

The Department of Energy has not yet issued a comprehensive list of programs affected by the stop-work orders or whether more layoffs are expected. NREL’s website still reflects ongoing work across a number of renewable platforms, though it is unclear which of these remain fully funded.

Left-wing policy groups have claimed that all of Trump’s firings, layoffs, and reductions in force are illegal.

The post 114 Federal Employees Fired from Renewable Energy Lab, More Planned appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Welcome to The Gateway Pundit’s Week-in-Review with Elijah Schaffer, where he covers the top 5 stories throughout the last 24 hours.

ARTICLE 1:  OUTRAGEOUS: Lawless Biden Judge Orders Trump Administration to Admit Roughly 12,000 Potentially Dangerous ‘Refugees’ into America

ARTICLE 2:  HORROR: 22-Year-Old College Student Fatally Shot Inside South Carolina Home by Career Criminal with Multiple Previous Arrests

ARTICLE 3: JUST IN: Sen Cornyn Supports Confirming Ed Martin For DC US Attorney After Tillis Makes SHOCKING Admission to Reporters (VIDEO)   

➤ Oxford Club: Warren Buffett, Ken Griffin, and even Elon Musk recognize oil’s enduring value, with Buffett investing over $50 billion in energy and Griffin boosting his oil investments by 150%. Yet, Wall Street overlooks a smarter alternative to stocks: a unique investment offering monthly royalty checks from America’s richest oil fields. For just $25, you can own a direct stake in oil-producing properties—not company shares—and start collecting payouts. Learn more about 2025’s top oil royalty opportunity at https://www.elijahoil.com.

ARTICLE 4: Jill Biden’s New Job Revealed After Leaving White House in Disgrace

ARTICLE 5:  BOOM! Stephen Miller’s America First Legal Drops Bombshell Lawsuit Against Chief Justice John Roberts

Please leave your opinions / comments on these stories below as Elijah reads every single one and appreciates your perspective.

The post Rogue Judge FORCES Trump to Open Doors to 12,000 Illegal INVADERS | Elijah Schaffer’s Top 5 (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Pete Hegseth / Screenshot

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is purging all aspects of woke and progressive ideology from the U.S. military.

During his keynote address at Special Operations Forces Week, Hegseth outlined how he is systematically removing those idelogies and replacing them with ensuring the military is as professional and battle ready as possible.

He explained:

It’s one of the most fundamental of those three objectives. Again, humans more important than hardware. Everything starts and ends with warriors, from training to the battlefield. We are leaving wokeness and weakness behind. No more pronouns. No more climate change obsession. No more emergency vaccine mandates. No more dudes in dresses, we’re done with that shit [applause] [cheering].

We’re focused on lethality, meritocracy, accountability standards and readiness. That’s why since Election Day, since President Trump was elected, recruitment and retention numbers are up historically. Attracting military service is something Americans have long been attracted to. But more so when they see leadership they want to follow.

They want to be in disciplined formations that value them not for immutable differences, not for the color of our skin, or gender, but because of honor and integrity and grit and patriotism. They want a meritocracy where they can work hard, make themselves better, kick ass and rise up. They’re looking for adventure, camaraderie, risk, danger.

They want to push themselves and test themselves against others. They want to flourish in an environment that embraces hard work, discipline and the warrior ethos. Special operators know a thing or two about all of those. I’ve experienced it firsthand across the world.

Watch the clip below:

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Rumble(“play”, {“video”:”v6quhsx”,”div”:”rumble_v6quhsx”});

Last week, Hegseth declared that the military was seeing a “recruiting renaissance” under his leadership, after numbers crashed during the Biden years.

In his first full month as Defense Secretary, every single branch of the military met or exceeded recruitment goals for that month, while the army exceeded it by 15 percent.

“What we have seen since your election and the inauguration has been nothing short of a recruiting Renaissance,” Hegseth said during a recent cabinet meeting.

“It has been decades since we’ve seen this kind of recruiting in the Army, the Navy, the Marine Corps, the Air Force.”

”The men and women of America want to join the United States military, led by President Donald Trump.”

Pete Hegseth Declares “Recruiting Renaissance” in Cabinet Meeting Update: “We’re Making the Military Great Again” (VIDEO)

The post Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth: ‘No More Dudes in Dresses… We’re Done With That Sh*t’ (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

(Note: Thank you for supporting businesses like the one presenting a sponsored message below and working with them through the links below which benefits Gateway Pundit. We appreciate your support!)

New tariff policies in 2025 created significant changes in the ammunition market. With adjustments to import costs across numerous countries, ammunition pricing and availability are experiencing notable shifts across the industry. These trade policy changes affect both domestic and imported ammunition in various ways.

At True Shot Ammo, we’ve been carefully monitoring these developments since their announcement. As Arizona’s largest ammunition distributor with nationwide shipping to 48 states, we’re focused on providing our customers with both information and solutions to maintain access to their preferred ammunition at competitive prices.

Understanding Tariff Effects on Popular Ammunition Brands

The 2025 tariff structure has created different levels of impact on ammunition pricing based on country of origin:

Countries with higher tariff rates (20-37%): Ammunition from Serbia (PPU, Belom), Bosnia and Herzegovina (Maxxtech, Igman), North Macedonia (ATS, Old Army), and certain European producers from Italy, Germany, and the Czech Republic are experiencing higher import costs.

Countries with moderate tariff rates (10-17%): Brands from the Philippines (Armscor), Brazil (Magtech), Turkey (Turan, Sterling), and other nations are seeing moderate adjustments.

USMCA-compliant products: Mexican manufacturer Aguila benefits from existing trade agreements, with minimal tariff impact on their products when meeting compliance requirements.

Our purchasing team at True Shot Ammo leverages our industry relationships to maintain stable supply and competitive pricing despite these market changes.

Understanding Current Tariff Impact on Ammunition Brands

With the temporary pause in effect, the tariff structure now creates a more straightforward impact on ammunition pricing:

Universal 10% baseline tariff: Most countries now face only this base rate during the 90-day pause period, including European producers, Brazil, the Philippines, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Chile, Oman, and the UAE.

Excluded from pause (125% tariffs): Chinese-manufactured products face substantially higher import costs.

USMCA-compliant products: Mexican manufacturer Aguila continues to benefit from existing trade agreements, with minimal tariff impact when meeting compliance requirements.

Our purchasing team at True Shot Ammo leverages our industry relationships to maintain stable supply and competitive pricing during this temporary window of stability, while preparing for potential changes when the pause expires in July.

True Shot’s Approach During the Tariff Pause Window

As the ammunition market experiences this temporary period of relative stability, True Shot Ammo is taking proactive steps to provide maximum value to our customers:

Strategic Inventory Management: We’re leveraging this 90-day window to secure additional inventory of popular imported ammunition at more favorable rates, allowing us to maintain competitive pricing for our customers.

Diverse Sourcing Options: Our relationships with manufacturers from countries benefiting from the pause, as well as USMCA-compliant suppliers, give our customers access to a wide range of options across various price points.

Bulk Purchase Advantages: As Arizona’s largest ammunition distributor, we continue to offer volume discounts on larger purchases, providing even greater value during this temporary window of opportunity.

Market Intelligence: Our team continuously monitors developments regarding the tariff situation, enabling us to provide our customers with accurate information for making timely purchasing decisions.

Click here to check current prices at True Shot Ammo.

Optimizing Your Ammunition Purchases During the Pause Period

The current temporary tariff pause creates a time-sensitive opportunity for ammunition buyers. True Shot Ammo recommends these practical approaches to maximize value before the potential July expiration:

Take Advantage of the Window: With most countries currently subject to only the 10% baseline tariff until July 8th, now is an opportune time to secure ammunition from affected countries before any potential increases when the pause ends.

Consider USMCA-Compliant Options: Products like Aguila ammunition continue to maintain excellent price stability due to existing trade agreements while offering reliable performance.

Bulk Purchase Benefits: Our volume discounts on larger purchases provide even greater value during this limited window, allowing you to prepare for potential market changes after July.

Stay Informed: Subscribe to our updates for real-time information about inventory availability and any developments regarding the tariff situation as the July deadline approaches.

Your Reliable Partner Through Market Changes

As the ammunition market continues to adjust to these evolving trade policies, True Shot Ammo remains committed to providing shooters nationwide with quality products, competitive pricing, and excellent service. Our established position as Arizona’s largest ammunition distributor allows us to navigate these temporary opportunities while preparing for potential future changes.

Click here to visit True Shot Ammo to explore our extensive selection of ammunition from both domestic and international manufacturers. Our knowledgeable team is ready to help you make informed purchasing decisions that maximize value during this 90-day window of opportunity.

The post How Tariffs are Impacting Ammo Prices – And What You Can Do To Take Advantage appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

By Lance Cpl. Brandon R. Holgersen – http://www.marines.mil/unit/mcblejeune/PublishingImages/2005/lunchmoney-01.jpg, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22969260

There’s a huge debate playing out on X and in Congress over school lunch. The basic framing goes like this: the good, caring Democrats want kids to eat and learn, so they argue there must be free, federally funded school lunch for all students. Meanwhile, under the biased narrative, the evil, stingy Republicans supposedly want kids to go hungry, to stay ignorant, and for the money that would have funded school lunches to somehow end up in Elon Musk’s pocket.

As is often the case, about 80% of the people arguing about school lunch don’t even understand what the real issue is, what the Democrats are actually proposing and why the Republicans oppose it. The current debate in Congress, rather than on Twitter, centers on whether school meals should be made universally free for all students or remain limited to low-income children, and, importantly, how “low-income” should be defined.

The current debate is just one more negative consequence of the destructive COVID lockdowns that robbed American children of two years of education and social development. During the pandemic, Congress made school lunches universally free, regardless of family income. That temporary policy expired in 2022, sparking a national debate. Supporters of making free meals permanent argue that universal access removes stigma, supports families struggling with economic hardship, and ensures that children are well-fed and ready to learn.

Opponents, mostly Republicans, argue that universal free school lunch is too expensive, subsidizes meals for those who can afford it, and shifts responsibility for feeding children from parents to the federal government. Additionally, supporters of these programs rarely address basic questions: How were children eating before the COVID-era lunch program? And if that system worked, why can’t we return to it?

Democrats support legislation like the Universal School Meals Program Act of 2023, introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Ilhan Omar, and the No Hungry Kids in Schools Act. While these bills sound appealing—who wants hungry kids in school?—they assume a level of need that isn’t supported by data. Were 51 million children really going without lunch before the pandemic? The way Democrats frame the issue, you’d think the U.S. is Calcutta, with malnourished children collapsing on their way to school.

The reality is quite different. The United States has far more of a problem with obesity than hunger. Nearly 20% of American children between the ages of 2 and 19 are classified as obese. Obesity in the U.S. is inversely correlated with wealth. Poorer communities tend to have higher obesity rates. In fact, the U.S. is one of the few countries in the world where the poor are more likely to be overweight than underfed.

Supporters often cite USDA data claiming that 18% of children face “food insecurity.” But food insecurity is not the same as hunger. It measures uncertainty or irregularity in food access, not actual starvation or skipped meals. Furthermore, the data doesn’t distinguish how many of these children already receive government assistance. In 2023, 30% of U.S. children lived in households receiving aid, and nearly half of food-insecure households were already getting government benefits. So, even an income-based program would result in double-dipping.

Even worse, a blanket, nationwide free lunch program that doesn’t account for income wastes taxpayer money and food. Free school lunches tend to be low quality and awful. Most parents who could afford to would still prefer to pack lunch or pay for better-quality meals, meaning a large percentage of the free lunches would go uneaten.

Moreover, the families that do genuinely need help are largely concentrated in poor neighborhoods and school districts, not spread evenly across the country. These school districts are easy to identify and target with aid. But there’s no reason to offer free lunch to every school district, including in wealthy districts where few or no students are in need.

Republicans are being painted as villains for insisting on means-tested school lunch programs, which is how these programs have run for over a century. Democrats, by contrast, not only oppose income requirements but also object to recent Republican efforts to raise the eligibility threshold for the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) from 25% to 60%. The threshold is based on the Identified Student Percentage (ISP), the share of students directly certified for free meals through programs like SNAP, TANF, or Medicaid, without needing household applications. Raising the threshold would reduce the number of schools automatically eligible to offer free meals to all students.

Democrats argue this change could strip over 12 million students of access to free meals. But that’s the point of the change—to ensure that only those in genuine need receive benefits. It raises the fair question: did all 12 million of those students actually need free lunch in the first place?

Of course, any policy short of blanket, universal coverage is treated as cruelty—and any disagreement with the Democratic agenda gets you labeled a monster. Congresswoman Julia Coleman (R–MN) responded to the accusations, tweeting: “Democrats say I want to ‘defund’ school lunches—that’s false. I fully support free meals for kids who need them. That’s why I authored a bill to limit the program to families making under 500% of the federal poverty level, around $160,000 for a family of four.”

Republicans, it seems, aren’t opposed to feeding children in need. They just don’t want to hand out free lunch to families who can easily afford it. That doesn’t sound unreasonable.

In the end, nothing is stoping local communities from funding free lunch programs at their own schools if they believe it’s important. State governments are also free to cover the cost of school meals—but not at the expense of federal taxpayers.

The post Feeding the Narrative: How School Lunch Became Political Theater appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Screenshot:
FOX 10 Phoenix / Youtube

A Chandler, Arizona courtroom recently witnessed the use of artificial intelligence to resurrect the voice of a deceased man, Christopher Pelkey, during the sentencing of his killer, Gabriel Horcasitas.

Pelkey, shot dead in a 2021 road rage incident, was digitally recreated using AI to deliver a scripted “impact statement” written by his sister, Stacey Wales.

Horcasitas, 50, was sentenced to 10.5 years for manslaughter after shooting Pelkey, 37, when the latter approached his car in a heated confrontation.

“To Gabriel Horcasitas, the man who shot me: it is a shame we encountered each other that day in those circumstances,” according to the AI-generated video, featuring a digitally aged photograph of Pelkey.

“In another life, we probably could have been friends. I believe in forgiveness and God, who forgives. I always have, and still do,” the video said, which moved the judge, who openly praised the AI technology, to hand down a sentence a full year longer than prosecutors requested.

WATCH:



AZ Family reported:

A judge sentenced 50-year-old Gabriel Horcasitas to 10 and a half years in prison last week. He noted the forgiveness expressed in Pelkey’s AI statement during the sentencing.

“I want the world to know Chris existed,” Wales says. “If one person hears his name or sees this footage and goes to his Facebook page or looks him up on YouTube, they will hear Chris’s love.”

Wales herself is not ready to forgive Horcasitas, but when she wrote the script, she says she knew her brother would speak of forgiveness. “He stood for people, and for God, and for love,” she says.

Arizona State professor of law Gary Marchant says the use of AI in general is becoming more common in the courts. “If you look at the facts of this case, I would say that the value of it overweighed the prejudicial effect, but if you look at other cases, you could imagine where they would be very prejudicial,” he says.

Marchant is part of an Arizona Supreme Court committee that is evaluating AI and how it’s used in court.

“We’re trying to address how we should change the rules for AI evidence. The judicial system is moving to try to address this as proactively as possible. The problem, of course, is there are so many different possibilities here, some of which are more acceptable than others. How you draw the line is going to be very difficult, but certainly the courts seem to be moving forward to try to deal with this,” Marchant said.

The post Man Killed in Road Rage Incident Brought Back to Life and Speaks to His Killer in Court via AI-Powered Video appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

For several years now, since President Donald Trump won his first election in 2016, the US government, foreign NGOs, Big Tech, and lawfare attorneys have worked diligently to destroy independent media and social media influencers who helped push President Trump over the finish line in his first historic win.

Hundreds of the original pro-Trump social media accounts did not survive this onslaught of censorship and targeted attacks by social media on their pages.

In 2016, according to studies by Columbia Journalism Review and Harvard University, The Gateway Pundit was listed as the fourth most influential conservative media outlet in America.

Since that time The Gateway Pundit has become the number one target of the media censorship complex.

For more than EIGHT years now government agencies, foreign NGOs, Social Media Giants, and far left groups, have worked to silence, ban, censor, smear, blacklist, and demonetize The Gateway Pundit.

Recenlty, we put together a list of the numerous and unending attacks on The Gateway Pundit by these giants to destroy us and ruin our name.

But The Gateway Pundit is still standing and is one of the fastest-growing media outlets in America today. Thanks to YOU!

Please read through this timeline to see what we have faced from these awful people and organizations who wanted to destroy us.

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Here is the pdf of the research document.

Thanks to George for his work on this.

The post The Gateway Pundit Censorship Report: How the US Government, Foreign NGOs, Big Tech and Lawfare Attorneys Tried to Destroy America’s Leading Independent Media Website and How We Survived appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

The Trump administration is “questioning democratic institutions”, Friedrich Merz charged Feb. 14

The new German government is off to a rocky start as the new Chancellor Friedrich Merz failed to get all his coalition’s votes in the first secret ballot yesterday in the Bundestag (The Gateway Pundit reported). Merz, who is scheduled to talk to President Donald Trump on the phone today, got off on the wrong foot already by criticizing the admninistration’s “absurd statements”.

Christian Democrat Union (CDU) party leader and new German Chancellor Friedrich Merz was been waiting in the wings, ever since Angela Merkel sidelined him 2002, taking over the helm of what used to be the conservative party in Germany and talking it ever further to the left over the next 20 years.

After Merkel left office 2021, many hoped pro-business Blackrock manager Friedrich Merz would chart a path back to a real conservative party for the Christian Democrats, who left the right wing open to the upstart Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which even passed the CDU in the polls, 26% to 24%, two weeks ago over voter disappointment with Merz breaking all his campaign promises in favor of a center-left coalition with the Social Democrats.

Friedrich Merz met with Vice President J.D. Vance’s just before Vance’s historic and courageous pro-freedom speech at the Munich Security Conference February 16, saying they discussed the war in Ukraine, security in Europe, tariffs and, also German political landscape. Merz criticized Vance’s “public lecture on how to deal with populists in our own country, on which we have a very different opinion.”

Merz has vowed not to co-operate with the right-wing AfD party, which is called the “firewall” or cordon sanitaire, tying him into left-wing coalitions for the forseeable future. In his Munich speech, Vance had said “there is no room for firewalls” in a democracy.

“The Americans are questioning their security guarantees (for Europe) and questioning Democratic institutions”, Merz charged, seemingly deliberately misunderstanding J.D. Vance’s pro-democracy speech. “They are interfeing in our elections, which I reject vehemently. It’s none of the American government’s business to tell us how to protect our democracy.”

Merz didn’t seem to understand the conflict with the Trump administration began with EU threats to censor free speech on American internet platforms like Facebook and X. Merz’s coalition government pltaform includes provision to prohibit “false statements” on the internet, which many critics noted would leave Merz himself open to prosecution after breaking nearly all his election promises to his voters on Day One.

“Free speech remains free speech,” Merz told the panel at the Munich Security Conference. “But Fake News, Hate Speech and offenses remain subject to legal restraints and control by independent courts.” Referring to President Trump’s eviction of the Associated Press from a priviliged Oval Office audience, Merz charged that “We would never kick out a news agency out of the Press Room of our Chancellor.”

Ironically, he was speaking at the MSC, which bans the largest opposition party in Germany, the AfD, and disinvited the Crown Prince of Iran Reza Pahlavi on orders from the former German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens).

Ahead of the phone call with US President Donald J. Trump, Merz criticized “absurd statements form the United States,” referring to the recent spat between JD Vance and SecState Marco Rubio with the parting leftist German Government (Gateway Pundit reported).

“Words Can’t Begin to Express the Outrage I Feel at Having the GERMAN Government Lecture the US SecState on the Need to Spy on Political Opposition”

“I always had the feeling  that America can distinguish between extremist parties and parties of the political center. I did not interfere in the American election campaign and take sides unilaterally for one or the other,” Merz stated.

Actually, Merz had no trouble interfering in US elections 2024, calling Donald Trump an “autocrat like Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping” during the presidential campaign.

German politicans went door-to-door in US swing states canvassing for Biden/Harris, as The Gateway Pundit reported.

The post New German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to Try to Make Nice with President Trump in Phone Call Today After Blasting USA for Months appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Credit: Gage Skidmore / Flickr

President Donald Trump has officially kicked off his next historic reshaping of the federal judiciary, announcing the first wave of six powerhouse judicial nominations to fill the current 46 lifetime vacancies on the bench.

During his first term, President Trump transformed the judiciary with 245 federal appointments—including three Supreme Court justices—and now, he’s on track to do it again.

According to the Administrative Office of U.S. Courts, there are currently:

6 vacancies in the U.S. Courts of Appeals
40 vacancies in the U.S. District Courts
15 more vacancies pending as judges have announced their retirement

Here’s a breakdown of Trump’s first six judicial nominees:

Whitney Hermandorfer — 6th Circuit Court of Appeals

Trump called Hermandorfer “a Fighter who will inspire confidence in our Legal System,” noting her experience defending citizens in Tennessee from federal overreach and her roots as a student-athlete at Princeton.

Trump: “I am pleased to announce the nomination of Whitney Hermandorfer to serve as a Judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Whitney has been serving the Great People of Tennessee, in the Attorney General’s Office, where she has strongly litigated in Court to protect Citizens from Federal Government Overreach. A former Co-Captain of the Princeton University Women’s Basketball Team, Whitney is a staunch defender of Girls’ and Women’s Sports. She has a long history of working for Judges and Justices who respect the RULE OF LAW, and protect our Constitution, including Justice Samuel Alito and two fine Supreme Court Justices I appointed in my First Term. Whitney is a Fighter who will inspire confidence in our Legal System. Thank you Whitney!”

Joshua M. Divine — U.S. District Court, Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri

A former Solicitor General of Missouri and Chief Counsel to Senator Josh Hawley, Divine is a former clerk to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, known for his fierce defense of constitutional liberties.

Trump: “It is my honor to nominate Joshua Divine to serve as Judge on the United States District Court for the Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri. Joshua has devoutly served the Great State of Missouri, as the State’s Solicitor General and, previously, as Chief Counsel to Senator Josh Hawley, a true Patriot. A former Clerk to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, Joshua knows what is required to protect the Rule of Law and Constitutional Rights for the Great People of Missouri. We must have Constitutionalist Judges now, more than EVER BEFORE. Congratulations Joshua!”

Zachary Bluestone — U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Missouri

Bluestone, a seasoned violent crimes prosecutor and Appellate Chief at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in St. Louis, has Ivy League credentials and a reputation for tenacity in the courtroom. Trump praised him as “a True Legal Warrior” and “dedicated to Law and Order.”

Trump: “I am proud to announce my nomination of Zachary Bluestone to serve as Judge on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. Zack is a True Legal Warrior. He is currently Appellate Chief and Violent Crimes Prosecutor in the United States Attorney’s Office in St. Louis, and has spent his career putting terrible, violent Criminals behind bars, and defending our Constitution. Zack is a former Deputy Solicitor General, with degrees from Georgetown, Oxford, and Harvard. He is tough, smart, and LOVES our Great Country. I know Zack will be a phenomenal Judge dedicated to Law and Order. Congratulations Zack!”

Maria Lanahan — U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Missouri

Currently Missouri’s Principal Deputy Solicitor General, Lanahan was described by Trump as “a very Smart and Talented Lawyer” with a competitive edge, hailing from Gonzaga and the University of Chicago.

Trump: “I am honored to nominate Maria Lanahan to serve as Judge on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. Maria is a true Patriot, who currently serves as the Principal Deputy Solicitor General in Missouri, handling many High Stakes Cases. Maria has degrees from Gonzaga (where, I am told, she was also an incredible Athlete!), and the University of Chicago, one of the best Law Schools in the World. Maria is a very Smart and Talented Lawyer, and will do GREAT work in this new role. Congratulations Maria!”

Cristian Stevens — U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Missouri

Stevens, already serving as a judge on the Missouri Court of Appeals, brings experience from multiple senior legal posts, including Assistant U.S. Attorney and Deputy Attorney General of Missouri.

Trump: “I am pleased to nominate Cristian Stevens, a Great Patriot, to serve on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. Cristian is currently a Judge on the Missouri Court of Appeals, previously serving as First Assistant Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General of the Criminal Division of the Missouri Attorney General’s Office, and also as Assistant U.S. Attorney in St. Louis, taking on Violent Criminals, and protecting the Rule of Law. Missouri will be very safe with Cristian in the District Court. Thank you Cristian, and congratulations!”

Edward Aloysius O’Connell — Superior Court of the District of Columbia

Known as a “Tough on Crime Prosecutor,” O’Connell spent nearly 20 years prosecuting homicide, gang violence, and narcotics in the nation’s capital.

Trump: “I am proud to nominate Edward Aloysius O’Connell to serve as Associate Judge on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Eddie will help fix Violent Crime in the City by restoring the RULE OF LAW to Washington, D.C. Eddie served for nearly two decades as a Tough on Crime Prosecutor for the Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, where he prosecuted many Horrific Crimes, including Homicides, Domestic Violence, Organized Crime, Narcotics Offenses, and more. D.C. could, and should, be a wonderful place, if political hacks would stop making such terrible decisions. I know Eddie will help make everyone much safer. Congratulations Eddie!”

These six picks are just the beginning. With 46 vacancies to fill and 12 more retirements expected soon, President Trump is set to remake the federal judiciary in his image—bold, unwavering, and rooted in the Constitution—if all goes as planned.

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The beating heart of New York, Times Square, the epicenter of the American dream, was

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